Chicken Lollipop

"Chicken Lollipop" is a wonderful non-vegeterian starter to start with. Even Childrens love eating these Chicken Lollipops.

I tried this out for the first time at my colleague's house last year. Her kid and my other colleague's kid really loved it.

Ingredients
Chicken Wings - 10
Ajnomotto - a pinch
Garlic - 5 (very finely chopped)
Soya Sauce - 1 tsp
Red Chilli Paste - 1/2 tbsp
Tomato Ketchup - 1 tbsp
Corn Flour Paste - 3 tsp
Salt - little
Spring Onion Bulbs - 5 (finely chopped)
Spring Onion Leaves - few (finely chopped)
Oil - to deep fry

To Marinate
Corn Flour - 3 tbsp
Egg White - 1
Ajnomotto - a pinch
Soya Sauce - 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - for Chicken alone

To Garnish
Spring Onion Leaves - few (finely chopped)

Method

Marinate the Chicken wings with the items given in To Marinate for half-an-hour.

Heat Oil in a kadai. Deep fry the marinated chicken.

Heat Oil in a pan. Add the very finely chopped Garlic and saute for two minutes.

Add the chopped spring onion bulbs, ajnomotto, salt and saute for another two minutes. Now add the chopped spring onion leaves and saute for a minute.

Add Soya Sauce, Red Chilli paste, Corn flour paste and the left out marinated sauce if any. Cook in a medium flame for two minutes.

Now add Tomato Ketchup, fried Chicken Lollipops and saute it well in the sauces.

Transfer it to a serving dish and garnish with chopped spring onion leaves.

Mushroom Masala

Mushroom Masala is a semi gravy dish that can be served with all kinds of Indian Breads. It goes well with your Dosas too.

Ingredients

Button Mushrooms - 250 gms (washed, diced into 4 or 6 pieces)
Big Onions - 2 (very finely chopped)
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
Curd - 2 tbsp
Cashew Paste - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - a pinch
Oil - 4 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tsp

To Grind
Tomatoes - 2
or
Tomato Puree - a cup
Cumin Powder - a pinch
Pepper Powder - a pinch
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Corriander Powder - 3/4 tsp

Method

Heat Oil in a pan and add the very finely chopped Onions, little salt and saute for a while. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for another few minutes.

Grind the items given in To Grind. Add the grinded paste to the fried onion mixture.

Add the curd and simmer the flame. Let it cook for 10 minutes in low flame.

Switch off the stove and allow it to cool. Grind it to a coarse paste.

Heat Ghee in a pan. Transfer the grinded paste. Add the mushrooms, remaining salt and cook it in medium flame for few minutes.

Reduce the flame. Add the Cashew paste and cook till the gravy gets thick and you find oil oozing out from the gravy.

Transfer Mushroom Masala to the serving dish and serve it hot.

Karuvattu Kulambu or Karuvadu Kulambu

Nethili Karuvattu Kulambu" is a mouth watering curry from the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It goes very well with Plain Rice, Curd Rice, Idli/Dosai.

Ingredients

Nethili - 50 gms
Brinjal - 4
Drumstick - 5 cut pieces
Mochai - 25 gms
Small Onions or Shallots - 10 (cut into two-halves)
Tomato - 1 (diced into 8 pieces)
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Home made Kulambhu Podi - 4 tsp (Chilli Powder + Dhaniya Powder)
Sea Salt - to taste
Tamarind juice - a small cup

To Season
Gingilee Oil - 3 tbsp
Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Split Urad Dhal - 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds - 8 to 10
Curry Leaves - few
Garlic Pods - 6 to 8

Method

Soak the Dry Nethilies for 15 minutes. Wash it thrice or more if required.
Add little of turmeric powder, kulambu podi and keep it aside.

Make a thick paste with the remaining turmeric powder, home made kulambu podi with water and keep it separately.

Heat 2 tbsp of gingilee oil in a saucer pan. Add items given in To Season one-by-one.

Add the Onion shallots and saute for 2 minutes. Now add the diced domatoes and saute till it leaves out oil.

Add the mochai, brinjal & drumstick pieces. Saute till you find the brinjal turning its colour.

Add the marinated dry nethilies and saute for few minutes.

Now add the thick paste and allow it to boil in high flame for 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the tamarind juice, water and cook it in medium flame till you find the bubbles.

Now add 1 tbsp of oil and simmer the flame.

Transfer the Nethili Karuvattu Kulambu and serve it with hot rice.

Green Peas Masala

"Green Peas Masala" is a very good vegeterian side dish for Indian bread varieties Chappathis/Rotis/Phulkas/Naans/Kulchas.

Ingredients

Green Peas - 100 gms
Red Chilli Powder - 3/4 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Corriander Powder - 3/4 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 tsp
Tomato Ketchup - 1/4 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Ghee - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp

To Grind 1
Onion - 1
Green Chilli - 1 (small)
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp

To Grind 2
Tomatoes - 2

Preparation

Grind the items given in grind 1 as a coarse paste and grind 2 as fine paste and keep it separately.

Heat Ghee and Oil in a kadai. Add the cumin seeds and allow it to splutter. Add the grinded paste 1 and saute till the raw smell is off.

Now add all the dry powders, salt and saute till the raw smell is off.

Add the tomato paste. Cover and cook in medium flame till you find the oil leaving out from the gravy.

Now add the washed fresh Green Peas to the gravy. Cook the Peas in masala till its done.

Add tomato ketchup and simmer the flame. Cook the Peas Masala for few more minutes and turn off the stove.

Transfer the Green Peas Masala to a serving dish.