Jan 16

Homestyle Mutton Curry

Today I decided I want to try something different in Mutton, else my son convinces me to always make his favourite Chilli fry.


I kept getting directives from family members, no white gravy, no coconut, no cashews, nothing heavy, keep it simple homestyle..

Searched for a few recipes but nothing tempted me. Then remembered the masala I make for my biryani and decided to try a variation based on that.

The mutton is cooked for a while in rich onion gravy and it’s flavour comes from the lack of too many masalas and additions, just from the onions and meat roasted gently to extract flavour.

INGREDIENTS

Mutton 1KG

7 sliced onions

300 ml curd

2-3 tbsp Kashmiri Red Chilli powder

3- 4 tsp Kitchen King Masala powder

15 roughly chopped Garlic cloves

4-5 slit Green Chilies

Salt

Oil

1. Deep fry the onions till crisp and brown. When cool make a paste and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and slit chilies and stir for a couple of minutes till garlic is golden brown.

3. Add the fried onion paste and stir.

4. Now add red chili powder, kitchen king masala powder and salt and mix well. Add little water so that spices don’t burn and mix well for a couple of minutes.

5. Add the mutton pieces and bhunno on high heat for 7-8 minutes.

6. Add curd and mix well. Add half a cup of water, bring to boil, simmer on low heat, cover and cook for half hr.

7. If the mutton is still underdone then add half cup water and pressure cook – 3 whistles and slow on 5 mins.

8. Adjust the seasoning and serve hot. Garnish as desired.

Recipe adapted from Jaspreet Nirula.

Dec 05

Meat & Mushroom Lasagna

When u want to keep trying something new but due to all the experimenting, many favourite dishes don’t make a comeback for a long time.

I think it could be over 4 years since I made a lasagna. It makes such an impressive meal with a balance of sauces with the pasta sheets not overpowering the meat here. The cheese hitting just the right spot.


This big dish was finished in 15 mins by our family of 4, it was that yum


Ingredients

BOLOGNESE SAUCE

500 gms mutton mince

2 big onions

5 skinless tomatoes puréed or chopped

1/2 pkt tomato purée

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

10 minced garlic

Salt

1 tsp Chilli flakes

1 tbsp maida

Mixed Italian herbs – fresh or dried

1/2 packet of mushrooms – sliced

1/2 cup chopped basil

1. Blanch or roast the tomatoes or remove skin and chop or purée as per preference.2. In a pan, heat olive oil and add the onions and garlic. Sautée to pink3. Add the mince and brown it well4. At intervals add the tomato puree, pkt purée, Worcestershire sauce, chilli flakes and dried herbs . 5. Let this cook out for about an hr adding little water as it becomes dry 6. When the mince is 90% done add the mushrooms and let it cook.7. Add the maida and let it thicken up.8. Add the fresh basil. Adjust seasons and switch off gas



CHEESE SAUCE

2 tbsp butter

4 tbsp all purpose flour

3/4 cup milk

Salt

2 cubes grated processed cheese

Pinch of Nutmeg (optional)

Water as per requirement

1. Heat butter in a pan, add the APF and sautee it.2. Lower flame and add milk, mix well to make a thick roux.3. Add the salt, cheese and nutmeg and mix well4. Add water as per consistency required (like a thick batter)



ASSEMBLY

6-8 pasta sheets (no cook variety) 2 cubes grated processed cheese

100 gms grated mozarella cheese

1. PreHeat oven to 180 degree2. Spread a thin layer of the bolognese sauce.3. Add the pasta sheet to cover the sauce4. Then add a thin layer of the cheese sauce.5. Add the pasta sheet over it. Repeat with red sauce and so on6. On the top layer, end with the cheese sauce and sprinkle the grated processed and mozarella cheese.7. Bake for 20-25 mins or until the top is golden brown and the skewer comes out clean

Nov 20

Chicken & Cheese Tacos

My son recently started loving Tacos and I don’t think I have made them at home for over 4 years. 


The other day I found these boxes of crispy taco shells, so I immediately grabbed them with a plan to surprise him. It took me 3 weeks to finally make it as muhurat hi Nahi Bana.


With my versatile trusted charred Bell pepper sauce in hand I made these super yummy and simple Chicken tacos loaded with cheese. Also made sour cream and salsa from scratch to pair with it. Happy happy.

INGREDIENTS

1 box of readymade crispy taco shells

750 GM’s boneless chicken

1 cup of Charred Bell pepper sauce/Mexican sauce

Lime

Salt

1/2 lime juice

Chopped coriander

Finely sliced cabbage

Grated pizza cheese

Oil

  1. Marinate the chicken in the Mexican sauce. Check seasoning before marinating. Leave overnight or minimum 2 hrs.
  2. Heat oil in a pan, add the marinated chicken and cover cook until done.
  3. Mix line juice and coriander and adjust seasoning. Shut gas and let it cool.
  4. Microwave the ready taco shells for 90 seconds following packet instructions
  5. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
  6. Place a layer of sliced cabbage then top with chicken and add some of the gravy too.
  7. Top with grated cheese and line the tacos in a tray.
  8. Put it in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
  9. Served hot with chilled Salsa and Sour cream.

Nov 20

Chicken Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce

When the client asks for something you have never made and you say yes presuming it’s easy, you are in for a challenge.


I presumed Satay Chicken would be easy but when I experimented with flavours both of the chicken marinade and the peanut dipping sauce, I struggled till I finally got a version I liked. And when the client liked it too, I thought it deserved a spot on the blog.
Chicken Satay & peanut dipping sauce an easy to serve and eat starter at any party. Recipe to be uploaded soon


INGREDIENTS
500 gm boneless chicken pcs
Turmeric
Salt
MARINADE
100 ml packaged coconut milk
2 big onions
5 cloves garlic
1″ ginger
3 stalks lemon grass
2 tbsp fish sauce/ 2 tsp soya sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp red curry paste
Juice of 1 lime
Salt 

  1. Rub the chicken with salt and haldi and leave for 30 mins
  2. Make a paste of all the ingredients mentione under marinade. 
  3. Marinate the chicken for minimum 2 hrs or overnight.
  4. Preheat oven to 200 degress C. 
  5. Line a tray with aluminium foil and spread the chicken out. Drizzle oil over them.
  6. Cook for 20-30 mins or until chicken is tender..
  7. Once cool, skewer 3 pcs on to one stick
  8. Heat oil in a pan, and pan fry on high flame to get some colour on the chicken post the oven.
  9. Just drizzle the marinade as u flash fry.

PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE
200 gm chunky peanut butter
2 tbsp red curry paste
50 ml coconut milk
50 ml water appx
2 tsp soya sauce
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
Salt

  1. Place coconut milk, red Thai curry paste and peanut butter in a pan.
  2. Heat and mix it well. Adjust consistency by adding water little by little.
  3. Add the soya sauce, apple cider vinegar, sugar and salt and keep on low flame for 5 mins.
  4. Serve warm with the satay.

Oct 27

Thai Green Curry

I like Thai Curries though am not a great fan so don’t make it often. I usually make the red Thai curry and recently had an order for green. So I took it up and then started hunting for recipes.

I picked a few tips and tricks from few recipes and made it my own. Trust me it’s a damn good curry. So give it a try

Ingredients

PASTE

1 stalk lemongrass (thick stalk)

3-4 green chillies (I used the Thai green ones)

1 onion

8 garlic cloves

1 1/2-inch size piece of galangal (or ginger, thinly sliced)

1/2 cup chopped coriander

3/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon jeera powder

1/2 teaspoon white pepper powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 tbspn soya sauce

2 tablespoon lime juice

1 tbsp brown sugar

3 tablespoon coconut milk (enough to blend ingredients together) OR water

1. Grind all these ingredients to a fine paste.


OTHER INGREDIENTS

1 pkt mushroom cut into 4 pcs each

5 baby corn cut lengthwise into 4 pcs

1 Broccoli head cut into small florets

1 zucchini cut into roundels and further halved

1 bell pepper slit long

300ml coconut milk

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp finely chopped lemongrass stalks

1 tsp soya sauce

1/2 cup chopped basil

2-3 slit red birds eye chilli

6-7 lemon leaves

Salt

1. Heat oil in a kadhai, fry the paste for a couple of minutes.

2. Add half of the water and start cooking the vegetables adding them in intervals based on the cooking time – in order baby corn, mushrooms, zucchini, bell pepper and broccoli.

3. Once 90% cooked add half of the coconut milk and add salt, soya sauce, chopped lemon grass, basil leaves and lime leaves. Mix and adjust flavour.

4. Add the sliced chillies and mix well.

5. Add the rest of the coconut milk and adjust with water as per consistency desired.

6. Give it one boil and shut gas.

7. Serve hot with rice.

Note – if adding chicken. Then add it after step 1. Let it cook till 80% done then start adding the veggies. U can also add a tbsp of fish sauce to it.

Oct 06

Chicken Lasooni

I had made Paneer Lasooni a while back and was pretty happy with the outcome. So when I got an order for Chicken Lasooni, I went ahead and said yes even though I had never made it before.

This version adapted from the paneer recipe seems to have been well received as have made it multiple times for orders and so now it finds a place on the blog too. Plus I needed an excuse to showcase my new logo and the new pan too.

INGREDIENTS

MARINADE

Marinate for 4 hrs

750 gm chicken

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

Half lemon

1 cup hung curd

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp Garam masala

1/4 tsp haldi

1 tbsp red chilli paste

Salt

1.Marinate the chicken for minimum 4 hrs or overnight.

2. Either grill the chicken with the marinade in the oven or pan fry it and keep aside. (The residue liquid can be stored to flavour rice)

PASTE

Oil

1 tsp Jeera

2 Choti elaichi

3 cubed onions

5 cubed tomatoes

12 garlic flakes

1.5″ ginger

10 cashews

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp chilli powder

5 dried Kashmiri chilli

500 ml water

Salt

1. Heat oil, Sautee all the ingredients for a few minutes by adding them one by one.

2. Once mixed well add the water and cover and cook for 15 mins or till the tomatoes are soft and water is slightly absorbed.

3. Cool and make a fine paste in the mixer.


OTHER

Oil

1 tsp Jeera

1.5 ginger julienned

2-3 green chillies chopped.1 onion chopped

1/2 cup garlic chopped

1/2 cup curd

Salt

1 tsp Garam Masala

1 tsp kasuri methi

3 tsp fresh cream

1 tbsp butter

Chopped coriander

1. Heat oil in a pan, add the jeera.

2. When it sizzles add the onion, garlic, ginger and chillies. Sauté till it’s golden brown.

3. Add the masala paste and mix well. Fry for few minutes.

4. Add the curd, salt, garam masala powder and kasuri methi. Mix well. Let it cook for a bit till it leaves oil.

5. Check and adjust seasoning and add the pre cooked chicken.

6. Add the cream and mix.

7. Add the butter and garnish with coriander leaves.

Recipe adapted from Sanjyot Keer

Sep 17

Focaccia

I have been postponing making Focaccia for a while, don’t know why I used to overthink the process and my nerves always got the best of me.


When I finally made it for the first time it was so good that the kids demanded it again. I didn’t take pics the first time, second time I took it in the night and wasn’t too happy with them.

Finally made it for lunch today along with some creamy mushroom soup and got some pictures that shows how delicious and filling this lovely bread can be.

Thank you Sumod Sarr for your fallback recipes and Himanshu for guiding me the first time I made focaccia

INGREDIENTS

All purpose flour – 3 cups

Lukewarm water – 1 1/8 cups

Sugar – 2 Table spoon

Olive oil – 2 Table spoon

Salt – 1 teaspoon

Yeast – 2 Teaspoon

TOPPINGS

6-7 cherry tomatoes

7-8 basil leaves

1/2 pkt sliced mushrooms

Sliced Green olives

1 caramelized sliced onions

Parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Salt

METHOD

1. In a bowl take 1 1/8 cup lukewarm water, add 1 tsp sugar and 2 tsp dry yeast. Mix well and set aside to rise.

2. In a large mixing bowl, take All purpose flour add olive oil, sugar and salt.

3. Mix all the above using a scrape to make smooth soft dough, transfer to a lightly floured work table and knead gently at least 10 Minutes. Make a ball shaped dough.

4. Transfer it back to lightly greased mixing bowl, gently grease with olive oil and cover with a wet cloth and set aside to rise for 1 ½ to 2 Hours or till it doubles in size

5. When it has doubled in size , knock down the dough, knead it a litte.

6. Take a well greased tray (11″ X 9″) Pat down the dough and spread it to all sides of the tray.

7. Place the toppings spread out on the dough. Remember to put the cherry tomatoes cut side upward. Don’t put the basil now.

8. Makes some indentation all over the dough.

9. Leave it to rest covered for 30 mins or till it rises slightly puffy.

10. Make more indentation and Drizzle olive oil with a spoon over the top, sprinkle some sea salt. Poke the crust with a skewer which will help it release steam while baking.

11. Put it to bake in a preheated oven at 180-200 degrees for 16-18 minutes. The crust gets golden fast so keep an eye.

12. Allow the bread to rise and get a golden crust.

13. 5 minutes before it’s baked, remove and top with Basil leaves and shaved parmesan cheese. Pop it back in to bake for 5 mins.

14. When baked, remove and Let it cool for 5-7 minutes then demould. Slice and serve warm

Recipe courtesy – sumodtomzcuisine

Sep 17

Pan Fried Basa and the works

When u plan an elaborate Sunday Lunch for your family, there is no holding back.

PAN FRIED BASA

INGREDIENTS

4 Basa Fillets

1/4 cup maida

1 tsp chilli powder

salt

Olive oil

1. Pat dry the basa fillets well to absorb all extra moisture.

3. Mix the maida salt and chilli flakes.

2. Either leave the fillet whole or cut into 3″ pieces.

4. Coat the basa in this mix and dust of the extra flour.

5. Pan fry on either side for few minutes till it’s cooked through. Start with 30 seconds on high heat on both sides to get it golden brown then Couple of minutes on slow.

6. At serving time dress the fish with the salsa.



CHILLI CORIANDER SALSA
INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup finely chopped coriander

3 minced green chillies

3-4 minced garlic cloves

1/2 lime juice

1/2 tbsp vinegar

Olive oil

Salt

1. Mix a the ingredients together and adjust seasoning. Add more lime juice if required

GARLIC SMASHED POTATOES
INGREDIENTS

1/2 kg baby potatoes

3 tbsp butter

Olive oil

7 minced garlic

1 tbsp mixed herbs

1 tsp chilli flakes

Salt

1. Wash the baby potatoes well, do not remove skin. Pierce all around with a fork.

2. Put it in a cooker with salt and water and give it one whistle and shut the gas.

3. When the whistle has dropped, take out the potatoes and with a flat bowl press the potatoes down gently to smash it lightly.

4. Take a baking tray and place the potatoes spread out.

5. Brush with butter and drizzle olive oil.

6. Sprinkle the garlic, herbs, chilli flakes and salt.

7. Put it in a preheated oven at 180 and let it grill for 15-20 mins till the skin crisps and looks golden brown.


MUSHROOM HERB RICE
INGREDIENTS

1 cup cooked rice

1 packet mushrooms sliced

8 minced garlic

3 tbsp butter

1 tbsp mixed herbs

1 tsp chilli flakes

Salt

1. In a pan heat butter and fry the garlic till it’s light brown.

2. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook on highflame.

3. Once done add the cooked rice, herbs, chilli flakes and salt and mix well.

4. If u find the rice dry add a little more butter and mix. Be careful not to break the rice.

5. Serve hot.

CORN CREAM CHEESE

250 gms boiled sweet corn

3 tbsp maida

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup milk

3-4 tbsp cheese spread

1 tsp mixed herbs

Salt

1. Heat oil and sautee the maida.

2. Lower flame or switch it off, add the milk and mix well to make a thick smooth paste.

3. Switch on flame, add the cream cheese, herbs and salt and mix well.

4. Add the corn, adjust seasoning and cook till the sauce gets a bit thicker. Shut gas

Sep 09

Soya Matar Masala


Tuesdays are the days my husband fasts and we try and eat vegetarian food that day. Soya is one ingredient I don’t enjoy except maybe in a galouti kebab and he absolutely loves soya.

Today I wasn’t in the mood to eat dinner so decided to make soya matar masala for him. Made the basic gravy I use for diff vegetarian masala curries and prepared this soya matar masala

I had no intention of putting it on the blog but when I received positive comments for the picture by my foodie friends thought why not. So here it is.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 cup soya chunks

1 cup boiled green peas

1+1 chopped onions

2 chopped tomatoes

6 chopped garlic

1″ chopped ginger

7-8 cashews

2 chopped green chillies

1/2 pkt tomato puree

3 tbsp curd

1 tsp Jeera

1 bay leaf

1″ cinnamon stick

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp haldi

Salt

Oil

1 tbsp crushed kasoori methi

1/2 tsp kitchen king masala

Water

Chopped coriander leaves

1. Put the soya chunks in a cooker with little salt and water. Give it 3 whistles and keep it on slow flame for 3 minutes. Let the whistle drop and then strain the soya and squeeze it dry when cooled.

2. Heat oil in a pan, add 1 onion, ginger, garlic and chilli and sauté till brown.

3. Add the tomatoes and cashews and mix it well.

4. Add little water and cover cook till tomatoes are soft.

5. Blitz in the mixer to a puree

6. Heat another pan, add jeera, cinnamon and bay leaf.

7. Add onion and sautee till golden brown.

8. When fried well, add the onion-tomato paste and mix it.

9. Add the packet tomato puree, coriander powder, chilli powder and haldi. Fry off for a few minutes.

10. Add water, curd and salt and mix well. Adjust consistency and seasoning.

11. Add the kasuri methi and kitchen king masala, mix

12. Add the soya and matar and cover cook for 10 minutes.

13. Garnish with chopped coriander.




Aug 27

Southern Italian Vegetable Soup

It’s been a while since I made some soup, have been waiting to try this one but I just seemed to be missing some or the other ingredients.

Today finally made this hearty wholesome soup. Perfect for someone on a diet or wanting to stick to a healthy diet. It’s a meal by itself and pairing it with some warm bread will have your dinner sorted.

INGREDIENTS
4 tomatoes
1 onion
8 garlic
1 potato
1/4 cup cabbage
1/2 carrot
1/4 cup macaroni
2 tbsp celery (optional)
2 tsp fresh basil (optional)
Salt
4 cups water
1 tbsp mixed Italian herbs
Juice of half a lime
Olive oil

  1. Boil tomatoes till the skin splits. Peel the skin and puree the tomatoes.
  2. Finely dice the onion, garlic, potato, cabbage, celery and carrot.
  3. Saute the onion and garlic in some olive oil till pink.
  4. Add the carrots and potatoes and sautee for a few minutes.
  5. Add the cabbage and celery and sautee for a few minutes.
  6. Add the tomato paste, water and macaroni and bring it to a boil.
  7. Add salt, seasoning and pepper (optional) and cook covered on a sim.
  8. Once the macaroni and veggies are cooked but still have a bite to them squeeze some lime and adjust seasoning.
  9. Serve it with some bread on the side.

Serves 4