Chicken Shawarma

Shawarma is meat commonly prepared on vertical spit in restaurants. I made this in the oven on high temperature using a broiler pan so all the grease drips to the bottom pan.

The longer the meat is marinated, it's going to taste better.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes 

Rest Time : 2 - 4 hours 

Bake Time : 30 minutes 

Serves : 3

Ingredients:

Skinless chicken thighs: 4 pieces

Lemon juice : 2 tsp 

Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp 

Ground black pepper: 2 tsp 

Cumin powder: 2 tsp 

Turmeric: 1/2 tsp 

Red pepper flakes: 1 tsp 

Cayenne powder: 2 tsp 

Ground cinnamon: 1/4 tsp 

Oil : 1/4 cup

Salt to taste 

Onion : 1 large diced

Cilantro: 1/2 cup chopped 

Method:

Take the chicken, wash and make nice slits so the marinade goes inside the chicken. 

Take all ingredients except onions and cilantro, mix well and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F,take the chicken out, add the diced onions to the marinade and toss well. Now, take a broiler pan and lay the chicken pieces and onion onto the pan and bake for 30 minutes.

Take the chicken out, cut into thin strips, garnish with cilantro and serve with hummus or pita bread.

Cookies and cream Cookies

We were at a grocery store and my daughter saw this cookies and cream cookie dough in the cooler. Her immediate reaction was, OMG!!! They must taste so good, can you make them for me... 

So, I used the regular cookie recipe and added the oreo cookies to make it. She loved it. My son ate a half a dozen saying he was just tasting them...

So, here is the recipe...

Preparation Time: 15 minutes 

Bake Time: 18 minutes 

Makes : 18 cookies 

Ingredients:

All purpose flour: 1 cup 

Brown sugar: 1/2 cup 

White sugar : 1/4 cup 

Unsalted butter: 8 tbsp or 1 stick (Room temperature)

Baking soda: 1/2 tsp 

Egg : 1

Oreos : 8

Vanilla extract: 1/2 tsp 

Salt : 1/2 tsp 

Method:

Take the butter in a bowl and beat it well. Add both sugars and beat it till it's light and fluffy.

Add egg and mix well. Add vanilla extract, salt, baking soda and flour and mix well.

Open the Oreos, take the cream out and crush the cookies in a mortal and pestal. With hands, press and break the cream into pieces and fold everything into the dough.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place a parachment paper in a baking sheet and spoon cookie dough onto to the sheet.

Bake for 18 minutes, take it off and cool for 10 minutes.

Hash Brown Bake

I always ate the deep fried hash browns and even though they taste yummy, the amount of oil they absorb is alarming. So, I tried to use the same ingredients and bake it like a casserole and family loved the cheesy, crispy hash browns that are more healthy. So, we have an option now.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes 

Bake Time: 30 minutes 

Serves : 3-4

Ingredients:

Potatoes: 3 large 

Shallot : 1 chopped finely 

Cilantro: 1/4 cup chopped finely 

Egg : 1

Shredded Cheddar cheese: 1/4 cup

Black pepper: 2 tbsp 

Salt to taste 

Method:

Wash, peel and grate the potatoes. Add some salt and mix well for 1 minute. Let it rest for 10 minutes. 

Pre heat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Drain all the water from that came from the potatoes.

Add all the ingredients and mix well.

Spoon the mixture into a baking pan, 9x9 and press it down tight. 

Bake for 30 minutes.

Take it out, cut into desired pieces and serve with ketchup.

Mixed Dal Muruku

My Peddamma makes these delicious Muruku using mixed dals/pulses. It's both healthy and delicious.

When I first taste these, I fell in love with them and probably ate way more than what I should eat.

Since we cook the dals prior, it doesn't absorb oil while frying the Muruku.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes 

Cook Time: 3-4 minutes per batch 

Makes : 60 Murukus approximately 

Ingredients:

Dals to be cooked:

Urad dal /Minappappu: 1/4 cup 

Bengal gram/ Senaga pappu: 1/4 cup

Moong dal / Pesarapappu: 1/4 cup 

Green chilies: 5

Other :

Rice flour : 4 cups

Ajwain/ Vaamu : 1 tbsp 

Butter : 1/4 cup 

Water : 3/4 cup 

Baking soda: a pinch

Salt to taste 

Method:

Take the dals and green chilies, add 1 1/4 cup of water and cook in the pressure cooker for 3 whistles. Simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes and turn off the stove.

Take the butter, put it into the rice flour and work it into the flour till its smooth.

Take the ajwain and grind them in a mortar pestal and add them to the rice flour. 

Take the cooked dals into a blender, add 1/4 cup of water and make into a paste.

Add the paste, salt, baking soda to the flour. By adding water slowly, make into a firm dough.

Take the Muruku press, oil it and while wetting the dough, put inside the press.

Heat oil for deep frying, press the Muruku into the oil or back of the spatula as shown in the picture and reverse the spatula into the oil and it will easily drop off.

Cook until the Muruku is golden brown.

Store in a air tigh container for upto 3 weeks.