Kai Po Che...

I am sure you all are wondering why I chose to use this title...well I m not going to be talking about how wonderful the movie was or how awesome Sushant Singh Rajput is, we all know that. This line was used in the movie Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and remembers Salman Khan udaoing the patang over enthusiastically well that lead a lot of people to incorporate it into a very famous and kickass dance step.

Ever thought a dance step could get you to connect with someone...well I connected and instantly with none other than the fabulous Nidhi Kashyap. This lady is dynamite; if you are a dandia-garba fan you have to dance in her company and if you are not a fan you still need to dance in her company cause you’ll start falling in love with the season. A friend who personifies fun, strength, who’s beautiful, a person who’s courageous for she has embarked on a journey to pursue her passion, photography.

My food tastes and her photography speaks...

The last post was clicked by her and a few pictures to come will have been clicked by her, tell me she’s wonderful. The joy of cooking becomes tenfold when you do it for a person you love, you admire, you connect to. And through this post I want to thank Kashyap...for being a friend, for being such a sweetheart.

Out of a couple of dishes I cooked up for the shoot...I chose this one.

Chicken/Paneer Satay with a peanut dip

Ingredients:-

·         Paneer/chicken(boneless)- 8 pieces

·         Cherry Tomatoes-4

·         Bell pepper- 1

·         Onion-1

·         Ginger paste-1 tbsp

·         Garlic paste-1tbsp

·         Soy sauce-1 tsp

·         Brown sugar-1tsp

·         Honey-1 tsp

·         Juice of half a lemon

·         Paprika-1 tsp

·         Salt and pepper to taste

For the peanut dip

·         Peanuts- ½  a cup

·         Garlic finely chopped- 1 tsp

·         Onion finely chopped- 1tsp

·         Butter- one small cube

·         Soy sauce-1 tsp

·         Sugar- a pinch

·         Juice of half a lemon

·         Fresh red chillies or chilli flakes to taste

·         Salt and pepper to taste

Method:-

1.       Marinate the chicken or paneer in the ingredients mentioned above and refrigerate it for half an hour.

2.       Cut the onions and bell peppers in a triangular shape or anything chunky.

3.       Preheat the oven at 180 degree C.

4.       Put the pieces of chicken, tomatoes, bell peppers and onions into the satay sticks.

5.       Brush a little bit of oil. Put them in the oven for about 10 minutes.

6.       For the peanut dip, roast the peanuts in a pan.

7.       Now get them off the burner and let them cool down.

8.       Puree the peanuts into a fine paste.

9.       Take a pan, add the butter, garlic once u get the aroma, add the onions and let them turn golden brown.

10.   Now add the peanut puree and let it cook.

11.   Add the other ingredients and some water and let it cook for some time.

Special Notes:-

·          The longer you marinate your meat the better.

·         Before you insert your ingredients in the satay sticks, soak them in some hot water. This helps in easy insertion of the food and also the sticks don’t burn while frying or when in the oven.

·         You can use any vegetable of your choice for the satay.

·         If must always check your food in the oven and use your own discretion with the time and temperatures.

·         If you don’t have an oven, you can also fry these satays on a griddle pan.

·         Roasting the peanuts give an added flavour to your dish.

·         Keep adding water to the peanut sauce, it tends to thicken. You can also add some coconut milk for added flavour.

·         Feel free to improvise and incorporate your ideas.

I hope you enjoy this dish.

Cheers!