Thai Chicken Balls

This is a great easy yummy recipe. If you have excess chicken or minced chicken, here is a very easy and tasty starter for your family. This doesn't require much time. It is just you have to mix and place in the oven. You may have a doubt that the chicken balls will turn tight and rough but that is not the case. You get a tasty and soft chicken balls.

Ingredients
250 grams minced Chicken
30 ml Oyster sauce
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon self raising flour
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
70 ml coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon oil
Pinch of salt

Method

• Preheat oven to 200°C.
• Grease the large muffin pan or spread a baking sheet on a flat tray.
• Drain the excess water from the minced chicken.
• Mix all the above ingredients(not in any order).
• Place rounded tablespoon of mixture into prepared pans or just take a small amount of mixture and place it in the pan.
• Bake for about 15-20 mins or until cooked.
• Minced Chicken balls is ready to be served with sweet chilly sauce or any sauce of your wish.

Note

• If you are unable to find minced chicken at your place, you can just grind the chicken flesh in a food processor and prepare.
• If you feel you are not getting a proper ball shape with the spoon then you can do it with your hand (My preferred way is by preparing without the spoon).
• If you feel the mixture is bit watery add 1/2 tablespoon of self raising flour.
• You will get 25-30 small chicken balls from this amount of ingredients.

Cauliflower fry

This is yet another vegetarian starter. Very common Indian starter and also doesn't requires any dip. Just fry it and present it to your guest. If you are in a hurry, you can prepare this very easily in a short span of time.

Ingredients
1 whole medium size Cauliflower
100 grams All purpose flour
80 grams Corn starch
1 teaspoon Ginger paste
1 teaspoon Garlic paste
1 teaspoon Yogurt
1-2 tablespoon chilly powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon Black pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon fennel powder
1 tablespoon Coriander leaves chopped
10-12 Curry leaves
Lime for garnish
Salt
Oil for frying

Method

• Cut the whole cauliflower into small florets and blanch them in hot water for couple of mins.
• In a bowl add all the dry ingredients and mix well.
• Then add the ginger, garlic paste and also yogurt and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well.
• This will make a thick batter.
• Pour this batter on the cauliflower, make sure al the cauliflower pieces is coated with the batter.
• In a heavy bottom pan, heat oil and deep fry them.
• Separately fry the curry leaves.
• Cauliflower fry is ready to be served with fried curry leaves and slightly squeeze lime on it.

Note

• Make sure the coriander leaves are finely chopped otherwise it will get a burt taste when you deep fry them.
• Add the chilly powder according to taste.
• When you fry the curry leaves, make sure it is dry otherwise you end up in oil getting splatter everywhere.

Mutton Kola urundai (Minced Mutton Balls)

This is best for starters and if you find excessive mutton balls, you can prepare a normal gravy and add these balls. It tastes yummy. Ingredients are simple and the method too.

Ingredients

100 grams minced Boneless Mutton

1 tablespoon roasted split chick peas (pottukadalai)

4-6 Dry red chilly

1 teaspoon fennel powder

Small piece of Ginger

3-4 Garlic cloves

1 tablespoon Grated Coconut

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder

4 Shallots

1 clove

1 Egg (optional)

2 Cashews (optional)

Curry leaves

Coriander leaves

Salt

Oil for frying

Method

• Wash the minced mutton once and grain water completely.
• In a food processor grind roasted chick peas, dry red chilly, ginger, garlic, coconut, shallots, clove, cashew without adding water. If you feel difficult to grind just sprinkle some water and grind.
• Then add the minced mutton and grind well without adding water.
• Add turmeric powder, salt, fennel powder, egg, chopped curry leaves and coriander leaves and mix well.
• In a pan, add oil and heat in medium flame. Make small balls from the mixture and fry till it turns golden brown. This may take 3-5 minutes.

Note

• Egg and cashews are purely optional, generally when i prepare this kola urundai i won't add these two, but in general it has been used.
• Grinding the mixture without adding water is preferred.
• If you have a feel that it may smell and taste raw, no worries..... definitely it won't smell or taste raw. 
• Adjust chilly according to taste.

Chicken 65 / Chicken lollipop

This is all time fav for everyone in this world who loves Chicken. I always use to wonder what is the difference between the Chicken 65 and Chicken lollipop, according to my guess, it is boneless and lollipop is  Chicken drumlets, but the mixture for frying is all the same. I don't prefer the ready made mix for Chicken 65, i really don't get the flavor i want. Here is a simple Chicken fry masala, it will be exactly the one you have in restaurant.

Ingredients
6-8 Chicken Drumlets
1 tablespoon Red chili powder
3/4 tablepoon Ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon fennel powder
1 pinch Ajinomoto
1 1/2 teaspoon yogurt
Salt
Oil for frying
Method

• Clean Chicken and add all the above ingredients and allow it to marinate for 10 mins in freezer.
• Heat sufficient oil in a frying pan and fry the marinated chicken.
• Serve hot with sliced lemon and onion.

Note

• The more you allow it to marinate, the best taste you get, if you are marinating the Chicken for more than 15 mins do not keep in freezer, you can refrigerate it.
• Instead of ajinomoto you can add 1 teaspoon of sugar
• If it is BONELESS chicken, add 1/2 beaten egg for 1/4 kg of Chicken. (This makes your chicken soft)

Garlic Bread

Garlic Bread complement any Italian meal. But whenever i prepare any type of noodles, i prepare this. I have it in the tea time :p.

Ingredients
1 whole French loaf or any bread of ur choice
6 tablespoon Unsalted Butter (softened)
3-5 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1 teaspoon dried Oregano or mixed herbs(my choice)
3 Green chilies
2 tablespoon chopped Parsley
Salt

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degree C), finely chop the garlic or just crush it and also finely chop the chilies.
• In a small bowl mix all the above ingredients. Cut the bread into 2 inch thick slices, not slicing all the way through.
• On a baking sheet or a aluminium foil, arrange the bread and spoon the butter mixture into each cut evenly.
• Wrap foil tightly around the bread and bake until heated through, about 10 mins.
• Serve immediately.

Note

• Bake the garlic bread before serving meal, otherwise butter all the slices and wrap it and keep it in the refrigerator and increase the cooking time to 12 mins max.
• MY TRICK is after  spreading the butter mixture, sprinkle a few drops of water (very few) on the bread or wet your baking sheet and wrap it tightly and bake it, so that the bread won't become very hard to bite.
• Instead of oregano, i used mixed herbs which gave me excellent flavour.
• Instead of green chilies you can use finely ground  black pepper.
• Instead of Parsley i use Coriander leaves.

Chicken Dry Roast (spicy)

This is very simple Chicken recipe, last weekend i was very confused with what to cook with chicken, just browsed and got some recipes and made some corrections, this recipe is really easy, saves your time.

Ingredients
1/4 kg Chicken
1 teaspoon light Soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chilly sauce
A pinch of ajinomoto (Optional)
1 teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
1 Tablespoon chilly powder
1/2 teaspoon Pepper powder
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
1/4 teaspoon Cloves powder
A pinch red food color
Salt and oil
Coriander leaves for garnish

Method

• Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a pan and saute the chicken till the color changes.
• Then add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes off.
• Turn the heat to low and add both sauces, chilly powder, ajinomoto, cinnamon and cloves powder and salt.
• No need to add water, if you feel the chicken is too dry, add 2 tablespoon of oil or you can add 1/4 cup of water.
• In a tablespoon of water mix the food color and add it to the Chicken.
• When the Chicken is well cooked, and all the water is evaporated add pepper powder and saute for a min.
• Garnish with Coriander leaves and serve hot.

Chicken Tandoori

I love Chicken recipes, Chicken Tandoori is very popular in India. It is done by marinating some spices and of course yogurt. The only one thing which is very important is, your patience;). It has to be marinated and kept in refrigerator for about 6-8 hrs. Preferably If you marinate it and keep it overnight, the very next day you have a delicious Chicken Tandoori

Ingredients

1 Whole Chicken - Cut into serving pieces
3/4 cup plain yogurt
3 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 tablespoon ground fennel 
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon red chilly powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Coriander leaves, cucumber, onion and lemon, for garnish 
Salt to taste
Oil

Preparation

• Remove chicken skin and cut into pieces, prick the chicken flesh all over with a fork. Using a sharp knife, cut slashes in the flesh to allow marinate to penetrate. Place the chicken in large shallow dish.
• In a bowl add yogurt, lemon juice, ginger, garlic paste, fennel, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, red chilly powder and salt. Mix it.
• Pour the mixture over the chicken and rub it into the flesh.
• Cover the dish and refrigerate for 6-8 hrs or overnight.
• Remove the chicken at least half an hour before cooking.
• The chicken may be grilled or roasted.
• If roasting, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan, brush with oil, and cook, turning once, 25 to 30 minutes until the juices run clear when a piece is pierced near the bone with a knife.
• Serve with springs of coriander leaves and slices of cucumber, onion and lemon.

Note:

• Instead of lemon, vinegar can be used.
• Do not marinate for longer than 2 days.