Schezwan chicken dry recipe| Schezwan chicken gravy recipe

Indo Chinese or Chindian food is a product of the huge Chinese community that lives in India. The delicious flavors of their food have been taken and adapted to the Indian palate. 
Szechuan Chicken can also be served as an appetizer or as a gravy.



This easy recipe uses previously prepared Indo Chinese Szechuan Sauce that can be made ahead and stored in your fridge for future use. pls check here for
HOME MADE Szechuan Sauce
 
Szechuan Chicken can also be served as an appetizer or as a gravy .if you want chicken to be semi dry  simply omit step no 6 in below recipe. 

I had made dry version


 Serve this tasty  dish with fried rice or noodles.

 Serve 4 people

Ingredients:

500 gms skinless, boneless chicken breast or thigh cut into 1.5" cubes
1 egg
5 tbsps all purpose flour
3 tbsps cornflour
Salt to taste
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Cooking oil for frying chicken
3 tbsps  cooking oil
3 spring onions chopped coarsely (bulb and leaves)
1 tsp each chopped garlic & ginger 
1 cup Indo Chinese HOME MADE Szechuan Sauce
1 large green bell pepper seeds removed and cut into thin slices
1/2 cups chicken stock (optional - if you dont have chicken stock use 2 maggi chicken cubes mixed with half cup water)
1 tbsp cornflour (for thickening gravy)

 









Method:
 
1. heat the oil for deep frying.

2.While the oil is heating, put the chicken into a large mixing bowl and add the egg, flour, 1 tsp each soya & schezwan sauce, pepper powder, ginger garlic paste,cornflour, salt to taste and pepper to it. Mix well till the other ingredients form a thick paste that coats the chicken well. If the paste is not thick enough, sprinkle a little more cornflour and mix well.



3.Once the oil is hot, gently add a few battered chicken pieces at a time and fry till crisp and golden in color. Drain well and remove from the oil. Keep aside on paper towels for later use.

 

4.In another pan or wok, heated on high, add the 3 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil. When the oil is smokey hot, add the chopped garlic & ginger , spring onions,green bell pepper (reserve a little to garnish the dish later). Saute for a minute.

5.Now add the Indo Chinese Szechuan Sauce and chicken stock. Mix well. Cook for 2 minutes.Now add the previously fried chicken pieces to this gravy. Stir well to coat all the chicken with the gravy. 

 

 

6 Mix 1 tbsp of cornflour with 1/2 cup of cold water and stir to mix well. Make sure there are no lumps in this mixture. Omit this step no 6 if you want the dish to be a dry one or would like to serve it as an appetizer.

7.Pour cornflour paste into the above gravy and stir well. The gravy will start to thicken. Once this happens, turn off the heat.

8.Spoon into a serving dish, garnish with reserved, chopped spring onions and serve.

Hyderabad best food eating joints - places and restaurants

 The geographical location of Hyderabad has been a major influence on its varied cuisine, which ranges from the Hyderabadi style with its strong Mughalai influence, to a pure Andhra cuisine - hot and spicy.Hyderabad also has a good number of places for Chinese food, and several Punjabi 'Dhabas'. .Dishes in the menu span the whole range of Mughlai, South Indian, Chinese and Tandoori along with regular Lime `n' Onion `Salads'. The prices are reasonable with a meal for two coming to around Rs. 250 - Rs. 300 with the taxes
 
One wi'll be spoilt for choice with many restaurants, pubs, cafes and bars that frequent Hyderabad's streets the only problem you are likely to encounter is being unable to make up your mind what to chose.

Below is a list of few hotels which I have visited personally & would like to recommend.



1) Paradise Food Court

Paradise Circle, SD Road
Open: 11 - 12am.
This place is one of the oldest Biryani-serving restaurants in Hyderabad.  Besides the biryani, the falooda & kabab too is worth digging into!

2) Firdaus, Taj Krishna,

 Road No 1, Banjara Hills
Open: 12.30 - 3pm & 7 - 11.30pm.


3) Hyderabad House
Multiple outlets: Banjara Hills, Himayath Nagar, Chinthal Basthi, Saleem Nagar (Malakpet), Madhapur, etc.

Open: 11:30 to 22:30

The Hyderabad House chain of restaurants serves authentic Hyderabadi food through around 23 outlets all over the city (the chain is also spreading its wings in other cities of India and abroad!). Must-try item is the Lukhmi.

4) Bawarchi

66, Alambad Industries Area, RTC Crossroads, Opp.Sandhya Theatre
 Timings: 11 am to 12 am
Cuisine: Hyderabadi, Barbeque / Tandoori

One of the most famous restaurants in Hyderabad, Bawarchi is another joint famous for its Biryani. In fact, the place is so popular that it receives orders from faraway cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and even Dubai! The most popular dishes include Veg Kadai, Tangdi Kebab and Tandoori Chicken.


5)Blue Fox

Hotel Minerva Grand, SD Road, Secunderabad, Hyderabad -500003 & other locations

Timings: 10 am to 10:30 pm (differs from branch-to-branch)

Cuisine: Variety

Budget: Luxury

Perched upon the legendary Minerva Coffee Shop, another torch-bearer of Hyderabad's culinary expertise (albeit vegetarian), the Blue Fox holds a treat for almost every Biryani-lover on earth! Though even the other cuisines deserve a try at this place.

 6)Eat Street 

It is a multi-cuisine serving eatery, sitting on Necklace Road located at one of the banks of the Hussain Sagar Lake. It possesses a large seating capacity, yet it's packed with people, especially on weekends. The Chaat Corner here is hugely famous, so don't miss out on that one! Overall, a perfect place for enjoying fast food while hanging out with your peers and loved ones.

7) Nautanki Gali
Ground Floor,Cyber Pearl,Opp TCS building ,Hitech City,  Madhapur , Hyderabad Hyderabad.

Timings: 

12:00 PM - 3:30 PM
 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Hyderabad's widest buffet spread for lunch and dinner with street themed interiors.

Price Range: (Rs.201 - Rs. 500)
Cuisine: Chinese • North Indian • South Indian • Continental • Mughali

Payment Options: Credit Card • Cash

8)Pizza Hut (5 Branches)

1.RNK Plaza, Banjara Hills
2.KPR House, SP Rd Sec-Bad
3.Madhapur Rd, Hitech City 
4.Ground Flr, Hyderabad Central
5.Eat Street (only Take Away), Necklace Rd



9) Domino's Pizza (4 Branches)
1.Divyasai Enclave, Rd No 5, Jubilee Hills
2.Himayathnagar, opp Telugu Academy, Beside Bassera Hotel,
3.Raj Bhavan Rd, Somajiguda 4.Madhapur Rd, Hitech City

Open: 11am - 11pm.

10) Swagath De Royal

Swagath means hospitality & with us it comes naturally & generously. After having garnered compliments for its services – accolades for its affordability – bouquets for its excellence in the last two decades, the reputed Sindhuri Hotels & Resorts Pvt. Ltd., now creates another sensation in the hospitality sector, Swagath De Royal and Swagath Residency at Kothaguda – Kondapur junctions.
 Swagath De Royal and Swagath Residency are rated as the best 3 star hotels in & around IT hub and they enjoy very strategic location that is very easily accessible.

From the time you put your hand break in front of Swagath De Royal, you will be reached by the swift valet parking team. Upon entering into the property you can enjoy the hotel facilities that will be a sweet memory for you:

11) Hotel Daspalla

Road No. 37,  Jubilee Hills , Hyderabad
Landmark:  Near Madhapur Police Station
In Hotel Daspalla:
Coffee Time Restaurant, Circle Restrobar, Summit, Forum, Simposium, Rock Garden, Club Lounge, Circles-Restobar, Symposium
Timings:  Open 24 Hours
Price:  Expensive


12) Chutney’s Veg- Restaurant

Shilpa Arcade, Road No 3 Banjara Hills
Open: 7am - 11pm.

14) Cafe Nandini

Meal for 2 ----->140 -200
Value for Money
Madhapur, Hyderabad, 500081.

Cafe Nandini is a place where you can come to for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even snacks. Nandini does all the South Indian fare like idli, vada, dosa etc as well as North Indian cuisine like Paneer Butter Masala, Veg Dopyaja, Chaman Methi to name a few. And you get all this at a nominal price. They serve vegetarian fare only. Going by what it is, a cafe, the ambience is simple but they also have an AC seating arrangement. The filter coffee that the cafe serves is something you should not miss

Hyderabadi cuisine menu:

1) Hyderabadi Biryani: For those who want a taste of the royal menu, there are a variety of Biryanis (a rice and meat preparation, seasoned with spices and flavourings). Hyderabadi Biryani is so popular that it takes a special mention in the world of food. There are 2 styles of preparing this variety. The Kachey Gosh Ki Biryani, where the meat is marinated in curd and then baked with rice, and the Pakkey Gosh Ki Biryani, where the meat is cooked with all the accompanying spices and then the rice is simmered with the resultant gravy redolent of mace, ittar and kewra in a sealed vessel with saffron and cardamom. It is accompanied by side dishes like Mirchi ka Salan, Dhai-Ki-Chatni and Baghare Baingan. Apart from this king of the delicacies, the entire Shahi Nizam cuisine is very popular for its rich and aromatic taste.

2) Andhra style : The South Indian spread is well represented by the classic Gongura Mamasam, Royyalla Pulusu (sizzling prawn curry), Kakarakaya Pulusu (a bitter gourd preparation that uses a good dose of spice) and the more humble, but nevertheless lip-smacking, lentil-spinach dish of Palakura Pappu. Andhra Cuisine is distinct for its hot and spicy food with a range of chutneys, curries, meat preparations and pickles. One can also taste the cuisines of Karnataka (Udipi) and Tamil Nadu - the omnipresent dosas, idlis and vadas.


3) Mughlai:Kadai Murg stands out in the Mughlai non-veg section for its succulent bits of chicken, smothered with spices and cooked well. The biryanis are, of course, very much on the list and seemed to have that `dum ka' flavour preferred by the gourmets. The Mughlai menu combines well with an assortment of fluffy parathas, rotis and naans available in the tandoor section

4)Kababs :meat pieces or minced meat cooked in many different styles such as Boti Jhammi, kalmi, Shikampur, Sheek, Lagan-ke-kababs, Dum-ke-kababs)
Khormas (either meat or vegetables cooked in a rich creamy gravy) and Lukhmi (pastry). Nahari is another speciality eaten very early in the morning and is a curried soup of sheep's trotters and tongue…sounds far worse than it tastes.


5)Chinese Food: Hyderabad also boasts of a number of Chinese restaurants ranging from the inexpensive to the exclusive.

6) Fast Foods: For somebody looking for a quick and filling snack, there are many western-style fast food joints which offer pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, etc. There are also several places serving Indian fast foods. A part from these, there are quite a few places which serve 'chats' (spicy snacks) like samosas, Mirchi Bhajji, Aloo Bhajji, bhelpuri, panipuri, tikki, pav bhaji, etc


7)RAMZAN special: During the month of Ramzan, one gets to taste Haleem (a pounded wheat and meat preparation). For those who prefer more homely food, there is Kichri (a rice a lentil preparation); Kheema methi (minced meat with fenugreek); Nahari ( stew of tongue and lamb trotters); Rumali Rotis (bread as thin as a handkerchief) and Chakna (a spicy dish of meat).

8) Paan: No meal in Hyderbad is complete without Paan (betel leaf wrapped around a mixture of betelnut, aniseed, cloves, cardamom, gulkand). There are paan shops, almost one every few metres - quite a few of them an extension of the innumerable Irani Hotels. These shops sell a variety of paans- the most popular being 'Meetha Paan', 'Ram Pyari', 'Meenakshi', etc., Offering paan is a tradition in Hyderabad and most Muslim household still keep the 'Paan - Daan' a specially crafted silver container meant to hold all the ingredients for making paans.

9)Dessert: One can have a pick from Double-ka-meetha (a bread and cashew-nut pudding); Qubani-ka-meetha (stewed apricot dessert); Anday-ka-piyosi (made with eggs, mild, almonds and purified butter); Badam-ki-jhab (marzipan) and Dil-e-Firdaus (a rich, milk-based sweet). The number of ice cream parlours seems an ever-expanding one, with popular brands such as Kwality, Dollops, Vadilal, Scoops, Yankee-Doodle, Jumani, Go Cool, Funn and many more.

Lettuce raita

This raita or pachadi is simple and delicious and is spiced simply with roasted cumin seeds.But you are free to spice it with various dry masala powders (mentioned as optional below) as per your taste.

main ingredient of this recipe is lettuce which makes this raita healthy.

 It is a cool and refreshing summer time recipe. Raitas are best eaten immediately but will keep up to 2 days in fridge. They are best side dish with chicken biryani , vegetable pulao, corn pulao ,aloo paratha ,egg biryani .




Ingredients :
1 1/2 cup yogurt (dahi)
1 cup lettuce
1/4 cucumber (Kheera) chopped
1/2 medium sized Onion, chopped
1/2 medium sized tomato chopped
2 table-spoon mint leaves, finely chopped (Pudina)
1/2 tspn roasted ground cumin (Jeera)
1 green chilly, finely chopped
1/4 tspn black pepper (Kali mirch) (optional)
1/4 tspn red chillies powder (lal mirch) (optional)
1/4 tspn chat masala (optional)
10-15 fresh coriander leaves
3/4 cup water
Salt as per taste

Method :


 1.Torn the lettuce into medium size.Peel the cucumber and chop it into small pieces (cubes).

 

 2.Take a medium sized bowl and add yogurt to it. Mash it with a blender  until it gets smooth. Add water and remaining ingredients except cucumber,  onion, tomato and again mix them well.
 3.Now add cucumber,  onion, tomato to it and mix it again.  Refrigerate lettuce  raita for 1/2 hour .


 

 4.Before serving, garnish vegetable raita with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve chilled.
 


Tip  :

You can even add chopped beetroot, carrot,simla mirchi (green bell pepper),corn kernels to above raita


Health benefits of Lettuce

    Lettuce leaves are one of the very low calorie green-vegetables. 100 g fresh greens provide just 15 calories. Nonetheless, they are the store house of many phyto-nutrients that have health promoting and disease prevention properties.

    Vitamins in lettuce are plentiful. Fresh leaves are an excellent source of several Vitamin A and beta carotenes. Just 100 g of fresh, raw-lettuce provides 247% of daily vitamin A, and 4443 µg of beta-carotene (Carotenes convert to vitamin A in the body; 2 µg of carotene is considered equivalent to 1 IU of vitamin A). These compounds have antioxidant properties. Vitamin A is required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin, and is also essential for vision. Consumption of natural fruits and vegetables rich in flavonoids helps to protect the body from lung and oral cavity cancers.

    It is a rich source of vitamin K. Vitamin K has a potential role in the bone metabolism where it thought to increase bone mass by promoting osteotrophic activity in the bone cells. It also has established role in Alzheimer's disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in the brain.

    Fresh leaves contain good amounts folates and vitamin C. Folates require for DNA synthesis and therefore, vital in prevention of the neural tube defects in-utero fetus during pregnancy. Vitamin C is a powerful natural antioxidant; regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.

    Zea-xanthin (1730 µg per 100 g), an important dietary carotenoid in lettuce, is selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea, where it thought to provide antioxidant and filter UV rays falling on the retina. Diet rich in xanthin and carotenes is thought to offer some protection against age-related macular disease (ARMD) in the elderly.

    It also contains good amounts of minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium, which are very essential for body metabolism. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells. Iron is essential for red blood cell formation.

    It is rich in B-complex group of vitamins like thiamin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), riboflavins.

Regular inclusion of lettuce in salads is known to prevent osteoporosis, iron-deficiency anemia and believed to protect from cardiovascular diseases, ARMD, Alzheimer's disease and cancers.

Beetroot Thalipeeth using bhajani flour|Marathi Thalipith

Presenting yet another speciality of my mom & mausis.....


It is a multi-grain mildly spiced pancake  with flavor and nutrition.In Maharashtra, a particular flour mixture called "bhajani" is widely sold (it can also be made at home). It consists of many different types of grains...wheat, sorghum, millet, rice, corn...plus some dals and spices, all roasted and ground into a wonderful aromatic flour.

only difference between  normal thalipeeth & beetroot thalipith is the addition of beetroots which makes this thalipeeth super healthy.

Ingredients
 
2 cups bhajani flour (kepra brand/home made bhajani flour)

1 cup grated beetroot

 3/4 cup water,

2 tsp black Maharashtrian masala,

2 tsp red chili powder,

1 tsp turmeric powder,

1/4 tsp asafoetida,

lots of coriander/cilantro,

2 small onions  /1 medium onion

1/2 cup chopped coriander

salt to taste,

some oil.

Method

1.Chop onions into medium pieces. Chop cilantro. Combine bhajani flour, chopped onions,grated beetroot, cilantro, salt, turmeric, chili powder, black masala, asafoetida ,coriander and 2 tsp oil.


 

2.Add water gradually and keep mixing to form a smooth pliable dough.

3.Divide the mixture into equal sized balls.

4.Take 1/4 cup water in a small bowl. On a greased plastic sheet/paper, place a ball in the center. Start working with your fingers to flatten the ball. Dip fingers in water occasionally to keep the mixture from sticking to your hands while spreading. Form a thin disc of even thickness. Try to smoothen out the surface by gently patting all over.

 

5.Spread 2 tsp oil over the heated griddle.

6.Lift plastic sheet, gently flip the thalipeeth over the heated griddle, loosen the edge to let it come off easily from the sheet and stick to the griddle staying intact.

7.Cover the griddle for 2 minutes keeping the heat on medium. The bottom side becomes crisp and brown. Turn and let the other side cook too.

 

8.Remove and serve with a dollop of homemade butter/ghee, and/or any pickle, yogurt or sour cream .





Tips and Variations :

     To increase the nutritional value of the recipe and make it even more zesty, add one or more of these vegetables: chopped green onions, red/green peppers, leafy vegetables like spinach, grated carrots, raddish etc.