Spicy chicken bell pepper fusilli with cheddar cheese

Is it strange that when I sit to write a commissioned work, I tend to drift and focus on something else😓? 

That's what is happening now. Maybe it's panic or maybe it's just the apprehension of "what if the client doesn't like my work" or "why am I not getting an idea to write" and sometimes even, "I am so bored of writing the same thing again and again. Lemme think of something new..."... and the list goes on. Maybe all people involved in writing face this or may be not. I honestly never bothered to find out. 

At least this situation worked to get me to finally do something with this post - that has been pending for far longer than it should have.

This bell pepper fusilli turned out so good when I made it that it was hard to resist the urge to gulp it down even before the photoshoot was complete.

Here's how I went about it 😀.

What I used:

1. Fusilli boiled in water with salt: 4 cups
2. Salt: as per need
3. Butter: 2 tablespoons
4. Vegetable oil: 1 teaspoon
5. Diced onion: 1
6. Garlic: 3 cloves
7. Ginger paste: 2 teaspoons
8. Garam masala: 2 teaspoons
9. Meat masala: 3 tablespoons
10. Chopped green or red chillies: 1-2
11. Minced chicken: 2 cups
12. Chopped parsley: 2 tablespoons
13. Cubed bell pepper: 1 medium-sized
14. Grated cheddar cheese: 3 tablespoons

How I made it:

1. In a wok or skillet, melt the butter on low flame with a teaspoon of vegetable oil.
2. Add the garlic and then ginger paste.
3. Next goes in the onions and chillies. Also add some salt.
4. When the onions turn translucent, add the meat and garam masalas. 
5. Once they have cooked, add the minced chicken. Mix well and cook till the chicken is fully done and the chicken stock has evaporated. This might take a while if cooking with pan closed.
6. Once chicken is done, add the bell pepper and parsley. Mix well and cook for 10 minutes till the bell pepper softens.
7. Then add the fusilli and toss the contents well so that the fusilli absorbs the taste of the chicken mix. 
8. Add the cheddar on top and keep aside for 10 minutes before serving.

This was a really quick-to-make dish and trust me, it finishes as fast as you make it.
It's true.. best things come in small packages 😇.

Semiya/vermicelli payasam

Anyone who has lived in Kerala for a while would know the simplicity and elegance of the semiya payasam. The soft toasted semiya/vermicelli in a pool of milk makes this one of the few milk dishes that I just adore 😋.

That's not all. It's simple to prepare as well 😉. 

On those days when one needs a quick dessert, semiya payasam it is 😋.

What I used:

1. Semiya/vermicelli toasted till brown in ghee: 2 cups
2. Milk: 1/2 liter
3. Water: 1 cup
4. Sugar: as per need
5. Boiled sago pearls (optional): 3 tablespoons
6. Cardamom: 5 pods
7. Cashews, dried grapes and almonds toasted in ghee: as per need

How I made it:

1. In a thick-bottomed pan, heat the milk with water, sugar and cardamom. You can adjust the sweetness with the amount of sugar.
2. When the milk starts to boil, reduce the flame and add the toasted semiya/vermicelli.
3. Boil till the semiya/vermicelli starts to soften. This takes about 20 minutes or so.
4. Then add the dry fruits, mix the contents well and keep the pan covered. The semiya/vermicelli will cook further in the warmth of the hot milk.
5. Keep aside for 20 min before serving.

This traditional dessert tastes just as good when served chilled 😋😋. Enjoy!