Singaporean Chilli Crab

Chili Crab is the national dish of Singapore. Crabs are stir-fried in a semi-thick, sweet and savoury tomato, garlic and chilli based sauce and the result is yummy.

Ingredients

• 2 Crabs - 750 gms                                     
• Fresh garlic, minced -  2 tablespoons
• Fresh ginger, minced -1 tablespoon
• Tomato Ketchup - 5 tbsp
• Soya Sauce - 2 tbsp
• Sweet Chilli Sauce - 1 tbsp
• 1 Dry Red Chilli - minced
• Vinegar - 1 tbsp
• Egg - 1
• Spring Onion - 1 bunch
• Salt As required

Sprinkle salt and turmeric powder (optional) on the cleaned crab pieces and rub well. Marinate for 10 minutes.

In a very large pot of boiling water, parboil the crab for 3 minutes. Crabs will turn red. Strain and reserve the liquid.

Now in a large heated Kadai, add oil and swirl to coat the sides. Add the garlic, ginger, and dry chili, and stir fry for 1 minute.

Add the crab, half of spring onions and stir fry an additional 2 minutes. Now add all the sauces and vinegar, after reducing the heat to low.

Pour the reserved liquid and mix well. Cover and simmer, stirring once or twice, till the crab is cooked (6-7 minutes).

Bit the egg with a pinch of salt.

Check the gravy. If it is too watery, you may have to add one tsp corn flour mixed in cold water. Stir in the egg drop by drop in the kadai and cook until it begins to set (1 minute). Adjust the seasoning.

Arrange the crab on a large platter. Pour the sauce all over the crab and garnish with the green onion.

Serve right away with plain rice.

Chicken Kofta Curry

The koftas (meatballs) in this dish can be made with mutton also. It makes a great meal when served with vegetable polao and salad.

Ingredients

• Chicken Keema - 250 gms     
• Onion - 3 - chopped finely
• Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
• Ginger Paste - 2 tsp
• Whole Small Onions - 2-3(Optional)
• Fresh Red Chilli - 2
• Kasmiri Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp
• Curd - 1 tbsp
• Egg - 1
• Besan - 1 tbsp
• Whole Garam Masala & Bay Leaves
• Salt and Turmeric - As per Taste
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Mustard Oil - 2 tbsp + for frying

To make Chicken Kofta, take the chicken keema in a soup strainer, wash and remove excess water. Add half of chopped onions, ginger garlic paste, chopped red chilli, besan, 1 tbsp mustard oil, salt and turmeric. Add the egg into this mixture and mix well. Keep covered for 15 minutes.

 Take some water in a small bowl. Wet your hand and make small round balls of keema mixture and fry in hot oil till golden brown.

To make the gravy, heat mustard oil in a clean pan. You can add a tsp of ghee as well to get nice aroma. Now add Bayleaf, red chilli, clove, chinnamon and cardamom.

Add remaining chopped onion and garlic paste and fry well.

Mix turmeric powder, salt, sugar, kasmiri chilli powder, whipped curd and ginger paste in a bowl with 2 tbsp water, add this to the kadai. Fry till oil comes out of the masalas. You may need to sprinkle some water to avoid masalas from burning.
Add 2 cups of water and when it starts boiling, add the fried koftas carefully. You may add the whole onions at this stage.
stir gently so as not to break the meatballs.

Boil over high heat till the gravy thickens and koftas become soft. Adjust the seasoning. Serve with pulao or roti.

Ilish maacher begun jhol(Hilsa with Brinjal)

Ilish maach is one of the biggest weakness of most of the bengalis. Here is a very typical bengali recipe... simple..easy...quick and delicious.....

Ingredients

• Hilsa fishes - 4 pcs
• Brinjal 1 - Cut into slices
• Green Chilli - 1
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - As per taste
• Mustard Oil - 3 tbsp
• Kalonji seeds - a pinch

Marinate the fish pieces with salt and turmeric and keep aside for 15 minutes

Heat mustard oil in a kadai and add kalonji seeds and green chilli. When it splutters, add the brinjal and fry for 2-3 minutes over high heat.

Mix Salt, Turmeric and Chilli powder in a cup of water and pour over the brinjals.

When it starts boiling, add the marinated fish pieces into the gravy and boil for 10 minutes over low heat with the lid on.

Check the seasoning. Your 'ilish machher jhol' is ready to be served.

Bell Pepper Boat

This Tri-Color Bell Pepper boat is a colorful and healthy way to enjoy your vegetables.

Ingredients

• Red, Green and Yellow bell pepper  
• Boiled potato - 2
• Boiled corn - 1 cup
• Onion - 1, sliced finely
• Green Chilli - 1, chopped finely
• Spring Onion - 1 bunch
• Oregano - A pinch
• Salt and sugar - to taste
• Butter - 1 cube

Cut the bell peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds. Sprinkle little salt over it.

Add butter in a frying pan, When it bubbles, add sliced onion and fry lightly. Add chopped spring onions and mix well. Mash the potatoes well and add it the onion mixture. Next add the boiled corn and fry for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle some oregano when almost done.

Remove from heat and let it cool.

Fill all the bell pepper boats with corn- potato stuffings.

Brush oil to a grill pan and heat it on high.

Arranged the bell peppers on the grill pan in a single layer. Grill for 10 minutes till the bell peppers become soft.

Garnish and serve hot.

Aloo fulcopy chorchori ( potato Cauliflower Curry)

This chorchori is a perfect accompaniment to Luchi with one or two jilipi. Ideal Sunday Breakfast..what you think??

Ingredients

• Potatoes - 2
• Cauliflower - 1
• Green Chilli - 2
• Kalonji Seeds - A pinch
• Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - As per taste
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Mustard Oil - 1 tbsp

Wash and cut the cauliflower and potatoes into bite sized pieces.
Heat oil in a kadai. Add kalonji and green chilli and fry for 10 seconds.
Add Potatoes and cauliflower pieces with salt and turmeric and fry well.

Add 2 cups of water and let it boil till the potatoes and cauliflowers are done.

Mash some of the boiled potatoes and mix it with your curry to get a thick gravy. Add sugar and adjust the salt if required.

Your fulcopy chorchori is ready to be served. Have it with hot Luchi.

Tomato Chicken

Tito had a bad cold with mild fever this weekend..and was not feeling like eating anything.To make something tangy to tickle his taste bud, added lot of tomatoes in a regular chicken curry. Needless to say, he had his dinner peacefully without making any fuss...

Ingredients

• Chicken - 500 gms
• Tomatoes - 3 pcs - Roughly Chopped
• Onion - 2 - sliced finely
• Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Ginger Paste - 1 tsp
• Green Chilli - 3
• Bayleaf - 3
• Garam Masala(Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove)
• Kasmiri chilli powder - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Oil - 4 tbsp
• Salt and Turmeric powder - as required
• Sugar - a pinch

Heat Oil in a kadai. Add bay leaves and whole garam masalas and let it crackle.
Reduce the heat and add onion and green chilli. Fry for some time.

Add ginger garlic paste and fry for some time. Now add chopped tomatoes and stir it for some time over very low heat so that the tomato is mashed.

Add chilli powder, salt and turmeric powder and fry the masalas till it releases nice aroma. You may have to sprinkle some water to avoid the masala from burning. Now add the chicken pieces and stir to coat the chicken pieces with masalas.

Lower the heat and simmer with the lid on. Chicken will release a lot of water. Remove the lid occasionally and stir the chicken.

When the water evaporates completely, add a cup of hot water and boil with the lid on for some 10-15 minutes till the chicken is done.

Increase the heat, sprinkle a pinch of sugar, mix well and let the water evaporates completely and oil comes out of the chicken.

Tasty tomato chicken is ready. have it with roti.

Palong Daal

 

While cooking daal, added some palong shaak (fresh Spinach leaves) to it and a healthy dish is made quickly. My husband loved it !!

Ingredients

• Arhar Daal - 1 handful
• Fresh Spinach - 1 bunch
• Hing (asafoetida) - a pinch
• Bay leaves - 2
• Green Chilli - 1
• Red Chilli - 2
• Ghee - 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - A pinch
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Salt & Turmeric - As required

Clean and wash the spinach thoroughly. Pressure cook the daal with green chilli and salt and keep aside.
Add ghee to a hot kadai. Now add hing to it followed by bayleaves, red chilli and cumin seeds.
When masalas crackle, add Spinach and stir fry for a minute.

Add boiled daal and mix well. 

 Add a pinch of turmeric and boil till the spinach is wilted. You can add some more water if required. Adjust the seasoning.

At the end, add a tsp of sugar. You may top it up with another tsp of ghee just before turning off the heat.
Have it with rice or roti.