Lemon Pound Cake

Every day will be a cake day if it’s homemade one, and for us homemade cake is always the first choice. My husband just loves the homemade plain cake. So I always try to make a simple cake. Yesterday while watching a cookery show I learnt a very easy and nice lemon cake. First time I made a lemon flavor cake and this one turned really very good.

A oven fresh hot cake is a best evening snack in my place because my kido also loves to have cakes. So I prefer to give her a homemade one. 

Preparation time: 20 mints.
Backing time: 45 mints.

Ingredients:
1.All purpose flour: 2 cup.
2.Sugar: 2 cup.
3.Eggs: 3.
4.Butter: 1/2cup (softened)
5.Canola oil or Vegetable oil: 3 table spoon.
6.Baking powder: 1 tea spoon.
7.Salt: ½ tea spoon.
8.One full lemon zest.
9.One table spoon lemon juice.
10.One table spoon lemon essence.
11.Milk: 1 cup.
12.Some extra butter and flour for greasing.

Process:

Preheat the oven in 175 C.

In a big bowl add the sugar, butter and canola oil mix till it light and fluffy about 5 mints.

Now add eggs one at a time and beating well after each addition.

Now add the lemon zest, lemon juice and lemon essence and mix well.

In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and backing powder nicely.

Now slowly add the flour mixture into the creamed mixture alternately with milk. Beat just until combined.

Now flour and grease one cake pan and pour the mixture into the pan and bake it for 40 to 45 mints or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool it for 10 mint, then take out the cake form the pan and place it in a cool rack.

Your easy LEMON POUND CAKE is ready serve and enjoy.

Chicken Handi Biryani

BIRYANI this one word only enough to make you hungry, it’s not really matter that which kind of BIRYANI you are eating. There are so many kinds of BIRYANI and as a food lover I love BIRYANI in every way. I have few more BIRYANI recipes in my blog but I never posted any DUM BIRYANI recipe before, because I never cooked any DUM BIRYANI. This one is my first attempt to cook proper CHICKEN HANDI BIRYANI which is cooked in the restaurant style.

The difference between a Normal BIRYANI and Dum BIRYANI is, in Dum BIRYANI the marinated chicken is not cooked before which is the key factor of this recipe. Everything is cooked in steam and the time is a main factor. You have to be very careful about the time otherwise the bottom portion of the biryani will burn. This is the first time I prepared something like that and I am more than happy after the result. That’s why our Sunday became super Sunday after having the perfect Dum BIRYANI.  

Preparation time: 15 mints.
Cooking time: 35 mint.

Ingredients:
1.Chicken: 600 gm Big size pieces with bone.
2.Basmati Rice: 2 cup.
3.One medium sliced onion.
4.One table spoon ginger and garlic paste.
5.Bay leave:1, Cardamom: 3 to 4.Cinamon stick:1.Clove: 4to 5. Black pepper corn:8 to 10. Few shah jeera, little mace.
6.Two table spoon curd.
7.One tea spoon red chili powder.
8.Two to three chopped green chilies.
9.Two medium size potato cut into halves.
10.Two boiled eggs.
11.Chopped coriander leaves: A hands full.
12.Chopped mint leaves: A hand full.
13.Almonds: 10 to 12 pieces.
14.Half tea spoon white pepper powder.
15.Sunflower oil for cooking.
16.One tea spoon ghee.
17.Slat and sugar as per taste.
18.Few drop of meetha ator and keowra water for essence.
19.Few saffron strands soaked in warm milk.

Process:

Wash and clean the chicken pieces, now marinate the chicken with curd, freshly grinded ginger garlic paste, half of the coriander leaves and mint leaves paste, freshly grinded whole garam masala (clove, cardamom, cinnamon stick, bay leave, black pepper corn, and mace) few saha jeera, two table spoon oil, salt and sugar, chopped green chilies and half one sliced onion for overnight or at least 4 to 5 hr.

Now next soaked the almond on little warm water for 10 mints, and soaked the rice for 10 mints. 

Now add enough water in a pot and add some salt and sugar, allow this to boil, after it start boiling add one table spoon of oil and the soaked rice and cooked till the rice 75% done.
Drain the extra water from the rice.

Now pill the almond and make a smooth paste add the white pepper powder into the almond paste and mix well.

Now boil the potato pieces with some salt, after it boiled completely fry them till they become golden and keep it aside.

Fry rest of the sliced onions till they turn brownish and keep it aside.

Now take one big aluminum handi or you can take any nonstick handi also, grease some ghee into the bottom of the handi.

Now place the marinated chicken pieces at bottom of the handi. Then put the almond paste in top of the chicken (don’t mix them otherwise almond paste will burn). Then sprinkle the meetha ator and keowra water.

Now add the cooked rice in top, then sprinkle the fried onions, place the fried potato pieces, boiled eggs, rest of the chopped coriander and mint leaves. On top sprinkle the saffron soaked milk,

Now cover the handi with a tight lid and to make it air tight fill the sides with flour dough.

Now cook this in high flame for 5 mints, then cook this in medium heat for 10 mint.

Now put one Tawa or nonstick pan on flame and put the Handi on top of the Tawa and cook this way for another 20 mints.

Then open the lid, you can find the rice is cooked properly  and the chicken pieces  are tender nicely that mean you made a perfect Dum Biryani.

Serve hot with salad and raita.

Kerala Style Spicy Chicken

India is diversified country where people talk in so many different languages, also they have plenty no of different cuisines. From north to south, east to west people have different languages and different food. As a foodie I love all the different foods and among all the states one of my favorite state is Kerala - Gods own country. Where you will get so many different kinds of foods, I really love the spices they use and the spiciness of the dishes.

As I say before I love to cook chicken in different way, so this time I tried to cook some KERALA STYLE SPICY CHICKEN. The taste of the dish is just mesmerizing with the smell of fennel and curry leaves. After we ate the dish my husband told me to cook some more kerala style dishes. And I love to do that again and again.

Preparation time: 15 mints.

Cooking time: 30 to 40 mints.

Ingredients:

For marination:

1.Chicken: 600 gm (with bone or boneless).

2.One table spoon curd.

3.Half tea spoon turmeric powder.

4.Half tea spoon red chili powder.

5.Half tea spoon black pepper powder.

6.Half tea spoon salt.

For gravy:

1.Two medium sliced onion.

2.One small chopped tomato.

3.Three to four green chilies (cut into straight wise).

4.One table spoon ginger and garlic paste.

5.10 to 12 curry leaves.

6.One small cinnamon stick, 3 to four clove, two cardamom (freshly crushed).

7.Pinch of fennel seeds, Pinch of mustard seeds.

8.Half tea spoon coriander powder, Half tea spoon Kashmiri red chili powder.

9.Salt and sugar as per taste.

10.Sunflower oil for cooking.

Process:

Wash and clean the chicken pieces then marinate them with all the mentioned ingredients for 15 to 20 mints.

Now add some oil in a vessel and add the fennel seeds and mustard seeds  and some sugar (if you add sugar directly to the oil then its helps to bring a nice color to the dish) after the oil become hot. Then add the sliced onions and the green chilies and cook till the onions are become transparent.

Now add the freshly crushed whole garam masala, Kashmiri red chili powder and coriander powder and cook for another 1 mint.

Now add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 to 3 mint next add the chopped tomato and curry leaves and cook with a lid till the tomatoes become soft.

Now add the marinated chicken pieces and cook in high heat to avoid the water which used to come from the marinated chicken, for 5 to 6 mint.

Now reduce the heat and cook in medium heat for 20 to 25 mints and add some salt if needed.

After 20 mints you can see a nice color came out from the dish with a lovely smell.

Enjoy your KERALA STYLE SPICY CHICKEN.

Bharwa Karela or Poor Bhora Ucche or Stuffed Bitter Gourd

Among all vegetables I really dislike Bitter gourd because of the bitterness and I find there is no taste also. But bitter gourd is really good for our health so for this reason some time I cook bitter gourd but try to cook some different way every time. This time tried some BHARWA KARELA  or STUFFED BITTER GOURD. 

My husband also doesn't like bitter gourd so for him also I tried this one for the very first time. And with the stuffed stuffs the bitterness of this is also not felt that much. So people like me who don’t like bitter gourd this recipe can be ideal for them.

Preparation time: 10 mint.
Cooking time: 20 mint.

Ingredients:
1.Two medium size bitter gourd or Kerela or Ucche.
2.One medium chopped onion.
3.One tea spoon poppy seeds.
4.Half tea spoon mustard seeds.
5.One tea spoon shredded coconut.
6.Pinch of kalonji.
7.Turmeric powder: Cumin Powder: Aamchur Powder:half tea spoon of each item.
8.One or two chopped green chilies.
9.Salt and sugar as per taste.
10.Mustard oil for cooking.

Process:
Wash and scrap the bitter gourds. First cut the edges of the bitter gourds, and then cut the bitter gourds form the middle. Now slit the karelas. Now with the help of a spoon take out all the seeds from the insides.

Now rub some salt into the bitter gourds (inside and outside both) and keep it like that for 20 mints.

After 20 mints wash them nicely to excess salt and bitter ness and boiled them in salted water till the karela pieces 90% cooked.

Now add some oil in a vessel and allow it to hot now add the kalonji and after the smell come out add the chopped onions and fry for some time.

Now add all the spices powder and fry for some time.

Now make a smooth paste with poppy seeds, mustard seeds and shredded coconut with some water. And add the mixture into the vessel with some salt and sugar and cook till the mixture dry.

Allow it to cool now with a help of  a spoon stuff the mixture into the bitter gourds.

Now add some oil in a frying pan and fry the stuffed bitter gourds slowly (all the sides except the side you stuff the mixture.

Serve hot with plain rice and dal.

Patol er Dorma With Prawns or Prawn Stuffed Pointed Ground

Everyday morning after entering the kitchen we all first think what to cook right, same for me also. I think cooking is not that difficult than thinking. Sometime we have mood to cook something but may be the ingredients are not available or the man might not love that. I have few PATOLS OR POINTED GROUND at home which he doesn’t like that much so I planned to add some PRAWNS to make the dish little different. I made one of my Maa’s special dish PATOL ER DORMA WITH PRAWNS OR PRAWN STUFFED POINTED GROUND. 

This dish is very authentic Bengali dish I have one more PATOL ER DORMA recipe in my blog but that one is a veg recipe so from long time I wanted to cook a non-veg version of PATOL ER DORMA. This one is an easy recipe just the steps are more but with plain rice this dish is truly like heaven. 

Preparation time: 10 mint.
Cooking time: 30 mint.

Ingredients:
For stuffing:
1.Medium size Prawns: 15 to 18 pieces.
2.One medium chopped onion.
3.Two chopped green chilies.
4.Half tea spoon crushed ginger.
5.Pinch of turmeric powder, pinch of red chili powder, Pinch of coriander powder.
6.Two tea spoon: poppy seeds.
7.One tea spoon mustard seeds.
8.Salt and sugar as per taste.
9.One table spoon mustard oil.

For gravy
1.Patol or Pointed Ground: 8 pieces.
2.One medium size sliced onion.
3.One inch chopped ginger.
4.Three clove chopped garlic.
5.One small tomato puree.
6.Turmeric Powder: Red chili Powder: Cumin Powder: Coriander Powder (half tea spoon of each item).
7.One bay leave, One small cinnamon stick, few cumin seeds, Few clove, Two cardamom.
8.One table spoon shredded coconut.
9.Cashew nuts: 8 to 10 piece.
10.Pinch of garam masala powder.
11.Salt and sugar as per taste.
12.Mustard oil for cooking but if you want you can use sunflower oil too.

Process:

Wash and clean the prawns then chopped the prawns into small pieces.

Now add one table spoon of mustard oil in a vessel and slowly add the chopped onions and fry for some time.

Now add the chopped green chilies and the crushed ginger and saute for some time.

Now add all the spices powder with some salt and sugar and cook for 2 mint, then add the chopped prawns and mix well for few mints.

Now make a smooth paste with poppy seeds and mustard seeds with some water and add the mixture into the vessel and cook till the prawn mixture become dry.

Pill the patol or pointed ground and cut one side, and with the help of a spoon take out the seeds.

Now sprinkle some salt and turmeric powder into the pointed grounds. Add some oil in a vessel and fry the pointed grounds in medium flame till the pointed grounds look fried. Now take out them from the vessel and allow them to cool. 

Now stuff the prawn mixture into the fried pointed grounds with a spoon and keep it aside.

Now make the gravy, for this add one tea spoon oil in a different vessel let it become hot then add the bay leave, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cardamom and cloves.

Next add the sliced onions, chopped ginger and garlic and fry all together for some time till the onions are become transparent. Now allow this to cool and after that make a smooth paste with some water.

Now again add some oil in a vessel and after it become hot add the onion paste and cook for some time. Then add the fresh tomato puree, all the spices powder with some salt and sugar and cook till the oil separate from the gravy.

Now make a smooth paste with shredded coconut and cashew nuts with some water and add the mixture into the vessel and cook for some time.

Now add some water and slowly place the stuffed pointed ground in the gravy and cook with a lid for 4 to 5 mint in medium heat.

Now remove from heat, your PRAWN STUFFED POINTED GROUND OR PATOL ER DORMA is ready serve hot with plain rice.

Egg Chicken Kathi Roll: A Famous Street Food From Kolkata

I think among all foods we all love street foods the most, because there are so many varieties in street foods. India is famous for street food, form north to south and east to west there are different variety of street foods. Mumbai is famous for juhu chopati where people actually go to have different street foods, so as Kolkata where you will get the good street food and that too in very cheap rate. I am Bengali and belong to Kolkata just for that I am not saying that because I came across so many people who asked me about the food of Kolkata streets. 

Among all the street foods my all-time favorite is CHICKEN ROLL; there are few shops near my home where people just come to have the various rolls like EGG ROLL, CHICKEN ROLL, MUTTON ROLL, PANEER ROLL, VEG ROLL, PRAWN ROLL etc. And if you order for your roll I think before 30 mints you will never get your order. What I love about chicken roll is the crispness off the paratha and the yummy chicken bites. Tried to make something like that to cherish my old evenings, but I made EGG CHICKEN ROLL so at a time you will able to have EGG ROLL+ CHICKEN ROLL.

Preparation time: 10 mint.
Cooking time: 20 mint.

Ingredients:
For paratha:
1.All-purpose flour: one cup. (for four egg chicken rolls)
2.Pinch of baking powder.
3.Pinch of salt.
4.Pinch of sugar.
5.Three tea spoon sunflower oil.
6.Water.

For roll stuffing:
1.Boneless chicken bites: 200 gm.
2.One large red onion sliced.
3.One green bell pepper sliced.
4.One pieces of lemon.
5.Four chopped green chilies.
6.Chaat Masala, Red chili powder, Black pepper powder (half tea spoon of each item.
7.One tea spoon ginger garlic paste.
8.One tea spoon curd.
9.Salt and sugar as per taste.
10.Four eggs.

Process:

Wash and clean the chicken bites, now marinate them with curd, some black pepper powder, some red chili powder, salt, some oil and lemon juice for 10 mints.

Now grill the chicken bites in high temperature of your oven for 10 mints or till the chicken bites are cooked properly. (You can skewer the chicken pieces or just leave them in a greased pan and try to place them separately don’t overlap).

Now add some oil in a vessel and slowly add the sliced onions and sliced green peppers and fry in high flame for some time.

Now reduce the heat and add the ginger garlic paste and fry for some time.

Next add rest of the red chili powder, black pepper powder, the chaat masala with some salt and sugar and mix well.

Now add the grilled chicken bites and cook for another 5 mints, your roll stuffing is ready

Make dough with all the paratha ingredients, the dough need to look smooth and shiny. Make four equal size balls with the dough.

Roll a round shape big size paratha with help of a rolling pin, Now fry each paratha with some oil.

Now take an egg to be beaten with some salt, add some oil in a pan and slowly add the beaten egg to make a round shape omelette. When the lower portion is cooked properly place a fried paratha on the top of the uncooked side of the omelette and fry slowly. 

Now turn the paratha you can see that in one side of the paratha the omelette got attached so nicely, and you can also eat this as EGG PARATHA which is really yummy with some salads and sauce.

Now do the same with rest of the parathas, now place the paratha in a butter paper  and the side on which you have put the egg should be on the top. In the middle of each paratha add the chicken stuffing; now sprinkle some green chilies and some lemon juice on top of the stuffing. 

Now roll the parathas with the paper and wrap the lower portion.

The yummy EGG CHICKEN KATHI ROLL is ready serve hot otherwise the test will become light.

Homemade Burger Bread

I am never afraid while cooking but if its matter of baking I am always afraid. Because baking is something which can be best or worst, if the measurement is not perfect your all kind of work will be in vain. I am not that baking person I just love to bake cake occasionally and every time I am really cross my finger. This is the first time I baked some burger bread and they are just beyond my imagination. So soft so fluffy exactly like shop and I am just more than happy.

While doing all the process I am just praying to God that I don’t want to be failed. But I am so wrong they are just awesome my husband can’t even believe that I made those breads. We all love burgers but I never thought I can make burger breads ever like shops.

Preparation time: 20 mints.
Baking time: 20 to 25 mints.

Ingredients:
1.All-purpose flour: 3 cup.
2.Luke warm Milk: 1 ¼ cup.
3.Warm water:1/4 cup.
4.Butter: 3 tea spoon.
5.Dry Yeast: 2 ½ tea spoon.
6.Salt : half tea spoon.
7.Sugar: two tea spoon.
8.One beaten egg.
9.Few sesame seeds.
10.Little all purpose flour and butter for greasing.

Process:

First add the butter into the Luke warm milk and mix nicely, now add the yeast into the Luke warm water and mix nicely.

Add the yeast mixture and the milk butter mixture in a big bowl with some salt and sugar and mix well.

Now add the all-purpose flour into the mixture (one cup at a time) and slowly mix them.

Now in a floury surface knead the dough with both your hands till it become soft and shiny.

Now cover the dough with a plastic wrap and keep it in a warm place for 40 to 50 mints.

Now after 40 mints your dough become double in size (that mean the dough is perfect for bread).

Now divide the dough into 9 equal sizes and give a nice round shape to them with the help of your palm.

Grease the oven proof tray with some butter and flour and place the balls one after one (in 3 rows just like the photo). Try to place them very close as they will rise and spread. Now brush the bitten eggs in all the balls and sprinkle some sesame seeds.

Now cover the tray again with a plastic wrap and keep it in a warm place for 30 mints, after that those balls are become double in size. Pre heat the oven in 350F.

Now bake them for 20 to 25 mints, then remove it from the tray and place them in a cool rack.

The easy and yummy homemade burger breads are ready you can eat whatever way you would like too. They are soft and perfect for dinner or breakfast.

Kesar Pesta Ice Cream

Summer means lots of fun in park, picnic and all the activities outside. But sometime summer means just so much of sunlight, high temperature with humidity. Like today it’s scorching heat and till 9 o’clock outside was burning. So to make myself chill and feel little comfortable I prepared some nice and soothing KESAR PESTA ICE CREAME. And they were delicious. 

My husband doesn't have any idea that I will be making something like that so I can say after coming back from office he was just shocked and tremendous happy after the first bite. In a hot summer day what else you need to make yourself chill.

Preparation time: 10 mints.
Cooking time: 30 mints.
Freezing time: 4 to 6 hrs.

Ingredients:
1.Heavy Milk: 2 cup.
2.Condensed Milk: half cup.
3.Chopped pistachios: One table spoon.
4.Chopped almond: One tea spoon.
5.Few cardamom seeds.
6.Pinch of saffron.
7.Half tea spoon corn flour.
8.Sugar: 3 tea spoon or as per your taste.
9.Half cup extra milk.

Process:
Soaked the saffron stands in few spoon of warm milk. Add the corn flour in rest of the milk no lump should be there. (use the extra half cup milk).

Now add the milk in a heavy bottomed vessel and keep stirring it till it reduces the quantity almost half add the condensed milk and stir continuously.

Now add the cardamom seeds, chopped pistachios and chopped almonds and stir for some time.

Now add the sugar, saffron soaked milk and the corn flour mixture and stir it till become thick.

Now pour the mixture in some ice cream molds or any other container after it become cool down and refrigerates it for 4 to 6 hrs.

If you pour your mixture into an ice cream molds, then to get it out smoothly pour some hot water into the molds or keep the ice cream molds into some hot water for few mints so easily ice creams will come out.

Enjoy your KESAR PESTA ICE CREAM .