Saag Murgh Makkhanwala or Spinach Chicken with Butter

One more spinach item was our today’s dinner. As I told before me and my husband we both love spinach, so love to try something new always with spinach. Spinach is really very healthy and with chicken it’s become tastier. While doing grocery shopping I got lots of fresh spinach today, that’s why I can’t stop myself to prepare something with spinach.

Spinach has a high nutritional value. And fresh spinach is really good for kids also. I used to add spinach in my daughters food too.

This one I made with butter if you don’t want to add butter then you can cook in canola or sunflower oil also. Just add little butter after finishing the cooking. I named it Saag Murgh Makhanwala to this lovely dish and specially for upcoming holidays.

 

 Preparation time: 15 mints.
Cooking time: 40 mints.
Serve for 2 people.

Ingredients:
1.Chicken: 600 gm (boneless or with bone cut into small pieces).
2.One bunch of fresh spinach.
3.One medium finely chopped onion.
4.One table spoon ginger and garlic paste.
5.One small chopped tomato.
6.Two tea spoon curd.
7.Cumin powder, Corinader Powder,Red chili powder, Garam Masala Powder (half tea spoon of each item).
8.Whole garam masala(2 clove, 2 cardamom, one small cinnamon stick, one small bay leave, few black pepper).
9.Half cup thick milk.
10. Salt and sugar as per taste.
11.Three table spoon butter or Sunflower oil.



Process:
Marinate the chicken pieces with some salt, red chili powder, freshly crushed black pepper and curd for one hour.

Now wash and chopped the spinach and boiled with some salt. Let it cool down, now make a smooth paste with that and keep it aside.

Add some butter in a vessel and fry the marinated chicken pieces in high heat and keep them aside.

Now add some more butter on the same vessel and add the whole garam masala after few second add the chopped onions, chopped tomato and ginger garlic paste and cook till the onions are transparent.

Now add the spices powder with some salt and sugar, and cook till the oil separate. Now add the fried chicken pieces with the milk and cook with a lid till the chickens are almost done.

Now add the boiled spinach paste and cook till the gravy become thick (around 4 to 5 mints in low flame).

Your Saag Chicken Makhanwal is ready served hot with Roti or Paratha.

 

Potato and Squash curry with Lentil Fritters

Every day while entering into the kitchen my daily problem is to think what to cook. It’s really a horrible job, before marriage I thought something I will cook for our daily lunch or dinner. But to think that something is a big task for me. I think all of you are facing the same problem every day.

After so much of plan I called my Maa and she told me to cook one nice Squash Curry with Daler Bora or Lentil Fritters. It’s a very simple recipe but with plain rice this one is just too good. Hope most of you know this recipe but this one is for those who don’t know.

Squash is really very good for health and with the Dal or Lentil it becomes healthier. This one is perfect for a simple lunch.

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

Ingredients:For Bora or Fritters:
1.Urad Dal : 100 gm (soaked into water for overnight).
2.One Medium size chopped onion.
3.Two chopped green chilies.
4.Some salt.
5.Sunflower oil for frying.
For Curry:
1.A small squash (cut into small cube size).
2.One medium size potato (cut into cube size).

3.One small chopped tomato.
4.Two to three split green chilies. One Inch Ginger.
5.Turmeric Powder, Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder (half tea spoon of each item).
6.One Dry Red Chili, One Bay leave, Few Cumin Seeds.
7.Salt & Sugar as per taste.
8. Sunflower oil.
9.Half tea spoon of ghee.Process:
For Bora or Fritters:

Make a smooth paste with the soaked dal. Now add chopped onions, chopped green chilies and salt.
Now make some small round shape flat balls with the mixture and deep fry them in oil. After frying soak the extra oil in a paper towel, and keep it aside.

Now add some oil in a vessel and add the cumin seeds, bay leave and dry red chili. Now add the squash pieces and potato pieces into the vessel and fry for some time.

Make a paste with ginger, green chilies and tomato; add all the spices powder into the paste. Now add the masala mixture into the vessel with some salt and sugar.

Cook till the oil separate, now add some water and add the Lentil Fritters or Daler Bora. Cook with a lid till the potato and squash cooked properly. Now sprinkle the ghee and serve hot with plain rice.

ILish Macher Begun Jhol or Hilsha Fish cooked with Brinjal

Hilsha fish is the ultimate fish for any Bengali. This fish does not need so many ingredients for cooking. Because the fish itself is so tasty you don’t need to add so much of stuff. One of a very favorite Hilsha fish curry was my todays venture. Its called “Ilish Macher Bagun jhol” or Hilsha fish cooked with brinjal.

This fish curry my Maa used to cook everytime. I know my one is not at all like her but my husband liked it, so I am more than happy. For this fish curry you just need Hilsha fish,brinjal kalonji and green chilies. Perfect  combination with Plain rice. 

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

Ingredients:
1.Hilsha fish pieces: 4.
2.Four pieces of brinjal cut into straight wise.
3.Three to Four green chilies cut in straight wise.
4.Few kaloonji.
5.Half tea spoon of turmeric powder.
6.Salt and sugar as per taste.
7.Mustard oil.

Process:
Marinate the fish pieces with a pinch of turmeric powder and salt.

Now fry the fish pieces till they golden brown and keep it aside.

Now on that vessel add some more oil add fry the brinjal pieces and keep it aside.

 Now add the kaloonji and green chilies.After few seconds add the turmeric powder, salt and sugar and cook for 2 mints now add some water and add the fried fish pieces and fried brinjal pieces. Cover with lid and cook for 10 mints.

Serve hot with plain rice.

Murg Malai Curry

If we cook Prawn Malai Curry then why not with chicken, with this thought only I prepared our last nights dinner Murg Malai Curry. The concept is almost same the chickens are cooked in thick coconut gravy.  Every time while making chicken dish I want to do something different. Because I know all my friends want new chicken recipes. The smell of the dish was really diffrent than others.

We all are in party mood now from next week onwards I am having back to back parties so for that also I want to cook some new dishes for my friends. And this one is perfect for any parties and with Rice and Roti both.

 
Preparation time: 15 mints.
Cooking time: 40 mints.
Serve for: 2 people.

Ingredients:

1.Chicken: 600 gm cut into small pieces.
2.One medium sliced onion.
3.One tea spoon ginger & garlic paste.
4.One clove chopped garlic.
5.Two table spoon thick coconut cream.
6.One table spoon of curd.
7.Red chili powder, Coriander powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, Garam masala powder (Half tea spoon of each item).
8.Clove:2, Cardamom : 2.
9.Salt & Sugar as per taste.
10.One table spoon of ghee.
11.Two to Three table spoon of sunflower oil.

Process:

Marinate the chicken pieces with curd, ginger & garlic paste and some salt for 1 hour.

Now add the ghee and oil in a vessel and add the clove and cardamom, after few seconds add the sliced onions and chopped garlics.

Fry till the onions are transparent now add the marinated chicken pieces and cook in high heat for 5 to 6 mints. Now add all the spices powder with some salt and sugar.
Cook in low flame for 3 to 4 mints. Now add the coconut cream with some warm water and cook with a lid for 30 mints in low flame.

 

Yours truly heavenly Murg Malai curry is ready enjoy with Rice or Paratha or Naan.

Naan Khatai Or An Egg Less Cookie

Today is really a happy day for me because this one is my 100th post in my blog. When I started blogging I thought it’s never going to cross more than 50. It’s really a difficult task for me to maintain a blog with a 14 month old baby but anyhow I am able to manage my duty and passion together.Today I am posting my century recipe. I am really glad and overwhelmed with all the support from my Husband and all my lovely friends, who encouraged me from the beginning. And whenever my friends tell that they cooked my recipe and it turned out really good the feelings is something different. I just want to say my family and friends that just be with me, many more to come. 

Today I made Naankhatai a Cookie without eggs. This Naan Khatai is very famous biscotti in Surat, Gujrat. Very easy to make with only few Ingredients which is easily available at home. And perfect for Tea or Cofee.

This is the first time I prepared something like that, so while making I was really nervous. But the end result is really appreciated. So my Christmas starts with my first baking Biscotti. The taste is really good you can try at home.

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

Ingredients:

1.One cup of all- purpose flower.
2.Half cup of sugar.
3.ne table spoon of Suji or Semolina.
4.A pinch of freshly squished  cardamom , and a pinch of freshly squished Jaifal.
5.One table spoon almond powder.
6.Half tea spoon of Besan or Gram Flower.
7.Half Cup Salted Butter.
8.One to Two tea spoon of warm milk.
9.Few pistachios for garnishing.

Process:

Put all no 1 to 7 ingredients in a bowl as mentioned above and mix well.
Now add the butter and gram flower into it and make dough if needed add one or two tea spoon of warm milk.

 
Now pre heat the oven in 350 degree F. Make some small balls with the dough and place them into a non-greased over proof pan and garnished with pistachios.

 
Now bake it for 10 mints. Now low the heat in 225 degree F and bake for another 12 mints.

Now flip them and bake for another 10 to 12 mints, in between just check it should not be over baked.

Enjoy your Naan KHatai with Tea or Cofee.

Egg Pasanda

Again my fridge is empty today. Outside temperature is around -2 so can’t go out for shopping with my baby. Because while coming back from office my husband is going to buy some necessary things. So what to do with my last two eggs, I am in deep thinking because don’t have potato also so that I can make some simple egg curry.

So I just made some Egg Pasanda same like my Chicken Pasanda recipe only instead of ghee I put sunflower oil. And it’s turned out really awesome. Very easy and quick recipe you can serve with Rice or Roti both.

 

Sometime when we think todays dinner is going to be very blurred on that day every time in my house the dinner becomes super hit.
 

Preparation time: 15 mints.
Cooking time: 20 mints.
Serve for 2 ppl.

Ingredients:

1.Eggs: 2.
2.One medium size chopped onion.
3.One small half chopped tomato.
3.Two clove chopped garlic.
4.Red chili Powder, Turmeric Powder, Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder (half tea spoon of each item).
5.One small cinnamon stick, 2 piece of clove.
5.Salt and Sugar asper taste.
6.Sunflower oil.

Process:

Marinate the egg pieces with a pinch of turmeric powder and salt but before that cut some slashes  from top to bottom with a sharp knife (cut should be very less).

Now fry the eggs in little oil till they golden brown.

Now add some more oil in a vessel and fry the chopped onion, tomato and garlic pieces till the onions are golden brown. Let it cool; now make a smooth paste with them.
Now add some oil and add the cinnamon stick and cloves after few seconds add the onion paste, fry for some time.
Now add all the spices powder with some salt and sugar. Cook till the oil come out from the masala.
Now add some warm water and the fried egg pieces. Cook till the gravy become thick.

Serve hot with Roti or Rice. Enjoy Cooking.

Kheer Chomchom or Malai Chomchom

Today for the first time I prepared one of a very famous Bengali Sweet it’s called Kheer Chomchom or Malai Chomchom. Almost in every shop in west Bengal you will get this sweet. Especially this is made with Chana or cottage cheese, sugar and Milk.  This sweet is famous in Bangladesh also.


This is December so full on festive season, I planned to make few different sweet dishes in this month.

And today I started with this Kheer Chomchom. Basically my husband forced me to prepare some sweet dish from last weekend, but any how I didn’t get time. But today I wanted to give him surprise so any how I managed to finish the chomchom within 1 hr before my daughter woke up and his comeback time.

But really can’t wait to taste the first piece of chomchom. Wow what a taste, it reminded me the childhood days of mine, when we used to have this one in my aunt’s place Murshidabad.

Preparation time: 30 mints.
Cooking time: 0 mints.
Ingredients:
1.Chena or cottage cheese: 200gm.
2.Sugar : 250 gm.
3.One cup 3.25% milk.
4.Half cup condensed milk.
5.Few saffron stands.
6.Three to four cardamom.
7.Few raisin for garnishing.

Process:
Kneed the chana with your palm till it become smooth. Now make some oval shape chomchom.

Prepare some sugar syrup with the sugar and 3 cup of water. When it’s start boiling add the cardamom.
Now add the chom chom’s into the boiling sugar syrup and cover with a tight lead and cook for 10 mints.
Now reduce the heat and cook for another 15 mints. Let it cool.

Now in a different vessel boil the milk when it became half of the original quantity add the condensed milk and saffron stands.

Now place the Chomchom in a plate and from top add one spoon of Kheer or Malai into the chomchom, when it’s soaked completely add one more spoon of Kheer or Malai and garnish with Raisin.

Enjoy your festive season where ever you are and definitely with lots of good food.

Medu Vada

One of a favorite snacks or breakfast from South India is Medu Vada. This one is also quite healthy because it is made with Urad Dal. And you need few limited ingredients only. With any chutney this vada is perfect for breakfast.

In Chennai & Hyderabad most of the people’s daily breakfast is this Medu Vada’s. We were in Chennai for 4 month and that time I used to have this one from my neighbor lady. She only tought me how to make proper Medu Vada. Sometime I love to have Vada with Tea also.

Preparation time: 15 mints.
Cooking time: 10 mints.

Ingredients:

1.Urad Dal: 100 gm.
2.One large chopped onion.
3.Few chopped green chilies.
4.Few curry leaves.
5.One inch ginger.
6.Salt & Sugar as per taste.
7.One table spoon purpose flower (this one is optional but I love to add, taste will be same only).
8.Sunflower Oil for frying.

Process:
Soak urad dal in water for few hours.
Now grind it in a mixture with the ginger, and don’t add lots of water.

Now add chopped onion, chopped green chili and curry leaves into the batter with some salt and sugar.

Now make some small balls with the batter and make a hole with your thumb in the centre.
Fry the Vada’s in enough oil till they become golden and crispy.

 

Enjoy your vada with Coconut chutney or any  other chutney

Restaurant style Butter Chicken

Finally my search is over,” Oh god after coming from restaurant every time I feel like to cook Butter Chicken exactly like them”. But any how I didn’t able to cook like them. Last weekend we went for a buffet lunch in an Indian Restaurant and met with one new comer Bengali chef from Kolkata. When I told him that I love cooking and have a blog also he was showing so much of interest towards my blog. And with lots of hesitation I asked him the butter chicken recipe of that restaurant, and shockingly he told me the recipe so nicely. Wow I am really glad. Thanks to you Mr Dutta for sharing the recipe with me. But I made few changes regarding my convenience.

It’s a request to my entire food lovers friend please try this one at home, after that you don’t feel like to go restaurant especially for butter chicken. With naan or paratha it’s just awesome. This is the best part to meet with new people, but the moral of the story is don’t be shy because from every person we can learn something.

 

Preparation time: 20 mints.
Cooking time: 30 mints.
Serve for 4 people.

Ingredients:

For Marination:
1.Chicken: 600 gm (boneless or with bone).
2.Turmeric Powder, Red chili Powder, Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder (half tea spoon of each item).
3.Three tea spoon of curd.
4.Few drops of lemon juice.
5.Pinch of salt.

For cooking:
1.One large chopped red onion.
2.One large chopped tomato.
3.One tea spoon grated ginger.
4.One tea spoon grated garlic.
5.One tea spoon Kashmiri red chili powder, Half tea spoon of Garam Masala.
6.One table spoon fresh cream.
7.A pinch of kasoori meethi, Half tea spoon of Black pepper powder.
8.Two bay leaves, 2 cloves, 2 cardamom.
9.Salt & sugar as per taste.
10.Half cup butter or Sunflower oil. (if you don’t want to use butter that much then just add half tea spoon of butter after cooking).

Process:

Marinate the chicken pieces with all the mentioned ingredients for 30 mints.

Now add some butter or oil in a vessel and fry the onions with grated ginger, garlic and tomatoes till the onions are transparent. Let it cool; now make a fine paste with them.

Now add some butter or oil in a vessel and add the bay leaves, clove and cardamom fry them for few seconds, now add the chicken pieces and fry them into high heat.

When the chickens are become white add the onion and tomato paste and Kashmiri red chili powder mix them well. Cook in medium heat for 10 mints.

 
Now add the fresh cream and mix well. Add some salt and sugar also.
Now finally add the garam masala powder, black pepper powder and kasoori meethi. Mix well cook for few seconds. (If you don’t use butter before, now add half tea spoon of butter).

Your restaurant style butter chicken is ready quite an easy recipe perfect with Naan or Paratha.

Onion & Tomato Chutney

One of a very easy and jhotpot or fast chutney is Onion & Tomato chutney. This one I came to know from my friend Varna Menon. This one is really good with Dosa, Idli or Medu Vara.

Plain rice and this chutney also will be a good combination. And I think this one is good with any other veg pakora.

 
Preparation time: 5 mints.
Cooking time : 15 mints.

Ingredients:

1.One large chopped red onion.
2.One large chopped tomato.3.Four clove chopped garlic.
4.Three to four dry red chili.

5.Few curry leaves.
6.Few mustars seeds.
7.Few urad dal, few chana dal
8.Little tamarind pulp.
9.Salt & sugar as per taste.
10.Sunflower oil.
Process:
Put oil in a vessel and add the dry red chili and chopped garlic.

Now second add the chopped onions. Fry till they transparent, now add the chopped tomato and cook till they melt.Now add the chana dal, tamarind pulp and little salt and sugar.

 Cook for some time and let it cool.Now make a smooth paste with them.

Add some oil in a pan and add curry leaves, urad dal and mustard seeds when they start popping and the mixture and mix well.

Your chutney is ready serve anything you like. But for me this one is best with Idli.

Rava Idli

I always heard about Rava Idli but never tried before at home. But yesterday one of my friends called me for Tea, and she makes some awesome Rava Idli. How can I stop myself doing some experiment at home?

This time my elder sister shared her Rava Idli recipe with me. It’s quite an easy method but little different than rice Idli. Rice Idli batter is made only with rice and urad dal but Rava Idli  batter is made with lots of ingredients and the main one is Rava or Suji. Which is the main part of this Rava Idli.

I enjoyed my breakfast with the Idlis, try at home I am sure you also fall in love with them.

 
Preparation time: 10 mints.
Cooking time: 15 mints.

Ingredients:

1.Rava or Suji : 100 gm.
2.curd : 75 gm.
3.Finely chopped green chilies: One tea spoon.
4.Finely chopped carrots: One table spoon.
5.Grated ginger : Half tea spoon.
6.Few cashew nuts.
7.Salt and sugar as per taste.
8.One tea spoon ghee.
For Tempting:
1.Few mustard seeds.
2.Few Urad Dal.
3.Few Curry Leaves.
4.Oil one table spoon.
Process:

Fry cashew nuts and carrots in ghee and keep it aside.

Now add little ghee in a vessel and fry the Rava for some time (switch of the gas before they become brown).

 
Now in a bowl add the dry roast rava and curd mix well and add all other ingredients with little water. The batter should be thick than rice idli.

Now add oil in a vessel and add mustard seeds, curry leaves and urad dal fry for some time. Now add them into the Idli mixture.

Now grease the idli pan with little oil and place the fried cashew nuts and carrots and then pour the batter into them (approx. one table spoon for one idli).

Now cook them in medium heat for 15 mint.

Serve hot with any Chutney.