2012 - A Flashback!!

I had been wanting to do this "Best Of" post for every milestone in my blog. But somehow could not get into doing it. Srivalli's post on Best of 2012 event motivated me to look back at 2012 - the year that was. Completing two years of blogging this month I thought this is the best time to do it.Favorite PostNothing was more sweeter and beautiful than my dear blog buddies' lovely gesture for welcoming our bundle of joy Kavin. Little Kavin turned 6 months now and is keeping his mom super busy. Favorite RecipeMy favorite recipe this year is Kollu Podi / Horse Gram Spice Powder. This is a aromatic and flavorful podi for idli/dosa with all...

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Sweet & Spicy Baked Tofu - Asian Style

Tofu has been our favorite ingredient when it comes to quick snack. There are certain foods which DH is not very fond of. One of them is Tofu. At least I thought so until he actually liked something with tofu. It was when we went to a Thai place near our house before sometime. He did enjoy the vegetables with tofu served with rice. Then I "discovered" why he liked them. It was because it was crispy. And there started my quest for making tofu appealing to him. Fry or bake. Mission accomplished. This time I made a simple marinade and baked the tofu. It tasted almost close to the Organic Tofu which we tasted in Noodles and Company. Also...

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Hot Fried Prawn By Chef Shireen Anwer

Hot Fried PrawnIngredientsJumbo prawns 300 gmGinger chopped 1 medium pieceGarlic chopped 3 – 4 clovesSpring onion chopped 1 (optional)Flour 3 tbspChili powder ½ tspWorchester sauce 1 tbspEgg 1Coriander leaves 2 tbsp (optional)Oil for fryCorn flour 2 tbspBaking powder ½ tspDry flour ½ cupSalt to tasteBlack pepper powder ¼ tspMethod• Wash and clean 300 gm jumbo prawns, cut from centre, coat with dry flour and keep aside.• In a bowl mix together 3 tbsp flour, ½ tsp baking powder, 2 tbsp corn flour, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 egg, salt to taste and water as required to make medium consistency batter.• Also add in ½ tsp chili powder , chopped coriander...

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Beef Seekh Kabab By Chef Shireen Anwer

Beef Seekh KababIngredientsBeef mince ½ kgKidneys fat 125 gmCoriander leaves ¼ bunchOnion 1Green chilies 3 – 4Ginger 1 pieceAll spice powder 1 tspCumin powder 1 tspCoriander powder 1 tspSalt to tasteMethod• In chopper put together ½ kg mince, 3 – 4 green chilies, 1 piece of ginger, 1 chopped onion and ¼ bunch of coriander leaves. Chopperize well. Also add 125 gm kidneys fat and chopperize for another 2 minutes.• Add 1 tsp all spice powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder and salt to taste. Chopperize for more 1 – 2 minutes.• Remove paste in a platter.• Put ice cool water in a bowl, wet your palm with chilled water. Make small kababs...

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Chatpati Beef Boti By Chef Shireen Anwer

Chatpati Beef BotiIngredientsBeef undercut ½ kgPapaya paste 3 tbspTamarind paste 3 tbspLemon (juice) 1Green chilies ground 3Ginger garlic paste 2 tbspCrushed red pepper 1 tbspCumin powder 1 tspCoriander powder 1 tspTurmeric ½ tspChaat masala 1 tspOil 2 tbspShashlik sticks as requiredCorn flour 2 tbspChili sauce 2 tbspSalt to tasteMethod• Cut ½ kg beef undercut into cubes, marinate with 3 ground green chilies, juice of 1 lemon, 3 tbsp tamarind paste, 3 tbsp raw papaya paste, 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tbsp crushed red pepper, 1 tsp cumin powder, ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp chaat masala, 2 tbsp oil and salt to taste.• Mix well and keep aside.• Then...

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Chicken Oyster Sauce with Noodles By Chef Shireen Anwer

Chicken Oyster Sauce with NoodlesIngredientsChicken breast sliced 2Boiled egg noodles ½ packetChopped peanut 25 gmCarrot sliced 1Capsicum sliced 1Worchester sauce 4 tbspBoiled egg 2Black mushrooms 3 – 4Button mushrooms 5 – 6Tomato (remove seeds) 2Garlic paste 1 tspOil 3 – 4 tbspTomato ketchup 2 tbspSalt to tasteBlack pepper powder ¼ tspMethod• Heat oil in a wok, add garlic paste and sliced chicken. Fry till its color is changed.• Then add 1 sliced carrot, 1 sliced capsicum and 25 gm peanut. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes.• Now add ½ packet boiled noodles, 2 chopepd tomatoes, 4 tbsp oyster sauce, sliced black mushroom, sliced button mushroom, tomato ketchup,...

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Chicken Ball in Red Sauce By Chef Shireen anwer

Chicken Ball in Red SauceIngredientsChicken mince ½ kgMilk 1 cupBread crumbs 4 tbspButter 2 tbspOil ¼ cupButton mushroom ½ cupFlour 3 tbspChicken stock 1 cupRed grapes juice ½ cupBoiled chopped tomatoes 3Tomato paste 2 tbspParsley chopped ¼ bunchSpring onion chopped 2Chili powder 1 tspBoiled spaghetti ½ packetSalt to tasteBlack pepper powder ¼ tspCoriander leaves 1 tbspMethod• In chopper put together chicken mince, bread crumbs, milk, salt and chopperize well.• Make small sized balls with the mixture and keep aside.• Heat butter and oil in a pan, add in chicken balls and fry till golden brown. Then remove from oil and keep aside.• In the same...

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Cantonese Style Chicken By Chef Shireen anwer

Cantonese Style ChickenIngredientsChicken Thai boneless ½ kgBlack mushrooms 2 – 3Button mushroom 8 – 10Oil 3 – 4 tbspGarlic paste 1 tbspBaby corn 4 – 5Bamboo shoots 1 mediumSpring onion 2Fish sauce 1 tbspOyster sauce 1 tbspWater ¼ cupCorn flour 1 tbspBrown sugar 1 tspSalt to tasteBlack pepper powder ¼ tspMethod• Cut boneless chicken into juliennes. Finely slice 4 – 5 baby corn, 2 – 3 black mushrooms, and 8 – 10 button mushrooms.• Heat 3 – 4 tbsp oil in a pan, add 1 tbsp garlic paste. Fry till its fragrance comes out. Now add in sliced chicken and fry till golden brown.• Then add in chopped bamboo shoot, button mushrooms, black mushrooms, sliced...

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Fried Mince Pizza By Chef Shireen anwer

Fried Mince PizzaIngredients for StuffingMince 250 gmCapsicum 1Tomato 1Onion 1Oil for fryMozzarella cheese 1 packetOregano 1 tspGinger garlic paste 1 tspGreen chilies 2 – 3Egg halfButter 1 tbspParsley ¼ bunchIngredients for SauceTomato paste ½ cupCrushed red pepper 1 tbspOregano ½ tspThyme ½ tspOil 3 tbspGarlic paste 1 tspSalt to tasteIngredients for DoughFlour 250 gmSalt to tasteYeast 1 tbspButter 3 tbspMilk ½ cupEgg 1Water littleMethod• In chopper put together 250 gm mince, 1 chopped onion, 2 – 3 green chilies, 1 capsicum and 1 egg. Chopperize well.• In a wok heat a little oil, add in chopperize mince and fry well. Remove from fire and keep...

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Beef Pasta with vegetables by Chef shireen anwer

Beef Pasta with vegetablesIngredients:1 packet Kolson pasta250 grams beef undercut1 tomato1 capsicum¼ bunch cauliflower1 carrot1 onion3 cloves of garlic2 chicken cubes¼ cup chili garlic sauceBlack pepper as required½ tsp oreganoSalt as required3 tbsp cream cheese4 tbsp oilMethodBoil water in a pan, add in kolson pasta and boil till done. Now drain out extra water and pur in strainer,Blanch cauliflower and keep aside.Heat oil in a pan, add chopped garlic and sauté till golden brown, then add in sliced beef and fry till its color is changed.Now add the chopped vegetables and cook till tender. Add chili garlic sauce, salt, oregano and black pepper....

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Pumpkin Pasties from Harry Potter

For all the Harry Potter fans out there... This is for you. Well, not a big fan of Potter? no problem you would love this too. I and DH are big fans of Harry Potter. If it is a boring weekend, not a great weather and nothing good on TV we will make it a "Harry Potter Weekend". We will watch all the eight HP movies back to back. A great way to spend the weekend isn't it? Pumpkin pasties are sold in the trolley run by Honeydukes express on the Hogwarts express. In the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry first meets Cho Chang in the train when she buys pumpkin pasties. I have never thought on how it would taste like back then....

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PB & J Cookies / Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies

I had planned to bake some cookies for one of DH's friends. I promised him to make something nice when he left for work in the morning. I hadn't really thought about what I was gonna make until even after I took the eggs and butter out to come to room temperature. I was just browsing over my bookmarks and found these beautiful Peanut Butter Thumbprint cookies which Denny had made a couple months ago. Her pictures were the most important reason which made me try these beauties. It is a very simple process which is not in par with the appreciations I got after the taste test.Ingredients:Yields - 2 dozen cookiesAll purpose flour/Maida - 1-3/4 cupsSalt...

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Guest Hosting "Know Your Sweetness" - Brown Sugar

I am guest hosting an event after a long time. This time it is Jagruti's Know your Natural Sweetness event with the theme of Brown Sugar. I love Jagruti's themes and happy to be a part of this event. Sweetness is the most prominent and preferred taste among the five (sometimes six) tastes. Who doesn't like something sweet after dinner? This month being the cookies and cakes month for Christmas and New year, it is more appropriate to treat yourself and your sweet tooth. Make or bake something with Brown Sugar and link it up.Guidelines for the event:1. Send in any dish which uses brown sugar/raw sugar. The dish can be sweet or savory.2. Only Vegetarian...

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Chicken Shaslik by Chef shireen anwer

Chicken ShaslikIngredients :Boneless chicken 1/2 kg , cubedSalt 1/2 tspBlack pepper 1/2 tsp , crushedKetchup 2 tbspWorcestershire sauce 2 tbsp.Ginger,garlic paste 1 tbspChilli Powder 1/2 tspCapsicum 2Onion 2Tomato 2Olive oil 1 tbspFor BBQ Sauce:Tomato paste 4 tbspKetchup 4 tbspVinegar 4 tbspGarlic paste 1 tspSalt 1 tspSugar 1 tspChili Powder 1/2 tspOil 2 tbspUses:grill panMethod for skewers:Cut chicken in to cube shapes.Cut capsicum into half discard seeds and cut the flesh into 3 cm pieces.Cut onion into quarters and separate the layers.Cut tomato into half and discard seeds,cut flesh into 3 cm pieces.In a bowl add chicken cubes, salt, red chilli...

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Kollu Podi / Horse Gram Spice Powder | Side Dish for Idli Dosa

I can start this post saying horse gram (aka kollu in tamil) has numerous health benefits and is good for you. It is rich in protein like any other bean and has good amount of fiber. Kollu rasam/horse gram soup is good for cold and sinuses. But mind that too much of anything good is bad. Though horse gram taken in moderation is good for you, too much of it causes increase in body heat.But I had actually thought of starting this post saying that the best side dish for idlis are podi. Podi popularly known as Idli podi is made of lentils and there are infinite combinations and recipes for making it. I have already made and blogged about Idli podi,...

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Spicy schezwan soup By Chef Shireen anwer

Spicy schezwan soupIngredientsChicken boneless sliced 1 cupGreen chilies 2 choppedCabbage tiny cubes 1 cupCoriander leaves chopped ½ cupSoya sauce 4 tbspSugar 1 tspVinegar ¼ cupCarrot 1 cut in tiny cubesChicken stock 8 cupsChili sauce 2 tbspSalt 1 ½ tspCorn flour 6 tbsp heaped dissolved in ½ cup waterEgg 1 beatenMethodHeat chicken stock in a pan, add sliced chicken, cook for 5 minutes, add cabbage and carrots with salt, sugar, soya sauce, chili sauce, vinegar, green chilies, thickens soup with corn flour paste, lastly add beaten egg, stir well, before removing add coriander leav...

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Schezwan chowmein By Chef Shireen anwer

Schezwan chowmeinIngredientsChicken boneless 1 cup thinly slicedSalt 1 tsp + ½ tspSugar ½ tsp + ½ tspCorn flour 1 tbspBeaten egg HalfWhite pepper ¼ tspCabbage thinly sliced 2 cupsCapsicum 1 slicedEgg noodles 1 packet boil for just 3 minutesChili sauce 2 tbspSoya sauce 2 tbspCrushed garlic 1 tspOnion 1 slicedCarrot 1 thinly slicedSpring onion leaves 2 inch long strips 1 cupOil ¼ cupKetchup ¼ cupMethodMarinate chicken sliced with salt, white pepper, sugar, soya sauce, corn flour 1 tbsp, half beaten egg for 15 minutes, heat ¼ cup oil fry crushed garlic till light golden add sliced onion, add marinate chicken cook for 1 minute add in cabbage,...

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Dry chilli chicken By Chef Shireen anwer

Dry chili chickenIngredientsChicken boneless sliced ½ kgSalt ½ + 1 tspSoya sauce 1 + 2 tbspSugar 1 + 1 tspCorn flour 2 tbsp heapedBeaten egg halfOnion 2 cut in big square cubesCrushed garlic 1 tbspGreen chilies 6 to 8 sliced diagonallyCapsicum 1 sliced in JulianChopped ginger 1 tbspOil ¼ cupMethodMarinate boneless chicken slice with salt 1 tsp, soya sauce 1 tbsp, sugar 1 tsp, corn flour 2 tbsp and half beaten egg for 15 minutes, then deep fry for 5 minutes and remove, heat ¼ cup oil in a wok, add chopped ginger garlic, slightly brown add fried chicken with onion, green chilies, salt, sugar, soya sauce, capsicum, cook for 2 minutes, mix well and...

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Special hot ‘n’ sour soup By Chef Shireen anwer

Special hot ‘n’ sour soupIngredientsChicken breast 1 thinly slicedPrawns 8 to 10 (marinate chicken and prawns with salt and white pepper ½ tsp and ¼ cup water).Chicken stock 8 cupsSugar 1 tbspSalt 1 tsp heapedWhite pepper ½ tspVinegar ¼ cupCabbage 1 cup thinly slicedCarrot 1 fine JulianBeans sprouts ½ cupBean curd 2 pieces cut into tiny cubesCoriander leaves chopped 2 tbsp heapedCorn flour ¾ cup mixed with ½ cup waterEgg 1 beatenMethodCook stock add chicken and prawns, cook for 10 minutes, add in all the vegetables with seasonings, when soup boiling thicken with corn flour paste, lastly add beaten egg, coriander leaves and remo...

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Sizzling chicken By Chef Shireen anwer

Sizzling chickenIngredientsChicken boneless cubes ½ kgSalt ½ + ½ tspSugar ½ + 1 tspWhite pepper ½ + ½ tspCorn flour 1 + 1 tbspSoya sauce 1 + 1 tbspBeaten egg halfCrushed garlic 1 tbspCapsicum 2 cut in square cubesTomatoes 2 seeds removed cut in squaresOnion 2 cut in squaresGreen chilies 4 diagonally choppedChili oil ¼ cupStock 1 cupChilies from the chili oil 2 tspMethodMarinate chicken boneless cubes with salt and white pepper ½ tsp each, sugar 1 tsp, soya sauce 1 tbsp, corn flour 1 tbsp and ½ beaten egg, heat chili oil in a wok, fry crushed garlic, slightly brown, add marinated chicken, fry for 5 minutes, add all the chopped vegetables with...

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Fried drum sticks by Chef shireen anwer

Fried drum sticksIngredientsChicken wings ½ kg make into loly pop shapeSalt ½ tspWhite pepper ½ tspSugar ½ tspChopped garlic 1 tspEgg 1Corn flour 2 tsp heapedFlour 2 tsp heapedMethodMarinate your drum sticks with all above, mix very well, deep fry for 10 minutes, then remove and re fry once again for 10 minutes till crisp and golden bro...

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Banana Blossom Curry / Vazhaipoo Kulambu | Indian Curry Recipes

Come Summer we get more Asian vegetables in the supermarket. I love the season due its abundant availability of fresh vegetables. Curry leaves, Methi leaves and not to forget Banana Blossom / Vazhaipoo. It is a rare vegetable to come by in this country and when I find one I pick it immediately. We mostly prepare vadas with this one but this time MIL made delicious kuzhambu with this. This time too I missed to take the step by step pictures on how to clean and prepare this one but would do so next time.  Ingredients:Banana Blossom/Flower/Vazhaipoo - Prepped and chopped - 2 cupsOnion - chopped - 1 cupGarlic - 4 cloves - sliced thinTomato -...

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Chicken and spinach in coconut sauce curry

Normal 0    Chicken and spinach in coconut sauce curryThis recipe is sure a winner, serve it with naan or white rice and your family will happy to eat spinach . This is simple chicken and spinach curry ,the addition of coconut give this dish creamy texture and beautiful yummy flavor.  Ingredients:1 cup cubed chicken breast1cup chopped baby spinach1 shallot diced1 medium size tomato chopped¼ cup yogurt ½ cup coconut milksalt and pepper1/2tsp turmeric powder1tsp cumin seeds1 green chili roughly diced1tbsp chopped ginger1tbsp chopped garlic¼ cup olive oilMethod:In small bowl marinate chicken yogurt ,salt and pepper...

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Linking up Archives for Serve It - Original Recipes from Home

This post is exclusively for linking up my archived posts for this month's Serve It Series. The Event theme is Original Recipes from home. The idea is to cook family recipes or own recipes which are not otherwise available in any restaurant, bakeries or shops. Tomato ChoppsSelavu SambarPasiparuppu UpmaMinty Mushroom CurryPaneer Kasuri MethiSprouted moong dhal kurmaRoasted Potatoes spiced with Curry LeavesSesame Turnip SauteVendhaya IdliSago UpmaPressed Barley upmaSweet Potato Para...

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