Tandoori chicken

Ingredients:
Chicken:500gm,preferably drumsticks & wings
Oil:1 tbsp
Everest's Shahi garam masala:few pinches
Kashmiri red chili powder:1 tsp
Everest's Tandoori chicken masala:1.5 tsp
Roasted cumin powder:few pinches
Ginger-garlic paste:1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Lemon juice:1/2 tsp
Curd:1 tbsp

Method:
Marinate the cleaned chicken pieces with all spices and curd and keep it refrigerated overnight or at least 1 hour.

Preheat your oven at 180 degree C & keep a oven proof tray under the grill tray.

Roast the chicken pieces for 10 minutes & then turn the side & roast for 5 minutes.

Wait till the oven is cooled down.

Serve hot.

Tandoori Chicken Polao

Ingredients:
Chicken:500gm,preferably drumsticks & wings
Oil:1 tbsp
Ghee:1 tsp
Everest's Shahi garam masala:few pinches
Kashmiri red chili powder:1 tsp
Everest's Tandoori chicken masala:1.5 tsp
Roasted cumin powder:few pinches
Ginger-garlic paste:1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Lemon juice:1/2 tsp
Curd:1 tbsp
Half cooked basmati rice:2 cups or little more
Dry roasted Cashew nuts & water soaked raisins:each 6-8 pieces
Kewra water:1 tsp

Method:
Marinate the cleaned chicken pieces with all spices and curd(except kewra water) and keep it refrigerated overnight or at least 1 hour.

Preheat your oven at 180 degree C & keep a oven proof tray with half cup of water under the grill tray so that the chickens' juice & spices will not dry up.

Roast the chicken pieces for 10 minutes & then turn the side & roast for 5 minutes.

Wait till the oven is cooled down.

Mix the rice,tandoori chicken pieces,dry fruits,kewra water with the spiced juice of the tray.

Check the seasoning.

Bake the rice for 5 minutes.

Serve hot.

Murgir Kalia or Bengali Style Spicy Chicken Curry

Ingredients:
Chicken:500 gms, cut into 4 to 6 pieces
Mustard oil:5 tbsp
Ghee:1 tbsp
Tomato paste:2,large
Onion patse:2,large
Salt as per taste
Sugar:1 tsp
Turmeric Powder
Cumin-coriander powder:1 tsp
Whole red chili:1-2
Kashmiri red chili powder:1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder:1 tsp
Warm water:1/2 cup
Bay leaves:2
Garam masala(Everest's) Powder:1/4 tsp
Black Cardamom:1,crushed
Green Cardamom:2,crushed
Cloves:2
Cinnamon:2 sticks
Ginger-Garlic Paste:3 tsp

Method:
Clean & wash chicken,drain the water.

Marinade the chicken with 1 tbsp of mustard oil,few pinches of salt & turmeric powder & 1/2 tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder 

& keep it in refrigerator for overnight or at least for one hour.

Heat oil in a kadai over moderate flame & caramelize the sugar.

Temper with bay leaves,whole red chili & whole garam masala.

Saute the onion & tomato paste till oil seperates.

Add ginger garlic paste & cumin-coriander powder,turmeric,red chili powder(both).

Stir to mix well and cook for few minutes.

Add the chicken pieces and cook in medium flame.

Add warm water,check the seasoning,stir well so that the gravy doesn't stick to the bottom of the kadai.

Cook till the gravy thickens and chicken becomes tender.

Add the ghee & nutmeg powder,stir it well.

Remove from the flame.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

Pahadi Murgh Kebabs (Diabetic friendly)

 Ingredients:
 1 tsp melted butter
 2 chicken leg pieces
 To Be Ground To A Smooth Green Marinade-
 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
 1 green chili
 Few drops of lemon juice
 2 cashew nuts
 Few pinches of Tandoori masala(I used Everest's Tandoori Masala)
 1 tbsp low fat curd 
 salt to taste

 Method:
 Marinade the chicken legs with the green marinade and melted butter and keep aside for at least half an hour.

 Pre-heat the oven at 200 degree Celcius and grill in microwave oven for 15 minutes.

 Turn over the other side & grill for another 5 minutes.Brush with few drops of melted butter if required.
 Remove from the flame and serve immediately.

Pahadi Paneer Tikkas

Ingredients:
 1 tsp melted butter
 100 gm Paneer cubes(cut into 1x0.5 inches)
 To Be Ground To A Smooth Green Marinade-
 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
 1 green chili
 1 tsp lemon juice
 2 cashew nuts
 Few pinches of Tandoori masala(I used Everest's Tandoori Masala)
 1 tbsp low fat curd 
 salt to taste

 Method:
 Marinade the paneer cubes with the green marinade and melted butter and keep aside for 15 to 20 minutes.

If you are using non-stick pan,heat the butter in a non-stick pan instead of marinating it and sauté till the tikkas turn 

golden brown on all sides 

or, grill in microwave oven for 5-7 minutes(I grilled the tikkas).Dont grill more than 7-8 minutes as tikkas will be hardened.

Remove from the flame and serve immediately.

Ghee Roast Chicken Pilaf

Ingredients:
1 Chicken leg + thigh without the skin
1.5 tsp ghee/ clarified butter
1/4th tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp paprika/ Kashmiri Red chili powder
1 petal of mace crushed
Tiny pinch of Nutmeg powder
Salt as per taste

For the pilaf

1 cup of cooked basmati rice
A big handful of cranberries/cherries or few cashew nuts & raisins
Tiny pinch of nutmeg powder
1 tsp ghee/ clarified butter

Method:

Marinate the chicken with clarified butter, cinnamon, paprika or kashmiri red chili powder, salt, mace and nutmeg and keep it for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 180 degree C and place the chicken on a rack and put a bowl(roast mode proof) beneath the chicken on the lower rack so that it collects the juices and roast for 15 minutes and then turn the chicken and roast for another 15 minutes. 

Now place the rice in the bowl which has collected the juices and mix well and place the chicken on top and bake for another 5 minutes. 

Your aromatic and mildly flavoured pilaf is ready!

Cheesy Paneer Fingers

Ingredients:
Mashed paneer:3 tbsp
Refined flour:2 tbsp
Corn flour:2 tbsp
Red chilli powder:1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder:1/4 tsp
Salt
Sugar:1 pinch
Grated cheese:3 tbsp or,1 cheese slice cut into halves
Finely chopped coriander:1 tbsp
Breade crumb
Oil

Method:
Mix mashed paneer,refined flour,cornflour(1 tsp each),chilli powder,garam masala powder,salt,sugar,chopped coriander & grated cheese(if you are using) and make a smooth dough & prepare fingers(about 2-3 fingers).

If you are using cheese slice,cut it into halves & wrap the finger with the slice.

Make a batter of medium consistency with remaining refined flour & corn flour with water.

Dip the fingers into it.

Then roll the fingers in bread crumb.

Heat oil & fry the fingers till they become golden & crispy.

Serve hot.

Urad Daal Cooked With Raw Mango

Ingredients:
Urad Daal : 1 large cup
Paanch phoron (a mixture of cumin, nigella, fennel, fenugreek and celery seeds) – 1 tsp
Black mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Dry Red chillies: 2-3
Raw Mango slices cut longitudinally: 1 cup
Sugar and salt to taste
Mustard oil for tempering.

Method:
Dry roast the pulses, cool it down and cleanse thoroughly in running water.

Boil Urad daal in pressure cooker; cook the mango slices in daal till tender.

Add seasoning of salt and sugar and mix well.

In a kadai heat oil and temper with paanch phoron, mustard seeds and dry red chillies.

When the tempered spice mix emanates the typical aroma pour it in the pressure cooker containing daal – raw mango mix, simmer 

it covered for a few minutes.

Serve with steamed rice.

Nutty Okra

 Ingredients
 Okra/lady fingers :500gms
 Onion :2 ,large
 Roasted Peanuts: 200 gms
 Roasted Cumin seeds: 2 tsp
 Red chili powder: 1 tsp
 Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
 Salt
 Green chili, chopped: 2
 Mustard oil 1 cup or less

 Method

 Wash and dry okra/bhindi .
 Cut pods into small pieces.
 Thinly slice onions. 
 Crush peanuts and cumin seeds together.
 In pan heat oil till smoky.
 Add okra, onions. 
 Saute for few mins.
 Add chopped green chilli, salt, red chili  and turmetic powder.

 Stir fry in low heat uncovered till okra/bhindi gets crispy and cooked.

 Add crushed peanuts n cumin seeds.

 Fry two three mins more.

 Serve crispy nutty okra/ladyfinger/bindi with roti and raita.

Roasted Masala Papad

Ingerdients:
Roasted papad:1(I used garlic papad)
Chopped green chilli:1 
Chopped cucumber:1 tbsp
Chopped tomato:1 tbsp
Chopped onion:1 tbsp
Chopped corianderleaves:1tbsp
Freshly grated coconut:1 tbsp
Crushed roasted peanuts:1 tbsp
Chat masala:1 pinch
Salt:1 pinch

Method:
Combine the onion, tomato, cucumber,green chilli,coconut,peanuts,chat masala and salt in a bowl and mix well.

Arrange a papad on a serving plate and spread the mixture evenly on it.

Serve immediately garnished with coriander.

Palakwala Dal:Punjabi style

Ingredients: 
Fresh spinach leaves (palak),roughly chopped :2 cups 
Moong dal:1 cup 

Salt  to taste 

Turmeric powder   

Mustard oil  2 tbsp 

Asafoetida  pinch 

Cumin seeds  1 tsp 

Onion ,chopped,1 medium 

Green chilli chopped:1-2 or green chilli powder-as per your taste (I used powder)

Ginger,chopped  1 inch piece 

Garlic,chopped  6-8 cloves 

Lemon juice  1 tsp 

Method:

Cook the moong dal with salt, turmeric powder and five cups of water in a pressure cooker till the pressure is released twice or the dal is well cooked. 

Heat the oil in a kadai.

Add the asafoetida and cumin seeds. 

When the cumin seeds begin to change colour, add the onions and green chillies(if you are using chopped chillies). 

Cook till the onions are soft and translucent. 

Add the ginger and garlic and cook for half a minute.

Add the chopped spinach  & cook till it becomes soft.  

Add the dal, bring to a boil, and stir.

Add green chilli powder(if you are using green chilli powder) & lemon juice. 

Simmer for two minutes and serve hot. 

Easy recipe of Kosha Aloor Dum (Dry):Bengali Style Dum Aloo (Dry)

Ingredients:
Potato:4-5,medium
Onion,finely chopped:1,medium
Tomato,finely chopped:1,medium
Ginger-garlic paste:1 tbsp
Mustard oil:4-5 tbsp
Ghee:1/2 tsp
Whole cumin seeds:1/4 tsp
Cumin-coriander powder:1/2 tsp
Bay leaves:2-3
Whole garam masala:Cinnamon stick(1 inch)+Clove+Green cardamom:each 2
Garam masala powder:1/4 tsp
Kashmiri red chili powder:1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder
Hot water:1 cup or little more
Sugar:1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Clean the potatoes,do not peel the skin & Boil the potatoes with a pinch of salt till it is 75% cooked.

Peel the skin.

Cut each potato into 4 pieces.

Heat oil in a kadai & fry the potato pieces till they turn golden from all sides.

Remove the pieces from the kadai.

Caramelize the sugar in the same oil.

Now temper with bay leaves,whole garam masala & cumin seeds in the same oil.

Add chopped onion & fry till it becomes translucent.

Add tomato,ginger-garlic & chili paste.

Cook till oil separates from sides.

Add cumin-coriander,turmeric & Kashmiri red chili powder,garam masala powder & cook in medium flame till the gravy becomes dry.

Add 1 cup or little more hot water,salt.

Add the potato pieces when the gravy starts boiling.

Cook till the gravy coats the potato pieces nicely.

Add the ghee,stir well ,remove from the flame & cover with a lid.

Your aromatic Aloor dum is ready!!

Serve it hot with Luchi/Puri or paratha.

Simple yet tasty Pumpkin Fritters

Ingredients:
Pumpkin slices 10-12,thin slices
Gram flour / besan 3/4 cups
Rice flour 1/2 tbsp
Cornflour:1 tbsp 
Crushed,dry roasted peanuts:1 tbsp
Whole poppy seeds 1 tsp 
Nigella seeds 1/4 tsp 
Red chilli powder:1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder 1 pinch
Salt to taste 
Mustard oil for deep fry (any other vegetable oil, if mustard oil is not available) 

Method:
Marinate pumpkin slices  with few pinch salt & turmeric powder. 

Take a large mixing bowl. 

Add besan, rice flour, poppy seeds, nigella seeds,chilli powder, salt to it and make a smooth and lump free batter using water little by little.

Add crushed peanuts. 

Batter should not be too thick or thin. 

Heat oil in a deep bottom pan. 

Take out 1 table spoon hot oil and mix with the batter. 

Lower the heat, once the oil comes to the smoking point, Wait for a minute and add pumpkin slices to the batter. 

Coat well with batter and add to oil and fry.

Fry them over medium heat. 

Fry them till they are crisp and nicely colored. 

Take out from oil and keep them on kitchen paper to soak the extra oil.

Serve hot with puffed rice. 

Payes Or Rice Kheer

Ingredients:
Kamini atap or Gabindobhog or Ambemohar Rice: 100gms

Milk: 1 ½ litre

Sugar: 150gms

Ghee: 1 teaspoon

Cashew nuts,chopped: 1/2 cup

Raisins: 1/4 cup,soaked in water

Green cardamom : 3 or 4

Pistachio,chopped:2 tbsp

Bay leaf: 1 or 2

Saffron:few threads (optional)

Hot water:2-3 cups or little more

Method:

Wash the rice 3 to 4 times and soak in water for half an hour or at least 10 minutes.

Drain the water thoroughly & let it dry in clean cloth by spreading the rice in thin layer for 15 minutes.

Heat ghee in a kadai/wok & temper the bay leaves for a minute & saute the rice for 2 minutes.

Colour of the rice should not be changed.

Transfer the rice in a pressure cooker.

Add 2 cups of water,cover the lid & cook for 2 whistles.

Remove from the flame.

Wait for few minutes to release the steam.

Open the lid and check the consistency of the cooked rice.

The rice should be 75% cooked.

You can cook the rice in your microwave oven,too.

Now boil the milk in very low flame, and let it condense till it become almost ¾ its original volume.

Add the cooked rice,cashew & sugar & keep on flame till the sugar melts.

The consistency of the payes/kheer should be medium-not too runny or thick as the rice becomes starchy 

or sticky slowly and it will make the kheer thick subsequently.

Remove it from the flame,add the cardamom, threads of saffron (optional),raisins & pistachio & cover with a lid.

Refrigerate it before serving.

Aromatic Yam Curry (Oal er curry)

I have gone through Sanjeev Kapoor's recipe of Yam curry & cooked with a few twist
Ingredients:

Yam:500 grams ...

Dried red chillies:2

Mustard seeds:1/2 tsp(for tempering)

Mustard paste:1 tsp

Coconut milk:1 cup

Grated coconut:1 tbsp

Oil 2 tsp

Ghee:1 tsp

Curry leaves:10-15

Salt to taste

Green chillies,slit:2

Tamarind pulp:2 tsp

Jaggery (gur),grated:1 tbsp


Method:
Peel and cut the yam into one inch cubes.

Wash them well.

Heat oil in a pan, add 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds, red chillies and curry leaves.

When the seeds begin to splutter add yam pieces, salt and toss.

Add one cup of water, cover and cook on medium heat till almost done.

Add green chilies

Dilute the tamarind pulp and jaggery & coconut milk in a cup of water and mix.

Lower the heat, cover and cook till the yam is completely cooked & gravy becomes thick.

Garnish with grated coconut.

Serve hot.

My version of Kadai Paneer

Ingredients:
Paneer:(cut into 1 inch cubes):200 grams 

Oil:2 tablespoons

Ghee:1 tablespoon 

Bay leaf:1 

Cloves:2 

Cinnamon:2 inch piece 

Dried red chillies:1

Coriander seeds,crushed:1 tablespoon 

Onion paste:1 medium 

Ginger-Garlic paste  2 teaspoons 

Coriander powder:1/2 teaspoon 

Red chilli powder:1/2 teaspoon 

Tomato paste:3 medium 

Green capsicum:1,siced

Salt to taste 

Method 

Heat oil in a kadai.

Add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, red chili, broken into two, and half the crushed coriander seeds; sauté for half a minute. 

Add onion and sauté for a while; 

Add capsicum & saute for 2-3 mins.

Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a while longer. 

Add coriander powder, red chili powder and tomato paste. 

Cook over high heat till the oil separates. 

Add paneer and salt and half a cup of water. 

Add ghee,stir well, covered, over low heat for five minutes. Serve hot, garnished with the remaining crushed coriander seeds.

Chhanar Dalna :Bengali style Paneer curry

 2oo gm freshly prepared Paneer or you can use readymade one
 1, medium sized tomato paste
 4 cups of whey (Chhana katano jol/remaining water of freshly prepared paneer),or you can dilute 2 tsp of curd in 4 cups of  water
 2 tsp Smooth ginger cumin green chili paste with 1 inch ginger,1/2 tsp cumin seeds and 2 green chilies
 1 inch cinnamon
 Pinch of hing
 1 tsp cumin seeds
 2 cloves
 2 green cradamom
 1 large bay leaf
 Salt as per taste
 Sugar 2 tsp
 4 tbsp  ghee 
 1 large potato cubed into bite sized cubes smaller than the chena
 1/4th tsp turmeric
 2 whole green chili
 1 pinch of garam masala

Method:

Heat 2 tbsp ghee and fry the paneer cubes in batches and soak it in the whey/diluted curd water to keep it soft.  done with all 

Now fry the potato cubes and keep in another dish.

Add some more ghee and add the hing and when it splutters add the cumin seeds and then add the ginger cumin chili paste and keep stirring. 

Add the bay leaf, crushed cloves,green cardamom, cinnamon.

Add the tomato paste and stir it and fry it on medium flame till the oil separates and then add 2 cups of whey/curd water and bring it to a boil.

Add salt and turmeric and simmer and add the potatoes. 

Now bring to a boil again and then simmer covered till potatoes are well cooked. 

Once the potatoes are fully cooked add 2 more cups of whey/curd water and bring to a boil and add sugar and carefully add the pieces of chena and bring to a boil and simmer without a lid for 10 minutes. 

The gravy will be of medium consistency.

Once done transfer on to a serving bowl and then use 1 tbsp water and bring it to a quick boil , what you will get is some foam and drop in two slit green chilies while constantly stirring it with a spatula and use the spatula to get the stuck wet spices and then pour it on the bowl containing the dish . 

Your wok/kadai will be clean and you will not leave out any spice stuck with the wok. Enjoy this classic dish with plain basmati rice or roti/paratha.

Egg Korma

Ingredients:

Hard boiled egg:2

Freshly grated coconut:2 tbsp

Thick coconut milk:1/2 cup

almond paste: 2 tbsp

Onion juice:2 tbsp

Ginger-garlic paste:1 tsp

Green chilli:2,slitted

Sha-marich powder:1/4 tsp

Whole Garam masala (Green cardamom, clove, cinnamon - one each)

Bay leaf: 1

Cream:1 tbsp

Oil

Ghee: 1 tbsp

warm water

Salt

Method:

Heat 2tbsp oil.

Fry the hard boiled eggs till they turn golden.

Remove the eggs from oil and cut them into halves.

Add 1tbsp of ghee into the same oil.

Now tamper with bay leaf and whole garam masala.

Add almond paste and fry till it turns brown and the nice aroma comes out.

Now add onion juice, ginger-garlic paste and cook till the oil separates from the side.

Add coconut milk, sha-marich, salt and 1/2 cup warm water.

Add the eggs when the gravy starts boiling.

Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add grated coconut, cream and slited green chillies.

Stir it well and remove from flame.

Cover it with a lid till the time it is served.

Rice kheer with Mango pulp:from authentic Bengali cuisine

Thakur Barir "Paka Aam er Kheer"
Recipe courtesy:Pragya Sundari Devi

Ingredients:
Kamini Atap Rice:250gm (I used Ambemohar rice which is a rice variant grown on the hills of Western Maharashtra in India. The short cooked grains have a tendency to break easily and stick together. It is popular in Maharashtra due to its flavor and strong aroma reminiscent of mango blossoms, which is noticeable when the rice is cooked.source:wikipedia)

Riped mango pulp: of 7-8 mango (I used Alphonso mango)
Sugar:375gm
Milk:1.5 cup (I used full cream Amul milk)
Coconut milk:of one large coconut
cinnamon stick:4(each 1 inch)
Water:2 litre
Dry fruits:1 cup

Method:
Clean the rice.

Cooked the rice with 4.5 cups of water & add the cinnamon sticks.

Add another 4.5 cups of water when the rice is almost cooked.

Stir well, rice should be well cooked  & the water should be consumed thoroughly-no need to drain it.

Add the coconut milk.

Cook for 10 minutes in low flame.

Add the warm milk & cook for 5-6 minutes.

Add the sugar & cook till it dessolves.

Add the dry fruits & cook for 2-3 minutes.

Remove from the flame.

Add the mango pulp & mix it well.

Refrigerate it for 2-3 hours & Serve it.