Pakora

Ingredients:

Onions: 2
Cauliflour: 1 cup (florets)
Spinach: 1cup (finely chopped)
Sweet Peppers: 7-8
Mashed Potato: 1/2cup (for filling in sweet peppers)
Grated ginger: 2 tsp
Chickpea Flour: 1 cup (add more if required)
Rice Flour: 2 tsp
Salt: 1 tsp or to taste
Paprika: 1/2 tsp
Black Pepper: 1/4 tsp
Chat masala: 1 tsp
Fenugreek flakes: 1 tsp
Carrom Seeds (Ajwain): 1/2 tsp
Water: 3/4 cup (add more if required)
Cooking oil: 1 cup
Corainder, Tamarind and Tomato sauce for serving

Method:

Wash and pat dry the vegetables. Cut the florets of cauliflower, finely chop spinach and thinly slice the onions. Slit the peppers vertically. Boil and mash the potatoes in another bowl and add seasoning to taste.

In another bowl take chickpea flour (besan), rice flour and add spices. Slowly add some water until the mixture reaches the consistency of whipping cream. Beat the batter well and set aside to for couple of minutes and heat some oil in the meantime.

Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan. Check the temperature of the oil by dropping a small drop of the batter in the oil. If the oil is ready and hot, coat the chunk of chopped veggies with the batter and drop it one by one in the hot oil. Fry on medium heat till it turns golden brown from both sides. Drain the chunks on the paper towel to soak the excess oil. Keep frying till you are done with the batter.

For Sweet Peppers:

Stuff the peppers with spiced potato stuffing and coat in chickpea flour batter and fry one by one.

Enjoy it piping hot from the pan to the platter with sweet tomato, coriander and tamarind chutney and of course hot cup of tea. The hot combo of tea plus pakoras is absolutely sumptuous in this festive fall season.

Relish it with a cuppa hot chai or warm hot chocolate.

Chicken Vindaloo

erves 4-6 | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut up into 8 pieces and skin removed
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Salt and pepper as per taste
3 tablespoons oil

Spice Blend:

½ cup vinegar (white)
4-5 dried red Chile peppers (you can use any moderately hot Chile and adjust the quantity as per you liking)
4 cloves
8 garlic cloves, skin removed
1 2inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
1 teaspoon paprika powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon sugar

Method:

Wash and pat dry the chicken pieces and keep aside in a large non-reactive bowl.

In another clean glass bowl add vinegar and soak all the ingredients needed for the spice blend for 15-20 minutes. Then blend these into a fine paste using a blender.

Add the spice mixture paste to the chicken and toss well to evenly coat all the chicken pieces. Let the chicken marinate for 4-6 hours.

In a large and deep skillet/wok heat the oil on medium heat. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes. Stirring often.

Add the chopped onions, tomato paste, salt and pepper to the chicken. Give everything a good stir. Finally add ½ cup of water, cover the lid of the skillet and lower the heat to low. Let the chicken simmer on low for 15-20 minutes or till well done and the oil start to ooze from the curry.

If you prefer little thinner gravy add water as need and let it simmer for another 4-5 minutes before serving. I prefer the gravy to be thick and sticking to the meat pieces.

Serve hot with rice/bread or naan

Tandoori Kebabs

Ingredients:

1: 2 cups plain non fat yogurt

2: 1 red bell pepper (10 oz)

3: 1 red onion (6 oz)

4: 1 pound peeled, cored fresh pineapple

5: 1 pound boned, skinned chicken breast, paneer cheese, nigari tofu 

6: Raita 

Methods:

1. 1. Line a colander with a double layer of cheesecloth or four layers of paper towels; set colander in a sink or over a large bowl. Empty yogurt into lined colander and let drain about 30 minutes.
2. 2. Meanwhile, rinse, stem, and seed bell pepper; cut into 1-inch squares. Peel onion and cut into 1-inch chunks, separating layers. Cut pineapple into 1-inch chunks. If using chicken, rinse and pat dry. Cut chicken, cheese, or tofu into 1-inch chunks.
3. 3. In a large bowl, mix drained yogurt with tandoori masala. If using chicken, scoop out 1/2 cup yogurt mixture and combine with chicken in a small bowl. Gently mix bell pepper, onion, pineapple, and cheese or tofu, if using, into yogurt mixture in large bowl. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Thread vegetables, pineapple, and chicken, cheese, or tofu onto metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternating items.
4. 4. Lay kebabs on an oiled grill over a solid bed of hot coals or high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook, turning once, until vegetables are browned on both sides and chicken is no longer pink in the center (cut to test), 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter. Serve hot or warm, with raita to add at the table.
5. Tandoori masala: In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon each ground cumin and ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon each ground cloves and cayenne, and 1/8 teaspoon each ground nutmeg, ground pepper, and ground cinnamon; mix well.
6. Raita: In a bowl, mix 3/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt with 1/2 teaspoon each ground cumin, sugar, and salt. Gently stir in 1/4 cup each finely chopped cucumber, tomato, and onion. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.
7. Nutritional analysis per serving with chicken.

Obtained from:http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/tandoori-kebabs-10000000633335/

Tandoori Roti

Ingredients:
1:Whole Wheat flour- 2 1/4 cups
2: All purpose flour- 3/4 cup
3: Salt- 3/4 tsp
4: Sugar- 1/2 tsp
5: Yogurt- 1/2 cup
6: Baking soda- 1/2 tsp
7:Oil- 2 tbsp
8: Water- 1/2 cup

Methods:
1: Mix whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, salt and oil in a bowl.
2: Muddle up all ingredients well in a crumbling mixture.
3:Add in other remaining ingredients like sugar, baking soda and yogurt.
4: Knead all  this flour  mixture into smooth dough adding required amount of water slowly. Keep aside for 1/2 an hr covered with damp cloth.
5: Take one ball of dough, flatten and stretch out in the form of circle or oval (not very thin,about 4mm thick) either with palms or with rolling pin.
6: With the help of fingers/ brush spread some water over whole round of chapati.
7:Heat a pan and place this round on pan with this wet side touching the base of pan. Sprinkle few drops over this side too.
8:When base side starts browning light and doesn't stick to pan, flip it over.
9: With in 3-4 sec, transfer it as-it-is to this steel roaster heating up on other flame.
10: Cook this chapati-round turning time to time with the help of tong until it gets cooked wholly from both sides and gets tandoor texture.
   Serve hot with melting butter on it and enjoy with any creamy spicy curry.


Obtained from: http://femmehavenn.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/tandoori-roti-at-home-no-microwave-no-tandoor/

Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza Recipe

Western take in Indian cuisine

Ingredients:

10 oz skinless and boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeno, deseeded
Salt to taste
One (1) 12-inches store-bought pizza crust or three (3) 7-inches mini pizza crusts
Olive oil for brushing
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
1 cup mozzarella cheese
Handful of coriander leaves/cilantro, chopped, save some for garnish

Marinade:

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground garam masala
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
Pinch of cinnamon

Tomato Sauce:

4oz tomato sauce
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Spice Mix:

1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garam masala

Method:

In a bowl, marinade the chicken with the Marinade for at least an hour in the refrigerator.

Line a layer of aluminum foil in a baking pan for grilling. Spread the marinated chicken in a single layer on the pan, discard the remaining marinade. Grill the chicken at 450F for 6-7 minutes, turning at half time.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the Tomato Sauce and Spice Mix in separate bowls. Remove the chicken from the pan when it is done and discard the juice.

Heat a small sauce pan and melt the butter. Sauté the garlic and jalapeno until aromatic. Pour in the Spice Mix and sauté until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes on medium heat. Remove the jalapeno and discard.

Add in the Tomato Sauce and stir well to mix. Sprinkle salt to taste and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens, another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the chicken meat into the sauce and mix well.

Pre-heat the oven to 450F. Place the pizza crust on a pizza pan and brush lightly with olive oil. Spread the sauce/gravy on the pizza crust. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese. Arrange the chicken on the pizza. Top it with the sliced onions, chopped cilantro and the remaining cheese.

Reduce the temperature to 425F. Bake the pizza for 8-10 minutes. Remove the pizza from the pan when is done and garnish the remaining chopped cilantro.

Cook’s Notes:

1. Bake according to the instructions on your pizza crust. Depending on t

Naan

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
2. Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
4. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

Ingredients:

1: 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

2: 1 cup warm water

3: 1/4 cup white sugar

4: 3 tablespoons milk

5: 1 egg, beaten

6: 2 teaspoons salt

7: 4 1/2 cups bread flour

8: 2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)

9: 1/4 cup butter, melted

Obtained informations from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/Naan/

Picture obtained from: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=naan+bread&qs=OS&form=QBIR&pq=nann+&sc=8-5&sp=3&sk=AS2#view=detail&id=73F246376A5ACA391829E0B209594199CFFAF313&selectedIndex=2

Gulap Jamun

gulab jamun – a simple recipe of gulab jamun with milk powder. this is an easy way to make gulab jamuns at home but this is not a quick recipe.

this gulab jamun recipe is good if you don’t have khoya (evaporated milk) or paneer (cottage cheese) readily available at home. all you need is milk powder, yogurt, sugar and water to make a basic gulab jamun at home.

gulab jamun literally translates to rose berries. gulab means rose and jamuns are deep purple colored berries available in india. since the syrup made is rose water scented and the deep fried dough balls are the size of the jamun berries, hence the term gulab jamun.

traditionally gulab jamuns are fried in ghee. you can go the traditional way if you want or just fry them in oil like i have done.

i used to make gulab jamun with evaporated milk and cottage cheese. the taste of gulab jamun made with evaporated milk is different than this recipe. this version of gulab jamun is soft, melt in the mouth and taste delicious with a milky taste.

i have even made gulab jamuns with sweet potatoes and these were a vegan version. hopefully i shall be able to post the vegan gulab jamun recipe too.

the whole trick is to get the right consistency in the gulab jamun dough. if you get it right, then making these gulab jamuns are a cakewalk and you won’t feel like buying them from outside….. since then it becomes an easy recipe. please take note of step nos 6,7 and 8. i have mentioned all the tips and suggestions in the steps which can become a bit tricky, if not rightly done. so please take your time to read each step carefully. 

so lets begin the step by step gulab jamun recipe:

1: first stir the sugar, water, cardamom powder and saffron in a pan and keep it on fire. i have kept the cardamoms peels and these can be thrown away when serving the gulab jamuns.

2: gently bring to a boil and continue to stir occasionally.

3: add some pistachios in the syrup. an optional step but tastes good.

4: make a thick syrup and switch off the fire much before the sugar solution reaches a one thread consistency. on cooling if the sugar syrup crystallizes, then just add 2 to 3 tbsp water and warm the syrup again. it will again return to a liquid state.

5: mix the flour, milk powder and baking soda in a mixing bowl. add oil/ghee and 1 tbsp yogurt.

6: just mix everything lightly. add little of yogurt if the mixture looks dry. don’t over mix or knead. you don’t want gluten to form, so just mixing well is enough. the all purpose flour is just added to bind the mixture. if gluten forms then the dough balls become dense and won’t absorb any of the sugar syrup and the inside of gulab jamun will not be soft.

7: the mixture will be sticky but smooth. apply some oil on your palms and make small balls from the dough. these gulab jamun balls almost double when frying and also increase when soaked in the sugar syrup. so don’t make large sized balls.

there should be no cracks on the dough balls. they should be smooth. if there are cracks, then just add some 1 or 2 tsp of yogurt or milk to the mixture and continue making the balls. once done, then cover the balls with a kitchen towel.

8: heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or a pan. when the oil becomes medium hot, lower the flame. add a small ball in the oil. the ball should slowly rise to the top from the bottom. if it does not rise then, the oil is not hot enough. if it rises quickly and browns also quickly, then the oil is too hot to fry.

if the small ball does not crack or break while frying, you are ok to proceed further. if it cracks, then just add some 1 or 2 tsp flour to the dough and form the balls again. in an ideal case, the gulab jamun ball should not crack and should rise slowly to the top and should not get browned quickly.

9: when you know the oil is hot enough and on a low flame, then add 3-4 balls or more depending on the capacity of your kadai or pan. the balls have to be stirred with a slotted spoon frequently to get even browning. if there are handles on the pan, you can just lightly shake the pan so that the balls are evenly fried without using the spoon. but take care as hot oil is there in the pan. the gulab jamun balls should also not become browned too soon. they have to be cooked from the insides too.

10: keep on turning the gulab jamuns till they become golden. if the oil becomes cold, then don’t fry the gulab jamun balls. increase the temperature and then fry. otherwise the gulab jamuns would have a hard crisp thick cover when fried in a not so hot oil and they won’t absorb the sugar syrup. plus they would absorb a lot of oil too.

11: when the gulab jamuns are evenly golden and browned, remove from the slotted spoon and add them directly into the sugar syrup. keep the gulab jamuns in the sugar syrup for atleast 1-2 hours before serving. this is done so that the gulab jamun soaks up the sugar syrup which will make the insides soft and sweet. thats why in the sweet shops, the gulab jamun are always soaked in sugar syrup.

if you feel the gulab jamuns are not soaking in the sugar syrup, then warm the whole gulab jamuns along with the sugar syrup on stove top or in the microwave. cover and keep aside. just warm them, don’t heat.

12: gulab jamuns can be served warm or cold. if they are at room temperature, then warm in the microwave and serve the gulab jamun topped with sugar syrup and garnished with pistachios or almond slices.

Paneer Tikka Masala

Ingredients

Serves: 4 

• 3 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste or 2 cloves garlic minced with 1 small knob ginger
• 1/4 large capsicum cut finely lengthwise
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp tandoori masala (MDH is a good one)
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp haldi and coriander powder

• 1 tsp dry or fresh methi leaves
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt to taste
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 drop orange red food coloring
• 250 gms paneer cubes
• 1/4 tsp red chilli powder

---

Directions

Prep:5min  ›  Cook:20min  ›  Ready in:25min 

1. Heat oil in a pan. Place onions, ginger-garlic paste, capsicum and cumin seeds in a pan and saute in oil till the cumin crackles.
2. Add the rest of the masalas, sugar and salt and saute for 3 mins
3. Add milk and mix well.
4. Add the tomato paste and if they're not ripe and red, mix the food coloring.
5. Let simmer for 10 mins.
6. Add the paneer cubes and let it simmer for 5 mins. Add red chilli powder. Adjust seasonings for taste.
7. Serve with garlic naans or rice.

Make it healthier

I try to make it healthier by using unfried paneer and skim milk instead of whole milk

Tandoori Chicken

Ingredient:
1: 3 Thsp vegetable oil
2: 1 teaspoon ground coriander
3: 1 teaspoon ground cumin
4: 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
5: 1 teaspoon cayenne
6: 1 Tbsp garam masala
7: 1 Tbsp sweet (not hot) paprika
8: 1 cup plain yogurt
9: 2 Tbsp lemon juice
10: 4 minced garlic cloves
11: 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
12: 1 teaspoon salt
13: 4 whole chicken legs (drumsticks and thighs), or its equivalent, skinless, bone-in

1 Heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat, then cook the coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, garam masala and paprika, stirring often, until fragrant (approximately 2-3 minutes). Let cool completely.

2 Whisk in the cooled spice-oil mixture into the yogurt, then mix in the lemon juice, garlic, salt and ginger.

3 Cut deep slashes (to the bone) in 3-4 places on the leg/thigh pieces. Just make 2-3 cuts if you are using separate drumsticks and thighs. Coat the chicken in the marinade, cover and chill for at least an hour (preferably 6 hours), no more than 8 hours.

4 Prepare your grill so that one side is quite hot over direct heat, the other side cooler, not over direct heat. If using charcoal, leave one side of the grill without coals, so you have a hot side and a cooler side. If you are using a gas grill, just turn on one-half of the burners. Use tongs to wipe the grill grates with a paper towel soaked in vegetable oil. Take the chicken out of the marinade and shake off the excess. You want the chicken coated, but not gloppy. Put the chicken pieces on the hot side of the grill and cover. Cook 2-3 minutes before checking.

5 Turn the chicken so it is brown (even a little bit charred) on all sides, then move it to the cool side of the grill. Cover and cook for at least 20 minutes, up to 40 minutes (or longer) depending on the size of the chicken and the temperature of the grill. The chicken is done when its juices run clear.

Let it rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. It’s also great at room temperature or even cold the next day.

Serve with naan, and Indian flatbread, or with Indian style rice, with yogurt-based raita on the side.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/tandoori_chicken/

Naan

Whilst naan bread is traditionally cooked in an Indian tandoor (earthern) oven, that need not deter you from making naan in your oven at home. An excellent alternative to an oven is a hooded gas BBQ. Naan bread is best served hot, accompanied with traditional Indian / Pakistani / Bangladeshi dishes. Naan goes well with curries, chicken, kebabs etc. Because the dough for naan bread needs to be made a couple of hours in advance of serving time, don’t forget to factor that into the meal planning!

Preparation Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 1  and a 1/2 tsps dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 and a 1/2 tsps sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 6 tablespoons of ghee (clarified butter) or melt an equal quantity of standard butter
• 3 tablespoons of plain yoghurt

Preparation

1. In a small bowl of warm water, add the dry yeast and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes or so, until the mixture begins to bubble up.
2. Mix flour and salt into a large mixing bowl (sift it if you are super fussy).
3. Add the yeast mixture, along with 6 tablespoons of ghee / melted butter, and the 3 tablespoons of yogurt.
4. Use your fingertips or a breadknife to mix all this into a soft dough.
5. Once mixed, flour a clean, flat surface (like your kitchen counter) and knead the dough till it is smooth and stretchy (elastic). This might take 8 – 10 minutes.
6. Grease a large bowl with a few drops of olive oil and place the dough in it. Cover the bowl and allow it to rise – approximately 90 minutes. In that time, the  dough should double in volume.
7. Knock the dough back, and knead for a further 10 minutes.
8. Divide the dough into 8 portions and roll between your palms to form balls.
9. On a lightly floured surface, apply a rolling pin to each ball until you have a circle approximately 8 inches in diameter. Gently drag one edge of the circular dough to form the naan into the classic teardrop shape. If you prefer, you can also pat each naan into a circle with your hands.
10. Preheat your oven or BBQ to 200 C or 400F
11. The best surface to cook your naan bread on is a pizza stone. Failing that, lay a piece of aluminum foil in an oven tray and grease it lightly with a few drops of cooking oil.
12. Put in as many naans as you can without them touching each other.
13. Brush each Naan with some ghee.
14. Place in the oven / BBQ and cook till the Naan begins to puff up and becomes slightly brown. Flip the naan breads over and cook the other side.
15. Remove from oven and serve hot!

Naan Bread Recipe: Gallery

The following slideshow illustrates the various steps;

Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients

• 6 pieces Thawed chicken, skinned
• 2 tsp Ground Coriander
• 2 tsp Masala (Tandoori paste is available)
• to taste Red pepper powder
• Dash Garlic powder
• to taste Salt
• 1 tsp Ground jeera
• Soy sauce (or yogurt) (needed only if tandoori masala is used)

Directions

If you are using the ready made tandoori paste then life is a lot easier. Replace all occurences of masala and soy sauce (or yogurt) with the tandoori paste.

Take the chicken and make *deep* cuts in it (so that the Masalas seeps in quickly). If you are using soy sauce as the base, put some on the chicken pieces and let it seep in the cuts.

Rub in the Masalas as a mixture or one at a time. The idea is to let the Masalas seep in the cuts with the soy sauce. You can leave it for little while to seep in.

If you are using yogurt, you’ll get a more authentic taste since the original TC is after all marinated in it. In this case, mix the Masalas in the yogurt first and then rub the stuff into the chicken cuts as before. The yogurt tends to leave a considerable amount of water behind. DON’T THROW THIS AWAY. Let it evaporate in the oven with the chicken. This will keep the pieces from getting dry if over-cooked. I have not faced the same problem with the soy sauce version (of dry chicken).

Cook the chicken until it starts turning brown. and the cuts you made start “expanding.”