Happy Valentine's Day with Moghlai Paratha

Hiiii ... I am back !! :-) It had been very busy past few months...hope all are doing well :) I started writing this post on Valentine's day but could not finish it. So I am not changing the heading :P I feel everyday should be Valentine's day because we need to make our loved ones feel special always !! :)

Sometimes I have this crazy urge to make something right now... so I search thru recipes over the net and rush to the kitchen !! :P At times I let my hubby know what I am upto....and even though he is feeling like eating something else...I convince him to try it out because I am craving to make it today itself !! :P Last night (read : day before V'day) was something like this...when I felt like making (and eating as well) moghlai paratha...so even though he was thinking of having American dinner, we decided to go ahead and have moghlai paratha and keep the other idea for tonight. So, that's how I made Moghlai paratha which actually came out very good :) Hmmm...let's see what happens tonight with the plan to make lasagna for the first time which we have not even eaten before. ( Update: I made it yesterday, recipe coming soon :D ) I made some new dishes in between which I will posting one by one and of course, visit my friends' blogs which is pending for loong !!

I searched through a few recipes for moghlai paratha and ultimately followed Dolon's recipe. Here is a link to her blog. Check out Sayantani's moghlai paratha too :)

I made a simpler version of aloor dum with small cubed sized potatoes first, which can be eaten as side for other breads also. Then I prepared the parathas.

Aloor-dum

Ingredients I used :

Potatoes - 3 big, chopped in small cubes

Onions- 1 large, chopped finely

Tomatoes- 2 medium, chopped in cubes

Green chillies- 2, chopped

Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp

Cumin and Coriander powder- 2 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Red Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder- 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala powder- 1/2 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste- 1tbsp

I dint have cilantro, so cudn't use it. But it gives a nice smell when added before removing from heat.

Method :

I made this curry a bit differently than the way I normally make Aloor-dum because here the main dish was moghlai paratha and I wanted to start with that as soon as possible. Special aloor-dum is there for luchi na !! :D

Here is how I made it :

Heated 2 tbsp oil in pan. Added Cumin seeds when oil was hot and let them splutter. Added the potato cubes and fried them medium high heat. When they were slightly done, I added the onions and fried well. Then I added the ginger-garlic paste and kept stirring till the raw smell was gone. Made a paste with all the masalas except garam masala , with water and added to the pan. Kept stirring till oil separated from the side of the pan. Then I added the tomatoes and cooked in low heat till they became mushy.

After that I added one and half cup of water and let it boil. Then I cooked it in medium heat till potatoes were done. I sprinkled garam masala on top and covered with lid and kept it off heat for atleast 10 mins.

I made the curry before paratha as I would be using some curry as stuffing and also we could eat the parathas hot as soon as they were ready.

Moghlai Paratha

Ingredients:

All purpose flour/Maida - as much as needed

Warm water to make the dough

Salt to mix in dough

Oil

For the stuffing:

Eggs- 3

Onion- 1 medium

Salt

Green chillies

Black Pepper

Method:

I made the dough for paratha just like I make for luchi/poori, mixing the maida with salt and oil and kneading for about 5 mins. Then making a firm dough with warm water, as needed. I kept the dough covered with wet cloth for about 15-20 mins.

In the meantime I prepared the stuffing by beating the eggs and mixing with chopped onions, green chillies, salt and black pepper. Also, I smashed some potato curry in a bowl also to be used as stuffing.

Then I made balls from the dough big enough to roll out a roti of approx 8 " - it was the size of my 'chaki' (the round wooden board on which I make rotis - belan-chaki). But actually it led to small parathas after folding, so making bigger than this would lead to bigger parathas just like street side shops.

After rolling it, I put 1-2 tbsp of egg mix in the centre of the roti and added potato curry on top of it. Then I folded the round roti from four sides so as to cover the stuffing thus leading to a square-shaped paratha. I sealed the sides with wet fingers.

I already kept one skillet on heat with sufficient oil. Once it was hot, I put the paratha in it very carefully so that it doesn't open up !! Once the bottom side started browning, I flipped it over and then waited till brown spots started coming up. Once the parathas were done, I drained excess oil and served with potato curry and onion slices. It felt soo good to have these after such a long time !!

Today is a very special day for me...... it's my parents' anniversary.....Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad !! :)

Let me know if you have already posted other versions of this great dish in your blogs, I could add the link here with this post.

Take Care... :)

Rui Machher kalia

A very Happy Independence Day to all Indians !!!! I am proud to be an Indian !! :)

We bought Rohu fish yesterday...we generally have tilapia fillet and sometimes salmon. But rohu has a special corner in the hearts of bengalis, which I have realized after coming here since we dont get to eat this frequently. At home we used to have katapona and different other fishes most of the days in a week. But here, its not available always. So we literally long for it. We have a Bangladeshi store across the road who bring these fishes from NY . After a long time we again bought rui machh, this time 7 lbs !! What to do, cut pcs are more expensive and will last only for 2 days atmost. So we decided to buy the whole fish, and keep it frozen !! :D

Today, I made Rui machher kalia, a very popular Bong dish, served splly during any occasion. It is a rich and spicy dish based on onion and tomato gravy. I had made this once last year and made it again today and had with basmati rice. :)

Rui machher kalia ( Spicy Rohu Curry)

This is how I made ...

Ingredients :

Rohu fish - 6 pcs ( steak-like)

Potato - 1

Onion - 1 medium

Tomato- 1 big

Cardamom- 3

Cloves - 3

Cinnamon - 1 " stick

Bay leaf - 1-2 small

Green chilli -2

Turmeric powder - 1tsp

Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp ( according to preference)

Cumin powder - 1tsp

Coriander powder- 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri mirch powder - 1/2 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste - 1tsp

Yogurt - 2-3 tbsp

Mustard oil ( or white oil)

Sugar- a pinch

Salt- to taste

Method:

Clean the fish pieces very well (removing the scales is an ordeal !! ) and pat them dry. Rub with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1tsp salt and keep them aside for sometime.

Meanwhile, chop the onions in slices, tomatoes in cubes and potatoes in longitudinal pieces.

Then heat mustard oil in a pan and put the fish after making sure the oil is very hot, otherwise the fish will stick to the pan. Let it fry for few mins and after that turn them and fry for few more mins till it is golden brown. Do not turn when the fish is sticking to the pan. That means it is not yet fried properly.

After they are done, take it out from the pan and keep them on a tissue paper to soak the excess oil.

Then fry the potatoes with a pinch of turmeric and salt in the same oil.

In another vessel, heat some more oil ( about 2 tsp) . After its hot, add the bay leaves and the whole garam masala and let it splutter. After that, put a pinch of sugar and let it turn brown. This caramelises the onions and gives a nice color to the gravy.

Then add the onions and fry for few mins till it turns golden brown. Takes about 7-10 mins.Stir frequently.

Then add the ginger garlic paste and fry for sometime.

Make a paste with the masalas with very little water and add to the onions. Fry for 4-5 mins till oil separates out.

Then add the chopped tomatoes and fry till they get mushy.

Take the yogurt in a bowl and beat it well so that it doesnt form lumps in the gravy. Add it to the gravy and mix well. Add salt and very little sugar and bring it to a boil.

It is a gravy based dish, so add water very carefully, I added slightly more than a cup.

Add the fried potatoes and cook for sometime.

When the potatoes are half done, add the fish pieces and cook for few more mins. Then remove from the heat.

Cilantro can be added for garnishing. I ran out of it, so didnt add.

Serve with plain hot rice !! :-)

I am sending this recipe to Appyayan's 1st event hosted by Indrani di. :

Chicken Handi

There is an Indo-Pak cuisine just across the road and we love to eat biriyani and chicken handi over there :) My husband is specially fond of their chicken handi dish and frequently brings that for dinner :D So on a special occasion I decided to give it a try at home. I searched for a recipe in the net but all were different from each other . The only common thing was cilantro. I have never cooked chicken with cilantro/coriandar before. The chicken handi that we are fond of , indeed has cilantro in it. So I prepared this delicious dish in the same way that i make chicken curry/kosha but added cilantro. And it turned out so good :) My hubby said it was actually as good as the restaurant preparation !! :P

I made this before I started blogging. So the amount of

the ingredients are a bit approximate. Here is the recipe...

Chicken Handi

Ingredients :

Chicken - 1 lb breast pcs

Tomato - 1 medium, chopped

Cilantro- half a bunch

Yogurt- 4 tbsp

Onion - 1 big,chopped

Cloves- 3

Green Cardamom-3

Cinnamon - 1" stick

Ginger paste-1tsp

Garlic paste- 1tsp

Turmeric-1/3 tsp

Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander+Cumin power - 1 1/2 tsp

Mustard oil- 2 tbsp

Vinegar- 1tsp

Salt- to taste

Ghee- 1tsp

Procedure :

Cut the chicken breasts in bite sized pcs and wash them well. In a bowl , mix the chicken with yogurt, vinegar, turmeric, coriander and cumin powder, chilli powder, 1 tbsp oil and some salt and marinate for about half and hour.

In a pressure cooker [ which i bought recently :) ] heat 1 tbsp oil . Add a pinch of sugar and let it turn brown. This adds a nice brown colour to the curry. Then add the whole garam masala and fry for a few secs. After that add the chopped onions, fry for about 5-7 mins till it turns translucent. Then put the ginger-garlic paste and fry till the raw smell is gone. Then add the marinated chicken and mix everything nicely. After some time, add the chopped tomatoes and keep stirring. Keep frying till oil separates out. It takes about half an hour. Then add the chopped cilantro and mix well. After it is cooked for some more time, add water according to consistency of gravy u prefer. Add salt. Then close the lid of the pressure cooker and put in high heat. Mine doesnt give whistles, the pressure regulator rocks after adequate pressure builds up. I cook chicken for 7 mins after it starts rocking. It takes about 12 mins after I add water. After its done, I do not open the lid immediately and wait till the pressure falls on its own. That takes about 10 mins.

The smell of cilantro was already coming thru the vent pipe :) After opening the lid, I added 1 tbsp of ghee and adjusted the salt. Chicken Handi is now ready !! :)

Before we bought the pressure cooker, I used to cook chicken for about 45 mins-1 hr after adding water.

We had this with Shrimp Biriyani, salad and raita !! If somebody has an authentic Chicken Handi recipe, do let me know :)

Shrimp Biriyani

I am back after my exam...I hope everything was okay !!

These days its soo hot over here...and no signs of rain at all !! Hope the weather gets a bit cooler soon !!

On a special occasion 2 weeks back, I made Shrimp Biriyani and Chicken Handi at home which we had along with salad and raita :) Today I am going to post the recipes ... :)

Shrimp Biriyani

Ingredients :

Basmati Rice - 2 cups

Water- 3 cups

Potato- 2 big

Shrimp - i gave about 10-15 pcs

Cloves- 4

Green cardamom- 4

Cinnamon- 1" stick

Shan Chicken Biriyani Masala- half packet

White Oil- 4 tbsp

Ghee- 1 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Procedure :

First, I washed and soaked the rice in 4 cups of water for about 45 mins. Then drained it and kept aside.

Then I peeled and cut the potatoes in half and fried them in 1 tbsp of oil and kept them aside.

I used small size cooked shrimp, so didnt have to clean them. I had these in my fridge so used them, though I like the fresh ones more.

After thawing, I shallow fried the shrimps in 2 tbsp of oil with little turmeric and salt. After it was done I added 1 tbsp of oil and fried the whole garam masala for few seconds.

Then I added the biriyani masala with little water and mixed with the shrimp and fried for some time till oil separated.

After that i added the potatoes and rice and mixed them well. Then I added 3 cups of water and some salt and mixed everything nicely.

I dont put the lid and let it boil in high heat till holes appear on the surface of the rice. Then i decrease the heat to the lowest setting and let it simmer for about 5-7 mins. After that I added 1 tbsp of ghee and mixed slightly.

Shrimp Biriyani is ready :) Shan biriyani masala gives a nice flavour and since I dont have joitri/jay fol etc. I use their chicken or mutton biriyani masala for any kind of biriyani.

It was quite spicy even without adding chilli powder.

We had this with raita and chicken handi... :)

My First Recipe Post: Ilish machher Jhol

I was browsing through the blogs and incidentally came to know that Indrani di of Appyayan is hosting an event for Fish !! I have been seeing this events for long, but dont quite know what it is and how it works. Actually I will be very busy till 1st week of August and so I coudnt post any recipe in my blog till now. Seeing this,I was immediately tempted to post a recipe in my blog. I made Ilish machher jhol sometime back and have the picture. Since blogging was nowhere in my mind that time, i didnt keep count of exact amount of the ingredients. Both me and my husband love Ilish machh/Hilsa fish the most. So what could be better than to start my recipe post with Ilish mach...favourite of all bengalis :)

Ilish Machher Jhol ( Simple Hilsa curry with potatoes and eggplant)

Ingredients :

• Ilish mach/ hilsa fish
• Eggplant/ Begun
• Potato
• Green chillies
• Turmeric powder
• Chilli powder
• Kalonji
• Mustard oil ( & white oil)
• Salt to taste

Method :

First, cut the fish pcs , wash them and rub with little turmeric and salt.

Heat 2 tbsp white oil in a pan and fry the potatoes along with little bit of salt and turmeric powder till light brown. Keep them aside.

Then fry the eggplant pieces till brown and keep them aside.

Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil and add half tsp kalonji and 1 green chilli to it. Then fry the fish pieces lightly for 2 minutes (or less) on both sides.

Make a paste of turmeric powder and chilli powder with little water and add to the fish and fry for some more time.

Add about 2 cups of water , 1 green chilli and salt to it.

After it comes to boil, add the potatoes and simmer for about 5 mins.

Then add the eggplant pieces and simmer for 5 more mins/ till potatoes are done.

Enjoy with plain white rice ... :)

It turned out really good and after having this at lunch, my hubby sms-ed me " khub valo hoyeche"... :P

I will be sending this recipe to Appyayan's event Spotlight : Fish :)

This is my first ever try to write a recipe. There was a day, not so long back, when I had to call my parents in India and write down the recipe of daal, palong shak , mangsho etc etc.... !! There might be a lot of different ways to make one dish, but I will be posting them just the way I make them in my kitchen. Let me know your opinions regarding this ... :)