Kesariya Murg or Saffron Chicken

KESAR or SAFFRON is one of a very old and famous spices come from a flower called Crocus sativus which is commonly known as saffron cocrus. From very old days people use this in food to bring a nice yellow color and flavor. Previously in my many post I used this saffron but never added saffron in any Non – Veg preparation before. But last night I prepared one Chicken preparation with Saffron and named it KESARIYA MURG OR SAFFRON CHICKEN. Few normal ingredients but this saffron made the dish extraordinary.

Previously I thought it’s not going to work together in gravy, but believe me I am so wrong the dish was awesome. It feels great when I experiment with new stuffs and get a positive result. Chicken with a new twist is always a hit item in my home hope it will be same for all of you. 

Preparation time: 10 mints.
Cooking time: 30 mints.

Ingredients:
1.Chicken : 500 gm (boneless or with bone u can use any one).
2.One medium sliced onion.
3.Four to five clove minced garlic.
4.Two table spoon tomato and green chili paste (I use half tomato and two green chilies).
5.Half tea spoon red chili powder, A pinch of cinnamon powder.
6.Few saffron stands soaked in Luke warm milk.
7.Few coriander seeds, few cumin seeds, few black pepper (dry roast and make a fine spice powder in grinder).
8.One table spoon cashew nuts paste.
9.One table spoon heavy cream.
10.Two dry red chilies, 2 to 3 cloves.
11.Salt and sugar as per taste.
12.Sunflower oil for cooking.
13.Half tea spoon ghee.

Process:

Wash and clean the chicken pieces, now marinate the chicken pieces with some salt, cinnamon powder, red chili powder and minced garlic.

Now add the cashew nuts paste into that saffron soaked milk and keep it aside.

Now add some oil in a vessel and add the chopped onions and fry till they become transparent. 

Now add the chicken pieces and stir for some time.

Now add the tomato and green chili paste and stir till the oil come out. Now add little warm water and cook with a lid for 5 mints.

Now add the saffron soaked cashew nuts paste with milk and some sugar, mix well. Cook with a cover for another 5 to 8 mints.

Now remove the lid and add the dry roasted powder and some salt, mix well. In a different pan add the ghee and fry the red chillies and cloves.

Now add the fried red chilies and the cloves into the top of the chicken gravy.

Your KESARIYA MURG is ready to serve hot with Roti or Paratha enjoy…

Crunchy Onion Ring

A perfect evening with CHA AND TAA, u guys might be thinking what is calling TAA. We Bengalis can’t think a cup of tea without something. And that something means Taa, everyday same problem for me. My daughter is able to take table foods and that’s why sometime I make food according to her also.

So I made some CRUNCHY ONION RINGS and they were so yummy. Very easy and quick recipe and perfect evening snack for kids too. An easy snack for some surprise guests. This ONION RING’s are very famous in almost every fast food shop. We used to purchase ONION RING while going out but now I can make this at home only. My daughter just loved it I am really happy to see her eating something different in her growing age.

Preparation time: 5 mints.

Cooking time: 10 mints.

Ingredients:

1.One medium size yellow onion.

2.Two table spoon all-purpose flour.

3.Two tea spoon rice flour.

4.Two tea spoon corn flour.

5.A pinch of black pepper powder.

6.A pinch of red chili powder.

7.Salt.

8.Three table spoon bread crumb.

9.Sunflower oil for frying.

Process:

Peel the onion first then cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Separate rounds into rings.

Take one big bowl and add all the dry ingredients (except salt and bred crumb) add some water, and make one smooth batter.

Now dip the onion rings into the batter and then roll them in bread crumb.

Now deep fry the rings till both the side turn brown. Soak extra oil in a paper towel and sprinkle the salt into the ONION RINGS.

Your ONION RINGS are ready serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Homemade Jibe Goja

Friends are always a big support for us and I am blessed with such wonderful friends surrounding me. And truly they are my big support for any kind of help they are always connected with me. Most of them are very good cook and believe me it’s my dream to have something from their kitchens.  Among them one of my very good friends Pinki Sarkar shared one of her very good recipe of GOJA a famous sweet of Bengal. In my childhood days I used to eat JIBE GOJA every time when we visited any Mela or Fair. Few old shops in Kolkata are famous for this JIBE GOJA. Especially during durga puja time they make lots of JIBE GOJA.

In my home town there is a small sweet shop where JIBE GOJA is very famous because they make GOJA in a very nice shape like a stick. Whenever I visit my home town I never forget to buy GOJA from that shop. I never prepared this at home but really wanted to make something different like that and made it with full confidence, because the taste took me to my childhood days.

Preparation time: 10 mints.
Cooking time: 20 mints.

Ingredients:
1.All- purpose flour: 1 cup.
2.Khoya : 50 gm.
3.Few Kalonji.
4.Ghee: 4 table spoon.
5.Half tea spoon baking powder.
6.A pinch of salt.
7.Two cup sugar.
8.One cup water for making sugar syrup.
9.Sunflower oil for frying.

Process:

Take one bowl and add the water and sugar and start making the sugar syrup. Syrup should be thick and sticky.

Take one bowl and add the all- purpose flour, salt, kalonji and baking powder and mix well.

Now add the ghee and the khoya and mix well finally add some water and make one stiff dough.

Keep it aside for 20 mints.

Now give a square shape of the dough and cut the dough into some small square pieces. 

In very low heat fry the GOJA’s till they turn brown. And soak the extra oil in a paper towel. 

Now add the fried GOJA’S in the sugar syrup and  keep the GOJA”S in the syrup for few seconds.

Now take out the GOJA”S form the syrup and your GOJA’S are ready to eat. Enjoy every bite with your family members.

Rajasthani Laal Murg Curry

This weekend  was really a busy weekend for us so much of shopping, b’day party that’s why my kitchen was almost closed. The feelings is really great when you know that you don’t have too much of work in kitchen. I think we also need some break from our daily jobs. But if you have a food lover husband what u will do when he asks for a special chicken curry, you can’t say no right.

We went a small restaurant in Chennai I really didn't remember the name of that restaurant but I still remember one item of the restaurant its called RAJASTHANI LAAL MURG CURRY. Which was queen dish of that restaurant; I suddenly remembered the dish name and started searching in Google. There is some good recipe in Google but I cooked this one in little different way. For me the important ingredients are fried onions and dry red chili paste. While frying the onions and dry red chili you have to fry the onions till it becomes black. That essence only gives you the special feel. This dish specially made with goat meat but I tried with chicken. The basic ingredients are DRY RED CHILI which gave this dish a vibrant color and the spicy taste. Try this and make your dinner perfect with some homemade fulka or roti.

Preparation time: 15 mints.
Cooking time: 30 to 40 mints.

Ingredients:
1.Chicken: 500 gm. (Prefer to use chicken with bones).
2.One large sliced onions.
3.Half chopped tomato.
4.Five to six dry red chili.
5.Five to six grated garlic.
6.Few cumin seeds, One bay leave, Two green cardamom, One black cardamom, Few cloves.
7.Two table spoon curd.
8.Half tea spoon Kashmiri red chili powder, half tea spoon coriander powder.
9.Salt and sugar as per taste.
10.Few chopped coriander leaves for garnishing.
11.Sunflower oil for cooking.

Process:

Fry 80% of the sliced onions with the dry red chili in very less oil till the onions and dry red chilies are become little black. Let it cool now make a smooth paste with some water.

Now dry roast the cumin seeds till you will get the aroma. Now add this into the curd and make a flavored curd, next add the coriander powder and Kashmiri red chili powder also into the curd with some sugar and mix well. Keep it aside.

Now add some oil in a vessel and add the bay leave, black and green cardamom, clove after few seconds add the grated garlic and stir for some time.

Now add the rest amount of sliced onions and the chopped tomatoes and cook till the onions are transparent, now add the chicken pieces and cook for 5 mints.

Next add the fried onions and dry red chili paste with some salt and cook for 10 mints.

Now add the flavored curd and mix well, cook with a lid for another 10 mints.

Now remove the lid and cook another 8 to 10 mints in low flame. 

Your RAJASTHANI LAAL MURG CURRY is ready garnish with some chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Roti, Fulka or Paratha.

Homemade Milk Peda

From today morning I really wanted to make one sweet dish. Because it’s been almost 3 weeks I did not prepare any sweet item. And today we are going out for dinner so I have enough time to think and make something new which I never prepared before. Suddenly I remember a sweet call MILK PEDA which is a very famous sweet made with HOME MADE PANEER OR CHANA, MILK, MILK POWDER AND CONDENSED MILK. For me PEDA is a sweet which I used to have after any temple visit for puja. And those PEDA'S are just too good. I love the PEDA of kalighat temple and after puja every time I used to buy some more for me.

The recipe is very easy and quick but the taste will definitely give you the feel. I am not a professional cook though my PEDA’S are not that good like shops but the taste is fabulous. 

Preparation time: 5 mints.
Cooking time: 20 mints.

Ingredients:
1.Home made paneer or Chana: 100 gm.
2.Sugar: ½ cup.
3.Milk Powder: ½  cup.
4.One small cup of heavy milk.
5.One table spoon of condensed milk.
6.One table spoon unsalted butter.
7.Some pistachios for garnishing.

Process:

Add the butter in a heavy bottomed vessel and slowly add the milk, milk powder, chana and condensed milk and mix well.

Continue stir with a spatula so that the bottom will not burn.

Cook it in low flame for 15 to 20 mints till the mixture become dry and the color become rich.

Let it cool, now add the sugar and mix well.

Make some small balls and press lightly with your palm and give a flat shape.

Press in the middle of the sweet with your finger and garnish some pistachios over there.

Enjoy your HOME MADE MILK PEDA with your family members.
  

Potato Puff

Why potato is so famous among all vegetables? I think we Bengali’s just can’t imagine any curry without potato. We even cook our Egg curry, Chicken curry, Mutton curry, Fish curry with potato. And in my home my husband and me we both love potato in every way. Wanted to make some easy snack with tea but really didn't have enough time to think so whatever I saw in my kitchen I just made with them a nice tea snack POTATO PUFF. 

Basic ingredients are boiled and mashed potato and I added few things and made this easy POTATO PUFF for us. Easy tasty and perfect for a snowy day. One easier snack for all of you, I know potato is not good for our health but what to do we just can’t think any dish without potato.

Preparation time: 7 to 8 mints.
Cooking time: 10 mints.

Ingredients:
1.One large boiled potato.
2.Half small grated carrots.
3.One small chopped onions.
4.Two to three chopped green chilies.
5.One tea spoon lime juice.
6.One tea spoon corn flour.
7.One bread.
8.Half tea spoon red chili powder.
9.A pinch of chaat masala.
10.One tea spoon ginger garlic paste.
11.One bitten egg.
12.Two three table spoon bread crumbs.
13.Salt and sugar as per taste.

Process:

Mashed the potato nicely now add grated carrots, chopped onions, chopped green chilies, ginger garlic paste, lime juice, corn flour, chaat masala, red chili powder, salt and mix nicely.

Now dip the bread in water and squeeze the water and add it on the potato mixture and mix well.

Now make some oval shape puffs and dip them into the bitten eggs and roll them into the bread crumbs and keep the puffs in fridge for 30 mints.

Now deep fry the puffs and soak the extra oil in paper towel. Serve hot with potato ketchup.

Macher Matha Diye Badhakopi

Big Fish head are always very favorite item for all Bengalis. We really don’t leave any part of fish. Especially the head which we love to cook in various way, and among all of them my favorite one is MACHER MATHA DIYE BADHAKOFI OR FISH HEAD COOKED WITH CABBAGE. Most of the non- Bengali people must not have any idea of this because once I told about this to my friend and she got shocked like anything. But really this one is a typical Bong special and definitely recipe from my Ma’s kitchen.

Only for this recipe I use onion and garlic in cabbage otherwise I cook cabbage only with ginger. I remember in my childhood days I always preferred to have fish head that’s why maa cooks cabbage like that so I can have some cabbage also. While making this one for myself I really miss my Ma’s coking.

Preparation time:15 mints.
Cooking time: 30 mints.

Ingredients:
1.Half finely chopped cabbage.
2.Ruhu or Katla fish head (cut into small pieces);
3.One large sliced onion.
4.One small chopped tomato.
5.One tea spoon ginger and garlic paste.
6.Three to four split green chilies.
7.One dry red chili, Few cumin seeds, Two clove, Two cardamom, One bay leave.
8.Turmeric powder, Red chili powder, Cumin powder, Coriander Powder(half tea spoon of each item).
9.A pinch of garam masala powder.
10.Salt & Sugar as per taste.
11.Sunflower for oil for cooking.
12.Mustard oil for frying the fish heads.
12.Half tea spoon of ghee.

Process:

Wash and clean the fish heads and marinate them with some salt and turmeric. Now add mustard oil in a vessel and fry the head pieces in medium heat till it turn brown. Remove from heat and keep it aside.

Now take one vessel and add some sunflower oil let it become hot now add the dry red chili, cumin seeds, clove, cardamom and bay leave.

After few seconds add the sliced onions and chopped tomatoes and cook till onions are transparent.

Now add the ginger garlic paste along with all the spices powder mix well.

Now add some salt and sugar and add the fried fish head pieces and cook till the oil come out.

Now add the chopped cabbage and mix well. Cook with a lid in medium flame till the cabbage cooked nicely and oil come out from the curry. Now with the help of the spatula try to mishmash the head pieces and mix well. Finally add the garam masala powder and sprinkle the ghee and mix well.

Your MACHER MATHA DIYE BADHA KOFI is ready serve hot with plain rice. 

Prawn or Shrimp Batter Fry

Evening snacks is a big headache in my home. Every day after coming from office my husband wants to have some snacks, sometime I give him some ready made snacks to have. But daily you just can’t adjust with all the ready made stuffs. I love to prepare some easy snacks also. But most of the day we don’t have enough time to make snacks so this kind of an easy snacks are always a better option for us.

I was having some prawns at home so wanted to prepare something with that, so very quickly I prepared some PRAWN BATTER FRY. And they are just too good. It’s a heavenly feeling to have that crispy BATTER PRAWNS. A very easy a nice recipe for any party, try this at home and serve with cold drink.

Preparation time: 10 mints.
Cooking time: 8 to 10 mints.

Ingredients:
1.Prawns: 15 to 18 pieces.
2.One egg.
3.One table spoon all-purpose flour.
4.One table spoon corn flour.
5.Half tea spoon red powder.
6.Half tea spoon black pepper powder.
7.Some salt.
8.Half cup crashed cornflakes.
8.Sunflower oil for deep frying.

Process:

Wash and clean the prawns. Sprinkle some salt into that washed prawns.

Now take one bowl and add all the ingredients (except prawns and oil) and make a smooth batter if needed add some water also.

Now dip the prawns into that batter and roll them into the crashed cornflakes and deep fry them in low flame. 

Soak the extra oil in a paper towel and serve hot with some tomato ketchup.

Homemade Butter Naan.

I was so exited last night after finished my first successful batch of BUTTER NAN’S. Wow they were so good and soft also. Most of the time we preferred to have NAAN in restaurants, but never tried at home before. I always thought it will never be like restaurants. But believe me this one is too good. And the recipe is also not that tough. I just added few chopped coriander leaves which I saw long time back in a cookery show.

After having our dinner my husband asked me when you are going to make this again and I think that’s the best complement for your food. I am not a professional I love food and love to cook for others that’s why when someone else says few good words about my cooking I just feel top of the world.

Preparation time: 8 to 10 mints.
Cooking time: 5 to 8 mints.

Ingredients:
1.All-purpose flour: one cup.
2.Two table spoon curd.
3.Half cup milk.
4.A pinch of salt.
5.A pinch of sugar.
6.Half tea spoon of baking powder.
7.A pinch of baking soda.
8.Chopped coriander leaves: A handful.
9.One table spoon butter.

Process:

Take one big bowl and put the all-purpose flour on that.

Now add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Mix well.

Now add the curd and mix well.

Now add the milk (slowly) and the chopped coriander leaves and make a nice dough (if you need more milk to make the dough then add but don’t add water.

Now leave the dough for 30 mints in an air tight box.

Pre heat your oven in maximum temperature.

After 30 mints make some small round balls, now deep the balls into some flour and with a help of a roller make some oval shape NAAN'S.

Now take one oven proof pan and cover it with a aluminum foil and place the NAAN’S in single layer and grill it for 6 to 8 mints. But every 2 mints just flip the NAAN’s or cook till both the side turn into little brown color. 

After take it out from the oven just brush some butter on top your NAAN’S. Serve hot with any Curry I prepared some Chicken Chap with this.