Baingan Ka Bharta (Spicy)

Baingan Ka Bharta

Credit: Sangeeta Parihar

Ingredients:

1. Big Brinjal  1 Approx 500gm
2. Chopped Onions  2 medium ones
3. Chopped Tomatoes 3 medium ones
4. Chopped Garlic 10-12 (Kaliyan)
5. Garam Masala 1 tsp
6. Chilli Powder 2 tsp
7. Turmeric Powder 1 tsp
8. Salt For taste
9. Oil

Preparation:

• Apply oil on Brinjal & roast on gas flame till it's roasted well. Let it cool. Peel off the skin after it cools down and mash the pulp
• Add oil in a pan, chopped garlic, onion & cook till it turns golden brown.
• Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, garam masala, salt, chilli powder & cook till oil oozes.
• Add roasted peeled off Brinjal into the pan & cook till 5-7 mins. Garnish with fresh corriander leaves & serve with hot chapati

Karela (Bitter Gourd) sabzi

Karele ki Sabzi

This is simple yet a very simple & handy recipe. It takes about an hour to make it, but the effort is well worth it.

Courtesy: My friend Shweta Singh

Ingredients:
1. Karela - 3 big ones
2. Onion - 7-8 medium ones
3. Oil - 3 tbs
4. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
5. Red chili powder - 2-4 tsp depending on your need for hotness
6. Amchur powder - 2 tsp
7. Saunf powder - 2 tsp
8. Coriander powder - 3 tsp

Preparation:

Cut onion in slices and karela in rounds. Put karela in bowl of salt water (which u will drain off before cooking) so that the bitterness is reduced.

1. Take good amount of oil in pan, add onion, fry it for about 5 mins, until its translucent
2. Add karela, fry them for about 10 mins
3. Add Salt,turmeric,red chilli powder,coriander powder,saunf powder. Mix well, close the lid and let them cook
4. Once it is half cooked,add anchur powder
5. Let it cook until Karela leaves oil

Serve with rotis...

Stuffed Brinjal (Aubergine) In coriander gravy

 

 

1. Brinjal (aubergine) -  5/6 small
2. Coriander -  1 bunch
3. Tomatoes -  2/3 medium size – grated
4. Garlic cloves -  5/6 mashed
5. Chilli powder - 1 heaped teaspoon (depends on how spicy you need it)
6. Salt to taste
7. Coriander powder -  1 teaspoon
8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
9. Oil - 2 tablespoons

 

• MASALA:
• Cut coriander leaves coarsely. Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garlic paste,  tomatoes and salt to the cut coriander leaves and mix it properly. Keep the masala aside.
• PREPARATION:
• Cut Brinjals in half (leave the 2 pieces sticking together at one end for stuffing).
• Stuff the Brinjals with above masala.
• Take 2 tablespoons of oil in pressure cooker or pan (with lid) and heat the oil. 
• Place the Brinjal in the cooker and also put the remaining masala in the cooker. Put 1 cup of water and close the lid and let it cook. 
• Check to see if the brinjals are tender and remove from heat.
• Serve with chapatti or paratha with curd!!

Spicy Chicken Drumsticks AKA Puru Uncle's Chicken (PUC)

This is also called Puru Uncle's Chicken (PUC). This name was given by a sweet little girl who loves my spicy drumsticks. She is my son's schoolmate.

For 6  chicken drumsticks: Remove skin and make deep cuts using a knife on the drumsticks. 

The Marination Paste

1. 1 tablespoon Kashmiri chilli powder (non-hot)
2. 1 tablespoon cumin (jeera) powder
3. 1/2 tablespoon coriander (dhaniya) powder
4. Salt as per taste
5. 1 tablespoon Chicken Masala 
6. Oil - enough to make a thick paste

Mix all the above ingredients and make a paste.

 

Coat the chicken pieces with the above paste and keep it in the fridge for 2 hours

Preheat oven to 220 deg Celsius for 10 mins.

Put the chicken drumsticks in an aluminium or parchment paper and cook at 150 deg celsius for 20 minutes.

Turn the chicken over, coat it with the leftover masala paste, and cook it for 15 minutes at 150 deg Celcius Check if the chicken is tendered using a fork.

Remove from the oven and eat!! :-)

You can also make rolls with chicken meat along with eggs, tastes yummy!

Masala Paste
Marinated chicken with Masala Paste
Drumsticks coated with Masala Paste
Drumsticks ready for over
Final Product! :-)

English Breakfast

English Breakfast, a photo by Puru * on Flickr.

A simple but sumptuous English breakfast of baked beans, bacon, scrambled eggs, sausages, tomato, onion and toast. Only hash browns are missing! Enjoy!

Baby Potato Fry

South Indian style baby potato fry

Ingredients:

• Whole Baby Potatoes 1 KG (with skin)
• Green Chillies - 2 chopped
• Curry Leaves - 7-8
• Coriander leaves - a few
• Mustard seeds (Rai) - 1 teaspoon
• Urad Dal (Black gram/white lentils) - 1.5 tablespoon
• Oil 2 table spoon
• Red Chilly Powder - 2 teaspoons
• Salt to taste
• Hing (Asafoetida)  - 1/2 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder (Haldi) - 1 teaspoon

Method

1. Boil Potato. Remember the potatoes need to be firm (Do not cook in the cooker and do not boil as required for mashed potatoes).
2. Take a 1.5 table spoon of oil and heat it. Put hing, 2-3 curry leaves and 1 teaspoon turmeric powder in oil.
3. Put the boiled potatoes oil and heat it in low/medium flame while frequently stirring. Add salt. Fry until the skin of the potatoes shrivel a bit. This takes about 20 minutes.
4. Add Red chilly powder once the potatoes are shrivelled properly
5. In a separate pan, take 1/2 tablespoon of oil and add 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds (rai) and 1.5 tablespoon of urad dal. Fry until they the urad dal is golden brown. Add chopped green chillies and curry leaves. Once they are fried, add the whole thing in to the potato pan and mix them well.
6. Taste the salt and chilly add more if necessary

Serve with Dal Rice or with Dahi (Yoghurt) Rice
:-)

Fish Valentine

(Grilled/shallow fried fish with herbs, served with spinach mashed potatoes and tossed tomato salad)

We had this dish at a local restaurant (Polka Dots, Pune). It was fantastically presented and delicately made with subtle seasoning of herbs. Its pretty easy to make and takes about 45 minutes once you have all the ingredients ready. We don’t know what this recipe is called, so I gave it the same name with which it was referred in the restaurant menu.
For us the spinach mashed potatoes and the tomato salad combination with the fish was the winner!
Ingredients
For Fish

• Fish – 6-8 Fillets (Any white fish will do)
• Chilli Flakes – 1 teaspoon
• Dried herbs and Seasoning (like dried oregano, basil etc. Italian seasoning will do) – 1 teaspoon
• Lemon juice – 1/2 a lemon squeezed
• Salt and Pepper as per taste
• Flour
• Oil – 1 tablespoon

For Spinach Mashed Potatoes

• Boiled potatoes – 5-6 medium sized
• Spinach Puree – 1 tablespoon
• Butter – 50 gms
• Milk – 1/2 cup
• Salt and Pepper

For Tossed Tomato Salad

• Tomatoes – 3 medium sized
• Italian Herbs and seasoning – 1/2 teaspoon
• Olive Oil – 1 tablespoon
• Coarsely ground roasted peanut – 2 teaspoon
• Salt and Pepper
• Honey – 1 teaspoon
• Pitted olives – 7-8

Method
For Fish

1. Marinate fish with chilli flakes, herbs, lemon juice, salt and pepper for 30 minutes
2. Once the fish is marinated, lightly dust it with flour.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a shallow pan,  put the fish in the pan and shallow fry. Toss then on other side when one side is golden brown.

For Spinach Mashed Potatoes

1. Boil 5-6 medium potatoes. Grate the potatoes before mashing them.
2. Add Spinach puree, milk, butter, salt and pepper.
3. Mix everything together for a long time until you get consistency.

For Tossed Tomato Salad

1. Cut 3 small tomatoes in big square pieces
2. Add 1 teaspoon honey, herbs, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 7-8 chopped olives, 2 teaspoon of coarsely ground peanuts
3. Toss them together to mix well

Serving
Serve Fish, Mashed Potatoes, Tomato Salad with lettuce

Spring Onion and Cabbage Fried Rice

Simple and delicious fried rice!

Ingredients

• Steamed rice – 1.5 cups
• Garlic – 6-8 cloves finely chopped 
• Coriander – finely chopped
• Spring Onions – 8-10 (or as required) sliced/chopped (separate white and green parts)
• Cabbage – Long Slices about 1 cup. Do not put too much of cabbage, just a handful is enough.
• Green chillies – 2 chopped. If the chillies are of hot variety then put just one.
• Oil – 2 teaspoon
• Sugar – 1/2 teaspoon
• Coarsely Ground pepper – 1/4 teaspoon
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Cook 1.5 cups of rice in a rice cooker and set aside.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a pan and put garlic. coriander, spring onion (white part), cabbage and chillies.
3. Stir fry for a couple of minutes.
4. Add salt to taste, 1/2 spoon of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of crushed pepper and steamed rice and mix gently.
5. Once mixed, take out in a bowl and garnish with the green part of the spring onion and tomatoes.

Have it with curry or daal

Stuffed Tomato in Yellow Gravy

  Ingredients:

For stuffing:

• Tomatoes - 6
• coriander finely cut
• Green chillies - 2 long ones finely chopped
• Paneer (cottage cheese) - 100 gms grated
• boiled potato - 1 small grated
• Maggie veg masala - 1 cube
• Chat masala - 1/2 teaspoon
• Cheese cube - 1
• Salt to taste

• Oil – 2 teaspoon

For gravy:

• Onion - 1 one chopped
• Cashew nuts - 50 gms
• Green Chillies - 2
• Ginger Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Red chilly powder - 1 teaspoon (heaped)
• Kitchen king masala - 1/2 teaspoon (if you don't have kitchen king then replace with normal garam masala or curry masala)
• Oil – 1 tablespoon
• Milk – 1/2 cup
• Methi (fenugreek seeds) – 1/4 teaspoon
• Salt to taste
• Sugar - 1 teaspoon

Method:

Tomato stuffing

1. Cut the top portion of the tomato and gently scoop out the pulp from inside the tomato. (NOTE: Don’t thrown the pulp, this will be used in the gravy). Keep the tomatoes aside.

2. Grate the paneer (cottage cheese), cheese cube and boiled potato in a bowl.

3. Add in the bowl the following -  Maggie masala, chat masala, coriander, finely chopped green chillies and salt as per taste

4. Gently mix the whole thing together. Once mixed, stuff the tomatoes with the mixture.

5. Take 2 teaspoon of oil in a shallow pan and heat the oil. Once heated, put the tomatoes in the pan. Gently toss then tomatoes fry until the skin becomes little loose.

6. Once tender, take the tomatoes out from the pan and keep them aside.

Gravy

1. Make a paste of tomato pulp, chopped onion, cashew nuts, green chillies in a grinder.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a deep pan. Add the methi (fenugreek seeds) in the oil.
3. Once the methi sputters, put the paste in #1 in the pan. Add ginger+garlic paste. Cook the in low flame.
4. Once the masala  starts cooking, the oil will start separating. Add kitchen king masala, turmeric powder, chilli powder, sugar and salt.
5. Add little water and 1/2 cup of milk and let it cook until it homogenizes.
6. Once cooked, take out the grave in a bowl. Put the stuffed tomatoes in the gravy and garnish with coriander leaves, chilli and cashews.

Stuffed tomato in yellow gravy is ready. Best served with spring onion and cabbage fried rice.

ENJOY!!!

Nargisi Kofta (Egg balls in spicy gravy)- North Indian Dish

Nargisi Kofta (Egg balls in spicy gravy)- North Indian Dish, a photo by Puru * on Flickr.

Ingredients

• Boiled Eggs - 6-8 nos halved
• Chicken (minced) - 300 gms (If you are a vegetarian, you can substitute Chicken with equal amounts of boiled potato and boiled raw banana)
• Green Chilies - 6 nos
• Ginger (grated) - 3 tsp
• Garlic (grated) - 4 tsp
• Coriander (Chopped) - 1 tsp
• Onion (chopped) - 2 nos
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Kashmiri chili powder - 2-3 tsp
• Garam masala - 1 tsp
• Cream - 200 gms
• Cashew - 75 gms
• Tomato paste - 2 tbsp
• Cinnamon - 2 nos
• Cloves - 4 nos
• Cardamoms - 4 nos
• Oil For frying Or Clarified Butter/Butter - 4 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Add Minced chicken (or boiled potato and raw banana), chopped green chilies, 1 ½ tsp of grated ginger, chopped coriander, 1 finely chopped onion, cumin seeds, and salt to the gram flour.
2. Mix well and make a dough by adding water
3. Make balls of this mixture. Flatten the balls and put half of the boiled egg inside each.
4. In a pan, heat oil and shallow fry these balls and keep them aside (This is your kofta)
5. Make a paste of Onion and Cashews and keep it aside
6. Heat butter/oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and let is sputter, add cinnamons, cloves, cardamoms, ginger garlic paste and saute for few minutes
7. Add onion+cashew paste and cook for 5 mins
8. Add tomato puree. Stir it well and cook for 5-7 minutes.
9. Now add Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric powder. Cook in low heat until oil separates. Add a cup of water, DONT MAKE TOO WATERY.
10. Add Garam masala, mix well and let it cook for sometime
11. Add Cream. Heat mixture on low heat for 20 mins until gravy attains the consistency
12. Add Kofta in the gravy
13. Cook for 10 to 15 mins
14. Serve hot with Indian Bread/pitta Bread or Rice!

Serve with Fried Rice or naan or paratha or roti

Recipe: Saoji Chicken

Recipe: Saoji Chicken, a photo by Puru * on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Nagpur is situated in the central India. Its the city with ZERO mile mark. It is known for many things - the summer heat, oranges and culinary delicacies to name a few. One such delicacy of Nagpur is the exotic, hot and spicy Saoji food. The cuisine originally belongs to a small community "Saoji Community" from Nagpur but with time that distinctive taste of Saoji food has made its place in each nagpurians life. The cuisine also called Saoji Waradi is famous for its hot flavours. Its irresistible taste gets into your mind and soul once you taste this food. It is a must try for all spicy food lovers and those who try will surely get addicted to its taste. The special ingredients used in preparation of curry for Saoji food include poppy seeds (Khus-Khus), powdered coconut, black pepper, dry coriander, bay leaves, grey cardamom, cinnamon, cloves etc.

Saoji food, prepared as non-vegetarian chicken or mutton dish, is characterized by the oily hot gravy; one can also prepare vegetarian dishes using the same saoji gravy/curry. The vegetarians can enjoy Potato, Paneer or Soya Chunk dishes in the Saoji Curry to relish its authentic taste. Saoji food, although being very spicy, is not harmful to the body and does not lead to any digestive problems, as the process of cooking has been modified to overcome any health problems.
-Taken from Article base

The following recipe is shared by my very good friend Mohini. She makes absolutely delicious Saoji chicken. She is half Saoji herself, her mother's side of family belong to the Saoji community. And needless to say she, like me, is from Nagpur!!!

Ingredients:

• Chicken - 1KG (with bone)
• Red chilly powder - as per the required hotness
• Turmeric Powder - as required
• Oil - As required
• Onions - 2 large
• Pepper corns - 2 teaspoons
• Black Cardamoms - 8 to 10
• Cinnamon sticks - 5 to 6 (an inch and half in length)
• Poppy seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Grated dry coconut - 1 small cup
• Bay leaves - 2 to 3

Method

1. Marinate the chicken with 2-3 spoons red chilly powder, 2 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon turmeric powder and keep it aside.
2. Saute 2 sliced onions, 12 black peppercorns, 8 black cardmoms, 5-6 sticks of cinnamon and a spoon of poppy seeds (or peanuts if you dont have poppy seeds) till the onions turn brown (on low heat) then add a small cup of grated coconut and fry till the coconut also turns brown.
3. Blend this masala (gravy) in a mixer with a little water to make a fine paste.
4. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil. Saute a sliced onion with a couple of bay leaves.
5. Once the raw onion smell is gone, put in the blended masala (above) and keep on stirring it till the oil leaves separates. Then put in some ginger-garlic paste. Once that is cooked mix in around 1 to 2 tablespoon of chilly powder(or more if u r brave enough), 1 tsp of turmeric powder and salt to taste. You may have to add more oil if required.
6. Add the chicken, cover the vessel, put water on the lid. Keep on stirring in between. Cook till the chicken is done. Then put in as much warm water as the desired consistency. Dont make it too runny, The gravy should be hot, spicy and thick with visible oil. Thats SAOJI !!! :-)
7. Check for seasoning and stir in a tsp of garam masala.
   
   Serve with bhakri or roti

Doi Maach (Fish in Yoghurt Sauce)

Doi Maach (Fish in Yoghurt Sauce), a photo by Puru * on Flickr.

Ingredients

• Rohu Fish (Carp)- ½ kg (You can use any fresh water fish here)
• Yoghurt- 1 Cup (beaten)
• Tomatoes- 1 Large – Grated
• Ginger & Garlic Paste- 2 teaspoons (or you can also put finely chopped ginger and garlic)
• Cardamom- 2 pieces
• Cloves- 4-5 pieces
• Bay Leaf (Tej patta)- 1 small
• Red chillies- 2
• Green Chillies- 2 (Slit)
• Turmeric- 1 teaspoon
• Red Chilly Powder- ½ teaspoon
• Julian ginger- a few (optional)
• Oil- for frying the fish and tempering for gravy
• Salt to taste
• Sugar ½ teaspoon

Method:

1. Get the fish cut in ½ inch pieces from the fish monger. Wash the fish and apply ½ teaspoon turmeric and salt over the fish and keep it for 30 mins.
2. Shallow fry the fish pieces in oil till its light golden (approx. 1 min on each side). Keep the fish aside.
3. Remove excess oil from the frying pan.
4. Heat oil and add the red chilly, bay leaf, cloves, cardamom temper it for few seconds and then add ginger & garlic paste.
5. Stir for a minute. Add the grated tomato and fry till the oil separates, keep stirring.
6. Add ½ spoon chili powder and ½ spoon turmeric powder, mix well and then add 1 cup of water, salt to taste and sugar and let it come to boil.
7. Add the fish pieces in the pan after the gravy come to a boil.
8. Add the beaten yoghurt. Mix the yoghurt with the rest of the gravy and remove from heat.
9. Garnish with slit green chilies and julian ginger.

Serve with steamed rice