Masala Murg Biryani ~ Spicy Masala Biryani from Amritsar !

Being the spice savvy that I am,this recipe of Nita Mehta caught my attention the very first time I checked with her Amritsari recipes.It was a sure bet for me I knew from the beginning.The masala paste which is the key ingredient of this Biryani seemed exotic and rich in the first place.Cooked in coconut milk,you can imagine how succulent the rice may turn ! This is a quick-fix if you have the masala paste ready.Extremely healthy since you can go for any oil of your choice.Wrap your apron and try this for weekend.Cheers !

Ingredients

2 cups basmati rice

500 gm chicken,cut into medium pieces

5 cup semi-thick coconut milk (ready made will do)

1 tsp turmeric powder

3 tbsp lemon juice

3-5 tbsp oil of your choice

salt as required

To dry and grind to paste

7 dried,red chillies

2 medium size onions,chopped

4 tbsp coriander seeds

4 cloves

8 black peppercorns

12 flakes of garlic

4 tsp chopped ginger

2 tbsp cumin seeds/jeera

2 tsp fennel seeds/saunf

2" stick of cinnamon

seeds of 4 black cardamoms

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg/nutmeg powder

Method

Wash and soak the basmati rice in normal water for 30 minutes.Meanwhile roast all the ingredients mentioned in particular section.This should be done in medium heat stirring in between.It may take 7 minutes by which time it will release nice aroma around.Grind it to a fine paste adding little water.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel with a tight lid.Add chicken pieces to this and roast in medium flame till it turn golden brown.This may take more than 10 minutes since the chicken is about to release water.When it's almost dried up and chicken is golden brown add the prepared spice paste and keep roasting till the raw smell disappear and it leaves oil.At this point,reduce the heat and pour in half cup of coconut milk.Mix well and cook till it's almost dry.Add turmeric powder,salt,remaining coconut milk and the soaked rice.Mix gently  and bring to a boil.Then reduce the heat,close with the lid and cook till the rice is cooked and water gets dried.In between you may gently mix the biryani.Switch off when done.Sprinkle lemon juice and mix slowly.Serve hot.

Pati Shapta ~ Sweet Crepes from Bengal !

This month's Indian Cooking Challenge is a sweet from Bengal.Pati Shapta as Bengal calls or the crepes filled with a sweet coconut-jaggery mixture for us the non-bongs.As we all are aware,Bengal is famous for it's festivals and sweets alike.Poush Parbon is the winter harvesting festival falling on Makara Sankrathi of Bengali month Poush.To celebrate this auspicious occasion they prepare Pithe (sweets of different types comprising milk,jaggery and rice) and Pati Shapta is one among them.Those who want to know more can read at Sandeepa's Blog.Thank you Sandeepa for this yummy recipe.

Being a sweet,I decided to prepare minimum and see.Then it was a confusion period after going through many recipes.At Arundhuti's Saffron Kitchen,the crepe batter itself turned unique with the addition of jaggery.The color thereof was truly appetizing.Then if you go through Soma Rathore's Pati Shapta,it's all about being flexible with the batter.Which gave me kind of courage to go with the re-calculation.What I depend really was Sandeepa herself,but with slight changes.

Ingredients (yields 6-7)

For Crepe

1 heaped cup maida/all purpose flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1/6 cup rava/sooji
2 cups milk (Depends.I used slim milk)

For Stuffing

3 cups grated coconut
100 gm khoa
1.5 cups palm jaggery
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Method

In a kadai mix the coconut with jaggery .Switch on the stove and proceed adding khoa.Keep on stirring till the mixture turns sticky.Flavor with cardamom powder.The process should be done slowly.Switch off the stove and keep.
In a large bowl,mix all purpose flour,rice flour and sooji.Slowly dilute it with milk.This should be done without lumps.Though I used 2 cups of slim milk,it may be different with you.The batter has to be thin.
Heat a frying pan and smear few drops of oil/ghee.Pour a ladle-full of better and spread it evenly.Once it's cooked flip it over.Now turn it again and arrange spoon full of filling in the middle of crepe.This should be lengthwise.Fold it from both sides and keep.Repeat the process and serve hot with sweet milk or milkmaid.

Parippu Vada ~ Dal Fritters from Kerala !

Today's recipe is real real nostalgia.Which can bring back the smell of rain,the damp corridors and warmth of steaming hot tea.The pretty home-made parippuvadas my father preserve as sunday surprise.The crispy and hot parippuvadas Ouseph chettan's tea shop comes up with.The divine aroma of coconut oil wafting around our village theatre premises.Those long-awaited intervals of movie when my father brings yummy parippuvadas wrapped in a newspaper sheet.Finally, the forsaken news paper bits soaked in coconut oil...Can we freeze time ? I long often for that too.Those moments I crave for something to relax.What if few crispy home made parippu vadas and hot  tea ?

Before going to the recipe,I would like to thank Julie for giving me this wonderful surprise.Thank you so much Julie..

Ingredients (yields 14 )

1 heaped cup of chana dal / gram dal
1 dry red chilly
handful of shallots,chopped finely
1 piece of ginger,chopped finely(approx 1.5 tsp)
3 green chillies,chopped finely
2 sprig curry leaves,chopped finely
1/4 tsp fennel seeds/perumjeerakam
pinch of asafoetida powder/kayappodi
salt,oil as required.

Method

Wash and soak chana dal along with dry chilly in normal water for two hours.Shift the soaked dal using your hands to mixer jar.You don't have to drain it in a strainer.Grind it just rotating two-three times.Use a spoon to mix well.This will be a coarse mixture.Shift it into a plate and mix in all the chopped ingredients, asafoetida,fennel seeds and salt.Make small balls with your hand.Heat oil in a kadai or pan till the pinch of mixture you put into it comes up fast.Now fix the heat to medium low.Wet your hands and press each balls slowly to put in the hot oil.Fry till brown and crispy.Serve hot with tea/coffee.You may serve with chammanthi/chutney as well.

Meen Achar ~ Kerala Style Fish Pickle !

Sometimes food makes you absolutely emotional.While I was drafting this post I received a comment from Rafeeda on my post Paal Vaazhakka.Which left me even more emotional.Bloggers and readers like Rafeeda makes it worth an effort.Thank you so much Rafeeda.My prayers for your grandmother as well.

Todays recipe is something very close to my heart.In more than one decade of hostel life,I can't count the number of Pickles and pickle jars my Mother has packed for me.It was like a ritual since my friends too demand it in a big way.There were even a few of them who used to send gifts for her as a gratitude of what she had send for them.Being a conventional cook that she is,she don't like short cuts of any kinds in cooking.Among the pickles she send me,Fish Pickle and dry mango pickle both were equally acclaimed at all the places I went.Here I am sharing you the Fish Pickle recipe which today helps me in many ways.This one is for you MOTHER !

Ingredients

To Marinate and fry 

1 kg fish (with bone is my preference.I used red snapper here),cut into small pieces
1 tbsp kashmiri chilly powder
1.5 tbsp pepper powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1.5 tsp mustard seeds
salt,as required
1-2 tsp vinegar to grind
oil to fry

To pickle

I cup nallenna/gingerly oil
1 tbsp yellow mustard/kadukuparippu
2 pieces of ginger,crushed (2.5 inch)
1/2 cup garlic
2 green chilly,slitted
1 1/4 cup kashmiri chilly powder
3/4 tsp fenugreek powder
1 1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 to 3/4 cup water,boiled & cooled
2 sprig curry leaves

Method

Clean,wash and pat dry the fish pieces.Prepare the marination grinding with vinegar.Marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.Heat oil (coconut oil will be good if you want that real authentic taste) and fry the marinated fish till brown.Keep it aside.
In a heavy bottomed kadai,heat gingerly oil till smoky.Drop the yellow mustard and allow it to splutter.Reduce the heat.Add crushed ginger, garlic,curry leaves and green chillies and fry till it change color.Switch off the stove and add the kashmiri chilly powder slowly mixing with a spoon.Switch on the flame again and let it remain in low for 2 minutes more.Add fenugreek powder,salt and fried fish pieces to this mix.Pour in vinegar and water (boiled and cooled).Let this simmer for 3-4 minutes.Switch off and allow to cool.Shift to air tight jars.Enjoy !

*Using small fish with bone may be a difference to many.In my experience ,these ones are more tasty,healthy and flavorful.