Khow-Suey

Khow Suey is a Burmese noodle dish with a delicately spiced coconut milk sauce or broth and is served up with an array of different contrasting condiments/toppings that takes this dish to the next level and give it a burst of amazing flavors.
This is one of our favorite meal as a family, I love the delicate coconut milk broth,my son loves the mix of toppings we put on top…hubby likes the crispy garlic and onion with the freshness of  green onion..it is that one dish to please all.

Ingredients:

• Egg Noodles - 2 packs 
• Boneless Chicken breasts - 300 gms
• Prawns - shelled and deveined - 2 tbsp
• Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
• Ginger Paste - 1/2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder -  1/2 tsp 
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Dry red chili- 3-4
• Coconut milk - 1 pack 
• Lemon - 1
• Salt to taste

For the toppings/ garnishes:

• Boiled Eggs - 2
• Garlic cloves - chopped - 2 tbsp
• Onions - 2, chopped fine
• Spring Onions - a bunch - chopped
• Lime wedges
• Green and Yellow pepper - chopped, 1 cup

Take the chicken pieces in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of freshly grated garlic and half that of freshly grated ginger to the chicken. Sprinkle over the turmeric powder and some salt. Mix everything well so that all the chicken pieces are coated in the marinade. Let the chicken sit in the fridge.

Prepare all the toppings and garnishes. Chop the boiled eggs, sprinkle a pinch of salt and set aside. Finely slice the green onion and set them aside in little bowls.
Heat 3-4 tablespoons of oil in a small pan. Then fry the garlic slices until they turn a light golden. Remove them as soon as they turn golden using a slotted spoon and place them on a paper napkins to drain the excess oil.
Separate the onion layers, into strands and fry them in the same oil the same way you have fried the garlic, until it turns golden. Remove the fried onion with a slotted spoon and drain it as well.
Stir fry the bell peppers over high heat for a minute or so and keep aside.
Boil your egg noodles as per the instruction and keep ready.
 Now to prepare the chicken broth, add oil to a large pan. Once the oil is hot add the cumin seeds, dried red chili and stir.

Add the marinated chicken pieces and fry them with the spices untill they turn brown slightly.

Lower the heat and pour in the coconut milk and season it with salt. Add 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once the broth has been simmering for about 10 minutes and the chicken is cooked through, add the prawns and boil for 10 more minutes over low heat so that the prawns are cooked. Turn off the heat. Make sure there are enough broth.

Squeeze the juice of half a lime into the broth for a touch of tanginess. 
Serve the noodles in a bowl with the hot broth with all the assortment of condiments / toppings / garnishes so that everyone can customise the dish to their taste. 

Linking this recipe with Kitchen Dreaming Weekend Social 

Hot and Tangy Chicken

This quick one is super easy to make and a life saver too, when you have some unexpected guests. Found this out in one of the food groups I am associated with and made this immediately. Most amazing fact of this recipe is no fancy ingredients, all things are available in a regular Indian pantry.

Ingredients

• Chicken - 500gms
• Onion: - 3, chopped
• Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
• Egg - 1 for garnishing
• Black pepper powder - 2 tsp
• Green Chilli - 5-6, chopped
• Curd - 100 gms
• Tomato - 1 big, chopped
• Salt to taste
• Kashmiri.Red chilly powder 1 tsp

Marinate the chicken with salt, pepper and curd for a minimum of 30 minutes. 

Add mustard oil  in a pan. When it is hot, add bayleaf, whole red chilli, cinnamon, clove and cardamom and let it splutter. Next add chopped onion and fry till golden brown. Keep 1/3 of the fried onions separately, then add the garlic paste. After 1 minute, add chopped tomato, green chillies, sal, sugar and kashmiri chilli powder and fry well.

Add the marinated chicken pieces with the marination and mix with masala. Then lower the heat and let it cook in its own juices. No need to add water.

When the chicken is cooked and completely dry, make a well at the centre and break one egg carefully. Let the egg cooked. You may need to cover the pan for some time. 

Sprinkle the fried onions on top and serve.

Egg Curry with Rosemary and Parsley

Other than fish dishes, what is the next non-veg item that features more frequently in Bengali Household? Yes, the ever famous 'Dim er jhol' or Egg Curry. We, bengalis just love it !! And when it is cooked with potatoes, green peas and garam masala, it becomes 'Dim er Dalna'. Now again, there is huge difference in flavor when you are using Duck Egg instead of Chicken Egg. 'Ha(n)s er Dim er dalna' or Duck Egg Curry is a delicacy in Bengal and it is a feast for us when I cook it. Now here is a twist to my usual Duck Egg Curry. While cooking, I have added some dried Rosemary and Parsley and these herbs gave a completely different dimension to our popular Egg Curry.

Ingredients:

• Duck Eggs - 3,  boiled
• Green Peas - 1/2 cup
• Onion - 1, chopped
• Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Ginger Paste - 1 tsp
• Medium Tomato - 1, chopped finely
• Green chilies - 3
• Dry rosemary - 1 tbsp
• Dry parsley - 1 tsp
• Kashmiri chili powder- ½ tsp
• Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
• bay leaves - 2-3 
• Salt and Sugar to taste

Cut slit to the eggs longitudinally, slit the green chilies at the mouth.  Heat oil, put the bay leaves and the green chilies, fry a little. Put the chopped onion and the garlic paste.Fry well until the onion is translucent. Add half the ginger paste and stir. 

 Fry little and then add the eggs and stir well to fry well.

Add the tomato paste. Stir and sauté well.  add turmeric and the Kashmiri chili powder. 

Add the peas with a sprinkle of water, Cook for 2-3 min and when oil separates, add water. 

Bring to a boil. add the remaining ginger, the dried rosemary and dried parsley. Adjust salt.  

Cook for 5-6 min or so. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of sugar. Adjust the seasonings. Serve with rice.

Lamb with Cauliflower and Potato

Hubby brought some lamb,,so what to do with it !! Never ever cooked lamb, so thinking hard, searching the net, getting quite a number of recipes, but I was not sure about the outcome. I was looking for something very Indian, rather very very Bengali, so that my first time cooking is not a disaster. Suddenly it clicked, I have a very own Bengali recipe of mutton where it is cooked with potato and cauliflower. So I replaced mutton with lamb and it is done.

Ingredients

• Lamb - 500 gms
• Medium Cauliflower - 1, cut into florets
• Baby Potatoes - 6 - 7
• Onion - 1, chopped, 1, paste
• Garlic paste - 1 heaped tsp
• Ginger Paste - 2 tsp
• Green Chilli paste - as per choice
• Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Curd - 2 tbsp
• Salt, turmeric
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Ghee - 1 tbsp, bay leaf - 1, whole cumin seed - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - as required

Marinate the lamb with salt, turmeric and half of curd for minimum 30 minutes, more,the better.

Fry the cauliflower florets and potatoes with salt and turmeric and keep aside.

Add some more oil in to the pan and add chopped onions. When it is brown, add the onion paste and fry well. Now add the marinated lamb, garlic paste, half of the ginger paste, green chilli paste and fry well.

Add the remaining curd, coriander powder, kashmiri chilli powder, salt and sugar and stir. When the water dries up, add 2 cups of hot water and pressure cook till lamb is tender. Add the fried potatoes for the last two whistles.

Clean the pan and heat it again. Add 1 tbsp of ghee and sprinkle whole cumin seeds and bayleaves to it. When you get the aroma, add the tender lamb and potato along with the gravy. Add the cauliflower too. Let it boil for 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning.

Remove from heat when cauliflower is tender. Don't overcook the vegetables. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with rice.

Linking this recipe with Kitchen Dreaming Weekend Social 

Ilish Machher Malaicurry

Yes,,, 'Ilish machh' with coconut milk and garam masala. :-) Nowadays, I have really started experimenting with hilsa and various weird and not so common masalas, and interestingly all are coming out really good. So.. here I am presenting Hilsa malaicurry.

Ingredients:

• Ilish mach / Fish - 5 pieces
• Coconut milk - 1 small sache
• Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 2 tsp
•  Ginger paste - 2 tsp
•  Cumin paste - 1/2 tsp
•  Slit Green chilies - 3
•  Cardamom - 3
•  Cloves - 4 - 5
•  1 small piece of cinnamon stick
•  ½ tsp Jeera, Cumin Seeds
•  Sugar - 1/2 tsp
•  Salt, Turmeric
•  Mustard Oil

Smear the fish pieces with salt & turmeric and keep aside. Mix the coconut milk powder in a cup of water and keep aside. Heat about 2-3 tsp oil in a pan. Put the fish pieces and quickly turn to the other side. Repeat once again. Remove the fish pieces. Wipe the pan well, put it back to stove.
Put fresh oil and heat, put the whole garom masala and the jeerey. stir, it smells, add 75% of the ginger paste, the red chili powder, cumin powder and stir well. Put the sugar, little salt and sauté and then add little water.

Reduce heat and add the fish pieces one by one carefully. Stir a bit, turn the pieces, stir, then pour the coconut milk, add the green chilies. Let it cook for 5-6 min, then add the remaining ginger paste. Check the seasonings. If it becomes very dry add little warm water. Carefully turn the fish pieces and cook for another 5-6 min.

 Serve with plain rice.

Chicken Keema Matar

A very common dish available in almost all road side dhaba in India. Serve with Tawa Roti and a big salad for a complete meal.

Ingredients

• Chicken Keema - 250 gms
• Peas - 1/2 cup
• Potato - 1, cubed
• Onion - 2, chopped
• Ginger Paste - 2 tsp
• Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Tomato - 1, chopped
• Green Chilli - 4, chopped
• Curd - 2 tbsp
• Salt, Turmeric - as required
• Bay leaf

Mix ginger garlic paste, salt, turmeric, green chilli and curd with the keema and keep aside for 30 minutes.

Add oil in a pan. When it is hot, add the bay leaf. Then add the chopped onions and fry till golden brown. 

Add the potato cubes with salt and turmeric and fry for 1 minute. 

Add the marinated keema and stir continuously. Keema will release lot of water and will get cooked in its own juice.

Add chopped tomato and continue cooking with a lid over low heat till the keema is almost cooked and the water is reduced. Then add the peas and mix well. Cook with the lid on.

When water is completely absorbed, and potatoes are done, check the seasoning. Serve with Paratha.

Achari Gobi

Got the ingredients of this magic masala, which, if used judiciously can make wonder to a otherwise simple dish. Our very own gobi or cauliflower tastes heavenly with the touch of it and it is quite handy for cooking a quick meal too. 

Ingredients

• Cauliflower - 1, medium, cut into florets
• Tomato - 1, chopped
• Salt and turmeric - as required
• Amchur powder - a pinch (Optional)
• Coriander leaves - 3 tbsp, chopped

For the achari masala

• cumin seeds - 1 tsp 
• mustard seeds - 1tsp 
• ajawain seeds - 1 tsp 
• saunf or mouri - 1tsp 
• peppercorns - 5-6 

Dry roast the achari masala ingredients on a tawa, let it cool and grind it, keep aside.

Cut Cauliflower into medium sized pieces, Dip in hot water with salt for 10-15 min.
In a pan, heat mustard oil. Fry cauliflower till they are crisp. 

Lower the heat, sprinkle the masala prepared above, some salt haldi and amchoor powder, if using. Add one finely chopped tomato. 

Sprinkle some water, cover the panand let it simmer. Toss it couple of times. 

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.