Goan Escapades (Part 1) - Prawn Balchao

My trip to Goa last month was my first there. Many find it hard to believe, especially after knowing that I spent 3 years in Mumbai and 2 years in Pune. The fact remains that there are so many great destinations short of goa along the Konkan coast that you just cannot reach goa. They hijack you with their charm and virgin beaches.

Apart from one of the best training interventions in the last few years, the trip to goa was a great culinary adventure. The hotel we stayed in, Park Hyatt Resort & Spa, is a fantastic property. The hotel beach is amazing and their food is lip smacking. I would though give their Italian restaurant a pass.
One of the restaurants that I made a beeline to almost everytime was Casa Sarita. It is named after Chef Sarita who heads the restaurant and literally translated means "House of Sarita". Chef Sarita is an amazing cook and has designed all the dishes on the menu. She has been featured on various food shows on NDTV, IBN and has even had Karen Anand take recipes from her (You can hear that in the video). What is even more interesting is to note that she is self taught and has not been to a cookery course or college. What came as a pleasant surprise was the fact that Casa Sarita has been featured in the Conde Nast Hot List Tables 2008 in Indian category. This annual list names the best in the global dining scene and this is one of the four Indan restaurants featured. One bite of the food and you wonder why not ...the food is great, the staff fantastic and the chef great.
Chef Sarita was extremely obliging in letting me record her while she cooked and let me post those signature dishes on this blog. This recipe for Prawn Balchao is the first one in the series. Since it was not a planned event, the videos have been recorded on various digicams available to the group that was along with me. I am still sourcing out various other videos containing recipes and pardon the noise in the background (you can hear my irritating voice trying to make small talk with chef Sarita) and me trying to capture every little nuance of this cuisine.

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Ticking for these Tikki's

Sticking to the theme of party snacks from my last post, this time I cater to the vegetarian crowd. Almost everytime, I put in so much effort planning on the meat and chicken part that the vegetarian folks tend to get missed out. They usually get the normal fare like paneer, potatoes and cauliflower for starters. Surprisingly there are so many options of giving the a new something, and it doesn't take too much time too.
Tikkis (Patties) are my favorite snack. The regular visit to the chaatwala are not complete without aloo tikki. This time however, I have totally avoided potatoes in this particular recipe and combined rice and yogurt. Summers are here, as I have been screaming every other post and what better than Yogurt.

Dahi Chawal Ki Tikki (Rice and Hung Curd Patties)

Ingredients:

Rice, boiled - 100 gm
Yogurt, Hung - 75 gm
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp
Asafoetida (Hing) - 1 Tsp
Cumin, roasted and crushed - 1 Tsp
Green Chilli, finely chopped -2
Coriander, finely chopped - 2
Ginger, finely chopped - 1 Tsp
Salt - To Taste
Oil- For Frying

Method:
1. Add all masalas, ginger and green chillies to the boiled rice. Mix well.
2. Add hung yogurt to this and mix well again. Add seasoning and mix again.
3. Divide the mixture into equal portions and shape into patties.
4. Heat oil in a flat pan or tava. Fry patties till golden brown.
5. Take out on absorbent kitchen paper to drain excess oil.
6. Serve hot with mint chutney, onion rings and a slice of lemon.

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Tangdi Kabab (Grilled Chicken Legs)

The biggest worry one has while inviting people over is what to keep for snacks. It gets compounded when the invitees are foodies or have been over many a time at your place. having a relatively smaller friend circle I face this dilema many a times. So much so that, my wife and kids enjoy seeing me staring at a chicken (one of the things) wondering what to do with it.

A few weeks back was a classic example. I had two of my friends coming over. One of them has just come back from Hong Kong where he was the executive chef of a successful Indian Restaurant, and the other who used to be a chef with the Taj Group and is still in the food industry. I knew it was going to be difficult to please the guys.

And then it struck me ...Tandoori Chicken Legs !!! The fastest mover in snacks and the easiest to make ( not too easy...underdone and it is a bloody affair ... literally). The photos do not do justice as I hardly had time to click any ...they just flew from the grill :)

Tangdi Kabab

Ingredients

Chicken legs (Tangdi) - 10
Ginger Garlic Paste - 4 Tsp
Gramflour (Besan), roasted - 1 Tblsp
Onion Paste - 4 Tblsp
Amchoor - 2 Tsp
Black Cumin Seeds (Shah Zeera) - 1 Tsp
Mustard Seeds (Rai), powdered - 1 Tsp
Turmeric Powder (Haldi) - 1 Tsp
Red Chili Powder - 2 Tsp
Coriander Powder (Dhania Powder) - 1 Tsp
Kasoori Methi - 1 Tsp
Vinegar - 2 Tbslp
Cream - 1/2 Cup
Yogurt - 4 Tblsp
Salt - To taste
Oil - For Basting

Method:
1. Wash & Clean the Chicken Legs. Make two cuts (1 inch wide) on each leg.
2. Mix all the other ingredients except oil. Marinate the chicken legs in this mixture.
3. Keep the marinated chicken aside for 5 hours in a cool place.
4. Heat the grill.
5. Place the chicken legs on the hot grill and cook turning over and basting with oil atleast 3-4 times.
6. Serve hot with onion rings and mint chutney.

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Bisi Bele Huli Anna - The all-in-one meal

In recent times (last 4 months), this is the fastest that I have followed up on my posts. It is by no way an indication of me getting any spare time from work and other engagements. It is in fact far from it. If I told you sometime back that I was busy, I lied. Busy is what I am now, and going by the way things look, I'll probably make another similar statement in the next few months.

Coming to this post, Bisi Bele Bhat or Bisi Bele Huli Anna (as is called in Kannada) is the unrivaled king (or queen..my gender on food is muddled) of all Kannada dishes. Literal translation of this name means "hot rice cooked in sauce". It started out as a royal invention in the palace of Mysore and after finding its way out of the royal walls, it found its way into the stomachs and hearts of the common man or say the farmer. Its a complete meal in itself and with the addition of vegetables (and dry fruits) also very nutritious. Different versions of this dish exist, but most homes prefer to make the instant version by adding the MTR mix or Priya mix that you find easily in the supermarket. They are pretty close to the real thing and I like their taste too. Though as you can see from the pictures I do not make it too watery.

Ingredients:

Tur Dal (Red Gram Lentil) - 1/2 Cup
Rice - 1.5 Cup
Shallots, peeled & diced - 8
Tamarind - Size of a lime
Eggplants, small, diced, - 2
Carrot, diced - 1
Potatoes, diced - 2
Green Bell Pepper, diced - 1
Dried Red Chillies - 4
Fenugreek Seeds - 1 Tsp
Mustard Seeds - 2 Tsp
Corriander Seeds - 2 Tsp
Asafoetida (Hing) - A Pinch
Curry Leaves - 6
Cashewnuts - 20 gms
Cloves - 4
Cinnamon- 1 Small Piece
Cardamom - 4
Aniseed - 1 Tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 Tsp
Poppy Seeds - 1 Tsp
Coconut, grated- 2 Tblsp

Sambar Powder - 2 Tsp
Gingelly Oil - For frying
Salt - To Taste
Ghee - 2 Tsp

Method:
1. Par boil carrots and potatoes. Soak tamarind for 20 minutes in warm water.
2. Half cook tur dal and rice together.
3. Grind together slightly roasted Cloves, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Aniseed, poppy seeds, coriander seeds & grated coconut with a little water. Keep this masala aside.
4. In a large wok add gingelly oil. When it is hot, add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Add the red chillies, curry leaves and hing.
5. Now add shallots. Once shallots become transparent, add egg plants and green peppers.
6. Add turmeric powder, salt, ground masala paste and sambar powder when the peppers become slightly soft.
7. Now add the tamarind water and the carrots and potatoes.
8. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the tur dal and rice.
9. Add a little water and keep stirring to avoid it from sticking to the bottom.
10. Once cooked you can add cashewnuts fried in ghee.
11. 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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Achari Chicken Tikka

It's been a jet setting year so far ...I mean I have traveled more in the last 2 months than I have in 2007 & 2008 combined. Going by the writing on the wall, it's only going to increase. One thing that travel surely does is expose you to different cuisines. You miss cooking, but your palate gets more global and you gather new dishes to cook in your kitchen arsenal. Last to Last week I was in Goa, and though we were all busy on company off site, the food was out of the world. I took time to visit all the restaurants in the Hotel we stayed in and the Goan restaurant blew me away.
I managed to sweet talk the chef in parting with a few recipes and even take a video of them. Sadly, the video is in bits and resting with colleagues who, since we have come back, are either on a vacation or out sick. More on that in the posts to follow.
The recipe featured here was tried when my direct reports had dropped in for a friday night bash a few weeks ago. The night was wild as it is always when guys get together and there is booze flowing like water. Don't read too much into it and do not let your imagination run wild. It was nothing like a freaked out bachelors party. Wild, as in, everyone was relaxed and speaking their mind out.

Achari Chicken Tikka Ingredients:
Chicken, Boneless, cut into 1" dices - 200 gm
Ginger garlic paste - 2 Tblsp
Onion Paste - 2 Tblsp
Lemon Juice - 2 Tblsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp
Yogurt, whisked - 1 Cup
Green Chili, finely chopped - 1
Mustard Oil - 3 Tblsp
Black Salt - 1 Tsp
Salt -To Taste

Achari Masala
Fennel (Saunf) - 2 Tsp
Corriander Seeds - 2 Tsp
Fenugreek Seeds (Methi Dana) - 1 Tsp
Black Cumin Seeds (Shah Zeera) - 2 Tsp
Onion Seeds (Kalonji) - 1 Tsp
Mustard Seeds (Rai) - 1 Tsp

Method:
1.Roast the achari masala ingredients slightly. Cool and powder coarsley in a grinder or with a pestle.
2. Make a marinade by whisking yogurt, mustard oil, red chili powder,ginger-garlic paste, onion paste, lemon juice, chopped green chillies, black salt, salt and the powdered achari masala.
3. Marinate the chicken dices in this mixture and leave aside in a cool place for an hour.
4.Pre-heat oven.
5. Skewer the marinated chicken dices and roast in the oven.
6. Rotate the skewers as much as possible. This will ensure even cooking at all sides.
7. Baste with oil frequently. This prevents chicken from drying and makes it more juicy.
8. Serve hot with onion rings and lemon wedges.

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Shrimp & Calamari Masala

The last week has been really a grueling week for me. I was traveling across Europe on business and was running in and out of meetings and then on different flights. In all, we did about 3 countries in 6 days. Apart from the work bit which I enjoy even when I'm not traveling, the exposure to different foods is a big wow for me and I seldom lose any opportunity to try out new types of dishes on offer. This time, the first thing I did when I hit London, was to grab my tub of Ben & Jerry's Phish Food and eat the whole tub by myself (No wonder everyone is saying I have put on a few extra pounds). But apart from the junk food bit, I enjoyed trying out new meats and some of my accomplishments (yes! that's what I call it) was eating Reindeer meat (it was heavenly) in Helsinki and Snails ( they taste just as good ...though I'll prefer the reindeer meat any day...I haven't tasted meat more juicy) in Paris.

I had a free evening on one of the days and I decided to drop in a visit to my old friends Beena and Raj, and while at their house, I decided to cook up something. Beena had graciously offered to prepare the meal for all of us, but I guess I just wanted to show off my culinary skills. See, I wasn't exactly known in college for my culinary skills. It was an art I mastered later at Welcomgroup ....it came from spending 16 hour workdays in the Hotel Kitchen and having the added luxury of having the corporate training kitchen next to your residential flat. During College days it was more of wine & beverages and my skills behind the bar. Those were the days ...with dreams of moving to France and working as a Vigneron in a vineyard ( which by the way everyone, including my folks, thought was a BAD idea). This time in Paris, I said to myself, wish I had taken that step afterall. The culinary heritage of the country just blew me away. Dining at the restaurants was an experience in itself. My next few posts will have a review on them so you can catch up on it later.

This particular recipe is nothing out of the blue and is more South Indianish in its taste and make-up.

Shrimp & Calamari Masala

Ingredients:

Shrimps - 200 gm

Calamari - 200 gm

Onions, finely sliced - 1

Garlic, minced - 5 cloves

Garlic, minced - 1 Tblsp

Tomato, roughly chopped - 2

Curry Powder - 1 Tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp

Bay Leaves - 1

Peppercorns - 1 Tsp

Black Cardamom - 1

Cloves - 3-4

Asafoetida (Hing) - A Pinch

Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp

Cumin powder - 1 Tsp

Curry Leaves - 6-7

Coconut, grated - 3 Tblsp

Green Chillies, finely chopped - 1

Tamarind concentrate - 1 Tsp

Salt - To Taste

Oil - 2 Tblsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan.

2. Add in the bay leaves, black cardamom, cloves and peppercorns. When they start crackling, add in the sliced onions.

3. As the onions turn translucent add in the ginger and garlic. Fry for 3 minutes.

4. Add in the red chili powder, turmeric powder, curry powder, cumin powder, Asafoetida. Fry for 2 more minutes.

5. Add in the chopped green chillies and grated coconut. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes.

6. Add the tamarind concentrate and half a cup of water. Mix well. Add in the curry leaves.

7. Cook till gravy turns to thicken. Add in the shrimp. Cook for a minute and add in the calamari. Cook for 3-4 minutes or till they are done.

8. Adjust the seasonings and serve hot garnished with chopped cilantro.

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Murgh Peshawari

Winter's have been a little soft this year, the fog has spared us mostly and the chill in the air is just right. Sun has shone brightly most of the days and we have loved every bit of the winter's. Being in a penthouse the morning view is to die for, with no other high rise in the near vicinity, it feels you are in a hill resort, especially when it is foggy.

Lazing out on a sunday is a luxury though with the family commitments and work that seems never ending. Over the last few months as I have dwindled in my posts, I have suddenly found myself losing contact with the blogging community and am desperately trying to get back to it. Over these last few months, I have tried out quite a few recipes and now need to find the time to post them. Sometimes, I do not even get the time to click a photo of the dish, leave alone garnish the same. The gang at home is ready to pounce the moment the dish is ready. This dish was made on the first weekend of this year ( and took so much time to get posted), and I had to really hold on to it, so that I could get a decent photo. The lovely, mild january sunshine added to the murgh's appeal. :)

Murgh Peshawari

Ingredients:

Chicken, boneless, cut into pieces - 250 gm

Onion Paste - 1/2 cup

Ginger-garlic paste - 3 Tsp

Tomato paste - 1 Cup

Green Chillies, finely chopped - 1

Turmeric Powder (Haldi) - 1/4 Tsp

Cumin Powder (Zeera) - 1/2 Tsp

Kasoori Methi - 1/2 Tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1/2 Tsp

Cashewnut paste - 2 Tsp

Cashewnuts - 1/2 cup

Butter - 3 Tsp

Salt - To Taste

Whole garam masala

Bay Leaves - 1

Cloves -2

Black peppercorns - 4

Cinnamon Stick -1

Method:

1. Heat butter in a wok.
2. Add whole garam masala & allow to crackle.
3. Then add in the onion paste and saute until light brown.
4. Add ginger garlic paste & finely chopped green chillies & fry for 2 minutes.
5. Dilute the turmeric powder, cumin powder & red chili powder in 2 tbsp water & add to the wok. Cook for 2 minutes
6. Add in the tomato paste. Mix and cook for 10 minutes.
7. Then add in the cashewnut paste,mix well & cook for 2-3 minutes.
8. Add in the chicken and cook till chicken is cooked. Add in the cashews and 8 tblsp water.Cook for 10 more minutes on slow flame.
9. Adjust the seasoning.

10. Garnish with fresh cream or cilantro and 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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Tomato Rice

It has been a really long time since I posted on this blog and going by the hectic schedule lying in front of me, it looks like a big struggle going forward.

The winters are here in Delhi and the fog is once again making the headlines. I have always loved the winters and am loving wearing my winter clothing. Hyderabad did not provide me with that opportunity. Talking about Hyderabad, I miss the Biryanis and the dishes special to that place, like the chicken 65 and Apollo fish. Tomato Rice is not special to Hyderabad, but it was to our household there, as Chennai was close by and our visits to Chennai or someone dropping in from there always got a bottle of tomato pickle from Grand Sweets in Chennai. It was a great shortcut to make Tomato Rice. In this post, however, I present the natural way to make Tomato Rice. Though I'm quick to grab all credits, this one has been the preparation of my better half, with no help from me at all.

Incase I miss out on another post, let me wish you all a very Happy New Year in advance.

Tomato Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 2 Cups

Tomatoes, chopped - 4

Onion,sliced - 1

Garlic cloves - 4

Dried Red Chilli - 2 No

Coriander Seeds - 1 Tsp

Chana dal - 2 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 2 Tblsp

Salt - To Taste

Green Chillies, slit - 2

Coriander, chopped - For garnish

Method:

1. Wash & cook rice adding salt. Leave aside to cool.

2. Heat Oil. Add red chillies, chana dal & coriander seeds. roast till done and take off flame.

3. Powder the above mixture after it has cooled completely. Keep aside.

4. Heat oil in a big wok. Add in the garlic and sliced onions. Fry till transparent.

5. Add in chopped tomatoes and cook till they turn mushy.

6. Add the roasted powder and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes.

7. Add rice to this mixture and mix well. Adjust seasoning.

8. Serve garnished with slit green chillies and chopped coriander.

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