Olives and chicken

INGREDIENTS

Black olives 250 grams

Chicken 1 kg( breast pieces)                                       

Onion 5

Garlic 15-20 pods.

Chilly flakes 5 TSP

Rosemary 1 tsp

Oregano 1 tsp

Thyme 1 tsp

2 lemons

5-7tsp of butter

I tbsp olive oil for marination

1 tsp of garlic paste

Salt and sugar according to your taste

PROCEDURE

1)Marinated the chicken with lemon juice, olive oil, chilly flakes,1 tsp of garlic paste, salt and 1 tsp of sugar.. I have kept it overnight

2) take the vessel and heat 5 TSP of butter. Fry the onions till brown. Then add the garlic pieces and fry for another minute or two.

3) now add the marinated chicken and cook for 15 minutes in high flame with a led....you can add a cup of water here.

  4) Open the led and add the herbs( rosemary, thyme and oregano)and the olives.

If you want you can add some more butter here..mix very well and stir it for a minute so that the flavour of herbs and olives mixes with the chicken.

5) Now cover and cook in medium flame for another 10 minutes so that the smell of olives gets absorbed in the chicken.

Cook till the gravy gets dry and sticks to the chicken.while serving toss some garlic butter from the top.

Enjoy this with spaghetti or cheese bread.

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Cluster beans (Gavarfali Ki sabji)

This vegetable is very easily available and very popular amongst vegetarians of Uttar Pradesh. I Learnt it from a friend in Kanpur..

Ingredients
250 gramsof clusterbeans

Besan  5tsp

Red chilly powder 1tsp

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder  1tsp

Cumin powder 1tsp

Ajwain 1 full tsp

Mango powder( amchur) 1tsp

Garlic..6-8 pods

Green chilly 2

Ghee.2 TSP

Garam masala 1tsp

Sugar and salt according to your taste

Procedure

1) Wash the beans well and drain the water properly

2) Remove the two corners of each bean ( in local language we say cut the head and tail portion of the beans.)

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3) To steam the beans I have used my rice cooker. You can take water in a saucepan and boil the beans. I have steamed the beans for 10 minutes.

4) roasted besan and kept in aside

5)while I was steaming the beans I have prepared a nice mixture with all these spices... roasted besan,red chilly,turmeric,coriander,cumin,and amchur powder

6)Have taken 2spoofull of oil ..

When hot added the ajwain and let them sizzle.

7)then added chopped green chillies and chopped garlicpods.

Fry around 2 minutes till the raw smell goes away.

8)now add the masala and besan mixture 

Stir and cook well for another 2 minutes.

DON'T forget to stir continuously otherwise the besan and other spices might burn.

9) Now add the steamed guvarfalli( clusterbeans) and salt. Mix well so that all the vegetables are coated with spices.

10) Then cover and cook for another 10 minutes. I have added 1tsp of sugar here.

11) lastly add 1tsp of ghee and 1 tsp of garam masala powder and stir well.

Switch off the gas when it's dry.

Enjoy this dish with roti or paratha.

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sweetlime ( musambi) chicken

SWEET LIME CHICKEN

Yesterday my husband landed up with 2 dozens of mosambi ( sweet lime ) as Hyderabad is flooded with this fruit. as Hyderabad is the biggest producer of Mosambi in India. The sweet lime he got was neither too sweet nor too sou. So thought of using it wisely rather than eating it forcefully, just because it has good amount of vitamin C in it. So came up with an idea to infuse chicken with sweet lime juice and make a yummy starter.

Ingredients :  

750 gms of skinless chicken

10 sweet limes

1/2 cup honey 

1 lime 

2 Tsp of curd

20/25 pieces of garlic pods

3 tsp of sesame seeds

2 red chilly

salt according to taste

oil 

Procedure :

1. Marinate the chicken with lime juice,salt and half tsp of chilly powder for 1/2 an hour

2. Make juice out of 10 to 11 sweet limes  ( pl ensure that the seeds are taken out well else it will give a bitter taste ) 

3. Grind ( coarsely ) the red chilly and garlic.

4. Shallow fry the marinated chicken

5. Take a Pan, to it add 2 Tsp of oil and heat it and then add the grind chilly garlic paste. Stir it for minute, then lower the flame, add the bitten curd and salt to it . Ensure you stir it well in the pan and them slowly add the sweet lime juice which you have prepared earlier . Make sure you mix well with the spatula. slowly increase the flame and add the fried chicken. Boil it for around 10 min on medium flame .

6. When the gravy starts sticking to the chicken pieces and starts acquiring a thick consistency as shown in the picture. Now add honey & sesame seeds stir well and switch off the flame. 

PS : In case you want it more spicy or hot add chilly flakes from the top and serve.

Enjoy it with a glass of good wine.....

Sweet Mango Pickle (Aam ka chunda)

When you get hold of lots of raw mangoes...first thing which comes to my  mind is let's prepare sweet and sour mango pickle and preserve it for the whole year in the fridge. 

A bengali meal is never complete without chutney served at the end of the meal. Whenever I have this preserved pickle in the fridge it becomes so easy for me to just add some spices and date palm and add 3-4 tbsp of this pickle and just boil it make it a typical bengali Amm Khejurer Chutney.

Let's come to Ingredients:

3kg raw mangoes

Sugar 500 grams

Gur or jaggery 500 grams

2lemons 

2tsp of turmeric

1tsp of chilly powder

1tsp of salt

Spices to be grinded:

10-12 dry red chilli 

2tsp of cumin seeds

2tsp of corriender seeds

1/2 TSP of methi ( Fenugreek)seeds

1tsp of fennel seeds(sauf( big ones)

PROCEDURE

1)Grate the raw mangoes add sugar salt ,turmeric powder, chilly powder .Mix well and keep it for half an hour

2)Now grind all the spices( dry red chilly cumin , coriander, Fenugreek and fennel)

3) Grind your jaggery well so that it's easily dissolvable.

4) Switch on the gas and add the grated mangoes .you will see lot of water has come out from the mixture...don't worry.cook well for 15 minutes and then add the jaggery. Now lower the flame and cook it for another 30 minutes or till it gets sticky .

Keep continuous stirring so that it doesn't burn at the bottom.Thats why I always prefer nonstick vessel

5) when it's almost done add the grinded masala and lemon juice .Mix it very well and stir it for another 5 minutes so that the mangoes absorb the spices well.

Switch off and let it cool.

Fill the bottles only when the pickle is cold.

If you store it in the fridge you can enjoy throughout the year but if you prefer to keep it outside then you have to consume it within 2 months

3 kgs of Mangos

grated mango marinated with sugar,turmeric powder and salt

grinded jaggery 

massalas : cuminseeds, corriender seeds, dry red chilly, fennel seeds

cook in low flame for 30 minutes

Cook till its concentrated enough

 Many of us specially Gujaratis love to have this mango pickle along with parathas..,or puri.

Note@ Bengalis : Amer Chutney : Use 4 tea spoon of the above pickle, add 5 grated date palm, 1 tsp of tamarind  juice and boil in one cup of water and sprinkle bhaja massala from the top., your Bengali Chutney is ready.

chicken Haleem

Ramzan and haleem are two inseparable parts in Hyderabad . Generally its prepared with Mutton, being a chicken lover I always preferred chicken Haleem. So thought of giving a try at home. Though its a time consuming job but if prepared with patience seeing the end result one is bound to feel happy. Lets get on with the cooking with the ingredients.

Ingredients 1 :

Broken wheat ( Daliya ) : 75 gms

Tuar Dal : 1/4th cup

Channa Dal 1/4 th cup

Black Gram Dal : 1/4th Cup 

Masoor Dal : 1/4th Cup

Cashew ;1/8th Cup

Almond : 1/8th Cup

Kismis : 1/8th Cup

Cloves : 10 Nos 

Cardamom : 10 Nos 

Cinnamon stick : 4 Nos 

Black Pepper : 10 Nos 

Shah jeera : 1 tsp 

Cumin seeds : 1 tsp

Coriander seeds : 1/2 tsp

onion ( medium ) : 5 Nos 

Dry red chilli : 2 Nos 

Ingredients 2 :

Minced chicken : 500gm

Hung Curd :1/3 Cup

Cloves : 7 Nos 

Cardamom : 5 Nos 

Cinnamon stick : 2 Nos 

Black Pepper : 1 tsp

Ginger Garlic paste : 2 tsp

Chilly Powder : 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp

Green chilly paste : 5 Nos

Ghee : 1 Cup

coriander leaves 

Procedure : 

1. Marinate the chicken with curd, salt turmeric and chilly powder and ginger garlic paste .

2. Boil the marinated chicken with all the spices of Ingredients 2 . add enough water and 3 tsp of ghee. Pressure cook upto 7/8 whistle. 

3. Dry roast shah jeera, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and 2 dry red chilly .

4. Grind all the above shown lentils along with the already roasted spices in step 3 along with cashew, raisins and almonds  .

5. Make Beresta ( deep fried onions ) of 2 onions and fry some Cashew . Keep it aside for garnishing.

6.  Take a pressure cooker and add all the grinded powders mentioned in step 4. Add 4 cups of water to it & cover it and cook upto 4/5 whistles. 

7.  Take a kadai ( deep cooking pot ) , pour half cup of ghee.fry 2 onions and 1tsp of gingergarlic paste, fry till the raw smell is gone then add the boiled chicken and the boiled lentils ( step 6) and mix very well . Add coriander leaves and keep stirring  continuously.Cook it low flame for 45 min. 

8. Use a Masher to make a smooth paste . Before finishing add 1/4th cup of ghee and stir well.

Take it out in small portions in a bowl for serving.  Spread 2 tsp of ghee in each bowl and top it up with fried onions and cashew from the top . You can use a little of lemon juice .It enhance the taste. 

Coffee choco chip egg less cake

COFFEE CHOC CHIP CAKE (in pressure cooker)

I DEDICATE THIS CAKE TO ALL COFFEE LOVERS

Ingredients :

Flour ( Maida) : 1 and ½ cup

Backing powder:  ½ tsp

Sugar: ½ cup ( granulated )

Cocoa powder: ½ cup

Milk:200 ml

Butter: 50 ml

Coffee Cream :

Coffee: 3 tsp

Chocochips: 4 tsp

Sugar powder 2 tsp

Hot water: 2-3 tsp

Procedure :

1.     Take a pressure cooker with 250 grams of salt at the bottom and put it on the stove on high flame  ( Make sure that you put the lead of the pressure cooker without the rubber gasket and the  whistle. )

2.     Let the pre heating go on for 10 minutes in high flame. Meanwhile lets blend the ingredients and get the batter ready.

3.       Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and coco powder well .Then added the milk and butter.... .Now i have used an electric blender and blended all the ingredients.

4.       Grease the baking container and pour the batter....By this time the pressure cooker oven is ready.

5.       Put the container inside with a raised bottom plate and bake it for 25 minutes in low medium flame.

6.       Put a fork inside the cake and check whether its done or not...Mine took 22 minutes ..but it may differ depending on the flame of your  gas stove

7.       Now take the cake out and let it cool

8.       Meanwhile i prepared a fluffy cream with coffee, hot water, sugar and Chocó chips. Here also i have used electric beater. If you want dalgona coffee effect then please feel free to use your hand and beat the decoction for 30 minutes or may be more. (If you really like the bitter taste then omit sugar )
9.  After your cake has cooled down cut it horizontally in two half  ...apply a thin layer of butter followed by benevolent amount of coffee cream between the layers of cake.

Save some cream and apply on top of the cake and  decorate with 2 tsp of chocochips. You can also use some whipped cream on top.  but i prefer to sprinkle some  powdered  sugar as i prefer  to retain the taste of coffee as it is.

Once you take a bite you should have the feeling you are having a cup of strong coffee with a nice choco cake.

ENJOY

Cabbage & Egg Cutlet gravy

Now a days market is full of cabbage. So wanted to give it a twist with egg which I learnt from a blogger friend. There are two ways of having this dish either dry or with little curry. Personally prefer little gravy.

Ingredients:

• Half cabbage
• 4 eggs
• 2 Dry red chilly
• One onion paste
• 2_3 tomatoes
• 2 tsp of cumin seed paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp each of turmeric and chilly powder

Procedure:

1)Cut the cabbage in Julian size and mix salt. Keep it aside for half an hour

2) Now mix 4 eggs so that all the cabbage pieces are coated with egg.

3)Coat the pan with 1 tbsp of oil.heat well.Now pour this mixed cabbage and egg and lower the flame

4)Cook it for 10 mins in low flame

5)After one side is done turn it over with a help of a plate and cook similarly the other side. Don't use too much oil as you will need oil in every step. 

6) Now let it cool down for a while and cut the whole thing into pieces. Medium or small totally depends upon you.

7) Now fry the Pieces again properly. At this point you can deep fry as it is and have it with snacks.

Or

You can shallow fry the Pieces in medium flame and put these in the gravy

8)Add little oil. Add 2 bay leaves.. then add the onion paste and ginger garlic paste. Cook it till the raw smell goes away.

9)Now add the tomatoes and cumin paste and cook well for another 7 mins

10) Add turmeric , chilly and salt according to your taste. I added 1 tsp of sugar at this point .Cook and blend the spices well then add a cup of water and let it boil.

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11)Then slowly add the fried cabbage pieces till the spices go inside. Cook till it gets little dry as we don't want a runny curry.

12) lastly add 1/2 tsp of garam masala and 1 tsp of ghee from top.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Hot Rice

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