Butter Chicken

Ingredients:

                       1/2 kg------chicken tikka pieces

                      2 to 3 ------cloves

                      5 to 6 -------Medium size onions

                           6   -------Medium Tomatoes

                      2 to 3 -------Green chillies

                      2 tbsp ------Ginger /Garlic paste

                        Pinch ------Turmeric powder

                       1/4tsp ------ Tandoor colour

                   2 1/2 tsp----- Curry powder (Any plain curry powder from any Indian store

                                                no specific  brand)

              1 to 1 1/2tsp ----Garam Masala(check my home made garam masala recipe)

                             1 tsp -------Kasuri methi(dried fenugreek leaves)

               As per taste-------Red chili powder

                         1 tbsp --------Cashew nut

                         1tbsp --------Khus khus 

                        2 tbsp---------cooking oil

Method:

Make a paste of cashew nut and khuskhus and keep  it aside.

Fry the cloves for 1 min in the oil.

Then add diced onions.Cook them till they become dark brown in colour.

Changing colour of the onion is the main part to get the perfect colour of the butter chicken.

Add chopped green chills and then ginger garlic paste cook till you get the ginger garlic flavour.

After onions turn brown add the diced tomatoes with rest of the dry ingredients.

Cook till the tomatoes become soft.Add salt to the tomatoes.By adding salt the tomatoes will get cooked quickly with in few minutes.

Let the onion and tomato mixture cool down.

Then put it in a blender and make it into a fine paste.

Add water to sauce to get the consistency you like.

In a pan add the sauce add cashwe nut paste.

Finally add chicken pieces(already prepared chicken tikka pieces)and cook for 5 to 10 mins.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Wheat Laddoo Recipe

This laddoo i have tasted in my friends house when i went to there house for lunch.She is a North Indian and very excellent cook.She many 2 varieties of dishes for lunch.Dal Makhani and capsicum with paneer.Amazing! We enjoyed the lunch a lot.After we had main course she gave us 2 types of deserts one of them is this laddoo.This is a simple laddoo which she makes for her family and stores it for few days.I thought let me share that wonderful and easy recipe with you all.I hope you like it.

Ingredients:
• 2cups Wheat flour (Regular Wheat flour)

• 1/2 cup Ghee

• 1 cup Sugar

• 1/2 tsp Elaichi(Cardamom)

• 1/4 cup Nuts of your choice like Cashew nuts,Almonds,Raisins ...etc

How to make Wheat Laddoo:
•Heat a pan add ghee and roast the flour in it.
•Fry the flour till flour changes its colour from light to dark brown. It smells like cookies.The ghee should floats the sides of the pan
•Mix the sugar and cardamom with flour and mix well.
•Cook till 3 mins.the flour resembles like bread crumbs.

•Take out from the heat and add nuts.

•Prepare medium sized balls once the mixture is cooled.
•Atta Ladoo is ready.

Dahi for Chat

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plain yogurt,
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp chaat masala
salt, to taste

Method:
Yogurt should be beaten with 1-2 tbsp of water till smooth.
I prefer to beat the yogurt with a stick blender.
Add rest of the dry ingredients.
you can use this dip/dahi for various Indian snacks like
different chat items.

Home made Garam masala

Garam masala

This is the most aromatic and fragrant of all Indian spice blends. Used throughout India in all types of dishes — from appetizers and soups to yogurt salad and main courses. It is widely available, but my homemade version is more fragrant and, of course, fresher.

There are many versions for this magic masala.This version i have learnt from my Sindhi friend who is an expert in cooking and has a treasure for creative cooking ideas.I usually call her Khana Khazana.She is an amazing girl.I will be sharing few of her Khazana's in my blog.One of them is this simple masala powder.

This garam masala is magic powder which can be used in many recipes like fish pulavo,Chicken tikka,Paneer tikka etc....

I will be posting all these recipes very shortly.

Ingredients:

Jeera(Cumin)---------------50gms

Elaichi(Cardamom)--1 Tbsp

Cloves------------------15 to 20 no

Cinnamon stick(small size)-------5 to 6 pcs

Bay leaves--------------6 to 8no

Method:

Put the cumin,cardamom,cloves,cinnamon stick and bay leaves in a dry heavy skillet over low heat. Toast the spices, stirring occasionally, until they turn several shades darker and give off a sweet smoky aroma, about 5 to 10 minutes. Do not raise the heat to quicken the process, or the spices will brown prematurely, leaving the insides undercooked. Cool completely.
Working in batches if necessary, transfer the mixture to a spice mill or coffee grinder and grind to a powder.Use immediately or store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.Can be used up till 3 months.

Palak Mushroom(Spinach Mushroom)

Ingredients:
Palak(Spinach)frozen----------250gms
Mushroom(cooked with little salt)----------------------250gms
Onion----------------------------1big size chopped
Tomatoes------------------------1big size chopped
Green chilles---------------------3 to 4 no
Ginger and garlic paste----------1tsp
Cumin seeds----------------------1/2Tbsp
Butter -----------------------------4tbsp
Cumin Powder---------------------1tsp
Corriander powder----------------1/2tsp
Red chille powder------------------1/4tsp
Turmeric powder-------------------1tsp
Garam Masala powder--------------1/3tsp
Cream(optional)--------------------2Tbsp
salt as per taste

Method:

1. If you are using fresh spinach .Wash & drain the water from Spinach. Chop them coarsely.
2. In a pan bring to boil or microwave on high for 8 minutes by adding little bit of salt.Cool & grind them coarsely to Paste.
3. In the same pan cook the onions with green chillies and little bit salt along with little bit of water.Cook till the water disappears in the onions.Cool and grind them in to a fine paste.
4. In the same way cook the tomatoes chopped with water and little salt.Cool it and make it into a fine paste.
5. Heat the butter,add cumin seeds.Once they start spluttering add onion and green chille paste.Fry onions till translucent and color changes to brown . Add Garlic & ginger paste fry briefly.
6. Add the tomatoes paste fry for 5 mins till the oil floats on the edges.Finally add the spinach paste and mix all the spice powders & stir.
7. Let cook for a couple of minutes till combined. Add the Cooked mushrooms for 2 minutes & switch off the flame.Adjust the seasonings & Serve Garnished with Cream & Grated Cheese on top

Spicy bread sandwich

Ingredients:
Bread------------------6 pieces
Boiled potatoes----------------4medium size
onion--------------------1big size finely chopped
Green chillies-------------3 to 4 pieces
Cumin seeds--------------1Tsp
Turmeric powder---------1Tsp
Ginger & Garlic paste------1/2Tbsp
Chat masala----------------2Tsp
Coriander powder----------1Tsp
Red chillie powder----------1/2Tbsp
Curry leaves-------------5 to 6no
Coriander Leaves---------2Tbsp finely chopped
Salt as per taste
oil--------2Tbsp
Butter to apply on the bread slices

Method:
We need to make the stuffing first.Boil potatoes in their skin until tender. You can use microwave or pressure cooker, if you prefer. Cool, peel and cut potatoes into cubes.
Heat oil in a pan ,when it gets hot add the cumin seeds after they start splutering you can add finely chopped onion. let it cook for a minute.When it starts to get soft add ginger and garlic paste .After frying for some time then add the tumeric powder,salt,red chillie powder,chat powder,coriander powder,curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves.Fry the ingredients for 2 mins and then add potato cubes.Mix all the ingredients properly cook till the potatoe losses it raw smell and finally add lime juice.
Cook for few mintues and cool the stuffing.

For this sandwich you can use any type of bread.Here i used wholemeal bread which is very good for health.
Apply butter on one side of the bread slice.On the same side put the stuffing and cover it with another bread slice.Put the bread inside the sandwich maker.
Close the sanwich maker to make the bread more crisper.
After 5 mins brush some butter on the bread this makes the sandwich more tastier.
Goes on well with some tomato sauce or barbecue sauce.

Tomato chutney

In India, a chutney is often made to be eaten fresh, using whatever suitable strongly flavoured ingredients are locally traditional or available at the time. It would not normally contain preserving agents, since it is intended to be consumed soon after preparation. Chutney, as a genre, is often similar to the salsa of Latin American cuisine, or European relish insofar as it usually involves a fresh, chopped primary vegetable/fruit with seasonings added, to be used as a condiment for another food. The Hindi translation of "to make chutney" is a common idiom meaning "to crush". This is because the process of making chutney often involves the crushing together of the ingredients

The use of a stone chutney maker is often regarded as vital to create the ideal chutney. It is a small stone bowl (called a "kharal" or "khal" in Hindi), or a flat piece of stone (called a "sil") on which the ingredients are crushed together with a rounded stick of stone or wood (called a "batta", pronounced with a hard 't').
Chutney is more familiar in North America and Europe in a form that can be stored. To this end, vegetable oil, vinegar, or lemon juice are used to enhance the keeping properties.


Types of chutney
Many authentic chutneys contain significant amounts of fresh green chili peppers; the other main ingredient can be any of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Most vegetable chutneys are prepared cold in a blender, while many fruit chutneys do require cooking. Popular chutneys include:


Coconut chutney
Onion chutney
Tomato chutney
Coriander (Cilantro) and/or mint chutney (both are often called Hari chutney, where 'Hari' is Hindi for 'Green')
Tamarind chutney (Imli chutney)
Mango chutney (made from unripe, green mangoes)
Lime chutney (made from whole, unripe limes)
Garlic chutney made from fresh garlic, coconut and groundnut
Green tomato chutney. Common English recipe to use up unripe tomatoes

I learnt this recipe from my Rajasthani friend in Japan and its one the easiest chutneys you can make when you are hurry to make something or lazy to cook. Here goes the recipe!!!

Ingredients:

1 med. Onion
1 can Tomatoes
1tsp Coriander powder
4-5 cloves garlic
1 tbsp. coriander leaves
1 sprig curry leaves
1 Tbsp Red chili powder
1Tbsp oil
salt to taste
Seasoning: 1 tsp. oil, 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds, 1 pinch asafoetida.

Method1:
If you are using fresh tomatoes instead of tomatoes in a tin.Follow this procedure.
Heat the 1 tbsp. oil add to the other ingredients except seasoning.Add the onion and tomato pieces. Saute until the onion pieces are soft and clear.Grind either on stone, or in electric stone grinder, or in a mixer.Transfer to a serving bowl.Heat oil in a small crucible, add the seeds and asafoetida..When they splutter, add to the chutney. Mix gently.

Method2:
If you are using tomatoes in a tin.Follow this procedure.
Heat the 1 tbsp. oil add to the ingredients for seasoning.When they splutter,add the rest of the ingredients. Add the onion and tomato pieces. Saute until the onion pieces are soft and clear.
Cook until you have a smooth sauce formed.

Serve with parathas, dosas, idlis, or just plain bread or toast.

Note:
For flavour you can add 5 to 6 fresh mint or pudina leaves

Lamb curry(Mutton gravy punjabi style)

Ingredients:

Mutton, boneless ------------1/2 kg
Coriander seeds ------------1Tbsp
Cumin seeds ------------1/2 Tbsp
Poppy seeds ------------1/3Tbsp
Turmeric powder ------------1 tsp
Garam masala ------------1Tbsp
Coconut powder -------------2 Tbsp
Onions ------------4 nos
Tomatoes -------------2 nos.
Red chili powder -------------1 tsp
Ginger & Garlic paste -------------1 Tbsp
Whole red chili -------------4 nos.
Coriander (chopped) -------------1/2 cup
Oil ------------- 7 tbsps
Salt as per taste

Instructions:
1.Wash and cut the mutton into 1½” sized pieces. Peel and chop the onions. Chop the tomatoes.
2.Roast the whole spices(coriander seeds,cumin seeds,red chillies and poppy seeds) separately and grind together coarsely.
3.Heat oil in a pressure cooker and cook the onions till light brown on low heat. Add the ginger-garlic paste. Mix well. Add the home made garam masala first and then add coarsely ground masala powder. Cook for half a minute, stirring all the time.
4.Add mutton, cook on high heat till mutton pieces are well browned.
5.Add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt and mix well. Cook till oil leaves the masala. Add little quantity of water (about 1 & 1/2 cup), bring it to a boil and cover. Cook till you get 3 whistles and after that cook on low heat for 10 to 15 mins.
6.Adjust the seasoning and serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Serve it with Naan, Rice or Roti