New home...............

Hi friends,

It has been long time meeting you people. Few people would have wondered as were i went, and what am i up toooooo. And the answer is "here i come".......................

I know there was a big pause from me, and the reason behind it is a happy move. Yes we moved house. We purchased a house in UK. It was a happy thing but at the same time more exciting and difficult too. I really had such a wonderful experience and learnt so many DIY jobs. Yes, i was on the go to make the house a home. So i decided o renew all things according to my taste. Haaaaaaaaaa........We totally changed the house flooring, painting, carpets........etc. I could really start to feel the freshness. Then come the most toughest part......(moving thing)arranging them. Then the furnishing, Lighting, blinds, curtains, cushions, and all interior decoration works including wall panels. Then House warming function, get togethers, parties, treats............( My mom and mother-in law arrived)

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, no time to breath. But now its almost everything settled and i am back on track.............

I thank all friends who send messages to spice-india thro contact form. There were so many people requesting for few new recipes, and people who contacted me for the missing links, and few other asking for spice-india version of recipes.......etc. I thank you all for your support and a long wait. I will post your request one by one, also correct the links too. Start looking out for more exciting recipes that coming on your way.

And my next recipe coming on your way is Prawn pickle, requested by a particular visitor named " Chandana Sivakumar" from US. So guys i hope you will surely love the recipe. So keep checking..........Till then take care,

With luv

Lavanya Sivavijayakumar........

Fried Chicken Fried Rice

Hi friends, its me here again with a different dish. Trust me you will surely love it. Fried Chicken fried rice???.... Hope it may sound different, but it tastes good. It is a good way to make this with left over chicken, but to be very frank with you, in my house, i never come across a any time the chicken to get left over. So i prepare the fried chicken just to make this dish. My hubby and daughter love it so much more than the normal chicken fried rice. More of all its so simple to make once you prepare the chicken.

For this recipe you first need to prepare the fried chicken. For this preparation visit Deep fried chicken.

Ingredients :

Chicken - ( 200 grms) Deep fried as told in the recipe.

Spring Onions - 2 ( Chopped finely)

Capsicum - Red and green colour ( Chopped length wise)

Green chilly - 3 ( chopped)

Ginger and garlic paste - 2 tsp

Seasame oil - 5 tsp

Salt - To taste

Soya sauce - 1 to 2 tsp

Ajinomoto - 2 pinch

Basmathi rice - 1 cup cooked. ( With 1 : 2 water and rice ratio) and cool it.

Preparation :

*First prepare the deep fried chicken as mentioned, then cut it into small pieces as shown below

* Then take a pan, add the oil, then add the spring onions and fry it, then add the capsicums and fry for few mins, then add the green chillies and fry it.

* Then add te ginger and garlic paste and fry till the raw smell disappears.

* Now add the cooked and cooled rice to the pan, and mix well.

* Now add the Ajinomoto and soya sauce and salt and mix together.

* Add the prepared chicken to the rice.

* Mix well, and check for the taste.

* Hmmmmmmm yummy Spice-India special fried chicken fried rice is ready to be served.

Serve hot, and enjoy yours.

Sura Puttu

Hi friends, Today i am going to post the recipe for sura puttu. Sura ( shark ) is a type of fish variety. Being in UK, its has become very rare to get this fish. One day when i was shopping at an Indian store, i found this fish in the frozen section. So i immedietly picked one pack. It will always taste better if we could get a fresh fish. But on the other hand something is better than nothing. But even with frozen fish it tasted great. Its a very simple yet delicous dish. Everyone will love this recipe with no doubt. Even my daughter "Trisa" who is just 3 years loved this so much that she asked for more and more. People prepare this sura puttu recipe in many different methods. And i prepare it this way, and i bet you will love it. So....Here is the recipe just for you.

Ingredients :

Sura ( Shark) fish - 2 ( cleaned and sliced)
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - To fry
Onion - 1 ( finely chopped)
Green chilly - 2 ( cut length wise)
Garlic - 3 pullu
Ginger and garlic paste - 3 tsp
Salt - To taste

Preparation :

* First chop the fish and clean it very well.

* Now add the fish to the steamer and steam cook it for 15 to 20 mins.

* As i dont have a seperate steamer, i use my electric rice cooker with the steamer. So place it on the steamer tray, fill the cooker vessel with water and steam cook it for 15 - 20 mins

* Then cool it, and remove the skin off.

* Then scramble the fish very well.

* Now add the turmeric powder, salt and chilly powder and mix well.

* Now take a pan, add oil and a dd the ginger and garlic paste and fry till the raw smells disappear.

* Then add the onion, green chilly and garlic and fry well

* Then add the prepared fish to the pan, and mix well. ( Dont add water). Keep mixing it making sure it does not stick to the bottom to the pan.
* You should keep cooking unt il the fish comes out to the granted coconut texture.Thats all... The yummy and spicy sura puttu is ready.....Serve hot.

Kadai Paneer

Kadai paneer is another spicy, simple and yet tasty dish. I often make this for Naan, paratha, roti or chapathi, and even for mixed rice like ghee rice, pulav rice etc. Now of our spice-india visitor requested for this recipe. So here i am posting the recipe for kadai paneer. So here is the recipe just for you.

Ingredients :

Paneer - 150 grms ( Chopped into small cubes)
Onion - 1 ( Chopped finely)
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Red dry chilly - 5 - 6
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Capsicum - red 1/2 and green colour 1/2chopped into cubes ( Optional)
Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - To taste
Oil - 5 - 6 tsp ( And some to fry the paneer)

Masala items :

Clove - 2
Bay leaves - 1
cinnamon stick - 1 small piece

Preparation :

* First take a pan, add oil and add the chopped paneer and fry till golden brown. * Keep the paneer aside.
* Now in the same kadai, add the masala item and fry
* Then add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and chopped onion and fry till golden brown.
* Then add the dry red chillies and fry for few mins.

* Then add the chopped capsicums and fry for few mins until they become soft and tender.
* Now add the fried paneer and mix well.

* Add the chilly powder and salt and mix well.
* Then add 1/2 cup of water and cook in medium flame until the oil starts to come out.

Hmmmmm, yummy and spicy kadai paneer is ready. Serve hot........

Naan Bread

Hi friends, its me again, today i am with the recipe for Naan recipe. One of our spice-india visitor Marianne, requested for this recipe. And here is the recipe for Marianne, and all other visitor who love naan bread. Naan bread is orignally a punjabi recipe, though it is done with tandoori stove, i often prepare this with our home oven. It goes very well with any type of paneer, chicken curry etc. So here is the recipe just for you.....

Ingredients :

All purpose flour ( Maida ) - 1 and 1/2 cup
Egg - 1 (Optional ) , if you dont prefer to use egg, then use 1/2 cup of yogurt.
Yeast - 1 tsp ( Dissolve yeast with 1/2 cup of luke warm water)
Oil - 3 tsp ( And little more to apply on your hands.
Warm water - 1/2 cup
Baking soda - pinch
Salt - to taste ( 1/2 tsp)

Preparation :

* Take one tsp of yeast and dissolve in luke warm water and leave it for few mins.

* Now take a bowl, add the all purpose flour, add salt, pinch of baking soda and mix well.

* Now add 2 tsp of oil, and add the egg. ( If you dont prefer to add egg, then add yogurt) and mix well. * Now add the yeast water and mix well, till the dough comes without sticking. Add oil to your hands and keep mixing well, till they become very soft.

* Keep it aside for 3 - 4 hours, and allow the dough to raise.
* After 4 hours the dough would had raised high, as shown in the picture below.

* Now again apply some oil, and mix again, and make it into equal size balls as below.

* Now roll it by adding some all purpose flour, to avoid it from sticking. ( Roll it bit thick, do not roll it too thin.)

* Roll it with a roller and pull to one side, to bring the naan shape.

* Pre-heat the oven at 500 degree for 30 mins.

* Place the rolled dough on to the baking tray, and place it in the oven. It will take 3 - 4 mins to cook, then turn to the other size and cook for another 1 min.

* Wow, the yummy, hot and soft naan is ready, so now apply some butter over it and serve hot with some spicy curry. I served it with spicy kadai paneer.

Enjoy yours.........

Fish Kuzhambu ( Chennai style)

Hi friends, I am back after a long break. Had a very long break for christmas/ new year . It was real fun having friends around and having great lunch and Dinner together. Now things are back to routine and i prepare myself to come out of that holiday mood. Gosh.....i shoud not forget to talk about the climate here in UK. It started to snow and its really horribly Cold.........Haaaaaaa.......they say the temperature is going to be the same for another week........Its almost -3 during the day and -10 at night. .......Haaaaaaaaa Can't help myself sitting on the heater, and making my hubby to worry about the current bill.....Hahaha....Well, to make everything better i cook all fresh and have hot and spicy. So here comes the recipe for fish kuzhambu. Fish kuzhambu are made in many ways. I already have posted one, which my grandmother use to prepare , but today i am going to post the one that we usually prepare in chennai. So its Chennai syle fish kuzhambu. Well here is the recipe just for you.

Ingredients :

Fish - 1 kg ( Cleaned and sliced into small pieces)
Small Onion - 20 ( Preferably small onion, because it adds taste, but i often dont get in Uk, so in that case i use the big green onions) ( Chopped finely)
Garlic - 1 full ( peeled)
Curry leaves - 1 stem
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Tomato - 2 ( Chopped )
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ginger and Garlic paste - 3 tsp
Tamarind juice - 3 cups ( Take a orange size tamaride and soak it in 3 cups of warm water and after little while squeece and extract the juice)
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Corinader powder - 1 tsp
Kashmire Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - To taste
Oil - To fry

Preparation :

* Take a pan, heat oil and add the mustard, fenugreek seeds and fry. Then add the chopped garlic and onion and fry till golden brown.

* Then add the curry leaves and fry for few mins.
* Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry till the raw smells disappears.
* Then add the chopped tomatoes and fry.
* Now add the tamarind juice , and then add the kashmire chilly, chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt.

* Allow it to cook for 20 - 30 mins ( Till the oil starts to come out)

* Check for the taste. Finally add the cleaned fish and cook for another 5 mins closing the lid.

Hmmmmm......finally serve hot with plain rice........It would usually be much more taster on next day.....Just enjoy your plate.........