Chicken Korma...!!!

                             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   
                                    

On a lazy Sunday evening I found few chicken drumsticks in my deep fridge but couldn't decide what to do with them,as I didn't want to go for an usual preparation .The  other day ,in a magazine I read about some traditional  Mughlai  foods. The Muslim rulers were lovers of creamy dishes full of spices and nuts . Then I thought The Chicken Korma would be the best for our Sunday  dinner. Though I knew that Chicken Korma usually is made with the boneless pieces but I wanted to give a try to make the dish with those drumsticks and the result was just fantastic.

 

This Lush, Creamy and Spicy Chicken Korma was  brought to India by the Mughal emperors who conquered the land from the 16th to the 18th century. I should mention here that the word korma, refers to the style of cooking in which meat or vegetables are stewed in a yogurt sauce.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:


Chicken: 500 gm(boneless/boned)
Unsweetened Yoghurt:1/2 cup
Onion: 2 medium (Chopped)
Ginger : 1" (Paste)
Garlic:6 ( paste)
Tomato Puree:2 tsp
Turmeric Powder:1 tsp
Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder:1tsp
Coriander Powder:1/2 tsp
Poppy Seed : 1tsp(paste)
Cashew:5-6(Chopped)
Rasin:8-10
Almond:2 tsp(Toasted and ground to powder)
Garam Masala Powder: 1 tsp
Heavy Cream:2-3 tbsp
Coconut Cream/Desiccated coconut:3-4 tbsp 
Water:1 cup
Oil/ghee:1/2 Cup
Salt:As per taste
Sugar: 1tsp
Cinnamon Stick:1
Cloves:3-4
Cardamom: 3-4



Process:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Beat the yoghurt and mix it with the chicken pieces along with turmeric  and salt.
• Set it aside for half an hour.
• Heat Ghee (or oil) in a large deep skillet.
• Add the cinnamon stick, cardamoms and the cloves.
• Cook for 1 min .When the aroma comes out add the onion and cook gently for about 4-5 mins until the onions are soft.
• Add ginger garlic paste, tomato puree  and cook for more 3-4 minutes.
• Then add turmeric powder, kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder,salt and sugar cook for an additional 3 minutes (until aromatic) .
• Add the poppy seed paste.
• Add the chicken with the marinade and the coconut, mix until combined and when the oil starts to release add water .
• Then cover and cook on a gentle simmer until the chicken is tender.It may took a longer period if you are using boned chicken pieces.
• Add the heavy cream and the ground almonds and mix well.
• Sprinkle garam masala powder.
• Add the chopped cashews and raisins.
• Serve with rice or paratha garnishing with chopped cilantro/coriander leaves.                          

                    

        
                        Enjoy Your Food..!! 


 

Prawn Malaicurry ...!! Chingri Malaicurry..!!

Being An extreme Prawn Lover I use to celebrate my every special occasion with this Classic Bengali delicacy Chingri Malaicurry. It is a very famous and popular Bengali preparation served with Steaming hot Rice or Polao for lunch or dinner. This time I made it on my hubby's birthday on last Sunday. I must mention here that this is one of his most favourite dishes. 

Basically this is a mild spicy prawn preparation with little sweetness. It is called "Malai" because of the presence of coconut milk or cream.The curry gets its creaminess from the coconut milk.

Like many other preparations, I have learned to cook this from Maa,only. But during that time, she had to work hard to prepare this. At first she grated coconut and then cooked it for a while in boiling water and then drained the scrapped coconut with a muslin cloth and squeezed to get the coconut milk .OMG..!! I don't know, how she could manage everything. But nowadays ,life is so easy for us.We readily get the canned coconut milk, cream or powder and without any hard work can prepare this.

Here is the Recipe:

Ingredients:

• Prawns(medium to big): 500gm
• Onion : 2 Medium( paste or finely chopped)
• Ginger Paste: 11/2 tsp
• Garlic Paste: 2 tsp
• Tomato : 1 medium( chopped /pureed)
• Coconut Milk: 1/2 cup
• Poppy Seed Paste: 1 tsp ( Optional)
• Fresh Cream: 1-2 tbsp.(Optional)
• Cinnamon Stick:1
• Cloves: 3-4
• Green Cardamom: 2-3
• Bay Leaves: 1
• Turmeric Powder:1 tsp
• Salt: As per taste
• Sugar:1 tsp
• Kashmiri Chilli Powder: 1tsp
• Garam Masala Powder: 1 tsp (1/2 tsp pf ground cinnamon,cloves and cardamoms).
• Mustard Oil:2 tbsp.
• Ghee : 1tsp(Optional)
• Water: 1/4 to 1/2 cup(If required)

Process:

• Wash ,peel and de vein the prawns .Leave the tail.This time I got very fresh big size prawns and that's why I kept the heads intact too.
• Marinate them with little salt and turmeric powder and keep it for 2 mins.
• Then heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a pan and fry them very slightly and keep aside.
• Now heat the rest of the mustard oil in a deep bottomed vessel.
• Add the cinnamon stick,cloves, cardamom and the bay leaves and on medium heat fry them for a while.
• When the aroma comes out add the sugar and caramelize it.
• Then add the garlic paste and fry it till little brown.Add the tomatoes.Cook until the tomatoes become mushy and very soft.
• Add onion paste and sprinkle little salt.
• Cook for 3-4 minutes and then add the ginger paste and the mustard seeds paste.
• Add turmeric powder,red chilli powder accordingly and mix very well.
• Cook until the oil starts to release from side.
• Meanwhile mix the coconut milk with the heavy cream and whisk it very well with a spoon.
• Now add the prawns into the kadhai and mix them with the masala.
• Then add the coconut cream/milk.At this time you may  add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water.It depends on the thickness of the coconut cream.
• Cover and cook until the gravy thickens and prawns are done.
• Now uncover and increase the flame little ,taste the seasoning and adjust the gravy.
• Turn off the flame.
• Heat 1 tsp of ghee in an another pan ,add the garam masala powder and cook for 1 min.
• Pour the ghee on the prawn malaicurry .
• Now your Prawn Malaicurry is ready to serve.
• Enjoy it with steaming hot rice or pulao.

                                                                       Enjoy Your Food...!!!

                       

Jalepi...Jilipi...!! The Spiral Shaped Indian Sweet..!!

It was the last day of our Bengali Year...!! Chaitro Sonkranti..!! And I was Missing my childhood days very badly remembering the "Charak Sankranti Mela"( The village fair held usually few days before the end of the Bengali year). The shopping, the food, the giant wheels, the smiles and the chatter of people...!! Other than enjoying different rides and shopping we simply loved to buy Jilipi,Papar bhaja(Jalebi,Papad,other Namkeens) and many other fair special foods. I know those foods contain  loads of calories but I cant resist myself by anyway, even after so many years.

Entering into the kitchen ,that day,I felt bored and didn't want to go for normal usual snacks which I regularly prepare. Suddenly thought it would be great if I could make some arrangements to prepare Jalebi/Jilipi at home. Few days ago I read atleast two to three different processes of making jilipi at home. Quickly chose one of them and started to make it. Though I was little worried, as I thought the spiral shape of jilipi is really difficult to make but it wasn't so bad at the end and tI must say the taste was very good.


Anyway, here is the way of preparing Jilipi/Jalebi at home.


Ingredients:

• Flour:1 Cup
• Rice Flour/ Semolina: 1 tsp
• Yoghurt:1/2 Cup
• Kesar/Saffron:2pinch
• Ghee/Oil: For Deep Frying.
• Ketchup Bottol for frying.
• Water: Sufficient.

For Making Sugar Syrup:

• Water : 2 Cups
• Sugar: 3 Cups
• Cardamom Powder: A pinch
• Saffron: Few Strands.

Process:

• In a large bowl, whisk flour, yogurt, rice flour and sufficient water to a smooth and pouring consistency batter.
• Cover and keep in a warm place to ferment for 24 hours.
• Beat the batter with your hands again for 15 minutes
• Make sure the batter is fermented, but do not over ferment. After fermenting batter will be little lacy.
• Cook sugar with 2 cups water in a deep non-stick pan on high heat, stirring continuously, till the sugar dissolves. 
• Sprinkle the cardamom powder and saffron strands on it.
• The syrup will be of one string consistency.
• Keep the syrup warm.
• Heat sufficient ghee/oil in a kadai on medium heat.
• Pour  the batter into the ketchup bottle. 
• Squeeze round spirals into the hot ghee/oil and deep fry, turning them over gently a few times, till they are evenly golden and crisp.
• Drain and soak in sugar syrup for 30 sec to 1 min only. 
•  Take them out of the syrup ,sprinkle little Kesar on them and serve hot.

                                          Enjoy Your Food...!!

French Onion Soup...!!!

                                    

French Onion Soup is one of the classic soup. It has been popular atleast as far back as Roman times.

It has a very rich flavour as caramelized onions are used .On the other hand the cheese thickens the broth (either chicken/veg/water) while the mustard paste imparts a heady pungent flavour.
Generally it is served with cheese croutons or cheese toppings. This soup is delectable simply.


Here is the recipe:


Ingredients:

• Butter: 2 tbsp.
• Onion: 1 cup(thinly sliced)
• Cheese: 5 tbsp.(Grated) ,Preferable processed cheese.
• Mustard Paste:1 tbsp.
• Salt :To taste.

• For serving: Cheese/Fried Croutons.

Process:

How to make  Fried Croutons:

• Take two slices of stale bread and remove the crust from the sides and toast them with little butter until they are golden brown from both sides.
• Cut in equal size small cubes.

How to make Cheese Croutons:

• Place the bread slices on a baking tray and bake in a pre heated oven at 200 degree centigrade or 400  degree F or till they turn golden brown in color( for about 7-8 mins).
• Then sprinkle 2 tbsp. of cheese evenly on each slice and bake them again in a preheated oven for at 200 degree C or 400 degree F for 10-12 mins or till the cheese melts.
• Serve melts.

French Onion Soup:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Heat the butter in a deep non-stick pan and add the onions and sauté on a medium flame till then turn dark brown in color.
• Add 5 cups of water ,3 tbsp of cheese ,mustard paste and salt and mix well.
• Bring to boil and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
• Just before serving, pour equal quantities of soup in soup bowls and place a cheese/fried croutons in the centre of each bowl.
• Serve immediately.

                                                 Enjoy Your food..!!

Kanchagolla...The Famous Bengali Sweet..!!

Kanchagolla is a traditional sweet of Bengal. It's very easy to make yet tastes delicious. This time I was inspired by one of my sweetest friend, Juin di's  post and wanted to follow her process to make this. But while making it day before yesterday, I modified it little and when served it as dessert after dinner, DD gave me the best compliment saying, one of the best kanchagolla he has ever tasted.

Anyway, here is the recipe:



Ingredients:


Full Cream/Low fat Milk: 1 lit
Vinegar:2 tbsp.
Powder Sugar:1/2 cup(or as much as you want)
Rose water:2-3 drops
Powder Milk:1 Cup
Milk: 2-3 table spoon .


Process:

How to make Chena:

• Boil the milk at low temperature.
• While boiling add the vinegar and stir it .
• Your milk will start to curdle and chena (chhana) will be formed after few minutes.
• When you will see a greenish diluted water which is easily separating from chena, then it's done.
• Now using a muslin cloth drain the water and wash the chena under the running tap water .If you are using lime juice to prepare chena, this wash will remove all the lemony taste or smell.
• Now tied the two ends of the muslin cloth tightly and let it drain all the excess water for at least 15-20 minutes. And at this time you may put a heavy weight on the muslin cloth for better draining.

How to Make Khoya/Mawa:

• Now make the mawa/khoya. I used to prepare it Take  1 cup of powdered milk.
• Add  2-3 table spoon of milk into it.
• Make a dough and heat it at full power in the microwave oven only for 1-2 mins or even more to get the desired tightness. But give an extra care while microwaving to make sure that it don't get burnt.
• Then grate it to get dry mawa.

How to Make Kancha Golla:

• Now mash the chena very well on the kitchen slab using your hand or you may use a food processor also.
• Then place a non stick pan on the oven and heat it little.
• Add the chena and continuously stir it so that it could not be burnt.
• Add the sugar and then stir it again so that the chena  will mix with the sugar very well.
• Turn off the flame and add the rose essence. Then mash it again smoothly using a food processor or with hand.
• Make even round balls from the chena while it is warm.
• Roll the balls over the grated mawa.
• Now your Kanchagolla is ready to serve.

                                    Enjoy Your Food...!!!

Egg Devil With Chicken Keema..!!

                         

   Indian Style Devilled Egg With Minced Chicken..!!

The other day, I was thinking hard what to prepare for evening snacks without much fuss. For quick and easy snacks  I normally use breads, eggs and fruits. That day, I found some minced chicken was there in my deep fridge. So, quickly thought of preparing devilled egg stuffed with chicken keema (minced chicken).

Few days ago,I have posted the egg devil recipe where I used only potatoes for stuffing.
Anybody interested may click on the link below.

http://poetryoffood.blogspot.in/2012/09/egg-devil.html

Here is the recipe of chicken keema stuffed egg devil recipe:


Ingredients:

1. Eggs:4(hard boiled)
2. Chicken Keema:1 1/2 cup
3. Potato:2 medium( boiled)
4. Onion :1 ( chopped/paste)
5. Ginger: 1 tbsp.(paste)
6. Garlic:1 tbsp.(Paste)
7. Tomato : 1 (finely chopped)
8. Chilli Sauce: 1 tsp
9. Chilli Powder:1/2 tsp(or as per your taste)
10. Cumin Powder:1 tsp
11. Salt to taste
12. Bread Crumb: As Required
13. Egg: 1 raw
14. Oil : Enough to fry

Process:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Hard boil the eggs and deshell them.Cut them into two halves and keep separately.
2. Wash peel and boil the potato and smash them roughly.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add the galic paste, sauté it for 1 min and then add the onion and ginger paste.
4. Then add the minced chicken and smashed potato.
5. Then add the cumin powder,chilli powder, chopped tomato, chilli sauce and salt.
6. Mix the whole mixture thoroughly.
7. Cook on medium flame until the chicken is done.
8. Turn off the flame and let the mixture cool for sometime.
9. Beat the raw egg with a pinch of salt.
10. Make the bread crumbs ready.
11. Then take each half of the egg and cover it with the mixture very well and give it a oval shape.
12. Then dip it into the raw egg and roll over the bread crumbs very well so that the devilled egg is well coated with it. 
13. Repeat the process for all the eggs.
14. Heat enough well in a pan.
15. Carefully fry them on a medium flame until they turn into golden yellow color.
16. Serve with your favourite salad and sauce or any of your favourite dips.
17. I serve with the sliced carrot and onion and with tomato ketchup.

                    Enjoy Your Food...!!