Tandoori Chicken |
Thursday, 19 October 2023
Tandoori Chicken
Friday, 13 October 2023
Chicken Khudi Curry
Chicken Khudi Curry |
Ingredients
1 kg Chicken cut into pieces
3 Potatoes Chopped
4 tbsp Cooking oil
2 heaping tbsp East Indian Bottle masala (or curry powder)
2-3 bay leaves
salt to taste
2 large red onions. sliced
2 green chilies (deseed if you want it less spicy)
2 cups freshly grated coconut (you can also use dry grated
coconut)
2 inch fresh ginger
8 large garlic cloves
1 tablespoon tamarind paste or vinegar or lemon juice
Some freshly chopped coriander for garnishing
Directions
Wash chicken pieces well, drain and keep aside. In a frying pan, dry roast the freshly grated coconut until
lightly toasted and light brown in colour. Remove from the pan and set aside in a bowl. In the same pan, dry roast
the onions, green chilies, ginger and garlic until fragrant and slightly brown. Transfer this and the roasted coconut to a food
processor or blender and blend with a little water and blen to a smooth paste. Set this
paste aside.
In a pan/cooking pot, stir-fry the chicken pieces over medium heat in oil for two minutes until lightly browned on all sides. Add the ground masala paste and saute for 2 minutes. Add 2-3 bay leaves. Then add the bottle masala and saute for a minute more. It is important to cook the spices until they are fragrant so don't make haste. If necessary, add a few tablespoons of water to prevent it from burning at the bottom. Then add a cup of water and season with salt and pepper. Then, add the chopped potatoes - make sure the potatoes are immersed in the water. Cover and cook for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the potatoes are tender. Finally, add the tamarind paste or vinegar or lemon juice and cook a minute more. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander. Service with white rice and some salad made with chopped onion, tomato and lime juice on the side.
Kalakand (Milk Fudge)
Kalakand |
"Kalakand is an Indian milk fudge dessert made with full fat fresh milk. It is creamy and delicious and requires very few ingredients."
Ingredients
2 liters Full fat fresh milk
3/4 cup white granulated sugar or more
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
2-3 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice
some chopped nuts for garnishing (optional)
Directions
Arrange a deep bowl covered with a sieve and muslin cloth –
keep aside for later. In a large pan, heat 2 litres of milk till it starts to
bubble. Add 2-3 tablespoons of white vinegar while stirring continuously. The
milk will begin to curdle. Lower heat and keep stirring. Once the milk well is
curdled and there are huge lumps of cheese, remove from heat and gently pass
this mixture (cheese and whey) through the arranged bowl & sieve kept aside
earlier. Collect all the thick cheese and return it to the same pan. Keep
stirring on low heat and do not let it burn. Add white sugar and mix. Taste and
add more sugar if you want it sweeter. Add cardamom powder and bring the
mixture together. Turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool down a bit. In the
meantime, grease a small round or square cake tin with ghee or butter. Transfer
this mixture into mould and press down with a spatula. Cover and leave to cool
for 2-3 hours. Keep it in refrigerator for 5 hours or overnight. Turn out the
fudge onto a plate and cut into square. Decorate with finely chopped pistachios
or almonds.
Thursday, 12 October 2023
Thai Mango Sticky Rice
Thai Mango Sticky Rice |
1 cup Thai rice or glutinous rice
1 can Coconut cream (400ml)
½ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 medium ripe mangoes
Roasted sesame seeds - for topping
½ teaspoon cornstarch - dissolved in 1 teaspoon of water
Directions
Rinse and drain glutinous rice in tap water several times
until water becomes clear, to remove starch. Transfer to a bowl and soak in
enough water for at least an hour or overnight.
Drain the water and transfer the rice in a steamer basket
lined with a cheese or muslin cloth. Place the steamer basket over the pot with
boiling water. Steam for 15-20 minutes or until rice becomes translucent and
cooked. Transfer rice to a large bowl and fluff it several times using a spoon
so they will not lump together. Cover and rest for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large pot or deep pan, combine coconut milk,
sugar and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat
once it simmers and sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the stove. Take
¼ cup of coconut cream and set aside for toppings.
Pour half of the remaining hot coconut milk to the bowl of
still steaming hot rice and gently toss until well combined. Gradually add more
of coconut milk to the rice and stir. Do it gently to prevent rice from
becoming mushy. You might need to use all the remaining coconut milk or not,
the target is to have a grainy but slightly wet and sticky porridge texture.
Remember that the hot rice will continue to absorb the liquid as it cools down.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap so the top will not dry out.
Return the reserved ¼ cup of coconut cream to the saucepan
and add the cornstarch slurry. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until it
thickens a bit. Remove pan from heat and transfer the sauce to a bowl or milk
pourer for serving later.
As the rice cools down, peel the mangoes. Cut the flesh from
the pit on both sides and cut them in cubes or slices.
Assembly: Fill a small cup with sticky rice and invert it
into a plate or bowl. Add slices of mangoes on the side. Pour some coconut
cream sauce on top of the rice and mango slices or serve it in a saucer as a
dip. Sprinkle with some roasted sesame seeds. Serve warm or cold.
Carrot and Garlic Pickle
Carrot and Garlic Pickle |
Ingredients
500 grams carrots
200 grams garlic
3 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 teaspoon yellow mustard powder
2 tablespoons Kashmiri chili powder (adjust according to taste)
1/2 cup white vinegar
100 grams grated jaggery or palm sugar
salt to taste
1 cup cooking oil
Directions
Dry roast fenugreek seeds in a pan. Grind to a powder in a spice grinder and keep aside. Peel garlic and wash. Keep garlic on a clean kitchen towel to absorb all the water. Wash carrots, wipe them with a clean kitchen towel and peel them. Cut them in the desired shape. I made thin small slices. If you prefer to have smaller garlic pieces of the large flakes, you can cut them in two or three pieces.
In a skillet, heat oil and add the chopped ginger. Fry for 2 minutes and add mustard seeds. Then add garlic and fry for 2 minutes. Then add the sliced carrots and fry for 2-3 minutes. If you like carrots soft, fry for 2 minutes longer. Add fenugreek seeds powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Mix well. Add vinegar and jaggery/palm sugar. Turn off the heat and check seasoning. If you like it tangier, you can add more vinegar. Cool down the ready pickle and store in clean, dry airtight glass jars. Serve with lentil curries, dal or any pilaf.