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Bihari Chicken Korma

In Bihar Chicken used is fresh. People go to the meat shop and fresh chicken is cut. People never use frozen meat. The powdered masalas are known as "bukni" and people use freshly grounded spices or the bukni. The fresh aroma makes the dish even more tastier. Green cardamom is called illachi dana and I've used the freshly powdered green cardamom which gives a nice aroma to this dish. Traditionally people of Bihar say "एलैची कूच कर डालना". Hope you enjoy a slight twisted version. I've added well beaten fresh cream which gives a real twist to the whole dish.

INGREDIENTS-

 Chicken - 1 whole cut into 9-10 pieces

Thick Curd - 2/3 cup

Saffron  - 2 tspns

Warm Milk - 1 tblspn

Whole green cardamom - 4/5

Green Cardamom Powder- 1/2 tspn

Black Cardamom - 1

Cinnamon stick - 1inch stick

Brown Onion Paste - 2/3 cup

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tblspn

Dry roasted whole red chillies and then powdered- 2-3

Dry roasted Cumin powder- 1 tspn

Dry roasted Coriander Powder - 1 tblspn

Kashmiri Red chilly powder - 1 tspn

Garam Masala Powder - a generous pinch

Salt - to taste

Turmeric - 1 tspn

Fresh Cream - 1 tblspn

Refined Oil - 2 tbspn

Ghee or Butter - 1/2 tspn

Bay Leaf - 1

Method -

Soak Saffron in warm milk. Keep aside little for garnish.

Blend well curd and brown onion paste with  powdered spices i.e. turmeric, salt, red chilly, kashmiri chilly, whole-red chilly powder, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder. keep it aside.

Heat 1 tblspn oil and ghee.

Add the chicken pieces and cook them till reddish brown like the pic.

Keep it aside.

Heat the remaining oil. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, green and black cardamom. Let it crackle.

Now add the chicken and mix well for the flavours to infuse into the chicken.

Now add the curd-onion-masala paste and mix well. This procedure is known as "Bhuno" and this process is done with patience to get that delectable flavour.

Sprinkle water to avoid burning.

Finally Add about a little less than 1 cup warm water and mix well.

Transfer into a pressure cooker and give one whistle and then lower the flame to cook for 5-7 mins.

When the pressure drops open the cooker and add the aromatics i.e. the garam masala, green cardamom powder and the left over saffron.

Switch off the gas and then add the well beaten fresh cream.

Mix well and transfer into a serving bowl.

Can be served with hot onion-parathas.

Note -

-Traditionally cream is not used in Bihari cooking in chicken. This is my version for a nice taste, weight watchers can avoid it, if desired.

-Ghee or Butter is used with the oil for an extra flavouring.

-Curd used here is fresh.

-For preparing brown onion paste - slice 2 large onions thinly and deep fry them in hot oil. Drain well. When cool blend them in a blender. Use very little water to blend. Traditionally this was done on a सिल (mortar-pestle or the grinding stone)

-For blending the curd-onion-dry spice mixture do not use the blender. Do it with a spoon.

Chawal ki kheer (Rice Kheer)

Starting the New Year with a sweet treat for everyone. Happy New Year - May 2011 be as sweet as this kheer (Pudding). Rice Kheer or rice pudding is a very common dish in Bihari cuisine. The speciality of Bihari kheer is that the quantity of rice used is more than usual. Saffron is not used in the traditional recipes. Traditionally the kheer was made in earthen pots on charcoal and the kheer got the flavours of the earthen pot hence saffron was not used for extra flavouring. On all special occasions like welcoming the bride or festivals kheer is made. For the holy festival Chhath Puja kheer is made without sugar but since it's cooked on very low flame in earthen pots and the basmati rice gives it a very nice flavour and a delicate aroma. Use very good quality rice to get a nice flavour. Lets proceed to the recipe of kheer.

Ingredients-

Milk - 1 ltr

Basmati Rice - 1/2 cup

Ghee (Clarified Butter) - 1 tspn

Sugar - 3/4th cup

Almonds (Badam) - 15-20

Pistachio (Pista) -  2 tblspn

Nutmeg powder (Jaiphal Powder) - grated - 2 pinch

Green cardamom powder (Hari elaichi powder) - 1/2 tspn

Saffron strands -(Kesar) a pinch + a little pinch for the garnish.

Method -

1. Wash basmati rice and soak it for half an hour.
2. Drain and keep it aside.
3. Heat ghee in a vessel and roast the rice to a pinkish colour.
4. Keep it aside.
5. In a deep vessel boil milk.
6. Reduce the milk by boiling and keep stirring.
7. When reduced to half add rice and sugar.
8. Stir well. Reduce flame and let it simmer.
9. Keep stirring.
10. Add saffron and stir well.
11. Add nutmeg powder and Green cardamom powder.
12. Keep simmering and stirring on very low flame.
13. Add pistachio very finely chopped. Mix and stir.
14. Add Almonds very finely chopped.
15. Keep stirring .
16. When the consistency gets thick switch off the gas.
17. Let it cool. When cooled mix well again.
18. Transfer into serving bowls.
19. Sprinkle cardamom and nutmeg powder.
20. Sprinkle pistachio finely chopped.
21. Sprinkle crushed saffron
22. Garnish with half almond as shown in the pic.
23. Best to have it chilled. (in Summers)
24. Can be served hot or at room temperature as well. (For winters)

Hannah Montana Birthday Cake

Birthday Parties are fun! Birthday is a special occasion, and kids love to have a blast on their special day. For my daughter’s 9th birthday, she wanted to have a Hannah Montana cake. Hannah Montana cakes’ popularity is on the rise. Hannah Montana is very popular amongst pre-teen girls. My daughter is a great fan of Hannah Montana, so she wanted to surprise her friends with a Hannah Montana cake. She also wanted to have a homemade cake. On my culinary journey, this was a challenge for me.

I decided to be very creative and prepare a cake with the best things I could. I spent hours in stores, looking for creative colourful chocolates, and also paid a great amount of attention to the various available candy shapes. It’s a super easy cake, though it looks complicated. When the final thing came out, it was truly an amazing looking cake, and all the friends of my daughter envied her and praised the preparation.
I’ve used ready made frosting and ice-cream cones for the decoration. Guitar shaped chocolate has also been used, as Hannah Montana is a great singer.


INGREDIENTS:


Sponge Cake – 1 rectangle
White Butter – 250 gms
Icing Sugar – 250 gms
Vanilla essence – 4-5 drops
Ready made frosting – ½ tin – chocolate flavour
Ready made frosting – ½ tin vanilla flavour
Little heart biscuits – 1 packet
Ice cream cones – 2
Lollipops – various shapes - 3 to 4
Sprinklers coloured – as required
Jelly cubes – 1 packet.
Tinned Cherries – 1 cup
Cocoa Powder – 2 tblspn
Birthday Candles – As required

METHOD

Prepare icing by combining icing sugar, white butter, cocoa powder and vanilla essence.

Keep in the fridge for an hour.
Cut the sponge cake into two halves.

Soak each part with the cherry syrup.

Place pitted cherries on the first part of the cake.

Spread a layer of the prepared icing on each cake half.

Cover the first half of the cake with the second half, making layers.

Now cover the entire cake with the icing prepared above.
Level the icing with a broad knife dipped in cold water.
Make a border with the ready made frosting using icing gun.
Decorate the border of the cake with the little heart biscuits.

Decorate the candies, jelly cubes and ice cream cones.

Make ice cream on the ice cream cones with the prepared icing.
Sprinkle the sprinkler on the empty space.
Place the candles on the cake.
Keep in fridge till the party time.

Note: I have used ready-made sponge cake in this recipe for the Hannah Montana cake. But you can also use plain homemade sponge cake instead.

kacche kele ke kebab

Raw Banana is used in Bihari homes mainly for the fasts or for the wedding. Today I present raw banana for a snack item. You can serve these with any mocktail or hot tea. I am sure you would love to have this hot snacks  in the chilly winters.

INGREDIENTS

Raw Banana - 3

roasted gram flour - 1 1/2 tblspn

Boiled Potato - 1 1/2

Chopped Ginger - 1 tblspn

Chopped Green Chillies - 1 tblspn

Crushed Cashewnuts - 1/2 tblspn

Crushed black pepper - 1/2 tspn

Green Coriander chopped - 2 - 3 tblspn

whole cumin roasted - 1/2 tspn

Roasted cumin powder - 1 tspn

Salt - to taste

Oil- for deep frying

For the filling

Anjeer - 10-12 chopped

Chopped Almonds - 1/2 tspn

For the garnish-

Red Bell Pepper - 1/2

Yellow bell pepper - 1/2
Green Chillies - 2 slit
Tooth picks - as required

METHOD-

1. Using very little water boil the potaotes and raw bananas.
2. When cool mash it with your hand.
3. Add roasted gram flour.
4. Add chopped ginger and chopped green chillies.
5. Add crushed cashews and crushed black pepper.
6. Add cuming powder and whole cumin.
7. Add chopped coriander leaves.
8. Add salt to taste.
9. Mix well to form a sort of dough.
10. Prepare filling by mixing chopped anjeer and chopped almonds.
11. Form a ball from the prepared dough.
12. Fill 1 tspn of the filling in the centre of the kebab.
13. Heat oil.
14. Deep fry these kebabs till golden.
15. Drain on an absorbent paper.
16. Serve hot garnished with bell peppers - as shown in the picture.
17. Serve with green chutney.

NOTE - Do not use food processor or blender to mash the banana and poatato as it would become too runny.

Bihari Mutter Kachori with Bihari Aloo Sabji

Winter is settling in and in this weather one would love to have hot Bihari Mutter Kachori's with Bihari Aloo ki Sabji. Traditionally there is no filling in Bihari Kachori's but I've slightly modernised it by using a pea-filling. Home made is hygienic and one would definitely enjoy cooking it as it does not take much time to prepare this. So without wasting time let me come to the recipe-

INGREDIENTS FOR MUTTER KACHORI

Fresh Green Peas - 300 gms

Ginger - 1 inch grated

Green Chillies - 1 chopped

Roasted crushed cumin (Bhuna Kuta Jeera) - 1/4th tspn

Asafetida (Hing Powder)- 1/4 tspn

Roasted crushed Fennel Seeds (saunf)- 1/4 tspn

cooking oil - 1/2 tspn

chopped coriander - 1 tblspn

salt - to taste

Refined Flour (Maida) - 1 cup

salt - to taste

Hot  Ghee (Moyan) - 2-3 tblspn

Carom Seeds(Ajwain) - a small pinch

Nigella Seeds(Mangrella/Kalonji) - a small pinch

Luke Warm Water - for kneading

Oil - for deep frying - as required

METHOD-

In a flat plate mix refined flour, salt, ghee, carom seeds and Nigella seeds..

Knead a hard dough.

Cover and keep it aside for 20 minutes.

For the filling -

Heat the oil.

Add raw peas. Sprinkle salt.

Saute till oil is well coated on the peas and peas turn slightly soft.

Crush the peas.

Add salt, roasted crushed cumin, fennel seeds and asafetida 

Add grated ginger and chopped chillies, coriander leaves.

Mix well.

Making of Bihari Mutter Kachori-

Take a small ball from the dough.

Flatten it and place 1 tblspn filling.

Close/Seal and prepare a kachori slightly thick. (As shown in the pic)

Deep Fry in hot oil.

Drain in an absorbent paper.

Ingredients for Aloo Sabji

Boiled Potatoes - 4-5 small

Tomatoes -2 medium

Ghee/oil - 1  1/2 tspn

Asafetida (Hing Powder) - 1 tspn

Panchforan - 1 tspn

Bay Leaf - 1

Roasted Cumin powder - 1 tspn

Roasted Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tspn

Garam Masala powder - 1/4 tspn

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn

Red Chilly Powder - 1 1/2 tspn

Amchur Powder (Dry Mango Powder) - 1 tspn

Salt - to taste

Chopped Coriander - 1/2 cup

METHOD -

Peel Potatoes and crush it with your hand. do not cut.

Cut tomatoes unevenly into 5-6 pieces.

In a vessel boil 1 1/2 cups of water with the tomatoes till done.

Keep it aside.

In a kadhai (Flat Bottomed Pan) heat oil or ghee.

Add bayleaf.

Add to it panchforan. Let it crackle.

Add asafetida. Mix don't let it burn.

Add potatoes. Mix well to coat the potatoes well with hing and panchforan.

Add all the dried masalas one by one.

First add coriander powder followed by turmeric powder.

Then add red chilly powder, cumin powder and salt.

Mix well. Add tomatoes with the left over water in which the tomatoes were boiled.

Add chopped coriander.

Now add 1/2 cup water and let it boil well for 7-8 minutes on very low flame.

Sprinkle dry mango powder and garam masala powder.

Mix well. Now crush a few potatoes in the vessel itself so as to form a thick gravy.

Use the back side of the kalchul to crush the potatoes.

Serve hot in eco friendly dishes with kachori.

Note - Paanch foran - is a mixture of equal quantities of fennel seeds(Saunf), onion seeds (Kalonji),  fenugreek seeds (methi dana), carom seeds (ajwain), yellow mustard (peeli sarso).

Rice with Fried Potato

Kids need a bundle of energy as they are always on their heels.  I present another great meal for your child especially for the fussy eaters. Rice and Potato are a great source of carbohydrate. Carbohydrate would fuel them up. You may serve this with a single serving of any vegetable soup. The presentation and taste would encourage them to keep asking for more. The same can be given in the tiffin. Lets see how this dish is ready in minutes.

Ingredients -

Steamed Rice - 1 small bowl
Butter - 2-3 tblspns
Parsley - a bit chopped
Potatoes - 1 large
Olive oil - 3-4 tblspn
salt - to taste

Method -

Prepare steam rice as usual.
Mix butter and place it in a bowl.
Press the rice with the back of spoon.
Invert the rice carefully on the serving plate.

Parboil the potato.
Peel and cut roundels.
On a non stick pan drizzle olive oil and place the potato slices.
Cook till reddish and done.
Sprinkle salt and arrange on the serving plate as shown in the pic.
Garnish with chopped parsley.

Note- Ensure the steamed rice has salt added to it.

Chicken-Egg-Veggie Sandwich for kids

Tiffin Time, Tea Time Snack or Breakfast - a great option to serve the kids is this sandwich full of protein made from chicken eggs and vegetables served with potato fries would give them enough energy to be on their heels. Packed with nutrients is this easy to assemble sandwich.

Ingredients -

Sandwich bread - 2 slices

Red ripe tomatoes - 1 large

Egg hard boiled - 1

Iceberg Lettuce - 8-10 leaves

Chicken Breast boneless - 1

Butter - as required

Salt and Pepper - to taste

Potato Fries - one portion

Method -

Pressure cook chicken breast with little salt and 1/2 cup water.

After one whistle lower the flame and let it cook for 5-8 minutes.

Wash lettuce well and dip it in ice-cold water.

Cut tomatoes into roundels

Cut egg into thin slice.

Cut chicken breast into thin slice.

Drain the lettuce leaves.

Butter all the bread slices from both sides.

Layer the first bread with lettuce

Top it with chicken slice.

Sprinkle little salt and pepper.

Top it with egg slice.

Sprinkle little salt and pepper.

Arrange a bread slice on it.

Again top it with lettuce.

Top it with tomato slice.

Sprinkle salt.

Finally top it with a bread slice.

Grill the sandwich till the grill mark appears on the bread.

Insert a toothpick to keep things into place.

Serve hot with potato fries.

Rice and Oats Cutlets

Surprise your guests by turning these left overs into tasty tea-time bites. Left over rice can be used to prepare cutlets. Combined with roasted oats it's a healthy combination. One can have it for evening snack or kids can take this in the tiffin. Let's see how it's made.

INGREDIENTS-

Left over boiled rice - 1 cup.

Dry roasted rolled oats - 1/2 cup

Roasted crushed peanuts - 1 tblspn

Chopped onion - 1 medium

Chopped coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Roasted coriander cumin powder - 1 tspn

Red Chilly powder - 1 tspn

Carom Seeds (Ajwain) - 1/2 tspn

Finely chopped ginger - 1/2 inch piece

Green chillies chopped - 2 (or as your choice)

Dry roasted til - 1/2 tspn

Oil - to deep fry

Salt - to taste

Onion Rings - for garnish

Tomato ketchup - to serve

METHOD -

1. In a bowl put the boiled rice.
2. Add to it the oats.
3. Add peanuts.
4. Add chopped onions and coriander leaves.
5. Add carom seeds and sesame seeds.
6. Add all the dry powders.
7. Add ginger and green chillies.
8. Add salt.
9. Mix well.
10. Heat oil.
11. Prepare oblong shaped cutlets.
12. Deep fry the cutlets, drain.
13. Garnish with tomato ketchup and onion rings. Serve hot.

Lajawab Mutton

For the non-vegetarian lovers here is a super-tasty lamb dish. Ensure that the dry masala's used are freshly ground for that aromatic succulent taste of meat. The meat is marinated for a few hours to tenderise it and for the flavours to penetrate in the meat. I've used cashewnuts to thicken the gravy as nuts give a great texture to the gravy. Now coming to the recipe...

INGREDIENTS

Lamb Mix Mutton - 1/2 kg

For the Marination-

Curd - a little less than 1 cup

Salt - to taste

Red Chilly Powder - 2 tblspn

Kashmiri red chilly powder - 1 tblspn

Turmeric Powder - 1 tspn

Garlic paste - 1 tblspn

Ginger paste - 1 tspn

Mustard oil - 1/4th tspn

For the Main Dish Cooking-

Green Cardamom (छोटी ईलैची)- 4-५

Cinnamon (दालचीनी) - 2 inch stick

Bay Leaf (तेजपत्ता) - 1

Refined Oil  (तेल) - 2 tblspns

Ginger Paste (अदरक पिसा)- 1 tspn

Garlic Paste (लहसन पिसा) - 2 tspns

Sliced Onions - (लम्बा कटा प्याज़) 2 large

Red Chilly Powder - (लाल मिर्ची पावडर ) 1 1/2 tblspns

Turmeric Powder (हल्दी पीसी) - 1 tspn

Salt (नमक) -to taste

Garam Masala Powder (गरम मसाला पावडर) - 1/2 tspn

Roasted Coriander पावडर (भुना धनिया पावडर)  - 1 tblspn

Roasted Cumin Powder (भुना जीरा पावडर)- 1 tspn

Cashewnuts (काजू)  - 5/6

Oil - for deep frying cashews

Pre-preparation

• 
  
  Whisk the curd and add all items under marination, mix well.
• 
  
  Wash the lamb , drain the water.
• 
  
  Mix the marinade to the lamb.
• 
  
  Keep it aside for about 2 hours.
• 
  
  Slice onion lengthwise.
• 
  
  Heat oil and deep fry the cashewnuts.
• 
  
  Deep fry the sliced onion in batches.
• 
  
  Keep on a kitchen towel.

Cooking the Lamb-

• Heat oil in a deep vessel.
• Throw in the bay leaf, green cardamom, cinnamon and let it splutter.
• Reduce flame. Now add Ginger paste and garlic paste.
• Saute it well till the ginger garlic is cooked properly.
• Add the fried onion and little water. Stir.
• Add the lamb with the marinade and mix well.
• Cook on high flame for about 10-15 minutes. Keep stirring.
• Add all the dried masalas. Mix well.
• When the fat separation happens..
• Add to it the cashewnut paste. Keep mixing and stirring.
• Now transfer the entire thing to a pressure cooker.
• Cook on lowest flame for 25 minutes.
• Serve hot with naan or roti.

Modak for Ganpati

गणपति बाप्पा मोरया पुर्च्या वर्षी लोकर या
Ganpati Bappa Morya ........Purchya Varshi Laukar Ya......

For the outer covering

Rice flour -2 cups
Water – 3 cups
Ghee (Clarified Butter)– 1 tblspn
Salt – a pinch

Method for the covering -
Boil 3 cups water .

Add ghee and salt.
Next add rice flour little by little to avoid lumps.
Keep stirring.

Cover the pan for a few minutes.
Cool the mixture to moderate warm.








 
Grease your palms.
Knead a dough out of this mixture.




For the filling

freshly grated coconut – 2 cups
grated gur (Jaggery) – 1 cup
cardamom pd - ½ tspn
nutmeg powder – a pinch

Method for the filling -

Heat a pan.
Add coconut and gur.
Mix well and keep stirring till it gets browned and well mixed.

Add cardamom and nutmeg powder.
Mix well. Keep it aside and cool.



Preparing the modak –

Take a small ball from the dough.
Roll it on a rolling pin about 3-4 inch diameter.

Fill in 1 tblspn full of the prepared filling.

Cover to form a modak.
Boil water in a steamer.
Place the prepared modaks on a greased steel sieve in the steamer.
Steam for 10-15 mins or till done.

 Serve hot with ghee.

Bihari Bhindi

In Bihar Okra is mostly prepared as a gravied vegetable and served for lunch or dinner. If the Okra is cooked without water then its called bhindi ki bhujia. Try this Bihari style of Okra where mustard is the predominant flavour. Here is the recipe:-

 

Ingredients

Bhindi(Okhra)- 1/2 kg

Onion- 1 medium chopped finely

Mustard Oil - 4 tbspn

Masala-

Yellow whole mustard (Sarso)- 2 tblspn

Cumin whole (Jeera) 1/4 tspn

Peppercorns (Gol mirchi) 15-20

Red Chillies dried - 3/4

Tomato - 1 medium

Tadka-

Paanch Foran - a pinch

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn

Salt - to taste

 

Garnish

Tomato - 1 small

Green Chillies - 1

Method -

• 
  
  Grind all the ingredients under the "Masala" using very little water.
• 
  
  Cut each bhindi (Okhra) into 3 parts. Slit each part a little bit.
• 
  
  Heat mustard oil to smoking point.
• Add paanchforan and let it crackle.
• Add to it chopped onion. Saute and let it brown.

• 
  
  Add to this Okhra. Saute till browned.
• 
  
  Add in the prepared masala paste.
• 
  
  Add turmeric powder and mix well.
• 
  
  Add salt and mix well. Bhuno (Saute) it well.
• 
  
  Add water about 300 ml.
• 
  
  Cook on low flame till bhindi is cooked well and there is a perfect blend.
• 
  
  Transfer into a serving bowl.
• 
  
  Garnish with slit tomatoes and chilly.
• 
  
  Serve hot with chapati or rice.