Murg Methi

I harvested another crop of methi this weekend and put it to good use. Balcony farming is so addictive and fulfilling!!

Here is the recipe for Murg Methi:

Ingredients:


Boneless chicken cut into pieces - 500 gms
Chopped Methi - one cup
Finely sliced Onion - 1 (large)
Finely chopped tomato - 1 (large)
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Finely chopped Green chillies - 2
Curds - 1/4 cup
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp
Dhana powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Oil- 2 tbsps
Salt - taste

Method:


Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Saute the onions until brown. Add the methi leaves and continue cooking for 5-8 minutes. Now, add the chopped tomato, green chillies, ginger and garlic and cook until the oil begins to leave the side. Add the chicken, chilli,  turmeric, jeera, dhana and garam masala and cook until the chicken is almost completely cooked. Lastly, add the curd and a tea-spoon of sugar and cook until the chicken is tender and ready to be served. 

Mince and Mushroom Hotpot

Food has always been by biggest stress-buster. In the past, my bosses and colleagues have accepted that I always work better under pressure and on deadlines if I'm well-fed.
      Jayanti and I worked together 8 years ago (has it really been that long!). We met on the first day of our new job, having joined the company on the same day. We clicked instantaneously. Among a million things we had in common, it was our love for food that bound us inextricably. She'd recommend restaurants that I 'had to eat' at and I would maintain a diary with a checklist to ensure that I'd visited every single one of them.
Over the years we changed jobs, moved to different continents, stopped meeting each other as often as we did but we stayed in touch. (She is one of my closest friends!!)
It's hardly possible to visit restaurants together now unless we visit each other or meet in Mumbai sometime but that doesn't stop us from sharing our passion for food.
Every now and then I see an email from here telling me about a new recipe she's tried and from across the seas she inspires me to experiment with the same in my kitchen.
A few weeks ago Jayanti discovered 'Potts and Mince' as she calls it and sent me the recipe with the picture of a delicious looking, half eaten pie (they attacked it the minute it was ready so by the time the photograph was taken only half the pie remained).

This recipe is hers barring a few minor changes I've made to it. The measurements are approximate and you can play around with them to create a combination that works best for you. You must try it out!

Ingredients:


Chicken mince - 500 gms ( you can use lamb or beef too)
Potato Croquettes - 10 pieces
Button mushrooms - 10 pieces (sliced)
Cream of mushroom soup - half a packet
Parmesan cheese - 1/4 cup
Parsley leaves - a tsp

Method:


You can try my recipe here for cooking the mince. Make Cream of Mushroom soup with half a packet of the soup mix (knorr , maggie, etc) and keep it aside. We're going to use the soup as a sauce for the Hot Pot.

Pre-heat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Put the mince in an oven-proof baking dish and pour half the mushroom soup over it. Add a layer of sliced mushrooms and then the croquettes. Pour the rest of the soup over it. Now add a final layer of mushrooms and place the baking dish in the oven and cook for 20 minutes. When the croquettes are cooked well sprinkle the bake with parmesan cheese and cook for ten minutes or until the cheese melts. Serve hot and garnished with parsley.

Kolhapuri Mutton Sukhe

Here is another of Bhairavi's recipes. This recipe is a little time consuming but well worth the effort you put in.

Ingredients:


Mutton/Lamb meat - 500-750 gms
Finely chopped large onions - 2
Finely chopped tomato - 1
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1tbsp
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Grated dried coconut - half
Sesame seeds - 2 tbsps
Poppy Seeds - 2 tbsps
Kolhapuri Masala - to taste
Finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
Salt - to taste
Oil

Method:


Heat oil in a large pan and slightly fry the curry leaves. Now fry the onions until they're brown. Next, add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a couple of minutes. Add tomato and fry until soft & pasty and the oil begins to leave the side.Now add the Kolhapuri masala (this masala is usually very spicy so you'll need to go easy on the quantity) and fry for a couple of minutes. Add salt. Add the pieces of lamb and stir to mix well with the masala. Cover and cook till the meat is tender. Stir from time to time to ensure that the meat is evenly cooked (I use slightly more oil so I can cook the meat without using water).
In a separate pan roast the coconut until it's brown. Remove from pan. Now roast the sesame seeds and the poppy seeds still they change colour slightly. Grind the coconut, poppy seeds and sesame seeds to a coarse consistency using a little water. When the meat is almost cooked add this paste to it and continue cooking until the meat is tender.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Mutton Sukhe goes very well with rice bhakri (tandalachi bhakri) and an chopped onion salad.

A shortcut to Chicken Makhani

Butter Chicken is one of our favourite Indian, chicken main courses and earlier this month on our India trip we had to visit Delhi Darbar (Colaba) and Grand Central (Chembur); both make excellent butter chicken.
On a shopping trip to the local market later, we were picking up masalas to bring back to Eindhoven and found Chef Sanjeev Kapoor's Chicken Makhani spice mix.
Yesterday, we thought we'd use it to make a hassle free ,easy to cook Christmas lunch. Our experience so far has been that most ready mixes never taste like the real thing and are usually a not-so-bad compromise.
We were quite impressed with Sanjeev Kapoor spice mix and would definitely recommend it.
A few easy steps - a preparation plus cooking time of approximately half an hour and your butter chicken's ready to eat. With a few recommended final touches- fresh cream, a dollop butter and chopped coriander - the dish tastes even better.
So, if you're in the mood for some butter chicken at home and don't want to take too much trouble to make it, here's a decent shortcut we recommend.

Chicken Breasts with Cranberry-Balsamic Sauce

One long weekend in May (Whit Monday) we travelled North to spend a couple of days in Terchelling, a Dutch island in the North sea. After changing three trains, a boat and a bus we were finally there!!
Spring was at its best and the whole island was covered with wild flowers. As we rode by the numerous farms, we noticed that most mares had very recently given birth to foals.
We'd booked ourselves a little cottage in the middle of the island from where we could cycle the entire length and breath of the island without much difficulty.
      We spend the two days there cycling through the countryside and the woods, visiting quaint churches and farms, gorging on beer and delicious pizza at the shipwreck museum and restaurant, walking along the sea ( it was pretty windy and cold to be good 'beach weather') and trying out the various other restaurants on the island.

The Terchselling island is known for cranberries. Over 250 years ago, a barrel of cranberries, probably from a shipwreck, were washed to the shore. The islanders cultivated them and cranberries finding the environment favourable flourished. We found that most restaurants on the island served cranberry products - flavoured beer, cranberry wine, cheesecakes, sauces, dips, teas, jams, pancakes, etc. Shops in the town sold these products to tourists. We tasted some of the cranberry delicacies - wine ( yummy), beer (yuck), pancakes (delicious), cheese cake( super!!).

On our last day on the island we decided to do some shopping and bought some cranberry honey mustard sauce for our salads ( we loved it!), cranberry jam ( was pretty ok..not sure we'd buy it again), a box of cranberries coated in dark and while chocolate (delicious) and a box of dried cranberries.
We finished most of the stuff we'd bought very quickly barring the box of dried cranberries that lay untouched at the bottom of our storage shelf.
Just a few weeks ago I came across an apt recipe and decided to finally put the cranberries to good use.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:


Skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - 4
Dried cranberries - one cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Balsamic vinegar - 1/4 cup
Water - 3/4 cup
Maida or all-purpose flour - 2 tbsps
Olive oil

Salt

Ground black pepper powder

Method:


Combine the flour with a little salt and pepper and coat the chicken breasts with this. Heat oil in a pan/grill and cook the chicken on both sides until well done.
To another pan add the cranberries, sugar, balsamic vinegar and water and heat to a boiling point while stirring continuously. Now reduce the heat and continue to cook until the sauce thickens slightly.
Serve the chicken with the sauce poured on top and with some salad on the side.

Enjoy!!


Here is the link to some photographs from our trip:


http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=216190&id=682725954&l=84eb99e11c

Stuffed Red Chilli Peppers

Last week I bought canape cups at the local grocery store and toyed around with the idea of stuffing them with something. Unable to make up my mind about what this 'something' was going to be, I asked people on Facebook for their recommendations. So many people responded! And so many different ideas!
  A week passed and the canape cups still lay unused on the kitchen shelf.
This Saturday, at the weekly farmer's market I bought some gorgeous looking red chilli peppers and thought I'd experiment with them. Thanks to all the responses on FB I already had at least ten different ideas for the stuffing.
I built on an idea an old school friend suggested and the result was awesome!

Here goes:

Ingredients:

Large red chilli peppers - 6
Minced Meat(Red Meat Preferred) - 250 gms
Chopped Onion - 1 large
Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Taco Seasoning Mix
Dry White wine - 1/4 cup
Grated Cheese - 2 tbsp

Method:


Bring a pan of water to which a little salt has been added to a boil and  drop the chilli peppers in the pan so that they're submerged in the boiling water. Turn off the heat and remove the chilli peppers after 5 minutes and   pat dry with kitchen paper. Your chilli peppers are now ready - a little softened and slightly salted.

Heat oil in a pan and sauté the chopped onions until they're brown. Add the garlic paste and continue to sauté for another minute or until the garlic is no longer raw. Now, add the minced meat and brown it, stirring frequently. When the meat is browned stir in the white wine and season with salt. Continue to cook for another five minutes. Now, add a cup of water and some Taco seasoning mix and cook until the meat is tender. Your meat stuffing in now ready!

Slit the red chilli peppers on one side and remove the veins and the seeds. Stuff them with the minced meat and top it with a little cheese. Lay them out on a baking tray and cook them at 150 degrees Celsius for thirty minutes or until the cheese melts.

Voila!!! Enjoy your delicious Stuffed Red Chilli Peppers!!

Dhansaak!!!

I must've been in my early teens when we visited Pune with some relatives. I still hadn't been weaned off rolled chapatis with jam, a boiled egg and a banana for dinner. Believe it or not I hated food and to get me to eat was a big ordeal for my poor mother. One afternoon my Uncle suggested a Parsi lunch at Dorabjee, a Parsee eatery which was pretty well known then for its Dhansaak.
My dormant taste buds hadn't quite awakened then and my first experience at eating Dhansaak was a very forgettable one.

By the time I was fifteen I'd discovered a love for food and had begun to indulge in many a gastronomic adventure. As I grew older I was even open to culinary experiments and often found myself in the kitchen.

It was only years later in Mumbai that I started frequenting the many Parsee Restaurants in the Fort area (Jimmy Boy, Cafe Britannia, Mocambo, etc.) and learnt to appreciate a hot meal of brown rice with mutton dhansaak.

Last week, suddenly, I found myself craving for the Parsee delicacy. Living in Eindhoven, what I miss most about Mumbai, barring the people, is the food. Six months ago such a craving would have me hop onto a train or drive to Fort or even pester Kalpana(our cook) into making some at home. Kalpana, who has probably never eaten in a fancy restaurant, let alone a Parsee one, can make pretty good Dhansaak at home. She learnt to make it at another Maharashtrian home in our vicinity where she worked for a few years.
This time I had no alternative but to try my hand at cooking it myself.
Fortunately my spice rack was equipped with some Dhansaak Masala from a recent trip to India. (Badshah and Mangal both make pretty good Dhansaak Masala.)

So with a little help from the recommended recipe on the Mangal Masala packet, Sanjeev Kapoor's website and Kalpana, I successfully made my first Dhansaak!
This recipe is definitely tried and tested(or tasted) and definitely worth the 3 long hours in the kitchen.

So here it is:

Lamb Dhansaak

Ingredients:

250 gms boneless lamb( you can also use mutton or chicken)
1/2 cup tur dal
1/2 cup masoor dal
Oil (2 tbs spn)*
Onions Chopped (2 large)
Ginger-garlic paste(1 tbs spn)
Black Peppercorns (10)
Split green chillies (2)
Turmeric Powder (1/2 tsp)
Red Chilli Powder (1 tsp)
Tomatoes ( 2 large, chopped)
Potato (1 large, cubed)
Small Brinjals (4, cubed)
Red Pumpkin (150 gms, cubed)
Methi leaves (a handful, chopped)*
Mint Leaves ( 12, chopped)
Dhansaak Masala (3 tbs spn)
Tamarind Pulp ( 1 tbs spn)
Salt (to taste)
Coriander leaves (chopped finely)

*[You can use ghee instead of oil. I usually use olive oil for cooking]
*[Kalpana sometimes substitutes methi with palak leaves]

Method:

Wash and soak the dals in water for half an hour.
Heat the oil in a pressure cooker/pressure pan and sauté the onions until they're golden brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Toss in the green chillies and sauté for a minute.
 Add the lamb pieces and continue to sauté until the lamb is slightly browned. Now, add the peppercorns, turmeric and red chilli powder. Add 3 cups of water and then add the dals, pumpkin, potato and brinjals and bring the mixture to a boil and cook for another five minutes. Now, add the methi leaves, mint and tomatoes and cover the pressure cooker and cook (6 whistles and then simmer for ten mins).
After the pressure has eased, open the pressure cooked and remove the pieces of lamb from the mixture. Add the Dhansaak masala, tamarind pulp and salt to taste to the mixture and bring to a boil. Allow it to cool slightly and then blend the mixture to a pulp.
Transfer the mutton and the pulp to a pan and bring to a boil. Garnish with corriander. Serve hot with brown rice.



Parsee Brown Rice


Ingredients:

Uncooked Basmati Rice (1 1/2 cups)
Onions (Sliced, 2 large)
Cinnamon ( 2 inch stick)
Cloves (8-10)
Oil ( 2 tbs spns)
Sugar (3 tbs spns)
Salt (to taste)

Wash and soak the rice for 30 mins. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the onions till brown. While you sauté the onions in another pan caramelize the sugar by cooking it on medium heat with a tablespoon of water until it turns brown while stirring continuously. Once the sugar caramelizes add 4 cups of water to it and keep aside.
Add the cloves and cinnamon to the onions and fry them for 2-3 minutes. Now, add the drained rice and sauté it for another 2-3 minutes or until the water dries. Now add the caramel liquid and salt to taste and continue to cook on low heat until the rice is ready.