Dum Chicken.... my version

Chicken dishes are quite popular. Gone are the Sundays where Mom used to cook Dekchi (Aluminium Saucepan) full of Mutton curry along with potatoes. She prepared the mutton effortlessly and the end product when it came to the table was full of love and taste. These days its my wife who is ruling the kitchen and she has almost surpassed my mom's culinary skills (i am writing this confidently since no one in my family reads my blog). Well I too deserve the credit for making some vital suggestions to her cooking ;)

As you all know that I am in-charge of the kitchen these days and trying to thrive up to the expectations of my folks. Last Sunday I cooked Jeera rice, Cucumber raita and a simple chicken curry, my version of the infamous Dum Chicken. I am sharing this recipe with you all and I am sure you will enjoy cooking this dish for your family

Ingredients

Chicken - 1 kg (skin removed and cut into medium to big size pieces)
Onion - 2 -3 (roughly chopped)
Tomatoes - 2 -3 (roughly chopped)
Curd - 1 cup (liberal enough to coat the entire chicken)
Turmeric - A pinch
Ginger - 1 inch (roughly chopped)
Garlic - 6 - 8 clove (roughly chopped)
Green Chillies - 2 - 3 (Chopped)
Some whole spices — 4 cloves, 1 inch piece cinnamon, 2 to 3 cardamom, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon whole black pepper corns
Garam masala powder - 1 teaspoon
Salt - 1 teaspoon full
Ghee - 1 tablespoon

Method

1. Coat the chicken with all the ingredients, except ghee and marinate for 2 - 3 hours in a handi or vessel which can be covered with a tight fitting lid.
2. Just before cooking pour the ghee all over the marinated chicken.
3. Take some wheat flour and water and knead them together to make a chapatti dough (Atta)
3.Seal the handi/ vessel with atta and cover with the lid. The atta is used to let the chicken cook in its own juices since no water is added to it.
4. Cook on high flame for 10 minutes and then cook on low flame (simmer) for almost 1 hour. If you are using an oven (Not microwave) then you can cook for 45 minutes at 180 degrees (make sure it doesn't get burnt). I prefer the conventional stove.
5. After removing from the heat let it stand for 5 minutes.
6. At the end you should have little gravy of medium consistency.
7. Sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves or fried onions and serve with roti or pulao. I served the dum chicken with Jeera rice, which was an amazing combination.

Try it folks.... you will like it.

Quick and easy Eggplant Dip

These days I have been spending most of my time in the kitchen creating food and hunting for appropriate names to christen them. My wife is on her 8th month. Yes we are expecting our second child. Unlike the first pregnancy where Ratna spent her prenatal stages at her maternal home, this time its our home where she will be delivering the baby. So cooking also comes under my jurisdiction apart from meeting her routine demands. Believe me its fun!!! first of all both of my folks are compelled to eat what I cook and I too face a rigorous challenge of inventing new recipes.

Here is one which I would love to share. It is like the regular baingan barta. But this is more refined and not rustic. It is a blend of both south and north. But it can be cooked in a jiffy!!

Ingredients

Brinjal/ Eggplant/ Aubergines - 1 1/2 cup (cap removed, washed and cut into cubes)
Onion - 2 medium size (roughly chopped)
Tomato - 2 medium size (chopped)
Dried Red Chillies - 4 - 6 (depends)
Ginger - 1 small piece (remember too much ginger will create a strong flavor)
Tamarind extract - 1 tablespoon (instead you can add lemon juice)
Urad Dal (black gram or Ulundu in Tamil) - 2 tablespoon
Asafoetida (Hing) - a pinch
Oil - 4 teaspoons
Curry leaves - 8 - 10 leaves
Salt - to taste

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a frying pan.
2. Add hing and Urad dal. Fry till the dal turns golden brown.
3. Then add ginger and chillies. Stir fry for few seconds and add the onions, brinjal, tomatoes and the curry leaves immediately. Stir fry till the brinjal and tomatoes becomes slightly mushy.
4. Add the tamarind paste and salt. Adjust the seasoning and cook for 2 to 3 minutes covered with the lid.
5. Remove from fire. Uncover and give a good stir. Let it stand for sometime
6. Now grind the mixture to a coarse paste in a blender and serve it garnished with coriander leaves.

Serving tips:

1. This goes well with chappatis, roti
2. To serve with dosa or idli add a splash of water along with few drops of sesame oil

It just requires 10 minutes to cook this simple recipe. I am sure you would love to try it. So happy cooking to all. I will be back in a jiffy with another recipe. Take care. Bye

Peanut Butter - surprise food

Peanut butter!!!! we immediately imagine the loads of calories and fats packed into it. But we don't know about the virtues of consuming a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter on whole wheat toast, idlis and Indian breads. In India it is yet to gain popularity. According to Men's Health (website) two tablespoons (190 calories) of peanut butter consists of 16gm fat, where almost 80 per cent is mono-unsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) which is regarded as a natural gut buster. Home made natural sugar-free peanut butter is loaded in protein, MUFA, vitamin E, niacin and magnesium that help burn fat, build muscle and boost testosterone.

I woudl like to share a basic recipe which you can customise according to your taste

Preparation time: 15 min

Ingredients

Unsalted Roasted Peanuts - 1 & 1/2 cup
Cooking Oil (peanut/ sunflower) - 2 tablespoon
Salt - a pinch
spices - according to taste (I prefer chilli powder)

Preparation

Blend in a food processor (mixie) the roasted peanuts and oil to make it smooth. Add spices and salt to taste, if desired. You can use salted peanuts and omit the salt.

If you want chunky peanut butter, add chopped peanuts after you have made the smooth version.

Store peanut butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use within two weeks.

You can make lovely snadwiches and use as a dip for any vegetable salad.

Enjoy and post your comments!!