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

Posto Murgi (Chicken cooked with Poppy Seeds)

A couple of months back we were invited for lunch to a friend’s place when his parents had come over. It was a complete Bengali lunch and almost everything was cooked by his mother. One of the items which I really loved was Posto Murgi (Chicken cooked with poppy seeds). I couldn’t stop myself from asking her the recipe over the lunch itself. And ofcourse she was too sweet to give me the recipe instantly.

After that I have made it a number of times & have also incorporated some of my own ideas. And it turned out to be awesome. So do try this..

Ingredients

•         Chicken (500 gms)

•         2 big sized Onions

•         Mustard oil 3-4 tablespoon/ you can also use sunflower oil

•         Green Chilli (4 pieces)

•         3-4 tbsp of curd to marinate chicken

•         1 tsp of black pepper

•         1 tsp of ginger paste

•         1 tsp of garlic paste

•         ½ tomatoes finely chopped

•         1 bay leaf

•         ½ tsp of chili powder

•         1 tsp of coriander powder (dhaniya powder)

•         ½ tsp of cumin seed powder  (jeera powder)

•         ½ tsp of cumin seeds

•         Posto , also known as khus-khus or poppy seed - (6 tablespoons made into paste)

•         2 Potatoes of medium size peeled, cut into two halves & boiled in salt water. (Though I didn’t use it   this time)

•         ½ of garam masala

•         ½ tsp of ghee

•         Salt 

Method
Cut the onion in long, fine slices. Wash the chicken pieces well and marinate them with curd and a little oil for about an hour.

Make a fine paste of poppy seeds in the mixer. While making the paste put 2 green chillies, a pinch of salt and 1 tsp of mustard oil. Use a bit of water if required to make a fine paste.


Heat 4 tablespoon oil in a kadai or utensil with lid. I always prefer a non stick one. When the oil starts smoking put the cumin seeds & bay leaf. When it starts to crackle, add the sliced onions.


Fry onions till it turns brownish. Add the ginger & garlic paste. Lower the flame & fry it for about 2 minutes. Then add the tomatoes.


Add the cumin seed, coriander & red chilli powder. Add black pepper. Make sure that the spices do not burn, so add a little water if required.


When the oil starts coming out from the spices, add chicken, green chillies and salt.


Cook the chicken on low heat - stir the chicken occasionally and keep it covered. Cook till it becomes soft. You can now add the boiled potatoes if you are sing them.


Now add the poppy seed paste. Sprinkle a bit of water (only if water has not come out of chicken while cooking). Remember this is a gravy preparation so do not pour too much water.

Add ghee & garam masala and stir well to mix


Serve hot with steamed rice.

PS: Poppy seeds induces sleep.. specially if you are having it in the afternoon… So have this only when you know you have ample time to take a nap!!


Happy Cooking
Shreya

A Pure Vegetarian Dinner

I am sure that sounds a little not believable for the people who know us (my husband and me). But we actually had a complete vegetarian dinner, though after persuading my husband quite a bit.

While coming back from office when I told him that there was palak paneer & paratha for dinner, he almost turned the car to by some kababs… bt somehow I lured him by saying that I would also make him his favourite aloor dom (dum aloo) & jeera rice along with it. Though he would not agree, but he quite liked it & was happy.

Many people think that cooking vegetarian is a lot easier than non vegetarian item. To this I would only say that, it all depends how you look at it and the way in which you do it.. Nothing is easy or difficult.

So let’s get started...

Palak Paneer (Paneer cooked in Spinach Puree)

Palak Paneer is one of the best loved vegetarian Punjabi dishes. Paneer is widely used and is very popular in Punjab due to the abundance of milk and milk products in the area. This combination of spinach and paneer is not only highly nutritious, but is also a splendid blend of taste and flavour. The paneer in this recipe has been fried to add some extra flavour. You can also add the paneer pieces without frying if they are absolutely fresh. If you have kept the paneer in freezer then it’s always better to fry them.

Ingredients (Serves 3-4 people)

• 500 gms Fresh Palak (Spinach)
• 150 gms Paneer cut into ½" cubes (you can also use Tofu if you are not having paneer)
• 2 Onions of medium size
• 2 tsp of ginger & garlic paste
• 3-4 tbsp of oil (I used sunflower oil, any other vegetable oil can also be used)
• 1 tsp of pure ghee (this is added to enhance the flavor, the quantity can be adsted)
• 1 tsp of red chili powder
• 1 tsp of turmeric
• 1 tsp of cumin seed powder
• 1 tomato cut into pieces
• 2-3 green chilies (the amount can be varied depending upon your liking)
• 1-2 tbsp of Fresh cream (This helps in giving a creamy texture to the gravy)
• 1 tsp of ghee
• Salt as per taste

Method

You have to clean and wash palak (spinach) nicely. This has to be done properly; else the sand particles would remain & spoil it all.

Now put water in a vessel, add a little salt & then add the spinach. Blanch it, and then drain the water out. After that wash it with cold water & bring it to room temperature.

Now put it in a mixer along with tomatoes & chilies. Blend it properly. Keep it aside.

Heat the oil in a kadhai (preferably a non-stick one) and fry the paneer pieces in it till golden brown in colour. 

Drain on absorbent paper and then put in warm water for 15 minutes. Drain them again and keep aside.

Now again heat oil in a kadai. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir-fry for a minute. Now add onions and fry till golden brown. 

Add all spices except red chili powder, to avoid it from burning.

Now add the spinach (palak) and add the red chili powder. 

Add a little water if needed and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add salt as per taste. Then add the fresh cream. Simmer for about a minute.

Just before serving, heat pure ghee in a small pan & pour over it.

Serve it with paratha or jeera rice.

PS: If you have kept the paneer in a freezer, after taking it out put the packet in luke warm water so that it doesn’t break off while cooking.

Aloor Dom (Dum Aloo)

Aloor Dom is quite common thing in a Bengali house hold. Infact they love potatoes & ses them in almost everything that they cook. I am sure yow old quite like it. It’s very easy to make, takes less time and has a very simple ingredient list.

I learnt this recipe from my mother & it gives me immense pleasure in dedicating this dish to my mother. Thanks a lot for always being there.

Ingredients (Serves 3-4 people)

• Potato (aloo) – 4 to 5 medim sized potatoes
• Whole Cashew nuts 10-12 pieces
• Peanuts 10-12 pieces
• 1 tbsp of poppy seeds/ khuskhus (posto as we call it in Bengali)
• 2 Green Chilies
• 1 big tomato
• 1 tsp of red chili powder
• 1 tsp of turmeric
• 1 tsp of cumin seed powder
• 1 tsp of coriander seed powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp of mustard oil (you can also use vegetable oil)
• 1 tbsp of ginger paste
• 1 tsp of cumin seeds
• Kasuri Methi/ Chopped Coriander Leaves
• 1 tsp of ghee
• Salt as per taste

Method

Peel the potatoes & cut them into two halves. Boil them till they are soft enough to be eaten. Make sure that they do not become very soft. I had put some salt in the water in which I boiled the potatoes so that salt gets into them evenly. Otherwise they would remain bland from inside.

Put the mustard oil in the kadhai, heat it. Add cumin seeds, reduce the flame so that it doesn’t burn, else it would turn bitter. Put the bay leaf.

Chop the tomatoes finely & keep aside. Put the ginger paste in the kadhai. Put the green chilies. Add the tomatoes after about 2 minutes. Stir it for about a minute. 

Then add turmeric, chili powder, coriander powder & cumin seed powder. Stir it properly & make sure that the spices do not burn. So if required add some more water. Lower the flame.

In the meantime in a separate pan put the peanuts, cashew nuts & roast them for about two minutes, at a low flame. Cool them & put in a grinder along with the poppy seeds. Grind them into a powder.

Check in the kadhai to see if oil is coming out of the spices. Add the powder we made. 

Add some water. Mix it well & then add the boiled potatoes. The potatoes are already so they do not need to be cooked any more. So do not add a lot of water. Cook for 2-3 minutes or till all the spices are blended well.

Add the ghee. You can either add kasuri methi or finely chopped coriander leaves as per as your choice. I added the former as I ran out of coriander leaves.

Serve it with paratha.

PS: If you do not have cashew nuts, peanuts & poppy seeds you can also go ahead without them. They help in enhancing the flavor & texture.

Jeera Rice

Jeera rice is a simple preparation of rice that has been flavoured with jeera or cumin seeds. This versatile rice preparation can be eaten as an accompaniment with almost any dal or vegetable. It also tastes awesome with butter chicken. Using shah-jeera in this recipe adds a lovely flavour and fragrance to the rice.

Ingredients

•           Oil for deep-frying (I used sunflower oil)

•           1 Big onion sliced

•           2 tbsp ghee

•           2 tbsp of shah jeera (caraway seeds)

•           1 Cup long grained Basmati Rice (I used Kohinoor)

•           Salt to taste

Method

    Heat the oil in a kadhai and deep-fry the onion slices on a medium flame till they are golden brown.   

    Clean, wash and soak the rice for 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside.

    Put 2 cups of water to boil.

    Heat the ghee in the kadhai and add the caraway seeds.

    When the seeds crackle, add the rice and sauté for 5 minutes.

    Add the hot water and simmer for 5 minutes.

    Add the salt cover with a lid and cook till the rice is done.

    Separate each grain of rice lightly with a fork. Serve hot.

     

  Happy Cooking 

      Shreya

No-Bake Eggless Mango Cheesecake

Making eggless or without baking wasn’t the plan though.. But didn’t have a springform pan.. But if something gets into my head, I have to do it- trait of a true fire sign you see!! So I decided to use my wine glasses & shot glasses as the molds. Later on I found out that it can really be good way to serve the dessert in a party.

Just a week back it was my husband’s birthday I could not bake him a cake as I wasn’t well. So I dedicated this to him as he loves mangoes. What really made me happy was that he loved it!!

Ingredients

·         Cream cheese - 250gm.

·         Cream - 200 gm.

·         Sugar – 1 cup ( I used this much as my mangoes were not that sweet)

·     Mango pulp (I bought 500gm fresh mangoes & made the pulp, you can also use ready made mango pulp if fresh ones are not available)

·         Gelatin - 1 Tbsp.

·         Hot Water - 1/4 cup

·         Digestive Cookies -2 cups (Depending on how thick you want the base to be)

·         Unsalted butter, melted – 100 gm.

   

Method

For making the Crust:
First whiz the digestive cookies in a food processor. I broke them into small pieces and used my grinder instead. Then add melted butter and whiz again until the mixture comes together. Press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan that's lined with aluminum foil or use individual glasses (like I used). Refrigerate while preparing the rest of the cheesecake. If you are keeping in the freezer keep it for 15-20 min else keep it for 40 min.

   

For Making the filling & the mango glaze:

Mix the cream cheese, cream, and sugar in a bowl until well combined. You can do it by hand or you can use an electric beater to make life simpler.

Then add the gelatin to the hot water and stir till it completely dissolves. Add the mango puree and stir well. Keep half of this mixture aside and add the other half to the cream cheese mixture. Stir gently until well combined & you get a smooth mixture of uniform consistency.

Pour on top of the digestive cookies base.

      

Return to fridge for another 45-55 minutes.

Pour the mango-gelatin mixture as the third layer. Do this gently so that the layers don't combine, otherwise a distinct mango glaze would be missing.

         

Refrigerate overnight and it is ready to be served!!

PS: Please remember to put infinite amount of love in your ingredient list to make it yummier!!

Happy Cooking,

Shreya

Chingri Macher Malai Curry (Prawn Curry with Coconut Milk)

No better way to start my food blog. A tribute to Bengali cuisine. And being a Ghoti myself, I could not choose a more appropriate preparation.

This is a delicious recipe from the enormous plethora that Bengali cuisine has to offer and perhaps one of my all time hits.  Although it’s a little heavy but who cares when such a mouthwatering dish is just in front of you!!

Ingredients (Serves 2-3 people)

• Prawn big size 4 to 5 pieces (preferably lobsters)
• 2 medium sized Onions
• 1 tsp. Sugar
• Ginger ½ inch
• 2-3 pods of garlic
• 4 Green chilies slit
• 1 tsp. Red chili powder
• 2 tsp. of Turmeric powder
• 1 medium sized Coconut
• 2 Whole cardamoms (small ones which are green in colour)
• 1/2 inch piece cinnamon
• 4 Whole cloves
• ½ tsp. Garam masala powder
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2 table spoons of Mustard oil
• 1tsp of ghee
• Salt to taste
• Water as required

Method

Remove outer shell and the black thread from the prawns (devein the prawns) and wash them. Marinate with turmeric powder and salt for 15 minutes.

Take oil in a pan and heat. Fry prawns until light brown, set aside.

Grind ginger and garlic into a smooth paste and keep aside.

Grind cardamom, cinnamon and cloves to a fine powder.

Peel onions, saute them in the hot oil till light brown, take them out, cool it and grind it to make a paste.

Grate coconut, mix with a little hot water and then grind it. Press the mixture through a fine cloth to get the fresh coconut milk.

Heat mustard oil in a pan till smokes starts coming. Add cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaves. Add sugar.

Lower the flame and add the ginger-garlic paste. Sauté for a few seconds.

Add onion paste and cook till water gets dried.

Add the remaining turmeric powder & red chili powder, green chilies to it and fry for 5 to 7 minutes.

Add prawns and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add coconut milk and cook for 5 minutes.

Add salt Cover the vessel and simmer over medium flame for about 10 minutes.

Add ghee and garam masala powder.

Serve with steamed basmati rice.

Some Prawny Tips: Prawns should smell fresh, and not fishy, and should look moist. Avoid any with soft or discoloured shells. If you are buying shell-on prawns, buy double the weight that you need.

PS: If you want to use coconut milk powder which is available in the market, take 3 tbsp. of powder and mix with 1 cup of hot water. But I would always advocate the one freshly made. No pain, no gain!!! And don’t forget the siesta after the sumptuous meal…

Watch this space for more….. J