Konkani Tendli Sukke Variation – Recipe

Since GudiPadwa I was craving for Konkani food that was so lovingly cooked in my maternal  grandmother’s kitchen. As my father belongs to Uttar Pradesh we had a mixed cuisine at home. Most of the recipes were from North India and especially from Kayastha style of cooking heavily influenced by Mughal cuisine or the typical Banarasi khana where my mother grew up but as my mother belongs to North Kanara we also got the taste of Konkani dishes.

North Kanara  comprises of Kumta, Honnavar, Bhatkal, Siddapur, Sirsi, Ankola and some other regions. My mother hails from chitrapur saraswat community from  Honavar.  Their cuisine is simply delicious and full of healthy nutrients. Most people in this region rely on what grows in the backyard of their beautiful homes. The use of coconut is ample in both veg and non-veg dishes. I love sukke, Upkari, dhoddak, Kokam curry, ambat, dalitoy and randayi to name a few.

Tendli ( Ivy Gourd) Sukke 

Tendli or kundru ( in north) is called Ivy Gourd in English. The tender fruit is green in color and is often eaten in salads or used in vegetarian preparations. It is full of beta karotin , vast variety of B vitamins, vitamin A & C, fiber and minerals. It helps to keep blood sugar in check.

Here is a variant of traditional sukke (a dry dish) . We like to make this tendli ( ivy gourd) veggie with slightly thick gravy and not really dry but the ingredients are same.

Ingredients :

Tendli/ kundru/ivy gourd – 1/2 kg.

onion – I small

Fresh grated coconut – 1/2 of a large coconut

Tamarind – a small piece (1/4 teaspoon paste)

Jaggary – 1/2 Teaspoon

Mustard Seeds – 1/4 teaspoon

Dry red chili – 1 or 2

Coriander seeds – 2 Tsp

Urad dal- 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon

Just enough oil for cooking.

Curry leaves ( optional. I don’t use them in this recipe)

Method : 

Dry roast coriander seeds, red chilies, urad dal and mustard seeds. Ensure none of these burn.

Grind and Keep aside.

Boil tamarind in some water to make a paste.

Keep aside

In a blender add grated coconut, ground spices and tamarind paste.

Blend with little water to make a smooth paste.

In a pan add a little oil and heat. Lower the flame and add mustard seeds. When they begin to splutter add finely chopped tendli. If the tendli is very tender I just pound it and use it whole.

Add turmeric powder and salt and let it cook in little water till soft.

Add the coconut paste with a little water , stir and bring it to one boil and remove from heat. (You can exclude water and keep it dry as originally the Sukke is)

In a seasoning pot heat a little oil and add curry leaves and finely chopped onions (I don’t use curry leaves).

When the onions become slight golden pour the seasoning on top of the Sukke and stir.

Serve hot with rice and dalitoi  as I did.

(Dalitoy is plain Arhar dal seasoned with mustard seeds, garlic cloves,whole red chili, green chili, curry leaves and asafoitida)

Happy Cooking.

Two Tangy Recipes With Indian Gooseberry (Amla) – Green Chutney and Pickle

 

I thought of listing the enormous health benefits and nutrients that make this tangy fruit one of my personal favorites but then I thought I will just give a link here Know 50 Health benefits of Amla  . This posts tells almost everything and for more there is always mother Google.

Did you ever eat raw  Amla and had water over it? If yes, then you must be remembering the natural sweetness it gave to water.  As a kid I loved to eat the fruit raw with a little sprinkle of salt or just mix the grated amla in my food. It gives a lovely flavor to arhar dal especially. I still love it.

For those to prefer this wonderful delightful fruit  in a chutney or a spicy tangy pickle here are two recipes perfected in my kitchen.

 

 Amla Mint Chuntney and  Instant Amla Pickle 

Let us first go green with fragrant home grown Mint which again like Amla has a lot of health benefits. You can always look them up on Google.

I love mint in my drinks, soups, chutneys and yogurt or as a mouth freshener too.  Mint chutney with some fresh coriander (cilantro) and Amla is one of my favorite condiment with anything and everything. I just love this fresh green soothing spread.

To make Amla , Mint Chutney you will need:

Amla – medium size  2 nos.

Fresh Mint leaves – One small bowl

Fresh coriander – one small bowl

Onion – I small (roughly chopped)

garlic – 2-3 nos.

Ginger – 1/2 inch (roughly chopped)

Green Chilies - 1-2 9 to taste)

lemon juice – I teaspoon

Roasted cumin power – a pinch (optional)

Salt – to taste

Sugar – 1 teaspoon ( optional)

Method

 Wash the leaves and chop them roughly.  Put the first 7 ingredients in a blender with salt and blend till they make a coarse paste.  all the ingredients should turn into coarse paste not smooth .. although some prefer it the other way.

Take out in a bowl and add sugar, cumin powder and lemon juice. Mix well. Garnish with twig of  fresh mint.

Your delicious , tangy green mint amla chutney is ready to serve.

Now for the Instant pickle 

Ingredients 

Amla or Indian Gooseberry  - 5

Green Chilies – 2-3 nos.

Asafoetida – a pinch

Salt – to taste

Mustard  (sarson)  seeds- 1 teaspoon

Fenugreek (methi) seeds – 1 teaspoon

Turmeric – 1/4 tespoon

Red chili powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Mustard Oil – 2 tablespoon

Method 

Steam the washed and dried Amlas and cut them into small pieces once they cool.

Heat mustard oil in a cast iron or non stick pan (I use cast iron) till it smokes. Remove from heat.

Cool it just a little and add both the seeds and hing ( asafoetida).

When they begin to splutter add red chili powder and turmeric powder.

Stir in the pieces of steamed amla and raw chopped green chilies. Also add salt.

Once all the ingredients are mixed properly let it cool completely in a bowl or in the pan itself .

Take a clean glass bottle to store the pickle and keep it airtight.

This pickle can last for at least a week if not more. I make it in lesser quantity and fresh through out winter.

You can adjust the salt and chilies according to taste but try to keep the natural flavors. Over spiced pickle can lose its flavor and nutrients.

Your pickle is now ready to eat.

Do give me feedback on the recipes and any  suggestions that you would like to share are very much welcome. 

Enjoy !

 

Recipe – Traditional Carrot Halwa

I am a sucker for seasonal produce and ruby red carrots flood the vegetable markets during winter. Sweet and full of healthy nutrients these carrots are not just good as raw salad can also used for making Carrot Pickle ( my recipe)  ,  carrot cake , carrot halwa, carrot barfi , carrot preserve (murraba) / paysam and can be cooked and mixed in variety of way in vegetables/ stews / soups/ pulao / vegetable biryani/ avial etc. I recently had carrot parathas with home made butter and trust me they were out of the world. Do you know how beneficial is the juice of carrots? find out  in my post Carrot Juice Benefits .

Carrot halwa is one of the favorite sweet dishes all across Northern India and is made in variety of ways these days. This Indian Carrot pudding is one of the main sweet dishes on any festival, wedding or other celebrations. With Khoya ( similar to ricotta cheese but lower in moisture and made with milk instead of whey) , condense milk, sugar-free and easy microwave carrot halwa are also popular these days. but

All Indian desserts are time-consuming labor of love. All across the plains of North India you will find pipping hot carrot halwa and hot gulab jamun in every sweet shop all through winter. Most of these shops use khoya which makes the halwa richer. I prefer to make it traditionally in full cream milk over slow fire and the result is a gorgeous deep red aromatic halwa with  a divine taste of thickened milk. Making halwa in milk also helps it carrots to retain their flavor which is usually masked when khoya is used.

The traditional carrot halwa is definitely is not a dish for dieters.  Rich in Vitamin A, proteins, carbohydrates and fat it is  nutritious and filling winter dessert.

I make two types of carrot halwa – one with red carrots and the other with black( deep purple carrots which are usually not used for halwa).

Black Carrot Halwa

Today I want to share recipe for Red carrot Halwa  or gajar ka halwa perfected over the years in my kitchen.  This halwa can be kept in an air tight container in fridge for more than a month.

Ingredients :

Red Carrots – 1 Kg

Full Cream Milk – 1 Kg

Ghee ( Clarified Butter) – 1/2 cup

Mixture of dry fruits – I cup ( raisins, blanched shredded almonds, broken cashew nuts etc. )

Green Cardamom – 6

Sugar –  1 cup ( according to taste) ( the amount of  sugar depends on sweetness of the carrot too)

Method: 

Choose medium size thin red carrots. These will have thinner yellow middle part which we discard while grating for halwa .

Wash, peel and grate them from the larger side of grater so they retain their texture after cooking.

Take a heavy bottom pan or wok and place in on medium flame.

Heat full cream milk and add grated carrots to it when milk begins to simmer.

Let it simmer on low flame after first boil. Keep stirring in between so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.

Let it cook till all the milk gets evaporated.

Once the milk dried up add sugar and mix properly. Keep the flame on medium and keep stirring as at this point the mixture will have tendency to stick to bottom.

The sugar will make the mixture lose water so turn the flame to low and let the water evaporate. The mixture will also get  a gorgeous deep color and aroma by this time.

Now that the mixture is almost dry and has started leaving the sides add ghee ( clarified butter).

Keep stirring it till the mixture is nicely roasted It will have a deep red color by now and will smell heavenly of thick milk, sugar and carrot.

Once the ghee leaves the sides and the mixture gets a crispy yet moist texture add crushed cardamoms and slowly the magical fragrance of the spice will begin to blend in with the sweetness of the dish.

Some people stir fry the nuts before adding but I add them in their natural form. Raisins should be soaked for a while before adding.

Turn off the flame and remove the dessert in a serving plate or bowl. Carrot halwa is meant to be eaten hot. Sometimes just for a change I put a dollop of vanilla ice cream on the side. The hot and cold of these two favorites is a great combination.

Enjoy one of the finest and most loved Indian desserts. Try it in your kitchen and share it with loved ones. Do let me know if you relished this winter treat.

Bon Appetit 

Homemade Karonda (natal fruit) Jam Recipe

Karonda is an exotic fruit which grows wild in bushes in India it is part of the family carrisa and its botanical name is carrisa carandas. It is a beautiful ivory color fruit with deep blush of red and pink on it. It has medicinal properties and can be made in to preserves, syrups etc. In north India it is also made into pickle. It tastes very sour and there are different colored karondas available from purple to deep red in India. We commonly get the Ivory ones in summer and make jam from them. Here is my recipe for karonda jam.

Karonda Jam 

Ingredients :

1/2 kg Karonda ( fruit should not be damaged or spotted)

1 kg. sugar

4 cups water

 Method :

Wash Karonda fruit properly and cut them in halves.

Take out the pits(seeds) and place the fruit in water.(throw this water as it will be extremely sour)

Heat a heavy bottom pan and boil the fruit in new water .

The moment fruit becomes tender add sugar and keep stirring.

Some people sieve the fruit after boiling and then add sugar but I love the pieces of fruit in the jam . For those who like smooth jams the tender fruit can be passed through a sieve so a pulp is obtained.

Stir constantly till sugar dissolves and the pulp thicken.

Remove from flame and cool.

Once cool spoon it in a glass bottle.

The karonda fruit is full of vitamin C and is rich source of iron and that makes it good for those suffering from anemia.

Do try the recipe and enjoy this wonderful jam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No Frill Oven Baked Bread Pudding

Last few days my Laptop was in ICU   and I was having withdrawal symptoms . The boys suggested baking and I decided to make a quick bread pudding.

This  is a very simple yet delicious pudding that can be eaten hot or cold as desired. A fabulous fragrance of nutmeg and raisins  and the aroma that fills your senses while it is cooking  is killing……hmmmm no wonder it is a hot favorite with us all.

I do not trim the edges but those  who don’t like them can trim the slices of bread and cut them in triangles or smaller squares.

Ingredients :

Bread slices – 8

Margarine or butter -30 grams

Full cream milk – 1 cup

Eggs – 2 large

Milkmaid or any condensed sweet milk – 1/2 tin ( 200 grams)

Nutmeg – 1 pinch

Raisins  – 1/2 cup ( coated in flour or they will burn )

Method :

Start by trimming the edges of the bread  or if you like them then just cut the bread in triangular pieces and butter them slightly on both sides.

Arrange the slices in a layer in an oven proof dish 8′ x 6″ is good enough.

Beat the eggs and blend together with milk, condensed milk and nutmeg.

Pour the mixture on the arranged slices of bread .

let the mixture get soaked properly. keep for five minutes  and then bake in moderately hot oven ( 160 degrees)  for 30 to 40 minutes or till the top becomes golden brown .

take out and if you can turn it over  do that and put it again for five to ten minutes for that extra golden glow on the other side  but if  you have impatient boys with bottomless pits as tummies then it will look like this after removing from oven

Before I knew the pudding was out  in a box and brutally attacked . leaving behind something which resembled nothing that I know

This tastes wonderful and I am sure you will enjoy making it  as much as my kids enjoyed eating it ;D

Have fun .

Recipe : Homemade Peanut Butter

 

 

Peanut Butter jelly sandwich has been my all time favorite. In fact I love peanut butter with anything. Spread on rotis, biscuits, cream crackers, in candies, smoothies, pies etc. One can also make delicious peanut butter cookies, fudge, satay, pudding,  peanut butter chicken and other sumptuous dishes with it  or simply lick it off like I do many times when no one is looking :p .

I learned and perfected the art of making good peanut butter and for sometime even took orders to sell it. One you make peanut butter at home you will never feel excited about store bought peanut butter.  I like it smooth and easy to spread but one can make it a little crunchy too. Here is an awesome website for PB lovers. Check  it out  [ LINK ]

Before I share the recipe let me tell you some facts.

**Did you know that peanuts are actually legumes, not nuts, and they originated from Brazil, and that even the Incas appreciated the delicious taste of peanut butter many centuries before us!

**”Arachibutyrophobia” (pronounced I-RA-KID-BU-TI-RO-PHO-BI-A) is the fear of peanut butter getting stuck
to the roof of your mouth.

It is a very healthy lunch box meal power packed with protein and other nutrients. Home made Peanut butter has minimum salt and absolutely no preservatives so it is  better than the ones bought from stores and turns out to be cheap too. You can make it crunchy or smooth according to your taste.  I make it smooth.

The little bit of fiber found in peanut butter (1 g per tablespoon) combined with its protein content can give dieters a feeling of satiety, or fullness. If you feel full, you will eat less, so a serving of peanut butter may actually help keep your overall caloric intake down.

Now for the recipe

Ingredients:

Peanuts : 1/2 kg shelled

salt : 1/2 teaspoon

Sugar : 1 tablespoon

Peanut oil : 1 table-spoon

Method :

Roast the peanuts with their skin on slow fire in a heavy bottom pan till brown. Make sure they roast well but don’t get burnt even slightly or they will taste bitter.

Remove the skin by rubbing between palms.

In a blender put peanuts, salt, sugar and oil and blend till a smooth paste in made. Do not blend more than necessary or the mixture will  start leaving oil.

If you want it crunchy then blend till it gets a crunchy ( with small bits of chopped peanuts) texture.

You can add or decrease salt and sugar according to taste.

 Adding little vegetable or peanut oil with ingredients prevents peanut oil from separating while blending. Once in the processor the peanuts will go through stages of: crushed, crushed into a fine powder, a paste, a thicker paste, a big “dough ball”, and then the ball will break down into runnier peanut butter. At the point the peanut butter is runny, continue processing for about 1 more minute, making sure the peanut butter is as smooth as desired. Keep stopping and stirring in between to avoid the machine from getting over heated. It will also help the salt and sugar to blend nicely.

Scrape it out and fill it in a glass jar. Make sure to keep the container tightly sealed after each use.

Keep it in the fridge for as long as you wish. Do not freeze. Usually it lasts for two to three weeks if stored wisely.

Enjoy the thick peanut butter spread any time of the day.

Recipe : Homemade Garlic Toast and Spread

Garlic bread is one of my favorites and I make it at home with different combinations. Here is one of the most sought after and immensely relished by the family.

Delicious Garlic Bread Spread

Two loaves French bread (I use normal daily bread also)

One stick butter (soft)

1/2 c. mayonnaise

12 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese

6 oz. chop black olives (preferably canned ones)

1/2 tsp. basil leaves

1 tsp. oregano leaves

One generous tbsp. dried parsley flakes

1/2 tsp. chili flakes

Green onions, chopped

Bacon, crisp and crumbled

Method:

Finely chop black olives and green onions.

Mix all the ingredients together.

Slit open the French bread lengthwise and Spread the mixture on bread.

Sprinkle onions and crumbled bacon over the spread.

Bake on cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until bubbly.

Enjoy the delicate taste of the herbs and spices along with some crispy bacon and green onion.

2.Another option with Veggies and Cottage Cheese

Ingredients:

Four Bread Slices

1/2 cup grated Cottage cheese

One large Onion

Five pods of Garlic

1/2 cup Butter

One large Tomato

One Capsicum (bell pepper, any color)

One Green Chilly

1/2 cup grated Mozzarella Cheese

Method:

Mash the Garlic into paste and mix this paste with the Butter. Cut the Onion, Tomato, Chilly and Capsicum to small pieces.

Take a Bread Slice or the Italian bread and apply the Garlic Butter mix on it. Now spread the grated cottage cheese on the Bread Slice. Put the pieces of Onion, Tomato, Chilly and Capsicum on the top. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese.

Preheat the oven to 170 degree Celsius for 3 minutes. Put the prepared bread in it and heat for approximately 5 minutes.

As soon as the Cheese bubbles and it starts to turn brown, remove and place in a serving dish.

Enjoy the healthy snack anytime of the day.

Recipe: Delicious Grilled shrimp

Grilled Shrimp with Coriander Salsa

BBQ is an outdoor fun activity which I always enjoy. I love sea food and shrimps are my favorites. Succulent, beautiful, delicate and easy to grill they are loved all over by BBQ fans.

Shrimps are so lean that they seldom catch fire on the flaming grill. They turn a beautiful pink when they are done which is approximately five minutes or so Usually the size of shrimp makes no difference but the bigger ones look good and take less effort. You can leave the peals on or take then off for a formal dinner. While grilling shrimps, thread them onto skewers lengthwise so that they do not curl as they grill.

This recipe with salsa sauce is amazing ..you just got to try it once.

Salsa magic

This grilled shrimp recipe goes best with the magical coriander salsa. It is made with raw garlic, ginger, lime, and little oil. Remove the coriander leaves from the stems, and wash well before you put them in the blender. This salsa goes best with anything from shrimp, steak, fish, chicken or veggies.

Main Dish:

Ingredients:

1kg shrimps, peeled or unpeeled

coriander salsa

225 gm Fresh Coriander leaves washed and chopped

1 tbsp peeled and roughly chopped ginger

1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped

Or

Dried red pepper flakes to taste

60ml extra virgin olive oil

Fresh lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste

How to make coriander Salsa:

Combine the Coriander in a blender with the garlic, ginger, hot pepper and oil.

Puree until smooth. One can add a little more oil if needed.

Pour into a glass bowl add salt and pepper to taste and thin with one or two table spoons of lime juice.

Keep aside.

It can be kept for a day in the refrigerator

Grilling instructions for the shrimps:

Start a gas or charcoal fire. (Not very hot)

Keep the grill rack four inches away from fire

Grill the shrimps, turning once until the shells are too hot to touch or till the flesh turns a nice pink in color and browns a bit.

Serve immediately with the salsa.

Have a wonderful BBQ evening.

Varan Bhat : The taste of Maharashtra

Maharashtra’s delectable cuisine is rich in flavor and known for its distinguished presentation. Lentil and rice or “daal chawal” as it called in India, is a staple food all across India. Varan (sweet dal) is a simple comfort food eaten on daily basis in all Maharashtra homes. It is a cooked with yellow split peas, mashed, and spiced with a bit of turmeric and asafetida with a tiny amount of Jaggary.

A traditional varan is called “gor varan” or “sweet varan”

There can be many variations to this basic lentil like moong dal varan, fenugreek seed varan, cumin flavored varan, etc. Traditionally varan is served on a mound of hot steaming rice (Ambemohar or Basmati variety) with a spoon full of ghee (clarified butter) along with lemon and salt on the left side of the thali (plate).

During important functions and weddings it is an important starter for the main course and the rice is pressed into a flower shaped mould and inverted on the plate before varan and ghee is poured on top of it.

Here I present two scrumptious recipes comes from my mother’s kitchen. She is a great cook and we have always loved the two variations of healthy varan that she makes so lovingly.

1. Gor (sweet) Varan

Ingredients:

1-cup pigeon peas lentil

1 tsp. Turmeric

1/2 tsp. Asafoetida

2 cups water

Salt to taste

Lime, sliced

Jaggary size of a small walnut (grated)

1 tsp. Ghee (Clarified butter)

Method:

Clean and wash the lentil several times.

Add 2 cup of water, asafoetida and the turmeric powder and pressure cook until soft. Transfer the cooked lentil into a pot. Blend the cooked lentil until it mixes thoroughly.

Take a pan and pour the lentil in it to boil, add salt and Jaggary. Boil until the ingredients mix and remove from heat.

Serve hot on top of rice with a spoonful of ghee and a slice of lime.

Variation: add a tempering to the lentil. Heat oil; add mustard seeds, when it pops add cumin seeds, chopped onions. Cook until onions become transparent, add spices – cumin powder, coriander powder, as needed, then add chopped tomatoes, and cook for 5-7 minutes.

Add all this to the cooked lentil.

2. Ambat Varan (Sweet and Sour Varan)

“Ambat” means sour. This sweet and sour lentil recipe is a specialty of my mother.

Ingredients:

1-cup Pigeon peas lentil

1 tsp. Turmeric powder

1/3 tsp. Asafoetida

1/4 cup tamarind pulp (thin)

3-4 tbsp sugar or Jaggary

1/2 cup fresh Cilantro leaves chopped

For Tempering:

2 Tbsp Oil

Four cloves of fresh Garlic

1/4 tsp. Asafoetida

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp. Cumin Seeds

1 tsp. Red Chili powder

1/2 tsp. Turmeric powder

1 green chili – seeds removed and cut lengthwise into two parts

5-6 Curry leaves

Method:

Add 1 cup of water, asafoetida and the turmeric powder to nicely washed lentil. Pressure cook until soft and transfer the cooked lentil into a pot. Add 2 cups of water. Blend the cooked lentil until it mixes thoroughly.

Add the tamarind and Jaggary and cilantro leaves and bring it to a rapid boil. Add salt and let it cook for 8-10 minutes. Bring down the heat to medium and keep it boiling.

In another small pan, heat the oil until hot.

Add the garlic cloves and cook until golden brown. Now add the asafoetida, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds.

Once the seeds start sputtering, add the red chili powder, turmeric powder, curry leaves and green chili.

Cook for a few seconds and then temper the boiling lentil with this mixture. Bring it to another rapid boil.

Note: The sourness and sweetness needs to be adjusted, as the tamarind you use will vary in its tanginess.

Garnish with more chopped cilantro leaves. Serve with plain rice with a spoonful of ghee (clarified butter) and a squeeze of lime.

I am sure all of you will love the aroma and the flavor of these two very simple yet delicious lentil preparations.

Recipe: Butter Chicken : The Gastronomical Delight of India

Butter Chicken can be easily called the National Dish of India as far as non vegetarian cuisine goes. Sinfully laced with oodles of butter, rich cream, thick tomato gravy and spices, this Indian gastronomical delight is extremely popular all over the country and even abroad.

Butter chicken was “invented” at the Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi in the 1950′s.

Tandoori chicken, cooked in famous tandoors (clay ovens embedded in earth) brought to Delhi and other cities by Hindu refugees fleeing from the Northwest Punjab after the creation of West Pakistan, is the main ingredient of this dish. Butter chicken is actually made with leftover tandoori chicken, cut into small pieces, and simmered in a rich, creamy sauce of tomatoes, butter and spices topped up with extra cream.

Being a hotelier’s wife I have some advantages and this is a personal recipe for this mouthwatering delicacy.

BUTTER CHICKEN

For the Marinade:

800 grams of chicken cut into pieces (preferably boneless)

1 tablespoon thick yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon each of coriander, cumin and red chili powder

1/4 tsp garam masala

2 tsp ginger, garlic paste

Salt to taste

A few drops of edible orange-red color

For the Gravy

4 large tomatoes chopped [blanched and finely chopped]

1 onion finely chopped

1/2 cup cashew nut paste

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

2 green chilies finely chopped

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon fresh cream

1 teaspoon each of coriander, cumin, red chili powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

Salt and sugar to taste

Melted butter, fresh cream and finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Method

Prick holes and make cuts in the chicken pieces. Mix well the ingredients for the marinade and rub into the chicken pieces. Let it marinate for a few hours, overnight if possible for best results.

Heat half the butter on medium level in a heavy-bottomed pan and put in the chicken along with the marinade. Cover and cook for about 25 minute(s) or till the chicken is fully cooked. After the liquids have evaporated, stir fry the chicken for some time in the residual fat.

For gravy

Heat the remaining butter in a saucepan and add onion and green chilies. Fry for a few minutes.

Add the ginger garlic paste mix well now add little water and red chilly, turmeric, cumin and coriander powder mix well

Add chopped tomatoes and cook well now add cashew nut paste and season with sugar, salt and cook uncovered on medium level for about 5 minutes till the puree thickens and the fat separates.

Stir in the beaten cream and reduce the heat to low.

Add the chicken Cover and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes or till the curry is thoroughly heated through.

Check for seasoning.

Just before serving pour melted butter over the curry. Garnish with a swirl of fresh cream and finely chopped coriander leaves.

Enjoy with fresh rice or Parathas (Fried Indian flat bread)