Caramel Wings: Main Course

Showing posts with label Main Course. Show all posts

Monday, August 4, 2014

Recipe: Thai Curry with Jasmine Rice.

Mothers are truly God's wonders. Other than being intuitive and unconditionally loving, they also have a good amount of 'tough love' going on for us, which is expressed in various forms from a yelling to taunting to sometimes letting you down just so you decide to prove her wrong. Little do we know that it is all a ploy, and while we prove it to her, she sheepishly smiles, for it is her victory. Just like that, Mom pulled me out of bed this Sunday just to tell me that I could not cook a good Thai Curry. I was nagged from step 1 to the final garnish, and when I asked her for feedback, all I received was a silent nod of approval. It was when I saw her go back for seconds (rare occurrence) that I realized I did deliver. She made me cook the Jasmine Rice again for dinner, just to finish the Thai Curry leftovers. I'll take that as a compliment!

Thai Curry
Serves 4-5
Recipe: Self/Various/Based on trial and error

Ingredients:

For the Curry:

4 Tbsp Thai Curry Paste (readily available in markets)
3 Tbsp Oil
1 Lemongrass Root (Optional)
2 Cups Diced Assorted Vegetables (I used Brinjal, Cherry Tomato, Baby Corn, Baby Onions. Mushrooms, Zucchini and Asparagus work great too!)
2 Cups Coconut Milk
1 Cup Prawns, de-veined, with tails on. (You can add Chicken or Tofu or Soy Nuggets)
1 tsp Palm Sugar/Sugar
Fish Sauce, to taste
2-3 Kaffir Lime Leaves
2-3 Basil Leaves

For the Rice:

1.5 Cups Medium Grained Rice
3.5 Cups Water
1 Jasmine Tea bag
Salt, to taste.

Method:

For the Curry:

Heat up Oil on a medium high pan, add in the Thai Curry paste. You can use the Green or Yellow or Red paste, as per your liking. Be careful as this will splatter. Cook thoroughly till you can smell the fragrance.

Add in the Vegetables and toss them well till coated. Keep mixing them around for 2 minutes. If you are making a Chicken/Tofu/Soy Nugget Thai Curry, your protein will go in at this stage. Mix for 2 extra minutes.

I used the Coconut Milk powder to make my Coconut milk. I made a cup and half of thin Coconut milk and a cup of thick Coconut Milk. If you're using the canned stuff, that is already thick enough, so use 3/4 Cup of thick canned Coconut Milk and dilute it with 3/4 Cup of warm water to make thin Coconut milk.

Add the thin Coconut milk to the vegetables and mix well. Turn the heat to medium low. Add the Sugar/Palm Sugar and mix. Leave the spatula in your gravy to avoid any splitting or curdling.

When the curry comes up to simmer, add in the prawns. Cover and cook for 3 minutes (you will still cook for these 3 minutes even if you do not add the Prawns). Finish with the thick Coconut milk, and check for seasoning. Add Fish sauce as per taste. Final flourish would be hand-torn leaves of Basil and Kaffir Lime.

For the Rice:

I cooked my rice in a pressure cooker. Simply throw all the ingredients in together and cook till done, about 20 minutes.

If you are making rice in a normal pan then I suggest boiling water first (use 4 cups water if cooking without pressure cooker), when it starts to boil, add in the tea bag and salt, and let it come to a vigorous rolling boil. Add in the rice and cook with the lid on until done, about 17 minutes on a medium low flame.

Discard tea bag before serving.

Enjoy!

Saturday, December 21, 2013

5 Things : A new series! Sofitel, Mad Over Donuts, Hard Rock Cafe, Faasos and a Cheese Overload!

I've been meaning to start this for a while now.

5 things that make me smile : Mostly about Food. But you know me, I'll put up anything!

So here it goes!

1. Lunch Buffet at Sofitel, Bandra Kurla Complex:

Tried out the brunch at Pondicherry Cafe recently, and I must say they have a pretty awesome spread! While they also have a live Pizza, Pasta and Noodle table, there are innumerable amounts of options and one could spend a leisurely time while enjoying sumptuous food! Special mention for the amazing Sushi counter and the Cold Cut and Fish station!

Spaghetti in Lemon Cream Sauce. Quick, Easy, and of course, Delicious.

After all that festive mithai eating and binging on Indian food over this Diwali, there was a desperate need to eat something light yet creamy, not overloaded with spices yet flavorful, and that is how this dish happened. Lemon and Butter is the kind of combination that can never go wrong in my opinion, unless you manage to get some Lemon in your eyes or burn down the Butter to bits that are darker than the usual brown. If you haven't been a part of kitchen

Bettering Breakfast #3 Let's tour North India, shall we? Chhole with Aloo Fry and Baked Bhature.

I have become so obsessed with these breakfast posts that I keep getting ideas in my head all day long!! But one thing that I really want to cover in this series is Breakfasts from all over India. Starting from the North! How can anyone not like a heavy Chhole Bhature breakfast?

I remember when I lived in Delhi, every morning we would go out and eat Nagpal Ke Chhole Bhature, and I used to be full in just 1 of those deep fried large Bhaturas. Served with a side of Carrot Pickle, some Curd and Onions cut into rings, this makes the best heavy breakfast after which you feel fully satiated. I could have this dish more often but it's too oily! So I decided to bake the Bhaturas and I was not disappointed at all!

Chhole, Masala Aloo and Baked Bhature
Serves 4
Recipe by Sanjeev Kapoor

Ingredients:

For the Chhole:
2 cups Chickpeas soaked overnight.
1 large Onion, chopped.
1 Medium Tomato, chopped.
2 Green Chilies, Slit.
1 tbsp Red Chili Powder
2 tbsp Coriander Powder
2 tbsp Everest Chhole Masala

For the Aloo:
2 medium Potatoes, boiled and diced.
Salt
Chaat Masala

For the Baked Bhature :

2 cups Flour
1 tbsp Instant Yeast
1/2 cup Warm Water
1/2 cup Milk+Yogurt
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Sugar
1 tbsp Poppy Seeds (optional)

Coriander leaves for garnish.

Method:

Cook Chhole as per instructions on the packet of Everest Chhole Masala. (I will be putting up step by step pics here once I have them, the last time there was some problem with my Camera)

Dissolve Sugar in warm water and add yeast to it. Leave it covered for 5 minutes. In the mean time cut your Potatoes into dice.

By now your yeast must have turned nice and frothy. Something like this.

Sift the Flour and Salt together.

Add in all remaining ingredients to it.

And knead it into a nice dough ball. I left mine for an hour to rise for 30 minutes.

While the dough rises, heat up a pan with some oil, and fry the Potato Dice till nice and golden brown.

Toss them in Salt and Chaat Masala, and also some Aamchur if you desire. Set aside. You may leave them on the tava without any heat, as the residual heat would still leave them crisp.

Your dough must have risen by now.

Divide it into 8-9 Lemon sized rounds. Preheat oven to 200C/400F

Roll these out one by one into cute oblongs and place on greased baking sheet!

Let them bake for 10 minutes or till slightly golden brown, lesser than what you see in this pic.

Transfer Chhole on to a plate and top them with Masala Aloo, and sprinkle some Cilantro/Coriander for garnish. Serve with hot yummy Bhature and forget feeling heavy and lethargic later! :)

YUM!

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Cooking Beginner? Wanna Impress Someone? Worry not, Murg Methi is to the rescue!

The cooking skill level of this recipe is inversely proportional to the taste rating. That is how simple it is. Ideal for bachelors or novices in cooking!!

My family was raving about it bigtime.The brother bought me a special chocolate at almost midnight just to thank me for this dish and is asking me to make it everyday for 3 years at least, yes, it is that good.

But one must know that it is after all Chicken cooked with Fenugreek Leaves and is going to have a distinct taste of its own. Try not to compare it with Butter Chicken or Chicken Curry, pretty please?

Here's the recipe :

Murg Methi (Chicken cooked in Fenugreek Leaves)
Serves 4
Recipe credit : Some TV show I watched accidentally on ETV Marathi (of all the channels! :| )

Ingredients :

Chicken Marinade:

1 kg Chicken, cut into medium sized pieces, washed thoroughly.
1 tbsp Salt
1 tbsp Turmeric Powder
2 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 small Onion,Puréed.
6 tbsp Oil
1 heaped tbsp Garam Masala Powder
1 tbsp Red Chili Powder
A handful of Chopped Coriander/Cilantro Leaves
3/4 cup Curd, beaten.

Fenugreek Mixture:

2 cups Fenugreek Leaves, chopped (You could also use spinach if you have no Fenugreek)
1 medium Onion, Chopped.
2 Green Chilies, each cut into two.
1 tbsp Cumin seeds
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Cream/Milk (Optional)
A pinch of Sugar
1/2 tsp Kasuri Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)

Method:

Get the Fenugreek Leaves all chopped up.

Marinate the Chicken. Just add all the ingredients of the marinade in with the Chicken.

Now, just mix.

That's it. Put this mixture in a cold pan. Just transfer the whole thing.

And then turn on the Gas. Let it cook on high for 3 minutes or until it starts to sizzle and bubble.

Cover this, turn the gas to low and let it cook for 15-20 minutes.

In the mean time, take another pan and add Oil to it. Heat it up and add Cumin seeds, let them crackle.

Add in the chopped Green Chili and Onion and Sauté it till Onions are brown.

Then add in the Chopped Fenugreek Leaves and stir well, add salt and sugar, turn the heat to medium low and cover it.

Check on your Chicken.

It should be nice bubbling and yellowish orange to look at. Also you will fall in love with the aromas in your kitchen. All you have to do is mix this chicken into the Fenugreek mixture.

Just pour everything into the fenugreek pan. Then mix well to combine, add the milk/cream, and kasuri methi, and let this guy cook for 10 more minutes with the lid on.

I know. It looks YUM right!! But control yourself and let it all cook and let the flavors really marry each other :)

Turn off the stove after 10 minutes and transfer to the serving bowl, or don't if you don't want to :P But let this cool a little bit before you serve it and make the Mmmmmmm sound :) This doesn't really need a garnish!

Best served either with Roti/Naan or also with Rice. Or just as is!

Monday, October 17, 2011

The Will-You-Marry-Me? Butter Chicken

If I had to state one particular recipe which has wow-ed the people I cook for the most, then I would have to say that it’s my version of Sanjeev Kapoor’s Butter Chicken. This recipe has never failed to impress anyone who has ever had it and they always keep wanting more. So much so that someone actually asked me to marry them :P So here’s my version of the recipe!

The Will-You-Marry-Me? Butter Chicken
Serves 4
Recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor with minor adjustments.

Ingredients:

Chicken, 1kg if using bone in, or 700 grams if using boneless

Marinade:

Juice of 1 Lemon
1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
2 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 cup Curd
2 tablespoons Mustard Oil (Or any other oil is fine too)
1 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Butter

Gravy:

50 grams Butter (5 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon Oil
Whole Garam Masala (4 cloves, 4 pods of Cardamom, an inch of Cinnamon, A bay leaf)
2 tablespoons Ginger Garlic Paste
2 chopped green chilies
2 cups/400gm Tomato Purée (I used 200gm store bought plus ground 2 large Tomatoes) 1 cup Water
1 tablespoon Red Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons Sugar
½ teaspoon Fenugreek Leaves (Kasuri Methi)
1 cup Cream
More butter and some Coriander for Garnish

Method:

Let’s start off by Hanging our Curd :) Here’s how to do it. Place a thin cloth, preferably muslin, folded and then over another medium sized bowl.

Add 1 cup of curd.

Tie this up like a potli or a coin purse, the opposite ends together, and then hang it some place safe, with the bowl under it and let the curd water drip for 15 minutes. Your hung curd is ready :)

Now put his curd over your chicken along with all the other ingredients for the marinade, and mix away! I like using my hands so that the marinade gets everywhere and is coated properly. I’d like to make a note here about the Chicken, if you get boneless variety then get them cut into bite sized pieces from the butcher, else I recommend bigger pieces. I like the Chicken cooked bone in, has way better flavor, plus I am not working at a restaurant so bones are really okay!

Anyway so keep this chicken in the refrigerator for about an hour to 90 minutes. Preheat your oven to 200C/400F. Transfer the marinated Chicken to a baking dish and cover with foil, and cook for 15 minutes. Then remove the foil and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

De-boning the chicken : This is only for the people who cook the chicken bone-in and then wanna get rid of the bones. Like I wanted to. I let the chicken rest for few minutes and then removed all the flesh with a fork. Or you can just leave the chicken as it is, if you like bones. People cooking with boneless chicken need not do anything here :D But do not throw the remaining marinade from the chicken in your baking dish, we need it for the gravy! :)

Now, on to the gravy. Heat up the Oil+Butter in a deep pan on medium high. Once the butter is melted, add in the Whole Garam Masala and fry for 2 minutes.

Then add in the Ginger Garlic paste and chopped Green Chilies. My Ginger Garlic paste looks green coz I make it at home with some coriander leaves too! Fry this for 2 more minutes.

Now add in the Tomato Purée, Red Chili Powder, Garam Masala Powder, Water and Salt. Turn the heat to low and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Add in the Sugar and Fenugreek Leaves, and let simmer for 5 more minutes.

Then add in the Chicken pieces + Leftover marinade. Let this cook for 5 minutes.