Gourmet Affair

Coriander Chutney

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:14:00 +0000

We try a variety of chutneys at home. After the Tomato Tamarind Chutney this Coriander Chutney is what I would call a favourite. I actually love this chutney for its slightly hot and tangy taste.

There are many versions of Coriander Chutney, but this one is a basic Coriander Chutney recipe and can be served with almost anything. Works well as a dip with fried items like samosas or pakodas. It can be served with rice/parathas or used as a sandwich spread. The chutney can be stored in an air-tight container and kept in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

Fresh Green Coriander Leaves - 1 bunch
Green Chillies - 2 nos.
Ginger - 1 one inch peice
Garlic - 6 cloves
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Lemon juice 2 tbsp.
Salt as per taste

Preparation

Blend all of the above ingredients to a smooth paste adding a little warm water.
Store in an air-tight container. Can be kept refrigerated for about 1-2 days.

Vegetable Khichuri

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:37:00 +0000

My past few posts have been on comfort food. Khichdi or Khichuri as we Bengalis call it, is another addition to that list. I associate Khichuri with beautiful rainy days. It's a popular rule in our household to have Khichuri with Ilish Mach Bhaja if it's raining. Though we often make it on Saturdays, there is a different pleasure I derive when I have it on a rainy day.

This is a super fast, healthy one pot meal. You have the option of adding whatever vegetables you want. I mostly use cauliflowers, potatoes and tomatoes. Plain Khichuri can be prepared for which you can simply exclude the vegetables.

Ingredients

Rice - 1 cup
Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
Mixed Vegetables (I used tomatoes, potaoes and cauliflowers) - 2 cups, cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Onion - 1 medium sized, cut into 4
Bay leaves - 3 no.
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp.
Ghee - 2 tbsp.
Salt as per taste

Preparation

Mix rice and dal. Wash them together.
Heat ghee in a pot. Add cumin seeds and bay leaves. When the seeds start to crackle add onion. Fry for 2 minutes or till they turn transparent. Add the vegetables along with red chilli powder and further stir for 2-3 minutes.
Add rice, dal and turmeric powder. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Add about 4 cups of boiling water and salt.
Cover and cook till done.
I generally serve it with fried fish.

Bhaja Moong Dal (Roasted Moong Dal)

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:59:00 +0000

Bhaja Moong Dal or Roasted Moong Dal can easily be categorised as a comfort food, yet its rich taste makes it a part of the menu in most Bengali occasions. There are two options for making this, one is that you can dry roast the dal before cooking it or you can fry it in ghee or oil. Choice is yours as I am not partial to either of it. If you are looking for more of such comfort food, then try this Tomato Dal.

Ingredients

Moong Dal - 1 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Bay leaves - 2 nos.
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp.
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp.
Ginger - 1 tsp., grated
Sugar - 1/2 tsp.
Ghee - 2 tbsp.
Salt as per taste

Preparation

Dry roast dal on low heat in a pan for 2-3 minutes or till it turns golden in colour and gives out a nutty aroma.
Add water and cook till dal is tender.
Heat ghee in a thick bottomed pan and add bay leaves, cumin seeds and ginger. Fry for about a minute.
Add red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Stir for half a minute and then add the cooked dal.
Add salt and sugar and bring it to a boil. Cook for 3-4 minutes till everything mixes well.
Serve with plain boiled rice.

Khasta Kachori

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:12:00 +0000

Khasta Kachori is a relished snack in North India. It is basically a deep fried crispy pastry with spicy moong dal stuffing. After I joined the Indian Cooking Challenge, every month I have been trying to make dishes which I have never given an attempt before. And it is indeed a lot of fun giving such new items a try. This month for the kachoris we had three options of fillings to choose from - moong dal, peas and onions. I opted for the moong dal stuffing.

Ingredients

For the Dough:

All Purpose Flour/Maida - 2 cups
Oil/Ghee - 1/4 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp.
Water for kneading

For the Filling:

Split Moong Dal (yellow) - 1/2 cup
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp.
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry Leaves - 2 tsp. chopped finely (optional)
Green Chillies and Ginger paste - 1 tsp.
Fennel Seeds Powder - 1 tsp.
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp.
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp.
Mango Powder/Amchur - 1 tsp.
Oil - 1 tsp.
Salt as per taste

Preparation

Making the dough:

Mix flour and salt. Add the oil/ghee and mix till you get a bread crumbs texture.
Slowly add water and make a soft dough. Knead well for about 8 minutes.
Cover and keep aside to rest for atleast half hour.

Special notes for the dough:

Keep the dough covered at all times, otherwise it will dry up and not puff up when frying. If the dough is made right wet cloth can be used if not just a towel.
The dough could spring back for many reasons:
- Dough is too cold.
- Dough is not soft enough.
- Not kneaded for enough time.
- Oil is less.
- Not rested enough.

Please ensure you get the dough correctly. It is important to get the perfect kachoris.

Making the filling:

Wask and Soak dal in water for atleast 1 hour. You can go upto 4 hours but not more.
Drain the water well. Coarsely grind dal.
Heat oil in a pan. Add hing and cumin seeds. Once the seeds splutter add the curry leaves. Add the dal.
Lower the heat and keep stirring for 5 minutes till the dal stops sticking to the pan.
Cook for another 10 minutes on low heat till the dal turns slightly brown.
Add all the masalas. Cook for few minutes till the aroma of the spices hit you. Add salt.
Remove from heat and keep aside to cool.

Special notes for the filling:

The fillings has to be really dry, otherwise they will ooze out when rolling.
Adjust the masalas according to your taste. What is given in this recipe is spicy to an extent, however one can still enjoy.
For idea on pressing the filled kachori, check out Manjula's method. If you try to press out using a rolling pin, the filling may come out and make holes in the kachori.

Making the kachoris:

Make a small ball from the dough. Roll out into a 2 inch diameter circle. Or flatten the ball using your fingers having the center thick and sides little thin.
Place about 1.5 tsp of the filling in the center of the rolled dough.
Cover the filling with the dough by slowly stretching it over the filling. Seal the ends and remove excess dough. Repeat with all the balls and keep aside for 5 -7 mins.
Then using your palm, flatten the balls by lightly pressing it, as using the rolling pin will make the filling come out. (See notes below). Keep aside covered. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Meanwhile heat some oil for deep frying. The oil should not become smoking hot. Test to see if the temperature is right by dropping a tiny ball of dough and see if it is rising slowly to the top.
Drop the kachoris in batches of 3-4 gently into the oil. It should rise up slowly. If you don't want to use lot of oil, use just enough for two or three at a time and fry them.
After it rises up (about 2 minutes), turn it over.
Cook for about 6 to 10 minutes till the other side gets a golden brown color.
Turn and cook the other side for another 6 minutes or till its golden brown in color.
Remove when done, cool and store in an airtight container.
Serve with coriander chutney or tamarind chutney.

Special notes for making the kachoris:

You can fry 3 kachori's at a time.
The oil should be at such a heat that when you drop some dough it should come up slowly. If the dough comes up too fast the oil is too hot and if it does not come up then the oil is cold.
It will not be crisp if the oil is too hot.

Cold Chicken Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 13:38:00 +0000

This is the easiest Chicken Salad ever! With barely a few ingredients you can prepare this delicious cold salad, which you can either have with drinks (which we mostly do) or just like that. This also turns out to be a great filling for sandwiches.

There are many other ingredients which you can go ahead and add to this recipe. For example, you can add boiled eggs cut into slices or small pineapple chunks. I mean, just be innovative and add anything your heart desires.

Ingredients

Chicken - 850 gms, boiled and shredded
Kraft Mayonnaise (no substitutes please) - 4 tbsp.
Parsley - 2 tbsp, chopped
Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp.
Salt as per taste

Preparation

Mix mayonnaise, chopped parsley, pepper powder and salt with the boiled shredded chicken.
Refrigerate and serve chilled.

This recipe is on its way to Sudeshna's Carnival of Salads.

Kosha Mangsho (Bhuna Meat or Sautéed Mutton)

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti S. Rama) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 12:36:00 +0000

I have a permanent love affair with mutton, especially Kosha Mangsho. I wonder which Bengali could ignore it anyway. If cooked according to proper instructions, it's authentic taste is unforgetable. Now there are numerous ways how this Bengali Sautéed Mutton dish can be prepared. Some add yogurt and also tomatoes. But I think adding just yogurt is sufficient and you can do without the latter. Amongst all the recipes I came across, this one so far seemed like the most authentic version. Also, this is how we make it at home. Only difference being, earlier I never tried cooking it on indirect heat. Kosha is a long and painstaking slow cooking process adding little or no water. Therefore this time cooking on indirect heat saved me the pain of standing patiently and sautéing the mutton peices in an open kadai till eternity. And the end result was undoubtedly fantastic! So if anyone of you is planning a Bengali spread for your family or friends, make sure you include this in your menu. I bet you will have your guests licking their fingers clean.

This recipe doesn't need too many ingredients. Just that, the longer you keep the mutton pieces marinated, the better. Also if your are wanting the authentic Kosha Mangsho taste, then it is essential that you use pure mustard oil and not anything else.

Tastes best when served with either Rumali Roti of Luchi.

Ingredients

Mutton - 850 gms., cut into medium pieces
Onions - 3 medium sized, finely sliced
Ginger and garlic paste - 2 tbsp.
Cloves - 4 nos.
Green cardamoms - 6 nos.
Cinnamon - 1 one inch stick
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 2 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp.
Roasted cumin powder - 1 ½ tsp.
Yogurt - 100 gms.
Mustard oil - 6 tbsp.
Salt as per taste

Preparation

Wash and clean the mutton peices. Marinate with yogurt and salt for atleast half an hour.
Heat oil in a kadai and add the whole spices. Fry for about 30 seconds till the spices crackle.
Add the onions and sauté till they turn light golden brown in colour. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir for further 3 minutes.
Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and kashmiri red chilli powder. Stir for 1 minute. Add about 1/4th cup of water. Cover with a lid and let the masala cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the marinated mutton pieces, mix well with the masala and fry on high heat stirring continuously for 7-8 minutes till oil leaves masala.
Add roasted cumin powder. Fry on high heat for about 10 minutes.
Cover with a tight fitting lid and place the kadai on a tawa. Cook on indirect heat for 30 minutes. Check whether the meat has turned tender.
Serve hot.

This recipe is on its way to the EFM - Mutton Series Event.

Served With Love Roundup Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti S. Rama) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:36:00 +0000

So here is the second part of the roundup for Served With Love. Part I gave you a glimpse of recipes of appetizers, cakes, breads, desserts, gravies & sauces and main courses - both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian. In this part, you can take a peek into various rice/noodles/pasta, salads, side dishes, snacks, soups and sweets recipes.

I was pretty excited while doing the roundups. As you browse through the recipes you will see that the event got a great response with varied recipes.

Just a thought. If you happen to like any recipe in particular from the roundups of this event, I think it will be nice if you readers can personally leave a few words of appreciation on the participant's blog. This way bloggers who have sent thier entries get more encouragement, which is what we always look forward to.

Hope you enjoy browsing through these amazing creations.

RICE/NOODLES/PASTA

Repository of My Tried and Tasted Recipes: Mushroom and Coconut Pulao
Foodelicious: Baked Fusilli in Marinara and Healthy Spinachy Bechamel Sauce
Aparna's Vegetarian Cuisine: Vegetable Biriyani
Panch Pakwan: Eggplant Rice
Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes: Chettinad Dum Mutton Biriyani
Kavya's Kitchen: Egg Dum Biriyani
Indian Khana: Pasta with Stir Fried Veggies
Avanthi Rao's Kitchen: Palak Rice
Avanthi Rao's Kitchen: Coconut Rice
Pan Gravy Kadai Curry: Turkey Bean Balls N Tennis Racquets
Gourmet Affair: Jeera Rice
Gourmet Affair: Gosht Biriyani

SALAD

Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes: Easy Egg & Veggies Salad
Indian Khana: Chickpeas Salad

SIDE DISH

Avanthi Rao's Kitchen: Simple Onion Stuffed Brinjal
Simply Food: Chilli Paneer
Veg Delicacies: Chole Masala
Dreamy Delights: Gobi Manchurian
Ruchika Cooks: Roasted Taro root (seppen-kizhangu-kari)
Khaugiri: Metkut
Avanthi Rao's Kitchen: Kadai Bhendi
Sara's Corner: Navaratna Kurma
Sara's Corner: Channa Masala
Avanthi Rao's Kitchen: Palak Dal/Pappu Palakura
Kavya's Kitchen: Guacamole
A Homemaker's Diary: Tomato'r Jhol
Pan Gravy Kadai Curry: Baghare Baingan

SNACKS

Devi's Blog: Veggie Cutlet/Hotdog/Burger
Veg Delicacies: Pathrode/Parta
Avanthi Rao's Kitchen: Suji TTikka
Avanthi Rao's Kitchen: Carrot Vada
Kitchen Gossip: Ragda Patties
Pan Gravy Kadai Curry: Sugarplum Balls Minus the Sugar (Fruits N Nut Balls)
The World According to Rujuta: Aaichi Dhiradhi
The World According to Rujuta: Rice Pakodas
Gourmet Affair: Sattu ki Kachori
Gourmet Affair: Mathri (Salted Crackers)

SOUPS

Fourth Sense Samayal: Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Kavya's Kitchen: Tomato Basil Soup
Cook @ Ease: Vegetable Clear Soup

SWEETS

Kavya's Kitchen: Potato Halwa
Nithu's Kitchen: Aval Kesari
Devi's Blog: Kavuni Arisi
Appyayan: Sandesh
Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes: Poha Sakkarai
Gourmet Affair: Payesh (Rice Pudding)

Served With Love Roundup Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti S. Rama) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:37:00 +0000

Doing the roundup for my first event - Served With Love was sheer pleasure. I was delighted to receive such overwhelming responses from all you wonderful bloggers. I thank all the particiapants for sending their interesting and scrumptious dishes for this event. It was an incredible experience compiling such delectable recipes in one place. Honestly, I was not expecting 76 grand creations from you all. Thanks for making this event a success!

I will be posting the roundup in two parts. Today I am doing the first part. In this part I present you with various appetizers, cakes, breads, desserts, gravies & sauces and main courses (vegetarian and non-vegetarian) dishes. In the next part you will get a peek into various rice/noodles/pasta, salads, side dishes, snacks, soups and sweets recipes.

Hope you enjoy browsing through these amazing creations.

APPETIZERS

In My Passionate World: Vazhaipoo Vadai
Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes: Chilli Chicken 65
Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes: Sesame Crusted Chicken Strips
Food Junction: Hara Bhara Tikka
Pan Gravy Kadai Curry: Baked Orange Marmalade and Teriyaki Chicken

BAKES 'N CAKES

Simply Food: Chocolate Vanilla Cheesecake
Gourmet Affair: Vanilla Cake

BREADS

"Asra"...Ashaon Ka: Aasaa-E-Parata
Avanthi Rao's Kitchen: Bread Bajji
Appyayan: Kids' Favorite Chocolate Pancake
Nithu's Kitchen: Chilli Paratha

DESSERTS

Cook Like a Bong: Gajar Halwa
Kavya's Kitchen: Caramel Custard
Kavya's Kitchen: Fried Ice Cream
Welcome to Padhu's Kitchen: Almond Kheer
Floral Fragrance: Gajar ka Halwa

GRAVIES & SAUCES

Veggie Paradise: Besan Cauliflower/Gobi in Yoghurt Gravy
Zesty South Indian Kitchen: Malai Kofta with Paneer
My Recipes Diary: Methi Chicken
My Spicy Kitchen: Sorakaya Pulusu

MAIN COURSES (VEGETARIAN)

Devi's Blog: Kuzhi Paniyaram
Foodelicious: Chana Masala
Foodelicious: Mushroom Methi Matar
Love of Cooking: Beans Batata Kholmbo (Beans Potato Sambar/Curry)
Sara's Corner: Bisibelebath
Pan Gravy Kadai Curry: Barley Pilaf
The World According to Rujuta: Varan Phal

MAIN COURSES (NON-VEGETARIAN)

Avanthi Rao's Kitchen: Mutton with Drumsticks
Avanthi Rao's Kitchen: Sora Pittu/Shark Fish
Cooking with Koki: Pressure Cooker Chicken Biriyani

Okra and Potaoes with Poppy Seeds

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti S. Rama) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:08:00 +0000

India declared itself a Republic on January 26, 1950. Over the years we have developed a strong and diverse sense of identity as a nation. We have experienced changes in social rights, infrastructure and resources. All this has given India confidence which can be felt by all. So as we celebrate our 61st Republic Day today, let us all hope for a brighter and more developed future. I wish all my readers a Happy Republic Day.

[Image Source: HiGreetings.com]

Simple food is always welcome. Right? This okra and potato curry with poppy seeds and grated coconut is a part of regular menu at home. Not spicy at all and healthy too. I haven't used other vegetables other than okra and potaoes, but you can add beans etc. or any other veggie of your choice. We mostly serve this dish with rotis.

Ingredients

Okra - 100 gm
Potatoes - 2, large
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp.
Poppy seeds - 3 tbsp.
Green chillies - 2 nos.
Onion - 1, small sized
Sugar - 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Oil - 2 tbsp.
Salt as per taste

Preparation

Wash, dry and trim okra. Wash, peel and cut potatoes length-wise. Finely chop onion.
Make a paste of grated coconut, poppy seeds and green chillies, adding little water.
Heat oil in a kadai and add cumin seeds. Sauté for 1 minute and add the potatoes along with turmeric powder. Stir for 2 minutes, cover and cook till potatoes are done.
Add chopped onion and stir till it looks transparent.
Add okra, coconut-poppy seeds paste, sugar and salt. Pour about 1/4th cup of water. Stir for 2 minutes. Cover and cook till okra is done or until tender.
Serve hot with chapatis.

A quick reminder:

The deadline for the event Served with Love is 31st January, 2010. I sincerely thank all those who have already sent in their delectable recipes. Looking forward to more of such lovely recipes from you guys.

Tomato Dal

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti S. Rama) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 15:23:00 +0000

Here is one simple and comforting dal recipe - Tomato Dal. This particular recipe has been a strong favourite with me since my early childhood days. I can actually polish off an entire plate of plain boiled rice with this soothing tomato dal. I am somebody who needs at least one non-vegetarian dish in all my meals. Seriously, no kidding! Such is my addiction for non-vegetarian food. But I do let go of my rule of having chicken, mutton or fish in every meal, only and only if this tomato dal has been prepared.

This recipe I'm sharing with you today has been adapted from my mom's version. Hope you guys enjoy it too!

Certain ingredients like asafoetida and coriander leaves are optional for this recipe. I skipped adding these. You can go ahead and add them if you wish.

Ingredients

Masoor Dal (Red Lentils) - 1 cup
Tomatoes - 5, large, finely chopped
Green chillies - 3
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
Salt as per taste

For seasoning/tempering:

Ghee - 2 tbsp.
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Dry red chilles - 2 nos.
Onion - 1, finely chopped

Preparation

Wash and clean dal. Add required amount of water and pressure cook with tomatoes, green chillies, turmeric powder and salt.
Heat ghee in a sauce pan and add the ingredients for tempering.
Once onion turns transparent, add cooked and mashed dal to it.
Serve hot with plain boiled rice.

A quick reminder:

Mathri (Salted Crackers)

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti S. Rama) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:42:00 +0000

Mathri, also known as Matthi, is a Rajasthani snack made with plain flour and semolina. This can last for 2-3 weeks if properly stored in an air-tight container. And since it can be stored that long, it's a lifesaver when you have guests suddenly over at your place. It is traditionally eaten with spicy pickle and goes perfectly with tea. I believe it also makes good breakfast.

I had Mathris at a friend's place few months ago with tea. I took an instant liking for this snack and since then I have been wanting to make it at home. This is my first attempt at making these salted crackers. These ones are made a little big in size, however you can choose to make smaller or even bigger sizes depending upon your preference.

This is a basic Mathri recipe I have followed from here. However, there are other variations like Masala Mathri etc. as well. If anyone of you is new to this, then I bet you will enjoy it simply with some spicy lemon or mango pickle or even with a hot cup of tea. But make sure to store it in an absolutely air-tight container to ensure it stays crispy enough.

Ingredients

Maida - 2 cups
Fine Semolina (Sooji) - 1/4 cup
Salt - 2tsp.
Baking Powder - 1/8 tsp.
Plain Yogurt - 2 tbsp.
Warm Water - 7 tbsp.
Ghee / Oil - 4 tbsp.
Ghee / Oil for deep frying

Preparation

Mix the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Add the ghee and rub between your palms until it takes the form of breadcrumbs. Mix yogurt with warm water and form a pliable but firm dough using this liquid.
Cover with the damp cloth and set aside for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into small balls and roll out all the balls. Prick each mathri all over on both sides with a fork to prevent it from puffing while frying.
Heat the ghee or oil in a deep-frying pan. Fry the rolled mathris in a batch over medium heat. Fry the mathris on medium heat throughout or else they will turn soft and not crispy.
Do not allow the mathris to become brown, they should remain pale gold in color.
Remove and drain on paper towels.
Repeat the process for the remaining mathris.
Serve with pickle at room temperature.

A quick reminder:

The deadline for the event Served with Love is 31st January, 2010. Do send your lovely entries.

Shorshé Ilish (Hilsa in Mustard Sauce)

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti S. Rama) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 11:58:00 +0000

Saraswati Puja or 'Boi Puja' (worship of books) was always an exciting day for me as a child. If I am to recollect Saraswati Puja during my childhood days, I have some distinct memories rushing back. We always had an elaborate celebration at home on this day. The puja would start early in the morning with chanting of mantras and aarti. The house would be packed with friends and relatives. But amongst all this my primary reason to be overjoyed would be for getting to wear a saree and ignoring my books for the day.

In many Bengali households (especially the ones of former East Bengal), it is considered auspicious to buy Jorra Ilish (2 hilsa fishes) on this day. Therefore Hilsa is invariably a part of the day's menu. A hilsa (or ilish, as we Bengalis call it) dominates any other varirety of fish in any pure Bengali household. A must for us during monsoons and you would be surprised to know that hilsa can be cooked in more than 50 ways!

Following is the recipe of Shorshé Ilish, which is a popular delicacy and pretty easy to prepare and doesn't take much time to get cooked. I prepare it exactly like my mother.

Ingredients

Hilsa - 1 kg. cut into thick slices
Mustard oil - 5 tbsp.
Mustard seeds - 3 tbsp.
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp.
Green chillies - 4 nos.
Turmeric powder - 3/4 tsp.
Salt as per taste

Preparation

Rub fish pieces with salt and turmeric powder.
Grind mustard seeds, cumin seeds and whole chillies into a paste, adding little water (2 tsp.) from time to time.
Heat 4 tbsp. of oil in a kadai. Fry the fish pieces for about 1 minute. Keep turning sides. Remove and keep aside.
In the same oil add 1 tbsp. of mustard oil, masala paste, turmeric powder and salt. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add about 1/2 cup of water and further sauté for about 5 minutes.
Again add 1/2 cup of water and bring it to a boil. Add the fish pieces and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or till done.
Serve hot with boiled rice.

A quick reminder:

The deadline for the event Served with Love is 31st January, 2010. Do send your lovely entries.

Moong Dal Halwa

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti S. Rama) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:13:00 +0000

A classic recipe which is often prepared in the winter months, as it keeps the body warm.

I was busy the entire day today, however I came back home just by the evening time to prepare this wonderful Moong Dal Halwa. A great treat during the winters. Especially these days, when it's getting quite chilly in Calcutta. I had my dear friend Shuby with me today who stood in the kitchen chatting with me while I prepared it. She suggested I add about 1 cup of milk to it as the recipe I got for the Indian Cooking Challenge didnot have it. The halwa turned out just perpect!

Ingredients

Split (Yellow) Moong dal - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup to 1 cup (depending on your preference)
Clarified Butter/Ghee - 1/2 cup
Khoya - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Cashewnuts and raisins for garnishing

Preparation

Lightly roast the 1 cup of moong dal, wash and soak overnight and grind to a fine paste adding very little water.
Take a thick bottom pan, heat 1/2 cup ghee and fry the moong dal paste till it turns brownish in colour and releases the ghee. Add sugar, khoya and milk.
Stir fry until both the sugar, khoya and milk are well absorbed. Turn off the heat. Then mix in cashewnuts and raisins.

A quick reminder:

The deadline for the event Served with Love is 31st January, 2010. Do send your lovely entries.

Prawn Balchao

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti S. Rama) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:13:00 +0000

If you tend to like spicy food then I'm sure you will relish this traditional spicy Goan delight. During colonization it was brought by the Portuguese to Goa. Balchao is basically a method of cooking vegetables, prawn or pork in a dark red tangy sauce with vinegar being an integral ingredient. Goans serve this dish with plain boiled hot rice.

I have followed Sanjeev Kapoor's recipe, with slight changes in the quantity of ingredients.

Ingredients

Prawns - 600 gms
Ginger - 2 one inch pieces
Garlic - 15 to 20 cloves
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Dry red chillies - 4 to 6
Cloves - 10 to 12
Cinnamon - 2 one inch sticks
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Malt vinegar - 2 tbsp.
Onions - 2, large, finely chopped
Tomatoes - 4, large, finely chopped
Oil as required
Sugar - 1 tbsp.
Salt as per taste

Preparation

Devein the prawns. Wash and remove excess water. Add salt and keep aside. Peel and wash ginger.
Grind ginger, garlic, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, cloves, cinnamon and mustard seeds along with vinegar into a fine paste.
Heat oil in a kadai and sauté the prawns till all the moisture dries up. Remove prawns and keep aside. In the same oil sauté oinions till onions are soft and light brown. Add chopped tomatoes and cook on high heat till they form a thick pulp and oil leaves the masala.
Add the ground spices and stir fry for two to three minutes. Add the prawns and sugar. Check seasoning and cook on low flame for another five to seven minutes till oil leaves the masala.
Serve hot with boiled rice.

A quick reminder:

The deadline for the event Served with Love is 31st January, 2010. Do send your lovely entries.

Chicken Saag

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti S. Rama) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:13:00 +0000

Chicken Saag is a mildly spiced preparation using a combination of spinach and chicken.

Spinach has a high nutritional value and is extremely rich in antioxidants, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled. It is a rich source of vitamin A (and lutein), vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, folate, iron, vitamin B2, calcium, potassium, vitamin B6, folic acid, copper, protein, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids. Recently, opioid peptides called rubiscolins have also been found in spinach. It is a source of folic acid (Vitamin B9), and this vitamin was first purified from spinach.

[Information Source: Wikipedia]

Recipe Source: Complete Indian Cooking

Ingredients

Fresh Spinach Leaves - 225 gm, washed but not dried
Chicken - 800 gm
Ginger - 1 tbsp., grated
Garlic - 1 tbsp., chopped
Green chilli - 1, roughly chopped
Water - 1 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp.
Bay leaves - 2 nos.
Black peppercorns - 1/4 tsp.
Onions - 2, finely chopped
Tomatoes - 4, peeled and finely chopped
Curry powder - 2 tsp.
Chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Plain yogurt - 3 tbsp.
Salt as per taste

Preparation

Cook the spinach leaves, without extra water, in a tightly covered pan for 5 minutes. Put the cooked spinach, ginger, garlic and chilli with 1/4 cup of the measured water into a food processor or blender and process to a thick puree. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large heavy pan, add the bay leaves and black peppercorns and fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the onion and fry for a further 6-8 minutes or until the onion has browned.
Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the curry powder, salt and chilli powder. Cook for 2 minutes over a medium heat, stirring once or twice.
Stir in the spinach puree and the remaining measured water, then simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the yogurt, 1 tbsp. at a time and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat them in the sauce. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes until the chicken in tender.
Serve with naan, roti or paratha.

A quick reminder

The deadline for the event Served with Love is 31st January, 2010. Do send your lovely entries.

This chicken recipe is on its way to:

Monthly Mingle, a monthly event initaited by Meeta of What's For Lunch Honey? fame. This month Sudeshna from Cook Like a Bong hosts the event.

Events at Gourmet Affair

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti S. Rama) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:26:00 +0000

Check out the Events organised at Gourmet Affair.

Served With Love

About the theme: We all cook for our loved ones, and love it! So this January, prepare a dish that is most favourite with the person you love!

Roundup: Part I, Part II.

The Year That Was

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti S. Rama) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:37:00 +0000

So here we are, a few more hours away from the new year. 2009 for me was a mixture of some good and some bad moments. I had reasons to rejoice and reasons to mourn. But this is how it is for everyone. Life is full of peaks and valleys. And now, I'm once again prepared to welcome the new year with all the surprises it has in store for me. I hope and wish all my readers have a fantastic year ahead!

What could have been a better post on the last day of the year than a post on Flashback! I wasn't blogging regularly during this year for certain reasons. Still, I did manage to post some of my favourite recipes. Take a glimpse of what I had been cooking.

Well, here I'm sharing a few of my personal favourites. Hope you enjoy this flashback. I shall be back next year with more recipes to share with my readers.

Wishing all of you a Very Happy New Year!

This post is off to:

Srivalli's Best of Year 2009 Event being held at Cooking 4 All Seasons.

Saffron Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti S. Rama) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:22:00 +0000

Recipe Source:

Like I have mentioned numerous times how I keep collecting recipes from everywhere. This cookbook is my new addition. Complete Indian Cooking comes with 325 authetic recipes from four different authors.

Saffron is said to be worth its weight in gold. The saffron crocus is a perennial bulb that only flowers for two weeks of the year, and each stigma has to be removed by hand and dried with care.

Making Saffron Rice is as easy as making regular rice. Only difference is that this flavourful and colourful spice makes this simple rice dish look marvelous.

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Water - 4 cups
Ghee - 1 tbsp.
Green Cardamoms - 4 pods
Cloves - 2
Milk - 1/4 cup
Saffron threads - 1/2 tsp.
Salt as per taste

Preparation

Wash the rice and soak it in water for 30 minutes. Drain rice.
Heat ghee in a large pan and add cardamom pods and cloves. Add rice and stir till all the grains are nicely coated with ghee.
Add water, stir and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and cover tightly. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the milk in a small pan. Add the saffron threads and heat through gently.
Pour the saffron milk over the rice and stir. Cover again and continue cooking over a low heat for 5-6 minutes or till rice is done.
Remove the pan from the heat without lifting the lid. Leave the rice to stand for about 5 minutes, then fork through just before serving.

A quick reminder

The deadline for the event Served with Love is 31st January, 2010. Do send your lovely entries.

Sarrfon Rice is on its way to:

JFI - Saffron Event being held at Chef In You.

Walnut 'n Chocolate Chip Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti S. Rama) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 14:09:00 +0000

Hope you all had a wonderful time during Christmas and now enthusiastically making your New Year plans. This year I had nice elaborate plans for Christmas. A friend and I had decided on shopping for the Christmas tree and everything else associated with it a day before. Had the menu planned along with Glenfiddich. Then I injured myself. The immense pain the hariline fracture gave me, left me with no choice but to cancel all the plans for the party (well not cancelled acutally, postponed till the 31st...hopefully).

I wasn't in a position to do much with one active hand. Baking a cake would not be so painful, I thought. This is what I made at home finally.

Ingredients

Eggs - 4
Powdered sugar - 1 cup
All purpose flour - 1 cup
Baking Powder - 1 tsp.
Unsalted Butter - 1 cup, softened
Vanilla Essence - 1 tbsp.
Ground Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp.
Milk - 1/2 cup
Chopped Walnuts - 1 cup
Chocolate Chips - 1 cup

Preparation

Sift flour with baking powder and keep aside.
Beat eggs and sugar nicely till the eggs look fluffy. Add vanilla essence and ground cinnamon.
Add butter to the egg-sugar mixture and mix well.
Gradually fold in flour till all the flour is used. Add milk to get a soft dropping consistency.
Fold in nuts and chocolate chips.
Grease the baking dish and pour the batter in it.
Preheat oven to 190°C and bake for 35-40 minutes.
Let it cool before removing from the baking dish.

A quick reminder

The deadline for the event Served with Love is 31st January, 2010. Do send your lovely entries.

This delicious cake is on its way to:

Food for 7 stages of Life – In love with DDPI Event.
Show me your Cake Event being hosted by Divya Vikram at Dil se...
Cakes 'n Cookies Event at Sara's Corner.
Contribute Your Recipes - Cakes and Cookies Event at Indian Vegetarian Kitchen.

Happy Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti S. Rama) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 15:59:00 +0000

Image Source

Wishing you and your family
Happy Holidays & a wonderful New Year ahead!

Announcing my first Event - Served with Love

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti S. Rama) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:36:00 +0000

Although I've been blogging for more than a year now, I never hosted an event. Maybe I was apprehensive about the response, maybe not. Somehow I never thought of organizing an event at Gourmet Affair.

However, with the new year approaching, I thought of celebrating it with you all, with an event. I wanted it to be a very simpe, effortless event for all. Where you don't need to cook something especially for the event. Therefore the theme - Served With Love.

We all cook for our loved ones, and love it! So this January, prepare a dish that is most favourite with the person you love! It can be your husband's, kids', mother's, father's, sister's, brother's, cousin's, friend's favourite dish. Anybody you love to cook for. But it has to be his/her favourite dish.

Here's what you need to do:

Prepare a dish suitable for the theme - 'Served with Love'. It can be either vegetarian or non-vegetarian.
Post about it in your blog anytime between now to 31st January 2010.
Provide a link back to this event announcement.
You are free to send multiple entries.
Using the logo is optional, but would appreciate it if you do.

Note: Your old posts are also welcome. Just link it with this announcement.

Please use this Event Entry Form to send your entry. Also ensure that your entry reaches me by 31st January 2010. I shall post the Roundup during the 1st week of February 2010.

Feel free to contact me for any futher queries.

Looking forward to your participation.

Happy Cooking!

Chicken Curry

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti S. Rama) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:37:00 +0000

Simple Chicken Curry is most probably one of the few initial dishes I had learnt to cook. My otherwise regular and reliable cook suddenly decided to take an off today. Trust me on this, today was one of those days when I really did not have any intention of moving even a finger. Therefore Initially I had thought of ordering pizza for myself, but then decided against it. I suddenly wanted chicken curry and rice.

If you like a little rich gravy, add 2 tbsp. of cashewnut paste.

Ingredients

Chicken - 1 kg
Onions - 4 nos., finely chopped
Tomatoes - 3 nos., pureed
Coriander leaves - a handful, finely chopped
Cinnamon - 1 one inch stick
Greean Cardamoms - 4 to 5
Cloves - 4 to 5
Bay leaf - 1 no.
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Coriander powder - 2 tbsp.
Cumin powder - 1 tbsp.
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp.
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp.
Mustard oil - 4 tbsp.

Preparation

Clean and wash chicken pieces.
Heat mustard oil/ghee in a pan and add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves. Fry for about half a minute. Add chopped onion and saute till the colour changes to golden brown.
Add ginger garlic paste and cook for around 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Mix well.
Add pureed tomatoes and stir well. Cook till oil separates from masala.
Add chicken pieces and salt. Cook on high flame for about 10 minutes. Keep stirring constantly.
Add 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Cover and cook till chicken pieces are completely done.
Sprinkle garam masala powder and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Chegodilu

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti S. Rama) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:23:00 +0000

I made this (infact heard of this for the first time in the Indian Cooking Challenge. crispy munchy South Indian snack especially for the ICC. I was glad and impressed with my first attempt. After all, it was so easy and quick. My folks loved it with tea in the evening. So go ahead, and give it a try.

Last week my interview was published in www.food-india.com. You can read it here.

Ingredients

Rice flour - 3/4 cup
All purpose flour/ Maida - 1/4 cup
Ghee - 2 tbsp.
Ajwain - 1/4 tsp.
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp.
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt as per taste
Oil to deep fry

Preparation

Boil 1 cup water in a bowl, add salt to it.
When the water starts boiling, remove from heat, add ajwain, red chilli powder, turmeric and all the flour. Stir with a ladle to make sure it is mixed well. Pour ghee on it and cover. Once it cools, knead it to form a smooth dough.
Grease your fingers with oil and pinch out a small lemon size ball and roll between your palms to form a thick rope. Bring the two ends together and press to form a rope. Continue with the rest of the dough until you are done with the entire batch. Ensure the ends are firmly pressed. You can either cover it with a plate or a cloth to prevent the dough from getting dried.
Heat oil in a pan, enough to fry 3 to 4 rings at time. If you are conscious of not using too much oil, simmer once it gets hot. The temperature should not be smoking hot.
Check if the oil is in the correct temperature by dropping a tiny bit into the oil. Then gently slide the rings or the chegodilus in batches of 3-4. The flame has to be on high until the chegodilus come up to the surface. Then lower the flame to medium and cook till you get a golden colour on the chegodilus.
When the chegodilus are golden all over, using a slotted ladle, remove to a kitchen towel and cool. Store in an air tight container for longer shelf life.

Note: Remember to turn the heat from medium to high and from high to medium for getting the perfect golden colour and also to be cooked evenly. Only this way you get crispy chegodilus. These should not be cooked on low flame as they will absorb more oil and can turn soggy also at times.

Vegetable Pulao

noreply@blogger.com (Arundhuti S. Rama) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:05:00 +0000

The bandh culture in Bengal plays a significant role in its politics. It is a device used by the political parties to demonstrate their entity by disrupting the city's normal life. It is irrelevant whether the point in question is crucial or petty, the political parties perceive a bandh as solution. Usually a state wide bandh is observed on a friday or a monday, to let the government and private sector employees enjoy an extended weekend. However, for a change this time it was a bandh on tuesday, the second working day of the week. Though the bandh was a flop with no deserted streets and city life being quite normal, I was on a holiday mood with a desire to have some easy-to-cook rice dish with mixed raita.

Vegetable Pulao is a simple, quick and nutritious rice preparation which I make pretty often at home. Serve it with raita and you have a complete meal.

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 2 cups, boiled
Onion - 1 large, finely chopped
Capsicum - 1, finely chopped
Carrots - 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Beans - 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Cinnamon - one 1 inch stick
Cardamons - 4 nos.
Cloves - 2 nos.
Ghee - 2 tbsp.
Salt as per taste

Preparation

Heat ghee is a pan. Add cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves. Saute for a minute or so and add chopped onions. Saute till they turn transparent.
Add chopped capsicum, beans, carrots and salt. Saute till they are done.
Once the vegetables are done, add all the boiled rice to it. Adjust salt.
Mix the vegetables and rice well and heat for some more time.
Serve hot with raita.

Gosht Biryani

noreply@blogger.com (Piya) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:45:00 +0000

Biryani is primarily a South Asian rice dish, made with rice (basmati mostly), spices and meat/vegtables. It was spread throughout by Muslim travellers and merchants and is very popular in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. In India the choice of meat for biryani is mostly chicken or mutton, whereas in Pakistan it is mostly beef biryani that is preferred. Among all the types of biryani that are available, the Hyderabadi biryani is very popular and is savored in all parts of India and is an integral part of Indian cuisine. I am yet to meet someone who doesn't relish biryanis.

Till the time I was not married, I seriously never thought that someday I will be preparing biryani at home. I always believed that biryanis are always best made in restaurants. But my husband contradicted my belief as he enjoys biryani only when it is home-made. According to him the home-made biryani is far more healthier and tastier than any biryani available in any restaurant.

So I started looking up for biryani recipes all over. And I must say, that after almost 2 years I finally can make the 'perfect' home-made biryani. I had to combine many recipes, taken from various sources to get this perfect recipe! I consulted recipe books and also chefs to make the biryani tasty enough. So here is the recipe which is a combination of many recipes.

Ingredients

Yogurt - 100 gms.
Mutton - 1/2 kg.
Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp.
Biryani Masala - 1 tsp.
Raw papaya juice - 4 tbsp.
Ginger Paste - 1tbsp.
Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp.
Basmati Rice – 2 cups
Saffron - a pinch
Milk - 1/2 cup
Black Cardamoms - 4 nos.
Green Cardamoms - 4 nos.
Cinnamon sticks - 2 one inch sticks
Cloves - 6 nos.
Black Peppercorns - 4-6 nos.
Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp.
Bay leaf - 2 nos.
Mace - 2 nos.
Nutmeg - 1 no.
Biriyani essence - 2 drops
Kewda Water - 2 tbsp.
Onions - 2 large, sliced
Mint Leaves - 1/2 cup, chopped
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp.
Ghee - 4 tbsp.
Salt to Taste
Flour dough (for sealing vessel lid)

Preparation

Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes. Also marinate mutton pieces with yogurt, red chilli power, ginger and garlic paste, raw papaya juice, biryani masala and salt.
Prepare aroma water: [1] Savory aroma water – Typical ingredients include: nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, cloves, black cardamoms, fennel seeds, bay leaf, black peppercorns, and salt to taste. Add all ingredients in water. Bring it to a boil. Turn down heat. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. [2] Sweet aroma water - In reality it is hot milk with ground cardamoms, saffron strands, kewda water and biriyani essence. The milk is warmed with, the cracked yellow cardamom and saffron. When cool, the cardamoms are removed and kewda water and biriyani essence are added.
Prepare saffron rice: Heat ghee. Add rice and stir till all grains are covered with ghee. Add saffron, salt and 4 cups of savory aroma water (2 cups of savory water for every 1 cup of rice). Bring it to a boil and turn down heat. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
Prepare mutton: Heat ghee in a kadai. Add cloves, cinnamon stick and green cardamoms. Put mutton pieces, add a little more of the biryani masala. Stir and cook till done. Add little water if required.
In the same kadai, add a little more ghee. Put green cardamoms, onion slices and mint leaves. Fry till onion is golden brown. Add little lemon juice and keep aside.
Layering: The top and bottom layers are always Rice. Lay a layer of rice. Add a bit of savory water, sweet water and ghee in circular motion. Add mutton layer, add fried onion layer and top it with rice layer sprinkling savory, sweet water and ghee in circular motion. The layers can be repeated in case there is more rice and mutton. After the top Rice layer has been added finish it off with another garnish layer.
Seal the handi with flour dough, it should be a sticky dough. Apply the dough around the lid and close the lid. The dough will form the seal.
Now the biriyani must be cooked on indirect heat. Put a tawa on the flame and place the handi on the tawa. Cook for another 30 – 45 minutes.
When done, remove handi from the tawa and let it stand for 5 – 10 minutes.

Alternatively, the biryani can be baked instead of cooking it on indirect heat. For baking, put the handi (a microwave oven/oven safe handi) in a preheated oven at 200˚C and bake for 25 – 30 minutes.

Note: Chicken biryani is also prepared in the same way. Just replace mutton pieces with chicken pieces. Every other procedure is the same.