Chicken Fajitas

This is one quick recipe....super easy and superhit for sure. It's very hard to fail this recipe....if you give a little love to your magic wok :)
Serve as dinner with tortillas and some guacamole or tomato salsa, as a pasta side, or as a yummy burrito filling....and enjoy as everyone slurps it off their plates.
Here's how you make it!

Need:
250 gms Chicken breast pieces - diced or sliced into 2x1" strips
Capsicum/bell peppers - 2 medium - seeded and sliced 1/2" thick lengthwise
Onions - 2 medium - diced into 1" cubes
Cherry/grape tomatoes - 5-6 - halved
1 Jalapeno pepper - sliced
Black pepper powder - 1 tbsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Garlic - 1 clove - chopped finely
Olive oil - 1 tsp
Honey - 2 tsp
Salt to taste

To cook:
Marinate the chicken in the juice of 1 lime, honey, salt, cumin, and black pepper for 20 mins
On a hot wok spray on some olive oil and saute the garlic till golden brown.
Now transfer your chicken with the onions to cook on med-hi heat for 2 mins.
Keep turning your chicken and add the peppers to cook for another 6 mins.
The honey will start burning if u don't give some love to your wok :) ...so no running 5 min errands while the fahitas cook!

Serve as suggested above ....or just pop something else with these good boys ....they're super

healthy :)

Here's a snapshot of some yummy vegetarian fajitas - added soya nuggets with all my veggies....enjoy!

Dim Posto (Egg in Poppy seeds curry – Bengali Recipe)

Well, not the best pic for the dish, but it tastes yummy; esp. if you're a lover of Bong cuisine.

Need

6 Hard boiled eggs

2 tbsp Poppy seeds – made into a paste with 2 tbsp water and 2 green chillis

1 onion (medium-large) – chopped

4 Green chilis – slit lengthwise

1” ginger (paste)

1 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp red chili powder

Salt and sugar to taste

Mustard oil

To make

Make 3 slits on each of the boiled eggs and rub in the turmeric and chili powder, with some salt. Now lightly fry these (I minimize the use of oil by smearing the pan base with oil before putting it on the stove). Keep the fried eggs aside.

Now take another pan and heat ¾ tbsp. oil. Sauté the onions, adding 2 tsp sugar, and stirring occasionally, till the onions are tender and golden brown.

Add the green chilis and ginger paste and let cook for another minute.

Add the poppy seeds paste and 1/3 cup water; add salt; cover and bring to a boil. Now add the eggs, mix well in the gravy and cover again. Let it all cook on medium heat for 5 more minutes. At this stage you’ll have to stir occasionally to make sure that the gravy doesn’t stick to the bottom and burn. Turn off stove when the excess water has evaporated.

You could sprinkle some mustard oil on top after turning off the stove for that extra Bong zing. I skip it – well you know why J

Enjoy with steaming rice, paratha, or roti.

Paneer Makai Channa Masala

This is an amazing lactation recipe. Methi/fenugreek is an amazing herbal aide for lactating moms. The effects are well researched and established, and methi has been accepted as a safe bet for lactating moms. While the seeds are extremely effective and can sometimes lead to overproduction ( experienced it myself...and wow...was that painful!) the herbs have milder and more pleasant effects. Here's a punjabi inspired recipe which is just enough spicy, however not using the strong red chili powders and flakes ...that are not good for new moms :) The paneer adds the necessary protein to the dish and when served with brown rice, chapatis (Indian bread), whole wheat tortillas, or parathas, alongside a healthy green salad can complete a power-packed dinner.

Need

100 g malai paneer – coarsely shredded

3/4 cup chickpeas or channa – soaked well and boiled (medium soft – I microwave it in water, covered and at fullpower, for 10 minutes)

½ cup Sweet corn boiled (microwave similarly for 3 minutes)

1/2 cup milk

1 capsicum – finely diced

1 medium-large onion finely diced

1 medium tomato – finely diced

4-6 green chilies – chopped

¾ “ ginger – ground/shredded

1 tbsp Kasoori methi – dry roasted and coarsely ground in hands 

1 red chili – whole

1 bay leaf

6-8 pepper corns – whole

½ tbsp. turmeric powder

½ tbsp. red chilli powde (optional)

1 tsp each of cumin and coriander powder (optional)

Salt & sugar to taste

To make

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet, add whole red chili, pepper corns, and bay leaf and leave for 1 minute (stirring if required). Now add the onions and let it get translucent (stir occasionally to prevent burning at the bottom). Now sprinkle 1 tsp sugar on top and let it caramelize (1 minute). Now add the tomatoes and green chilis and let it soften. Mix in the ginger and then capsicum. Stir and mix in the chickpeas and corn. Add the remaining spices (except kasoori methi); cover and cook on medium-high heat till the chickpeas are done.

Now lower the heat and add paneer. Check seasoning, and mix well. add milk and mix again. Now crumble the kasoori methi on top, mix well again, and turn off heat.

Serve hot with rotis or paratha.

Note: After adding paneer the mixing should be done gently. Else the paneer will lose its shape and get mashed in.

Chicken Shred stew with Veggies, Spagetti, and Avocado Salsa

Need

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced into 1” strips

Olive oil

1 small-med red onion finely chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh squeezed)

1 jalapeno finely chopped

1 avocado, pitted and coarsely mashed (use a fork for chunky effects)

A handful of cilantro - minced with 1 green chilli

Sphagetti

Coarse salt to taste

To Roast - Veggies of your choice (I like bell peppers, Jalapeno peppers, baby carrots, french beans, sometimes tomatoes, zucchini squash, and onion chunks)

Preparation

Chicken: In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and mix in the chicken. Keep aside for ½ hour.

In a pan, heat oil and toss in minced garlic until golden. Now add chopped onions and ½ tsp sugar. Stir occasionally until golden brown. Now add in chopped tomatoes (about 1&1/2 tbsp and let it soften over medium heat. Now add the chicken with marinade, add a little water if required, and cook until the chicken is done. Toss in some chopped jalapeno pepper and turn off the heat.

Avocado Salsa: Take a medium bowl, combine chopped tomatoes, jalapeno,  and lime juice; set aside. Just before serving, fold avocado chunks into above mixture; season with salt and pepper.

Veggies: Toss in olive oil and salt and roast in preheated oven at 180 deg.

Pasta: Toss in minced garlic in heated olive oil. Add boiled sphagetti with about 1 tbsp of its own stock (u must add salt while boiling the pasta). Now mix in the minced cilantro. Add salt and serve hot with all the above.

Spicy Rainbow Trout Platter with Greens and Peppy Mango Salsa Dip

Preps:

Rainbow Trout: Marinate in salt pepper and lime juice for at least 1 hour. Now broil the trout in high heat for ten minutes. Turn the pieces once in between for even browning. Shred and keep aside.

Veggies:

Dice and semi-cook one potato, season with salt, and keep aside

Cut french beans into pieces 1” long (blanch if you have the harder variety)

Cut carrots into 1” sticks, chop spinach

Peppy Salsa:

Chop 1 red mango (or totapuri, or kancha meethe aam – India) and green chillies, season with salt and a pinch of sugar and keep aside. In m/w oven, temper oil with smashed mustard seeds for a minute. Add in the mangoes and cook till tender. Let cool then blend.

Finish:

In a skillet heat olive oil, splutter mustard seeds, add potatoes and fry till golden. In a cup whisk in white vinegar, salt and pepper and add to the potatoes. Also add shredded trout and remaining veggies (except carrot). Cook for 1 more minute until the greens are just tender.

Serve with fresh toasted bread, carrot sticks, your peppy salsa dip, and mustard sauce (optional).