Chicken Liver with Squash

This is a family recipe invented accidentally. Chicken Liver curry or 'mete chorchori' is hubby's favorite. Once while cooking this, by mistake I have added some cubed squash instead of potato cubes to the pan and voila,, a new dish is born. Those cubed squash was meant for some other purpose though, but, since then we buy squash just to add the the liver curry only.

Ingredients

• Chicken Liver - 500 gms, cut into pieces
• Squash - 3, cubed
• Onion - 3, chopped
• Ginger Paste - 1 tbsp
• Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
• Green chilli Paste - 2 tsp
• Bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, clove
• Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Salt, turmeric, sugar - as per taste
• Coriander leaves for garnishing

Heat oil in a pan, then add Bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, clove and let it splutter.

Now add the chopped onions and fry till golden brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and green chilli paste and mix well.

Fry well till the raw smell is gone.

Add the chicken liver with squash cubes. In half cup of water, add turmeric powder, kashmiri chilli powder, salt, sugar and add the masala water to the pan. Mix well.

Cook covered till the liver and vegetables are cooked.

When everything is cooked, increase the temparature so that the remaining water dries up. Adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle some garam masala powder and keep covered for 10 minutes. Serve with Paratha.

Madhu Parko - Honey Yogurt

Time to have some sweet dish. This super yummy, fuss free dessert is so easy and quick to make, you can serve it in every party and get huge applause from family and friends. The name 'Madhu Parko' has a little bit of background. When we do a puja at home, once the puja is over, the priest makes a concoction of curd, sandesh, honey, sugar and ghee or clarified butter and give it to the fasting devotees to break their fast. This delicious concoction is known as 'Madhu Parko'. When I was arranging the ingredients of this dessert, I realised that they form the basis of that 'Madhu Parko' and hence the name.

Ingredients

• Sweet Curd / yogurt- 400 gms
• Khoya Kheer - 150 gms
• Home made chhana - made from 1 litre milk
• Honey - 1 tbsp
• Cashew nut, Kishmish - 2 tbsp

Blend all the ingredients except dry fruits in a blender till smooth.

In a microwave safe bowl, pour the mixture. Sprinkle half of the dry fruits. Microwave for 3 minutes over high heat.

Let it cool. Then refrigerate for 2 hours. When serving, scoop onto the serving bowl. Sprinkle some more dry fruits and serve chilled.

Fried Chicken Ball

Though the chicken balls got flattened a bit while frying, but they tastes too good. Serve it as a snack with your choice of sauce and a simple and basic salad.

Ingredients

• Chicken Keema / mince - 250 gms
• Potato - 4, boiled
• Onion - 2, chopped
• Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Ginger Paste - 1 tbsp
• Bread crumb - to bind
• Egg - 1
• Coriander leaves - a bunch, chopped
• Salt, Green chilli - as per taste

Pressure cook the keema / minced meat with half of the chopped onion and salt with very little water.

Cool the meat. Now blend the boiled potato, boiled keema / mince, rest of the onion paste, ginger garlic paste, chopped green chilli in a blender till they make a dough. If it is too sticky, add some bread crumb and mix well.

Keep refrigerated for atleast 30 minutes. Take out, mix one egg and finely chopped coriander leaves to the mixture, make small balls and deep fry.

The mixture should be completely dry otherwise it will be flattened as happened in my case. Serve immediately with some hot sauce and salad of your choice.

Corn Keema Lajawab

We had some friends coming over, so while deciding the menu I have given our regular mutton curry a miss and bought some mutton keema / minced mutton. Now when it comes to the keema recipes, keema matar or minced meat cooked with green peas is the obvious choice. Here again, to give it a twist, I have used sweet corn and the dish was marvelous. 

Ingredients

• Mutton Keema / Mince - 500 gms
• Potato -, 2, boiled
• Sweet Corn - 1 cup
• Onion - 3, chopped
• Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
• Ginger Paste - 2 tbsp
• Green Chilli Paste - 2 tsp
• Kashmiri chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Curd - 2 tbsp, whisked
• Whole cumin - 1 tsp
• Cumin and Coriander powder - 1 tsp each
• Salt, Turmeric
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

Pressure cook the minced mutton with 1 tbsp ginger paste, 1 tsp garlic paste and salt with very little water.

Roughly mash and keep aside.

Add oil in a pan and when it is hot, add whole cumin. Let it splutter.

Next add chopped onion and fry them a little with a pinch of salt and sugar till golden brown. Next add the remaining ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste and fry well.

 Mix all the powdered masalas, ( cumin, coriander, kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric and salt ) in 1/2 cup of water. It is better, if you soak the powdered masalas beforehand. Add this masala water to the fried onion mix.

When masalas are fried and oil comes out, add the beaten curd and mix well again. Let the oil float.

Add the boiled mince to the masala and mix well. Add any remaining liquid also. Let it boil for some time.

When keema is almost cooked, add the boiled potato cubes.

Add the sweet corn also and mix well.

Soak 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder and 1 tsp garam masala powder in 2 tbsp of water. Add this water to the pan and incorporate well. Boil over very low heat till oil comes out. 

Remove from heat and serve with Roti / Indian flat bread!!

Zero Oil Tengri kabab

No introduction is required when we, Indians, speak about Tandoori Chicken or Tandoori Chicken drumstick or Tengri Kabab. Marinate it, brush with oil  generously and then grill, thats it and a delicious juicy tasty Chicken Kabab is ready. But, I have tried a oil-less version of the same, where after marination ( of course marinade was oil less), whole stuff is baked first, and then for the last 10 minutes, I have broiled them to get that lovely red tinge. There is no compromise on taste, and from your heart, you know that you are feeding your family something healthy.

Ingredients

• Chicken Drumstick - 10
• Hung Curd - 1 Cup
• Ginger Paste - 1 heaped tbsp
• Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
• Green chilli paste - 1 tsp
• Tandoori Masala - 2 tbsp
• Vinegar - 2 tbsp
• Salt

Marinate the drumsticks with vinegar and salt overnight. Mix together the curd, ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste and tandoori masala.

Marinate the chicken drumsticks with this masala mix again for 2-3 hours. Preheat the oven to 200 degree C. In a non stick baking dish, place the drum sticks so that they form a single layer.

Bake for 20 minutes. Turn once in between. After that, put the oven in broil mode and broil it for 10 minutes. Turn and give it a final broil for 5 minutes. 

Not a single drop of oil is used and you get super soft, juicy Tandoori Drumsticks. Enjoy with some fresh salad.

Katla Makkhanwala - Buttery Fish

You need some really fresh, big fatty fish to get the real flavor of this dish. Ask your fish monger to cut the belly portion a bit thick. Make sure, it didnot get bitter.  It tastes best when cooked completely in butter. I could not dare that and fried the fish in a mixture of butter and white oil.

Ingredients

• Katla Fish Pieces - 6-8
• Onion Paste - 1/2 cup
• Ginger Paste - 1 tbsp
• Curd - 2 tbsp
• Green chilli paste - 1 tsp
• Kashmiri Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Grated Cheese - 2 tbsp
• Butter, White oil
• Salt, Turmeric
• Sugar - a pinch

You need really fresh 'Machh er Peti' for this. Mine one is from a 5.5 kg Katla fish. 
Smear salt and turmeric onto the fish and keep aside for 15 minutes. Add white oil and a tbsp of butter in a frying pan and fry the fish carefully till golden brown.
Add one more tbsp of butter on the same pan. Then add the onion paste and fry one low heat for 2 minutes.

Add green chilli paste and ginger paste with a pinch of salt and mix well with the onion paste. fry for 30 seconds.

Mix the red chilli paste, turmeric and salt with a pinch of sugar in 1/2 cup of water and add the masala water to the pan. Mix well. Let it  boil till oil separates out. Add the curd too.

Now add the fried fishes carefully and cover the fish with the masala mix. Sprinkle a little water if necessary. This is a dry preparation, so adjust the amount of water. Check the seasoning too.

Cover and cook over low heat till the fishes are cooked and gravy thickens. Add grated cheese and cover with a heavy lid. The cheese will melt soon.

Serve as a side dish.