FromAFoodiesDiary

It is Sunday and something special for lunch is a must. At the same time, I am sure no one wants to spend lot of time prepping for this. After all its weekend and you are tired from all the endless hours you spent in office over the week. Chicken Cafreal, a Goan delicacy will serve the purpose. It will definitely make Sunday lunch extra special and it takes very little time to cook.

My hubby is a Goan and loves everything about Goa. Now I do too. He took me to this restaurant Viva Panjim for our first official dinner date as ‘man and wife’ (Ah!!... memories). That is where I came across Chicken Cafreal.   I call this good mood food. It’s got the ingredients that will elevate your mood. Believe me its lip smacking delicious.

Ingredients

Chicken - 1 Kg

Green Chilies- 6 to 7 (the spicy ones)

Coriander leaves - a bunch (medium)

Jeera – 2 tsp

Khus Khus – 2 tsp

Pepper Corns – 4 to 6

Turmeric Powder – 2tsp

Cinnamon – 2”

Cloves -4

Ginger- 3”

Garlic - 16 to 20

Tamarind -a small ball

Method

Note :. I like spicy food ,hence add more chilies. Adjust the spice as per your taste

Chinese cuisine or Indo Chinese cuisine to be specific makes me salivate. My first memories of having Chinese go back when I was 6. My dad would get Chinese from a restaurant in my hometown. A Chinese couple ran the place and they altered their recipes to suit the Indian palate. Sadly, they closed down after a few years later. I fell in love with Chinese food at that tender age and continue to. Each time I have to select a restaurant to dine, I end up choosing a Chinese one.

But when it came to try this at home, I never fared well. This time I got a recipe from aunt and this one worked like a charm.

Ingredients:

For the Marinade

Boneless chicken – 500 gms

Pepper powder – ½   tsp 

Red Chili Sauce – 2 tsp

Ginger paste – ½ tbsp

Cornstarch -2 tbsp

Salt – ½ tsp

For Gravy

Onion – 1 big onion

Garlic – 2 cloves finely chopped

Ginger – 1 ½ tbsp chopped

Green chilies – 2 slit

Capsicum – 1 small (optional)

Tomato Sauce – 1 tbsp

Soya sauce -2 tsp

Red chili sauce – 3 tsp

Maggi cube -2

Corn starch – 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Sugar – a pinch

Method

Note :

Fry the chicken on a low flame so that it is cooked thoroughly.

You can optionally add egg to the marinade. For 500 gms of chicken, add  1 tbsp of beaten egg.

Change the measurements to suite you taste.

Ingredient

Puffed rice – 2 cups

Jaggery -  ½ cup

Cardamom – 2 crushed

Ghee – 2 tsp

Method

Kothu means chopped roti in Tamil. Kothu chapati is made with chopped chapati, spices and veggies. When I moved to Bangalore for my first job I came across this tasty dish. It was a regular on the menu in the Dosa corners. However parathas where used instead of chapatis . 

It’s the best way to use up left over chapatis. You can ready in an instant and doesn’t really need any special ingredient.  You can optionally use egg ,grated paneer /cheese  and chicken .

Ingredients

Chapati – 2 medium sized

Onion -1

Tomato -1

Green chilies – 1 slit

Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp

Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp

Red chili powder -2 tsp

Cumin Powder – 2 tsp

Grated Paneer

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves for garnish

Method

1.       Chop the left over chapatis .

2.       Heat oil in a wok. Sauté onions .To this add green chilies

3.       Add ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chili powder and cumin powder.

4.       Add the chopped chapati.

5.       Grate paneer over it

6.       Garnish with coriander leaves.