Mutton Rogan Josh...A Sunday Special Preparation...!!!!

                    Mutton Rogan Josh...!!!!!

 

 

 

 

Weekend means end of the work...!!!! weekend means time for relaxation and ofcourse it means food cravings!!!!!

I can remeber in my childhood,on Sundays, Maa always tried to do something different and very special for all of us,either for breakfast or for lunch,. And unlike the other weekdays she used to be more busy inside kitchen,on those days.

Nowadays, I do the same like Maa...Weekends are the more busy days for me as I  hardly get  a chance to relax.But anyway,I am lucky enough that my husband and even my four years old daughter very rarely order or demand for something.
But It's me,who cant overcome  the traditional thoughts to prepare A Special And Different  Sunday's Lunch.

On last  Sunday,after a lovely breakfast,I decided to break the trend and went for a mutton prepration( Mutton Rogan Josh) for my husband and daughter as they love to eat that though I dont,but there is an another satisfaction to prepare something for the beloved ones.

But I dont have any idea about that dish and therefore started to find recipes for it in "Google",the only way to solve your all problem nowadays..(LOL).Lots of recipes I found and cofused what should I follow.Finally I chose one and following that I prepared my desired dish and the result was so good I cant explain.My husband gave me the best compliment ever that he has ever tasted such a beautiful and tasty Rogan Josh.

Mutton Rogan Josh is the most famous Kashmiri dish and has thin gravy and a thick layer of oil on top.Quality of meat plays an important role in this dish. Select meat with a lot of fat.
 But here I want  to clear one thing that,as my husband and ofcourse my little one cant eat spicy or hot dishes I have restriced the use of kashmiri chillis in my dish,but you can use this ingredient as per your choice.

 This dish is best enjoyed with steaming hot boiled rice.



Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Mutton:500gm

• Mustard Oil:5/6 tbsp
• Curd:1/2 cup
• Onion:2 finely chopped
• Ginger paste:1 1/2 tbsp
• Garlic paste:2 tbsp
• Kashmiri red chilly powder:As per your choice
• Garam masala powder:1 tsp
• Coriander powder:1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder:1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder:1 tsp
• Asafoetida:1tsp
• Cloves:4-6
• Green cardamom:4
• Cinnamon:2 stick
• Few threads of mace
• White cream:2-4 tbsp
• Salt

 

Process:

•  In a bowl, mix mutton with curd and a little salt and mustard oil and keep aside. for atleast half an hour.

    
                                                              Marination..

•  Heat oil in pressure cooker and put whole garam masala.
• When they start to crackle, put chopped onions and fry till they turn golden brown.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and fry again for about two minutes.
• Add all the masala powder and fry till the oil comes up.
• Now add mutton with the marinade paste and stir fry on a high flame for 2 minutes.
• Add water and little salt and cook with the lid closed till 2 whistles come out.
• Check whether the meat becomes tender and the gravy is medium thick in consistency.
•  Add cream and stir well and cook for about 5 more minutes.
• Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with rice, pulao or roti.

                                        Enjoy Your Food....!!!



 

Strawberry Yoghurt....A Sweet,Healthy Dessert....!!!

Strawberry Yoghurt..!! A Sweet,Healthy Dessert...!!

It has been proved many times that few preparations,made with very less efforts sastisfy our taste bud more than some preparations made with a tough process.Though it's not necessarily true all the time.
Two or three days ago,I prepared a sweet dessert with two or three very easy steps and that preparation really made us so happy.Specially my litttle one,praised me fully.

Delicious and nutrition-rich red colored strawberries are among the most popular berries. Native to Europe, however, nowadays the  berries are widely cultivated as an important commercial crop in many temperate regions all over the world.This fruit is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Folate and Potassium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C and Manganese.

Botanically, the plant is a runner (creeper), belongs to the family of Rosaceae, of the genus: Fragaria.( Though I was a student of Zoology,I have a very little knowledge in Botany too,though Botany is just a horrible subject to me ,and all the time I used to search my books for informations. :P :P )

In my home,there is a strawberry addict ...;) :D.Actually my little one loves this fruit like anything.In the morning,at breakfast table,she wants her conflakes garnished with raisins and lots of chopped strawberry and in the similar way,she loves her fruit salad,icecream with this fruit.

In Mumbai,strawberries are mostly available in huge amount during winter season.So,I was thinking since few days,other than eating the fruits in this way,we could use it in some other way too.Therefore,I prepared Strawberry Souffle(recipe will be given soon) ,strawberry milk shakes,cup cakes using crushed strawberries,Then I prepared this strawberry yoghurt and believe me,it was just heavenly.

The recipe is very simple and consists of only two three steps.

Ingredients:

• Strawberry:10-12 pieces(chopped finely)
• Hung youghurt:2 cups
• Powdered Sugar:1/2 cup
• Vanilla Ice-cream:200 ml.

Process:

• Hung yogurt is made from hanging yogurt tied ,in a cheesecloth and draining the liquid out of it.I want to add that hung or creamy yoghurt, as it is healthier than the normal yoghurt.

                                                             Hung Yoghurt

• I placed about 500gm of  yoghurt in a squared shaped muslin cloth and tied the four corners of the cloth tight and hanged it overnight under my kitchen tap and in the next day morning when I untied the cloth I found the creamy, nice, thick and waterless yoghurt.

                       (I should have chopped My Strawberries more finely.)

                  

•  Now in a mixing bowl add the hung yoghurt,powdered sugar and the        vanilla ice cream and mix them very well.
• Then add some finely chopped strawberries with it and mix again.
• Now your strawberry yoghurt is ready.
• Serve it garnished with few more finely chopped strawberry.
• Believe me,the taste is not less than the store bought strawberry yoghurt.
• Serve this at your breafast table  or as dessert after dinner or lunch.

                            Enjoy Your Food...!!!!
 

Apple Pie...!!!!!

                                            

     

 

 

To be very frank and honest, I am just a novice in the field of baking.But  I have a huge interest in this and I want to improve my baking skills. More than once,I have prepared very simple chocolate and vanilla cakes,at my home but never had enough confidence to make  pie ,muffins etc. etc.When last time I was successful in making banana muffines(inspired by one of my sweetest sis,Payel),in my first attempt,I wanted to take a chance to prepare something different again.

I always used to keep an eye on magazines,news papers,different cooking shows and ofcourse in various cooking groups of facebook for good recipes.Few days ago, I read a very simple and easy apple pie  recipe in a magazine and following that only ,I prepared this yesterday at my home and nevertheless to tell that it turned out really delicious.Today I became quite confident about its yummilicious taste when I saw my daughter, for the first time, has completely finished her tiffin at school.And guess what I have given her for today's tiffin ???    ...Yessss,it was the Apple Pie,I prepared yesterday.


Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

 

• 1 1/2 cup cake flour(all purpose flour),
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4teaspoon  salt                                                                                                                                         
• 1 cup sugar                                                                                                                         
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
•  100gm Butter (Melted)
• 50 ml Full Cream Milk
• 100ml Water
• 2-3 Apples
• 2-4 tbsp Lime Juice
• Sugar for sprinkling.

 

 

Directions:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Preheat Your oven at 180 degree celcius for 10 mins.
• Wash Apples,peel and cut 2/3 rd of them in thin slices and mix with lime juice.
• Cut remaining apples into cubes.
• Mix the all purpose flour,baking powder,salt,sugar,vanilla extract,melted butter),milk,water and the apple cubes.
• Mix them until a smooth batter is formed.
• Now grease and flour a baking pan or tray and pour the batter in it.
• Put the apple silces fan shaped on the batter.
• Bake it 180 degree celcius until a tooth pick ,inserted into the centre ,comes out clean.Normally it takes 50-60 mins to bake completely.
• After baking brush cake sparingly with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar granules.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here I want to mention one thing,if you want apple crumble, after making the batter and greasing your pan,knead  100gm flour,50 gm sugar ,2-3 drops of vanilla essence and 1 pinch of cinnamon powder till crumbles are formed .Sprinkle crumbles on the top and bake.( I didnt do this step).

 

 

                                     

                                        Enjoy Your Food....!!!!

Hariyali Chicken Tikka...Murg Tikka Kebab Hariyalli.....!!

                      Hariyalli Chicken Tikka .....!!! Murg Tikka Kebab Hariyalli.....!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kebab' s and Tikka' s are the traditional Indian recipes for grilling                  chicken.Marination is the most important step of this preparation.The rich  marinade gives the boneless pieces of chicken breast a lots of flavour.

 
  Hariyalli Chicken Tikka Kebab or Murgh Tikka Kebab Hariyalli are famous as starters or appetizers in restaurants,specially in Punjabi Dhabas.The boneless small chicken pieces are perfectly coated with mint and coriander paste and are grilled in fire.The mint and coriander paste give it a beautiful greenish color and a wonderful flavour.

Actually it was our one of the most favourite appetizers and used to order it very frequently in our favourite restaurant,when we were in Kolkata.But ,here,in Mumbai,we were missing this beautiful preparation very much and therefore I was looking for the recipe since a long time.

In the meanwhile,we went for a long drive and while we are returning home,visited a village fair beside the highway and there I found a beautiful and very interesting tandoor kit.Immediately I bought that.

The kit actually consists of a circular shape copper wire,4 iron skewers and a iron stand.The copper wire and the iron stand should be placed on the flame of a gas burner and  the iron stand helps to hold the skewers.In this way,the flame is used in such a way,so that the smoky flavour of the tandoor can easily come out.

Since that day,I was eagerly waiting to use it and then I found a good recipe of this preparion after a prolonged internet surfing.Mainly I followed the recipe with little variation which I found in a blog.

Using my new Tandoor kit I grilled my marinated chicken pieces .

This Chicken Hariyali Tikka Kebab made our last Sunday evening (which was declared as the coldest day of this season,rather coldest day in last 44 years in Mumbai) super-special with a glass of red wine.

Here is the recipe:

                        
Ingredients:

• Chicken Breast:250 gms,cut in small cubes.
• Skewers
• Grilling tool.

For the marinade:

• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro/coriander leaves and tender stems .
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves and tender stems
• 5-6 cloves of garlic .
• 1.5″ piece of fresh ginger root .
• 1-2 fresh green chilli (amount may be increased or decreased) .
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed .
• 1/2 spoon cinnamon powder
• 2-4 cloves
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons thick yogurt
• 1 tablespoon oil or ghee
• Salt

Preparation:

• Clean, wash and pat dry the chicken pieces.
• Grind/Blend all the ingredients of the marinade into a paste. Do not add any extra water. The lemon juice and the yogurt should be enough to create a perfect paste.

• Mix the chicken with the marinade very well and put it in a zipper bag and refrigerate it  for at least 3 hours.But for this overnight  marination is better.I marinated only for 4-5 hours and it was extremely soft and tasty.
• One thing I should mention that If you are using bamboo skewers soak them in water for half an hour to prevent them from burning in the heat of the grill but mine was iron skew and so I didnt need this process.

• Now,carefully pierce the skewers through the chicken morsels.
• There should be about 5-6chicekn pieces in each skewer. 
•  Brush them lightly with oil.

• Cook on the grill/ tandoor for about 7-10 minutes or until done.

But If you want to Bake,

1. Heat oven to about 350- 400 degree F or 180-200 degree celcus.
2. Place the skewers tray and bake in the pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the juice runs out dry and the chicken is done, turning them around in between.

Tikka' s can be made on the stove  top also:

1. Take a thick bottomed flat skillet or a stove top griddle/grill 
2. Coat it with oil and cook the chicken.
3.  Turning them around midwhile and basting them with more marinade if you wish till done.
4.  It should be cooked by the end of 12-15 minutes.

While you are grilling or baking, make sure not to overcook as it will tend to dry off the chicken bites pretty quick. They need to be tender, cooked and succulent.
Serve with chutney or yogurt or any other sauce and salad of your choice.
I served mine with green chutney made up of mint and coriander leaves and simple salad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                       Enjoy Your Food.....!!!