MURGH RED CHILLI SPECIAL

INGREDIENTS

1. 1/2kg chicken
2. 2medium onions sliced
3. 8 cloves of garlic
4. 1'' grated ginger
5. 10 whole red chillies
6. 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
7. 1tbsp roasted pounded coriander seeds
8. 1tsp roasted pounded aniseed
9. 3 tomatoes blanched and blended
10. 1/2 cup yogurt
11. salt to taste
12. 1bay leaf,1 black cardamom,4 cloves,6 pepper corn,1''cinnamon stick,4 green cardamom and 1/4 tsp black cumin.
13. 1/2 cup oil

METHOD

1. remove seeds from chillies and soaked them in hot water for 2hours then grind to a smooth paste.
2. heat oil in a saucepan ,add onion slices and garlic fry until it turns light pink,remove from oil ,cool it and grind them.
3. in the same oil add whole garam masala when it sizzles add chicken pieces and fry them until they are light brown in colour on medium heat.
4. add red chilli paste,turmeric powder,coriander,aniseed ,ginger and salt.fry it for 5-6 minutes then add tomato paste and1/2 cup yogurt,mix well and cover the pot,cook it till chicken is tender and oil separates from masala ,keep stirring two three times so masala wont stick to the bottom of pot.
5. remove excess of oil from the chicken before eating.
6. garnish it with chopped coriander and green chilli.
7. serve with naan.

CARROT HALWA

INGREDIENTS

1. 1kg carrots
2. 15 dates chopped
3. 1cup malai
4. 1tbsp ghee
5. 4 cardamoms
6. 1cup sugar or to taste
7. 2tbsp chopped almonds
8. 2tbsp chopped cashew nuts
9. 2tbsp pistachios
10. 2tbsp raisins

METHOD

• wash,peel and grate carrots
• in a pressure cooker heat 1tbsp ghee add crushed cardamom seeds
• add grated carrots and dates , cook it for 5 minutes .
• add malai ,mix well and pressure cook for 2 whistle.remove  the cooker from the stove and let it cool.
• open the cooker and stir.put back on the stove and cook it for 2-3 minutes.
• add sugar ,mix well ,keep cooking until all the sugar absorbed  in carrots, stirring continuously
• add dry fruits .
• when ghee starts oozing out  remove the cooker from stove.
• halwa is ready.

if you don't have malai, add 1cup of milk and 1/2 cup of milk powder.
if you are using condense milk use less sugar or no sugar at all.

DAM KA KHOBANI KEEMA

INGREDIENTS

1. 1/2kg keema
2. 10 dry apricots
3. 1tbsp raw papaya paste
4. 1onion chopped
5. 1tbsp ginger garlic paste
6. 1tsp coriander powder
7. 1tsp cumin powder
8. 1tsp sonf powder
9. 1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
10. 1/2tsp garam masala powder
11. 2 chopped green chillies
12. coriander leaves for garnishing
13. 1/2 cup oil or 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup butter
14. 1/2 cup hung curd

METHOD

• soak apricots, chop them roughly.
• marinate keema with papaya paste for two hours.
• in 1/2 cup hung yogurt add ginger garlic paste,all dry spices,salt and marinated keema mix well.
• heat oil in a pan put chopped onion and saute' it, add keema stir well so no lumps remain.cover and cook on medium heat.
• when keema is half done add chopped apricots.
• cook until keema is cooked and oil separates.
• add chopped chillies and coriander leaves.
• serve with paratha.

TIP  always first heat the pan then put oil.if you are using oil and butter add oil first then put butter.
To store green chillies ,remove the stem, then store them in steel or plastic container which is lined with paper towel or napkin, put the container in the refrigerator.

CHICKEN CURRY

INGREDIENTS

1. 1/2kg chicken pieces
2. 3 medium onions sliced
3. 8 cloves of garlic
4. 1'' ginger grated
5. 1tsp red chilli powder
6. 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
7. 1tsp roasted coriander powder
8. 1tsp roasted cumin powder
9. salt to taste
10. 1/2 cup yogurt
11. 5tbsp oil
12. whole garam masala(1 black cardamom,4 cloves,5 pepper corn,1'' cinnamon,1 bay leaf,3green cardamom)

METHOD

• heat oil in a pan , add whole garam masala then add sliced onions and cloves of garlic, fry them light pink in colour take them out and grind with  yogurt.
• in the same oil add chicken and fry
• dissolve red chilli powder and turmeric powder in 2 tbsp of water ,add it to the chicken and fry,after 5 minutes add coriander and cumin powder,grated ginger and salt,fry few minutes.
• add fried onion yogurt paste fry( bhono)until oil starts separating from masala, add 3/4 cup of boiled water for the gravy.cover it and cook on medium heat until chicken is tender.
• add chopped green coriander
• serve with roti or boiled rice and salad.

TIP  scrap ginger root with a spoon instead of peeling,grind it and freeze it in an icecube tray .when the cubes get frozen take them out and put them in a freezer zip lock bag. the bag is dated and kept in the freezer
same way you can freeze ginger garlic paste,ginger green chilli paste,and coriander chutney.

CHICKEN VEGETABLE CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS

1. 400 g boneless chicken cut into thin strips
2. 1table spoon ginger,garlic paste
3. 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
4. 1tbsp soya sauce
5. 1/2 kg mix vegetables
6. 2 spring onions chopped
7. 2green pepper cut into thin strips
8. 2tomatoes sliced
9. 1/2 packet spaghetti or macaroni
10. 1tbsp chilli garlic sauce
11. 2 cups white sauce
12. 1cup bread crumbs
13. 1 cup mozzarella cheese
14. 1/4 cup oil

METHOD

1.  boil pasta in salted water, drain and mix one tsp chilli oil
2. marinate chicken pieces in garlic ginger paste,soya sauce,salt and pepper for 30 minutes.
3. cut vegetables(potato,carrot,cauliflower,broccoli,french beans,peas,corn or any vegetable of your choice but not okra) boil them in salted water,drain them.
4. blend 1/4 cup boiled (potato,peas and carrot)vegetables.
5. in a saucepan,heat oil add onions then marinated chicken cook on high heat keep stirring until meat is tender ;add boiled vegetables,mix well.
6. add black pepper,salt,2tbsp chilli garlic sauce,1/2tsp mustard powder and blended 1/4 cup vegetable.
7. grease a casserole dish,first put the chicken vegetable mixture cover with boiled spaghetti top with sliced green pepper.tomato slices, pour white sauce over it.
8. spread bread crumbs and cheese on the top
9. grill it until cheese is melted and light brown crust is formed.

WHITE SAUCE

for two cups

4tbsp butter,4tbsp all purpose flour,1/2 tsp salt,1/4 tsp white pepper,2cups milk

to prepare white sauce;melt butter in a pan over low heat.blend in flour,salt,white pepper.add milk all at once.cook quickly,stirring constantly,till mixture thickens and bubbles.remove pan from heat when it bubbles.add cheese.

ZARDA

INGREDIENTS

1. 250 g rice (Sela)
2. 200 g sugar
3. 2tbsp ghee
4. 4 green cardamoms
5. 2cloves
6. 4 tbsp dry fruits(almond,cashew nuts,raisin,pistachios
7. 2tbsp red and green cherries
8. saffron and kewara water
9. 1/4tsp saffron colour

METHOD

• soak Sela rice for 3-4 hours,keep changing its water every hour.
• heat 750 ml water in a pan add one clove ,2 cardamom and zafrani colour
• when water boils add soaked rice and cook until rice is completely cooked.
• drain the water
• heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan add cardamom and clove
• add boiled rice and sugar mix well.cook on medium heat.
• sugar will dissolve and there will be watery syrup increase the heat and open the lid water will evaporate add fry fruits and saffron and kewara water .close the lid and let it simmer for 15minutes(dum)
• add khoya if you like

MIX VEGETABLE with DRY FRUITS

INGREDIENTS

1. 2 potatoes chopped
2. 1 small cauliflower
3. 1/2 cup peas
4. 1 carrot
5. 25 g makhaney

1/2 cup yogurt

1. 2tbsp tomato paste
2. 1tsp red chilli powder
3. 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
4. 1/2 tsp coriander powder
5. 1/2 tsp garam masala
6. 8 almonds
7. 2tbsp raisin
8. 2tbsp cashew nuts
9. 2-3 green cardamom
10. 3tbsp oil or pure ghee
11. salt to taste

METHOD

• boil vegetables with1/4 tsp turmeric powder and 1tsp salt,drain them.
• fry dry fruits and makhanay in 1 tbsp oil.
• heat remaining oil add crushed green cardamom then tomato paste and spices cook 2 minutes
• add vegetables ,makhanay and yogurt. mix well, cook covered ,on medium heat till well blended.add dry fruits.

serve with naan or paratha.