Crumb fried chicken

The countdown for my chicken event begins. The deadline is just four days away and so I decided that instead of posting a chicken recipe of mine with the round up, the next few posts of mine this month would be dedicated to chicken dishes alone.

I had this KFC chicken while on a visit to Bangalore and absolutely loved it. This is my version of the crumb fried chicken that both my husband and daughter vouch for.

Ingredients
Chicken -1/2 kg
Egg -1
Breadcrumbs/powdered cornflakes- enough to coat
Refined flour-2 to 3 tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Salt- to taste
Pepper- ½ tsp



Method:
Wash and clean the chicken. Marinate in a mixture of ginger-garlic paste, flour, egg, salt and pepper. Let marinate for atleast an hour. Roll on breadcrumbs/powdered cornflakes and deep fry till golden brown.

I generally use cornflakes powder for this chicken instead of bread crumbs as it turns out real crisp and is also healthy. If you have cornflakes coarsely ground , it would give you the authentic KFC chicken look as well.

It is great as an appetizer for any gathering. Easy to make and hardly requires any preparation. I personally find it a great way to bring a smile to my daughter's face.

Lime rice - a quick and easy formula

It's been a hectic week as usual but exciting with all the awards and our wedding anniversary on last Sunday. Sometimes, when the going gets really busy I sure start looking forward to a break. However, a few days into the break am again craving for work and some activity. Don't know if I am the only one who is going through this phase or there are others too,who face this.

When I started working from home with the laptop being my office it felt great . the idea of not having to commute like the other working ladies was exciting. I decide my schedule for the day. Ya, I do enjoy the benefits of sitting with my daughter a few minutes and watching Television or listening to her stories from school and being generally around which many working mothers miss out on. Don't have to get permission everyday from a boss to take a break and can meet all the requirements at home too. However, at times when there are a pile of assignments to submit, deadlines to meet (like now) and school holidays happen to coincide with my busy schedule it does make me feel guilty.Trying to balance the home and work even from home) is sure difficult. Cooking great dishes and being around for everything and also have all the office work done on time can be really taxing. Wonder how most working moms balance it without the guilt feeling.

Anyway for now don't really know where my thoughts are taking me. I started off with just looking into my posts and realizing that I don't have any rice dishes on my menu yet. So its this lime rice that I thought I would post for today.

I like to make this for picnics with a stir fry chicken,raita and papad. Lime rice is good for taking along while travelling as well(stays fresh for long with the lime). An easy to make recipe that's ready in minutes.

Ingredients:
Basmati rice – 1 cup
Lemon juice – of one lemon
Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
Ghee- 1 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Curry leaves – a handful
For Tempering:
Mustard seeds- ½ tsp
Urad dal -1/2 tsp
Chana dal-1/2 tsp(soaked in water)
Curry leaves- 3 to 4
Dry red chillies – 1 (split into two)

Method:
Soak basmati rice for half an hour. Wash and drain. Take a pan and add ghee in it. Add the rice and fry. Add the turmeric powder, lime juice, curry leaves and salt. Cover and cook till done. Temper with all ingredients for tempering. You could even add roasted peanuts. Mix well. Serve with raita and chicken/mutton curry.

Chicken Manchurian - a favorite

A few days back I had made a post on "Hakka noodles" on the blog. I love Chinese food as I mentioned.

Chinese is a preferred menu at my place and so I do make the Hakka noodles and this Chicken Manchurian quite often. A great way to make my daughter eat a complete meal- all the vegetables in the hakka noodles are happily eaten without any fuss with this manchurian that she loves.

A fussy and hard to please culinary expert I have here. In fact, she enjoys helping me around the kitchen and also has a good sense of taste and understanding of food. A chef at heart is what I like referring to her as. Actually when I do have people over for dinner I do make it a point to make my little one taste the dishes first. If she approves it then it is a sure hit. A real hard to please expert she is. Absolutely no diplomacy when it comes to giving feedback on the dishes, however, when it comes to complimenting too she is very liberal. A wonderful critic although at times I have to eat my own words. I definitely owe a lot to her on improving my culinary expertise.:)

Coming back to my chicken manchurian recipe. This is a real quick and easy formula that you can whip up when you do have guests over for lunch or dinner. I am sure you would enjoy serving a great Chinese meal right at home.

Ingredients:
250 gms boneless chicken ( cut into bite size pieces)
2 stalks green onions (chopped fine)
1 stalk of celery (chopped fine)
1 bell pepper (cut into cubes)
1 onions (sliced)
2 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
½ tsp pepper
2 tbsp cornstarch
3-4 tbsp of all purpose flour
2 tbsp chopped garlic
cooking oil
2 cups chicken stock

Method:
Marinate the chicken in all purpose flour, cornflour, salt and a pinch of pepper. Deep fry the chicken pieces and keep aside.

For the gravy:
Take a pan and add 2 tbsp of oil to it. Add the chopped garlic, onions, bell pepper , green onions and stir for a minute or two. Add the celery and stir. Add in the soy sauce, ketchup, sugar, salt and stir. Add the chicken stock and bring to boil. Adjust the seasoning. Add the fried chicken pieces and boil for a minute. Mix 1 tbsp of cornflour in water and add to the gravy. Boil for a minute till the gravy thickens. Serve with Chinese fried rice or hakka noodles.