Chicken Salad with Lettuce and Tomato

One of my favorite iceberg lettuce and chicken salad recipe. I usually pair this protein rich salad with fresh fruit juice which makes for a filling complete meal. I created it on a whim one day and it has been a regular ever since. Easy to make, rich in texture and flavor.

Lettuce, cucumber, tomato, onion are essential along with chicken OR paneer OR tofu for today’s colorful and flavorful salad.

Chicken Salad with Lettuce and Tomato

Slice cucumbers and tomatoes. Cut onions into rings. Tear iceberg lettuce leaves.

Saute 1 cup of boiled boneless chicken pieces in a tbsp olive oil for a few minutes. Add salt, pinch of cumin powder and 1/2 tsp red chili powder. Mix. Add 1/2 tbsp of tomato sauce and mix. Remove from heat and cool.

For dressing: Add 2 tbsps of extra virgin olive oil, salt and black pepper powder as required, a tbsp of lemon juice, 1 tsp brown sugar and 1 1/2 tbsps roasted peanut powder. Whisk.

Layer a bowl with cucumber, tomato and onions, add lettuce leaves and the sauteed chicken and pour the salad dressing over it and toss well. Chill for a while and serve.

Chettinad Style Chicken Curry

I first had this fiery, deeply flavorful chicken dish as a friend’s home along with dosas and ever since hooked to it. I was told it’s a traditional Chettinad chicken curry and that there are quite a few variations to this recipe. In today’s version, chicken is simmered in coconut milk and gets its unique flavor from a blend of quite a few spices like fennel seeds, coriander seeds, poppy seeds, pepper corns, cardamoms and cumin to name a few.

Quite a bit of preparation goes into the making of this curry and there is no short cut method and if you have the time and the ingredients on hand, only then venture to prepare and please don’t compromise with the ingredients if you want that authentic chicken curry flavor.

Chettinad Style Chicken Curry Recipe

Recipe source: Revathi Aunty

Prep: 20 mts, Cooking Time: 25 mts

Serves 5-6 persons

Cuisine: South Indian

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Ingredients:

1 kg chicken, washed and cut into medium sized pieces

1 cup small onions, shallots (sambar onions)

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 tsp turmeric pwd

10-12 curry leaves

1 cup coconut milk (extract from 1/2 coconut)

fresh coriander leaves for garnish

salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

Make a paste:

2 green chillis

8 garlic flakes

1″ ginger

1 tsp poppy seeds (soak in warm water for 10 mts)

Roast and make a powder:

1/2 tsp pepper corns

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

3/4 tsp fennel seeds

1 1/2 tbsps coriander seeds

6-8 dry red chillies

2 cardamoms

1″ cinnamon

6-7 curry leaves

1/2 tsp oil

1 Drizzle a vessel with oil and roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, fennel seeds, red chillis, cardamoms, cinnamon and curry leaves on medium heat stirring constantly for 2 mts. Remove from fire, cool and grind to a powder.2 Make a paste of the ginger, garlic, green chillies and poppy seeds. Keep aside.3 Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add the small onions and curry leaves and saute till transparent.4 Add the ground paste and cook for a minute before adding the chicken and cook on high heat for approx 4 mts and do stir the chicken once in a while.5 Reduce to medium heat, add salt, turmeric pwd and tomatoes and combine well. Let the chicken cook in this for 4-5 mts, uncovered.6 Now add the coconut milk and transfer the contents to a pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 4 mts or until one whistle. Open lid and combine well.7 Finally add the ground masala pwd and cook for 3 mts. Turn off heat and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.8 Serve hot with white steamed rice, biryani, chapatis or dosas.

Note:

Adjust the green chillis, red chillis and pepper corns according to your spice level. Ensure that the chicken doesn’t pressure cook for more than one whistle, as it could get mushy if pressure cooked beyond the required time. In fact, mutton is usually used for this recipe but it tastes equally good with chicken.

Egg Salad Sandwich

Egg Salad Sandwich is a favorite sandwich to both Nehal and Satish. They love egg salad so much that they can have it for all 3 meals of the day. I make numerous versions of the egg salad but today’s recipe is our most loved version. 

Egg Salad Sandwich Recipe – Finely chop two hard boiled eggs. Add 1/2 tbsp of grated cheese (I used Amul cheese cube), one finely chopped small onion, 1 finely chopped small tomato, pinch of salt and black pepper powder to season, 1/4 tsp mustard powder and 1 1/2 tbsps mayonnaise. Mix well.

Apply butter on two slices of bread (on one side) and spread this egg salad all over on one slice, place the other bread slice and toast till golden. Serve warm.

EGG PAKORA RECIPE

Ingredients:

4 Eggs (hard boiled)
3 tbsp Gram flour (Besan)
Salt To Taste
Red Chili powder to taste
Little Black pepper powder
Oil to fry

Preparation:

• Peel and cut boiled egg into two halves.
• Sprinkle little salt and pepper on eggs.
• In a bowl take gram flour salt, chili powder and make a thick batter using water.
• Heat oil in a kadhai.
• Dip each egg piece in the batter and deep fry till golden brown on medium flame.
• Serve egg pakora hot .