Chicken Lollipop

Nothing can beat this in terms of a finger food. The best part is that it is real easy to make and it can be done real quickly. When you just want to relax over a drink and some snacks, then nothing can be better than this.

Infact when you have guests suddenly, it can be one of the best options.

So there we go!!

Ingredients

·         Chicken Wings (8-10)

·         1 Tbsp of Soya Sauce

·         Salt as per as your taste

·         1 Tsp of Chilli Powder

·         1 Tbsp of white vinegar

·         1 Tbsp of ginger garlic paste

·         4 Tbsp of cornstarch

·         1 Tbsp of all purpose flour

·         1 egg

·         1 Tsp of black pepper

Method

To make the marinade combine red chilli powder, soya sauce, salt, black pepper, vinegar and ginger-garlic paste.

Beat the egg, corn starch and flour together.

Mix the above two mixtures well.

On each chicken wing, push the meat down to one end. Marinate them in the mixture for atleast 1/2 an hour.

Deep fry and serve with chopped onions, chopped green chillies and lemon.

NB: Wrap the bones with silver foil and serve to make it easier to eat.

Happy Cooking,

Shreya

Herbed Roasted Chicken (Whole)

Another weekend has just gone by and even before you could actually realise that it has come it zooms away. You can’t really get really get enough of it!!!

I am quite sure you would not like to spend all your weekend in the kitchen. So came up with this mouth watering dish.

The combination of unique ingredients makes this chicken a dish delicious. It roasts beautifully and is surprisingly fast once it's in the oven.

So here we go!!

Ingredients

•          1 whole chicken, about 1-1.2 kilos (with skin on)
•          Salt as per as taste
•          Pepper
•          Red Wine Vinegar
•          Olive Oil
•          Oregano
•          Fresh Parsley
•          Thyme
•          Chili Flakes
•          Lemon
•          Garlic pods
•          2 boiled eggs
•          Butter Sticks
•          Cheese
•          Whole big cloves (for pinning)

Method

Wash the chicken well, especially the cavity within. If possible use luke warm water.

Rub everything on the chicken, both outside and inside and keep it aside for atleast 6-7 hours.

Grind the herbs into a coarse mixture. If possible use a motor & pestle.

Once the chicken is marinated, rub the herb mixture inside properly. Put the boiled eggs inside along with some butter sticks. Then seal it properly with the cloves, making sure that it doesn’t open up inside the oven. Make tiny punctures underneath the skin & slide in the butter sticks at different places.

Grease the roasting tray well & place the chicken with the legs beneath. Grate the cheese on top.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and roast for about 30 minutes. Turn over the chicken and roast for about 10 min. 

Then again turn it over and roast it for another 10 minutes. Make sure to spoon away the juices every time on the chicken. It would help the chicken to be juicy & not be charred.

And there you go. Its done.. Serve it with salad, grilled veggies and bread loaves.

Chilled White Wine goes really well with this!!

Happy Cooking,

Shreya

Mughlai Paratha (Moglai Porota)

Does this require any introduction??

All people from Kolkata would surely know what I am exactly talking about, isn’t it?? It is one of the most famous street foods of Kolkata. It is simply mind boggling.. You really have to try this to know what I am talking about.

Mghlai Paratha, as the name suggests, must be dating back to Mughal days. It is a paratha with a filling of egg and mutton keema (or could be any other ingredients like potato etc).

I have made this in a very conventional way with mutton keema and egg, served with aloor torkari (dry potato curry) and salad.

So let’s get started!!

Ingredients

For the dough

•          Maida (all purpose flour) – 2 cups
•          Sunflower oil
•          Salt to taste
•          Warm water as per requirement

For the Filling

•          250 gm of minced mutton
•          Chopped onions
•          Cumin Seeds
•          1 Bay Leaf
•          Chopped green chilies
•          Chopped Tomatoes
•          Ginger garlic paste
•          Turmeric powder
•          Chili powder
•          Cumin seed powder
•          Salt to taste
•          Curd
•          Garam Masala
•          Ghee
•          Eggs – 2

For the sides

•           2-3 medium sized potatoes cut into small cubes
•           Ginger – Garlic Paste
•          1 Tomato chopped
•          2 Green Chilies chopped
•          Turmeric Powder
•          Red Chili Powder
•          Coriander Powder
•          Cumin seed Powder
•          2 medium sized onion chopped
•          Cumin seeds
•          1 Cucumber chopped
•          Tomato Sauce

Method

In a large bowl, mix the flour, oil and salt to taste. Add the warm water and knead. Knead well to make a medium-soft, smooth dough. Wet your hand and rub all over the surface of the dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for 15 minutes.

Whisk the eggs with salt to taste and keep aside.

Marinate the minced mutton with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin seed powder, coriander powder, ginger garlic paste, curd and salt. Keep it aside for atleast 3-4hours.

For making the filling, heat oil in a non stick pan. When the oil starts smoking, reduce the flame and put the cumin seeds and bay leaf. Let them crackle. Add the chopped onions & green chillies. When it starts to get brown, add the chopped tomatoes. When it looks done, add the minced meat which has been marinated. Mix it well and allow it to be cooked till water starts coming out. Add a little more water if required. Cover the pan & cook it till the meat becomes tender. Taste to check for salt and if it is done. Make it completely dry. Once done add ghee and garam masala.

For the aloo sabji boil the potatoes in microwave for 5-6 minutes. Put oil in a non stick pan, add the chopped onions, green chillies & tomatoes. When onions start to become transparent, add the ginger garlic paste. When the smell of raw ginger and garlic goes & onions become golden brown, add turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder & red chilli powder. When oil starts coming out, add the boiled potatoes. Cook till the time all the spices are properly mixed and the potatoes are completely done. Add salt as required, garam masala & ghee.

Make equal-sized balls from the dough. On a floured surface, roll a ball out into a regular sized paratha. Spread it on a heated girdle or tawa. After about a minute turn it over. On both sides apply oil.

Brush the surface now on top with some egg. Put a large spoonful of the Masala Keema in the center of the circle and fold edges of circle up to completely cover and seal the Masala Keema inside. Let the egg mixture cook for about a minute, then fold from all four sides. Pinch the folds to shut properly. Fry the paratha properly on both sides.

Serve hot with the aloo sabji, chopped onions, green chillies, and cucumber and tomato sauce.

If the Mughlai Paraha is a little big in size, cut into two or more pieces.

It goes best as an evening snack with a cup of hot tea.

And don't forget the gang of friends for the adda session!!!

Happy Cooking 

Shreya

Banana Cake (With chocolate frosting)

I know that’s not very conventional. I really do not like the flavour of banana as a fruit personally, so the idea of banana cake was not at all very appealing to me. But my conception totally changed when I tasted one. The one I tasted had a cream cheese frosting. I was too eager to make it. But didn’t have cream cheese at home so opted for the most convenient & safe one – ‘Chocolate’. 

The second time when I tried, I did it without any frosting. Though I was a bit sceptical, but it was equally good with much less calories of course. 

So let get started.

Ingredients
• ¾ Cup of self rising flour
• 1 Tsp of vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tsp of baking powder
• 50 ml of cream
• ½ Cup of granulated sugar
• 1 ripe banana
• 4 Tbsp of butter
• ¼ Tbsp of salt
• ½ Tsp of baking soda

For Frosting (optional)
• 6 Tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 Tbsp of unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp of vanilla extract
• ¾ Cup of brown sugar
• 5 Tbsp of condensed milk
• Icing sugar to sprinkle on top
• Chocolate Sauce

Method
Preheat oven to 350F / 180C. Grease a cake pan properly. Sprinkle a little bit of flour.

Put the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into the food processor and whiz them together for about 15-20 seconds.

Chop the banana into the food processor next and whiz into a pulp. Make sure the banana is really ripe. It can be done by hand using a fork or potato masher, in a separate bowl.

Add the sugar and eggs to the mashed banana and whiz for another minute. Then add the butter and whiz for another minute until the mixture is thick and creamy.

Next, add the cream and vanilla extract. Fold together carefully,  making sure that there are no air bubbles.

Now fold the flour mixture into in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and fold until just blended.

Scoop into greased tray and smooth out the top layer evenly.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top turns golden brown and the cake passes the skewer test. Remove and let cool completely before frosting.

For Frosting
In a medium bowl, sift together the brown sugar and cocoa powder, and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter until smooth, then gradually beat in sugar mixture alternately with condensed milk. Blend in vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. If necessary, adjust consistency with more milk or sugar.

When the cake is cools, layer the frosting on the frosting on top & sides with a spatula. Then using a spoon, pour chocolate sauce in patterns on the cake. Sprinkle some icing sugar on top through a sieve.

Cut and serve.

And don't forget your potion of love.

Happy Cooking
Shreya

Sunday Brunch – A Quickie!!!

We all love Sundays, don’t we??? Waking up late is a great way to begin it. So obviously the time for breakfast is gone and you feel hungry before lunch time. On top of that you do not feel like cooking, like actual cooking! So here we come with our quickie Sunday Brunch. A salad, a sandwich served with wafers along with a thirst quencher.. And the best part is everything together took just took a little over half an hour..  So let’s get started!!!

Egg Mayonnaise Sandwich

Egg is always one of the best options for breakfast, a very healthy & nutritious choice. And this sandwich is quite a filling one, atleast not to make you hungry till evening.

Ingredients

• Sandwich Bread (4-6 slices)
• 3 Eggs
• 2 Tbsp of Mayonnaise
• 1 Tsp of mixed herbs
• Pepper
• Salt
• A pinch of red chili flakes
• Butter
• Wafers

Method

Boil the eggs, peel them & keep aside. The best time to peel boiled eggs is when they are still hot.

Cut the eggs into for pieces and put them in a bowl.

Put the mayonnaise, herbs, pepper, chilli flakes, salt as per taste in a bowl & mix it well.

Mix the mayonnaise mixture with the eggs, making sure that the eggs are not smashed. We want to keep the texture of the eggs.

Put butter on the bread slices. Put the egg mayonnaise mixture on one slice & cover it with another.

Grill it if you like a grilled sandwich and serve it with wafers.

Watermelon Juice

No other fruit says summer choice than the faintly crunchy, thirst slaking watermelon. Summer’s preferred fruit has more going for it than a better excuse for a picnic. Turns out this sweet and juicy luxury is loaded with hither multiple that charges blood movement in much the same way Viagra and other “performance” drugs do.

Ingredients

• One watermelon chopped
• Sugar as per as your taste
• A pinch of salt
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 Tsp of Jaljeera
• Mint leaves if you like

Method

Slice the watermelon. Take out the red pulpy layer and chop it roughly into parts. Abandon the outer white layer.

In a mixer add sugar, lemon juice, salt and along with watermelon. Blend it well. Store at a low temperature for a while. Do not add water as watermelon itself has water content in it.

Best when served cool.

Chicken Salad

To many people salad seems to be very boring and so a complete no no. But I am sure that this one they would have more than willingly.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups of chicken cubes
• 1 Cup of chopped lettuce
• 4-6 green olives pitted
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• Half cup of chopped onions
• Chopped cherry tomatoes
• Chopped broccoli

For the dressing

• Basil
• Thyme
• Red Chili Flakes
• 3 Tbsp of Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp of Mayonnaise
• Parmesan Cheese

Method

To poach chicken for this recipe, start with a pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into large (2 to 3-inch) pieces. Bring a 2 quart pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Add the chicken to the boiling water, turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let the chicken pieces sit in the hot water for 15 minutes, then drain the water and chop the chicken pieces into smaller pieces for the salad.

Blanch the broccoli in salt water. Chop all the other veggies into small pieces. Mix them with the chicken pieces.

Prepare the chicken salad dressing in a separate smaller bowl. Mix together the mayonnaise and vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add basil, thyme and chilli flakes.

Gently stir the dressing in with the chicken and other salad ingredients. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Grate the parmesan cheese on the salad and mix it well.

So there you go with a wonderful brunch!!

Happy Cooking

Shreya

SHAMI KABAB

This is my Daddy’s favorite kabab.. He simply loves it. I dedicate this to him, hoping that after he sees the images he would come & visit me soon. 

Shami Kabab is a pan-fried kabab can be made with lamb or beef but tastes best when made with the former. It is a popular Indian & Pakistani style of kabab. It is a small patty of minced meat, dal & spices, tastes awesome with mint coriander chutney. You can also serve these kababs with roomali roti.

The Kabab

Ingredients

• 500 gms minced mutton 

• 1 medium sized onion finely chopped

• 2 Eggs

• 4-5 green chilies finely chopped

• 100 gms of Bengal gram (cholar dal/ chana dal)  soaked overnight

• 10 pods of garlic

• 1 " long piece Ginger

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 4 Cardamoms

• 1 " long piece Cinnamon

• 7-10 cashew nuts

• Black Pepper

• 4 Red Chilies

• Nutmeg

• Mace

• 1 Flower of Star Anise

• 50 gms of ghee

• Oil for frying (I used sunflower oil)

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Salt

Method

Wash minced meat properly & then boil in 3 cups of water and a teaspoonful of salt till water is absorbed and meat is tender. Let it cool. Squeeze out all the water & keep on a separate vessel. Make sure the water is complete drained out. Grind meat into a fine paste.

Roast the cashew nuts. 

Heat oil in a pan & fry the onions till they become golden brown. Take them out; put them on a tissue paper to strain out the oil.

Take garlic, ginger, onion, chopped green chillies, cumin seeds, roasted cashew nuts, cardamoms, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, red chillies, nutmeg, mace, cloves and soaked gram dal and grind into a fine paste.

Mix both the pastes well. Add salt & ghee & keep it aside for about 5-6 hours. Mix it well with hands. The consistency should be such that it doesn’t stick to your finger.

Now mix well beaten eggs and prepare uniform dough. Shape the dough into small round flattened balls or kababs.

Heat the oil and shallow fry (pan fry) the kababs till golden brown.

Serve hot with dhaniya and pudina (coriander & mint) chutney and onions. I have cut the onion in rings & smeared them with lime juice and rock salt.

Mint – Coriander Chutney

Ingredients

• 1 bunch fresh mint about 100 gms

• 1 bunch fresh coriander about 100 gms

• 5- 6 cloves of garlic

• 1” piece of ginger

• 2-3 green chillies

• ½ tsp of sugar

• 1 tsp of salt

• 2-3 tsp of lime juice

• A pinch of black pepper

• 1 tsp of fresh cream (This is optional, you can use if you want to lighten up the colour a little bit)

Method

Cut off the roots from coriander and any thick stalks from the mint and discard.

Peel garlic and ginger and remove stalk from green chillies. Wash all the ingredients thoroughly.

Grind all the ingredients including salt, sugar, black pepper & lime juice  in a food processor. If you are using cream pt it along.

Chill and serve along with the kababs.

Shami Kabab Rolls

It so happened that last time when I had made Shami Kabab, a friend of mine visited. She loved them and suggested that I could make rolls with them. So this time I made some paratha rolls with the kababs. 

Method

Make some parathas. I made them with flour. Put it on a plate & smear it with the mint-coriander chutney, evenly. Put two kababs on it & break into small pieces & bring them in the middle. Put some chopped onions & chillies. Roll the paratha & roll half of it with a tissue paper. So you have a complete meal.

Believe me it’s delicious!!!

Happy Cooking

Shreya