Almond Chicken

Ingredients:

1. 1 kg chicken,cut into medium-sized curry pieces

2. Garam masala (To make this particular garam masala,dry-roast 1/2 tsp black peppercorns,2 brown cardamoms,1/2" cinnamon,6 cloves and pinch of freshly grated nutmeg in a frying pan till they release a nice aroma.Grind them to coarse powder)

3. 1-2 tbsp oil / ghee

4. 1 large onion,chopped finely

5. 1/2 " ginger,chopped finely

6. 6 garlic cloves,chopped finely

7. 4 tbsp almond paste 
( To prepare almond paste,blanch and peel almonds.Grind with little water.)

8. 1 tsp coriander powder

9. 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

10. 1 tsp cumin powder

11. 1 cup whisked curd

12.  1/2 cup milk

13. few saffron strands

14. 10 dried apricots

15. salt as required

Method:

Heat oil/ghee in a thick bottomed vessel or curry pot.Add the chopped onion and roast till it's soft and transparent.Add the ginger and garlic to this and saute till the raw smell vanishes.Reduce the heat to medium and sprinkle the garam masala powder and roast till the mixture release sharp aroma.Now reduce the heat, add the spice powders and continue roasting till the raw smell disappears. Now this will be a very dry mixture.Add little water and mix well till everything is properly blended and oil start clearing on top.Add the whisked curd,mix in low flame and simmer for few minutes for everything to be blended well.When the oil clears on top,add the almond paste and mix it in.Simmer this gravy again for few minutes. Meanwhile boil the milk and drop the saffron strands in it.Stir and add this to the simmering gravy.When it start simmering add the chicken pieces,apricots and salt to this.Mix well to coat with the gravy.Bring this to a boil,then reduce the heat and cook closed till the chicken is cooked well and oil clears on top.Mix the gravy well so that the entire mixture will turn exotic and creamy.The gravy should be medium-thick.Now switch off and remove the chicken pieces to the serving bowl.Heat just the gravy again to make it a thicker, nuttier one.Finally pour this thick gravy over the delicately-cooked chicken.

Sweet Egg Puri (Diwali special )

Ingredients:

• Egg – 4
• Sugar – 4 tablespoon
• Cardamom powder – 1 teaspoon
• Plain flour – 2 cups
• Salt – ¼ teaspoon
• Oil – 1 tablespoon
• Water

Method:

1.Whisk together egg, sugar and cardamom powder until all the sugar is dissolved. Keep aside

2.Knead plain flour, salt and oil with enough water to make a soft dough.

3.Heat enough oil to deep fry.

4.Make lime size balls with the soft dough and roll them into thin discs (10 -12cm) of equal size.

5.Place two discs together (on top of each other) and braid the sides tightly leaving a small opening for the egg mixture to be poured in.

6.Lift the opening and slowly pour in about ¼ of the filling.

7.Close the opening by pressing together and then braid the area tightly.

8.Slowly transfer the filled discs to the hot oil and deep fry until golden brown, turning in between the process.

Chicken Haleem

Ingredients:

1 ½ kg Chicken
1/2 kg Wheat
1 cup Gram lentil
1 cup Oil
3 Onion chopped
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp All spice
1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp Chili powder
to taste Salt

For serving:

1 bunch Mint leaves chopped
1 bunch Coriander leaves chopped
2 cup Oil.
4 Onion
8 Green chilies chopped
8 Lemon
3 tbsp Ginger julienne
3 tbsp All spice.
3 tbsp Roasted & ground cumin

Method:

1.Cut chicken into 12 pieces. Wash 1/2 kg wheat and 1 cup gram lentils with lukewarm water. Soak in water as required. Now remove extra water of wheat, boil with fresh water. Also add in 1 tbsp oil and mix with a wooden spoon.

2.Separately boil gram lentils and blend well. In pan put together chicken pieces, 3 chopped
onion, 2 to 3 cups of water, 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp turmeric, salt to taste, 1 tsp all spice and 1 cup oil. Cook well till water dries.

3. Now add boiled wheat with a little water. Cook over low flame. Put pan on a hot griddle. Simmer on low flame. Heat 2 cup oil in pan, add in 4 chopped onion and fry till golden brown, now remove brown onion and spread on a paper. Leave it till crisp.

4.Pour haleem in a serving bowl, top with chopped coriander leaves, chopped mint leaves, chopped green chilies, ginger julienne, roasted ground cumin and all spice powder. Serve hot.

Jackfruit Seeds Chop

Ingredients:

Jackfruit seeds: 500 gm 

Potatoes: 2 big or 3 medium

Onion: 2 medium

Ginger: 2” piece

Garlic: 6-7 fat cloves

Fennel seeds: 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds: 11/2 tbsp

Green cardamoms: 4 no.s

Dry red chilies: 6-7 or as per your taste

Turmeric powder: ½ tsp

Roasted peanuts: ¼ cup

Salt

Sugar

For the coating:

Cornflour: 2 tbsp/ 1 egg

Breadcrumbs

Oil for deep frying

Method:

1.Remove the outer white tough skin from the seeds. Wash it thoroughly under running water. Boil these with the potatoes and little salt. The seeds should become soft.

2.Mash the seeds and the potatoes while still warm. There should not be any lumps.

3.Peel and cut the onion, garlic and ginger in chunks. Place these with the seeds, cardamoms and dry red chilies in a mixer and pulse for a couple of seconds. Or alternatively just roughly pound the spices in a mortar and pestle. The ground spices should be very coarse.

4.Mix the spices with the mashed seeds. Add sugar and salt to balance the taste. Mix n the turmeric.

5.Heat a tbsp of oil in a non-stick pan and fry this mixture on very low flame. Continuously stir the mixture to avoid sticking and burning at the bottom. After 5-6 minutes the mixture would be dry and will leave the sides of the pan. Keep on cooking for another 3-4 minutes or till you see oil oozing out from the mixture. Mix in the crushed roasted peanuts, Switch off and cover. Let it cool completely.

6.In the mean time prepare the batter by making a smooth but thin batter with cornflour and 1/3 cup water. Add a pinch of salt to it.

7.Once the prepared seeds are soft, take a handful of the mixture and shape them as you wish. The usual shape is like flattened rounds or balls.

8.Once you finish the whole mixture, heat the oil.  Once the oil is hot decrease the flame.

9.Dip the chops in cornflour batter; roll them in breadcrumbs and fry on low flame till golden on both sides. Take out with a slotted spatula.

Serve hot with salad and sauce.

Vegetable Roll

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ cup Chinese cabbage, sliced finely
• 1 cup bamboo shoots, chopped roughly
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated
• Salt-reduced soy sauce, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 packet frozen spring roll wrappers, thawed (about 30 minutes)
• ½ cup canola oil for frying
• Sweet chili sauce 

Method:

Bring a wok or non-stick frying pan to a high heat, and add oil. Add garlic, cabbage, bamboo shoots,carrot and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.

 Add soy sauce to taste and a few good grinds of pepper. Set aside to cool completely.

On a clean work bench, place a small bowl with the beaten egg close to your work space.

Lay a spring roll wrapper on the bench and turn it diagonally to make a diamond shape.

Fill with 1½ tablespoons filling in the centre of the wrapper and wrap the bottom half of the wrapper over the top of the filling. Tuck each side inward then using your fingertips wipe the edges of the top part of the diamond with a little egg, and then roll the wrapper to close it.

Continue until you have used all the mixture and then cover with a damp tea towel.

Clean your wok or frying pan, and bring to a medium heat, add canola oil. Wait a few minutes for the oil to heat up. Dip one end of a spring roll into the oil - if it doesn’t sizzle, the oil is not ready.

When the oil is ready, fry the spring rolls in batches until lightly golden on all sides.

Place on a plate lined with paper towels, and serve immediately with sweet chili  sauce for dipping.