Tandoori Fish with Lemon & Lime

Tandoori Fish with Lemon & Lime

Sea Bass (or any fish of your choice), marinated in Tandoori spice with lemon juice & melted butter and then baked  in oven with lemon & lime wedges. Yum!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 whole Sea bass (or any single serving size fish of your choice), cleaned, scaled and gutted
• 1 lime wedges (half moon shaped)
• 1 lemon wedges (half moon shaped)
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• 2 - 3 tbsp Tandoori Masala (any brand) 
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• Oil for greasing 
• Aluminium foil for wrapping the fishes

Method:

• Pre-heat oven at 200'C.
• Make diagonal slits on fishes, both sides.
• Add melted butter in juice of 1 lemon and mix in Tandoori Masala to make marinade
• Rub both sides of both fishes with the prepared marinade.
• Rub the marinade in the cavities of the fishes and also fill the slits you made on the fish with this spice.
• Wrap both fishes separately in greased aluminium foil (as shown in the video)
• Marinade for 30 - 60 mins (or more in fridge).
• Drizzle fishes lightly with oil (optional)
• Wrap both fishes loosely on top too with aluminium foil.
• Bake for 20-25 mins (or more depending on your oven) till done.
• Serve with mint & tamarind chutney / chips / salad of your choice.

~ Bon Appétit!

Daleem (Haleem)

Daleem (Haleem)

Arabic: دلیم‎‎, Urdu: دلیم‎, Persian: حلیم

Wonderfully yummy and spicy Daleem recipe by Flavour Essence! 

Daleem is a stew composed of meat, lentils and pounded wheat made into a thick paste. It is originally an Arabic dish which is very popular in Middle East, Central Asia and Indian Subcontinent.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 500 grams boneless meat cubes (beef / mutton / chicken)
• 1/2 cup wheat
• 2 tbsp barley
• 2 tbsp white lentil
• 2 tbsp gram lentil
• 1.5 tbsp yellow lentil
• 1.5 tbsp red lentil
• 1.5 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 2 tbsp red chili powder
• Salt, to taste
• 2 large pinches nutmeg & mace powder (jaifal javitri)
• ½ tsp black pepper powder
• ½ tsp white cumin powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ cup oil
• 3 medium onions, fine julienned
• Fine chopped green chilies, ginger, lemon wedges & chaat masala for serving

Method:

• Soak all the grains for 3-4 hours or overnight if you have time.
• Cook soaked grains on low-medium heat till tender.
• Fry onions, stirring constantly till uniformly golden brown.
• Separate half of the fried onions for garnishing and serving later on.
• In the pot with remaining onions, add ginger garlic paste and stir.
• Add boneless meat cubes and all the spices.
• Cook and stir-fry well for five minutes.
• Add plenty water (3-4) glasses and cook half covered till meat is very tender.
• Now separately start mashing meat and grains in their own pots till well mashed like paste as desired.
• Now add meat in grains pot, and mix and mash till well combined.
• Serve with Naan and condiments (crispy fried onions, fine chopped green chilies, ginger, lemon wedges & chaat masala).

Happy Cooking & Bon Appétit!

Chicken Tikka with Tamarind Chutney, Mint Raita & Puri Paratha

Chicken Tikka

with Tamarind Chutney, Mint Raita & Puri Paratha

Ingredients:

• 3-4 chicken quarters
• 3-4 tbsp oil for drizzling
• Marinade:
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
• 1/2 tsp white pepper powder
• Juice of 2 large lemons
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder / paprika (this chili powder is very mild in taste but impart a vibrant red colour to any dish)
• 1/2 tsp chaat masala powder
• Salt, to taste
• A pinch or two of orange food color
• 2 tbsp oil

Method:

• Pre-heat oven at 180'C.
• Make diagonal slits on chicken quarters.
• Combine all marinade ingredients and coat the chicken pieces well in this marinade using your hand.
• Leave for 2-3 hours so that meat is infused with spices.
• Arrange chicken pieces on an oiled rack over a baking tray.

• Drizzle with oil.
• Bake in pre-heated oven for 40-45 minutes. (Flip the side after 30 minutes during baking if using leg quarter.)

~ Serve. 

Spicy Mint & Tamarind Chutney

Ingredients:

• A handful of mint leaves
• A handful of parsley / coriander
• 4-5 green chilies
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbsp red chili flakes
• Salt, to taste
• 2-3 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1/4 cup water

Method:

• Mix all ingredients together and blend until smooth.

Mint Raita:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup yogurt
• A handful of mint leaves
• A handful of parsley / coriander
• 4-5 green chilies
• 1 garlic clove
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tbsp water

Method:

• Mix all ingredients together and blend until smooth.

Special Puri Paratha:

My puri paratha recipe with step-by-step pics:

http://flavour-essence.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/special-puri-paratha.html

Chicken & Corn Soup

Chicken & Corn Soup

Winter is almost here and that means its Soup time! So here's this comforting, warming and delicious 'Chicken & Corn Soup' recipe by Flavour-Essence!

Serve it with prawn crackers or garlic / cheese bread and you can make your soup a complete meal.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups water
•  ½ chicken breast fillet
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 1.5 tablespoon corn-flour
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) water
• 2 tablespoons creamed corn
• 2 tablespoon corn kernels, rinsed, drained
• ½ egg, whisked
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 spring onion, green part finely chopped
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

• Place water, chicken and chicken stock cube in a large saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Transfer chicken to a bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Finely shred.
• Add the soy sauce and ginger to the chicken stock.
• Make corn-flour slurry by combining corn-flour and water in a small bowl.
• Gradually stir the corn-flour mixture into the chicken stock.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until soup thickens slightly.
• Add shredded chicken, creamed corn and corn and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes or until its boiling.
• Gradually pour in whisked egg into the soup, stirring constantly.
• Cook for 2 minutes or until white ribbons swirl though the soup.
• Add the sesame oil, black pepper and half the green shallot and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper if required.
• Ladle the soup among serving bowls and sprinkle with the remaining green shallot.

Serve hot.

Spicy Jalfrezi Pasta

Spicy Jalfrezi Pasta

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 300 gms chicken cubes
• Salt, to taste
• ¼ tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp ginger powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp white pepper powder
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ large onion, cubed
• 2-3 green chilies, fine chopped
• 1-2 green / red / yellow capsicums, cubed
• 2 medium tomatoes, cubed
• A handful of fresh chopped coriander leaves
• 2-3t tbsp oil
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• ½ cup tomato puree + tomato sauce
• Boiled pasta – serving quantity for 2-3

Method:

• Marinate chicken for 30 minutes in all the ground / powdered spices and ½ of the ground garam masala.
• Heat oil in a wok and sauté garlic till it softens.
• Add marinated chicken cubes and fry till cooked through.
• Add tomato puree and red chili flakes and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.
• Add green chilies and all the vegetables and stir-fry for a couple of minutes.
• Mix in boiled pasta and toss till well combined.
• Just before you dish it up, sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves.

¬ Bon Appétit!

Chicken Chili Dry

Chicken Chili Dry

Recipe

Ingredients:

For Chicken Batter:

• 250 gms chicken, cut in long thin strips
• 2 tbsp fine white flour
• 2 tbsp corn flour
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 egg
• 1tbsp ginger garlic paste
• Oil for deep frying

For Stir-fry:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 3 garlic cloves, fine chopped
• 1 inch piece of ginger, julienned
• ½ cup fine chopped celery
• 6-7 green chilies, julienned
• 1 green bell pepper / capsicum, julienned
• ½ cup spring onion pieces (white part)
• 1 tbsp chili sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp spoon corn flour mixed in 2tbsp water

Method:

• Marinate chicken in all batter ingredients for 15-30 minutes.
• Deep fry till golden brown and set aside.
• Heat oil in a wok and add garlic & ginger.
• Add chopped celery, green chilies, bell pepper and spring onions and stir-fry for 1 minute.
• Add chili sauce, dark soy sauce, salt & pepper and mix well.
• Pour in corn flour mixture and stir for few seconds till transparent.
• Stir in your fried chicken pieces till they’re well coated with sauce.
• Serve with fried rice or as an appetizer.

~ Bon Appétit!

Chicken Paneer Tikka (Chicken Cheese Kebabs) with Mint Chutney

Chicken Paneer Tikka (Chicken Cheese Kebabs) with Mint Chutney

Juicy & tender oven grilled chicken, cheese, bell peppers and onion cubes infused with tikka masala spices and served with golden fried potato chips and tangy homemade mint chutney.

Recipe

Chicken PaneerTikka (Chicken Cheese Kebabs)

Ingredients:

Marinade:

• 1/3 cup thick yogurt / hung curd
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 1tsp cumin powder
• 1/4^th tsp garam masala powder
• 1 lemon juice
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder (this chili powder is very mild in taste but impart a vibrant red colour to any dish)
• 1/4^th tsp chaat masala powder (optional)
• Salt, to taste

Tikka:

• 150 gms Paneer / Cheese (Cottage Cheese / Halloumi Cheese)
• Bell peppers, red, green and yellow
• 1 large onion
• 1 chicken breast
• Wooden / metal skewers

Method:

• Cut all vegetables, chicken and cheese into cubes. (I used Halloumi Cheese which has a high melting point and its ideal for frying or grilling. Simple hard cottage cheese available in Pakistan serves the same purpose).

• Combine all marinade spices and yogurt and marinade vegetables, cheese and chicken in it after gentle thorough mixing for 1-2 hours. The more time tikka ingredients are marinated, the more richly and evenly flavourful they are.

• Meanwhile soak wooden skewers in cold water for 20-30 minutes (this will prevent them from charring in oven). If you’re using metal skewers, simply grease them with oil / ghee.
• Preheat oven at 200’C.
• Line a baking tray with aluminium foil and spray this foil with cooking spray / grease it with oil / ghee.

• Skew marinated bell peppers, onions, chicken and cheese on skewer. Adapt any sequence, but keep cheese in between chicken and vegetables.
• Arrange the skewers on aluminium foil lines baking tray. Spray them with cooking spray or brush them gently with oil / ghee.

• Place this tray in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes. Then take it out and turn the skewers over and brush this side too with oil / ghee and put the tray back in oven for a further 10-15 minutes of baking.

• I turned the grill mode on for last 5 minutes for desired level of charring.
• Serve with mint cutney / chips / lemon wedges.

Mint Chutney

Ingredients

• ½ cup mint leaves, separated from stems
• ¼ cup coriander leaves (Cilantro), separated from stems
• 1 red or green chili pepper chopped
• 3 tbsp of lemon/lime juice
• 2 tap of water and 1 tbsp of plain yogurt)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

• Wash the greens in cold water, and pack the mint and coriander leaves into the measuring cups.
• Blend all of the ingredients together on medium speed in a blender; blend until the mixture has a smooth consistency.
• Pour the mixture into a bowl, and serve.

~Bon Appétit! 

Italian-Seasoned Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce & Jacket Potato

Italian-Seasoned Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce & Jacket Potato

Recipe

Italian-Seasoned Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon combined fresh / dried rosemary, thyme & oregano
• ½ teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 chicken breast
• Cooking spray

Method:

• Pre-heat oven at 425’F / 220 ‘C / 200 'C fan.
• Marinate chicken in dried spices, lemon rind & juice, minced garlic & olive oil for 30 minutes.
• Heat a grill pan and fry chicken breasts, each side for 3-4 minutes until its nicely browned.
• Now place these chicken breasts in a baking tray coated with cooking spray.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the breast registers 155°.
• Remove chicken from pan; let stand for 10 minutes.
• Serve with creamy mushroom sauce.

Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 15g/½oz butter
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 225g/8oz button mushrooms, wiped and sliced
• 150ml/5fl oz crème fraîche
• 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

• Heat oil and butter in a frying pan and add onion.
• Sauté onion until softened and transparent.
• Add garlic & mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes until mushrooms are tender.
• Stir in crème fraîche and parsley and heat through.
• Season to taste.
• Serve with your Italian seasoned chicken.

Jacket Potatoes with Sour Cream & Chives

Ingredients:

• 2 baking potatoes
• 140ml sour cream
• ¼ tsp whole-grain mustard
• ½ tsp coarse salt
• ¼ tsp white pepper powder
• 40g freshly chopped chives
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

• Heat oven to 220 'C / 200 'C fan / gas 7.
• Rub a little oil over each potato, poke the skin with fork and put on the top shelf of the oven.
• Bake for 20 mins, then turn down the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and bake for 45 mins-1 hr until the skin is crisp and the flesh soft.
• Meanwhile add the sour cream to a bowl with the whole-grain mustard, salt, white pepper and chopped chives, reserving a teaspoon of chives to sprinkle on top.
• Stir all the ingredients together.
• Take the baked potatoes out of the oven and cut a cross in the top of each. Slightly squeeze each one so it opens out and place into the serving plates.
• Fill the potatoes with sour cream sauce and sprinkle the remaining chives over the top.

¬ Bon Appétit!

Special Puri Paratha

Special Puri Paratha

Recipe

Ingredients:

• ½ kg white flour
• 1 cup brown flour / atta
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup luke warm milk
• Lukewarm water, as required
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp ghee / purified butter
• 4 tbsp oil

Method

• Add white flour, brown flour, baking powder, milk, sugar, ghee (purified butter) and knead a soft dough adding luke warm water as required.
• Keep this dough aside, covered with wet dishcloth or with a lid for 3-4 hours.
• Divide this flour into small portions.
• Take a portion and roll it into a thin roti / tortilla.

• Brush melted ghee on it.
• Make a slit as shown in the picture and start rolling it clockwise till it makes a cone.

• Set the cone on its narrow end and with your palm, flatten the broader end.

• Roll it into a slightly thick roti / tortilla.

• Cook it on non-stick tawa pan on medium-high heat while adding melted ghee.

• Serve with omelette or potato cutlets / aaloo bhujia or cooked spicy minced meat.

¬Enjoy! 

Stuffed Potato Cutlets

Stuffed Potato Cutlets 

A really simple yet yummy recipe to delight yourself, your family and your guests. Goes best as a snack with tea or as a side with your main courses. 

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 4 large potatoes, boiled
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 
• Salt to taste
• ½ tsp black pepper powder
• 1 tsp red chilli flakes
• ½ tsp chinese salt (optional)
• 1 egg, whisked with one/ two pinches of black pepper and salt
• ½ cup Bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp fine chopped parsley
• 2 green chilies, fine chopped
• Oil for frying

For chicken filling:

• Chicken 200gm boiled and shredded
• Black pepper powder 1/4th tspf
• Salt to taste
• cube of Cheddar cheese 

Method:

• Peel the boiled potatoes and mash well.
• Add spices, chopped parsley and green chilies.
• For chicken filling, shred the boiled chicken and add salt and black pepper in it.
• Take a ball of mashed potatoes and flatten on your palm.
• Place a chunk of chicken in the middle and a cube of cheddar cheese over chicken. 
• Make a ball of mashed potatoes around the filling. Flatten it into cutlet's shape.
• Dip it in the whisked egg mixture then coat uniformly with bread crumbs.
• Deep fry on medium-high flame. 
• Serve hot with sauces of your choice as a snack or side.

Cheesy Spicy Potato Wedges with Spicy Mayo

Cheesy Spicy Potato Wedges with Spicy Mayo

Recipe:

Potato Wedges

Ingredients:

• 3-4 large potatoes cut into wedges
• Vegetable oil for deep frying
• Salt, to taste dissolved in enough water to soak all the wedges
• Paprika, to taste
• Chaat masala, to taste
• 150 gm cheddar cheese
• 150 gm mozzarella cheese
• 1 small green capsicum, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 large green chilies, fine chopped

Method:

• Soak potato wedges in salt water for 15 mins.
• Fry potato wedges on medium-high heat in vegetable oil till golden and crisp.
• Arrange them in a microwave proof serving plate.
• Sprinkle with paprika, cheese and veges.
• Microwave for 1 minute.
• Serve with sauce of your choice. I served mine with Spicy Mayo.

Spicy Mayo

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)

Method:

• In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, Sriracha, and lemon juice.
• Taste and add more Sriracha to desired spiciness.
• Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in your fridge for up to a month.

~ Enjoy!

Chicken Quesadillas with Homemade Pico de Gallo Salsa

Chicken Quesadillas with Homemade Pico de Gallo Salsa

A Mexican food in which savoury chicken with cheese is wrapped inside tortilla bread which is cooked on grill pan till cheese is melted and tortilla is golden brown and then its cut into wedges and served with sides / sauce of your choice. I served mine with its Mexican condiment Pico de Gallo Salsa.

Recipe:

Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast, cut in small bite sized pieces (you can use boiled & shredded chicken as well)
• 1 capsicum, chopped
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp granulated onion
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
• 2 tortillas
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• A bit of vegetable oil / ghee to brush on the tortillas

Method:

• First prepare the chicken for filling.
• Marinate chicken pieces in all the above powdered spices and butter for 15 minutes.
• Heat oil in a skillet (we don’t heat olive oil too much) and add chicken pieces and toss well.
• Cook for 8-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
• Add chopped capsicum and stir for 1 minute. We don’t want to lose the crispiness of capsicum.
• Set aside.

• Now assemble the quesadillas.
• Preheat a grill pan (you can use regular pan as well, but for beautiful grill patterns, you would need a grill pan).
• Coat the side of tortilla (which will face the pan) with vegetable oil / ghee.

• In a half moon shape (on one half of tortilla) spread a layer of grated cheese.

• Cover this layer of grated cheese with chicken & capsicum mixture.

• Add another layer of grated cheese over chicken.

• Fold the other half of tortilla over the filling.

• Place this assembled quesadilla on preheated grill pan.

• Press it with spatula to help the cheese melt and golden brown grill lines to be formed.

• Avoid moving the quesadilla and let it cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.

• Serve with homemade Pico de Gallo Salsa or any sauce of your choice.

Homemade Pico de Gallo Salsa

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
• 1 jalapeno finely chopped
• 1 small shallot, chopped (I would have preferred scallions but I didn’t have one available)
• Handful of cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 lemon / lime (freshly squeezed juice)
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

• Toss all the ingredient together in a bowl.

• Let sit for 15-20 minutes so that flavors are mixed in and enhanced.

• Toss again to coat to juices.
• Serve with your quesadillas.

~Enjoy!