Britannia Masala Chaas

Britannia Masala Chaas

Britannia has launched Masala Chaas – a light Milk based Beverage.

To replicate the experience of homemade chaas, Britannia Masala Chaas has natural ingredients like Jeera, Curry Leaves and Ginger added to it giving it the authentic homemade taste and feel. It is best had chilled and leaves you with a “cool ehsaas”. It's a low calorie drink and  good for summer too !!!

Chaas has been an integral part of India’s cuisine, no meal is complete without a glass of buttermilk. Packaged Chaas has emerged as a fast growing category driven by convenience, consistent taste and new age lifestyle. There is a strong preference and shift seen towards usage of convenient, ready to use, foods as people do not want to invest time in preparing them. Britannia Masala Chaas offers the same experience without the “ jhanjhat” of preparing it.

Idli Bajji

Idli Bajji – A quick and delicious snack, made of leftover idlis !!

Makes: 8 – 12 (depending  upon the size of the idlis)

Ingredients

For idlis:

2 idlis, cut into desired shape and size (or 1/2 -inch cubes / dices)

2 teaspoon idli chutney powder (idli milakay podi / pole pitto)

In serving plate, sprinkle idli chutney powder over idli pieces  evenly. Cover and keep aside for half an hour.

For gram flour batter:

½ cup (Indian standard measuring cup of 100 ml / 4 oz) gram flour (besan / kadala maav / chone pitti)

1 teaspoon rice flour (adding rice flour will make additional crispness)

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon lime juice (adding lime juice will make a additional flavour)

2 pinches hing (asafoetida – it’s good for digestion)

2 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves (optional) or a mix of mint and coriander leaves

¼ cup (4 -6 tablespoon water / 70 - 80 ml) water (depending upon the texture of the gram flour)

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Method

In a bowl, mix all the batter ingredients together and make a batter with 4 - 6 tablespoon water. First add 4 tablespoon water. Later adjust with remaining water.  Batter should not be too watery. It should be medium thick / dropping consistency (like normal bajji batter / not like dosa batter).  Cover and keep this batter for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a frying pan / karahi.  Do not fry on high heat. It will brown immediately and inside portion won’t cook / fry properly. Reduce heat to medium  and dip each idli piece in gram flour batter  (5  bajjis at a time – depending upon the size of pan) and fry till golden color on both the sides.

Drain and place on kitchen towel  / paper towels to absorb excess oil. Please use 3 – 4 paper towels to absorb extra oil from bajjis (both the sides).

Serve hot as an evening snack with Tomato ketchup or coconut chutney or serve as a starter or a plain snack with tea / coffee...

Majboos / Chicken Majboos

Majboos - A less spicy Arabic style chicken rice / biryani. No added Maggi stock cube. Basic recipe from Vanitha magazine Feb 1 - 15, 2013 and Restaurant  Rolexio , Eranakulam, Kerala !! This biryani is totally different from Indian biryanis. Please do not compare with Hyderabadi biryani / Dum Biryani / Kozhikkod biryani ..

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the chicken:

750 g chicken, cut into medium pieces (with or without skin)

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon salt

Wash and clean chicken pieces. Drain out water thoroughly. In a bowl, marinate chicken pieces with above ingredients evenly. Cover and keep aside for half an hour.

Other ingredients for chicken stock:

Please use same measuring cup to measure rice,  water and chicken stock.

2 onions, finely chopped

1 teaspoon chopped ginger

6 cloves garlic

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 cardamom

2 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1 small piece dried lemon

¾  teaspoon salt (or to taste)

5 cups water / 1 litre

Method

In a bowl or sauce pan, mix all the ingredients together. Add  marinated chicken pieces. Cover and cook on a medium to low heat for 30 – 40 minutes until done / chicken well cooked / there is reduction in chicken stock. Keep aside to cool for fifteen minutes and strain the chicken stock with the help of a clean iron sieve. Measure the chicken stock.  It should be 4 – 4 ½ cups. This is the main ingredient in which we are going to cook the rice. Remove the cooked chicken pieces and dried lemon. Keep aside separately.  Do not use cooked tomato, onion, spices, garlic, ginger.

For the cooked chicken:

3 tablespoon oil (please do not use coconut oil)

Heat oil in a karahi / pan. Reduce the heat to medium and gently fry cooked chicken pieces in batches (4 – 5 pieces at time) until golden color on a both the sides. Keep aside.

For the rice:

Normally 2 cups water requires for 1 cup basmati rice. 1 ½ cup water requires for 1 cup Zeera Samba / Jeerakasala rice and 3 cups water requires for 1 cup ponni rice (silky raw rice).

2 cups  / 400 ml good quality basmati rice ( Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity) Here I used Kohinoor brand  extra long grain basmati rice.  Wash and clean rice. Drain out water completely. No need to soak in water.

4 cups / 800 ml chicken stock

½  teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Dried lemon from the chicken stock

Method

In a non stick pan or wide karahi, boil  chicken stock , dried lemon and salt to taste. Cover and cook on a medium heat for 8 minutes / until boils. When it starts boiling nicely, add drained rice. Mix well. Cover again and cook on a medium to low heat for 15 – 18 minutes until done / rice cooked well / water dries up.

Final presentation:

Serve rice (majboos) with shallow fried chicken / raita …

For Raita:

Serves: 4

Ingredients

250 ml medium thick curd

1 big (1 big or 2 small size) onion, chopped

1 big (1 big or 2 small size) tomato, chopped

2 tablespoon mint and coriander leaves

½ teaspoon salt

Method

In a bowl or serving bowl, mix medium thick yogurt / curd with above ingredients. Serve as a side dish with majboos. 

Coconut Chutney with garlic, red chillies and tamarind paste

Coconut Chutney with garlic, red chillies and tamarind paste - A delicious chutney. Best with dosa / idlis / vada / pakoda ….

Serves: 2 – 3

Ingredients

½ cup (7 – 8 tablespoons) grated coconut

4 garlic cloves

3 dried red chillies

½ teaspoon thick tamarind paste

¼ teaspoon + 2 pinches salt (or to taste)

2 tablespoon water

Method

Make a smooth paste of above ingredients in a small mixer bowl with 2 tablespoons water. Featured here is thick chutney.  If you want a medium thin chutney, adjust with extra ¼ cup water (3 – 4 tablespoon or 50 ml / 2 oz) and add extra salt to taste (or ¼ teaspoon salt  again). Serve with dosa / idli / vada …