Chicken Kosha

One of those dull Saturday's when all I want to do is curl up with a good book, eat loads of chocolates (the fridge is stuffed thank goodness), and do absolutely nothing else. But so many chores and repairs to get done. To top it, I can't watch most of my favorite channels due to a bad signal caused by a building construction right in front of the dish antenna.

More than the TV woes, what I will miss the most is the lovely view of this beautiful, serene mustard field I could gaze upon from our dining room. Now all I see is this monstrosity of a large apartment complex being built called Fresh Living. Weird name! Even weirder when I wonder what's so fresh about a concrete structure in a concrete city but well can't do much about the haphazard development that occurs in Indian cities. I would need to move to the countryside or buy a farm of my own and since I lack funds to do that back to reality.

Well to motivate and distract myself from a lot of stuff decided to cook. I haven't cooked much the last 2 years so was apprehensive as to how it would turn out but thank goodness it turned out more than edible. :) So here goes my Mom's recipe customized a bit based on the ingredients available in the fridge:

Chicken - 8-10 pieces
Mustard Oil - I don't really measure. I just pour till it covers the pan
Bay leaf -1-2
Onions - 2
Tomatoes - 2
Garlic - 8-10 cloves
Ginger - 1 small slice
Green chillies - 8-10
Red chilly - depending on your preference
Cardamom - 3 pods
Cinammon - 1 stick
Cloves - 3
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1-2 tsp depending on how spicy you want the dish
Biryani masala - 1-2 tsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Coriander - 1 bunch chopped
Mint - 1 bunch chopped
Salt to taste
Sugar - 1 tspn

- Marinate the chicken with salt, turmeric, biryani masala. I decided to use biryani masala instead of chicken masala coz read somewhere it gives a wonderful flavor
- Heat oil and add the bay leaf, and dried red chilly until it infuses the flavor.
- Add the whole spices and onions and cook till it browns.
- Add the garlic, ginger, green chilli, turmeric, chilli powder and cook for 7-8 mins. Add a spoon of water if it tends to stick to the pan.
- Add the chicken and chopped tomato, a dollop of ghee based on your preference and season with salt and sugar.
- Cook in medium heat for 30-40 mins.
- Add the chopped coriander and mint leaves (Mint is not necessary but I decided to try my own variation)
- Cook until the water evaporates based on your gravy preference.
- Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with coriander and serve.

Simple Mutton Biryani

This is something that I cook quickly when I am in a hurry. No frills, no fuss mutton biryani! Here goes:

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Mutton pcs (I usually buy boneless mutton cubes)
Bay Leaf - 2-3
Cinnamon - 2 sticks
Cardamom - 4-5 pods
Onions - 2
Ginger garlic paste
Green chillies - 3-4 chopped
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Tomatoes - 2
Jeera, dhania and haldi powder - 1 tsp each
Salt to taste
Mutton stock and water if required - 4 to 4 and a half cups (varies depending on the cooker)

- Boil mutton with bayleaf, 2-3 cardamom pods, one cinammon stick and salt
- Heat some oil in a separate pan and brown the onions
- Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 2-3 mins
- Add chopped green chillies, pepper powder, the remaining cinammon sticks and cloves
- Add grated tomatoes and let it fry for around 5 minutes
- Add jeera, dhania and haldi powder
- Add the boiled mutton pieces and keep the mutton stock in another bowl for use later
- Add chilli powder and salt and fry some more
- Take the required quantity of rice in the rice cooker.
- Add the fried mutton to the rice.
- Add the mutton stock to the rice. If required, add some water and cook till it is ready

Mutton Vindaloo

Now that I am back to cooking as the cook got married for the second time and went off to Orissa, back to shortcuts, home deliveries and cooking in bulk. This is one recipe that I got from a dear friend of mine but did customize it as I didn't have many ingredients. I also added potatoes coz for hubby, mutton is incomplete without extra large potatoes.

So here goes:

Mutton - 1 kg
Potatoes - 3 large
Onions - 5
Chillies - 12
Garlic - 15 pods
Ginger Paste - 2 tsp
Vinegar - 3 tbsp
Cumin - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 2 sticks
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Water - 1-2 cups
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves

-Marinate the mutton with turmeric and salt and keep aside for atleast half an hour
-Grind the garlic, ginger, chillies, cumin, mustard, pepper, turmeric to a paste.
-Add the vinegar to the paste and mix thoroughly.
-Grind the onions to a paste and keep aside
-Heat some oil and fry the ground onions till it turns brownish
-Add the paste and fry for another 10 minutes
-Add the mutton pieces and continue frying till the water starts evaporating.
-Add the potatoes and mix thoroughly.
-Add the required quantity of water depending on your preference for the gravy.
-Add the sugar and salt to taste and pressure cook till meat is tender (I generally wait for around 10-12 whistles)
-Garnish with coriander before serving

Prawn Curry

Ingredients:
Prawn - 500 gm
Potatoes- 2 cut lengthwise
Green peas- 1/2 cup
Onions -2
Ginger paste-1 tsp
Chilli powder-1 tsp
Turmeric powder-1 tsp
Tomato-1
Oil- to cover the pan
Bay leaves-1,
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt according to taste

-Peel, clean and wash the prawns
-Apply salt and turmeric and fry
-Remove from pan, fry potatoes and keep aside.
-Fry the bay leaf with onion, ginger and garlic paste and fry. Mix turmeric and chili powder in little water and add in the pan.
-Add tomato pieces and fry
-Add potatoes, peas, prawns, salt and water and cover the pan. Let it simmer until the gravy thickens.
-Add garam masala powder and remove from heat.

Simple Chicken Curry

This recipe is for you, Nupur! A simple recipe that I use almost everyday. I use this same recipe for chicken and mutton.

Ingredients

Chicken/Mutton - 8-10 medium pieces
Onions - 3
Garlic - 4-5 cloves
Bay leaves - 2
Cinnamon - 1
Cloves - 3-4
Cardamom - 2-3 pods
Tomato - 1
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 3 tbsp
Coriander

-Marinate the chicken in salt, turmeric, chilli powder and 1 tbsp of oil, for an hour.
-Heat oil in a kadai.
-Add the bayleaves, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom.
-Add the sliced onions and garlic and fry for sometime.
-Add the marinated chicken and fry on high heat for 2 mins.
-Reduce the heat, cover the vessel and cook for 5-6 mins.
-Add the chopped tomato, cover again and cook till done.
-Garnish with fresh coriander.

Happy cooking!!!