UPMA

Upma is a savoury dish which can be made using sooji / semolina. Lots of veggies are added to it for a nice crunch. This makes a perfect dish to serve for breakfast / snack.

SERVES : 2 - 3

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup sooji / semolina

• 1 onion

• 1 carrot

• 1/4 cup green peas

• 2 green chillies

• 1/2 tsp chopped ginger

• Few curry leaves

• Coriander leaves for garnishing

• Few cashews

• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

• Salt to taste

• 2 tbsp oil of your choice

• 1 tsp ghee

METHOD

1. Finely chop carrots, green chillies, ginger and coriander leaves.

2. Dry roast semolina /sooji in a frying pan on low to medium heat until crunchy. Keep stirring often for even roasting don't brown it too much. Remove and keep aside.

3. In the frying pan add 1 tsp oil and stir fry broken cashews. Keep aside for garnishing.

4. In the same pan heat oil add mustard seeds, chopped ginger, green chillies and curry leaves. Saute them.

5. Add onions and fry them till transparent.

6. Add peas and carrots. Stir and cook covered until slightly tender.

7. Add 4 cups of water and bring it to a boil.

8. Slowly add roasted sooji and continue stirring it till all the water gets absorbed.

9. Add few spoons of ghee / olive oil and chopped coriander leaves.

10. Cover and cook for 4-5 mins.

11. Garnish with stir fried cashews.

12. Serve hot with some pickle or as it is.

FRIED RICE AND CHILLI CHICKEN

Fried rice is a dish of cooked rice that has been stir-fried in a wok or a frying pan and is usually mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, seafood, or meat. It is often eaten by itself or as an accompaniment to another dish.

SERVES : 4

FRIED RICE

INGREDIENTS

• 250 gms ( chicken boiled with salt, pepper and shredded )

• 1 onion

• 10 -12 Beans

• 2 Carrot

• 2 Green chillies

• 1 tbsp chopped ginger

• 1 tbsp chopped garlic

• 1 packet mushrooms

• Few spring onion leaves

• 500 gms rice

• 2 Eggs

• 2 tbsp soya sauce

• Salt to taste

• oil

METHOD

1. Finely chop beans and carrots, green chillies, garlic and ginger.

2. Clean and wash mushrooms. Wash rice few times

3. Boil 10 -12 cups water in a large pot add rice and cook till al dente. Rice should be grainy and not mushy.

4. Drain off the rice to remove extra water and cook it covered till done.

5. Heat oil add green chillies, ginger, garlic.

6. Add onions and sautee. Add finely chopped vegetables and mushrooms.

7. Add boiled and shredded chicken.

8. Add chopped spring onions. Mix it well.

9. You can also add well beaten egg to this mixture.

10. Add salt and pepper.

11. Stir in soya sauce and mix it well.

12. In a wok / frying pan add this vegetables and chicken mixture to the rice and mix it well.

13. Serve it hot with chilli chicken gravy.

CHILLY CHICKEN GRAVY

• 3 whole legs chicken / 500 gms chicken ( debone the chicken, cut it into cubes and use it for chilli chicken. Bones can be used to make stock for sauce)

• Salt to taste

• 1/2 tsp chilli pd

• 2 onions

• 3 tbsp soya sauce

• 2-3 whole red chillies break into small pieces

• 4-5 tbsp cornflour

• 3 tbsp tomato sauce

• 1/2 Red bell pepper

• 1/2 Yellow bell pepper

METHOD

1. De bone chicken and cut them into small cubes.

2. Marinate these pieces with salt, chilli pd and 1 tbsp soya sauce and 2 tbsp cornflour and keep aside in the fridge for half an hour.

3. Shallow fry the marinated chicken cubes. Keep aside.

4. Finely chop ginger and garlic.

5. Quarter onions, red bell pepper and yellow pepper .

6. Mix soya sauce, tomato sauce, salt, 2 tbsp cornflour and 3 cups of water /chicken stock. Keep it aside

7. Heat oil sautee chopped ginger, garlic and whole red chillies.

8. Add onoins and bell peppers fry a little.

9. Now add fried chicken and mix it well cook for sometime with 1 cup water till done.

10. Add the sauce mixture and cook till the gravy is semi thick.

11. Serve with fried rice.

TROTTER / PAYA

Paya are trotters, the feet of goat or lamb, a rich and gourmet food, consumed in the colder months because it is not only a delicacy but is supposed to be extremely nourishing. It is served with breads, naans or taftoons

SERVES : 4

INGREDIENTS

• 12 trotters

• 3 tsp ginger garlic paste

• 1 tsp chilly pd or to taste

• 1/2 tsp turmeric pd

• 2 tsp coriander pd

• salt to taste

• 4 cloves

• 4 cardamoms

• 1 small piece cinnamon

• 2 small onions

• 2-3 tomatoes

• 2 tbsp oil / ghee

• 2 tbsp wheat flour.

• Barley pearls optional

CLEANING

• When it is cooked with the skin, the trotters are first lightly roasted over a fire to burn off the hair from the feet and hoof area, then washed clean.

METHOD

1. Wash and clean Paya / trotters.

2. Peel and slice onions.

3. Golden fry onions in oil. Keep aside.

4. Chop tomatoes. Grind them with cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and fried onions.

5. In a pressure cooker add trotters with turmeric pd, chilly pd, ginger - garlic paste, bay leaves, salt, barley ( optional ) and enough water to cover the trotters approximately 3.5 lts.

6. Pressure cook this for 40-45 minutes or till tender.

7. Dissolve the wheat flour in 1/2 a cup of water and keep aside.

8. Heat oil fry onion tomato paste well.

9. Add coriander pd.

10. Add this mixture to the cooked meat and boil well.

11. Add wheat flour mixture to this and stir well.

12. Keep on dum on slow flame. Add chopped fresh coriander.

13. Taste and check salt and chilly.

14. Remove from heat when ghee /oil appears on top. Add lemon juice.

15. Serve with Bread / Sheermal / Taftoon / Tandoori Roti.