Kai Lan Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1 packet of fresh Kai Lan

3 cloves of garlic (Crushed)

1 inch Ginger (Thin strips)

2 Red chilli padi (Slit)

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 tbsp Oyster sauce

1 tsp Corn flour

5 tbsp water

1 tsp oil

salt to taste

Method:

• Wash the kai lan and tear the leaves into two and cut the stems into bite size pieces.   Drain it well in a colander, keep aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the white pepper, oyster sauce, corn flour and water. Mix everything well.
• Heat oil in a wok, and add crushed garlic, ginger strips and chilli padi. Fry for 2 mins.
• Now add the drained kai lan and cook on high heat for 2 more mins.
• Add the sauce mixture and bring to boil. Stir well to combine everything and season with salt. Switch off the stove.
• Serve it hot immediately with steamed rice.

Spicy Tuna Pasta

Ingredients:

2 cups of any dried Pasta (Spaghetti/Penne)

1 can of tuna in olive oil

2 tbsp Finely chopped Garlic

1 White onion (Finely chopped)

2 Tomatoes (Finely chopped)

3 tbsp Tomato puree

1 tbsp Dried Chilli flakes

1/4 tsp Dried Oregano

1 tbsp Fresh chopped Parsley

1/4 tsp Fine sugar 

2 tbsp EVOO

Salt to taste

Method:

• Cook the pasta in salted boiling water with a few drops of olive oil till al dente. Drain and keep aside. Save some pasta water.
• Open the tuna can and drain the oil in a separate bowl. Using a fork, break the tuna chunks into small pieces. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a wok and add the chopped garlic and fry for few mins, then add the onion and fry till it is translucent.
• Now add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, dried chilli flakes, Oregano, salt and sugar. Stir fry for few mins. 
• Then add the tuna flakes and stir everything together, cover the wok and cook till the oil separates from the sauce.
• Now add the cooked pasta, chopped parsley and a few splashes of the pasta water and mix well to coat the pasta with the tuna mixture. 
• Serve the spicy tuna pasta hot, with some grated Parmesan cheese.

Aloo Matar

Ingredients:

2 medium Potatoes

1/2 cup Frozen Peas

1 Onion (Finely chopped)

1 Tomato (Finely chopped)

1 tbsp Garlic ginger paste

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 Bay leaf

2 whole Cardamom

2 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1 tbsp Special masala (Chilli pwdr + Cumin Pwdr + Turmeric Pwdr)

1/2 tsp Garam Masala

Few stalks of Coriander leaves

2 tbsp oil/Butter

Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash potatoes, cut into big chunks and boil it in salted water till cooked. Cool and peel the skin and smash a bit. Keep aside.
• Heat oil/butter in a wok and add the whole garam masala (Bay leaf, Cardamom, cloves and cinnamon stick). Fry for a min.
• Then add the cumin seeds together with garlic ginger pastes and fry till the raw smell leaves.
• Then add the onion and fry till it is well browned.
• Then add the tomatoes and the special masala powder. Stir everything together and cook till tomatoes are tender, then add the potatoes, peas and salt. 
• Sprinkle the garam masala and chopped coriander leaves.
• Stir fry for couple of mins under medium flame till the potatoes and peas are well coated with the masala mixture. Switch off the stove.
• Serve it hot with Naan/Roti.

Carrot Raita

Ingredients:

11/2 cups Finely grated Carrot

1/4 cup thick yogurt

1 green chilli (Finely chopped)

1/4 tsp freshly grounded black pepper

1/4 tsp freshly roasted grounded cumin

Few stalks of Coriander leaves

salt to taste

Method:

• Beat the curd with a fork to smoothen and set aside.
• In a bowl, combine the grated carrots, green chilli, grounded black pepper, cumin and salt. Rub everything together with fingers.
• Add the beaten yogurt to the bowl and mix well.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
• Refrigerate atleast for 1 hour before serving to allow the raita to set.

Cabbage Stir Fry

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Cabbage (Shredded)

3 cloves of garlic (Crushed)

1 onion (Chopped)

3 Red chilli padi (Slit)

1/2 chicken seasoning cube

1 tbsp oil

salt to taste

Method:

• Wash the cabbage and drain it well in a colander, keep aside.
• Heat oil in a wok, and add onion, crushed garlic, chilli padi and salt. Fry for 2 mins.
• Now add shredded cabbage and seasoning cube. Cover the wok and cook on medium heat for 3 more mins.
• Cabbage must not be over cooked, it should be crisp to taste . Stir well to combine everything. Switch off the stove.
• Serve it hot with steamed Thai rice and sardine sambal.

Sardine Sambal

Ingredients:

1 Ayam brand Sardine tin

1 tbsp Garlic ginger paste

3 White onions (Finely chopped)

2 Tomatoes (Finely chopped)

5 Red chilli padi (Cut into small pieces)

1/2 tbsp Chilli powder

2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Method:

• Open the sardine tin, split the sardines into two and remove the bone and dirt. Keep aside on a plate. Reserve the tomato sauce from the tin.
• Heat oil in a wok and add the garlic ginger paste and fry till the raw smell leaves, then add the onion and chilli padi and fry for 2 mins.
• Now add the chilli powder, salt and chopped tomatoes. Stir fry for few mins. 
• Then add the cleaned sardines and the reserved tomato sauce from the tin. Stir everything together, cover the wok and cook till the oil separates from the sambal.
• Take care to stir the sambal gently as the sardines tend to break easily into small flakes. 
• Serve it hot with steamed Thai rice.

Chicken Varuval

Ingredients:

1 kg Chicken (Cut into small pieces)

1 Bay leaf

3 whole Cardamom

3 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1 Star anise

1 tbsp Fennel seeds

1/2 tsp Black Peppercorns

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seed

5 Dry red chillies

5 cloves of Garlic (peeled and sliced)

2 Onions (Chopped)

1 Tomato (Chopped)

3 strands of curry leaves

1 tbsp garlic ginger paste

1 tbsp Chicken masala (Chicken curry powder)

1 tbsp special masala (Chilli pwdr + Cumin Pwdr + Turmeric Pwdr)

1 tsp garam masala

Few stalks of Coriander leaves

3 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Method:

• Clean, wash the chicken and drain water from it completely.
• In a bowl, place the chicken, garlic ginger paste, chicken curry powder, special masala and salt. Mix everything and marinate for few hours in the refrigerator.
• Heat oil in a non stick pan and add the whole garam masala (Bay leaf, Cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick and Star anise). Fry for a min and splutter the black peppercorns, fennel and fenugreek seeds. 
• Then add the onion, dry chillies, garlic pieces and curry leaves. Fry for 2 mins.
• Then add the chicken and tomatoes. Stir everything together, cover the wok and cook for 10 mins under medium high flame.
• Then add the garam masala and stir fry on low heat till the chicken is cooked and turns crispy on the outside.
• Serve it hot with plain rice and lemon rasam.