Ande Ka Kabab

Ande ka kabab 

This is a very easy and a quick starter or a snack that we can make for parties or to enjoy with evening tea. Serve the Kababs with green chutney, onion and lemon wedges. Paneer can be replaced instead of eggs. This Kabab is very soft... hence while shallow frying the Kababs turn the Kababs gently. 

Ingredients 

3 Boiled Eggs

1 tsp Ginger - Garlic and Chilli paste

2 tbsp Chopped Onion

1 tbsp Onion paste

1/2 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves 

1/2 tbsp chopped Mint leaves 

1 tbsp Lemon Juice 

2 tbsp Roasted Chickpea flour

1 tbsp Almond or Cashew flour 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder

1/2 tsp Shahi Garam Masala 

1 tsp Ghee

Oil or Ghee for brushing on the skillet 

Some Chaat Masala to sprinkle on the Kabab

Method 

Take a grinder jar, add the boiled eggs and make a paste. Take a bowl, add all the ingredients into the bowl, except for the Chaat Masala and Oil, bind all the ingredients together. Incase if we require to bind the Kabab well, then add little more chickpea flour. Apply little oil on the palms. Take a lemon size portion, and give a patty shape. Repeat the process with the remaining portion. Take a skillet, brush oil on the skillet. Place the Kabab on the skillet and cook from both the sides until brown in colour. Remove from the skillet, sprinkle some Chaat masala and serve it with lemon wedges and onion rings. 

Kolkata Fish Fry

 

Kolkata Fish Fry 

It is one of the Bengali Delicacy made during occasions and celebrations. Normally mostly at home fish fry / mach Bhaja is frying the fish with salt and turmeric, but the marinated fish that is crumb coated and deep fried is made very rarely at home. Bhetki or Telapia is used for this dish. This dish is served with Kasundi and Onion. 

Ingredients 

6 pieces of Boneless Fish Fillets cut into rectangular or square shapes

Juice of one small Onion Paste 

1 tsp Garlic paste

1/2 tsp Ginger Paste

1/2 tsp Chilli paste 

Juice of 1/2 Lemon 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder

1 Egg beaten with little salt 

3/4 cup Bread Crumbs

Oil to Fry 

Method

Marinate the fish with lime juice and salt, keep it aside for 15 minutes. Then add onion juice, ginger - garlic paste, chilli paste and pepper powder. Let it marinate for at least an hour. Take the bread crumbs on a plate. Take a marinated fish fillet, dip it in egg and coat the fish with bread crumbs, repeat the process by dipping the fish in egg and again coat it with bread crumbs. Shape the fish properly from the sides. Heat up the oil, on a medium low flame fry the fish until golden brown in colour. Remove the fish on a paper towel. Serve hot with onion and mustard sauce / Kasundi.

Vegetable Chops

 

This year Durga Pujo and Pet Pujo both are to be celebrated within the four walls of our home. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Thanks to the technology that there are live streaming of rituals, performances and zoom adda from any part of the world that you are situated in. 

As this year pet pujo is at home.. hence I made vegetable chops without onion and garlic to cherish the memories of the last year Durga Pujo .. it is served with Kasundi and salad 

Ingredients

1 cup grated Beetroot

1 cup grated Carrots

2 grated Boiled Potatoes

1 or 2 chopped Green Chillies

1/2 tsp grated Ginger

Few Raisins

Few broken Cashew nuts 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Bhaja Masala powder ( 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds, 1/2 Coriander seeds and 1 dry red chillies - Roast it and grind it in a grinder)

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder

1/2 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Sugar

1 Bay leaf

2 tsp Ghee

4 tbsp  Corn flour or Maida  + 1/4 cup or little more Water mix to make a slurry 

1 cup Bread crumbs 

Oil to fry 

Method

Take a pan, add Ghee, let it melt, add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, green chillies and grated ginger. Sauté it for few seconds. Add the cashew nuts and raisins, sauté until the cashews turn light brown in colour. Add the beetroot, carrot, potato, sugar, salt, cumin powder and garm masala powder. Stir and cook all the ingredients together until the ingredients binds well. Add the bhaja masala and mix the ingredients again. Switch off the flame, remove the mixture into a plate and let it cool down. Take lemon size portion from the mixture and give the ball a oval shape, repeat the process. Take the slurry and the bread crumbs. Dip the chops into the slurry and then coat the chops with the bread crumbs, repeat the process one more time. Heat up the oil in a wok, add the chops into the oil, fry the chops on a medium flame until golden brown. Remove the chops on the paper towel. Serve the chops with salad and Kasundi. 

Fried Achaari Paneer Sticks

 

Since the festivals are round the corner, here is a very simple and easy vegetarian starter you can make at home. This recipe that I created calls for few ingredients which most of us have at home. This dish can be enjoyed with ketchup and mint mayonnaise dip 

To Marinate the Paneer Sticks

Ingredients

6  Paneer strips - Paneer cut into 3 inches  length and 1 1/2 inches thickness 

4 to 5 tbsp spicy Mango Pickle Masala including the oil of the pickle masala or chilli pickle masala for more spiciness 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Panch Phoran crushed (Equal portion of Nigella seeds, Fennel seeds, Wild Celery seeds or Mustard seed, Cumin seeds and Fenugreek seed)

6 inches 6 Bamboo Skewers

Method

Take a bamboo and insert the paneer strip gently into the stick, till the tip. Take a bowl, add crushed panch phoran , salt and the pickle masala into the bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Apply the masala on the paneer strips and keep it aside to marinate while we make the batter and proof the batter. 

To make the Batter 

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour / Maida

2 tsp Dry Yeast

1 cup and more as required Lukewarm water

Salt to taste

1 tsp Sugar 

Method 

Take a rectangular container, add 1 cup lukewarm water, sugar and yeast. Mix all the ingredients together. Keep it aside until the yeast rises. Now add a cup of flour and salt into the same container, mix the flour into the yeast water, add the remaining flour and mix the ingredients together into a smooth thick batter, while whisking add extra water only if required. Keep the batter aside to rise. 

To make the Paneer Sticks

Ingredients 

Marinated Paneer

Batter

Oil to fry 

Ingredients 

Take a pan, add oil, let the oil heat, reduce the flame. Take a marinated paneer stick, dip the paneer stick into the batter, coat the paneer strips well. Fry the paneer strips until golden brown in colour. Remove the fried paneer strips on the paper towel. Serve the paneer strips with tomato ketchup and mayonnaise dip. 

Ajwaini Amritsari Fish Pakora

 

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• It’s Saturday night... time to spend some quality time with family... at the dinner table. Adda (formal or informal conversation) and food with some mocktails and cocktails to go with the flow.. very much required to bond with the family... 
• This is a popular punjabi starter.... best is ravas or telapia or basa... or any boneless fish can be used. Fish is marinated and kept for at least an hour. It’s then deep fried and sprinkled with chaat masala and served hot with onion, lime and chutney. 
• 
  
• Ingredients 

500 grams Telapia or any boneless fish pieces  

1 tsp Garlic paste 

1/2 tsp Ginger paste

1 tbsp Lime juice 

1 tsp Carom seeds / Ajwain 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Soda bicarbonate or eno for crispiness  - optional 

1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli powder

1/2 cup Hung Curd

3 to 4 tbsp Chickpea flour / Besan 

Oil to deep fry

For garnishing - sliced onion, lime pieces and chutney

Method 

Take a mixing bowl, add in the curd, ginger - garlic paste, lime juice, carom seeds, salt, Kashmiri chilli powder and besan. Whisk all the ingredients into a smooth batter. Add the fish pieces, mix well and keep it aside for at least an hour. Add the soda bicarbonate, mix the ingredients together. Heat oil to fry, once the oil is hot, add the fish pieces into the hot oil and on a medium flame until golden brown in colour. Remove the fish from the oil and keep it on a paper towel. Sprinkle some chaat masala. Serve the fried fish with sliced  onion, lime and chutney .

Batter Fried Golden Prawns

 

This dish is ideal for serving as a starter, it’s crispy and flavourful. It’s very easy to make with all the ingredients available in the kitchen. You can add fresh minced garlic or ginger or coriander or other herbs for the flavour. After the prawns are marinated it’s then dipped in the batter and deep fried. It’s has to be served hot with chilli or any sauce of your choice. 

For Marinating the Prawns

Ingredients 

12 medium size Prawns - clean the prawns keeping only the tail portion intact. Devine the prawns.

1 Green Chilli minced 

4 Garlic cloves minced

Salt to taste 

Method 

Take a prawn and with the blunt side of the knife, flatten the prawns by hitting the prawns gently, repeat the process for all the prawns. 

Add salt, garlic and chilli. Mix all the ingredients together. Keep the prawns aside till we make the batter. 

To Fry the Prawns 

Ingredients 

Marinated Prawns 

1 Egg

1/2 cup Refine / All Purpose Flour 

1/4 cup Corn Flour 

1/2 tsp Baking Powder 

Salt to taste 

Oil to fry 

Method 

Take a bowl, add the AP flour, corn flour, salt and baking powder. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the egg and little water at a time. Whisk and make a thick dropping consistency batter, keep the batter aside for 5 minutes. Meanwhile take a wok, add oil and heat the oil. Once the oil becomes hot, take a piece of prawns and dip the prawn in the batter. Repeat the process and fry the prawns until golden brown in colour. Remove the prawns on a paper towel. Serve the prawns with any sauce of your choice. 

Chicken Tikka

Chicken tikka is a popular dish found in India.

The word tikka means small bits or

pieces.

 Small pieces of boneless chicken are marinated with spices, curd, lemon and salt. The marinated chicken pieces are then skewered. It’s then grilled over hot charcoals. It’s served with green chutney, onion and lime. 

For Marinating the Chicken pieces- 

500 grams medium size Boneless Chicken pieces 

Juice of 1 medium size Lemon 

1 tsp Garlic paste

1/2 tsp Ginger paste 

1/2 tsp Chilli paste

1 medium size Green Capsicum cut into cubes

1 medium size Onion cut into cubes 

1 medium size Tomato deseeded cut into cubes 

1/2 cup Hung Curd

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Tikka Masala 

1 tsp Kasuri Methi - optional 

1 tbsp Mustard Oil 

Method 

Marinate all the above ingredients together and keep it for 5 to 6 hours 

To Grill the Chicken Tikka

Ingredients 

Marinated Chicken 

Little Chaat Masala to sprinkle 

Onion and lemon cut into pieces for garnishing 

Method 

 Skewered in the vegetables and chicken pieces one after the other into the wooden skewer. Place it on a tray and grill it in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at 240 celsius, remove and turn the skewer, grill for another 15 minutes. Remove, sprinkle with Chaat masala and serve it hot with green chutney, onion and lemon. 

Tikka Masala Powder 

Ingredients 

1 Black Cardamom 

4 Green Cardamom 

3 to 4 Cloves

1 small piece Cinnamon 

1 tsp Pepper Corn

2 tbsp Coriander Seeds

2 tbsp Cumin seeds

10 Red Spicy Whole Dry Red Chillies 

10 Kashmiri Dry Red Chillies 

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder 

1 tbsp Dry Mango Powder 

Method 

Roast the whole spices 2 minutes on a low medium flame. Cool the spices and add the turmeric and dry mango powder. Grind all the ingredients into into a powder. 

Macher Chop / Fish Chop

This is a popular dish of Bengal. It’s served during occasions / celebrations as starter or with evening tea / cha, when the family and friends comes together for an informal meeting / adda which is a quintessential part of Bengal. 

Macher chop is made with any big size fish like Rahu, Katla, Bhetki, Aar mach etc. the fish is boiled with salt and turmeric, deboned and mashed. Boiled potato is used for binding the mixture. Fish and the potato are cooked with spices and a lemon size portion of the mixture is taken, it’s given an oval shape, dipped in egg and coated with bread crumbs. It’s then fried until golden brown in colour. It’s served with mustard dip / Kasundi and tomato ketchup along with some sliced cucumber and onion. 

Ingredients 

250 grams Rahu or Katla or Bhetki or any big fish with less bones.. boiled with salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric. Debone the fish and mashed 

1 big size Potato boiled and mashed 

1 medium size Onion chopped 

2 Green Chillies chopped 

1 tsp chopped Coriander leaves - optional 

1/2 tsp Ginger paste 

3/4 tsp Garlic paste 

1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Chilli powder 

3/4 tsp Cumin powder 

3/4 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1/4 tsp Chaat Masala 

1 Egg beaten with little salt

3/4 to a cup of Bread crumbs 

1 tbsp Mustard Oil 

Oil for frying

Method 

Take a pan, add mustard oil, add the cumin seeds, let it crackle. Add the onion, chopped greeen chillies, ginger paste, garlic paste, salt and sugar. Stir and sauté the ingredients for 2 minutes or until the onions become soft and translucent. 

Add the mashed fish, mashed potato, chilli powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder. Stir and cook the ingredients on low medium flame until all the ingredients bind together. We can add 1 tsp chopped coriander leaves - (optional). 

Take a small portion of the mixture, roll and check if it’s forming a ball. Remove the mixture from the flame and allow it to cool. 

Take 1/2 of the bread crumbs on a plate. 

Take lemon size portion from the fish mixture. Give it a oval shape, repeat the process. Now take a oval shape chop and dip it into the beaten egg, remove and coat the chop with the bread crumbs. Once when one round of coating is done, repeat the process of coating the chops with egg and bread crumbs again for the second time. Take oil in a kadai / wok. Let the oil heat up, on a low flame fry the chops until golden brown. Once the chops are fried, remove the chops on the paper towel. Sprinkle the Chaat masala on the chops. Serve the chops with cucumber, onion, mustard dip / Kasundi and tomato ketchup.

Creamy Cheesy Potato Bruschetta

Bruschetta is an Italian dish. There are many variations of toppings used for bruschetta, the common one is tomato, garlic, basil and olive oil... added on the grilled / toasted bread.. other vegetables, beans, cured meat and cheese are also used. Bruschetta is usually served as a snack or appetiser. 

Here I had few pieces of sourdough slices and 2 boiled potatoes left... to create this delicious dish for my starter. 

Ingredients 

8 Slices of Sourdough bread slices 

2 medium size Boiled Potatoes 

1/2 tsp Garlic finely chopped 

3 tbsp Cream Cheese 

2 tbsp grated Mozzarella cheese

3 tbsp Cream

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Pepper Powder 

1/2 tsp Fresh Parsley chopped or dried Parsley

2 tbsp Olive Oil 

Few pickled vegetables like cherry tomatoes and few olives sliced 

Some chilli flakes and dried parsley for sprinkle 

Method 

Take a bowl, mash the boiled potatoes, add the garlic, cream cheese, cream, mozzarella cheese, salt, pepper and parsley. Mix all the ingredients together. Take a baking tray, keep the bread slices and drizzle olive oil on both the sides of the bread. Toast the bread at 180 degrees celsius in a preheated for 5 minutes on one side, turn the bread and toast the bread for another 5 minutes. Take out the tray, cool the bread slices, spread the cheesy creamy potato spread on the bread. Add the sliced olives and cherry tomatoes and grill the bruschetta for another 5 minutes at 180 degrees celsius. Remove, sprinkle chilli flakes and dried parsley, serve hot. 

Chicken - Aloo Tikki

This is a bit different Chicken - Aloo Tikki recipe, that I made in my Kitchen. Chicken boneless pieces are required, along with potatoes and with just few spices like cloves, cinnamon and cardamom that goes into a Bengali garam masala. 

This dish goes well as a starter and as snacks. This can be served with green coriander chutney and ketchup. 

Ingredients 

10 to 12 medium pieces of Boneless Chicken  preferred 

2 medium size Potatoes (peel and chop 1 potato into very small pieces and peel and cut the other potato into big pieces as it will grind with the chicken) 

2 Green Chillies (1 Chilli to grind and another chilli to slice) or added chillies as per requirement. 

5 to 6 Garlic Cloves 

1 small Ginger piece

1 tbsp chopped Coriander 

2 tbsp Sour Curd 

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1/2 cup Rice Flour

1/4 cup Fine Semolina 

1/4 cup Vermicelli 

Oil to fry 

Method 

Take a grinder jar, add the chicken pieces, big potato pieces, 1 chilli, garlic, ginger and salt. Grind the ingredients into a paste, add 2 tbsp curd and grind the paste once more. Remove the paste into a bowl. Add the chopped potato pieces, sliced chilli and chopped coriander leaves. Mix the ingredients together. Add the rice flour, mix it and keep it aside for an hour. Add the vermicelli and mix the ingredients together, now add the semolina and garam masala powder. Mix the ingredients once more. Heat up the oil in a wok, Take small lime size portions and flatten the ball. Once the oil heats up, add the tikkis into the oil, fry the tikkis on medium low flame until golden brown in colour. Remove the tikkis on a paper towel. Serve the tikkis with green chutney and ketchup. 

Masoor Dal aur Sabji ke Pakore

Hungry, missing chai pakore stalls and want some tasty delicious snacks with garma garam chai, then try out this easy and quick to make snacks... this pakora can also be made with dals like moong and chana or can be made with mixed dal. Serve this pakora with chutney and tomato ketchup or imli ki chutney. It’s delicious. 

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup Split Red Lentils / Masoor Dal washed and soaked in water for 30 minutes 
• 1 small Onion chopped
• 2 Green Chillies chopped
• 1 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped 
• 1/4 cup chopped mixed vegetables ( carrot, capsicum, beans, cabbage )
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 
• A pinch of Soda Bicarbonate 
• Oil to fry 

Method 

Take the soaked Masoor Dal and drain out excess water. The Masoor Dal has to be coarsely ground into a paste. The paste should be of thick dropping consistency. Remove the paste in a bowl. Add salt and turmeric powder, stir or whisk the paste well in one direction to incorporate air. Take oil in a wok and let it heat. Add the onion, green chillies, vegetables and coriander leaves. Mix well. Add the soda bicarbonate and mix well.. Reduce the flame to medium. Add one tbsp of the paste into the hot oil, repeat the process for 5 to 6 times or until the wok is filled with the pakoras. Fry the pakoras until crispy and brown in colour. Serve hot with green chutney and tomato ketchup. Enjoy the pakoras with a cup of garam chai. 

Grilled Fish

Grilled fish can be eaten as one of the healthy starter or can be enjoyed for dinner with some salads. Grilled fish can be marinated in many ways. Boneless fish or slices of big fish can be used for grilling. Bhetki, Basa, Ghol etc can be used for grilling. 

Ingredients 

6 pieces of Ghol fish slices 

1/2 cup Hung Curd

3 tbsp Mayonnaise 

1 tsp Garlic paste 

Salt to taste

1 tsp Pepper Powder 

1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli powder

1 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1 tsp Cumin seed powder 

1 tbsp Besan / Chickpea flour 

1/2 tsp Carom seeds

1 tbsp Mustard Oil 

Method 

Marinate the fish with all the above ingredients well and keep it for an hour or two. Take a foil and spread it on a baking tray. Keep the fish slices on the foil. Add some of the marinade on the fish. Grill the fish in a preheated oven at 200 degrees celsius for 10 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven. Turn the fish gently and apply the remaining marinade on the fish, continue to grill for another 10 minutes. Remove the fish and serve the fish with green coriander chutney and spicy mango -  cucumber - tomato salad. 

Malai Tangdi Kabab

Now the best way to enjoy restaurant food is to make it at home, one of my favourite restaurant dish is Malai kabab... I had 6 pieces of chicken tangdi at home. So marinated the chicken tangdi. Since the kababs are made in tandoor and we don’t have at home, we can give a smokey flavour by burning a charcoal piece and placing it on a small plate and placing the plate on the chicken pieces and pouring little oil over the charcoal and closing the bowl with a lid, before grilling the chicken pieces. 

This dish can be had as a starter. Garnish the Kabab with onion, mint, tomato and green chutney. 

Ingredients 

6 Chicken drumsticks 

1 tsp Garlic paste

1/2 tsp Ginger paste

Juice of 1/2 Lime 

1/4 tsp Fresh Green Chilli paste 

1/4 tsp White Pepper Powder 

3 tbsp Fresh Cream 

4 tbsp Hung Curd 

1/2 tsp Shahi Garam Masala powder 

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Mustard Oil 

1 tsp Butter 

Onion rings, Mint leaves and tomato for garnishing 

Method

Take a bowl, add the curd, ginger, garlic, green chilli, lime juice, salt,  pepper and garam masala and mix well, add the chicken tangdi. Rub all the ingredients well. Marinate it for minimum 2 hours. The longer it’s kept it’s better. I had kept it for 8 hours. Now add the cream and the mustard oil and keep it for another 2 hours. 

Preheat oven at 200 degrees celsius. Place a aluminium foil on the baking tray. Place the marinated chicken drumsticks on the foil. Add some marinated juices, put the tray in the preheated oven and grill it for 15 minutes, remove the tray and turn the chicken pieces, add the remaining marination and grill for another 15 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, apply butter on the chicken tangdi. 

Serve hot garnished with onion rings, mint, tomato and green chutney. 

Fish Tikka

Tikka is a dish that can be eaten as starter or appetiser. Tikka can be made with meat, fish, panner or vegetable. It’s a popular dish of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. 

 The meat or fish is marinated with spices and lime or curd. The marinated meat or fish is skewered and cooked on a tandoor.  The pieces are brushed with butter or ghee at intervals. It is served with Coriander Chutney, Onion and Lime. 

Today I have made fish tikka. You can use any boneless fish. I have used Tilapia fish.  

Ingredients 

500 grams Any Boneless Fish Pieces 

Juice of 1/2 Lime 

1 tsp Ginger paste

1 tsp Garlic Paste

1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder 

1/2 tsp Cumin Powder

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder

Salt to taste 

1 tbsp Butter 

Method 

Take a bowl, add lime juice, chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, salt to taste, ginger paste and garlic paste. Mix all the ingredients together. Add 2 to 3 tbsp of water. Mix the ingredients again. Add the boneless fish pieces and marinate the fish for an hour or two. Take a skewer, insert the fish pieces into the skewer. Place the skewers on the tandoor. Apply butter on the fish at intervals and cook the fish on both the sides. Garnish with onion, tomato and lime wedges. Serve with green chutney. 

Easy Grilled Chicken

An easy delicious chicken recipe... that can be enjoyed as starter... Grilled chicken can also be served with sautéed vegetables. Chicken can be substituted with fish, prawns or paneer. 

Ingredients
250 grams Boneless Chicken cut into big pieces 

Juice of 3/4 lime

1 tsp Garlic powder 

1 tsp Dried Mixed Herbs 

¼ - 1/2 tsp Chilli Flakes 

Salt or Pink Salt to taste 

2 tbsp Melted Butter 

Method 

Marinate the chicken with all the above ingredients for an hour. Take a grill pan, let it heat. Grill the chicken pieces on a low flame until cooked and golden brown on both the sides. Remove the chicken pieces from the grill and cut the chicken into smaller pieces. Drizzle the juice on the chicken that was left on the grill. Serve it hot. 

Stuffed Chicken Mushroom Bombs

This dish is extremely tasty. It’s crispy from out and juicy from in. This dish is best to serve as starter.

Ingredients 

100grams Chicken minced  

1 packet of Mushroom

1 tbsp minced  Onion

1 tsp minced Garlic

1 tsp minced Green Chilli 

1 cube Cheddar Cheese grated 

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Garlic powder

1/2 cup  All Purpose Flour 

Water as required 

1/2 cup or as required Bread crumbs 

Oil for frying 

Method 

Take a mixing bowl, add the chicken, garlic, onion, cheese and salt to taste. Mix all the ingredients well and keep it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Take the mushrooms and remove the stems. Take little portion of chicken stuffing and fill the stuffing into the cavity of the mushroom. Repeat the process. In a small bowl take all purpose flour, add salt to taste and little water at a time and make a thick batter. Take bread crumbs in a plate, add garlic powder and little salt. Mix the bread crumbs. Take a wok, add oil. Let the oil heat up. Lower the heat. Dip the stuffed mushrooms into the batter and then coat the mushrooms with bread crumbs. Fry the mushrooms until golden brown. Serve it hot with any dip or ketchup. 

Goan Fish Cutlet

These fish cutlets are delicious and can be served with evening tea as snacks or appetiser. These fish cutlets takes me back to Bandra where I had lived for many years. I had few good friends who stayed near my building. One of the friend had a Maharastrian cook. Very frequently, we use to visit my friend’s place for the afternoon adda and cha. This was one the dish that was commonly made and served with tea at my friend’s place, or some time we use to get these cutlets from a local Goan Food Outlet near Bandra Market. 

Now only memories remains of our good old days. 

Ingredients 

2 big Mackerels washed, cleaned and boiled with salt and turmeric. Deboned and shredded

1 Medium size Onion chopped finely 

4 to 5 Garlic Cloves chopped 

2 to 3 Green Chillies Chopped

1 small piece of Ginger chopped 

1 tbsp Coriander Leaves chopped 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Vinegar or Juice of 1/2 Lime 

1 tsp Goan Garam Masala powder 

1 Egg

2 Bread pieces soaked in water and squeezed 

1/2 cup Fine Semolina 

1/2 cup Oil for Shallow Fry

Method 

Take a mixing bowl, add the shredded fish, Onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies, coriander leaves, bread, salt, vinegar or lime juice and garam masala powder. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the egg and mix the ingredients together until it binds well. Take the semolina in a plate. Take a lemon size ball and flatten it. Coat the semolina on all the sides of the  cutlets. Take oil in a pan. Let the oil heat. Fry the cutlets on low medium heat until golden brown on both the sides. Remove the fish cutlets on a paper towel. Serve the hot fish cutlets with tomato sauce. 

Sticky Pork Belly

This piece of pork belly had been in my freezer for some time now. Even though I love pork, but I  don't cook it frequently in my house. I wanted to make crispy pork belly, but I found that the recipe was a bit lengthy, since my husband wanted to have fried rice, I thought this easy recipe was ideal to go with the fried rice. 

Pork belly is very popular and it’s a delicacy in many parts of the world. 

Here I have cooked Chinese style Sticky Pork Belly using star anise.  It’s very easy to make and extremely delicious. I love the sweet taste in it and the flavour of star anise. 

I followed kitchen Sanctuary's recipe... But I have made few changes in the recipe. 

For the Sticky Sauce

Ingredients 

2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce 

2 tbsp Rice Wine (Optional) 

1 tsp Garlic minced 

1/2 tsp Ginger minced

1 tbsp Green Chilli minced 

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Brown Sugar

1 tbsp Honey 

2 tbsp Oil

Method 

Mix all the above ingredients together in a bowl and keep it aside. 

To make the Sticky Pork Belly

Ingredients 

500 grams Pork Belly cut into pieces 

1 Star Anise

4 to 5 sliced Ginger

4 to 5 whole Garlic crushed

1 stem of Spring Onion cut into 2 inch’s and then cut into thin slices lengthwise 

Salt to taste 

1 tbsp Brown Sugar

1 cup Vegetable stock or Chicken stock

Sticky Sauce

2 tbsp Oil 

Method 

Take a wok and add  oil, add the Pork pieces and stir it on high flame for a minute. Add the brown sugar and salt. Stir it for another minute. Remove the Pork pieces. In the same wok add the stock, ginger, garlic and star anise, let the stock come to a boil. Add the Pork Belly pieces. Cover and let it slow cook till the liquid has evaporated completely. Continue to stir the Pork belly for a minute. Add the sticky sauce, stir and cook it till the sauce has coated well on the Pork pieces. Garnish with spring onions and few red chilli slices. Serve with fried rice or enjoy as a starter. 

Kathal Ke Kabab

Kathal or Raw Jackfruit is known as vegetarian meat because of its texture and look. It has lots of health benefits. This dish what I made today can be served as starter or appetiser or can be eaten as snacks. This can be served with onions and green chutney. It’s a simple recipe with very less ghee or oil. 

Ingredients

250 grams Raw Jackfruit (Kathal)  cut into medium size cubes and boiled

1/4 cup Chana Dal boiled without any excess water

1 small Onion finely chopped

1 - 2 Green Chillies as per required cut into pieces 

2 small pieces Ginger 

3 Garlic Cloves 

1 tbsp Coriander Leaves chopped

1 tbsp Mint Leaves  chopped

1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder

1/2 tsp Chilli Powder

Salt to taste

1 tsp Cumin powder

1 tsp Fennel powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Lime juice 

Ghee or Oil for shallow frying

         

Method 

Take a food processor or a grinder. Add the boiled jack fruit, boiled chana dal,lime juice, green chillies, ginger, garlic, garam masala powder, fennel powder, chilli powder, salt, cumin powder and coriander powder.  Grind it into a coarse paste. Transfer the paste into a bowl. Add the onion, coriander leaves and mint leaves. Mix it well. Take a lime size portions of the paste and flatten it. Take a pan, add ghee or oil. Let it heat on a medium heat. Add the kababs into the ghee or oil. Shallow fry it on both the side until golden brown in colour. Serve the kababs with onion and green chutney. 

P.S. Don’t over cook the jackfruit and the chana dal. 

It’s better to use a food processor than a grinder as it takes a bit longer to grind in a grinder. Don’t add any water while grinding. 

I prefer ghee to fry the kababs as it enhances the flavour of the kababs. 

Vavval Meen Varuval / Tamilnadu style Pomfret Fry

This spicy fish fry is good to be served as an appetizer or starter. The fish is marinated with the  ground paste. It is shallow fried and served hot. 

For the Ground Paste

Ingredients

10 Big Garlic cloves

4 Byadgi Chillies

4 Guntur Chillies

12 to 15 Curry Leaves 

2 tbsp Roasted Split Grams 

1 tsp Pepper Corn

1 tsp Coriander Seeds

3/4 tsp Cumin Seeds 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

3 tbsp Lime Juice 

Salt to taste 

Method 

Grind all the above ingredients together. Add 1/2 cup water and further grind the ingredients into a smooth fine paste. 

To Fry the Fish 

Ingredients 

8 pieces of medium size whole Pomfret cleaned and give cuts on both the sides of the fish

Ground Paste 

Oil for shallow frying 

Method 

Apply the ground paste on both the sides of the fish. Let it marinate for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a pan. As the oil is hot, gently place the fish in the oil. Fry on both the sides till golden brown in colour on medium low flame. Remove the fried fish on an absorbent paper towel. Serve it hot with onion, tomato and lime.