Potato Corn Chowder

I made veg chowder before which is really creamy. Normally these thick and creamy Chowders are fall and winter favorites. Kids love chowders so I tried to go with a dish that is apt for Summer which is less creamy but still full of flavors.
I'm sending this dish to BM#73 under one pot meals category.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves : 3-4

Ingredients:

Onion : 1 large diced
Potatoes: 3 large peeled and diced
Corn : 2 cups
Cumin seeds : 1 tablespoon
Butter : 1 tablespoon
Bay leaf : 1
Chicken or Vegetable stock : 3 cups
Milk : 1 cup
All purpose flour: 1 teaspoon
Shredded cheese : 1/2 cup
Fresh ground pepper: 2 teaspoons
Salt : 1/2 teaspoon

Method:

Heat butter in a medium saucepan and add onions. Sauté them for 3-4 minutes until they turn translucent.
Add cumin seeds, mix well and fry for 1 minute.
Add potatoes, bay leaf, stock and bring it to a boil.
Simmer, close lid and cook for 10 minutes until the potatoes are soft
Add corn and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Mix flour with milk and add the mixture to the chowder stirring constantly.
Cook for 1 minute and turn off the stove.
Add shredded cheese and stir until it's melted.
Add salt and black pepper, stir to mix.
Serve warm with toasted bread.
This can be served cold as well.


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Bean Salad

Summer is soon approaching and it's hard to prepare meals that take long time in the kitchen and also need less oily foods. One of our themes for BM# 73 is one pot meals for summer and it's perfect timing.
So, I made this bean salad for dinner, my daughter is not a big fan of beans but she loved this cool salad and said it's a keeper. Mission accomplished.....
This is a no cook salad but you can soak and cook your beans. (Let them cool off completely before making the salad if you cook the beans)

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Serves : 2

Ingredients:

Red Kidney beans : 1 can or 1/2 cup soaked and cooked
Cannellini beans/white beans : 1 can (430 grams) or 1/2 cup soaked and cooked
Tomatoes: 2 diced
Olives : 2 tablespoons chopped
Canned Jalapeños: 2 tablespoons
Cilantro : 1 small bunch chopped
Extra virgin olive oil : 2 tablespoons
Fresh ground pepper: 1 teaspoon
Salt : 1/2 teaspoon
Shredded mozzarella: 3 tablespoons
Parmesan cheese : 2 teaspoons

Method:

Drain the beans and wash them thoroughly.
Take a large bowl and add all ingredients except cheeses and toss well.
Serve immediately topped with both cheeses.



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Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani

Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani is cooked on dum for the last few minutes, where initially meat and rice is cooked separate. Learned recently from hyderabadi locals to get the authentic taste. There are more variations to the hyderabadi Biryani but my family and friends loved this dish. The third ingredient I received through mail for ingredient swap was rice. So, took the opportunity to make Biryani.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes for Mutton + 6 minutes for rice + 10 minutes for dum.
Total cook Time : 45 minutes
Serves : 5-6

Ingredients:

Mutton : 500 grams
Onions : 2 medium sliced and deep fried till light brown
Green chilies: 8-10 chopped
Lemons : 3
Cilantro/ coriander leaves: 1 bunch chopped
Mint /Pudina : 1 small bunch chopped
Yogurt /Curd : 1/2 cup
Ginger garlic paste: 2 tablespoons
Red chili powder: 2 teaspoons
Salt to taste (I added. 2 teaspoons)
Garam masala: 2 teaspoons
Orange food color : 6 drops
Saffron : 6-7 strands soaked in 2 tablespoons of warm milk.
Rice : 4 cups

Method:

Take green chilies, a pinch of salt and make a paste.
Take a large pan to make biryani and Add Washed and cleaned Mutton, green chili paste, ginger garlic paste, cilantro, mint, yogurt, turmeric, salt, red chili powder, Garam masala, lemon juice and mix well.
Add 3/4th of the deep fried onions and mix well.
Add 1/3rd cup of oil where the onions were fried and mix well.
Place the pan/vessel on the stove and start cooking on medium heat.
Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes.
Cook the meat for 30 minutes or until the meat is completely cooked stirring occasionally.
Heat 12 cups of water and bring them to a boil.
Add rice, salt  and cook for 6 minutes until it's done 80%. Drain the water.
Add the rice to the cooked Mutton gravy, add rest of the fried onions, saffron and food color.
Close lid and place a heavy object for dum. Cook on simmer for 10 minutes.
Let it rest for 10 minutes before opening the lid. Mix gently a little bit at a time and serve hot with raita and/or salna.

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Chinese Bhel

Chinese Bhel is a famous Mumbai roadside dish. Fried noodles are tossed with veggies and sauces to give a nice texture and taste.
As part of swapping ingredients through mail, The second ingredient I received through mail from my fellow blogger Archana is noodles. So, I thought of making this snack which is loved by all ages.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Serves : 4-5

Ingredients:

Dry Hakka noodles : 2 cups
Carrot : 2 cut into julienne
Cabbage : 1/2 cup cut into thin strips
Capsicum/ Green bell Pepper: 1/2 cup sliced
Red bell pepper: 1/2 cup sliced
Chili garlic sauce: 1 cup
Tomato ketchup: 2 tablespoons
Cilantro/ coriander leaves: 1/2 chopped to garnish
Spring onions/scallions: 1/2 cup chopped
Salt to taste

Method:

Add 6 cups of water in a large saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add salt and noodles and cook for 5 minutes or 75% done.
Drain the water and coat the noodles with some oil.
Heat oil for deep frying and add the noodles and fry till they turn golden. It took me 6 minutes.
Take the noodles into a plate.
Heat oil in a wok and add white part of scallions, cabbage, carrots and sauté for 3 minutes.
Add red and green peppers and sauté for another 3 minutes.
Add fried noodles, ketchup and chili garlic sauce. Toss well and cook for 5 minutes.
Turn off the stove, garnish with scallions and cilantro.
Serve immediately.

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Natukodi Vepudu/Country Chicken Fry

Natukodi/Country chicken is where the chickens are raised in the houses or farms. No commercially processed feed is fed to them. Hence the chicken taste is distinct from the regular chickens. The meat is a little tough hence needs extra time to cook.

I got natukodi from our farm and made curry and fry with it. There is no comparison with the chicken we get it from the shops. Everyone in the family loved it.
Normally Country chicken is burnt and cooked with the skin to enhance the taste.  I took the skin off as we don't like the texture of it.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes 

Cook Time: 45 minutes 

Serves : 4-5

Ingredients:

Natukodi/Country Chicken: 1 kg

Onion : 3 sliced thinly 

Ginger garlic paste: 2 teaspoons

Fresh ground coconut : 2 tablespoons 

Red chili powder: 2 teaspoons

Chicken masala powder : 2 teaspoons
Turmeric: 1 teaspoon
Water : 1/4 cup

Salt to taste
Cilantro/coriander leaves: To garnish.

Method:

Clean and Wash the chicken well. Add salt and Turmeric to the chicken and mix well. Keep it aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add onions. Sauté them till they turn translucent.
Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 1 minute.
Add the fresh ground coconut and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add chicken, mix well and cook for 15 minutes. Simmer, Add water, red chili powder, chicken masala powder, mix well, close lid and cook for 25-30 minutes while stirring occasionally until the chicken is done.
Turn off the stove and garnish the chicken.
Serve hot with Rasam/sambhar rice or as a starter.

Szechuan Potatoes

This time for Blogging Marathon, we were given a challenge to cook with the ingredients that came through mail where Valli paired us up. I got paired with Archana who is from Goa, I received amazing ingredients to cook along with some Goa special cashews for the kids.
The first ingredient I chose to cook with today is the Szechuan sauce. I made these crispy Szechuan potatoes and kids loved them.
The dish is super simple to make and it works well as a starter or a side dish.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Boil Time: 7 minutes
Cook Time: 7minutes
Serves : 2

Ingredients:

Potatoes: 4 medium cut into wedges
Cornflour : 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Garlic : 2 cloves minced
Dry Red chilies: 2 broken in half
Scallions/green onions : 1 chopped finely
Szechuan sauce: 1/4 cup


Method:

Wash and cut the potatoes into wedges with skin.
Add them to water and bring it to a boil. Parboil the potatoes. It took me 7 minutes.
Drain the water, add salt and cornflour to the potatoes. Mix well.
Deep fry them for 4-5 minutes until they turn crisp.
Take them out into a plate.
Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan, add red chilies, garlic and white part of the scallions.
Sauté for 1 minute. Add Szechuan sauce and potatoes, stir well and turn off the stove.
Top it off with scallions and serve hot as a starter or a side dish.


Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#73