MOUSSE DE MARACUJA ( Eggless Passion Fruit Mousse)

This is a very easy dessert made with passion fruit. As the fruit is quite sour the mousse sets very well without the addition of egg white.

Ingredients:

Maracuja pulp or concentrate - 1 can
Condensed milk ..... 1 can
Cream ........ 1 can
( all three have to be equal quantity)

For Garnishing:
Passion fruit ... 1 (to use the seeds for garnishing)
Sugar ... 4-5 tsps.

Method:
1. Take all the three ingredients in the list 1 and blend in a mixer.
2. Pour them in a serving dish / bowl and refrigerate.
3. Cut the maracuja fruit and scoop out  the seeds.
4. In a pan add sugar and the seeds and cook on low flame stirring it until the sugar is melted.
5. Let it cool.
6. Pour it on the maracuja mousse before serving it.

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Passion Fruit Panna Cotta

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HASSELBACK POTATOES WITH CHICKEN ROAST

Hasselback potatoes are a perfect accompaniment to your grilled meats or fish. Select large potatoes for this. You have to carefully make thin slices upto 3/4 th of the potato. The tip for doing this easily is to place the potato on the chopsticks and this way the knife will not reach the bottom. After slicing immerse them in ice cold water for some time. You will see them opening up like a fan. This makes it easier to spoon in the herbed butter.

Ingredients:
Potatoes - 2 large ( or as needed)
Butter ..... 2-3 spoons. (you may use olive oil too)
Oregano .. 1 tbsp (you may use any herbs available, dry or fresh)
Salt .... to taste ( if using salted butter you can skip it)

Method:
1. Place the potatoes on the chopsticks and make thin slices upto 3/4 th of it. Immerse them in ice cold water. They will open up like a fan.
2. Melt the butter and mix the herbs and salt. If you are using salted butter you can skip adding or add very little.
3. Spoon the herbed butter in between the slices.
4. Wrap them in a foil paper.
5. Bake them in the oven for 40-45 minutes.
In the final stage you can add some fresh herbs, grated cheese, paprika or black pepper if you like.
Serve them with grilled meats / fish.

For the Chicken Roast :

Chicken ..... 2 leg & thigh pieces
Garlic ...... 1 tsp (crushed)
Lemon juice .. 1-2 tbsps
salt ............ to taste
Red chilli powder .. 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder .. 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder .. 1/2 tsp
Oil ............. 1 tbsp

Method:
1. Clean the chicken and make light cuts on the surface.
2. Mix all the marination ingredients and rub on the chicken. Leave it for a few hours.
3. Place it on a greased tray and bake in a pre-heated oven turning the side once in between.
It takes 40 - 45 minutes.The time may vary a bit depending on the size and type of oven.

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CHANA DAL SALAD

Delicious and chatpata chana dal salad.!
Recipe idea is from Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey. She made with moong dal. I have tried it out with chana dal and few of the ingredients are different because I don't get raw mangoes and sev here. You can go ahead and add anything of your liking. Variations are endless.

Ingredients:
Chana dal .... 3/4 th cup
Onion ....... 1/4 cup
Tomato ... 1 small
Cucumber .. Half
Carrot ...... a small piece
Coriander leaves .. handful
Lettuce ....... 1/2 cup
Roasted and crushed cumin seeds ... 1 tsp ( you may use chaat masala instead )
Salt .... to taste
Black pepper ... 1/4 tsp
Red chilli flakes .. as pre your liking ( optional )
Lemon juice ... 2 tbsps
Olive oil ... 1 tbsp

Method:
1. Soak chana dal for 5-6 hours or overnight. Boil adding salt until done but not mushy. The grains should remain separate.
2. Cut the onion and cucumber and carrot finely.
3. Remove the seeds and juice from the tomato and cut it into pieces.
4. Break the lettuce into small pieces with your hand.. (never use a knife to cut the lettuce)
5. In a big bowl mix all the ingredients together.
This can be served chilled or at room temperature.

Tip: you may add sweet chutney, mint chutney and sev or boondi for a change.

RAJMA WITH ALOO

Aloo is one vegetable that can be added to any curry. Today I tried the combo of aloo and rajma.
It turned out very delicious.

Ingredients:
Rajma ... 1/2 cup
Potatoes .. 1 large
Onion .... 1  grated)
Tomato... 1
Ginger ... 1 inch piece (grated)
Garlic ... 1 tsp (crushed)
Green chillies .. 1-2
Coriander leaves .. handful
Turmeric powder ... 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder ... 1/4 tsp
Garam masala ...... 1/2 tsp
Oil .... 1-2 tbsps

Method:
1. Soak rajma preferably over-night. Boil them in a pressure cooker adding salt until cooked.
2. Peel the potato and cut into cubes. Fry it and set aside. (you may use boiled one if you like)
3. In a pan heat oil and fry the grated onion to golden brown colour.
4. Tip in the chopped green chillies, ginger, garlic and tomato. Saute until everything is cooked.
5. Add enough water as per your preference. Bring to a boil and add the salt and spice powders.
6. Mix in the boiled rajma and fried aloo. Add the coriander leaves.
7. Simmer until done.
Serve with rice.

RAJ KACHORI

Raj kachori is a Shahi Snack from Rajasthan. A crispy puffed puri is made and filled with various stuffings like potato, chana, moong , papdi, sweet chutney mint chutney, onion, curd and topped with fine sev. What could be a better choice than this for our first potluck party..The concept of potluck party where we bring various dishes, serve little of each into our plates and relish them together is similar isn't it..

Ingredients:
For the kachori:
Maida / flour .... 1/4 cup
Fine semolina .. 1/4 cup
Salt ........... to taste
Oil / ghee .. 2-3 tbsps.

1.Mix the flour,semolina, salt and ghee well. Knead into a soft dough adding a little water as needed and set aside.
2. Make 2 small puris. Spread oil one a puri, sprinkle little flour and place the other puri on top of it. Now together you roll them into a bigger puri.( the size that you prefer)
3. Deep fry on low flame to get a crispy texture.

For the filling:
Potato .... 1 boiled and cut into pieces
Chana .... soaked overnight and boiled with salt
Moong ..... Soaked overnight and boiled with salt.
Papdi ...... fried out of the same dough (small pieces)
Onion..... finely chopped
Sweet chutney .... See recipe  HERE
Mint chutney ...... See recipe  HERE
Yogurt ............ whipped
Chat masala / bhuna jeera crushed
Salt .......... to taste
Red chilli powder
Sev ......... since I don't get sev here I have replaced it with fried crushed papad

To assemble the Kachori:

Make a hole on the top. Fill all the ingredients one by one into it.
Pour the whipped yogurt and chutneys on top. Sprinkle chat masala or bhuna jeera, chilli powder according to your liking. Finally top it with fine sev.

  Serve immediately.

Linking this to  POTLUCK PARTY
Hosted @ Jagruti's Cooking Odessey

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Aloo Kachori

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MOQUECA DE PEIXE ( Brazilian Fish Curry )

This is a Brazilian fish curry from the state of Bahia. The Bahian food is mostly cooked with Oleo de Dende (Palm oil ) which is reddish and thick and has its own distinct flavor.The colour and the flavours of the palm oil are incorporated in the curry. No additional spices are added to it.

Ingredients:
Fish .... 200 gms ( select a variety with center bone)
Onion .... 1 (cut into rings)
Red, green & yellow capsicums / bell peppers  - few rings of each
Tomato ..... 1 (cut into rings)
Coriander leaves ... 1/2 cup
Garlic .... 1 tsp
Palm oil (oleo de dende) .. 2-3 tbsps
Coconut milk .... half cup
Vegetable or sea food stock -- 1 cup
Lemon juice -- 2 tbsps
Salt ... to taste

Method:
1. Clean and marinate the fish with lemon juice and salt.
2. Take a thick bottomed vessel and pour the palm oil.
3. Spread the onion rings in the bottom and place the fish slices over them.
4. Now place the bell pepper rings and also the tomato rings. Top it with coriander leaves.
5. Add salt, garlic and the stock. Bring to a boil and simmer to cook for 10 minutes.
6. Now stir in the coconut milk carefully and cook further for a few minutes.

                                      Serve with plain rice.

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FRIED SQUID / CALAMARI / LULA

This is a simple recipe of fried squid with some spices. I saw these fresh and jumbo squid in the market and couldn't resist buying them. I prefer to buy the cleaned ones as it is a tedious process. In Brazil it is known as lula.

Ingredients:
Squid / calamari / lula .... 3-4  OR as needed
Garlic paste ........... 1 tsp
Lemon juice .......... 2 tbsps
Olive oil .............. 1 tbsp (Optional)
Oregano ............ 1 tsp
Red chilli powder .. as per your liking
Cumin powder  ... 1 tsp
Flour / maida ..... 2 tbsps
Salt ..... to taste
Oil ... to fry

Method:
1. Wash the squid and slit them on both the sides as shown in the image. This makes it look attractive.
2. Marinate them with lemon juice, salt, garlic, oregano and olive oil.
3. Remove them on a plate and sprinkle the red chillies and cumin powder on both sides.
4. Next you sprinkle the flour on them.
5. Heat oil in a pan and fry the squid for 3-4 minutes on each side.
6. Do not over fry them because the texture will become rubbery.
7. Alternately if you want to roast them on a hot iron griddle then you skip the flour part. Just remove from the marination and place them on the griddle turning sides. Should be done in 7-8 minutes.

CHETTINAD CHUKKA CHICKEN

Chettinad Cuisine is one of the most spiciest and aromatic cuisines of India, from the Chettinad region of Tamilnad State.in South India. It is very famous for its Spicy & pungent non vegetarian dishes. These are mostly served with plain rice or doasa, appams, idiappams, adais & idlis. This is a recipe of a spicy dry chicken preparation... goes well with dosas or as a side dish with dal chawal..

Ingredients:

Chicken ... 250 gms ( preferably with bones)

Onion..... 1 

Ginger ... 1 inch piece ( grated)

Garlic .... 1 tsp (crushed)

Chettinad masala .. 1 & 1/2 tbsps 

Salt ... to taste

Turmeric powder .. 1/2 tsp

Tamarind juice or lemon juice ... 2 tbsps

Oil ... 2 tbsps

Coriander leaves .. for garnishing.

For tempering:

Mustard seeds .. 1 tbsp

Asafoetida ... a pinch

Curry leaves ... 1 sprig

Dry red chillies .. 2-3

Oil .......... 1 tbsp

For Chettinad Masala :

Ingredients:

Cumin seeds ... 2 tbsps

Sesame seeds .. 3 tbsps

Poppy seeds.... 2-3 tbsps

Pepper corns ... 1 tbsp

Dry red chillies .. 5-6

Cloves ... 6-8

Cardamoms ... 8

Cinnamon .... 2 pieces

Peanuts ... handful

Dry dessicated coconut .. 3-4 tbsps

 Dry roast and grind these ingredients. Store in a sterilized dry bottle. You can use it as and when required.

Method:

1. Cut the chicken into small pieces and chicken with bones tastes better in this recipe.

2. Heat 2 tbsps oil in a pan and add the sliced onion. Saute until golden brown in colour.

3. Add ginger, garlic, green chillies and saute for half a minute. 

4. Now tip in the chicken pieces and stir fry on a reduced flame until you get a nice colour.

5. Add the turmeric powder and salt to taste. Sprinkle little water and simmer to cook until almost done.

6. Mix one and half tbsps of Chettinad masala with the tamarind juice or lemon juice. Dilute with little water to mix well.

7. In a separate pan, heat one tbsp of oil and add the tempering ingredients.

8. When they crackle, add the Chettinad masala mixed with tanmarind juice or lemon juice that you had kept ready.

9. Stir well and tip in the chicken pieces. Carefully toss them with the masala until well coated and cooked.

10. Garnish with coriander leaves.

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EGG & MACARONI SANDWICH

Ingredients:
Macaroni ...     1/2 cup (boiled)
Eggs .........      2
Onion ......        2 tbsps (finely chopped)
Green chillies .. 1 (finely chopped)
Coriander leaves .. 2 tbsps
Cheese (grated).....1 tbsps (optional)
Salt ...... to taste
Bread slices ... as needed
Oil .....  2 tbsps

Method:
1. In a pan add oil and saute the onion until translucent.
2. Add the chillies, coriander leaves and salt.
3. Add the eggs and scramble them.
4. Mix the boiled macaroni and stir.
5. Add the grated cheese and stir until it melts.
6. Spread the filling on a bread slice. Place  another one on top and grill the sandwiches.

Note: You can skip green chillies if you are making for kids. You may also add black pepper if you like.
You can also use any  left over pasta.

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ALOO KI DAL

Yes, you heard it right... ever tried making dal with just boiled and mashed potatoes ? It is as tasty as any dal made with lentils.
Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 2 large

Tomato ... 1

Ginger ... 1 inch piece (grated)

Garlic .... 1 tsp (crushed)

Green chillies .. 2 

Turmeric powder .. 1/4 tsp

Amchoor powder .. 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder .. 1/4 tsp ( or as per taste)

Coriander leaves .. handful

Salt ..... to taste

For Tempering:

Asafoetida .. a generous pinch

Cumin seeds .. 1 tbsp

Curry leaves .. few

Dry red chillies .. 1-2 broken

Oil .... 2-3 tbsps

Method:

1. Boil and mash the potatoes. Add a little water and blend with a hand grinder or in a blender.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add the tempering ingredients. 

3. When they crackle, add the chopped tomato, green chillies, ginger, garlic and saute until the tomato is cooked.

4. Now add the blended potato and the required quantity of water. ( according to the consistency you like)

5. Stir in the salt and the spice powders mentioned in the list.

6. Finally add the coriander leaves. 

Serve with plain rice.

 Serves 4

Note: If you want to serve it with puris and rotis you can make the consistency thicker.

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