Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Lehsuni Murgh


This chicken can be made both into fried dry form, and in a curry form. I made it in the dried form and used as appetizer. I will explain both methods: for dry and for curry.

Ingredients:

Chicken: 100 gm
Yoghurt: 1/4 cup
Onion paste of one onion
Garlic (grated): 5 cloves
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Fennel seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Cinnamon: 1 inch
Peppercorns: 1/2 tsp.
Dried red chilli: 1
Cloves: 2
Cooking oil: 3 tsp.


  1. Add all the ingredients except chicken in a mixer and grind to a smooth paste. Alternatively the spices can be crushed in a mortal-pestle and added to the rest of the mix. Marinate the chicken in this mix for 2 hours.
  2. Heat oil in a pan and add the chicken pieces one by one without the marinade to the pan and fry from both sides for 5 minutes. Add the remaining marinade to the pan and mix well. 
  3. If making a dry fried chicken, mix well all the marinade with chicken and turn the heat to low. Let cook for about 20 minutes, stirring and turning in between so the chicken or masala doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. The complete masala will be incorporated in the chicken pieces and will taste heavenly.
  4. When the masala gets dried up and no more moisture is left in the pan, turn off the heat and serve as an appetizer.
  5. If making in a curry form, after adding the marinade, mix well and let cook for a minute. Add tomato puree of one tomato and add some garam masala. Mix well and let the tomatoes cook for about 2 minutes.
  6. Add half a cup of water and cover. Remove cover after 15 minutes, mix and cook on open flame for 2 more minutes. Turn off the flame and serve hot as a lehsuni murgh curry.






Rustic Egg Curry: Dhaba Style



Ingredients:

Eggs: 4
Oil: 2 tsp. for curry + 1 tsp. for frying eggs
Onion (chopped): 1
Ginger (grated): 1 inch
Garlic (grated): 3 cloves
Tomato (chopped): 1
Green chilli (slit): 2
Cinnamon: 1 inch
Bay leaf: 1
Green cardamom: 2
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Peppercorns: 1/2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp.
Garam masala: 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.


  1. Boil eggs in sufficient water and peel them. Make small slashes on them with a knife and keep aside. To read how I boil eggs, follow here: How to make perfect hard boiled eggs.
  2. Heat 1 tsp. oil on medium flame and add the eggs to the pan. Let fry for about 1-2 minutes till golden colour starts to appear on the surface. Add garam masala and little salt. Mix well and let fry for about 10-15 minutes on medium flame, keep turning around so the eggs are cooked evenly on all surfaces. 

  3. By this time, we can prepare curry. Heat oil and add cumin seeds, cinnamon, bay leaf, peppercorns and cardamom. Fry for a bit and add ginger and garlic. Let fry for 1-2 minutes. 
  4. Add the chopped onions, fry until transparent. Add the slit green chillis and give a toss. Cover the pan and let the onions acquire a slightly darker color in 5-6 minutes.
  5. Remove cover and add tomatoes and salt. Mix well and cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder. Mix well and add a cup of water after a minute. Bring it to a boil and cook until the curry is reduced to the desired consistency.
  6. Add the curry to the serving bowl and add whole or cut fried eggs to the curry. Serve hot with and rice or chappati.



Monday, December 29, 2014

Kabuli Chana Pulao



Ingredients:

Rice: a cup
Kabuli chana: 1/2 cup
Cooking oil: 2 tsp.
Bay leaf: 1
Black peppercorns: a few
Cloves: 2
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Onion paste of one onion
Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tsp.
Tomato puree of one tomato
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.

  1. Soak the chana in water overnight or for at least 8-10 hours, they will double in size. Wash and pressure cook with 2 cups water till they are soft. Let the pressure settle and then open the pressure cooker. Don't throw the water.
  2. Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf and sauté them. Add the onion paste and mix well. Let cook until the paste starts browning and leaving oil on the edges. 
  3. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for two minutes. Add the tomato puree and add salt, red chilli and a pinch of garam masala (optional). Mix well and fry until the tomatoes are cooked and the masala leaves oil on the sides. 
  4. Now strain the boiled chana in a separate bowl and measure the water remaining in the pressure cooker. 2 cups water is needed to add to cook the rice, so discard more than two cups, if it is less, make up by adding more hot water to the pan with the cooked masala and mix well.
  5. Add the washed rice to the pan and mix well. Cover and let cook until the rice are 90% done on medium flame. Now open cover and mix the boiled chana along and cover again for 5 minutes. 
  6. Turn off the heat and remain covered. Open after 10 minutes and garnish with coriander leaves (optional) and serve hot !!




Chicken Rezala


Ingredients:

Chicken: 250 gm
Yoghurt: 1/2 cup
Onion (chopped): 1
Ginger (chopped): 2 inch
Garlic (chopped): 3 cloves
Salt to taste
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp.
Sugar: 1/2 tsp.
Cooking oil: 2 tsp.
Green Cardamom: 2
Cinnamon: 1 inch
Bay leaf: 1
Cloves: 2
Black peppercorns: 1/2 tsp.
Dried red chilli: 1


  1. Add the yoghurt, onion, ginger, garlic, salt, coriander and sugar to the grinder and grind it to a smooth paste. Marinate the chicken in this mix for 1-2 hours.
  2. Heat oil in a pan and add cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf and cloves. When they crackle, add peppercorns and red chilli and mix well, sauté for a while. 
  3. Add the marinated chicken along with the marinade to the pan. Mix well and let cook for 2 minutes. Add red chilli powder if required. Add about half a cup of water and cover. Let cook on medium flame for 15 minutes.
  4. Remove cover and add a bit more whisked yoghurt. Mix well, turn off the flame after 2 minutes. Serve hot. 




Sunday, December 28, 2014

Mirch Ke Tapore




Ingredients:

Green chilli (chopped in rounds): 2 big size
Cooking oil: 1 tsp.
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Ginger (grated): 1/2 inch
Asafoetida: a pinch
Salt to taste
Mango powder: a pinch


  1. Heat oil and crackle the mustard seeds. Add asafoetida and ginger. Sauté the ginger for a minute.
  2. Add the green chillis and add salt and mango powder. Mix well and let cook for 3-4 minutes on medium flame, until the edges of chillis start turning white. Turn off the flame and serve as a side dish or even store it in air tight container in refrigerator for upto a week.


Kodi Veppudu (Andhra style chicken fry)


Ingredients:

Chicken: 100 gm
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp.
Chana dal: 1 tsp.
Urad Dal: 1 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 2
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Pao bhaji masala: 1/2 tsp.
Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tsp.
Cooking oil: 2 tsp.
Curry leaves: a few
Green chilli (chopped): 1


  1. Dry roast 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds, chana dal and urad dal. Let cool and grind to a smooth paste with one chopped onion.
  2. Add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric, pao bhaji masala, ginger-garlic paste to this mix and marinate the chicken in this for an hour.
  3. Heat oil in a pan and crackle mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and add the remaining onion and fry until transparent. 
  4. Add the green chilli and marinated chicken. Mix well and cook on medium flame for 15 minutes until all the moisture is absorbed and the chicken is fried. Serve as a starter or side dish.




Mint paratha


Ingredients:

Mint leaves: a cup
Whole wheat flour: 2 cups
Water to knead the flour
Green chilli (finely chopped): 1
Ginger (grated): 1 inch
Butter for frying
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder
Coriander powder
Cumin powder
Carom seeds
Asafoetida
Mango powder
Garam masala
(All spices to be added according to taste, any spice can be added or subtracted)


  1. Wash and chop the mint leaves very finely. Add these leaves to the flour. Add the green chilli and ginger. Mix well with the flour.
  2. Add all the dry spices according to taste and mix well with the flour. 
  3. Adding water slowly, knead the flour into a firm dough. The dough must not be watery else it cannot be used to make parathas.
  4. Pinch out small balls from the dough and roll carefully using a little dusting from the dried wheat flour.
  5. Heat the griddle/tawa on highest temperature and carefully put the rolled out paratha on the tawa.
  6. Turn after 20 seconds. Let cook completely from both sides. Ideally it is cooked evenly,just past the stage of not remaining uncooked, but we prefer a little bit burnt flavour in the same, adds to the taste (just as you could see in the pictures). This comes with experience, you might not want to burn it much, as it will spoil the entire taste. So cook it just until past the uncooked stage. 
  7. Now fry both sides with butter and take out on a plate. Add a dollop of butter and serve hot with any pickle or coriander-mint chutney.

Green Egg Curry



Other egg recipes from the blog:

Achaari Egg curry
Punjabi egg curry
Fried egg curry
Roasted egg pulusu
Rustic egg curry (Dhaba style)

Ingredients:

Eggs: 4
Coriander leaves: a bunch + some for garnish
Mint leaves: 1/2 cup
Cooking oil: 2 tsp.
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Fennel seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 1
Garlic (grated): 3 cloves
Ginger (grated): 1 inch
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Tomato (chopped): 1
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp.
Mango powder: 1/4 tsp.


  1. Boil the eggs in sufficient water, peel and make little slashes in them and keep aside. To know how to boil the eggs, see here: How to make perfect hard-boiled eggs.
  2. Make a paste of mint leaves, coriander leaves and green chilli using a little water in the grinder. Keep aside.
  3. Heat oil in a pan and crackle mustard seeds and add fennel seeds. Add the chopped onion and fry until the onions are transparent.
  4. Add the grated ginger and garlic and mix well. Ready ginger-garlic paste can also be used here. Let cook for about a minute.
  5. Add the chopped tomatoes and mix well. Add little salt and let cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. Add the red chilli powder, coriander powder and mango powder and mix well. Cook for another minute.
  6. Add the ground mint-coriander paste and mix well. Add half a cup water after about a minute and let cook on medium flame for 5-6 minutes until the gravy is thick to your liking. 
  7. Add the eggs and give a good toss. Turn off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves. Cover for 10 minutes.
  8. Remove cover and serve hot !!


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Kashmiri Rajma with Jeera Rice (No onion-garlic recipe)



All my life I have making Punjabi Rajma Masala, recipe adopted from my mother's kitchen. When I discovered this recipe, I thought I might give this no onion-garlic recipe a try myself. Now I've been thinking of making this and telling my husband since past two months. And when the time finally came to prepare this wonderful delicacy, he totally rejected the idea of a no onion-garlic rajma masala. So I have added the same in my version, the original recipe calls for none. So it can be made both ways, with or without onion-garlic according to taste and occasion. We added to retain our Punjabi style rajma flavour, tasted very different from our regular recipe though.

Ingredients:

For the rajma masala:

Cinnamon: 1 inch
Cloves: 2
Black cardamom: 1
Green cardamom (with cover): 2
Coriander seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Dried red chilli: 2

For the rajma curry:

Rajma (2 cups)
Cooking oil: 4 tsp.
Bay leaf: 1
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Asafoetida: a heaped pinch
Dried red chilli: 1
Onion (chopped): 1 (optional)
Garlic (chopped): 4 cloves (optional)
Ginger (grated): 1 inch piece
Tomato (chopped): 2


  1. Soak rajma with enough water overnight or at least 8-10 hours. Discard the water, wash rajma well and boil with 5 cups water, little salt and the bay leaf for 5 whistles. Keep aside and let the pressure settle by itself. Open the pressure cooker, pick one rajma and check for doneness. If not done completely, it might need 2-3 whistles more, depending on the type of rajma and the type of pressure cooker. 
  2. Make rajma masala: Add all the rajma masala ingredients in a mortal-pestel and grind to a coarse powder. Alternatively can be done in a mixer as well. Keep aside. 

  3. Prepare tempering in a pan: Heat oil and splutter cumin seeds. Add asafoetida and dried red chilli and fry for half a minute.
  4. Add the grated ginger and mix well and let cook for a minute. If using onions and garlic, add them in mixer and grind to a smooth paste. This step is totally optional and skip this if you wish. The rajma will taste wonderful in any case.
  5. Add the onion-garlic paste to the pan (if using) and let it fry until the masala is totally cooked, the raw smell is gone and it starts leaving oil on the sides.
  6. Puree the tomatoes and add the tomatoes after ginger directly in case not using onion-garlic, or add when the onion-garlic masala is cooked. Add a bit of salt and let cook until the tomatoes are totally cooked. This will take about 10 minutes on medium flame. Do not skip this step as the masala will determine the entire flavour of the dish.
  7. Add red chilli powder and the prepared rajma powder. Mix well and let cook for at least 2 minutes to embed the spice flavour in the masala.
  8. Now using a perforated spoon, take out all the rajma from the pressure cooker and start adding to the masala, leaving the water in which rajma is boiled, behind.
  9. Mix well with the masala and start pressing some of the rajma beans in the masala with the help of a cooking spoon. Do not do this will all the beans, just some, and some will be split open. Mix really well with the masala and cook for 5 minutes on medium-high flame so the complete flavour gets incorporated in every bean.
  10. Now add this complete mixture to the water remaining in the pressure cooker and mix well. Add little more water if required. Ideally more water should not be added as it will dilute the flavours. But if the curry is too thick, add about half a cup of boiling water. Mix well and cook for 10 minutes on the highest flame. 
  11. Remove from the flame, place the lid on top, do not tighten the lid. Remain covered for 10 minutes, remover cover, garnish with coriander leaves (optional) and serve piping hot with plain rice or jeera rice and lemon wedges.




Friday, December 26, 2014

Dindigul Chicken Biryani



Ingredients:

Chicken: 200 gm
Rice: 2 cups
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Yoghurt: 1/2 cup
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Mint+Coriander leaves: a handful (or more if desired)
Tomato (chopped): 1
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp.
Star Anise: 1
Cinnamon stick: 1 inch
Bay leaf: 1
Cloves: 2
Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 1
Cooking oil: 2 tsp.


  1. Wash the chicken and marinate with yoghurt, lemon juice, salt and turmeric powder and set aside for 30 minutes.
  2. Boil rice as you normally do. To see how I boil rice, see here: How to make perfectly boiled rice.
  3. Heat oil and add cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf and star anise. Add onions and sauté until they become transparent. 
  4. Add ginger-garlic paste and mix well. After about 30 seconds, add mint coriander leaves, green chilli and red chilli powder. Mix well and let cook for about 2 minutes.
  5. Add the tomato and salt, cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. Add garam masala and mix well. 
  6. Add the chicken along with the marinade. Mix well and cover for 15 minutes. Remove cover and mix in the rice well. Cover again, leave for 5 minutes on minimum heat. 
  7. Turn off the heat, remove cover, mix and serve hot.


Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Mint Dal Fry


Ingredients:

Moong dal: 1/2 cup
Masoor Dal: 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Cooking oil: 3 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 1
Garlic (chopped): 6 cloves
Ginger (chopped): 1 inch
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Tomato (chopped): 1
Mint leaves: 1 cup
Garam masala: 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Asafoetida: a pinch
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.


  1. Wash the moong and masoor dal together and pressure cook for 3 whistles with 3 cups water and a little salt and turmeric. When done, keep aside and let the pressure release by itself.
  2. Make tadka: Heat oil and crackle cumin seeds and add asafoetida. Add the onions and fry until they are transparent.
  3. Add half the garlic and mix, cook for about a minute. Add ginger, green chilli and tomato. Add the salt and mix well. Let cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
  4. Add red chilli powder and a handful of mint leaves, mix well. After about 2 minutes add this mix to the boiled dal. Mix and let the dal boil for another 5 minutes on medium flame. While the dal is boiling, add a few more mint leaves to the dal.
  5. Prepare tempering: Heat little oil and add other half of the garlic and let it fry. Add the garam masala and the remaining mint leaves. Mix well and add this tempering to the dal. Turn off the flame and cover the dal. Let sit for 10 minutes, remove cover and mix. Serve hot !!

Love this recipe? Please do leave a comment and/or feedback and join me on my Facebook Page.

Looking for more mint recipes? Try this Mint RicePudina Lauki MasalaMint PohaGreen Egg Curry and Mint Chicken Korma.

Looking for more dal recipes? You might also like Spinach DalLauki Chana DalNavratni DalBeetroot Dal and Nepali Dal

Spicy Batata Poha (Potato with flattened rice)




Ingredients:

Poha (flattened rice): 2 cups
Cooking oil: 4 tsp.
Peanuts: 8-10
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp.
Curry leaves: a few
Potato (chopped): 2
Peas: 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Sambhar powder: 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Asafoetida: a pinch
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp.
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Sugar: 1 tsp.
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.
Coriander leaves to garnish


  1. Run the poha under running water in a colander and drain all water when the poha is completely wet. Keep aside.
  2. Heat oil in a pan and add the peanuts, fry until they change colour slightly and drain from oil and keep aside.
  3. In the same pan, crackle mustard seeds and add asafoetida. After 10 seconds, add the potatoes and mix well. Add the salt and sambhar powder. Mix really well to coat all potatoes with the spice powder and let cook until the potatoes are done.
  4.  Add cumin powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder. Mix well. Add the curry leaves, peanuts and green chilli and peas. Mix well and let cook until the peas are done. I use frozen peas so I cook for about a minute. If using fresh, cook longer.
  5. Add sugar and lemon juice and quickly add the poha. Mix really well to coat all poha with the masala. Cook for a minute and turn off the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with a cup of tea !!


Simple Chicken Curry

Usually everyone begins with simple recipes and then move towards more complex ones, but strangely it was the other way round for me. After preparing chicken curries like Coorgi Gawti ChickenAmritsari Murg MakhaniHyderabadi Chicken Curry and many more complex ones which are posted in my blog, and discovering some of my own such as Grilled Chicken JalfreziOrange ChickenGreen Walnut Chicken Curry and many more, I was asked by so many people to post a basic, simple home-style chicken curry which they could begin with. Then I realized I never made a very simple chicken curry. So I decided to prepare this home-style simple curry for a lazy evening, and it tasted wonderful too apart from the ease in the preparation.

Not only suitable for the beginners, but also for expert level cooks: because simple recipes which can be prepared with just simple ingredients never hurt. I have used cream in the recipe, which can be replaced with milk or yoghurt, also can be skipped completely and use water instead. I cooked this in mustard oil as hubby demanded little spicy curry, and mustard oil gives a nice tangy spicy taste to the dish. But, it can definitely be cooked in any other cooking oil of choice.



Ingredients:

Chicken: 200 gm
Mustard oil: 2 tsp.
Shahi Jeera (or simple cumin seeds will do): 1 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 1
Garlic (chopped): 3 cloves
Ginger (grated): 1 inch
Tomato (chopped): 1
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp.
Garam Masala: 1/2 tsp.
Cream/Milk/Yoghurt (optional): 4 tsp.
Coriander leaves to garnish


  1. Heat oil in a pan and add shahi jeera or cumin seeds. When they splutter, add the onions and fry on medium flame until they are transparent.
  2. Add the garlic and mix well, let it fry for a minute and add tomato, ginger and green chilli. Add the salt and mix well. Let cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
  3. Add turmeric, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Mix well and cook for another minute till all the spices are mixed nicely.
  4. Add the chicken pieces and mix in well with the masala and cook for 1-2 minutes until all the chicken pieces are well coated by the masala. 
  5. Add the cream/milk/yoghurt and mix well and let cook for about 30 seconds. This is optional. Add half cup water and cover for 15 minutes.
  6. Remove cover and cook on medium flame for 5 minutes. Turn off the flame, garnish with coriander leaves and cover. Remove cover after 10 minutes and serve hot with jeera rice or plain chappati.



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