All American Spicy Buffalo Wings with a sour cream dip

Merely described as a Super Bowl Snack or rather a party snack, Buffalo Wings are a favourite of ours. Hooters in Nottingham was a favourite of mine, and Ro's (for obvious other reasons ..ahem!) and their buffalo wings were super hot and we'd be soaking in sweat by the time we finished a plate of wings. Sadly London doesn't have a Hooters outlet and so we have to make do with the usual chains which are ok, but not the best.

I was so sure i wouldn't get the authentic Franks Red Hot sauce in any of the grocery stores, and no where could i find the sauce recipe. I almost gave up and then decided to throw in a search on the Sainsburys website and what do i find, the original sauce itself. Didn't waste any time and ran to the nearest Sains and got em, along with the wings and a few tid bits. Sunday lunch was heavenly and i have decided, the next time i throw a party, this is definitely on my list. Other than the frying bit, i think everything else is damn easy..and the taste..oh so yumm. I kept the recipe printed at the back of the bottle as the base, and played around with the measurements a bit to adjust spice levels etc.

Ok so I'm gonna let you in on a little secret..i was completely grossed out by the chicken wings at the super market and surprisingly, so was Ro who usually does the dirty work of cutting and cleaning meat etc. Chicken drumsticks on its own were too big and so we decided to use the ready-to-eat buffalo wings which were supposedly spicy and cooked, but we knew from previous experiences that these ready made meals were tasteless and horrible and had to be jazzed up a bit. So we bought 2 packs of those and decided to work on it. The result was spectacular. I shall however, give you the recipe of the original and maybe some day il try it out.

Chicken wings- 1 kg

Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp

Paprika- 1/2 tsp

Salt- to taste

All purpose flour- about a cup

Oil-to deep fry

Franks Red Hot Extra Hot Cayenne Pepper Sauce- 1/4 cup + a little more

Butter- 3 tbsp

White vinegar- 1 tsp (optional)

Discard the tips of the chicken wings. Cut them at the joint.. into the wing and the drum.

Mix together the pepper powder, paprika, salt and flour in a large bowl. Toss the chicken pieces in it till they are evenly coated.

Now you can either oven cook it for about an hour at 230C, flipping the chicken on and off or deep fry them in oil in batches of 10 or so (depending on your vessel) until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

While the chicken is frying, in a sauce pan, melt the butter and add the hot sauce and vinegar. On low flame bring it to a simmer. Now i like mine well coated, so i waited till it was a bit thick. This could take some time.

Put the fried/ baked chicken wings in a large bowl and pour the hot sauce over. Toss it well, so that the pieces are evenly coated. Now if you keep them for a day, i realised it becomes more spicier and tastes a whole lot better. Since we were incredibly hungry, we greedily ate them then and there with the cream dip.

I followed the recipe from the hot sauce bit, since my chicken wings were already cooked.

Notes: Chicken breasts can be used instead of wings.

It is not required to follow the first step for the chicken. You can just fry it as it is or bake it..without any seasoning because the sauce is powerful enough.

Vinegar is optional, i just wanted to add a tang to it.

if you don't want the chicken wings to be coated in sauce, you don't have to simmer it for long. It can be loose gravy.

Celery sticks are also an accompaniment to buffalo wings and dip.

Sour cream dip

The buffalo wings are usually paired with a blue cheese dip, but i don't really like blue cheese and so i made my own sour cream dip which was fantabulous (I'm so humble, right?)

Sour cream- 3 tbsp

Mayonnaise- 1 tbsp

Cheddar cheese- a handful (i used the Mexican mix)

Spring onions- a handful (just the greens)

Mix all this, except the spring greens, in a bowl and microwave for a few seconds, just to get the cheese melted. Mix in the greens just before you serve.

Here are two of my favourite party snacks which you might enjoy. Jalapeños stuffed and wrapped in bacon and Jalapeño Poppers.

I am sending this recipe to the Valentine & Super Bowl Recipe Carnival event hosted by fun and food cafe.

Fried masala idli's with a coconut chutney

I am not sure i have mentioned this before, but i have never ever made my own dosa/ idli batter. Even when i was in Chennai and in spite of having an awesome maid i still used to buy the ready mix and i was very happy with it. Enter Nottingham and we had to pay close to 6 quid for a dosa whenever we craved it..which was actually not too often. We didn't miss dosa/ idli an awful lot to actually grind and make the batter. So the occasional visits to the mallu restaurant just around the corner was a lot enough to quench our requirement.

London was different. East Ham, the hub of South Indian restaurants and grocery stores, was like culture shock. Even though it was a bit far away from where we stayed, a once in two months visit there gave us the pleasure of acquiring all things mallu. We also discovered that idli/ dosa batter was available in packets..freshly made and was glad we didn't have to pay a humongous amount of money to satisfy our dosa cravings. So now we pick up 2 on each of our visits to East Ham and that lasts us for ever. When we get sick of the dosa and idli, we buy an uppma mix (yes, i have never made my own and don't intend to either...the MTR ones are so awesome) and gobble on that . Honestly, Indian food is no longer a preference in our household now. We are so happy with the pastas and the bakes and the stir fries. Initially we had to have rice at least once a week..now we don't even miss it and so don't have to whip up a million other curries and veggies to go with it.

So last weekend we headed to East Ham and picked up a packet of dosa batter, but completely forgot to buy the sambar powder. So i had to make do with a coconut chutney and some fish curry (again the instant ones). Had a wee bit of batter left over from the dosa and so tried out fried idli's which my grand mom used to make as a tea-time snack. Now, as much as i like the idea of a tea-time snack, its horrible to have to slog it out and make something on your own and then enjoy it. By the time I'm done making it and cleaning up, I am in no mood to enjoy what i made. Same story for almost everything i make btw!

The recipe for fried idli and chutney was adapted from a blog i stumbled upon. They have named it Masala Paniyaram, a name I'm familiar with but I've always referred to it as fried masala idli. Now i didn't have the particular vessel to fry them in, so i used a mini egg pan and made cookie-size idli's which were so cute and came out just as i wanted.

Fried Idli

Idli batter- 1 cup

English Shallots- 2, roughly chopped

Green chilli- 3, chopped

Ginger- 1 inch piece, roughly chopped

Cumin seeds- 1 tsp

Pepper pwd- 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves- a handful, chopped

Coriander leaves- a handful, chopped

Salt- to taste

Asafoetida- a pinch

Oil- enough to fry

Mix all the above ingredients together, except the batter, and lightly crush with a pestle or the back of a spoon...just to get the flavours out. Add the batter to this and mix well. Check for salt, spice etc. and add more if required.

Heat oil in the pan and pour a spoon full. Flip and fry the other side after a few minutes.

Drain on paper towels and serve with chutney.

Notes: I added quite a bit of curry leaves and coriander leaves because i love the taste. You can reduce it if you want.

I added a wee bit of ghee to the oil just to get a nice flavour...its not advisable to do so on a regular basis, for obvious health reasons.

I am not typing out the chutney recipe as I followed the exact measurements and procedure as mentioned here. I personally would have liked it a bit more spicy. Maybe next time.

Spicy, garlicky potato wedges

I am on a recipe-trying spree...meaning trying out recipes from other blogs. Yeah, i know i have been doing so for a long time now, and its only getting better:)

There have been quite a few disasters as well. Like the other day i tried red velvet cakes and had to chuck it all because it tasted awful. I shall attempt it again when im in the mood.

It was such a cold day and Ro worked from home which meant constant nagging about lunch, tea, nibbles...and he claims i secretly enjoy showering him with all the attention.DUH!

Anyway, I was blog browsing and came across this awesome blog ...drooling, i decided to make something . Unfortunately the only ingredients available were for the Garlicky Baked Fries and i didnt think twice. Give me potatoes in any form any day and i'll be a very happy person. Carbs carbs, i know, but who cares when its so bloody awesome.

I made a few modifications here and there and the result was marvellous. I paired it with a chilli mayo dip and a shot of espresso and I couldnt have asked for more on the cold winter evening.

• I used baby potatoes- 6 of them cut into wedges
• I added 3 dry chillies, crushed, to the garlic and EVOO since i did not have cayenne pepper.
• I also added a half tsp paprika.

The mayo dip is pretty easy as well. I use store bought garlic mayo (4tbsp), add chilli sauce or ketchup (1 tsp) and a few drops of water and mix well to get a smooth paste. Dip dip dip and chomp chomp chomp.

Chilli Prawns/ Prawn Tempura with a pungent dipping sauce

I had some left over prawn and was sick of the usual dry preps and the curry...never comes out right for me. I was searching online for some easy prawn recipes and came across this from mariasmenu. I wouldn't say this was a damn easy dish to prepare, but a damn tasty and addictive one at that. It can be served as an appetiser with a dip or as a side to Chinese mains. I didn't have green peppers and so omitted them. Made a few changes here and there too.

Prawns- 250gms (cleaned and deveined)

To marinate:

Plain flour- 3 tbs

Cornflour- 2 tbs

Fresh ground pepper- 2 tsp

Salt- to taste

Egg- 1

Spring Onions- 2 big ones, thinly chopped

Ginger garlic paste- 1 tbs

Chilli pwd- 1/2 tsp

Ground pepper- 1/2 tsp

Soy sauce- 2 tbs

Oil- to fry

Salt- to taste

Lime juice- to sprinkle

Make a paste with plain flour, corn flour, pepper powder, egg, salt and water and marinate the prawns for about half an hour in this paste. the prawns should be well coated. Deep fry the prawns in hot oil, drain on paper towels and keep aside.

In a frying pan, heat about 1 tbs oil (use the left over oil from frying) and sautee the spring onions and Ggp till they become soft and fragrant. To this, add chilli pwd and pepper pwd and mix well. Add the soy sauce and salt required and sautee well. Finally add the fried prawns, sautee for a few more minutes till it becomes dry. Sprinkle some lime juice, garnish with spring onions and dig in. If you need a dipping sauce to accompany the appetiser, here goes:

Soy sauce- 2tbs

Grated ginger- 1 tsp

Balsamic vinegar- 1 tsp

Sugar- a pinch

Mix all this together, season with a little ground pepper and you are ready to go.

Notes: If you add tomato sauce along with the soy, i guess it tastes even better. I somehow dislike the tomato sauce. So i avoided it.

If you have king prawns/tiger prawns and beer, add the beer to the batter and deep fry till crisp and golden and you have prawn tempura.

Tomato Chutney

Goes well with dosa, idly and even rice. You can infact spread it on the dosa while its being cooked and tastes quite nice.Very simple but it took quite some time to cook.

Tomato- 2

Green chillies- 2

Garlic paste- 1 tsp

Shallots- 1 big

Salt- to taste

Grind all these together in a blender. Keep aside

Coconut Oil- 1 tbs

Urud dal- 1 tsp

Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

Curry leaves- 4 to 5

In a sauce pan, put oil and when hot put in the mustard seeds, urud dal and curry leaves. Once they start to splutter put in the tomato mix. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and keep it on till the water evaporates and the mix becomes somewhat thick (this might take a while). If salt and spice is not enough, add them at this stage. Keep stirring on and off and make sure its doesn't stick to the pan.

Notes: The spice level was a bit too high even according to my standards, so reduce it accordingly.

Not necessary to use coconut oil.

Breakfast in Bed...almost

Saturday is lazy day with a big L. We wake up late, potter around while the coffee is brewing and then settle down with our laptops till brunch or lunch. Last Saturday wasn't any different except that we had the whole day planned ahead and had to head into Central London. There was no time to prepare brunch or lunch and so i came up with this quick fix breakfast which in turn was quite heavy.

French Toast with an Apricot syrup

For the toast:

Bread slices- 6 (we use brown bread)

Eggs- 2

Sugar- 2 tbs

Milk- 3 tbs

Cinnamon- a pinch (optional)

Beat the eggs, sugar, milk and cinnamon together in a bowl until light and fluffy (don't over do it). Dip the bread slices in it and toast on medium heat in a frying pan. Take it off the burner when both sides are brown. Keep aside.

For the syrup:

Apricots- 4 sliced

Brown sugar- 1 tbs (white sugar is also fine)

Butter- 1 tbs

Orange juice- 3 tbs

In a sauce pan, melt the butter and stir in the brown sugar. Keep stirring till the sugar melts. To this add the orange juice and the sliced apricots and mix well. Keep stirring till you get a syrupy texture and the apricots are nice and soft. Take it off the stove, pour over the toast, wait for it to seep through and then dig in.

Notes: You can adjust the sweetness according to your taste. I like it a bit sweet and so add sugar in both.

If you don't like the tangy taste of the orange juice, you can leave that out too.

If you over do the cinnamon, it can be a bit too over powering and not the best of tastes. So add a pinch if you like or omit that.