Bharwaan Kheere Ka Saalan ( Stuffed Cucumber Curry)

Last weekend, while browsing through some cookbooks in a bookstore I came across a book with some good concepts but fairly mediocre recipes. One of those consisted of stuffing cucumbers with meat. It was a good concept but one look at the photo (consisting of whole cucumbers) and a quick read through of the gravy, it was a clear no-go. Sadly, it was touted as being one from the kitchens of the Indian royalties. I mulled upon the concept of having stuffed cucumbers for the whole week and then yesterday decided on how I will end of doing it and the gravy to go with it. 

Bharwaan Kheere Ka Saalan
 ( 6 Portions)


Ingredients:
Cucumbers - 4-5
Lamb/ Mutton, minced - 500 gms

For the Filling:
Ghee - 4 Tblsp
Onions, sliced - 2
Ginger, chopped - 50 gm
Red Chili Powder - 3 Tblsp
Coriander Powder - 3 Tblsp
Cloves - 6
Green Cardamoms - 6
Cinnamon Powder - 1 Tsp
Salt - To Taste
Water - 1/2 Cup

For the Gravy:
Ghee - 2 Tblsp
Onion Paste - 100 gm
Ginger Garlic Paste - 6 Tblsp
Yogurt - 2 Cups
Red Chili Powder - 2 Tblsp
Coriander Powder - 1 Tblsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 Tsp
Almond Paste - 1/2 Cup
Lamb/Mutton Stock - 3 Cups
Salt - To Taste
Kewra - 2 drops

Masala Powder (Make a powder of these whole spices):
Black Peppercorns - 6
Cinnamon Stick - 1" stick
Cloves - 3-4
Green Cardamoms - 4
Black Cardamom - 1
Mace - 0.2 gm

Method:
For the Bharwaan Kheera (Stuffed Cucumbers):
1. Peel the cucumbers. Hollow out the centers (keeping the cucumbers whole) and boil them in salted water for 15 minutes.

2. Drain and cool.
3. Heat ghee in a large pan/wok.
4. Add the sliced onions and fry till they are brown.

5. Add in the minced meat. Mix well.
6. Add in the ginger and other ingredients for the filling. Saute until mince in browned.
7.  Add in the water and cook till mince in cooked. Cook till all water evaporates.

8. Fill the hollowed cucumbers with the cooked mince.

For the Gravy:
1. Whisk the yogurt with red chili powder, coriander powder & turmeric powder.
2. Heat ghee in a large pan that is wide enough to hold the stuffed cucumbers.
3. Add in the powdered masala and after 10 seconds add in the ginger garlic paste. Saute for a minute and add in the onion paste.

4. Cook till the flecks of fat start to appear on the surface.
5. Take the pan off the flame and stir-in the whisked yogurt mixture. Return to the flame and cook till fat starts to appear on the surface.
6. Add in the almond paste and cook till fat leaves the sides.
7. Add in the stock and cook on low heat for another 10-15 minutes.

Bringing it together:
1. Add in the stuffed cucumbers to the gravy and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. (add in more water if required)

2. Sprinkle kewra,stir, remove and adjust the seasoning.
3. Remove the cucumbers and slice them into roundels.
4. Place each roundel on a plate on a bed of the gravy. You can even choose to pour the gravy on top.
5. Serve hot with rice or roti.

NOTE: Vegetarians can experiment with adding in an assortment of fillings ranging from paneer to corn and mushrooms.

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Jewels from Avadh (Part 3) - Aloo Gosht Ka Saalan (Mutton & Potato Curry)

Ah! the winters look like ending. Delhi winters are the most amazing weather that Delhi can have, even though at their peak you curse the cold. It has been a very busy month and a half for myself.And I still haven't had enough. There is a afternoon grill lunch being planned for the next weekend and of course the much awaited trip to Chandni Chowk to have the street food.

We had a perfect Sunday and an amazing lunch, of which the saalan was the highlight and then a trip to the India Art fair which ends today. I cannot wait for dinner which will culminate in a wonderful strawberry cheesecake and a late night movie.

Culinary gems from Avadh are the right items for a lazy afternoon meal. Even cooking them, requires so much of delicate love and affection that you do not feel that you have worked at all. The Aloo Gosht ka Saalan was one such gem. With my sons who crave for mutton more than chicken and my wife who is in love with potatoes, there was success written on this recipe when I first laid my eyes on it. 

Other Saalan's on this blog:

Mirch Ka Saalan - The Hyderabadi classic which is a must with the Gosht Biryani.

Makai Mirch Ka Saalan - A twist to the above

Lasan Ka Saalan - Garlic in thin coconut gravy ...a winter classic

Tamatar Aur Chana Dal Ka Saalan

Gobi Aur Mirch ka Saalan

Aloo Gosht Ka Saalan


Ingredients
Mutton/Lamb, pref. from shoulder, cut into 1.5" cubes - 750 Gms.
Baby Potatoes, washed, peeled and reserved in a bowl of water - 16
Clarified Butter (Ghee) - 90 Gm.

Whole Spices
Green Cardamoms - 6
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon (1") - 2
Bay Leaf - 2

Salt
Ginger Garlic Paste - 6 Tsp.
Yogurt - 1 Cup
Coriander Powder - 2 Tsp.
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Fried Onion Paste - 60 Gm.
Fried Garlic Paste - 15 Gm.
Cashewnut Paste - 20 Gm.
Melon Seed Paste (Magaz) - 15Gm.
Mutton/Lamb Stock - 6 Cups
Black Pepper, freshly powdered - 1/4 Tsp.
Green Cardamom Powder - 1/2 Tsp.
Nutmeg Powder - 1/4 Tsp.
Cumin Powder - 1/4 Tsp.
Kewra - 2 drops

For Garnish
Ginger, cut into juliennes - 1"
Fresh Coriander, chopped - 1 Tblsp
Lemon Juice - 2 Tblsp

Method:
1. Cut the ginger into Juliennes and soak them in lemon juice. Reserve for garnish later.
2. Heat the ghee in a handi or a large heavy bottomed pan. Add in the whole spices and stir.
3. Ad the green cardamom changes color, add in the mutton/lamb pieces and salt. Increase flame to high and cook to sear meat for 2 minutes.
4. Reduce flame to medium and add in the ginger-garlic paste. Cook, stirring intermittently till moisture evaporates. (Around 5-8 minutes).
5. Whisk the yogurt with coriander, turmeric and red chili powder.
6. Take the meat off the flame and add in the whisked yogurt mixture, stirring at the time. Put back on flame and cook till the fat leaves the sides . (Around 6-7 Minutes).
7. Add in the fried onion and garlic pastes. Cook till fat leaves the sides. (Around 4-5 minutes).
8. Add the cashew and melon seeds paste. Mix well and cook for a minute.
9. Add in the mutton/lamb stock. Bring the gravy to a boil and add in the baby potatoes.
10. Mix well and bring the gravy to a boil again. Reduce flame to low an cover and simmer, stirring occasionally till meat and potatoes are cooked.
11. Remove the meat and potatoes and pass the gravy through a strainer. Put back on flame and cook till the gravy has a thin saucy consistency.
12. Add in the meat and potatoes. Sprinkle the black pepper, cumin, nutmeg powders and the kewra. Stir,adjust the seasoning and remove from flame.
13. Serve hot garnished with ginger juliennes and chopped coriander. 

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Country Captain Chicken

So all this silence on this space makes one wonder if all is well. It has been a busy 3 weeks, and the way it looks, it is going get only busier. Between work, partying and family commitments, I wonder if there will be any time left for anything else. We had the grill out for the first time this year, and, even though I had not found any time to give any thought to what I will prepare. it turned out pretty fine. The tangri kababs, grilled sole, multani paneer tikkas and grilled jacket potatoes just flew and I was left wondering if I should have got more stuff.

In the meanwhile my better half launched her own housekeeping service in Delhi. I had to provide support in terms of the website and facebook microsite. With that done, it was just the numerous festivals and parties that kept me on my toes.

The changing weather also bought a lot of wildlife out. I saw some amazing out of birds in my garden from time to time. Some were clicked, some just remained in my memory.

I cooked up loads during the time period and one was Country Captain Chicken. It is a true Southern American dish, but if you roam around India, you can come across different versions of this dish where only the name and the main ingredient is the common link. Even the version by Jiggs Kalra mentioned in his book, Zaike Ka Safar is so different. A lot of people might mistake it to be an Indian dish, but it is an American dish with influences from India. As the story goes, The dish was enjoyed by British officers in India, and over the years, it made its way to Port of Savannah, an important port for spice trade through a British Sea Captain.  Since then the recipe has undergone many changes, from a basic chicken and curry powder stew to a mature wholesome dish consisting of other ingredients like raisins and tomatoes. Even in the US, different versions abound. I chose the recipe provided by Lee Bros. on the Food Network site, with a few tweaks (visit the Food Network site for the original).

Country Captain Chicken

Serves - 4

Ingredients:

Chicken - drumsticks, diced thigh pieces - 1 Kg 

Chicken stock - 1/2 Cup

Bacon, chopped - 120 gms

Garlic - 3 cloves

Ginger, grated - 2 Tblsp

Onions, finely chopped - 2 cups

Yellow Bell Peppers, diced - 2 cups

Carrots, peeled and sliced into roundels - 2 Cups

Dried red chillies. seeds removed - 1

Tomatoes, blanched and concassed - 3 cups

Curry Powder - 1 Tblsp

Garam Masala - 1 Tblsp

Raisins- 1/2 cup

Salt-  To Taste

Freshly ground black pepper - 1/2 Tsp

Almonds,Slivered, toasted and chopped- 1/2 cup

Parsley, chopped - 1/2 cup

Oil

Method:

1. Cover the raisins in warm chicken stock and keep aside.

2. Take a stew pot or handi and hear a tsp of oil. Add in the bacon pieces. Cook till it is golden brown, stirring the pieces occasionally to evenly color them. Strain and keep aside.

3. Take some of the fat from the handi and reserve.

4. Add in the chicken pieces to the handi and brown the pieces lightly. Take out and reserve.

5. Add in the dried red chili and toast the chili in fat for about 30 seconds.

6. Add in the onion and garlic cloves. Cook for two minutes or till onions start to turn translucent.

7.Add in the carrots and bell peppers. Cook until they soften (5-6 minutes). Incase the ingredients in the pot are becoming dry add in the reserve bacon fat that we had taken out initialy.

8. Add in the grated ginger, tomatoes and curry powder, garam masala, salt and black pepper. Cook for 2 more minutes.

9. Add in the raisins with the chicken stock. Cook on a low flame till tomatoes are cooked and the sauce thickens.

10. Add in the chicken pieces. Cover the pot with foil.

11. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

12. Transfer the pot to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.

13. Remove the foil and bake further until sauce has thickened.

14. Garnish with reserved bacon, almonds and parsley.

15. Serve hot over rice.

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Phaldari Kofta aur Ananas Ki Tarri ( Plantain Koftas with Pineapple Gravy)

Fresh on the success of my watermelon curry and having fresh and juicy pineapples staring at me from the grocery aisles, it was only a matter of time that it found its way into some delicious item on my dining table. Fortunately, there were quite a few curry recipes made from Pineapple that I found on the internet, and some of them were from India - Southern part of India. This was strange since I assumed that I would end up finding some from the North-East part of India, where it is abundantly grown but did not find any from that part. The koftas on the other hand were my tried and tasted Plantain koftas. Plantains (Raw Bananas), unknown to many make for an amazing cooking ingredient. They are cooked and treated the same way as potatoes and are very popular in tropical regions across the world. 

Phaldari Kofta aur Ananas Ki Tarri ( Plantain Koftas with Pineapple Gravy)


Ingredients:


For the Koftas:
Plantains, boiled & mashed - 2
Cheese, grated - 3 Tblsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 Tsp
Corriander Powder - 1 tsp
Fennel Powder - 1 Tsp
Amchur Powder - 1 Tsp
Salt - To Taste
Flour - To coat


For the Curry:
Onion, sliced - 1 Cup
Cumin seeds - 1 Tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Tsp
Asafoetida (Hing) - A Pinch
Curry Leaves - 3-4
Pineapple - 4 roundels
Coconut, frsh & grated - 3 Tblsp (30 gms)
Cloves - 6
Cinnamon Stick - 1 (1 Inch)
Green Cardamom - 2
Ginger, chopped - 1 Tblsp
Red Chilies, dried - 5
Turmeric Powder (Haldi) - 1/4 Tsp
Jaggery - 2 tsp (You can substitute this with honey if you like)
Salt To Taste
Oil - 3 Tblsp
Coriander, finely chopped - To garnish


Method:


For the Koftas:
1. Mix all the kofta ingredients with the plantains (Except the flour) well.
3. Divide into equal portions and form round balls.
4. Coat with flour and deep fry in hot oil till they turn golden brown.
5. Drain and keep aside.

For the Curry:
1. Make a paste of grated coconut, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom and red chilies. Add in a tsp. of water if required while making the paste. Keep aside for use later.
2. Heat oil in a wok, and add in mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and hing. Add in the sliced onions.
3. Mix well and cook till onions turn translucent.  
4. Add in the coconut paste. Mix well and cook till the mixture starts to turn brown.
5. Add in 2 cups of water and stir to mix. Add in jaggery and turmeric.
6. Add in the pineapple pieces and cover and cook on medium flame for 10-15 minutes or till pineapple pieces turn soft and mashy.
7. Take off flame and cool. Process in a blender and pass through a strainer.
8. Transfer back to the wok and return to flame. Cook for 5 minutes and adjust seasoning.

To Serve:
1. Add in the koftas and serve garnished with chopped coriander.

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Bharwaan Aloo in Tarbuj Ki Karri ( Stuffed Potatoes in Rajasthani Watermelon curry)

I have been contemplating a fruit based curry for over 2 years. The reason behind this has been a chicken in watermelon curry recipe that I found on a food magazine. I had tried that out and did not really like the way it turned out. So my joy knew no boundaries when I stumbled upon this watermelon curry recipe on the Saveur site. It was a traditional Rajasthani dish made with pieces of watermelon (both the red flesh and the outer white flesh) and the final dish was like a watermelon pieces in a thin curry dish. It's really so amazing, getting exposed to your country's culinary gems by someone in a different continent. The writers in Saveur based their recipe on one that appeared in 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer (Workman, 2008).

My take below was a little different. I turned this into a curry sauce in which I added some stuffed potatoes. Since, it was a very last minute decision to cook this one, the justice done to the stuffed potatoes was not as much as should have been, since I wanted to plate it up before the sun went down. The gravy on the other hand was a different story altogether. It tasted yum! and my better half and I are in total agreement that this is now part of our collection of dishes for the special occasions. I'm tempted to replace the stuffed potatoes with some fish, but for that to happen, we will need to wait till the Navratras (Traditional Hindu festival of 9 days of worship - No meat or egg) get over.

Incase you still want to cook it the traditional way (no stuffed potatoes), then click here for the original.

While you are at it and if you love stuffed potatoes, also check out Bharwan Aloo Churneywaale (Stuffed Potatoes in a chutney gravy) posted a few years earlier on this blog.

Bharwaan Aloo in Tarbuj Ki Karri (Stuffed Potatoes in Watermelon Curry)
(4 Portions)

Ingredients

For the Stuffed Potatoes (Bharwaan Aloo)
Potatoes, Medium, Peeled and cut into barrel shapes - 750 gm (Around 4-5 big potatoes)
Paneer, shredded - 120 gm
Green Chilies, minced finely - 4
Ginger, grated - 1 Tsp
Cashewnuts, crushed - 7
Cheese, grated - 3 Tblsp
Pomegranate Seeds - 1/2 Cup
Salt - To Taste
Oil - For frying

For the Watermelon Curry (Tarbuj Ki Karri)
Watermelon, medium sized - 1
Ajwain (Carum Seeds)- 1/2 Tsp
Cumin seeds (Zeera, whole)- 1/2 Tsp
Nigella seeds (black onion seeds) (Kalonji) - 1/2 Tsp
Dried Red chillies, stemmed - 2
Garlic, finely chopped - 4 Cloves
Turmeric powder (Haldi) - 1/4 Tsp
Oil - 2 Tblsp
Salt - To Taste


2 tsp. chopped fresh coriander, to garnish

Method:
Bharwaan Aloo
1. Heat Oil in a Kadhai (wok). Deep fry potatoes till three-fourths done.
2. Remove and cool the potatoes. Scoop out the centre leaving around 1/4' from the sides.
3.Keep Aside.
4. Now prepare the filling by mixing the grated paneer, finely chopped green chillies, grated ginger and crushed cashews & raisins. You can also add in some of the scooped potato after frying it a little & mashing it.
5. Stuff this filling in the potatoes.

Tarbuj Ki Karri
5. Trim and discard the green skin of the watermelon, leaving the inner, whitish flesh intact. Separate the white flesh from the red flesh with the knife, discard the seeds and cut both white & red flesh into 1-1.5" pieces. Set aside.
6. In a handi, heat oil over medium heat. Add ajwain, cumin, kalonji and dried red chillies and cook, until cumin starts to turn color (around 2 minutes).
7. Add chopped garlic and cook, until golden brown (around 30 seconds).
8. Add watermelon white flesh, salt, and turmeric and mix well. Cook until the white pieces turn color to light brown and all liquid evaporates. Stir occasionally.
9. Pour a cup of water into the handi, cover the pan, and simmer the curry over medium heat. Cook for around 10 minutes or till the white flesh pieces are tender.
10. Uncover the handi, add the red flesh pieces and any juice that you might have collected. Mix well.
11. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to boil, stirring occasionally for around 5 minutes, until the flesh softens slightly.
12. Switch off the flame and cool the curry.
13. After the curry has cooled down, process it in a blender.
14. Pass through a strainer into the handi.

Bringing it Together
15. Put the pureed curry back on flame and add in the potatoes.
16. Simmer till potatoes are done.
17. Check for seasoning.
18. Transfer curry to a serving bowl. Halve the stuffed potatoes and place with stuffed side up. Garnish with chopped Coriander.
19. Serve hot.

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Khumb Hariyali Kofta

Gastronome by Choice has finally gone live on twitter. It took me some time to get this going but now that this is out of the way...it feels good. You can follow it by clicking on
http://twitter.com/Gastronomeblog .
Lemme know what you think.
My nice and relaxing vacations have come to end and it is back to business as usual. I miss the lazy mornings spent relaxing at home, doing nothing, plain nothing ...except of course thinking about what can I cook. This kofta is exactly one of those thoughts put into practice.

Khumb Hariyali Kofta

Ingredients:

For the koftas:
Spinach, :750 Gm
Paneer (Cottage Cheese), grated and mashed : 300 Gm
Mushrooms, washed, drained and chopped: 160 Gm
Cumin seeds:1 Tsp
Garlic,finely chopped: 6 cloves
Ginger, finely chopped: 2 Tsp
Green chillies, finely chopped: 2
Lemon Juice: 1 Tblsp
White Pepper Powder: 1 Tsp
Black Pepper Powder: 1 Tsp
Cornflour: 2 Tblsp
Salt: To Taste
Oil: 2 Tblsp
Butter: 1 Tblsp
Brown Sugar: 2 Tblsp
Oil: For frying the koftas

For the gravy:
Ghee: 3 Tblsp
Onion Paste: 4 Tblsp
Ginger Paste:4 Tsp
Garlic Paste: 4 Tsp
Tomato Puree: 2 Cups
Cashew nut paste: 3 Tblsp
Clove Powder: 1/4 Tsp
Cinnamon Powder: 1/8 Tsp
Mace Powder: 1/8 Tsp
Red Chili Powder: 1 Tsp
Green Cardamom Powder: 1/2 Tsp
Black Cardamom Powder: 1/8 Tsp
Kasoori Methi: 1 Tsp
Cream: 1/4 Cup
Salt: To Taste

Method:
For the koftas:
1. Heat Oil in a kadhai (wok). Add in the cumin seeds. As they start to crackle, add in the garlic. Saute till light golden.
2. Add in the spinach and stir fry till all moisture has evaporated. Remove off flame and cool.
3. Once cool, chop the spinach roughly.
4. Heat butter in a separate wok. Add in the lemon juice and sugar. Cook till a nice syruppy consistency is achieved.
5. Add in the mushrooms, ginger and green chillies. Cook till done.
6. Mix in this mushroom mixture with the spinach and add in all remaining ingredients. Mix well.
7. Divide into 12 equal portions. Make round balls and keep aside.
8. Heat oil for deep frying the koftas.
9. When oil is hot, add in the spinach-paneer-mushroom balls and deep fry over medium heat till light golden. Remove and drain excess oil on absorbent paper.

For Gravy:
10. Heat ghee in a pan. Add in the onion paste and cook for 3-5 minutes on medium flame.
11. Add in the ginger and garlic pastes. Cook till mixture starts to turn brown.
12. Add in the tomato puree, red chili powder and cashew nut paste. Stir to mix well. Cook for 5 more minutes.
13. Add in the clove, mace, green cardamom, black cardamom and cinnamon powders. Stir. Cook till gravy is slightly reduced and done.
14. Crush and add in the kasoori methi. Cook for another 2 minutes.
15. Stir in the cream and adjust the seasoning.
To Serve:
16. Arrange the koftas in individual plates on a bed of the tomato-cashew gravy. You can garnish with almond slivers.

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Roganjosh

Roganjosh has always been my favorite meat dish for a very long time. Over the years my family and friends have suffered over my insistence of having this dish featured on food menus whenever we have gone dining and even having it on a buffet for parties organized by me. The intense aromas and a taste to die for have made this dish a piece de resistance of the kashmiri cuisine. What is even more interesting than this dish maybe the fact that its origins are Persian and it was bought to Kashmir by the Moghuls who made Kashmir their winter capital.
There are two main theories to the origin of the name Roganjosh. The first one credits the name to its Persian origins wherein Rogan means clarified butter or oil and Josh means Intense. It is simply put a meat based stew cooked in clarified butter over intense heat. The second theory states the name to be a Kashmiri version meaning red meat (Rogan means red in Kashmiri and Josh is the anglicized version of Gosht meaning Meat).
Different versions of this dish exist throughout the country and even in Kashmir where it has been perfected there are two distinct versions on how it is made. The Kashmiri brahmins(hindu caste) eat meat (as opposed to other hindus in the country barring the Saraswat Brahmins of Goa) and make this dish without garlic and onions which they do not use in their cooking. They flavor the dish using fennel (very distinct to Kashmiri Hindu cooking) and asafoetida. The Kashmiri muslims use lots of onion, garlic and also the dried flower of the cockscomb plant commonly known as Maval in Kashmir. Maval provides the dish its distinct bright red color. Maval surprisingly is in itself a substitute for Ratan Jot (Alkanet Root) which was the preferred ingredient to impart color not only to Roganjosh but also Tandoori chicken during the Moghul period. This is now becoming rare and substituted by Maval petals in Kashmir as this flower is indigenous to the state and in other parts of the country artificial food colors are used.
I chanced upon Ratan Jot sometime back in Hyderabad and immediately bought it. This was the perfect time to use it. My version tries to mix both the kashmiri muslim and hindu coking styles by adopting the use of onion, garlic, fennel & asafoetida. It surely tastes good and is great for a nice winter evening served with some pulao.
Other Indian chicken/meat gravy items on my blog that one can read are as under:

Murg Dahi Dhania Korma from North India
Murg Peshawari from Punjab

Murg Patiala from Punjab

Butter Chicken from Punjab
Chicken Tikka Masala
Murg Korma from North India

Chemmeen Mapas (Prawn Curry with Coconut milk) from Kerala

Chetinaad Kozhi Kozhambu (Chetinaad Style Chicken Curry) from Tamil Nadu

Mutton Chops Kozhambu from Tamil Nadu

Hyderabadi Anjeer Murgh (Chicken in figs gravy) from Andhra Pradesh

Murg Kairi

Roganjosh


Ingredients:
Lamb /Mutton, leg or shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes - 1 Kg
Garlic Paste - 3 Tblsp
Ginger Powder (Sonth) - 2 Tsp
Brown Onion Paste - 1/2 Cup
Yogurt - 1 Cup
Cumin powder - 2 Tsp
Red Chili Powder - 2 Tsp
Coriander Powder - 2 Tsp
Green Cardamom - 2 pods
Black Cardamom - 2 Pods
Cinnamon - 1-inch stick
Cloves- 4
Bay Leaf - 1
Kashmiri Degi Mirch - 1 Tsp
Ratan Jot,crushed - 1/2 Tsp
Asafoetida (hing) - a Pinch
Fennel Powder - 1 Tsp
Ghee - 5 Tblsp
Salt - To Taste

Method:
1. Mix together sonth (dry ginger powder), garlic paste, chili powder, degi mirch, coriander & cumin in a large bowl.
2. Add the Meat pieces and mix well to coat all pieces evenly. Allow to rest for atleast 6 hours or preferably overnight in a refrigerator.
3. Heat ghee ina large saucepan. Add Asafoetida and cook for a minute.
4. Add in the cardamom pods, cloves, bay leaf and cinnamon to the pan. Fry for a minute.
5. Add the meat pieces and sear well for 3 minutes. Add in the onion paste and fennel powder and cook for another 5 minutes.
6. Add half a cup of water and cook for 5-7 minutes on high flame, reduce the flame, cover and simmer till all water has evaporated (30-45 minutes).
7. Stir in whisked yogurt slowly and mix well. Keep stirring from time to time to ensure meat does not stick to the base of the pan.
8. Add in the Ratan jot and salt. Stir well and cook till meat is tender.
9. Serve hot with rice.

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Chemmeen Mapas (Kerala Prawn Curry with coconut milk)

The wedding season is here and all the partying and staying out late in the cold winter evenings does call for a sleepy and lazy Saturday/Sunday. The last thing you want to do that day is get up early and cook up a huge elaborate fare. Last Saturday was a similar one. We had just got over a very busy week involving loads of work at the office and hectic wedding celebrations in the evenings.
I decided to cook some prawn curry native to the christian community of Kerala. Since I have never tasted it in the past and was making do with an old newspaper cutting that had the instructions, I do not know whether I ended up making it as it should be, but it surely tasted heavenly with steamed rice on the side.

Chemmeen Mapas

Ingredients:
Prawns, washed, shelled & deveined - 250 gm
Oil - 2 Tblsp
Mustard seeds (Rai) - 2 Tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 Tsp
Onion, sliced - 1
Green Chillies, slit - 2
Ginger, chopped - 2 Tsp
Garlic cloves finely chopped - 12
Coriander Powder - 2 Tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Tamarind, soaked in 2/3 up of water - 1 Lemon sized ball
Coconut milk - 2/3 Cup
Salt - To Taste

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add in the mustard seeds. When they start to crackle, add in the fenugreek seeds, Sliced onion, green chillies, ginger and garlic.
2. Fry till onion turns translucent.
3. Mix together the coriander powder and red chili powder with a tblsp of water to form a paste. Add the spice paste in and fry again for 2 minutes.
4. Extract the tamarind pulp and add that to the pan. Add in the salt and cook.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add prawns and cook till prawns are half done.

6. Pour in the coconut milk and mix well. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.
7. Serve hot with steamed rice or appams.

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Chetinaad Kozhi Kozhambu (Chetinaad Style Chicken Curry)

I visited Dakshin (the restaurant in ITC Sheraton) with a colleague of mine a few weeks back. All these months in Delhi had gone by eating punju food and even when I went out with family or clients it was the usual kebab and tikka fare. The evening at Dakshin made me realize how much of good food from down south I had missed in the past few months.

Chetinaad Kozhi Kozhambu

Ingredients:

Chicken - 500 Gm
Onions, finely chopped - 200 Gm
Tomatoes - 250 Gm
Ginger Garlic Paste - 5 Tblsp

Cinnamon - 1 Stick (1-in)

Cloves - 3-4

Green Cardamom - 4-5
Cumin Seeds (Zeera) - 2 Tsp
Fennel Seeds (Saunf) - 2 Tsp
Coconut, dessicated - 25 Gm
Whole Red Chillies - 3-4
Peppercorns - 2 Tsp
Marathi Mukku - 2
Star Anise - 5 Gm

Turmeric Powder - 1 Tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp
Salt - To Taste
Curry Leaves
Oil

Method:
1. Dry roast Star Anise, Marathi Mukku, Peppercorns, Whole red chillies, fennel, cumin & dessicated coconut and grind them to a fine powder.

2. Heat oil in a pan.
3. Add in green cardamom, Cinnamon & Cloves.
4. Add in onions. Saute till they start to turn golden brown.
5. Add in the ginger garlic paste. Cook well.
6. Add tomatoes, chilli powder, turmeric powder and the roasted masala. Cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add in the chicken pieces. Cook well till chicken is tender and done.

8. Add in the curry leaves. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
9. Serve hot garnished with corriander.

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Cauliflower Curry

There has been a long silence on this blog. I have since my last post hardly felt like entering the kitchen and most of my free time has been spent catching up cricket on TV. Though there has been a lot of eating out at restaurants, no dish worth mentioning out here has made its way out of the family kitchen. Till today. Finally, despite the summer heat encouraging me to continue in the cool environs of the house and avoid the kitchen heat, I made it to the kitchen and tried my hand at something.

Cauliflower Curry Ingredients:

Cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets - 1
Onion Paste - 200 gm
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 20 gm
Cashew Paste - 100 gm
Poppy Seed Paste - 50 gm
Tomato Paste - 100 gm
Coconut, grated - 20 gm
Red Chili Powder - 10 gm
Turmeric Powder- 5 gm
Cumin Powder - 10 gm
Coriander Powder - 10 gm
Bay Leaf - 1
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 100 ml

Method:
1. Heat oil in a wok. Add in the bay leaf.
2. Add in the onion paste. Saute till golden brown.
3. Add ginger-garlic paste.
4. Add the red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder & turmeric powder.
5. Add the tomato paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add poppy seed paste & cashew paste.
7. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
8. Add the cauliflower florets. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
9. Add the grated coconut.
10. Add 1 cup of water. cook and bring to boil.
11. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add salt.
12. Cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from flame and serve hot.

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Murg Dahi Dhania Korma

The summers are here ...the summers are here !!! Its getting so bloody hot, that I fear to think how May and June is going to be. Summers in Delhi and most of India are bad,in a way, that you burn in the heat or get steamed. You lose your appetite for eating, especially those rich foods prepared. It is essential we go with having a lot of food prepared with cool ingredients. Ingredients that cool you rather than make you hot. Yogurt is one such thing. I have loved to use yogurt in my cooking and try out stuff with it. The below mentioned recipe is one such thing. Go easy on the spices and it is a refreshing dish.

Murg Dahi Dhania Korma

Ingredients:
Chicken, boneless,cut into dices - 500 gm
Yogurt - 500 gm
Coriander Seeds - 3 Tsp
Onions, sliced - 3
Green Chillies, chopped - 1
Fresh Ginger, chopped - 2 Tblsp
Coriander Powder - 2 Tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 Tsp
Red Chili Powder - 2 Tsp
Fresh Coriander, chopped - 20 gm
Cashewnut paste - 100 gm
Ginger Paste - 2 Tbslp
Garlic Paste - 4 Tblsp
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 200 ml

Method:
1. Marinate Chicken with salt, ginger paste, garlic paste & 4 Tblsp of yogurt.
2. Heat oil in a wok. Saute chicken till almost done. Keep aside.
3. Heat the same oil again. Add coriander seeds, sliced onions, freshly chopped ginger and green chillies. Saute.
4. Add in the coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, chopped coriander and remaining yogurt. Cook for 1 minute and cool.
5. Blend the mixture till smooth.
6. Heat oil in same wok and add this blended mixture back alongwith cashew paste, chicken and remaining marinade. Mix & Cook well.
7. Adjust the seasoning and cook till the gravy starts to bubble. Do not let it boil.
8 Serve hot.

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Chicken Tikka Masala (Grilled Chicken pieces with a tomato cream gravy)

At the onset, let me make this clear ...this is not an authentic Indian dish. It is a British dish, was invented in UK and their true national dish ( I didn't say this, former British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said it). Having said that, it is, and in a way curry is this country most famous export.

Though there are many ways to make this and countless stories around its origin, the one that I have heard the most, is that, a British customer in an Indian restaurant, found his chicken tikkas too dry and sent them back to the kitchen. The chef, to make it more palatable to his customer, made up a curry dish with yogurt and tomato soup, along with some spices. Voila, The tikka masala was born. It is so popular now that out of every seven curries sold in the UK, one is a chicken tikka masala.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients:

Chicken breast,boneless, cut into 1" chunks - 2 pieces

Yogurt, whisked - 1/4 cup

Onion Paste - 1/2 Cup

Ginger-garlic paste - 8 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1 tsp

White Pepper Powder - 1/4 Tsp

Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1 Tsp

Fenugreek leaves - 1 tsp

Lemon Juice - 1/2 tsp

Salt - To Taste

Tomato Paste - 1 Cup

Green Chillies, deseeded and finely chopped - 1

Butter - 2 Tsp

Vegetable Oil - 3 Tsp

Melted Butter - For basting

Cream - 1/2 Cup

Honey To taste

Method:

1. In a large bowl, combine, yogurt, lemon juice, 3 tsp ginger-garlic paste, 3 tsp onion paste, 1/4 tsp cumin powder, 1/4 tsp red chilli powder, white pepper powder, turmeric powder, vegetable oil and salt. Mix well.

2. Add in the chicken pieces and leave overnight in a refrigerator to marinate.

3. Heat oven/grill. Skewers the chicken pieces and grill for 10 minutes on high heat, basting frequently.

4. Take the pieces out and leave aside.

5. To make sauce, heat butter on a thick pan. Add in the remaining onion paste and ginger-garlic paste. Saute for 2 minutes.

6. Add in the green chillies & remaining spices except the fenugreek leaves. Mix well. Cook for 1 minute.

7. Add in the tomato paste and cook well till the sauce thickens. bring to a boil.

8. Add in the remaining butter and cream. Stir well, add in the chicken tikkas and cook for another 5 minutes.

9. Add in the honey and mix well.

10. Finish with adding seasoning and fenugreek leaves.

11. Serve hot with steamed rice.

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Phaldhari Kofta Curry

Now the banana tree is actually a plant and not a tree. The main stem in reality is a fake stem. having said that, the plant has many uses and almost all its parts are used for something or the other. The leaves are used as plates for serving food in southern India. It is said they increase the appetite and bring out the aroma in the food. The core of the stem is used in curries ( after removing the fibrous part), the underground bulb, the plantain and the fully ripened fruit are all used in dishes. These parts are even supposed to have medicinal properties and are used to cure stomach troubles and aid digestion among other things.

Every week when we visit our grocery store, plantains stare at us begging us to take them and make some exciting dish with them. I have tried in the past to make banana chips, but after several failed attempts and a desperate phone call to my mother-in-law it dawned upon me that these are not variety used to making the chips. So I did the next best thing. I made some koftas with them. I remembered vaguely making a dish with plantains called the phaldhari kofta curry which had koftas made with plantains. This time I tried my own variation of this.

Sri, needless to say, this is yet another contribution to the curry mela :)

Phaldhari Kofta Curry

Ingredients-

For the Koftas:
Plantains - 2
Potato, medium,boiled and mashed - 1
Cheese, grated - 3 Tblsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 Tsp
Corriander Powder - 1 tsp
Fennel Powder - 1 Tsp
Amchur Powder - 1 Tsp
Salt - To Taste
Flour - To coat

For the Curry:
Onion Paste - 1 Cup
Ginger Paste - 1 tsp
Garlic Paste - 1 Tsp
Tomato Paste - 1 Cup
Garam Masala Powder - 1 Tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 Tsp
Cashewnuts - 5-6
Poppy Seeds - 2 Tblsp
Melon Seeds - 2 Tblsp
Salt To Taste
Oil - 3 Tblsp
Cream - To garnish

Method:

For the Koftas:
1. Skin the plantains and mash well.
2. Mix all the kofta ingredients with the plantains well.
3. Divide into equal portions and form round balls.
4. Coat with flour and deep fry in hot oil till they turn golden brown.
5. Drain and keep aside.

For the Curry:
1. Make a paste with Cashews, poppy seeds and melon seeds with some water.
2. Heat oil in a wok. (Use the same oil used for frying)
3. Fry the onion paste till it starts to turn golden brown. Add in the ginger and garlic paste.
4. Add in the dry masalas. Fry for 2 minutes.
5. Add in the poppy seeds,melon seeds and cashew paste. Mix well and cook for another5 minutes.
6. Add in the tomato paste and salt. Cook on a low flame for 5-10 minutes. Add in water to dilute the gravy.
7. Simmer on low flame for 5 more minutes.
8. Take off the flame and add in the koftas.
9. Garnish with cream and serve hot.

Note:
1. Remember to add in the koftas just before serving, else they will turn soggy and break.
2. If you want to, you can stuff a raisin in each kofta.

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Tu Talli Ho Gayi

The title of this post also happens to be the latest rage blasting from all sound systems, be it disco's, pubs, cars, and all the TV channels. You cannot escape the soundbytes and sooner or later you are hooked and humming it yourself. I think, I'm the latest victim else how can you explain this post and the dish that I cooked up while listening to this song :)

This is also my second contribution to Sri's Curry Mela.

Talli Murgh Masaledar ( Drunk Spicy Chicken)

Ingredients:
Chicken, cut into pieces - 250 gm
Rum - 90 ml
Amchoor Powder - 1 Tsp
Onion Paste - 4 Tblsp
Ginger Paste - 1 Tsp
Garlic Paste - 1 Tsp
Tomato Paste - 4 Tblsp
Yogurt - 3 Tblsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 Tsp
Black Pepper Powder - 1 Tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 Tsp
Corriander Powder - 1 Tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Salt To Taste
Oil -2 Tblsp

Method:
1.Clean and rub the chicken pieces with amchoor powder. Marinate in rum. Keep aside for 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a wok. Add in the onion paste and fry till it starts to turn brown.
3. Add in the ginger and garlic paste. Fry for another 2 minutes.
4. Add in the masalas. Fry for 2 more minutes.
5. Add in the chicken pieces and fry for 2 minutes. Pour in the remaining marinade and salt.
6. Add in the tomato paste and mix well.
7. Add in the yogurt and a little water. Cook the gravy on low flame till chicken is done.
8. Serve hot garnished with chopped corriander.

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Anything for some Prawn Curry

This weekend had a great golfing weather. Summers typically present a challenge to play after the 9:00 AM and some showers the night before Saturday ensured we did not have the sun beating on us. Plus it was only 2 of us, so we teed off early and wrapped up by 9:00 AM and I was ready to take the long drive back home and spend the weekend glued to the TV. It was then Harry, my colleague and golfing buddy gave me a call. He hadn't joined us for the round of golf and was lazing on Saturday morning. His fish supplier had just paid him a visit with 6 Kgs of some huge sized prawns and Harry insisted that I pick up some of them. At first I refused, since I was planning on having chicken. After some time, he called again and insisted. His words, "I'm generally not too pushy, but these are good large prawns."

I turned the car and headed straight for his house and after I saw the prawns I didn't regret it. The prawns were huge, as in huge. We had them shelled, deveined and cleaned. In the meantime we chatted and I had some good ol' Roohafza and finally started to proceed home planning on having a good prawn lunch.

Prawn Curry

Ingredients:
Jumbo Prawns(shelled, deveined and cleaned) - 9
Kokum Syrup - 1/2 Cup ( You can substitute with Tamarind)
Garlic Paste - 2 Tblsp
Ginger Paste - 1 Tblsp
Red Chilli Powder - 2 Tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 Tsp
Garlic Cloves, chopped - 4
Onion Paste - 1 Cup
Green Chillies, chopped - 2
Cilantro, chopped - 2 Tblsp
Coconut Milk - 1/2 Cup
Water - 1 1/2 Cup
Salt To Taste
Oil - 2 Tblsp

Method:
1. Marinade the prawns in Kokum, ginger garlic, red chilli powder,salt and turmeric powder.
2. Heat Oil in a wok. Add Garlic and let it brown slightly.
3. Add in the onions and fry for 3 minutes or till they turn translucent.
4. Add in the prawns and fry for a minute.
5. Add in green chillies, cilantro and coconut milk, followed by water.
6. Bring to a boil.
7. Serve hot with rice.

Footnote: Now everyone pairs food with wine/beverages. Here's my take on it. I'm gonna sample food with music. Have this dish listening to sleepwalker (wallflowers) followed by Otherside(Red Hot Chili Peppers) ...tht's wht I did .....the feeling of satisfaction was heavenly!

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