I had a fascination with kitchen. I developed an interest in cooking since my childhood. Whenever my mother got sick and she could not cook, I used to step into the kitchen. My mother used to shout instructions from her bed and I used to follow her instructions. Gradually, I developed an interest for cooking.

I used to wait for an opportunity to stay alone at home so that I could manage everything at home, especially cooking. I tried different recipes when I was on my own at home. Sometimes my friends used to come over to have lunch with me.

There are no rules or guidelines to cook. You can use your own quantity of ingredients based on the requirements. You can use ingredients of your choice. Below are some of the few recipes which are my favorites and they are easy to prepare.

Non-Veg

Dry Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoon cooking oil
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• Garlic paste (2 cloves)
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 ½ kg chicken pieces
• Squeeze fresh lemon juice
• Salt To Taste

Method

1. Heat oil in a frying pan, add onion and garlic paste. Sauté onions until onion is tender.
2. Add curry powder and tomato pieces, sauté for 3 minutes
3. Add chicken pieces, mix well, cover, simmer for about 45 minutes or until chicken is tender. Add salt to taste
4. Add lemon juice. You may also garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serves 4

Note: The pan must be continuously watched, as the contents may stick. If it happens, add just sufficient water to prevent it.

Prawn Curry

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• Garlic paste (2 cloves)
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 500 g prawns
• Salt to taste
• Water

Method

1. Peel prawns leaving tails intact, remove back vein
2. Heat oil in a frying pan, add onion and garlic paste. Sauté onions until it is tender.
3. Add tomatoes and lemon juice. Cover, bring to boil, reduce heat to low, simmer for 10 minutes or until tomatoes are pulpy.
4. Add prawns. Add enough salt to taste.
5. Add enough water so that the prawns are covered. Keep stirring often. Continue cooking until prawns are heated through.

Serves 4

Chicken Biryani

Ingredients:

• 4 ½ cups rice
• 1 ½ cup water
• 125 g ghee
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• Garlic paste (2 cloves)
• 2 teaspoons chilly powder
• 1 kg chicken pieces
• 1 ¼ cups (310ml) plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 4 cardamom seeds
• 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds
• 4 cloves
• 1 stick cinnamon
• Few mint sprigs
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Soak rice in cold water for 30 minutes, drain
2. Melt ghee in an oven proof dish. Sauté onions and chilies until onions are tender. Add garlic paste. Add chicken, yogurt, ginger, cardamom, cumin, cloves and cinnamon. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add mint sprigs, top with rice and water, cover until water boils. Turn to moderate flame for 45 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
4. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on the top

Serves 4

Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 kg chicken
• Garlic paste (2 cloves)
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 ½ teaspoon chilly powder
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 30g ghee, melted

Method

1. Prick chicken pieces all over with a fork
2. Combine garlic, ginger, chilly powder, curry powder and turmeric powder. Rub well into the chicken pieces, marinate for at least 2 hours.
3. Brush chicken all over with ghee. Cook under preheated grill on a medium heat for 20 minutes or until chicken is tender, turn chicken occasionally.

Chicken With Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of shredded chicken
• 4 eggs beaten well
• 2 onions chopped finely
• 2 teaspoons chilly powder
• 1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves
• 3 teaspoons oil, salt to taste

Method

1. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté onions till brown
2. Add the chicken, stir well for 10 minutes. Add beaten eggs, salt and chilly powder and stir well so that mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
3. Continue cooking on a low heat till the eggs are well scrambled. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serves 4

Prawns in Garlic and Chilli Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 kg uncooked king prawns
• Garlic paste (3 cloves)
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons corn flour
• 5 tablespoons oil
• 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon ginger wine
• 1 tablespoon chilly sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato sauce
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 green capsicum, chopped
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Peel prawns leaving tail intact, remove back vein
2. Combine prawns in a bowl with garlic paste, soy sauce, sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of corn flour. Mix well, stand 10 minutes.
3. Heat tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and fry prawns for 5 minutes and remove
4. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon corn flour with oyster sauce, water, ginger wine, chilly sauce and tomato sauce
5. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan, sauté onion and capsicum for 2 minutes
6. Add prawns and corn flour mixture, stir for 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Add salt to taste

Prawns With Eggs

Ingredients

• 1 ½ kg green prawns
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 onions, sliced
• Garlic paste (2 cloves)
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 ½ cups water
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Peel prawns leaving tail intact, remove back vein
2. Heat oil in a frying pan, sauté onions, garlic paste and chilies for 3 minutes. Add turmeric and sauté for 1 minute.
3. Add vinegar and water and half the coconut milk. Simmer uncovered, over moderate heat for 10 minutes.
4. Add prawns, simmer further 10 minutes. Shake pan occasionally to prevent sticking. Add salt to taste.
5. Add remaining coconut milk. Pour in eggs, shake the pan gently, and cook further 5 minutes until the eggs are cooked.

You can have these dishes with rice. Below is the procedure to cook boiled rice.

Plain Boiled Rice

1. Wash rice in cold water four to five times. Until water is clear
2. Add cold water to come 2 cm above rice in a saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking until water evaporates, leaving air bubbles through rice.