Chicken Steaks with Mashed Potatoes & Buttered Vegetables #ImprovCooking

These were absolutely delicious, sumptuously moist, flavorful and tender Chicken Steak with creamy mashed potatoes , side of buttered veggies, a complete and filling meal. What else could one ask for more than this!

This month’s Improv Cooking Challenge is Steak And Potatoes – perfect for dinner date for 2. You and your Valentine. Takes hardly 25 to 30 minutes to prepare, provided you have marinated the chicken steaks and done the pre - preparation. 

Make this and enjoy the meal with your valentine in a candle light dinner at home. Sound's so romantic is'n it!!

Ingredients
2 Chicken breast 
¼ Cup Oil
1 ½ Tablespoons Lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Mustard paste 
3 Tablespoons Worcester sauce  
2 Tablespoons Ginger Garlic paste 
Salt to taste
½ Teaspoon Red chilly flake 
1 Tablespoon Black pepper powder
¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon powder  

For the Buttered Veggies

Parboiled Carrot sticks

Julienne Capsicum

Boiled Corn Kernels 

Butter as required

Salt and pepper to taste

Mashed Potatoes - see recipe below

Method 
Pat dry the chicken breast , then fork it well.

In a bowl mix together oil, lemon juice, mustard paste,  Worcester sauce, salt, black pepper powder, chilly flakes , cinnamon powder and ginger garlic paste. Mix well.

Marinate chicken breast with the mixture, keep aside for 30 minutes to an hour. 

Heat oil  in a grill or frying  pan place the chicken steak and cook on high flame  till its color turn to golden brown, flip the chicken steak and cook the other side.  Now reduce the flame and drizzle the remaining   marinade  a little at a time.  Cover with a lid and cook on low flame till done.

For the Buttered Vegetables

Heat butter in a pan and saute each veggie separately, season with pepper and salt to taste. The buttered veggies are ready.
Serve the chicken steak on a bed of  boiled mashed potatoes and buttered vegetables at the side. Enjoy this  romantic meal your valentine!!  yum yum...

How to Make the Mashed Potatoes

This creamy mashed potatoes recipe is so  good and yummy.
Ingredients
2 Cups Mash Potatoes
¼ Cup Hot milk
50 Gram Salted Butter
Salt to taste
Pepper Powder to taste

Method

Boil the potatoes whole till done. When cooled then peel and mash them well till smooth. 

Place the mashed potatoes on to a sauce pan add hot milk and whisk it well till incorporated, now add the butter and cook it till smooth and the butter melts, continue whisking till it is smooth. Add salt and pepper powder to taste. Serve warm.

My Notes 
Potatoes must be cooked whole (do not chop).
Lots of butter and don’t skip here , it works but it taste incredible with the amount called for.

Hot milk incorporates very well into the potatoes and keeps the potatoes warm.

Labels : Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Buttered Vegetables, Improv Cooking Challenge, Pan Fried, Steaks, Vegetables

The #ImprovCookingChallenge is a monthly blogging event where two ingredients are assigned to a month. Bloggers can make any recipe they like as long as it features the two ingredients. If you are a blogger and would like to join us, please visit our Facebook page.

You can also read more about the event on our home page. If you’d like to see previous creations, check out our Pinterest board.

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Green Chutney Stuffed Pomfret #Fish Friday Foodie

Pomfret is my favorite fish. I do not know why I like this fish not that it is more tastier than I other fish. But some how, mostly end my buying pomfret, Basa or Seer fish, may be becasue it has less thorns.  But,  my weakness is pomfret,  enjoy eating stuffed pomfret.  I,  stuff this fish in different masala and ways, even enjoy this fish steamed.  Remembering  the days when, I , was young every Good Friday my father used to go to Andheri fish market to buy big large pomfrets and Lobsters for us. We East Indians call pomfrets "Sarga " My mother used to stuff these pomfrets with this chutney for us. This my mother's recipe an traditional East Indian style of stuffing this fish. Try this and you too will enjoy it, will never forget the taste of this stuffed pomfret.

But over the years my father's thinking changed and no more do we eat fish on Good Friday, it became a vegetarian day for us. But those memories are still imprinted in my mind and now I, rarely get to see that size of pomfrets that my father use to bring in market.

For stuffing pomfret you can use either the big size ones or the palm size. This chutney will be enough to fill 2 palm size ones.

This goes to Fish Friday Foodies, this month I am  hosting this event.  Thank you Wendy for giving me this opportunity to host this event,

Ingredients
2 Palm Size Pomfrets
1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

For the Green Chutney - Grind to a paste

1 Cup Packed Coriander Leaves with the Tender stalks
5 Green Chillies or according to your taste
1/2 Cup Freshly grated Coconut
4  Cloves Garlic
1 Small Onion
1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
Salt to taste

Oil for frying
Rice flour for coating - optional

Method

For the pomfret

With  the back of a knife, lightly scrape  pomfret remove the scales present  ,  cut off the fins and tail.

  

Cut the fish near its stomach area and clean the inside portion very thoroughly.  Holding the head of the pomfret slit it horizontal from the head to the tail not separating it on one side.  Once this is done clean the unwanted stuff from inside and with the point of the knife remove any black stuff from the stomach part ( this even the fishmonger will slit, clean and give you, if you request ). 

Wash the Pomfret and tilt it, so the water drains off. 

Apply salt, turmeric and lime , on both sides and inside too, keep aside for 10 minutes. 

Grind the chutney to a paste in a mixer try not to add too much water if needed add a little. Keep aside.

Take a pan, add a teaspoon of oil,  pour the chutney to thicken it up for a while (see pic) , when it starts getting thick and water is reduced. Keep the flame on low and stirring off and on. Take off flame and allow to cool completely.

Fill the chutney into the pomfret. If you feel that you will not be able to handle the stuff pomfret while frying then tie with a string to hold the masala ( use stitching thread ). Apply a little chutney on the pomfret too.   Keep this stuffed pomfret in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.

Take a big non stick pan pour in oil enough for frying and heat it on medium low flame.

Spread the rice flour in a big plate and turn the fish into it on both sides so that it is coated with the flour. Place  it carefully in the pan and fry on one side then flip and fry the other side. Tilt the pan for the sides to cook so you get an even colour for the fish on all sides. When done place it  on kitchen paper towel for the excess oil to drain.  Before serving cut off the string carefully when a slightly cooled. 

Serve hot, garnish with onion rings, slices of tomato and lime... cut a piece and enjoy...

My Notes

Coating it with rice flour gives  it a crisp texture..

Lables :  East Indian, Fish Friday, Stuffed Fish, Chutney, Seafood/Fish, Whole Pomfret, Pan Fried

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Pan Fried Mackerel #FISHFRIDAYFOODIE

Mackerel is known as Bangda in India. This crispy skinned whole mackerel with a spicy marinade.   Our this month theme in fish fridya foodie is whole fish with heads and tails attached.

Ingredients 
2 Mackerels - cleaned and washed
4 Dry Red Chillies

1/2 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
½ Teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 Teaspoon Ginger -  crushed
4 Cloves Garlic -  crushed

salt to taste
A Juice of lemon

4 Tablespoons Rice Flour for coating

2 Tablespoons Semolina for coating
Oil for frying 

Method

In a small mixer jar grind together the chillies, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic and turmeric and salt  to fine paste using lemon juice .

Put slits down the sides of the fish and smear the paste over the fish.  Keep this marinated fish in the referigerator for at least an hour.

Mix the rice flour and semolina together and keep aside.

After an hour, coat this in flour, fry the fish in a  pan with oil on a gentle heat for about 4-5 mins on each side.
Pour little oil over the fish at the end and it will crisp up and serve with salad and enjoy...

Sending to fish friday foodie, our this month Host  is Camilla M. Mann.  Thank you for  hosting this event.

Labels :  Fish, Pan Fried, Mackerel, Fish Friday

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