Tomato chicken with brown rice

Tomato chicken with brown rice is a delightful blend of spices and tangy tomatoes. It is essentially chicken pieces coated with many fragrant spices like turmeric, cardamom and cloves, then simmered in a tomato sauce. 

A perfect family meal, and wonderful to serve to guests too, this complete dinner meal will also complete the day's health quotient for any family interested in fitness. 

Original recipe yield: 6 servings 
- Prep time - 15 mins 
- Cooking time - 2 hours 

Ingredients 
- 1 large onion, chopped 
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped 
- 1 slice fresh ginger root 
- 1 tablespoon olive oil 
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin 
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 
- 1 teaspoon salt 
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 
- 1 (1 inch) piece cinnamon stick, chopped 
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 
- 2 bay leaves 
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
- 6 skinless chicken thighs 
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed  

Directions 
- Place onion, garlic and ginger in a food processor and process into a paste. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add onion paste and saute, stirring continuously, for about 10 minutes.  

- Stir in the cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves and nutmeg. Saute, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Place chicken pieces in skillet and stir them around with the spice mixture until they are well coated.  

- Saute for another 4 minutes, then pour in the tomatoes with liquid and stir. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 to 2 hours, or until the oil has separated from the liquid. Stir occasionally. (Note: If you simmer uncovered, the sauce will thicken; add water, or keep covered while simmering.) 

Serve with brown rice. 

Power is as addictive as cocaine

LONDON: More than a hundred years after noted British historian Baron John Acton coined the phrase 'Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely' , a scientist has said power really does corrupt as it is as addictive as cocaine. 

The Daily Mail reported, the feeling of power has been found to have a similar effect on the brain like cocaine as it increases the levels of testosterone and its byproduct 3-androstanediol in both men and women. This in turn leads to raised levels of dopamine in the brain's nucleus accumbens , which can be very addictive. 

A report by Ian Robertson professor of psychology at Trinity College, Dublin - said cocaine works in a similar way, which can have varied effects from increasing alertness, confidence, energy, feelings of well-being and euphoria , but also anxiety, paranoia and restlessness. He has also written a book, 'The Winner Effect: How Power Affects Your Brain' . 

Power has almost identical effects to cocaine and too much of it can produce too much dopamine, leading to more negative effects like arrogance and impatience. 

"Baboons low down in the dominance hierarchy have lower levels of dopamine in key brain areas, but if they get 'promoted' to a higher position, then dopamine rises accordingly. This makes them more aggressive and sexually active, and in humans similar changes happen when people are given power," Robertson wrote in the Telegraph. 

"Conversely, demotion in a hierarchy decreases dopamine levels, increases stress and reduces cognitive function," he said. Power has also been found to make people smarter because dopamine improves the functioning of brain's frontal lobes. Submissiveness and dominance also give similar effects through the same reward circuits of the brain as power and cocaine.

Chilli Chicken

Ingredients

•	Boneless chicken,cut into fingers	400 grams
•	Green chillies,chopped	6-8
•	Cornflour/ corn starch	2 1/2 tablespoons
•	Salt	to taste
•	Black peppercorns,crushed	1/2 teaspoon
•	Egg	1
•	Dark soy sauce	2 tablespoons
•	Oil plus to deep fry	1 tablespoon
•	Garlic,chopped	8-10 cloves
•	Onion	2 medium
•	Green capsicums,seeded thick strips	2 medium
•	Red chilli sauce	2 tablespoons
•	Chicken stock	1 cup
•	Vinegar	2 tablespoons

Method
Take chicken pieces in a bowl. Add half the cornflour, salt, crushed black peppercorns, egg and mix. Add a little dark soya sauce and mix. Heat sufficient oil in a wok and deep fry the chicken pieces till golden. Take care not to overcook. Drain and set aside. Heat oil in another wok. Add garlic and sauté for half a minute. Add green chillies and continue to sauté. Add onion, green capsicum and sauté. Add the remaining dark soya sauce, red chilli sauce and stir. Add a little chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Blend the remaining cornflour in a little stock. Add fried chicken pieces to the wok and toss. Add blended cornflour and mix. Add salt and cook for a minute. Add vinegar and stir. The starter is ready. If you want gravy add some more stock and let it come to a boil. Serve hot. 

Chicken Hazarvi

Ingredients

•	Boneless chicken breast,2 inch cubes	8
•	Ginger paste	2 tablespoons
•	Garlic paste	2 tablespoons
•	White pepper powder	1 teaspoon
•	Salt	to taste
•	Cheese,grated	1/2 cup
•	Green chillies,finely chopped	4
•	Mace powder	1/4 teaspoon
•	Nutmeg powder	1/4 teaspoon
•	Fresh coriander leaves,chopped	2 tablespoons
•	Egg	1
•	Fresh cream	3/4 cup
•	Butter	for basting

Method
Apply the ginger paste, garlic paste, white pepper powder and salt to the chicken cubes and set aside. Mash the cheese to make it into a smooth paste. Add the green chillies, mace powder, nutmeg powder, coriander leaves and salt. Add the egg and mix well. Add the chicken to the cheese mixture. Add fresh cream and mix gently. Keep in the refrigerator for about two to three hours. Pierce chicken onto skewers and cook in a moderately hot tandoor or a preheated oven (200C) until it is just cooked and lightly coloured. Brush with melted butter and cook for another two minutes till chicken is fully cooked. 

Cheese Chicken Kebab

Ingredients

•	Boneless chicken breast,2 inch cubes	6
•	Egg	1
•	Caraway seeds (shahi jeera)	1/2 tablespoon
•	Green cardamom powder	1/2 teaspoon
•	Green chilli paste	1 teaspoon
•	Ginger paste	1 tablespoon
•	Garlic paste	1 tablespoon
•	Fresh coriander leaves	1 tablespoon
•	Roasted chana dal powder	1/4 cup
•	Turmeric powder	1/4 teaspoon
•	Cream	1/4 cup
•	Thick yogurt	1 1/2 cups
•	Processed cheese,grated	1 cup
•	Salt	to taste
•	Black peppercorns,crushed	7-8
•	Oil	to shallow fry

Method
Break egg into a bowl. Add caraway seeds, green cardamom powder, green chilli paste, ginger-garlic paste, coriander leaves, roasted chana dal powder, turmeric powder, cream and yogurt and mix well. Add cheese, salt, crushed black peppercorns and mix well. Add the chicken cubes and mix. Set aside to marinate for about half an hour. String the chicken cubes onto skewers. Heat a non stick grill pan. Drizzle some oil and place the skewers on it. Shallow fry, turning the skewers from time to time, till the kebabs are golden on all sides. Cover the pan with aluminium foil to ensure even cooking. Serve hot. 

Instant Dhokla Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup gram flour (besan)
2 tsp semolina (suji) 
2 tsp eno powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1 lemon (nimbu) 
2 green chilly (hari mirch) 
8-10 curry leaves (kadi patta) 
1 tsp mustard seeds (raai) 
1/4 tsp salt (namak) 
1 cup water
1 tbsp oil

How to make instant dhokla:

• Mix gram flour, semolina and 1 cup water.
• Grease a container.
• Heat water in a pressure cooker and place sieve (jaali) on it.
• Now add eno powder.
• Immediately pour this mixture in the greased container.
• Place it on jaali and cover the cooker.
• Remove the whistle of the cooker.
• Let it cook at high flame for 15 minutes.
• Then take out the dhoklas out of the container and cut into pieces once it is cooled.
• Heat oil in a pan and crackle mustard seeds. Then put curry leaves.
• Finely chop green chilies.
• Pour this on dhoklas.
• Put 2 cup water, sugar and lemon juice in a container and put all dhoklas in it.
• After 5 minutes take out extra water.
• Garnish with finely chopped dhania patti.
• Serve with some chutney.

Akhrot Murgh

Ingredients

•	Walnuts,blanched , peeled and powdered	1/2 cup
•	Boneless chicken,1/2 inch pieces	400 grams
•	Ginger paste	1 tablespoon
•	Garlic paste	1 tablespoon
•	Salt	to taste
•	Cumin powder	1 teaspoon
•	Yogurt	1/4 cup
•	Oil	1 tablespoon
•	Onion ,grated	1 medium
•	Tomato,pureed	1 large
•	Green chillies,chopped	4
•	Coriander powder	1 teaspoon
•	Fresh cream	2 tablespoons
•	Garam masala powder	1/4 teaspoon

Method
Place chicken in a bowl. Add ginger paste, garlic paste, salt, half teaspoon cumin powder and yogurt and mix well. Marinate the chicken for half an hour. Heat oil in a pan, add onion and sauté till lightly browned. Add tomato puree, mix well and continue to sauté till oil separates. Add green chillies and continue to cook for two minutes. Add coriander powder, remaining cumin powder, mix well and cook for one more minute. Add the marinated chicken, mix well, cover and cook till done. Add walnuts, simmer for two to three minutes. Add fresh cream and garam masala powder and mix well and simmer for two more minutes. Serve hot.