Mixed Seafood Soup

What else can be better than a bowl of light seafood soup. This light soup is a little spicy but it is not harmful. So I generally prefer this seafood soup over any other heavy ones. 

Ingredients :

1. Fish fillet- 1
2. Small prawn- 1/2 cup
3. Mushroom- 5
4. Carrot- 2
5. Garlic- 2 cloves
6. Whole black pepper- 1/2 tsp
7. Salt to taste
8. Bay leaf- 1
9. Clove- 3
10. Black cardamom- 1
11. Chicken- 1 medium piece
12. Worcestershire sauce- 1 tsp
13. Oyster sauce- 1/2 tsp
14. Cayenne pepper- 1/2 tsp
15. Fish masala powder- 1/2 tsp
16. Black pepper powder- 1/4 tsp
17. Butter- 1 tbs


Procedure:

 First make the chicken stock. In a pan add 1 tbs oil and bay leaf, cardamom , clove , whole pepper, chicken, carrot and fry for a minute or two. then add 2 glass of water , some salt and cover the pan and cook over medium flame for 15 minutes to make the chicken stock.

In a stock pan add the butter , cayenne pepper , sauces and chopped garlic. Heat over medium flame. Then add the chicken stock (remove the chicken piece) and the prawn , fish and mushrooms. Add some more water and salt to taste. Add the remaining masalas and cover the pan and cook over medium flame for 5 to 8 minutes until the mushrooms are done.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

A healthy soup recipe for everyone. It is not too heavy though it uses cream. Tastes good when served hot. 

Ingredients :

1. Mushroom- 10
2. Salt to taste
3. Butter- 2 tbs
4. Pepper powder- 1/4 tsp
5. Worcestershire sauce- 1 tbs
6. Home made stock- 2 cups
7. Sour cream- 1 cup
8. All purpose flour/cornflour- 1 tbs
9. Garlic- 2 cloves

Procedure :

Wash and chop the mushrooms. In a deep bottom pan add the butter and the chopped mushrooms. Fry the mushrooms until they leave water. Cover and cook for 2 minutes until the water evaporates. Now add the flour and mix well. I used all purpose flour but you can also use cornflour. This is done to give a certain thick consistency to the soup. Pour the home made stock and cover the pan and cook over medium flame. Add the garlic too.

Now for the stock , I have used chicken , carrot , bay leaf , cinnamon , clove , salt , black cardamom and whole black pepper. In a cooker add some oil and fry all these ingredients together then add 2 glass of water. Cover the cooker and cook it for 15 minutes on medium flame. A nice aromatic stock is ready to use!!

When the stock starts to thicken up , add the cream and mix well. Sprinkle pepper powder , sauce and salt to taste. Cover and cook until the soup reaches its desired consistency. Here I would suggest to use a little less salt before so that when the soup thickens up , it does not turn out to be too salty. Turn off the heat and let the soup cool down a bit. Then blend the whole soup into a smooth puree. Boil once again before serving.

Strawberry Roulade

 This is the first time I tried my hands on roulade recipes. And what else can I make apart from the famous Strawberry Roulade!! The mild sweetness of this roulade impressed us a lot as we both are not that big fan of sweets. If you prefer extra sweetness, you can change the sugar quantity according to your taste.

Ingredients :

1. Egg- 6
2. All purpose flour- 100 gm
3. Confectioner sugar- 200 gm
4. Whipped cream- 200 gm
5. Strawberry- 1 cup

Procedure :

In a bowl take the egg whites. Now while separating egg whites from the yolk be extra careful. If you mix up the yolk with the egg white , the beaten egg white will never be stiff enough. Beat the egg whites until they turn fluffy and stiff. Keep it aside. In a separate bowl take the egg yolks and mix well. Add the sugar and beat until the color turns pale and the mixture becomes fluffy. Fold in the flour. Do not over mix it. Pre heat the oven at 350 F. Prepare the baking pan. You can spray some cooking oil and dust a little flour in the pan or you can use a baking sheet. Fold in the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Mix well and pour the batter in the baking pan and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the surface turns light brown. Test with a toothpick if its done or not. Take out and roll it softly. Do not put much pressure. I rolled it while it was warm so that it does not break. Keep it rolled for 5 to 7 minutes.

 Meanwhile, beat the cream and add some more sugar if needed ( I added 3 tbs sugar). Take half of the strawberries and puree them. Cut the remaining strawberries into pieces. Now open the roll. Spread the strawberry puree and then the cream and on top place the strawberry pieces. Roll it again and hold it with the help of toothpick. Place it in refrigerator for 2 hours and then cut the roulade into pieces and serve.

Baked Vegetable

This baked vegetable recipe is a bit spicy and tadkedar. You can always mix and match different spices for this baked vegetable recipe. And that is the best part of it. 

Ingredients :

1. Potato (small)- 3
2. Red bell pepper- 1
3. Mushroom- 6
4. Salt to taste
5. Lemon- 1
6. Black pepper powder- 1 tsp
7. Red paprika- 3/4 tsp
8. Dry oregano- 1/2 tsp
9. White sesame seed- 1/2 tsp
10. Olive oil


Procedure:

Wash the potatoes thoroughly and slice them. Do not peel the skin. Make long and semi thick slices of the potatoes and prick them well. Cut the bell pepper in medium chunks. Remove the stem part. Cut the mushrooms in thin slices. Now in a bowl add all the vegetables , 1 tbs oil , salt , pepper , paprika , oregano and sesame seeds. Mix well. Cut the lemon into half and sprinkle the lemon juice on top of the vegetables. Mix again and keep aside for 5 to 10 minutes. In a baking pan apply olive oil properly and place the potatoes in rows keeping the skin side down. Keep equal gaps between each potato slice. Place the mushroom and bell pepper too. Pre heat the oven at 400 F. Bake the vegetables for 35 minutes or until the potato is done. After every 10 minutes mix the vegetables well. When the vegetables are done, take them out and sprinkle the remaining lemon juice and serve hot.

Mayo Chicken

A creamy chicken recipe where mayonnaise is used as the base of the recipe. The aroma and taste of hot curry powder adds an extra edge to it.

Ingredients :

1. Chicken (boneless)- 2 breast piece
2. Salt to taste
3. Olive oil- 2 large tbs
4.Onion (chopped)- 2 tbs
5. Garlic (minced)- 2 tsp
6. Hot curry powder- 1 tsp
7. Mayonnaise- 4 large tbs
8. Honey- 1 tbs
9. Oregano (dried)- 1/2 tsp
10. Black pepper powder- 3/4 tsp
11. Ginger (minced)- 1/4 tsp
12. Grapes- 1/2 cup

Procedure: 

Cut the chicken breasts into medium size pieces. In a pan heat the oil and add the onion, garlic , ginger and fry until onion turns out translucent. Add the chicken pieces and the hot curry powder. Sprinkle salt according to your taste and fry the chicken from all sides. When the chicken is done and is brown, turn off the heat and let it cool down. In a bowl mix mayonnaise , honey, oregano and pepper. Add salt if needed. Add the chicken mixture to it and mix well. Serve it hot with rice and some chopped grapes. I mixed the grapes in the leftover oil which I had used to fry the chicken.

I got this recipe from a book called "Mmm chicken" by Love Food and made some changes to the recipe as every ingredient was not there in my pantry.

Stuffed Chicken Breast with Purée De Tomates

How many of you have experienced this: you thought to cook something and what you cooked at the end was totally different? I guess many of us have done it thousands of time. I do it very frequently :P..... Though I am glad that whatever be the end product, it turns out to be good.....phew....all those hard work in the kitchen do pay off then :)........

The recipe today I am going to share with you is one of those many out of the box recipe.....Stuffed chicken breast with purée de tomates.

Ingredients :

Chicken:

1. Chicken breast- 2
2. Salt to taste
3. Black pepper powder- 1 tsp
4. Olive oil- 1 tsp
5. Rice (cooked)- 3/4 cup
6. Cheese- 1 tbs
7. Sweet corn- 1 tbs
8. Onion (finely chopped)- 1 tbs
9. Vinegar- 1 tsp
10. Red capsicum- 1


Procedure :

Wrap the chicken breasts in cling film separately. Now beat them with the rolling pin for a while. Do not beat too hard or else your chicken breast will be damaged. This is done to flatten the chicken breast to around 1/4" thickness. Now season the breasts with salt and black pepper powder for a while. Keep them aside. Heat 1 tbs oil in a pan and add chopped onion. When they turn translucent , add the sweet corn and fry for 2 minutes. Season with salt , vinegar and pepper. Turn off the heat. Add the shredded cheese and 2 tbs of the cooked rice. Mix well. Now put one tbs of this mixture at one side of the chicken breast and roll it slowly and tightly. Wrap the chicken breast well and place some toothpick to hold the wrapped chicken. Pre heat the oven at 400 degree F. Place the chicken breasts in a baking pan and drizzle some olive oil over them. Bake the chicken for 35 minutes and check whether it is done or not. Take them out and keep aside.

Tomato puree :

1. Green tomato- 3
2. Oregano- 1/2 tsp
3. Red paprika- 1/2 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Black pepper powder- 1/4 tsp

Procedure :

In the same baking pan where the chicken breasts were baked, put the tomatoes. In a bowl add the cubed bell pepper with some salt , pepper and olive oil. Mix well and place the bell papaer cubes in the same baking pan. Now bake them at 400 degree F for 15 minutes. Take them out. Keep the bell peppers in a separate bowl. Take the tomatoes out and mash them well. Add the oregano , salt , paprika and pepper and mix well. Your sour green tomato puree is ready!!

Serve the breast piece with some baked red bell pepper and the tomato puree.


All rights reserved on photographs and written content © 2012  A Girl's Diary

Baked Soy Chicken With Peanut Chutney

A simple baked chicken kebab with an extra spicy peanut chutney!! A terrific combination.

Ingredients :

1. Boneless chicken- 250 gm
2. Corn flour- 1 large tbs
3. Soy sauce- 2 tbs
4. Salt to taste
5. Garlic- 3 cloves
6. Ginger (minced)- 1/2 tsp
7. Black pepper powder- 1/2 tsp

Procedure :

Cut the chicken into medium pieces and keep aside. In a mixing bowl add the cornflour , soy , minced garlic and minced ginger , pepper. Mix well. Cornflour tends to stick to one place , so you have to be very quick to mix the ingredients evenly. I have used freshly minced garlic and ginger , it gives a nice aroma as well as a nice taste to the chicken. One can also use ginger-garlic paste. Mix the chicken in this mixture and marinate the chicken overnight. Cover the bowl with a cling film. I did not add the salt while marinating the chicken. 

Take out the chicken at least two hours before baking. Add salt and mix well. Now pre heat the oven to 350 degree F. I brushed a little oil on the chicken pieces. Place the chicken pieces in the skewers and place the skewers in the oven. Cook the chicken for 30 minutes. Turn it in the middle of baking. 

After 30 minutes , check whether chicken is done or not. To do so, prick the chicken with a sharp knife and see if any pink liquid flows out or not. If not , then the chicken is done. Now to get a nice crispiness , I baked the chicken for another 10 minutes at 400 degree F. 

Peanut chutney :

Ingredient :

1. Raw peanut- 100 gm
2. Onion (chopped)- 2 large tbs
3. Red chilly powder- 1/2 tbs
4. Garlic- 1 clove
5. Red paprika- 1/2 tsp
6. Salt to taste
7. Green chilly- 2
8. Chaat masala- 1/2 tsp
9. Water

Procedure :

In a pan roast the raw peanuts properly. Then remove the skin of the peanut. To do so , just rub the little warm peanuts between your palms. Now in a pan heat 1 tbs oil and fry the chopped onion , garlic. Cool down the mixture. Add all the ingredients in a mixing jar and blend together. Add water as required to make a smooth paste.

Serve this spicy peanut chutney with the chicken kebabs.

Sending this to Priya's event Dip in.

Ukha soup ( A Light Fish Soup)

Ukha soup is a light fish soup. It is very healthy and refreshing. This soup can be prepared with any of your choice of vegetable. I have used my own ingredients in such a way that it gives a nice twist of flavor to my soup. And this is my desi Ukha soup.

Ingredients :

1. Fish fillet- 3
2. Onion- 1
3. Salt to taste
4. Black pepper powder- 3/4 tsp
5. Olive oil- 1 tsp
6. Bay leaf- 2
7. Spring onion- 2 large tbs
8. Carrot- 1
9. Garlic clove- 3
10. Clove- 2
11. Cinnamon- 1
12. Potato- 1
13. Sweet corn- 2 tbs
14. Vinegar- 1 tbs

Procedure :

First heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and add cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf. Let them fry until the bay leaf leaves a nice aroma. Add one fish fillet to the oil and fry for a few seconds. Add 2 cups of water and the chopped garlic, sweet corn, spring onion, carrot. Break the fish fillet that has already been added. Peel the onion and prick it with a fork and add it to the pan. Add salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook it on high till the water starts boiling. Add the potatoes and cover again. Cook until the potatoes are done. Add 1 tbs vinegar and adjust salt level. Add the remaining fish fillets and cook the pan covered for 3 to 4 minutes.Do not over cook the fish.

When it is done, take the soup in a bowl. Throw away the bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon and onion. Place one slice of lemon on top of it. and sprinkle some more pepper powder.

Sending it to the event Soup it up hosted by Nupur and originally started by Kalyani.

Basil Sausage fry

Time has changed. Its 10:30 in the morning here, and back there in India its around 10 at night. I guess my blogging timing has not changed yet. Hubby is off to work, there is a lot of stuff that I have to do right now, but I am not feeling like to do anything. Being a little lazy. After a long time I got some time to spend on my blog. The blog , which is a part of my happiness. When I look back, I can see how I used to be so excited everyday when I used to get any word of appreciation from my fellow bloggers. It was a regular thing to show all of them to my hubby and get more appreciations from him :) ....so now when I can't be that much active in the blog for a while, I feel there is something missing in my daily chores.

So today's special menu is Basil sausage fry. For this recipe use fresh basil leaves and you will see the wonder in the recipe. For vegetarians I would suggest try it with paneer cubes and make the paneer cubes a little large. I am sure you will love it.

Ingredients:

1. Basil leaf- 15
2. Salt to taste
3. Chicken sausages- 5 to 6
4. Dark soy sauce- 1 tbs
5. Black pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
6. Coriander leaf- 5 to 6
7. Olive oil- 2 tbs
8. Tomato ketchup- 1 tsp
9. Mayonnaise- 1 tbs
10. Oil to fry

Procedure:

First prick the sausages with a fork and keep them aside. In a large mixing bowl add salt, soy, pepper and olive oil. Mix it well. Make a paste of basil leaves and the coriander leaves together. It should not be a fine paste. Just a rough grinding will do. Now add this paste to the mixing bowl and the chicken sausages. Mix them well and keep in the refrigerator for a day. This will help the sausages to absorb the marinade.

Now heat oil in a flat surface non stick  pan. Since we have already added oil to the marinade, you can either skip adding more oil to the pan or can add a little at the beginning. When the oil is hot, add the sausages and pour the marinade over them. Fry them in medium flame so that the sausages turn brown quickly. Then reduce the flame to low and keep frying each side of the sausages. Sometimes the basil leaves will stick to the bottom of the pan and can cause a burning smell, don't worry and fry your sausages properly. It will take around 5 to 7 minutes. 

When done, place the sausages in a plate and serve with a dip of mayonnaise and ketchup. Enjoy the freshness of the basil and the tender sausages.

Do participate in the ongoing event Bake with your heart.

Tomato - Carrot Soup

How many of you like tomato soup?? I guess lots of people love it. Soup in itself is a healthy option. This soup has one more plus point. It has carrot as an ingredient too. A nice blend of carrot and tomato in a soup....is not that exciting? 

Ingredients :

1. Tomato- 2

2. Onion- 1 small
3. Carrot- 1
4. Salt to taste
5. Black pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
6. Cream- 1 tbs
7. Spring onion (chopped)- 2 tbs
8. Olive oil- 1 tbs
9. Mushroom soy sauce- 1 tsp
10. Vinegar- 1 tbs



Procedure :

Chop the onion , tomato and carrot in small pieces. Now heat oil in a non stick pan and add onion. Fry it until the onion turns translucent. Add the carrot and cover the pan. Cook it over low flame for 2 minutes. After that add  chopped spring onion , soy , vinegar , black pepper and mix well. Add the chopped tomatoes and cover the pan. Cook until the tomatoes leave their water. Then add 1 cup water and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Adjust the salt level. Turn off the heat. 

Now let the tomato mixture cool down to room temperature. Blend it in a smooth paste. Before serving , mix the cream.

Participate in the ongoing event My Diwali My Way and only one day left for What's on your kebab platter (and to win a giveaway).

Chickpeas Kebab with Mayonnaise Dip

I have tried so many kebabs , but this one was one of the bests I have made so far.The texture , the taste and the aroma , everything was lajawab :).....and the best part was the protein component of the main ingredient chickpeas , which just can't be ignored.

Ingredients :

1. Chickpeas- 1 1/2 cup
2. Onion- 1/2 of a large one
3. Garlic- 7 to 8 cloves
4. Green chilly- 3
5. Ginger paste- 1 tsp
6. Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
7. Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp
8. Black pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
9. Cinnamon powder- 1/2 tsp
10. Hing- 1/4 tsp
11. Salt to taste
12. Bread crumb- 3/4 cup
13. Maida- 3 tbs
14. Olive oil


Procedure :

Soak the chickpeas in water for 4 to 5 hours and then drain the water. Grind them in a blender into a smooth paste. If needed , add a little water while grinding. Now finely chop onion , green chilly and garlic. Heat 1 tbs oil in a non stick pan and add cumin seeds. When they start spluttering , add onion , chilly and garlic. Fry them until the onion turns translucent. Add the ginger paste , pepper , cinnamon , cumin powder and hing. Mix well and cook until you get a nice aroma of the cinnamon powder. Add the chickpeas paste to the pan and mix well. Season it with salt and keep frying the mixture over low flame until it changes its color and turn a little dark in color. Turn off the heat. In a bowl mix the maida , chickpeas mixture , bread crumb and 1 tbs olive oil. Knead them well and prepare small patties from the mixture. Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a flat surface pan and when oil is smoking hot , add the chickpeas patties one by one and fry both the sides until they turn dark brown in color. Keep them on paper napkin to remove excess oil.

Now a kebab is incomplete without a nice dip. So I prepared a different dip for this kebab , the Mayonnaise dip.

Ingredients :

1. Mayonnaise- 2 tbs
2. Mushroom soy sauce- 1 tsp
3. Vinegar- 1 tsp
4. Black pepper powder- 1/2 tsp

Procedure :

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate it before serving with hot kebabs. I also made a Cabbage salad with this.

Only 4 days left for the event What's on your kebab platter , send your entries to win the giveaway. Also check the other event My Diwali My Way.

Cabbage Salad

This is a simple salad preparation. This cabbage salad can be served with some hot fried recipes. A best way to consume vegetables right? I always liked cabbage salad but my hubby was a little worried about eating raw cabbage. So I never tried it before. I boiled the cabbage and the capsicum to avoid the rawness. The salad turned out really well. 

 Ingredients :


1. Cabbage- 1/4th of one small cabbage
2. Carrot- 1
3. Green olive- 5
4. Yellow capsicum- 1/2
5. Spring onion (chopped)- 2 tbs
6. Vinegar- 1 tbs

7. Black pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
8. Mayonnaise- 2 tbs
9. Olive oil- 1 tsp
10. Tomato sauce- 1 tsp
11. Salt to taste




Procedure :

Boil the cabbage with capsicum for 3 to 4 minutes. Now slice the carrot thinly. Same with cabbage and capsicum. In a bowl add all the chopped vegetables and spring onion and add all the other ingredients. Mix well and preserve it before serving. You can use this salad with any kind of dish you want, be it any kebabs or some other fried dish.

Only 4 days left for the event What's On Your Kebab Platter , send you entries soon or else you will miss the giveaway. Check the new event My Diwali My Way and participate.

Sweet Curried Dorry Fillets

Its another fish recipe. A sweet one. The Dory fillets are available in some super markets , but if you can not find them , do not worry....we have plenty of other fishes in India which we can use for this recipe easily. The fish fillets were extremely tender. You will love the recipe.

Ingredients :

1. Dory fillets- 3
2. Soy sauce- 2 tbs
3. Honey- 1 tbs
4. Vinegar- 1 tbs
5. Ketchup tomato sauce- 1 tbs
6. Garlic paste- 1 tsp
7. Ginger paste- 1/2 tsp
8. Parsley (chopped)- 2 tbs
9. Sweet chilly sauce- 1 tsp
10. Olive oil
11. Salt to taste


Procedure :

In a large bowl take all the sauces , paste , vinegar , salt , honey and mix well. Marinate the fillets for half an hour. Now heat 2 tbs oil in a non stick pan and add the fillets one by one. Pour the marinade over the fillets and add the chopped parsley to the pan. Fry each side of the fish for 2 minutes and turn off the heat. Serve the hot Sweet curried Dory Fillets.

Do not forget to take part in the ongoing event What's on your kebab platter to win a gift.