Dish #428 - Mango-Ginger Thokku

When you went vegetable shopping, have you confused "Mango ginger" for regular ginger.

Well! I have during my initial days of cooking in the kitchen...

That's when I made this "Thokku" which is a sweet tangy and spicy pickle made of Mango ginger also known as Curcuma amada also commonly known as mango ginger is a plant of the ginger family and is similar to turmeric. The irregular shapes are almost similar to ginger but tastes like a raw mango.Its quite effective in boosting metabolism,asthma, bronchitis, cough. It has tremendous cancer fighting medicinal values.

Ingredients:
Mango ginger - 250 gms
Tamarind - 1 lemon size ball
Red chilly powder - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Hing/Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Grated jaggery - 2 tbsp
Gingelley oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Method:
Wash and grate mango ginger. soak tamarind in water and make thick juice.
Heat oil, add mustard seeds, add mango ginger and mix. Keep on low flame till cooked, then add tamarind juice. cook for 5 mins and then add red chilly powder, salt and hing and mix.
Allow to be on low flame for 10 mins then add jaggery grated and mix. Cook for 20 mins, then switch of heat and allow to cool. Transfer to glass bottle and then 1 tbsp gingelley oil on top.

Dish #427 - Chilli Prawn Spaghetti

Chilli Prawn Spaghetti... a beautiful dish that not only looks good but also tastes awesome....

Ingredients:

Fresh or Dried spaghetti - 250 gms
Olive oil - 4 tbsp
Garlic cloves - 2 - peeled and crushed
Chilli flakes - Dried - ½ tsp 

Prawns - 200 gms - shells removed and de-veined
Cherry Tomatoes - full or halved - 100 gms
Tomato paste - 2 tbsp
Basil - fresh - 1 handful or dried - 1 tsp

Thyme - fresh - 1 handful or fried - 1 tsp
Lemon -1/2 - juice only

Method:
Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water for about 3-4 minutes or according to packet instructions, until al dente, then drain.
Gently heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and leave to infuse with the oil for a few minutes over a low heat. Turn up the heat and add the prawns and the tomato paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes until they turn pink and are cooked through. Remove from the heat.
Add the cherry tomatoes, pasta, basil and lemon juice. Toss together, spoon onto 2-3 plates and serve immediately.

Dish #426 - Green papaya prawn salad (Thai style)

Another of our favorite Thai dish is the "Green Papaya prawn salad"....its not just healthy but tasty too...vegetarians can skip adding prawns...

Green unripe papayas are rich in enzymes which are very good for the stomach. Green papayas benefits the health in many ways. For example, green papayas aid digestion, converts proteins into essential amino acids, cleanses the colon, fights nausea and constipation to name a few.

Dish #425 - Sweet Chilly Chicken Thighs

Another recipe which we all love is this "Sweet Chilly Chicken Thighs"...

Dish #424 - Kashmiri Khatte Baingan (Brinjal Delicacy)

A lip smacking vegetarian dish originating from Kashmir is the "Kashmiri Khatte Baigan"..
Made from Brinjal...its easy and quick to make....

Brinjal also known as Aubergine or Eggplant, has some amazing health benefits...

It helps to control diabetes, The cholesterol levels are brought down to a great extent by the eggplant.
Eggplant is considered to be high in water content yet low in calorie count. This feature makes it very ideal as a healthy diet for people who want to reduce weight.
The digestive system is kept healthy and safe because of the good content of fibre in brinjals. This prevents constipation as well. The risk of colon cancer is also eliminated.
The eggplant has good amounts of vitamin C which make it an effective anti-viral and anti- bacterial source.Also its good for skin and hair.

Hence cook one of these Brinjal dishes ( Ringna na Holla, Gulla Bajji,  Bharli Vangi, My granny's phuddi sagle, every week and avail its amazing health benefits...

Dish #423 - Apricot Chicken

Apricot Chicken...A dish inspired by Master Chef Australia.
Made a few changes by adding rosemary along with thyme....
Easy to make and lip smacking delicious...
perfect for home parties where it can be made a few hours prior to serving....and you can cook the same of thighs as the number of people in the party...

Ingredients:
Chicken thighs - 8 - skinless
olive oil - 80 ml
garlic cloves - 12 , peel on, smashed
dried oregano - 1 tablespoon
thyme - 10 sprigs
Rosemary - 10 sprigs
Dried apricots - 24
Green olives - 24
Orange rind - 1 strip
Bay leaves - 2
Sherry vinegar/red wine vinegar - 120 ml
White wine - 250 ml (Optional)
Sugar - 2 tbsp
parsley, chopped for garnish
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:
Combine chicken, oil, garlic, oregano, 8 thyme and 8 rosemary sprigs, apricots,olives, orange rind, bay leaves, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper in a ziplock bag. Seal bag and gently massage the flavors into the chicken. Set aside, to infuse, in the fridge for minimum of 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 180 degree C.
Transfer chicken and all marinade ingredients into a large baking dish. Add white wine and sprinkle over the sugar.
Place in the oven to roast until cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to rest 5-10 minutes.
Sprinkle with parsley and leaves of remaining sprigs thyme and rosemary.

Dish #422 - Lemon Butter Lamb Chops with Pumpkin puree

For the last couple of weeks I have been trying to create some dishes which are simple to cook, tastes delicious, is healthy, look very beautiful, .and a complete meal in itself...
This is the first of them...

Pumpkin is a very low calorie vegetable. 100 g provides just 26 calories and contains no saturated fats or cholesterol; however, it is rich in dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins. The vegetable is one of the food items recommended for controlling cholesterol and reducing weight.