Going Back to my Blogging Roots…

I sat down to write this week’s blog, no topic in mind, no topic in my drafts… my mind as blank as the white screen before me. I was thinking to myself, Oh no, today is one of those days, what am I going to write? I stared at the screen for some more time, racking my brain for ideas, but in vain. I even asked Mr. P for suggestions, but no help was received. Then suddenly, I had this brain wave; why not backtrack my steps and go to my blogging roots and share some recipes?!

Here are a couple of recipes that I made this week:

Chicken 65 Wrap

I don’t cook chicken that much, but when I do I have a few go-to dishes that I like to cook. This is one of them.
I made two rolls and we ate the remaining as an appetizer.

Note: You can replace the chicken with paneer, cauliflower, and even idlys. Get creative 🙂

Ingredients (Makes 4 wraps)

1. Chicken – 0.5 pound
2. Corn flour – 1 tbsp
3. Finely chopped ginger & garlic – 1.5 tbsps
4. Cooking oil for deep frying and sauteing
5. Chili-garlic sauce – 2 tbsps (or to taste)
6. Tomato ketchup – 1 tbsp
7. Soy sauce – 1/2 tbsp
8. Orange/Red food color – 1 pinch (optional)
9. Green chilis – 3-4
10. Chappathi or Tortilla – 2
11. Mint chutney or any spread of your choice (I used an almond-based cilantro dip that I had in stock)
11. Salt to taste
12. Finely sliced onions for garnish
13. Curry leaves

Method

1. Clean and cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces (I have to thank Mr. P for doing this step for me, all the time)
2. In a bowl, mix corn flour, salt, ginger-garlic, and salt
3. Add the chicken, toss and keep aside for at least 30 minutes (you can refrigerate it overnight too)
4. Heat oil in a kadai/wok
5. Deep fry the chicken and allow it to drain on a paper towel
6. Heat 2-3 tbsps of oil in a pan
7. Add curry leaves and green chilis and allow it to sizzle for a couple of minutes
8. Add all the sauces, food color and salt to taste and saute for two minutes
9. Add the chicken pieces and toss well, making sure all the pieces are well-coated
10. Remove from the heat, garnish with more curry leaves and serve hot as an appetizer (with thinly sliced onions)
11. For the rolls: Heat the rotis or chappathis and keep ready
12. Spread the mint chutney on the breads, place the chicken in the middle, garnish with sliced onions, fold the rotis over creating a wrap and enjoy

Instant Vegan Ice Cream

If you are like Mr. P and me, you’ll love this super yummy dessert that takes just a couple of ingredients and one step. Yes, just one step to vegan ice cream heaven.

I came across this recipe a couple of years ago and now it is one our favorite desserts, mainly because it is so so simple to make and is relatively healthy as it needs no additional sweeteners. This time, I made it with frozen sapodilla/sapotta/chikkoo but you can make it with frozen mangoes, pineapples, strawberries, dates, or bananas or a combination of your choice. You can also try other fruits and let me know how it turns out :-). Just make sure the fruits are frozen because that’s what gives the instant ice cream its texture.

Ingredients (Serves 2 dessert lovers)

1. Coconut milk – 1 cup (preferably cold)
2. Frozen sapodilla – 1.5 cups (add more depending on the consistency of the coconut milk)

Method

1. Add the coconut milk and the frozen fruit to a blender and blend until the mixture resembles soft serve ice cream
2. Remove it into bowls, top with fresh fruit or nuts and enjoy quickly

I hope you try these recipes at home and enjoy with your family and friends. Until I write again, cook new recipes, eat good food, stay healthy, and stay safe!