Tofu and Crispy Fish Sandwich.

This is a great protein rich, no carb sandwich. Ideal for dieters and people avoiding carb. There is no compromise in taste, its very delicious and filling. I prepared these sandwiches for our guests and it was big hit, everyone complemented me for inventing such delicious and healthy recipe.

Ingredients for Sandwich

Crispy fish slices-2

Pan seared tofu slices-4

Lettuce leaves-2

Ketchup/Hot sauce/Buffalo sauce- couple of tbsp

Ranch- couple of tbsp

Ingredients for Crispy fish

Fish slices( boneless and skin less)

Lemon juice-1tsp

Paprika/ Red chilli powder-1tsp

Salt to taste

Bread crumbs/ Corn meal-2 cups

EVOO oil/ Canola oil-2tbsp

Ingredients for Pan seared tofu

Firm tofu-1 pack( cut into 4 thick slices)

Garlic powder-1tsp

Pepper and Salt- to taste

EVOO oil/ Canola oil-2tbsp

Method for Crispy Fish

In a small bowl add red chilli powder, salt and lemon juice and mix well. Rub this paste on fish slices on both sides. Spread corn meal on a plate, coat well the fish slices with corn meal. Heat evoo oil in a pan, when oil is hot add the fish slices and cook on both sides until golden brown and crispy.

Method for Pan Seared Tofu

In a small bowl add garlic powder, evoo oil, pepper and salt and mix well. Rub this paste on the tofu slices. Heat a non stick pan or griddle, when pan is hot add the tofu slices and fry on both sides until golden brown.

Method to place Sandwich

Place one pan seared tofu slice on a plate, place a lettuce leaf and top it with ranch sauce. Next place one crispy fish slice on the lettuce leaf and top it with ketchup( I used buffalo sauce). Place one more tofu slice on top of the fish slice and complete sandwich( insert a tooth pick in the middle of the sandwich to keep the sandwich secure).

Chicken Roast( South Indian Hotel/ Restaurant Style).

Ingredients

Chicken pieces- 500gms

Ginger and Garlic paste- 1/4cup

Red chili powder- 2tsp(+/-)

Turmeric powder- 1/4tsp

Cumin/ Jeera- 1tsp

Fennel/ Sombu powder- 3tsp

Lemon juice- 2tsp

Salt to taste

Oil to deep fry

Curry leaves to garnish

Method

In a large bowl add all other ingredients except chicken pieces. Whisk ingredients with fork to a smooth paste. Now add the chicken pieces to the masala paste and marinade chicken  pieces for atleast 4 hours. Heat enough oil in a pan to deep fry, when oil is smoking hot add chicken pieces and deep fry until golden brown. Drain the chicken pieces from the oil and places on a plate. Remove pan from heat, in the same oil add the curry leaves and fry for few seconds. Drain curry leaves from oil and add it to chicken pieces.

Serve hot hotel style chicken roast as side dish for rice or as appetizer.

Chettinad Pepper Chicken Curry/ Milagu Kozhi Kulambu

Chicken marinade ingredients

Chicken pieces- 500 gms( 1 pound)

Ginger and Garlic paste- 1 tbsp

Red chili powder- 1 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Lemon juice- 1 tbsp

Gravy/ Curry ingredients

Onion large chopped- 1

Tomato large chopped- 1

Garlic cloves chopped- 5

Curry leaves- 2 sprigs

Salt to taste

Oil- 5 tbsp

Kulambu( kuzhambu) thool- 2 tbsp*<--- click here for Kulambu thool recipe.

*( If you don't have Kulambu thool add 1 tsp red chili powder and 3 tbsp coriander( dhaniya) powder)

Pepper masala powder ingredients

( grind below ingredients to powder)

Black peppercorns- 2 tsp

Sombu/ Fennel seeds- 1 tbsp

Cinnamon stick- 1"

Method

Marinade chicken pieces with ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder and lemon juice for atleast 20 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan, when oil is hot add chopped onion, garlic and curry leaves. Sauté onions until it turns brown, now add the marinated chicken to the onion and fry till the chicken pieces turn white in color. Next add the tomatoes, ground masala powder and Kulambu thool and fry for few seconds. Add enough water to the chicken for the gravy and season with salt. Cover the pan with lid and bring the gravy to boil. Cook the pepper chicken curry on medium heat until the chicken pieces are cooked and tender and gravy is thick.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot chettinad pepper chicken curry with steamed rice or chapati.

Cauliflower and Broccoli Clear Soup

Ingredients

Cauliflower bite size florets- 1 cups

Broccoli bite size florets- 1 cups

Garlic cloves sliced- 2

Chicken stock/ Vegetable stock- 4 cups

White pepper and salt to taste

Hot sauce- few drops( optional)

Method

In a large pot or pan add cauliflower florets, broccoli florets, garlic cloves and stock. Bring the pan to heat and boil the soup for couple of minutes until the vegetables are 3/4th cooked( make sure vegetables retain their crunchiness). Transfer the hot soup to soup bowls season with salt and pepper and enjoy. If you need more heat to the soup add dash of hot sauce.

Indian Style Chicken Meat Loaf.

Ingredients

Minced chicken-500gms

Onion medium minced-1

Green chili minced-2

Fried cashew nuts( broken to small pieces)-25

Red chili powder-1tsp(+/-)

Turmeric powder-1/4tsp

Salt to taste

Oil required

Egg beaten- 2( one for the minced chicken and other for egg wash)

Masala paste ingredients 

( grind below ingredients to fine paste adding couple of tbsp water)

Ginger minced-2"

Garlic clove minced-6

Shredded coconut-1/4cup

Cumin/ Jeera seeds-1tsp

Fennel seeds/ Sombu-2tsp

Cloves-4

Green cardamom-1

Cinnamon stick-1"

Method

1.In a large bowl combine minced chicken, minced onion, minced green chili, ground masala paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, fried cashew nuts, 1 beaten egg and required salt. Mix all ingredients together well with the fingers.

2.Grease a meatloaf or cake pan with required butter or oil. Pr- heat oven at 400F, place the chicken mixture inside the meatloaf pan( make sure they are loosely packed, otherwise chicken may not cook perfect). Brush top of the chicken meatloaf with a beaten egg.

3.Place the meatloaf pan in the center rack of the oven. Bake chicken meatloaf for 20 to 30mins until the top turns to golden brown color. Once the chicken meatloaf is fully cooked, place meatloaf on a wire rack and allow to cool.

4.Cut meatloaf into thick slices, serve with rice, roti, bread or enjoy as it is.

Variation:

Indian Chicken Patties for sandwiches and burgers.

Use the above minced chicken mixture to make yummy chicken patties for sandwiches or burgers. Follow the above method till step one, shape the minced chicken mixture into equal sized balls. Flatten these balls in between palms to make patties, heat a griddle or a tawa, place the chicken patties on the hot griddle and smear with butter or oil. Cook these chicken patties on both sides until it turns golden brown and tender.

For Indian Chicken Sandwich-take 2 slices of toasted bread, place a chicken patty on one bread top with grated cheese and ketchup, place a lettuce leaf on chicken patty and cover with another slice of bread.

For Indian Chicken burger-Do the above sandwich method with burger buns.

Chilli Prawns/ Chilli Shrimp( Grilled).

Ingredients

Prawns/ Shrimp( large or king sized)- 10

Kashmiri red chili powder-1 tsp

Garam masala powder-1 tsp

Soy sauce-1 tsp

Lemon juice-1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil required

Method

Clean, devein and butterfly the prawn, in a medium bowl combine butterflied prawn kashmiri red chili powder, Garam masala powder, soy sauce, lemon juice and salt. Marinade the prawns for atleast 20 mins. Heat a grill and place the marinated prawns on the grill. Cook the prawns on both sides for couple of seconds( prawns cook faster within a minute, overcooking may turn them rubbery). Remove prawns to plate, garnish and serve hot grilled chili prawns as appetizer.

Tomato Chutney/ Thakkali Chutney for Idli, Dosa and Rice

This is an ideal recipe for students, bachelors, working women and for everyone.You can store this chutney for a month in refrigerator. The more oil you add to the recipe the more storage life.

Ingredients

Onion large( chopped)-2

Tomatos large( chopped)-500 gms

Garlic cloves( chopped)-8

Red chili powder-1/2 tbsp

Turmeric-1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil-5tbsp(+/-)

Method

In a pressure pan/ pressure cooker add chopped onions, chopped garlic, chopped tomatoes, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and less than 1/4 cup water. Cover the pan with a lid and pressure cook on medium heat for 8 to 10 mins. When the pressure releases from the pan, remove the lid, check the seasoning and add required oil to the pressure cooked tomato mixture. Boil the tomato mixture on high heat until the chutney thickens and oil seperates on the sides of the pan . Serve with idli, dosa or rice.

Dum Aloo( Baby Potatoes in Aromatic Cashew Gravy).

This is a 5 star quality restaurant dum aloo recipe which does not require onion or garlic. With minimal ingredients this recipe can be prepared in jiffy mins.

Ingredients

Golden baby potatoes/ small potatoes-500gms( I bought them at farmers market)

Thick curd/ yogurt-2tbsp

Cashew nuts-15( grind to a smooth paste by adding few tbsp water)

Red chili powder-1 tsp

Turmeric powder-1/2tsp

Coriander powder-1 tbsp

Coriander leaves to garnish

Salt to taste

Oil required

For Masala powder( grind the below ingredients to very fine powder)

Green cardamom-1

Cinnamon-2"

Cloves-4

Shai jeera-1 tsp

Cumin seeds-1 tsp

Method

Boil the baby potatoes until tender, peel the potatoes skin and set aside the potatoes. Heat generous tbsps of oil in a sauce pan, when oil is medium hot add the ground masala powder to the oil and sauté for few seconds. Now add the boiled potatoes to the sauce pan and toss well in the masala powder. Reduce the heat and add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt to the potatoes. Sauté the potatoes for few more mins, now add the curd and ground cashew paste to the potatoes. Add about 1/4 cup water to the potatoes and check the seasoning. Boil the potatoes on high heat until the gravy thickens and oil separates on the sides of the pan. Garnish Dum Aloo with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or roti.