Popcorn Chicken – Better than KFC

Popcorn Chicken

Why it’s better than KFC?

Bite sized chicken chunks are coated with Panko ( Japanese) breadcrumbs instead of regular bread crumbs, which absorbs less oil and keeps Popcorn Chicken light and crispy.

Chicken is fried in oil instead of lard, normally restaurants fry chicken pieces in lard or shortening ( Vanaspathi).

You can flavor popcorn chicken as per your taste.

Ingredients

Chicken Thigh or breast meat – 250 gms

Red chilli powder or black pepper powder – 1 and ¼ tsp

Garlic powder – 1 tsp

Lemon juice – ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Egg – 1 number

Plain flour / Maida – ¼ cup

Panko Breadcrumbs – 1 and ½ cups

Panko breadcrumbed Chicken

Method

  1. Chop the chicken thigh or breast meat into bite sized pieces.

  2. Marinade chicken pieces with 1 tsp red chili powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp lemon juice and required salt for at least 20 minutes.

  3.  Lightly beat an egg with ¼ tsp red chili powder and 2 generous pinches of salt  in a bowl.

  4. Place plain flour in another bowl. and set aside.

  5. Place panko breadcrumbs in a wide bowl or plate and set aside.

  6. Heat oil in a deep frying pan.

  7. First add 4 or 5 marinated chicken pieces to the plain flour mixture and coat well with flour, shake excess flour from the chicken pieces and add it to the egg mixture. Quickly shake to drip of excess egg from chicken pieces and add it to the panko breadcrumbs and coat well. Place breadcrumb coated chicken pieces on to separate plate. Continue the same process with rest of chicken pieces.

  8. Once the oil is hot, lower the heat to medium and start adding chicken pieces to oil in batches. Fry the chicken pieces until golden brown, crispy and drain on to a paper towel.

  9. Serve hot Popcorn Chicken with sauce of your choice.

Popcorn Chicken Recipe

Restaurant Style Butter Chicken Recipe / Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe with step by step pictures

                                                Mye's Kitchen

Butter Chicken Recipe

Ingredients to marinade chicken

Chicken pieces ( Boneless or with bone ) – 250 grams

Kashmiri red chilli powder – 1 teaspoon

Ginger & Garlic paste – 1 teaspoon

Lemon Juice – ¼ teaspoon

Salt – ½ teaspoon

Ingredients for sauce

Butter – 3 tablespoon

Oil – 1 teaspoon

Onion large sliced – 1 number

Tomato large sliced – 1 number

Ginger sliced – 1” piece

Green Cardamom – 4 numbers

Cashewnuts – 8 numbers

Kasuri methi leaves – generous pinch

Kashmiri red chilli powder – 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon

Sugar – 1 teaspoon

Salt – required

Thickened cream – ¼ cup

Restaurant style Butter Chicken 

Method

  1. Marinade chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon ginger & garlic paste, 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder, 1/4 tsp lemon juice and ½ teaspoon salt, for at least half an hour.

  2. Add 1 tablespoon butter in a pan, when butter melts add the marinated chicken pieces and fry on medium heat until chicken is 3/4^th done. Remove fried chicken to a plate and set aside.

  3. In the same pan add 1 tsp oil, add chopped onion, ginger slices, whole cardamom and cashewnuts. Sauté for few minutes on medium heat until onions turn transparent and glossy.

  4. Add kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder, sugar,  kasuri methi leaves and chopped tomatoes to the onions in the pan and sauté on medium heat for 2 mins or until tomatoes are cooked and mushy. Remove the pan from heat and allow the onion & tomato mixture to cool.

  5. Grind the onion & tomato mixture to a fine paste in a mixer grinder, adding very little water as required.

  6. Add 2 tablespoon butter to a sauce pan, when butter starts to melt add the ground paste and 1 cup water to the pan and bring the mixture to boil. When gravy is boiling add the fried chicken pieces to the gravy and season with required salt.

  7. Simmer the chicken pieces in boiling gravy on low heat for 7 mins or until chicken is fully cooked.

  8. Finally when the gravy is slightly thickened and chicken is cooked, turn off the heat. Add the cream slowly to the chicken gravy and stir well.

  9. Finally garnish Butter chicken curry with chopped coriander leaves and dollop of cream.

  10. Serve with basmati rice, Nan bread or Pilaf.

Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

Strawberry and Banana Smoothie

Strawberry and Banana Smoothie

Ingredients

Strawberries – 8 nos

Banana large – 1 no

Cold Milk – 1 cup

Crushed Ice cubes – 1 cup

Dates ( pitted) – 3 nos ( for sweetness, optional)

Smoothie Recipes

Method

1 1. Blend together blueberries, oats, milk, dates and ice cubes in a blender until smooth.

   2. Serve cold blended smoothie in tall glass jars.

   3. You can increase or decrease the quantity of dates in your smoothie according to your sweetness requirements.

Strawberry and Banana Smoothie

Blueberry and Oats Smoothie

Blueberry and Oats Smoothie

Ingredients

Blueberries – fistful

Oats ( powdered) – 3 tbsp

Cold Milk – 1 cup

Dates ( pitted) – 3 nos ( for sweetness, optional)

Crushed Ice cubes – 1 cup

Smoothie Recipes

Method

  1. Blend together blueberries, oats, milk, dates and ice cubes in a blender until smooth.

  2. Serve cold blended smoothie in tall glass jars. 

  3. You can increase or decrease the quantity of dates in your smoothie according to your sweetness requirements.

Blueberry and Oats Smoothie

Soya Chunks Fried Rice / Meal Maker Recipes

Meal maker Fried Rice

Ingredients

Soya Chunks – 20 nos ( I used tiny varieties around 1 cup )

Basmati rice cooked – 2 cups

Carrot small chopped finely – 1 no

Beans finely chopped – 4 nos

Spring onion – 5 stalks ( both green and whites chopped )

White pepper powder and Salt to taste

Ajinomoto – ¼ pinch

Oil – 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp

Ingredients to marinade soya chunks

Red chili powder – ½ tsp

Ginger and garlic paste – ½ tsp

Soy sauce – ½ tsp

Salt – less than ¼ tsp

Corn flour – 1 tsp

Water – 1 tsp ( optional)

Soya Chunks Fried Rice

Method

  1. Boil soya chunks in salted water, drain and squeeze excess water from soya chunks.

  2. In a bowl add the ingredients given under soya chunks marinade and mix to smooth paste. Add the cooked soya chunks to this paste and mix gently. Set aside for 5 mins.

  3. Boil basmati rice in salted water until its cooked and grains are firm. Spread the cooked rice on a large plate and allow it to cool.

  4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add the marinated soya chunks and stir fry until they are slightly crisp. Remove the fried soya chunks to a plate.

  5. In the same pan heat 2 tbsp oil, add the chopped carrot, beans, spring onion whites and fried soya chunks, stir fry on high heat for a minute. Add the cooked rice to the pan, season with ajinomoto, required salt and white pepper, stir fry again for 2 minutes.

  6. Finally garnish with spring onion greens and mix well.

  7. Serve hot soya chunks fried rice with sidedish of your choice.

Meal Maker Recipes

Roti Jala Recipe / Malaysian Net Crepes / Net Breads

Roti Jala Recipe

Recipe courtesy Ayam brand products video

To make this net bread you need roti jala mold, since I couldn't find one I used a empty condensed milk can and made several holes at the bottom of the can.

Ingredients

All purpose flour - 125 gms ( 1 cup)

Water - 125 ml ( 1 cup)

Eggs beaten - 2 nos

Salt - 3/4 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Cooking oil - Needed

Coconut milk - 2 cups

Malaysian Net Bread

 

Method

1. Sift flour through sieve. Add sifted flour and salt to a large bowl. Mix well.

2.In another bowl whisk together water, coconut milk, turmeric powder and eggs until mixed well.

3. Add the whisked liquid mixture to the flour and again whisk well until smooth and thin batter is formed.

4. Strain the prepared batter through sieve to remove any lumps.

5. Heat a non stick pan, add oil to the pan and grease well.

6. Fill the can with batter, on the hot pan go in circular motion so batter pours through the can holes on the pan like net.( you can watch video to understand more).

7. Turn the pan heat to medium and cook the roti on one side for a minute, once roti is cooked fold it and serve on plates. Continue the same process with rest of batter.

8. Serve hot Roti Jala with Telur Curry or AyamCurry

Roti Jala with Telur Curry

Telur Curry Recipe / Easy Malaysian Egg Curry

Telur Curry Recipe

I wanted to make a quick and easy Malaysian Egg Curry for my Roti Jala.  But I didn’t have few ingredients in my pantry so with minimal ingredients I made this easy Malaysian style egg curry It was real close to the authentic Telur curry.

Ingredients

Large Eggs ( hard boiled and shell removed ) – 6 nos

Large potatoes ( boiled and cubed ) – 2 nos

Onions medium sliced – 2 nos

Tomato medium sliced – 1 no

Ginger and Garlic paste – 1 tsp

Red chilli powder – 1 and ¼ tsp

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Fennel powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Ajinomoto – ¼ tsp or Chicken Stock cube – 1 no

Salt to taste

Coconut milk – 4 tbsp

Water – 1 cup

Oil -2 tbsp

Egg Curry with Roti Jala

Method

1.       Heat oil in a pan, when pan is hot add the sliced onions and stir fry until onions turns soft.

2.       Add the ginger and garlic paste to the pan and sauté for a minute.

3.       Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan and sauté for a minute.

4.       Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, fennel powder, ajinomoto and salt to the pan, stir fry on low heat for 2 mins.

5.       Add 1 cup water to the pan, mix well and bring the curry to boil.

6.       When curry starts boiling, add the hard boiled eggs and boiled potatoes to the curry, mix well and simmer curry until slightly thickens.

7.       Add the coconut milk to the curry, mix well and remove pan from heat.

8.       Garnish curry with curry leaves and serve hot with Roti Jala or Paratha.

Malaysian Egg Curry

Papadum Express - Oil Free Microwave Papadum Maker

Papadum Express - Microwave Papadum Maker

I'm fan for crunchy Papadums and papads from my childhood. I stack deep fried papadums and can munch on them whole day. After becoming health and weight conscious I was not able to indulge in the pleasure of munching crispy papadums. Did the makers of Papadum Express heard my mind.....

Ta ta da….here comes the papad lovers savior the " Papadum Express - Microwave Papadum Maker " you can cook several crispy, crunchy and tasty papadums in a minute in microwave. No more kitchen tantrums of heating oil in deep fryer, deep frying papads and spluttering oil around the stove.

Papadum Express product is made with durable ( very strong) non-toxic plastic which is BPA free, bisphenol A free and phthalates free, meaning product is food safe and safe for microwave.

Papadum Express Microwave Papadum Maker

The tray is well designed and the sticks are detachable for easy storage, when I made papadum I just snug fit those sticks in the spaces provided in the tray, stacked 3 papadums and 2 pepper papads left some gap in-between ( but you can stack upto 10 to 8 papadums at a time )and micro-waved for a minute.

Once crunchy and crispy papadums cooked, I waited for 10 seconds and enjoyed tasty Papadums with my meal. Next time I’m planning to cook hard Taco shells and warm khakras with Papadum Express.

Papadum Express Review

If you are also interested and want to enjoy healthy, guilt free and oil free crunchy Papadums head to their Papadum Express Website and to their Facebook page. They ship the product Worldwide.

Papadum Express

*The cooking time and results of the product may vary depending on the type of papadums and papad you are using and also on the microwave model, power and country made. So please read the instruction pamphlet carefully given along with product.

Chinese New Year Wishes !!! Lets Celebrate with Chinese Takeaway Style Fried Noodles.

Happy Chinese New Year 2014 to all my blog readers.

Chinese Takeaway Style Fried Noodles Recipe

Chinese Takeaway Style Fried Noodles

Most people in abroad are fan of Chinese takeaways. Once in a week I eat in Chinese takeaway and I'm particular fan of their fried noodles they call it Lo mein, Chow mein, Stir fried noodles however I feel everything is same but they taste delicious.

Chinese Takeaway Style Fried Noodles

Ingredients
Good quality of dried noodles - 200 gms
Any kind of veggies( I used zucchini and carrots) - one of each
Spring onions - 3 nos
Eggs - 2 nos ( optional)
Soy sauce - 1 tsp
Oyster sauce - 1 tsp
Salt, white pepper and sugar to taste
Oil - 3 tsp

Fried Noodles

Preparation
1. Cook the dried noodles in salted boiling water for 3 mins or until cooked to *al-dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Whisk the eggs with pinch of salt. Make scrambled eggs in hot wok with 1 tsp oil and set aside.
3. Chop the veggies and both greens and whites of spring onions.
4. In a small bowl mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, 2 big pinches of sugar, 2 big pinches of white pepper and a pinch of salt.

Method
1. Heat oil in a wok or pan until smoking, add veggies to the pan and give a quick stir fry for few seconds.
2. Now add the scrambled eggs and boiled noodles to the pan and quickly stir fry.
3. Next add the prepared sauce, chopped spring onions to the pan and stir fry until everything is mixed well with noodles.
4. Serve hot immediatley.

Chinese Style Fried Noodles

Tips
1. *Al-dente means the noodles has to boiled until cooked but has to be firm.
2.If you are vegan omit adding eggs to the recipe.
3. You can add boiled and shredded chicken or cooked prawns to the above recipe.
4. If you have any kind of chinese sauce in your pantry just go ahead be creative and play with your sauce to make above recipe.
5. Tosted sesame oil is largely used in chinese cooking for stir fries but you can use sunflower oil, blended vegetable oil or canola oil. But extra virgin olive oils do not suit asian cooking.

Mixed Biryani / Mixed Non Veg Biryani / Biryani with Chicken Prawn and Fish

Many restaurants serve mixed fried rice also known as combination fried rice with chicken, mutton, prawn and fish etc. I wanted to try the same with biryani and it happened yesterday. This mixed biryani came out very tasty. I made mixed biryani with chicken, prawn and fish. See my tips below on how to cut n prepare meat and seafood for this biryani.

Mixed Non Veg Biryani

Ingredients
Chicken( boneless breast) - 200 gms
Prawns - 12 nos or 200 gms
Fish fillet without bone - 1 no or 150 gms
Basmati Rice - 2 and 1/2 cups ( around 485 gms)
Red onion - 3 nos
Tomatoes - 1 and 1/2 no
Ginger and Garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Green Chilli slit - 2 nos
Red Chilli powder - 1 and 1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp( optional)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Mint leaves chopped - 1 cup
Coriander leaves chopped -1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Oil - 3 tbsp

Whole garam masalas
Cinnamon - 1 stick
Cardamom - 4 nos
Cloves - 6 nos
Bay leaf - 2 nos
Mace - little( optional)
Star anise - 1 no( optional)

Biryani with chicken prawn and fish

Preparations
1. Wash and soak basmati rice in 4 cups water.
2. Cut boneless chicken breast into strips.
3. Remove the prawn shell, tail and devein them.
4. Cut fish into thick chunks or slices.
5. Marinate chicken strips, prawns and fish pieces with 1 tbsp ginger&garlic paste and few pinch of turmeric powder.

Method
1.Heat oil in a pan, when oil is hot add the whole garam masalas. Saute for a minute and add the chopped onions to the pan.
2. When onions are soft, add slit green chilli, ginger&garlic paste to the pan and saute for a minute.
3. Add the chopped mint leaves to the pan and saute until mint leaves are shrunk. Now add the chopped tomatoes to pan and cook until tomatoes are soft and mushy.
4. Add the marinated chicken and prawn to the pan( fish can be added later) and saute until chicken turns pale in colour.
5. Now add the red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder and salt to the pan and saute for few seconds.
6. Next add the water in which rice is soaked into the pan and bring everything to boil, once gravy starts boiling cover pan with lid and simmer on medium heat for 10 to 15 mins until chicken is cooked.
7. Once chicken and prawn are cooked add the fish slices gently to the pan and cook for 2 mins.
8. Now gently add basmati rice to the pan, mix the rice gently without breaking the fish.
9. Again cover pan with tight lid and simmer for another 10 mins until rice is cooked soft and fluffy.
10. Garnish Mixed Biryani with chopped coriander and serve with boiled egg and Red onion Raita.

Mixed Biryani

Tips
1. I had used India gate classic basmati rice, the water propotion for 1 cup rice is 1.5 cups water.
2. As we are cooking a combination of meat its wise to use boneless chicken meat cut into strips for quick and even cooking.
3. Fish cooks faster than prawn and chicken. So fish cubes can be added before adding the rice.