Cantonese Sweet N Sour Chicken

Ingredients :

For the chicken :

1/2 Kg ..................boneless chicken cubes
1 tbsp...................corn flour
1..........................egg
1/2 tsp ................pepper powder
1/2 tsp................salt

For dredging the chicken :

2 tbsp...................maida
2 tbsp...................rice flour
2 tbsp..................corn flour


For the Sauce :

6 tbsp.....................Maggie Hot and Sweet Ketchup
2 tbsp.....................tomato ketchup
2 tsp.......................vinegar
1 tsp......................chilly powder
1 tsp......................sugar

Vegetables :

1 .....................onion ( chopped roughly )
1 ....................capsicum ( chopped roughly )
1 ..................cucumber ( peeled  and cubed)
1/2 cup..........canned pineapple ( cubed)

Method :

Marinate the chicken with egg, pepper powder, salt and cornflour and set aside for half an hour.

In a plate mix maida, rice flour and corn flour.

Dip the chicken pieces in this dry mixture and fry them till half cooked.

When they cool again refry them till golden brown and crisp.

Heat all the ingredients given under the sauce and let the mixture thicken a bit.

Remove it from gas and keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in  a pan and saute onions, capsicum and cucumber for 2 to 3 minutes .

Add the prepared sauce and bring it to a boil.

Add the crisp chicken pieces and pineapple cubes .

Mix well and cook just for 2 more minutes.

Serve hot with noodels or fried rice.

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Firni ( traditional Indian sweet )

Traditionally served in earthen pots and decorated with rose petals phirni is one of the most royal and  rich desserts usually made on special occasions.

As today being a very auspicious day of  Dussehra , I planned to make this lovely simple dessert .

Though traditionally it is mildly flavoured with just rose water and cardamoms , I used saffron , almonds and pistachios to make it more rich .

Ingredients : 

2 tbsp - basmati rice ( long grain fragrant rice )
1/2 litre - full cream milk
1/2 cup - sugar
2 tbsp - almonds slivers
2 tbsp - pistachio slivers
1/4 tsp - cardamom powder
a pinch - saffron strands
1/2 tsp - rose water


Method :

Wash the rice and soak it in water for at least half an hour.

Grind this soaked rice to a smooth paste in a grinder.

Mix this paste with little milk and keep aside.

Boil the remaining milk in a thick bottomed pan.

Add sugar , rose water and cardamom to the milk .

Soak saffron in 2 tbsp of hot milk and keep aside.

When the milk starts boiling add the above rice paste.

Keep on stirring constantly on a low or medium flame.

When the mixture thickens add saffron milk , and half the almond and pistachios.

Put it in small bowls or earthen pots and keep it in the fridge .

Serve this phirni completely chilled , garnished with remaining almonds n pistachios.

Davangiri benne dosa ( दावणगिरी लोणी डोसा )

Actually this dosa originated from a place called Davangiri in Karnataka .
But it is equally popular in Maharashtra at Kolhapur , Sangli , Satara also .... .
benne means butter in kannada and the liberal amount of butter used while making this dosa explains the heavenly texture and taste of this yummilicous dosa ....


Ingredients - 

2 cups ........................ boiled rice ( meant for idli )
1 cup ......................... puffed rice ( kurmure )
1/4 cup ...................... urad daal
1 tsp .......................... fenugreek seeds ( methi )
butter as per choice
salt as per taste

Method - 

Wash the urad daal and rice thoroughly and soak urad daal and rice separately in water with
fenugreek seeds for 6 to 7 hours .

Drain out the soaked water and grind urad daal and rice separately to a very smooth paste .

Mix both the batters .

Also wash the puffed rice properly and squeeze out the water from them .

Grind puffed rice in grinder and add to above batter.

Mix batter properly and keep it covered overnight to ferment .

While making dosas add salt to the batter .

Heat a tawa or a pan and smear it with butter evenly .

Spread batter on tawa in round circular motion .

These dosas are thicker than the other dosa varieties .

When bubbles are formed on batter spread 1 tsp of butter on the evenly on the dosa .

Also spread some butter all round the dosa .

When cooked and golden brown in colour , remove the dosa from tawa .

Serve hot with a dollop of butter on top and along with coconut chutney of your choice .