Pudina pakoda:

Ingredients: Pudina -1 bunch, gram flour-1 cup, onion-1 (chopped), green chilies -4 to5 (chopped), aloo-1 (boiled and mashed), chilipowder-1 teaspoon, coriander leaves - chopped, oil-for frying, salt to taste, garammasala-1 teaspoon.

Method: Separate the leaves of pudina and wash. Mash boiled Aloo. Fry Gram Flour for few seconds or just warm it. Later take a bowl, pour this flour, add pudina leaves, mashed Aloo, green chilies, salt, chili powder, garam masala, 2 table spoons of hot oil, water, onion, and mix well to the consistency of chappati atta. Heat oil in a kadai, make balls of this atta, deep fry in oil until golden brown. Serve it hot with chutney/ tomato sauce.

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METHI CHICKEN OR MURG METHI

This Saturday I was having plenty of time as my dh is off to work because of his project go- live and past from week he was under full pressure , so I planned to make some thing special inorder to surprise him and make him free from tensions( because my DH always says to win a mans heart is thru his stomach and especially when he is overloaded with work.) So I have planned to cook some chicken.
When I went to buy chicken I came across fresh methi leaves and I couldn’t resist myself from buying them as these days I I am more inclined to implement ayurveda techniques in my cooking .

Fenugreek is a very common herb used in most Indian cuisines. These herb has many health benefits.the seeds of this fenugreek are also used for several ayurveda and medicinal purposes like lowering cholestral and mouth ulcers.

Methi leaves enhances the chicken flavour,when cooked together gives a enhancing taste the dish a very Methi chicken is also very popular by name murgh methi in Hyderabad. It is important to pick just the leaves and discard all the stems for this dish.

•INGREDIENTS:
Chicken, ½ kg.
fresh Methi (fenugreek) leaves, 2 bunches.
2 large onions
2 tomatoes
Ginger-garlic paste, 1-2 teaspoon.
Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon.
Chili powder, 2 teaspoon.
Coriander powder, 2 teaspoons.
Garammasala powder 1 tea spoon

Green chilies 5
.Coriander leaves
Salt as per taste.
3 whole (broken) green cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks of about 5 cm
3 cloves

preparation :
Remove skin and wash chicken well . Marinate with turmeric, red chili powder , ginger garlic paste , garam masala .coriander powder and set aside for 15 minutes.

Grind cardamom, cinnamon and cloves to a fine powder.

Wash the methi leaves and chop them well .

Take a pan , heat little oil and now add the methi leaves and fry them till the raw smell .
Allow it to cool and now grind the methi leaves along with the spices powder and the chopped tomatoes.
In a wide-based pan, heat the oil and sauté the onions until they brown lightly. add the green chillies and saute them well.
Now add the ginger, garlic and turmeric. Stir and cook on a medium-high heat and fry till raw smell leaves.
Add the mariented chicken pieces. Stir them around until they turn golden brown. Now add little chili powder at this stage if u like make the dish bit spicy.
Now add the grounded paste of methi and mix it well so that it coats all the chicken well and cook it till it gives the methi flavour
Now add 1 cup of water and salt as per taste and cook under closed under medium flame for 12-15 minutes or until the chicken is well cooked.
Allow it to fry with occasional stirring till the oil starts separating.now add the coriander leaves and allow it to cook for few more minutes.
Turn off the stove and serve hot with plain rice , variety of rice or rotis.

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