Chingrir Kalia (Spicy Bengali Style Prawn Curry)

Ingredients:
King prawns:9-10 pieces
Potato:1,large,cut into 6-8 pieces
Mustard oil:5-6 tbsp
Ghee:1 tsp
Tomato paste:1,large
Onion patse:1,large
Salt as per taste
Sugar:1 tsp
Turmeric Powder
Cumin-coriander powder:1/2 tsp
Whole red chili:1
Kashmiri red chili powder:1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder:1/2-1 tsp
Warm water:1/2 cup
Bay leaves:2
Garam masala(Cinnamon.clove,green cardamom) Powder:1/2 tsp
Black Cardamom:1,crushed
Green Cardamom:1,crushed
Cloves:2
Cinnamon:1 stick
Ginger-Garlic Paste:1 tsp
Hot water:1.5 cup

Method:
Clean and devein the prawns.

Dilute of few pinches of salt,turmeric and garam masala,1 tsp of oil into 1/2 cup of water.

Steam the prawn pieces in that water for 5-6 minutes.

Drain the water.

Heat oil in a pan over medium flame.

Fry the potato pieces till they turn golden yellow.

Remove the potato pieces and temper the remaining oil 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 powders(both).

Stir to mix well and cook for few minutes.

Add the prawns and potato pieces and mix them  in medium flame.

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

Cook till the gravy thickens and potato pieces are boiled.

Add the ghee & garam masala powder,stir it well.

Remove from the flame.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

Chettinad Chicken Curry

Winter is here!! It's time to cook and eat spicy and delicious dishes!!
Chettinad cuisine is spicy, aromatic and contains the liberal use of oil. Popular spices used are peppercorn, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, nutmeg, green and red chilies, coriander, cumin, curry leaves, star anise etc.
Here I'm sharing my friend Indrani's awesome spicy and aromatic recipe of
Chettinad Chicken Curry-A must try!!

Ingredients:

 6-8 Chicken drumsticks

 4-5 tbsp refined oil 

 salt to taste

 8-10 curry leaves for tempering

 a pinch of hing or asafoetida

 1 medium  onion finely chopped/grated/paste 

 1 large tomato finely chopped or grated.

 1 tsp red chilli powder

 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

 1 tsp sambar masala(I used Everest's Sambar masala)

 1/4 cup warm water

 1-2 tbsp Lemon or lime juice

 To garnish some broken cashew nuts 

 For the Dry Roasted Masala you will need :

 1/4 cup of grated coconut(if not available,you can use Maggi's coconut powder)

 1/2 star anise(some people use fennel seeds-in that case use 1/2 tsp of fennel seeds.I used star anise)

 1 tsp cumin seeds

 1 tsp coriander seeds

 3-4 black peppercorns

 2-3 dry red chillies, or as per your taste

 12-15 curry leaves

 3-4 green cardamom pods

 2-3 cloves

 1 medium cinnamon stick

 1 small ginger roughly chopped

 10-12 cloves of garlic

 10-12 cashew nuts.

 2-3 tablespoon cooking oil to make a paste.

 Dry roast all ingredients in a frying pan above and make a paste. 

 Method:

Take your chicken pieces in a bowl and make slits on the flesh with a sharp knife. Rub your chicken pieces with oil and salt. 

Add the ground masala blend and rub all over your chicken pieces, marinate and keep aside at least for an hour.

Heat oil on high in a thick bottomed vessel. Turn down heat to medium and quickly add curry leaves and a pinch of hing. 

As the curry leaves splatters add the chopped/grated onion. 

Once onion start to soften and change colour to golden add the marinated meat along with any leftover marinade. 

Cook for 2-3 minutes add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, sambhar masala and cook until the masalas are cooked and fragrant.

Add chopped or grated tomato. Mix well with the chicken and the masalas. 

Stir and cook well at least for 2-3 mins and cover on medium flame. 

Cook till the oil and masala has separated and the chicken is almost cooked through. 

Add a little warm water, depending on the consistency of the gravy you want. The gravy should be thick, semi dry and not too runny.

Check the seasoning of salt as desired. Cover and cook for 5 mins or until the chicken is cooked .

Garnish with some broken cashews and few fried curry leaves.

Finish off with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.

Serve it hot!

Teekha Murgh

Got this recipe from cooks.ndtv.com...
We enjoyed this sharp fiery and flavoured chicken dish with paratha
Ingredients:

4 tbsp mustard oil

1 tsp nigella seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)

2 Tbsp garlic, chopped

3 large onion, chopped

3 tomatoes, chopped (make 1 Tbsp tomato paste from them)

1 tsp ginger, chopped

2-3 green chillies

2 Tbsp curry leaves(8-10)

1 kg chicken,(I used medium curry cut pieces)

1 Tbsp red chilli powder(I used Everest's Teekhalal)

1 tsp black pepper, crushed

1 tsp cumin powder, dry roasted

Salt to taste

1 pinch black salt

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander

1 tsp finely chopped mint

Method

Heat mustard oil. Add nigella seeds and fennel seeds. Once they release flavor, add chopped garlic. Saute for a while.

Add the chopped onion, tomato, ginger and green chillies. Stir fry until the onion turns brownish. 

Meanwhile, fry curry leaves and crush them. 

Add the chicken pieces, tomato paste and stir for a while. 

Add the other dry spices and mix well.

Cook on a low flame, with a lid on top for about 10 minutes until the clear juice seperates from the chicken-please don't add water!

Add the crushed curry leaves and mix well. 

Serve the dish garnished with fresh coriander and mint. 

Easy and tasty Chili Chicken:

Ingredients:
350 gm boneless(or,with bone) chicken, diced
1 tbsp corn flour
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp ginger paste
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder:few pinches
Oil for deep frying
2 cups onions,finely sliced
2 cups capsicum slices
2 tsp green chilies, thickly sliced (remove seeds if too hot)
1 tbsp soy sauce (adjust according to strength)
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
Green chilies, slit, for garnish 

Method
Mix together the chicken,cornflour, garlic and ginger paste,salt,black pepper powder and enough water so that the chicken 

pieces are'coated' with the batter. Leave this for about 1/2 an hour.

Heat the oil and deep-fry the chicken pieces with marinade just coating the pieces over high heat to begin with and then 

lower the heat till chicken is cooked through. Drain on absorbent paper.

Heat 1-2 tbsp of the oil in the same wok, add onion & capsicum and stir-fry over high heat till they are translucent.

Add the remaining marinade,cook onion and capsicum in the marinade for 5 minutes.

Add the green chilies and stir a few times, add the remaining salt, soy sauce, vinegar,tomato ketchup and the deep fried chicken.

Mix well,cook for 5-10 minutes and serve garnished with the green chillies. 

Pabdar Tel Jhaal
Ingredients:
Pabda fish:4-5
Few pinches of salt.
Mustard oil for frying the fish(approx 1/2 cup)
1 tsp  turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder
2-3 green chilies, slitted
1 whole red chili
Salt as per taste
2 cloves of garlic,chopped
1/2 tsp panch phoran(Bengali five spices)

Method
Clean the fish and if it’s large then cut it into half, otherwise let the small fish remain as it.

Marinate the fish with turmeric powder and salt.

Heat oil,fry the fishes.

Fry them well till they become golden.

Remove the fishes from the oil.

Temper the remaining oil with panch phoran,garlic and chilies.

Take a cup or little more water.

Mix turmeric,salt and red chili powder into the water.

Add it to the oil.

Add the fishes when the gravy starts boiling.

Cook for 5 minutes.

Remove from the flame.

Serve it with hot steamed rice.

Teel Dhyarosh(Okra cooked in sesame paste):

Ingredients:

Okra:200-250gm

White sesame paste:1 cup(in 1/4 cup water)

White sesame seeds(dry roasted):1/2 tsp

Green chili paste:2

Whole green chili:2,slitted

Bengali five spices(panch phoran):1/4 tsp

Mustard oil:3 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method:

Clean,wash and cut okras into small pieces.

Heat oil and temper with panch phoran and green chilies.

Fry okra pieces with pinches of salt.

Add the sesame and green chili paste when okra becomes soft.

Cook till the paste coats the okra pieces nicely.

Remove from the flame.

Garnish with dry roasted sesame seeds.

Serve hot with roti or chapati. 

Red Lentil Fritters In Gravy (Musur daal er borar jhaal):

Sharing my mom's recipe!
Ingredients:
For Bora:
Red lentil:1 cup,soaked in water overnight) (for 6-8 bora/fritters)
Onion,grated:1,medium
garlic paste:1/2 tsp
Green chili paste:1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Dry roasted cumin powder:1 tsp
Coriander leaves,finely chopped:1 tbsp
Mustard oil:1/2 cup or little more

For the gravy:
Potato:2,medium,cut them longitudinally
Onion,sliced:1,medium
Tomato paste:1,small
Ginger-garlic paste:1 tsp
Red chili paste:1/2 tsp or as per your taste
Turmeric:1/2 tsp or little more
Whole Garam masala(cinnamon+green cardamom+Clove):Each 1
Bay leaf:1

Method:
Soak the daal in adequate water overnight.

Drain the water.

Make a paste of the daal in a mixer with salt-dont make it too smooth.

Add grated onion,garlic paste,dry roasted cumin powder and finely chopped coriander leaves to the daal paste;make a batter by 

stirring it continuously.

Heat oil in a pan and fry medium sized boras(approx 6-8 pieces) till they become crispy and light brown in colour.

Drain the oil and keep them aside.

Temper the remaining oil with whole garam masala and the bay leaf.

Fry the potato pieces till they turn golden.

Remove from the oil.

Fry the onion slices till they become transparent.

Add the tomato,ginger-garlic paste and saute till the water evaporates.

Add turmeric,salt and red chili paste and 2 cups of water.

Add the potato pieces when the gravy starts boiling.

Add the boras when potato becomes soft.

Simmer for another 5-6 minutes.

Remove from the flame.

Serve with hot steamed rice.