Chicken Nihari

Nihari is a most popular dish among Muslims in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Traditional Nihari recipes used to be cooked overnight or a minimum of 6 - 8 hours usually served during winter mornings or whenever someone had cold, but you can also serve it for lunch or dinner. Although with today's lifestyle, slow cooking is something we all choose to avoid or most of the times search for alternatives. Nihari is made using red meat, like goat, lamb or beef. But I used chicken for this quick Nihari recipe which filled my home with the aroma of all the wonderful spices. 

Ingredients:-

• 1 kg chicken
• ¼ kg onions (ground) 
• ¾ cup oil
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ¼ cup wheat flour
• 2 tbsp g-g paste  
• 1 tbsp red chilli pdr
• 1 tsp coriander pdr 
• 1 tsp cumin pdr
• ¾ tsp fennel seeds (crushed)
• ½ tsp dry ginger pdr
• ½ tsp mace pdr
• ¼ tsp nutmeg pdr
• ¼ tsp black salt
• a pinch turmeric pdr
• salt to taste
• green chillies for garnishing (cut diagonally)
• ginger for garnishing (peeled and cut in julienne)
• coriander leaves for garnishing (finely chopped)
• lemon wedges (opt)

Method:-

• Dry roast all purpose flour and wheat flour in a pan stirring continuously on slow flame till well roasted and you get a nice aroma.
• Heat oil in a wok.
• Add onions and saute till light brown.
• Add chicken along with g-g paste and saute well till chicken is brown.
• Add salt, nutmeg pdr, dry ginger pdr, coriander pdr, mace pdr, fennel seeds, black salt, turmeric pdr, cumin pdr and red chilli pdr.
• Mix well and cook on slow flame till oil separates.
• Add water so much that chicken is fully inserted.
• Cook till boils. Simmer flame for 10 minutes.
• Add water to the roasted all purpose flour and wheat flour to make a batter consistency.
• Whisk well and add to chicken.
• Mix well and cook for another 5 -7 minutes on slow flame.
• Garnish with green chillies, ginger and coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with naan or rice.

Notes:-

• You may avoid roasting the flour and add it directly to the chicken but the cooking time will increase if you do so.

Happy Cooking!!

Sending this entry to :- Srivalli's Side Dish Mela and Amrita's Teacher's Favourite Dish Event and Amrita's Party Event

Spinach Corn Curry / Palak Corn Subzi

It's very cold in Coimbatore nowadays. There are nice, slow and steady rain showers now and then. Although, I love the climate here but it makes me lazy.. Wish to just snuggle up in a cozy blanket with a book and not do anything. My biggest worries at such times is the laundry.. Just don't know how to handle it :-(

Whenever we go for vegetable shopping, my son insists on buying corn. He just loves it.. In fact, who doesn't? Bhutta or corn on the cob is my favorite snack during monsoon season. My son is also inspired by the image of Popeye eating spinach and gaining strength from it to beat Bluto and save Olive Oyl. Spinach became his favorite vegetable ever since.

I came across this simple and healthy recipe at Shweta's blog. It was on my to-do list for a very long time. Even though, I still have a long list pending in my bookmarks, which I have to yet try out soon. The combination of sweet corn and spinach in this curry is simply amazing. Spinach is rich in iron and vitamin B. It is a great way to make your kids to eat greens and they will definitely love this curry. Do try this yummy recipe..

Ingredients:-

• 1 bunch spinach (palak)
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 large onion
• 1 large tomato (ground)
• 2 -3 green chillies
• 2 whole dried red chillies (broken in 2-3 pieces)
• 2 tbsp oil
• ½ inch piece of ginger
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• a pinch asafoetida (hing)
• salt to taste 

Method:-

• Clean and blanch or boil spinach. Keep aside to cool.
• Boil corn kernels with pinch of salt and keep aside.
• Grind onion along with green chillies and ginger.  Keep aside.
• In a pan, heat oil and add asafoetida and cumin seeds.
• Saute for 15-20 seconds and add onion paste. 
• Keep stirring till it turns light golden.
• Add tomato paste and turmeric powder. Cook till oil separates.
• Switch off the flame and allow to cool.
• Blend it in a mixer along with boiled spinach till smooth.
• In a pan, heat 1 tsp of oil, add whole dried red chillies and stir.
• Add blended puree and cook on slow flame for 10-15 minutes stirring ocassionally.
• Add boiled corns and continue to cook on slow flame for another 5 minutes or till desired consistency is obtained.
• Serve hot with paratha or rice.

Notes:-

• You may use frozen corns instead of fresh corns.

Happy Cooking!! 

 

Sending this entry to :-  Monsoon Temptations 

Vegetarian Dalcha

Dalcha is a healthy dish very hard to resist with it's unique flavours of lentil combined with spices and bottlegourd. My Mom makes dalcha with mutton and red lentils (masoor dal). I learnt this slightly different veg version of dalcha from my MIL and I am totally in love with this dish. It is among the most popular dishes from my MIL and again one of my family favorites. Believe me, this recipe is definitely worth-trying. 

Ingredients:-

• 1 cup bottlegourd (peeled & chopped)
• ½ cup split pigeon pea / tuar dar 
• 3 green chillies (slit)
• 3 big tomatoes (chopped) 
• 2 onions (finely chopped)
• 2 bayleaves  
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 tbsp oil 
• 1½ tsp coriander powder 
• 1 tsp red chilli powder 
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp clarified butter / ghee
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp all spice powder
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• salt to taste
• few chopped coriander leaves (for garnishing)

Method:-

• Wash the dal well.
• Pressure cook along with 2 cups water, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp red chilli powder and green chillies.
• After whistle, simmer  for 7-10 minutes and remove.
• Whisk the dal well and keep aside.
• In a wok, heat oil.
• Add onions and bayleaves.
• Fry till onions turn golden brown.
• Add ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp red chilli powder, coriander powder, all spice powder and salt.
• Mix well and simmer along with 2 tbsp water.
• When oil separates and tomatoes are tender, add chopped bottlegourd and ½ cup water.
• Simmer on slow flame till bottle-gourd is almost tender.
• Add the whisked dal and bring it to boil.
• Simmer flame. Cover and cook for 8-10 mins.
• In a pan, heat clarified butter.
• Add mustard seeds and curry leaves.
• Fry till the seeds splutter.
• Pour this tempering over the dal. 
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve with baghaare chawal or plain rice.

Notes:-

• You may add ½ kg mutton after the onion turns brown and cook in the same way for non-veg version. Just increase the spices a bit.

Happy Cooking!! 

Sending this entry to :- Dish it Out – Lentils/Legumes and Mission Explore Food : Lentils & CookCookandCook & Thoushaltcook and Spotlight: Beans & Lentil 

Capsicum & Peas Egg Curry

Egg curry is a very common dish in India. We all make it with different versions of course. I tried making the usual egg curry with a slight twist for appams. My hubby and son loved this delicious curry and it was an instant hit at home. Do try it and you will love it for sure.

Ingredients:-

• 4 eggs (boiled and cut in quarters)
• 2 tomatoes (ground)
• 1 large onion (finely chopped)
• 1 capsicum (de-seeded and chopped)
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp kasoori methi (crushed)
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp coriander powder
• ¼ cup green peas
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp all spice powder
• salt to taste
• few coriander leaves (for garnishing)

Method:-

• Heat oil in a wok and add cumin seeds.
• Saute and add chopped onions.
• Fry till transparent.
• Add green peas and ginger-garlic paste.
• Saute well for 2 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt.
• Cook till oil separates. 
• Add capsicum and mix well.cook for 2 minutes.
• Add kasoori methi and 1½ cup of water.
• Cook till it boils.
• Add all spice powder
• Switch off and add eggs.
• Serve hot with rice or appams

Notes:-

• You may add 1 tbsp ground coconut along with tomatoes.
• You may shallow fry the eggs and cut in halves too.

Happy Cooking!!

Rajasthani Gatta Curry

I love Rajasthani cuisine and when I came across the gatta curry in Mrs. Anjana Chaturvedi's blog, I immediately bookmarked it. Gatta curry is a very popular Rajasthani dish. Gatta is a chickpea flour log boiled, sliced and cooked in a yogurt curry. It is quite simple, easy to prepare and almost all ingredients are readily available at home most of the times. The curry was really delicious and yummy. My hubby and son both liked it a lot. 

Ingredients for gatta:-

• 1½ cups gram flour / besan
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 3 tbsp oil
• a pinch of asafoetida
• a pinch of baking soda
• 1 tsp fennel seeds / saunf
• 1 tsp coriander seeds / akha dhania
• a pinch of carom seeds/ajwain
• 1 tsp chili powder
• salt to taste

Method:-

• Coarsely crush coriander and  fennel seeds.
• In a bowl, add gram flour, crushed seeds and all the ingredients listed for making gattas.
• Mix and make a tight dough. Add some more yogurt if needed.
• Make 6 balls from the dough and roll them to make long and medium thick rolls.
• Boil 2½ glasses of water in a pan. When it starts boiling, add the rolls in it.
• Boil for around 5-7 minutes. The gatta's will float on top of water when done.
• Take out gatta's from the pan and let them cool down for 5 minutes. Don't throw the water, you will need this to add in the gravy.
• Slice into medium size pieces and keep aside.

Ingredients for gravy:-

• 3 tbsp refined oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds- 1/4 tsp
• 2 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ tap asafoetida
• 1½ cups yogurt
• 2 green chilies- 2
• ½ tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp garam masala
• few chopped coriander leaves (for garnishing)
• salt to taste

Method:-

• Mix turmeric powder, coriander powder and chili powder with 2 tbsp of water and keep aside. (A)
• Heat oil in a pan and add cumin, fenugreek, asafoetida and cloves .
• When cumin become golden then add the spice mixture(A) and stir for few seconds.
• Remove the pan from heat and add whisked yogurt and stir for a while, now put the pan on fire and saute for a minute.
• Now add approx. 1 cup water (in which you have boiled the gattas) and cook for some time. Keep stirring the gravy.
• When the gravy starts boiling, add the sliced gattas after 2 minutes.
• Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add garam masala and coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with chapati bajre ki roti or rice.

Notes:-

• Don't throw the left over water in which you have boiled the gatta's, as the cooked curry may thicken after some time so you can add this water to adjust the consistency. 
• You can add chopped fresh fenugreek leaves in the gatta dough.

 Happy Cooking!!

Sending this entry to :- Tried And Tasted - Maayeka and Original Announcement Page and Kitchen Chronicles Announcement Page  

My 50th post - A Guest Post from Pavithra : Avial

Today, is a very special day for me. My blog completed 50 posts today and my happiness has also doubled because I have a very special blogger friend on my blog as my esteemed guest. She definitely needs no introduction as you may have received her continual appreciation and support in the form of her valuable comments on your space.  Her words are so encouraging and motivating and each time you read her comment there would be a smile on your lips. I’m sure most of you must’ve guessed who she is.  So, without much delay I’d like to introduce you to the most humble person I’ve ever come across in this blogging world – The very adorable Pavithra R of Potpourri.

She is very down-to-earth by nature and helpful always. Whenever I need advice on my blog, she is the first person who comes to my mind and believe me, she answers to all my questions very jovially and readily. Last week, I asked her anxiously if she’d be willing to do a guest post for me.  She was kind enough to accept my invitation immediately. Thanks a lot Pavithra for sharing your wonderful recipe with us. 

She started her wonderful blog 3 months back and is always ready to voice her opinion on issues related to sports, politics, education, movies, or be it books. Do visit her space to and check out her posts on Sports - Why is it so important for kids , How to use SWOT in personal life , Suspended Coffee , German restaurant story and A lesson on Unity . I also love her simple and comfort cooking like Simple Mango Pudding and Simple Carrot And Paneer Pulao .

Over to Pavithra:-

Hola, to all!!

I'm Pavithra, a techie by profession and a wannabe writer(Dream, dream and dream :-)). I'm a dreamer, but I live in the moment. I love anything related to food, news, music, sports and lifestyle. I like the flavor and aroma more than any other quality in food. I love trying out new dishes at restaurants and of course at home. I have a lot of little cousins, who are always enthusiastic to taste my simple recipes, no matter how bad it turns out, HaHa. My favorite TV channels are TLC, Fox Traveler and NDTV Goodtimes. One of my favorite shows is "High Way On MY Plate"(Highly recommended for foodies!). Overall, I'm a simple person with sophisticated thought process. :-)

About my blog "Potpourri": HeHe, What can I say - it is my punching bag!!

PS: Nilu: Thank you so much for asking me to do a guest post, although I'm not a food blogger per se, I really appreciate it!! This is my first :-)

The first word which comes to my mind when I think about Nilu and her blog is being "Humble". I'm sure everybody would agree with that!

Also she is one of those bloggers, who is very innovative and creative with new ideas and never shies away from giving credit to whomsoever she learnt the cuisine from. I especially love her MIL's recipes!!

Her's is one of those blogs, I never miss reading the tips(notes) section on any given day, because it is really useful and informative! Her comments on posts are genuine and heartfelt, I really appreciate her for that.

I also love the humble "Cooking Mama" picture on her profile. :-)

I love all her recipes, because it is simple to make and doable!

To pick quite a few, here are my 3 favorites:

Gulab Ka Sheera  

Vermicelli With Poached Eggs  

Dry Fruits Hareera

Since Nilu is from Mumbai, I'm hoping to learn a lot of Maharashtrian Vegetarian cuisine from her in near future!! :-) 

Well, I wanted a simple yet rich recipe which is healthy, but not made very often. I see a lot of healthy, rich and simple recipes in Nilu's blog and hence wanted to go with the flow!

Also, I love the flavor in Kerala cuisine because they are very authentic!

                                                                         Avial                                                                              

Avial is one of the favorite dishes in our household. It is a humble yet rich side dish from Kerala. Avial is made with loads of vegetables and coconut as the main ingredient. The only rule of thumb is to use 'coconut oil' to make this authentic recipe. It takes the dish to a different level.

It is also a healthy recipe!

Ingredients:

1)Carrot - 1

2)Beans - 8

3)Brinjal - 2(small)

4)Potato - 1

5)Ash Gourd - 1/2 cup

6)Raw Plantain - 1(small)

7)Drumstick -1

8)Raw Mango - 1/2

9)Yam - 1/2 cup

10)Curd - 3 tsp

11)Water - as required

For Grinding:

1)Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup

2)Cumin Seeds  - 1 tsp

3)Green Chilli - 4

For Tempering:

1)Coconut oil - 3 tsp

2)Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

3)Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

For Garnishing:

1)Coriander leaves - 3 sprigs 

Preparation:

1)Chop all the vegetables into same(or similar) sized pieces.

2)Grind Coconut, Cumin Seeds and Green Chillies in a mixer with little water and make a coarse paste(Not a fine paste!)

3)Take required amount of water in a pan, add salt and turmeric powder. Now add all the cut vegetables. Let it boil, until the veggies turn tender.  It should not be mushy. Filter the water out and spread the veggies. 

Note: Every vegetable takes different time to cook, so it is not possible to boil them separately, hence it is OK to add all the veggies together, make sure the Brinjal which tends to cook super fast is placed above and not at the bottom of the pan.

4)Add coconut oil to a pan and add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Let it splutter.

5)Add the cooked veggies and saute for couple of minutes.

6)Add the grounded paste and mix well. Saute for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame.

7)Add curd and mix well.

8)Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Avial tastes perfect with plain rice.

Tips: 

1)Instead of boiling the veggies in a pan, you can cook the veggies in pressure cooker or you can steam the veggies in microwave oven.

2)You can add any number of veggies in this dish. Avoid Capsicum, it takes away the authentic taste of Avial.

3)The filtered water from boiling the veggies can be used to make vegetable soup.

Thank you Pavithra for taking some time and making this yummy avial for me. I'm sure all my readers would have loved this tempting dish. Hope to see many more of your interesting posts in the future :-)  
Happy Cooking!!