Chole Bhature

CHOLE BHATURE
(Chole Bhature is a popular dish from Punjab. What better way can one find to warm up for the colder months than with some tasty hearty meals for the family)

Ingredients :

For Chole :

1 cup garbanzo beans (kabuli chana) soaked in water overnight,

2 onions , 1 tomato , 4-5 cloves of garlic , 1 inch ginger ,

2 tbspn oil , 2 tspn Everest chole Masala , Salt to taste ,1/2 tspn Amchur powder

1 potato boiled ad peeled ,1.5 tspn red chilly powder 1 tspn tea powder, 3/4^th cup water

For Bhature :

1 cup Maida , ½ cup Sooji , 1 tbspn yogurt , ½ tspn baking baking powder ,

½ tspn sugar , salt to taste , 1 tspn oil.

Oil to fry

Procedure :

For Chole :

Pressure Cook the soaked garbanzo beans . Blend onion , tomato , garlic and ginger in the blender.

Heat oil in a nonstick pan and add the blended onion tomato mixture. Saute well till it looses most of the moisture , turns dark brown. Mash the boiled potato and add it to the pan. Adding boiled potato helps to get a thicker curry.

Add the garbanzo beans , salt to taste , red chilly powder , amchur powder and mix well

Heat 3/4^th cup water and add a teaspoon full of tea powder. Let it come to a boil and strain the water directly into the Chole pan. This step is optional but it help get a dark color to the curry. Add water to adjust the consistency to your liking. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes .Serve hot with a wedge of lemon and onion on the side.

For Bhature :

Mix yogurt and a little water and stir well. Add Sooji and let it soak well for couple hours. Add all purpose flour (Maida) + Salt + Water + Sugar + Oil and knead a dough of the mixture. Let it sit for couple more hours. Make cookie size ball and roll it with a rolling pin. Heat oil in a pan to fry and fry till golden brown. Serve hot with Chole.

Methi Malai Mutter

METHI MALAI MUTTER

(A delicious and healthy preparation of Fenugreek and green peas in Cashew and cream Curry.)

Ingredients :

1 cup Fenugreek finely chopped and roasted on a tbspn oil ,

½ tspn green chilly + garlic + ginger paste ,

12-15 cashew soaked in water and then blended to a paste ,

1 small onion grated , ½ tspn Garam Masala ,

salt to taste , ½ cup fresh cream , ½ cup blanched green peas.

Procedure :

Take a tablespoon full oil in a hot nonstick pan. Add the grated onion and the ginger + garlic + chili paste and roast well in the heated oil till it turns brownish.

Add the roasted fenugreek , cashew paste and fresh cream. Add salt to taste , Garam Masala and the blanched green peas.Methi Malai Mutter tastes good with Roti ,Nan or bread of your choice.

Sweet Corn Chicken Soup

SWEET CORN CHICKEN SOUP

This recipe originates from exotic oriental China and is now found right from every humble street side Chinese stall to high class star rated restaurants.

SHREDDED CHICKEN :

In Oven : Place Chicken breast in a greased baking sheet . Cover it with an aluminium foil and cook it at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Slice a piece of chicken right in the center to check the doneness.If you notice any pinkness, cook it for another 10 minutes.If not chicken is done.Use a fork to shred the chicken and use it for any recipe.

In microwave : Place the chicken breast in a microwave proof container and add about 1/2 inch water. Cover with a microwave proof lid and cook it for 15 minutes. Turn chicken once half done.Save the chicken stock for later use. Use a fork to shred chicken.

Ingredients :

2 cups chicken stock , 1 cup shredded chicken , salt to taste , 1/2 tspn grated ginger , lemon zest , 1/4th tspn crushed black pepper , 1/2 inch green chilly finely chopped , 1 tspn butter , 1 tbspn corn starch , 3 tbspn steamed corn .

Soy sauce and White vinegar to serve on the side.

Procedure :

Make shredded chicken in the microwave as described above so that you can derive chicken stock.Add butter in a saucepan. Let it bubble a little bit and then add ,Chicken stock , salt to taste , corn starch , steamed corn , lemon zest , lemon juice ,grated ginger , and let it come to a boil . Ensure the consistency of the soup is per your liking. Add shredded chicken and serve hot. Serve soy sauce and vinegar to the side.

Sesame Chicken

SESAME CHICKEN

A different take on the traditional way of making sesame chicken. Normally made unbreaded this one has a bread crumb coat that makes it crusty and delicious.

Ingredients :

1 chicken breast , 2 tbspn bread crumb , 2 cloves of garlic ,

1/4th tspn dry red chilly flakes , 3 tbspn dark soy sauce ,

1 tspn vinegar , 1 tspn grated ginger , Salt to taste ,

1/4th tspn toasted sesame seeds , 2 stems of spring onions chopped,

1 green chilly finely chopped. 1 tbspn corn starch.

Procedure :

Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes . Add Salt to taste , 1 tbspn soy sauce , dry red chilly flakes , mix well , and let marinate for 15-20 minutes. Heat a tbspn full of oil in a nonstick pan Coat the chicken with bread crumb and lay the chicken flat till you see the bottom browning. Cook for about 7-8 minutes turning the chicken from time to time for even cooking and browning. Once cooked set aside on a paper towel to get rid of excess oil.

Heat oil in a wok . Add chopped garlic and the white end of the spring onion finely chopped . Saute for a couple minutes . Add the corn starch and stir well. Add soy sauce , vinegar , 1/4th cup water or chicken stock and stir well. Add the grated ginger , green chillies , salt to taste and stir well. Let it come to a boil till the corn starch turns the sauce translucent. Once the sauce is cooked Add the chicken pieces and mix well. Place it in a serving bowl and garnish with roasted sesame and the green of the spring onion.

Chicken Tikka.

CHICKEN TIKKA

A delicacy in most of South Asia , is usually boneless and made in a clay based oven called "Tandoor". It can be served as a side or some love to relish as an Entree.

Ingredients : (serves 2 as a side)

1 chicken breast , Lemon Wedge and Cilantro / Coriander to garnish

For Marinade : 1 tbspn yogurt , 1/2 tspn grated ginger ,

2 cloves grated garlic , Salt to taste , 2-3 drops red food color ,

1/2 tspn Parampara Tandoori Chicken Masala,

1/2 tspn Everest Chicken Tikka Masala , 1 green chilly finely chopped.

Procedure :

Cut the chicken to bite size pieces and place them on a paper towel so that the excess moisture is absorbed.

Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add the chicken pieces and coat the marinade all over. Cover and place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes so that the chicken absorbs all the flavors.

IN A PAN : Heat a nonstick pan on medium high heat and place the chicken pieces flat on the hot surface . Do not grease the pan at this time. Just cover the pan and let the chicken cook for about 3-4 minutes. This releases all the moisture in the marinade and the steam helps cook the chicken from inside. Remove the lid and turn the heat to high. This will let all the relelased moisture evaporate. Once all the moisture is gone drizzle about 2 tbspn oil all over. This prevents the pieces from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Let that side get the char and then turn the tikkas for browning. Serve hot with cilantro on top and lemon wedge on the side with a condiment of your choice.

IN AN OVEN : The other way to cook the tikkas is in the oven. Place them on a skewer in a preheated oven and let cook at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. Make sure you turn them from time to time so that they cook evenly.