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What's Cooking? Indian recipes

Share recipes and cooking tips. Every fortnight, a selected entry will be featured in What’s Cooking? and its sender crowned NRI Pulse’s Gourmet Chef. Pls. send contributions to contact@NRIPulse.com with What’s Cooking? in the subject line.

Salads Rock!

Salads are nutritious. Salads are easy to make. But can salads be fun and flavorsome? You bet! Six salads to suit every taste and mood. 


Chicken Macaroni Salad

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts (shredded and boiled)
1 1/4 cups macaroni
1/4 can tomato puree
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
2-3 tbsp fresh cream
1/2 tsp red chili paste
1/4 tsp red chili powder or few drops Tabasco sauce 
¼ tsp sugar
2-3 tbsp parsley or coriander (chopped)
2 tbsp oil 
1 bell pepper (capsicum)

Method:
Boil 3-4 cups of water with 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of oil. Add macaroni to the boiling water. Cook covered for 8-10 minutes till soft and well cooked but not mushy. Strain and wash several times with cold water. To boil chicken, add 1/4 cup of water in a pressure cooker with 1/4 tsp of salt and chicken. Pressure cook to 2 whistles. Cool and shred the cooked chicken. Heat oil in a nonstick pan. Add the chili paste and tomato puree. Stir for 1/2 minute. Add the tomato sauce and 3/4 cup of water. Simmer the sauce on low flame for 1-2 minutes. Add salt, sugar, chili powder or Tabasco sauce. Keeping the flame low, add the cream. Switch off the flame immediately. Add the cooked macaroni, chicken and parsley. Stir gently. Transfer to a bowl and cover and keep in a refrigerator to chill. Before serving, arrange some lettuce leaves on a serving platter. If salad gets a little dry add a few tablespoons water to get a slightly wet consistency. Transfer the macaroni salad on the lettuce leaves. Deseed the bell pepper and cut into thin rings. Half the rings and arrange on the edges. Serve cold. 

Chicken Mayonnaise Salad

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (boiled and shredded) 
2 cups mayonnaise
1/4-cup thick cream
4-5 slices of pineapple (tinned)
2 hard-boiled eggs 
Lettuce leaves to garnish

Method:
Mix mayonnaise and cream. Squeeze the pineapple slices well to remove the excess syrup. Chop into small pieces. Add shredded chicken and chopped pineapple to the mayonnaise. Mix. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Add more pepper and mustard if required. Arrange lettuce all around a shallow dish. Pour the salad. Garnish with hard-boiled eggs cut into circles or lengthwise into four. Serve chilled. 

Cucumber & Sprout Salad

Ingredients:

3 or 4 thin tender cucumber
¾ cup sprouted Moong (sprouts)
1 lemon
3 green chilies
1 tbsp fresh coconut (grated)
1 tbsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)
Salt as required 
Oil, mustard seeds for seasoning 

Method:
Scrape outer skin and slice the cucumber into thin rounds. Shred the rounds again into thin 11/2 inch long, even pieces. Cook sprouts until tender. Mix cucumber, sprouts, salt, coriander leaves, grated coconut and crushed chilies in a bowl. Squeeze lemon, fry mustard seeds in a teaspoon of oil and add to the salad. Serve. 

Potato Chicken Sausage Salad

Ingredients:

2 lbs small red potatoes (cooked, pared, sliced)
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 lbs chicken franks (sliced in rings and sautéed)
1/3 cup sliced green onions, including tops
2 tbsp capers
Lettuce leaves

Method:
Toss cooled potatoes gently with vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Add franks to potatoes. Sprinkle with green onions and capers. Serve on lettuce leaves.

Cabbage Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup shredded cabbage
1 lemon
3 green chilies
1 tbsp fresh coconut (grated)
1 tbsp cilantro (coriander leaves finely chopped)
Salt as required 
Oil, mustard seeds for seasoning

Method:
Mix cilantro leaves, grated fresh coconut and salt to the shredded cabbage. Fry green chilies in oil along with mustard and mix well with salad. Squeeze lemon juice.

Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas
1 apple
2 sweet orange
1 small bunch green grapes
2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
1 ripe mango
1/2 pineapple
3/4 cup sugar
1 lemon
Candied cherries
Raisins

Method:
Peel outer skin and dice all the fruits into even sized cubes. Squeeze lemon juice to apple and banana pieces immediately after cutting to prevent it browning. (Chop with stainless steel knife) Mix all the fruits together in a bowl. Add very little water to sugar and melt it in reduced flame (till half of it melts). Mix it with the prepared fruits. Chill and then serve.

  

 

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