Monday 30 January 2012

Chicken Cutlet


This is one of the non-veg specialties that I am good at preparing. I have a recipe of my own, which is very easy and very sure of turning perfect. So even the new ones can give the recipe a try. I myself is a big fan of my cutlet and my hubby always will tell that he finds the cutlet at home the best. Because of this I have never tried an alternate recipe though I know that many would have different and better recipes. Almost every time I buy chicken my hubby will be pestering me to keep some pieces apart for the cutlet. In your purchase of chicken , separate little bone less pieces. There is no exact quantity of chicken required. If it is little less or more, the taste will not change much.

Ingredients I
Boneless chicken pieces-200gms
Potato-3 (medium size)
Ingredients IIBig onion-1 chopped
Green chilli-chopped 3
Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder-1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Red Chili powder-1 teaspoon
Ingredients III
Powdered rusk – handful
Egg white- 1 Egg
Oil-4 Table spoons
Procedure
Pressure cook the potatoes without cutting for 10 minutes
Cut the chicken into small pieces
Cook the chicken pieces in a kadai for 7 minutes
Remove the chicken pieces from the kadai
After it cools mince it in a mincer or mixie (make sure there is no water)
Peele off the skin of the potatoes and smash it after it cools
In a kadai in a teaspoon of oil sauté the items given in Ingredients II.Add the powders after switching off the stove, else they will get burnt
Now add this into the potato mix.
Add the minced chicken also into this
Add the required quantity of salt
Mix everything well
Check for the taste
If hotness or salt is missing add chili powder or salt
Spread the rusk powder in a paper
1 egg white is enough for the whole thing
Keep the egg white in a soup bowl so that you can dip the cutlet and take out
Make the cutlets in the shape you like
Dip into the egg white and roll over the rusk powder and keep aside
After making 5 or 6 cutlets , Keep oil in a very small frying pan and fry the cutlets in medium fire
The fire in no stage should be high
After one side gets fried slowly change side
There is no chance of this cutlet breaking
If it breaks it means it is watery
There is no chance of water in this recipe as we boil the potatoes as a whole
By somehow if it gets watery , add little rusk powder or bread into the mix and make it thick
Fry the cutlets one by one or 2 at a time as we have kept only little oil
Those who don’t want even this oil can fry it in a tawa which I am not good at
Your chicken cutlet is ready
Serve it with tomato sauce
It tastes Yummy with the sauce
I am sure many of my loving readers give a try at this recipe when they buy chicken next time and leave me a comment

Wednesday 25 January 2012

Chettinad Liver Pepper Fry


Like any other non-veg item, this too is a very delicious item in chettinad cuisine. Liver though little bit high in fat content, is a good source of iron. It is very good for young children, pregnant ladies and for lactating young moms.
One thing to be taken note of while preparing any pepper fry or curry is that all the hotness needed for the curry should never be made up from the pepper. Too much of pepper will make the body hot and sometimes will produce a heart burn. So use half the quantity chili powder and in the end add pepper powder for the flavor, hotness and taste.

IngredientsLiver-200 Gms (cut into very small pieces)
Chopped onion (big)-1 or small onions-20
Chopped tomato-1
Chopped garlic-10
Ginger paste-1/4 teaspoon (very little qty)
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Chili powder or kuzhambu milagai thool -1 teaspoon
corriander powder-1 teaspoon
Freshly ground pepper-1 teaspoon
For seasoning
Cinamon-2 small pieces
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little
Bay leaf-little
ProcedureIn one table spoon of oil season the fry with the items given for seasoning. Add onions sauté for a while then tomatoes, ginger, garlic one by one and sauté nicely. Now add the small liver pieces and sauté till they turn white. Now add turmeric powder and a cup of water. Keep the flame in medium. Cook for 5 minutes closing the kadai with a lid. Now open the kadai. Add the chili powder ,corriander powder and the salt needed. Check there is water to cook for 5 more minutes. If found less add ¼ cup of water. Now cook with the lid open. When the curry turns to your desired consistency add the pepper powder. Mix well. Cook for 2 more minutes. If you find the curry very thick, you can add little water. Usually we cook till the oil separates. But the curry will taste good in any consistency. Before switching off the stove make sure that the curry has enough salt and hot taste. If found less you can add and cook for 2 minutes. Finally garnish with coriander leaves if you have stock.

Vazhakkai kola urundai (vegetarian version of kheema balls with plantain)


 I need 3 or 4 separate blogs to share my experiences abroad.I was really astonished to see the interest of our guys there in cooking.
After coming home I attended few weddings and collected some rare recipes from the famous chettinad cooks being engaged for the wedding.I will slowly share them with my readers.
The first in the list is the vazhakkai kola urundai,this is a real substitute of the mutton kheema balls for the vegetarians.Those who drool over the kheema balls can have an alternate vegetarian item.
Ingredients
Vazhakkai (medium size) -1
small onion-5
garlic-5
kas kas-1 teaspoon
fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
pottukadalai -3 tablespoons ( should be increased according to the size of the vazhakkai)
cashews -8
green chilli-2
red chilli-2
grated cocunut-2 tablespoons
ginger- 1 inch piece
clove-2
cinamon-a small piece



Procedure
cut the vazhakkai into round pieces as shown and cook well. once it cools remove the skin and smash the pieces nicely using hand.
Keep the kadai in the stove. Pour 1 teaspoon oil.Add cinamon and clove first. Then add onion,garlic,chilli,red chilli,ginger and saute. Now add pottukadalai,kas kas and cashews and roast them in low fire. Once pottukadalai and cashews become pink add the grated cocunut and saute till that too become little red.allow everything to cool. Then grind them to a smooth paste in the mixi. Dont add too much water. If by any chance it turns watery add a hand full of pottukadai and grind. Transfer the grinded items into a bowl. Add the smashed vazhakkai and the salt needed and mix well. Check for the taste. If salt or hotness is missing add chilli powder or salt.
Now the dough is ready for frying. Keep a small kadai in the stove. Add the oil required for frying. Make the dough into small balls and fry in medium fire till they turn golden brown. Dont touch the balls till they get cooked . once they seem to be cooked you can turn sides else there is a chance of balls getting broken.
Your veg version of kheema balls are ready. Serve hot along with tomato sauce and get all the name and fame from your loved ones