Butter Chicken aka Murgh Makhani (The best dish ever invented)

It’s almost the end of June and before you’ve even realized half the year has gone by. The reality is, time really flies. In the humdrum of our daily routine we don’t even know how days turn into months and months into years. Now, June means monsoons in my part of the world, which obviously means staying indoors, chit-chatting with family over a hot cup of coffee and Goli Bajje. Staying indoors also gives you a good opportunity to have your meals together, a luxury most of us miss in our busy city life. As a family, we always believe in having our meals together. This is a value my mum instilled in us as kids and it is something that we follow till date. So the other day, when we were planning our meal for the coming Sunday, we decided that it needed a bit of glamour; something that is nice, wholesome, spicy and goes with the flavour of the season.  My sister suggested Hariyali Paneer Tikka or Butter Chicken, while Mum and I were of the opinion, that we should go contemporary with either Thai Pineapple Fried Rice or Smoked Sausages with Cheesy Mushroom Rice. So we decided to make all of these in sequence and I couldn’t decide which goes first on the blog, so I decided to run a poll on my facebook page. The winner not surprisingly was Murgh Makhani or Butter Chicken!  😉

 There is probably no one on this planet who hasn’t yet heard of Butter Chicken. It is the face of Indian cuisine to the world; much like what Sachin Tendulkar is to Indian cricket or what Amitabh Bachchan is to Indian cinema. No one can miss the tender, succulent chicken chunks that are just seasoned in the right proportion, immersed in rich, tangy and creamy tomato gravy. I might probably not be exaggerating when I say, that Butter Chicken is not just another dish, it is a cult in India. A dish that would only get better with age, a timeless classic.

I have made butter chicken many times earlier, each version a bit different from the other, for instance I tried replacing the cream with full fat yogurt, left out the cashew paste, didn’t grill the chicken and so on. The result? Nowhere close to the original. That is when I decided I would not compromise on any of the ingredients of ingredients and stick to the original version. This is not a dish that can be made every day, so indulge if you must, but remember to jog an extra round the next day!

Butter Chicken, Jeera Rice and a plain vanilla ice cream completed the menu that Sunday. Coupled with a nice afternoon siesta; I couldn’t ask for more.

Ingredients:

For the Chicken Tandoori:

Marinade 1:

• 600 grams boneless chicken, cut into medium sized cubes (Usually, its made with chicken on the bone; I preferred the boneless variety. Feel free to use whatever suits you)
• 1 large tablespoon Kashmiri red chill powder
• 2 large tablespoons lemon juice.
• Small dash of crushed black pepper

Marinade 2:

• 1/2 cup thick yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon red chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
• 2 tablespoon garam masala powder
• 30 ml mustard oil
• Salt to taste

For the Makhani Gravy

• 8 medium sized tomatoes, pureed (Make sure to choose bright & red tomatoes, else the rich orange colour may be compromised)
• 5-6 cashews, soaked in lukewarm water
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3-4 green cardamoms
• 1 gram mace, powdered
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste
• 2 tablespoons red chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon garam masala powder
• Water if required
• 1/2 tablespoon Kasoori Methi (dried fenugreek leaves), powdered
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 tablespoons fresh cream
• Corriander leaves, finely chopped- for garnishing
• Salt to taste

To make the Chicken Tandoori:

• Combine all ingredients mentioned under “Marinade 1” and let the lemon juice and masalas to coat the chicken well. Refrigerate for about an hour. 
• Whisk all ingredients mentioned under “Marinade 2” except the oil. Add in the chicken pieces that we had marinated earlier and mix well so that chicken pieces are covered well with the marinade. Add the  mustard oil and give it a nice stir. Keep aside for at least one hour.
• Meanwhile, pre-heat oven for about 10 minutes at 100 C.
• Once you’ve marinated the chicken for an hour,  put the chicken on the skewers and grill at 300 C for 3 -4 minutes on each side, basting with butter in between.
• That’s your chicken tandoori. Ready to be served as a snack as well.

For the Makhani Gravy:

• Chop the tomatoes into quarters and grind to a fine puree along with the cashews and very little water. Keep Aside 
• Heat the Butter in a pan and add the cardamom and mace and saute on medium heat till the spices are fragrant. 
• Add the ginger and garlic pastes and stir continuously ensuring that the spices and paste don’t burn.
• Now add the tomato puree, and the red chilli, garam masala and turmeric powders. Mix well. Now cover the vessel and reduce the heat to the low and let it cook for about 7-10 minutes.
• After about 10 minutes, you will see that the paste is mushy and has an almost dry consistency . Add some water (to suit your preferred gravy consistency) and cook for a 3-4 minutes. Keep in mind that at a later stage, we will be adding fresh cream which will thicken the gravy.
• Once the gravy is simmering, add the kasoori methi and the honey and mix well. Add the chicken tandoori pieces and mix well so that they are well covered with the gravy.
• When the gravy begins to simmer, put the heat off for about 5 minutes, add the fresh cream and mix well. This is done to prevent the cream from curdling in the high temperature of the vessel. Cook for another 7-10 mins on a slow flame.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with naan, roti or jeera rice. 

Subzi Cheese Biryani (Vegetable Cheese Biryani)

“Can vegetarian food be made interesting as well?” wrote a reader recently. “Yes, of course”, was my enthusiastic answer. With a little bit of creativity and innovation, even a vegetarian meal can be an absolute delight. Though, I am a hardcore non vegetarian, I always opt for a vegetarian meal whenever I require a change from the regular stuff. Ever since the “Aloo Saunfiyana” recipe was well received on the blog, I have decided to start posting all vegetarian recipes that have been lying in my folder for eons now.

One such interesting recipe is the Subzi Cheese Biryani, which was the outcome of my sisters creative thought process. This dish was the outcome of a very healthy debate between my sister and me as what’s the best thing to make when you have almost every vegetable at your disposal. Since the two of us are the greatest biryani fans on the planet, we decided that biryani it would be, but hero of the dish would not be the veggies but a very special ingredient “cheese”. That decided, my sister, pen and paper in tow, sat conceptualizing the biryani while her brother went on and got into executing the dish.

When we decided to make this biryani, it was planned like the way a usual biryani was to be made, and we weren’t too sure of how the final product would turn up but wanted to go ahead with it nevertheless. I tried and kept the oil and fats to a minimum considering that there is a generous amount of cheese, enough to cause the mild hearted a few jitters. I must say it is time consuming but worth every bit of the effort

We had it with Butter-Garlic Prawns. The verdict?  Awesome. The joy of cooking a meal together is priceless. Try doing it sometimes, I promise it will leave a smile on your face and memories in your heart.

Subzi Cheese Biryani

Ingredients:

       2 cups long grained basmati rice

·     100 grams mixed vegetables (I used French beans, cauliflowers, green capsicum & green peas)

·         2 medium onions- finely chopped

·         2 medium tomatoes- finely chopped

·         200 grams thick curd- beaten well

·         3 tablespoons cashew paste

·         100 grams processed cheese – for grating

·         3 cheese cubes- sliced for garnishing

·     Assortment of whole spices (2 green cardamoms, 1 black cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 1 small bay leaf)

·         1 ½ tablespoon ginger—garlic paste

·         1 teaspoon coriander powder

·         1 teaspoon red chili powder

·         1 teaspoon turmeric  powder

·         1 teaspoon garam masala powder (all spice powder)

·         4 large tablespoons oil or ghee (clarified butter)

·         Salt to taste

·         Juice of half a lime

·         Some milk

·         Few leaves of coriander and mint for garnishing.

Procedure:

For the rice:

·  Soak the rice for atleast 20-25 minutes in water before you begin working with it.

·  In a large pan heat water equivalent to double the quantity of rice. When the water starts boiling, add in the rice.

·   Add some ghee to the rice. This will ensure that the grains don’t stick to each other. Also, add some salt.

·          When the rice is about ¾th  done, take out from heat drain it on a colander and let it cool for a while.

·         Take out a large spoonful of the rice and keep aside.

·          Add ½ teaspoon of the turmeric powder to the milk and stir well. Pour this milk on the rice that has been kept aside and mix well. This will give the rice a nice yellow colour.

For the gravy:

·         In a deep pan add the oil or ghee and let it heat. Once the oil is hot add in the whole masalas and let them crackle.

·         Once the masalas are done, add the onions and cook till the onions are nicely browned. Add in the ginger garlic paste and cook well.

·         Add in the chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes are pulpy. This is important since if the tomatoes are not well cooked; the gravy will separate.

·         When the tomatoes are pulpy, add in all the spice powders (coriander, red chili, turmeric& the garam masala  powder) and cook well. Add a little water if required.

·         Now add the cashew paste and cook till the oil leaves the sides and the mixture has thickened a bit. Add in the curd and let it simmer for about 7 minutes

·         Add in the vegetables, salt and cook for 5 more minutes.

·         Finally, add in the juice of lime and mix.

·

For the assembling:

·         Line a heavy deep bottom vessel with ghee and pour in half of the gravy.

·         Now , on top of this add a layer of half the rice; grate half the cheese on top the rice. Also, add some of the coloured rice to this

·         Repeat the layering process with the other half of the gravy, rice and cheese

·         Slice the cubes into fine squares and layer on the top.

      Seal the vessel tightly and cook for about 30* minutes on medium flame and for another 10 minutes on a low flame.

     Once done take out from the heat and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes.

      Serve with refreshing raita.

Chicken Pepper Fry!

Life has its share of funny moments. I must mention an incident I came across recently when dining at a restaurant. A steward was taking down orders from a guest. At the end of a reasonably long list the guest ended by ordering “lamb pepper fry with no pepper please”. Hilarious as it may seem, it took the bemused steward quite a while and some effort to convince the guest about the importance of pepper in lamb pepper fry.

That incident though set the tone for my post this week. I have adapted the Chicken Pepper fry from the famous Kerala dish, the  Lamb pepper fry, better known as the Lamb Chop Pepper fry. For those of you who have been to Kerala, I am sure you would have fond memories of the lovely backwaters and scenic hills there. A lesser known fact is that the food over there is equally good. No wonder then, that Kerala is so rightly called “God’s own country”.

The cuisine of Kerala is in many ways similar to Manglorean cuisine; flavored with coconut and generously seasoned with pepper. As mentioned, the original dish is made with lamb, though I played around a bit and made it with chicken. The best thing is that it gets done in about 45 minutes and can be had as an entree or even as a main.  Although at my place we dont like our food too spicy, I adjusted the pepper just enough. My suggestion, is be liberal with the pepper, that huge spice burst just as you swallow the morsel is impossible to describe and must be experienced.

Please do give it a try I am sure the pepper will leave a lasting impression on your palette; just like the scenery of Kerala leaves an everlasting impression on your mind.

Chicken Pepper Fry

Ingredients:

• 800 grams chicken (I used boneless)
• 1 large onion
• 1 medium capsicum (I used the green one, you could add red and yellow incase you want to visually enhance the dish.)
• 1/2 tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• 2 green chillies ( I used red chilli flakes)
• 2 large sprigs of curry leaves
• 1 large tablespoon Red chilli Powder
• 1 tablespoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 tablespoon Jeera (cumin seeds)
• 2 large tablespoons crushed Pepper
• 5 tablespoons of Oil.
• Salt to taste.
• Juice of Half a lemon

 Procedure:

• Clean, wash the meat and keep aside

• Heat oil in a pan. Slice the onions finely and brown them. Once done take them out and drain on an absorbent paper.

• In the same oil add cumin seeds, curry leaves, ginger garlic paste and cook for a while.

• Add the chicken pieces and let them fry well in the oil. Once the chicken begins to brown slightly, add the tomato puree, capsicum and stir well.

• Add in the chilli powder, turmeric powder and stir well.

• Now, add the onions and let them integrate well with the meat and cook well

• Lastly, add in the pepper and mix well.

• Just before serving, add in the juice of lime.

Serve hot!!!!!

It’s Christmas time!!!

“This is Christmas Season

So there isn’t any reason, we can’t dance the Christmas Polka”

I haven’t been able to stop humming these lyrics since morning today. Yes, my dear friends I can’t tell you how excited I am, now that we have begun the Christmas season.  Somewhere in the last week of November or early December, the Catholic Church begins observing the season of Advent which is a time to prepare ourselves for the birth of Jesus Christ (on December 25).

There are numerous traditions and customs surrounding Christmas. One of them is making a crib (that is a replication of the birth scene of Jesus), setting up a Christmas tree, and preparing of Kooswar (Home- made Sweets). Each family would have a story, a tradition, and a special sweet that they proudly display during this time and so does my family. In the coming few posts, I will put up posts with recipes of Kooswar made by my mum (and me of course). But all that apart, the message is Christmas is clear for all “Love all unconditionally”.

And so, Christmas is incomplete without that traditional Christmas cake, right? For quite a while now, I have been searching for the right cake recipe with no avail. So after having tried a couple of recipes from across the globe and topping it with a few failed attempts here is my version of the all time favorite Christmas cake.

This is a dark cake where the fruit are soaked in rum almost a month in advance. I avoided both (making a dark cake and soaking it in rum), since I don’t like any food that has a dark colour nor do I like the kick from the rum. As in any baking endeavor it is extremely important to get your measurements spot on. The process is long drawn but believe you me it’s worth it.

Christmas cake:

Ingredients:

• 200 grams mixed fruit peels (I used a mixture of Tutti –fruity, finely chopped glazed cherries, finely chopped dates, raisins)
• 125 grams Maida (All-purpose flour). Keep additional flour aside for dusting the tin and coating the fruits.
• 125 grams Powdered Sugar
• 125 grams Unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 1½ table spoon baking powder
• Juice of 1 medium sized orange
• 1 stick cinnamon (finely powdered)
• 5 cloves (finely powdered)
• Icing sugar for decoration

Procedure:

• Pre-heat oven at 150 C for half an hour.
• Prepare an 8 inch baking tin by greasing it with butter and dusting it with flour.
• Coat the mixed fruit with some flour and keep side. This will prevent the fruits from sinking to the bottom during the baking process.

• Mix the baking powder and flour well and keep aside.
• In a separate bowl, mix the butter and sugar well. This should take about 4-5 minutes till the both, the butter, and sugar are integrated well.
• Add 1 egg to the butter and sugar mixture. At this point your mixture might curdle. Don’t panic. Add a tablespoon of flour. Repeat the process with the other egg as well.
• Now add in the orange juice, honey and the mixed spice powder and make sure they are mixed well.
• Add in the remaining flour and fold well. Try dropping the mixture from a height. It needs to be the correct consistency. Incase its watery, add a tablespoon of flour, and if it’s getting dry, add some milk.
• Now fold in the mixed peel. It is better to use your hand to mix at this point since mixing them in a cake mixer might break the fruits.

• Pour this batter in the greased cake tin and spread it evenly on all side and make a slight valley in the center. This will help the cake to rise.
• Bake at 210 C for 45 minutes while checking at regular intervals. Insert a tooth pick or skewer to check if done. It should come out clean.
• Once done, allow the cake to rest for a while before de-mouding.
• Now is the best part. Prick a few holes all over the surface and pour some brandy or rum all over. The cake remains moist for a longer time.
• Dab the upper surface of the cake with icing sugar and decorate with the cherries.

That’s it. Christmas cake is ready… Now is the more difficult part …. Keeping it till Christmas.

 

 

 

 

Important notes

• Most recipes will ask you to soak the fruits in either brandy or rum. I have avoided it to suit my taste. Incase you want to use that method; you will need to soak the fruits in 10 tablespoons of brandy or rum for atleast 21 days. Make sure to stir it well atleast once a day.

• We have baked this cake at a high temperature, it is possible that the upper surface may start getting burned, if that happens place a brown paper just enough to cover the tin.

Merry Christmas to you all and stay blessed!!!!!!

Prawns Biryani- Need I say more!

Being a South Indian, it would be criminal if I don’t put a post on rice anytime soon; and what better rice dish than the emperor of all dishes “The Biryani”.

The Biryani and the Taj Mahal are the two best things left behind by the Mughal rulers. We will cover the Taj in another post on Mughlai food; this time we’ll cover the all- time favorite “Biryani”. Having a biryani means you don’t need anything else since it is a complete meal in itself.  Layered with fats, carbs and proteins it is not one of the healthier options but come on, who ever heard of a diet biryani or a low calorie biryani hmm….  Indulgence has its own pleasures right? J

Not much is written about the history of this dish, but legend has it that the Persian soldiers (when going on longer journeys) carried with them a dish that was meat gravy topped with a layer of rice. Although there are many varieties of the biryani available world over, in India almost trace their roots to the kitchens of the Nawabs in Hyderabad and Lucknow. It is said that a particular Nawab boasted of 49 varieties in his kitchen. Essentially, biryanis are of two types, “Kachchi (raw) Biryani” as the marinated rice and meat are cooked together & the “Pakki (cooked) Biryani” this is where the rice and meat are cooked separately and then layered.

Preparing a biryani is a long drawn, elaborate and tedious task. But believe me; it will be worth the effort. I guess with some planning and preparation, the task will be simpler and less strenuous.

I had initially planned doing a either a chicken or mutton one; but there were some large prawns in the fridge & my mum felt that the best way to use them was in a biryani. You could replace the prawns with either mutton or chicken. Purists believe that the ratio of rice to meat should be 1:1 that is 1 kg rice for 1 kg of meat. However, I tried 1:0.7 that is 1 kg rice and 700 grams meat and it came out decent. A good biryani is only as good as the quality of rice used. So, make sure to use good quality and long grained rice. Needless to say, no being miserly on the use of ghee and spices.

Well, get set for the grind of making the yummy Prawns Biryani. My suggestion is make a little extra, the aroma will draw all your neighbours and I’m sure they will not leave till they’ve had some.

Prawns Biryani.

Main Ingredients

• Long grained Basmati rice                                                       800 grams

• Prawns (approx)*                                                                        550 grams

• Large Onions                                                                                 3

• Lime                                                                                                  1

• Desi Ghee                                                                                        4 Tablespoons

• Milk                                                                                                    ¼ cup

• Salt                                                                                                    To taste

• Oil                                                                                                      for frying the onions

For the Marinade

• Thick curd                                                                                   350 grams
• Ginger Paste                                                                                1 ½ tablespoon
• Garlic Paste                                                                                  1 ½ tablespoon
• Green Chillies (finely chopped)                                          3
• Kashmiri Chilli Powder*                                                        2 tablespoons
• Turmeric Powder                                                                      1 ½ tablespoon
• Garam Masala Powder                                                            1 tablespoon
• Jeera (Cummin) Powder                                                        1 tablespoon

Whole Masala’s

• Cinnamon Stick                                                                      1
• Green Cardamom                                                                  4-5
• Cummin Seeds                                                                       1 teaspoon
• Bay Leaf                                                                                    1 Large
• Star Aniseed                                                                           1

Procedure:

We shall begin by making the marinade:

• Clean, De-shell and de-vein the prawns.
• Heat oil in a deep frying pan
• Slice the onions finely. Fry them in the oil till they turn golden brown; be careful since if they burn they will taste bitter. Once done place them on an absorbent paper to drain the excess oil. Let them rest for a while and allow them to get crisp.
• Beat the curd well add in prawns and coat them well with the curd. To this add a little salt, ginger garlic pastes and all the other masalas mentioned under the marinade heading.
• Crush the onions and add to the curd mixture. Remember to keep some aside for garnishing.
• Add the juice of half a lime to it, finely chopped coriander and tear in a few mint leaves.
• Mix well (take care not to damage the prawns) and keep aside for at least 2 hours.

For the rice:

• Soak the rice for atleast 20-25 minutes in water before you begin working with it.
• In a large pan heat water equivalent to double the quantity of rice. When the water starts boiling, add in the rice.
• Add some ghee to the rice. This will ensure that the grains don’t stick to each other. Add in the all the ingredients mentioned under the whole masalas heading and some salt.
• You will need to make sure that you constantly keep watch on the rice to make sure that it doesn’t get over cooked.
• When the rice is about ¾ done, drain it on a colander and let it cool for a while.
• Take out a large spoonful of the rice and keep aside.
• Add ½ teaspoon of the turmeric powder to the milk and stir well. Pour this milk on the rice that has been kept aside. This will give the rice a nice yellow colour. Personally, I don’t like using artificial colouring.

For the assembling:

• Line a heavy bottomed vessel with ghee.
• Add in the prawn marinade and spread well. Top this with a few mint leaves and half the coloured rice.
• Top this with some of the fried onion
• Now layer this with the white rice. Cover it with the remainder of the coloured rice and top it with the remaining fried onions and the mint.
• Seal the vessel tightly and cook for about 30* minutes on medium flame and for another 10 minutes on a low flame.
• Once done take out from the heat and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes.
• Serve with refreshing raita.

Notes:

• The Prawns I used were of the large variety. So approximately I used about 12 prawns.
• Kashmir Chilies are not spicy. But the powder gives a nice, bright red colour.
• I used prawns so I have mentioned 30 minutes. Chicken or mutton should take about 45 minutes.

Phew!!!! That was long… I’m rushing to enjoy the biryani…

 

Mangloreche Ruchik Jovan!

As I began to write in my next post, there was a huge argument in my mind between the two “M’s” that I love the most “Mangalore” and “Meat”.  “Include me” said Mangalore, “Include me” insisted meat; I decide to play fair and include them both and write about Mangalorean cuisine with meat as the hero.

Mangalore is a sleepy little town on the coast of Karnataka, India. Uniquely surrounded by the sea on one end and the western ghats on the other end, it forms an important part of the country’s spice belt.  Manglorean Curry, is generally coconut based and flavored with ginger, garlic and chili. A lot of curries are also made using “Roce” (coconut milk). No wonder then, that spices are hugely dominant in the food; what is essential to note is that while the flavor’s are hot, the food itself isn’t spicy. As a kid, I remembered being welcomed home from school to an aromatic golden-orangish gravy fish gravy combined with a starkly contrasting snow white rice and accompanied by a vegetable preparation.

Mangloreans (especially the women folk) are adept at using a huge array of permutations and combinations for different core ingredients viz, meat, fish. Research will tell you that recipes vary from household to household, carefully passed by mother to daughter every generation. Another secret ingredient in Manglorean food is “Bafat Masala” or “Bafad Masala” however you call it. This secret ingredient is a hot, tangy powder and is a must have in every Christian home in Mangalore.  Just adding a huge tablespoon of it can enhance the value of any simple preparation many times over, especially the “Dookramaas”( Spicy Pork meat) that is piece-de-resistance at weddings and family feasts. This powder is versatile and can be stored in an air tight container for over a year. Although, it can be replaced using its local cousin like the red chili powder and the homemade garam masala; for us Mangloreans, Bafat pito (powder) is sacrosanct. Make sure to call for some in case you have someone coming over from Mangalore.

I could go on and on speaking about the cuisine I love, but I will leave that dope for another time and move on today’s recipe. Today, I prepared “Narlache Mutton Sukkhe” (Mutton with a Semi- dry Coconut Gravy). This is the original recipe and is simple and quick to prepare. What is love about the dish is the thick gravy and the spices that linger on the palate for quite a while even after the meal. Remember, I said I would partial to the meat, well it tastes equally good with prawns or even chicken.

Narlache Mutton Sukkhe (Mutton with a Semi- dry Coconut Gravy)

You need

• Lamb (cleaned, cut and par-boiled)  –                       800 gms
• Coconut (Grated)                                                   1
• Onions (Medium sized)                                           2
• Garlic Pods                                                           8-10
• Ginger                                                                   1”
• Bay Leafs                                                              2
• Whole Red Chilles                                                  4-6
• Cumin Seeds                                                         1 teaspoon
• Pepper corns (crushed)                                           10-15
• Green Cardamom                                                    2-3
• Curry Leaves                                                           1 Sprig
• Bafat Powder                                                           2 tablespoons
• Turmeric Powder                                                      ½ tablespoon
• Oil (Preferably edible coconut oil)                              2 ½ tablespoons
• Coriander                                                                for garnishing
• Salt                                                                         to taste

Method

• Firstly, clean, cut wash and par-boil the lamb and keep aside. Remember, we will be cooking it later as well; so you wouldn’t want to over cook it and make it rubbery.
• Now,  grind together the coconut, onions, garlic, ginger, red chilies to a coarse paste. The texture has to be coarse but make sure the onions, garlic, ginger, chillies have integrated well with the coconut. Add a little water if required.
• In a thick bottomed pan, heat the oil. To this add the curry leaves and let them change color. Add the cumin seeds and let them crackle. Add the cardamom and bay leaves and cook for a while.
• Add the coconut paste and stir well. You may need to add some water at this point so that the paste doesn’t stick to the base of the pan. I used the stock I had from the mutton.
• When the oil begins to leave the sides add the bafat & turmeric powders and stir well.  Keep a watch that the paste is not getting to dry and judiciously add water.
• Once the masala’s are mixed well add the mutton and salt.
• Cover and cook over a medium flame. Should be done in about 15-20 minutes.
• Once done garnish with coriander sprigs and serve with neer dosa.

Tip: This dish tastes best when it is prepared spicy.

Well that’s all from our Mangalore trip for the moment. I look forward to your feedback on how the Mutton tasted.

Keep smiling and happy cooking!

Cooking for your loved one’s.

A well cooked meal is a joy in itself.

When we look at it from another point of view; cooking for your loved one’s can be an awesome experience. Not all of us can cook well; but that’s fine. The meal need not be an elaborate buffet, a simple plain meal would be enough. What is more important is the thought and effort  that you put in.

There are many ways to begin. You could probably ask mom to take a day off from the kitchen and cook up her favorite food/s; Or do the same to your wife. Take cues from what they like ordering at restaurant dinners. It will take some effort but believe me it, will be worth it.

An age old saying goes, “the family that eats together, stays together”. What better bond then food. I suggest try finding time and cooking for your family. It will make them feel cared for, loved and wanted. Better still, involve them, especially the kids. May be you could even learn a few tips and tricks.

Here is a recipe I had tried. You could probably use it to begin.

Murgh Hara Masala

Chicken (cleaned and cut into medium pieces) – 1 kg

Onion (finely chopped) –      1

Curd (beaten well)  –   350 grams

Oil – 4 tablespoons

Jeera- ½ tblspoon

Small elaichi- 3-4

Turmeric(Haldi) –  1/2 tblspoon

Red chilli Powder- 1 tblspoon

Almonds (Soaked in water)- 15-20

Garlic Paste-           1 tblspoon

Ginger Paste-          1 tblspoon

Salt – As per taste

For the Green Paste

Coriander, Pudinha, Curry leaves, Green chillies. Garlic & ginger and a fistful of  grated coconut

Method:

1.    Clean and wash the chicken and keep aside.

2.    Soak the almonds in warm water for 1/2 an hour and remove the skin. Grind to a fine paste and keep aside.

3.    Put together all the ingredients mentioned for the green masala  and grind to a fine paste. Marinate the chicken in this paste and keep aside for an hour atleast.

4.    In a pan heat oil, and add the jeera and elaichi till they start to crackle. Add the onion and let it cook to a golden brown colour. Add Ginger and Garlic pastes and let it cook.

5.    Add in the turmeric & red chilli powder and let it cook well with the oil. Once the masala starts leaving the oil, add the beaten curd and stir well till the masalas are mixed well with the curd. Let it cook for a while. Add in the ground almond paste and salt.

6.    Now add in the marinated chicken mixture. Add in a little water in case you want to.

7.    Cover and cook for 8- 10 mins.

Please try and send in your comments on how it turned out.

Keep Smiling and Happy cooking!

My top 10 tips for cooking!

Cooking, they say, is an art. Thankfully, with a little bit of practice and some application; it is one of the easier arts to master.

Here are some of my tips to help you cook a great meal

1. The mis-en-place– Literally means “putting everything in its place”. It is very essential to prepare everything before you begin cooking. Get the marinades ready, sharpen the knives etc beforehand. This will help avoiding last minute rushes and help you move quickly
2. Unless the recipe demands, cook  on a slow flame. Will help economize fuel consumption.
3. Go slow on the salt and seasoning as well.  Add less at the beginning; you could always make up for it at the later stages.
4. Keep tasting the recipe as you go. It will help you perfect the end product, if you are unable to get the correct taste, call in someone who can tell you.
5. Use all ingredients at room temperature. Needless to say, the fresher the ingredients, the better.
6. Hygiene is of utmost importance. Clean the work area as you go. Dispose of the peels, skin and seeds etc beforehand if possible.
7. The age old one. If you require to use the oven, remember to pre-heat it for about 10-15 minutes.
8. Add a small piece of tamarind to the oil if the hot oil starts foaming and rising in the pan. This will prevent foaming and spill over.
9.  Using a flat bottomed pan equalizes the distribution of heat.
10. Lastly, whatever you cook, cook with your heart and all your love. It will not fail.

Keep smiling and happy cooking!

Biryani for the Brain!

Food. One of mans basic needs. Food could mean different things to different people. For some, its all about living to eat. For some, its a stress buster. For some, it could just mean a basic need.

For me, it is the love of my life. But more than just eating; what is more interesting (and may be, the difficult part) is cooking. So then, what is cooking? Is it a process or a theory? We will never know. You need to love it to understand it. That’s  why the simplest of mums dish would win by a mile against an elaborate restaurant buffet.

Although I am not a professional chef or cook, I absolutelThis cooking of the biryani for the brain will include exploring cuisines, styles of cooking and various styles of cooking and recipes along with some food for the soul.

Before I end, I couldn’t help without a few thank yous. Firstly, my mum for introducing me to the kitchen, and for the wonderful food she’s fed me right through. My weight is testimony to that. My mum (yet again) and my sister for encouraging my cooking and being my gentle critics. My cousin Manoj Baretto who unfailingly congratulates me on every dish.. even if he has only seen the picture..  And of course, all of you my readers.Needless to say, I look forward to your thoughts, comments and suggestions on the articles or what you would want included in the blog.

Bon appetite!!!!