Mixed Vegetables Fritters (Pakoras)

Nothing can be more blissful on a rainy day than to be curled up in your bed, reading a book while sipping a steaming hot cup of tea and a crunchy snack to munch on.

Ideally a bowl of peanuts or chips would suffice for me but today I decided to be a bit naughty!!

Normally I resist anything deep fried but today all my resolutions went out of the window and I decided to make mixed vegetable fritters/pakoras to have with my tea. I know even if I breathe air, it all goes and settles down on my hips but what the hell, once in a while it is okay to throw caution to the winds, put down your guard and indulge in the things you enjoy!! 

These pakoras are an all time favorite snack in India - extremely simple to make and truly delicious.They are also popularly known as bhajiyas. There are endless variations of making these pakoras. This recipe calls for potatoes, onions and spinach but you can also make them with eggplant slices, cauliflower florets or jalapenos. My favorite is green chillies stuffed with potatoes - really makes the smoke come out of your ears but oh!! it is so worth it.

You can easily find the chick pea flour, also called 'besan' or 'gram flour' in any Indian or South Asian grocery store.  .

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 cup potato, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 1 cup packed spinach, roughly chopped into small pieces
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped 
• 1 cup chickpea flour/ besan
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• water as required to make a slightly thick batter (i used about about 1/4 cup)
• oil for frying

Heat oil in a medium sized saucepan till hot. (You can also insert a deep fry thermometer till it reads 300.

In a bowl combine chickpea flour, cumin seeds, salt and 1/4 cup water and stir for 3-4 minutes till you form a smooth batter.

Stir in the potatoes, onions and spinach leaves.

Working in small batches, drop about 2 tsp- size amount mixture into the hot oil, turning as needed until golden and crisp, about 5-6 minutes.

Repeat this process till all the batter is used up.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pakoras to paper towels to drain.

Serve hot with tomato sauce or coriander chutney and don't forget your cup of tea!! 

Tandoori Chicken in the Philips Airfryer

'Tandoori Chicken' - the very name of the dish starts making my mouth water. A huge favorite of everyone in our family, this is one dish all of us insanely miss since we have shifted to the U.S. Back home in India, our staple weekend dinner used to be Tandoori Chicken and Butter Naan from the popular Chawla Chicken in sector 23, Gurgaon, packed and parceled sizzling hot right to our doorstep, an easy convenient option. Chawla chicken has numerous branches all over the city and the reason for ts popularity is that his chicken has always being upto the mark- juicy, perfectly marinated with just the right hit of spices for you to enjoy the dish.

For those of you not familiar with the dish 'Tandoori Chicken' is a popular dish in India which gets its name from the clay ovens 'Tandoor' that they are cooked in. The chicken is marinated in yogurt and India spices for a couple of hours so that the meat soaks in all the flavors. Infact it is quite a visual delight to see the Tandoori chicken being prepared in the tandoor. The meat is threaded on long skewers and then put inside the hot tandoor, which has a high temperature of 800-900F to grill. The high temperatures help to char the meat and give it an amazing flavor and tantalizing your tastebuds with wonderful aromas if you are standing near it watching the chicken being cooked.

A few days back my daughter announced that she had a strong craving for having Tandoori Chicken and if I could try making it at home. I have recently acquired a Philips Airfryer (Avance XL) (I will be sharing more about it in another post soon) and found it to be perfect when it comes to grilling meat.  I love the way it can fry, steam, grill, bake with just a drop of oil. It actually works. I have tried everything in it from french fries to spring rolls to pies,  chicken nuggets, cakes, fish, chicken.... every time with perfect results. The possibilities are limitless but I especially love that every time I grill chicken it is really juicy and moist with all the flavors intact. That is why it is my favorite toy in the kitchen right now and my go-to appliance for most of my everyday cooking.

For all those interested you can also check out my recipes for healthy Gujiyas, Papaya and jaggery cake and Spring Rolls that I have tried out earlier in the Philips Airfryer. After arriving here in U.S I was on the lookout for an XL version as back in India only the Viva Model is available. This has a much bigger capacity of 1.2 kg  and is perfect for our family of 4. If you too are conscious about your and your loved ones health do consider this as an healthy option. Any questions you have about the airfryer, I would be quite happy to answer to the best of my knowledge and experience as a satisfied customer.

This recipe is quite easy and almost as close to the restaurant styled Tandoori Chicken. Do try it and let me know what you thought of it. 

Bon Appetit!!

For the marinade

1 cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon all spice

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp chilli powder

2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoon salt

6 chicken legs (you can use any pieces of your choice- drumsticks,boneless, breast halves, leg quarters etc)

1 tablespoon oil for basting

Raw onion rings for garnish

1 lemon, cut into slices for garnish

Chaat masala - for sprinkling on top

Method

In a mixing bowl, stir together the yogurt and lemon juice. Add in all the spices, minced garlic and whisk until you have a thick marinade. 

Take the chicken pieces and make a few horizontal cuts on them.

Put in the pieces of chicken in the marinade. Mix till thoroughly coated.

Cover and refrigerate for 6-12 hours or preferably overnight. If making for dinner, usually marinate the chicken the day before for the flavors to really seep in well.
Turn once or twice in the refrigerator.

When you are ready to cook, take the chicken out of the refrigerator.

Preheat the Philips Airfryer to 360F/180 C.

After you hear the ding on your airfryer, which tells you that it is preheated and ready to cook in, arrange the chicken pieces in the basket and cook for 8 minutes.

After 8 minutes pull out the basket, baste the chicken with a little oil and turn it over

Cook for another 8 minutes.

Amp up the temperature to 390F/ 200C and cook for another 4 minutes.
The chicken should look slightly charred. The best way to know when a chicken is done is when you poke it with a skewer you see the juices running clear. Another way is to insert the chicken with a meat thermometer in the thickest portion between the leg aand thigh and the thermometer should read 165F.

Don't worry if you don't have an airfryer alternately you can bake the chicken in a preheated oven at 425 for 30 minutes. Then turn the chicken over, brush it with some oil and cook it for another 15-20 minutes till the juices run clear.

Remove the chicken pieces onto a plate and sprinkle some chaat masala on top, serve it hot garnished with the onion rings and a few squeezes of lemon juice.

Quick and Easy Kadhai Chanas

Weekend has started and most of us are looking forward to unwinding, relax undisturbed, put up our feet and do absolutely nothing if it was in your hands. And of course, I am absolutely sure that spending long hours in the kitchen is absolutely not in your list of agendas. 

So, here is something special for you - a quick fix recipe for Kadhai chanas that is absolutely going to sweep you off your feet. It is so easy you won't believe it  - no grinding, no frying or standing for long and sweating over bhunoing the masala. You can literally throw in everything together and the chickpeas and spices just blend together beautifully in a blink of an eye. And the best part is that they taste so good. 

Conscious of calories, I usually serve the chanas with kulchas  but once in a while I like to indulge the kids (and myself too!!) and serve them with hot, crispy fluffy bhaturas.

Are you salivating already? Go ahead and try it out yourself to see how easy it is. You will surely be thanking me later.

                     
Ingredients

1 cups  chickpeas, soaked overnight

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 tsp Amchur (dried mango powder)
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp cumin (jeera) powder
2 tsp powdered cloves
2 tsp Coriander powder
2 tsp powdered cinnamon

2 green cardamoms

4-5 black peppercorns

1/2 tsp anardana(roasted pomegranate seeds) powder

salt to taste

2 green chilli, sliced

3 tbsp ghee (optional)

2 tbsp ginger juliennes

1/4 tsp garam masala

1 tsp lemon juice

salt to taste 

To Garnish:

1 finely chopped onion

juice of 1 lemon
2 potatoes - cubed and fried

Method

Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of water. Wash the chickpeas in fresh water and discard the liquid. Pressure cook the chickpeas in 3 cups of water till soft and plump. Transfer the chickpeas to a heavy bottom pan.
Add in the chopped onions, tomatoes, green chilli and all the dry spices.

Allow it to simmer on low heat for 20-25 minutes till all the liquid is evaporated and the spices blend in and coat the chickpeas thoroughly.

Add in the ghee, fried potatoes and garam masala. Adding the ghee is optional. If you are conscious about your calories it can be avoided totally. 
Cook for another 5 minutes.

Stir well and switch off the gas.

Garnish with finely chopped coriander and cut onions.

Serve the Pindi chana with Kulchas or if you are in an indulgent mood with piping hot, crispy bhaturas. A glass of buttermilk and cut onions sprinkled with chaat masala and lemon wedges will complete your Punjabi experience.

Your weekend brunch ready at the snap of your fingers!!

Maacher Jhol - Bengali Mustard Fish Curry

I just love fish curry and rice!! 

In fact, its smells and flavors stirs beautiful childhood memories of dad preparing this sumptuous dish for us. 

Those were special times indeed, when usually on a Sunday, dad would take over the kitchen, don an apron (which was an absolute must) and get about his task with us three kids hanging excitedly in the kitchen around him, watching him and feeling very important if a task was assigned to us. He would himself go to the market to pick up the fish (mom being a pure vegetarian preferred to stay away) and then cleaned it, fried it in mustard oil before adding it into a mind-blowingly delicious gravy. The taste and flavors are till date, deeply etched in my mind and I feel that no other fish curry I have tasted so far, has been able to hold a candle to my dad's delicious preparation.

Maybe one of these days, I will ask him to recreate the same magic for us (I am sure his grandchildren will enjoy that and would love to be his aides, irrespective of the fact whether he would actually want them to be around). 

Alas!! I somehow did not end up inheriting this great skill from him. Try as I might, I am totally hopeless when it comes to selecting and cooking fresh fish. I always get knotted up when it comes to picking up fish and forget all the tips that have been sounded to me over the years, by friends and family, about  picking a fish with shining eyes and pink skin, so in the end, its safely the frozen variety for me. Also, another thing that deters me from cooking fresh fish is the smell. Phew!! My entire kitchen (including me) smells fishy for the next couple of days, not to mention the innumerable complaints about the smell from my hubby and son who are not big fans of eating fish. 

A few disastrous experiments had me wisely employing a Bengali lady, Pooja, who now satisfies my craving by cooking a good, mean fish curry. Her fish curry is quite different from my dad's recipe but is delicious in its own way. It has a zesty flavor of ground mustard paste as well as the spicy kick of the hot green chilies which will immediately make you fall in love with it. 

 It's a really easy recipe with just a handful of ingredients. To make it more simple I have posted step-by-step pictures for you to follow. 
This recipe is dedicated to my dear dad for always bringing a smile to my face. 
Thanks  Pooja for sharing this wonderful recipe. I hope all you fish lovers enjoy this dish as much as I do!!

Ingredients

500 gms white fish fillets

1 tbsp chilli powder

4 tbsp yellow mustard seeds(soaked in water for an hour)

4 tsp khus khus seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 green chillies, split in the middle

1 cup tomato puree

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

4 tbsp Mustard oil 

Method

Wash the fish fillets thoroughly and pat each piece dry with a kitchen towel.

Sprinkle the fish with turmeric powder and salt and mix well to ensure that each piece is coated well.

Keep aside for half an hour.

Heat the mustard oil in a pan till it reaches smoking point. Fry the fish lightly till it is golden brown on both the sides.

Grind the soaked mustard seeds and poppy seeds to a smooth and creamy paste.

Heat oil in a wide skillet. Add the methi seeds, green chilies and the red chilli powder to the oil.

Next add in the pureed tomatoes and saute for a couple of minutes  till the oil starts to seperate.

Add in the mustard seeds paste to the tomato puree and mix in well. Leave to simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Add about 1  cup of water, bring to a boil and put to simmer. Drop in the fish pieces and simmer for a few more minutes till the gravy thickens. 

Serve with freshly prepared plain rice.

Pooja and Kavita - my invaluable helps

Easy Mughlai Chicken

Just finished making Mughlai Chicken for dinner today. This is an extremely easy no-nonsense recipe which can be prepared in a jiffy and tastes great too. Unlike the traditional way of cooking Mughlai chicken, this recipe does not require cashew paste or cream and is perfect for a regular day-to-day meal. But if making for a special occasion, go ahead and indulge. Add some cream and cashew paste to the gravy to make it creamier and richer.

 Within no time you will have your guests licking their fingers and asking for the recipe.

Ingredients
1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 onions, finely sliced
1 cup yogurt
2 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
1 small green chilly
4 cloves
4 green cardamoms
50 gms butter
4 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
salt to taste
Method

Heat the oil in a pan. 

Fry the onions for 4-5 minutes till lightly browned. Keep aside to cool.

Now grind the onions finely along with the yogurt, garlic, ginger, green chilly, cloves and cardamom.

In another pan heat the butter and fry the chicken pieces till nicely browned on all sides.

Pour in the blended onion paste, and add the red chilly powder. Cover and cook the chicken on low heat until it begins to change color and leave oil from the sides.

If the gravy has thickened, add 1 cup hot water and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with garam masala.

Serve hot with roti or parantha.

Paneer Tikka

A traditional vegetarian delight, this dish is the most popular appetizer when ordering snacks in any restaurant. Now you can achieve the same standards as that of a restaurant quality dish when entertaining friends and family at home. This simple and  really easy to make paneer tikka has a lovely smoky flavor from being grilled on a gas stove. I absolutely loved them. 
You can also use them as a filling in wraps to make a delicious healthy one dish meal or just serve it as a starter in your parties and watch  how your guests rave over them.


Ingredients
250 gms Paneer (cottage cheese) cut into squares
1 onion
1 Capsicum

To Marinade:
1/2 cup Curd  (plain yogurt)
2 tsp fresh cream
1 tsp Garlic paste
1 tsp cumin (jeera) powder
2 tsp Chaat Masala
Salt to taste
1 tsp Kasturi Methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
1 tbsp Mustard oil
A pinch of yellow color or turmeric powder


Method
Cut the paneer into long 1/2" thick cubes.

Cube the onion and capsicum in equal sizes.

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade and keep aside.

Add the paneer pieces to the marinade and mix well.

Refrigerate for 3 hours.

Add the left marinate to the vegetables.

Arrange the paneer, onion and capsicum alternately on a skewer.
Grill it on the gas burner till well cooked on all sides.
Alternately, you can also grill them in a hot oven for  15 -20 minutes.
Sprinkle chat masala and lemon juice.
Serve hot!!

Chicken tikka

I have kind of diverted  from the main  theme of my blog and have decided to take a break from baking for some time and include some of mine all - time favorite Indian dishes as I feel they too deserve a place of mention in the blog. 

Here is the recipe for Chicken Tikka, which is extremely popular not only in my house but has also managed to carve a niche for itself all over the world. According to Wikipedia "A survey in the United Kingdom claimed that it is that country's most popular restaurant dish. One in seven curries sold in the UK is Chicken Tikka Masala. The cross-cultural popularity of the dish in the UK led former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook to proclaim it as "a true British national dish". Wow !! That's something. isn't it ?"

Here too in Delhi, even in the smallest of market, there is bound to be a small stall in the corner  somewhere serving tikkas and rotis, which incidentally, would have the most number of people crowded around it devouring the finger-licking, mouth-watering tandoori delight.

Traditionally grilled over red hot coals in a tandoor, I thought of trying to grill them over my  gas burner  and surprisingly it  turned out just great. It also became quite a family event, as you can see from the pics below, as everyone wanted to try their hands out at grilling the tikkas.
Be sure to marinate the chicken pieces  for atleast  5-6 hours (overnight would be best) for the flavours to get inside the chicken. Sprinkle with chaat masala and Serve hot with onion rings and a coriander chutney.


Ingredients
1 cup yogurt
1/2 kg boneless chicken cut into 2" chunks
1 tsp kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
1 tsp vinegar
1 tbsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp orange food coloring
3 tbsp mustard oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 large onions cut into very thin rings
1 tbsp chaat masala 
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste
4 skewers
Method
In a large bowl, combine  all the marinade ingredients - yogurt, lemon juice, garlic paste, vinegar, kasoori methi, red chilli powder, cumin, mustard oil, orange food color and the salt. 
Stir in chicken, cover, refrigerate overnight. 
Skewer the chicken pieces on thick skewers, not too tightly or they will not cook well on all sides.
While grilling turn the chicken every 2 minutes to grill all sides evenly till the chicken is browned on all sides and tender.
To barbecue, either a wood or a charcoal fire will do. Turn the chicken often so that it doesn't burn.
Remove the tikkas and put on a plate.
Put the onions in a seperate bowl and squeeze lime juice over them. Sprinkle with chaat masala.
Garnish the chicken tikkas with these onion rings.
Serve with a coriander chutney.

The marinated chicken

Threading the skewers.

Ready to roll !!

Kanika trying her hand at grilling.

Vedant  removing the Tikkas.

   

Paneer Butter Masala

Here is a recipe of Paneer Butter Masala that is simple, quick and absolutely delicious! Given to me by a friend, I always depend on it it when I have unexpected guests or when I just feel like whipping up a quick treat for dinner. If you prefer a healthier version of this recipe, cut back on the butter and instead use half oil and half butter. Also, use yogurt instead of the cream. I really love the aroma and taste of this delicious curry. Try it out and enjoy this restaurant quality dish in the comforts of your home.

Ingredients

500 gms paneer

3 tbsp butter

2 medium onions chopped
ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
2 green chiilies
2 green cardamom
 6 -7 tomatoes chopped
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp kasuri methi
2 tsp honey
1/2 cup cream or 1/2 cup yogurt
1 capsicum cut into cubes
1/4 tsp garam masala
salt to taste

Method
Melt the butter in a pan.
Add the cardamom,green chillies and onions.
Saute for 2-3 minutes till the onions are translucent.
Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 2-3 minutes.
Next add the chopped tomatoes and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
Take off heat and cool.
Once it is cool, grind to a fine paste and return the paste to the pan.
Add the red chilli powder, honey, tomato sauce, garam masala, kasuri methi and salt.
Stir and let it simmer for some time till the oil gets separated.
Add the paneer cubes and simmer for about 5 minutes more. 
Whip the yogurt and add to the gravy. (You can substitute the yogurt with heavy cream for a richer flavor) and cook on medium heat till you get the desired consistency. (If adding cream, then there is no need to cook any further.)
Saute the capsicums separately and add to the above.
Remove from fire.
Garnish with cream and serve hot with rotis, naan or steamed rice.