Category: lunch

Ankitha Gadag’s Spicy Chicken Stirfry

An Ankitha Gadag original recipe – learn how to make a super delish Asian inspired stirfry !

Hey guys, welcome to Ankitha Gadag Recipes!

This recipe gives me life, seriously. It’s the perfect weeknight entree or side and it’s great for getting rid of those veggies in the back of your fridge, going bad. You can throw anything you like in there, I chose to stick with the basics – bell peppers, broccoli and jalapeno peppers.

I am going to let you all in on a little secret. The secret to a great Asian-inspired stir fry lies in 4 basic ingredients – soy sauce (duh), rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, and sesame seed oil. These 4 ingredients paired together can make any stir-fry taste uhhhhmazing.  For more Thai style dishes, I always mix in some fresh Thai basil leaves. You can learn more about my obsession with them from one of my previous posts here.

Without further ado…

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb Chicken breasts (cut against the grain, into strips – this is important!!)
  • 2-3 jalapeno peppers (thinly sliced)
  • Veggies of your choice (broccoli,  bell peppers)
  • 1-2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 inch ginger scraped
  • fish sauce ( few splashes )
  • rice wine vinegar ( few splashes)
  • sesame seed oil (few splashes)
  • soy sauce (1 cup)
  • lightly dusted Arrowroot Starch
  • S & P
  • toasted sesame seeds (optional)
  • thai basil leaves (optional)
  • 1 cup chicken broth

 

  1. Pat chicken breasts dry, cut against grain into strips. Add S&P and dust with arrowroot starch
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, fish sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame seed oil
  3. Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the chicken and stir–fry for 5 minutes until lightly browned.
  4. Add the veggies and cook an additional 5 mins. 
  5. Whisk the sauce once more and pour it into the pan. Bring liquid to a boil and let simmer until it reduces by half, about 3 more minutes.
  6. Stir in the basil and cook until it is just wilted.
  7. Serve immediately.

For step by step deets, check the video below:

As always, thanks for watching. See y’all next time.

XOXO,

Ankitha Gadag

Easy Barbacoa Recipe – Ankitha Gadag Original

Easy step-by-step video tutorial of how to make this delicious, spicy, beef barbacoa.

Here at Ankitha Gadag recipes, y’all know we share a deep passion for MEAT. Moving to Texas has only furthered this romance. I’ll blame it on the delicious tacos, barbeques, and various grilling tactics this part of the country is widely known for. Although, I tend to keep with the safer meats (i.e. poultry, fish, pork), I thought it was time to venture out of my comfort zone and come up with recipe inspired by my new home.

If you are like me, you are probably intimidated by cooking beef. The various cuts, length of time of cooking, etc make it seem like more trouble than worth. I am going to keep it super simple for you guys, because I have already done all the research. The cut I have chosen here was selected because:

  1. It’s not terrible fatty 2. It shreds well 3. It’s low maintenance.

It took me all of a few minutes to prep the meat and throw all ingredients into the crockpot/slow cooker. 7 hours later, meal prep was ready for the week.

I loved eating this throughout the week in various forms: Tacos, Salads, Coleslaw/BBQ style, etc.

Get creative and let me know what you think

Ingredients: 

1-2 lbs beef tri-tip roast (or shoulder)

2 dried, whole ancho chilies – deseeded/seeded (up to your tolerance of heat), stems removed

2 dried, whole guajillo chilies – deseeded/seeded (up to your tolerance of heat), stems removed

2 dried, whole chipotle pepper – deseeded/seeded (up to your tolerance of heat), stems removed

4-6 cloves garlic – skin removed

1 tbsp loosely-packed fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 heaping tbsp of Bettter than Bouillon Chicken/Beef Base

1 cup water

salt and pepper

Steps:

  1. Blend all ingredients and make a paste
  2. Sear your meat on both sides with S&P
  3. Throw it all into your crockpot/slow-cooker and you’re done!!
  4. Enjoy!

For a step-by-step tutorial of how to make this, check out my video below: 

Ankitha Gadag ‘s home-made spicy chili from scratch!

Ankitha Gadag shares an original recipe for a savory delicious chili…with an exotic twist!

I don’t know about you guys but I love a week-night meal that keeps on giving. Giving heartiness, nourishment, warmth, fulfillment… what I call healthy soul-food. A delectable meal that gets prepared in a batch-style quantity, yet you don’t get bored of it two meals later. That is precisely what this savory spicy chili is.

I used ground beef (85% lean) for this recipe, but feel free to use whatever protein floats your  boat. If you are health conscious and looking for a protein dense meal, use bison. If you want a more melt-in-your-mouth chili, use a less lean version of beef/pork/turkey.  If you’re trying to keep it vegetarian, try using Tofu crumbles, Tempeh crumbles, Seitan, or even just red beans. Make the recipe YOURS!!! 🙂

OK, let’s get started…

You will need:

  • 2 carrots (chopped)
  • 2 celery sticks (chopped)
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1-3 green chillies (1 = mild; 3 = spicy)
  • 1 cup veggies of your choice (I used mushrooms & bell peppers)
  • 1 lb protein of your choice (ground beef, turkey, red beans, tempeh, tofu, other)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp cumin powder
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 3-4 cloves
  • salt & pepper
  • *optional: 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • *optional: 1 can garbanzo beansankitha_gadag_veggies

To prepare:

  1. Start by chopping all your veggies in bite size pieces
  2. Saute the onion and garlic in about 1 tbsp of oil of your choice. Pro-tip: Add salt here, it makes the onion lose it’s water content to cook it faster.
  3. Add in the rest of your veggies
  4. Add in your seasonings. Cover and let it cook for about 10 mins.ankithagadag
  5. Now add in your protein
  6. Add in some water or broth and let it simmah simmah.
  7. Enjoy in about a half hr to an hr!

Let me know how you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for reading! P.S- this tastes great with some crumbled tortilla chips or avocado and toast!

Ankitha Gadag

Oil-Free Arugula salad with Mandarin oranges

A healthy easy week night dinner salad with oil-free dressing!

Welcome to Ankitha Gadag recipes. I am your “host” Ankitha Gadag. Ankitha is the recipe curator behind all of the original recipes found here on Ankitha Gadag’s Recipes. 

ankitha-gadag-salmon

This light and refreshing salad is fantastic when paired with a nice fresh piece of salmon. Most people feel the need to pair a vinegar with an oil. What’s great about this salad is that it’s able to achieve great flavor & texture through champagne vinegar with no added oil! Have you guys tried champagne vinegar yet? I am new to this phenomenon but a definite fan 🙂

To get started, you will need:

  • 1 mandarin orange

ankitha-gadag-orang

  • 1/4th cup crushed walnutsankitha-gadag-walnuts
  • 1 cup arugula salad
  • 1/4 th cup shaved Parmesan cheese
  • drizzle of champagne vinegar
  • handful of raisins
  • S & P to taste

Directions:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and serve!  Easy Peezy!

ankitha-gadag-salad

 

Hope you guys enjoy this delicious salad. Let me know how it tastes!

-Ankitha

Hyderabadi Achari Murgh Recipe – (Pickled Chicken Curry)

Spicy Hyderabadi Chicken Curry with tangy pickling spices

Okay guys, so this curry is truly a GEM and an Ankitha Gadag original recipe. I promise you, reactions will be nothing short of jaws-dropping if you decide to put in the work to give this a try!

For one, this recipe has taken a few weeks to perfect. I was first inspired to re-create this curry after tasting the most amazing Achari Chicken Curry at a local Hyderabadi restaurant. It was unlike anything I ever tried before – it was tangy, it was spicy, truly tantalizing your taste buds in every way. Of course I had to dig further and put my skills to the test.

Turns out Achari (Pickle) Murgh (Chicken) Curry actually originated in the Northern region of India (Punjab). Pickling of mangoes, limes and other vegetables would require a variety of spices all batched together for pickling. So, what do you do with the leftover spices? Make curry,  of course!

This curry has now been modified to fit South Indian taste buds (a.k.a – made spicier). Don’t fear, the heat is so well balanced with the unique flavors from the kalonji (onion seeds), fenugreek, and yogurt 🙂

ankitha-gadag-marinade-achari

On to the recipe!

You will need:

  • 1 cup curry leaves
  • 4 lbs chicken thighs
  • 10 thai chillies
  • 3-4 dried red chillies
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 onions chopped
  • Ginger-garlic paste (4 tbsp)
  • Kalonji (onion seeds)- 1 tbsp
  • Methi (fenugreek) seeds- 1 tbsp
  • Jeera (cumin seeds)- 1 tbsp
  • Saunf (fennel) seeds- 1/2 tbsp
  • Tomatoes- 2 (finely chopped)
  • Yogurt- 1/2 cup
  • Lemon juice- 2tbsp
  • Turmeric powder- 1tsp
  • Red chilli powder- 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seed oil – 1/4th cup
  • Pickling spices  – (you can get a pre-packaged packet of this) – 4 tbsp
  • Mango Pickles – (1 tbsp)

Phew, that’s a handful, yea?

Method:

  1. Start by marinating the chicken, you can marinate as long as 12 hrs or as short as 2. Add lemon juice, chillies, half of curry leaves, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, half of pickling spices, salt, yogurt, and mustard seed oil  to the chicken. Mix and set aside.achari-chicken-curry
  2. In some oil (about half cup), add the onions and fry until they are translucent. Add in curry leaves, dried red chilies, bay leaves, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, kalonji, and ginger garlic paste.ankitha-gadag-achari-chicken.jpg
  3. Add in the tomatoes and any remaining spices. Mix into the spices until soft.
  4. Add in the marinated chicken and cover on low-medium heat for about 30 mins
  5. The water from the chicken and yogurt should have formed a gravy. At this point add in the mango pickle.
  6. Stir and cover for an additional 30 mins
  7. Warm up some hot naan or some basmati rice and Serve!!ankitha-gadag-achari-chicken-curry-meal

Thanks for checking out my recipe. Let me know how you liked it!

-Ankitha Gadag

Chilled avocado & cucumber soup

Light, refreshing and creamy with cool flavors from mint and dill

You don’t normally think of soups in the summertime, especially not in Texas. However, this COLD cucumber and avocado soup hits the spot with its refreshing ingredients. It’s creamy, with a slight heat from the garlic & serrano. It gets layers of flavor from the fresh  dill and mint. Contrary to traditional hot soups, this chilled soup is absolutely delightful on a hot summer afternoon on the patio (margaritas recommended).

I was inspired to create this soup when a friend put me up to a food challenge. Her criterion was “cucumbers” and “chilled.” This was out of my comfort zone. Normally, my recipes pack heat from various spices and they normally involve a protein of some form. This was such a fun challenge, because it was so easy to make with relatively few ingredients that I would never think of combining. More than likely, most of these ingredients are already in your fridge.

Anyways, give it a shot (before the summer ends!), and let me know how it turns out 🙂

chilled-cucumber-soup

You will need:

  • 1 avocado
  • 1 serrano
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 english cucumber (peeled)
  • fresh mint (1 bunch)
  • fresh dill (1 bunch)
  • 1 1/3 cups sour cream
  • 1 1/3 cups greek yogurt
  • 1 cup vegetable broth

 

cucumber-avocado-soup

Method:

  1. Combine all ingredients above in your blender.
  2. Puree to a fine, creamy texture
  3. Add salt, black pepper to taste. I topped off with some smoked paprika for a little kick 🙂

creamy-avocado-cucumber-soup

That’s it! Easy peeezzyyyy 🙂

Let me know how it turns out, would love to hear from you!

-Ankitha

 

Shrimp and Veggie Pesto Pasta

Pasta can be flavorful… and healthy
This spicy, garlic pesto shrimp pasta is packed with mouth-watering flavors. Its still creamy from the pesto yet light without all the heavy cream that is typical of pasta dishes. The charred broccoli in the dish brings a great crunch to complement the shrimp. This dish is truly the best of both worlds… flavor and health.
I used an orecchiette pasta from Italy for this dish, but feel free to incorporate your favorite type of pasta. I have tried this recipe in the past with angel hair pasta and spaghetti.

spicy garlic shrimp pesto pasta

Ingredients: 

  • Garlic (A TON, around 10 cloves)
  • Parsley (a handful)
  • Shrimp (1 lb)
  • 1/4 th cup pesto ( used this pre-made italian version which can be found here )
  • dash of black pepper
  • 1 jalapeno
  • dash of dried basil
  • dash of dried oregano
  • dash of red pepper flakes
  • Broccolli florets ( I used broccolli, but this would also go great with mushrooms, asparagus, or zucchini)
  • 1 lime
  • Parmesan grated (for topping)
  • Pasta ( of your choice, I used orecchiette )
Recipe:
garlic parsely pesto

  1. Grind the garlic, parsley and jalapeno into a paste
        2. Heat olive oil in low heat, and add the parsley pesto blend (from step #1) into the pan

  1. Add in the shrimp to this mix

  2. Cook on low heat for a few mins. Add the lime, salt, and black pepper at this point. You want  to heavily coat the shrimp with the black pepper.

  3. After cooking for 5-7 mins, add the broccoli florets, pesto, and all other spices. Stir in and cover for 5-10  mins.

pesto shrimp

  1. Once the flavors are cooked into the shrimp and the veggies, it will form a gravy. At this point you can add in the pasta.and stir. You can avoid overcooking the shrimp by turning off the heat before the shrimp start to form into circular rings.

  2. Top with a heaping spoonful of Parmesan, and serve! Voila!

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