Bhendi fry

Bhendi fry

I cook it often for lunch to go with rice and dal. For dinner I add Potatoes cut into small cubes with it and it goes well with Roti.

This easy and appetizing side dish becomes very handy at times when I am in no mood for Cooking.

Ingredients:

Bhendi or Ladies finger : Cut in small pieces

Onion: Cut in small pieces (optional)

Salt & Sugar to taste

Turmeric powder

White Oil to sauté

Process:

Sprinkle little Turmeric powder on Bhendi pieces and mix well. Heat oil in a Kadai.
If using onion, then fry the onions slightly. Then add Bhendi in it and pan fry. Else start with Bhendi pieces.

When they start to turn brown add Salt & Sugar to taste. The Sugar will add a lovely caramelized brown tint.

When all the pieces are evenly fried cover the Kadai for 2-3 minutes. So the vapour will soften the fried Bhendi pieces.

List of Variations:

1.With or without Onion
2.whole  cumin seeds
3.finely chopped tomato / chillies
4.Potatoes cut into small cubes

Ganapati Bappa Moriya

After a long time my Sis got little time & temper to seat with her Quilling. Result is this adorable idol of Ganesh. Happy Ganesh Puja J

My Quick Chicken recipe: Necessity is the mother of invention

I looked at the few chicken pieces in front of me and was unable to locate one decent piece in them. Situation was really frustrating. All the more so because it was late evening and I must cook dinner quickly.  At that moment this idea struck my mind.

From then onwards this dish become just a one of our regular menu list.

This dish is very useful to me in many ways:  

• No. 1 it helps me to handle the challenge of cooking a good dinner with any scrap chicken pieces
• No. 2 it is very quick yet delicious
• No. 3 the chicken stock can be stored & used for other purpose

Quick Chicken recipe

Ingredients :

5 to 6 medium sized chicken pieces.

2 to 3 Onions : Cut in thin slices

1 Capsicum (optional) : : Cut in thin slices

1 Tomato  Onions : Cut in thin slices

1 Garlic (chopped)

1 table spoon Ginger paste

2 Green chillies (chopped)

2 table spoon Tomato sauce

Salt & Sugar to taste  

Spices:

1 tea spoon Red chilli powder

1 table spoon Kasuri methi

1 tea spoon Turmeric powder (optional)

1 tea spoon cumin powder (optional)

1 tea spoon Garam masala powder (optional)

Process:

Boil the chicken pieces in water with slight salt. You can store & use the chicken stock for other purpose. Separate the bones and shred the boiled chicken pieces.

Now heat white oil in a Tawa and fry the chopped Onions, Capsicum (optional), Green Chillies, Garlic and Tomatoes. When vegetables become tender and brown in colour, add the shreded Chickens. Next add Ginger paste, tomato sauce and all the spices. Fry for 5 minutes. Check & add sugar/salt according to your taste. Then cover the Tawa and simmer for few minutes. Serve hot with Roti or toasted bread.  


Id ka Dawat : Mutton Biriyani

Mutton Biriyani & Rezala

Name one festival that you can celebrate without it’s special food. Be it Id, Durga Puja or Christmas. Id celebration is incomplete without Biriyani and Mutton Rezala. Durga Puja without ‘bhog’ and Christmas without Cakes.

Mutton Biriyani recipe:

To Serve: 5 Persons

For marinade:

3 Onions

1 Ginger

5 gm mace and 2 Nutmegs

200 gm Curd

Sugar and salt to taste

Make a paste of all the above in blender.

5 to 6 Mutton pieces

Mix the above well with Mutton pieces and marinate overnight. At least 6 hrs. minimum.

More ingredients:

1. 2 Onions: Sliced in thin stripes. Fry till the onions turn into brown. Keep ready.

2. 500 gm: Basmati Rice. Soak the rice in water for 15 min. Then cook the rice. Then spread it on a plate and keep aside.

3. 2 Potatoes: Cut in half. Slightly boiled. Then fry it and keep aside.

4. Add saffron and 3 drops of sweet attor in half cup warm milk. Keep ready.

5. One table spoon Kewra water

6. 3 to 4 table spoon Ghee

Process:

Take out the Mutton pieces from the marinade and fry till brown. Then pressure cook the meat till the mutton is soft.In a handi, smear ghee at the bottom. Take half of the cooked rice and spread as a layer. Then  sprinkle half of the saffron and milk solution.

In the second layer place the fried mutton pieces, sliced onions and potatoes. In the final layer add remaining rice. Lastly sprinkle rest of the saffron and milk solution and one table spoon Kewra water.

Pour 1 table spoon ghee on the entire rice bed. 

Cover the Handi. Seal the lid with something heavy on Handi top so that the steam cannot escape. 

Place the handi on oven and simmer it for 5 to 7 minutes. Mutton Biriyani is ready.

Mutton Biriyani

Id ka Dawat : Mutton Rezala

For marinade:
3 Onions
2" Ginger
1 Garlic
5 gm mace and 2 Nutmegs

200 gm Curd

2 tea spoon black pepper powder
Sugar and salt to taste

Make a paste of all the above in blender.

 5 to 6 Mutton pieces

Mix the above well with Mutton pieces and marinate overnight. At least 6 hrs. minimum.

More ingredients:

1. 2 Onions: Sliced in thin stripes.
2. 1 Garlic : in paste form
3. 2" Ginger : in paste form
4. Add saffron and 3 drops of sweet attor in half cup warm milk. Keep ready.
5. Make paste of 200 gm curd, and 20 gm cashew nut
6. one table spoon Kewra water
7. 2 table spoon Ghee or white oil

For tempering:

1.Two red dry chillies,
2. One Bay leaf
3. Three cinamon sticks
4. Five cloves
5. Five small green cardamom
6. Two big black cardamom
7. 10 whole black pepper

Process:

Heat white oil / Ghee on a Kadai and add all spices for tempering. Then add sliced onion, garlic & ginger paste and fry slightly.Add mutton pieces, stir till he raw ness disappear. Meat will release some water. Then add the marinade mixture and stir for 5 minutes. Then transfer everything in a pressure cooker and add 1 tea spoon of keora water. When the mutton is cooked properly, add the nut and curd paste and stir. Adjust the seasoning and gravy. Remove from oven.

Add milk saffron and sweet attar and cover.

Mutton Rezala

Chilli Chicken (Mom-in-law’s way)

This is one of the many things I have learnt from my Mom-in-law….

Ingredients :

600 gm Chicken (cut in small pieces)

3 Onions

1 Capsicum (optional)

5 Green Chillies

2 Tomatoes

1 tea spoon Kashmiri red Chilli Powder

Ingredients for marinade:

2 Table spoon Corn-flour powder

5 Table spoon Vinegar

3 Table spoon Soya sauce

1 Egg

2 Table spoon Garlic paste  

Salt & Sugar to taste

Process:

Marinate the chicken pieces for 6 hours. Then heat white oil in a Tawa and fry the Chicken pieces. Next fry the chopped Onions, Capsicum (optional), Green Chillies and Tomatoes. When vegetables become tender and brown in colour, add the fried Chicken pieces and fry together for 2 minutes. Pour the marinade gravy onto the mixture. Mix everything. Check & add sugar/salt according to your taste. Now sprinkle Kashmiri Chilli Powder on top & cover. When the chicken is cooked, uncover and adjust the level of gravy as per own wish.  

Chilli Chicken

Posto bora (Poppy seed Fritters)

Days when we have Posto bora (or Vada) & rice in lunch everything else in the menu seem like extra. May be we actually don’t need too many things to be happy.    

Process:

Shallow fry sliced onions and green chillies in white oil. Next add powdered Poppy seeds and water. Add salt and sugar to taste. Then keep stirring till water dries up completely. Let it cool down. Lastly make small round shaped balls and pan fry them on a flat tawa. Done!  

  

Ingredients :

Powdered Poppy Seed: 50 g

2 Onions : chopped in thin slices

4 Green Chillies : chopped crosswise

Salt & Sugar to taste

Water in a small bowl

2 table spoon White oil to fry

Posto bora (Poppy seed Fritters)