RED BELL PEPPER CHUTNEY/CAPSICUM CHUTNEY

My kids love this colorful, slightly sweet and tangy chutney. Red capsicum adds a nice sweetness to this chutney. It is very easy to make. If you are looking for a simple chutney without coconut, then this recipe is for you.

Ingredients

1. Red Capsicum/Red Bell Pepper: 1 small
2. Onion: 1
3. Urad dal: 1 tbsp
4. Red Chilly: 3
5. Tamarind: a small piece(1/2 tsp paste)
6. Oil: 2 tbsp
7. Mustard Seeds: 1/4 tsp
8. Curry leaves: few
9. Salt to taste.

Method

• In a pan heat oil and add urad dal and red chilly, when dal turns golden brown, add roughly chopped onion and saute till onion turns pink in color. Now add roughly chopped capsicum and saute in a medium flame.
• Switch off the flame and add tamarind and salt. Allow this to cool.
• Grind it into a smooth paste.
• In a small pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds. When it splutter, add curry leaves and pour this into the red chutney.
• Serve with dosa or idly. This also tastes good with biriyani or ghee rice too.

Chicken Croquettes

Nothing could beat the taste of freshly prepared chicken croquettes. It smells and tastes awesome! I love to serve croquettes as a starter or teatime snack. The name croquette is likely derived from the french verb croquer, which means to crunch. Crispy and crunchy outside and super soft inside. 

Off to the recipe....

Ingredients: 

Boneless chicken: 400 gm
ginger chopped: 1 tsp
Cloves: 3
Cinnamon stick: 1 inch piece
Salt and Pepper to taste

For the white sauce:

Butter: 3 tbsp
Celery: 1 stalk chopped
All purpose flour: 1/2 cup
Milk: 1 cup
Chicken stock reserved: 1 cup
Parsley leaves: 1 tbsp chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

For breading:

Eggs, beaten: 3
All purpose flour: 1/2 cup
Bread crumbs: 3/4 cup
Oil for deep frying

Method

Cook the chicken with all the other ingredients listed. Reserve the stock and shred the chicken pieces.
In a saucepan, heat milk and chicken stock and add parsley leaves into it.
In another heavy bottomed pan, melt butter and add celery. Saute for 2 minutes, then add flour and saute till the raw smell goes. Add hot milk and stock mixture into it. Stir continuously till the mixture become thick and smooth. Now add enough salt and pepper into it and fold with shredded chicken. switch off the flame, allow to cool and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
When it is time to fry, take a small ball size of the mixture and shape into cylindrical shape. Dip in beaten egg and roll in flour, again dip in egg and roll in bread crumbs.
When oil is hot enough drop a couple of croquettes and fry till golden brown. Drain onto kitchen towel. Serve warm.

Spiced pomegranate Apple Cider / Non Alchoholic Apple Cider Recipe

Ingredients

• Apples: 4-5
• Sugar: 1/4-1/2 cup
• Cinnamon: 2 sticks
• All spice: 1 tbsp
• Pomegranate juice: 1 cup

Method

• Quarter your apples (no need to remove peel or seeds)
• In a stock pot add your apples and fill with water-just enough to cover the apples.
• Add sugar.
• Wrap your cinnamon and allspice in a doubled up cheese cloth (muslin cloth) and tie, add this to the apples and water.
• Boil on high for 1/2 hour (uncovered) checking on it frequently.
• Simmer for one hour (covered).
• Let it cool, remove spices and mash up the apples to a pulp like consistency(use a potato masher)
• once cool pour into a strainer over a large bowl. when most of the juice has drained away, put remainder of the pulp into a doubled up cheese cloth and squeeze over the bowl until no more juice comes out.
• You can store in an air tight container in your refrigerator for up to a week.
• While serving add pomegranate juice to this apple cider and reheat in a microvave or on stove top.