Buttermilk Curry (Kadhee)

Ingredients for Pakoras

1.   3 tablespoons Besan.

2.   20 -25 ml water.

3.   ½ teaspoon salt.

4.   ¼ teaspoon garam masala

5.   ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder

6.   ¼ teaspoon kasoori methi

7.   Two medium onions chopped fine

8.   Oil for frying.

Ingredients for Kadhee

1.           One litre thick buttermilk. (thickness should be like the buttermilk you get in tetra packs ,in fact a little more than that too will do).

2.           3 tablespoons Besan.

3.           ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder.

4.           4 - 6 tablespoons Oil.

5.           ½ teaspoon Methi  / Fenugreek seeds.

6.           5-6 cloves of Garlic chopped very fine.

7.           2 cloves and one Badi Elaichi / black cardamon.

8.           One inch piece of Cinnamon.

9.           Two medium onions sliced thin.

10.       Two green chillies chopped fine.

11.       Salt to taste.

For Tempering

 

1.           Two tablespoons desi ghee

2.           ½ teaspoon jeera / cumin seeds

3.           ½ teaspoon red chilli powder

Method

1.   Add water to the besan and keep aside for at least half an hour to let it soften a little.

2.   Add the chopped onions and seasonings and make pakoras and keep aside.

3.   You can simultaneously do the following steps.

4.   Blend the turmeric and besan with the buttermilk.

5.   Take oil in a heavy bottomed pan and place it on the stove at medium flame.

6.  The moment the oil gets warm add the fenugreek seeds , let them pinken a little , care is to be taken that they they don’t turn dark brown. This will take a few seconds.

7.  Add the clove , badi elaichi and cinnamon stick and stir for a few seconds.

8.    Add the chopped garlic and stir till they become golden brown.

9.    Add the onions and green chillies and stir fry till they become translucent.

10.  Add the buttermilk mixture and let it simmer for at 20- 25 minutes.

11.  Meanwhile your pakoras would be done.

12.  Add salt , kasoori methi and pakoras to the curry or kadhee ( however you would like to call it ) and boil for a minute and turn off the gas. 

13.  For the tempering warm the ghee , add the cumin seeds and red chilli powder.

14.  Pour it into the kadhee and serve with steaming hot rice.

Chicken Stew

Here is a recipe for a cold winter evening when you want to stew up a healthy meal in no time. As I have mentioned before there are numerous recipes for a chicken stew  and the other recipes that I have posted so far ,but I would love to share the ones which are the simplest to make and yet delicious to taste. My mother- in -law gets a finger licking and lip smacking result to the same recipe, lets see if we can manage to get the same.

Ingredients

1.       250 grams boneless chicken cut into bite size pieces.

2.  500 gms mixed vegetables ( you could use all the vegetables in  any amount provided they total up to 500 gms) carrots, potatoes ,tomatoes and beans chopped into ¾ inch size, peas and cauliflower florets .

2.       One medium onion thinly sliced.

3.       Six or seven peppercorns.

4.       One inch piece of cinnamon stick

5.       2 tablespoons whole wheat flour.

6.       500 ml water.

7.       4 tablespoons refined oil.

Method

1.    Take a medium sized pressure cooker and warm the oil in it.

2.    Add the pepper corns and cinnamon and stir for a few seconds.

3.    Add the sliced onions and brown them on medium flame.

4.    Add the chicken pieces and stir for five minutes.

5.    Add 400 ml of water and give one or two whistles till the chicken is ¾ th done. In the mean time chop the vegetables.

6.    Add the chopped vegetables to the pressure cooker and give one more whistle ,the vegetables should be pleasantly crunchy after the steam comes off.

7.    Roast the whole wheat flour on a hot griddle / tava at medium flame , care is to taken that the flour doesn’t get brown ,it should just about change the original colour.

8.    Let the flour get cool and then dissolve it in 100 ml of water. Mix it well to    avoid any lumps.

9.   Pour this mixture into the pressure cooker and stir for 2-3 minutes and let the stew boil a little.

10. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with any bread of your       choice.

Stir Fried Lady Finger (Okra)

      Lady finger (Okra) is a popular health food because of its high content of fibre ,folate and vitamin C. It is high in antioxidants and also a good source of calcium and potassium. Here is a quick way of making it delicious too.

Ingredients

1.           500 grams fresh and tender Lady Fingers.

2.           6 – 8 tablespoons of mustard oil.

3.           Two medium Onions, approx. weight 200 grams.

4.           ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder.

5.           ½ teaspoon red Chilli powder.

6.           ½ teaspoon Chat masala.

7.           ¼ teaspoon Garam masala.

8.           1 level teaspoon Salt or adjust to your taste.

Method

1.           Wash and pat dry the lady fingers.

2.           Heat the mustard oil in a heavy bottomed aluminium pan on full flame till it smokes and then switch off the gas and let the oil cool for a few minutes.

3.           Chop the lady fingers into ¾ inch pieces.

4.           Turn the gas on medium flame and add the lady fingers to the warm mustard oil.

5.           Stir fry for 5 - 7 minutes and then add the sliced onions ,turmeric powder and red chilly  powder into the same pan and stir fry without covering for about ten minutes or till the lady fingers are cooked but still a little crispy.

6.           Add the Salt, chat masala and garam masala, stir fry for a minute and serve immediately with fresh Chapatis (Roti).

Basic Plain Cake

Now friends, there can’t be a simpler cake than this and one can find all the ingredients  in the remotest of the countryside. If one doesn’t have an oven, no sweat, you can make it on the gas stove. So here we go with a cake, I almost renamed as “I bet it will never fail anytime, anywhere Cake”.

Ingredients

1.    175 grams butter.

2.    175 grams sugar.

3.    175 grams  flour.

4.    4 large eggs.

5.    ¾ teaspoon baking powder.

6.    Two tablespoons lemon juice.

Method

1.    Preheat Oven to 180°C.

2.    Sift flour and baking powder.

3.    Beat butter and sugar in a mixing bowl till light and fluffy.

4.    Add the eggs one at a time and beat well.

5.    Add the flour one tablespoon at a time while gently beating the mixture.

6.    Add the lemon juice and mix it well.

7.    Transfer to a 7 or 8 inches round baking dish or a 6x 8 inches baking dish.

8.    Bake at 180° C for fifty minutes or if you want to give the gas stove a try, then take a big pot and place a perforated plate inside it. Now place the cake tin on the perforated plate and cover the pot with a lid. Kindly note, the lid should fit perfectly on top so as not to allow any air to pass through. Airtight seal is not required. Put the gas on low flame and cook for 40 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean the cake is done. Leave the cake to cool in tin for 10 minutes prior to slicing it.

Honey Cinnamon Cake

This is one of my favourite cakes .The best thing about this cake is that it maintains its heavenly aroma for many days and your house will smell great even hours after this cake is baked.

           Ingredients

1.   125 gms butter at room temperature.

2.   1 egg.

3.   200 ml honey.

4.   1 teaspoon cinnamon powder.

5.   1 teaspoon  baking  soda.

6.   250 gms flour.

7.   ½  teaspoon salt.

8.   100 ml thick curd at room temperature.

Method

1.   Preheat the oven to 180° c.

2.   In a mixing bowl beat in the butter, honey and egg  together  till well blended.

3.   Sift the flour , salt ,baking soda and cinnamon powder.

4.   Keep adding one heapfull tablespoon of the flour to the egg mixture beating well all the time.

5.   When the flour is well mixed add the curd and beat for a few seconds just to blend the curd well.

6.   Pour the contents into a loaf tin 9 x 3 inches in size .You could use your regular round or square tins also, its just that I feel it comes out a little better in a loaf tin. Since it’s a large cake , care must be taken that your tin gets just half filled leaving enough space for the cake to rise.

7.   Bake at 180° for 50 minutes or till the toothpick inserted comes out clean…..you might have to bake for 5 to 10 minutes more depending upon the oven.

Hope you all will enjoy the cake.

Simplest Potato Curry

This is a perfect comfort food after a hectic day or long hours of travel. Easy to digest and quick to cook in just the pressure cooker with a minimum amount of chopping , I can confidently say that this curry truly befits its name.

Ingredients

1.    600 grams or 4 medium potatoes.

2.    ¼ cup finely chopped onion.

3.    ¼ cup chopped tomatoes.

4.    One green chilli chopped fine.

5.    4 garlic cloves (approx. size one inch) chopped fine.

6.    One inch ginger, grated or very thinly sliced.

7.    One teaspoon salt.

8.    200 ml water.

9.    For tempering:-

 (a)   2 tablespoon ghee/refined oil.  

      (b)   Half a teaspoon mustard seeds.

      (c)   5-7 curry leaves.

      (d)   Two pinches of asafoetida (Heeng).

      (e)   ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder.

      (f)    ½ teaspoon red chilli powder.

10.  Two tablespoons chopped coriander leaves.

Method

1.   Cut the potatoes into small pieces (½ inch to ¾ inch).

2.  Place all the ingredients from 1 to 8 all together in the pressure cooker.

3.   Give two whistles and let the steam go off on its own.

4.  Take oil /ghee and add mustard seeds, the moment they splutter, add the curry leaves followed by asafoetida and turmeric and a little red chilli powder for colour.

5.    Pour it into the pressure cooker.

6.    Gently mash a few cooked potatoes in the pressure cooker itself to thicken the curry.

7.    Add the coriander leaves. Give one boil.

8.    Serve with Pooris (Indian Bread) or rice or pav.