Fast Dinner

CHICKEN BARBEQUE

1 cup lemon juice                                      
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil                                  
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
1/4 cup vinegar                                          
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon dried oregano

Directions

1. In a large glass bowl mix lemon juice, vegetable oil, vinegar, oregano, and garlic powder. Place chicken pieces in the bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil grate.
3. On the prepared grill, cook chicken until no longer pink and juices run clear. Periodically brush chicken with the remaining marinade mixture while cooking. Discard any leftover marinade.

• SPICY YOGURT CHICKEN

• 
• chicken  8 pc(skinless)
• 150 ml  yogurt
•  turmeric powder 1 tsp
• coriander  powder 1 tsp
• garam masala 1 tsp
• chilli powder  1tsp
• black pepper powder  1/2 -  1   tsp

Method

• 1. With a sharp knife, make a few slashes in each pieces. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl, season to taste.  rubbing the mixture well into the meat. cover and chill for 1hr in refridgerator
  2. Remove the chicken  from the marinade, shaking off the excess. Cook them on the barbecue for 20-25 mins, turning occasionally, until cooked through

GARLIC MUSHROOMS ROASTED

• 16 even-sized open cup mushrooms, stalks cut level
• 3 tbsp corn or vegetable oil
• 75g unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped very finely
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme,( ayamothakam/ omam) chopped
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 50g fresh breadcrumbs

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.  Lightly fry the mushrooms, cap-side down, in hot oil for 20 seconds.

Arrange the mushrooms in a shallow roasting tin with the stalks facing upwards.

Mix together the butter, garlic, thyme, lemon juice and seasoning. Spoon a little garlic butter on to each mushroom, then lightly press the breadcrumbs on top. Either refrigerate for later use, or cook immediately in the oven for 10 minutes.

Soya Chunks Pulao (Soya Rice) Recipe

Soya beans needs no introduction as there is no other legume which packs more protein than it does. While there are many ways to gorge onto its proteins, the best one is to use soya chunks which are protein rich, easy to cook and has a great taste neutrality which means it can be combined with any food to make it protein rich without affecting its taste. In this soya bean pulao recipe, nutritious soya granules and rice are sauteed in ghee with fresh vegetables and spices and then cooked like a normal pulao making it a well balanced meal in itself.

Preparation Time:  15 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Long Grained Rice (basmati rice)

1/2 cup Soya Chunks (dried)

1/4 cup finely chopped Carrots

1/4 cup Green Peas (fresh or frozen)

1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1 small piece of Bay Leaf

2-3 Black Peppercorns

1 small piece of Cinnamon Stick

2-3 Cloves

1 medium Onion, thinly sliced

1 Green Chilli, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder, optional

1¼ cups Water

Salt

1 tablespoons Oil or Ghee

2 tablespoons finely chopped Coriander Leaves, for garnishing

Directions:

1. Rinse and soak rice in water for 15-20 minutes.
2. Rinse and soak soya chunks in hot water for 15-minutes.
3. After 15-minutes, chunks will increase to almost double in size. Drain excess water and again rinse them 2-3 times in water to remove raw smell.
4. Heat oil or ghee in a non-stick pan (with lid) over medium flame. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, black peppercorns, cinnamon and cloves and allow cumin seeds to sizzle. Add sliced onion and green chilli and sauté until onion turns transparent.
5. Add chopped carrot and green peas and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
6. Drain the excess water from soaked rice and add them in the pan. Add drained soya chunks and turmeric powder. Mix everything well and sauté for couple of minutes over medium flame.
7. Add 1¼ cups water and salt to taste; bring it to boil over medium flame.
8. When it starts to boil, reduce flame to low and cook covered (cover pan with a lid) for about 10-minutes. Do not open the lid in between as steam will escape and rice will not cook properly and become sticky.
9. After 10-minutes, turn off flame and keep it over hot stove-top for at least 7-8 minutes. Now, remove the lid and fluff the cooked rice with fork.
10. Soya bean pulao with vegetables is ready. Transfer it into a serving bowl and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Tips and Variations:

• You can also cook pulao in a pressure cooker instead of cooking in a pan. Follow the same method, same amount of ingredients and cook in a 3-liter capacity aluminum/steel pressure cooker for 3-whistles over medium flame.
• Do not add turmeric powder if you want to make a white colored soya rice.
• If you are preparing this recipe for kids then do not add green chilli and black peppercorns. Give this in your kid’s lunchbox as a stomach filing and healthy dish.

Taste:  Mild spicy

Serving Ideas:  Serve it with cucumber raita or plain yogurt or as an alternative of steamed rice with meal.

Vegetable Pulao Recipe 

Vegetable Pulao (Veg Pulav) is a spicy rice dish prepared by cooking rice with various vegetables and spices. In this recipe, assortment of spices, veggies and rice are first sautéed in oil and ghee and then cooked in pressure cooker as you would cook plain rice. However, the uniqueness of this easy mixed vegetable pulao recipe lies in use of bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves which provides nice and complex 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Basmati Rice (long grained rice)

1 medium Onion, finely chopped

1 small Tomato, finely chopped

1/4 cup Green Peas (mutter), fresh or frozen

3 tablespoons finely chopped French Beans

1/4 cup finely chopped Carrot

1 small piece of Bay Leaf

1-inch piece of Cinnamon

2 Cloves

1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder

1/8 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

2 tablespoons finely chopped Coriander Leaves

2 tablespoons Oil

1 teaspoon Ghee

1 cup Water

Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Wash rice and soak it in water for 15-20 minutes. Drain and keep aside until needed.
2. Heat ghee and oil together in a pressure cooker (2-liter capacity, stainless steel cooker) on low flame. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, clove, and sauté for 30 seconds. Add onion and sauté until it turns light brown or for approx. 2 minutes.
3. Add chopped tomato, green peas, french beans and carrot.
4. Stir-fry them for approx. 2 minutes.
5. Add soaked (drained) rice, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt.
6. Stir-fry them for approx. 2 minutes.
7. Add 1 cup water and mix well.
8. Close the lid and cook over medium flame for 2 whistles. When 1st whistle is completed, reduce the flame to low and cook until another whistle. Turn off flame.
9. Let it cool at room temperature until pressure inside cooker comes down naturally. Open the lid carefully and fluff the rice wit a fork.
10. Transfer it to a serving bowl and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Tips and Variations:

• We have used 2 liter capacity stainless steel cooker in this recipe. However, you can use larger size of cooker as well but you need to determine how many whistles and what flame intensity will be required to cook it properly. If you are using pressure cooker made of aluminum then cook it for 2 whistles on medium flame.
• You can prepare it in large quantity in larger pressure cooker. Just use rice and water in 1:2 ratios. i.e. for every one cup rice two cups water should be added.
• You can also prepare equally delicious mixed vegetable rice pulao in a pan with a lid. Use same amount of ingredients as mentioned in this recipe, cover pan with a lid and cook it on low flame for 8-10 minutes. Do not open the lid in between while cooking. After turning off the flame, open the lid after 7-8 minutes. However, cooking in a pan may require more water as steam will escape easily, hence add 1/4 cup more water for given recipe.

Aloo Paratha Recipe

Aloo Paratha is a delicious shallow fried Indian stuffed bread popular among all generations of people across length and breadth of India. Contrary to popular belief, Punjabi aloo paratha can be easily prepared at home as this recipe uses ingredients that are found in every Indian kitchen. Plus, the detailed instructions with step by step photos will make it a breeze to cook like an expert.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 2 servings (6 paratha)

Ingredients:

1 cup + 1/2 cup Wheat Flour

2 medium Potatoes, boiled and peeled

4 tablespoons finely chopped Coriander Leaves

1 teaspoon Lemon Juice

1 teaspoon Sugar

2 Green Chilli, finely chopped

1 teaspoon Garam Masala

1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

1 teaspoon grated Ginger

Butter

2 tablespoons Oil

Salt

Water

Directions:

1. First prepare dough by taking 1 cup wheat flour, 1 teaspoon oil and salt in a small bowl. Incrementally add water in small quantities and knead smooth and soft dough (like chapati dough). Grease its surface with 1/2 teaspoon oil, cover it with clean muslin cloth and set aside for 15-20 minutes to settle at room temperature.
2. Now, prepare alu paratha stuffing by mixing mashed potatoes, chopped green chillies, red chilli powder, grated ginger, garam masala, sugar, lemon juice and salt in small/medium size bowl. Mix all ingredients properly.
3. Divide stuffing into 6 equal parts and give them a shape of ball. Divide prepared dough into 6 equal parts, give them a round shape and press a little to flatten like pattie.
4. Take one dough pattie and coat it with dry wheat flour on both sides. (It will prevent dough from sticking to rolling board). Put it on rolling board/roti making board (chakla) and roll it out into a circle of approx. 4-5 inch diameter using rolling pin. Put one portion of stuffing in the centre of it.
5. Wrap stuffing ball by lifting all sides of rolled circle towards top, seal the edges and again give it a round ball shape.
6. Gently press stuffed ball on rolling board and dust some dry flour over it.
7. Roll it out into circle of 6-7 inch diameter (like roti or chapati). Do not make it very thin by pressing it too much.
8. Place it on a hot tava/griddle and cook over medium flame. When tiny bubbles starts to rise on the surface, flip it and reduce flame to low.
9. Spread 1/2 teaspoon oil around its edge with the help of spatula and cook for approx 30-40 seconds.
10. Flip it again and spread 1/2 teaspoon oil around its edge. Press it with spatula and cook for 30-40 seconds over medium flame. Repeat flip and press process until golden brown spots appear on both sides of paratha. (No need to spread oil after doing it once in previous steps).
11. Transfer it to a plate and spread butter on it. Prepare remaining aloo parathas by following same process. Serve it with tomato raita and pickle.

Tips and Variations:

• Knead very smooth dough to roll them out easily. Use milk instead of water to knead dough for softer outer layer.
• Mash potatoes properly and weed out chunks, if any. This will help rolling them out smoothly.
• Avoid green chilli if you are preparing it for kids.
• Add mint leaves or crushed ginger-garlic in stuffing for spicier taste.
• Based on type of tawa/griddle you are using, you might have to adjust heat intensity while shallow frying.

Oats Upma Recipe

Oats are known for their health benefits because of its dietary fibers, iron and cholesterol reducing agents. Oats upma is a fusion of western and Indian ingredients, which combines all health benefits of oats, fresh vegetables and Indian spices. This south Indian recipe of upma prepares a healthy dish that is suitable to be served to kids as well as heart and diabetic patients.

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup Rolled Oats

1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1 teaspoon Chana Dal (optional)

2 sprigs Curry Leaves

1 medium Onion, finely chopped

1 Green Chilli, chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped Carrot

1/4 cup finely chopped Capsicum

1 Tomato, finely chopped

5-6 fried Cashew Nuts (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped Coriander Leaves

Salt

2 tablespoons Cooking Oil or Ghee (clarified butter)

2 cups Hot Water

Directions:

1. Roast oats in a pan or kadai until they change from white to light brown. Transfer them in a plate and keep aside.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a same kadai or pan. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When seeds begin to pop, add chana dal and curry leaves. Sauté until dal turns light brown for approx. 1 minute. Add chopped onion and chopped green chillies, sauté until onion becomes translucent.
3. Add chopped carrot, chopped capsicum and chopped tomatoes, sprinkle salt over it and cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add and mix roasted oats and cook for a minute.
5. Add 2 cups hot water and stir for a minute.
6. When it starts to boil, cover with a lid and cook over medium flame.
7. Cook until water is absorbed and oats are cooked thoroughly for approx. 7-8 minutes.
8. Add chopped coriander leaves and cashew nuts and mix well.
9. Turn off flame and transfer healthy oats upma to a serving bowl.

Tips and Variations:

• If you are using steel cut oats, then add 2½-3 cups water because they take more time to cook.
• You can add vegetables like beans, green peas etc. to make it even healthier.
• If you are preparing it for heart patient, use very little amount of oil or ghee and use cholesterol free butter.

Taste: Salty and mild spicy taste of spices, vegetables and oats.

Serving Ideas: Serve this healthy upma with tea in the morning for breakfast or as afternoon snack. It is a perfect healthy snack that can be packed in kid’s lunch box.

Semiya Upma Recipe 

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup Vermicelli (semiya) (thin or thick)

1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

1/2 teaspoon Uzhunnu parippu/ Urad Dal (optional)

1-2 sprigs Curry Leaves

1 large Onion, finely chopped

2-3 Green Chillies, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon grated Ginger

4 tablespoons Carrot, finely chopped

4 tablespoons Fresh or Frozen Green Peas

1 large Tomato, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped Coriander Leaves

Salt

2 tablespoons Cooking Oil or Ghee (Clarified Butter)

1¾ cups + 2 tablespoons hot Water

Directions:

1. Roast vermicelli in a kadai on medium flame until it turns light brown. Cooking time may be varying according to size and thickness of your kadai. Keep stirring continuously. When done, keep roasted vermicelli aside to cool.
2. Heat oil or ghee according to your choice in same kadai. Add mustard seeds and allow them to sputter. Add chana dal, urad dal and curry leaves, cook until dals become light brown. Add sliced onion, grated ginger and slit green chillies. Sauté until onion becomes translucent.
3. Add chopped carrot, green peas, chopped tomatoes and turmeric powder. Sprinkle salt over it and mix well.
4. Pour 2-tablespoons water and cook covered on low flame until vegetables become soft for around 3-4 minutes.
5. Add 1¾ cups hot water and let it boil for a minute.
6. Add roasted vermicelli.
7. Mix well and cover it with a lid.
8. Cook until water is absorbed for around 5-7 minutes. Stir in between occasionally to prevent sticking.
9. Turn off flame and transfer semiya upma to a serving bowl. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Taste: Salty, soft and mild spicy

Serving Ideas: Serve it with tea in the morning for breakfast. You can also eat vermicelli upma for a light dinner.

Egg Fried Rice

Ingredients

• To prepare rice :
• 2 cup Basmati rice
• 1 Vegetable stock cube dissolved in 4 cup hot water
• 3 tbsp Sunflower oil
• 1/4 tbsp Ginger, Garlic & 1 green Chilli grind together to fine paste
• Salt to taste
• Items to sauté :
• 2 tbsp Sunflower oil
• 1/4 tbsp Ginger, Garlic & 1 green Chilli grind together to fine paste
• 2 Carrots finely chopped
• 20 Beans finely chopped
• 1 Capsicum finely chopped
• 3 Eggs scrambled with salt for taste & 2 pinch Turmeric powder
• 3 tbsp dark Soya sauce
• 1 tbsp Chilli sauce
• Salt for taste

Method

Step 1

First clean the rice, drain water and allow to dry for 15 minutes.

Step 2

By the time the rice gets dried, keep 4 cups of water on flame to boil. In this water dissolve the vegetable stock.

Step 3

Meanwhile, chop the vegetables also.

Step 4

In a thick bottomed pot, pour 3 tbsp oil and fry the rice for 2 minutes. Then add boiled water with vegetable stock to the rice. Reduce the flame and allow the rice to cook.

Step 5

By the time the rice gets cooked, place a pan and make the scrambled egg first and keep aside.

Step 6

In the same pan sauté beans first in oil because beans need a little more cooking time than other vegetables.

Step 7

Once beans is cooked add ginger-garlic-green chilli mix followed by carrots and capsicum. Cook all vegetables together for 2 minutes.

Step 8

Meanwhile check if the rice is cooked. If water is fully evaporated and the rice is cooked stir the rice once and switch of the flame.

Step 9

After 2 minutes, to the cooked vegetables add soya sauce and chilli sauce and mix well.

Step 10

Then add scrambled egg to the vegetable mix and adjust the salt by adding some more salt if required.

Step 11

Add this vegetable mix to the cooked rice and mix well. Keep aside for 5 minutes. Now yummy, tasty and healthy egg fried rice is ready to serve.

Spicy chicken Pizza recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Snack
Prep Time: 1 Hr dough resting time    |  Cook time: 20 mins    |  Makes: 1 large pizza

Ingredients

All purpose flour/ Maida	1 & 1/2 cup
active dry yeast – 1 tbsp
Milk	1/4 cup
Water	1/4 cup (approx.)
Olive oil	1/8 cup
Salt	3/4 tsp
Sugar	1 & 1/2 tsp

For topping

                                             .2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves.

[ chicken cut in to cubes . marinate with salt(as needed), red chilly powder/ pepper powder (1/4 tsp) , garlic ( 1 clove minced) add olive oil (4 tbsp).   keep in refridgerator for  30 min, then saute the chicken to just brown all the sides]

 Cool, then either shred or chop into small pieces

Pizza cheese/ Mozzarella, grated	3/4 cup
Onion, tomato, capsicum(red/ green), black olives and ,	As needed, chopped
Red ripe chilli (Cayenne pepper)	1
Pasta sauce/ homemade pizza sause	3 tblsp

Method

1. Take a  bowl and add 1/4 cup of just warm water. dissolve your dry yeast in it.then add 2 tbspn of flour. mix well and keep aside for 10-15 min
2. In a bowl, mix flour, salt .
3. Add sugar , milk. and olive oil to the flour and mix. add yeast mixture
   
   
4. Make a smooth dough. Knead for 5 minutes. Keep aside covered with a wetted towel. Preferably in a warm place. I keep inside the oven with oven light ON. After an hour or 1 & 1/2 hour, the dough would have doubled and risen.
5. punching the dough and remove the air bubbles out. then let it ferment for one more  time. keep in the same place  by covering with same cloth. for  1/2 hr
7. Preheat the oven to 200 deg.C . Get the toppings ready. Knead again the dough smoothly and in a well floured surface, roll out into thick pizza (dust the surface generously if sticky). Just make the sides like a rim. Transfer this to a well greased and sprinkled with some flour pizza pan.
8. 
   
9. 
10. Spread pasta sauce inside the rim and spread some half of the grated cheese, I used mixed cheese.
    
    
    
    
11. Arrange the toppings as desired in pattern or just toss the toppings here and there and cover with the remaining grated cheese.
    
12. Bake for 14 - 15 minutes in a preheated oven until the cheese melts and pizza turns golden in colour. The pizza should move freely in the pan, with which you can check if its cooked perfectly.
    

Notes

• Do not skip sugar.
• You can use 50 50 wheat flour and all purpose flour too.
• Water quantity is approximate and just use it as only a guidance and adjust accordingly.
• The dough should be soft and pliable and not stiff to get a soft pizza.
• Feel free to use your own toppings.
• More cheese = more tasty, but do not overload, otherwise, centre of the pizza will be looking white and gooey.
• Do not roll too thick, remember, the dough will rise a bit while baking too.

Spicy veggie Pizza recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Snack
Prep Time: 1 Hr dough resting time    |  Cook time: 20 mins    |  Makes: 1 large pizza

Ingredients

All purpose flour/ Maida	1 & 1/2 cup
active dry yeast – 1 tbsp
Milk	1/4 cup
Water	1/4 cup (approx.)
Olive oil	1/8 cup
Salt	3/4 tsp
Sugar	1 & 1/2 tsp

For topping

Pizza cheese/ Mozzarella, grated	3/4 cup
Onion, tomato, capsicum(red/ green), black olives and zucchini,	As needed, chopped
Red ripe chilli (Cayenne pepper)	1
Pasta sauce/ homemade pizza sause	3 tblsp

Method

1. Take a  bowl and add 1/4 cup of just warm water. dissolve your dry yeast in it.then add 2 tbspn of flour. mix well and keep aside for 10-15 min
2. In a bowl, mix flour, salt .
3. Add sugar , milk. and olive oil to the flour and mix. add yeast mixture
   
   
4. Make a smooth dough. Knead for 5 minutes. Keep aside covered with a wetted towel. Preferably in a warm place. I keep inside the oven with oven light ON. After an hour or 1 & 1/2 hour, the dough would have doubled and risen.
5. punching the dough and remove the air bubbles out. then let it ferment for one more  time. keep in the same place  by covering with same cloth. for  1/2 hr
7. Preheat the oven to 200 deg.C . Get the toppings ready. Knead again the dough smoothly and in a well floured surface, roll out into thick pizza (dust the surface generously if sticky). Just make the sides like a rim. Transfer this to a well greased and sprinkled with some flour pizza pan.
8. 
   
9. 
10. Spread pasta sauce inside the rim and spread some half of the grated cheese, I used mixed cheese.
    
    
    
    
11. Arrange the toppings as desired in pattern or just toss the toppings here and there and cover with the remaining grated cheese.
    
12. Bake for 14 - 15 minutes in a preheated oven until the cheese melts and pizza turns golden in colour. The pizza should move freely in the pan, with which you can check if its cooked perfectly.
    

Notes

• Do not skip sugar.
• You can use 50 50 wheat flour and all purpose flour too.
• Water quantity is approximate and just use it as only a guidance and adjust accordingly.
• The dough should be soft and pliable and not stiff to get a soft pizza.
• Feel free to use your own toppings.
• More cheese = more tasty, but do not overload, otherwise, centre of the pizza will be looking white and gooey.
• Do not roll too thick, remember, the dough will rise a bit while baking too.