Almond Chicken Curry

Ingredients
1. 1 1/2 lb boneless chicken
2. 1 red onion chopped fine
3. 2tbsp garlic paste
4. 1 tbsp ginger paste
5. 3 tbsp almonds paste
6. 1 tbsp red chili powder
7. 3 cloves
8. a small cinnamon piece
9. bay leaf
10. 1/2 tbsp oil

To Make Almond Paste
1. Soak the almonds in some hot water and remove the skin
2. Blend into a smooth paste

Method
1. In a pan heat oil and add the cumin seeds and wait till they sputtering.
2.Then add the clove, cinnamon and bay leaves, when they start to turn color, add the onions and sauté till brown. (for a smoother creamier gravy chop the onion really fine or blend to a paste and then sauté).
3. Add the chili powder followed by the almond paste and let it cook and now add the chicken and salt and cook till the chicken is cooked through and desired consistency is reached. For best results, simmer under low heat till excess oil starts floating on top.
Serve hot with some hot naan.

Christmas Cookies!

Ingredients:
1. 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
2. 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
3. 1 large egg,
4. 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5. 1 cup (140 grams) all purpose flour
6. 1/8 teaspoon salt
7. 3/4 cup (100 grams) hazelnuts, almonds, pecans or walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
8. 1/2 cup jam
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the flour mixture to the batter and beat just until combined. If the batter is too soft to roll into balls, refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Place the chopped nuts on a plate. Roll the dough into 1 inch (2.54 cm) balls. Taking one ball of dough at a time, dip first into the egg white and then lightly roll in the nuts. Place on the prepared baking sheet spacing about 1 inch (2.54 cm) apart. Using your thumb or end of a wooden spoon, make a indentation into the center of each cookie and fill with about 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of jam.
Bake for about 13-15 minutes, or until cookies are set and the nuts have nicely browned. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.
Note: To toast the nuts. Spread nuts on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree F (180 degree C) oven for 8-10 minutes (almonds, pecans and walnuts). The nuts are done when they are light golden-brown in color and fragrant. Toast the hazelnuts for about 15 minutes or until fragrant and the outer skins begin to flake. Remove from oven and place the hot nuts in a dish towel. Roll up the towel and let the nuts sit (steam) for a few minutes then rub the nuts in the towel briskly to remove the skins. Let cool completely. Once the nuts have cooled, place them in your food processor and process until finely chopped. Alternatively, you could chop them by hand.
Note: If you are planning to store these cookies, I like to bake them without the jam. Just reduce the baking time by a few minutes. These cookies can be stored for about a week. Fill the cookies will jam the same day as serving.
Makes about 20 cookies

Catfish Curry

Ingredients:

1 lb catfish cut into 1 inch steaks
3 green chilies
1/2 tsps Turmeric
1/2 tsps Red chili powder
1/2 tsps Salt
Oil
1 yellow/red onion, chopped
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 red bellpepper cut into thin slices (you can also green or yellow bellpeppers)
1 cup tomato, chopped
Cilantro

Method:
Rub the catfish pieces with turmeric and salt. Let stand 30 min. Heat oil in large, deep frying pan on medium. Add the diced onion, garlic and the green chilies, and sauté for a few minutes till the onion softens and turns pink. Add the catfish, tomatoes and the red pepper slices and stir. Add the salt and chili powder. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and let simmer for another few minutes. Serve hot with rice/ roti.

Chaler Payesh(Rice Pudding)

Ingredients:
Sweet smelling Rice (Gobindobhog chaal): 100gms
Milk: 4 cups
Sugar: 150gms
Ghee: 1 teaspoon
Cashew nuts: 10gms,
Raisins: 10gms
Green cardamoms: 3 to 4
Bay leaf: 2


Method:
· Boil the milk in very low flame, and let it condense till it become almost ¾ its original volume.
· Meanwhile, add ghee to rice and mix well.
· Drop in the rice when the milk is ready, and now cook on high flame, stirring often.
· As the rice gets cooked add sugar, green cardamom, bay leaf.
· Keep on flame till the sugar melts.
· Throw in the cashew nuts and raisins.
· Garnish with raisins and cashew nuts or any other dry fruits of your choice.

Options:
· If you dont get Gobindobog, then work out with good quality Basmati rice
· The more you condense the milk, the better it tastes.
· Also, instead of sugar you can add jaggery or gur.
· To add a touch of color and flavor saffron is a good choice too.

Ingredients:

q 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
q 1 tablespoon butter
q 1 large onion, grated
q 1 tablespoon grated ginger
q 2 cloves garlic, smashed
q 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
q 3 cardamom pods, pounded to split open (don’t let the seeds get away)
q 1 whole cinnamon stick or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
q 1 chicken breast, chopped into blocks
q 3 tomatoes
q 2 bunches of spinach
q 2 tablespoons chopped coriander/cilantro
q 2 red chilies, split
q Salt to taste

Method:
q Partially boil the spinach and blend into a smooth paste. Keep aside.
q Put oil and butter in a large pan on low – medium heat
q Once melted, add onions, ginger, garlic, turmeric, cardamom and cinnamon. Stir and let them simmer gently.
q Add the chicken.
q Let cook for a few minutes before adding the tomatoes, water, spinach and cilantro. Stir well and salt.
q Add the green chilies. Stir well and simmer covered for 1/2 an hour, till the spinach starts sticking to the sides of the pan.
q It’s a yummy dish and even those who hate spinach will love it!!

Cholar dal

Cholar Dal
1 cup Cholar Dal
1tsp of turmeric powder
1 tsp of salt
i tsp sugar
2 tbs of ghee
1 tsp of cumin seeds /mustard seeds also can be used
1 tbsp sliced coconut
I tsp oil

Soak the dal in water for at least 15 minutes.
dd oil in a kadai and fry the cumin seeds and bayleaf along with the dal. Transfer the seeds and the dal to a pressure cooker. Add 3 cups of water.
Add turmeric powder and salt, sugar.
Cover and cook at medium heat till 3 whistles.
Let the pressure subside and then open the cover.
Before serving add ghee and sprinkle on top with the coconut slices.
Serve hot with white rice.

Apple pecan cake

I found this recipe at a site but modified it a bit for convenience.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (75 grams) chopped walnuts or pecans
1 pound (454 grams) apples (red delicious or fuji apples)
1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cup (195 grams) all purpose flour
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup (50 grams) raisins


Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter or spray with a non stick cooking spray, an 8 inch (20 cm) square baking pan and then line with parchment paper or wax paper.

Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly brown and fragrant. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack and then coarsely chop.

Peel, core, and coarsely chop the apples. Toss with 1 - 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract and beat until fully incorporated. Fold in the chopped nuts, raisins, and chopped apples. If the batter is thick, stir in the milk.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in preheated oven for about 35 - 45 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Serve with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Aloo Posto(potatoes and poppy seed)

This recipe reminds me so much of Ma! Miss you Ma!

Ingredients:
3 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cubed
Poppy seeds (posto)5-6 tbsp posto bata(poppy seed paste)
Green Chillies – 2/3
Cumin seeds-3/4 tsp loosely packed
Salt
Turmeric Powder
Sugar - 1/2 tsp or none according to taste
Oil - for Cooking
Mustard Oil- a dashto sprinkle on the top


Method:
Grind the posto/poppy seeds to a fine powder. I use the coffee grinder which can be used to dry grind only. So afterwards I mix it with water to make a paste. The consistency of the paste should not be too watery. If you are wet grinding make a paste at one go.
Cut the potato in cubes.Chop or slit the green chillies.
Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds and fry till they start sputtering.
Add the potato cubes in the oil with a pinch of turmeric powder.
Saute the potato lightly till they develop a golden tinge.
Then add the poppy seeds paste.
Add little water (around 3/4 cup), adequate salt, and the chopped green chillies.
You can sprinkle very little sugar if you want.Cover and cook on low heat till the paste has uniformly coated the potatoes and the potatoes are well-done. I usually wait till the gravy has dried up.
At this point you can add about 1 tsp of mustard oil and stir well before you remove from heat. Srtve hot with rive and papad!

Paneer Bhurji

This a recipe I tried today itself and surprisingly even my husband who is not too fond of paneer finished off the whole helping and asked for more!

So here you go:

Ingredients:
300g fresh paneer, crumbled coarsely with hand
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon lime juice
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
Pinch of asafeotida (hing) powder

Method:

1. Heat the oil, add the onion and green chilli and fry until soft.
2. Add the cumin seeds and fry until browned and fragrant.
3. Add the pepper, chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and asafeotida (hing) powder and stir fry till a wonderful aroma leaves the pan.
4. Next add the grated ginger, sugar and chopped tomato.
5. Now add the paneer and salt and keep stirring on medium heat till panner and other ingredients are well-cooked.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.
7. Serve hot with rice or Indian flat breads like roti, chapati or naan.

Butter Chicken


Ingredients
1 cup yogurt
2 ounces/50g ground almonds
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp crushed bay leaves
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp garam masala
4 green cardamom pods
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
2 tomatoes diced
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 pounds/1kg chicken, skinned, boned and cubed
1 tbsp butter
2 medium onions, sliced
4 tbsp cream

Method:

· Place the yogurt, almonds, all the dry spices, ginger, garlic, and salt in a mixing bowl and blend together thoroughly.
· Marinate the chicken in this mixture for at least 2 hrs. The longer the better (max overnight).
· Melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the onions and fry till pink. Add the tomatoes and the chicken mixture and stir-fry for about 7 to 10 minutes.
Pour over the cream and stir in well (optional). Simmer till oil starts to leave the pan. (For this recipe there is no need to add water). Serve hot with aloo parathas. Yum!

Spice Hut

When I first learned how to cook I had no clue which spice had what kind of flavor. I looked at recipes and added them to a dish accordingly and as time went by understood that each spice had its own personality. To throw them unknowingly into the cooking pot was sacrilege.

No two people ever agree on the exact recipe of a favourite dish. Recipes are handed down from generation to generation, verbally in the kitchen or from hand-me-down cookbooks---all of which are closely guarded secrets in most cases. But all agree, a dish is well cooked when the spices blend into the gravy and the meat. The spices should not be have disparate flavours, or taste raw. No one spice should over-power the other and be so intrusive as to completely hide the true taste of the vegetable or meat being cooked. It should enhance the character of the dish, give it colour and fragrance and leave you wanting more!

So for an Indian kitchen what are the essential must-haves?


Asafoetida ( Hing )

Bay Leaf ( Tej Patta )

Black Cardamom ( Badi Elaichi )

Black Cumin Seed (Shahi Jeera )

Black Mustard Seeds ( Rai)

Cardamom ( Elaichi)

Cashew nuts ( Kaju )

Cinnamon ( Dalchini )

Clarified butter ( Ghee )

Cloves ( Lavang )

Coriander Powder ( Dhania powder )

Coriander seeds ( Dhania )

Cumin seeds ( Jeera )

Curry Leaves ( Kaddipatta )

Fennel seeds ( Saunf )

Fenugreek Leaves - dried ( Kasoor Methi )

Fenugreek leaves ( Methi Leaves )

Fenugreek seeds ( Methi seeds )

Garlic ( Lahsun )

Ginger ( Aadrak )

Golden raisins ( Kishmish )

Gram Flour ( Besan )

Green Cardamom (Elaichi)

Mint ( Pudina )

Moong Daal

Mustard Oil

Nutmeg ( Jaiphal )

Pistachio nuts ( Pista )

Plain Flour ( Maida )

Plain yogurt ( Dahi )

Poppy seeds ( Khus Khus)

Red chilies powder ( Lal Mirchi powder)

Red Lentils ( Masur daal )

Red chilies ( Lal Mirchi )

Red Kidney beans ( Rajmah )

Saffron ( Kesar )

Salt ( Namak )

Sesame seeds (Til )

Spice Blend ( Garam Masala )

Tamarind ( Imli )

Turmeric ( Haldi )

Wheat Flour (Aata)

Yellow Lentils ( Tur Dal)

And Panch Phoron which is often used in Bengali cooking is nothing but:
•1 quantity whole cumin seeds
•1 quantity whole fennel seeds
•1 quantity whole yellow mustard seeds
•1 quantity whole fenugreek seeds
•1 quantity whole nigella (kalonji) seeds

Potato and Leek soup

Ingredients:
2 slender leeks
I small onion
2 small or medium potatoes
2 tbsps butter
3 cups of water or more
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Trim the leeks, discarding the hard green tops and cut them into approximately one inch thin strips. Rinse thoroughly and drain. Peel and chop onions and potatoes.

Take a deep bottom pan and melt the butter
Fry the onions till soft. Add the potatoes and then the leeks and sweat them over low heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the water and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cover and cook at medium to low heat for at least 1 hr till the potatoes are velvety soft.

Now mash roughly with a potato smasher or a slotted spoon. Add the ground pepper and salt. Serve hot with bread.

bangali'r khichudi!

Bhuna Khichudi

Ingredients:
1 cup moog daal (mung beans)
1 cup masoor daal (brown-skinned lentils), washed
1 1/2 cups rice, washed
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
1/2 head cauliflower, separated into large florets
1 onion, diced
1 tomato, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 green chillies, finely chopped
Salt and sugar, to taste
1 tbsp desi ghee

Method:
Dry fry the mung beans in a hot pan or wok until lightly browned then add water and bring to a boil. Take off the heat and stir-in the rice and lentils. Transfer to pressure cooker and cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
Add a little oil to a pan and use to fry the potatoes, cauliflower and onions for about 6 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Reduce the heat and add the ginger, cumin, tomato and chillies. Season with salt and sugar and continue frying until aromatic. Stir-in the vegetables and spices to the rice-lentil mixture. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes until everything is well-blended.Lastly, add the ghee and serve hot with papad!

Keema Choley

Ingredients:

Garbanzo beans or Choley ~ 1 can, it said 1lb 13oz.
Ground Chicken (Keema) ~ 1 lb.
Onion ~ 2 medium blended/chopped
Tomato ~ 2 medium chopped
Green Chillies ~ 5/6 chopped
Garlic Clove ~ 1 clove chopped
Elaichi or Cardamom ~ 5
Laung or Cloves ~ 5
Darchini or Cinnamon sticks ~ a small one
Jeera or Cumin Powder ~ 1 tsp
Garam masala Powder ~ 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder ~ your choice
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves ~ for garnish

For Marinating the Chicken:

Ginger Paste ~ 2 tsp
Garlic Paste ~ 2 tsp
Yogurt ~ 2 -3 tbsp

Method:

Marinate the ground chicken with yogurt, 2 tsp of ginger paste, 2 tsp of garlic paste and little salt. Keep it aside for 2-3 hours. I often do it night before so it’s just ready to be cooked by evening.
Make a paste of the onions. Quick Tip: I make a paste or chop onions when I have extra time. They stay in the fridge good for 3/4 days
Heat Oil in a Kadai /Frying Pan
Coarsely pound the Elaichi (Cardamom), Laung (Cloves) & Darchini (Cinnamon Sticks) and add it to the oil
Add the chopped garlic and the green chillies.
As soon as you get the fragrant smell of garlic rising add the onions.
Add a little sugar and fry them till they are light brown in color.
Add the chopped tomatoes
Continue light frying till oil separetes from the paste.
Add the marinated Keema (ground Chicken)
Continue cooking till the Keema changes color. Stir so that the keema transforms to a granulated mass. Since ground chicken here is machine processed, when raw, they are like a soft paste.
Add the Cumin & Red Chilli Powder. Mix well.
Add the choley.
Cook for some more time till all the ingredients are well blended.
Add little water, salt and garam masala powder. Cover and Cook
Cook till choley and keema are done.

Garnish with coriander leaves.
If you want add hard boiled eggs cut into half on top.

Dim Dum Di Dum

Ingredients:
2 large onions--sliced
4 boiled eggs cut into half
6 green chillies---split into halves
Curry powder 1tbsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Chopped coriander
Desi Ghee 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil 1tbsp

Method:
Pour oil into a pan and add onions when oil starts to sizzle.
Fry onions till golden brown.
Add the green chillies and keep stirring.
Add the spices and the egg halves. Stir. Add salt to taste.
Cook for 8 mniutes or so till oil starts to leave the pan.
Add the ghee and garnish with chopped coriander.

Serve with naan or rice. Yum on a rainy day!

Kata Phata Tomato

Ingredients: serves 2
6 roma tomatoes

For stuffing:
Left over chicken or fish(but please not the smelly fish left over from monday!)
1 Smashed Potato(boiled and smashed)
Oil
Chopped green chillies 4
Coriander/ parsley either work well.
1/2 tsp Red pepper powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder

Method:
Cut the tomatoes into half and with the end of a spoon clear out the insides.

In a pan heat 2 tbsp of oil. Add the green chillies and the finely diced onion. Fry till golden brown. Add chicken, cumin and red pepper powder and then the smashed potato and stir fry for another few minutes till chicken potatoes and spices have been blended in together.

Just before turning off heat add chopped parsley or coriander.

With the help of a small spoon stuff the tomatoes and put in the oven at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Enjoy!

Sesame and Red Pepper Chicken

Ingredients:
Sesame oil
Sesame seeds
Onion 1
Red bell peppers 2
Green Beans(optional--but healthy!)
Chicken bonless 1 lb
Soy Sauce
Red hot sauce/ chilli sauce
Corn flour 2 tsp
Salt to taste


Take a non-stick frying pan or the good old kadai.
Add tbsp of sesame oil
Stir in some sesame seeds on medium heat.
Add sliced onion
Add red bell pepper slices and continue to stir until onion becomes mildly pink in color.
Add the green beans and the diced chicken.
Continue to stir till chicken is cooked half way through.

In a bowl mix soy sauce, hot sauce, corn flour starch with 2tbsp of cold water till lumps disappear. Pour it onto the chicken.
Cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes.

Serve hot with rice or fried chowmein.

Icchey Phoron

Ranna(or cooking) for me is what I like to call "Icchey Phoron"---i.e a mixture of emotions or desires(icchey) with some cooking ingredients(phoron). So at 3.58 am today I suddenly had the urge to create my own cooking blog( as if I didn't have too much on the plate already---no puns intended)!

This blog is not for people looking for recipes to woo someone(depending on the standards of wooing of course!) but perhaps for those who don't know where to start and what to cook at the end of a busy day or are running out of ideas!

Dependent on the erratic schedule of my 14 month old son and paper deadlines at SJSU I will update my blogs as and when possible. No pesterings welcome!(kidding!)

Ok enough of a Hamletian monologue---now for the wooing recipes:)