Chicken Rezala

 

This Mughali dish  is very popular in any Mughali restaurant - West Bengal. It’s a rich, mildly spiced and aromatic dish,  that is made in thick white rich gravy was introduced by the Mughals. More like a korma, but more richer in taste. Chicken rezala can be eaten with Paratha, but also goes well  with pulao. 

Marination

Ingredients 

1 kg Chicken cut into medium size pieces cleaned 

1 medium size  Onion paste 

1 tbsp Ginger - Garlic paste

1 tsp Green Chilli paste 

1/2 cup Curd

Salt to taste 

Method 

Take a bowl, add all the above ingredients and marinate all the ingredients together very well. Keep it aside for minimum 1 hour or more. 

For the Wet paste 

Ingredients 

15 Cashew-nuts soaked in water  for 15 minutes 

1 tbsp Poppy seeds

Method 

Grind the cashew nuts and poppy seeds with little water into a fine paste

For the Chicken Rezala

Ingredients 

Marinated Chicken 

2 medium size Onions chopped 

1 cup Curd 

2 pinches of Saffron soaked in 1/4 cup of Warm Milk

2 drops of Kewra essence 

2  drops of Meetha attar - optional 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Coriander powder

5 Dried Red Chillies 

1 Black Cardamom 

1 inch Cinnamon piece

3 Cloves

3 Green Cardamom 

2 Bay leaves 

4 tbsp Ghee 

Method 

Heat up the ghee on medium flame in a pot. Once the ghee heats up, lower the flame and add the dried red chillies, black cardamoms, green cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves. Sauté until the spices gives out a beautiful aroma.  Add the chopped onions. Sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the marinated chicken.  Stir, cover the pot  and cook the chicken until half done or for 15 minutes. Add the salt to taste, sugar and coriander powder.  Stir and cook for few minutes more. Add the cashew and poppy seeds paste and curd. Stir and slow cook, stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked. Switch off the flame, the Kewra essence, the mitha attar and the saffron milk. Stir once again. Serve it with Paratha or Pulao.

Tarbuj er Khosar r Chutney / Watermelon rind Chutney

 

As summers are in, markets too are flooded with summer fruits. Watermelon is one such favourite fruit that is enjoyed and eaten during this season... types of watermelon salads, watermelon drinks, watermelon popsicles etc are made using the inner part of the watermelon... similarly the white part of the watermelon or the watermelon rind is equally used to make Sabji, Spicy Chutney to go with Dosa, sweet dish etc, as the watermelon rind too has its health benefits. 

I am sure many of us Bengali’s will  relate to this ‘Shesh pate mishti Chutney chara Bhat khaaoa shesh hoi na.’ It means that if there is no sweet Chutney at the end of the meal, then the meal is not completed. 

We have varieties of Chutneys that we enjoy throughout the year, tomato chutney, pineapple chutney, mango chutney, raw papaya Chutney, Elephant apple Chutney etc...

Today we will make Tarbuj er Khosar r Chutney, Chutney from watermelon rind, a love from my kitchen. This Chutney is scrumptious... I am sure you will like this recipe too.. Enjoy this Chutney with your main meals or with Puri or Parotta for breakfast. 

Ingredients 

6 cups - Small cubes of Watermelon rind 

Juice of 3 medium size Lemons 

1 tbsp grated Ginger 

6 cups Sugar 

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Chilli flakes 

1/2 tsp Kalonji / Nigella seeds

2 Bay leaves 

Method 

Take a big pot, dry roast the bay leaves and kalonji  on a low flame until there is a lovely aroma. Add in the watermelon rind, sugar, ginger, chilli flakes, salt and lemon juice. Stir and cook all the ingredients on a low to medium  flame. Let it simmer, stir occasionally and cook until the sugar has become thick syrupy. Once done cool the Chutney down, the chutney will become more thicker,  store the chutney in a dry glass jar. Keep the chutney in the fridge and enjoy this with your main meals, Puri or Parotta for breakfast . This chutney will stay for 2 to 3 months. 

Maha Shivratri Special - Aloo ki Kheer

 

Har - Har Mahadev 

Happy Shivratri 🙏🏼

Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival and celebrated in India in reverence of the God Shiva. It’s believed that Lord Shiva saved the universe from ignorance and darkness and it’s also said that today Shiva was married to Goddess Parvati on this day. The Maha Shivaratri is known as the 'Great Night of Shiva', and it is celebrated during the night by keeping a night-long vigil and it marks the convergence 2 supreme power - Shiva and Shakti.

In Bengal the young girls celebrates this festival by keeping fast the whole day and night and prayers are offered in desire to get a good husband. Ladies pray for the welfare of their husband. Sabudana soaked in milk and fruits are eaten during fasting. 

Since I am brought up in Mumbai.... We have Sabudana Khichadi, Puri - Alu Bhaji, Aloo ki Kheer...

Aloo ki Kheer 

Ingredients

2 medium sized Potatoes boiled, peeled and grated

2 cup Milk

2 tbsp Mawa crumbs

1/4 cup Sugar or as per taste

Pinch of Salt

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

Pinch of Saffron

1 tsp Almond and Pistacho flakes

Method

Heat milk in a pot and let is simmer for 2 minutes. Add salt, sugar, saffron and mava to the milk. Stir it. Let the milk reduce a bit. Add the potatoe and cardomom powder. Stir and cook for 3 minutes more. Garnish with Almond and pistachio flakes. 

Meat Loaf with Cheesy Mashed Potato and Corn

 This dish is one of my personal favourite. Here I have used mutton minced... it’s easy to make and enjoy the dish for dinner at home. 

Ingredients 

300 grams of Mutton Minced 

1 cup Bread Crumbs 

1 cup Milk 

1 Egg

1 small size Onion finely chopped 

1 big size Potato boiled and mashed roughly 

1/4 cup boiled Corn

1 to 2 Green Chillies chopped 

2 to 3 Garlic Cloves chopped 

Few Parsley leaves chopped 

Salt and Pepper to taste 

1/4 cup Cheddar Cheese grated 

2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup 

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup Cream

Method 

Take a mixing bowl, add milk, salt, pepper and bread crumbs together and keep it aside for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the chopped onion, green chilli, parsley, garlic, egg and minced meat and mixed all the ingredients very well. Grease a bread loaf mould. Pour in the batter. Bake at 180 or 200 degrees celsius for 45 minutes in a preheated oven depending upon your oven temperature .Take a small bowl, mix in the tomato ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Take out the bread loaf from the oven and apply the sauce on the top of the meatloaf. Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it cool down. 

Take the boiled potato , corn, cheese, cream, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix all the ingredients well.

 To serve -  Place some mixture of mashed potato and corn. Cut a portion of the meatloaf and place it over the mashed potato and corn. The dish is ready to be eaten. 

Cheesy Veggie Bombs

This is a very easy starter or snacks for the evening. I am sure children will love it too... vegetables like zucchini, brinjal, spinach, boiled raw banana are used with cottage cheese or grated cheddar cheese. To enhance the taste used mozzarella cheese cubes in the center of the veggie balls. Serve with tomato ketchup. 

Ingredients 

1 medium size  Brinjal peeled and chopped into small cubes 

1 medium size Zucchini peeled and chopped into small cubes 

Few Spinach Leaves chopped 

1 medium size Onion chopped 

5 to 6 Garlic Cloves chopped 

Few Green Chillies chopped 

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

1/2 cup  Cottage Cheese mashed or grated Cheddar Cheese 

Mozzarella Cheese cut into small cubes

Salt to taste 

1 /2 to 1 tsp Pepper powder 

1/2 tsp Curry powder or Cumin powder  (Optional)

1 cup + 1 cup Bread crumbs 

1 tbsp Oil + Oil to Fry

Method 

Take a pan, add 1 tbsp oil, once the oil heats up, add onion and garlic, sauté till the onions are translucent. Add the brinjal, zucchini, spinach and green chillies. Sauté and cook until the vegetables are cooked and the moisture has dried up. Add the salt, pepper and curry powder, stir and cook all the ingredients together. Switch off the flame. Let the veggie mixture cool down. Add 1 cup of the bread crumbs, cottage cheese or cheddar cheese  and coriander leaves. Mix and bind all the ingredients together. The mixture should not be wet,  as it has to form into a ball. Incase it’s wet, add more bread crumbs. Apply oil on the palms. Take a big lemon size portion from the veggie mixture. Create a cavity and add 1 to 2 mozzarella cheese cubes  into the cavity.  Roll the portion back into a ball. The mozzarella cheese should be well covered. Roll the ball in the remaining bread crumbs. Heat the oil, repeat the process with the remaining veggie mixture. Once the oil heats up add the veggie bombs into the hot oil. Fry on medium heat until golden brown on all the sides. Serve the veggie bombs with tomato ketchup  and a hot cup of tea. 

#starters #snacks #vegetarian #cheese #delicious