Monday, February 24, 2014

R's concert and Karaishuti-r Kacahuri, Niramish Alur Dam and Enchorer tarkari (Peas Kachauri, Dam aloo without onion Garlic and Raw jackfruit curry)

R had a concert this Sunday. Friday and Saturday were dress rehearsal days. On Friday she went to the auditorium in her school bus. Usually, R is accompanied by her papa to school. So she was quite excited of this first time experience. So much that when I said that ‘you will be dropped by your school bus’ she started clapping and dancing. Kids, unlike us become so happy with little-little things!

Saturday she had to wear her dance costume and go with full make up. My little one was dancing on the Goan song ‘ya ya maya ya’. Here’s the picture of her dress rehearsal.

On Saturday I dropped her to the auditorium. There is a big ground and all the kids were arranged there according to their class. My darling went to her respective place and chose a corner to sit.

Somehow she’s very calm and quiet, when she’s at school. Whenever I met her teacher, she said that R loves to be alone than in a group. This Saturday I witnessed that. I stood there for some time. She waved her hand and blew a kiss to me. Something was there on her face which made me feel that she was missing me.  I felt my eyes wet.

That morning she asked for blue colored luchis/puri J. As this is the end of winter and also the season of fresh peas, I thought of making Peas Kachauri or Karaishutir Kachuri. Traditionally, Karaishutir Kachuri is accompanied with niramish alur dam (dam alu without onion and garlic) and some sweets. As there were some guests as well, I thought of making one more vegetable. Raw jackfruit was there. So, this Saturday dinner was grand with Karaishuti-r Kacahuri, Niramish Alur Dam and Enchorer tarkari (Peas Kachauri, Dam aloo without onion Garlic and Raw jackfruit curry). I had not made any sweet dish, instead S brought Jalebis.

Here are the recipes.

Raw jackfruit curry/ Enchorer tarkari

Ingredients
1 raw Jackfruit 1.5 Kg
2 potatoes Medium
1 Tomato small
2 green chilly
1 onion medium
1 tbsp Turmeric
1 tbsp jeera powder
1 tbsp dhaniya powder
1 tbsp red chily powder
1 tbsp ginger paste
½ tbsp garlic paste
Salt as per taste
Sugar as per taste
2 tbsp Mustard oil
Jeera/Whole Cumin seeds and Bayleaves/ tejpatta for seasoning
½ tsp garam masala
Few drops of ghee
2-3 cups of water

Preparation:
Cut the Jackfruit into small pieces.
If you are doing it for the first time, take help of your mother (which I did) or check this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Me3Ohq_NaY
Cut the potatoes into medium cubes
Chop tomatoes and onions.
Slit the green chilies
Cooking
Steam the jackfruit. Do not overcook. Remove the pressure cooker from heat after a single whistle.
Open the pressure cooker, after it cools down and pour the steamed jackfruit in a sieve to drain the water.
Heat oil in a deep-bottomed pan. When the oil is hot enough fry the potatoes with ½ tsp of salt and turmeric. When the potatoes turn golden remove them from the oil.
Next, fry the steamed jackfruit till it is golden in colour.
Now in the same oil put ½ tsp of Whole Cumin seeds and Bay leaves. Add the chopped onion and tomato and fry till it is soft.
In the meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix all the spices and the ginger, garlic paste with half cup of water.
Add this paste when the onion gets light brown in colour. Add ½ tsp of sugar and continue to cook till the water dries up and oil releases.
Add the fried potatoes and jackfruit and continue to cook again. These should be cooked well in the spice mixture to be seasoned.
Now add 2 cups of water. The gravy should not be too runny.
When both potato and jackfruit get cooked add ½ tsp of garam masala and Ghee and switch off the flame.

  
Niramish Alur Dam (Dam Aloo without onion and garlic)

Ingredients
Baby Potato 20
1 medium tomato finely chopped
Green chilies (as per your tolerance)
Finely chopped Coriander leaves for garnishing
1 tbsp Jeera/ Cumin powder
1 tbsp Dhaniya/ Corriander powder,
 Lalmirch/ Red chili powder as per tolerance
½ tsp Kashmiri Red chili powder
½ tsp Haldi/ Turmeric powder
Salt as per taste
Whole jeera/cumin seed, whole dry red chili and tejpata
Mustard oil or any white oil
2-3 cups of water

Method                                                                                                                               

Wash the potatoes and boil. Add some salt while boiling. Do not overcook.
You can cut them into halves if you wish.
Peel the boiled potatoes
Heat a pan with 2 table spoon mustard oil.
Fry the potatoes with ½ tbsp of turmeric. Fry till they have a golden colour. Remove the potatoes.
Next temper the oil with some whole jeera/cumin seed, 2 whole dry red chili and 2 tejpata
Add the finely chopped tomato.
This should be cooked in a low flame.
Now in a small bowl make a paste with 1 tbsp ginger paste, 1tbsp jeera, dhania and ½ tbsp lal mirch powder, salt turmeric and half cup of water.
Add this to the cooked onion and tomato mix and fry. You can add a pinch of sugar at this time. I add this as a part of traditional Bengali cuisine. This doesn’t make the dish sweet but adds to the taste and flavor.
When the mix releases oil add the potatoes and let them be cooked in the spices for sometimes. After they are well cooked in the spices, add 2 cups of water and increase the flame.
Cook in a high flame for some time. The gravy will not be too runny. Cook till your desired consistency.
Now add the chopped coriander leaves and mix it well and switch off the gas.

Karaishuti-r Kachuri (peas/matar kachauri)

Ingredients
For Filling
Shelled Green peas 100-150 gms (6-7 people)
1 inch ginger
2 green chilies (optional)
½ tbsp Jeera/ Cumin powder
½ tbsp Dhaniya/ Corriander powder,
½ tsp Kashmiri Red chili powder
½ tsp Haldi/ Turmeric powder
¼ tsp Asafoetida
¼ tsp Aniseeds (saunf)
Salt as per taste
1 tbsp white oil

For Kachuri
1 cup whole wheat
¼ cup refined flour
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp ghee melted
Water to knead the dough
Oil to fry the kachuris

Preparation
Sift the whole wheat with the refined flour and salt
Add 2 tbsp of ghee and knead
Add little amount of water each time and knead the dough, till it is soft
Cover the dough with wet cloth

Grind the peas, ginger, green chilies and aniseeds to a fine paste.
Heat oil in a pan
Fry the asafoetida till light brown.
Add the peas paste.
Add all the spices and salt
Sprinkle a little amount of water
Fry well till the paste is cooked.
Take off from heat up and let it cool.

Divide the dough into 20 balls.
Press each ball in the centre and fill it with the pea mixture.
Close the opening well and flatten.
Roll out as for puris.
Heat up oil in a deep bottomed pan.
Deep fry the puris on low heat up till golden brown.
Remove and serve hot.



Thursday, February 20, 2014

Russian Salad and Pan Roast Stuffed Chicken

This is my first post of this year. I took a long break from everything of my usual life. I was just sick of everyday’s routine. This trip to Gaya and Kolkata was a long needed one.

In the beginning, I was skeptical about my little one’s behavior from the experiences of my last trip. But No. this time R really enjoyed wherever she went and had never disappointed us. Only for the last few days when she got tired and preferred to be at home than accompanying us everywhere. 

All through the trip I enjoyed the lazy, cold mornings with hot tea and newspaper, a long missed favourite. In my regular life, there’s no time to sit and have tea, forget about newspaper. As this was a proper vacation I did not even worry about my calorie intake and had all the delicacies of both the places from Gaya’s litti (liţţi), anarsa, golgappa, chat, tilkut to kolkata’s nolen gur-er rashogolla, chanar cake, fishfry, chap, roll and anything to everything for which I crave here in Pune from time to time. And yes, none of these days I was in the kitchen except for the New Year eve’s party.

This party was arranged by my dear sis-in-law (boudi). I prepared the Russian salad and the pan roast chicken.

A little late though, but wishing you all a very happy and delicious 2014 with the chicken and salad recipes.

Russian Salad (for 10 people)


Ingredients

500 grams cabbage
1 cup green peas
1 cup corn
1 and 1/2 cup long cut French beans
2 big apples
250 grams pineapple
2 eggs boiled
2 big potatoes boiled
1 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 tbsp Mayonnaise
Salt and ground pepper as per taste


Preparation

Wash the vegetables.
Next, finely cut the cabbage and the French beans.
Cut the boiled potatoes, apples and pineapple into small dice shape.
In a pan take some water and bring into boil. Add French beans, green peas and the corn with a pinch of salt. Let it boil till the vegetables are half cooked. Then switch off the flame, add the cabbage and cover the pan. After 5 minutes remove the vegetables from the hot water and run them in cold water to preserve the greenness.
In a bowl take 3 big spoons of mayo. Mash the boiled eggs and add all the ingredients one by one and mix well.
Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and mix.
Add salt and pepper as per taste.

Note: You can add vegetables as per your choice.


Pan Roast stuffed Chicken

Ingredients (for the roast)

Whole chicken (skin removed) 1.5 kg
4 tbsp butter melted
Juice of 1 big lemon
Salt and pepper as per taste
1 tbsp garlic paste
2 tbsp soya sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp chili flakes or as per tolerance
1 tbsp roasted garlic


Preparation (Chicken Roast)

 Take the chicken and make a few slits
Now rub the chicken with lemon juice, salt, pepper and 2 tbsp of melted butter
Marinate and refrigerate for 5-6 hrs
After 6 hrs take out the chicken and add all the sauces and the garlic paste and again refrigerate for 3-4 hrs.
After 4 hrs add the rest 2 tbsp of melted butter.

Ingredients (for the Stuffing)

 Chicken Minced Chicken/ Keema:  250 gms
1 Onion big
1 Tomato medium
2-3 green chilies (or as per your choice)
1 tbsp Ginger paste
1 tbsp Garlic paste
Salt as per taste
½ tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Jeera powder
1 tsp Red chili powder (or as per your choice)
1tbsp oil

Preparation (Stuffing)

Wash the Minced Chicken.
Chop finely onion, tomato and the green chilies.
Heat a pan with 2 table spoon of oil.
Add the chopped onion, tomato and the green chilies.
Add salt and cover.
Now add ginger, garlic paste, jeera powder, turmeric powder, Red chili powder and cook till the smell of the raw spices disappear
Add the minced chicken and cook. When it releases oil, cook for some more time to dry it up.
When the mix is completely dry, it is ready.

Chicken Roast

Take a flat bottom deep pan that has a lid.
Heat the pan and add the chicken.
Simmer the flame and cover the pan.
Roast it by turning all the sides.
After 15 minutes stuff the cooked minced chicken
Continue to roast for 40-45 minutes until whole the water dries up and the chicken gets the golden brown color.
After 10-15 minutes place the chicken in a board/or a hard surface. Cut into pieces and plate.
You can garnish with onion rings and blanched vegetables.