Rediff reader Reshma Aslam shows us how to indulge in homemade delicacies.

Ladies, why eat out when you can enjoy a five-course meal at home.

Here are the recipes:

Russian Salad

Photograph: Miansari66/Creative Commons

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized potatoes (boiled)
• 1 cup peas (boiled)
• 6 to 7 slices of pineapple (boiled with 2 to 3 tbsp sugar for 10 minutes)
• 2 apples (peeled)
• 4 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup corn kernels, boiled (optional)
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• 1/2 cup fresh cream
• Sugar (optional)
• Salt to taste

Method

• Cut the boiled potatoes and apple into small cubes.
• Cut the pineapple slices into small chunks.
• Take a large bowl and put the boiled potatoes and apples cut in small cubes, boiled peas and pineapple chunks.
• If you are adding corn, add it to the above mixture. Mix all the contents well.
• Add salt and pepper. Add mayonnaise and fresh cream and mix well.
• Add sugar if required.
• Keep the bowl in the fridge. Chill and serve.

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Broast Chicken

Photograph: Venturiantale/Wikimedia Commons

Ingredients

• 1 kg chicken drumsticks
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tbsp red chilli powder
• Oil for frying
• Salt to taste

For broast masala

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 4 tbsp rice flour
• 1/2 cup corn flour
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tbsp white pepper powder
• Salt to taste

For egg wash

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• Pinch of salt

Method

For broast masala

• Mix all ingredients of the broast masala and keep it in an airtight container. This mixture always comes handy whenever you want to make broast chicken.

For egg wash

• Whisk the eggs in a bowl
• Add milk and salt. Keep it aside

For broast chicken

• Cut and wash the drumsticks thoroughly
• In a mixing bowl, place the pieces. Add salt, red chilli powder and vinegar. Mix well.
• Refrigerate the above mixture for 5 to 6 hours.
• Once the marination is complete, coat the drumsticks in broast masala.
• Dip it in egg wash and coat it with broast masala again.
• Heat oil in the frying pan and fry the chicken drumstick pieces till they turn golden brown.
• Serve hot.

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Chicken Jalfrezi

Photograph: Jonathan/Creative Commons

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg chicken pieces
• 2 tbsp fresh cream
• 2 tbsp garlic (chopped)
• 1/2 tbsp turmeric
• 1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• Pinch of saffron dissolved in milk
• 5 to 6 green chillies (finely chopped)
• 3 big onions (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 lemon
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 eggs
• 4 big tomatoes (grounded into paste)
• 3 1/2 tbsp ghee or oil (as per your choice)
• 1 inch dry coconut
• 1 tbsp cashewnuts
• 1/2 tbsp shahjeera
• 1/2 cup of water
• Salt to taste

Method

• Take oil or ghee in a pan. Add chopped onions and fry well.
• Add ginger garlic paste, green chillies and ground tomato and fry.
• Add garam masala, salt, red chilli powder and turmeric.
• In a separate pan, roast the coconut piece, cashewnuts and shahjeera. Grind this mixture well in a mixer.
• Add the grinded mixture in the other pan. Fry the entire contents well.
• Add chicken pieces and water. Let it simmer on low flame for about 20 minutes
• Put cream and saffron slowly. Whisk the eggs and add it to the pan. Mix well till it turns into a dry gravy.
• Serve hot with roti, naan or parathas of your choice.

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Vegetable Fried Rice

Photograph: Brian Yap/Creative Commons

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cup boiled rice
• 1/2 cup finely cut cabbage
• 1/2 cup finely cut carrot
• 1/2 cup finely cut spring onion green
• 1/2 cup finely cut capsicum
• 1/2 cup French beans
• 5 to 6 green chillies (chopped fine)
• 1 tbsp soya sauce
• 2 tsp black pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp ajinomoto
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt as per taste

Method

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add green chillies slowly and add all the veggies except for spring onions.
• Let it boil on a high flame for about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add salt, black pepper and ajinomoto.
• Add rice and stir well. Add soya sauce and toss it well.
• Add finely chopped spring onions.
• Serve hot.

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Shahi Kheer

Photograph: Syedandy/Creative Commons

Ingredients

• 200 ml condensed milk
• 1 cup rice (soaked in water for 3 to 4 hours)
• 2 tbsp vanilla custard
• Few almonds (sliced)
• 1/2 cup khoya
• Few pistachios (chopped)
• 1 litre milk
• 3 tbsp cold milk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

• Drain the rice and blend it in a mixer till it turns into a fine paste.
• Boil the milk in a bowl.
• When it starts to boil, add rice paste.
• Keep stirring continuously or else the rice will settle at the bottom.
• Add condensed milk and khoya. Cook it on a low flame. Keep stirring.
• In a small glass add cold milk and dissolve the custard powder.
• Add the above mixture in the milk and keep stirring until it gets thick. Switch off the flame.
• Garnish with almonds and pistachios and serve.

Note: All images used for representational purposes only

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