Chicken Shashlik with Sauce (Skewered Chicken)

Shashlik (shashlyk) is basically a mongolian dish. Shashlik was originally marinated cubes of grilled lamb or beef, but people of different areas changed it depending on local and religious preferences. It is also a form of Shish Kabab popular in India and other Asian countries.

It has high protein contents like meat and vegetables which make it more healthier. And if grilled, it has very little fat in the form of oil.

Today I am going to alter bit of the original recipe, and use chicken instead of beef. This recipe is just soo yumm n perfect that u will never regret making it. Extremely juicy and mouth drooling. This was one of those recipes on which my hubby went nuts :P Lol, so my dear friends, put on ur aprons and enter ur kitchen to impress ur hubbies :P

Spicy Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori Chicken is one of the popular Pakistani and a North-Indian dish, loved cox of its spicy taste! It is best served with hot tandoori or roghni naan & salad :) I have discussed with u different recipes of chicken like, Tandoori chicken and Almond chicken :P This is a curry like dish in which chicken is cooked in tomato puree and tandoori masala. It will give a different aromatic taste :) When u are tired and don't wish to go for a out of way recipe, just grab some onion, tomatoes, tandoori spices & chicken and make this really easy and yummacious dish. :) Here goes the recipe:

Creamy Fruit Salad

Salad is the most eaten item with any meal; be it breakfast, lunch or supper. Irrespective of season, salads can be served chilled or at room temperature, according to personal taste and liking. The ingredients of a typical salad may comprise only raw vegetables and/or fruits or boiled items. Salads can also be served with dressing & sauce. Salads can be served at any point during a meal; as appetizer, or with main course as a side dish, even as a main course or as dessert. 

Chicken Jalfrezi

Jalfarezi (jhal - spicy food, pharezi - suitable for a diet) is a type of curry that involves frying that involves frying marinated pieces of meat, fish or vegetables in oil to produce a dry thick sauce. Its main ingredients are green chilies, onion, tomato & capsicum. Jalfrezi recipes originally appeared in cookbooks of British Raj. Chicken Jalfrezi in Pakistani/Indian dish that has a delicious spicy taste.. It is most loved by my family. It is best served with hot naan/chapati or even rice :) Lets move on to its step by step recipe:

Peas and Potato Curry (Aaalo Matar)

Peas & potato curry/ Aaloo matar is a classic Punjabi dish which is made by peas & potatoes in an onion-tomato based fragranced spicy curry. It is a scrumptious vegetarian dish. It can also be used as a filling in variety of Dosas. It is very simple to make and can be had with boiled rice or Chapati or naan or Paratha. Following is a simple, easy home-style recipe of Aalo matar! It is not of the restaurant style. This recipe doesn't need much cooking expertise. It is made of simple and minimum ingredients & yet delicious & tasty. A few other easy & vegetable recipes are: Carrots & Peas, Potatoes with Cauliflower, Okra, Spinach, Mustard Curry etc. Frozen peas can be used but I prefer using fresh peas. Now lets proceed to the recipe: 

Desi Spicy Burger

Nothing beats home made burgers in a warm summer evening. They are much better than the ones on roads, and are way more tasty, delicious & tasty  to make with fresh ingredients & a variety of herbs & spices. They are one of the best alternatives to junk food. They are a more healthier & cheaper option than those unhealthy fat processed burger patties. All you require is to buy some freshly ground high quality beef from ur favorite butcher & to put in a bit of ur efforts to make Patties/Kebabs. These burgers serve as a wonderful snack, appetizer, fast food or lunch box recipes. They are mostly loved by the kids although I m also crazy about them :P Burgers are definitely a huge treat in my home. If u wish to know how to make a burger, follow the following instructions step by step:

Mughlai Chicken

Mughlai dishes are much popular in Pakistan & India due to their unique cooking styles & ways. Mughlai dishes are mostly rich in nuts, dried dates etc. Their gravies are mostly buttery & creamy. Mughlai cuisine is certainly a feast for all of one's senses. They are full of taste & aroma. Some of the famous mughlai dishes are Badami chicken, Tandoori chicken, biryani, kebabs, chicken tikka masala etc. 

Fruit Custard (Trifle)

Custard is one of the simple, delicious, luscious, nutritious & easy desserts to make. I have added some fruit & cake in custard & hence named Trifle! Do try it guys! It turns out yummalicious!

A recipe loaded with flavors of fruits, mixed and nicely combined with milk, custard powder and nuts to give a smooth and attractive texture is a perfect dessert to attract kids. Esp, for naughty kids who don't drink milk or eat fruits. It is a perfect dish for vegetarian too, cox I prepare it without using eggs :) There are various ways to make the custard, and ingredients can be changed. Some of the combinations may include, cake, jelly, fruits, nuts, cake rusks, coffee, milk cream etc. 

Another variety which I have discussed is,

Delicious Coffee Custard

Lab -e- Sheeren

On diet, this also turns out to be a perfect dessert if we use no fat milk and those zero- calorie sugars :)  It turns out to be a cool refreshing lip smacking summer dessert with fresh fruits. Lets move on to the recipe:

Ingredients:

Custard powder                                               2 tbsp.
Sugar                                                               4 tbsp.
Milk                                                                 2 and 1/2 cups
Banana                                                             2 cut into small pieces
Apple                                                               2 Chopped
Plain cake                                                         8-10 pc
Crushed nuts                                                     Few

Procedure:

           Add 2 tbsp of custard powder in half cup milk and make a paste. Then add 4 tbsp of sugar in 2 cups of milk and bring to boil. Add custard paste to boiling milk and cook while stirring until texture is thick and smooth. Let it cool. (you can add cream for more taste & fat lol).

         Then place layers of cake, banana and apple one by one and pour custard in it.

         Refrigerate, garnish with crushed nuts and serve chilled :) you can garnish it with jelly too if u want :) Enjoy!!

Other varieties which I have discussed of custard are,

Delicious Coffee Custard

Lab -e- Sheeren

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Gram flours fritters & Chick Peas (Baysan k Dahi baray & Chana chaat)

Gram flour fritters or dahi baray is a very popular snack in Asian countries. And is mostly served in Ramadan (The Holy month of fasting). Its really easy to make. Dahi baray/vada is a classic recipe and seldom need any introduction. It is simply a yummacious and cute (lol) deep fried dumplings made of lightly spiced gram flour batter.. and and soaked in water before burring them under the smooth and creamy layer of beaten curd.. which is flavored both sweet and spicy. The garnish of red chili, coriander, tamarind sauce, and roasted cumin powder gives it as good tempting look as its taste!!  Here is its recipe:

Ingredients:

For Gram Flour dumplings - Dahi baray (1st layer) :

Boiled potatoes                                2 (cut in cubes)

Onions                                              1 big (chopped)

Tomato                                             1 (chopped)

Salt                                                    1/2 tsp.

Black Pepper                                    ½ tsp.

Chaat masala                                     1 tsp.

Mix all the ingredients and spread in the dish as 1st layer.

2nd layer :

Baysan (Gram flour)                         2 cups

Baking soda                                      1/2 tsp.

Red Chili powder                              1/2 tsp.           

Turmeric Powder                              1/4 tsp.

Cumin powder (zeera)                     ½ tsp.

Garlic Paste                                      1/2 tsp.

Salt                                                    1/2 tsp.

Oil                                                      For frying

Water

Chaat masala

Mix all the above ingredients and add water to make a semi solid paste, keep it aside for 15 min. Heat the oil and fry them in to 16-20 bara's.. Immediately put them in cold water for few seconds and then gently press the dahi bara's to remove the water. And put them in dish as second layer. Sprinkle chaat masaala on them.

3rd layer :

  

Yogurt                                                1 kg

Icing sugar                                        4 tbsp.           

Black pepper                                    1/4 tsp.

Cumin powder (zeera)                     1/4 tsp.

Chaat masala                                   1/2 tsp.

Salt                                                    1/4 tsp.

Mix all the ingredients together and beat for few minutes. Spread it in the dish as 3rd layer.

Lastly, spread Tamarind sauce (imli ki chutney) on the yogurt. (Here is the link to recipe Tamarind sauce).

Serve cold and enjoy with chana chaat :)

For Chana Chaat (Chick peas) : 

Chickpeas (sufaid chanay)             1 cup boiled

Boiled potatoes                                2

Oil                                                    1 wooden spoon (doi)

Onions                                              1 big (sliced)

Tomato                                             1 (chopped)

Green Chili                                        2 (chopped)

Red Chili powder                              1 tsp.           

Turmeric Powder                              1/4 tsp.

Black Pepper                                    ½ tsp.

Garam Masala                                  1/2 tsp.

Chaat masala                                   1 tsp

Red Chili Flakes                               1/2 tsp

Garlic Paste                                      1/2 tsp.

Ginger Paste                                     1/2 tsp.

Salt                                                    1 tsp.

Cumin Powder (Zeera)                     1 tsp.

Coriander Powder                             1 tsp.

Coriander Leaves (dhanyia)              Few

Maythi (Fenugreek) Seeds                Few        
Lemon Juice                                     1 tsp.
Vinegar                                              Few drops (optional)

Procedure:

Heat oil, and add the fenugreek seeds, followed by the chopped onions. Fry until onions are golden brown. Then add garlic and ginger paste, green chilies and the chopped tomatoes, followed by all other spices and chickpeas. Mix cubed boiled potatoes in it. Fry this for few minutes.

Then add  vinegar. Keep the lid covered for 10-15 minutes on medium heat. Add lemon juice. Garnish with garam masala and chopped coriander leaves. And chickepeas/chana chaat is ready! Serve them with dahi baray :)

Vegetable biryani (Aalo matar biryani)

Rice is one of the most popular foods eaten by most of us. It is also an important staple dish that is widely consumed in Asia. It is extremely nutritious food and an important healthy diet that contains more than 15 vitamins & minerals. It has been estimated that world's half population live wholly or partially on rice, where 90% of the world's crop is grown & used in Asia. It can be used to cook both as Savory & Sweet. Some of the dishes that are made of rice, and I have discussed are:

Carrot Kheer/Pudding

Mutton Pilau

Mutton Biryani

Singaporean Rice

Boiled Rice with Gram Lentil

Biryani is a dish in which rice are half boiled separately and curry is cooked separately and then put in layers and cooked on dum (Slow process of cooking over a very slow flame). There are many types of biryani like, Vegetable, chicken, mutton, Hyderabadi, mughlai, fish biryani etc.

Vegetable Biryani is a rich, aromatic & exotic dish with spicy veggies. It is my all time favorite. It is one of the best savory dishes in my kitchen, esp when feeling like eating something different from the normal routine meal etc. It's a complete balanced dish that can be eaten alone or accompanied with raita. It is a versatile dish that can give way to a lot of space for your own innovation. There is no fixed rule to prepare this dish. You can use as many vegetables u wish, either one or more. Spices can be adjusted acc to your taste. This dish is truly a wonder dish with the natural earthy flavors of vegetables that makes the dish wonderful & luscious. Here goes its recipe:

No Bake Cold Cake

In this busy world of today no one wants long and time consuming dishes to cook. Cold cake is a super easy no bake dessert & tastes bit like a chocolate cake and there is no need to bake it for hours. When I had it for the first time I could barely believe that it has not been baked. Lol. It is something that kids will love to have. Its not much of a recipe. Just few ingredients, basically digestive/Marrie biscuits go into its recipe. Go ahead! Do try it!! Add some chopped nuts to add to its richness. This cold cake is something u will wish to make again and again. It has a fabulous look with a unique taste & checkerboard appearance. Here is its recipe. Happy cooking :)

No Bake Bread Pizza

These mini pizzas are extremely delicious n really easy to make in very little time and without the oven. You don't need to wait for hours for the dough to rise, which most ppl find difficult. It is one of the easy, quick, delicious, kids friendly snack recipe. It is one of the best ways to use leftover bread. Others are breadcrumbs, fried bread fritters etc. These bread pizzas can also be made as a filling breakfast for kids or as snacks or appetizers. All it needs is a few bread slices, pizza sauce or ketchup, some sliced vegetables and sliced/shredded chicken & cheese. That's all. I usually toast the bread before applying sauce and remaining ingredients. This makes the bread crispy & more tasty, and prevents the soggy texture. Now off to the recipe. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

Topping:

Boneless Chicken                             8-10 pc. (cut into small cubes)

Capsicum                                          1 small, red and green (chopped)

Green Chilies                                    1-2 (chopped)

Black Pepper                                     1/2 tsp.
Red chili powder                                1/2 tsp.

Salt                                                     1/4 tsp.

Onion                                                  1 (chopped)

Garlic Ginger paste                             1/2 tsp.

Soya and Chili sauce                          Optional

Oil                                                        2-3 tbsp.

Chopped coriander                              2-3 tsp.

Cumin Powder                                     1/2 tsp.

Lemon                                                  1

Tandoori masala                                   Pinch (optional)

For bread Pizza:

Bread                                                  

Mozzarella cheese

Procedure:

Heat oil in a non stick pan, add the onions and fry until they lose their strength. Mae sure don't turn them brown. Add capsicum, green chili and stir until they soften. Add the raw chicken and stir until they turn brown and are cooked. Add all the spices and ginger garlic paste and fry more. Add soya sauce, lemon juice and coriander and stir. Make sure the mixture is dry. Topping is ready :)

Take a slice of bread, and apply a layer of ketchup on it. Then sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on the base so that when it melts it has a nice grip of topping. Then put a layer of above mentioned spicy chicken and sprinkle some rings of sliced onions, tomato and capsicum. Then sprinkle some more cheese and drizzle some ketchup on it. Like this make rest of the mini bread pizzas.

Heat a pan and place them in it and cover the lid. Let them on  low flame until the cheese is melted. It will take about 10 minutes.

Delicious mini pizzas are readddyy!! Enjoy :)