Spicy Chili Chicken

Spicy Chili Chicken is a very popular Indo-Chinese dish in India. It is prepared by first marinating skinless boneless chicken in chili sauces and then deep fried or shallow fried. The fried chicken is added into another Chili sauce made along with some vegetables. It is mostly served as an appetizer.

Step 1: Ingredients

Chicken Marination

1) Chicken - 400 grams (skinless boneless chicken cubed to bite size pieces and soaked in salted buttermilk)

2) Chili powder - 2 Tsp

3) Chili sauce - 2 Tsp (hot)

4) Pepper Powder - 1/2 Tsp

5) Corn flour - 2 Tbsp

6) All purpose flour - 2 Tbsp

7) Soya Sauce - 2 Tsp

8) Salt as per taste

9) Oil for frying

Chili Sauce :

1) Onion - 1 medium (sliced/cubed)

2) Chopped Garlic - 2 pods

3) Green Chili - 5 to 6 (sliced)

4) Spring onions - 2 to 3 strands (chopped)

5) Red Bell pepper - 1/4 Cup (cubed)

6) Yellow Bell Pepper - 1/4 Cup (cubed)

7) Chili powder - 1/2 Tsp

8) Chili sauce - 1 to 1 1/2 Tsp

9) soya sauce - 1 1/2 Tsp

10) sugar - 1/4 Tsp

11) Lime juice - 1 Tsp

12) Salt as per taste

13) Oil - 1 Tbsp

Step 2: Marinating the Chicken in Chili sauce and Frying it

1) Remove the chicken from salted butter milk and pat it dry with kitchen towel.

2) Add chili sauce, soya sauce, pepper powder, salt to the chicken and mix well. Allow it to rest for 40 to 60 minutes.

3) Then add the corn flour, all purpose flour and mix well.

4) Add the oil in a pan and heat it to medium to high temperature.

5) Fry the chicken cubes till it becomes golden brown on both sides flipping on both sides regularly.

6) When the chicken is cooked drain on a kitchen tissue.

Note :

* The chicken can either be deep fried, shallow fried or baked as per preference.

* Prior to marinating the chicken in chili/soya sauces, the chicken was soaked in salted butter milk for 4 to 6 hours. so that the chicken will be soft and not dry out after frying it.

* Salted butter milk can be made by mixing 1 to 2 Tbsp yogurt in a 1 cup of water and adding salt as per taste.

* In order to obtain the red color for the chicken and you prefer less spicy ,use half of chili powder and half of paprika. No need of food color.

Step 3: Making the Chili Sauce

1) In a pan, add oil, garlic, onions, green chili, bell peppers, spring onion one by one and saute it for few minutes. (try to keep the veggies crunch and not too soft )

2) Then add the chili sauce, chili powder, soya sauce, sugar, salt, little water(1 to 2 Tbsp) and allow it to cook for few minutes. (If preferred add more of chili powder/ chili sauce)

3) Add the fried chicken in to the sauce and saute for few minutes.

Garnish with spring onions and Hot Hot Chili Chicken is ready !!!

Note :

For Spicy Chili Chicken Gravy

* Mix corn flour (1 to 2 Tsp) with water, mix it lump free and add it to the sauce. Check for the taste and add more sauces if needed. Cook it till the sauce thickens a little. Serve it hot with rice or flat bread.

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String Wrapped Bangles

String Wrapped Bangles are very easy to make with a few items which you may already have in your craft boxes. This way you can turn your old and unused bangles to something new and colorful. So lets get started .

Step 1: Items Required

1) Bangles - any size

2) Embroidery Floss - different colors

3) Jump rings - different sizes

4) Charms

5) Fabric glue or E6000 glue

6) Scissors and Pliers

Step 2: Wrap it up !!!

1) Take a bangle and apply the glue (E6000 or fabric glue) on the top of the bangle covering a small area.

2) Then place the end of the embroidery floss on the glue and start wrapping tightly around the bangle till the place where the glue is present.

3) Keep applying glue little by little and wrapping the embroidery floss on the bangle.

4) Continue wrapping until you have reached the end, trim off the excess floss and add a dab of glue onto the bangle and finish wrapping.

5) For two colors, wrap the first color completely and add the other color in patches.

6) Then add the jump rings and charms as desired.

String Wrapped Bangles are ready to be worn now.

Note:

* When wrapping the floss, wrap it tightly and each strand should be close to each other but not overlapping.

* Apply glue little by little on the top of the bangle through out the bangle. If not glued it may move showing up gaps in between.

* I did not cut the embroidery floss from the spool as it was convenient to wrap with the spool and also I will not be short of embroidery floss.

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Multi Seed Mouth Freshener & Digestive Aid (Mukhwas)

Multi Seed Mouth Freshener & Digestive Aid (Mukhwas) is a colorful Indian after-meal snack or digestive aid. It is usually eaten after a meal to aid digestion and freshen the mouth. There are different varieties of Mouth fresheners (Mukhwas) most of them are made using fennel seeds, sesame seeds and coconut. Adding flax seeds makes it even more healthier.

Step 1: Ingredients

1) Fennel Seeds - 1/4 Cup

2) Flax Seeds - 1/4 Cup

3) Sesame Seeds - 1/4 Cup

4) Salt - 1/3 Tsp (as per taste)

5) Sugar - 1/3 Tsp (as per taste)

6) Lemon Juice - 1 Tbsp

7) Shredded Coconut - 2 to 3 Tbsp

8) Food Color

Step 2: Making Multi Seed Mouth Freshener & Digestive Aid (Mukhwas)

1) In a bowl, add the fennel seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, lemon juice, salt and mix well. Close it and allow it to sit for 30 minutes.

2) Place a pan on low to medium heat, add the mixed seeds and roast it till it starts to splutter.

3) Switch off and transfer to a plate.

4) To the same pan, add the colored shredded coconut one by one and roast it till it becomes dry.

5) Finally add sugar, roasted shredded coconut and mix well and store in an air tight container.

Multi Seed Mouth Freshener & Digestive Aid (Mukhwas) is ready now !!!

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Spicy Potato Pie Crust with Mushroom Broccoli Filling

This is a Spicy Savory pie made with Spicy Potato Pie Crust and aMushroom and Broccoli Filling. The crust is made with chilled chopped boiled potato, chilled chopped butter, flour and chili powder. For the filling, the mushroom and broccoli is cooked in a creamy spicy white sauce.

Step 1: Ingredients

Potato Pie Crust

1) Boiled Chopped Potato - 1 small (approximately 1/3 Cup)

2) All purpose Flour - 1 Cup

3) Chilled cubed Butter - 1/3 Cup

4) Salt as per taste

5) Chili Powder - (1-2) Tsp /as per taste (optional)

6) Cold Water - 2 to 3 Tsp

Broccoli Mushroom Filling

1) Chopped Broccoli - 1/3 Cup

2) Chopped Mushroom - 1/3 Cup

3) Sliced Onion - 1 small

4) All purpose Flour - 1 Tbsp

5) Chili Flakes - (1-2) Tsp (as per taste)

6) Chopped Garlic - 2 pods

7) Butter - 1 Tbsp

8) Milk - 1 Cup

9) salt as per taste

Step 2: Making the Spicy Potato Pie Crust

1) In a bowl, add the flour, salt, chili powder, chilled chopped boiled potato, chilled chopped butter and mix everything well using a pastry cutter(chill the pastry cutter too) or all the ingredients can be added to a food processor one by one and incorporated all together.

2) Then add cold water little by little and form it into a dough. Wrap the pie crust with cling/plastic wrap and chill it for an hour (minimum)

Spicy Potato Pie Crust is ready !

Step 3: Creamy Mushroom Broccoli Filling

1) In a Pan, add butter, chili flakes, chopped garlic, sliced onions and saute for few minutes.

2) Then add the mushrooms, broccoli and season it with salt.

3) Cover the pan and cook.Remove the vegetables and keep it aside.

4) In the same pan add some more butter, all purpose flour and saute it for 2 minutes and then add the milk.

5) When the milk boils and thickens add the sauteed vegetables into the sauce. Check for salt, spices (chili flakes) and add if needed.

Creamy Mushroom Broccoli Filling is ready !

Step 4: Assembling the Pie

1) Take a big ball of dough and roll it flat to fit the pie pan.

2) Grease the pie pan with butter and slowly place the rolled pie crust into the pie pan gently pressing it down.

3) With a fork, press the bottom of the pie crust and then fill it with Creamy Mushroom Broccoli Filling.

4) Roll another ball of dough and cover the top of the pie.

5) Trim the edges of the pie and tuck the edges of the top crust under the edges of the bottom crust. Then press all around the edges of the crust with a fork to seal it.

6) Rolled the left out dough and cut out the Pie shape and placed it on the top of the pie using little water.

7) Bake it at 375 F / 190 C for 50-60 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and firm to the touch.

Spicy Potato Pie Crust with Mushroom Broccoli Filling is ready to be Served. Enjoy !!!

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