Masala baby potatoes roast- My 50th post :)

Till I decided to marry I did not know much about cooking. I was happy, but when I thought about making the “MAN” of my life happy, cooking somehow seemed to be a bright option. Moreover, I was a hardcore foodie. I was reluctant at the beginning but all thanks to my “Mamu”, “Maiin” and “Tutul” (my little cousin brother who was still in school then, but nevertheless he was an amazing cook) who introduced me to the basics of cooking. The image of my cousin teaching me to chop onions using a knife is still so vivid.

Its more than two years now and I have worked really hard to sharpen my cooking skills and managing the kitchen. I discovered about food blogging very late, but had no plans to be part of it. But then things happened gradually, when I started to create dishes and there was an intense need in me to preserve the essence of my learnings. I started writing for myself, then I thought of sharing with my friends and anybody who shares the passion for cooking. I am still to complete a year as a food blogger and here comes my 50^th post that too before this year ends. This year has not been a smooth riding year but somehow I managed to pull it off…all thanks to you!! I want to thank all the dear ones in my life who have endlessly supported, appreciated and encouraged me.

Coming to the recipe, I am sharing a quite delectable recipe with my favorite vegetable and that is “potatoes”. All my childhood I have survived on it, I would not touch any other vegetable and any reason wouldn't make any sense to me. So, here is the recipe with cute little baby potatoes that bursts with lovely flavors. All my sweet readers I will meet u next year with some more exciting recipes. Blessings…blessings and blessings all around.

Masala baby potatoes roast

Serves: 2 to 3 persons

Ingredients:

Baby potatoes- 500 grams (with skin on and washed thoroughly)

Roasted cumin powder- ½ tbsp.

Coriander powder- ½ tbsp.

Chili powder- ½ tbsp.

Turmeric powder- ½ tsp.

Cumin seeds- ¼ tbsp.

Green chilies- 4

Oil- 2-3 tbsp.

Salt to taste

Water as required

Procedure:

Heat oil in a Kadhai, once hot add cumin seeds and green chilies. After it has spluttered add potatoes, roasted cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, chili powder and salt. Mix everything well sprinkle some water, reduce the flame low heat. Cover and cook. Check every now and then, anytime you find the masala sticking to the pan, sprinkle some water and keep on stirring so that all the potatoes are evenly cooked. Cover and cook till done. Depending on the size of the potatoes it may take about from 20-30 minutes.

Notes:

Do not cook over medium or high flame, let it cook slowly on low flame for best results.

Using roasted cumin powder gives this additional punch in terms of flavor.

Dahi vadas cuttacki style

I would be homebound soon and yes I am happy…very happy and super happy. Cuttack is known for its variety of street foods. Being a true “Cuttacki” at heart, I am an ardent fan of all that is served on the streets of Cuttack…be it Chaat, Dahi vada alu dum, Gup chup….well anything and everything under the sky of Cuttack. Interestingly, I know people who would happily survive for days just on Dahi vada alu dum. Coming to the recipe, I would be sharing just the “Dahi vadas cuttacki style”. Hopefully, soon I will share the recipe for both “Ghuguni” and “Alu dum”- So that together we all can enjoy the bliss of home-made Dahi vada alu dum. So here goes the recipe for "Dahi vadas cuttacki style" you all.

Dahi vadas cuttacki style

Serves: 8 to 10 persons

Ingredients:

For Vadas :

Urad dal (split) - 1.5 cup

Ginger- 1’’ inch

Cumin seeds- 2 tsp.

Green chilies (long) - 2 (finely chopped)

Curry leaves- 1 (spring)

Black pepper- ½ tsp.

Water- ¼ cup (approx.)

For Dahi masala :

Curd- 500 gms

Black salt-2 tsp.

Roasted cumin-chili powder- 1 tbsp.

Sugar- ½ tsp.

Coriander leaves- 4 tbsp. (finely chopped)

Water- ½ to 1 cup (approx.)

Salt to taste

Procedure:

For Vadas: Take Urad dal and soak it in water for 4-5 hours. Now grind it into a smooth paste by adding very little water. Now roughly pound cumin and pepper. Then using hands roughly chop the curry leaves and grate the ginger. Now add salt, green chilies, cumin, pepper, ginger and curry leaves to the Urad dal batter. Using a spatula beat the batter well as it would ensure that the added ingredients have mixed well and the batter holds on air. Now heat oil over medium heat to deep fry the vadas. After that in a bowl take some water and every time before you fry the vadas dip your hand in water, bring some batter shape it into flattened balls and slowly leave it into oil. Let it fry in one side and once that side is done it would rise up and then you may turn on the other side to be fired. Fry the all the Vadas this way.

Take a big bowl with water at room temperature. Now after straining the fried vadas leave them in the bowl of water. Let it remain in water for ½-1 hour. Then drain out the excess water by gently pressing the Vadas in between your palms.  While the Vadas are soaking in water prepare the masla dahi.

For Masala Dahi and final Dahi vadas –Take curd in a big bowl and beat it well along with water. After that add salt, sugar, black salt and roasted cumin-chili powder. Now take the water soaked Vadas and dip it in the curd masala mix. Let the vadas stand immersed in curd for 30 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves, sev and serve.

Notes: 

For another authentic version you may add a tadka of cumin seeds and curry leaves.

This is “Cuttacki” version of Dahi Vadas where we use curd that is of very thin in consistency.

I ran out of sev, so couldn’t garnish with the same in this picture. But, yes if you have it add lot of it to the Dahi vadas.

Finally, I have created the dish from my own understanding of what I have grown eating up all these years.

Shahi Rajma masala

 As a child I rarely could get my hands over “rajma”, simple because in Odisa “rajma” was rarely seen as hero curry. However, I remembered seeing an advertisement of “Rajma masala” on T.V and yes it did caught my imagination. I wanted to have it the exact way- the luscious looking gravy with the very attractive red beans. So my Mom, as I remember made it once but she didn’t let me eat with rice as it was a semi-dry gravy. Moreover, we “Odia” people are in need of an elaborate lunch so just “rajma-chawal” could never be visualized as an option.

When I moved to Delhi for higher studies, it did take me some time to appreciate the elegance of simple lunch duos like “rajma chawal”, “chole-chawal” or even “kadi chawal”. Now they all are my favorite and “rajma-chawal” tops the list. Frankly speaking, I have never seen anybody cooking “rajma”, so I took a long time to experiment and zero on some of the very lovable recipes. One of the recipe that is close to my heart is “Shahi Rajma masala”- It looks like a regal rajma gravy and is indeed very impressive in terms of taste. So, here is my recipe that I am sure you would love it.

Shahi Rajma masala

Serves: 3 to 4 persons

Ingredients:

Rajma- 1 ½ cup

Onion (medium) - 3 (chopped)

Tomato (medium) - 2 (chopped)

Garlic cloves- 15

Ginger- ½’’ inch

Green cardamom-3

Black cardamom-1

Cloves-6

Cinnamon – 1’’ inch stick

Cumin seeds- ½ tsp

Coriander powder- 1 tbsp.

Chili powder- 2 tsp.

Cream- 1 tbsp. + 2 tsp for garnishing

Oil- 1 ½ tbsp.

Butter- ½ tbsp.

Water as required

Salt to taste

Procedure:

Soak rajma for 6-8 hours. Then pressure cook rajma with salted water till done. Meanwhile, roughly pound the whole garam masalas, ginger and garlic separately. Heat oil in Kadhai, once hot add the pounded garam masalas, followed by garlic and ginger. Fry it well till slightly browned, then add onions. Sauté well till translucent, after that add tomatoes, coriander powder, chili powder and salt. Drizzle the pan with some water. Cook the masala well, till the raw smell of the powdered spices vanishes. Do add water if the masala sticks to the Kadhai. Once the masala is cooked well, take it off the flame. It may take about 20-25 minutes. Cool the masala and grind it into a smooth paste with some water. 

Put the pan back on flame, add butter and after it melts add the cumin seeds. After they splutter, add the grounded masala and water as per your desired gravy consistency. Bring it to a boil and then simmer the gravy, cook for 5 minutes and then add rajam. Reserve about 2 tbsp. of rajma, mash and add it to the gravy. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Check for the spice and salt level in the gravy. Finally add cream and give it a final stir. Before serving garnish it with cream.

Shahi Rajma masala tastes best with steamed rice or zeera rice. 

Notes:

Instead of cream, you may add 1/4^th cup of milk to the gravy and cook for another 5-8 minutes.

This is a spicy gravy, if prefer a lighter version then do consider reducing the amount of garam masalas and chili powder used.

Adding mashed rajma will give additional flavor and thickness to the gravy.

Tomato Khatta with raisins

Tomato Khatta is a prominent side-dish in almost every Odia household during winters as tomatoes are galore. Odia people prefer their chutneys to be high on a sweeter side. So though we call it “Khatta” which means “sour”, we actually make it more of sweet and less of sour. However, there is another version of Tomato Khatta which is actually sour as no sugar is added to it. But in respect to popularity, the "Sweet Tomato khatta" is a real heart winner. To give the "Tomato Khatta" more of sweetness punch, dates or raisins are added. Today I will be sharing the recipe of Tomato Khatta with raisins.

Tomato Khatta with raisins

Serves: 4 persons

Ingredients:

Tomato (medium) - 6

Raisins -1 tbsp.

Panch phoron - 1 tsp.

Curry leaves - 7-8

Dry red chilies-2

Ginger- 1 inch (crushed)

Sugar- 6 tbsp.

Roasted cumin- chili powder- 4 tsp.

Salt to taste

Procedure: 

Chop the tomatoes and heat up the pan. Pour in oil, once hot add the panch phoron, dry red chilies, curry leaves and ginger. Let it sputter for few seconds and when you can smell the nice aroma, then add the chopped tomatoes along with salt. Let it cook for five minutes and when the tomatoes turn mushy, add sugar and raisins. Cover and cook for 10 more minutes.  Taste for the sweetness, if you want it sweeter you may add more of sugar. Finally, add the roasted cumin-chili powder and turn off the gas after giving it a final stir.

Notes:

You can substitute raisins with chopped dates.

You may increase or decrease the sweetness level as per your preference.

This can be stored for about 4-5 days in a refrigerator.

Soyabean aloo kasha

I was going through my blog and I realized that last 8 posts have been about non-vegetarian recipes. So thought of sharing a vegetarian recipe. It is not that I cook less of vegetarian food but I think I am somewhat more excited to share successful trials with non-vegetarian food. From next time on I will work towards creating a balance, so that all my readers can have a look at both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Now coming to the recipe, Soyabean aloo kasha involves soya and aloo with a special Odia treatment to it. So here goes the recipe for you all.

Soyabean aloo kasha

Serves: 3 to 4 persons

Ingredients:

Soya bean- 1 cup (small variety)

Potato (large) - 1 (boiled, peeled and cubed)

Onion (medium)-2 (cut into thin slices) and 1 (chopped)

Tomato (medium) - 3 (chopped)

Ginger garlic paste- 2 tsp.

Turmeric powder- ½ tsp.

Coriander powder- 1 tbsp.

Cumin powder- 1 tsp

Red chili powder - ½ tbsp.

Kashmiri chili powder- 1 tsp.

Cinnamon- ½’’ inch stick

Cardamom- 2

Cloves-6

Oil- 2 tbsp.

Sugar- 1 tsp.

Coriander leaves- 2 tbsp.

Salt to taste

Procedure:

Cook the soya bean as per the packaging instructions in salted water. Now heat oil in a pan, add sugar and let it melt. Once done add onions and sauté it well till translucent. Now take chopped onion, tomato, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, Kashmiri chili powder in a grinder and ground it into a smooth paste using little water.

After the onion have turned translucent, add ginger-garlic paste and fry it till the raw smell disappears. Then add the grounded masala, salt and do scrape out the remaining masala with some water. Cover and cook the masala well, till the masala leaves oil from it sides. This process takes about 15-20 minutes. Whenever you find the masala sticking to the bottom of the pan, add little water and continue cooking. When the masala is well cooked add potatoes and soya beans. Fry it well and then cover and cook for another 5- 8 minutes.  Finally garnish it with coriander leaves and serve.

Soya bean and aloo kasha goes well with zeera rice or rotis.

Notes:

If the curry will taste sour you may consider some more sugar to balance the taste.

Frying the soyabean in oil after they have been cooked in salted water will give more flavor to the recipe.

If you want you can avoid adding potatoes to this recipe.

Dailywala anda aloo curry

Well Sunday ho ya Moday roz khao Ande!! So here I get the recipe of “Dailywala anda aloo curry” for you this Monday. After a long time today- A Monday...This Monday has been so relaxing and rejuvenating. I didn’t cook since morning, but planning to cook for dinner. So before I enter my Kingdom, I thought of sharing this egg curry recipe that could be seen as a viable option for that quick Monday cooking that brings together both health and taste. “Dailywala anda aloo curry” is simple and spicy gravy made with the regular masalas for that super-fast cooking session.

Dailywala anda aloo curry

Serves: 2 persons

Ingredients:

Eggs- 4 (boiled and peeled)

Potatoes (small) - 2 (cut into thin slices)

Onion (small) - 2 (finely chopped)

Tomato (small) - 2 (finely chopped)

Ginger-garlic paste- ½ tbsp

Coriander powder- 1 tbsp

Cumin powder- 3 tsp

Chili powder- 1 tbsp + ½ tbsp

Turmeric powder- ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Oil- 1 tbsp

Ghee- 2 tsp.

Water as required

Procedure:

Heat ghee in a pan and fry the boiled eggs till golden brown on all the sides.  Strain and keep it aside. Then take ½ tbsp. oil and fry the potatoes well till done and the keep it aside. Then heat 1 tbsp. oil in the pan, add onions and cook till they turn translucent. After that add ginger-garlic paste and sauté it well till the raw smell disappears.

 Then add tomatoes, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and chili powder. Fry it well, drizzle the pan with some water, cover and cook the masalas till oil oozes from the sides of the masala. Add salt and water (do use hot water) as per your desired gravy consistency. Give it a boil, then reduce the flame and continue cooking for another 5-8 minutes. Finally add the fried eggs and potatoes. Simmer it for another 2 minutes and it is ready to be served.

Dailywala anda aloo curry tastes best with rotis or Khichidi.

Notes:

Frying the eggs is optional.

Frying the eggs with ghee gives it a nice flavor.

Prawns Piyazi masala

I was working till the end of this Saturday and was completely drained out. Hubby wanted to take me out for lunch but I was in no mood to step out. I just wanted to languish in a cozy corner of my home, eating and resting. As I was craving for sea food, Mr. K got both prawns and fish. For me rejuvenating also meant some soulful cooking and binge eating. So I went to the Kitchen to churn out dishes that would be high on taste quotient and low on labor quotient. I prepared simple crunchy fish fry out of fish and Prawns Piyazi masala out of prawns.

I was actually making Prawns Piyazi masala the second time. The first time I made, it was for my parents and unexpectedly it came out really well. I loved this recipe much more as it was made in a jiffy and succeeded in pleasing my parents specially my father. So when you are in a hurry but yet want to give your prawns that unique treatment try out this recipe and I can vouch that you will be happy with the results.  

Prawns Piyazi masala

Serves: 3 to 4 persons

Ingredients: 

Prawns- 750 gms.

Marinate the prawns with the following ingredients:

Turmeric powder- 2 tsp.

Ginger-garlic paste- 3 tsp.

Lemon juice- 3 tsp.

Chili powder- ½ tbsp.

Rice flour- 1 tbsp.

Salt to taste

For the Piyazi masala

Onions (Small) – 7 (Finely sliced)

Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp.

Chili powder- ½ tbsp.

Garlic- 20 cloves (finely chopped)

Green chilies-4 (slit length-wise)

Salt to taste

Oil- 2 tbsp. + 1 tbsp.

Procedure: 

Wash the prawns well and discard any extra water. Then marinate the prawns for about 30 minutes with the above mentioned ingredients. Take a pan and heat 2 tbsp. oil, add prawns, then cover and fry the prawns over medium flame for about 4 -5 minutes. Once the prawns are half done remove it from the pan and keep it aside. 

In the same pan heat 1 tbsp. oil, add garlic and when slightly browned add onions, green chilies, salt and keep on frying till it turns translucent. After that add ginger-garlic paste and red chili powder. Fry the onion for another 2 minutes. After that add the half cooked prawns and mix it well into the onion masala. Cover and cook for another 4-5 minutes or till the prawns are done. Our simple and spicy prawns piyazi masala is ready.

Notes:

Adding rice flour is very crucial to this dish as it gives a unique flavor to this dish.

Do not overcook the prawns otherwise it would be hard and rubbery.

Chicken koftas in walnut gravy

I love cooking so much because I love eating much more. So, even when I have to follow an elaborate process for a simple dish, I lovingly do so for the ultimate burst in my mouth that makes my heart smile. So here is a simple Chicken Koftas in walnut gravy that will take time to prepare but taste is going to make you feel happy in and out.

I love chicken in all avatars and I will keep on saying this time and again. I conceptualized the idea behind the recipe when I saw that charred powdered walnuts was used as a special flavoring for a gravy in a cookery show. I rarely get chicken mince to home. But for those rare times, I do make an effort to create unique dishes. So, this time I decided to play around with the nutty flavor of walnut with purely Indian gravy base. The outcome was a rich, creamy and nutty gravy floating around the soft juicy chicken kofta.

Chicken koftas in walnut gravy

Serves- 3 to 4 persons

Ingredients: 

For Koftas

Chicken mince- 350 gms

Marinate the mince with the following ingredients

Lemon juice -1tsp.

Onion (medium)- 1 finely chopped

Mint leaves- handful finely chopped

Coriander leaves – handful finely chopped

Garam masala- 1 tsp.

Coriander powder - ½ tbsp.

Roasted cumin- chilly powder- ½ tbsp.

Ginger-garlic paste- 2 tsp.

Green chili- 1 finely chopped

Besan- 3tbsp.

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Marinate for an hour and wet your hands to form balls out of the mince

The above the mentioned quantity would make 12 large kofta balls.

For the walnut gravy

Onions (medium)-2 chopped, boiled and blended

Tomato (large)- 1 chopped and blended

Ginger garlic paste- 2 tsp.

Coriander powder- 1½  tbsp.

Cumin powder – 2 tsp.

Chilly powder -½ tbsp.

Turmeric powder- ½ tsp.

Walnuts- boiled for 4 minutes and blended with 1 tbsp. milk.

Mint leaves- 1 tbsp.

Coriander leaves- 1 tbsp.

Odia garam masala- 1 tsp.

Green chilies-2

Oil- 1 tbsp.

Salt to taste

Ingredients for tempering

Cinnamon- 1’’ inch

Cardamom- 2

Cloves- 4

Bay leaf- 1

Serves-2 -3 people

Procedure:

Firstly, deep fry the chicken kofta balls. Remove from heat and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and add the ingredients for tempering. After it splutters and you feel a nice aroma, add the blended onion paste. Cook cover for 5 minutes, and then add the ginger –garlic paste and cook for another 3 minutes. Then finally, goes the blended tomato paste along with coriander- cumin- chilly and turmeric powder. Cook the masala well and after the raw smell of the spices disappear. Add the pureed walnut-milk paste. Cook covered for five minutes. After the masala is ready add water and salt, bring it to a boil and simmer it for 5-8 minutes. Then add the finely chopped mint and coriander leaves, the odia garam masala and the koftas. Give it all a final stir and switch off the gas.

Chicken koftas in walnut gravy tastes best with some naan or pulao.

Cheesy chicken paranthas

Comes winter and the craving for hot stuffed paranthas increases. My Mom makes the yummiest “aloo paranthas” and I have strong feeling that they are even much better than the ones I had in Delhi’s famous “paranthawali gali”. Am I biased? Well, being a foodie I have developed related level of objectivity in my appreciation and criticism of all the delicacies I get to taste.

I am going to share the recipe for “Cheesy chicken paranthas” that I had made as part of special Sunday dinner sometime back. It was my first try with chicken Paranthas and they turned out to be extremely flavorful and soft. The inclusion of cheese and spices makes it different and obviously yum. So, if you are looking out for the opportunity to be stuffed with paranthas, then you may well try out my version of “Cheesy chicken paranthas”.

Cheesy chicken paranthas

Serves: 2 to 3 persons

Ingredients: 

For parantha dough

Multigrain or whole wheat atta- 2 cups

Water as required

Salt to taste

For chicken stuffing

Chicken (boneless) - 150 gms (approx.)

Onion (medium)- 1 (finely chopped)

Coriander leaves- 1 tbsp (finely chopped)

Green chilies- 2 (finely chopped)

Garam masala- 3 tsp

Chaat masala- 2tsp

Black pepper powder- 3 tsp.

Tomato ketchup- 1 tbsp.

Cheese (grated) - ½ cup

Salt to taste

Oil- 2 tsp

For Paranthas

Ghee- in a small bowl

Atta- in a small bowl

Procedure:

For dough-Make soft dough using multigrain atta, salt and water. After kneading, let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

For chatpata cheesy chicken stuffing- Boil boneless chicken in salted water for 15 minutes or till done. Strain the chicken and let it cool. The chicken stock you get can be used in making gravies. After the chicken has cooled down, shred the chicken into smaller pieces. After that, heat oil in a pan, add the onions, green chilies and sauté it well. Then add chicken, garam masala, chaat masala, salt and coriander leaves. Fry it for 2 minutes and then add tomato ketchup and black pepper powder. Fry for another 1 minutes and take it off stove. Now add the cheese and give it a good mix. Now make 6 equal sized small balls of the stuffing and keep it aside.

For paranthas- Take small portion of dough and roll it into big lemon sized balls. Roll it into a small round disc. Now adjust the disc into the palm of your hands in form of a cup. Place the stuffing ball inside the cupped round discs. With very light hands seal the edges and again form a ball. Now dip the roundels in atta and again roll it out into a big round parantha. Be careful to roll it out with very light hands otherwise the stuffing may come out from the paranthas. Heat the tawa on medium flame. Once hot add the rolled out paranthas. Lightly roast one side, then flip it and add ghee on all corners and top. Once it is browned on both the sides, remove it from the tawa.

Chatpata cheesy chicken paratha tastes best with boondi ka raita.

Notes:

Don’t overcook/roast the paranthas otherwise it may turn hard.

The stuffing is spicy so you may reduce the quantity of black pepper used.

I have avoided adding oil while preparing the dough. But if you prefer you may add little of oil to prepare the dough.

Chicken Sukha Oriya style

It’s getting colder here in Bangalore and the winter is making its presence felt more strongly with each passing day. Last evening, Hubby suddenly complains of sore throat and cold. I am surprised, as he was all fine in the morning. I give him ginger tea, we have an early dinner and I go to sleep while he sits engrossed in TV. Today morning, like a baby he comes and confides “this all happened (bad cold) because I took bath in cold water last evening”. Like an infuriated mother I gave him a heavy dosage of scolding for his carelessness. Well, Bangalore climate is such that I use hot water for bathing almost all the year round and see what this man has done. I calm down and decide to prepare a comforting lunch for hubby-baby.

Then I zeroed down my mind search on Chicken Sukha. I make up my list of ingredients and then process of cooking. It is only after the final taste that churns out, I realize that this tastes exactly the way the chicken is prepared in most of the marriages back home. So, I end up naming it “Chicken Sukha Oriya style” Hubby liked it a lot and like an obedient child has taken medicines and is resting. Hopefully he gets well soon!! For all the those who want a warm and comforting chicken recipe “Chicken Sukha Oriya style” is for you.

Chicken Sukha Oriya style

Serves: 5 to 6 persons

Ingredients:

Chicken- 1 Kg

Marinate chicken with the following ingredients:

Curd- 200 gms

Turmeric powder- 2 tsp.

Chili powder- 1 ½ tbsp.

Lemon juice- 2 tsp.

For the Sukha masala

Onion masala:

Onions (large) - 3 (finely sliced)

Coriander leaves along with stems- 3 tbsp. (chopped)

Garlic- 20 cloves

Ginger- 1 ‘’ inch (chopped)

Coconut masala:

Copra or dry coconut powder- 6 tbsp.

Cinnamon- 2’’ inch stick

Black cardamom- 2

Green cardamom- 6

Cloves- 8

Dry masalas:

Black pepper powder- 1 tsp.

Saunf powder- ½ tsp.

Elaichi powder- ½ tsp.

Oil- ½ tbsp. + 1 ½ tbsp.

Salt to taste

Procedure:

 Wash and marinate the chicken with the above mentioned ingredient for about 1 hour. Heat about ½ tbsp. of oil in a Kadhai and add onions. Fry the onions well with some salt till translucent. Once the onion is done take it out and add the coriander stems, garlic and ginger to it. We do not cook the rest of the ingredients with onion. Now in another pan take copra, cinnamon, cloves, Green cardamom, black cardamom and cloves. Dry roast it under low flame till nicely browned. Take it off stove and let it cool. After that take onion masala and coconut masala along with some water and ground it into a fine paste.

Next heat 1 ½ tbsp. of oil in kadhai, add the marinated chicken pieces with salt and cook over high flame. Cover and cook the chicken cook in its own juices for 15- 20 minutes. Then add the coconut-onion mix masala paste and stir it well. Now reduce the heat to medium flame. Cover and cook till the raw smell of the masala disappears. Then add saunf powder, black pepper powder and elaichi powder. At this stage you have two options, either you may add little add to give it gravy form or like me dry up the masala for the chicken “sukha” avatar.

Notes:

If you like you may fry the garlic, ginger and coriander along with onions.

This a spicy chicken recipe, if you may reduce the quantity of chili powder used according to your preference.

Chicken Shepherd's pie with desi twist

How can "chicken" be a shepherd’s pie? It can be because “I” wanted it to be so. Being a hardcore “chickenterian”, I tried to give chicken a different casserole avatar with the fusion of Italian and Indian flavors . The result was pure deliciousness and we devoured it with all love and lust. In my recipe, I have attempted to add veggies and my all-time favorite potatoes. Though the recipe may look like a long process, you just need to be organized in your preparation and then it would seem easy. So do try it for special Sunday brunch and enjoy!!

Chicken Shepherd's pie with desi twist

Serves: 3 to 4 persons

Ingredients:

Potatoes (medium) - 4(sliced into thin roundels)

Chicken mince- 450 gms

Carrots- 3 (finely chopped)

Mushrooms – 1 ¼ cup (finely chopped)

Sweet corn- 1 small bowl

Capsicum (medium) - 1 (finely chopped)

Onions (medium)-2 (finely chopped)

Garlic- 3 tbsp. (finely chopped)

Oregano- 2 tbsp.

Black pepper-2 tbsp. + 1 tbsp.

Marinara sauce- 3 tbsp.

Tomato ketchup- as preferred

Turmeric powder- ½ tsp.

Garam masala- 3 tsp.

Mozarella+ processed cheese-1 ½  cup

Coriander leaves- 4 tbsp.

Oil- 3 tbsp. + 2 tsp.

Salt to taste

Procedure :

 Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan and add the chicken mince and salt. Cover and cook till the water has dried up. Then add oregano and black peeper powder (1 tbsp.), cover and cook till done. Meanwhile in another pan take about 1 tbsp. oil, add garlic and after it is fried add, onion. Sauté it for 2 minutes and then add carrots, capsicum, mushroom. Cover and cook for another 3 minutes. Then add sweet corn, marinara sauce and black pepper powder (1 tbsp.). Cover and cook till it’s done. After that heat about 1 tbsp. oil, add the sliced potato roundels, salt and turmeric powder. Cover and cook till the potatoes are fried on both sides.  

Now it is time for assembling all of them in a casserole. Take a baking dish, massage about 2 tsp oil in the dish. Firstly, layer the fried potatoes, then vegetables, corn and mushroom. Cover it with a layer of cheese. Sprinkle some garam masala, tomato ketchup and coriander leaves. Then layer it with chicken mince and cheese with some garam masala, tomato ketchup and coriander leaves. Follow the process and end with a layer of fried potatoes on the sides and lots of cheese with coriander leaves, tomato ketchup and garam masala. Pre-heat the oven at 180 degree Celsius and bake for 15-20 minutes.

 Chicken Shepherd's pie with desi twist tastes best with some hot soup and garlic bread.

Notes:

Marinara sauce has strong tangy flavor, so I suggest using tomato ketchup as per your preference.

I have used tinned button mushrooms in this recipe.

I have used lot of cheese as I like it that way. You may reduce the quantity of cheese if you don’t like it way too cheesy.

Chicken 65

With parents I never feel that I am a grown up and that too a married woman. I still feel like a teenager with bursting temper and unreasonable demands. I may have been upset with them for umpteen number of times but I always felt the aura of their abundant and self-less love all around me. I have been staying away from home for many years now and we do struggle to get our quality time together as a family. My husband understands my secret desire to be with them. So in his own way he tries to bring us together every year. Indeed, I am heavily blessed that my husband loves my family equally.

My father is a busy man and since childhood we have always seen him like that. But age doesn’t seem to have slowed him down. He still works passionately and untiringly. Life has been tough and his calmness keeps on surprising me. Now I am fast progressing towards completion of second year of my married life and now it’s the first time that he is coming to see me, him and our world far away. For this memorable day, I decided to make one of my fav chicken dishes- Chicken 65. I have avoided egg in this recipe as papa is allergic to eggs. But the exclusion of egg doesn’t make it any less tasty. They loved it and here is my recipe for the mysteriously named Chicken 65.

Chicken 65

Serves: 3 to 4 persons

Ingredients :

Marinate the chicken with the following ingredients:

Chicken- 500 gms (boneless and cut into bite size pieces)

Lemon juice- 3 tsp.

Chili powder- 3 tsp.

Black pepper powder- 1 tsp.

Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp.

Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tbsp.

Rice flour - 1 ½ tbsp.

Salt to taste

For Special 65 wala tadka

Curd- 1 cup

Garlic- 4 tsp. (finely chopped)

Ginger- 3 tsp. (finely chopped)

Green chilies- 3 (slit into halves)

Curry leaves- 3 small spring

Coriander powder- 1 tsp.

Kashmiri chili powder- 2 tsp

Chili powder- ¼ tsp.

Black pepper powder- ¼ tsp.

Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp.

Oil- 2 tsp. + oil to deep fry

Salt to taste

Procedure:

 Marinate the chicken with the above mentioned ingredients for marination except rice flour and salt for 1 hour. Meanwhile take curd, turmeric powder, kashmiri chili powder, chili powder and coriander powder. Whisk the curd well and keep it aside. Now heat oil in a Kadhai, and on the other side add rice flour and salt to the chicken and mix everything well. Make sure that the chicken pieces are well coated with rice flour. Now deep fry the chicken over low medium flame till crisp from outside and cooked inside. It may take about 2-3 minutes. Take care not to overcook the chicken otherwise it may turn hard. Strain the fried chicken and keep it aside.

Take about 2 tsp. oil in a pan and once hot add garlic, ginger and green chilies. Fry it for few seconds till fragrant. Then add curry leaves and fry for few seconds. Then add the curd mix and stir continuously to avoid curdling. Cook it for few minutes. Then pour in the chicken pieces and continue cooking till the curd is reduced and the chicken pieces are well coated. Do cook over high flame till done. Sprinkle black pepper powder and serve hot.

Chicken 65 tastes best with Biryani or roti.

Notes:

If you like egg, it may be used in the marination. Along with it do add some corn flour for giving the chicken pieces an even coating of the egg.

The recipe is high on spice level, so you may reduce the amount of chili powder used to your preference.

I forgot to add mustard seeds in the tadka, so if you want you may add about 1/4 tsp. of mustard seeds.

Apollo fish fry

It has been kind of a long break that I took. Well, I was quite busy with both my professional and personal life. God I wish I was good at multi-tasking, but alas I like to take up things slowly and mostly one at a time. I do panic when I have too many commitments to fulfill within a very short span of time. But then life is all about progressing, so here is what I have improved at. Last night when I was cooking, I realized that I have become much faster in completing my daily cooking chores. I was all smiles at the very self-appreciation moment.

Now coming to the “Apollo fish fry”, it is one of the best tasting Andhra fish recipes that I have tried so far. One bite into the "Apollo fish fry" you will taste the amazing mix of spiciness-sourness-crunchiness and tenderness. So whenever you manage to get some boneless fish, try it out for the very spicy and yummilicious treat.

Apollo fish fry

Serves: 3 to 4 persons

Ingredients:

Boneless fish- 500 gms

Marinate with the following ingredients:

Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tbsp.

Turmeric powder- ½ tsp.

Chili powder- 2 tsp.

Lemon juice- 2 tsp.

Pepper powder- ½ tsp.

Egg-1

Salt to taste

For frying

Oil to shallow fry

Maida- 2 tbsp.

Rice flour- 2 tbsp.

For tadka

Curd- ½ cup

Coriander powder- 2 tsp.

Kashmiri lal chili powder- 1 tsp.

Black pepper powder- ½ tsp

Garlic- 4 tbsp. (finely chopped)

Ginger- 1 tbsp. (finely chopped)

Curry leaves- 1 spring

Green chilies- 4 (sliced)

Coriander leaves- 2 tbsp. (finely chopped)

Soya sauce- 1 tsp

Red chili sauce- 2 tsp.

Oil- 1 tbsp.

Salt to taste

Procedure:

Clean fish properly and strain out any excess water. Then marinate the fish with the above mentioned ingredients for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a Kadhai to shallow fry the fish. Meanwhile, add rice flour and maida and coat the fish well. After that fry the fish on medium flame till a nice crust is formed and fish is cooked from inside. It will take about 1-2 minutes (depending on size of fish cut-outs). Strain the fish and keep aside. Fry the fishes in batches so that they don’t stick to each other.

Now for the tadka, heat oil in a pan. Meanwhile take curd, soya sauce, coriander powder, Kashmiri chili powder, red chili sauce and whisk everything well till nicely blended. Once the oil is hot, add ginger fry it for few seconds and then add garlic, fry it well till slightly browned. Then add curry leaves and green chilies and continue frying for 1 minute. Then add the curd mix and let it cook for 3-4 minutes on low flame. Finally add the fish and let it soak all the maslas. In the end salt, add coriander leaves and add black pepper powder, give it a final stir and serve.

Notes:

Don’t over fry the fish, as it could spoil all the flavors.

Adding rice flour will give it a nice crunch, otherwise you may add corn flour to it as a substitute.

Adding lemon juice is important to curb any foul smell in fish.

Use boneless and firm fish for this recipe.

Add salt only when required as soya sauce itself has high salt content.

Vegetable Pulao (without onion and garlic)

I am a lover of rice. Serve it to me in breakfast, lunch or even dinner I wouldn’t complain. I do struggle with rotis and even paranthas but when it comes to rice my real and huge appetite shows up. For me the word satisfaction and rice goes hand in hand. I, so badly wish rice was as healthy as wheat flour or multigrain flour. Then, I could have truly lived up to my love for rice.

I like to try varieties of rice and I am pretty good at some of them. Now it’s hard to believe that I have tried hard for 2 long years to re-create this simple magical vegetable pulao. In retrospection, I feel that I had nurtured the misconception that such an awesome tasting pulao could never be so simple. But the fact is that it is indeed very simple- no onion, no garlic and even no ginger or tomatoes. So when I first made it few days back with this particular recipe, I was not high on expectation and packed it for lunch. The first bite one of my friend’s took she said with a happy expression “yum…biryani”. Now that’s the mutual words of appreciation we use for awesome tasting rice item. Then there was another friend who traded her lunch box for mine. So I was finally elated at my success. So sharing this recipe for this simple and tasty Vegetable Pulao

Vegetable Pulao (no onion no garlic recipe)

Serves: 2 persons

Ingredients: 

Basmati rice- 1 glass

Water- 1 ¾ glass

Carrots- ½ cup (chopped into fine cubes)

Beans- ½ cup (finely chopped)

Green peas- ½ cup (3/4^th boiled)

Whole garam masalas

Green cardamom- 6

Cloves- 6

Bay leaf- 1

Cinnamon- 1 inch stick

Oil- 1 tbsp.

Ghee- 1 tbsp.

Salt to taste

Procedure:

Heat oil+ghee in a pressure cooker. Once hot add the whole garam masalas. Now reduce the flame to low and let the garam masalas splutter for 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye so as not to burn the masalas. This step is crucial as it helps the oil to extract the flavors from masalas. Then add carrot and beans. Cover and fry over medium flame till it is half done. Then add the peas and cook for another 2 minutes. After that add rice and fry it well for 1-2 minutes. Then add water, salt and bring the flame to high. Close the lid and wait for the first whistle. Then lower the flame and cook for another 7-8 minutes. Switch off the flame and let all the steam escape on its own and then open the lid. The simple yet magnificent pulao is ready to be served.

Notes:

Use good quality of Basmati rice for preparing this vegetable pulao.

You may reduce the ghee quantity used by ½ tbsp.

I have cooked the rice in pressure cooker and because of the correct way of cooking by rice didn’t stick.

One may also cook the rice through traditional method, but do follow the instructions provided by the particular brand of Basmati rice you would be using.

Chicken Biryani Kolkota style

Biryani is undoubtedly one of the most popular food across India and interestingly different parts of India have different versions of Biryani and all are equally delectable. I am fonder of Hyderabadi style Biryani while hubby is an ardent fan of Kerala style Biryani. I am from Cuttack and we too have places that serves amazing Biryani. I feel “Cuttack style Biryani” it is somewhat closer to both Kolkota and Hyderabadi style Biryani and after moving to Bangalore there was a place where I had authentic Kolkota Biryani. It was really good and my husband loved it because it had those fried potatoes in it. However, that place doesn't any longer serve the same quality of Biryani. I am deeply irritated when the greed for profit rules out the importance of consumer satisfaction.

I have tried to cook my own version of Kolkota style biryani. I have used store bought Biryani masala, but hopefully I would soon be coming with my own version of Biryani masala. Now coming to the Biryani, hubby loved it and said that it tastes better than the restaurant. However, I would have like it little more hot. But then, one can add extra chili powder if one wants.

Chicken Biryani Kolkota style

Serves : 4 persons

Ingredients:

For rice

Rice- 2 glasses

Cardamom- 8

Cinnamon- 2” inch stick

Cloves- 8

Peppercorns- 10

Star anise-2

Bay leaf- 2

Salt to taste

Oil- 1 tbsp+ 1 tbsp ghee

Water as required

For gravy

Marinate chicken with the following ingredients:

Chicken- 600-700 gms

Thick yogurt- 4 tbsp.

Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp.

Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tbsp.

Red chili powder- 3 tsp.

For masala

Fried onions- 4 tbsp.

Tomato (large) - 2 (chopped)

Yogurt- ¼ cup

Green chilies- 4

Biryani masala- 1 tbsp.

Coriander leaves- ½ cup (Finely chopped)

Mint leaves- ½ cup (Finely chopped)

Water- ½ cup

Oil- 1 tbsp.

Salt to taste

For layering of Biryani

Onions (medium) – 10 (cut into thin slices)

Biryani masala- 3 tsp

Cashews - 30 nos.

Kismis- 40 nos

Baby potato- 5-6 (peeled)

Coriander leaves- ½ cup (Finely chopped)

Mint leaves- ½ cup (Finely chopped)

Ghee- 1 tbsp+1 tbsp+ 1 tbsp

Oil- 2 tbsp. + ½ tbsp. + ½ tbsp.

½ tsp of kesar soaked in warm milk.

Salt to taste

Procedure:

Marinating the chicken: Marinate chicken with the above mentioned ingredients for 4-6 hours or overnight.

For layering:

Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a pan, add sliced onions, salt and sauté well till translucent.  Take it off flame and keep it aside. Then take ½ tbsp. of oil and fry the potatoes with dash of a salt, till its turns golden brown. Then cover and cook till done. Once done, keep it aside. Finally, heat another ½ tbsp. of oil and fry the cashews and raisins and keep it aside.

Keep the Ghee, mint leaves and coriander leaves, kesar soaked milk and Biryani masala ready.

For rice:

Cook rice along with salt, water, oil, ghee and whole garam masalas. When it is 3/4^th done, strain away the water and let it rest.

For gravy:

Heat oil in a pan, add the marinated chicken, green chilies, fried onions (the one we have already prepared), tomatoes and salt. When the chicken is half done, take it out from the flame and add curd and biryani masala. When the chicken is almost done add coriander and mint leaves. Take care not to overcook the chicken. 

For the dum:

Take a big vessel. Coat the vessel with ghee, now in three parts first layer rice, then the chicken along with the gravy and onion-raisin-cashew, coriander, mint leaves and 1-2 potatoes for each layer. Remember to sprinkle 1 tsp. of biryani masala .Then pour 1 tbsp. of ghee for each layer and then follow the mentioned layering patter. Finally add the milk with kesar on the layer.  You may use a dough to seal the edges. But I used the silver foil and then put the lid on it.

Now put the vessel on low flame and let it be on "dum" for 15-20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove it from flame and it is ready to be served.

Notes:

Use basmati rice for biryani as it is the best rice for biryani.

I have used market bought “Biryani masala” which in my opinion was very not very spicy. Now different biryani masalas have varying spice level. So keep a watch and use, if you are not very fond of spicy food.

If you don’t like potatoes then you may not include it in the recipe.