Mutton Kofta Curry

This is the first time I have tried kofta or meatball with mutton keema and it was delicious. I already have some chicken meatball recipe in my blog like this 'Chicken Kofta Curry' or 'Mexican Meatball Soup' but the taste of a mutton meatball is completely different. The original recipe has asked for cooking the meatballs in the gravy for some 30-40 minutes, but I have pressure cooked the keema first and then made the balls. You may try it if you have patience and time to cook the meatball in the gravy.

Ingredients

• Mutton Keema - 300 gms
• Onion - 2, chopped
• Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
• Ginger Paste - 2 tsp
• Pinch of ground cardamom
• Green Chilli - as per taste
• Kasuri Methi
• Tomato - 1 , chopped
• All purpose flour - to bind
• Corn Flour - 2 tbsp
• Egg - 1
• Whole garam masala, bay leaf

Pressure cook the minced meat with pinch of salt and half tsp of garlic paste. Strain and keep aside. Reserve the liquid.
When the meat is cool, add half of the chopped onion, garlic paste, ginger paste, chopped green chilli, kasuri methi, green cardamom powder, egg and salt.

Mix well using a spatula. Then add the all purpose flour enough to bind the whole thing together. Keep it in the refrigerator for some time.

Add oil in a non stick pan. When it is hot, take small amount of the mixture and shape it in the form of a ball and release in the oil. 

Fry in batches till golden brown. 

To prepare the gravy, heat some oil in the pan and when it is hot, add ba leaf, whole garam masala and cumin to the oil. After 30 seconds, add chopped onion and fry till golden brown.

Add the remaining ginger garlic paste and saute well. Then add the chopped tomato and chopped green chilli and fry the masala till the tomato is smashed. Now add turmeric powder, coriander powder, kashmiri chilli powder, salt and pinch of sugar with a splash of water. Fry the masala till oil comes out of it.
Scrape the fat from the top of the reserved liquid and add it to the pan. Add one more cup of hot water to the pan and let it boil.

Carefully release the fried kofta into the pan and let it boil.

When the kofta are cooked and soaked the liquid, adjust the seasoning. Add 1 tsp of cornflour dissolved in water and boil for 1 more minute. Then spinkle some kasuri methi and keep covered.

Serve hot.

Dahi Methi Murg (Chicken with Yoghurt and Fenugreek)

An extremely flavorful recipe which I have adapted from Pritha's blog,and I have used fresh methi leaves instead of the dry ones to cook this. Have never anticipated this taste before cooking and we just loved the taste. You may find the original recipe here.

  

Ingredients:

• Chicken, cut into pieces: 1 kg
• Onion, roughly chopped: 2
• Onion, sliced finely: 1
• Ginger paste: 1 tbsp
• Garlic paste: 1.5 tbsp
• Green chilies: 3
• Yoghurt: 1 cup
• Corn flour: 1 tsp
• Fresh methi/fenugreek leaves: 1/2 cup
• Kashmiri red chili powder: 1 tsp
• Green cardamoms: 6
• Cinnamon: 1 stick
• Bay leaf: 1
• Cloves: 4
• Mace: 1/2 tsp
• Ghee: 1 tbsp 
• Garam masala powder: 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves: for garnish
• Salt, Sugar, turmeric to taste

 Make a paste of 2 onions, garlic, ginger and green chillies. Mix half of the paste with half cup yoghurt. Marinade the chicken pieces with the mixture along with salt and kashmiri red chili powder. Marinate for 1 hour or more.

In a deep-bottomed pan/kadhai, heat oil and ghee. Add bay leaf, dry red chilli, cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms and mace. Allow them to splutter and release aroma.

Add the remaining half of the ginger-garlic-onion paste and sliced onions alongwith green chilli paste and saute on medium heat for 2 minutes. 

Add salt and the chopped methi leaves and keep stirring for another 5-7 minutes till the onions become golden.

Put the marinated chicken in the pan, coat them with the cooked onion mixture, lower the heat, cover and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes till the chicken is cooked through.

Once the chicken starts releasing oil, add the yoghurt (beat it with cornflour beforehand so it doesn't form lumps) and mix well. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes.

Uncover and simmer for another 5 minutes. If you want a thickish gravy, crank the heat up. Check seasoning and add sugar if required. Sprinkle some garam masala, add a dollop of ghee. 

Give a final stir, garnish with coriander and serve with luchi/paratha/pulao/plain rice.

Sorshe Posto Ilish - Hilsa in Mustard Poppy Seed Gravy

Hilsa season has started again post Saraswati Puja and this is what I have prepared today for lunch. This is kind of a bhapa / steamed recipe and tastes heavenly with plain rice.

Ingredients:

• Hilsa Fillet - 7-8
• Mustard paste - 2 tbsp
• PoppySeed paste - 1 tbsp
• Green chilli paste - as per taste
• Ginger Paste - 1 tsp
• Curd - 2 tsp
• Salt, Turmeric
• Mustard oil
• Kalonji Seeds / kalo jeere - a pinch

Marinate the fishes with all ingredients except oil and kalonji seeds for 30 - 45 minutes.

In a pan, add mustard oil. When it is hot, add the kalonji seeds and let it splutter. Carefully place the fish onto the oil. flipping after 30 seconds.

Add water to the remaining marinades and pour the masala water onto the fish.

Cook covered with a heavy lid and over a very low frame till oil comes out.

Garnish with green chili and serve with plain rice.

Hansh er Dim er Dalna - Duck Egg Curry

A typical Bengali Delicacy - Hansh er Dim or Duck Egg is cooked in a onion tomato based gravy. You must use Mustard oil in this recipe to get  the authentic Bengali flavor.

Ingredients:

• Duck Egg - 6
• Baby Potatoes - 6-8
• Onion - 3, chopped
• Ginger Paste - 1 tsp
• Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Tomato - 2, chopped
• dry coconut - 2 tsp
• coriander powder - 1 tsp
• green chilli - as per taste
• kashmiri chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• salt, turmeric, sugar 
• Mustard oil

Boil and peel the eggs. Smear salt, turmeric and kashmiri chilli powder and fry till golden brown.

Fry the baby potatoes too.

Fry half of the chopped onions, when they are almost brown, add the dry coconut and saute still brown. Make a paste with few tsp of water and keep aside.

In the same pan, add some more oil, then add garlic paste. After 30 seconds add the chopped onion with a pinch of salt and fry till golden brown. Add the ginger paste and fry till the raw smell is gone.

Add the chopped tomatoes and chopped green chilli and fry till the tomatoes are mashed.

Add all the ground masalas with a splash of water and fry till oil separates.

Add the fried potatoes and eggs and mix well with the masalas. 

Add the onion paste and fry well again till oil separates. Then add a 2 cups of hot water and boil till the potatoes are cooked. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves. Adjust the seasoning.

Serve with plain rice.

Spicy and Tangy Winter Veggies

The goodness of colorful winter veggies is served in this spicy tomato coated dish. The beetroot lends a sweet taste to the dish, You may use your choice of vegetables though. Very healthy recipe and can be made very quickly.

Ingredients

• Beans - 100 gm
• Beetroot - 1
• Potato - 1
• Tomato - 1
• Coriander leaves for garnishing
• Dried red chilli - 2-3
• Panchforon / Bengali 5 spice - 1/2 tsp
• Green chilli - as per taste
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt, Sugar
• Oil
• Ghee - 1 tsp

Cut all the vegetables longitudinally and they should be roughly of same size. 
Heat oil in a pan. I have used a non stick pan and hated just a tsp of oil. Next add the panchforon and dried red chilli to the oil and let it splutter.

Add all the vegetables ( except the tomato) with a pinch of salt and turmeric and flip through.

Stir fry the vegetable with a sprinkle of water, if required. for 3-4 minutes. Puree the tomato with a green chilli and add it to the vegetable. Also add the cumin, coriander powder and mix well with the vegetable. 

When the tomato puree dries up, add a splash of water and cook covered over medium heat till the vegetable are cooked. 
Adjust the salt and sprinkle a pinch of sugar, if you like. Remove from heat and add a spoonful of ghee. Keep covered.

Serve with roti / paratha or toasted bread!!