Love to stay home

Easy Butter Chicken

November 3, 2021 No Comments

This easy Butter Chicken is made with onion masala. I have mentioned onion masala many times on my blog because it is life-changing especially if you love Indian food.

The onion masala recipe is from Ashley at my heartbeets.com. She has a big collection of recipes using onion masala as well. Thank you to Ashley for making our lives so much easier!

Ever since I started making onion masala, I convert most recipes using this as the base. Butter chicken is loved by many, it is one of the most popular recipes from India.

My family loves it and I make it quite often now that I use onion masala. It’s simpler and can be made in no time.

What are the ingredients for this Easy Butter Chicken?

Onion masala

Chili powder

Turmeric powder

Cashew nuts

Vinegar

Salt

Sugar

Garam masala

Kasuri methi

Butter/ oil

Cream

To marinate chicken: Chili powder, turmeric powder, salt & ginger garlic paste.

For exact measurements please refer to the recipe card.

Here are some of my Amazon Kitchen Picks:

(Disclaimer: These are affiliate links, which means if you buy any of these recommended products, I will receive a small commission from Amazon at no extra cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products that I love and know to be of great quality. Thank you so much for your support!)

How do you make this Easy Butter Chicken?

Marinate cut chicken( I usually cut the chicken in bite-sized pieces) with chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, and ginger-garlic paste and keep it aside.
Gather all your other ingredients. Soak cashews in warm water.
Heat oil and butter in a pan. Fry chicken till cooked.
Take out the chicken pieces and keep them aside.
In the same pan, add more butter and oil. Add onion masala. ( if frozen add a little water and let it thaw on low heat).
Add chili powder, garam masala, salt, sugar, vinegar. Mix well.
Grind the cashews into a paste adding water.
Add the cashew paste to the masala and mix well.
When it comes to a boil, add the cooked chicken with crushed Kasuri methi.
Last add cream and butter on top.
Your butter chicken is ready to enjoy. You can have this with Instant Pot Peas Pulao or 2 ingredient Naan.

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Easy Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken is made easy by using pre-made onion masala. Chicken coated with a creamy spiced onion tomato sauce.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Ingredients

4 Chicken Thighs (cut into bite-sized pieces)
1 cup onion masala
⅓ cup cashew nuts (soaked in warm water)
1 tbsp Vinegar
3 tbsp Unsalted Butter
Kasuri Methi crushed for garnishing
2 tbsp Cream

Spices

1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp crushed Kasuri methi
salt to taste
1 tsp sugar

To marinate chicken

1 tsp ginger garlic paste
½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder
¼ tsp Turmeric powder
½ tsp salt

Instructions

Marinate cut chicken pieces with ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Keep them aside.
Soak cashews in warm water.
Heat 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter in a dutch oven or deep frying pan. Fry chicken pieces till cooked. Take out the chicken pieces and keep them aside.
In the same pan, add 1 tbsp butter and a little oil. Add the onion masala. (If adding frozen onion masala, add a little water and let it thaw on low heat).
Add chili powder, garam masala, sugar, salt, and vinegar. Mix well.
Grind the cashews to a smooth paste adding a little water.
Add this cashew paste to the masala and mix well.
When the gravy comes to a boil, add the cooked chicken pieces and crushed Kasuri methi.
Once this comes to a boil, add cream if using and 1 tbsp of butter on top.
Your delicious butter chicken is ready! Enjoy!

Notes:

Authentic butter chicken is made with leftover tandoori chicken. But we are making it easier with marinating and frying the chicken. You can bake it as well but it takes time.
The chicken is cut into bite-sized pieces so it’s easier to eat. I used chicken thighs but you can use chicken breasts, legs, or thighs. Thighs are the dark meat of the chicken and hence more tender.
You can skip the cream if you wish but it does give the gravy a richness that is not there otherwise. I did not add cream as I did not have any.
This butter chicken is based on this recipe by Varun Inamdar on the Getcurried YouTube channel. It has 33 million views so you can tell it’s a great recipe!
Make this vegetarian by using paneer or tofu instead of chicken.

If you try out this recipe, do let me know what you think by leaving a comment down below and rating the recipe.

You might also like these other simple Chicken recipes:

Spicy Indian Chicken Fry

Ghee Rice & Kadai Chicken

Easy Indian Chicken Stew

Simple Chicken Curry

Chicken Shawarma Pita Wraps

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Instant Pot Spanish Chicken Pulao

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Have a great day!

Photo by Diana Schröder-Bode on Unsplash

Crochet

Crochet Keychains & Wristlets

November 1, 2021 No Comments

Crochet Keychains & Wristlets are very useful and make great gifts for any occasion, especially the upcoming holiday season.

Have you ever turned your handbag inside out looking for your keys?! Well If your answer is yes you need one of these keychains or wristlets to make your life easier!

The keychain will help you find your keys easily. The wristlet is very handy (pun intended!) when you have to go out with just your keys, then you just put the wristlet on your wrist, and you are hands-free! And not to mention how cute they are.

You can make them in your favorite color. With the beautiful colors of yarn available, you can have one for every day of the week.

They are very easy to make and quick too.

WHAT SUPPLIES DO YOU NEED TO MAKE THESE CROCHET KEYCHAINS & WRISTLETS?

Cotton yarn

Crochet hook

Yarn needle

Scissors

Here are my Amazon picks for this project:

(Disclaimer: These are affiliate links, which means if you buy any of these recommended products, I will receive a small commission from Amazon at no extra cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products that I love and know to be of great quality. Thank you so much for your support!)

I am trying my best to keep my blog ad-free as much as possible, so if you use my link on Amazon when you shop, it really does help me out. I am grateful for your support. Thank you, friends!

If you would like to try Amazon for FREE, sign up for a 30-Day Free Trial!

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HOW DO YOU MAKE THESE CROCHET KEYCHAINS & WRISTLETS?

I have tried 3 different patterns which I will share with you. Two of them are free patterns and one is a paid pattern.

Garnet bead Keychain

Free pattern by Violet Loops – This simple pattern can be found at hookedonhomemadehappiness.com here. It uses chains and double crochets and a stitch called the bead stitch. It is very well explained and there is a video of how to do the bead stitch. You can use the same pattern for baby pacifier clips as well.

Crochet Lanyard and Keychain

Free pattern by Stitch in Progress – This is the simplest pattern of all and can be found here. I shared this keychain pattern previously on my blog when I posted 5 Useful crochet projects.

Emmer Keychain & Wristlets

Paid pattern by Christina Ann Studios. Christina is so talented and she has some really nice designs. You can buy the Emmer Collection pattern at her store.

This pattern can be used to make keychains, wristlets, and baby pacifier clips.

Hope you enjoyed reading about those crochet keychains and wristlets. If you make some do let me know if you liked them. As always a huge thank you to the amazing ladies who have designed these patterns.

Here are some other crochet goodies that you can make as gifts or just for yourself!

Velvet Crochet scarf

Crochet Hair Accessories

Potholders

Crochet coasters

Crochet earrings

Heart Crochet Garland

Crochet Car Coasters

Crochet Christmas Earrings (All free patterns!)

3 Easy Crochet Bookmarks

10 Crochet Coaster Patterns

Granny Square Flower Crochet Bag

Please do follow me on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, and FACEBOOK @lovetostayhomeblog, to know when I have a new post out. Thank you for visiting my blog.

Have a wonderful day!

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

Recipes

Spiced Yogurt Quinoa

October 27, 2021 No Comments

Spiced Yogurt Quinoa is a different way of eating Quinoa which tastes really good. This is just the same recipe of Yogurt Rice ( Curd rice in South India), only with Quinoa as the substitute for rice.

Rice is high in carbs, hence a good substitute for it is quinoa. Quinoa is protein and fiber-rich, so it is a much healthier option than white rice.

Here are some other Quinoa recipes that you might like:

Lime/Lemon Quinoa

Quinoa Upma

Broccoli and Quinoa Patties

I have incorporated quinoa into my meals as much as possible. Quinoa by itself is pretty tasteless, so just to have a variety of ways to eat quinoa, I decided to try out this recipe. I was really surprised when I tasted it. So I am sure you will like it too!

WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS FOR SPICED YOGURT QUINOA?

Cooked quinoa

Yogurt (Whole yogurt or low-fat)

Onions (Red onions)

Green chilies

Cilantro ( I did not have cilantro so I did leave it out)

Salt

For seasoning:

Oil

Mustard seeds

Split urad dal (split black gram)(optional)

Whole Red chili (optional)

Curry leaves

Here are some of my Amazon Kitchen Picks:

(Disclaimer: These are affiliate links, which means if you buy any of these recommended products, I will receive a small commission from Amazon at no extra cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products that I love and know to be of great quality. Thank you so much for your support!)

HOW DO YOU MAKE THIS SPICED YOGURT QUINOA?

Mix the cooked Quinoa and yogurt together. Add the chopped onions, green chilies, and cilantro. Add salt to taste. Mix well.

Heat oil in a seasoning pan, add mustard seeds, urad Dal and curry leaves.

Immediately switch off the stove and put the seasoning on the Quinoa and Yogurt mixture.

That’s it your Spiced Yogurt Quinoa is ready to be enjoyed. It is so simple to make and tastes really good, not to forget it is healthy!

You can eat it by itself, but I prefer to have some side dish to eat it with. Some good options are:

Spicy Indian Chicken Fry

Tamarind Fish Curry

Spicy Indian Pork Chilli Fry

Easy Egg Masala

Pan-Fried Crispy Shrimp

Air Fryer Salmon Fish Fry

Some vegetarian options:

Mixed Vegetable Cutlets

Fried Masala Mushrooms – Deep-fried Vs Air-Fried!

Chickpea Masala

Beetroot Cutlets

Air Fryer Okra Fries

NOTES:

In this recipe, I cooked the quinoa just before making this dish. But If your quinoa is already cooked and cold from being in the fridge, you can warm it up before adding the yogurt. That is just my preference. I like to have it warm.

Seasoning the quinoa and yogurt makes all the difference. If you do not have curry leaves or urad dal, you could leave it out but it is recommended. Use chopped cilantro to garnish if you do not have curry leaves.

Sometimes I like to chop the curry leaves fine, so that you can eat them too, they are really good for your health.

I cook the quinoa in a rice cooker or on the stovetop. The ratio is 1:2, that is 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water.

Whole milk yogurt is what I used, but you could use low fat as well. I do not recommend using non-fat or greek yogurt. You can add a little water to the yogurt and whisk it before adding it to the quinoa.

As this sits, the quinoa soaks up the yogurt, so you might need to add more yogurt just before you eat it. This quinoa can be kept refrigerated for 1 day.

I have garnished mine with boondi ( fried gram flour balls found in any Indian store)and Kashmiri chili powder. It is optional of course.

Hope you will try this out, and if you do be sure to let me know what you think by leaving a comment below or rating the recipe. Thank you for visiting and come back soon for more recipes, DIY’s, crochet projects, and macrame.

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Have a wonderful day! Keep smiling! 😉

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

Recipes

Mixed Vegetable Cutlets

October 25, 2021 4 Comments

These Mixed Vegetable Cutlets are so tasty and easy to make. You could use any vegetables that you have, even crumbled paneer or tofu can be used if you wish.

These cutlets are basically spiced vegetables with mashed potatoes, coated with egg and breadcrumbs, pan-fried in oil till golden brown. Doesn’t that sound good?! Believe me it is, and it is all vegetables!

Do check out my beetroot cutlets recipe too, it is very similar but has a distinct beet red color!

To make these vegan, you can use a cornflour and water mix to dip your cutlets in before frying them.

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO YOU NEED FOR THESE MIXED VEGETABLE CUTLETS?

Mixed vegetables – I used a combination of mushrooms, carrots, peas, green bell peppers, and cauliflower.

Potatoes

Spice powders – turmeric, chili, cumin, coriander, garam masala, salt, and pepper.

Onion

Tomato

Ginger garlic paste

Cilantro

Breadcrumbs

Egg ( or cornflour paste)

Here are some of my Amazon Kitchen picks:

(Disclaimer: These are affiliate links, which means if you buy any of these recommended products, I will receive a small commission from Amazon at no extra cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products that I love and know to be of great quality. Thank you so much for your support!)

HOW DO YOU MAKE THESE MIXED VEGETABLE CUTLETS?

Boil the potatoes. Mash them and keep them aside.
Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onions, fry till translucent, add ginger garlic paste. Fry for a few minutes.
Next, add the tomatoes and spice powders.
Fry till tomatoes are soft. Add in the chopped mixed vegetables.
Mix them well, cover the pan and cook them for about 10 minutes, mixing in between.
After 10 minutes, open the lid of the pan, turn the flame to high, and dry up the mixture. Switch off and add chopped cilantro.
Once this mixture cools down, add the mashed potatoes. Mix everything well. Taste it, add salt if needed.
Make cutlets in any shape you want, I usually make a round shape.
Dip the cutlets in beaten egg, and next into a plate of breadcrumbs.
Once you have made all the cutlets. Heat up a pan, add some oil to it. Add the cutlets and fry them on both sides till golden brown.
Take them out onto a paper towel-lined plate.
Enjoy your delicious Vegetable Cutlets with ketchup, green chutney, or as a side to your main meal. We enjoyed them with Rice and Dal.
If you do not eat eggs, you can use a cornflour slurry, that is cornflour and water mixed into a thin paste.
Just dip the cutlets in the cornflour slurry and fry them in a pan with hot oil.

Spiced Vegetables mixed with mashed potatoes, beaten egg and breadcrumbs.

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