Besanwali Murg Tangri

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
400 gms chicken - cut into 1 and 1/2" pieces or 6 legs (drumsticks)
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp red chilli powder
3/4 tsp salt

GRIND TOGETHER TO A PASTE THESE INGREDIENTS
1/2" piece ginger
2-3 flakes garlic
2 saboot kali mirch (peppercorns)
2 Laung (cloves)
2 chhoti iIIaichi (green cardamoms)
1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
2 tsp saboot dhania (coriander seeds)
3/4" stick dalchini
3/4 tsp saunf (fennel)

COATING INGREDIENTS:
8 tbsp Besan
6 tbsp curd
1 tbsp chopped fresh dhania
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)

Method:

1. Grind together ginger, garlic along with all the saboot masalas to a paste. Use a
little water if required. Keep the ground paste aside.
2. Mix together 3/4 cup milk with 1/4 cup water. Heat and bring to a boil.
3. Add the above ground masala, 1 tsp red chilli powder and 3/4 tsp salt.
4. Add chicken also to the milk. Give 1-2 boils. Cover and lower heat. Cook for 8-10 minutes or till the chicken is tender. Increase the heat and cook till completely dry. Remove from fire. Cool.
5. To the cooked chicken add all the coating ingredients. Mix well.
6. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan and fry 2-3 pieces at a time to a golden brown colour.
7. Sprinkle some freshly ground pepper and serve hot with chilli garlic chutney and Dhaniya Pudina Chutney.

Punjabi Malai Chicken Tikka

Serves: 6-7

Ingredients:

500 gms Boneless Chicken - cut into 1 1/2" pieces
or you can also use 500 gms of chicken breasts (3) - cut into 2" pieces

For Marinade:
3/4 cup thick cream
1/4 tsp green cardamom powder (seeds of 2-3 chhoti iIIaichi - crushed)
1 tsp white or black pepper powder
1 tsp garlic paste
2 tsp ginger paste
3 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/4 tsp amchoor
1/2 tsp jeera powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 green chillies - crushed, optional

For BASTING (POURING ON THE KEBABS)
2 tbsp melted butter or oil

Method:
1. Mix all the ingredients of the marinade- cream, chhoti illaichi powder, white pepper, ginger-garlic paste, cornflour, melted butter,garam masala, amchoor, jeera powder, salt and green chillies.
2.Marinate chicken covered with a plastic wrap/cling film for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
3.Heat an oven at 180°C or heat a gas tandoor on gas for 15 minutes on low heat.
4. Place the well coated chicken pieces on the grill or skewer the chicken pieces.
Roast for 10 minutes or until cooked, thoroughly basting (pouring) with melted butter or oil at least once in between. Roast for another 5 minutes.
5.Sprinkle chaat masala and serve hot with poodina chutney or garnished papadums.

Imp Note:

• Grilling or roasting should be done on constant moderate heat, otherwise it toughens the protein of the meat, making the kebabs shrink and turn hard. Always grease the wire rack or grill nicely with oiltoavoidthe kebabs sticking to the grill .
  
• Cover the tray beneath the wire rack or the skewers with aluminium foil to collect the drippings of the tikkas.

Punjabi Kadhi

Ingredients:
1 Small cup Besan (Rajdhani Besan is good)
2 Cups खट्टी दही (Sour Curd)
1/2 tsp Haldi Powder
2 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
3/4 tsp chilli powder (acc. to taste)

Other Ingredients:
2 tbsp refind oil
1/2 tsp jeera (Cumin seeds)
1/2 tsp methi daana (Fenugreek seeds)
1 Moti Illaichi (Black Cardamom)
2 Laung (cloves)
3-4 dry, red chillies

Ingredients for Pakoras (Besan Dumplings)
1 cup besan (gram flour)
1/3 cup water approx.
1 Big Onion - chopped finely
1 small potato - chopped finely
1/2" piece ginger - chopped finely
1/2 tsp red chilli owder
2 green chillies chopped finely
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp dhania powder
a pinch of baking powder
oil for frying

Tadka/Tempering Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
1/4 tsp red chilli powder, preferably red chilli flakes

Method:
1. Mix khatti dahi, besan, salt, haldi, red chilli powder and 5 1/2 cups of water. Beat well till smooth and ensure there are no lumps remaining in this mixture.
2. In a big heavy bottomd pan heat oil and add jeera, methi daana, moti illaichi and laung. Also add whole red chillies too.
3. When jeera turns golden add the curd water mixture, stir continuously till it starts boiling. After one good boil,lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from fire and keep aside.
4.To prepae pakodsa, mix besan with water to make thick paste.Beat really well.Add all the pakora ingredients in it. Beat well to get a soft dropping batter.
5. Heat oil and drop spoonful of pakoda batter and deep fry pakoras on medium heat till golden brown.
6. Add pakoras to the ready Kadhi.
7. Forthe tadka, heat oil in a small pan. Reduce flame and add jeera.
8. When it turns golden remove from fire and add red chilli. Pour oil on to the hot kadhi in the serving dish.
9. Mix lightly and serve hot with boiled/ steamed rice.

Imp Tip: To get red chilli flakes, dry grind whole red chillies roughly in a small grinder.

Enjoy Punjabi Kadhi!!

Malai Corn Palak

Ingredients:
1 cup Sweet corn kernels (boiled)
1 cup Fresh cream
3 medium bunch of Spinach leaves (Palak)
2 tbsps Refined Oil
2 medium sized Onions (chopped)
1 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Garlic paste
3 Green chillies (chopped)
Salt to taste
1 tsp Dry mango powder (amchur)
1/2 tsp Caraway seeds (shahi jeera)
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tbsp Dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)

Method
Clean and wash palak leaves thoroughly and ensure no sand grains are left on the leaves.
Then blanch palak in plenty of boiling water for a minute or two, drain and refresh the leaves in ice-cold water.
Now blend the palak and make a puree.
Heat the boiled corn in half or one cup of water.
Take a Karai and heat oil in a pan, add caraway seeds and stir-fry till it changes colour.
Now add chopped onions and cook until golden brown.
Add ginger and garlic pastes and sauté for 5-7 min.
Now add green chillies and stir-fry for ten seconds.
Time to add corn, palak puree, salt and amchur powder to this mixture of onion masala.
Mix it well and let it cook for two to three more minutes.
Add fresh cream and simmer till you reach the desired .
Take off the heat and add lemon juice.
Now sprinkle roasted crushed kasuri methi to enhance the flavour.
Mix and serve immediately.

**Another small variation that you can try is: Put some grated processed cheese on the top covering the full layer in the bowl and put it in a pre heated oven for 7-10 min (Till cheese melt)...hmmmm...yummy...superb is the outcome.

Aaloowala Gosht (Mutton)

You all must be thinking Aaloo is mostly cooked as a veg dish...Today i thought of posting a non veg dish with aaloo. I always get some great reviews about this dish...as it is perfect for mutton lovers and perfect for those who don't eat mutton but eat aaloo marinated in the mutton gravy...Sounds interesting..try this one truly a perfct north indian dish ( Saddae Punjaab se)...

Ingredients:
Serves 4
3 large sized Potatoes (cut into 1 inch cubes)
1/4 cup Yogurt (whisked)
1 inch stick Cinnamon
Salt to taste
1 Bay leaf
1 tsp Garam masala powder
600 gms Mutton (cut into 1 inch cubes)
2 tbsps + to deep-fry Oil

Ground into a fine paste these following ingredients:
1 tsp Red chilli powder
2 Red chillies whole
2 cloves Garlic
1 large sized Onion (roughly chopped)
2 medium sized Tomatoes (roughly chopped)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Coriander powder
2 Cloves

Method:
First of all heat oil in a pan and deep-fry potatoes till light brown in colour.
Drain onto an absorbent paper and keep it aside.
Now pressure-cook the mutton pieces with salt till three forth done.
Heat two-table spoon of oil in a kadai and add bay leaf, cinnamon, ground masala,yogurt and salt and fry till the oil surfaces. (घी ऊपर तक आ जाना चाहिये)
Add boiled mutton pieces and cook in masala till almost done. This is an important part ensuring you are stirring it very well with the masala so that the mutton pieces are mixed really well.
Now add fried potatoes garam masala powder and one cup water and simmer for two to three minutes.
Serve hot with steamed rice.

Aaloo Chole

Ingredients
Serves 4

2 medium sized Potatoes (boiled)
5 tbsps + to shallow fry Oil
4-6 Green chillies (slit)
1 tbsp Ginger paste
1½ tsps Red chilli powder
1 tbsp Pomegranate seeds (अनार्दाना)
2 medium sized Tomatoes
2 tbsps Coriander powder
2 tbsps Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Dry mango powder (अम्चुर)
Salt to taste
1½ cups Chickpeas (kabuli chana)
1 tbsp Tea leaves or Tea Bag : Makes the chana black
2-3 Dried Indian gooseberry (amla) : This will make the chana black
1 tsp Garam masala powder
2 tbsps Cumin seeds
1 tbsp Garlic paste

Method:

Wash and soak chickpeas in four cups of water overnight.
Tie tealeaves and amla in muslin cloth to form a bundle.
Drain chickpeas, add six to eight cups water, salt and tealeaves-amla tied in muslin cloth.
Pressure cook for twenty minutes or until soft and completely cooked.
Drain the cooked chickpeas and reserve the cooking liquor.
Discard bundle of tealeaves-amla.
Peel the boiled potatoes and cut them into one inch sized cubes.
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan, add one teaspoon of cumin seeds, slit green chillies, garlic paste, ginger paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder, amchur powder, one cup of cooking stock and stir. In another pan heat sufficient oil, add potatoes and shallow fry till golden.
Drain onto an absorbent paper and keep aside.
Add boiled chickpeas to the masala, add some more cooking stock and salt.
Cook on high heat.
Roast the remaining cumin seeds and anardana and crush.
Add fried potatoes to the chole and mix.
Add the crushed masala, garam masala powder and mix.
Add a little water or stock.
Cut the tomatoes into quarters.
Heat three tablespoons of oil in a pan, add tomatoes and sauté for a few minutes.
Adjust seasoning in the chole, add the tomatoes and simmer for few minutes Serve hot.

Apke Garma Garam Aaloo Chole Tayaar hain...Puri ya Bhature ke saath serve kariyae.