Aloo Palak

Ingredients:

• Palak(Spinach)           - 300 grams, chopped
• Aloo(Potato)                - 3 medium sized, peeled, cubed, half inch size
• Garlic cloves                - 4 fat ones, sliced thinly
• Onion                             - 1 medium, sliced thinly
• Green chilli                  - 4-5, sliced thinly
• Jeera(Cumin seeds) - 1 tsp
• Dry red chilli               - 2-3
• Oil                                   - 2 tsp
• Salt                                  - to taste

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan.
2. Temper with jeera and dry red chillies.
3. Add sliced garlic and saute for a minute.

4. Add chopped onions and green chillies. Cook till onions are cooked and turns translucent.

5. Add potato. Add salt. Mix well and cook till potatoes are almost cooked.

6. Add palak.

7. Mix well. Cover and cook till palak is cooked well, stirring in between few times.
8. Remove cover and cook on medium heat till mix dries up.

9. Remove from pan and serve hot with roti or rice.

Lauki pulao / Lau-er pulao

This is purely experimental. Wanted to try something new and this is what I came up with. 

Ingredients:

• Rice                              - 1 cup(Preferably Basmati)
• Lauki(bottle gourd)  - 1 medium sized(300-400 grams) 
• Moong daal badi       - 1/2 cup(also known as mangori, available in Indian stores)
• Curry leaves               - 8-10
• Green chilli                - 4(cut into halves, lengthwise)
• Red chilli                    - 2-3
• Ginger                         - 1 tsp(grated or thinly sliced)
• Jeera(Cumin)            - 1 tsp
• Rai(Black mustard)  - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder      - 1/2 tsp
• Oil                                - 1 Tbsp
• Salt                               - to taste
• Grated coconut          - for garnishing

Method:

1. Wash the rice. Soak in water for 30 mins.

2. Peel the lauki. Cut into small cubes of 1/2 inch.

2. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Fry the badis till brownish in color. Remove from pan and place in kitchen towel.

3. Add the remaining oil in the pan. 
4. Temper with jeera and rai. When spluttering starts add red chilli, grated ginger, green chilli and curry leaves. Saute for 30 seconds.

5. Add lauki and saute for few minutes.

6. Add turmeric powder and saute for another minute.
7. Add rice. Mix well. Cook for another few minutes till the mix is no more watery(if at all).

8. Add the fried badis. Add salt. Mix well.

9. Add 2 cups of water. Give a gentle stir. Cover with a lid and cook till rice get fully cooked and water dries up.
10. Garnish with grated coconut. Serve hot with pickle and side of your choice.

Chicken Chettinad

This is a dish with its origin in Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu. The freshly ground spices gives this dish a tantalizing flavor and is a real great deal for chicken lovers. A very easy recipe and a very enticing one.

Ingredients:

• Chicken                      - 1 Kg, cut into small/medium pieces
• Onion                         - 1 large, chopped
• Tomato                       - 2 medium, chopped
• Curry leaves              - 10-12
• Red chilli powder    - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder    - 1/2 tsp
• Lime juice                 - 1 tsp
• Salt                             - to taste
• Oil                               - 3 Tbsp

For paste:

• Shredded/grated coconut   - 1/2 cup
• Curry leaves                           - 6-8
• Dhaniya(coriander seeds)  - 1 tsp
• Jeera(cumin seeds)              - 1 tsp
• Methi(Fenugreek seeds)     - 1 tsp
• Rai(Black mustard seeds)  - 1/2 tsp
• Saunf(Fennel seeds)             - 1 tsp
• Cloves                                      - 5
• Black pepper corns               - 8
• Cinnamon                              - 1 inch stick
• Green cardamom                  - 3
• Dry red chilli                          - 4
• Ginger                                     - 1/2 inch
• Garlic                                       - 6 fat cloves

Method:
1. Add lime juice and a little salt to the chicken and mix well. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
2. In a pan take the following items mentioned for paste and dry roast them - dhaniya, jeera, methi, rai, saunf, cloves, pepper, cinnamon, cardamom and red chilli. When they turn little brownish and aroma spreads around add coconut and roast for another few minutes.
3. Add ginger, garlic, curry leaves and dry roasted spices and make a smooth paste.
4. Marinate chicken with the paste and a little oil and keep aside for few hours.

5. Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onions and saute till translucent.

 6. Add chopped tomatoes and curry leaves.

7. Cook till tomatoes turn mushy and are cooked.
8. Add turmeric powder and red chilli powder and saute for a minute.

9. Add marinated chicken. Mix everything well. 

10. Cook on medium high heat till masala is cooked well and oil starts separating.
11. Add a cup of water, cover with a lid and cook on high till chicken is cooked.

11. Remove the cover and cook till gravy thickens.
12. Serve hot with rice or roti or naan.

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Got this recipe from Hebbar's Kitchen. A great appetizer. 

Ingredients:

For bread dough:

• Maida/All purpose flour        - 1 cup
• Warm milk                                - ¼ cup
• Dry yeast                                   - 1 tsp
• Sugar                                          - 1 tsp
• Garlic cloves                             - 3 fat ones, finely chopped
• Chilli flakes                               - a generous pinch
• Oil                                               - 1 tsp
• Butter                                         - 1 tsp(at room temperature)
• Salt                                              - 1/2 tsp

For Garlic butter:

• Butter                                      - ¼ cup melted butter
• Garlic cloves                          - 3 fat ones, finely chopped
• Chopped Coriander leaves - 2 Tbsp

Other ingredients:

• Cheese                   - 1/2 cup(Any type of your choice)
• Chilli flakes          - 1 tsp
• Oregano                - 1 tsp
• Maida                    - for dusting

Method:

1. To prepare the dough, take warm milk, yeast and sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix well and keep aside for 10 minutes for the yeast to get active.

2. Add salt, chopped garlic, chilli flakes, butter and maida. Knead well.

3. Apply some oil to the surface of the dough and keep aside for 2 hours.

4. Prepare the garlic butter by mixing melted butter, chopped garlic and chopped coriander. Keep aside.
5. After two hours knead the dough lightly. 
6. Roll the dough flat. (Do not make it thin, it should be thick enough).

7. Apply garlic butter to the rolled dough. Sprinkle some chilli flakes and oregano.
8. Add cheese. You can use any cheese of your choice. I used Parmesan.

9. Fold the dough and seal the edges properly. 
(Make sure the sealing is done well, else cheese might melt and come out)

10. Apply some more garlic butter on top. Sprinkle chilli flakes and oregano.
11. Make thin slits not too deep.

12. Bake in preheated oven at 350 F for 15-17 minutes till it turns brownish.

13. Serve With dip of your choice.

Kaalo jaam - Kaala Jaamun

Lately I was in a Bengali store and got Kaalo Jaam(also called Kaala Jamun), it tasted awesome. It looks so enticing and it is really hard to refrain your self from devouring them. Even the calorie conscious me could not help but gulp down few at one go. Regrets? Not really. Holiday season after all! :)
And since then I wanted to try it at home and it was really an easy and awesome venture. Gulped down few more. Regrets? Not at all! :)

Here is the recipe for all those sweet lover friends. 

Ingredients:

For Jaamun:

• Milk powder                         - 1 cup
• Maida(all purpose flour) - 1/3 cup
• Baking soda                          - 1/3 tsp
• Sugar                                      - 1 Tbsp
• Suji(semolina)                     - 2 Tbsp
• Whole milk                           - 2 Tbsp
• Ghee/oil                                - for deep frying

For syrup:

• Sugar                        - 1 cup
• Water                        - 1 cup
• Saffron                      - few strands
• Green cardamom    - 3

Method:
1. First prepare the syrup. In a pan add water, sugar, saffron strands and green cardamom. Place in medium low heat and allow the mix to come to boil. Put the heat off.
2. Soak semolina in milk for 15 minutes.
3. Mix milk powder, maida, baking soda, sugar and soaked semolina. Keep aside for 15 minutes. 
4. Make a soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for 15 minutes.
(Add little more milk if needed to make the dough)
5. After 15 minutes take the dough and knead for few minutes.
6. Make small balls from the dough.

7. Heat oil or ghee in a deep pan. 
8. Deep fry the balls till dark brown or blackish in color.

9. Remove from oil and put in hot syrup

10. Let the jaamuns absorb syrup and get the sweetness in abundance. Keep them in syrup for few hours.
11. Serve chilled or at normal temperature.

Shorshe Tengra

Ingredients:

• Tengra                          - 8-10 pieces
• Onion                           - 1 medium, chopped
• Ginger                          - ½ inch
• Green chilli                 - 5-6(cut in halves)
• Mustard seeds            - 1½ Tbsp
• Turmeric powder       - ½ tsp
• Kalo jeera(kalonji)    - 1 tsp
• Mustard oil                 - 2 Tbsp
• Salt                               - to taste

Method:

1. Clean and wash the fishes properly. Pat dry with kitchen towel. Mix with salt and half the turmeric powder.

2. Soak mustard seeds in 2 Tbsp water for 15 minutes.

3. Make a smooth paste of mustard seeds and ginger.

4. Heat oil in a pan till smoking hot. Put the fishes one by one. Fry the fishes till done from both sides.  

(Be careful while turning as they tend to break easily. To avoid that fry fishes in medium high heat and turn only when one side is done well.)

5. Remove fishes from oil and keep aside.
4. Temper the remaining oil(add a little more if needed) with kalo jeera.
5. Add chopped onions. Saute till onion is cooked and turns traslucent.

6. Add remaining turmeric powder and saute for another minute.
7. Add mustard paste, add half cup water and mix well. Add green chillies. Cook covered for few minutes.

8. Add the fried fishes. Cover and cook in low heat for another few minutes.
9. Remove cover and cook till gravy thickens.

10. Serve hot shorshe tangra with steamed rice.

Paneer Pasanda

Year 2011, pot luck party at work. I decided to buy food from outside but co-workers insisted to bring home-cooked food. Now you don't expect bachelor guys to bring home-cooked food for a pot-luck party unless off-course they live with parents, mom to be precise. But yes apparently they wanted everyone to bring home-cooked food. And again off-course, "Vegetarian". 
So I put on my thinking hat in the evening to decide what that could be. And this is what I came up with.
People really liked the dish a lot and appreciated a lot. Someone asked me the name of the dish, it was just out of the blue. I never thought I would have to have a name of the dish. 
I had no time to think, I just replied "Paneer Pasanda".

Here is how I did my Paneer Pasanda.

Ingredients:

• Paneer                           - 400 gm
• Onion                             - 1 medium
• Tomato                          - 1 medium
• Green chilli                  - 5-6(cut in halves)
• Ginger garlic paste    - 1 tsp
• Cashew                          - 1/2 cup
• Turmeric powder       - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder       - 1/2 tsp
• Lime juice                     - 2 tsp
• Oil                                   - 2 Tbsp
• Ghee                               - 2 Tbsp
• Bay leaf                         - 1
• Cinnamon                    - 1 inch stick
• Green cardamom      - 3
• Cloves                            - 5-6
• Salt                                 - as per taste

Method:

1. Cut paneer into small cubes of half inch. 
2. Soak the cashew nuts in half cup warm water for 30 mins.
3. Mix paneer with salt, lime juice, half the turmeric powder. Keep aside for 15 mins.
4. Make a smooth paste of onion and tomato and keep aside.
5. Make a smooth paste of cashew nuts and keep aside.
6. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a pan. Fry the paneer pieces till golden in color. Remove from pan and keep aside.
7. In the same pan add ghee and remaining oil.
8. When hot temper with whole spices(bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves).
9. When the whole spices release aroma add the onion paste and green chillies. Saute till raw smell of onion goes away and onion is cooked.
10. Add ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Cook for a few minutes.
11. When masala is cooked well add the cashew paste, half a cup of water and mix well.
12. Add the fried paneer pieces, give a good stir and cover with a lid. Cook on low heat till masala thickens.
(I also added some thinly sliced fried potato in the gravy to give it a twist and make it more rich in taste which turned out awesome. But I will keep this optional to the one wearing the chef's hat)
13. Remove from pan and serve hot with roti or naan.

Chhoto maacher chochchori

Chhoto maach or small fish are very rich in nutrients. They are good for eyes as they are rich in Vitamin A, my mom used to tell. Well that's a separate story that I still wear glasses.

I got this frozen one in a Bangladeshi store named, "Mola". I never knew this variety and was not sure how to cook. They were headless and cleaned. So it was an easy venture. 

This is how I did it.

Ingredients:

Chhoto maach                   - 1 Lb

Onion                                  - 1 medium, sliced thinly

Green chilli                        - 5-6, sliced

Coriander leaves               - 2 Tbsp, chopped

Turmeric powder              - 1/2 tsp

Red Chilli powder             - 1/2 tsp

Mustard oil                        - 2 Tbsp

Salt                                      - to taste

Method:
1. Mix the fish with onion, green chilli, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, half the oil and salt. Mix well. Keep aside for 20 minutes.

2. Heat the remaining oil in a pan.
3. Add the fish mix.

4. Cook on medium flame for a few minutes. 
5. Put the heat at low and cover the pan with a lid and cook till the fish is cooked. (Sprinkle a bit water if the mix becomes too dry)
6. Add chopped coriander leaves.

7. Remove from pan and serve hot with plain rice.

Chaaler Paayesh - Kheer - Rice pudding

Who does not like Chaaler payesh or Chawal ka kheer? It is one of the most sought after Indian dessert and it goes well in any occasion. As a kid I used to love my mom's paayesh more than anything in this whole world. I love it equally even today. But the calorie conscious me does not allow me to show my fondness towards it. Yeah that's a sad story. But for you all sweet lovers, here is how you can please your self with this blissful dessert.
The bengali chaler paayesh is made using Gobindhobhog rice which has short grains and is rich with a beautiful pleasing aroma. In my recipe I used sweetened condensed milk which makes it more creamy.

Ingredients:

• Whole milk                                          - 2 Liters
• Rice                                                        - 4 Tbsp(Preferably Gobindhobhog)
• Sweetened Condensed milk         - 1 can(14 Oz)
• Ghee                                                     - 2 tsp
• Bay leaf                                                - 1
• Green Cardamoms                          - 4
• Raisins                                                 - 2 Tbsp
• Cashews                                              - 1/2 cup
• Pistachios/Almonds                        - For garnishing

Method:
1. Wash the rice and then soak in water for around 20 minutes.
2. Remove the rice from water, add ghee and mix well. Keep the rice aside.
3. In a heavy bottomed pan add milk and bring it to boil. Add bay leaf. Keep cooking the milk on medium low flame, stirring continuously till it reduces to 2/3rd.
4. Split the cashews and add in the milk. Add the raisins as well.
5. Add rice and cook till rice is almost done.
6. Add condensed milk. (You can also add sugar instead of condensed milk, around half a cup or so).
7. Crush the green cardamoms into fine powder and add. 
8. Cook till rice is fully cooked and the mix reduces to half the amount.
9. Serve hot or chilled. Garnish with chopped pistachios and almonds.

Chicken Strips

A very easy but an ace appetizer. Crispy from outside and tender from inside, its a treat to chicken lovers.

Ingredients:

• Chicken breast             - 1 Lb
• Lime juice                   - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder         - 1 tsp
• Garlic cloves                - 3-4 fat ones
• Bread crumbs               - 1/2 cup
• Corn flour                    - 2 Tbsp
• Egg                              - 1
• Salt                             - to taste

Method:
1. Cut the chicken into thin strips of 2 inch length.
2. Crush the garlic cloves in mortar pestle. 
3. Marinate the chicken with Lime juice, salt, red chilli powder and crushed garlic. Keep aside for an hour.

4. In a bowl break in the egg. Add 1 Tbsp water and mix well.
5. Keep the bread crumb in another plate. 
6. Dust the marinated chicken pieces with corn flour to have a light coating.
7. Take a piece of chicken, dip it in egg, roll it bread crumbs to have a uniform coating. Do the same for all the pieces.
8. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

9. Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan.
10. When hot add chicken pieces few at a time and fry them in medium heat till golden brown and crisp.
11. Remove from oil and place in paper towel.

12. Serve hot with dip of your choice and green salad.