Chicken Tangri kebab

Ingredients:

• Chicken drumsticks(Tangri)   - 6 pieces, skinless
• Yogurt                                          - ½ cup
• Ginger paste                               - ¾ tsp
• Garlic paste                                - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder                      - 1 ½ tsp(Adjust as per your level)
• Cumin powder                           - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder                     - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder             - ½ tsp
• Black pepper powder               - ½ tsp
• Oil                                                 - 2 tsp
• Salt                                               - to taste

Accompanying salad:

• Cucumber          - 1 medium sized
• Onion                  - 1 medium sized
• Tomato               -  1
• Green Chilli       - 3-4
• Lemon juice       - 1 tsp
• Cilantro              - handful
• Salt                      - to taste

Accompanying Chutney:

• Cilantro         -  1 cup
• Garlic cloves - 4 medium sized
• Green chilli   - 4-5
• Lemon juice - 2 tsp
• Salt                - taste

Method:
1. Wash the chicken drumsticks properly. Pat them dry with kitchen towel. 
2. Using a sharp knife make few slits on the drumsticks, not too deep.
3. In a mixing bowl add all the ingredients except oil and mix to a smooth marinade.
4. Add the chicken drumsticks and marinate uniformly so that all pieces are coated well with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours. (Overnight is better)
5. Preheat oven to 375 °F.
6. Brush the oven rack with oil. Place the chicken drumsticks on oven rack. Brush oil on top.
7. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn the side and bake for another 20-25 minutes until lightly charred. 
8. Broil each side for 1-2 minutes until you get desired charred texture.
9. Prepare salad and chutney as given below. Serve chicken tangri kebab with accompaniments.

Accompanying salad:
Cut all the vegetables in thin long slices. Add salt and lime juice. Mix well.

Accompanying Chutney:
Put all the ingredients in blender and make a smooth paste. 

Chicken Puff Pastry

Preparation           : 10 minutes

Cooking time         : 60 mins

Serves                      : 4 pieces

Ingredients:

• Pastry sheet             - 4
• Boneless chicken    - 1 breast, around 300 grams
• Onion                        - 1 small, sliced
• Green chilli              - 2, finely chopped
• Ginger garlic paste - 3/4 tsp
• Cumin powder        - 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala         - 1/4 tsp
• Oil                              - 1/2 tsp
• Salt                            - to taste
• Eggwash                   - 1 egg+1 Tbsp water, mixed well.

Method:
1. To prepare the filling, Grill or boil the chicken breast until cooked. Remove from heat and allow it to cool. When cool shred it into small pieces using fork.
2. Heat a pan and add oil. When hot, add the sliced onions and green chilli and cook until onions turn translucent.
3. Add ginger garlic paster, cumin powder. Saute for 30 seconds.
4. Add shredded chicken. Add salt and garam masala and cover and cook for few minutes.
5. Preheat the oven at 350 F.
6. Open the pastry sheets. Put chicken filling in the middle diagonally. 
7. Brush the edges with water.

8. Brush the edges with water. Bring the diagonally opposite ends together and press the edges gently to seal.
9. With a fork press the ends gently.

10. Apply eggwash.
11. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until the top turns golden brown.

12. Serve hot with ketch up and sauce of your choice.

Chicken stuffed braided bread

I was waiting for something special to publish on my 100th post. But time was not really allowing me to do much of cooking since my little angel daughter was born in September last year. The 4 months old demands all attention from everyone at home and thus the over caring daddy hardly gets any time in hand to do anything in kitchen. But anyways tried to manage some time to make my 100th post. Yay!

The chicken stuffed braided bread was an awesome try and turned out really well satisfying every taste buds of everyone who devoured it. The filling could be anything of your choice, fish, paneer, vegetables or even just plain Nutella. The chicken filling is something I thought would go well for my taste and it genuinely did justice to my thought and taste buds too.

Preparation           : 1.5 hours

Cooking time         :  40 mins

Serves                      : 2-3

Ingredients:

For dough:

• All purpose flour  - 1.5 cups
• Dry Yeast               - 1 tsp
• Sugar                      - 1 tsp
• Salt                          - 3/4 tsp
• Baking powder      - 1/2 tsp
• Egg                           - 1 
• Oil                             - 2 Tbsp
• Warm milk              - 2 Tbsp
• Lukewarm water   - 2/3 cup 

For filling:

• Chicken(cooked and shredded)   - 1.5 cups
• Onion                                                - 1 small, chopped
• Ginger                                               - 1/2 inch, finely chopped
• Garlic                                                 - 3-4 pods, finely chopped
• Green chilli                                       - 2, finely chopped
• Cilantro(chopped)                          - 1 Tbsp
• Oil                                                      - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder                            - 1/3 tsp
• Salt                                                     - to taste

Method:
1. In a mixing bowl add yeast, sugar and milk. Mix well and keep aside for 15 mins for the yeast to get activated.
2. Add all the remaining ingredients for the dough in the bown. Using hand knead to form a medium soft dough. Shape the dough into a ball, apply 1 tsp oil over it. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and keep in a warm place for the dough to rise, about an hour.
3. For the filling, heat oil in a pan. When hot add chopped ginger and garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. 
4. Add chopped onions and green chilli and cook until onions turns translucent.
5. Add shredded chicken, add salt and turmeric powder. Mix well and cook till everything is blended well. Add chopped cilantro and mix well. Remove from heat and keep aside.

6. Dust the rolling surface with flour. Roll the dough into a long oval medium thick sheet. Transfer it into a baking sheet or baking tray.
7. Add the chicken filling at the center.
8. Using a sharp knife make slits in the rolled out dough, refer to the picture.
9. Take a strip from top, pull it over the filling across to the other end. Do it for another strip from the other side. Complete the braid in this fashion till end.

10. Apply egg wash(mix 1 egg, 1 Tbsp water) on the bread. 
(You can sprinkle some sesame seeds or cilantro on top.)

11. Pre-heat the oven at 350 F. Bake the bread for 15-20 minutes, till it turns golden brown on top.
12. Remove from oven and serve hot with dip or sauce of your choice. 

Donut pudding cake

Preparation time :  10 mins

Cooking time         :  90 mins

Serves                         : 5

Ingredients:

• Donuts                  - 3
• Condensed milk  - 1 cup
• Whole milk          - 1/2 cup
• Milk powder        - 2 Tbsp

Method:

1. Break the donuts into small pieces. You can crumble them as well. 

2. Grease a baking tray.

3. Add the crumbled donuts in tray. Add milk powder, condensed milk, whole milk. Mix everything very well using a spatula.  

4. Preheat the oven at 350 degree F.
5. Bake the mix for 50 minutes.

6. Remove the tray from oven. Allow it to cool.
7. Give it another good mix using spatula. 
8. Transfer to another tray. 
9. Bake for another 40 minutes(or until it becomes brownish and milk evaporates).

Blueberry Cream cheese loaf

This blueberry loaf was an awesome one. The cake is smooth and moist and just melts in your mouth. The best part was the layer of cream cheese in between and the flavor that the orange zest adds. Try it at home and you surely will fall in love with this.

Ingredients:

For the loaf batter - 

• All purpose flour          - 1 and 1/2 cups + 1 Tbsp for dusting the berries
• Butter                             - 1/2 cup, at room temperature
• Sugar                              - 1/2 cup
• Eggs                                - 2
• Vanilla extract              - 1 tsp
• Baking powder             - 1 tsp
• Salt                                  - 1/4 tsp
• Milk                                - 1/3 cup 
• Blueberries                   - 1 and 1/2 cups

For the filling - 

• Cream cheese             - 8 Oz
• Sugar                            - 1/2 cup
• Orange zest                 - 1 tsp
• Egg                                - 1
• All purpose flour        - 1 Tbsp

Method:

1. To prepare the filling take all the ingredients in a bowl. Beat using an electric beater till smooth and peaks formed. Keep aside.

2. Preheat the oven at 350F.
3. To prepare the batter - in a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until fluffy. 
4. Break in the eggs in the mixture. Add salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy.
5. In a separate bowl add flour and baking powder and mix well.
6. Add in the flour mixture and milk alternately to the egg mixture and beat till smooth batter in formed.
7. Coat blueberries with flour and add them in batter. Fold them in gently.

8. Grease the loaf pan with butter and dust with flour.
9. Pour half the batter in the loaf pan.
10. Add the layer of filling over the batter.
11. Add the remaining batter on top.

12. Bake for 50-60 minutes till toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Got this recipe from Hebbar's Kitchen. A great appetizer. 

Ingredients:

For bread dough:

• Maida/All purpose flour        - 1 cup
• Warm milk                                - ¼ cup
• Dry yeast                                   - 1 tsp
• Sugar                                          - 1 tsp
• Garlic cloves                             - 3 fat ones, finely chopped
• Chilli flakes                               - a generous pinch
• Oil                                               - 1 tsp
• Butter                                         - 1 tsp(at room temperature)
• Salt                                              - 1/2 tsp

For Garlic butter:

• Butter                                      - ¼ cup melted butter
• Garlic cloves                          - 3 fat ones, finely chopped
• Chopped Coriander leaves - 2 Tbsp

Other ingredients:

• Cheese                   - 1/2 cup(Any type of your choice)
• Chilli flakes          - 1 tsp
• Oregano                - 1 tsp
• Maida                    - for dusting

Method:

1. To prepare the dough, take warm milk, yeast and sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix well and keep aside for 10 minutes for the yeast to get active.

2. Add salt, chopped garlic, chilli flakes, butter and maida. Knead well.

3. Apply some oil to the surface of the dough and keep aside for 2 hours.

4. Prepare the garlic butter by mixing melted butter, chopped garlic and chopped coriander. Keep aside.
5. After two hours knead the dough lightly. 
6. Roll the dough flat. (Do not make it thin, it should be thick enough).

7. Apply garlic butter to the rolled dough. Sprinkle some chilli flakes and oregano.
8. Add cheese. You can use any cheese of your choice. I used Parmesan.

9. Fold the dough and seal the edges properly. 
(Make sure the sealing is done well, else cheese might melt and come out)

10. Apply some more garlic butter on top. Sprinkle chilli flakes and oregano.
11. Make thin slits not too deep.

12. Bake in preheated oven at 350 F for 15-17 minutes till it turns brownish.

13. Serve With dip of your choice.

Banana Loaf

Ingredients:

• Banana                     - 2 large, very ripe ones
• All purpose flour       - 1 cup
• Butter                      - 1/3 cup, melted
• Brown Sugar             - 1/2 cup
• Vanilla extract          - 1 tsp
• Egg                           - 2 large
• Baking soda               - 1 tsp
• Salt                           - a pinch

Method:

1. Preheat the oven at 350°F.

2. Mash the bananas until smooth in texture and keep aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl add melted butter and brown sugar and beat to a fluffy mixture.

4. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract and mix well.

5. Add flour, baking soda, banana and salt and beat till well blended.

6. Grease a 8"X4"loaf pan with butter. Pour the batter in the pan.

7. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.

Potato and Cheese stuffed Chicken

I saw this recipe in some site and really found it interesting. The recipe had only cheese in stuffing but I tried it with cheese as well as potato. Next time I would try it with more stuffing like mushroom and shrimp. But till then here is the recipe which made my Friday evening a happening one.

Ingredients:

• Chicken breasts            - 2, skinless, boneless
• Potato                          - 1 medium sized, long thin sliced
• Parmesan cheese          - 2 Tbsp, shredded
• Mozzarella cheese         - 5 Tbsp, shredded
• Tomato sauce               - 1 cup
• Sriracha hot chili sauce - 1 Tbsp
• All purpose flour           - half cup
• Eggs                             - 2
• Bread crumbs               - half cup
• Chilli flakes                  - As per taste
• Salt                              - As per taste
• Oil                               - 4 Tbsp

Method:

1. Pat the chicken breasts dry with kitchen towel.

2. With a sharp knife cut pockets into the chicken breasts.

3. Rub salt to all the open surfaces of chicken(you can also apply some chilli powder if you want to make it hot)

4. Mix salt into potato and place inside the chicken pockets. Keep some for later use.(To get a better result, sauté the potato before adding it in this step)
5. Put some sriracha sauce.(Or any hot sauce)

 6. Add 2 Tbsp of mozzarella cheese in each pocket.

7. Seal the edges of the pockets by pressing with your fingers.
8. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Take flour and bread crumps in separate bowls.
9. Dip the stuffed chicken into flour and shake off the excess.

10. Dip the floured chicken into egg and then into bread crumbs coating it evenly.
11. Heat oil in a pan. When hot add the chicken pieces. Fry in medium heat till brownish from both the sides. Take care that the stuffing do not come out while frying them.

12. Remove chicken pieces from pan.

13. In a baking tray spread tomato sauce and the remaining potato pieces.
14. Place the chicken on top.
15. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and the remaining mozzarella cheese on top.

16. Preheat the oven at 350°F.
17. Put the baking tray in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. A little longer for a little crispier.
18. Remove from oven and serve with sides of your choice. I had it with green salad and garlic French toast.

Tres Leches cake - Best cake for my best half.

It was my wife's 20th birthday last week. Yes you read it right. Twentieth birthday. Well that's her age as far as I know! Anyways moot point. 
So I know lately she is quite in love with Tres Leches cake. She had it on different occasions and every time she had it I noted her expression going way louder than the Cadbury girl in that old add or Madhuri Dixit giving an expression after having Maggi oat noodles. No this time its not a moot point. So I thought to bring home a Tres Leches for the birthday girl. Safeway was the only option on my mind as theirs is one of the best. But then I thought why not try my hand on it. It was really been a while I had baked a cake especially since my wife had taken over baking. She bakes awesome and it was hard to bake for a person who herself is so good at it. But it was worth the try. She loved it and gave me a 5 star for my performance. The hard work paid off completely. And then seeing her so happy I asked her again, how old she turned on that birthday and the reply I got was, 20!


Well anyways, here is how I have prepared it:

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• All purpose flour(maida)        – 1 and ½ cup
• Baking powder                      – 1 teaspoon
• Butter(at room temperature) - ½ cup
• Sugar                                    – 1 cup
• Vanilla extract                      – 1 teaspoon
• Eggs                                      – 4
• Whole milk                            - ½ cup

For the glaze:

• Whole milk                         – 2 cups
• Sweetened condensed milk - 1 can(14 ounce)
• Evaporated milk                 - 1 can (12 ounce)

For the topping:

• Heavy whipping cream      – 1 and ½ cups
• Sugar                                - 1 cup
• Vanilla extract                  – 1 teaspoon

Preparation:

1.   Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a baking pan (I used one with 9" diameter X 2" height ).

2.   Mix all purpose flour and baking powder.

3.   In a big mixing vessel add the butter and sugar and beat using an electric beater until the mixture becomes fluffy.

4.   Now add eggs one at a time and blending well after every addition.

5.   Add the vanilla extract and milk and beat well.

6.   Add the flour mixture in 3 batches and beat until well blended.

7.   Pour batter in the baking pan and spread evenly.

8.   Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes. Remove the cake and place it on a plate with few inches of sides. Allow it to cool.

9.   Pierce the top of the cake all over using a fork.

10. Mix together whole milk, condensed milk and evaporated milk. Pour the mixture over the cake slowly from all over. Refrigerate the cake overnight. This is how my cake looked the next day.

11. We are just one step away from the final devourable cake. Now we need to do the topping. Add the whip cream, sugar and vanilla extract using an electric beater and beat until soft peaks formed. 

12. Spread the topping evenly over the cake and on sides. Decorate the way you want to. Refrigerate till chilled. This is how I decorated first. And then again made bit changes to present the final product.

Note: In Spanish Tres means three and Leches means milk. This cake contains three types of milks, whole milk, condensed milk and evaporated milk and hence the name.