Happy New Year - 2007!
December 31st, 2006I wish all my dear visitors, family and friends a very happy and prosperous new year and may the new year bring in lots of cheer, happiness and blessings!!
Tiffin Treats - Chicken Noodles with Peanuts
December 22nd, 2006A few of my blog visitors have sent me e-mails requesting me to blog some tiffin recipes for children that are healthy and quick to prepare. I am always on the look out for tiffin recipes/ideas and keep trying new recipes, as I have a 4 year old and need to pack his tiffin box to school and also prepare a tiffin for his evening snack. It’s quite challenging to come up with different recipes each day that are quick-to-fix, filling and provide good nutrition and I try my best to get him to eat different kinds of foods which include vegetables. Its not an easy task, believe me.
My son, Nehal, is very fond of noodles and wants to have them almost every other day as his evening tiffin. I try out different variations so that he doesnt get too bored of the mundane every day noodles. And its a way for me to get him to eat his portion of vegetables, chicken and eggs. Of course not to forget that its easy to prepare, filling and nutritious, as chicken/eggs and veggies are packed into it.
I tried out a chicken noodles recipe, a pleasant change from the usual, marinating chicken juliennes in a dressing of honey, lemon juice, peanut butter and soya sauce. My son just loved the flavor and I was only too happy to serve him more..:). Peanuts gave that crunch, tangy flavor from the lemon juice, a slight hint of sweetness from honey and garlic gave that extra zest to this otherwise standard chicken noodle recipe.
Chicken Noodles With Peanuts Recipe
Prep & Cooking Time: 20 mts Marination - 40 mts
Serves 5-6 persons
Cuisine: Indo-Chinese
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1 packet egg noodles (boiled, drained in cold water and tossed in a tsp of oil)
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic cloves
2-3 green chillis slit length wise
1/2 cup spring onions finely sliced
1 large capsicum juliennes (cut into thin strips)
1 tbsp soya sauce
2-3 tbsps coarsely powdered roasted peanuts
salt as required
2 tbsp seasame oil or peanut oil
Dressing to marinate chicken:
150-200 gms boneless chicken, julienned
1 tbsp soya sauce
2 tbsps crunchy peanut butter
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp lemon juice (or vinegar)
1 tsp cornflour
1 Marinate the chicken juliennes in the dressing, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 40 mts to an hour.
2 Heat a tbsp of sesame oil in a large wok and once the oil is piping hot, add the marinated chicken and stir fry for two minutes.
3 Reduce to medium heat and cook the chicken for another 10-12 mts or till the chicken juliennes are cooked. Remove and keep aside.
4 Clean the wok and add another tbsp of oil and once it piping hot, add garlic pieces and stir fry for a few seconds. Add the green chillis and onions and stir fry till the oil coats the pieces well for about a minute or two. Keep stirring constantly lest it burns.
5 Add the capsicum juliennes and fry for another mt.
6 Next add the soya sauce and the cooked chicken and combine. Stir fry for a minute.
7 Now add the drained noodles and combine well. Finally add the powdered roasted peanuts and toss to coat. Serve hot.
Note:
You can add carrots, beans, green peas and scrambled eggs for variation.
You can also check the following sites for more wonderful and interesting tiffin and lunch box meals/ideas.
http://dailytiffin.blogspot.com
http://saffrontrail.blogspot.com
http://aayisrecipes.com
http://laptoplunches.com
http://tiffintin.net
Do you have any tiffin/snack recipes or lunch box ideas that you would like to share for the benefit of those looking out for simple, filling and nutritious recipes? Those of you who don’t blog but would love to share your lunch box ideas/recipes, it would be nice if you can send your recipes to sailusfood@gmail.com (try to send pictures too). I want to dedicate a page to tiffins, snacks, lunch-box meals for children that will serve as a helpful resource.
Tags: chicken noodles, honey, lunch box recipes, peanuts, tiffin, vegetablesGutti Beerakaaya Kura - Stuffed Ridge Gourd Curry
December 12th, 2006Dishes made with stuffed vegetables like brinjals, bitter gourd, lady’s finger, ivy gourd and ridge gourd, tomatoes, bell peppers are common in Indian cuisine, especially down South and in particular Andhra. Gutti Vankaya Kura (stuffed egg-plants curry) is a classic example of a stuffed vegetable curry that is an Andhra speciality. Today, I prepared a stuffed curry using ridge gourd, a recipe which I first tasted at a friend’s place which had a wonderful lightly sweet, mildly spiced, tangy flavor.
Ridge gourd is a vegetable which is cooked by us Andhras usually as a pachadi, stir fry (vepudu), cooked in milk (Beerakaya Paalu Posina Kura), with lentils (Beerakaya Pappu, another classic Andhra dish) or cooked with prawns/eggs.
Beerakaya when prepared as a stuffed vegetable with a zesty filling made from spices like sesame seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and red chillis that are roasted and ground to a fine paste along with ginger, garlic, onions and tamarind, has a mingling of flavors :- sweet-spicy-tangy. A delicious stuffed curry that goes well with both rice and rotis!
Gutti Beerakaya Kura Recipe
Recipe Source: Subha, a close friend
Prep & Cooking: 45 mts
Serves: 4-5 persons
Cuisine: Andhra
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1/2 kg ridge gourds (beerakaaya), peeled, cut into 2 inch pieces and make a + slit on top for stuffing
2 medium onions, sliced
4-5 dry red chillis, de-seeded
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 tbsps sesame seeds (nuvvulu)
1 tbsp grated jaggery (optional)
salt to taste
small lemon sized tamarind ball
1 tbsp oil
1 Heat a tsp of oil in a frying pan and add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, red chillis and sesame seeds and fry on medium heat till you get a nice aroma. Dont burn the spices. Just fry for 3-4 mts stirring continously. Remove and cool.
2 Once cool, make a paste of the above spices along with ginger garlic paste, jaggery, tamarind, salt and onions.
3 Take a tbsp of the paste and stuff each of the slit ridge gourd pieces.
4 Heat oil in a pan and add some curry leaves and stir fry for a 3-4 seconds. Place the stuffed ridge gourds in the pan and let it cook covered on medium heat.
5 After 4-5 mts, uncover the lid and turn the pieces so that they cook all over.
6 Cover and cook on low heat till the ridge gourds become soft. This could take about 20 minutes.
7 Turn off heat once cooked and serve with hot white steamed rice.
courtesy by...
SAGAR RESTUARANT
 |
Sagar Restaurant offers an extensive choice We provide 100% halal meat.of traditional Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian cuisine together with new mouthwatering recipes, but if you have a preferred dish that isn't on the menu, please don't hesitate to ask the management who will be more than happy to have our chef specially prepare it for you. |
Jamaica, New York 11432
PHONE: 718-298-5696
718-657-2855
718-213-4338(for catering only)
Web Site: www.sagarfood.com
