Kung Pao Chicken

Authentic  Kung Pao Chicken is a spicy stir fry dish with Chicken , Peppers and Peanuts 

It is also known as Gong Bao or Kung Po.

Though the American version is milder in nature, people who are hooked to the spicy Sichuan counterpart adhere to it .

Here the chicken is marinated and stir fried along with vegetables and peanuts on high flame to give a flavorful dish.

A melange of spices and flavours,  it is an interplay of tastes. ...sweet, sour and savory. 

Ingredients :

1 Kg Boneless Chicken Breast,  cubed

 2 tbsp Cornstarch 

2 tbsp. Dark Soya 

2 tbsp Peanut Oil

500 gms  Spring Onions' whites and greens

15 Dry Red Chillies,  cut into halves and deseeded

1 Red Pepper, diced

1/2 cup Chicken stock

1 tsp Ginger, chopped 

1 tsp Garlic , chopped 

4 tbsp. Dark Soya Sauce

4 tbsp. Chinese Vinegar

4 tbsp. Brown Sugar

2 tbsp Cornstarch 

1 cup Shelled Skinless Raw Peanuts

Directions :

1: Mix Soya Sauce and Cornstarch in a bowl.

2 : Add chicken cubes and marinate for 30 -40 minutes. 

3: Heat oil in a wok and cook chicken cubes.

Remove chicken and keep it aside.

4: Add oil in that wok and

 add red chillies and sauté for a minute. 

5 : Add onions' whites,  ginger and garlic and sauté till translucent. 

6 : Add half spring onions' Greens and red peppers. 

7 : Mix Soya Sauce,  Sugar , Cornstarch, Chicken stock and vinegar in a bowl.

8 : Add this to chicken and stir fry till sauce thickens.

9 : Add half of the peanuts and sauté for a minute. 

10: Add rest of the greens and peanuts.

11 : Serve with steamed rice.

Chocolate Bailey's Swirl Mud Cake

Yes, Delectable Platter is a year old now. From baby steps to walking,  it's been a beautiful journey so far. Time flies........I can't believe I started this journey last year after shedding a lot of inhibitions....

A heartfelt thanks to all those who took out time from their busy schedules to go through my recipes or scroll through the picture gallery.

The response so far has been overwhelming with the number of followers and views shooting up....

Already a mother of two, this seems like my third baby.....someone very special...that goes without saying.

Now when I go through my own blog, I wonder how horrendous the pictures were and how this transition came into being....

Yes, I know you had to go through this torture...My Apologies. 

So to change the scenario, I gifted myself a Canon DSLR on my blog's birthday to give you better pictures....till date I was using my mobile for the clicks..

Though I am still not aware of its usage, I am trying my hands on it. These pictures are the first ones taken by the newbee so please bear with them....I am not a gadget freak so it  might take a while before I get a hang of it....

This recipe is an adaption from http://www.citrusandcandy.com
 with a few
changes here and there.

   
                        Ingredients :
                        For the cake

150 grams butter, at room temperature

100 gms Brown sugar

100 gms. Castor Sugar

100 gms. Dark Chocolate,  chopped roughly

50 gms Cocoa powder

150 ml. Bailey's Irish Cream whiskey

170 gms. Self Raising flour

1.5 tsp. Baking powder

1/2 tsp  Baking soda

3 Eggs, at room temperature

         

                        For the ganache :

250 grams  Dark chocolate,  chopped roughly

150 ml Cream

100 ml Bailey's Irish cream whiskey

4 tsp. Butter

   
                               Directions :
1 : Put chocolate, butter, brown sugar, caster sugar and Bailey's in a thick bottomed vessel and heat on low flame.
2: Whisk and see that there is no lump and remove from fire.Let it cool down.
3 : Preheat oven at 160 degree Celsius for 10 minutes.
4:Grease and line 9" spring bottom pan.
5: Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
6: Add eggs one by one and whisk it nicely.
7 : Fold it in flour mixture nicely.
8 : Pour this batter into greased mould and bake for 40 minutes at 160 degree Celsius.
9: Let it stand half an hour on the wire rack to cool down.
   
                      For the Ganache :

1: Put chocolate pieces in a heat proof dish.
2 : Take cream , butter and bailey's in a thick bottomed vessel and simmer it till it mixes nicely.
3 : Pour over chopped chocolate pieces and mix till no lumps are there.
4 :Cover and refrigerate for around 2-3 hours so that it's of thick consistency.
5 : Spread it on the sides and let it set.
6: Pour over the cake and form swirls with back of a spoon.
7: Enjoy as it is or with Coffee....❤❤

.

Basil Chicken

           National cuisine of Thailand is light,  aromatic, spicy , sweet and tangy.
                   Though it doesn't need an introduction with Thai joints mushrooming all over the world , this cuisine has a complex appeal with an interplay of tastes.

            Thai cuisine uses fresh and fragrant ingredients extensively.  Their style of cooking is quite conventional where they use mortar and pestle for their grinding purpose and pick fresh , aromatic herbs and spices.

                              Ingredients :

3 tbsp Oil

6 Onions, finely chopped

4 Garlic cloves, chopped

600 gms chicken breast,  chopped into bite size pieces

3 tbsp Fish Sauce

2 Bird's eye chilli,  chopped

2 Cups Basil Leaves,  chopped

2 tbsp Brown Sugar

2 tbsp Light Soya Sauce

1 Tsp Chilli paste

1 / 2 tsp Salt

1 / 2 cup water

2 tsp  Cornstarch

                             Directions : 

1 : Heat oil in a skillet.

  2 : Add onions and sauté till translucent. 

3 : Add garlic and chillies and cook for a minute. 

4 : Add chicken and cook till it is done.

5 : Add half of the basil leaves.

6 : In a bowl, combine brown sugar, fish sauce , soya sauce , salt and chilli paste and add to chicken.

7: Cook for a minute. 

8 : Add water and Cornstarch and cook for another minute.

9 : Add rest of basil leaves and sauto for a minute.

10: Serve with steamed rice.

Schezwan Chicken Noodles

                      This spicy and delicious Schezwan Chicken Noodles recipe is not at all time consuming. ...The perfect melange of tanginess,  sweetness and spices adds the zing to the dish..such a zesty one.

                   It can just perk up any meal. Originally,  this dish uses szechuan peppers but since it's our very own Indo- Chinese preparation. .....Yes...INDO CHINESE....😉😉 we use Dry Red Chillies for our Schezwan sauce.    

           Ingredients :

2 Packets Hakka Noodles

4 Spring Onions ' whites, cut lengthwise

4 Spring Onions ' Greens,  cut diagonally

3 Carrots, Julienned

250 gms. Chicken breast, cut into thin strips

1 tsp. Garlic, chopped

3 tbsp. Sesame oil or Chilli Oil

Salt, to taste

1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder

1 Tbsp. Tomato Ketchup
3 Tbsp. Schezwan sauce 

3 Tsp. Soya Sauce

1 Tsp. Vinegar

Directions :

1 : Boil noodles in sufficient water with 2 tsp oil and 1 tsp. Salt till al -dente.

2: Drain water and run it under cold water.

3: Drizzle some oil over it and toss it lightly.

4: Keep it aside.

5 : Heat oil in a wok and stir fry onions' whites.

6 : Add garlic.

7 : Add chicken strips and cook till it is properly  cooked. 

8:Add carrot julienes, Red and yellow peppers and greens.

9 : Sauté slightly.

10: It should not lose the crunchiness. 

11 : Season with salt and pepper. 

12 : Mix schezwan sauce, Ketchup, Soy sauce and vinegar in a bowl and add to chicken .

13: Toss in noodles.

14 : Toss gently for 5 minutes on low heat. 

15 : Serve with chilli sauce and vinegar.

Hyderabadi Murgh Dum Biryani

There is 'WAR OF TITANS' and then there is 'WAR OF CUISINE'.Actually this war is inevitable and quite justified since Biryani from Hyderabad and Biryani from Lucknow are quite dominant in Biryani world.

Lucknow was ruled by Nawabs once and their form of biryani got curated as 'Pakki Biryani' where both meat and rice are cooked separately and then layered and cooked further whereas it's rival 'Hyderabadi biryani' originated from Hyderabad,  once ruled by Nizams.....hence the difference in taste and style of preparation. 

Hyderabadi biryani is also known as Kutchi Biryani where the meat is just marinated in yogurt and spices and then meat and rice are layered and cooked with spices and saffron milk and finally cooked on slow flame....'DUM'.

Whichever way it is cooked , you will never be disappointed by the outcome since the medley of rose water , aromatic spices , Mint and coriander will give you a sweet aroma which will make it stand out.

I am genuinely piqued if the outcome is not upto the mark. Therefore, I try to put my heart and soul in it to make it a poignant delight.

Ingredients : 

1 Kg chicken; with bones

1 kg Basmati Biryani Rice

1/ kg. Onions 'slices; deep fried

1 Bay leaf 

1 cinnamon stick

1 tsp Jeera/cumin seeds 

4 Onions' slices

1/2 cup Mint,  chopped 

1 / 2 cup Coriander leaves,  chopped

Few strands of Saffron

1/2 cup Warm milk

Few drops of Rose water

2-3 Cloves

2-3 Green cardamom

For marination :

1/2 kg. Yogurt,  whisked

1 tsp Salt 

3/4 tsp Red chilli powder 

1 tsp Degi Mirch /Kashmiri Red  chili powder 

1 tsp. Haldi powder /Turmeric powder 

1 tsp. Garam Masala

1 tsp. Chicken masala 

1/2 tsp Grated nutmeg

1 / 2 tsp mace powder

1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste 

1 Green Chilli, finely chopped 

1 tsp Cinnamon powder 

Directions : 

1 : Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes. 

2 : Clean and wash Chicken pieces. 

3 : Make a marinade of all the ingredients under marination.

4 : Marinate chicken for atleast 8 hours. 

5: Soak saffron in warm milk and keep it aside.

6: Heat oil in a thick bottomed vessel. 

7 : Add 1 Bay leaf ,

1 cinnamon stick

1 tsp Jeera/cumin seeds 

8: When it crackles, add onion slices and cook them till they are golden brown in color. 

9:Now add chicken pieces and saute till half cooked.

10. Boil rice in salted water along with cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom.

11.Remove from flame and strain when they are 3/4 done.

12: In a thick bottomed vessel,  spread a layer of chicken with its gravy, then a layer of rice.Sprinkle rose water, saffron milk, 1 / 2 of fried onions, Mint and coriander.

13: Again repeat with rest of the rice and chicken and onions. 

14: Cover it tightly with the lid and seal it with wheat dough.

15: Place it on hot tawa/griddle and cook on slow flame/dum for 15 minutes.

16: Let it be there for 10 minutes and then remove the lid.

17: Serve with gravy and onion rings.