Kasoori Methi Chicken

'Kasoori Methi Chicken' or 'Chicken curry with dried fenugreek leaves' has a distinct flavor. It is a very light and delicious recipe. A polite dish that takes very few ingredients and very less time. The aroma of this chicken curry is just wow! A mouth watering recipe which is light on your stomach but gives you absolute satisfaction!

Ingredients:

1. Chicken - 1/2 kg.
2. Kasoori methi (Dried fenugreek leaves) - 1/2 cup
3. Onion - 1 medium size
4. Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tablespoons
5. Green chili - 5
6. Tomato - 1 big size
7. Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
8. Red chili powder - 1 teaspoon
9. Garam masala - 2 tablespoons
10. Green Cardamom - 6
11. Cloves - 3
12. Cinnamon stick - 1 inch long cinnamon stick
13. Bay leaf - 2
14. Refined oil - 4 tablespoons
15. Salt to taste

Okay, let's start!

• Wash the chicken
• Add 1 tablespoon of refined oil, salt, turmeric, red chili powder and 1 tablespoon of garam masala to the chicken
• Slice the onion, slit the green chilies and cut the tomato into 8 pieces. Now add these too in the chicken
• Now mix these ingredients very well with the chicken and set aside for 5 minutes
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in the pressure cooker and add green cardamom, cloves, bay leaves and cinnamon stick, let these splutter
• Now add the chicken with the marinade, cook for 10 minutes without covering it
• In goes the remaining 1 tablespoon of garam masala, mix it well with the chicken and add a cup of water
• After adding the water, add 'Kasoori Methi', the game changer of this recipe
• Immediately cover it and pressure cook on high flame for 5 minutes and then on low flame for another 5 minutes, two whistles and your house will be filled with the aroma of kasoori methi

Let the pressure cooker cool down and then open it. I bet, it will be hard for you to wait for that long because of the aroma of this recipe!

Serve 'the kasoori methi chicken curry' hot with steam rice.

This simple but aromatic chicken curry would make your day!

Last but not the least, this chicken curry would be watery and it tastes great that way. Besides, if you want to use mustard oil in place of refined oil, that would be a nice choice too but it is absolutely up to you.

Good luck and enjoy the recipe!

Mutton Keema Curry

'Mutton Keema Curry' in my own style for all the mutton lovers! Usually, mutton lovers cannot say no to this recipe and the beauty of this recipe is that it goes very well with most of the Indian breads. A convenient dish that is quick to cook and tastes great! Keema Pav, Keema Paratha, Keema Pulao and being a Bengali, my favorites Keema with Moidar Luchi (refined flour poori) & Keema with Moglai Porota taste just yummy! So, what are you waiting for? Let's take a look at the ingredients and the procedure to make this super delicious, super convenient and super simple recipe!

Ingredients:

1. Mutton Keema (Minced Mutton) - 1/2 kg.
2. Onion - 1 medium size
3. Ginger - 2 inch long ginger piece
4. Garlic - 10 big garlic cloves
5. Green chili - 3
6. Curd - 2 tablespoons
7. Turmeric - 1 teaspoon
8. Red chili powder - 1 teaspoon
9. Garam masala - 2 tablespoons
10. Rajwadi garam masala - 1 tablespoon
11. Black pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
12. Green cardamom - 10
13. Cloves - 4
14. Cinnamon - 1 inch long cinnamon stick
15. Bay leaf - 2
16. Refined oil - 4 tablespoons
17. Salt to taste

Okay, let's start!

• Wash the keema 
• Grind ginger-garlic-green chilies into a thick paste
• Heat the oil in the pressure cooker, once the oil is hot, add 5 green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaves, let it splutter
• Now add chopped onions and fry till the edges are brown
• Add ginger-garlic-green chili paste to it and saute for a minute
• Now add mutton keema to it and mix it well with the masala
• In goes the curd and all the other spices one by one
• Cook for 10 minutes without covering it, stir it in every 2 minutes and do not leave unattended
• Once the keema and the masala are mixed properly and keema starts leaving oil, add a cup of water to it
• Now, take the remaining 5 green cardamom and grind it coarsely, add this to the keema curry
• Now pressure cook the keema curry in high flame for the first 5 minutes and then on low flame for another 5 to 7 minutes. I usually prefer tender mutton keema for this recipe so, 10 to 12 minutes of pressure cooking is good enough

Tasty mutton keema curry is ready to serve! Serve it hot with your choice of bread or rice. As I mentioned earlier, my favorite is Mutton Keema with Moidar Luchi!

Good Luck and enjoy the recipe!

Lasooni Murgh (Garlic Chicken)

'Lasooni Murgh' is a spicy chicken recipe with an overpowering flavor of garlic. Crispy chicken, dipped in a rich gravy, is an absolute delight for all the spicy food lovers! As the name itself suggests, garlic has a major role to play in this recipe. The aroma and the flavor of this recipe are beyond explanation. Once you try this, it would definitely become one of your favorite recipes!

Ingredients:

1. Chicken - 1/2 kg.
2. Ginger - 4 inch long ginger piece
3. Garlic - 30 big garlic cloves 
4. Green chili - 10 hot green chilies
5. Curd - 4 tablespoons
6. Red chili powder - 1 teaspoon
7. Turmeric Powder - 1 teaspoon
8. Peppercorns - 10
9. Garam masala - 1 tablespoon
10. Refined oil - 4 tablespoons
11. Salt to taste 

Okay, let's start!

• Wash the chicken
• Grind ginger-garlic-green chilies and make a thick paste
• Add salt, little bit of red chili powder and a teaspoon of ginger-garlic-green chili paste to the chicken and set aside for 5 minutes
• Heat oil and fry chicken pieces till golden brown
• Keep the fried chicken pieces aside and in the remaining oil add peppercorns
• When the peppercorns start spluttering, add remaining ginger-garlic-green chili paste to the oil and saute for 5 minutes
• Now add the other spices to it and cook for 10 minutes, stir the masala in every 2 minutes and don't leave it unattended
• Add curd to it and cook for 2 more minutes
• At this stage, add the fried chicken pieces to the masala and cook for 5 minutes without covering it
• Add 1/2 cup of water to it and cover the chicken with a lid
• Cook for 2 or 3 minutes so that the chicken pieces and the masala come together

The flavorsome 'Lasooni Chicken' is ready to serve! This recipe goes well with steam rice or parathas! Serve it hot and let yourself indulge in the aroma & flavor of this delicious chicken curry.

Last but not the least, I prefer to add little water to the gravy because this recipe tastes amazing that way.

Good luck and enjoy the recipe!

Chicken Biryani...my own style

Chicken biryani is one of the most popular non-vegetarian dishes and it has many variations. Presenting here another variation of chicken biryani, 'Chicken Biryani in my own style'. What's so special about the chicken biryani recipe I am sharing with you? Well, It has a distinct flavor of home made spices and this special chicken biryani is definitely on the spicier side. Awesome flavor, juicy & succulent chicken and the nice aroma of chicken biryani will successfully satisfy the foodie side of your soul!

Ingredients for two plates of Chicken Biryani:

1. Chicken - 6 pieces (preferably chicken leg pieces)
2. Rice - 2 cups (preferably Basmati rice)
3. Curd - 5 tablespoons
4. Onion - 2 medium size
5. Ginger - 1 inch long ginger piece
6. Garlic - 10 big garlic cloves
7. Green chili - 6 
8. Chopped coriander leaves - 1 cup
9. Chopped mint leaves - 1 cup
10. Turmeric - 1 teaspoon
11. Red chili powder - 1 teaspoon
12. Roasted cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
13. Roasted coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
14. Garam Masala - 1 tablespoon
15. *My special masala - 1 tablespoon
16. Black pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
17. Bay leaf - 2
18. Cardamom - 5
19. Cloves - 4
20. Cinnamon - 1 inch long cinnamon stick
21. Pepper corns - 4
22. Refined oil - 6 tablespoons
23. Salt to taste

*please see the procedure below for making 'My Special Masala'

Okay, let's start!


Marination for Chicken : I prefer to marinate chicken for 6 to 8 hours. The marination process is the most important part of this recipe!

• Heat 3 tablespoons of refined oil in a cookware, the oil should be real hot, add sliced onions and fry until golden brown
• Once the onions are done, let the fried onions and the remaining oil cool down
• Meanwhile, wash the chicken, prepare ginger-garlic paste and slit the green chilies
• Now add curd, ginger-garlic paste, green chilies, chopped coriander and mint leaves along with all the spices to the chicken
• Add the fried onions along with the remaining oil (the oil in which you fried the onions has a nice flavor which enhances the taste of this recipe, so use this oil in the marinade)
• Mix the chicken well with these ingredients and keep it in the fridge for 6 to 8 hours

Time to cook 'the Biryani'!

• Heat 3 tablespoons of refined oil in a cookware, when the oil is real hot, add bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon stick, pepper corns and cloves, let these splutter
• Add the marinated chicken with the marinade (you want to use every bit of the marinade, it is that flavorsome)
• Cook the chicken on high flame for 10 minutes, please don't leave it unattended and do not cover it 
• Stir the chicken in every two minutes
• Meanwhile, wash Basmati rice and add the rice to the chicken with 4 cups of water, rice and water ratio should be 1:2
• Now cover it with a lid and cook until the water gets evaporated, the chicken and the rice would have been cooked by that time

*Ingredients for "My Special Masala": 

1. 10 Cardamom 
2. 3 Cloves  
3. Half inch long cinnamon stick
4. 4 Dry red chilies

Roast these spices for 5 minutes, let it cool down and then grind it. You can use this masala in various other recipes. It adds a special flavor that's why I call it "My Special Masala"

Indulge in the aroma and flavor of this chicken biryani!

I bet, you will feel the difference. This chicken biryani takes a good amount of effort but after cooking this biryani you will be proud of your cooking skills!

Good luck and enjoy the recipe!

Egg Biryani

Sharing with you a simple, quick and tasty recipe, 'Egg Biryani', a delight for egg lovers. Being an egg lover I love to try various egg recipes. Egg is a brilliant source of protein and including eggs in your meal is a good idea. Eating omelettes, poached eggs or boiled eggs everyday can be boring! So, try this recipe, a whole meal, easy to cook and tastes so good!

Ingredients for 2 people:

1. Eggs - 4
2. Rice - 2 cups
3. Onion - 1 medium size
4. Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
5. Green chilies - 2
6. Bay leaf - 2
7. Cardamom - 3
8. Cinnamon stick - half inch long cinnamon stick
9. Cloves - 2
10. Rajwadi garam masala - 1 tablespoon
11. Red chili powder - 1 teaspoon
12. Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
13. Biryani masala - 1 teaspoon
14. Refined oil - 4 tablespoons
15. Salt to taste

Okay, let's get started!

• Boil eggs
• Slice the onion and chop the green chilies
• Heat oil in a cookware and fry boiled eggs, sprinkle little bit of salt, turmeric and red chili powder on the eggs while frying (this would add color to the eggs and the oil)
• Take the eggs out of the cookware and set aside, in the remaining oil, add bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon stick and let it splutter
• Now add sliced onions and chopped green chilies, saute for two minutes
• Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for two more minutes
• At this stage add the above mentioned spices one by one except for biryani masala
• After adding all the spices saute for a minute and add the fried eggs to it
• Stir the eggs well so that the masala gets mixed properly. meanwhile wash the rice 
• Add the rice into the cookware with 4 cups of water, the rice and water ratio should me 1:2
• Now add biryani masala and cover the cookware with a lid
• Cook it on low flame until the water gets evaporated and the rice is cooked

Tasty egg biryani is ready! Serve it hot!

I prefer to use 'Rajwadi' garam masala for this recipe as it adds a nice flavor and enhances the taste of egg biryani but if you want to use simple garam masala that's perfectly fine!

Last but not the least, be careful while frying the eggs because some times eggs might burst, that's why I prefer to fry the boiled eggs on low flame.

Few people prefer to have slits in the boiled eggs before frying it, if you follow this practice, stick to that. Frying eggs on low flame works perfectly fine for me so I follow this practice.

Good luck and enjoy the recipe!

Kosha Mangsho - Mutton

I am super excited to share with you 'Kosha Mangsho - Mutton' recipe in my own style! Kosha Mangsho, a delicious Bengali recipe, has its own magic! A mouthwatering dish which can transform my 'not-so-special-Sunday' to 'a special Sunday'! It is hard to find a Bengali who doesn't like Kosha Mangsho, especially 'Mutton Kosha Mangsho'!. Being a Bengali I would always say yes to this spicy mutton recipe! It is one of the favorite dishes of my Bengali friends but I bet even my non-Bengali friends would find this recipe finger licking good. This recipe is a treat to all the mutton lovers!

Ingredients:

1. Mutton - 1/2 kg.
2. Yogurt - 5 tablespoons
3. Onion - 1 big onion
4. Ginger - 3 inch long ginger piece
5. Garlic - 20 big garlic cloves
6. Green chilies - 4
7. Cardamom - 7
8. Cloves - 4
9. Bay leaf - 2
10. Cinnamon - 1 inch long cinnamon stick
11. Pepper corns - 10
12. Turmeric - 1 teaspoon
13. Red chili powder - 1 teaspoon
14. Roasted cumin powder - 1 tablespoon
15. Roasted coriander powder - 2 tablespoons
16. Black pepper - 1 teaspoon
17. Meat masala - 1 tablespoon
18. *My special masala - 2 tablespoons
19. Refined oil/ Mustard Oil - 6 tablespoons
20. Salt to taste

*please see the procedure below for making the special masala I added to this recipe.


Okay, let's start!

• Wash mutton properly
• Marinate the mutton. Please incorporate 'My twist in the marination process', the most important part of the recipe
• Heat 3 tablespoons of refined oil, add sliced onion to it and fry the onion until the onion slices are golden brown and crisp
• Grind ginger, garlic and green chilies, make a thick paste
• Now, marinate the mutton with salt, turmeric, red chili powder,black pepper, roasted cumin and coriander powder, yogurt, ginger-garlic-green chilies paste and last but not the least, the fried onions along with the remaining oil in the frying pan (Once the onions are golden brown and crisp, there would be some oil left in the frying pan, use this oil along with the mentioned ingredients to marinate the mutton, it adds a wonderful flavor to it)
• Keep the marinated mutton aside for 15 minutes
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker, once the oil is real hot, add cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and pepper corn to it 
• When these spices start spluttering, add the marinated mutton to it and cook for 10 minutes, stir it in every 2 minutes
• Add meat masala and cook for 2 more minutes
• Add 1 tablespoon 'my special masala' and cook for 3 more minutes without covering it
• Now, add a cup of water and pressure cook on low flame for 10 minutes, then cook for 5 more minutes on high flame. I use small size tender mutton pieces for this recipe so it takes 15-20 minutes of pressure cooking to get the mutton pieces cooked properly
• Wait for 10 more minutes, once you are in a position to open the pressure cooker, open it
• At this stage, add the remaining 1 tablespoon 'my special masala' and stir the mutton curry well so that the masala gets mixed properly in the curry, cook for 5 more minutes without covering it, this is the last step and I call it 'a magical finishing touch'

*Ingredients for "My Special Masala": 

1. 15 Cardamom 
2. 5 Cloves  
3. Half inch long cinnamon stick
4. 8 Dry red chilies

Roast these spices for 5 minutes, let it cool down and then grind it. You can use this masala in various other recipes. It adds a special flavor that's why I call it "My Special Masala".

Delicious Kosha Mangsho is ready to serve. Indulge in it!

My Bengali friends would prefer to cook this recipe with mustard oil, it adds a distinct flavor to the dish but it is a matter of your choice whether you want to use mustard oil or refined oil. I used refined oil to cook this dish.

Few fantastic Bengali combinations, in other words, best partners of Kosha Mangsho are -

Moidar Luchi - Kosha Mangsho
Moglai Porota - Kosha Mangsho
Dhakai Porota - Kosha Mangsho

The rich 'Kosha Mangsho - Mutton' can also be served with roties, parathas, puris and steam rice.


Good luck and enjoy the recipe!!!

Gobhi Masala Biryani

Gobhi masala biryani is a version of vegetable biryani. This cauliflower veg biryani is a whole meal that takes only 20 minutes to get cooked. A delightful way to save some time during lunch or dinner without compromising on taste. This is a very polite dish that takes less effort and a few minutes. It fills your stomach well, saves time and satisfies your taste buds!

Ingredients per plate:

1. Rice - 1 cup
2. Cauliflower - 6 florets
3. Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
4. Curd/Yogurt - 1/2 cup
5. Chopped coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
6. Red chili powder - 1 teaspoon
7. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
8. Green Cardamom - 2
9. Cloves - 2
10. Bay leaf - 2
11. Garam masala - 1 teaspoon
12. *My Special Masala (Optional) - 1 teaspoon
13. Refined Oil - 3 tablespoons
14. Salt to taste

*Please note the below mentioned ingredients and procedure to make 'My Special Masala'.


Okay, let's start!

• Wash the cauliflower florets
• Heat oil in a cookware, add green cardamom, bay leaf and cloves into the oil
• After a minute, add cauliflower florets and saute for 2 minutes
• Add all the other spices one by one and cook the cauliflower florets with these spices for a minute
• Now add curd and stir it well
• Add the washed cup of rice along with two cups of water
• Cover the lid and cook until all the water gets evaporated
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve it hot

Most importantly, rice and water ratio should be 1:2. More water will make the recipe soggy and less water won't let the rice cook properly.

I use ready made ginger garlic paste for this recipe to save time but if that's not available or you prefer to use home made ginger-garlic paste, go ahead with that! Equal amount of ginger paste and garlic paste would be preferable for this recipe.

Last but not the least, the special masala I add to this recipe, enhances the flavor. The best way to save time is, prepare this masala in your free time and keep it in an airtight container. That way whenever you want to use this masala, you can!

*Ingredients for "My Special Masala": 

1. 8 Cardamom 
2. 2 Cloves  
3. Half inch long cinnamon stick
4. 2 Dry red chilies

Roast these spices for 5 minutes, let it cool down and then grind it. You can use this masala in various other recipes. It adds a special flavor that's why I call it "My Special Masala".

Good Luck and enjoy the recipe!

                       

Crispy Cauliflower Pakora

A very simple, quick and delicious appetizer, only for you! Presenting 'Gobhi Ke Pakore' in my own style. These crispy cauliflower pakoras with a cup of coffee or tea can make your evening. So, let's take a look at the recipe of this super simple and yummy snack!

Ingredients for 10 pakoras:

1. Cauliflower - 2 florets
2. Gram flour - 1/2 cup
3. Chopped green chilies - 4
4. Chopped coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
5. Distilled white vinegar - 1/2 cup
6. Red chili powder - 1 teaspoon
7. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
8. Refined oil to deep fry
9. Salt to taste

Okay, let's start!

• Grate the cauliflower florets
• Add gram flour, chopped coriander leaves and chopped green chilies
• Now add the spices
• Add vinegar and prepare a batter
• Add little bit of water, only if it is required but make sure that the batter is not watery otherwise you won't be able to form the pakoras
• Heat at least 6-8 tablespoons of oil in a deep frying pan, the oil should be real hot
• Drop small amounts of batter into the oil and fry it well on both the sides to get a nice golden brown color

Crispy cauliflower pakoras are ready to serve. Serve it hot with a nice cup of tea or coffee!

Last but not the least, try to use a decent size frying pan so that you can fry 10 pakoras in one go. If you have a smaller size of frying pan use that one but fry only a few pakoras and repeat the process for the remaining batter. Leave some space in the frying pan to flip the pakoras.

I prefer not to add water while making the batter. If required I adjust the distilled white vinegar. It not only gives a nice flavor to the pakoras but also adds crispness to it.

If you like chat masala, sprinkle it on the pakoras, it will definitely enhance the taste of this mouthwatering recipe.

Good Luck and enjoy the recipe!

Chatpate Kurkure 'Beguni'

'Beguni' is a very popular dish in Bengali cuisine. My Bengali friends love to enjoy crispy eggplant pakoras with puffed rice as an evening snacks. I thought why not add a little bit of twist to this age old delicious recipe. Here I am to present 'The Tangy Crispy Eggplant Pakoras'. This recipe is on the fried side but once in a while indulging in a few mouthwatering pakoras is okay to me. If that's okay to you too then please go ahead and have a look how you can prepare 'the famous beguni' with a twist!

Ingredients for 4 eggplant pakoras:

1. Small eggplant - 4
2. Gram flour - 1 cup
3. Cilantro/coriander leaves - 2 bunches
4. Chopped cilantro - 1/2 cup
5. Chopped green chilies - 5
6. Garlic - 4 cloves
7. Lemon - 4
8. Green chilies - 5 
9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
10. Red chili powder - 1 teaspoon
11. Roasted cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
12. Distilled white vinegar - 1 teaspoon
13. Black salt to taste
14. Refined oil - 1 cup

Okay, let's start!

• Wash the eggplants
• Have 4 slits in the eggplant (from bottom to top in such a way that the stem is intact and the stem can hold the whole eggplant nicely)
• Sprinkle salt on the eggplants and set aside for 5 minutes
• Meanwhile start with other preparations,grind cilantro, garlic and green chilies with 1/2 cup of water
• When the cilantro paste is ready, add black salt and lemon juice to it to prepare a tangy sauce
• Here is the twist, make a batter of gram flour with 'this sauce', adjust the salt, if needed
• Add chopped coriander leaves, chopped green chilies, roasted cumin powder, red chili powder, distilled white vinegar and turmeric powder to the batter. Mix it well and prepare a nice smooth batter. 
• The consistency of the batter should be thick enough to cover the eggplant properly
• Heat the refined oil in a deep frying pan, the oil should be real hot, dip the eggplants one by one into the gram flour batter and deep fry it till the eggplant pakoras look golden brown
• Serve it hot with your favorite sauce 

A chatpata way to enjoy these crispy spicy pakoras is to serve it hot with a little bit of chat masala and spicy tangy dhaniya chutney (cilantro sauce).

Good luck and enjoy the recipe!