Prawns in coconut milk

Prawns in coconut milk

Chingri Maacher Malai Curry

500 gms prawns

2 onions, pureed

2 tbsp ginger paste

Coconut milk from one whole coconut

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste

½ tsp sugar

First apply some salt and turmeric to the prawns and set them aside for at least 30 minutes.

In the meantime extract the coconut milk. Grate the coconut and put it in a mixer with some warm water. Give it a good blitz and then strain the milk. The first extract will be thick and creamy. Put the grated coconut back with some more warm water and puree it well. The second extract will be thinner.

Heat a little bit of oil and lightly sauté the prawns. You will find them changing color and becoming redder. Take them out and keep them aside.

Heat some more oil and add some cumin seeds. Once they start to crackle add the onion paste and ginger paste.

Sauté till it starts leaving oil.  Add the coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt and sugar.

Fry for a minute or so and add a cup of water. Once it comes to a boil slowly add the coconut milk.

Now add the prawns, put the flame on low, cover and cook for about 10 minutes.

Garnish with some shredded coconut.

Choco Vanilla Zebra Mousse

Choco Vanilla Zebra Mousse

I bought these cute Irish Coffee glasses a while back and ever since then I have wondering when to use them. I came across this Choco Vanilla zebra Mousse recipe and I simply knew I had to try it out. I have made mousse using cream and egg yolks but this recipe called for condensed milk. Interesting!! HUH!!

It is a chocolate and vanilla mousse which has been given that rippled marble effect. Served in these Irish Coffee glasses they looked simply amazing. I have coated the glasses with chocolate sauce but I am sure butterscotch will taste nice too. As for garnish you can keep it simple, add some sprinkles or simply put a half Oreo on top. This will easily make up to 8 servings.

Ingredients

1 tin condensed milk ( I have used Milkmaid)

400 gms fresh cream

1 tbsp lemon juice

8 tsp gelatin

2 tsp vanilla essence

150 gm dark chocolate

First sprinkle gelatin on a cup of water and keep aside to soak. After a few minutes microwave it for 1 minute and it will dissolve.

Beat the condensed milk till it is creamy and fluffy. Add lemon juice and beat some more.

Now add 2 ½ cups water and the dissolved gelatin. Add the essence and mix well.

Beat the fresh cream and add it to the condensed milk mix.

Divide the whole thing into two parts. Melt the chocolate in the microwave, beat well and add to one half of the mixture.

Freeze for about 10 minutes so that when you are layering them they don’t get mixed.

Take them out of the freezer after 10 minutes . The mousse will have started setting a bit. Beat the two separately till smooth. Now you have two sets of mousse: vanilla and chocolate. All that remains is to assemble them.

Drizzle some chocolate sauce inside the serving glasses.

Now alternate the vanilla and chocolate mousse. 

Kadhai Murg

Kadhai murg

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, cut into desired pieces

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

3 green chilies

5 red chilies

½ cup chopped coriander leaves

2 cloves

½ tsp garam masala powder

½ tsp turmeric

½ cup desiccated coconut

2 tbsp coriander seeds

1 piece cinnamon

Mint leaves

4 onions, peeled and quartered

Marinate the chicken in a paste of ginger, garlic, coconut, green chilies, red chilies, coriander leaves, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, mint, onion and salt. Keep for 2 hours.

Heat oil. Fry chicken for about 15 minutes. Add little water and cover and cook till tender. 

Sprinkle garam masala and serve hot.

Sponge Kisses

Sponge Kisses

My eleven year old has exams coming up so( as you guessed it) we both are a tad busy. But today being Valentine’s Day he tried blackmailing me sentimentally.

Who is my favorite valentine?(of course him!)

What special thing am I going to do for my very special small valentine? (No more studies??? You wish!!)

But this is a special day so I have to make something for him in as short a time as possible. 

I had read this recipe for sponge kisses a while back and I though why not!!!

The recipe is super simple, quick-to-make and hassle free. It does not require a lot of ingredients and it is made in small batches. After all how many valentines can you have!!LOL!!! 

It is basically sponge cake batter baked in the shape of biscuits and sandwiched with cream and any kind of jam you might have handy.

Ingredients

50 gm flour

1 tsp baking powder

75 gm castor sugar

2 large eggs

25 gm cornflour

1 ½ cups whipped cream

Few tablespoons jam

Preheat the oven at 200 degrees Celsius. 

Beat the eggs.

Add the castor sugar and beat some more till it becomes pale and frothy.

Sift the flours and baking powder together. With the help of a metal spoon fold in the flours.  

Spoon dessert spoonful of batter on your baking tray and bake for 5 minutes.

Once done you will have to use a metal spatula to remove them from the baking tray.

Once cool, spread some jam and sandwich with whipped cream.

Aloo Dum

Aloor dum

If winter comes, can spring be far behind!!

If the motorshutir kochuri is here can the aloor dum be far behind!!

Now luchi or motorshutri kochuri is incomplete without aloor dum/aloo dum. It is a very simple and humble dish made up of potatoes simmered in a very basic onion and tomato gravy. Being a non resident Bengali residing in delhi there are a lot of things that I miss about West Bengal but living in a bong area makes uo for most of it. Even today if you visit the markets of Chittaranjan Park you can find the sweet shops selling not only benghali sweets but also the simple luchi torkari...the torkari or vegetable dish being the aloor dum. Peas being a seasonal vegetable instead of motorshutir kochuri you wil mostly find the radhaballabhi all the year round. It is variant of the kochuri which, instead of peas filling, has a dal filling. Tastes very nice and is always accompanied by its trusted side kick the aloor dum.

Ingredients

½ kg potatoes

2 onion

2 tomatoes

1 tbsp ginger paste

3 green chillies, slit

½ cup yogurt

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp coriander powder

½ tbsp cumin powder

½ tbsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

½ tsp green cardamom powder

¼ tsp cinnamon powder

  Boil the potatoes, peel and quarter them. Now the next step is optional. Heat some mustard oil and sauté the potatoes. You can omit this step if you want.

Make a paste of onion, tomatoes and ginger.

Heat some oil. Add the slit green chilies. Add some cumin seeds to the hot oil. Add the onion paste and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric and salt. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the curd, cook and then add the potatoes.

Fry on high flame for a few minutes and add some water. Once the water starts boiling, cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Before taking it off the flame add the cardamom powder and the cinnamon powder. 

Matar ki kachori

Motorshutir kochuri (Matar ki kachori)

Today I am in the mood for something simple, some Bengali soul food. Ask any Bengali about his favorite breakfast and it will always be luchi or puri. Those fried, puffed white puris are to die for. And unlike the normal puri, we Bengalis love our puris made entirely of maida or white flour. Not for us the atta ones. NAHHH!!!!!

One of my favorite childhood memories is of gobbling up luchi and aloor dum by the dozen. Alas with my ever expanding girth I have to rein in my temptation…but come winter and I let go of all my weight loss resolutions and it is time to hog on the luchi's elder esteemed brother..the motorshutir kochuri. Simply put it is a puri stuffed with green peas. Those tender fresh in the season green peas are my weakness. I can simply sit down with a bag full, start peeling and stuffing my face. No need to cook them. 

If you shirk away from having deep fried stuff then you can have it as a stuffed paratha cooked with very less oil. It tastes nice but I would recommend, for once at least, having it in the proper manner. 

Now a word about the luchi or kochuri. The maida/flour is seasoned with salt and then some oil is added before it is made into a dough. While kneading, remember not to knead it too much. As it is with flour, overworking it activates the gluten and your end product will become very chewy. You want the luchi to have a crunch and be crisp. So, knead as less as possible and form the dough quickly.

Ingredients

300 gm flour

Salt to season

1 tbsp oil

For the filling

2 cups green peas (only fresh)

1 tbsp chopped ginger

1 tbsp chopped green chili

Salt to taste

Sift the flour and add the salt. Rub in the oil thoroughly. Now knead using little water and form dough.

Grind together green peas, ginger and chilli. Heat some oil and add the paste. Cook on a high flame, stirring all the time. You have to cook till it dried up completely. 

Now take small balls of the dough and add the filling. 

Roll into small puris. 

Deep fry. 

Serve with some onion rings and pickle.