Chicken koftha

Other names: Chicken meat balls , chicken kofta, chicken kheema balls, baked chicken meat balls, chicken kola urundai.
Deep fried meat balls (mutton / chicken kheema) is called kola urundai in Tamilnadu, India. Instead of frying I have baked it, as it seems quick for me. If we are following my recipe below, then baked koftha will definitely taste similar to deep fried version. If you want a deep fried kola urundai, then click to see my mutton meat ball recipe. I used chicken thigh kheema in this recipe. Chicken kheema can be bought from any halal meat shop. Kheema / minced chicken can also be made at home by grinding the chicken meat in mixer. For more tips on kheema meat and kebabs, please see my chicken sheek kebab recipe.

Chicken koftha / chicken meat balls.

Instead of baking we can deep fry them too.

Chicken kola urundai after baking. Keep them covered to retain the moisture and juicy texture.

Ingredients:
minced chicken - 1 lb
Onions - 1
green chillies - 2
lettuce -  2 or 3 leaves (optional)
cilantro - a handful
mint leaf - a handful
minced garlic - 1 tbsp
dry ginger powder - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Puffed channa dhal (dalia) - 1 cup
(powder the puffed channa dhal)
Salt to taste
Oil - 4 tbsp

To powder:
dry red chilly - 2
coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
Black pepper- 1/2 tsp
fennel seed, kali jeera - 1 tsp each
cloves, cardamom - 2
cinnamon - 1 inch 
cumin - 1 tsp
garam masal powder - 1 tsp (optional)

Method:

While the mixer / blender is dry, powder the puffed channa dhal (dhalia)and keep aside (besan flour can be dry roasted and used as substitute for puffed channa dal powder).
Grind the items given above to a medium fine powder.
Put the chicken kheema in a large mixing bowl.
Finely chop the onion,lettuce, chilly, cilantro, mint using a vegetable chopper (saves time).
Add ginger powder, turmeric powder, puffed channa dal powder,finely chopped onion, chilly, lettuce, cilantro and mint, salt.
Knead well to get a thick minced meat dough.(If needed add some bread crumbs to get the consistency enough to make meat balls).
Make small lemon size balls by adding oil.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease its surface.
set the oven to 350 deg f.
Place the meat balls and bake for 12 minutes one side. Flip and bake again for 12- 15 minutes or till completely cooked.
The kheema kofta can be deep fried too (in medium heat).
Fry or bake till it turns golden red color.
Chicken kofta is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Serve as side dish with rice or as snack.

Note:
1 pound chicken kheema with all the above ingredients will give around 28 - 30 kofthas.
 Adding lettuce will give very juicy kebabs. Finely chopped onion and cilantro can be used in more quantities as substitute for lettuce.

Hi !

Dear readers and friends,
I am on a short blog break.
Hope to write again soon!
Wishing all a happy, healthy, peaceful, prosperous and Blessed Easter.
Enjoy blogging and blog hopping,
Take care,
Love,
Viki

Radish spicy fry

Normally radish is cooked as stir fry in Indian cuisines. I wanted to give it a make-over and here is a spicy fry.

Red radish in a bag.

Radish spicy fry.

Ingredients:
Radish - 250 gm
onion - 1
oil - 2 tbsp
red chilly powder - 1 tsp
fennel seed - 1 tsp
curry masala powder - 1/2 tsp
salt - to taste

Method:
Peel the radish if necessary. Rinse well. Finely chop onion and radish.
Heat oil in a wok, add fennel.
As soon as fennel gets red, add chopped onion. Fry till it gets soft.
Then add radish, fry in high heat till moisture goes off.
Then add salt, chilly powder, garam masala, 1 tbsp water, stir and cook covered in low flame (10 minutes).
Stir well and take out.
Radish fry is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve as side dish with chapati or rice.

Coconut cookies

For each petal on the shamrock 
This brings a wish your way  
Good health, good luck, and happiness 
For today and every day. 
May your blessings outnumber 
The shamrocks that grow, 
May St.Patrick pray for us all,
Happy St.Patrick's day! 


Glitters123.com | Saint Patricks Day |

I am seeing green everywhere around St.Patrick's day. A week ahead, I too made some cookies to honor St.Patrick. I didn't add any green color to my cookies, but served them on green color cupcake liners:)  Here is some coconut cookies to celebrate St.Patrick's day. 

This cookie should be a bit chewy inside as well as crispy on outside.

Reference: I tried Martha's coconut cookies and made some alterations according to my taste.

Instead of coloring the cookies, I served them on green cupcake liners:)

Coconut cookies for St.Patrick's day!

Cool the baked cookies in a wire rack. 

Ingredients:
Dry shredded coconut - 1 1/2 cups for powdering  + 1/4 cup for coating
white sugar - 3/4 cup
brown sugar - 1/2 cup
salt - 1/2 tsp
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
unsalted butter - 1/2 cup (1 stick)
egg - 1
vanilla extract - 1 tsp

cardamom powder - 1 tsp (heaped)
All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
Set aside 1/4 cup coconut in a plate for coating the cookies.
Grind the coconut in a mixer to a fine stage (by pulsing) along with sugar, salt.
Add cold butter, egg, vanilla extract , cardamom and process till smooth.
Sift the flour with baking powder twice.
Keep the flour in a large mixing bowl and add the prepared coconut.
Mix well.
Using a tablespoon as measure, scoop out 1 ball of dough.
Slightly roll it to a ball and flatten it mildly.
Dip it in coconut we kept on the plate.
Arrange 2 inch apart in baking sheets (as this cookies will puff up).
Bake until light golden brown color appears on bottom edges.
It took 13-15 minutes for me.
Always keep watching this from the second batch, as it gets brown quickly.
Cool for 1 minute, transfer to wire rack, let cool completely.
Store in airtight containers.
Stays fresh for a week.

Serving suggestions:
Makes 33 cookies of 2 inch dia.
Serve as dessert or snack.

Note:
Prepare this dough and keep refrigerated for 2 weeks, so that we can make fresh cookies whenever we want.
Sweetened dry coconut can also be used instead of dry coconut flakes


Glitters123.com | Saint Patricks Day |

Pomegranate strawberry jam

I made this Pomegranate strawberry preserve / jam recently. At first my plan was to use pomegranate alone, but then it came to my mind that pomegranate on its own has very less pectin, so I added strawberry to get the thickness. I have not gone for canning for this but kept it in fridge for a month. I haven't used any preservative or pectin, so it can be called a refrigerator jam:) This has become our new favorite jam. Hope you all like this beautiful delicious jam.

Instead of regular wheat bread I spread this jam on burger buns on the first day...yummy:)

Ingredients:
Pomegranate - 1
strawberry - 10
sugar - 1 cup
corn starch - 1 tbsp

Method:
Chop the cleaned strawberries into tiny pieces.
Choose seedless pomegranate. Peel the pomegranate and take out the pomegranate arils (edible seeds).
Cook the strawberry and pomegranate arils in 1 cup water, till strawberry gets cooked completely.
Let the pomegranate retain its shape (no mashing).
Add sugar and bring it to 1 string consistency.
Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tbsp jam (separately) and pour back to the boiling jam.
It will start thickening. Stir in low flame till it gets little difficult to stir.
Switch off. Let cool.
Pour into cleaned sterilized glass bottle. Cool completely and store in fridge.

Serving suggestions:
Makes a spread on breads.
Also a good topping for ice-creams:)

Note:
I kept this in fridge for about a month and it stayed good.
Always use a clean dry spoon.
Store bought pectin can also be used instead of strawberry and corn starch.

Chettinadu pepper chicken

Chettinad pepper chicken is an appetizer popular in chettinadu restaurant (Indian restaurants). I tried and tried this recipe until I get the perfection of what we generally get in restaurants. I found that the secret of the flavor depends on marination, curry leaf, fresh pepper powder and sesame oil. Try this and enjoy!

Chettinadu pepper chicken fry.

I baked the marinated chicken instead of deep frying.

Ingredients:
Chicken - 2 lb
(boneless skinless thigh)
red onion - 1
ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
curry masala powder - 2 tsp
coriander powder - 3 tsp
curry leaf - 2 sprig
green chillies - 3
sesame oil - 2 tbsp
ghee - 2 tsp
fennel seed - 1 tsp
cinnamon - 2 inch
lemon - 1/2
salt - to taste
To marinate:
salt - 2 tsp
curd - 1/2 cup
maida (AP flour) - 1 tbsp
oil / butter - 2 tbsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
vinegar - 2 tbsp
red chilly powder - 1 tsp
ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
To powder:
whole black pepper - 2 tbsp
cumin - 1 tsp

Method:
Clean the chicken thighs by rinsing in water.
Cut it into 1.5 inch size pieces.
Mix the items given for marination.
Put the mixture in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with chicken.
Let it marinate for 1 hour (room temperature) or 4 - 12 hours (overnight) inside refrigerator.
Vinegar in this marinade will keep the meat hygienic for long hours of marination.
Heat enough oil and deep fry the chicken pieces in small batches or bake them as shown in photo.
I threaded the chicken pieces into wooden skewers and baked them at 350 deg for 30 minutes (turned once after 20 minutes). It took almost 30 minutes to cook the chicken in oven until it turns mild red and glossy.
In a separate wok, heat oil + ghee, add cinnamon and fennel. Wait till fennel gets red. Then add the finely chopped onion and fry till it turns golden brown.
Then add the ginger garlic paste and fry for few seconds.
Add the fried / baked chicken pieces and stir for a few seconds.
Then add coriander powder, curry masala powder, prepared pepper powder and fry in low heat till raw smell goes.
Then add chopped green chillies, curry leaves and cook covered.
Check for salt and add more if needed.
Before switching off, squeeze the lemon, give a brisk stir and switch off.
Chettinadu pepper chicken is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Serve as appetizer or along with chapati
I like it with curd rice.

Note:
Deep frying the marinated chicken pieces (instead of baking) is traditional in Chettinadu cooking.
Chettinadu foods are popular for their high spice level. I would suggest including some cool lassie drink or buttermilk along with this appetizer.
Instead of the homemade curry masala powder we can use Achi's or Shakthi garam masala powder too.
Instead of thighs we can use a small whole chicken also (nattu kozhi cut into small pieces).

Carrot kuzhi paniyaram

Last week I made this carrot kuzhi paniyaram, inspired by the Tamil movie Saguni, in which actor Karthi makes carrot kuli paniyaram for his girlfriend. I always try to make foods that are popular in restaurants and movies in our house, as it is safer to eat home cooked meals for people like me:)
On that day hubby had a lot of work, stayed overnight and came home only in the early morning. There was a snow storm outside and he came all the way home in that snow by dawn....won't that be an excuse to make fried foods:) After having some pepper milk with him and some sleep,  I wanted to make some good food to cheer him up. I had some left over dosa batter, but still wanted to think something better than dosai. While he was sleeping I planned to make some delicious breakfast with a catchy name....and did this kara paniyaram using left over dosa batter. I am sure it is the best gift for any wife to see her man asking what smells this delicious:)  I am very glad that this came out very well and we enjoyed it with coconut chutney.

Carrot kuli paniyaram

Kuzhi paniyaaram with carrot

Snow time is good food time.....Peeking out of my kitchen window:)

Ingredients:

dosa batter - 1 1/2 cup
besan flour - 2 tbsp
baking soda - 1/2 tsp
oil - as per need
carrot - 1

To temper:

mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
urad dhal - 1 tsp
sesame oil - 1 tsp
onion - 1/4 (small)
green chilly - 2
cilantro, curry leaf - few leaves.
asafoetida (hing) - a pinch

Method:

Take the dosa batter in a mixing bowl, and add besan flour to it.

It is not traditional to add besan flour, but I add it to get golden red paniyaram.

10 minutes before starting to prepare the paniyaram, add the baking soda and mix well. In the mean time prepare the tempering.
Heat 1 tsp oil in a small wok and add mustard seeds. Once they start splutter, add the urad dhal, asafoetida and finely chopped onion, cilantro, curry leaf, chopped chilly and let it get slightly tender. Add it to the batter and mix well.
Peel the carrot and chop it finely (I used a vegetable chopper).
Now heat a paniyaram pan and brush some oil in all the holes. Then add 1 tsp sesame oil / butter in each hole. Reduce the flame to minimum and pour the batter to halfway in each hole. Click to see the picture. Top each paniyaram with 1/2 tsp chopped carrot and let it get cooked. Cook covered or in open. (I prefer putting a lid to ensure uniform cooking). We can see the paniyaram getting cooked, by the golden color appearing in the edges. Flip using a skewer or fork (I use a spoon and fork). Take out and serve immediately.

Serving suggestion:
Makes a breakfast or snack with tea or dinner or appetizer.
Makes almost 21 paniyaram .
Serve with coconut chutney.

Note:

Click to read my kaara paniyaram recipe from scratch.
I used left over dosa batter (5 days old) in this recipe.
Do everything in low heat. It may take a little while but that is the only way to get whole fluffy paniyaram.
Non stick pans work the best. But I have used a pan similar to traditional thick paniyaram pan.
For the first round it may require more oil to fry, but it will take very lesser in the next batches.
Tastes the best when it is very hot.