Sweet Sour Bitter Gourd With Mustard

Bitter gourd is one of those extremely healthy vegetables which is  rich all valuable nutrients  like iron, beta Carotene, calcium and potassium but many of us specially kids are  reluctant to eat vegetables due to its unique bitter taste. so if we manage to remove the bitterness by adding spices and sweetness then teaming it with other vegetables like onions, potatoes, brinjal and tomatoes, it turns into a delectable side dish .The recipe shared here is one of those traditional bengali dish which is a combination of sweet, tangy, spicy and a light touch of bitterness. Mustard paste  lends a unique achaari taste to the dish.

Ingredients:

Bitter Gourd Fine 4 medium sized
Onion Finely chopped 1Large
potato Fine cut  1medium
mustard paste 2Tablespoon
paanch phoron (five spices) 1Teaspoon
Red chili whole 2 nos
Turmeric Powder 1Teaspoon
Red Chili Powder 1/2 Teaspoon
Tamarind Paste or juice 1teaspoon
Mustard oil 1 Tablespoo
Salt as per taste
Sugar 1Teaspoon

Method:

1. Wash the bitter gourds well and cut  the vegetable into fine pieces and set aside.

2.Wash potato  and cut into small cubes.

3. Heat mustard oil in a non-stick kadhai. When oil is smoking hot, add paanch phoron and Red chili. when it starts spluttering add chopped onion saute for a minute then add potato slices and chopped bitter gourd. Mix well and set the heat to medium-low. Cook covered for about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4.  Add Turmeric powder, Chili powder and salt. saute for a couple of minutes. Cover the pan with a lid and cook it in low flame for 5 to 6 minutes more, till it become tender.

5. Now add Mustard paste, Tamarind paste and sugar and give a good stir and cover it for about 5 minutes till the spices gets cooked nicely spreading the aroma of mustard.Turn off the heat.
Let it cool a bit and serve with warm cooked plain rice.

Cheese Stuffed Honey Glazed Chicken Cutlets

This crispy outside and  moist & tender  inside chicken cutlet is a perfect meal option to have when you need a fast and simple yet an extremely delicious snack or dinner recipe for your family. The recipe makes deep fried  chicken breast fillet with a surprise of cheese filling sealed inside  coated with a  sweet and sour honey garlic sauce. 

Ingredients:

Large boneless chicken breasts- 5 nos
Egg 2 nos
Chilli sauce 2tsp
Milk 2 tbsp
All purpose flour- 1/2 cup
Cajun seasoning ( or mixture of 1/4 tsp  of each Cumin powder, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, Black pepper and oregano)
Salt
Black pepper- 1 tsp
ground ginger
Chili powder
Cheddar Cheese grated (filling)-100 gms
Oil for frying
Chopped spring onion and sesame seeds for garnishing

 For Honey Garlic sauce

Honey- 2 tablespoons
Garlic- 4 cloves minced
Soy sauce- 1 tablespoons
pepper powder-1/2 teaspoon
Tomato sauce- 1 tablespoon
Cornstarch-1 tablespoon

Method:

1. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Keep it aside for 30 minutes.

Cut each fillet into two halves.

2. Take egg, chili sauce and milk in a bowl and add a pinch of salt whisk together to make a batter.

3. Hold  the chicken and cut a slit in 1 side of each chicken breast to form a pocket. Spoon 1 table spoon cheddar Cheese into each pocket.

4. In a large bowl, combine flour and Cajun seasoning, salt and mix together.Now Working one at a time, dredge cheese stuffed chicken breast piece into flour mixture and then dip into eggs batter, then dredge in flour mixture again, pressing  is required to get an even coating.

5. Heat oil in a skillet enough for deep frying, add chicken pieces to it, 2 or 3 at a time, and fry until evenly golden and crispy, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

6.To make the sweet and sour sauce, in a medium saucepan  add 1 tablespoon of oil.Turn the heat down to slightly medium. combine honey, crushed garlic, pepper powder and soy sauce and Tomato sauce. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 1/4 cup water and add to the sauce. Stir mixture into the saucepan until thickened.

Add the fried chicken  and turn to coat in the sauce.Remove from stove immediately. Place chicken on plates and drizzle over remaining sauce in order to get a perfect glazed look.

Garnish with sesame seed serve with boiled and stir fried veggies.