Methi Chicken (Chicken with Fenugreek leaves)

Usually methi chicken traditional dish uses some dried methi leaves(kasoori-methi). I love the pungent-bitter taste of the raw fenugreek leaves(methi), which is usually missing when used dried kasoori-methi powder. So I tried cooking the chicken with raw methi leaves, to capture the raw taste of methi with the taste of chicken. It was so yummy. At the same time I successfully cut on the oil used too. Here is my version of low fat methi-chicken. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breast fillets, cut into bite size pieces.
Handful methi leaves, chopped
2 tomatoes, pureed
1 onion chopped
2 green chillies chopped
4 tbsps low fat yogurt
1 bsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp cumin seeds
a spice emulsion created by mixing 1 tsp each of cumin powder, corriander powder and turmeric powder in 2 tbsps water.
spray oil

Method:
1. Heat a pan. Add a nozzle of spray oil and when heated add the chopped onions and chopped green chillies.
2.When onions are slightly cooked, add a tsp of plain yogurt.fry for 30 seconds in low heat, and turn the heat off, let cool.
3.Once cool, gring this onion-yogurt mixture into a paste and set aside.
4.Once again heat the pan, and spray a noozle of spray oil, when heated add the cumin seeds.Add ginger garlic paste.
5.Once cumin seeds are browned,and ginger-garlic leaves nice aroma add the raw chicken,add the spice emulsion, sprinkle over the garam masala and fry until chicken is sealed and lightly cooked.
6.Add the chopped methi leaves and salt and the pureed tomato.Cook covered, until methi leaves are cooked, and wilted.
7.Add just a tiny amount of well beaten yogurt and water if you want a light gravy. Simmer till the chicken is cooked.

Low Fat Easy Chicken Curry

Chicken tikka masala is Britain's favourite curry dish.I wanted to try a low fat version of this brilliant chicken dish.But instead of taking the big leap at one single step,as a first step, I tried appling my ways of cuting fat and get a decent chicken curry dish.My plan is, if successful in this, I'll expand my low-fat chicken curry ranges.

So my low fat and easy chicken curry version goes this way--

Ingredients

2 chicken breast fillet, cut into bite size pieces.
1 large onion pureed
2 tomatoes pureed
2 tbsp garlic-ginger paste
4tbsp plain low fat yogurt
1 tsp cumin seeds
1tsp each of cumin powder, corriander powder, red chilli powder and turmeric
1 tbsp garam masala powder
1 tbsp lime juice
salt to taste

Method

1.Marinate the chicken with the half of the ginger-garlic paste, lime juice, salt,cumin powder, corriander powder. set aside for approx. 30 minutes.
2. Grill the chicken in the oven, until sealed, and lightly cooked.Set aside.
3.Heat a pan and spray a noozle of spray oil.
4.Pop in the cumin seeds, when starts crackling,add the onion puree and the other half of the ginger-garlic paste.Fry until you get the nice aroma.
5. Add the dried spice powders, fry for about a minute.Add 2 tbsps of yogurt and fry well.
6. Add the pureed tomato and cook until reduced a little. Add salt to taste, remember there is a little salt in the chicken too.
7. Add the grilled chicken and mix well.
8. Reduce heat, and add the remaining yogurt.
If gravy is too thick, you can add a little water at this point.Mix well, and let cook for another2-3 minutes.
9. Curry is ready, serve & njoy. I served it with a simple peas and carrots rice.

Low fat Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani, is probably the most recognized delicacy of northern india, originating in Punjab.It is also highly nutritious as it contains beans. A very popular vegetarian dish in northern India.It is part of a everyday punjabi meal. As all Punjabi cuisines,this dish is also heavy in dairy & hence fat.

On my quest of low-fat recreation of the popular indian dishes, I cooked it in the following way.
I was a bit in doubt, on the success of this experiment, as I planned to totally skip the main ingridient "makhan" (butter) in this makhani(buttery) dish. But it came out very well, and pretty close to the original. A tad less on the smoothness though (due to lack of butter & creame), but tasted very good.

Ingredients:

Whole urid dal(urd beans--black beans)--2 portions
Rajma dal(red coco beans/red kidney beans)-1 portion
green chillies-2
ginger--1 inch piece
garlic cloves-2
ginger-garlic paste-1 tbsp(apart from the above mentioned ginger-garlic)
1 bay leaf
1tsp turmeric
1tsp cumin seeds
1tsp cumin powder
1tsp corriander powder
1tsp chilli powder
1/2 cup milk (cream can be used for a more smoother version)

Method:

1.Soak 2 portions of whole urid dal and one portion of rajma overnight.
2. next day boil the soaked dal with some adrak and green chillies cut into small pieces.Use less water than normal.
3. When cooked, mash the dal a little, keep aside.
4. Heat a non stick pan and spray one noozle spray oil.Pop in the cumin seeds and the bay leaf (fat rich version uses 2-3 knobs of butter here, instead of spray oil) .
5. When cumin seeds are fried,add the ginger-garlic paste and cook until you get the nice aroma of garlic-ginger..
6. Add pureed tomato, cook till tomato is reduced.
7. Add cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder(if desired a hot version), fry for 5-6 mins.
8. Add the cooked dals & fry for a while.
9. Add milk to get the dal to required consistency.(For a richer version you can use single cream).
10.Sprinkle garam masala and cook covered for another 2 minutes.
11.Serve & NJOY.

Quick & easy lentil recipe

Easy to cook dal(lentils) oil free. I wish to share a very simple recipe. The following recipe tastes best with Moong dal(yellow lentils), but also works with red lentils. Give it a try, and share your experiences.
The quick & easy way is --

1.Wash the lentil/dal well.
2.Soak for 30 minutes, and then drain the water.
3.Add the lentil to a pan ( pressure cooker if using).
4.Add 3 times water(if using 1 cup of dal, use 3 cups water) and salt to taste.
5.Add chopped ginger and garlic.
6.Add a green chilli slitted(for less heat, remove the seeds before adding).
7.Cook in low-medium heat until lentils are soft.(if using pressure cooker, until the cooker whistels.)
8. Mash the lentils well, I use a hand beater.
9.Add chopped tomatoes, & chopped corriander, adjust water to required consistency, if too thick. Cook covered for another minute. If you wish to make it thicker,cook uncovered.
(If using pressure cooker, add tomatoes along with the lentils at step 3.)

This lentil goes very well with Plain rice/jeera rice /puffed rotis.
It is recommended that pressure cooker be used in cooking lentils, beans etc. It is a very efficient way to cook healthy meals in much lesser time, and also helps cut your energy bill. Try it and you'll fall in love with it.

A oil-free brunch

Poha(rice flakes) is used for breakfast/snack in India. Serves well as a filling brunch.It is one of the simplest thing to cook. The variations for this recipe are many. Every household has their own way. One of the best I tasted was prepared by my SIL.I liked her way, it gave a refreshing flavour, a good change then my usual way.Recently, I experimented my own recipe's oil free version. I kept everything as is, simply removed the oil & frying bit from there. So as usual this included a lot more stirring and covering and addition of water. Always prepare oil free dishes in low-medium heat.

Following is how I cooked it

Ingridients:
Poha/pawa(rice flakes)
2 tomatoes
1 medium onion
2-3 green chillies
A handful of peanuts
1tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
1 tbsp Chana dal (split chick pea/garbanzo beans)
1 tbsp white urad dal(white matpe bean)
Corriander leaves for garnishing


Method:
1. Wash the poha well until water runs clear, drain the water out well (turning on a seive helps) and set aside.
2. Chop the green chillies, onions,tomatoes and corriander finely.
3. heat a pan, add the chana dal and urad dal, peanuts and brown them.
4. Add the chopped green chillies, onion, and dry-fry them, stirring often and covering in between.
5. Add salt(to taste), and cook covered for 1-2 minutes, until onions are cooked.
6. Add the turmeric powder. fry well for a minute. Make sure you fry the turmeric powder well, else it can leave a raw smell of turmeric beind, which is not very soothing.
7.Add the chopped tomatoes.
8. Cook covered until tomatoes leave some water, stirring ocassionally.
9. When tomatoes leave water, if it feels very dry/less water, add a tbsp of water, and cover.
10. Add the drained poha, mix well to coat with the mixture in the pan and leave covered for a minute.
11.Garnish with the chopped corriander and serve.
12. Optionally, add a few drops of lime juice.

Note: you can also add chopped vegetables(peas goes very well with this recipe). Microwave the vegetables beforehad, and add after the tomatoes in step 7 , in this recipe.