Crispy chilli baby corn

About the food:

This is a Chinese recipe, perfect to be a starter. This is really easy to make, and is absolutely delicious.

Preparation time: 10 mins.

Cooking time: 30 mins.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

1 bowl baby corn, sliced through the middle, and then in half
1 bowl mushroom, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup corn flour
3 tbsp red/white wine
2 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp black pepper powder
2 green chillies, chopped
salt

Method:

1. Put oil in a pan. Fry the garlic until light golden.Take it out of the oil and reserve.

2. Part boil the baby corn and the mushroom separately for about 5 mins. This makes them soft and tender.

3.Coat the baby corn and the mushrooms with corn flour and deep fry until golden in colour. For best results, fry them separately. Remove them from the oil.

4. Heat a fresh pan and add some oil. Add the onion and green chillies and saute for 3 mins. Add the baby corn and mushroom. Add garlic, soya sauce, wine, a pinch of salt and black pepper. Mix them well.

5. Remove from flame and serve it hot.

Best served as a party starter. Goes well with baked garlic breads.

Chicken drumstick kebab

About the food:

Chicken drumstick kebab, or the chicken tegri kebab are very popular throughout India and Pakistan. It could be a fantastic starter, or could be served as snacks with drinks, or even be a main dish when served with Indian breads like paratha and salad.It is easy to make, does not take much effort. The only tedious part is to prepare the masalas, but once you have done it, you can store it in an airtight container, and it keeps for months. Otherwise, if you want a quick fix, you can buy the ready made masalas from any market.I always prefer my own masalas, as I can control the flavour and mix, and also it gives a personal touch to the dish.

Preparation time: 18-24 hrs
cooking time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

8 pieces of chicken drumsticks, skinned
4 tbsp vegetable oil
salt
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 pinch of turmeric powder
3 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp garlic paste
6 tbsp plain yogurt
Salad leaf mix
2 onions, cut in rings

Tandoori masala:

8 cloves
8 cinnamon
2 inches cardamom stick
1 tbsp black pepper corns
1 tbsp jeera ( cumin) seeds
1 tbsp dhania (coriander) seeds
2 mace florets
1/2 nutmeg

Chat masala:

1 tbsp cumin seed (jeera)
1/2 tbsp dried mint Leaves (pudina leaves)
1/4th tsp carom (ajwain) seeds
1/4th tsp asafetida (hing) Powder
1 tbsp rock salt (kala namak)
21/2 tbsp dried mango (aam chur) Powder
5 cloves
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp tartaric acid
1 tbsp black pepper corns (kalimirchi)
2 tsp salt (namak)

Method:

1. Slit both the sides of the chicken drumsticks with a sharp knife to touch the bones.Make sure the flesh do not fall apart. Rub the chicken pieces with the lemon juice and salt and keep it for 30 mins.

2. Tandoori masala:

Dry roast all the ingredients in pan. when they start to smoke, take them out and dry grind in a grinder. Put it in an airtight container.

3. Chat masala:

Dry roast the cumin, coriander, carom, asafetida , black peppercorns and cloves. Dry grind them in a grinder and mix it with other ingredients. Put it in an airtight container.

4. Mix the yogurt, ginger and garlic paste, turmeric powder, 5 tbsp of the tandoori masala.Mix the chicken pieces with this mixture well, cover and marinate for 18-24 hrs.

5. Pre-heat oven. Take a wire rack, and oil it. Arrange the drumsticks on it, and put the rack on a tray to accumulate juices. Put in the oven for about 50mins at 180 deg C, or until the chicken has browned and has been cooked through, turning the pieces once in between. Keep a close watch, as not to burn the pieces, as the cooking time might vary.

6. Arrange the base of a serving tray with the salad leaves. Arrange the chicken pieces on it, squeeze 1 tbsp lemon juice and sprinkle 1 tbsp of chat masala. Garnish with Onion rings and lemon wedges and serve.

Honey & orange glazed chicken

About the food:

This food is from the oriental cuisine, and is very easy to prepare. You can serve this as a starter or it could even be served as a main dish accompanied by plain basmati rice, topped with butter.

Preparation time: 15mins
Cooking time: 1 hr

Ingredients: serves 4

10 skinless chicken thigh & leg pieces
1 tbsp black pepper powder
salt to taste
3-4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds

for the sauce:

1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup clear honey
4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp white flour
salt to taste
1 tbsp black pepper powder
1 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

1. Mix the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Brush an oven tray with oil or place a baking sheet on it. Arrange the chickens on the tray and brush them with oil. Pre-heat the oven. Cook the chickens for about 30-35 mins at 180 gas mark. Turn the chicken pieces halfway through the cooking, and brush the upper side with oil. Keep a careful watch as not to burn the pieces.

2. Preparing the sauce:
Heat a pan. Mix all the ingredients for the sauce together, taking care not to form any lumps. Bring it to boil, stirring continuously, until the sauce becomes smooth and thickens.

3. When the chicken is done, coat each pieces in the sauce and put them back in a clean, oil brushed oven tray. Cook them for about 15 mins at 180 deg C to give the honey glazed finish.

4. Toast the sesame seeds on a pan. Garnish the chicken pieces with the sesame seeds and serve.

Accompaniment: plain basmati rice with butter.

Vegetable chop

About the food:

This is an Indian snack, fantastic as a party starter or just to be served with a cup of hot tea. This has always been my all time favourite, and it brings back the nostalgic childhood memories with my family, when we used to savour it from vendors in the long train journeys. Try this, and all will love it, I bet!

Preparation time: 1 1/2 hrs
Cooking time: 20mins

Ingredients: (makes apprx. 20)

1 big Potato, peeled, boiled and smoothly mashed
4 medium carrots, finely chopped
4 medium beet roots, finely chopped
1 bowl white flour
1 big onion, finely chopped
2 eggs
2 bowl breadcrumbs
1 bowl peanuts, broken in halves and dry roasted
1 bowl green peas, part boiled (if not frozen)
Chat masala powder
4-5 green chillies, de-seeded and finely chopped (optional, only if you want the chops hot)
Ginger paste 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

For the Masala:
2 inchs Cinnamom stick
2 dried red chillies
1 tbsp jeera (cumin) seeds
1 tbsp dhania (coriander) seeds


Method:

1. Heat a pan. Dry roast the ingredients for the masala until they change colour and crackle. Take care not to roast for long, as then it will turn bitter.Grind the masala into a fine powder. Store it in an airtight container.

2.Mash the boiled potatoes well. Add salt to taste, and mix it well.

3. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add the onions, and let it be slightly brown. Add the mashed potato and continue cooking. After 5 mins, add the garlic paste, carrot, beet roots and peas one by one, each time mixing them well. Carry on cooking for 15 mins over a slow flame. Add the masala powder as prepared above and the peanuts and mix it well in the pan.

4. Let the mix cool down. check for the seasonings and adjust. Roll them up in small size balls and shape them as a pipe (3 inchs long, 1 inch across) like structure, to form the chops.

5. Roll each chops in a plate containing the flour, carefully coating them on all its sides.

6. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Dip the chops in the eggs to coat its all sides.

7. Place bread crumbs in a plate. Roll the chops over the crumbs for an even coating.

8. Heat oil in a pan. Deep fry the chops in batches until golden brown. Take it out on a kitchen tissue.

10. Arrange them on the serving tray. Sprinkle the chat masala over it. Serve with a mustard sauce.

Cheese filled Jalapeno peppers

About the food:

Jalapeno is a Mexican hot & sweet pepper, which has a delicious flavour. I had this food at one of my friend's place, and it was so delicious that I was deeply intrigued to it. I promised myself that I had to learn to prepare this. Then some research, some alterations and here it is! It is a superb snack, or you can serve it as a starter. Try this out, it will never fail you!

Note: you can substitute the jalapeno peppers with bell peppers/capsicum, and it tastes as good.

Preparation time: 2 hrs
Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

4 jalapeno peppers, cut in halves and de-seeded.
1/2 small bowl of white flour
1/2 small bowl of cornflour
3 eggs, whisked
1/2 small bowl of bread crumbs or corn flakes crumbs
1 small pack of soft cheese, at room temperature
salt to taste
1 tbsp of garlic salt
1 tbsp of paprika powder
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Cut the halved jalapeno peppers in 3 inches stripes. Boil water in a pan. Put the peppers in the water, cover and cook for about 10mins or until they are tender.Drain the water and wipe the peppers dry with a kitchen tissue.

3.Fill all the pepper portions with a spoonful soft cheese. Freeze for about 2 hrs.

4.Take 3 bowls:

Bowl 1. Mix the corn flour, white flour, salt, garlic powder and the paprika.
Bowl 2. Keep the whisked egg.
Bowl 3. Keep the golden breadcrumbs.

5. Take out the frozen peppers. Dip and coat them with the items in the three bowls one by one. Arrange them on a plate. But do this in batches, as the frozen cheese might start melting.

6.Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Deep fry the coated peppers in batches until they are golden brown.

7. Serve hot with mayonnaise and mustard sauce.

Meditterrean Grilled Aubergine with Cottage cheese filling

About the food:

This is a Spanish style grilled aubergine with cottage cheese (paneer) and peas filling. I saw a Spanish recipe of grilled aubergine in a TV show sometime back: this dish is an impoverished version of that. The method of cooking is the same, only the filling has been modified upon. It is an easy to make dish, makes an delightful presentation, and could be served as a starter, or in a cocktail party.The filling is to be scooped out with a spoon and eaten just like that: taste it, and it is delicious!

Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients: (serves 4)

4 medium sized aubergine.
1 medium sized onion finely chopped
1 bunch of spring onions, finely chopped
1/2 inch root ginger, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium sized capsicum (bell pepper) finely chopped
200 gm cottage cheese (paneer) finely grated or handcrushed
2/3 green chillies, de-seeded and chopped
1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely grated cheese
1 cup green peas, boiled lightly and hand crushed
black pepper powder to taste
salt to taste
olive oil / vegetable oil

Method:

1. Cut off the steam of the aubergines. Cut the aubergines longitudinally in halves, so that each has a boat shape. Make incisions through the aubergine flesh, with a knife, both longitudinal and horizontal, as many as you can, taking care not to pierce the skin. Retention of the skin is very important as the dish would be served in it. Sprinkle salt and little bit of sugar on the aubergines and set it aside.

2.After 30 mins., drain the water off the aubergines, which has come out, and brush them generously with oil. Pre-heat oven for 15 mins. Set them on a lightly oiled baking tray, and grill them at 180 deg C, for about 15mins. Check from time to time, as the time might vary. Brush them with oil again once in between. The aubergines would be soft, a little charred and golden in colour when done. Scoop out the flesh of the aubergines when it has cooled down. Retain the skins as best as you can.

5. Add oil in the pan. Put the aubergine flesh and stir fry for about 5-8mins. Sprinkle some salt to taste. Take it out in bowl and keep it aside.

6.Heat oil in a pan. Add the garlic and the ginger and saute a little. Add the tomatoes, followed by onions, spring onions, capsicum, mashed peas and green chillies. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Continue cooking on a low flame for about 10 mins or until the oil separates out. Add the cottage cheese and cook for a further 5 mins. The cottage cheese should turn a little golden in colour.The filling is done.

7. Now arrange the aubergine skins in a baking tray. Fill them up generously with the filling, and top it with grated cheese.

8. Grill them at 180 deg C for about 5-6 mins, or until the cheese melts and turns slightly golden.

9. Take the tray out, and garnish them with coriander leaves. The dish is now ready to serve.

Steamed chicken momo

About the food:

Momos are a traditional delicacy to the Himalayas of Tibet. They are also very popular in Nepal, Bhutan and N-E parts of India. It is at present growing in popularity in the eastern as well the Western world.

I learnt this recipe from my mom, and she makes delicious momos. Try this out, and I am sure you would love it. You can serve this an evening snack or a starter.

A note: I set up a momo party for my friends, and I had to improvise the recipe and the result was loveable : Paneer momos. As I was not sure the chicken was halal or not, I had to invent something else for a friend of mine. I substituted paneer in the place of chicken, and it was pretty simple! I thank her for triggering the innovation.

Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves 4

ingredients:
400 gm boneless chicken minced
1 medium piece of chicken (with bone or boneless) for the soup (the soup is optional)
5-6 ginger cloves chopped finely
1 bunch of spring onion, chopped finely
1 big onion, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp black pepper seeds
2 cups of white flour
vegetable oil for deep frying
4 tbsp soya sauce
1/4 tbsp ajinamoto
black pepper powder
salt to taste

Method:

1.Put the chicken in a mixing bowl. Add the soya sauce, spring onions, onions, a bit of salt, and black pepper powder and mix well. Set it aside.

2.Heat a pan. Add 1 tbsp of oil. Add 3-4 chopped garlic cloves and fry till they are golden. remove from the flame add this to the chicken mixture. Mix it well, and keep the chicken bowl covered for 30 mins and let it marinate.

3.Put the white flour in a big bowl. Add 2 tbsp of oil, 1/2 cup of hot water (take care, as the amount of water may vary. Put small amount of water first to get the estimate) and a pinch of salt. Mix them well until a soft and homogeneous dough is formed. Keep on kneading with both hands, ( you have to get messy to get a good result!) until the dough is soft. This is a very crucial part for getting perfectly soft momos.

4. Now make the wrappers by making small round balls from the dough and rolling it thin with a rolling pin.Get a cup or a bowl with apprx. 4 inch in diameter, and use it to cut the wrappers.It will give an uniform size to the momos.

5. Take one wrapper in hand, put 1 spoon of the chicken mixture in the middle, and wrap it carefully so that the content does not leak out. Repeat with all the wrappers.

6.Now the Steaming part. You can steam the momos if you have a steamer. If not, find a deep flat cooking pot and a metal perforated tray which would go inside the pot. If you are using a steamer, you have to prepare the soup separately, in a bowl with a lid, or in a pressure cooker, if you have one.

7. The soup (optional)

Put 500ml of water in the pot and bring it to boil. Put in the chicken piece, salt, black pepper powder, 2 chopped garlic cloves, a portion of the chopped spring onions.Cover and simmer for about 20-25 mins. Add 1 tbsp of butter. The soup is ready.If you think you need more quantity of soup, just add boiling water to increase the quantity.

8.If you are using a steamer, brush the rack with oil. Place the momos carefully on it, and at a little apart from each other. The momos will increase in size, so take care they do not stick to each other.Steam the momos for about 15 mins, or until soft and tender.

9.If you are using the pot and tray, you can cook both the soup and momos at the same time. Put all the contents for the soup as in step 7 in the pot, and support the tray on the water on a cup, taking care water does not reach it( you can use room temperature water here for the mixture).
Brush the tray with oil, and follow step 8. Cover the pot with a heavy lid, and you might take a little longer time to cook. Get an idea from the picture here:



7. Your momos are now ready. Serve them with the soup and sweet-chilly sauce.

Fried Chicken momo

About the food:

Momos are a traditional delicacy to the Himalayas of Tibet. They are also very popular in Nepal, Bhutan and N-E parts of India. It is at present growing in popularity in the eastern as well the western world.

I learnt this recipe from my mom, and she makes delicious momos. Try this out, and I am sure you would love it. You can serve this an evening snack or as a starter.

Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves 4

ingredients:
400 gm boneless chicken minced
1 medium piece of chicken (with bone or boneless) for the soup (the soup is optional)
5-6 ginger cloves chopped finely
1 bunch of spring onion, chopped finely
1 big onion, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp black pepper seeds
2 cups of white flour
vegetable oil for deep frying
4 tbsp soya sauce
1/4 tbsp ajinamoto
black pepper powder
salt to taste

Method:

1.Put the chicken in a mixing bowl. Add the soya sauce, spring onions, onions, a bit of salt, and black pepper powder and mix well. Set it aside.

2.Heat a pan. Add 1 tbsp of oil. Add the chopped garlic cloves and fry till they are golden. remove from the flame add this to the chicken mixture. Mix it well, and keep the chicken bowl covered for 30 mins and let it marinate.

3.Put the white flour in a big bowl. Add 2 tbsp of oil, 1/2 cup water (take care, as the amount of water may vary. Put small amount of water first to get the estimate.) and a pinch of salt. Mix them well until a soft and homogeneous dough is formed. Keep on kneading with both hands, ( you have to get messy to get a good result!) until the dough is soft. This is a very crucial part for getting perfectly soft momos.

4. Now make the wrappers by making small round balls from the dough and rolling it thin with a rolling pin.Get a cup or a bowl with apprx. 4 inch in diameter, and use it to cut the wrappers.It will give an uniform size to the momos.

5. Take one wrapper in hand, put 1 spoon of the chicken mixture in the middle, and wrap it carefully so that the content does not leak out. Repeat with all the wrappers.

6.Heat oil in a pan. Deep fry the filled-in wrappers to get fantastic momos.

7. Serve with Sweet and chilly sauce.

Chicken with Worcestershire sauce

About the food:

This dish is a fusion food, and could well be said of Mediterrean origin.

It uses worcestershire sauce, the discovery of which, though controversial, has been credited to England. It was first commercialized in England in 1837. The strong taste of the worcestershire sauce is drawn from a fermented fish sauce called garum, which was a staple of the Greco-Roman cuisine in the the Roman Empire.

At present it's popularity has grown immensely, and it is now used extensively in western, eastern as well as Cantonese cuisines.

I learnt this recipe from a friend of mine, who likes to experiment a lot with foods. This is an extremely easy to cook recipe, and goes very well as a dry snack, specially in a cocktail party.


Ingredients (serves 4)

500 gms skinless & boneless chicken breast
vegetable oil for deep frying
1 big onion, diced
1 tbsp garlic salt/garlic granules
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1 pinch of turmeric powder
1 big bell pepper, diced
1/2 tbsp black pepper seeds
black pepper powder to taste
1/2 cup tomato puree
salt to taste


Method:

1.Cut the chicken in 3 inch by 1 inch stripes. Marinate it with the worcestershire sauce and garlic salt.Cover it and set it aside for an hour.

2.Heat oil in pan. Add the black pepper seeds and let them crackle.Add the onion and bell pepper. Fry for about 5mins. Add the marinated chicken and keep on cooking over a low flame.Add the turmeric powder and season it with salt and black pepper powder.

3.Toss and turn the chicken in the pan, and when they become golden in colour, add the tomato puree. Mix it well and carry on cooking until the oil separates.

4.Serve hot.

Accompaniment: Best as a starter/ Dry snack served with drinks.

Mushroom masala

About the food:

Mushroom is not a very common dish in India and it is not widely available. It is true that many supermarkets and some specialist shops sell them, but the demand is not huge, as it appeals to those with an acquired taste.

It is very strange, but I did not know about mushroom until I passed my primary school. How I came to know, can well be worth mentioning. I went to my uncles' place for the summer vacation, which is a countryside, off from Kolkata. My auntie took me to the woods and began to pluck something which I did not know. That was my first exposure to mushroom. She made a wonderful dish from it, which still I can smell, and my love for mushroom so began. But then I knew, wild mushrooms could be extremely poisonous and fatal, and was horrified to think how plucking them could have gone wrong! I have however, warned my auntie about it, and I am glad to know that now she can buy them in the market.

Hope you like the dish, though it is not typically Indian!



Ingredients (serves 4)

400 gm button mushroom
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tbsp red chilli powder (optional)
1 big onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic paste
2 whole green chilli, split through the centre
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves, chopped for garnishing
1 pinch of turmeric
salt to taste

Method:

1. Thinly slice the mushrooms and wash well. Drain them till dry.If needed, dry them with a kitchen tissue.

2. Heat pan. Pour the oil, and when it smoulders, put the cumin powder,coriander powder and green chillis and saute a little. Add the garlic paste and the tomato puree, continue cooking on low flame for about 2mins.

3. Add the dried mushrooms and mix the ingrediants well. Add salt, red chilli powder and turmeric. Cover the pan and let it cook on low flame for 5mins. uncover, and continue cooking, by tossing and turning until the oil separates out. You might sprinkle a little water, if the gravy becomes very dry.

4. Put the lime juice in the pan, and mix it well.

4. Pour the curry to a serving tray and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

5. Serve hot.

Accompaniment: Best served with basmati rice/ Pulao