Creamy (malai) chicken tikka

Friday evenings are one of my favorite nights to have of couple of friends over for a relaxed super/ dinner. Having friends over for a dinner can be such a pleasure. It is so good to share delicious food, have a lively conversation and laugh the evening away in the comforts of ones own home.

There is no better way to celebrate the start of the weekend and as long as the food is delicious and can be prepared ahead. One of such recipe’s I love to have is the chicken malai tikka. The boneless chicken are marinated with cream and spices and grilled to perfection. Marinating is the biggest mantra for having succulent meat and the results are always great when the meat is marinated over night.

Last Friday we had couple of our close friends over for dinner and it was so great to catch up and share some happenings in our lives. I had marinated these tikkas and it was a great way to liven up the evening.

Here is the recipe

Ingredients
3 to 4 chicken breast cut into pieces
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon tandoori masala powder
2 tablespoon garam masala powder
1 tablespoon ginger grated
1 tablespoon garlic crushed
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon chilli powder
salt to taste
pinch of tandoori colour
oil for basting
chat masala and lemon juice for garnishing

Vegetables
1 red pepper cut into piecs
1 green pepper cut into pieces
1 red onion cut into pieces

wooden sticks

Method

Mariante the chicken with lemon juice and salt. keep it aside for 10 minutes and drain the excess liquid. Meanwhile mix cream and all the ingredients except chat masala and oil.

Marianate the drained chicken pieces for at least 5 to 6 hours or overnight.

Season the vegetable with salt and pepper and lemon. Heat the grill pan and spay oil. Grill the chicken on both sides and vegetables till done. Bast occasionally the chicken with oil.

Thread the chicken and vegetables to the satay sticks and spinkle chat masala and squeeze lemon juice. Serve with coriander chutney or saffron rice. This classic Muglai cusine is utterly delicious and nothing’s left for the doggy bag.

Just scrolling down on the right of Taste of India, some of the deadlines of the events were flashing, “TIMES UP” and I could hear Bee yelling “I don’t entertain late comers”. Sorry Bee will never happen again. Please accept my entry to your event Click that is featuring citrus as the theme. Here goes my entry.

Raw mango relish (amba khatta) from Orissa and Jugalbandhi’s incredible recipes tried and tested

Raw mangoes! That sounds a little bizarre at this time of the year when it is almost time to bid farewell to the mango season. Being the king of fruits perhaps some of them are late risers that is how on a recent trip to the local supermarket I came across a basket loaded with raw mangoes, I was baffled and I asked the attendant if they were indeed raw or if this was another miracle of science to make the flesh appear green in color when actually they were fully ripe. Unable to explain I took my chances and to my amazement they were indeed raw mangoes.

Recipes kept on juggling in my mind and finally I put a full stop to the rushing galore of never ending recipes one can whip up with the “king of fruits”.

One such recipe that adorns the Oriya menu with the advent of summer season is the raw mango relish or amba khatta. seasoThe sour mangoes are sweetened with jaggery, spiced and seasoned up with jeera lanka powder (dried chilies and cumin powder).

Here is a recipe for raw mango relish.


Ingredients

2 raw mangoes cut into pieces
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon pancha potona
1 tablespoon jeera lanka powder
1/3 - 1/2 cup jaggery or brown sugar
2 dried chilies
Curry leaves
1 teaspoon cooking oil
½ teaspoon salt

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Add the pancha potona, curry leaves and dried chilies. When they start to crackle, add the grated ginger and the mango pieces. Stir and cover them till they are slightly tender. Add sugar or jaggery and salt. Stir it for couple of minutes until the jaggery is dissolved and finally add ¾ cup of water and cover them. Simmer and cook till the mangoes are tender and the sauce is reduced and thickened. It takes approximately 10 minutes.

Garnish it with jeera lanka powder and serve.

Since it was very late by the time I stepped in to my familiar den after a thorough browsing of the supermarkets aisles for deals. I decided to quickly whip up an Oriya meal of moong dal kichri, mashed potatoes and amba khatta.

Note - To thicken the sauce add a paste of 1 teaspoon of wheat flour and 2 teaspoon of water before removing the mixture from the fire. The mixture thickens quickly. You can also reduce the amount of jaggery or brown sugar depending upon your taste for sweetness.

Coming to one of our fascinating events of the month where Zlamuska's of spicy kitchen has Jugalbandhi for tried and tested recipes. It was exciting to try some recipes from Jai and Bee’s blog. Their anecdotes, exotic recipes and captivating shots are enough to spellbind anyone with an eye for taste.

It was indeed a Herculean task browsing her ocean of incredible recipes but I am glad to have tried these beauties. Not to mention about my latest craze in making the low cost Ego lights clearly demonstrated by them, thanks a lot Bee.

Mocha chocolate pots -


Kashmiri garam masala -



All these tried and tested recipes goes to dear Zlamuska's event. Thanks for hosting such an event.

Rich fruit loaf

Ever since I have realized that it is easy to tame yeast with some tricks, bread baking has become a pleasurable trip for me so far. I have stopped meandering around the corner bread shop.

I am glad that the bread basket is always filled with homemade‘s and my little one has got a hang of it. Here is an easy recipe with a slight twist made to a regular bread.

Ingredients
1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
1 ½ cup bread flour
1/3 cup wheat germ
1 cup chopped dried fruits (dates, raisins, cranberries, currants)
2 tablespoon sugar or more
2 teaspoon instant dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 bananas mashed (optional)
1 teaspoon all spice or dry ginger powder
2/3 cup warm water (110 ‘f)

Method

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and knead into soft dough. Grease a loaf tin and pour the dough in it. Cling wrap and set aside till it has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven at 200'C and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180'C and bake for further 20 minutes.

Remove and let it cool down. Slice and serve.

Some tricks
- The temperature of the water should be 110’F warm.
- Knead the dough for at 5 to 7 minutes.

Vegetable medley from an Oriya kitchen

A rather simple questions from your little one like what’s for dinner tonight mama? Makes one’s mind go whirling into the far depths of outer space. This is the simplest of the queries from amongst the tons of expected ones, but the expectation of answers leaves no boundaries and I believe that it is very hard to escape from this echoing question with a satisfying answer to see the little ones face brighten up in anticipation. Same goes for my other half.

There are some vegetables I have had no choice than to drag them to the verge of expiry and one such vegetable is the string beans and sometimes I am kind of lost with what to churn out from these seasonal bounties that would cast a spell on your taste buds and also render a great solution to the echoing question that often gripes us.

Coming from Orissa, mustard paste is the prima Donna in Oriya kitchen but as I remember part of my growing up, my mom seldom used this mustard blend. So mustard based curries were chalked outside of her cooking dairies.

On slowly moving out of my safe cocoon to peruse my career journey, I came across many friends that diligently and religiously cooked these delectable mustard based curries and it was a great respite for me when my curries failed to satisfy the taste buds. Later it was an immense pleasure when I found out that my Mother in law tops these mustard based curries on her cooking chart. On realizing my penchant for them she left no stone unturned to make them extra special and delicious.

Here is a very simple recipe blended with yogurt that imparts a creamy texture to the gravy inspired by my mother in law.

Ingredients

2 cups potatoes cut into chunks

1 cup pumpkin cut into chunks

2 cups string beans cut into pieces

1 medium onion chopped

1 big tomato chopped

½ cup thick yogurt

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoon curry powder

Mustard paste

2 tablespoon black whole mustard

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

3 to 4 garlic cloves

2 to 3 green chilies

(Grind the above to a smooth paste)

1 tablespoon Pancha Putona

Oil for cooking

Method

Heat oil in a pan and add the pancha putona. When they start to crackle, add the chopped onions. Sauté till they are translucent. Add chopped potatoes, cover with a lid and lower the fire till the potatoes are half cooked. Add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, salt, curry powder and add the rest of the vegetables. Sauté for couple of minutes and add the mustard paste.

Stir them on low fire for 4 to 5 minutes and add yogurt and water approx 3/4 cup. Cover and cook them on a low fire for 15 minutes till the vegetables are cooked and gravy is thickened.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

Note - First dry grind the mustard and poppy seeds and then add garlic, chilies and water to make a thick paste.

Mini almond and chocolate cupcake with orange frosting

Observing life through the eyes of a child particularly your own child is a glorious way to rediscover the wonders of the world .Chocolate is one of those precious treasures that captivates people and leaves them enthralled & as they melt in ones mouth unfold the incredible taste of heaven. As a child I was not so keen on munching the dark brown or white bars of chocolate but seeing my little one’s passionate and unfathomable love for chocolates ignited my taste buds. I am glad that I started loving the dark chocolates and the intense one are one of my favorite indulgences now.

Dark chocolate with more that 70 % to 80 % cocoa are rich in antioxidants and considered as a healthy treat How ever milk chocolates are often loaded with fats, sugar so if you have choice ,having a decadent piece of dark chocolate is a better choice. But moderation always is the key.

On a recent trip to Australia, my son was thrilled to see the unending aisle of supermarket shelf inundated with chocolates and he insisted that we carry a bag full of those goodies and my husband a die hard fan of chocolates voted for his suggestions.

Apart from chocolates my son has also led me to discover how magnificent these little comic characters are and how crazy they make you, that you tend to possess them in every available shape and size.

These cupcakes are a version of my chocolate sponge but I tweaked it a bit by adding almond meal that renders it a more dense and healthy bite for the little appetites. Orange is one of the best paired combinations with chocolate and imparts a distinct zing to chocolates.

Here is a simple recipe.

Ingredients

½ cup plain flour
½ cup almond meal
1teaspoon Baking powder
2table spoon cocoa powder
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoon oil/butter
1/2tsp orange zest
½ tsp orange essence
½ cup milk
1 egg

Method

Cream butter and sugar. Shift flour, meal and baking powder. Add egg and whisk the mixture until light and fluffy. Add the zest and essence. Gently fold the shifted flour and milk alternatively. Mix until well incorporated.

Preheat the oven 180 ‘c. Grease a muffin pan and fill them with 2/3 of the mixture and bake them for 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove and cool them on racks. Meanwhile prepare the frosting. I have used a proportion of 1 tablespoon of cream to 1 ½ tablespoon of icing sugar, few drops of orange essence and a pinch of orange color.

Spread the frosting and enjoy watching the little ones gulping in no time.

Here is a wonderful website http://momadewizkids.com/blog/ and humble attempt by a close friend Deepali to deal with various issues of raising a child. Some of the most pertaining issues of raising a child are

My child doesn't like certain foods, Why?

Genius - Are they born or Can they be made?

Participate in your child’s energy.

Have a look and see if her suggestions help. It did lot to me and also to some of our close buddies whom she selflessly guided during our stay in Beijing.

Prawn Biryani

So much is happening in this part of the world at the moment. I am sure you guessed it right where I am pointing towards. The whole city where I am residing is bustling with the fever of sports. The smell of air is filled with jubilation and celebrations cheering 10000 athletes all over the world. Away from the main venue I still feel the joy and rejuvenating spirits of the Olympians,it is hard to escape without waving the flag of one world one dream.

It is great to sneak a peek at the participants wearing their badges proudly representing their country .The weekend was special celebrating the opening of the mega event and was worth wiping every sweat that has been put into this mammoth task.

With a spectacular showcase of the opening ceremony, Beijing opened its arm to welcome the viewers from every nook and corner of the world. It was thrilling and exciting to soak in the happiness of the host country where we currently reside.

As we know celebration go hand in hand with gastronomical desires, so I decided to cook an easy one pot dish and stay glued to television to watch the amazing opening ceremony.

Here is a version of the prawn biryani adapted from my Chicken dum biryani.

The flavor of mint sprigs and coconut milk is highly echoed in this recipe. Coconut milk with shrimp is a delectable combination.

Ingredients

2 cups basmati rice

20 to 25 prawns shelled

2to3 potatoes cubed

Masala -1

1 onion chopped

1 tomato chopped

1table spoon ginger mince

1 tables spoon garlic mince

Masala-2

2 tablespoon poppy seeds

½ cup coriander leaves

½ cup mint leaves

2 green chillies

Dry masala

1tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp chilli powder

1tablespoon cumin powder

1tablespoon coriander powder

2tablespoon garam masala

4to5 cardamom pods

4to5 cloves

1tablespoon whole black pepper

bay leaves

1 inch cinnamon stick

Coconut milk ½ cup

Method

Cook the basmati rice aldente.Spread it gently so that they are not sticky.Meanwhile heat a heavy bottom pan and add the whole cardamoms, cloves,cinnamon,pepper and bay leaves. When they start to splutter add the chopped onions.Sauté them and add minced ginger garlic.

Add chopped tomatoes and cook them on low fire till done.Add the dry masala. Add cubed potatoes and simmer them on low fire till the potatoes are half cooked.Add shrimps and sauté them. Add ground coriander and mint paste. Sauté them for couple of minute’s .Finally add coconut milk and simmer till the gravy thickens.

In a heavy bottom vessel with a lid,layer the rice and the above curry.Close the lid and simmer on a low fire for 3 to 5 minutes.

Enjoy and serve with raita .

PS-Readymade Biryani masala can be used instead of dry masala.

This article was published in http://www.reuters.com

http://www.reuters.com/article/blogBurst/entertainment?bbPostId=B9Z7U1xOVGeGB4fEfTlSdnr2CzEV4KqmYJSGcCz2IAoSTS39Mj

Sticky date cake drizzled with warm toffee sauce and fond memories of my sojourn to the great Southern land

How can I express my feeling after three weeks of holidaying in Australia? Definitely astounding. Mesmerizing us with its enchanting blue skies,this vast continent in the southern hemisphere is truly blessed.With surreal beaches and a vast diversity of flora and fauna to offer, the place has enough excuse to soak in outdoor activities.

It was absolutely fantastic to visit Sydney again after three years and catch up with old friends and folk,sharing some the recent happenings in one’s life.Although there were no significant changes except that I felt that prices have sky rocketed, may be the magnitude of the pinch was more evident after residing in China.

Rohan had real splash of a time and it was exciting and equally thrilling for him when he discovered that all the kids can speak in English and communication can be so easy.Staying in a country where communication is the biggest barrier,one cannot imagine how much of a relief it was to see everything clear and bold and not having to yell out for help in the supermarket.

I am always attracted to the array of journals that advertise food and the varieties of desserts in the book shops, so I had great fun in picking up a few gourmets journals that covered an arena of dishes from cross continents.My husband too surprisingly showed great interest in browsing through the bakery books that had promising recipes and he scoured through the supermarket aisle to gather all the equipment (As he prefers to call it) related to baking.

Although I was fascinated with baking at an early age but it was very much confined to baking few cookies and some sponge cakes.My baking trials and tribulations started taking its course only after an exposure to this fascinating continent.I was amazed with the varieties of dessert recipes and delectable combination of fruits and nuts that shaped a basic sponge into an healthy and fabulous dessert.

Sticky date cake is one of my favorite desserts. It is a very moist and scrumptious Australian dessert often served at parties.It is awesome when served on a chilly winter night drizzled with warm butterscotch sauce .I had made it once long back and my taste buds were glued to it since. While I was traveling I had a satisfying indulgence many a times and that revived my memories of once again opening a forgotten page of my cookbook. As a tribute to the great Australian land here is my humble contribution.

Ingredients

1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 teaspoon baking soda
40 grams butter
2/3 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup self raising flour
½ teaspoon ground mixed spice

TOFFEE SAUCE

1 cup soft brown sugar
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter

Method

Add 1 cup of water to the pitted dates in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and remove from heat. Stir in soda and let it stand for 5 minutes. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Whisk eggs and stir in flour and spice. Gently mix the batter and stir the date until combined well. Preheat the oven to 180'C and grease a loaf tin or a muffin tray. Spread the mixture and bake for 40 to 50 mins until the skewers inserted comes out clean.

Meanwhile prepare the toffee sauce. Combine all the ingredients and stir on a low fire. Care should be taken not to boil the cream as the mixture may curdle. Simmer for 2 minutes and remove from the fire.

Drizzle and serve.

PS-U can reduce the quantity of the toffee sauce by keeping the ratio same.The sauce goes well with toasted waffles or ice creams.

An alternative to eggs can be made by substituting 2 tablespoon of Golden syrup and 1/3 cup milk.