Broccoli is a regular in my grocery shopping these days. I add them in almost everything from soups to salads and even dishes like dhals and variety rices. Sometimes I make this poriyal as a side dish with rice. I usually don’t add too much of masala or spices here. That imparts a bitter taste to the dish. I just add light seasoning and cook the broccoli until the they are tender but still have their color and crunch in them. The ideal combination for this poriyal are with rice and any spicy gravy like vatha kozumbu or rasam or even with plain curd rice.
INGREDIENTS:
1. Broccoli, 2 large heads.
2. Small onions, 3-4.
3. Dried red chilies, 1-2.
4. Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
5. Urad dhal, ½ teaspoon.
6. Ginger-garlic paste, ½ teaspoon, (optional).
7. Salt as per taste.
8. Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.
PREPARATION:
Cut the broccoli into small bite-size pieces including the stalks and dice the onion finely. Heat a pan with a teaspoon of oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the urad dhal and the broken red chilies and fry for a few seconds until the urad dhal turns brown. Add the diced onions and curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn translucent. Then add ginger-garlic paste and the broccoli and mix everything well. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water along with salt and cook closed under low flame for 5 minutes until everything is cooked and the broccoli still retains its color. Garnish with curry leaves and cilantro and serve with rice or chapathis.
Recently I had an argument with my friend about white meat and red meat. According to her, white meat is not that much tasty compared to red meat, so she always prefers red meat, especially when she is preparing items like tandoori chicken, and we are still discussing about this :) I have been eating white meat chicken for the past 2 years and seriously I don’t find that much difference in the taste. White meat can also be equally tasty when cooked in the proper way. White meat chicken is usually from the breast and the fat percentage of this is very less compared to red meat, so this is ideal for people cutting down on the fat intake or for those on the lookout for heart-healthy foods. I usually check the label when I buy meat. The fat content of most of these products like white meat chicken or turkey will be around 0-1%, a little bit on the healthier side. In this recipe, I did not use oil for marinating the chicken. The only oil used here is to spray the baking dish. This is an almost fat-free chicken recipe if the yogurt is replaced with fat-free yogurt.
INGREDIENTS:
1. Chicken, I have used 3 white meat breast slices here.
2. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
3. Garam masala or curry powder, 1 tablespoon.
4. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
5. Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon.
6. Paprika, 1 teaspoon (I have used Spanish paprika powder here, this gives a nice color and some sweetness) this can be substituted with a pinch of food color.
7. Thick yogurt, ½ cup.
8. Salt as per taste.
9. Dried mint leaves, 1/2 teaspoon, (optional).
PREPARATION:
Wash the chicken well. Mix all the ingredients except the chicken into a thick paste in a bowl. Apply the paste over the chicken coating each slice thickly. Let it marinade for over an hour inside the refrigerator. Grease a baking dish with any nonstick cooking spray and arrange the chicken slices on the dish leaving sufficient space between each slice. Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Serve hot with lemon wedges and garnished with cilantro.
