Classic Chicken and Mushroom Pie with Cheddar Cheese Short Crust Pastry

Conducting cooking and baking classes also means that I need to do my homework really really well. I like to give my class participants the best of all I know and so I do a lot of reading and experiments before I announce my next class. A pie and tart class has been long due and repeatedly requested and so here is my homework for the next schedule which is in November. There are three more recipes that I will need to try. Stay tuned!! Do read my notes at the end for vegetarian options.

Ingredients 

For the filling 

1 chicken breast, about 150 gms, cut into medium pieces

200 gms white button mushrooms quartered 

1 large onion chopped 

2 cloves garlic chopped 

1 tbsp chopped parsley 

1 tbsp chopped rosemary 

1 tbsp olive oil plus more if required 

2 tbsp butter 

2 tbsp flour

200 ml milk

200 ml chicken/vegetable stock 

Salt and pepper to taste

For the pie crust (for a 22 cm pie plate)

1 cup all purpose flour/maida

2 tbsp butter, chilled 

2 tbsp vegetable shortening , chilled 

Pinch of salt

4 tbsp grated cheddar cheese 

1 egg (I used a little less than 1 large egg)

Direction 

Start with making the pie crust first. Take the flour, salt, butter and shortening and start rubbing the fat into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. There should still be some traces of butter and shortening visible in the mixture. Do not overmix. 

Now add the grated cheese and the egg, little at a tine, till the dough just comes together. We don't need a smooth or fine dough. Just the one which holds everything together. I used little less than 1 large egg. 

Cover the dough with cling wrap and refrigerate till further use. 

Now start preparing the filling. Heat oil in a pan and add the chicken pieces. Fry till they turn white. Now add the mushrooms and fry on high heat till the moisture evaporates and the chicken and the mushrooms turn slightly golden. Remove from the pan and keep aside. 

Now, in the same pan, add a little more oil if required and fry the chopped onions and   garlic till translucent. Remove from pan and keep with the chicken. 

Now, to make the sauce, you can either use the same pan or use a new one. Heat the butter and add the flour. Stir till you get a lovely aroma and the flour looks pasty. Now mix the milk and the stock and add it to the pan along with salt and pepper. Stir on a medium flame till the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon. 

Now add the chopped parsley and rosemary and mix and remove from heat. Put the chicken mixture into a pie plate and pour the sauce over it. Spread to evenly cover the chicken beneath. Keep aside and let it cool. 

Preheat the oven at 200 degree celcius for 10 minutes. Now, take a parchment paper and spread it out on the kitchen counter. Take the dough out of the fridge and remove the cling wrap. Put another sheet of parchment paper or cling wrap and using a rolling pin, roll out the dough gently from all sides to a uniform thickness of about 3 mm and just enough to cover the top of the pie plate. 

Brush the sides of the pan with egg wash. Gently lift the rolled out dough and place it on the pie dish covering the edges and sitting on top of the filling. Seal the edges with your fingertips and filling in any edges with scrap dough. Make some cuts in the center to let the steam escape. 

Brush the top with egg wash and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes till the edges and top and browned and crisp. Remove from oven and let it cool for sometime before serving. 

Notes:

1. You can use any assorted veggies instead of the chicken like broccoli, sweet corn, carrots, beans, spinach, or cottage cheese as well. 

2. You can use 2-3 tbsp ice cold water instead of the egg while kneading the dough. 

3. You can skip the egg wash if you are a pure vegetarian. You can use milk wash instead but the shine won't be there. 

Simple and Easy Egg Biryani

Biryanis are always meant to be elaborate and royal which undoubtedly calls for a little planning. However, on some days, you just get that Biryani craving and you know you can't sit in peace unless you have satisfied your craving. This is what exactly happened to me this Sunday when we were exploring and discussing different food options for lunch. I had just this tray of eggs and nothing else in the pantry and within 1 hour quick and easy Egg Biryani was ready to be served. I made my own Biryani masala here, but you can use any store bought masala if you have even lesser time to get the biryani done. 

Ingredients 

For the masala 

1 tsp cumin seeds 

1 tsp fennel seeds 

2 tsp coriander seeds 

3-4 Kashmiri whole red chillies 

4 cardamoms 

4 cloves 

1 black cardamom

1 bay leaf

1/2 mace

1/2 tsp nutmeg powder 

1 tsp black peppercorns 

1" cinnamon 

Dry roast all and grind to a fine powder 

For the rice

2 cups basmati rice, soaked for 1/2 hr

1 tbsp ghee

1 tsp shahjeera 

2 pods cardamom, 1" cinnamon 

1 tsp salt 

Rest of the ingredients 

1 large onion sliced finely 

11/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste 

2 large tomatoes chopped 

1 tbsp ghee + 1 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Freshly chopped coriander and mint leaves 

1 cup warm milk (may require more)

3 hard boiled eggs

3 tbsp cornflour 

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp salt

Direction 

Start with preparing the eggs. Peel the hard boiled eggs and cut them into half. Make a thick paste with water, cornflour, Chilli powder, salt and turmeric powder. 

Dip the egg halves one at a time and shallow fry in hot oil until golden. Remove from heat and keep aside. 

Now, heat the oil and ghee in a deep bottomed pan and add the shahjeera. Add the whole spices and the rice (reserve the soaked water) and fry till the rice becomes translucent. Now add warm water till just about covering the rice 1" above. Cover and let the rice cook till about 90%. 

Heat oil and ghee in another pan and fry the sliced onions till golden. Next add the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell disappears. Tip in the tomatoes now and fry till mushy. Now add the freshly ground masala and mix well. Fry the onion masala till oil appears along the sides of the pan. Now add 1 cup milk and stir and bring to a boil. You can also add chopped vegetables to the masala and  fry a bit before adding the milk. Now add the cooked rice and mix well. Add coriander and mint and any birista or fried onions if you have ready. Mix well and drizzle some ghee from the sides and cover and simmer the flame. Let the biryani cook on dum for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and serve hot with the fried eggs and onion slices. 

 

Simple and Light Stewy Chicken Curry

It has been an extremely busy month and is going to continue as such for the next month as well. Father-in-law in town, hubby's birthday, Balinese Holiday, and every day cooking were some of the things that left me walking on a tight rope all this month. Next month starts with my birthday, my Blog's third anniversary, my first bread baking class, father-in-law's birthday, and half a month of babysitting while hubby leaves for an extensive business trip. Phew! That already makes me feel exhausted. Nevertheless, I couldn't stay away from blogging for long and so posting this extremely simple yet absolutely yummy light and Stewy Chicken Curry which is best eaten with a bowl of steamed rice or hot and fresh puffed chapatis and raw onions. I made this on a Sunday but this is actually an any day curry which will make you feel awesomely good!!

Ingredients 

1 kg chicken on the bone, washed and cleaned 

1 large onion chopped 

3-4 cloves garlic minced 

1" piece ginger minced 

2 medium tomatoes chopped 

2 medium potatoes quartered 

2 each of cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, and 2" cinnamon 

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli  powder 

1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp sugar (optional)

2 tbsp oil (preferably mustard oil)

Ground Spices

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds 

1 tsp fennel seeds 

1 tsp black peppercorns 

Dry roast all the spices and grind to a fine powder 

Direction 

Heat oil in a pan and fry the quartered potatoes. Keep aside. 

In the same oil, splutter the whole garam masala and add the chopped onions, ginger and garlic and saute till golden. Next add the chopped tomatoes and saute till mushy. Now add the ground spices along with the turmeric, salt, and chill powder and fry for 3-5 minutes till the entire masala comes together. Add the washed and cleaned chicken and fry on high heat till the chicken changes color and well coated with the masalas. Add the potatoes and fry for 5 more minutes. By now, the oil would start appearing from the sides. Now add 1 cup water and let the water come to a boil. Mix, reduce the flame to medium low, and cover and cook till the chicken and the potatoes are cooked through. 

Adjust seasoning. Add freshly chopped coriander if you like the flavor. Make sure there is enough gravy to give that stewy effect. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice. 

Easy Chicken Kabab

Starters are an important part of any meal and they get even more important when you host a dinner/lunch event at your place. Having said that, when you have no helping hand in the kitchen it becomes imperative that you present something quick and easy yet beautifully presented and delicious to eat. These Kababs are just that. Extremely easy to prepare, you can keep these ready one day in advance in the refrigerator and shallow fry just before serving. Serve it with some green chutney and be ready to amaze your guests!!

Ingredients 

500 gms minced chicken 

1 medium onion chopped finely 

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste 

2 tbsp fresh coriander finely chopped 

2 tbsp besan

1 tsp red chilli powder 

1 tsp garam masala powder 

2 tsp coriander powder 

Finely chopped green chillies (optional)

Salt to taste

Oil as required 

Direction 

Wash and drain the chicken mince. Ensure that there is no excess water. Now mix in all the other ingredients except the oil. Make a smooth mixture ensuring that everything is mixed well. You can now either go ahead and make patties out of this mixture or keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

When ready to fry, heat oil in a frying pan or grill pan and make small patties out of the mixture and fry till golden on both sides in a medium heat. I covered the pan on a medium heat for the first five minutes to ensure that the chicken is cooked through. After 5 minutes, remove the cover and fry on a medium high heat till golden on both the sides. Drain the excess oil on a kitchen towel. Sprinkle some chaat masala if you like and serve hot with your favourite chutney. 

Goan Fish Curry

The first beach experience for me was Goa in India and it was a love at first sight. I have been to many other beach destinations thereon but there is no other place which matches the enigma of Goa. Calm, serene, peace, tranquility, hospitality, fun and frolic, there are hardly any adjectives which can be left behind to describe this perfect holiday destination. The best part is that it fits every budget and even a pauper can afford a dream Goan holiday. And no, before you think that this post is sponsored by Goa Tourism Board, this post is about one of my absolute favourite dish from the Goan cuisine. The Goan Fish Curry is a highly irresistible fish curry served with hot steaming rice. The fish generally used is either prawns or pomfret or any other boneless sea fish. I have used here a Boneless white fish fillet, quite similar to the White Snapper. The curry was a perfect balance of all the flavors, the tang from the tamarind, the heat from the chillies, and the creaminess from the coconut. The best part about this gravy is it is absolutely easy to prepare and needs  only a few ingredients. If you love Goa and you love their cuisine, this recipe is a must try!

Ingredients 

450 gms fish (I used boneless white fish fillet; you can also use either pomfret or prawns or any other similar sea fish)

1 medium onion finely sliced

4 cloves garlic chopped 

1 tsp cumin seeds 

1 tbsp coriander seeds

7-8 kashmiri whole red chillies 

1 cup or 200 ml coconut cream (I diluted this with 1/2 cup water; you can directly use 1 1/2 cup coconut milk)

2 tsp tamarind paste (you may need a little more later at the final stage while adjusting the seasoning)

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt for marinating the fish as well as for gravy

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp oil

Direction 

Wash and clean the fish and marinate with salt and lemon juice and keep aside. 

Dry roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and whole red chillies and grind to a fine paste along with the garlic and little water. Now heat oil in a pan and fry the onions till soft and translucent. Add the spice paste and stir well. Add the turmeric powder and mix. Keep stirring continuously until the base mixture is well fried and blended. Take care not to burn it though. Now add the tamarind paste and stir followed by the coconut cream and water mixture or coconut milk. Give a good stir and bring to a boil. Now simmer the flame and add the marinated fish. Do not add the marinade as it might make the gravy too sour. Cover and cook for 10 minutes until the fish is cooked. Add salt as per taste and slit green chillies. You can adjust the tanginess of the curry now by adding more tamarind. It is important not to add the entire paste at one go as the consistency of the tamarind paste can be different and so also the tang. You can also adjust the thickness of the gravy now by adding or reducing the water. This is a very forgiving recipe and you can make adjustments at any point in time. Serve hot with steamed rice and enjoy this Goan delicacy!!

Murg Khurchan

On my recent India trip, this is one dish that came appearing to me one way or the other. I tasted it first time in my life in a North-Indian restaurant along with my sister and we both enjoyed it thoroughly with some tandoori rotis. Since then, it somehow continued to capture my attention either through in-flight menus or cookery books and websites. I finally told myself that I have to get done with these ghost appearances and chanced upon a recipe by Chef Marut Sikka. It is a vanishing dish and in fact I had never before heard of it until a few weeks back. Khurchan means scraping and traditionally this dish is made on a tawa/griddle but since my tawa is really small, I made it on a frying pan. The taste is superb and is a close cousin of chicken keema, except that you use roasted and shredded chicken here instead of minced. You must try this dish once and help in keeping its fame alive!! For my vegetarian friends, you can easily replace the chicken in this recipe with paneer except that you need not shred it too finely. 

Ingredients 

For the masala 

6-8 dried red chilies

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

Gently roast the above in a pan and then grind to a fine powder in a mixer grinder.

For the Sauce 
1/4 cup ghee 

6-8 cloves of garlic finely grated

4-5 large ripe tomatoes chopped 

Salt to taste

 3-4 green chillies chopped

For the chicken/paneer/ veggies 

1/2 kg chicken/paneer/mixed veggies cut into one inch cubes

6-8 cloves garlic finely grated

2" piece of ginger finely grated

Juice of one lemon

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp white pepper powder

Salt to taste

2 tbsp refined oil 

For the assembly 

50 gm butter

 2 onions sliced

 1 green bell pepper deseeded, cut into strips

1 red bell pepper deseeded, cut into strips

1 yellow bell pepper deseeded, cut into strips 

1 tsp garam masala 

1 tbsp kasoori methi roasted and crushed 

1" piece ginger julienned

Fresh coriander leaves chopped for garnish

Direction 

Keep the dry masala ready as per instructions above. 

Heat the ghee in a pan, add the garlic and saute until light golden brown. Add the powdered masala of chillies, cumin and coriander, stir and immediately add the tomatoes.

Add salt, increase heat and once the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat and continue to cook the tomatoes until they achieve a sauce-like consistency. Now add the green chilies and cook for another 1-2 minutes, check the seasoning and remove from the fire.

Now start preparing the chicken/paneer/veggies. Mix all the ingredients, except the chicken/paneer/veggies, together and add the chicken/paneer/veggies and marinate for 2-3 hours.

In the case of chicken or any other meat I normally add meat tenderizer or grated raw  papaya (two tablespoons). This acts as a tenderiser for the meat and also gives a gentle sourness. Skewer the chicken/paneer and cook in a tandoor. Alternatively cook in an oven (225°C for 6-10 minutes). The idea here is only to cook the chicken/paneer half way through, yet impart a smoky flavour to it.

Time to assemble. Traditionally it is to be done on a griddle or tawa. Mine is too small to accommodate all. So used a frying pan. 

Add the butter to the tawa/pan and once it melts, add the half done chicken/paneer/veggies. 

Cook on low heat scraping the griddle, just avoiding the chicken/paneer from sticking or burning, for 2-3 minutes. Add the sliced onions and continue to scrape the griddle, cooking until onions are glossy. Add the bell peppers and keep stirring till slightly soft but have a crunch still. Add the tomato sauce and continue to scrape. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add garam masala, kasoori methi and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add julienned ginger and fresh coriander. Stir well and remove from fire. Check the seasoning and serve.

Mutton Keema Kofta Biryani

There was a time when Biryani for me was the most tedious dish to cook and was only a weekend treat to be eaten outside. With my husband being a great Biryani fan, how could I stay away from not trying out this flavoursome dish at home. My first biryani was almost a year back and it was an instant hit. Although there was room for improvement, it was a good beginning nonetheless. With each passing attempt, my Biryani just kept getting better and better and better. Now I have reached a stage where I have developed my own Biryani recipe from scratch and have included a very interesting twist to it, Koftas!! The idea was originally shared by a fellow foodie on a food group and I developed it from there. The husband was licking his fingers (literally) and the guests (who had to mantain their courtesy being Germans) swiped off the entire bowl squeaky clean. 

Now, I look forward to cooking my next Biryani!! 

Ingredients 

For the koftas

500 gms minced mutton

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 tbsp grated garlic 

5-6 mint leaves chopped 

1-2 green chillies chopped (optional)

1 sprig coriander chopped 

1 tbsp besan/gram flour

1/2 tsp red chilli powder 

1/2 tsp garam masala powder 

1/2 tsp cumin powder 

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp Salt (approximately) to taste (do not add a lot as the koftas will also absorb masalas from the biryani sauce later on)

2 tsp oil plus extra for frying

For the Biryani Masala

1/2 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp fennel seeds 

4-5 whole red chillies

3 green cardamoms 

1 black cardamom 

3-4 cloves 

1" piece cinnamon 

1/2 star anise 

1/2 nutmeg

1 mace

1 bay leaf

6-7 black peppercorns 

Dry roast all of the above and make a fine powder. 

For the Biryani Sauce

2 medium onions chopped 

3 medium tomatoes chopped 

1 tbsp ginger paste 

1 tbsp garlic paste 

1 tsp caraway seeds/shahjeera 

2-3 tbsp grated paneer

1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

Biryani masala prepared above

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

For the rice

2 1/2-3 cups of Basmati rice, washed and soaked for 20 minutes 

1 medium onion finely sliced 

1/2" piece ginger, finely chopped 

2 tbsp fresh coriander chopped 

1/2 tsp cumin seeds 

2 green cardamom, 3 cloves, 1/2" cinnamon, 1 mace, 4-5 black peppercorns 

1 tsp saffron soaked in 1 tbsp cold milk

Salt to taste but not exceeding 1 tsp

2 tbsp ghee (for maximum taste and fragrance)

For the assembly 

Fried onions and finely chopped fresh coriander 

Direction 

The first step will be to prepare the keema koftas. 

Wash and drain the keema and put in a food processor. Pulse until a smooth lump is formed. To this add all the remaining ingredients including 2 tsp oil and pulse till a smooth lump is formed and there are no solid bits. Remove from the food processor and take it out in a plate. Now while you heat oil in a wok for deep frying, start forming the balls with your hands. Do not make oversized balls as they might not cook very well then. 

 When the oil is hot, reduce the flame to medium and start frying the balls, 3-4 at a time on medium heat until golden on all sides. Do not fry on high flame as the balls may get browned too soon leaving a raw inside. Drain the excess oil on paper towels. 

Once you are done frying all the balls, start preparing the sauce. For that, heat oil in a pan and splutter the caraway seeds. Now add the onions and fry till golden. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for another 2-3 minutes till the raw smell disappears. Now add the tomatoes and fry on high till the tomatoes get soft and mushy. Add the grated paneer and the biryani masala and the other dry spices and salt and fry for another 1-2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup warm water and bring it to a boil. Now add the fried koftas, stir to mix and coat everything well and cover and cook on medium low flame for 10-15 minutes.  This is to ensure that the koftas absorb maximum flavors and masala from the sauce which will ensure that they are soft and juicy once assembled. Also, if any of the koftas are not completely cooked, this step will make sure it does. Be very careful while stirring the sauce in between as you may break the koftas. Once the gravy reduces to about 1/4th with mostly the masalas remaining and minimum water, turn off the gas and keep the pan covered as you move on to the next step. 

 

 Time to cook the rice now. Heat ghee in a pan. Add cumin seeds and the whole garam masala and let it release the fragrance. Now add the onions and fry till translucent followed by the ginger. Add the soaked and drained rice and fry till the rice becomes transparent sonewhat. Add the chopped coriander and stir. Add salt and now if you are using the electric rice cooker, transfer the rice to the cooker and add 5-1/2 cups of water for 3 cups of rice and cook till done. If preparing the rice on gas stove, you can add water directly to the pan and cook the rice covered till just done (about 90%). Do not overcook. 

Once the rice is done, sprinkle the soaked saffron over the rice and stir and let it remain for 10-12 minutes. 

Now the final and most easy step. Take an ovensafe bowl or, a deep bottom vessel (if preparing on gas stove) and put one layer of the rice. If you do not have an oven, you can also do it in the microwave. Now add the biryani sauce along with the koftas. Sprinkle some fresh coriander and fried onions and cover up with the remaining rice.

 

Sprinkle some more coriander and fried onions on top and optionally a dollop of ghee. Cover tightly with an aluminium foil (if using the oven), a clinwrap (if using the microwave) or a tight lid sealed with atta dough (if using the gas). Cook on low heat for 20-30 minutes, if using the gas, with an iron skillet at the bottom to avoid the rice getting burnt. If using the microwave, cook for 7-8 minutes at high. If using the oven, like I did, cook in a pre heated oven at 175 degree celsius for 20 minutes. Keep covered until served hot with raita!

 

Matka Gosht -- Mutton in an Earthen Pot

Mutton for me always meant a lot of work starting from overnight marination to a never ending task of frying the meat on medium flame till oil starts separating from the spices. The procedure no doubt makes the dish truly delicious but it leaves the maker really exhausted. With the kind of short cut dishes that I have been cooking these days without any compromise on taste, I had to have a short cut for a delicious mutton curry as well. The recipe  is similar to the popular Kashmiri Makhni Gosht but with my personal additions. While I cooked the mutton in the pressure cooker, I transferred the curry to an earthen pot to reduce and to infuse earthy flavors and that indeed did the trick for s super yummy mutton gravy. 

Ingredients 

500 gms mutton 

1 large onion chopped 

1 tbsp ginger julienned plus extra for garnish 

1/2 cup yogurt whipped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp shahjeera

3 green cardamoms, 3 cloves, 1" piece cinnamon, 8-10 black peppercorns 

1 tsp fennel seeds 

6-7 whole kashmiri red chilli roasted and crushed 

1 tsp kashmiri chilly powder (to make it spicy you can use spicy chilli powder)

2 tsp meat tenderizer or 2 tbsp grated raw papaya

1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

1 tsp good quality garam masala powder 

1 tsp ginger powder 

Salt to taste

1-2 tbsp butter

Oil as required 

Fresh coriander for garnish 

Direction 

Wash and clean the meat. Smear the meat with salt, chilli powder, meat tenderizer or grated papaya and mix well. Cover and keep aside for at least 2-3 hours. I did this early in the morning even before my morning tea so that my meat is ready to be cooked by mid morning. 

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and splutter the cumin seeds and shahjeera. I used the pressure cooker only for cooking while I did the frying in a pan as I find it difficult to do the same in my cooker. Add the fennel seeds and the whole garam masala. Now add the onions and fry till golden followed by the ginger juliennes. Add the crushed kashmiri chillies, ginger powder, turmeric powder and whipped yogurt. Fry till oil starts appearing as droplets on top. 

Now add the mutton along with any juices from the marinade and fry on a high heat till the meat changes colour. Now transfer the contents of the pan (if using) to a pressure cooker (if not already using) and add 1/2 cup of water and pressure cook till done. 

Let the pressure release on its own and then transfer the meat along with the gravy to an earthen pot and put the pot on a low flame. We now need to reduce the gravy as per our requirement and infuse some earthy flavors. You can already see a lot of oil and fat floating on top which indicates that the meat is well cooked. Now add the garam masala powder and butter and cover and cook on a low flame till the gravy reaches your desired consistency. Check for seasoning and serve hot garnished with fresh coriander leaves. If you do not have earthen pot, you can reduce the water added to 1/4 cup and then reduce the gravy as required in the cooker itself. You can also put inside a piece of burnt charcoal in an aluminium foil bowl to infuse smoky flavors. 

Chicken Do-Pyaaza

Most of my dishes these days call for the simplest of the ingredients and procedures but result in a delicious and soul satisfying meals. Today's recipe is no different. The concept of Do-Pyaaza curries, whether veg or non-veg, comes from the inclusion of two different forms of onions and that is how the curry gets its name. Here, however, I did a twist and included a third form of onion. So can in fact call this curry Chicken Teen-Pyaaza!! Lol! Nevertheless, the variation did add an X-Factor to the gravy and it was all the more delicious. I have made this curry keeping in mind children tastebuds but you can spruce it up as per your liking. 

Ingredients 

1 kg chicken, washed and cleaned 

4 big onions, 1 made into a paste, 2 cubed/diced, 1 finely chopped 

1 tbsp ginger paste 

2 tbsp garlic paste 

2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder divided 

1 red bell pepper cubed 

2 big tomatoes finely chopped 

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp shahjeera/caraway seeds (optional)

2 each of cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon 

1 black cardamom 

1/2 star anise and 1 small mace

1 tsp turmeric powder 

1 tsp cumin powder 

2 tsp coriander powder 

1 tsp good quality garam masala powder 

1 tbsp kasuri methi roasted and crushed 

Salt to taste 

Fresh coriander for garnish 

Oil as required 

Direction 

Marinate the chicken with onion paste and ginger garlic paste and salt and 1 tsp  kashmiri chilli powder. Keep aside for at least an hour. 

Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan and fry the cubed onions and cubed bell peppers till onions are translucent and bell peppers are slightly soft and fried but still have a crunch. Drain from the oil and keep aside. Now in the same oil splutter the cumin seeds and shahjeera and add the whole garam masala. Once the aroma is released, add the chopped onions and fry till golden. Now add the chopped tomatoes and fry till soft and mashed and oil starts sticking out. Add the dry spices and fry further for 2-3 minutes. Now add the marinated chicken and coat it well with the masala. Fry the chicken on high heat till the meat changes color and is somewhat fried. Now reduce the flame to medium and cover and cook till the chicken is done. You can add water as per your requirement. Once the chicken is cooked through remove the cover and dry up any excess gravy to reach the consistency that you desire. Add the fried onions and bell peppers and stir. Add the crushed kasuri methi and stir. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with roti/rice or pulao. 

Mutton Curry with Paratha

Frankly, I was quite confused as to what should be the name of this dish. There was no specific recipe that I followed or any particular technique to prepare it. The procedure was almost spontaneous and whatever spices caught my attention while standing in the kitchen, I just added all of them. Since it was prepared especially to be served with parathas, Parathewaali Mutton Curry seemed to be most apt. I did not have time to marinate the meat but I would highly recommend overnight marination to reduce the overall cooking time. Most important of all, please do enjoy this dish with some fresh out of the stove hot parathas, with a dollop of desi ghee!!! Your ticket to heavenly bliss!! 😋😋

Ingredients 

500 gms mutton on the bone

2 big onions thinly sliced

1 tbsp ginger paste

2 tbsp garlic paste

2 medium potatoes cut into halves 

Mustard oil as required 

Fresh coriander leaves and ginger juliennes for garnishing 

For marination 

1/4 cup yogurt

2 tsp meat tenderizer (can be substituted with 2 tbsp grated raw papaya)

Spice powder (as listed below)

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

For spice powder 

8-10 whole kashmiri red chillies 

3 green cardamom 

1 black cardamom 

3 cloves 

1/2 star anise 

1/2" cinnamon 

1 tsp fennel seeds/saunf

1/2 tsp shahjeera/caraway seeds 

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds 

2 bay leaves

6-7 black peppercorns

Dry roast all the ingredients and grind to a fine powder. 

Direction 

Start with the marination first. If you have time, I would recommend overnight marination but if pressed for time, a minimum of 1 hour marination is a must. 

Wash and clean the meat thoroughly and apply little salt and keep aside for 10 minutes. Now wash the meat again and drain off excess water. Now mix all ingredients listed under marination and coat the meat well. Cover and keep aside till you prepare the rest of the ingredients. If you are marinating overnight, bring the mutton to room temperature before starting to cook. 

Heat a little oil in a deep frying pan and fry the sliced onions till crispy golden. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels. Now in the same pan, fry the potato halves till golden and keep aside. Strain out bits of onions from the pan, if any, and add the remaining oil to another pan where you will be preparing the mutton. 

I did not add any additional oil to the second pan as the mutton will itself release a lot of fat. However you can add if you feel the oil is not adequate. 

Now add the marinated mutton along with the marinade and fry on a high till the water evaporates and the mutton changes color. Now reduce the flame and continue stirring at regular intervals till the oil separates and the spices no longer smell raw. Now add the ginger garlic paste and fry 2-3 minutes more. Add the potatoes and give a stir. Add half the fried onions and stir. Now add 1/2 cup water and mix. Cover and cook the mutton on a medium low flame till done. Keep checking and stirring in between to ensure it doesn't burn. Add little bit more water if required to cook the mutton. You can also do this in the pressure cooker if you are running short of time or if the mutton is taking too long to cook. 

Once done, reduce the gravy, if any, to minimum and add the remaining fried onions. Adjust the seasoning and stir. Let the mutton cook for another 10 minutes on a low flame. Garnish with coriander leaves and ginger juliennes and serve hot with parathas!!

Mutton Keema Masala

Mutton or red meat was not quite easily available in my neighborhood until recently when a new shop opened up on the way to my baby's school. My husband was so happy with this new find , he immediately grabbed a pack of minced mutton and a request was put forward to prepare some Mutton Keema Masala for the weekend meal. I love keema too and so the request was happily accepted and attended to. The keema turned out super delicious and so yummy that a good friend of ours came over for dinner after seeing my FB post about the same!! It was a fun evening spent with friends over lots of chit chat, booze, and of course, a bowl full of yummy Mutton Keema Masala! 

Ingredients

For Marination

250 gms minced mutton, washed and drained

1/2 cup yogurt

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp fresh garlic paste (or minced)

For the spice paste

1/2 tbsp mustard oil (preferably)

1 tsp cumin seeds

1" piece cinammon

3 pieces of cardamom

1 black cardamom

3 cloves

5-6 black peppercorns

2 medium onions chopped

Rest of the ingredients

1 tbsp ghee

2 medium onions chopped

1" piece ginger chopped

1-2 green chillies chopped (optional)

1 medium red bell pepper deseeded and chopped

1 large tomato chopped

1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder (non spicy)

2 tsp coriander powder

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander leaves and ginger juliennes for garnishing

Direction

Start with the marination. Take the washed and drained minced mutton and add all other ingredients listed under marination. Mix well and keep aside at least for 2 hours or overnight. 

Now heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. Now add the whole garam masala listed under spice paste and let it splutter and release the aroma. Now add the chopped onions and fry till golden. Take care not to burn them and so keep stirring constantly for about 3-5 minutes until golden. Remove from heat and let it cool. Once cooled, grind this in a blender to a smooth paste and keep aside. 

In the same pan where you prepared for the spice paste, heat the ghee and fry the chopped onions till translucent. Add the ginger, green chilli and tomatoes and fry till the tomatoes soften. Now add the red bell pepper, coriander powder, and red chilli powder and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the marinated mutton with any redidual water that the meat or the yogurt may have released. Mix well and fry on a medium heat till the meat changes color. Cover and cook on a low flame till cooked  through and oil starts floating on top. No need to add any water as the meat and the yogurt will be releasing enough juices and fat. Once the mutton is cooked through, remove the cover and increase the flame to medium and add the prepared spice paste. Mix well. If there is still a lot of gravy, continue stirring  at a medium high flame till the gravy dries up. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and ginger juliennes and serve hot with roti, naan, or parathas. 

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Now staying in Singapore the one dish which you cannot miss, apart from the dumplings, is Chicken Rice. While the dumplings are quite a task to make at home, the same cannot be said about this dish. As easy as it sounds, it is equally easy to make. In Singapore, every food court in every nook and corner of this island has this dish in their menu and the price varies from $2 to somewhere around $6 depending upon the condiments they serve with it. While it is quite convenient to grab this dish anytime of the day when you are not in a mood to cook at home, eating outside is not a very healthy option especially when your kid relishes this dish just like you. So when my kind neighbor's maid told me the recipe the other day while walking back our babies from school, I was all so excited to try it the next day. I did a bit of marination to infuse some flavor into the chicken but if you are running short of time, you can skip that. So whether you stay in Singapore or not, you can now relish this Singaporean speciality from the comfort of your home and that too quite easily!!

Ingredients

4 chicken thigh pieces, skin and fat removed (the shops here sell the cooked chicken skin on and if you like it that way, you can keep it too)

2 tbsp dark soya sauce

2 tbsp sesame oil (I used 100% pure sesame oil which you can find alongside any chilli garlic oil or where the regular ketchups are stacked in the supermarkets)

4 fat cloves of garlic finely crushed

1 1/2" ginger finely crushed

Salt to taste

2 1/2 cups Thai Mali Hom Rice (long grain fragrant rice)

4 cups of water

1 cup mushroom sliced

1 cup rooted sprouts

Direction

As I said earlier, if you have time, you csn wash and marinate the chicken with the soya sauce, sesame oil, crushed ginger garlic, and salt and keep aside for 2-3 hours. If running out of time, you can directly take a wide vessel and fill it with 4 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Add the chicken, preferably without any overlapping, and all the other ingredients of marination and cover and cook on a medium low flame till done. If marinating, do add the juices and all the ingredients left in the marination bowl into the boiling vessel to ensure maximum flavor. 

Once the chicken is done (which takes about 10-15 minutes), take the chicken out with the help of a slotted spoon and put the flame to low while you quickly wash and rinse the rice. Thai Mali Hom rice usually requires just a single rinse and is not advisable to soak it in advance as it gets cooked very quickly and soaking will make the rice soggy. Now add the washed and drained rice into the hot chicken broth and stir. Cover and cook till the rice absorbs all the water. Make sure you keep stirring the rice in between while being cooked so that it does not stick to the bottom. Once done, switch  off the flame and keep covered till served. Thai Rice is recommended to br cooked till 90% done and the rest gets cooked while it rests being covered. 

For the condiments, add a little oil in a pan and stir fry the mushrooms and rooted sprouts with salt and pepper till just done. You can use any vegetable or greens of your choice. You can also lightly pan roast the boiled chicken pieces to get a crispy outer cover, just like I did. With more time at hand, you can even serve it with some freshly prepared clear chicken broth and chilli garlic sauce for enhanced taste!! 

Smoked Chicken Curry

School holidays have started and so have my woes. The constant hunt for excitement, new toys and old forgotten ones too, finger foods every half hour, play doh, and so on and on. Gosh! I really wish I could vanish away to some place for a few hours in the day. I do not even want to glance upon my messy dirty home which does not even look clean no matter how many times I try to clear it up during the day! To top it all, I have to think of a new menu each day for my Father-in-Law who is visiting us these days. I do not mind his visit otherwise but having to cook something proper each day is quite a task, especially with school holidays. Anyway, it's just a matter of one more week and even though things will only get tougher after he leaves, the cooking can be neglected on most days! Here is what I prepared for him today.

Ingredients

1 kg chicken washed and cut

2 big potatoes halved

1 big onion sliced finely

1 medium tomato chopped

2-3 fat cloves of garlic chopped

1" piece ginger grated

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Fresh coriander for garnishing

Salt to taste

1/2 tbsp of dry roasted and crushed kasuri methi

For the marination

1/3 cup thick yogurt

1 big onion finely sliced

1" piece ginger grated

2-3 fat cloves of garlic minced

1-2 tsp salt

2 tbsp mustard oil (you can use any other oil as well)

For the masala

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp black peppercorn

1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds

1 black cardamom

3 green cardamom

3 cloves

1" piece cinnamon

1 star anise

2-3 dry red chilli (I skipped as I was serving it to my baby too)

For the smoke

1-2 pieces of charcoal

1 tsp ghee

Aluminium foil made into a bowl (it is advisable to keep it ready before starting to smoke)

Direction

Take the washed and cut chicken pieces in a bowl and ensure that the water is properly drained out. Now add all the ingredients listed under marination and mix and coat well on the chicken pieces. Cover and leave it for at least 2-3 hours. Overnight marination is highly recommended and that is what I did. 

The next morning, take the chicken out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature before starting to cook. 

Dry roast all the ingredients listed under masala and grind to a fine powder. Keep aside. 

Now in the same grinder, add the chopped tomato, garlic, and ginger and make a fine puree. Keep aside. 

Fry the potato halves in little oil till golden and keep aside. 

Now heat a deep bottomed big wok and take the chicken out onto it along with the marinade. Keep the flame high and keep stirring at regular interval to avoid sticking. We are doing this step to seal the juices and to dry up the excess liquid of the marinade as well as to bring out the fat from the yogurt and the chicken since we have not added any additional oil. Within 10-12 minutes, the water will start drying up and the chicken will start getting golden. 

Add the sliced onion and fry till translucent. Now add the tomato puree and fry till the raw smell disappears and oil starts leaving the sides of the pan. Add the ground masala and turmeric powder and stir well. Tip in the potatoes and 1 cup warm water. Mix well and cover and cook on a medium flame till the chicken and the potatoes are cooked through and tender and the gravy reduces to your desired consistency. You can either have it dry or with gravy depending on your requirement. Now add the crushed kasuri methi and fresh coriander. Check for seasoning and remove from heat. Transfer to the serving dish with a proper tight lid (without any gap or hole). Take the prepared aluminium bowl and place it securely in the center of the chicken ensuring that there are no open edges on the sides through which liquid may seep in or out. 

Take the charcoal pieces in a small bowl or tadka/tempering wok and let it heat up to red hot. Add a tsp of ghee now and as the ghee melts and smoke starts coming out, pour it into the prepared aluminium bowl.

 Cover the dish instantly and tightly close it so that no smoke can escape. Let it remain that way for about half hour till the charcoal cools down. Discard the aluminium foil and the charcoal (if completely charred) and serve hot with roti/rice.