Chicken 65

Now why is this dish called Chicken 65? We are not using 65 spices here! And I can not think of any other explanation. Whatever the reson be the one who created the dish had the right idea. An intriguing name to catch your attention and an amazing taste to keep you hooked to the dish. Now we also have paneer 65, gobi 65, aloo 65. Why shouldn’t vegetarians have some fun??
The two distinctive points of the 65 is that one it is very soft and succulent and second that it is hot and spicy. The soft part you get by marinating the chicken pieces for a long time. I personally like marinating it overnight so that the chicken gets infused with all the flavours. The hot and spicy part comes from the use of chillies. Now this you can adjust according to your taste. I have had chicken 65 in restaurants that have made my eyes water and had steam coming out of my ears.


Ingredients 

½ kg boneless chicken, cut into small portions

Marinate the chicken in :
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp garam masala
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tbsp rice flour
2 tbsp cornflour
Few drops red food color
Salt to taste
1 egg, beaten

For tempering
1 onion, chopped fine
6 garlic pods, chopped fine
6 green chillies, chopped fine
1 sprig curry leaves

Sauce mix
½ tsp soya sauce
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
¼ tsp vinegar

Marinate the chicken for at least 3 hours. I do it overnight.
Deep fry the chicken pieces.
Heat some oil. Add the curry leaves, green chillies, garlic and onion and cook on high flame. Mix the soya sauces, ketchup and vinegar in ½ cup of water and add to the pan. Toss the chicken pieces in it and cook on high flame till the mix becomes dry. 

Falalfel

So this is my newest favourit-est nibbler. Mediterranean food is awesome. Dips, salads, pilaf, simple food with exotic flavour. Falafel and hummus are a typical example of the simplicity if the cuisine. The main and the basic ingredient in both is chickpea or our desi kabuli chana. I find it very convenient to put falafel and hummus in my menu for any party. Simply soak 2 cups of kabuli chana the night before and next day a little mixing and blending and you have a wonderful dish on your table. Using the desi or local ingredients gives the dish an Indi flavour. Many people simply grind the soaked the kabuli chana and make falafel tikkis. I, personally prefer pressure cooking the chana and then making falafel.


Ingredients

Makes about 20 falafel 
1 ½  cups chick pea/kabuli chana, soaked overnight
1 large onion, chopped fine
3 green chillies, chopped fine
5 garlic pods, chopped fine
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp coriander powder
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt to taste
Bread crumbs for binding

Pressure cook the kabuli chana with a little salt. Drain and cool. Grind to a paste. The paste does not have to be very smooth.
Dry roast the cumin seeds and crush them to a powder. Add all the ingredients and mix well. Use breadcrumbs to make sure that the mix binds well. Make small balls. Deep fry.
You have to make sure that the falafel binds well or they will burst open when put in hot oil. I prefer test frying a piece or two.

Pepper Garlic Prawns

There are times when I get tired of planning the day’s meal everyday. Thinking up three meals a day gets so boring. So at times when hubby dear is away for a day or two I feel a sense of relief. Sonny boy and I can do with shortcuts. He will be ever too happy to have Maggi the whole day. But then that is a big no-no in the house. No fast food, no ramen noodles. The quickest thing to cook is a fish. Takes very less time to prepare it.
So today again hubby is having lunch outside. And i am making this hot pepper garlic prawns to be accompanied by steaming rice. That is it. Prawns, for me, is soul food. On a recent trip to Goa we hogged on prawns. You visit a coastal region and have chicken...that is blasphemy!! And for  a Bengali fish is fruit of the sea. And you can have as much fruit as you want.
This recipe is ridiculously simple. Just a handful of ingredients and a total cooking time of 10 minutes. And you are done!


Ingredients

10-12 prawns
4 tbsp chopped garlic
2 green chillies, chopped
1 tbsp butter
½ tsp pepper powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp chicken masala
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder

Apply some salt an turmeric powder to the prawns and keep aside for some time.
Heat the butter. Add the chopped garlic and chilli. Add the prawns, pepper powder, salt, kashmiri chilli powder and chicken masala. Sauté for a few minutes. Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes. Your prawns are done.

Cheese Balls

You know what is the most unfair thing in this whole world? The fact that anything that tastes good makes you fat!! In an ideal world you could eat to your heart’s content and not put on weight. I envy those people who have a high metabolism and can eat without a care in this world. In fact I fell that merely writing this post is going to add a few kilograms to my weight. And that is because i am writing about a very yummy thing. Cheese!
Who doesn’t like cheese? There are hundreds of kinds of cheese. And all these kinds come from three milk sources: cow, sheep and goat. But let us not go into a “cheesy” discussion.
This is a simple tea time snacks recipe. It is quick and easy to make. I have used the basic Amul cheese tin we get in the market.


Ingredients

2 cups grated cheese
2 onions, chopped fine
4 green chillies, chopped fine
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp chat masala
Salt to taste
¼ cup cornflour
Breadcrumbs for coating
2 tbsp cornflour+1/2 cup milk

Mix together grated cheese, chopped onions, green chillies, coriander leaves, chat masala, salt and ¼ cup cornflour. Make small balls. Make a mixture of 2 tbsp cornflour and ½ cup milk. Dip the balls in this mixture and roll in breadcrumbs. Once all the balls are done then cover them with a clingfilm. Keep them in the fridge for an hour, if possible. Deep fry the balls.

Aloo Bonda

Anyone from a fauji background will instantly identify with the Aloo Bonda. A spicy potato mixture dipped in a besan batter and deep fried till golden. And like all deep fried food this tastes good. A variation of this is used in the vada paw. This dish is also commonly known as the batata vada in Marathi. May names many uses. A simple street food that can tickle your palette anytime. This is my version of the batata vada.

Ingredients

3 potatoes, boiled, mashed

1 onion, chopped fine

2 green chilles, chopped

1 tsp grated ginger

½ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cumin powder

½ tsp coriander powder

For the batter

1 cup besan

Water to make a thick batter

Heat some oil. Add the cumin seeds. Add the chopped onion, chopped chillies and grated ginger. Fry for a minute or so. Add the turmeric powder, salt, cumin powder and coriander powder. Cook till the masalas are well fried. Add the mashed potatoes and cook while stirring all the while. Keep aside to cool. Make small balls of the potato mix. Dip in the besan batter and deep fry.

Paneer Bread Rolls

Bread rolls are a quick and easy snack for children. You can put in as many veggies as you like and the kids will still enjoy them.

Ingredients

5 bread slices

100 gm paneer, grated

1 onion, chopped

1 green chilli, chopped

½ cup peas

1 tsp cumin seeds

Salt to taste

Heat a pan and add some oil. Now add the cumin seeds. When the seeds start to crackle add the onions and green chilies. Sauté for a few moments. Now add the grated paneer and peas. Cook for some time. Season with salt.

Remove the crusts from the bread slices. Dip them in water and squeeze. Now put some filling in the centre and tightly close up the bread slices. Make sure there are cracks through which the filling is peeping.

Deep fry the bread rolls. 

Mix Veg Momos

Well here is another yummy momo.
Momos are something i can have any time of the day. They are filling and nutritious. As there is no frying involved you can have it without any guilt. Those counting the calories in the white flour can substitute it with whole wheat flour. Since the preparation involves very less use of oil you can have as many as you want and not feel overstuffed.


Ingredients

For the dough
2 cups flour
Salt to taste
Water to knead

Mix the flour and salt. Use the water to knead a firm dough. Cover and keep aside for some time.


For the filling
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped French beans
6 garlic pods, chopped fine
1 cup chopped cabbage
Salt to taste
1 tsp ajinomoto (optional)
½ cup paneer, crumbled

Heat 1 tbsp of oil. Add all the chopped vegetables. Add the salt and sauté for some time. Cover and cook for 4 minutes. The vegetables must not become soft because they are yet to be steamed. Add the crumbled paneer and cook for a minute or two. Keep aside for the filling to cool down.

Now make small balls of the dough and start rolling them out. The trick with rolling out the momo wrappers is to make the outer circumference thinner that the middle portion. This is because you will be gathering up the outer rim and folding it into different shapes. The middle portion has to be thicker so that the momo does not break after being steamed.
Place a tablespoon of filing in the middle and fold the momo into desired shapes.
Steam them for 20-25 minutes. Have the hot, steaming momos with the red chutney.

Chicken Momo

Momos or dumplings have been a around for centuries. You can find them under different names in China, Japan, Mongolia, etc..

The momo that has now become popular is of Nepalese origin. Inadvertently you will find that all the local momo boys in the markets are Nepalese. When the Nepalese started coming to India they bought along with them this simple yet wholesome food.

We are accustomed to only the normal chicken, paneer and veg varieties of momos. But there are so many variations of these dumplings. You can have them steamed or fried. The pan fried version is called Kothay. You can have them in soups and broths. And there are so many shapes you can make them in.

Today I am focusing only on a basic chicken momo.

Ingredients

For the dough

2 cups flour

Salt to taste

Water to knead

Mix the flour and salt. Use the water to knead a firm dough. Cover and keep aside for some time.

For the filling

500 gms chicken keema

2 onions, chopped fine

7-8 garlic pods, chopped fine

4 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Salt to taste

1 tbsp cold butter

I have found that if you want juicy momos you should include some chicken fat into the filling. However since I buy ready made mince it is not possible for me to add the chicken fat. The other alternative is to add some butter.

Mix all the filling ingredients.

Now make small balls of the dough and start rolling them out. The trick with rolling out the momo wrappers is to make the outer circumference thinner that the middle portion.

This is because you will be gathering up the outer rim and folding it into different shapes. The middle portion has to be thicker so that the momo does not break after being steamed.

Place a tablespoon of filing in the middle and fold the momo into desired shapes.

Steam them for 20-25 minutes. Have the hot, steaming momos with the red chutney.

Peshawari Chicken Kabab

Sitting in -20 degrees in Leh gets to be a bit boring at times. You can not go out much because of the bone chilling cold.

You are stuck within the four walls and there is just so much television you can watch and just so many books you can read. The best way to ward off the boredom is to keep yourself busy. I do so by cooking.

In extreme winters all the mountain passes get blocked basically cutting off all supply from the flatlands. People here have to survive on dry rations. The locals start stocking up on dried turnips, apricots, carrots, etc from the month of November. What we do have in ample is chicken. The aircrafts bring in loads of frozen chicken and that is what sustains us for these four months.

So it is the time to experiment everyday with new dishes. Many are major flops and few turn out really well!!

Ingredients

600 gms chicken mince

1 tbsp ginger, coarsely pounded

1 tbsp garlic, coarsely pounded

2 large onions, chopped fine

2 large tomatoes, chopped fine

4 green chillies, chopped fine

1 egg

1 tsp black pepper, pounded

1 tbsp roasted cumin, pounded

1 tbsp roasted coriander, pounded

2 dry red chillies, pounded

4-5 tbsp besan, for binding

Green coriander, chopped

Salt to taste

½ tsp amchur/chat masala

Keep the chopped tomatoes aside. Mix the rest of the ingredients. We have not included the tomatoes now because it will release water and the mixture will become soupy.

Keep aside for 2-3 hours. You have to add the tomatoes just prior to frying the kababs. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Make small, round patties. Shallow fry.

Chatpate Mushroom

Chatpate Mushroom

This dish is exactly as it sounds. Chatpate Mushrooms. Tangy, spicy and tasty!!

I have used tinned mushrooms here which take less time to cook. If you are using fresh button mushrooms then you will have to spend some extra time cooking them.

 For this dish I feel that the tinned ones are the best. Fresh mushrooms are great for making stuffed ones. Since the tinned mushrooms are already steeped in brine the saltiness is constant in the mushrooms. 

This dish makes a good, easy and quick snacks. So whip out your tin of mushrooms and make this chatpata dish!!

Ingredients

1 tin button mushrooms

½ cup hung curd

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp chicken masala

Salt to taste

Drain the mushrooms and marinate them in the rest of the ingredients for at least half an hour. The more you marinate the better they will taste.

Now you have an option of either grilling them or making them in a pan.

If you want to grill them then preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Then bake for about 10-15 minutes.

If you are making them in a pan then put a pan on heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Cook the mushrooms till the masalas are dry.

Sesame Garlic Dip

Sesame Garlic Dip

Bored of the same dips with every snacks? We usually end up serving the red, white and green ones. Red tomato ketchup. White mayonnaise. Green dhania pudina chutney. Think out of the box. It is very easy to make some interesting dips with few basics form your pantry. Try out this Sesame Garlic Dip.

Ingredients

6-7 garlic pods

2 red tomatoes

4 tbsp sesame seeds

3 dry red chillies

Salt to taste

Grill the tomatoes on open flame. Peel the skin and chop it finely. Slow roast the sesame seeds, dry red chillies and garlic pods. Now make a paste of the chopped tomatoes, sesame seeds, red chillies, garlic pods and salt. Your dip is ready. 

Baked Bharwan Mushroom

Baked Bharwan Mushroom

In India we commonly get the white button mushrooms. And that too has been available in the last 10 years or so. Before that only the gourmet vegetable shops used to keep mushrooms. I remember going to INA market in Delhi specially to get the mushrooms.

Then there started a wave of mushroom cultivation. It takes a little bit of knowledge and expertise and anyone can do mushroom farming. So these white beauties became readily available in the smallest of veg shops. They are also available in the timed form.

I add mushrooms to pizzas, pasta, chowmein. They are great roasted or grilled. And they make a delicious curry. This Grilled Bharwan recipe is pretty simple. And you need only 2-3 ingredients. I have made a non veg version using sausages. You can replace them with paneer.

Ingredients

200 gms fresh button mushrooms

3-4 sausages

½ cup mozzarella cheese

Salt to taste

Wash the mushrooms really well. Rinse them at least thrice.

Chop of the stems of the mushrooms. Scoop out the insides of the mushrooms. 

Now chop all these portions very fine.

 Chop the sausages very fine. Heat some oil.

 Add the chopped mushroom portions. Saute on high heat till they wilt. 

Add the sausages and saute. Add a little salt for seasoning. Apply some oil to the button mushrooms.

 Stuff the sausage filling inside. Sprinkle some grated cheese on top. 

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Bake the mushrooms for 10 minutes. 

Eat them hot.

Crackling chicken with Burnt Garlic Mayo

Crackling chicken with Burnt Garlic Mayo

Anyone coming to Leh must eat at The Eclectic Kitchen. The ambience is nice. I love their rustic furniture. The hostess is an absolute delight. Her name is Sherab and she is in her twenties. For a girl this young to have started her own restaurant and serve few of the best dishes in Leh is an accomplishment.

One of our favorite starters in her restaurant is the Crackling Chicken with burnt garlic mayo. It is simply yummm!! The dish in itself is pretty simple. Marinated chicken breast is beaten thin and rolled in beaten rice/poha/chiwda. This poha is what gives the dish its crackle. And the burnt garlic mayo is to die for. Wars can be fought on this!!Lolzz. 

Sherab was gracious enough to share her recipe with me. I have tried to recreate her dish here.

Ingredients

2 boneless chicken breast

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

Salt to taste

1 cup flattened rice/poha/chiwda, crushed

1 egg, beaten

4 pods garlic, chopped

½  cup mayonnaise

Cut the boneless chicken into thin strips. Marinate with ginger garlic paste and salt for half an hour. then take each strip and beat them into thin sheets using a mallet.

 Dip each strip into the beaten egg and then roll in the crushed poha.

 Deep fry.

Make the burnt garlic mayo. Heat some oil. Once the oil is really hot, lower the flame and add the chopped garlic, sauté on low flame till the garlic browns. Add the oil and fried garlic to the mayonnaise.

Enjoy the crackling chicken with the burnt garlic mayo. The crackle in the chicken comes from the coating of crushed poha.