Meal haven

Chicken with Vinegar

A lip smacking chicken curry which is sure to fetch you appreciation. This curry can be served with rice or chappathis or parathas.

Serves 5-6 persons

Ingredients:

Chicken – 1 kg

Onions – 6 chopped

White Vinegar – 1 cup

Shah Jeera (black cumin) – 1 1/2 tsp

Cardamom small crushed – 5

Cloves – 8

Tomatoes – 4 chopped

Garlic Ginger paste – 1 1/2 tbsp

Green chillies slit – 4

Mint leaves – 1/2 cup chopped

Coriander leaves – 1/4 cup chopped

Salt – to taste

Garam masala powder – 3/4 tsp

Red chillie powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Thick cream (optional) – 2 tbsp

Oil – 2 tbsp

Preparation:

Clean the chicken and chop it into small pieces.

Chop onions finely. In a vessel, add the onions and the vinegar and boil for 4-5 minutes. Drain through a sieve and reserve the vinegar. Keep it aside.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan. When it becomes hot, add shah jeera, cardamoms and cloves. Stir fry for a minute.

Then add ginger garlic paste and the boiled chopped onions and saute for 5 minutes on medium flame. Next, add the chicken and cook on medium flame for 10 minutes. Keep stirring frequently.

Cook covered for 5 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook again on low heat for another 5 minutes. Then, add the mint leaves, coriander leaves, garam masala powder, turmeric powder and saute well for 3 minutes. Add the strained vinegar from the onions and mix well. Cover and cook for 10 minutes adding 1/2 cup of water. When cooked, add cream and mix well.

Remove from fire and serve with rotis or rice.

Ragi Idlis (Finger Millet Idlis)

Breakfast

Ragi/Finger millet is a power house of minerals like iron, calcium and protein. In rural India, this grain is consumed by rural folks because of its high protein, low glycemic index and affordability.

A good alternative to the rice idlis that we all make, these ragi idlis are very soft, porous and very fluffy.

Ingredients:

Urad Dal – 1/2 cup

Idli Rice – 1 cup

Whole grain ragi – 1 cup

Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Water – 1 cup for grinding

Preparation:

Wash and rinse the ragi and rice. Soak it together with 4 cups of water for 4-5 hours. Also, wash the udad dal and soak it with 1 1/2 cups of water for 4 -5 hours.

Drain the water and in a mixie or wet grinder, grind the ragi and rice together to a fine paste, adding 1/2 cup of water. Next , add the udad dal and grind it to a smooth paste. Add enough water (around 1/2 cup) to the batter while grinding. As udad dal grinds, it will turn fluffy and soft. Remove from the grinder/mixer and transfer to a vessel.

In a wide tall vessel, combine both the rice and the udad dal batter and mix it together with clean hands. The vessel should be tall and slightly wide as the batter may rise while fermenting. I always add salt to the batter before fermenting it.

Cover it with a lid and ferment overnight or for 8 hours.

Once fermented and risen, mix very gently to combine. Pour into greased idli moulds and steam it for 12 minutes for soft and spongy idlis. After the idlis have cooled down a bit, using a wet spoon, remove the idlis from the mould.

Serve with any chutney of your choice.

Kosha Mangsho (Bengali Mutton Curry)

Non-Vegetarian

Ever since I had this at a Bengali friend’s place, the robust mixture of onions, tomatoes and spices with succulent pieces of meat tasted unique and quite different. This palate pleasing recipe is usually cooked with potatoes but I have not added it as I ran short of them. You can serve them with rotis or parathas or rice too.

Ingredients:

Goat Meat/Mutton – 1/2 kg

Large onions finely chopped – 2

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Tomato large – 1

Potatoes – 2 cut in half (optional)

Yogurt/Curds – 2/3 cup

Red chillie powder – 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Black Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp

Bay leaf – 1

Cinnamon – 1/2 inch piece

Whole Red chillies – 2

Cloves -2

Salt – to tast

Sugar – 1 tsp

Coriander leaves for garnish

Water – 1 1/2 cups

Preparation:

Wash mutton thoroughly and keep it aside.

In a bowl, add yogurt, red chillie powder, turmeric powder and half of the garam masala powder and mix well.

Take a pan and heat oil. Add the potatoes and saute them till golden. Take them out and keep aside.

In the same pan, add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and red chillies. When it sizzles, add the finely chopped onion and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Next, add the ginger garlic paste and saute until the raw smell disappears. Then, add the mutton pieces and saute again on high flame for 2 minutes.

Now add the chopped tomatoes and the yogurt and saute again for 3 minutes. Transfer the mutton to a pressure cooker and add 1 1/2 cups of water. Adjust the salt, close the lid and place the pressure weight on the vent of the cooker. Turn the flame on high and after the first whistle, reduce the flame to low and cook for 20 minutes and put off the flame. When it cools down, open the cooker and check if the meat is cooked. Now add the remaining garam masala powder.

Meanwhile, caramelise the sugar and add to the gravy. (Heat a pan and when it turns hot, add the sugar to it. Stir it for 3-4 minutes till it starts becoming slightly brown in colour. Add a tablespoon of water to it (Make sure your face is away from the pan when you add the water as the vapours may rise up to your face). Add the sugar to the curry. Do not wait for the sugar to become too brown, as it may become hard and brittle.

If there is more water in the gravy, open the cooker and place it on high flame for 5 minutes and cook without the lid. Keep stirring in between to avoid getting burnt. Add the potatoes and let it cook for 5 minutes.

When the desired consistency is obtained. put off the flame and transfer to a serving bowl.

Stuffed R’ghayef/Msemen (Moroccan Stuffed Flat Bread)

Baking

Moroccan cuisine has a number of flat breads which are mostly pan fried. These breads are mostly served with Tajines, soups and stews. R’ghayef is very much like the other Moroccan bread Meloui, but this one has a stuffing of onions and parsley inside.

This recipe was sourced from the ‘diplomatic kitchen’. You can substitute the all purpose flour in this recipe with wheat flour also.

Makes 10.

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

All purpose flour or maida – 3 cups

Semolina or rava – 1 cup

Salt – 1 tsp

Instant yeast – 1 1/4 tsp

Sugar – 1/2 tsp

Oil – 3 tsp

Oil for brushing on the breads

Water for kneading dough – 3/4 cup or more

Stuffing:

Onion finely chopped – 1/2 cup

Chillie flakes – 1 tsp

Cumin powder – 1/2 tsp

Parsley chopped – 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Melted butter – 1 1/2 tbsp

Preparation:

In 1/4 cup of warm water, add the yeast and sugar and stir well. Keep it aside for 10 minutes until it froths well and rises.

In a mixing bowl, add the flour, semolina, salt, the frothed yeast, oil and knead well adding enough warm water. The dough should be soft and pliable. Once it is kneaded well, rub yr hands with little oil and apply the oil all over the rolled ball of dough. Cover with a cling wrap and keep it aside for 2 to 3 hours until it doubles up in size. The more it sits, the softer the bread will be.

After 3 hours, take the dough and punch it and divide the dough into 10 balls and keep it covered with cling wrap for another hour (pic 7)

Now, to prepare the stuffing, take a small mixing bowl and add the finely chopped onions, chopped parsley, red chillie flakes, cumin powder, salt and melted butter. Combine well and keep it aside.

Take a ball of the dough and roll it into a circle as thin as possible. Place the prepared stuffing evenly on the rolled out dough (picture 9). Fold the circle (as shown in picture 10). Then, fold the other two ends again (as in picture 11) to make it into a square. Now, roll and flatten the square to about one inch thickness (picture 12).

Heat a griddle and when it is hot, lower the flame and place the rolled out dough on it and cook. Add a few drops of oil on all sides and when golden, flip and cook the other side, adding a tsp of oil again.

Serve with any curry of your choice.

Note : You can use 1 1/2 cups of wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour for this recipe or substitute the all purpose flour with wheat flour.

Wheat Carrot Cake

Uncategorized

Made with the goodness of carrots, these wheat cakes are moist and delicious. Easy and made with kitchen staples, this one is a must try.

Ingredients:

Wheat flour – 2 1/2 cups

Baking powder – 2 tsp

Soda bi-carbonate – 1/2 tsp

Eggs – 5

Oil – 1 1/2 cups

Salt – 1/2 tsp

Sugar – 2 cups

Grated carrot – 2 1/2 cups

Vanilla essence – 2 tsp

Chopped walnuts – 1/4 cup (optional)

Preparation:

Sift wheat flour, baking powder, soda bi-carbonate and salt. Mix well and keep aside.

In a mixer, powder the sugar finely.

Separate the yolks and whites. Froth the egg whites and keep separately.

In a deep wide bowl, add the sugar and oil. Beat it on high in an electric hand beater/mixer and then add the yolks and beat again for 4 to 5 minutes. Next, add the vanilla essence and grated carrot and beat well. Now, reduce the speed of the beater to minimum or with a spatula, slowly fold in the flour. Gradually, add the beaten egg whites and mix gently. Make sure that you do not vigorously mix the batter as the cake will rise and fall flat when it bakes.

Grease a 8×2 inches circular pan with butter or oil. Pour the mixture into it. Bake at 180 degree celsius for 45 – 60 mts. Check to ensure that it is baked by inserting a toothpick into the middle of the cake after 45 minutes. If the batter does not stick to the tooth pick, the cake is baked or else, bake for some more time.

Baingan Baja(Pan Fried Egg Plants)

Vegetarian

I first had these shallow fried egg plants at my friend Bobby’s house in Toronto. This is a staple in every Bengali household. Bhaja in Bengali is thick slices of vegetable coated with gram flour and shallow fried. With a soft inner and a crispy texture on the outside, I instantly took a liking to it.

Ingredients:

Egg plant – 1 big

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Red chillie powder – 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Rice flour – 1/4 cup

Sugar – 1/4 tsp

Oil for frying (Mustard oil preferred)

Preparation:

Wash and cut the egg plants into 1 1/2 cm thick round slices. Wipe them in a kitchen towel to remove the moisture.

In a mixing bowl, add chillie powder, turmeric powder, salt and sugar and mix well.

Rub this mixture on both sides of the egg plants. Then, coat the egg plant slices with rice flour.

Next, take a skillet and heat it. When hot, reduce the flame to medium and pour little oil on it. Shallow fry the egg plants. When golden on one side, turn it over and fry.

Serve it hot with rice.

Aam Ras/Keri no Ras or Amarkhand/Mango Shrikand (Mango Greek Yogurt Dessert)

Beverages, Desserts

A traditional Indian dessert from Western India. A flavourful yogurt based dessert enhanced with the flavours of mango and cardamom, this is served with poori in Maharashtrain and Gujarati weddings. An easy no cook dessert with the goodness of mango.

Ingredients:

Ripe Mangoes – 2 (Alphonso or Badami preferred)

Cardamom powder – 3/4 tsp

Powdered Sugar – 1/4 cup or as required

Yogurt – 1/2 cup

Milk – 1/4 cup

Sliced almonds – 4 or 5 for garnish

Pounded pistachois – 1 tsp

Saffron – 3 strands + 3 strands for garnish

Preparation:

Take a muslin cloth and place the yogurt in it for an hour to allow the whey to drain out.

Deskin the mangoes and remove the pulp.

In a blender, add the mango pulp, powdered sugar, cardamom, yogurt, milk and pulse until it becomes smooth and creamy.

You can add saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk to it (optional).

Garnish it with saffron strands, almonds and pounded pistachois and serve in a glass or bowl.

Chill for 30 minutes before serving.

Instant Wheat Idlis

Breakfast

Another one from the idli repertoire is the wheat idlis. Idli for a South Indian is like pasta for an Italian. These instant idlis are nutritious and delicious. Also, serves as an alternative breakfast food for people with diabetes as it does not contain rice. Quick and prepared in a jiffy, there is no soaking and fermentation process involved like the regular idlis.

Makes 16-20 idlis.

Ingredients:

Wheat flour – 1 cup

Semolina – 1/2 cup

Curds/Yogurt- 1/2 cup

Chopped green chillies -2

Coriander leaves – 1 sprig

Groundnuts roasted and deskinned -1/4 cup

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Eno fruit salt – 1 tbsp

Grated carrrot – 1/4 cup

Boiled peas – 1/4 cup

Capsicum- 1/2 piece chopped fine

Water – 1/2 cup

For Seasoning:

Ghee/Oil – 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1tsp

Urad dal – 1tbsp

Curry leaves – 5 to 6

Preparation:

Slightly mash the boiled peas and keep it aside. (I have used frozen peas).

Heat a pan. Add wheat flour to it and roast it on a low flame for 2 -3 minutes. Take it off the heat and cool it. The texture of the wheat flour after roasting should be slighlty coarse (like that of rice flour). Roasting the wheat flour well is the key procedure for this idli but do not roast it until it turns brown in colour as the idlis may turn bitter. Remove the wheat flour and set it aside.

Heat the same pan. Add the semolina and dry roast it well. Keep it aside.

In a mixing bowl, add the wheat flour and semolina. Next add the boiled and slightly mashed peas, grated carrots, fried groundnuts, turmeric powder, salt, curry leaves, coriander leaves, water and yogurt. Adjust the water according to the consistency of the batter. Combine all the ingredients with a whisk. Keep the batter aside for 10 minnutes.

Meanwhile, in a pan, pour oil. When it becomes hot, add mustard. When it splutters, add udad dal and curry leaves. When the dal becomes brown, remove and add this to the batter.

Grease the idli moulds. Before pouring the batter into the moulds, add the eno to the batter. It will start frothing up . Mix well once and pour half ladle into the moulds and steam for 15-17 minutes.

Note: Add the eno just before pouring the batter into the moulds. You cannot store the batter once eno is added, therefore take only the required amount of batter and add eno. If you need more batter to make idlis, add eno again, pour it into moulds and steam.

Srilankan Mutton Curry(without ginger and garlic)

Non-Vegetarian

I remember having this curry years back when mom used to prepare and had completely forgotten about it. Rekindled those memories today by making her version of this awesome coconut milk based curry.

No more worries if you run short of ginger or garlic in your pantry. This curry sans those 2 ingredients is just as flavourful and delicious.

Ingredients:

Mutton – 500 gms

Onions – 2 medium size chopped

Whole Red chillies – 8 – 9

Turmeric – 3/4 tsp

Fenugreek seeds/Methi seeds- 1/4 tsp

Cinnamon – 1/2 inch piece

Cardamom – 10

Aniseed/Saunf – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves – 6 – 7

Oil – 2 tbsp

Thick Coconut milk – 2 1/2 cups

Lime juice – 1/2 tsp

Kasuri methi powder (fenugreek leaves) – 1/2 tsp

Water – 1/2 cup

Salt

Preparation:

Heat a skillet. When it becomes hot, lower the flame and add the cardamon, aniseed, cinnamon and saute for a minute. Transfer these to a mixer and grind it to a fine powder. Transfer the powder to a small cup and keep it aside.

In the same jar, add the red chillies and the turmeric powder and powder it fine. Keep it aside.

If you are using coconut, extract 2 1/2 cups of coconut milk from it. (I have used 2 1/2 tbsp of coconut milk powder and added water to it to make it thick). You could also use the readymade coconut milk cans which are available in the market.

Take a pan and heat it. Add oil and when it becomes hot, add the chopped onions and curry leaves and saute well for 3 – 4 minutes. Then add the turmeric and red chillie powder and saute again for another 4-5 minutes.

Transfer it to a cooker and add 3/4th of the coconut milk , salt, fenugreek seeds, 1/2 cup of water and cook it. Keep the fire on medium high and after the first whistle, lower the flame and cook it for 20 minutes. Put off the flame and when it cools down, open and check if the meat is cooked. Once it is cooked, add the rest of the coconut milk, lime juice and boil once. Add 3/4th of the aniseed/cinnamon powder and 1/2 tsp of kasuri methi powder.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Oats Dosa

Uncategorized

A nutritious lip smacking dosa recipe with oats which is healthy and guilt free too. Very crispy and tasty, this one is a must try. Makes 15 dosas.

Ingredients:

Oats – 1 cup

Idli rice – 2 cups

Udad dal – 1/2 cup

Chana dal/bengal gram dal – 2 tbsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp

Sugar – 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Water for grinding

Oil for preparing dosas

Preparation:

Take a wide bowl. Wash and soak the idli rice, udad dal, fenugreek seeds and bengal gram dals together for 3-4 hours.

Then grind the soaked ingredients adding oats to it little by little. (You need not soak the oats). Do not add too much water to grind.

Once the batter is ground fine, add salt and sugar and ferment it for 8 hrs. Place the batter in a fairly big vessel as the batter will double up in size when it ferments.

When the batter rises, beat it well and now you are ready to start preparing the dosas.

Take a griddle and heat it. When it becomes hot, grease it with oil and take a ladle full of batter and pour it. Starting from the center, spread the batter in circular motion to form a thin dosa.

Drizzle a tsp of oil all around the sides of the dosa and when it becomes golden in colour, flip it and cook for a minute. Turn it again and take it off the pan.

Before you pour the next dosa, sprinkle the griddle with little water and then grease it again and pour the dosa. This step must be done before every dosa is poured onto it.

Serve it with sambar or chutney of your choice.

Note: The bengal gram dal and sugar enhances the golden colour of your dosas.