DAL MURGH / DAL CHICKEN

This Dal Chicken /Murgh recipe is an absolutely delicious, finger-licking good curry that you'll love to cook over and over again!

Ingredients:

For the Chicken

• 5tbsp oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 5-6 pods garlic, minced
• 3-4 chicken leg pieces
• 3 tsp salt, or to taste
• 0.5 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 4 small tomatoes, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 inch cinnamon stick 
• 2 green cardamom
• 5-6 black  pepper
• 2 tsp garam masala

For the Chana Dal

• 1 cup chana dal, soaked for at least 2-3 hour
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt

For the Tadka

• 1/2 cup oil
• 1.5 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 4 dried red chillis

Steps to follow:

• Start by putting all the chana dal ingredients to boil on a medium high heat with lots of water. Cook these until they are just cooked through, but still holding their shape. Reserve the cooking water.

• Separately, heat oil in a deep pot and add bay leaf,cardamon,black pepper,cinnamon stick  and let these crackle  and then add the chopped onions. Fry till these are transluscent and lightly golden brown.

• Add the garlic, all the spices and the chicken. Fry this all well until the chicken begins to brown.

• Add the chopped tomatoes, cover and simmer for 15 minutes
• Once the simmer time is up, uncover and add in the chana dal, as well as about one cup of the reserved water.

• Bring it all to a boil, then cover and simmer again on low for 20 minutes. You will likely need to add more water, so keep checking and topping up the water if necessary. 

• Remember, this curry has a tendency to absorb a lot of water, therefore keep the curry a bit more runny than appears to be enough ,then add garam masala powder.

• Once the the curry is ready, start on the tadka. Heat up the tadka oil in a small frying pan on a medium heat and add the onions. Stir the onions constantly, allowing them to become a golden colour. Once you're at a light golden shade, add the cumin and dried red chillis. 

• Continue to fry and stir until the onions become a dark golden. Immediately take off the heat and pour the oil over the Chicken Dal

• Serve immediately!

CHICKEN BESARA (ଚିକେନ ବେସର )

Ingredients:

• 500 gms of chicken 
• 2 table spoons of black & yellow mustard seeds
• 1 table spoon of poppy seeds
• 4 garlic pods chopped
• 2 inches ginger chopped
• 2 green chillies chopped 
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 medium onion thinly sliced
• 1 medium tomato finely  chopped
• Salt + Turmeric + Red chili powder (For marinating the chicken)

Steps to follow:

• Marinate the chicken pieces with salt + turmeric + red chili powder for around 30 minutes 

• While chicken's marinating, grind these together with little bit water to a smooth paste : Mustard seeds + green chilies + garlic + ginger .

• Heat oil & when  its hot, add the onions & fry till they are golden brown.

• Next add  the chicken pieces and let them roast & cook at the same time.

• You may choose to cover and cook or cook in the open, but the chicken should cook nicely while roasting. Try it on medium flame and toss continuously

.

• When that's done (around 10 - 15 mins) add the tomatoes & give a stir.

• Add salt to taste and toss again. 

• Once the tomatoes are soft, add the mustard masala paste with little bit of warm water.

• Cover and cook the chicken with mustard paste for about 10 min in slow flame.
• and  the chicken besara is ready .

• Enjoy with steamed white rice.

Khaja/pheni Recipe

Khaja/pheni recipe is a traditional coastal recipe that is served as a part of “Sukhila Prasad” in India’s Puri Jagannath temple. This is a sweet dish recipe, prepared from fewer ingredients, is essentially the layered fritters dunked in sugar syrup.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups All Purpose Flour (Maida) 
• 2 Ghee (melted)
• 2 teaspoons Cardamom Powder (Elaichi)
• Sunflower Oil , to fry
• Chilled water

Ingredients for Syrup

• 2 cups Sugar
• 1 cup Water

How to make Khaja/pheni Recipe 

• To prepare Khaja recipe, in a bowl, add the flour, melted ghee and mix well. Add cold water to make a smooth yet firm dough. Cover the dough and keep aside for at least 15 to 20 minutes.

• Make a paste mixing 2 tablespoons clarified butter (ghee) and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour to make a flour paste.

• Divide the dough into eight equal parts. Take a ball and roll into rectangular shape sheet. Roll another one similarly.

• Smear the prepared flour paste on one sheet and place another on top of it. Spread the flour paste on top of the second sheet and roll both the sheets together tightly to resemble a log.

• Cut this flour log into equal sized pieces of 1 inch each. Roll each piece vertically.

• Heat enough oil in Deep fry pan, fry them in batches, on a medium flame until they turn golden brown on both sides. Cool them completely.

• In the meantime, prepare sugar syrup adding 2 cups sugar in 1 cup water in a Saucepan.

• Bring to a boil and cook till it becomes sticky.

• Add cardamom powder,Switch off flame.

• Grease a large plate with some butter or ghee.

• Dip the fried khaja into the syrup hence prepared, when the syrup is still warm. Immediately take the well-coated khajas onto the greased plate.

Serve Khaja at room temperature. You could also serve them when still warm. This Khaja recipe can be stored in an air-tight container up to 2 weeks at room temperature

One Pot Soya Chunks Biryani

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice - 3/4 Cup
• Soya chunks - 1/2 Cup
• Ginger - 1/2 Tbsp (Finely Chopped)
• Garlic - 1 Tbsp (Finely Chopped)
• Green Chill - 1 (slit)
• Onion - 1/2 large (Finely Sliced)
• Tomato - 1 small
• Potato - 1 medium
• Salt - 1 tsp (adjust per taste)
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Biryani Masala -1 tsp
• Curd | Yogurt - 1 Tbsp 
• Coriander leaves - 2 Tbsp (Chopped)
• Mint leaves - 2 Tbsp (Chopped)
• Ghee - 1/2 tsp (optional)  

       To Temper

•  Oil - 7-8 Tbsp
• Cinnamon- 1 inch
•  Cardamon - 2
• Bay leaf - 1
• star anise -1

Instructions:

• First Wash and soak the rice and soya chunks in separate bowls. Both of them should be soaked for atleast 15 minutes. 

• Now heat a cooker pan with oil, add the ingredients under "To Temper" in given order. After 1 minute, add the ginger, garlic, green chilli, onion and saute until the onion changes to golden brown. Then add the tomato, salt and saute until the tomato turns mushy.

•   Turn the flame to low - medium and then all the powders (garam masala, red chilli, turmeric, coriander, cumin,biryani masala) and give a stir.

• Now add the coriander leaves and mint leaves along with curd and give a stir. And then add the soya chunks to the mixture. Before adding soya chunks, squeeze out the excess water.

•  Finally, add the rice and 1 cup of water. Mix everything together. Close the lid of the cooker and cook for 1 whistle or until the rice is done.

• Wait till the pressure subsides, then open the lid and optionally sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of ghee and transfer to the serving bowl.

• Enjoy hot with raita.

Prawn Biryani

Ingredients:

• 300 Gram Prawns/shrimp (shelled, cleaned and washed)
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Chilli powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Ginger and garlic paste
• 1/2 cup Onion paste
• 1/4 tsp Garam masala
• 1 cup Yogurt
• 2 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup Onions (oil to pan fry), fried
• 1 cup Rice (boiled till almost done)
• Few saffron strands
• 2 tsp Ghee

Step By Step Instructions:

Marinate Shrimp
      In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients well.  Add the shrimp, mix. Cover and allow it to marinate for 30 mins.

Cooking Shrimp

     Heat 3 tbsps of oil in heavy bottom pan. (we will slow cook the biryani in same pot, so choose the one with tight fitting lid). Then, add onions and fry until just starts picking up golden colour

Add bay leaf and sliced tomatoes and sauté on high heat for another minute.

Then, add marinated shrimp and and mix. Cook on high heat for minute and then low heat for 3 minutes. Do not add any water and do not over cook the prawns

Add coriander leaves and mint leaves and mix. cook for another 30 seconds

Cooking Rice
In a large pot, add enough water.  Add bay leaves, oil, lemon juice, shazeera and salt. Bring it to a boil.

Add rice to the boiling water and cook until the rice is 70% done.


Layering The Prawn Biryani

Now, top the prawns with fried onions.

When the rice is 70% done, using a large colander or slotted spoon take out the rice and layer it evenly over the prawns layer.

Sprinkle the melted ghee and saffron water over the rice layer.

Cover the pot with the tight fitting lid. Place the pot over a high flame and cook for 5-7 minutes. Place hot tava/griddle below the pot and keep it for “Dum’(slow cook) exactly for another 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, switch off the heat and leave it to rest for 10 minutes. Open the lid, dish out yummy hot prawn biryani and serve with raita of your choice:

simple crab curry

Ingredients:

• 2 Crabs , cut into pieces (around 500 gm)
• 2 Potatoes , cut into halves
• 2 Onion (paste)
• 1 teaspoon Garlic (paste)
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Ginger (paste)
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon Red Chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
• Salt , to taste
• 2 tablespoons Homemade tomato puree
• 2 Green Chillies
• 2 green Cardamom
• 2 Cloves
• 1/2 inch Cinnamon Stick
• 1/2 teaspoon Garam masala powder
• 3 tablespoons Mustard oil

Method:

• clean the crab with warm water and marinate with salt, turmeric and red chilli powder for 25 minutes.

• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and fry the crab pieces on a medium flame covering with a lid. Once it is crisp and nicely cooked, take out the fried crab pieces and keep aside.

• In the same pan, add some more oil, heat it on medium flame. Add the potato with salt, turmeric and let it cook till the potatoes become a little soft for 5-7 minutes. Once it is done, take it out and keep aside.

• In the same pan, add cinnamon stick, clove and cardamom into the oil. Once they start sizzling, add onion paste and keep on stirring until it is cooked properly. This will take about 2 minutes.

• After 3 minutes, add ginger garlic paste and let it cook for another minute or two. Next, add all the dry spices including turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt . Mix them well.

• After a minute, add tomato puree, green chillies and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. At this stage, add 1/4 cup of water to avoid burning of the spices.

• Finally, add fried potatoes and crab pieces and mix everything properly.

• Add required water (approximately 1/2 cup) and allow it to boil at medium flame for 8 to 10 minutes. Once done, switch off the gas and it is ready to be served.

                        Serve simple Crab Curry along with Steamed Rice .

simple mutton curry

Ingredients:

1 kg Mutton
1/2 kg Onion
as per taste Salt
3 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric
2 Green chilli
9-10  tbsp Mustard oil
2 Bay leaf
1 inch Cinnamon
4 Green cardamom
1 Black cardamom
4 Cloves
4-5 Black pepper
1 tsp Cumin powder
2 tsp Coriander powder
2 Medium sized Potatoes
2 tsp Ginger and Garlic paste
1 tsp meat masala
1 tsp garam masala
coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

 First marinate the mutton with turmeric, salt, mustard oil for 1 hour.

 Heat a pressure cooker add mustard oil, then add bay leaf,green cardamom, black cardamom, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon   & sliced onion, fry it til it is golden brown.

Then Add Ginger and Garlic paste and cook the masala until the raw smell goes out.

Then Add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, cook it for a second.

Next add Cumin powder,Coriander powder, garam masala,meat masala and  cook it for sometimes

Once you see oil is getting separated form the masala then add mutton to the cooker. Add salt to taste.Give it a good mix so that the mutton is well coated with the masala.

Cover it cook it for next 20 minutes. Give it a occasional stir in between to avoid the masala sticking to the bottom of the cooker.

Next, add the potatoes to the cooker. Mix it well.

Add warm water as you want the thickness of the gravy should be . Give it a good mix.

Cover the lid and pressure cook it. It takes around 2 whistle but you are the best judge of your cooker so cook it accordingly.

Once it is cooked, allow it to rest for some time, so that the steam can escape.

Open the lid of the cooker and Mix it well and add chopped  coriander leaves. simple mutton curry is ready to be served now,enjoy it steamed rice .

Banana malpua

Ingredients:

1.5 cup all purpose flour (maida)
1/2 cup semonila (sooji)
1 cup sugar
2 cup milk (boiled)
1 tsp green cardamom powder 
25 gm mixed dry fruits
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 ripe banana mashed
cooking ghee or oil for deep frying

Methods:

Take maida in a bowl,add semolina and sugar in it. mix well.

Add milk in it,make sure you are adding little in one time,mix the batter for atleast  2-3 min  so that no lumps  are formed.

Then add ripe banana in the batter and mix well.

Add chopped dry fruits, cardamom powder and fennel seeds to the batter and give a stir .

Keep the batter aside for atleast 45 minutes.

Heat ghee/oil in a pan.

Drop a little batter in the oil to check the temperature of oil.

Then put a spatula full of batter in the middle of  the hot oil and  do not spread the batter.

Fry it in low flame for 2-3 minutes,then flip to fry the other side.

Drain it out to extract excess oil.

Repeat the same process for the remaining batter.

Put some chopped dry fruits on it ,and serve hot or cold .

Rice kheer

INGREDIENTS :

¼  cup basmati rice

1 litre full fat milk or whole milk or full cream milk - 4 cups
6 tablespoons sugar or add as required
½  teaspoon cardamom powder or 5 to 6 green cardamoms powdered in mortar-pestle(choti elaichi powder)
1 pinch saffron strands (kesar)
1 tablespoon chopped or sliced almonds
1 tablespoon chopped or sliced cashews (kaju)
1 tablespoon chopped or sliced unsalted pistachios
1 tablespoon raisins (kishmish)

Instructions:

Preparation for rice kheer

Rinse ¼  cup basmati rice a couple of times till the water runs clear of the starch.
Then soak the rice in enough water for 15 to 20 mins.

Making rice kheer

Meanwhile, when the rice grains are soaking, take 1 litre full fat milk in a heavy wide pan or saucepan or kadai.

Keep the pan on a low to medium-low flame. Stir at intervals so that the milk does not stick at the bottom of the pan.

Let the milk come to a boil.

Take 1 tablespoon milk from the pan in a small bowl. Let the milk become warm. Then add a few saffron strands in the milk. Keep aside.

After the milk begins to boil, drain all the water from the rice and add it to the hot boiling milk. mix very well.

Simmer and cook rice on a low flame. No need to cover the pan when the rice is cooking.

Cook the rice grains till they are 50% done or half-cooked.

Then add 5 to 6 tbsp sugar or add as required. mix the sugar in the milk.

Continue to cook rice on a low to medium-low flame. Do stir at intervals. simmer till the rice is almost cooked.

Flavoring the rice kheer

Then add ½ teaspoon cardamom powder. add blanched & peeled sliced almonds and chopped cashews and sliced pistachios. mix well.

Then add the saffron dissolved milk.

Again mix and continue to cook on a low flame till the rice kheer thickens and the rice grains have completely cooked.

Switch off the flame when the rice grains are completely cooked. The kheer will also thicken. On cooling rice kheer thickens more. Scrape milk solids from sides and add to kheer.

Lastly add 1 tablespoon raisins(optional). At this step you can add 1 tablespoons rose water

Pour the rice kheer in  serving bowls. You can serve the rice kheer, warm or chilled. Refrigerate leftover rice kheer.