Potato Fritters

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Here's another fried crispy delicacy straight for the iftar table...easy to make and simply great to eat. Here is the recipe...

Ingredients:

4 tbs oil
2 potatoes, skinned and sliced

1 1/2 cup chana besan flour
1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 green chilli, chopped

1/2 onion, sliced

Cilantro as needed
A pinch of baking soda

Method:

Slice the potato using a mandolin, Immerse them in cold water and keep aside.

Mix all the other ingredients and add the potatoes, let them sit in the mix for sometime.

Heat oil and deep fry them till golden brown. Serve hot with ketchup or Maggi tomato sauce.

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Kofta Pulao

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This is another form of Biryani whick is hugely popular in Hyderabad. Its my personal favorite too along with so many other delicacies in Mughlai Cuisine.

This is also my first ever entry to any event and I'm sending it to RCI: Authentic Hyderabadi Cuisine at Mona's blog Zaiqa. It also happened to be my older son's birthday and I thought what better way to celebrate it than with this fabulous pulao. It certainly bought a smile on his face :)


Ingredients:
4 tbs oil for frying onions

Marinate Mix
2 cups yogurt
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 turmeric powder
2 tbs ginger garlic
3 onions
32-35 kofte/meatballs
1 green chilli, slit


Note: I deliberately kept the spices in the yogurt to a minimum because the meatballs in itself are very spicy and once all of it is cooked, its gonna taste awesome.

For Boiling Rice
6 cups basmati rice washed and soaked in water for 30 min's
5 tsp salt
Garam masala (6 cardamom, 2 sticks cinnamon, 4 whole black peppers, 4 cloves, 2 tsp shahzeera and 2 bay leaves)

For Garnish
a few strands of saffron soaked in milk
3 tbs lemon juice
4 tbs ghee
1 whole bunch or more of cilantro


Method:
Heat oil and thinly slice the onions and fry them until golden brown, freeze them for a while and crush them lightly before garnishing.

In the remaining oil, add the marinate mix and cook till oil seperates, add the meatballs just long enough for them absorb the spices. Let it cool.

Boil rice and add the salt and garam masala...till half done. Strain the rice in the collander and oil a baking dish liberally with 2 tsp oil.

Spread the rice and top it with the cooked meatballs, ghee, lemon juice, saffron soaked in milk, fried onions and cilantro. Add the second layer of rice and top it with any leftover garnish.

Preheat the oven to 350*F and bake for about 1/2 hour. Serve with Tamate ki Chutney or Mirchi ka Salan, like I did and enjoy!

Note: I dug up the draft for Mirchi Ka Salan and blogged it recently, follow the link if you are looking for the recipe ;)

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Quick Fried Prawns with Spices

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Ah finally a recipe to bring me back to blogging. I had been cooking of course but nothing spectacular and worth blogging. Plus I was just being lazy and enjoying the Olympics' season and on top of that the hot weather was also a reason for not staying in the kitchen for long!

I had bookmarked this recipe too long. Its taste is a complete surprise and the flavor will leave you licking it up and wanting more. Full of zest and down right delicious one dish meal!

This one is for you Kate...for pulling me back to blogging, time and again ;)


Ingredients:
1 lb shrimps, cooked and deveined
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp mustard seeds
4 green cardamom pods, crushed
4 tbs cup ghee or butter
1/2 cup coconut milk
2-3 tbs cilantro, chopped
salt and black pepper powder as needed

Method:

Wash the prawns under cold running water and pat dry, add ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric, mustard seeds, and cardamom seeds in a bowl. Add the prawns and toss to coat them completely with the mixture.

Heat a wok until hot, add the ghee or butter and swirl it around until foaming. Add the spiced prawns and stir-fry for about 2 min's until they start turning pink.

Stir in the coconut milk and simmer for about 3-4 min's till the prawns are cooked through and oil seperates.

Season to taste with salt and black pepper powder. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

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Coconut Cilantro Chicken

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Now here is one recipe which will undoubtedly make your family drool...an exquisite combination of flavors which will leave you wanting for more.

Well I got a little carried away with all that Cilantro :p

Ingredients:

2 lb boneless chicken

1 onion

1 tsp ginger garlic paste
2-3 tsp salt

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

13.5 oz can coconut milk

3 green chilli

6 cardamom

1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp black cumin seeds

1 cup water

almost 2 bunches of cilantro or more

Method:

Clean the chicken of excess fat and cut into bite size pieces. Chop the onion finely.

Heat oil and add the cardamoms, cinnamon and black cumin seeds. Add green chilli and the chopped onion and as it starts to turn slightly brown put ginger garlic paste and stir in briskly.

Sprinkle salt and red chilli powder and immediately add the chicken cubes. Stir it well and make sure the chicken is coated well in the mixture.

Now add coconut milk and water along with half the cilantro, mix it well and shut the lid. Keep checking to see if the chicken is cooked through.

Add more water if you want it a little extra gravy. Garnish with the remaining cilantro and serve hot with either rice or naan.

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