Chicken Rezala..A bong's Favorite!!

Durga Puja is arriving...total bong mood..tried my hands On Chicken Rezala...My hubby's favorite!!

INGREDIENTS
Marinade
500 mg chicken
1cup yoghurt
1 cup onion-ginger garlic paste
2-3 green chillies(add to the paste)
1 tbsp red chilli powder
Keep it in fridge for 1-2 hour.

Soak 1/2 cashew nuts and 2 tbsp poppy seeds and make a paste and keep aside.

In 2 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp of ghee add 2 bayleaf, 2 red chillies,5-6 peppercorns,2-3 cardamoms,1 cinnamon stick,2-3 cloves,1 mace,1 nutmeg (broken).Now add the chicken pieces only and fry for sometime on low flame till chicken get fried from all sides.

Now slowly slowly add 1/2 cup yoghurt,the marinade without the chicken pieces,cashewnut-poppy seeds paste and mix thoroughly,Cook on low flame  till chicken becomes tender.(Add 1/3 cupwater if chicken gets dried up).

Now add 1 tbsp of pepper powder and salt and sugar(if wanted) and cook  for 2-3 mins more.

Switch of the gas.Garnish with golden fried onions and serve it with chappatis/roti/paranthe/rice.

I served it with jeera rice and bengali aloo bhaja.

Veg Lasagne-with a blend of home made bechamel sauce and pesto sauce!!

Always made Chicken Lasagne..But this time tried my hands on Veg Lasagne!!

Method:
Making of Bechamel Sauce:

Ingredients:

1.1 cup milk

2.1/2  onion cut n chopped

3.2 bay leaf

4.2-4 peppercorns

5.1/2 cup chopped coriander

6.2-3 cardamom

7.1 cinnamon stick

8.pinch of salt 

9.1 tbsp flour and 2 tbsp of butter

10.1 tbsp pepper powder

11.1/2 cup grated cheese

Process:

Heat milk,add all the ingredients (from 1-8).Keep it on medium flame,give it a boil and switch off the gas.

Strain the milk .

Heat butter on low flame and add 1 tbsp of flour and mix it.

Now add the strained milk to butter-flour mixture gradually ,keep stirring until it becomes smooth.

Now add 1 tbsp of pepper powder and grated cheese,mix it and switch of the gas.

Making of Pesto Sauce:

Ingredients:

2 tomatoes chopped

1 cup chopped coriander

1/2 cup walnuts

5-6 garlic pods

1 tbsp basil powder/1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

2-4 green chillies

1/2 cup grated cheese

        

Grind it into a smooth paste.

Make the filling:

-add 1 cup chopped capsicum,1 cup spring onions(only the green part),1 cup chopped carrot,1 cup white onions chopped,6-7 garlic pods,1 cup chopped paneer.

-In 2 tbsp oil add 6-7 garlic pods,chopped onions ,fry for sometime and then add the veggies and salt fry for more sometime.Now add the chopped paneer and 2 tbsp of the pesto sauce .Fry for 5 mins on low flame and switch of the gas.

Layering of Lasagne:

In a oven pan,first add 1 tbsp of olive oil ,add a layer of the white sauce/bechamel sauce,then keep 1 lasagne sheet ,spread white sauce on it,then d filling,the add the pesto sauce and top it with a layer of white sauce,in this pattern make 3-4 layers..When finally layering is done spread grated cheese on top of it.

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees C.

Put the pan and cook for 20 mins.

Once done,take it out from the oven and cut it and serve it.

Achari Paneer Masala

Paneer my all time favorite..Lets savor this..

Method:
Making of Achari Masala:

1tbsp of (jeera,kalonji,rai,methi dana,saunf,2 red chillies) and make a powder.

Add 2 tbsp of oil in a wok/kadhai ,once heated  add 2 bayleaf and 2-4 green chillies and fry for sometime.

Add 2 medium chopped onions and fry for sometime.

Once the onions are little golden add 1 chopped tomato and fry again for sometime.

Add 2 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste,1 tbsp of dhania powder,1 tbsp of red chilli powder.

Fry the masala till oil leaves the side and add 1 tsp of garam masala(i used home made garam masala)and then add 2 cups of cut paneer.

Add little water and add the achari masala and cook for 3-4 mins.

Once the water has dried up a little switch off the gas.Garnish the Achari Paneer Masala with coriander leaves and roasted cashew nuts.

Sattu ka parantha..Navratri special

My all time favorite Sattu ka parantha...Maa ke haath ki ek shandar recipe!!

Method:

In 1 cup of sattu(roasted bengal gram powder),add1 tbsp of sabut jeera ,2 tbsp of chopped green chillies,2 tbsp of grated ginger,salt,1 tbsp of hing,mix it and add little water to make a tight stuffing.

 

Take 2 cups of atta/maida ,add 1 tbsp oil and pinch of salt  and make a dough.Make 5-6 round balls and fill the stuffing.

Roll out on a chakki and fry in oil/ghee and serve hot with curd and achar.

Tangy Baigan Masala..Navratri Special

Baigan/Brinjal/Aubergine ..whichever name you may call..my love for it is unending..Love to experiment with this veggie in any style whether its Italian,Mexican or Indian...And as navratri juz started wanted to make with this piece something spicy n tangy but widout onion n garlic...So here's my version.

Ingredients:

7-8 baby brinjals (serves 4) washed and slitted.
For making paste
2-3 tomatoes
5-6 pieces of cashew nuts
ginger-half cup(take small cup)
3-4 red chillies

For making Gravy:
2tbsp oil
1 tsp shah jeera/sabut jeera
3-4 green chillies.
2 bayleaf
1 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp jeera powder
1tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp garam masala powder
1 tbsp amchur powder

For garnishing:
Fresh Coriander leaves

Method:
-Wash the baby brinjals(don't separate the heads) and make a slit,marinate in 1tsp turmeric n 1 tsp salt and den airfry it or shallow fry it.
-Take out the brinjals.
-Now in the same oil add 1 tsp jeera ,green chillies nd bay leaf and saute for sometime on medium flame.
-Now lower d flame and add the paste and cook it for some time.After 2-3 mins of sauteing add the dry masalas except the amchur masala.
-Mix it properly n add little water and cook it till oil comes out of the masala.
-Now add the baby brinjals and cook for 3-4 mins,add little water if needed.
-Check when d baby brinjals have soften to some extent ,now add the amchur powder mix it and cover the lid.Switch off the gas.After 2-3 mins take it out on a plate and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
-Goes well with plain rice/Chappatis/Paranthas.

Nimki/Namkeen Paade

Navratri and Durga puja is coming....Lets try for some munchies!!Here's the recipe for Nimki/Namkeen Paade.

Method:

Take 2 cups of maida, add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 tbsp of kalonji seeds/onion seeds.

Make a smooth dough by adding little water and oil in the end.

Flatten on a chakki.

Cut it in this pattern.

Heat a pan with oil in it and deep fry the nimkis.Spread it on a plate with tissue paper on it to soak d oil.

Bingo...!!

Chole keema dum handi biriyani

My love for biriyani..n specially nonveg is unending..as the saying goes.."If you really need to reach a  man's heart it goes through his tummy"...Made this chole keema dum handi biriyani for my Hubby!!

 It starts with making of biriyani masala(for me i love making fresh masalas at home).

3-4 cardamom,2 cinnamon sticks,2 bay leaf,2-3 sukhi mirchi,1tbsp sabut jeera,dhania,fennel,2-3 cloves,1 nutmeg,1 star anise,1 jaiphal,2 badi elaichi or black cardamom..roast on low flame and grind it..keep it ina air tight container for future use.

 take 2 cups of basmati rice,par boil with minimal water with1 drop of kewra water or white rose water.

method:deep fry 2 onions and keep aside...now ina kadhai/pan/handi put 2 tbsp of oil and 1 tbsp of ghee..put 2 elaichi 1 dalchini and 2 bay leaf with 5-6 pods of kali mirch,when it splutters add 2sliced onions,when d onion is golden fried add 3 tbsp of ginger garlic paste,add red chilli powder jeera n dhania powder and turmeric powder and mix it properly..let all d masalas fry for some time,now add 2 cups of boiled chick peas/kabuli chana and 2 cups of keema(i used chicken keema..one can use mutton keema but it shud b boiled in cooker for 2 whistles atleast),now mix d both ,add salt accordingly and add coriander and pudina paste 3 tbsp ,mix it n den add 2 tbsp of d homemade biriyani masala and cover d lid for 5 mins or till masalas release oil..now add 1 cup of water and let it cook for 5-7 mins...aftr 5-7 mins open d lid n switch of d gas...now in a handi/pot ..first layer d bottom with biriyani mix,now add laddles of rice,spread some golden fried onions and pudina leaves,again give a layer of masala,rice topped with onions nd pudina leaves..make a small hole in d rice n add saffronwater (kesar dipped in warm water)..seal it with aluminium foil and seal d sides with atta.

keep d handi/pot on a large pan and keep it on low flame for 20 mins or so...serve it with any kind of raita...chole keema dum handi biriyani ..bingo

Tawa Paneer

I had got some paneer a day back..Din't know what to make and dint wanted any tamjham...It crossed my mind (of tawa paneer) that  I saw in newspaper in food column some months back.Why not make it..So here's my tawa paneer with bajre ki roti/rotlas with cucumber onion salad and nevertheless lahsun-groundnut chutney.

Ingredients For Tawa paneer:
1.Carom seeds n Fennel seeds- 1 tbsp each.
2. 200gms paneer/cottage cheese.
3.1 green capsicum/bell pepper-chopped
4.2 medium onions-chopped and green chillies chopped (i used 2)
5.3 tomatoes blanched and pureed.
6.crushed adrak-lahsun in mortar n pestle or ginger-garic paste.
7.1tbsp each-turmeric powder,dhania powder,red chilly powder,amchur powder,garam masala(i used home made one).
8.Coriander leaves for garnishing.
9.2 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp ghee/butter.

Method:

Heat 2 tbsp of oil and 1 tbsp ghee/butter on a tawa.

Add fennel seeds and carom seeds .Wait till they splutter.

Now add onions and fry for sometime.

Now add crushed ginger-garlic or ginger-garlic paste and chopped capsicum and chopped green chillies and fry for some more time.

Add turmeric powder,dhania powder,red chilly powder,amchur n garam masala powder and saute it for 3 mins.

Now add the tomato puree(My tomatoes were not so red ) and mix it well..add salt accordingly and cook on low flame till oil comes out from the masala.Add some water if the gravy becomes too dry.

Add the cottage cheese/paneer and mix it nicely ..Cook for 3 mins more till d gravy coats the paneer properly .Switch off the gas and garnish with coriander leaves.Serve hot.

It goes best with rotis/rotlas/paranthas.