Spaghetti in Bechamel Sauce

Ingredients:

For the Bechamel Sauce:
Butter- 1/2 cup
All purpose flour- 1/2 cup
Milk- 2 cups
Freshly ground nutmeg- a pinch
White pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt- as needed

For Spaghetti:
Uncooked Spaghetti: 200 gms
Spinach- 1 bunch chopped
Uncooked boneless chicken- 100 gms cut into thin strips
Mushrooms- 4 nos sliced
Onion- 1/2 chopped
Garlic salt- 1/4 tsp
Oil-1 tbsp
Salt and white pepper- as needed
Freshly grated Parmesan- 2tbsp (optional)

Method:

• Fill a large pot with water. Bring it to a boil. Add salt generously and cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain and keep it aside

• Take a sauce pan and on low heat, melt the butter .Take care not to burn the butter. Once the butter is almost melted, add the flour into it and make make it into a smooth mix.
• Cook this mix for a couple of minutes, stirring continuously. Do not let the mix change colour.
• Once this is done remove from heat and add the milk in installments. Keep stirring when adding the milk so as to avoid any lumps in the sauce. Once the milk is mixed well and there are no lumps, return to the stove and cook on low heat. Keep stirring.
• Cook, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or a heat proof spatula for 5 to 10 minutes or until the sauce comes to a boil, thicken and coats the back of a spoon
• Now add the nutmeg, salt and pepper.

• In another pan with high sides, heat oil and add chopped onions into it.
• Once the onions turn transparent add the mushrooms, chicken, white pepper powder, garlic salt and table salt into the pan and saute it till the chicken is completely cooked.
• Once the chicken is cooked add the chopped up spinach into it and cook till it is completely wilted.
• Now add half of the prepared Bechamel sauce and mix well.
• Add the cooked spaghetti into the above mixture and mix well
• Sprinkle grated Parmesan on top and mix. Check for seasoning.
• Serve it warm

Note: If you don't have garlic salt,add 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic along with onions and saute it. Then add salt accordingly.

Dragon Chicken

Ingredients:

1. Boneless chicken pieces- 250g (cut into strips)
2. Black pepper powder- 1 tsp
3. Egg- 1
4. Ajinomoto (MSG)- 1 pinch (optional)
5. Salt- As needed
6. Corn flour- 1 tbsp
7. Oil (for deep frying)

8. Onion- 1/2 of a medium sized onion chopped finely
9. Ginger- 1 tbsp chopped finely
10. Garlic- 1 tbsp chopped finely
11. Dark soya sauce- 2 tbsp (low sodium preferred)
12. Tomato ketchup- 3 tbsp
13. Sugar- 1/2 tsp
14. Red chilli flakes- 2 tbsp
15. Juice of 1/2 a lime
16. Cashewnuts- 3 tbsp
17. Chopped coriander leaves- 2 tbsp
18. Ajinomoto- A pinch (optional)
19. Salt- As required


Method:

• Mix the chicken strips with salt, pepper, ajinomoto, egg and cornflour. Keep it aside for 30 minutes. Deep fry it and keep it aside. it doesnt take a long time to fry
• Then in another pan heat 3 tbsp oil. You can use the oil used for deep frying.
• Lightly fry the cashew nuts and keep them aside.
• To the oil, add the chopped onions and saute it till it becomes translucent. Then add the ginger and garlic. Stir fry this for 1 minute.
• Check for seasoning and add salt if needed.
• Once the raw smell goes, add the soya sauce, tomato ketchup, sugar, red chilli flakes, sugar and then mix them all together.
• Finally mix in the chopped coriander leaves and cashew nuts
• You can serve it with chappathi, fried rice or even eat it as it is as a starter.