Chocolate and Blueberry Cheesecake

I tried this recipe for the first time for the Christmas dinner this year and it was a big hit and unbelievably yummy even though it does leave you guilty with all the calories consumed. But what the heck---it's Christmas!
Ingredients:

* 1 package (9 ounces) chocolate wafer cookies
* 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
* 4 bars (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 4 large eggs
* 1 cup sour cream
* 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
* Blueberries, for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Assemble a 9-inch springform pan with the raised side of the bottom facing down. Alternately you can also use a pie dish.
2. In a food processor, pulse cookies until finely ground. Add butter, and pulse to moisten. Transfer to prepared pan, and press crumbs firmly and evenly into the bottom. Place pan on a rimmed baking sheet; bake 10 minutes, and set aside.
3. Wipe out bowl and blade of food processor. Add cream cheese, sugar, and salt; blend until smooth. With motor running, add eggs, then sour cream, and finally chocolate; blend filling until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
4. Pour filling onto crust, and bake just until set, 1 hour. Turn oven off, and let cheesecake sit 1 hour in oven, without opening (this helps prevent cracking).
5. Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan (this helps prevent cracking, too); leave in pan, and cool completely on wire rack. Cover loosely and refrigerate, at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
Garnish with blueberries and serve!

Shrimp curry

Ingredients:

1 large onion, quartered
1 (2-inch-long) piece fresh ginger, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 to 2 fresh serrano chiles, halved lengthwise
1 cup water
1 (14-oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 lb large shrimp in shell (21 to 25 per lb)

Method:
Pulse onion and ginger in a food processor until finely chopped. Cook onion mixture with salt and sugar in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder and chilies and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Stir in water, coconut milk, and lime juice and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 5 to 8 minutes.

While sauce simmers, peel shrimp (devein if desired) and season with salt and pepper. Add shrimp to sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add salt to taste and garnish with coriander leaves if desired. Serve immediately.

Chicken Curry if you are in a hurry!

This is one dish where you don't have to marinade the chicken nor will it take you hours to choose and prepare the ingredients.

500gms boneless chicken diced in 3/4 inch pieces
2 medium yellow or white onions finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes finely chopped
3 tomatoes finely chopped
2 small potatoes, peeled and diced into large pieces
1/2 cup coriander leaves chopped finely for garnishing
1 tsp ginger paste
2 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
4-5 tsp oil
1-2 tsp lemon juice
6-8 whole black peppercorns
Salt to taste

Method:

Take a pressure cooker and add oil, onions and tomatoes, ginger paste, garlic paste, turmeric powder, chicken pieces (washed), potatoes, peppercorns and lemon juice all together and stir for a few minutes. Add about 1/4 cup of water. Place the lid and let it cook for 8-10 minutes or 1 full whistle on a medium flame. Do not remove the lid and keep the pressure cooker on the same hob till the contents are cooled. This is because after you switch the gas off, the chicken will continue to cook on the heat of the same hob. Now open the lid and start the gas on low flame. At this point if you want the consistency of your curry more thin, add a little water. Let it boil and then add the salt according to your taste. And finally you can garnish with coriander leaves. Your quick and easy chicken recipe is ready to serve.

Cabbage Stir-fry with Shrimp

When in Kolkata I always refused to eat the soggy cabbage dishes. But after trying a couple of recipes, I just fell in love with the crispiness and freshness of cabbage when stir-fried with the minimum of extraneous ingredients. I hope you love this dish as much as I do.

Ingredients:

1 Cabbage, cut into julienne pieces
1 Onion(preferably yellow), finely chopped
8-10 small shrimps
2 chilies, finely chopped
Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 tbsp oil


Method:
Take a medium sized wok and heat the oil. Stir in the onions and fry till slightly softened. Add the shrimp and cook on medium heat till the shrimp turns pink. Add the cabbage and the chilies. Add the salt and pepper and stir till the cabbage is just cooked but not mushy or too soft.

Serve it hot with fried chicken. Yum!

Shahi Paneer

Ingredients:
3 large bell pappers( red)
Paneer (cottage cheese) cut into cubes
4 Chilies
6 white cardamom pods
5-6 curry leaves
Cashew nuts 1/2 cup
1/2 cup heavy cream

Paprika powder 1tsp

Method:
In a deep pot boil water and add the bellpeppers, cashew nuts, cardamom and chilies.
Boil till the bell peppers are soft and forkable.
Put all the ingredients in the pot in a blender and blend well.
Pour the mixture in a pan and add Paneer and paprika powder.
Stir for a few minutes and add the cream and curry leaves.
Cover and simmer for a few minutes till you get the desired consistency. Add salt to taste.
Serve hot with naan/roti.

Jeera (cumin) Shrimp

Ingredients
· 12 king prawns
· 4 Tbsp. ghee or possibly vegetable oil
· 1 onion finely minced
· 1 tomato sliced
· 1 inch smashed piece of fresh ginger
· 2 tsp garlic paste
· 1/2 red capsicum in thin strips
· 1 salt and pepper
· 1 Tbsp. whole cumin seeds
· 1 tsp turmeric

Method
Shell and clean and strain the prawns.
In a pan heat the oil to warm.
Fry the cumin add in the onion, ginger and garlic
When well cooked lower heat add in the turmeric, tomato and capsicum
Stir-fry till the capsicum has softened but retains its color then turn up the heat to high. Add in the prawns and coriander and stir fry for about 5 min then serve.
It takes only 15 mins to cook and can be served with either naan or rice.

Yellow Curry Chicken

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
salt to taste
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Method:

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until lightly browned. Stir in garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, paprika, bay leaf, ginger, sugar and salt. Continue stirring for 2 minutes. Add chicken pieces, tomato paste, yogurt, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove bay leaf, and stir in lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Simmer 5 more minutes. Serve with jasmine rice.