CHIA SEED SMOOTHIE BREAKFAST BOWL

Since we've decided on doing a fruit inspired recipe week for the blog this one is a popular amongst my health conscious friends, although i did make slight variations on the presentation and flavours and boy! black grapes and strawberries together are sinful. This breakfast bowl is loaded with fruits and cereal and I've used soy milk and soy yoghurt for the smoothie, making it vegan friendly. Trust me its the easiest and prettiest breakfast ever! 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup chia seeds, bloomed in soy milk (for about 1/2 hour)
• 1/2 cup soy milk / skimmed milk if you aren't looking at a vegan option
• 1 tbsp honey 
• 4 Tbsp soy yogurt / curd
• 2 tbsp toasted oats 
• 2 tbsp cereal 
• 5-6 blanched almonds
• 1/2 cup black grapes 
• Strawberries and Figs , as much as you like them 
• Shredded coconut for garnishing.

METHOD:

• In a food processor, blitz the chia seeds grapes and some strawberries with the yogurt, soy milk and honey.
• Can you believe , that's all , your smoothie is ready.
• Garnish the smoothie with sliced strawberries and figs, all the cereal and oats.
• Sprinkle with coconut and blanched almonds. 
• DIG IN!!!!! 

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THE BEST BANANA BREAD

If I were a minion , I would be ba-naaaa-naaaaa over this bread certainly, most of my posts talk about a memory and this one isn't any different, as a kid,  while returning back from school and making guesses of what's going to be cooked for lunch used to be a daily routine, yes I've been that crazy about good food since and there is a no better chef to me than my grandmother , climbing up the staircase to the sweet and mellow aroma of cooked bananas always made me happy because i knew there is a banana bread for dessert. Unfortunately i couldn't get the recipe from her in time, hence i tried various variations to different recipes for the same taste, the failed attempts and countess tries did me good by finding this treasure. This is the closest i could get to my childhood memory and I'm glad to share it with you all.

INGREDIENTS:

• 125 grams salted butter
• 220 Gms or 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 eggs 
• 3 over ripe bananas, Mashed , using over ripe black bananas is the trick , you will never get the best flavour and consistency otherwise 
• 260 Gms or 1 3/4 cup flour   (maida)
• 1 Tsp Baking soda
• Chocolate chips 

METHOD:

• Grease a 1 lt loaf pan, and preheat the oven at 180 degrees.
• Using an electric whisker, whisk the butter and sugar, until pale and thick. 
• Add in the eggs and mashed banana, mix until well combined.
• Mix the flour and baking soda, whisk until the mixture is smooth. Mix a few of the chocolate chips as much you desire, they add a nice chocolatey crunch.
• Spoon the batter in the loaf pan, sprinkle some chocolate chips on the batter and bake for 52-55 minutes, or until a skewer comes clean.

* Banana bread goes well with caramel sauce, nutella and peanut butter.

* Wrapped in a cling wrap , can stay for up to 2 month in the refrigerator

* You can toast banana bread as well and it tastes sinfully delicious with a glass of plain cold milk.

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INSTANT TRI-COLOUR IDLI CUPCAKES

I am sorry for not posting on the blog for a while now, but I couldn't miss posting  on the republic day of India, because I'm most certainly a proud and patriotic Indian. For this post Ive given the Idli (steamed  savoury rice cake ) a makeover with adding the lovely hues of the indian tricolour adorned with some chutney and its not an idli its a cupcake !!! Wishing everybody a very Happy Republic Day, 

Hope you enjoy the day.

INGREDIENTS :

For the Idli :

• 1 cup semolina / sooji 
• A little less than 1 cup of curd
• salt to taste 
• Eno or any other brand of  fast-action effervescent fruit salts.

For the chutney:

• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut, preferable fresh (I couldn't find fresh coconut , hence used the dried )
• 1/4 cup toasted gram 
• 2-3 badge  chillies
• salt to taste 

Method:

• Mix the semolina and curd together , to form a thick batter consistency.
• In 2 mixing bowls spoon out equal amount of batter and use green and orange food colourings ( I used organic ones by sprig )
• Use a pin or needle to make holes at the bottom of the cupcake liner. 
• Spoon the batter into cupcake liners. (for an even look use a piping bag)
• For the chutney mix all the ingredients and bled them coarsely in the mixer. 
• Heat a teaspoon of clarified butter , add in some curry leaves and mustard seeds and pour over the ground mixture.
• Using a open star piping tip for the ruffle effect.

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CHETTINAD CHICKEN DRY

A very happy new year to all of you , may this year be fulfilled, hassle free, prosperous and successful , may all of you eliminate the unnecessary and bring a lot of good food and exciting trysts with taste. Thank you all for your appreciation and love, hoping to make your 2016 even more flavourful.

Chettinad cuisine is native to the Tamil Nadu region of India known for its aromatic and fiery dishes, The chicken Chettinad is personally one of my favourites and works well for my new year resolution of being healthy and following a low carb diet and that's why this is my first post of this year.

This dish is very flavoursome, aromatic and indubitably the least complex of authentic indian dishes that I've tried my hands at.

INGREDIENTS :

• 1 kg boneless chicken 
• 2 medium onions, chopped 
• 8-10 cloves of garlic 
• 8-10 dried red chillies ( you can vary the quantity depending on your spice intake)
• 15-20 Curry leaves and a few extra for frying 
• 2 Tbsp coriander seeds / sabut hara dahlia
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 
• 1 stick of cinnamon 
• star anise 
• 3/4 cup toasted gram
• 1/4 tsp turmeric 
• 1/2 cup curd 
• 1/4 cup water 

METHOD:

• Dry roast all the spices, red chillies, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves, cinnamon and star anise.
• Once the spices are roasted, grind them with the toasted gram to a fine powder.

• Sauté the onion, garlic and curry leaves until the onion is translucent. Add the chicken.
• Drizzle over the ground masala and coat the chicken well.
• Once the chicken is half cooked, stir in the water and curd.
• Cover the pan until the chicken is completely cooked.
• Once cooked garnish with cilantro leaves and some lemon to enhance the flavours.

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