SESAME HONEY CHILLI POTATOES

"Honey Chilli potatoes" is a famous Indo-Chinese Vegetarian Appetizer. Traditional method is to toss fresh fried potato wedges in a honey Chilly sauce. To make this healthy instead of deep frying the potatoes I shallow fried each sides.

The reason i suggest this method is that even if you deep fry the potatoes, tossing them is honey chilly sauce will make them loose the crispiness in 20 to 30 minutes.  So I recommend the healthy option of shallow frying the potatoes wedges. 

SESAME HONEY CHILLI POTATOES

How to make Sesame Honey Chilly potatoes
Preparation time : 5min
Cooking time : 30min
Serves : 2 adults and 1 child

Ingredients :

Potato : 1 large or 2 medium (I used one large potato)

Sesame seeds : 1 tsp

Vegetable oil : 2 tbsp 

For the batter : 

Corn flour / Rice powder : 2 tbsp

Maida / All purpose flour : 2 tbsp

Vinegar / Lemon juice : 1/2 tsp

vegetable Oil : 1 tsp

Orange / red food color : a drop ( optional )

Beaten egg : 1 (optional)

Peeper and Salt

For the Honey Chilly Sauce : 

Honey : 1 tbsp

Ginger : 1/2 tsp, finely chopped

Ginger : 2 cloves, finely chopped

Onion : 1 slice, finely chopped

Tomato Sauce : 1 1/2 tbsp

Soy sauce : 1 tsp

Chilly Sauce : 1 tsp ( i used 1 tsp chilly powder )

Salt 

SESAME HONEY CHILLY POTATOES with Fried rice, peanut and pineapple noodles and spicy stir fried chicken

Method : 

1. Peel the potato and cut in to wedges or fingers. Combine batter ingredients and make a thick batter. Vegetarians can substitute egg with water. Add potato wedges to the batter and keep aside.

2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan on medium flame and add the battered potatoes. Shallow fry each side until crispy (20 minutes). Transfer them to a plate.

3. In the same pan, add onion, ginger and garlic. Combine honey, 1/4 cup water , tomato sauce, soy sauce, salt and chilly sauce in a small bowl. Turn the heat to low and add the sauce mix to the pan. Allow it to boil for few minutes until it becomes thick. Taste and adjust salt / Chilly powder/ honey as required+. Now transfer the shallow fried potatoes to the pan and toss well.  When it is coated well, sprinkle sesame seeds and turn off the flame.

4. Serve hot with Fried rice or noodles or as a appetizer or after school snack.

Sesame Honey Chilly potatoes with Spicy chicken sir fry, pineapple and peanut noodles and fried rice

Similar Recipes : 

• Gopi Manjurian
• Chilly Mushroom
• Crumb fried Prawns
• Chilly chicken - Restaurant style
• Fried Rice
• Hakka Noodles

OVEN ROASTED CHICKPEAS

Satisfy your snack cravings with these roasted Chickpeas in oven. These are high in protein and ideal for kids snack boxes. It takes less than five ingredients and less than 5 minutes active cooking time. I love such recipes :) . Ditch the croutons and use these roasted chickpeas as a perfect crispy topping for salad too.

Kids snack Box Series : Oven Roasted Chickpeas

How to make crispy roasted chickpeas in oven

Active cooking time : 2 or 3 minutes

serves : 5 Adults

Oven-roasted chickpeas are as simple as it gets — toss with olive oil and salt, roast, eat — but there are a few key things to keep in mind to get successful crunchy roasted chickpeas. First- don't skimp on live oil, second - Add the seasonings after roasting the chickpeas.

Ingredients :

Dry chick peas : 2 cups (you can use a can of garbanzo beans too)

Olive oil : 2 tbsp 

Sea salt :1/2tsp

Seasonings : i used a pinch of pepper, dried rosemary, cinnamon powder and 1tbsp of honey (see the flavor suggestions below for more variations)

Method :

1. Soak the dry chickpeas overnight. Now cook chickpeas with salt in aa large soup pot till they are soft but it should not be mushy, i don't use my pressure cooker for that reason. It is a must to cook the chickpeas before roasting them to get that "crunch".Now drain and keep aside. If you have time, allow it to air dry(i never could to do that).

2. Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil. Spread out in an even layer on the baking tray and season with sea salt and Olive oil. Stir with your hand or spatula to make sure chickpeas are well coated.

3. Bake for 45 minutes, shake the pan every 15 minutes. Now take it out add the seasonings (i mixed homey , rosemary and cinnamon in a bowl and added to the roasted chickpeas)and bake again for few more minutes till it becomes crispy 5-10 minutes. 

4. Serve while it is warm and crunchy. 

Kids snack Box Series : Oven Roasted Chickpeas

Flavor suggestions :

1. Chilly powder / Paparika and garlic powder

2. Any dried or fresh herb with garlic powder

3. Thyme and onion powder

4. 5 tbsp buffalo sauce 

5. Honey, Soy sauce and sesame seeds

6. Garam Masala and Chat masala

Happy Cooking,
Lena

PICKLED BABY RADISHES

Thinly sliced pickled radishes make a delicious addition to any sandwich, grilled chicken, steak, tacos, burgers, salads or even on an omelet. If you've been wanting to learn how to make refrigerator pickles, start here!

House Made Pickled Baby Radishes

How to make Pickled Radishes / Baby Turnips :

Makes : 2 pint jars 

Preparation time : 20 min 

Use with in 4 weeks 

Ingredients :

Baby Radishes : 2 cups

White Vinegar : 1/2 Cup

Water : 1 Cup

Sugar : 1/4 Cup

Honey or Maple Syrup : 1 tbsp

Salt : 1/2 tsp

( Optional Add-ins : 2 Garlic cloves / 1/4 tsp Black pepper corns / 3 cloves / 1/4 tsp Dill seeds )

Refrigerator pickle with Baby Radishes

Directions :

1. Prepare the radishes - slice off the top and bottom of the baby radishes. Using a sharp Chef's Knife or mandoline, thinly slice the baby radishes into small rounds. Transfer them to Glass jar and Keep aside.

2. Prepare the brine: In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil with sugar, salt and honey or maple syrup. Remove from the heat and add the vinegar. Stir and pour over the radishes / turnips. Allow to cool in room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 days before eating. Shake the jar from time to time and remove from the brine with a clean slotted spoon. 

Important Notes for Pickling Radish :

1. Container matters : Refrigerator Pickles should be stored in glass jars, not plastic containers. I use mason jars for refrigerator pickles and salad dressings. You can use any glass jar with a tight lid.

2. Smell : Radish pickles can give off a strong odor if it sits long time in refrigerator. Make sure you use a tight lid for the container and try to use it with in 4 weeks. 

Happy Cooking,

Lena