Friday, 1 January 2021

Home made spring chicken soup with 13 spice powders


Home made spring chicken soup with 13 spice powders.



Chicken soup is not new for us. People prepare this soup in different ways. Ingredients may vary. The purpose of this soup to give energy for weak body. Today I am going to make a chicken soup with 13 spice powders. 


                              Recipe summary 

                                          For
       Home made spring chicken soup with 13 spice powders                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Preparation time: ½ an hour                                                          Cooking time: one and a ½ hours                                   Serves: 1 person  (5 table spoons per day)                                                Preparation                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Wash and cut 1 kilo spring chicken. pound the chicken pieces tenderly.                                                                                                                                                                       Make a bouquet garni with the following spice powders.   ( In a white 100% cotton cloth add all the spice powders and tie it with a cotton string. Never use polyester material or string) and put in the pot along with the chicken. If you cannot find a cotton cloth just put all the spice powders and cook. Once it it cooled strain the residue                                                                                                                                                         1 table spoon cinnamon powder                                                                                          2  teaspoon turmeric powder                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        2 table spoon coriander powder                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      2 table spoon onion powder                                                                                                  oven made onion powder                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             2 teaspoon garam masala                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                2 teaspoon biriyani masala powder                                                                                                                                                                                                                               2  teaspoon ginger powder                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            2 teaspoon garlic powder                                                                                                      Garlic dried in the oven and air fryer and powdered at home                                                                                                                                                                                              2 teaspoon roasted fennel powder                                                                                           Powdering cumin seeds and fennel seeds                                                                              2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  2 teaspoon curry leaves powder                                                                                               Indoor air dried curry leaves powder                                                                                   2 teaspoon lemon grass powder                                                                                Indoor air dried lemon grass powder                                                                                  2 teaspoon pepper powder                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Method                                                                                       In a big pan add chicken, bouquet garni,  ( Tie all the spice powders in 100% cotton cloth twist and tie with a 100% cotton twine or thread. Never use polyester material or string) liters water, ½ teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Reduce fire and simmer for 1 ½ hours in slow fire. when it is cooled strain . Yield is ½  liters of chicken soup.                                                                                                                                                Measure 5 table spoons and tie in small plastic bags and freeze it. You can use one a day when needed.                                                                                                                                               If you think it is difficult to make the bouquet garni, you can use fresh ingredients like onion, garlic, ginger , lemon grass, curry leaves and other powders what you have. You can also add vegetables like carrot, French beans, celery and leeks. When the soup is cooked, cool it and strain. when you serve add lime juice                                                                                          Home made spring chicken soup with 13 spice powders is ready.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                 
Recipe follows in detail with pictures.
                     

Preparation time : ½ an hour
Cooking time : one and a ½ hours
Serves: 1 person  (5 table spoon per day)

Preparation
Wash and cut 1 Kilo spring chicken.
Pound the chicken pieces tenderly.

Cut pieces of spring chicken
Cut pieces of spring chicken

Add all the 13 spice powders and make a bouquet garni ( In a white 100% cotton cloth add all the spice powders and tie it with a cotton string. Never use polyester material or string) and put in the pot along with the chicken. If you cannot find a cotton cloth just put all the spice powders and cook. Once it it cooled strain the residue.


2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 table spoon  coriander powder
1 table spoon cinnamon powder
2 teaspoon  pepper powder
2 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoon biriyani masala 
2 teaspoon ginger powder

2 table spoon onion powder 
Oven made onion powder  
2 teaspoon  garlic powder
2 teaspoon  lemon grass powder
 Indoor air dried lemon grass powder   

Onion powder, garlic powder, lemon grass powder, cinnamon powder, roasted fennel powder, roasted cumin powder, curry leaves powder and pepper powder were made at home. 

You can buy most of the powders. I am not sure about lemon grass powder. Roasted fennel and cumin powders cannot be bought. Buy the seeds and roast. Curry leaf powder cannot be bought, then use the fresh leaves. It is not necessary that you have to add all the powders. 
You can make the soup with what you have.

If you think it is difficult to make the powders ,you can use fresh ingredients like onion, garlic, ginger , lemon grass, curry leaves,
cumin seeds, fennel seeds and other powders what you have. You can also add vegetables like carrot, French beans ,celery and leeks.
When the soup is cooked, cool it and strain. when you serve add lime juice  

Method
In a big pan
add cut pieces of chicken.
3 liters water. 
bouquet garni .
½  teaspoon salt and bring to boil. 

Reduce the fire and simmer for 1 ½ hours in slow fire.  
the yield was 1 1//2 liters soup of chicken.

Home made Essence of chicken
Home made spring chicken soup
 

Measure 5 table spoons.


Tie in small plastic bags and freeze. Serve one a day or when necessary.                                          



Saturday, 19 September 2020

Indoor air dried screw pine leaf ( pandan leaf) and its powder



 

                                                                                                                                                     Dried screw pine leaf and powder


Screw pine  leaves are narrow elongated leaves that comes in a bunch of leaves. It can grow up to 2 metres. But it is harvested shorter.                                                    

                                            Screw pine leaf

      

Screw pine is called  by different names. Daun  pandan in Malaysian,  Bai Toey Hom inThai,  Rampa in Hindi and Sinhalese(Sri Lanka) Takonoki in Japanese, Chan Xiang Lan in Mandarin and Screw pine in English.

It is a fragrant spice used in coconut rice called nasi lemak  using knotted pandan leaf.It is served with fried yellow tail fish,fried sprats and fried peanuts, fried chicken wing, bullseye egg or boiled egg, sambal and slices of cucumber . You can choose to your taste. It will be a delicious meal. I cook this rice using pandan powder and lemon grass powder.

It is used in meat curries and variety of sweets and sweet desserts. It is used in steaming, boiling and as wrapper for Glutinous sticky rice. 

Juice is extracted from bruised leaf to make Pandan Chiffon cake which is famous in Singapore and Malaysia. 

kaya bread spread is also made from pandan leaf and coconut milk.


 Pandan leaves are used as cockroach repellent in the house and cars.

 Pandan leaves are rich in essential oils.

 When it comes to storage place the fresh pandan leaves in a plastic bag and store in the vegetable compartment for 4 days. If you want to keep for long it is said to freeze in baking sheet. Then keep in the zip lock bag and freeze.

Today I am going to dry pandan leaves indoors and get pandan powder.


                                 Recipe summery                                                                                       For                                                                   Indoor air dried Screw pine leaf and its powder                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Preparation Time : 30 minutes                                                      Drying time:  one week                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Air dried screw pine leaf               Method:                                                                                                        1. Snip the leaves separately.                                                        2. Cut away the bottom of the leaves.                                          3. Wash well since there will be sand and dirt.                            4. Place in along towel and wipe out the water.                          5. Cut into three parts of each leaf.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Fresh cut leaves                                    6. Place in a kitchen towel or news paper and leave it                    to dry in an airy place.  Direct sun is not needed.                    7. Stir now and then everyday.                                                      8. When it is dry cut into small pieces                                              and grind in a grinder.                                                               9. When it is cooled store in a bottle.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Indoor air dried Screw pine leaf  and its powder is ready.         

Recipe follows in detail with pictures

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Drying time: one week 


Preparation:


Snip the leaves separately. Cut away the bottom of the leaves. Wash well since there will be sand and dirt. Place in a long towel and wipe out the water. Cut into three parts of each leaf.                                                               


Cut fresh leaves

                                                                             

Place on a kitchen or news paper and leave it to dry in an airy place.  Stir now and then every day.  Direct sun is not needed.  

When it is dry cut into small pieces and grind in a grinder.


When is cooled store in a bottle.


Screw pine leaf powder

I dried 270 grams leaves and got 30 grams powder.



                      

                                                  








Wednesday, 9 September 2020

Oven made onion powder

                                                                


                       

                                                  Oven made onion powder


Onion which is also known as bulb onion is a widely cultivated vegetable.

Onions are low in calories and packed with nutrients and minerals. Onions are eaten raw and raw onions are used in salads which are delicious. Onions are fried, used in curries and soups. The smell of fried or caramelized onions is irresistible.

Today I want to bake onion in the oven to make onion powder which is expensive in the shops.     I am going to bake 3 kilos of onions. 


 



                                 Recipe summery                                                                                      For                                                                                    Oven made onion powder                                                                                                                          Preparation time:  2 hours                                                             Cooking time: 6 hours    
      Method                                                                                                                                                                                                           1. First clean the outside skin of the  onion.                                 2. Wash well and wipe them with a napkin.                                 3.Cut the onion into quarter pieces.                                             4. Then cut them into small pieces. I used a food                           processor to do this.                                                                   5. Spread the processed onion in an oiled tray.Please                     don't use aluminium foil as I did.It is troublesome.               6. Bake the onion at 100 degree Celsius stirring                             occasionally.                                                                                 7. It took 6 hours to bake.                                                             8. Cool the produce in the tray and grind.                                   9. The yield was approximately 330 grams. If you bake                1 kilo onion you will get 111 grams.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             10. It can be used in soups, stew and in marination.                                                                                                                                        Oven made onion powder is ready.                                                      
Recipe follows in detail with pictures.


 Preparation time: 2 hours

Cooking time:6 hours

First clean the outside skin of the onions. Then wash well and wipe them with a napkin. After that cut the onions into quarter pieces.Then cut them into small pieces. I used a food processor to do this part. It is impossible to cut 3 kilos by hand. You can bake 1 kg at a time. 

                                                              Spread the processed onion in an oiled tray. You can see aluminum foil at the bottom of my onion tray. It is troublesome. Please don’t use. as I did. I do not know about laying a baking sheet. I have not tried.

                                

                                                         Shredded raw onion                                            

 

   Bake the onion at 100°Celsius, stirring occasionally. I used two trays and it took 6 hours to bake.  It turned out be good. Cool the produce in the trays and grind it. The yield was approximately 330 grams. When you bake 1 kg you will get around 111 grams. 

                                    

                                                      After baking the shredded onion

To make a small quantity we can use the air fryer. I will try and let you know.

                                      

                                                              Final oven roasted onion

                                      The yield was approximately 330 grams. When you bake 1 kg you will get around 111 grams

                                                                

                                                                    Stored Onion Powder

 To make a small quantity we can use the air fryer. I will try and let you know.

Onion powder can be used in soups, stews and marination. Few of my recipes in which I used onion powder will follow.                

















 

Saturday, 4 May 2019

Making of indoor air dried lemon grass Powder



Indoor air dried lemon grass powder
Indoor air dried lemon grass Powder
Indoor air dried lemon grass powder


Lemon grass is a native plant from Sri Lanka and India and is grown in many parts of the world. It is used in cooking mainly with the Sinhalese in Sri Lanka and  Thai dishes. It has oil. it has  some medicinal properties.It has been used in Ayurveda medicine.  In Chinese medicine for stomach problems . It is used in soaps and. cosmetics. In food it serves as a fragrant in chicken and mutton curries.It has a mild taste of lemon. It is said to lower cholesterol and improves sugar levels. And relieves pain.used in aromatherapy


                                     Recipe summary                                
                                               For
               Making of indoor air dried lemon grass Powder

Preparation time: 1 hour
Drying time:  1 week


 lemon grass
 lemon grass

Preparation
1. Wash 500 grams lemon grass and wipe with a towel.
2. Peel the outer layer.
3. Cut away 2 inches on the top and ½ an inch at the bottom.
4. Cut 3 inches from the white part at the bottom and slice into thin round pieces. I got 130 grams.
5. Shred it and  place on a kitchen paper or news paper and leave indoor.


Shredded hardest part of lemon grass
Shredded hardest
 part of lemon grass


6. The green part of lemon grass is difficult to cut. cut about one and inch inch 
pieces. I processed in the food processor.  

I got 50 grams.


7.  Place on a kitchen paper or new paper and leave indoor.

It will take 1 week to dry.

Indoor air dried lemon grass Powder
Indoor air dried 
lemon grass powder

8. When it is dry grind using a coffee grinder store in a container. 
9. I Got 30 grams of powder.
Store in a bottle.
It can be used in curries, rice, soups and  stews.

                                                                                  

Recipe follows in detail with pictures.    
  

Preparation time: 1 hour
Drying time:  1 week

Ingredients
 500 gram  Lemon grass

Preparation
Wash the lemon grass and wipe with a cloth. Or towel.
Peel the outer layer.
 lemon grass
 lemon grass


Peel the outer layer.
Peel the outer layer
Peel the outer layer

Cut away ½ an inch at the bottom
Cutting ½ an inch at the bottom
Cutting ½ an inch at the bottom


Cut away 2 inches the top
Cutting 2 inches on the top
Cutting 2 inches on the top


Cut 3 inches of the white part . slice into thin round pieces. 
Cutting 3 inches of soft part
Cutting 3 inches of soft part

Slice into thin round pieces. 
Slicing the soft part
Slicing the soft part

I got 130 grams.  Place on a kitchen paper or
 new paper and leave indoor.


Shredded softer part of lemon grass
Shredded softer part of lemon grass


The green part of lemon grass is difficult to cut. I processed in the food processor. 


Hard part of the lemon grass
Hard part of the lemon grass


I got 50 grams. Place on a kitchen paper or new paper and leave indoor.
Shredded hardest part of lemon grass
Shredded hardest part of lemon grass




Drying harder part of lemon grass separately
Drying harder part of lemon grass separately

It will take 1 week to dry.
When it is dry, grind using a coffee grinder store in a container. 
I Got 30 grams of powder.
Store in a bottle.
It can be used in curries, rice, soups and  stews.





Lemon grass powder
Lemon grass powder




Other powders I made
Other powders I made