Category: Recipes

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Pepper Prawns Fry Kerala Style

Prawns Fry
Pepper Prawns Fry Kerala Style

Remember the Kerala style pepper prawns fry that went with the udon noodles a few posts back?

They were the yummiest Kerala style prawns adding the right amount of tang and crunch to the soft, gooey udon. Crazy as it sounds, the marriage between the Malyali prawns’ fry and Japanese udon noodles was a happily ever after with a touch of spice all along. How amazing is that!

The prawns were so great that I thought they were worth a deep dive. I mean just in case you would like to serve up just the prawns fry with no noodles. The best thing is there are so many ways to enjoy this dish. If you prefer the more traditional dish, you can serve them on a bed of bland rice. For something a little more western, these prawns also make for a great topping on canapes. You can put them on an almond cracker. Add a dash of lime and sprinkle of sesame and there you have the perfect finger food with your favorite cocktail. Speaking of cocktails, happy Friday folks!

Scroll down for the recipe. You may also want to check my recipe for prawns in coconut cream sauce.

Prawns Fry

 

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Prawn Pepper Fry

Ingredients

  • Prawns (cleaned and deveined)- 250 gm
  • Small onion (finely sliced)-1
  • Green chili (chopped fine)- 1 (go higher on chilies if you like it hotter)
  • Red chili powder-1/2 teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
  • Black pepper powder-1 teaspoon (freshly ground works best, but you could use packaged too)
  • Curry leaves- 3 sprigs
  • Ginger-garlic paste- 1.5 tablespoons
  • Freshly grated ginger and garlic-1 tablespoon
  • Salt-1 tablespoon to taste
  • Oil-2 tablespoons

Instructions

  1. Marinate the prawns overnight in a refrigerator or at least a couple of hours with green chilies, red chili powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, salt and freshly grated ginger and garlic. Take it out of the refrigerator a 15 minutes before cooking
  2. Heat oil in a wok and add sliced onions and curry leaves. Cook on medium heat till the onions are brown and aroma from the curry leaves fills your kitchen
  3. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for another 2 minutes
  4. Add the marinated prawn-spice mixture and mix well. Cook on medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes till the spices are well incorporated and the prawns get a reddish brown hue
  5. Serve hot as finger food on thin crackers or mix with noodles as a complete meal

Notes

Calories (for 100gms)- 100
Nutrition- Protein/Vitamin B Complex/Iron/Potassium/Iodine/Phosphorous
It does wonders for your- Muscles/Blood/Bones/Teeth/Nerves
This is “My 1pm/8pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/pepper-prawns-fry-kerala-style/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal

Grilled Chicken Cutlets in 15 Minutes

Chicken Cutlets
Grilled Chicken Cutlets in 15 Minutes

Have you ever had days when you want to shut the world out and just binge on chocolate? In fact, I have a day like that every fortnight!

I wonder if being temperamental is synonymous with being creative. One day you are on top of the world and want to paint the town with a rainbow, your mind is teeming with ideas and you are raring to go. And the very next day you seem to hit rock bottom questioning the purpose of your very existence.

Interestingly it is on the days like these, where I am filled with negative energy that I also end up attracting maximum negativity too! They end up being a barrage of challenging situations and demanding kids. Even friends who are usually nice just press the wrong buttons. Thirty-odd years of my existence and I have still not taught myself to deal with this on a regular basis. Some days I crack it, some days I try and on some I am plain pain in the a*$ to deal with. What do you do to combat such days?

Good day or bad day, I have a new recipe for you. Featured here is my 15-minute prep Grilled Chicken Cutlets. This is perfect as a snack with some tea and sweet and sour sauce. The chicken cutlets even work as a mini-meal for kids repackaged to be a chicken burger.

Grilled Chicken Cutlets

 

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Grilled Chicken Cutlets

Ingredients

  • Minced Chicken -200gm (I used thighs as the meat is more tender and juicer but you could use breast too which is lower in calories)
  • Bread crumbs- 2 tablespoons
  • Red & Yellow bell peppers chopped fine- 1 tablespoon each
  • Egg- 1
  • Garam Masala- 1 teaspoon
  • Ginger-garlic paste- 1 teaspoon
  • Coriander leaves (chopped fine)-1 tablespoon
  • Garlic powder (optional)-1/2 teaspoon
  • Smoked paprika (omit if for kids)-1/2 teaspoon
  • Green chili (chopped fine)-1
  • Salt and pepper- 1.5 and 1 teaspoon respectively or to taste
  • Oil- 2 tablespoons

Instructions

  1. Add all the ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well with a fork making sure uniform blending and form into palm sized discs
  2. Heat the grill and spray some oil uniformly all over (I used my stove top grill) and cook the cutlets flipping halfway through ,for about 10 minutes
  3. Serve hot with a side of sweet and sour sauce or with some cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and buns to make a burger

Notes

Calories (per cutlet)- 95
Nutrition- Fiber/Protein
It does wonders for your- Muscles/Gut
This is “My 8pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/grilled-chicken-cutlets/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Breakfast | 8am Meal

Apple Barfi For Your Rakhi Platter

Apple Barfi
Apple Barfi for Rakhi

An apple a day keeps the doctor away is my inspiration for this apple barfi.

Any excuse to make dessert, you may say, but I think I had a good reason. It was Rakshabandhan, an Indian festival to celebrate the bond between a brother and sister. I had to get the Rakhi platter ready which along with many other things includes sweets. This yummy scrumptious barfi, loaded with apples, served with the traditional Rakhi platter helped keep all the ill and bad luck away too. Ok! Not the greatest description but a great tasting dessert all the same.

The apple barfi is a tad different from the typical Indian sweets served during the festive season. Unlike them, the barfi derives its sweetness more from the apples and khoya than the minimal sugar added. My recipe is adapted from Anjana Devasahayam. I followed it to the T with some minor tweaks. I swapped the milk powder with fresh homemade khoya and the barfis still tasted yum. Try this for your next festive occasion or party and your guests will keep coming back for more. Take my word for it.

Also, do check out my other barfi recipe. Let me know which one you liked better.

Apple Barfi

 

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Apple Barfi

Ingredients

  • Red apples (medium sized and coarsely grated)- 3 cups
  • Desiccated coconut – 1.5 cups (if using fresh run it in a blender for a few seconds to make fine shreds)
  • Khoya (fresh or frozen)- 1 cup
  • Ghee-2 tablespoons
  • Sugar- ¾ cup
  • Cardamom powder- ½ teaspoon
  • Saffron- 1 pinch
  • Salt- 1 pinch
  • Pistachios- 2 tablespoons, chopped
  • Almond slivers-2 tablespoons
  • Dried rose petals- 1 tablespoon

Instructions

  1. Prepare a baking tray or a steel plate by lining it with some ghee or parchment paper and set aside
  2. Dry roast the desiccated coconut in a flat and thick-bottomed pan or wok for a few minutes until you get a nutty aroma. Be careful not to brown. This should take about a minute
  3. In the same pan melt some ghee and add grated apples, stirring continuously on medium high heat till it reaches a dryish consistency. Depending on the type of apple you use it would release less or more liquid
  4. Once you see a lumpy consistency, which is fairly dry, add desiccated coconut, khoya, sugar, cardamom powder, salt and saffron. Mix well and keep stirring on medium heat until the mixture is dry enough to hold shape. This step should take about 20 minutes
  5. Transfer to the prepared try or plate and spread evenly with a knife. Sprinkle with almonds, pistachios and dried rose petals and let it cool
  6. Once cooled, cover with a cling wrap and refrigerate overnight. Cut into desired shape (I cut into squares), sprinkle with some more chopped nuts if desired and serve. Keep out of the refrigerator 15-20 minutes before serving

Notes

Calories (per barfi)- 90
Nutrition- Fiber/Vitamin C/Antioxidants
It does wonders for your- Gut/Immunity/Skin
This is “My 8am Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/apple-barfi-rakhi-platter/

[kkstarratings]

 

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal

Udon Noodles with Pepper Prawns

Pepper Prawns
Udon Noodles Pepper Prawns

It has been a busy weekend so far, but a good kind of busy. It has been filled with meeting and bumping into friends, getting pampered, and just being showered with a lot of love. Birthdays are so special. They are a reminder that we are surrounded by so much love which we at times do not appreciate. It is good to be reminded from time to time.

Sharing this simple udon noodles with pepper prawns recipe which was our dinner a few days back. Simple, soulful, and hearty, I brought up the spice quotient by adding some Kerala style pepper prawns and the combination was just too good. I will share the recipe in another post soon.

Pepper Prawns

 

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Udon with Pepper Prawns

Ingredients

  • Soft Vaccum-packed Udon(this is pre-cooked and just needs to be soaked in hot water for a few minutes before stir-frying)- 200gm
  • Chili-garlic sauce- 2 teaspoon or to taste
  • Low sodium soy sauce- 2 tablespoons
  • Rice Wine Vinegar- 2 teaspoons
  • Sesame Oil-1 teaspoon
  • Brown Sugar-1.5 tablespoon
  • Garlic (minced)-2 cloves
  • Ginger (minced)-1 tablespoon
  • Medium onion (sliced)-1/2
  • Carrots (matchsticked)- 1
  • Spring onions (sliced fine)-1 cup
  • Sesame seeds (toasted)- 2 teaspoons
  • Oil- 2 tablespoons

Instructions

  1. Bring a pot of water to boil, turn off the heat and add the udon noodles. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes, then drain the water, comb through the noodles with a chopstick so they separate well and set aside
  2. Mix chili-garlic sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic and ginger in a small bowl to make the sauce and set aside
  3. In a medium sized wok heat oil and add onions, stir until the onions are soft and translucent. Add carrots and cook for a minute; do not overcook as we need the carrots to retain their crunch
  4. Add the drained noodles to the wok and cook for 30 seconds. Add the prepared sauce and mix well and cook for another 30 seconds
  5. Turn off the heat and serve hot garnished with toasted sesame seeds and spring onions

Notes

Calories (per portion)- 190
Nutrition- Fiber/Iron/Zinc
It does wonders for your- Gut/Stamina
This is “My 8pm Meal"

https://onewholesomemeal.com/udon-with-pepper-prawns/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal

Roasted Crispy Cauliflower

Crispy Cauliflower
Roasted Crispy Cauliflower

How about some crispy cauliflower on a rainy day?

My crispy cauliflower is a grilled version but draws inspiration from a childhood favorite of mine. As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, cauliflower is a universal favorite in the household. As a child, we used to eat vegetable fritters coated with spiced besan (roasted whole gram flour) batter and deep-fried. Boy! Did they taste heavenly? They would almost always be a part of the grand vegetarian spread or even served as an afternoon snack with some masala chai.

To make this dish, I decided to remove the deep frying. This means you will need an oven for this preparation. Also, I swapped besan for rice flour and included some fine sooji (semolina) for the added crunch. I served it as a snack alongside some oven roasted amaranth crisps. Try this next time for your very quick rainy day fix! Scroll down for the recipe.

Crispy Cauliflower

 

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Roasted Crispy Cauliflower

Ingredients

  • Cauliflower florets (cut into small bite sized portions): 250gm
  • Rice flour: ½ cup
  • Semolina(sooji): ½ cup
  • Red chili sauce (I used a combination of Maggi Hot and Sweet and Sriracha sauce)-2 tablespoons
  • Salt and pepper- ½ teaspoon or to taste
  • Vegetable oil-1 tablespoon

Instructions

  1. Blanch the cauliflower florets in salted hot boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook
  2. Make your rice flour batter by adding ¼ cup warm water to the rice flour and whisking well. Make sure there are no lumps and the batter is thick enough to coat the cauliflower, somewhat thinner than a pancake batter
  3. Add salt, pepper and red chili sauce to the rice batter and mix well
  4. Line a baking tray with foil. Dip the florets in spiced rice flour batter one by one followed by rolling them into a shallow bowl with semolina. Make sure the semolina evenly coats the florets making a uniform layer for consistent cooking. Drizzle some oil on the prepared florets
  5. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius and roast until the florets are cooked and crispy, about 20-25 minutes. Halfway through the process, I took them out and doused some more chili sauce for a spicier version
  6. Serve hot as is or with a yogurt/mayo dip on the side. If you are not serving the dish right away, warm it in a preheated oven for 5-7 minutes just before serving

Notes

Calories (per portion)- 88
Nutrition- Protein/Fiber/Vitamins C, K, B6/Folate/Potassium/Magnesium
It does wonders for your- Muscles/Gut/Immunity/Heart/Eyes
This is “My 3pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/roasted-crispy-cauliflower/

[kkstarratings]

 

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal

Grilled Peppers With Paneer

Grilled Peppers
Grilled Peppers With Paneer

I love stuffed vegetables! And hence the grilled peppers.

If you see my (relatively new) Instagram feed you would notice these grilled peppers are my third version and I have a dozen more up my sleeves. Stuffed vegetables are just so versatile, bursting with flavors and almost a complete meal in itself. When I saw the freshest, juiciest baby peppers in the wet market my mind started cooking instantly. In this recipe, the peppers are stuffed with paneer. It is a quick fix meal with a slight summery, minty twist. Give it a shot and do not forget to share reviews.

 

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Grilled Peppers With Paneer

Ingredients

  • Baby bell peppers (you could use larger ones too; baking time is more than baby peppers)-10-12
  • Paneer (cottage cheese) mashed- 1 cup (more if you are using bigger peppers)
  • Fresh mint leaves chopped fine-½ cup + 1 teaspoon
  • Onion (medium sized) chopped fine-1
  • Carrot (medium sized) grated- ½
  • Tomato (small) chopped fine- 1
  • Green chili (optional) chopped fine- 1
  • Amchoor (dry mango) powder-1 teaspoon
  • Coriander powder- ½ teaspoon
  • Cumin seeds-1/2 teaspoon
  • Salt (preferably rock salt)- 1.5 teaspoons or to taste
  • Oil (for best results avoid using coconut oil as it doesn’t go well with paneer and mint flavours)-1 tablespoon+ 1 teaspoon

Instructions

  1. Heat 1-tablespoon oil in a flat-bottomed non-stick pan. If you are using a regular pan you would need to double up on the amount of oil
  2. Add cumin seeds when the oil is hot and when the seeds start to splutter, reduce the heat to medium and add onions and cook until translucent
  3. Add chopped mint leaves and chili and stir for 2-3 minutes, then add tomatoes, amchoor and coriander powder and mix for another 2-3 minutes
  4. Add mashed paneer and grated carrots to the spice mixture and cook on low heat for 5 minutes until all the herb and spice flavors are well incorporated. Add salt, mix well and set aside
  5. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and line a baking tray with foil. With a brush lightly brush the foil with some oil
  6. Cut off the tops of peppers and discard seeds and membranes. Blanch in boiling hot water for 3 minutes and drain well making sure no water remains inside. Invert and keep aside for a few minutes to ensure all water has drained
  7. Brush oil on the outside of all the dried peppers and stuff the prepared paneer mixture into them. Grill in the preheated oven at 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes checking intermittently. When a sweet smell of sweet papers starts to fill your kitchen you know they are done
  8. Garnish with chopped mint leaves and serve.

Notes

Calories (for four grilled peppers)- 65
Nutrition- Vitamins C, B6,K/ Potassium/Magnesium/Copper/Folate/Manganese/Iron
It does wonders for your- Immunity, Bone health, Nerves, Muscles, Eyes, Digestion, Blood and Hemoglobin
This is “My 8pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/grilled-peppers-with-paneer/

[kkstarratings]