Easy Egg Biryani

Once a dish of the royals, today the 'Biryani' reflects local sensibilities and traditions and is a very popular and common dish.
India has witnessed many invaders and with every invader came a different culture and a new cuisine. Muslim invaders like Turks, Arabs, Persians and Afghans introduced the culture of feasts to India. The Mughlai cuisine that India is famous for developed from the 15th century to about the 19th century during the reign of the Mughals. The Mughals raised cooking to an art form, introducing several recipes to India like biryani, pilaf and kebabs.
While 'Biryani' is popularly associated with the Mughals, there is some historical evidence to show that there were similar rice dishes prior to the Mughul invasion.

Let us begin our royal journey into history with some simple 'Biryani' recipes to boost our confidence. Nothing better to start off with than - Egg Biryani!
Egg Biryani unlike Meat Biryani always fails to impress due to the lack of flavoring. We need to understand that unlike meat, eggs are not going to share any of it's flavor with the rice or the masala. Due to this reason, we need to prepare a very flavorful concoction to help an Egg Biryani impress you. This is one such recipe. A definite keeper!

When I first started trying out 'Biryanis', the main thing that bothered me was the 90% cooked rice bit! What is 90%! How am I supposed to know I din't cook it 80% or 95%...? Sounds familiar? This kept me from trying out 'Biryanis' for far too long... until I came across the 1:1.5 method. Every 1 cup of rice will use 1.5 cups of water instead of 2. This ensures that the rice cooks 90% and the grains can stay separate. The remaining 10% gets cooked when all the assembled layers are cooked on 'dum'. Will break this down for you when we make this Biryani.
Ideally, Long grain or Basmati rice are used in 'Biryani' preparations. But we usually do not have it lying around at home. So unless I am feeding a crowd, I use the regular rice we have at home (Kolam). Please feel free to use Basmati rice for a prettier outcome.

Level: Easy
Serves: 5 - 6 people
Adapted from: ReadySteadyEat

Ingredients:
For the rice:
- 1. 5 cups rice (Soaked in water for 10 mins and then drained)
- 2.5 cups water
- 2 tsp ghee/clarified butter
- 2 green cardamoms
- 4 cloves
- 6 black peppercorns
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 3/4 tsp salt

For the Egg Masala:
- 6 hard boiled eggs, Sliced into 2 lengthwise
- 3 tsp ghee
- 1.5 tsp oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2.5 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1. 5 tblsp cashewnuts, broken
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tblsp coriander powder
- 1 tblsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp red chilly powder
- 1.5 tsp garam masala (any kind)
- 1 tblsp tomato paste (or 1/4 cup tomato puree/1 tomato, finely chopped)
- 1/4 cup yogurt, lightly beaten
- 3 tblsp fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 6 - 7 fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
- Salt to taste

For Layering:
- 1.5 tblsp ghee
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced (or more if desired)
- 1/4 cup coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 3 - 4 mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 pinch saffron strands

Method:
LAYERING - 
Step 1 - We will begin with our layering prep. Warm the milk in the microwave for 10 seconds. Add saffron and let it soak till needed. (At least 30 mins)

Step 2 - Fry the onions in oil till they turn deep brown and drain onto a paper towel. Do not let them stay clumped. Separate them a little with a spoon or fork. This will ensure that they crisp up as they cool down. Keep aside.

RICE - 
Step 3 - Let us work on our rice. Start heating water in the microwave or stove top till it boils. While this is happening, heat ghee in a pressure pan. Add the cardamom pods, cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Saute for a few seconds till they sizzle. Add the drained rice. Fry for 2 - 3 mins. Add the boiling water and salt. Mix well. Pressure cook for 2 whistles. When done, separate the rice grains lightly with the back of your spoon or with a fork. Remove them onto a large plate and keep aside. We will be using the same pan to cook the egg masala and the final layering.
Due to the 1:1.5 ratio of rice and water used, the rice will be 90% cooked when done. We will cook the final 10% with all the eggs and spices post layering.

EGG MASALA - 
Step 4 - Heat the ghee and oil in your pressure pan. Add onions and saute till they turn transparent. Add ginger garlic paste and green chillies. Saute till the mixture turns light brown. Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and red chilly powder. Saute till the mixture turns deep brown. Add a few tsps of water if you think the masala is sticking to the bottom and burning. Add the tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium low and let this mixture cook till the masala leaves oil.

Step 5 - Add cashewnuts and salt. Mix well. Add the lightly beaten yogurt. Mix again. Add mint and coriander leaves. Taste and adjust salt.

Step 6 - Place the eggs in the masala and lightly toss them with a spoon till the masala coats them well. Do not overwork them. We do not want to separate the yolks from the whites.

FINAL ASSEMBLY - 
Step 7 - Remove half the egg mixture from your pressure pan into another bowl. The other half of the egg masala will be your bottom layer. Spread out half the rice over the egg masala. From the layering tab, sprinkle half the fried onions, half the coriander leaves, half the mint, half the garam masala, half the ghee and half of the saffron milk mixture. Place the remaining egg masala on your rice layer and repeat the process. Remainder rice, fried onions, coriander leaves, mint leaves, garam masala, ghee and saffron milk mixture.

Step 8 - Place a large pan on medium low heat. Once it heats up, place your covered pressure pan without the whistle over it. Cook for 20 mins. This type of indirect cooking ensures that the masala at the bottom does not burn.
Alternatively, you can do the layering in your rice cooker and cook covered for 20 mins. It will switch from the cook mode to warm in 3 - 4 mins, but we have to let it continue cooking on warm till we hit our 20 mins time frame.
Both methods give excellent results. So use whichever you think works for you.

Right before serving, lightly mix the mixture with the back of a large spoon. Make sure you do not break the eggs or the rice grains.

Serve hot with some yogurt or raita of you choice.

Hope this biryani impresses your family as much as it did mine!
Happy Cooking Everyone!


Biryani info: Here!

Kheema Pattice (Turkey Patty)

These melt in the mouth pattice are everybody's favorite. Originally these pattice are made with minced goat meat at our home. As goat meat is not readily available around where I live, I have replaced it with minced turkey meat. Turkey being a healthier option than goat meat, is an added bonus.

These kheema pattice are my mother in law's specialty.  I still remember the first time she made them for me. I was in meat heaven! So moist and juicy and flavorful..I just could not have enough. Even today, inspite of learning how to make these, my MIL always makes these for me when either of us visit each other.

Just wanted to let you know a few tricks involved in making the perfect pattice, before we head to the recipe. The thumb rule to moist and juicy pattice is minimum handling. When we are mixing everything together you cannot knead the mixture like you do with your bread dough. The mixture needs to be handled with total baby love! Over handling the mixture leads to tough pattice.
Secondly, you can replace the turkey meat with any other minced meat except chicken. Using chicken compromises too much on the taste. This of course, is my personal opinion. I know people who enjoy chicken pattice made this way. I just fail to get along with these people. Don't be one of those. :)

I usually prefer rolling the pattice in bread crumbs before shallow frying them in oil. But traditionally fine semolina was used. So you can try both the options and decide what you enjoy more.

Now let us get to the recipe.

Level: Medium
Serves: 15 - 18 medium sized pattice
Source: MIL (Nita Pradhan)

Ingredients:
1 lb minced meat (I use turkey meat)

Marination:
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp red chilly powder
1.5 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp garam masala (any kind)
Salt to taste

Pattice ingredients:
4 tsp oil
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 pinches asafoetida
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
3 slices sandwich bread (white or wheat)
Salt to taste

For rolling:
1 egg, lightly beaten
Breadcrumbs/semolina for coating

Method:
Step 1 - Place the minced meat in a large bowl. Add the turmeric powder, red chilly powder, ginger garlic paste, garam masala and salt from the marination list. Lightly mix all the ingredients till the minced meat is coated well. Refrigerate for minimum 30 mins to an hour. Do not over knead here. Over kneading makes though pattice.

Step 2 - In a pressure pan, heat 2 tsp oil. Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves and asafoetida. Immediately add the onions and stir fry till they turn light brown.

Step 3 - Add the marinated minced meat from Step 1. Saute till the minced meat loses it's pink raw color and turns whitish. Add water till the meat is just under water and pressure cook for 2 whistles or till your meat is thoroughly cooked.

Step 4 - Once the pressure pan opens on it's own without any resistance, you might find the mixture a little watery. Cook the meat mixture again on high flame till it is absolutely dry. Adjust salt once the mixture dries up. Leave aside to cool down.

Step 5 - While the meat mixture cools down, take 3/4 cup of water. Add in 1/4 tsp of salt and mix well till it completely dissolves in the water. Soak each bread slice in this water for just a couple of seconds, take them out and squeeze out the excess water. Place the wet squeezed bread into a large bowl. This along with the potatoes will help in binding our pattice together.

Step 6 - In the same large bowl, place the mashed potatoes, 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste and cooled meat mixture from Step 4. Mix very lightly till the mixture is well combined. Taste the mixture and adjust the salt to your liking. Again, do not over handle the batter.

Step 7 - Take a tablespoon of batter in between your palms and roll the mixture lightly into any shape that you desire.

Step 8 - Let us get to the frying now. Beat the egg lightly in a bowl. Keep aside. Take a flat plate and spread out some breadcrumbs for coating.

Step 9 - Place a frying pan on heat and pour enough oil to shallow fry these beauties. The pattice should not drown in the oil, just the bases should be in contact with oil. We are not deep frying here. How do you know the oil is ready? Just drop in a few breadcrumbs in the hot oil. If they sizzle, you are ready.

Step 10 - Take each piece of pattice, first dip them in the beaten egg from both sides. Pick them up and place them in the bread crumbs. Roll these pattice well in the crumbs and place them lightly in the hot oil. Fry for just a couple of  minutes on each side as we have to just brown the breadcrumbs. We do not need to cook the pattice again. And we are done.

Serve hot with some ketchup or chilly sauce. Sit back with a glass of wine in one hand, a pattice in another and welcome yourself into my MEAT HEAVEN!

Tips:
You can roll these pattice and keep them in the refrigerator for a day or two. On  the day you plan to indulge, just fry and serve.

You can also freeze the rolled pattice and store them in the freezer for almost 2 to 3 weeks. Just thaw and fry when you need them.

Traditional Anda Curry (Egg Curry)

Every family has it's own take on this delightful preparation. The recipe I am sharing today is my absolute favorite. It has a perfect balance of spice and tang. Not the simplest recipes for egg curry around, but definitely worth all the efforts.
The masala that I use in this curry, is a very traditional coastal masala (Bhajani) that we use at home to prepare chicken or mutton curries. So you can imagine how awesome these simple eggs are going to taste.

I am going to simplify this recipe by breaking it down into two parts. The first part will show you how we make a typical 'Bhajani' at home and the second part will show you how the curry is made using this 'Bhajani'.

These cold winter days make this dish even more desirable. So get your aprons on and dive in!

Level: Medium
Serves: 4 to 6 people
Source: Aai

Ingredients:
Bhajani (1 portion)
1/2 cup fresh grated coconut OR 1/4 cup dry grated coconut
3/4 cup onions, roughly chopped
7 peppercorns
4 cloves
1.5 inch cinnamon stick
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tblsp oil

Method:
Step 1 - In a flat pan, heat the oil on medium power. Add the peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick and coriander seeds. Saute these spices till the coriander seeds turn brownish. Take them out of the oil and place them in a plate to cool off.

Step 2 - In the same oil, add the onions and stir fry continuously on medium-high heat till they turn brown all over.

Step 3 - Once the onions get properly browned, turn the heat down to medium and add the grated coconut and saute continously till the whole mixture gets a deep brown color. Do not let this mixture burn. Add the spices from Step 1. Mix everything together for a minute and remove this mixture onto a plate to cool down.

Step 4 - Grind this mixture in a blender with as little water as needed to form a smooth paste.

This is your basic 'Bhajani' or Coastal Masala !

Tips: The color of your curry is dependent on the color of this bhajani mixture. So make sure you roast the ingredients really well.

Ingredients:
Anda Curry:
4 hard boiled eggs, slit vertically into two
1 portion Bhajani (recipe above)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1.5 tblsp oil
3/4 tsp mustard seeds
2 pinch asafoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilly powder, or to taste
3/4 tsp jaggery
1 tsp tamarind pulp
Salt to taste
Coriander to decorate

Method:
Step 1 - Heat oil in a large flat pot. Add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the asafoetida, turmeric powder and onions. Saute till the onions turn light brown.

Step 2 - Add the red chilly powder, jaggery and tamarind pulp. Saute well. As we have used less oil, your spices might start burning. Sprinkle some water into your pan to prevent burning.

Step 3 - Add the bhajani paste and 1/2 cup of water. Mix well and saute for 5 - 6 mins. At this point the mixture will start oozing out oil. Add 2.5 cups of water. The curry will be very thin now. Turn the heat to low and let this curry boil for 10-12 mins or till it thickens to your desired consistency. Adjust the taste at this point. The curry needs to be spicy with a very slight hint of sweet (jaggery) and sour (tamarind).

Step 4 - Just before serving, slide in the hard boiled eggs and sprinkle some chopped coriander.

Serve hot with some Indian paav or steamed rice.

If this doesn't warm up your cold winter nights, I don't know what will !

Goan Egg Drop Curry

This curry is stunning both for your eyes and tastebuds! Personally I have never tried egg curry in Goa. With so much fish in front of me..I never looked at anything else. But being the only one at my house who indulges (read over indulges) in fish, I have to be nice sometimes and prepare dishes which could help my loved ones experience the amazing flavors of Goa.

Eggs have taken a beating in recent years, due to its impact on cholesterol and heart problems. Inspite of this, I do not believe it needs to be completely avoided. I wouldn't be surprised if a decade later people find out how much harm has been caused by banning eggs from our diets.
Don't get me wrong here, I am not one of the crazies! I do not deny that egg yolks are bad for you, but a couple of eggs in a month, should not kill you anyway. Unless a doctor specifically asks you to stay away from them.
I believe that our bodies need to achieve a balance. We cannot forget that eggs are a good source of low cost high-quality protein, providing 6.3 gms of protein in 1 egg for a caloric cost of only 68 calories. Numerous vitamins, including vitamin A, potassium and many B vitamins like folic acid, choline and biotin are also packed into this oval-shaped staple. Very few foods share the same diverse nutrient makeup available in a single egg. Many of these nutrients are specifically needed for the health of the nerves and brain.

That being said, I do not completely ignore the tons of research available that link eggs to increase in cholesterol. We just reduce them in our diets, instead of banning them for life!
We mostly include more of the egg whites in our diets as it contains no cholesterol, but it is in dishes like the  one I am sharing here, where you really cannot do without the egg yolks. Using only egg whites would give you just scrambled egg white curry, which would not be as interesting.

A lot has been said. Let me share the recipe with you now..

Serves: 4 people (1 egg per person)
Level: Easy
Adapted from: Goan food recipes

Ingredients:
For the Egg Curry Masala:
10 dry kashmiri red chillies (mild variety)
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
4 tblsp grated fresh coconut (I used frozen)
1 tsp tamarind pulp
3 garlic flakes
Other Ingredients:
1.5 tblsp oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 garlic flakes, finely chopped
1/2 cup thick coconut milk (I use Maggi coconut milk powder)
4 eggs
Water as required
Salt to taste
Coriander to decorate

Method:
Step 1 - Let us make the masala first. Take all the egg curry masala ingredients in a blender and blend well with a little warm water till it forms a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Step 2 - Let us make the coconut milk. Make 1/2 cup of coconut milk with the coconut powder by following the instructions on the packet. (I added 1.5 tblsp in 0.5 cup of warm water). Keep aside. You can use freshly squeezed coconut milk or canned coconut milk for this recipe too.

Step 3 - Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the onions and garlic. Saute till the onions turn brown. Add the egg curry masala from Step 1 and some salt. Stir well and saute for a good 7 - 8 mins, till the masala starts to shine. Do not hurry here. You need to cook the ingredients well as all raw ingredients were used in the paste. Add water till the curry reaches your desired consistency. Let it boil for 5 mins. Adjust the taste to your liking, by playing with the tamarind pulp and red chilly powder if you would enjoy more heat  and tang.

Step 4 - Reduce heat to medium-low, wait a couple of minutes for the boil to slow down and carefully drop in the eggs one at a time, a little apart from each other. Take care and try not to break the egg yolk while dropping them in the curry. Do not stir at this stage. Immediately cover the pot with a lid and let the eggs cook in the curry for 3 - 4 mins. Open the lid. If your eggs are completely in the curry, you are good. If they are slightly above the curry (if your pan is too flat), gently toss some of the curry over the eggs to help it cook. When you notice that the eggs are steady and won't break when touched, gently stir the curry from the base so it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Boil for 2 more mins.

Decorate with coriander and serve piping hot with some plain white rice or paav.

Hope you enjoy this curry as much as we did!

Tips:
I am sure you can add boiled eggs to this curry instead of dropping eggs into the curry. Just don't forget to call it Egg Curry instead of Egg Drop Curry.

Some more information on eggs: Head here.

Chicken Ghee Roast (Mangalorian)

I did not know about this fantastic Mangalorian preparation until I joined a few Food Groups. The dish was posted on one of the forums and I drooled! I had guests coming over that night. There was an immediate change of menu and this was going to be the 'Star' at my party that night. 

'Ghee Roast' is said to be native to coastal Karnataka and apparently originated in Kundapur (near Udupi).
If you read the recipe you will realise that the ingredients are going to create something amazing. Chicken roasted in ghee (clarified butter) with a perfect combination of spicy and tart ingredients. The bright red color just adds to the beauty of this dish. Once I was done cooking, I had to hide it from myself in the refrigerator. It was just too tempting!

Now, you could make this dish healthy by reducing the quantity of ghee, but I think it will miss that distinct aroma and flavor which roasting in ghee gives it. I would suggest indulging in this heavenly delicacy only occasionally.
This preparation is supposed to be really dry and not with a little gravy like I have made it. But I needed this dish to go well with the soft dosas I was going to prepare. So a little gravy worked great for us.
The bright color of this dish is because of the 'Byadgi chillies' I have used. These chillies give more color than spice.

Am sure by now, you all are looking forward to skipping right to the recipe instead of reading what I have to say. So without further delay, let me get to the recipe.

Level: Easy
Serves: 5 to 6 people
Adapted from: Cherie's Stolen Recipes, RuchikRandhap

Ingredients:
2 pounds chicken (bone-in, cut into medium pieces)

Marinade:
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup + 2 tblsp yogurt
3/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste

5 - 6 tblsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 tsp sugar
10 - 15 curry leaves
20 dry red chillied (8 - 10 if you have the spicy variety at home)
15 black peppercorns
1 tblsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
10 - 12 garlic flakes
1 tsp tamarind paste (or to taste)
Coriander to decorate

Method:
Step 1 - We have to thicken the yogurt a little. Tie yogurt in a muslin cloth and let it hang for 30 mins or like me just plop the yogurt in a large fine strainer and let it drain for an hour.

Step 2 - Wash the chicken well and pat dry. Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl and apply it well to the chicken pieces. Make sure the marinade coats all the chicken pieces well. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (Overnight works best).

Step 3 - Let us make the masala. Heat a medium sized pan on medium low heat. Dry roast the red chillies. Let them change their color slightly. Make sure you do not burn these. Burnt chillies will totally spoil your dish as this is our star ingredient. Remove them onto a plate. Now add the peppercorns, coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Dry roast them till coriander seeds turn brownish and it gives out a great roasted aroma. Remove these onto the plate too.

Step 4 - In a mixer bowl, blend together the roasted spices, garlic cloves and tamarind with as little water as possible to form a thick paste. Use less tamarind if you are not sure how sour your brand is. We can always adjust it later in the preparation. Keep aside.

Step 5 - Take a wide heavy bottomed pot. Heat the clarified butter. When the butter is hot, add in the marinated chicken and stir it for a good 8 - 10 mins on medium or medium high heat. Cook the chicken till it is almost done (90%). Transfer the chicken pieces onto a plate. Do not pour out the ghee. We will use it in our cooking ahead.

Step 6 - In the same pan add the ground masala paste from step 4 and saute it for 6 - 7 mins on medium heat till the raw smell of the spices vanishes and oil starts to leave the sides of the pot.

Step 7 - Add the cooked chicken pieces back into the pot. Add a little water (1/4 cup) if the entire mixture is too dry and is sticking to the pot. Cook well together on medium heat, stirring occassionally till the mixture gets as dry as you would like and coats the chicken pieces well. Add sugar and mix lightly.

Garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves.
This tastes best when served hot with some Neer Dosas, but I do not have a grinder that behaves! So we settle for some nice soft thin dosas made from the ready made batter we get from our Indian Stores. You can serve these with plain steamed rice or hot chapatis too. Heaven!

Happy Drooling Everyone!

CKP Mutton/Chicken

Back with a bang!

Being married into a CKP (Chandraseneya Kayasta Prabhu) family, it was inevitable that people started visiting us with expectations of  CKP style non-veg dishes!
CKP families are very well know for their mutton and fish preparations. Though I must say most of the dishes they prepare are time consuming. But trust me, it will be worth every bit of your efforts.

It goes without saying that this recipe is strictly for people who have the patience in cooking or some good help in the kitchen!
Even though I have put the level of this recipe as difficult, it is completely based on the time consumption and not the skill requirement.

With a lot of people who visit us here, being into 'no red meat' diets, this time I have prepared CKP Chicken. But personally I think CKP mutton tastes way better than its chicken counterpart. Those who dont mind eating mutton once in a while, are requested to make a mutton preparation with the same recipe. The only change would be substantial increase in the cooking time in Step 7. There are some tips on reducing the cooking time for mutton preparations right below the recipe.

So lets get started with my family's CKP mutton/chicken recipe.
I have tried to keep it as easy to understand and as step by step as possible. Hope you like it!
Also, just a heads up, the first step has to be done 6 - 8 hrs before you start making this dish. So plan accordingly.

Level: Difficult (Time consuming)
Serves: 6 - 8 people

Ingredients:
1 kg (2.2 pounds) chicken/mutton (bone-in medium sized pieces)

(List 1)
2.5 tblsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 cup yogurt, slightly beaten

(List 2)
7-8 black peppercorns
5 cloves
2 inch cinnamon stick
1.5 tblsp coriander seeds
2 black cardamoms

(List 3)
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 cup fresh grated coconut/5 to 6 tblsp dry grated coconut (I have used dry in this recipe)

(List 4)
2 cloves
3 black peppercorns
1 green cardamom
1 inch cinnamon
1 large onion, finely chopped

Garnishing:
3/4 tsp garam masala
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 small bunch of finely chopped coriander leaves

Method:
Step 1 - Wash chicken/mutton thoroughly. Pat dry with a kitchen napkin. Take it in a large bowl with a lid. Apply all ingredients from List 1 (ginger garlic paste, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, yogurt) and salt. Massage all the ingredients well, till the meat is well coated. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge overnight (6 to 8) hours. The yogurt will help tenderize the meat and all the ingredients will flavor the meat well.

Step 2 - In a large pan, take 2 tblsp of oil. Roast all List 2 ingredients. (black peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, coriander seeds, black cardamom). Drain them out and keep aside in a plate to cool down.

Step 3 - In the same pan, on medium heat add the List 3 ingredients one at a time. Let us start with the onion. Roast the onions till they turn reddish-brown in color. Keep aside. In the same pan, add the coconut and roast it till it becomes a deep brown color. (See picture above). Keep aside. Let all the ingredients cool down.

Step 4 - Grind together all roasted ingredients from step 2 and 3 together with a little warm water, till they form a thick brown paste.

Step 5 - In a heavy bottomed pan heat 1.5 tblsp oil. When the oil is hot, add the List 4 ingredients. Let us start with cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon stick and green cardamom. Saute for a minute. Add the finely chopped onions and saute for 4 to 5 mins, till they brown.

Step 6 - Add the marinated chicken/mutton (without the excess marination) and saute for a good 8 to 10 mins on a medium to high flame till most of the water evaporates and you have dry meat in the pan.

Step 7 - Add the ground paste of roasted ingredients from step 4 and mix well for 5 to 6 mins. Add some water with the leftover marinade from the meat into the pot and let it all boil together. Adjust water to your desired preference. Also adjust the spice level here by adding some red chillly powder and garam masala. Adjust salt.

Step 8 - When the meat is almost done (chicken takes around 20 mins and mutton about 45 mins to an hour), squeeze in some lemon juice and sprinkle some coriander leaves. Let the meat cook for 5 more minutes till done.

Serve hot. Decorate with some more coriander just before serving.

Tips:
If you are making a chicken preparation, skimping on the marination time is alright. 3 to 4 hrs is good enough. But if you are making a mutton preparation 8 hrs is minimum. You need the meat to tenderize well.

Do not roast the onions and coconut on a high flame. It might burn some of it and that would give the dish a burnt taste.

Make sure the coconut is roasted to a nice brown color. That is what gives the chicken its red - brown color.

For a quicker version of mutton preparation, you can pressure cook the marinated mutton till it is almost cooked through and then use it in the recipe.

Spice Rubbed Salmon

It's Official! Am in love with Salmon....

After my first attempt at Salmon, which was a total hit (Masala Baked Salmon)...I decided to invest some more time into finding interesting Salmon recipes....and there were sooooo many! It is always exciting to see different flavors being used in different parts of the world and how different combinations can result in mind-blowing outcomes!

Let me share this really different recipe, which I came across on the cooking channel. The finished dish involves a spicy, crusty and crunchy salmon coating which when cut into, gives way to a juicy, soft salmon!..Heaven!

Here is what you need...

Serves: 1 or 2 people
Level: Easy

Ingredients:
0.5 lb salmon fillet (preferably wild caught with skin on)
15 - 20 curry leaves
1 tblsp mustard seeds
0.5 tsp asafoetida
2 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste

Method:
Step 1 - Wash the salmon fillet thoroughly and wipe them dry. Apply salt to the fillet and let them sit aside for a few minutes. Wipe the curry leaves and lay them over a tissue paper to dry off. We do not want to use wet curry leaves for this recipe, as we need to make a dry spice rub.

Step 2 - In a small blender bowl, grind together the curry leaves, mustard seeds, asafoetida and garam masala. Grind it to a coarse powder. Make sure you try to keep the ingredients as dry as possible. You dont want to end up with a paste here.

Step 3 - Apply the rub from step 2 to the salmon fillet and gently press it down, so it form a nice coat over the salmon. Make sure you cover both sides.

Step 4 - Heat a pan on medium heat. When it is hot, spray some cooking oil and gently place the salmon fillet over it. Start off with first placing the skin side down on the pan. Let it cook without moving it around for 3 mins. Spray some more oil on the top of the fillet. Then flip the salmon gently with tongs. The salmon is fragile at this stage. You dont want to break the pieces apart. So be as gentle as possible. Then let the salmon cook for another 3 to 4 mins on the other side. At any stage you think the salmon is burning or looks real dry, spray some oil on it. You might need to spray the oil a couple of times especially if you dont have a good non-stick pan. Remove off the pan when the salmon gets to a nice pink color and the crust of the fish is deep dark brown in color.

Serve hot with a gentle squeeze of lime.

You could always bake salmon to make it even more healthier. But for this particular recipe, I am not too sure if the salmon would taste as good, if it dint have a crusty covering..
Never the less, if you do bake it, don't forget to let me know how it turns out...:)

Happy cooking everyone!

How to know if salmon is cooked?
Try lightly poking it with a knife. The knife should slide in without any efforts, if the salmon is cooked well.
The salmon also changes to a nice pink color.
It also oozes out a white substance as it starts cooking. Make sure you see that, especially if you want to have the salmon well-done!

Health benefits of salmon? (Source: Internet)
Salmon is very nutritious. It is high in protein and the "good fats". It has a lot of omega-3 fatty acids.
Did you know that a 4 oz serving of wild salmon provides a full day's requirement of vitamin D? It is one of the few foods that can make that claim. That same piece of fish contains over half of the necessary B12, niacin and selenium and is an excellent source of B6 and magnesium.

Omega-3 fats seem to primarily work through reducing inflammation in our bodies. Inflammation is turning out to be at the base of many health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, some types of cancers and arthritis. Omega-3 also helps prevent the blood clots which cause many strokes.

Masala Baked Salmon

Salmon it is!

After reading a lot about the health benefits of fish, I started reading all about the techniques of baking or steaming or grilling fish. It amazed me, when I realized that it was really easy to bake fish. This had to be tried!

After tasting a variety of fishes, I finally decided on trying some salmon. It has a great taste by itself. How wrong could you go with this! 

Not being very creative with fish, I always made the typical and safe shrimp and pompano Indian recipes. Did not get myself involved with "foreign" fish..:). 

But now that my Salmon Experiment was a hit, be sure to see a lot of healthy baked fish recipes on Bakasoor...

Hope everyone enjoys my Indian take on Salmon...

Serves: 2 to 3 people

Level: Easy

Ingredients:

1 large salmon fillet

1 tsp salt or to taste

1 tsp tandoori chicken masala

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp red chilly powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp tamarind concentrate

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Juice of half a lemon

2 tblsp chopped onions

4 thin slices lime/lemon

Chopped coriander for garnishing

Chaat masala for garnishing (optional)

Method:

Step 1 - In a small bowl, mix together the salt, tandoori chicken masala, garam masala, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, tamarind concentrate, ginger garlic paste, olive oil and the juice of half a lemon. 

Step 2 - Apply the marinade from step 1 liberally all over the salmon. Keep refrigerated for at least an hour. This helps the marinade settle in well.

Step 3 - Place a large foil on a baking sheet or pan. The size of the foil should exceed the size of the pan. Place the marinated salmon on the foiled baking sheet. Sprinkle some chopped onions, coriander leaves and lemon slices on the fish. Wrap the fish with the foil really well. Do not allow any pockets to form that might let the steam escape. You want the salmon to cook in its own juices. More like, steaming in its own juices.

Step 4 - Place the baking sheet in a 425 deg F. preheated oven for no more than 15 mins. 

Serve hot, sprinkled with some more fresh coriander and chaat masala for that extra kick.

Enjoy!

Tips:

Always get the wild caught salmon and not the farm raised. Its tastier and healthier.

How to know if salmon is cooked?

Try lightly poking it with a knife. The knife should slide in without any efforts, if the salmon is cooked well.

The salmon also changes to a nice light pink color. 

It also oozes out a white substance as it starts cooking. Make sure you see that, especially if you want to have the salmon well-done!

Health benefits of salmon? (Source: Internet)

Salmon is very nutritious. Its is high in protein and the "good fats". It has a lot of omega-3 fatty acids.

Did you know that a 4 oz serving of wild salmon provides a full day's requirement of vitamin D? It is one of the few foods that can make that claim. That same piece of fish contains over half of the necessary B12, niacin and selenium and is an excellent source of B6 and magnesium. 

Omega-3 fats seem to primarily work through reducing inflammation in our bodies. Inflammation is turning out to be at the base of many health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, some types of cancers and arthritis. Omega-3 also helps prevent the blood clots which cause many strokes.

Chicken Cafreal

NAILED IT!

That is exactly what I said when I first tried and tested this recipe. Trust me...dont miss this one! You could make it in a pan or even grill it..whatever suits you best. I personally prefer the pan, as I thought my grilled pieces turned out slightly dry. Maybe with some basting along the way, it could have ended up juicy and succulent too.

It is said that the preparation of Cafreal originated from the Portuguese colonies in the African continent. It was introduced into the Goan cuisine by the Portuguese. It has an appetizing green color to it, which makes this dish visually appealing. The tastes are a combination of spicy...with a hint of sweet. Its just heavenly.

I first had this preparation when I was a kid at "Florentine" in Saligao, Goa (real close to Calungute beach). Inspite of being in Goa, this dish is a bigger hit in this restaurant that any of their fish preparation. Amazing isint it?! If you do end up visiting this, make sure you also try their Xacutis and Vindaloos. But believe it or not...nothing beats thier Cafreal!

I refreshed my memories of this dish when I visited "The Mynt" in San Jose. Just amazing Chicken Cafreal. They served it with some rice though....which I am not a big fan of!

Lets get to making some now...

Level: Easy
Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:
750 gms chicken
2.5 cups coriander leaves, loosely packed
6-8 green chillies, roughly chopped
2 inch ginger, roughly chopped
15 garlic flakes, roughly chopped
1 tblsp poppy seeds (khus khus)
1 inch cinnamon stick
6-8 peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
5-6 cloves
1.5 tsp ginger garlic paste
1.5 tsp honey
Juice of half a lemon
Salt to taste

Method:
Step 1 - Clean and wipe dry the chicken slices. Rub them well with the ginger garlic paste and salt and keep aside.

Step 2 - In a grinder, grind together the coriander leaves, green chillies, ginger, garlic, poppy seeds, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, cumin seeds, turmeric powder and cloves. Use very little water to grind this together into a paste.

Step 3 - Apply this paste from step 2 to the chicken from step 1. Rub well together. Keep covered in the refrigerator for 1 - 2 hrs. You could keep it overnight too, but I did not personally notice any significant difference in taste.

Step 4 - Heat some oil in a pan. When hot, add in the chicken along with all the spice paste. Let them cook covered for some time on medium high heat. Once the chicken is cooked, cook uncovered till the gravy gets dry and clings onto the chicken. Make sure it does not burn at this stage. Once all done, pour some honey and the lemon juice. Mix well and serve hot.

Serve this with some mashed potatoes or fries or with some steamed vegetables. Its just perfect!

This recipe is inspired from http://www.goanfoodrecipes.com/search/label/Chicken%20Cafreal. I have made some personal changes to this recipe, but if you would like to know the original source...Here it is!

I have not specifically mentioned the shape and size of the chicken pieces as anything would do. You could use this on tiny pieces or drumsticks ...bone in or bone out. Works well anyway. So use what you prefer.

The original recipe calls for some tamarind pulp instead of lemon juice. But I did not want to use the store bought tamarind pulp here, so I replaced it with some lemon juice.

Chicken Chettinad

Now this is a really convenient and healthy chicken dish for all of you. No coconut, not too much oil. Perfect for those health conscious guests. This dish is made from ingredients that are easily available at home. So it can be made even when you have unexpected guests coming over.

This dish is essentially a semi-gravy dish...if thats a word! Do not try and make it into a gravy dish by adding water, as it looses a lot of its taste. Have been told that if you add a can of coconut milk this turns into a nice gravy dish. A great idea, but then, doesnt make sense if you want to keep it healthy. You could try fat free coconut milk....but well, lets keep that for some other time!

Chettinad cuisine is the cuisine of the Chettinad region of theTamil nadu state in South India. It is known to be one of the spiciest and most aromatic cuisine in India. 

Now that you are enlightened enough, lets get to making this dish now...:)

Serves: 4 people

Level: Easy

Ingredients:

750 gms boneless chicken, cut into bite size pieces

1 tsp mustard seeds

1.5 tsp cumin seeds

2 inch cinnamon sticks

4 black peppercorns

3 green cardamoms

4 - 5 cloves

2 bay leaves

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

3 green chillies, finely chopped

15 curry leaves

2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilly powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp black pepper powder

Salt to taste

Coriander to decorate

Method:

Step 1 : Heat oil in a pan. When hot, add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, black peppercorns, bay leaves and green cardamoms. Immediately add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the cumin seeds and saute for a few seconds till they turn brown.

Step 2 : Add turmeric powder. Stir for a few seconds and add the onion. Do not let the turmeric turn brown. Saute the onions till they turn brown. Add the ginger garlic paste, green chillies and curry leaves. Stir well, till the ginger garlic paste looses its raw smell. Add tomatoes, red chilly powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Stir well. Cook till the tomatoes are completely broken down and cooked and oil starts to leave the mixture.

Step 3 : Add the cut chicken and mix well for 5 mins. Cover and cook for 8 - 10 mins or till the chicken is cooked. Stir occasionally. Add 3/4 cup of water just in case the dish seems too dry. You do not want to make it runny. Just a thick gravy. Add black pepper powder and mix everything once. Decorate it with coriander leaves.

Serve hot, with any bread or with rice.

Tips:

This is a fairly spicy dish. If you want to make it less spicy, eliminate the black peppercorns in the oil, reduce the amount of green chillies or just avoid them, as we are adding red chilly powder ahead and reduce the quantity of black pepper powder sprinkling in the end. 

If you think its really very spicy once its done, well add some coconut milk to get milder flavors..:).

Enjoy!

Pepper Chicken

Finally back in action...

Well, shifting isint an easy task...and now that we have almost!! settled down in our new place, thought I should work on my blog again.

This got me wondering what I would like to start off with?..something not too elaborate..tasty..and yet different. Had some chicken legs waiting in the refrigerator..so I finally decided on making this simple "Pepper Chicken".

I was asked to make this recipe by a cousin of mine, for my blog. But was just lazy to search for my old recipe book in all those bags and get all the ingredients together.
But once it was done...I was wondering what took me so long??...!!..

Here is how you make it..

Serves: 2 people
Level: Easy

Ingredients:
6 chicken legs
3 tsp peppercorns
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 medium onion, slit long
1 medium onion, minced
1.5 medium tomatoes, minced
Salt to taste
Coriander to decorate
Dash of lime juice

Method:
Step 1 - Heat 1 tblsp oil in a pan. Add the peppercorns, cumin seeds and long-slit onions and saute till it all turns brown. Do this on a medium flame. Not too high heat and not too low. Cool this mixture and grind it with some water to turn it into a smooth paste.

Step 2 - Heat oil in the same pan and fry the minced onions, till they turn pink. Then add in the minced tomatoes. Fry this till it starts oozing oil from its sides.

Step 3 - Add in the smooth paste from step 1 and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 4 - Add in the chicken pieces and salt and cook till the chicken is well done.

Serve hot, decorated with coriander and a dash of lime.

This dish can be made into a gravy dish, by doubling the quantity of ingredients for the same amount of chicken and adding some water at step 4.

Step 2 can be dangerous!! with all the water content in minced onions and tomatoes splattering around. So just keep it covered most of the time and carefully stir it occasionally to make sure it doesnt stick to the bottom of the pan. Be safe..

This dish needs to distinctly taste like pepper. So if you think your pepper is too mild, add some more to the dish. You can adjust the taste of pepper before incorporating the chicken in the dish too.

Hope you enjoy this one.

Happy cooking.

Chicken Curry - South Ishtyle

A recipe passed on to me by my mom. Apparently she got this one from one of her friends.

We are having some guests coming home today. So this chicken is for 12 people...do adjust the quantities as per your requirements.

This dish has a mild fenugreek and curry leaf flavour..which makes it a fresh change from the normal maharashtrian style chicken which is usually made at our home.

Here is how its made

Level: Medium
Serves: 12-13 people

Ingredients:
2 kg chicken (pref. with bones)
13-14 dry red chillies
2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
4 tsp coriander seeds
20 curry leaves
1.5 cups fresh grated coconut
2 tblsp tamarind paste
15-16 garlic pods
3-4 tblsp oil
4 large onions, finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric powder
3-4 bay leaves
4 - 5 cups water
Salt to taste
Coriander for decoration

Method:
Step 1 - Clean the chicken, apply salt and turmeric and leave it aside.

Step 2 - Take a pan. Add 2 tsp oil. Saute dry red chillies, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and curry leaves till it releases an awesome aroma and slightly changes color.

Step 3 - Grind the sauted spices, fresh coconut, tamarind pulp and garlic pods together into a smooth paste by adding a little water. Keep aside

Step 4 - Take a large vessel. Add some oil. When hot, add the bay leaves and onions. Saute till onions turn brownish. Add the marinated chicken and saute well for 10-15 mins. Till the chicken turns whitish.

Step 5 - Add the spice mixture paste and saute well for another 10 mins. Add 4 to 5 cups of water and mix everything well. Cover and let it cook completely.

Serve piping hot...decorated with coriander and a dash of lime.

Do let me know how this turns out for you folks !

Rack your brains!
Fenugreek seeds have been found to contain protein, vitamin C, niacin, potassium and diosgenin.
It has been found to help increase libido and lessen the effect of hot flashes and mood fluctuations that are common symptoms of menopause and PMS.
In India and China it has been also been used to treat arthritis. asthma, bronchitis, improve digestion, maintain a healthy metabolism, increase libido and male potency, cure skin problems, treat sore throat and cure acid reflux.
Fenugreek also has a long history of use for the treatment of reproductive disorders, to induce labor, to treat hormonal disorders, to help with breast enlargement, and to reduce menstrual pain.
Recent studies have shown that Fenugreek helps lower blood glucose and cholestrol levels, and may be an effective treatment for both type 1 and 2 diabetes.
Fenugreek is also being studied for its cardiovascular benefits.

Dhaniya Chicken Legs

POWDER!!??

Yea..thats the reaction i expect from everybody...but dont loose hope..its a total hit everytime its made..

I like asking people what they think when i say powder chicken...well i got some hilarious answers..but this one beats them all...a white colored chicken...dry and powdery..

Well ..believe it or not..its one of the easiest chicken starter I've ever made..and when you see people digging their fingers in the big pot you cooked this in...well it sure gets you smiling...and satisfied !

This recipe is inspired by my cousin's MIL...thanks to her.

Level: Easy
Serves: 12 chicken legs
Source: My Papu Tai (Smita Rodrigues)

Ingredients:
15 garlic pods, finely chopped
2 inch ginger, finely chopped
3 green chillies, finely chopped (optional)
1 cup coriander, finely chopped

Masala mix:
6 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp pepper powder
1.5 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
2 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3 tblsp ketchup
1/4 cup water

Salt to taste

Method:
Step 1 - Take oil in a wok. When hot, add in garlic, ginger, green chillies. When they start getting brownish, add in the coriander and stir well.

Step 2 - Make a paste with 1/4 cup of water and the powders. Add in the wok. Stir well till oil is left from the masala.

Step 3 - Add in chicken and stir till cooked.

Serve hot with some sliced onions, and some lime squeezed over it..

Can it get simpler???

You can make this dish into a gravy dish by making a onion-tomato gravy..or just pour in a tin of coconut milk...tastes heavenly either ways.


Rack your brains:
Chicken is generally quite a healthy food.
As a source of protein it is one of the best, as it contains very little fat compared to other sources of meat.
However, the preparation of the chicken should be considered, as well as the type or parts of the chicken that are being consumed.
If you have severe cholestrol problems, they say chicken may not be good for you, as it contains a considerable amount of cholestrol, as much as red meat.