Malvani Chicken

Malvani Chicken

Malvani chicken curry is a must try if you are anywhere in Konkan, India. You simply cant miss the authentic specialty of this place. Even a small local eatery generally called as 'Khanawal' in Marathi, will conquer your taste buds easily. 

Malvani Chicken is cooked in the coastal regions of Maharashtra, India. Malvan itself is a name of a village in Konkan from where this recipe originates. Malvani food is generally prepared using coconut and spices and that's the whole beauty of it. Spices make the food hot and flavorful whereas coconut mellows down the spiciness of the curry and brings you a unique flavor. This chicken curry is eaten specially with wade.


Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves: 6

You will need: 

Chicken - 1 kilogram, cut into pieces.
Onion (Thinly sliced)- 2 Big
Onion (Finely chopped)- 2 Big
Tomato (Finely chopped)- 2 Big  
Dry Coconut (Big) - 1/2 (chopped or sliced)   
Ginger Garlic Paste - 4 Tablespoons
Oil - 8 Tablespoons 
Kashmiri Red Chilly Powder - 6 Teaspoons (Kashmiri chilly powder is mild and gives a nice red color to the food.)
Readymade Chicken Masala - 1 Tablespoon
Goda Masala / Kala Masala - 3 Tablespoon
Kaanda Lasun Masala (Onion Garlic Masala) - 2 Tablespoon
Warm Water - 2 to 3 cups
Salt - To taste
Lemon Wedges - As per your liking
Coriander Leaves (chopped) - To garnish

You may also use ready made Malvani masala instead of Goda masala & Kaanda lasun masala. 


Method: 

1. Wash and marinate the chicken with some salt and 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste for at least an hour.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a thick bottomed pan on a medium high flame. Once it is hot, add sliced onions and fry till they turn golden brown. Don't burn the onions or else they will taste bitter. Remove fried onions in a plate and keep it aside. Now fry the chopped coconut the same way you fried the onions in 2 tablespoon oil. Remove from heat once it turns brown. 

Please note: Do not fry onion and coconut together.

3. Once the fried onion and coconut have cooled, grind them together with some water to make paste. Keep the onion coconut paste aside.

4. Heat 4 tablespoons oil in the same pan that you used for frying onion and coconut. Keep it on a medium high flame. Add chopped onion and fry for 2 minutes or till they turn soft pink. Add 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste and fry for another 2 minutes. Add tomato + Salt. Mix and cover the pan with a lid for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn your gas knob to low flame.

5. Lift the lid.The tomatoes would have become pulpy now. Add Kashmiri red chilly powder and  mix. Now add chicken and mix again. Cover the pan for 8 to 10 minutes.

6. Add the onion coconut paste + Goda masala + Kaanda Lasun masala. Mix mix mix. Add warm water and mix again. Cover it again for 2 minutes. 

Tadaaa...your yummy Malvani Chicken is ready! Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and lemon wedges. Serve hot with Wade, Chapati or Plain Paratha. Enjoy the Malvani delicacy right from your kitchen!

Feed me back with your comments and suggestions. Its always good to hear from you. :)

A cute little orange plant in the background gifted by a friend

Paan (Betel Leaf) Ice cream...Khaai ke Paan Banaras Wala...

My love for ice cream is devoted and i am sure that most of us share the same passion. More than just eating ice creams, i love trying out various different 'seasonal' and 'unimaginable' flavours. 'Paan' which is also called 'betel' has been one of such flavours that left me happily astonished. How could somebody come up with such a brilliant flavour! Reminds me of the famous Amitabh Bacchan song from 'Don'..."Khaai ke paan Banaras wala..." 

Paan (Betel Leaf) has been the most popular mouth freshener in India and still continues to be loved by almost all. It is eaten after meals not only as a mouth freshener but also to help in digestion. Many paan innovations have surfaced ever since and Paan Ice cream is a simply amazing! 

Betel Leaves

I have been wanting to try this at home since a long long time. Trust me its really simple to make. Its a quick recipe that takes only 15 minutes to make. So if you are expecting some guests over and want to serve them something innovative yet truly Indian for dessert, Try this at home!!!

Preparation time: 5 minutes 

Cooking time: 10 Minutes 

Serves: 4

You will need:

Betel Leaves / Paan Leaves – 20

Vanilla Icecream – 500 grams

Sugared Rose Petals / Gulkand – 4 to 5 Tablespoons

Fennel Seeds / Luckhnavi Saunf – 2 to 3 Tablespoons (Powder half the amount) 
Luckhnavi saunf is small in size and has awesome aroma.
Menthol – a pinch

Dried Dates / Khareek – 3 to 4 (Soaked overnight and finely chopped)

Desiccated Coconut Powder - 1 Tablespoon
Cardamom Powder - 1/4 Teaspoon
Green Food Colour - 1 drop (Optional)

You can also use the 'readymade paan masala' instead, which has almost all the mentioned ingredients in it.

Method:

     1. Thoroughly wash the leaves and pat dry with paper napkin. Grind 18 leaves with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water to smooth paste. Take a strainer and strain the extract and keep it aside.

       2. Remove the store bought vanilla ice cream in a big bowl. Add Gulkand + Fennel Seeds + Menthol + chopped dates + Desiccated Coconut powder + Cardamom Powder and mix thoroughly.

       3. Chop the remaining 2 betel leaves and add it to the ice cream mixture. Add the betel extract as well. You may want to add the green food colour to enhance the colour of the icecream. Mix mix mix...

     

     4. Pour the mixture in a container and keep it in the freezer till it is done.

5. Scoop it out or dig in...enjoy the way you want! After all ice cream surely turns a person into a kid again!Drooooool...:D

Don't forget to feed me back with your experience, suggestions, tips and comments. Would love to hear from you.:)

Authentic Butter Chicken

My Vegetable Malabar Curry became an instant hit! Thank you all for trusting my recipes. You will not be disappointed with my next food posts as well. :)

Here’s a North Indian dish I grew up eating and I call it my mother’s signature dish - Butter Chicken! 

The aroma of the sweet n tangy and creamy butter chicken used to fill my entire house whenever my mother created magic with her fingers. She did her own modifications to make the butter chicken low in calories and yet yummy! After so many years when I started making this on my own, I made some more modifications to make sure the curry wasn't very heavy to eat and digest. They say, way to a man's heart is through his stomach and its quite true you know. I made this for my man and won his heart. Make this dish for your man and conquer his heart too!

Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting...Butter Chicken!

Preparation time: 15 minutes + 2 hours(marinade) 

Cooking time: 20 Minutes (Curry) + 30 minutes (BBQ)

Serves: 6

You will need:

For Tandoori Chicken Marinade:

Chicken – 1 kilogram

Kashmiri Red Chili Powder – 2 tablespoons

Ginger Garlic Paste – 2 Tablespoons

Set Yogurt – 200 grams

Lemon Juice – 4 Tablespoons

Salt – To taste

For Curry:

*Ripe Tomatoes (medium) – 10(Blend to puree) OR follow the extra step below to achieve that orangy red creamy puree.

Butter – 50 grams + 1 Tablespoon
Cashews - 10

Kashmiri Red Chili Powder – 1 tablespoon

Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 Tablespoon

Cardamom Powder – ¼ Teaspoon

Dairy Whitener/Milk Powder – 8-10 Tablespoons

(Originally cream or cashew nut paste is used which makes the curry very rich. To mellow the richness down, my mother used paste of watermelon seeds.)

Dried Fenugreek leaves/Kasuri Methi – 2 Tablespoons

Honey – 1 Tablespoon

Salt – To taste

Cilantro/Coriander(chopped) – To garnish

Cream - To garnish

Garam Masala/ Chicken Masala (powder) – 1 Tablespoon

OR  Butterchicken Masala of Kitchens of India – 1 Packet

http://www.kitchensofindia.com/US/Products-Main/Curry%20Pastes/Butter%20Chicken%20Curry%20Paste

http://kitchensofindia.com/

Method:

Tandoori Chicken:

     1. Make incision in the chicken and keep it in a big bowl.

       2. Mix yogurt + chili powder+ salt + ginger garlic paste + lemon juice and coat the chicken generously with it. Cover the bowl with a cling foil or a plate and keep it in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

       3. BBQ the chicken from each side till it is done. Keep brushing some leftover marinade or butter over the chicken to keep it moist and juicy. You may also squeeze some lemon juice over it for the extra tangy flavor.

     

     4. Cut the chicken into pieces. (2-3 inches)

If you don’t have a BBQ then simply add 2 tablespoons butter in a big wok or a pan and stir fry the chicken till it is perfectly cooked.

*Tomato Puree:

1. Cut tomatoes into 4 pieces(quarter).
2. Heat a wok/pan and add 1 tablespoon butter + Chopped tomatoes + 10 cashews. Stir and cover it with a lid. Cook till the tomatoes are soft. 
3. Cool the tomatoes cashew mixture and blend it to make a fine puree. You will notice a nice orangy red colour with a creamy texture.

Curry:

    1. Keep a big wok or a pan on medium flame and add butter. Once the butter melts and heats up slightly, add tomato puree + salt and mix. Reduce the flame to low and cover the pan with a lid for 5 minutes or till the butter starts to float over the puree. Butter floating over the puree is a sign that its cooked completely.

2. Change the flame to medium and add red chili powder + ginger garlic paste and stir for 2 minutes. Then add garam or chicken masala. (Please note: If you are using Kitchens of India butter chicken masala or any other brand then first mix it with a small quantity of water to make paste and then add it to the curry.)

3. Mix milk powder with some water to make a thick batter like paste and add it to the curry. Add cardamom powder + dried fenugreek (take some in your palm and rub it to roughly break the leaves before adding it to the pan. By doing this you release more flavor.) Stir for 2 minutes more.

4.  Turn of the burner and pour in some honey if you have not used the ready made wet masala. The ready made wet curry masala has sweetness added already. Wait for the curry to cool down and then use a blender to churn it to make it smooth.

5. Add chicken pieces and mix gently to make sure you don't break the pieces. Garnish the curry with some cream and chopped cilantro/coriander.

Now taste the magic you just created. Brilliant, isn't it? What are you waiting for? Grab some parathas, tandoori roti or jeera rice and dollop some butter chicken in your plate and enjoy it with your loved one. Slurrrp!

Vegetable Malabar Curry

After the success of my previous recipe, ‘Rogan Josh’, here’s a veggie delight for my vegetarian viewers. I just have one word to express my emotion for this fabulous curry, ‘YUMM…’

Vegetable Malabar Curry is a South Indian dish which is a perfect ‘comfort food’ with high nutritious value. Once you taste it, you would just fall in love with it! This Curry is extremely simple to prepare. It tastes superb with Neer Dosa (Indian rice crepe), Paratha (Indian Flat bread) and Rice. 

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves:  4

You will need:

Clarified Butter / Ghee – 2 Tablespoons

Mustard Seeds / Sarso – ¼ Teaspoon

Curry Leaves – 1 sprig

Asafoetida / Hing – ½ Teaspoon

Coconut Oil – 1 Tablespoon

Turmeric  Powder  – ½ Teaspoon

Kashmiri Chili Powder – 1 Tablespoon (Kashmiri chilli powder is mild and gives a nice red color to the food.)

Ginger (Finely Grated) – 1 Tablespoon

Onion (Finely Chopped) – 2 (medium size)

Ripe Tomato (Blend to fine puree) – 2 (medium size)

Carrot (Chopped into small pieces) – ½ Cup

French Beans (Chopped into small pieces) - ½ Cup

Cottage Cheese /Paneer (Small Pieces) – ½ cup (Optional)

Sweet Corn Kernels/pieces - 1 Corn

Coconut milk – 300 ml

Warm Water – 1 cup

Cilantro/Coriander – To garnish

Salt –To taste

Sriram's Malabar Curry Powder - 2 Tablespoons (Its a white colored box. Available in the Indian grocery stores. Here's the link. 
http://www.sriramfoods.com/malabarchicken.html 

Any other brand would also do.If you can't find it, make the spice at home by following the whole spice recipe.')

Whole Spices: (Use this only if you don't find the ready made Malabar Curry Spice)

Cinnamon Stick – 2 inches

Cloves – 2

Black Cardamom(Peeled) – 2

Green Cardamom(Peeled) -1

Grind the whole spices to fine powder

Method:

       1. Heat clarified butter in a pan. Once the butter is hot enough, add mustard seeds + curry leaves + asafoetida and let them splutter for a few seconds. Make sure that you don’t burn it or else it will taste bitter. Add chopped onions + grated ginger and fry till they turn soft pink. Then add pureed tomatoes + salt. Mix properly and cover it with a lid for 10 minutes on a low flame.

       2. Once the mixture starts to leave oil from the side of the pan, add red chilli powder + turmeric powder + Malabar ready made spice OR ground whole spices + vegetables and mix well. Add warm water and cover it with lid for 10 minutes or till the vegetables are cooked completely.

       3. Turn off the heat and add coconut milk + cottage cheese. High temperature curdles the coconut milk. Once you have mixed the milk, turn on the heat on low flame and keep stirring the curry for 2 minutes. Add coconut oil and stir again.

     4.  Garnish it with cilantro/coriander and serve hot with lots of love.

Some stories we definitely would love our children to read or to be read to. 

To know more click the this link: 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/radha-and-krishna/id641664633?ls=1&mt=8

Rogan Josh - A Finger Licking Kashmiri Mutton Curry

I am not a professional chef but I truly believe that anything cooked with LOVE tastes Awesome! If you are passionate about Cooking, Eating and Feeding people with love, you can make the entire world kiss your fingers. :)

The first recipe on my food blog is the famous Kashmiri 'Roganjosh'. I made it on a lazy Sunday and everyone loved it, especially my father in law who happens to be a die hard fan of this delicious mutton curry. 

Its a foolproof recipe. You can't go wrong with it. So many ingredients might make you think twice but be fearless and try out this simple yet tasty recipe with lots of love!

Rogan Josh with Roomali Roti

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 45 mins
Serves: 4

You will need: 

Whole Spices:
Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch
Green Cardamom - 3
Brown Cardamom - 1
Bay leaf - 1
Peppercorns - 1/2 teaspoon


Mutton/Lamb - 500 grams, cut into 2 inches pieces. (You may use chicken as well)
Onion (Thinly sliced) - 4 to 5 medium size  (Optional)
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 Tablespoons
Clarified Butter or Ghee - 4 Tablespoons (You may use vegetable oil)
Asafoetida/Hing - 1 and 1/4 Teaspoons
Curry Leaves - 5 to 6 (optional)
Coriander Powder - 2 Tablespoons
Fennel Powder - 3 Tablespoons (Roasted)
Kashmiri Red Chilly Powder - 2 Tablespoons (Kashmiri chilly powder is mild and gives a nice red color to the food.)
Dried Ginger Powder/Soonth - 1 Teaspoon
Set Yogurt - 1 cup (Beaten to smooth paste)
Warm Water - 2 cups
Tomato(Finely chopped) - 1 small (Optional)
Salt - To taste
Rogan Josh Masala(Ready to use spice) - 1 packet (Optional. You may use this to enhance the flavor even further. I used 'Parampara'.)
Coriander Leaves- To garnish


Method: 

1. Heat clarified butter in a pressure cooker or a thick bottomed pan on a medium high flame. Once it is hot, add 'whole spices' + asafoetida + curry leaves. Fry for 30 seconds. Once the spices start to splutter and smell nice, add sliced onions and fry till they turn light brown in color. Don't burn the onions or else they will taste bitter. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 minutes. 

2. Now add mutton pieces + 1 tablespoon chilly powder + Salt and fry till the meat turns brown(10-15 minutes). Add tomato + fennel powder + dried ginger powder + coriander powder + set yogurt + (rogan josh ready-to-eat masala, if you are using) Add warm water and mix well.

3. Pressure cook it for half an hour on medium flame. If you are using a pan then cover it with a lid and cook for an hour on low flame. When you open the lid, you should see oil floating all over your curry. It means your curry has been cooked properly. Check whether the meat is cooked. If not, then cover the lid again and cook it for some more time.

Pressure Cooker

4. Garnish it with coriander leaves and lots of love!

Rogan Josh tastes best with Roomali Roti, Naan and Jeera Rice.

Do try out this recipe and give me your feedback. It will help me in improvising my recipes and blog. 

Bon Appetit!