Simple Chicken Curry

This recipe gets even simpler if cooked in pressure cooker for 8-10 whistles.
There are many ways to make chicken curry...here's one of them.

4 grated onions
4 tomatoes, pureed
4 tbsp garlic ginger paste
2 dried Kashmiri chilly, split in two
2 bay leaves
salt to taste
4 tsp mix of: turmeric, coriander, garam masala, jeera powder
200 ml water
1 medium sized chicken cut in curry style
2 tbsp cooking oil
Fresh coriander for garnish
Heat oil in a pan or pressure cooker, add the grated onions and saute till red or dark brown.Stir in the ginger garlic paste with chilly. Add chicken pieces with salt, cook stirring occasionally till the water from chicken
dries out. Stir in the tomatoes. cook till the tomato changes to darker colour. Add in the dry spices. stir, add 200 ml water. Cook partially covering the pan on slow fire till the chicken is tender, or in a pressure cooker (8-10 whistles). Garnish with coriander.

Mumbai Mirror article 7/10/10-recipes

For those who couldn't check my link...here are the recipes which I shared:

1.       Anjeer Mithai

100 gm dried figs,

100 gm seedless dates

100 gm chopped mix dry fruits: almonds, cashews, pistachios

50 gm coconut powder

Silver leaves to garnish

Soak the figs and dates for a few hrs in 100 ml water. Bring to boil on low heat. Cool and blend the mix to a thick puree.  In a nonstick pan roast the dried fruits. Mix in the puree and cook on low heat stirring till the mix leaves the pan on the sides. Grease a square dish, line the bottom with coconut powder, add the puree mix and flatten to one level. Garnish with silver leaves. Cool and cut in squares.

2.       Kaju Roll

250 gm cashews

1 ½ cup skim milk

25 gm sugar free

Silver leaves for garnish

Powdered mix dry fruit with raisins for filling (optional)

Blend the cashews and milk in a mixer to a fine paste. Cook the mix in a non-stick pan. Continue stirring on medium heat till the mix leaves the sides of the pan. Add the sugar-free and mix till dissolved. Remove from pan into a butter paper sheet. Just before the dough cools, roll with a greased rolling pin to a ¼ cm thickness, 4” in width rectangular shape. Spread the filling in the rolled cashew mix.  Gently roll the mix into the butter paper to a cylinder shape. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour. Remove from butter paper and cut into pieces and garnish with silver paper.

3.       Beetroot halva

2 tsp sunflower oil

2-3 cardamoms, crushed

1 kg, grated beetroot

600 ml skim milk

30 gm sugar free

50 gm skim milk paneer

Silver leaves & 4 slivered almonds for garnish

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and sauté the beetroot with the cardamoms. Add the milk; keep stirring on low flame till the milk condenses to a thick consistency.  Add the mashed paneer, stir for 2-3 minutes. Add in the sugar free, stir and remove from heat. Transfer into a glass bowl and garnish with almonds and silver leaves.

4.       Mix dry fruit Halva

3 tbsp quick cooking oats

1 cup chopped mix dry fruits

50gm gelatin

30 gm sugar free

600 ml water

10 ml almond essence

Soak the gelatin in 100 ml water. Roast the oats and dry fruit in a heavy bottom pan, add the water and bring to boil. Stir in the gelatin, simmer and cook further for 3-4 minutes stirring consistently.

Add in the almond essence and sugar free. Remove from heat and pour on a greased tray.  Refrigerate till set. Cut in cubes and serve. 

5.       Raisin & Date on  ginger toast

For the toast:

125 gms whole wheat flour

20 gm sugar free

2  ½ gm baking soda

5 gm cinnamon powder

30 gm grated ginger

60 gm light butter

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 egg white

Sift all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the ginger and cinnamon, knead with the butter. Add the egg and oil. Let it stand of 10 minutes. Roll into a sheet and cut triangles. Blind bake for 30 minutes in 160 degrees. Cool and keep aside.

For the topping:

50 gm seeded dates

50 gm chopped raisins

50 gm chopped dried apricots

50 gm chopped walnuts

50 ml dark rum

Soak the dried fruits in the dark rum and refrigerate overnight. Spread on top of ginger toast and warm in over for 2 minutes before serving.

Mumbai Mirror article 7/10/10

Spinach Recipes

Palak Paneer

2 tbsp oil

1 onion, chopped

2 Tomatoes, puréed

1tbsp garlic, ginger, chilly paste

1 bundle spinach

200 gm paneer, cubed

2 bay leaves

Salt to taste

½ tsp each of- turmeric, coriander, red chilly powder

Wash the spinach, drain. In a pressure cooker cook the spinach with a teaspoon of salt to 3 whistles. Do not add water. Cool, blend and keep aside.  Heat oil in a pan, add the bay leaves followed by ginger garlic chilly paste. Sauté for a min and add the onions. Cook till light brown. Add the tomato puree and cook on low flame, stirring occasionally till the tomato gets darker in colour. Add all the dry spices, stir for a minute. Add in the spinach. Continue stirring till the spinach is cooked and blended well with the tomato. Add the paneer cubes, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for3-4 minutes. Palak paneer ready.

·         You can make a variation in the above recipe by replacing the paneer with par boiled mix vegetable, sautéed mushrooms or golden corn.

Spinach and corn pasta

Use the same recipe above with the following changes as the pasta sauce:

·         Remove the bay leaves,  ginger and chilly paste. Use just the garlic

·         Replace the dry spices with mixed herbs and paprika

·         Replace the paneer with corn kernels

·         Add 2 tbsp grated cheese before adding the corn

Will be following up with some more oriental spinach recipes.