Chicken curry .... light, soupy and flavourful , perfect for winter meals

Ps : This was made sometime during the monsoons and has been sitting in my drafts all the while. 

I have given the story alongwith that led to the making of this curry. 

The very vegetarian, very Rajasthani husband cooked this beautiful chicken curry for me today. .

I woke up with a stiff back, body ache and painful hands. All that strain and working with water yesterday and sleeping with the a/c on last night has shown fruit. And has immobilised me completely. With the knowledge that it will be very difficult to get to my ortho or my physiotherapist, we decided that I take a break today. So while I stayed put with my heating pad and book, B took over the kitchen. .
.
.
I washed and prepped the chicken and asked him what should I marinate it with.
Drew a blank.
“Vinegar or curd?”.
“Vinegar. But very little.”
“Do you want big pieces or small pieces?”
Blank.
“What are you planning to cook ... a gravy? Or dry?”
“Hmm ... gravy. But dryish.”
“What will you be cooking in? Pressure cooker or kadahi?”
“Pressure cooker.”
So I gave him the pieces marinated with a little vinegar. .

After that I had  no idea how he made it.
But the moment the cooker let out the first whistle, I breathed in deep and knew I was in for a treat.
And a treat it indeed was.
I quickly make some mishti bhaat / basanti polau  for myself and happily put it in the background of the photo because that chicken curry / murgir jhol deserves all the limelight. .

It was light, perfect balance of salt and sugar and nothing overwhelming. Soothing, comforting, beautiful jhol.
Soft succulent pieces.
I realised it would go great with both plain rice as well as rotis.
I haven’t asked him the recipe but have asked him to make it again sometime.
It felt so good to have a homecooked chicken curry that I have not cooked myself.
Things like this makes the lockdown life bearable .

The recipe is ridiculously simple. 
I kept asking what else .... but this  is all ,  he says. 😊

Need : 

Chicken pieces 
Sliced onions

Ginger garlic paste 

Curd

Turmeric powder

Red chilli powder
Crushed black cardamom

Crushed black pepper 

Bay leaves

Salt

Sugar

Lemon juice 

Halved potato

Cooking oil  ( I use mustard oil ) 

How to : 

Mix everything together except the oil. 

Cover and keep aside for at least half an hour. 

Dump everything in a pressure cooker and cook for two whistles on low. 

Adjust gravy consistency with water as per your requirement. 

Serve steaming hot. 

I love to top with with some ghee and some more lemon juice and sip on it when the weather turns cold. 

This pairs beautifully with plain rice, rotis, parathas, mishti bhaat or even plain bread. 

That is what I love about it most .... its versatility. 

Enjoy!! 

Ps : I have been getting too many spam comments and at my wits end. 

If you are here, can you please help me out and tell me if you are able to see the captcha ??
Please share your commenting experience so that I can make the necessary changes. 

Thank you. 

 

Chickpeas Fried Rice / Chole Pulao - a spicy plateful to warm your heart when it is pouring outside

No, I did not speak all too soon.
The weather has indeed taken a turn and for the good too.
While the temperatures have continued to dip, the breeze has been steady and is only growing stronger.
I had a bout of sneezing and sniffling yesterday, a result of my carelessness ... I had the window open, the fan on and the ac on too ... yeah, kill me for that ... one of these days, and was punished accordingly.
And promptly too.
The whole of yesterday was spent at trying to sneeze with the lowest possible noise ... yet the more the day wore on, the more the volume increased.
Not to mention my groans.
Cold and flu make me cranky. And if there is someone, anyone, in the vicinity, I become very restless.
Tried to lie down and watch the telly but to no good. The choicest of idiotic movies were on. Listening to music was another pain ... my sneezes would not allow me to listen in peace.
Spent a whole miserable morning before I gulped an antihistamine.
That took care of me and I was in dreamland for the rest of the afternoon and the better part of the evening.
B made a hot dinner of Aloo baingan ki sabzi   , with a little gravy to help my sore throat, along with  plain parathas.
And then I slept again.

Woke up early to a dark, cloudy sky and rain.
That quiet, silent but non stop drizzle that Pune is so loved for.
Looked out and saw the droplets dripping down the leaves and the railings of my balcony.
Snuggled back into the razai again.
But sleep eluded and thoughts turned to breakfast.
And what would a good Bong have for breakfast on a beautiful, rainy morning?
Luchi!, of course.
So while B took his morning call, I quickly  set the shaada aloor chorchori on one burner and kneaded the maida.
Soon we were sitting at the table, looking out of the windows and watching the trees sway, enjoying our breakfast of luchi torkari.
I did post a photo of my plate on the blog's page on facebook.
There is a video too, on my personal page.
Someday I will do a post on how to make that perfect phulko luchi, for sure.

But today, while I am still drowsy ... thanks to Avil, I thought I will give my weekly grocery shopping a miss and just watch the clouds.
And make this post.

I had made this Chana pulao just last week. It was a hurried day and I had some leftover rice as well as boiled chickpeas in the fridge.
Decided to throw in them together and come up with a one pot meal.
A plain raita and some salad on the side and a quick lunch was ready within 15 minutes.

Here is the recipe.

Need :

Chickpeas - big cup, 1 pressure cooked with a little salt
Rice - 1 big cup, cooked
Onions - 2, medium, chopped
Garlic - 6, chopped
Green chillies - chopped
Turmeric / Haldi powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Dry mango / Amchur powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp (you can skip it if you are vegan)
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp

How to :

Heat oil in a kadahi / wok.

Add the chopped garlic and fry till they turn light brown.

Add the onions and fry till they turn pink.

Now add the green chillies + the boiled and drained chickpeas (make sure you do not add any water ), haldi powder, red chilli powder and garam masala powder, amchur powder, salt and sugar.

Mix everything well and fry for a while.

Now add the rice and adjust salt.

Add a little more garam masala ( or a pinch of biryani masala will also work fine. I used the Punjabi garam masala that I got from Amritsar ) and mix well.

Add ghee and lemon juice, give a good mix and cover.

Let it stand for around 2 minutes before you switch off heat.

Serve hot with raita and salad on the side.

The raita is just fresh home made curd beaten well with a pinch of black salt and sprinkled with roasted jeera/cumin powder + red chilli powder.

This turns out to be a wonderful one pot meal, especially if you have dryish leftover rice.
Mine was slightly mushy as my rice was a little well cooked.
No change in the flavours though.
And personally I feel well cooked rice soaks up flavours better than just done rice, especially for pulaos like this .... won't work with a biryani though.


Enjoy!!!

Bengali Mishti Polau

The mishti bhaat or mishti polau or ghee bhaat ,for Bengalis, is always associated with happy times and celebrations.
Very different from the pulao that we get to see and hear everywhere outside of Bengal, this sweetened rice preparation is usually made during birthdays, anniversary celebrations, family get togethers or when entertaining guests.
Normally, the Gobindo bhog rice grain is used to make this, but since I don't get it here easily, I make it with the basmati rice grain. Works very well.

Yesterday Kitchen-e-Kichu Khonn completed full eight years of its existence. I had started this blog in 2008, with no aim whatsoever. Was a complete novice when it came to cooking and keeping house. Also a struggler when it came to photography ... food photography actually.
Slowly I started to open up and learn as blogger friends joined me along the way. I started to write more confidently. I was a happy soul and I guess that reflected in my posts.

Slowly the years went by. I saw different faces of life. I guess that reflected in my posts too.
I learnt the details of house keeping and kitchen management slowly ... but surely. Also good cooking too.
Came to realise the finer details ... that making a simple dish tasty is far more challenging than one that is doused with masalas. Of course, I learnt to cook with masalas too.
Realised that when played with proper measurements, different masalas can weave different magic.

Today I make most of my masalas, for daily cooking, at home. I have learnt to combine different ingredients to make a whole some dish or meal. I have also learnt the difference between slow cooking and quick, pressure cooking; low oil cooking and deep fried or sallow fried cooking; ... and lots more.

I know my blog does not have too many posts and I have had longish breaks too. They were due to circumstances that were not in my hand to control.
Today, I will not dwell on that.

I will also not dwell on the fact that I missed Bapi like never before, on his birthday yesterday.
I so miss calling him up and discussing recipes or ask him to plan my menu for the day when I had no idea what to cook, on some days.
Yes, I miss him like I will never be able to explain.
But no.
I will not dwell on sad thoughts.
Rather, I will  think on focusing on what recipes and writings my readers will love.
And how I will try to make Kitchen-e-Kichu Khonn more worthy of your valuable time and love.

 I had made this polau long back, when I had made this Chicken in coconut milk and yoghurt.
Ideally, this sweet Polau should be served with a rich, thick mutton curry or the Mangshor jhol. Or the Kosha mangsho.
But had made this to go with the light chicken dish ... which it did very well.
So I guess this makes the perfect post for Kichu Khonn's b'day.

The real mishti bhaat or polau has fried cashews and raisins too.
I do not add them unless I am having guests. I and the family like this lighter version , redolent with the flavours of dalchini / cinnamon and pure ghee.

Need :

Rice - 1 cup ( I use Basmati ) , washed (I do not soak)
Whole red chillies - 2. broken
Cinnamon / Dalchini - 2 medium sticks, broken
Green cardamom / Choto elaach - 2, lightly crushed
Bay leaf / Tej pata - 1 
Turmeric / Haldi powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 2 pinches
Sugar - 3 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Water - 2 cups

How to :

Heat a heavy kadahi.

Add the ghee and let it warm.

Let in the cardamom, chillies, cinnamon and bay leaf.

Fry a little and let in the rice.

Fry for sometime till every grain is coated with the ghee and starts to glisten.

Add the turmeric and stir fry a little more.

Add salt + sugar + water.

(If using cashews and raisins, add now.)

Cover and cook till all water dries up.

Remove cover and check .... the rice should be just done and not very soft.

Fluff it up a little with a fork and switch off the flame.

Cover and let it stand for 5 minutes.

Done!

That is my version of the mishti polau ... light, sweet and raring to go with something spicy with a gravy on the side.
Pair this with some chicken or mutton delicacies and some chaatni on the side, to make a pure Bengali feast.

Happy b'day Kichu Khonn!
Enjoy!!

Quick Vegetable Biryani

( Vegans just skip the ghee )

The mad rush of the days of Durga puja and Diwali finally settle down to a sudden quiet.
I can almost hear a sigh of relief in the air.

The days are sedate now. No more rushing about, meeting deadlines, following rituals.
No more staying on our toes; keeping an ear out for the doorbell ... anticipating another batch of friends or guests. No more checking if the jars and the fridge are full ... or at least half full ... to be able to offer something to guests.
The afternoons are lazy. The sun has already shifted and the South facing windows and rooms are flooded with sunlight; making the spots delightful to sit down with a book or for a snooze with a light quilt around you. Which I eventually do these days. Both.
Catch up with my much needed rest.
A book ... a few pages through ... and I am asleep.
The evenings are quiet too. I get up to a cup of tea and my book again.

Sometimes I cook something other than the daily dal, roti, sabzis.
It might be a quick pizza in the oven ... a store bought base with loads of chopped veggies and some cheese and pizza sauce, a few minutes in the oven and done!
We take out slices from the oven and leave the rest there to stay warm ... as we munch on our slices and watch the Big B's voice resonate through the room. I love watching KBC.
On other days I make a quick stir fried noodles ... again with loads of veggies ... but cut differently.
A quick toss and done!
Now that winter is here, most nights will see hot Aloo parathas, Mooli parathas or Methi parathas off the tawa onto the plates ... with some spicy pickle on the side.

These days, I try to keep everything short and quick. Of course I have always loved to cook light and quick meals. But these days it is more out of necessity. I am not supposed to strain my hand and shoulders too much.Which I follow.
I am not going to throw care to the winds and get banished from my beloved kitchen for months together ... not any more.

So, when in one of our after lunch addas B asked me if I remembered the vegetable biryani that we had got packed from Souza's Lobo, Goa, for our return journey home, I jumped up and said I am going to make it!

What days those were! Two vagabonds, rushing off to unknown destinations, exploring new places, new food ... all in a shoe string budget. 

We were leaving Goa just before lunch. I had my fish with me ... all packed for the journey. 

But we had no idea what to pack for B. That was when the kind onwer suggested their Veg Biryani.

He said it will stay warm and we should finish it by late noon. 

The biryani was good. In fact very good. 

It had baby corn, green peas, carrots, potatoes,paneer, etc. 

And the gravy and the fried onions on the top were to die for. 

The rice has soaked it up well.

And we had one of the best lunches that day, while our train rushed through the Konkan countryside.

I did try the recipe out later ... almost always with left over rice.
But this time I did not have any left over rice ... so made it from scratch.
I did not boil rice in a vessel and drain it ... the usual way that I cook rice. Instead I cooked it in a kadahi till half done and added to the vegetables later.

If you are looking an authentic version of cooking biryani, this is definitely not it.
But it works.
Super quick and time saving. And not too much of compromise with the flavours.

Need :

Basmati rice - 1 and ½ cup, washed well
Whole garam masalas - clove + cinnamon + black cardamom (broken ) + bay leaves/tej patta + dry red chillies
Ginger paste - 1 tbsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Tomato paste / puree - 4 tbsp
Curd -  6 tbsp , beaten till smooth
Onion - 3 medium sized
Turmeric / Haldi powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
 Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste
Biryani masala - 1 tbsp ( I use Everest )
Fresh coriander leaves
Mint leaves
Kasuri methi - 1 tbsp, crushed well 
Cooking oil - 6 tbsp
Ghee - 3 tbsp
Kishmish / Raisins - soaked in water
Cashew nuts / Kaju
Vegetables of your choice - chopped into small cubes
( I had beans, baby corn, cauliflower, green peas + potatoes + paneer cubes )
Water for the rice - 1 and ½ cups ( use the same cup that you have measured the rice with )
Water for gravy - as needed

How to :

The rice :

Heat 2 tbsp oil + 1 tbsp ghee in a heavy bottomed kadahi.
Add the whole garam masalas.
When they start to splutter, add the cashew nuts and fry a little.
Remove the nuts and add the washed rice.
Fry well on low heat for a while. Do not brown.
Add a little salt ... around two pinches.
Heat the water and add to the rice.
Cover and cook on low heat till all water is soaked up.
The rice should be half done.
Remove cover, fluff it up a little and keep aside.

The fried onions or Beresta :

Take two of the onions and slice them up thinly.
Heat 3 tbsp oil in another kadahi or pan.
Let in the onions and fry till golden brown, on low heat.
This will take time ... so let it sit on one burner and start prepping for the vegetable curry.
Do not raise heat to brown them.
You can deep fry them too ... I did not.

The vegetables :

Heat the rest of the oil and 1 tbsp ghee in another heavy bottomed kadahi or pan.
Preferably a flat open pan ... and the base has to be thick as you will be arranging the biryani in it. We don't want our biryani to burn before it is cooked well.

Add the potatoes and the paneer and fry on high heat to brown the sides.
No need to wait for them to cook .... they will, once they are dunked into the gravy.
Remove and keep aside.

Chop up the third onion and add to the same oil.
When slightly brown, add the ginger + garlic pastes and fry well.
Add the haldi and red chilli quickly for it to stop spluttering too much.
Add some water if needed and fry well till cooked and dryish.

Now add the curd keep stirring on low heat.
When it has mixed well, add the tomato puree.
Cook till dry.

Now add the vegetables, the paneer, salt, sugar and a little water.
Cover and cook till the vegetables are done. 
Remove cover and add the kasuri methi, the biryani masala, the cashew nuts and raisins.
Add water if needed.
We need a thickish gravy like so.

Now spread the rice on the top of the gravy.
Sprinkle the ghee and the coriander leaves and the mint leaves.
Spread the fried onions all over.
Give one single stir to bring up some of the gravy to the top and then spread the rest of the rice on it.
Spread the rest of the onions.
Top it with the rest of the ghee.

Cover tightly with a well fitting lid or a heavy plate.
Let it sit on low heat, on the biggest sized burner of your stove, for 10 to 15 minutes , depending on the amount of gravy you have.
Switch off heat and let it sit for a few more minutes.
Once cover is removed, serve immediately.

Here is a closer look.

This biryani is enjoyed best with the Raita on the side. Chilled, if possible. 
To make the raita, all you need to do is beat fresh curd till smooth, add salt, roasted jeera powder and some red chilli powder.
It is the perfect match to the light spice of the biryani. The caramelised onions give a slight sweet touch to every bite.

Enjoy this quick biryani on a lazy winter afternoon with friends and family.
Or as dinner on a lazy night.
Also perfect to whip up when you have sudden guests who you want to stay over for lunch.

Cheerio all !!

Mushroom Pulao

Hi!!
Hope summer is treating you well in your part of the world.
In my city, summer, as usual, is pleasant.
A day or two would be uncomfortable but that is all.
Just when you think you can't take it any more, there will be a cooling shower and a wonderfully cool breeze and all will be well for the next whole week. Or more.
These days, the evenings are pleasantly cold. And yes, I don't need the fan running beyond the point 2.
Spent a good part of last evening, that extended into late night, sitting in the swing on the balcony ... loving the quiet all around, the moonlight and of course, the cold breeze.
Got up only when I could not deal with the goosebumps any more.
Hope all of you get some respite from this scorching summer soon.

 It has been more than a month now since my last post. I really don't have a reason why I did not make a single post, considering I have a good number of clicked, edited and ready photographs in my folder.
Maybe it is the weather; maybe it is the lack of a little enthusiasm to actually sit down and type down my thoughts.
Making a post for me means I need to write something too. Even if it is a food blog. Even if it is about a food recipe.
I need to write my mind. And my heart.

Even if I do know that there is no pressure from anywhere or anybody to make a post, I have realised that it is a very easy way out. So, right now, I have psyched myself to be under pressure from Indiblogger's rank.
It is that 80 that keeps me going. Kichu Khonn has seen an 82 and an 84 as well as an 87 too.
But that was too long back.
Right now I need all the incentive to keep Kichu Khonn going.
Of course, I have the highest respect and gratefulness for all my readers' visits and mail ... prodding me about the next new post.
What with my limited allowance of computer usage time due to various reasons and the constant ill will that plagiarists create, I really need all the mojo I can ... from anywhere; anybody.

 So this ranking of Indiblogger is pushing me. It is like going back to school. That same self created pressure to hang on to for life ... that figure of 8. Scoring anything after 80 was my only aim.
It never mattered that I never scored a 90 ever ... except for once in Map reading in Geography.  I became a big fan of map reading then. But only for a while.
I quickly realised that it will not get me my 80s every time ... and was happy to return the position of my favourite subject to English literature and language. And slept well after that.

Life does not give me marks for any achievements now ... big or small.
So when I see that 80 on my side bar, I heave a sigh of relief. And gear up to make that next post ... lest it comes a point down.

I make this Mushroom pulao very often. A quick one pot meal, it not only saves time but also is one of those rare vegetarian dishes that I love. Works perfectly for both of us.
I pair this with the raita sometimes, a salad or a freshly grated cucumber koshimbir at other times.
But if it  is summer, I always pair it with this ripe mango salsa ... or you can call it a salad too.

It is the perfect foil to the spiciness of the pulao. Yes, I make it a little spicy and loaded with garam masalas ... one of those rare recipes of mine.
 You can of course tone down the masalas and the spice.

Need :

For the pulao :

Mushrooms - 1 cup packed, cleaned and quartered
Rice - 1 cup ... use the same cup , washed well
Onions - 3 medium sized, sliced
Ginger paste - 1 tbsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Tomato paste - 3 tbsp
Whole garam masala - cloves, cinnamon,  cardamom , whole black pepper
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder  or  biryani masala - 1 tsp
Cooking oil - 4 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste
Water - 2 cups
Ghee - 1 tbsp

How to :

Heat around 1 tsp oil in an open pan. Add the mushrooms and saute till all the water it releases dries up.

Heat another small kadahi or pan and add around 3 tbsp oil.
Add the sliced onions and let them fry on low heat till they are caramelised and turn brown in colour.
( You can deep fry them too ... but I avoid due to all that oil needed. )
Remove from the pan and spread on a paper napkin to soak up the excess oil.

In another pan or a heavy kadahi, heat the remaining oil.
Add the whole garam masalas.
When they start to splutter, add the garlic and ginger paste and fry well.
Next add the tomato paste, the turmeric powder, red chilli powder.
Keep stirring till the tomato loses its raw smell.
Add the rice and fry well along with the masala.
Now add the fried mushroom, the garam masala or biryani masala and give a good stir.
Add the water, salt and sugar.
Cover and cook till rice is done .... do check in between and add some more water if needed.

Remove from heat, sprinkle the ghee, cover and let it rest for 5 minutes.


For the ripe mango salsa :

Chop up some ripe mango, onion, tomato, green chillies.
You can add other things of your choice too.
Sprinkle some salt, sugar, lemon juice and give a good toss. Chill in the refrigerator.

I have used broken Basmati rice since I had it at hand.
It lends a sticky texture to the pulao.
If you want a fluffy, dryish  pulao, with each rice grain separate, do use the long grained Basmati rice.

Serve your spicy mushroom pulao hot, with the sweet tasting fried onions sprinkled on top ....with the soothingly cold salsa on the side.
A quick dish and always a huge help when you have sudden guests and want to stay for a meal.

 Enjoy !!

Do check out the other varieties of the Pulao on Kichu Khonn ... both vegetarian and non vegetarian. 

Cheerio all!!!

Lemon Rice

"Keep a look out for a Tiffany on your side of the highway when I say to."
We were getting ready for our day trip to Srirangapattana when B mentioned this.
I did a double take. "Tiffany?!"
"Yes. It seems they serve the best Maddur vadas."
Maddur vada? I had never heard of Maddur vada .... but gulp down the line.
It would not be fun to see that "But you are a food blogger!!!" look right at the begining of our trip.
The only Tifanny I had known about till then was for the high and mighty and their love for beautiful, glittery things.
So I kept looking out, missing the lovely scenes speeding by.
Travelling on the Karnataka highways is a joy. But I tried to concentrate.
As we approached and just crossed Maddur, I did notice two names that sped by me ... A.K.Tiffany and S.K.Tiffany.
After a second of hesitation I mentioned them.
"There was a Tiffany?! Why didn't you say so ... we should have stopped!."
"But ..."
"What?"
"They are just two run down sheds on thin metal supports that have already started to lean towards one another. Are you sure they are the real Tiffany?"
"Hmm ... what were they selling?"
"I don't know ... but they looked like tea shops."
"Ok ... there will be more ... then we can stop and check them out."

We did not see anymore of them till Srirangapattana.
On our way back, on the other side of the highway, we did see a few more. But they looked so run down and were bang in the midst of garbage and flies, that we did not dare to go over.
The man looked a little crestfallen and went on to describe what beautiful things Maddur vadas are.
"They are very crisp on the outside but soft inside. And they have soft pieces of onions in them. The whole vada is dotted with small,  crisp round things.
You have to break a hot vada and wait for it to cool and then have a bite of the wonderfully crispy piece."

I listen quietly, trying my best to make a picture of the darned thing.
The description went on but the voice started to sound morose.
"But when did you ever get to taste a Maddur vada?"
"Why? In Pune! You have eaten it too."
Double double take. But again a quiet double double take.

Just as I was giving up hope, there loomed in front of us a big building with the word Tiffany written boldly on it. We parked the car and went in.
It looked like regular idli/dosa joint to me except people were standing around small round tables and having coffee and vadas.
With a look of triumph, B orders two plates of vadas and coffee.
And then starts another round of event.

The moment a boy puts two steel plates in front of us that held  two dark brown coloured vadas that looked like overbaked biscuits, doused with chutney, the look on B's face changed.
"This is not Maddur vada!!!!!"
"No?!"
"No. Wait. Maybe they did not understand."
He walks over to the counter and tells the boy that he wants Maddur vada.
The boy nods and says yes .... Maddur vada.
B says no ... Maddur vada.
The boy nods again ... yes, Maddur vada.
Both do not understand each others' language ... so a lot of gesticulating and nodding goes on.
B points to the huge baskets on the stands behind the boy and says "Maddur vada. Hot."
The boy says " Aa, Maddur vada. Hot aa."
B says " Bring hot."
Boy says "Aa, hot aa. Illaa." All the while with a smile on his face.

After what seems ages to me, and seeing this wasn't going anywhere ... and more afraid that I must burst out laughing any moment now, I coaxed B to give up and at least try what they have served.
After all everybody else were eating it. It must be good.
"No no no ... I must have the real thing."
"Ok then ... we'll get it somewhere for sure."
I did try the vadas ... I had asked for them sans the chutney. They were crisp ... no, a little hard I thought.
I did see onions bits in them ... but they too were over fried and had turned too dark.
And they were cold. I too would have liked them a little fresh and hot.

B was so miffed that he actually did not let me take a picture of the place for my travel blog.

A few days later, after going through a lot of blogs I found out what the Maddur vada is.
What it is made of and how. 
And realised what we had been served was the real Maddur vada after all. But nowhere did it match B's description.
So one weekend afternoon I quietly made all the preparations for the Maddur vada, planning to surprise B with crisp, hot vadas with tea in the evening.
After I proudly presented a hot vada, I stepped back to see his face.
He looked at it, sniffed at it, took a bite and said "Mmmmm .... tasty!"
"What is this?"
Double take.
"Maddur vada."
"But this isn't the Maddur vada!!!!!!"

Sigh!

I have here today a simple lemon rice that I usually make when I have left over rice in bulk .. i.e. enough for a meal.
I am not sure if this is the way South Indians make it but I have seen Ma make it this way always.
 I sometimes add a pinch of hing to the tempering.
In winters I add fresh green peas ... my favourite ... too.

Need :

Cooked rice
(updated: leftover rice kept in the fridge for a day or two works better)
Urad dal
Peanuts
Curry leaves
Mustard seeds
Lemon juice
Salt
Red chillies - whole
Turmeric powder
Cooking oil

How to :

Heat oil in a kadahi / wok.
Add a teaspoon of mustard seeds.
When they start to splutter, add the whole red chillies, curry leaves and a tablespoon of urad dal.
Add the peanuts and fry for sometime.

 Then add the rice, salt and the turmeric powder.

Add salt and the lemon juice and mix well.

Serve hot.
I love to have some fresh curd on the side along with this.
Enjoy!!

Mutton Biryani

( Vegetarians can make this with any spicy veg curry. )

 Or quick Mutton biryani.

Anybody who is a regular on Kichu Khon will know about my obsession with

quick and simple cooking.

So this biryani is not about cooking this and soaking that.

Making of this masala and grinding of that masala.

Nah ... just pick up a bowl of leftover mutton curry and cook it with rice.

Garnish it with slivers of fried onion or Birista.

And done!

You have as good as new Mutton biryani in your hands.

Or plate.

When I made this Mangshor jhol / mutton curry,

friends on FB suggested I make a biryani with the left over curry.

And left over mutton curry I did have .... what with only me having it ...

So jumped right in.

They even directed me on how to make the perfect fried onion.

Result ... I had a great mutton biryani!

Made my day perfect.

 After yesterday's rant, I don't have much to write about today.

So will straight go to the recipe.

If you have already cooked mutton curry at home, this is a breeze.

Need :

Left over mutton curry

Whole garam masala -  cloves+black cardamom+cinnamon

Bay leaves

Basmati rice - washed well and drained ( I do not soak )
Cashews - lightly fried

Ghee

Salt

Sugar

Water

Onions - cut into thin slices

Oil - to deep fry the onion slices

Biryani masala powder

Lemon juice

 How to :

The fried onion :

Heat enough oil and deep fry the onion slices in batches.

I sprinkle a little sugar on them.

Remove when well fried and brownish in colour.

 The rice :

Heat ghee in a heavy pan.

Add the whole garam masalas. 

Now add the rice and stir fry well for some time.

When the ghee coats the rice well, add equal amount of water as rice, salt and cover and cook till rice is half done.

Or ... when all water is absorbed.

Remove from heat and fluff it up with a fork.

Better still ... spread it out on a plate ... it will dry up and the grains should separate easily.

Arranging the biryani :

Now take another heavy bottom kadahi ... or a flat based pressure cooker would do too.
Smear it well with ghee.
Spread a layer of the cooked rice and sprinkle some biryani masala on it.
Now spread some mutton pieces and gravy all over.
Then spread some  fried onions and cashew and cover with another layer of rice.
Continue for at least three layers.
Finish off with a layer of rice finally ... covered with the rest of the onion slices.

Put a heavy lid on and keep on low heat for at least half an hour.
I keep a heavy iron tawa on the heat and keep the cooker on it.

Serve immediately after removing from heat.
Curd raita goes great on the side with this.
I chopped some onions, green chillies and cucumber real small,
mixed with curd
and added a dash of salt and black pepper powder.

Look at that fragrant bowlful!
Doesn't it tempt you try it out pronto? :-)

Enjoy!!!

A vegetarian version of this biryani is here ... the Kathal Biryani.

Rice & mutton stew / Mutton Pish pash

 Life is on a fast forward mode these days.

A day starts and ends even before I can blink or say 'Yahoo!' ... or so it seems.

Why I'd want to say Yahoo! I don't know ... especially when there's nothing of much import to cheer. 

And neither am I a big fan of the same.

But yes ... flying by the days are.

And the erratic weather keeps me on my toes.

What with the temperatures swinging like a clock's pendulum,
a sniffle here and
 a hynaaaacccho there prevails.

Had the sniffles a few weeks ago and craved some wholesome and hot, spicy yet bland food.

Home cooked hot food .. the perfect soothe for a troubled soul ...

a soul especially tormented by the unpredictable weather of a new place.

 Ever since I've started getting good ... very good mutton, I've been wanting to try out the Anglo Indian dish called Mutton Pish pash.
It is made of rice and lentils along with chicken or mutton pieces stewed together.
Just like a non veg khichuri or khichadi. 
Very light, very healthy.
 

The sniffles was a perfect sounding board to this wholesome dish.

I admit the mind did picture a bowl of steaming hot and very very spicy Mangshor jhol,

but sense prevailed.

The idea of cooking it from scratch was not exciting enough ....  not then at least.

This dish was so so easy to make.

And absolutely awesome in flavours and taste.

Just the kind of food and cooking I love ... simple yet flavourful ... and very quick to make.

I did not add coriander or mint as the recipe suggests. 
 I had just one lonely piece of whole red chilli  lying in the paanch phoron bottle.
Fished it out and hung on to it tenderly...
they are my photographs'
saving grace , you see.

And used chilli flakes. A good amount of chilli flakes.

And after I had tucked into two whole platefuls of this steaming manna, I knew I was so right
 in not making that mangsho'r jhol.

And the next time I get mutton, I know I am going to make this with half of it.

The rest half will of course belong to that jhol. :-)

 Need :

Mutton

Rice

Garlic - chopped 

Ginger - grated

Salt - to taste
Slices of lemon
Whole black peppercorns
Sliced onion

How to  ( or how I made it ) :

Put the mutton in a big sized pressure cooker along with the onion, black peppercorns,
grated ginger and salt.

Cook on low heat for 2 whistles.

Cool and remove cover.

Add the rice and adjust salt.

Cover and cook for 3 more whistles.

Cool, remove cover and serve hot ... garnished with fried garlic.

To fry the garlic
Heat a little oil and add the garlic and fry till brown.

Keep stirring and add the chilli flakes after the garlic has browned 

and heat has been turned off ... 

or else 

they'll burn real quick.

Do ladle out a good amount of the oil on the stew too ... adds a beautiful flavour.
Have it with a good amount of fresh lemon juice squeezed on it.
I did ... but forgot to add the same to the picture.

I had made a Liver stir fry too ... so had it on the side.

A perfect meal.

Enjoy!!

Spicy Vegetable Pulao

I love one pot meals.

Ones that are quick to make, not too much of a fuss, do not need too much of stirring or

constant attention.

And that go easy on my still weak hand.

Winter nights are perfect for such meals.
I tend to laze around these cold evenings , finish chores, or maybe part of a book.

And in no time it is dinner time.

Drag myself to the kitchen and stand thinking what to make ... especially if it is from scratch.

One good thing is thanks to winter, I have a lot of vegetables at hand.

Fresh vegetables.

And never hesitate to dunk in handfuls of them into whatever am making.

Last evening I faced the same predicament.

And felt like having something very spicy.

But not deep fried or oily.

So came up with this. Since it was spicy we paired with the soothing raita.

Need :
Rice - 1 cup
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Sliced onions
Chopped vegetables
( I used cauliflower, beans, mushrooms, baby corn, shelled fresh peas )
Haldi / Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Red chilli powder - to taste
Biryani masala powder - 1 tsp
Water - a little less than 2 cups
Kasuri methi ( dried fenugreek leaves ) - 1 tsp
Lemon - half a piece
Cooking Oil
Ghee / Clarified butter - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste
( Can use tomatoes ... I did not have any )


How to :

Wash the rice and keep aside ( I do not soak it for a long time).
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed kadahi / deep wok.
Add the sliced onions and fry till translucent.
Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry well.
Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and the kasuri methi.
Now add all the vegetables except the peas.
Fry well till vegetables are coated with the masala.
Now add the rice and give a few good stirs.
Add salt, sugar and the biryani masala.
Now add water, the peas, cover and cook till all water dries up.

Remove cover and give a stir.
Add the ghee. Squeeze in the lemon, give a stir and cover.
Switch off flame and let it stand for a while.


I made the raita by beating fresh curd / yogurt with salt.

And sprinkled some roasted and crushed jeera / cumin seeds and some red chilli flakes.

Serve hot with raita and salad.

Roasted papad and pickle also go great with this pulao.

Enjoy !!

Other One pot Pulaos on Kichu Khon

Muthiya Pulao

Chanaa Dal Pulao

Narkel Bhaat

Chingri Malai Rice

Bisi Bele Bhaat

Muthiya Pulao

(Vegans can skip the ghee . )


This is another fast and full meal dish.
The word 'muthiya' comes from the word 'mutthi' or 'fist'. The small balls of kneaded besan are pressed with the fist to form the muthiyas.
Of course, the round besan balls can be used too .... but this shape gives a kind of novelty to this dish.

I had made the besan dough spicy and kept the rice plain flavoured.

The combination worked perfectly.



Need :
For the Muthiyas : Besan, haldi powder, red chilli powder, kasuri methi, a little cooking oil, amchur powder, hing and salt to taste.

For the pulao : Rice, sliced onions, chopped tomatoes, biryani masala, haldi powder, a little ghee, cooking oil, a little sugar and salt and sugar to taste.

How to : Knead the besan and all the ingredients with water. Make small balls and press them in the fist to make muthiyas.


Heat oil in a kadhai. Add the sliced onions and fry till they start to turn a little brown.

Add the rice and fry for some more time. Add the chopped tomatoes, haldi powder, salt and sugar.
Fry some more.

Now spread the rice and place the muthiyas on it.

Add water, just as you would to cook rice. Sprinkle a little ghee and biryani masala. Cover and cook till rice is almost done.


Turn off heat and let it stand for a while.

A piece of muthiya anyone? :-)


I had made a salad with it ... but it goes great with plain dahi or raita. :-)

Enjoy!

This goes to dear Srivalli who is hosting Rice Mela till 30th Nov.