Reshmi Kabab

February ...the Happening month  for me...really....Dad's visit....followed by Valentine's day.....followed by Birthday.....and gifts shifts n all...of course not to forget the World Cup.....then the Blogoversary......yayyyyy..yayyyy........!!!!

and cherry on cake would be tasty delicious dishes.....One of them that I am posting here...that is Reshmi kababs......

a perfect party snack...they are utterly delicious, irresistible,  tender, succulent and fragrant pieces of chicken that melts in your mouth as they are marinated in thick cream/malai, spices, mint and grilled to perfection. so just read on further...

Boneless Skinless Chicken –  2 breast pieces (1/2 Kg. boneless chicken)

Cream – 1/2 cup

Ginger & Garlic- 1 inch piece and 5-6 cloves respectively

Mint Leaves – a handful of them

Coriander Leaves – a handful of them

Green Chilies – 2-3

Salt – to taste

1.Grind together mint, coriander, ginger-garlic and green chillies. No need to add water.

2. In a large mixing bowl,take 1/2 cup cream and add salt. ( Watch out for the amount of salt; it should be enough for the marinade and the chicken as well)Mix well.

3. Now add the ground mixture and mix. Finally add chicken and mix well.

4. Cover it (with clink film) and keep in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours (If you have time on hand, it would be better that you keep it overnight).

5. Soak wooden skewers ( I did not have skewers so I used toothpicks) in water for 30 mins.

6. Take out the marinated chicken and pierce the chicken onto the skewers/ toothpicks and place on a greased baking tray.

7. Bake them in the pre-heated oven at 225 0 c for 10-15 minutes.

8. Make sure that you turn chicken over and continue to bake for another 5 – 7 minutes, until light brown.Reshmi kababs are ready to serve. Serve them with mint chutney.

P.S. I had some 6 paneer pieces and extra marinade so I marinated paneer pieces as well and baked it in the similar way.

Chilli Chicken

Here is yet another hot chicken favorite from my kitchen- The Chilly Chicken.

Chilly chicken is yet another Indo-chinese delicacy which makes us drool over its rich flavor and taste. Once exclusive to the restaurants, these dishes have slowly sneaked into the common household menu.... Here is a simple yet delicious recipe of this ever popular dish........read on....

Boneless chicken cut into chunks or long strips ( 2 breast pieces)

Green chillies, thinly sliced 3-4 ( or as required)

Cornflour 1/2 tbsp.

Salt  and sugar to taste

Black peppercorns, crushed 1/2 tsp.

Egg 1 (big.....use 2 if small)

Dark soy sauce 2 tbsp. ( make sure that you use dark soy sauce to get the perfect colour)

Oil 1 tbsp + for frying

Garlic, finely chopped 8-10 cloves

Onion 2 medium thick strips

Green capsicum thick strips2 medium

Red chilli sauce 1 tbsp.

Chicken stock/water 1 cup

1. Take chicken pieces in a bowl. Add half the cornflour, salt, crushed black peppercorns, egg and mix.
2. Now add a little dark soya sauce and mix.

3. Heat sufficient oil and deep fry the chicken pieces till they get light golden colour. No need to wait for the pieces to get cooked as they will be cooked in the sauce afterwords. Drain and set aside.

4. Heat the remaining tbsp of oil in a different pan. Add garlic and sauté for a minute. Add green chillies and continue to sauté.
5. Next add onion, green capsicum and sauté. Add the remaining dark soya sauce, red chilli sauce and stir.

6. Now add fried chicken pieces and toss. Next goes in little chicken stock/ water ( adjust the consistency as per the requirment; if you want gravy you need to add more water/ stock) and bring the mixture to a boil.
7. Blend the remaining cornflour in a little stock/water. Add it and mix. Adjust salt and a pinch of sugar( cuts down the stronge flavour of soy sauce) and cook for a minute watch out for the amount of salt you add as you have already added salt in chicken earlier and also soy sauce has salt). Chilli Chicken is Ready.

8. Garnish with chopped spring onion and serve hot.

Shahi Paneer Kofta Curry

Re-Posting this For Pari's FLAVOURS OF PUNJAB Event originally hosted by Nayna at Nayna’s space.

I am indeed a big fan of Paneer. I think most veggies would be..:). So here comes the dish involving paneer. I actually came across the Paneer Balls recipe on Internet and then I thought let's use them in a curry. Very delicious ,crispy and mouthwatering Paneer Balls are great starter for any party or get together. It was little tedious job for me as I had to make paneer at home; thanks to the so called Indian Shop here in Russelsheim.  :-( 
So these are the things I used:-
For Koftas:-
200 gms Paneer grated
1 big Potato boiled and grated
1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder 
1/4 tsp Garam Masala
1 tbsp Cornflour/Rice flour ( i used rice flour)
Cashews and Raisins 
Oil for frying
Salt to taste
Mint leaves 4-5 chopped (optional)
Coriander Leaves Chopped 
For Gravy:-            
1 medium Onion
1 Tomato 
Coriander Leaves 
1/4 cup Curd 
1/8 cup Cashewnut Powder
1/2 tsp Cumin Seed
1 Bayleaf  

Salt to taste

1 tsp. Sugar
1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric 
1/4 tsp Garam Masala
1 Bay Leaf 
2 tbsp Clarified Butter
3 tbsp Heavy cream

1. Boil potatoes and peel them. Grate paneer and potatoes.
2. Add salt, red chili powder, garam masala, cornflour/rice flour, mint leaves, coriander leaves and mix well.

3. Make round balls of this mixture. Insert 2 raisins and a cashew in each of them.

4. Now heat oil in a pan. Fry balls in the oil till golden brown in color.

5. Serve hot along with green chutney or tomato ketchup. 

For the gravy:-

1. Grind onion and tomatoes together. Chop coriander leaves very finely.

2. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seed and bay leaf. Add onion, tomato paste and saute till brown , stirring continuously.

3. When the oils starts separating from the spice mixutre, add curd, cashewnut powder, salt, sugar, red chili powder, turmeric and garam masala. Stir it continuously for a minute. Then add a cup of water.

4. Put on the lid and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Lastly add the heavy cream to give the gravy richness.

6. While serving reheat the gravy and then add koftas to it. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.

Matar Kachori

The Koraishutir Kochuri or The Matar kachori is basically a Bengali preparation.

It is the sweetness of the green peas paste and of the fried maida that makes such a tasty combined flavour. Yes, it has to be maida.

Of course you can deviate by using wheat flour but trust me it tastes better with maida covering.

So read on :-

For Covering

Refined flour (maida) 1  cup

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp.

Salt to taste

Oil 1 tbsp.+Oil to deep fry

Stuffing

Desi ghee  tablespoons

Fennel seeds (saunf) 1/2 teaspoon

Green chillies, finely chopped 2

Green peas, blanched & crushed 1 cup

Asafoetida a pinch

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped a few sprigs

1. Knead into a smooth dough of maida using cumin, salt, a tbsp. of oil and sufficient water.

2. Cover with a moist cloth and set aside for half an hour.

3. Heat oil in a pan, temper with  fennel seeds, chopped green chillies, asafoetida and  sauté for half a minute,

4. Now add crushed green peas and salt. Mix well. Remove from heat and cool.Add chopped coriander leaves and divide into twelve to sixteen equal sized portions.

5. Divide dough into equal sized balls.

6. Flatten a ball just the way we do it for stuffed parathas and place a portion of the stuffing.

7. Cover, seal edges and flatten.

8. Roll out lightly with a rolling pin. Repeat with the remaining dough.

9. Heat sufficient oil and deep fry kachoris on medium heat till brown and crisp. Drain and serve hot.

Papdi Pizza

This is my 2nd entry for lovely event called Kids Delight hosted by Pari.

The popular pizza in its new avatar – the papdi base adds a unique crunch.

It  is something one can have as a great appetizer during parties.A super fast way of enjoying bite size crispy pizzas without doing all the work of a real pizza.I am definite you all will like it. It was little tedious for me coz I had to make papdis at home; but that's ok.

for this you will need:-

Crisp puris (papdi) 10

Onion 1 medium

Pizza sauce 1/2 cup

Potato boiled and sliced 1 medium

Processed cheese, grated 200 grams

Red, yellow,Green Bell Pepper seeded , sliced horizontally 1 cup

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Cut onion into thick roundels and separate the rings. 
2. Grease a baking tray and arrange the papdis on it. Spread pizza sauce on the papdis. Place potato slices on some and onion rings on the rest. Heap grated cheese and place red, yellow, green bell pepper slices on some of them. Put a little pizza sauce on top of some of the pizzas. You can make your own combination in this as well. 

3. Bake in the preheated oven till the cheese melts. Serve hot.

ohh and don't forget to grab some ....

Vegetable Spring Rolls

Indo-Chinese cuisine is every foodie’s favorite. Infact all Indians love this fusion food. You are bound to come across many small Indo-chinese restaurants and food stalls at every corner in Pune.

I for one like this finger food called spring rolls immensely. They are so delectable and have a unique taste. Very simple to rustle up and are full of flavours and colors too. so read on for the recipe:-

For this you will need:-

Spring roll wrappers - readily available in market (if not then)

( Read the instructions written on the packet carefully)

The recipe for making spring roll sheets:-

Cornflour/ corn starch 1 cup

Refined flour (maida) 1/4 cup

Salt to taste


To make spring roll wrappers:-
1. Mix cornflour, refined flour and salt to taste in a mixing bowl. Add two cups of water and whisk thoroughly.
2. Strain the batter and set aside for fifteen minutes. Adjust the consistency of the batter by adding a little water if required.
3. Heat a pan and brush it with a little oil. Now pour a ladle-full of batter into it. Swirl to coat the bottom of the pan and pour the excess batter back into the bowl.
4. Cook over moderate heat till the edges start curling. Peel off or remove in one swift motion. Cool and sprinkle a little cornflour so that the wrappers don't stick to each other. Repeat the process to make remaining wrappers.

For Filling:-

Oil 1 tbsp.+ to deep fry

Onion , thinly sliced 1 medium

Carrots, grated 1big

Green capsicum, cut into thin strips 1 medium

Cabbage, finely shredded 1/2 small

Light soy sauce 1 tbsp

pepper powder 1/4 tsp.

Spring onions with greens, sliced thinly -handful of them  
 

1. For the filling, heat a tablespoons of oil and add onion and carrots and stir-fry for half a minute. Add green capsicum and cabbage and continue to stir-fry for one minute. 
2. Add soy sauce, pepper powder and salt. Add bean sprouts(optional) and spring onions with the greens and stir-fry for about half a minute. Remove and cool the filling to room temperature.  ( Sorry I do not have the picture of this particular stuffing)
3. Mix one tbsp.of cornflour and two tbsp. of water to make a paste. 
4. Divide filling into eight to ten equal portions or according to the number of wrappers. 
5. Place a portion of filling at one end of each wrapper and roll tightly, folding the sides in while you roll. 

6. Seal the ends with the cornflour paste (step 3). The below picture will help you in understanding this process better.

Pictorial tutorial to help you wrap up a Spring roll

7. Heat sufficient oil, deep-fry two or three spring rolls at a time turning frequently, till crisp and golden brown. 8. Drain and place on an absorbent paper and serve hot with Schezwan Sauce (Sichuan sauce). 

Mixed Vegetable Cutlets (Restaurant Style)

I have nothing much to say on this particular post. This is another restaurant style (well..you get similar taste and coloured cutlets in most of the restaurant in Pune atleast) snack dished out by me....so read on for the recipe.............. 

Potatoes, boiled and mashed 2 big  

Beetroot, grated 1 medium
Carrots, grated 2 small

Green peas, blanched & crushed 1/2 cup

Oil 1 tbsp + to shallow fry

Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp.

Ginger, finely chopped 1 inch piece

Onion , finely chopped 1 medium 

Red chilli powder 1 tsp.

Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp.

Salt to taste

Cashewnuts, crushed 10 (well... did not use any) 

Refined flour( (maida) /Gram Flour(Besan)/Corn Flour 2 tbsp.

Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 

Lemon juice 2 tsp.

Bread crumbs/ Fine Semolina (Rava) 1/2 cup (i used semolina)

1. First heat 1 tbsp.of oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, ginger and onion and sauté for two minutes. Add  red chilli powder, turmeric powder and sauté for a minute. 
2. Add beetroot,carrot, green peas and mix. Add salt and continue to sauté for two minutes. Adding salt at this time will make vegetables leave the water. 
3. Take out the vegetables once they are completely dried and cooked with no water content and let them cool down.
4. Now in a bowl add crushed cashewnuts(if you are using), the vegetable mixture, refined flour,  mashed potatoes in a deep bowl. Add coriander leaves and adjust salt. Add lemon juice and mix. 

5. Take a portion of the mixture, shape the cutlets and roll in breadcrumbs/semolina. Similarly prepare more cutlets.
6. Heat sufficient oil in another pan. Shallow fry till both the sides are evenly golden. Drain and place on an absorbent paper and serve hot.

Sprout Kabab/Sprout Tikki Chat

Before I start with my new recipe....something important about Bean sprouts....

Bean Sprouts are one of the most concentrated natural sources of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, trace elements, amino-acids and proteins on Earth.In addition to being super nutritious, sprouts are one of the most versatile foods in your kitchen. Sprouts can be the main ingredient or a garnish. Sprouts are a great snack - just fill a bowl, have a seat, and start munching. Sprouts - like all vegetables, are much more nutritious when raw. Some people think it is wrong to cook sprouts, but we think all that really matters is that you eat More Sprouts, and if you prefer them cooked then cook them! Sure raw is better, but any sprouts are way better than none, so eat as you wish, cook 'em or don't.......

Now coming back to my recipe; I had prepared Chana kababs before but I did not have photographs to put on the blog. So I decided to prepare them again.But this time I used all the available bean sporuts. By the time I finished frying the kababs; I thought why not turn them into the healthy tikki chat. 

So all my Bloggo-buddies, here is the recipe for both Sporout Kabab as well as Sprout Tikki Chat.

For Kabab:-

Bean sprouts - 1 1/2 Cup

Potato - 1 medium (par-boiled and grated)

Rice Flour/ Corn Flour - 2 tbsp
Ginger, Garlic, Green Chillies finely chopped - 1 1/2 tsp.

Coriander finely chopped

Red-chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp.

Garam-masala - 1 tsp

Salt to taste
Sugar - 1 tsp.

oil required for frying.

For Tikki Chat:-
All the above ingredients
chaat-masala - 1 tsp
Beaten Curds- 1/2 Cup
Tamarind Chutney -
Green Chutney

1. Par-Boil the bean sporouts in salted water for 5 mins.

 

2. Grind them coarsely. Mix together Sprouts, grated potato, green chillies-ginger-garlic, red-chilli powder, garam-masala, turmeric, sugar, and salt ( watch the quantity of salt, as you have already added salt in the sprouts while boiling).

3. Now take a small proportion of the whole mixture and give the desired shape to it.

4. Deep-fry/Shallow-fry in hot oil till golden brown.

5. Serve with Tomato Ketchup or Green Chutney. Sprout Kabab is ready.

For Tikki:-

1. In addition to the above procedure, add chat masala to the mixture.

2. Deep-fry/ Shallow-fry them till golden brown and drain the excess oil.

3. Serve tikkies with beaten curd, tamarind chutney, green chutney.

Hara Bhara Kabab

Hara Bhara Kabab is not only one of the most famous and delicious Kababs but they are also very easy to prepare; as they were practically prepared in minutes. One of the best starters to serve for a party at home  :-)

For this you need:-
Spinach 10-12 leaves
Green peas boiled and mashed 3/4 cup
Potatoes, boiled ,peeled and grated 3-4 medium
Green chillies, chopped 3
Ginger- Garlic Paste 2 tsp.
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 2 tablespoons
Chaat masala 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Rice Flour/ Corn Flour 2 tablespoons ( i used rice flour)
Oil to deep fry


1. Blanch spinach leaves boiling salted water for five minutes. Drain, refresh and squeeze out excess water.
2.  Finely chop. Mix spinach, peas and potatoes.
3. Add green chillies, ginger-garlic paste, coriander leaves, chaat masala and salt to taste.
4. Add rice flour for binding. Divide the mixture into equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and then press it between your palms to give it a flat tikki shape.

5. Heat oil in a kadai. Deep-fry the tikkis on medium heat for three to four minutes. Drain onto an absorbent paper. Serve hot with Tomato ketchup/Tamarind Chutney.