Paplet Fry

Ingredients:

3 Pomfret fish (Medium size)

5-6 Cloves

5-6 garlic pieces

1/2 Cup lemon juice 

1 Cup fresh coriander leaves, washed and chopped 

1 1/2 tsp Salt 

3 Green chilies

Oil for frying 

Lemon slices

onion rings

Method:

Wash and clean the fish properly. Chop off the tail end and make 4-5 incisions on each, set aside. Make a fine paste of garlic, lemon juice, coriander, salt and chilies. Apply the paste on both sides of the fish and set aside to marinate for about 30-45 minutes. Heat oil in the pan and carefully, place the fish into the hot oil and shallow fry on each side till it turns brown in  colour. Once cooked, remove it from the heat in a plate and drain off excess oil. Garnish Pomfret Fry with lemon wedges and onion rings. Serve it with rice or bhakri. 

Prawns Pulao

Ingredients:

150 gm headless Prawns- shelled, cleaned

250 gm cup Basmati rice

2 Bay leaves

1 chopped Onion 

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Red chilly powder

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Ghee

salt to taste

For masala paste:

2 chopped Green chillies 

2 peeled Green cardamoms 

2 Cloves

1/2 tsp Cinnamon pieces

1/2 tsp chopped ginger

Salt to taste

Method: 

Apply salt and turmeric powder to the prawns and keep aside for 25-30 minutes. Grind the masala ingredients with 1-2 tsp of water into fine paste. Heat ghee in pan, add the prawns and saute for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Remove the prawns onto a plate and keep aside. In the same pan, add the bay leaves and cumin seeds, saute until crackles. Add the onions and saute until becomes golden brown in color.  Add rice, ground paste, turmeric, red chilly powder and coriander powder, saute for 2 minutes. Add prawns, salt and the hot water, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer cook for 10-15 minutes until all the water gets evaporated and the rice is cooked. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve it hot. 

Chicken Grilled

Ingredients:

2 tbsp coriander seeds 

2 tbsp cumin seeds 

10 cardamom pods 

1 inch cinnamon

1 medium roughly chopped onion

1 tbsp chopped ginger

1/2 tbsp ground cloves

1 tbsp cayene pepper (masala) 

4 tbsp of  olive oil 

Lemon juice 

Salt to taste

4 chicken breasts

   

Method:

Place a small frying pan over low heat and dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cardamom pods and cinnamon. Grind the roasted spices to a fine power using a spice grinder. Place onion, ginger, cloves, cayenne pepper, olive oil, lemon juice and salt in a blender until smooth. Add the roasted spice mixture to the onion paste. Marinate boneless chicken breasts with the spice paste. Cover and marinate for 3 to 4 hours. Preheat the grill to 350 F. Grill the chicken pieces till it is fully grilled. Ready to be served.

Chicken Tandoori

Ingredients:

Chicken 800 grams

Kashmiri red chilli powder 2 tbsp

Lemon juice 3 tbsp

Salt  to taste

curd 1 cup

Ginger paste 2 tbsp

Garlic paste 2 tbsp

Garam masala powder 1/2 tbsp

Mustard oil 2 tbsp

Butter to taste

Chaat masala 1/2 tbsp

2 Onion ,cut into rings

1 Lemon,cut into wedges

1 Tomato, cut into wedges

Method:

Make cuts with a sharp knife on the chicken breast, legs and thighs.  Make a mixture of 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder, 1 tbsp lemon juice and salt apply it over the chicken and set aside for half an hour. For the marinade, tie up curd in a piece of muslin cloth and hang over a bowl for 15-20 minutes. Remove the thick curd into another bowl. Add the remaining Kashmiri red chilli powder, salt, ginger paste, garlic paste, remaining lemon juice, garam masala powder and mustard oil. Rub this mixture over the chicken and marinate for three to four hours in a refrigerator. Turn  the chicken onto a skewer and cook in a moderately hot clay oven or in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6 for ten to twelve minutes, until almost done. Baste chicken with a little butter and cook for another four minutes. Remove and set aside. Sprinkle chaat masala powder and serve with onion rings, tomato and lemon wedges. 

Mutton Dum Biryani

Ingredients: 

1/2 kg - basmati rice

1/2 kg - mutton

200 g - curd

175 g - ghee

150 g - ginger garlic paste

4 - onion

4 - tomato

2 tsp - chilli powder

6 - cardamom

6 - cinnamon

6 - clove

lemon juice

mint leaves

coriander leaves

salt to taste

Method:

Wash and clean the mutton and keep it aside. Heat ghee, add the cardamom, cinamon, clove. When it splutters, add half the onion and saute till it turns a light brown. Add half of the ginger-garlic paste, fry well. Add mutton, stir well. After 5 min add the remaining onion, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, salt, mint & coriander leaves. Then add the tomatoes and fry well till the oil separates. Then add curd and  2 cups of water. When the water boils, add the lemon juice then rice. Keep the flame on high. When the water is absorbed, reduce flame and cover with a lid.  Keep for 10 min. Biryani is ready to be serve. Serve it with Raita.

Chicken Dum Biryani

Ingredients: 

400g - rice

400g - chicken

4 medium size onions

3 tbsp - garam masala/biryani masala 

salt to taste

cooking oil

coriander & mint, chopped

For Spices:

2 tbsp - ginger garlic paste

3 tbsp - curd

1/2 tsp - dhania (coriander) powder

1/2 tsp - cumin powder 

1/4 tsp - turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp - red chilli powder

3 - green chillies

1 medium size tomato

Method:

Partially boil rice. Drain the water and keep it aside. Blend all the spices. Add salt as per taste and also as per the chicken quantity only. Take a flat base aluminium container. Put 4 tablespoon of oil and arrange all the chicken pieces on it. Pour the blended masala on the chicken. Mix some salt to the partially boiled rice and spread the rice evenly on the chicken and masala. Spinkle the garam masala on the rice. Cover it properly and cook it on low flame for 30 mins. Cut onions length wise. Add oil to kadai and fry onion on medium flame till it turns golden brown. After the rice is done, add the fried onion and chopped coriander and mint and mix it well with the biryani. Put it on low flame again for another 5-10 mins. Ready to be serve.

Tips:
For better taste, marinate the chicken pieces in the blended masala for 1-2 hrs.

Dry Chicken

Ingredients:

2 Kg Chicken, washed thoroughly and cut into cubed- pieces

4 Onion (medium), chopped into small cubes

2 tbsp Tomato paste

2 tbsp Ginger & Garlic paste

5 tbsp Oil

1/2 tsp Black mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

1 tsp Red chilly powder

2 tbsp Coriander powder

1 tbsp Garam masala

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/4 tsp Pepper powder

Salt  to taste

Curry leaves

Coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

In a pan, heat some oil and add the chicken pieces. Wait till their water comes out off the chicken. Then take out the chicken from the pan and keep aside. Heat oil in another pan. Splutter black mustard seeds, fennel seed and curry leaves. Add onion and saute till golden brown. Add ginger/garlic paste and sauté for a minute. Add tomato paste and cook until soft. Turn heat to low heat and add red chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, garam masala and salt.  Saute thoroughly for at least 8 minutes in low heat for masalas to bring out the flavor and smell. Add the chicken pieces and sauté thoroughly over medium-high heat. Stir regularly so it doesn't stick to bottom . Cook chicken uncovered until well done.  Garnish with coriander leaves and split green chillies. Serve hot.

Chicken Lollypop

Ingredients:

1/2 kg chicken wings

1 cup gramflour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp crushed red chillies

1 tsp crushed and roasted cumin seeds

2 green chillies(finely cut)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp crushed coriander

oil for frying

Method:

Make a thick paste with gram flour, water and all spices. Separate the meat at the end of the wings from the bone and push it up to make lollypop shape. Dip lollypops in gram flour mixture and set aside for a little while. Heat oil in a wok and fry them one by one. When lollypops turn golden, place them on paper towels. Serve delicious chicken lollypops with schezwan sauce.

Schezwan Sauce

Ingredients: 

Garlic - 100 gms. (finely chopped)

Ginger - 100 gms. (finely chopped)

Green chillies - 5 (finely chopped)

Tomato puree (or Tomato ketchup)- 2 cups

Red chilli sauce - 4 tblsp. 

Chilly powder - 2 tblsp. 

Soya sauce - 1 tblsp. 

Ajinomoto - ½ tsp. 

sugar - 1 tblsp. 

orange red color - ¼ tsp. 

celery chopped - 1 tblsp. 

salt - to taste

Method:

Mix all the above ingredients. Now heat the oil (around ½ cup). Add this hot oil to the above mixture and immediately add 1 tblsp. of vinegar to it. Mix this well and later store it in fridge. Serve with chicken lollypops or use it while preparing noodles or fried rice.

Butter Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken (cut) - 6 pieces

Oil - 2 tbsp

Onions (chopped) - 1

Tomato Puree - 4 tbsp

Butter - 150g

Green Cardamom - 6

Bay Leaf - 1

Cinnamon stick 1" - 1

Ginger Garlic Paste - 4 tbsp

Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1 tsp

Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

Yogurt - 1/2 cup

Lime Juice - 2 tbsp

Tandoori Masala - 1 tbsp

Green Chillies (slit vertically) - 3

Cream - 1/2 cup

Coriander Leaves (chopped) - Hand full

Salt to taste 

Method:

First make a marinade by mixing yogurt, garam masala, lime juice, cumin powder, salt(1 tsp) and tandoori masala in a bowl. Marinate the chicken in the marinade and keep it aside for 2 hours. After two hours take a pan and heat oil in it and sauté chicken pieces in it. You can grill or use tandoor also to fry the chicken pieces. Take off from the heat and keep aside. Take a thick bottomed pan and melt half quantity of butter in it. Sauté onions, cinnamon, cardamoms and bayleaf till onions turn little golden. Then add ginger garlic paste and cook till a thick paste is formed. Now add tomato puree, salt and water (1 cup) in the paste and simmer for some time. Then strain the gravy through a soup strainer into another pan. Melt the remaining butter in a kadai(wok). Add green chillies, red chilli powder and strained gravy and bring to a boil. Gently put in the chicken pieces, simmer for 10 to 15 minutes till the chicken softens. Add cream on top and garnish with coriander leaves.

Tip: Enjoy the dish with Fried Rice or Tandoori Rotis.