Cheat’s Guide to Chicken Ghee Roast

Before I write anything about the recipe, I want to say that it’s been more than a couple of years now since I’ve posted any recipes. My son is a little big boy now and I can manage to find some time to blog again! So here I am back with a recipe. 

Chicken Ghee Roast is another popular dish from my hometown Mangalore. And I must tell you, a Sunday Afternoon lunch with Chicken Ghee Roast and Neer Dosa or even plain Steamed Rice is just divine! So here’s my version of Chicken Ghee Roast- the Cheat’s way. 

Traditionally it is made by dry roasting whole spices and then blending it into a paste. Here’s my version where I use powdered spices which saves a lot of time, however the end result tastes exactly the same. Here’s my recipe for Chicken Ghee Roast: 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Lime
• 1 Sprig Curry Leaves 
• 1/2 Cup Curd
• A Pinch of Turmeric Powder 
• 2 tsp Paprika or Kashmiri Chilli Powder
• 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder 
• 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder 
• Salt to Taste
• 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1-2 tbsp Clarified Butter (Ghee)
• 350gms Chicken 
• 1 medium size Onion chopped 

Method:

In a mixing bowl add the Curd, Lime Juice, Turmeric Powder, Paparika (Kashmiri Chilli Powder), Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder, Salt and Ginger Garlic Paste. Mix well. 

Now Add the Chicken and allow it to marinate for 10-15 minutes.

Heat a pan and add the Ghee ( Clarified Butter) and add the chopped onion. Sauté on medium heat until they turn slight golden. 

Now add the marinated Chicken and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Lower the heat after 10 minutes and cook on low heat for 10 more minutes. 

Now add the Curry Leaves and cook for 5 more minutes or until the chicken is well cooked. 

Almond Cookies

I love the freshly baked cookies. You will always find a box of home baked cookies at my place. This time I decided to make Almond cookies.  I made the powered almond myself at home because I feel the almond flour bought from the market is too fine. All I did was I took a handful of almonds and put it into the food processor. Make sure you pulse blend so that you can control how fine you want the powder to be. Make sure the powered almond is not chunky too. Once you get this right, the cookies will absolutely turn out perfect.  Here’s the recipe for my Almond Cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1¼ cup All Purpose Flour
• 1 cup powered Almond (not too fine)
• ¾ cup powered Sugar
• ½ cup softened Butter
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp. Almond Essence
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• 10 Almonds split into halves

Method:

• Pre-heat Almond at 175°C
• Add Sugar and Butter into a mixing bowl and mix well using an electric beater.
• Add the Egg and Almond Essence and mix again using the beater.
• Now add the Baking Powder and powered Almond and mix well using a spatula.
• Finally add the All Purpose Flour and mix using the spatula.
• Place a baking mat or a sheet of butter paper on the baking tray.
• Make lime size balls out of the cookies dough and place them on the baking tray at least 2 inches apart from each other.
• Give a gently press on each of the balls and then place one Almond half on each of the cookie.
• Transfer the baking tray into the oven and bake for 14-15 minutes.
• Once the cookies are baked, transfer them to a cooling rack and let the cookies cool.

Coffee Walnut Cookies

I love coffee and I also love cookies. So I decided today that I’m going to mix the two along with some walnut for some crunch and nothing sounded better. Do you find it super difficult to stop yourself from eating the cookies when they are on the cooling rack? I’ve failed each time. It’s just so hard to resist freshly baked cookies. Half the batch just disappears before you think of storing them. This is one such cookie. So here’s the recipe for my Coffee Walnut Cookies.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup Salted Butter
• ¾ cup Powered Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Essence
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1¼ cup All Purpose Flour
•  2 tsp. Instant Coffee Powder
• 1/3 cup chopped Walnuts

Method:

• Pre-heat Oven at 170°C
• Add Butter and Sugar in a Mixing bowl and mix using a hand beater.
• Add the Egg, Vanilla essence, Baking Powder and Coffee Powder and mix further.
• Add All Purpose Flour and fold it in using a spatula, until everything is mixed properly.
• Now add in the Walnuts and mix again gently with the spatula.
• Place a Butter Paper or Cookie Mat on a baking tray.
• Form Lime size balls out of the cookie dough and place it at equal distance on the tray. (Make sure they are at least 2 inches away from each other).
• Give a gentle press to each of the balls to flatten it a bit and Press the top of each of them with a fork.
• Transfer the tray into the oven and bake for 14-15 minutes.
• Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and enjoy your cookies once they’ve cooled.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who doesn’t like a nice bite of chewy chocolaty treat? I love love loveee Chocolates and I super love cookies. The two put together, how better could it get? I made around 12 cookies and they are all gone! None left! This is something I find so difficult to share. Remember you are taught to share everything when you were a kid? Not a Double Chocolate Chip Cookie! A cookie like this makes you wanna ditch your diet. When you have them in front of you staring, you just can’t stop yourself. So beware of the little monsters and bake at your own risk!!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup softened Butter
• 1 cup powered Sugar
• A pinch of Salt
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Essence
• 1 Egg
• 1½ cup All Purpose Flour
• ¼ cup Cocoa Powder
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• ¾ cup Chocolate Chips

Method:

• Pre-heat the Oven at 185°C
• Take a mixing bowl and add the Sugar and Butter and mix well using an Electric Beater.
• Once the sugar mixes well with the butter, add the Vanilla Essence, Egg, Flour, Cocoa Powder, Baking Powder and Salt and beat again, until everything mixes well.
• Then add the Chocolate Chips and fold it in with a Spatula.
• Cover the Baking tray with a Baking Mat or Butter Paper.
• Now take a small Ice-cream Scooper and scoop some of the Cookie mixture and lay it on the baking mat.
• Make sure you place each scoop at least 2 inches away from each other.
• Put the tray in the oven and bake at 185°C for 12-14 minutes.
• Place the Cookies in a cooling rack and let them cool completely.

Sugar Cookies

I always feel like eating or drinking something at around 11 am everyday single day. A hot cup of Masala Chai is great but only if there were some cookies!! So I decided to bake some Sugar Cookies this morning and I wouldn’t have to worry about it for at least a week. I sprinkled some colored granulated sugar on top just to make it look pretty! I made it myself, and it was done under 30 seconds. Just took some sugar and added a drop of food color. A drop goes a long way. I used pink and blue you can use any.

Every time something comes out of the oven, my Labrador dog ZERO can’t resist the smell. When I was trying to photograph the cookies he was trying to get into the frame and was giving me the cutest look possible. But I’m told he shouldn’t be given anything sweet, as it’s not good for him. So he didn’t get any…in spite of his cuteness. I feel so sorry for him.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup softened Butter
• ¾ cup powered Sugar
• 2 tsp. Vanilla Essence
• 1 Egg
•  1¾ cup All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• ¼ tsp. Salt
• Colored granulated Sugar for sprinkling on top of the cookies

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven at 180ºC.
• In a Mixing Bowl add the Butter and Sugar with a Beater.
• Add the Egg and Vanilla Essence and mix again.
• Then add the Flour, Baking Power, Salt and Mix again for 2-3 minutes.
• Make a dough out of the mixture and wrap it in a cling wrap and refrigerate for half an hour.
• Sprinkle some flour on the surface where you will be rolling your dough.
• Roll the dough flat about ¼ of an inch and the use the cookie cutter of your choice to cut the cookies.
• Layer your baking tray with Butter Paper.
• Now lay your cookies on top of the sheet.
• Sprinkle some colored granulated sugar on top of the cookies.
• Bake the cookies at 180ºC for about 8-10 minutes.
• Place the cookies on a rack to cool.