Alu Dum

Having been born & brought up in Calcutta, the love for potatoes is insatiable...:) Alu dum is a popular item amongst the Bengali's & Calcuttan's..There are different versions & all taste wonderful..Its best with hot puris/luchis or by themselves too....
My version which again has gone some changes goes like this.....:)

Serves at least 4-6 people...
Ingredients:

1.Baby potatoes- 1kg
2.Onions- 1 big(thinly sliced)
3.Paste of half an onion,a chunk of fresh ginger & 3-4 pods of garlic
4.Green chillies-2nos(slit)
5.Tomato-1 small or half of a big one(finely chopped)
6.Haldi-1/2 tbs
7.Chilly powder-2 tbs
8.Coriander powder-1 tbs
9.Garam Masala-1/2 tbs
10.Jeera-1/2 tbs
11.Bay leaf-1 big
12.Cloves & cinnamon- 2 nos...
13.elaichi- 1 no
14.Sugar-1 tbs
15.Salt-To taste
16.Water as required..
17.Oil-4-5 tbs
18.Ghee-1/2 tbs
19.Coriander leaves for garnish

Procedure:

1.Wash the baby potatoes & boil them until cooked.....Peel & prick them with a fork....In a large bowl put all the boiled & pricked potatoes, add some salt & haldi & mix well.
2.In a large pan/skillet, put some oil to heat.One hot, add the marinated potatoes & shallow fry them in batches,until golden brown.....drain them in a paper towel to remove excess oil...Keep these aside...
3.Heat oil in the same pan & add some bay leaves, cloves,cinnamon,jeera,elaichi & peppercorns(optional). Once they start sputtering,add the sliced onions & the onion,ginger garlic paste & green chillies & stir well. Once the colour of the onions start changing, add the chopped tomato & stir well.Keep it covered for a while so that the mixture becomes pulpy & the tomato is well cooked.Once the mixture starts assuming a gravy like quality(you can add 2-3 tbs of water if req), add all the masalas & salt....Stir well & finally add the golden brown potatoes & mix well....If the gravy is not watery enough,add some more water....Finally add, sugar & switch off once the right consistency has been achieved..Ensure that the gravy is really thick....Garnish with coriander leaves& some ghee...Serve hot with Rotis/Puris.....
Hope you do enjoy this recipe.....:)

Note: you can use large potatoes as well, if you do not have baby potatoes.......All you need to do is cut the potatoes into large chunks(quarter them) & follow the same procedure....

Pindi Choley

I came across this recipe on line & made a few changes, but nevertheless it came out fine....It is always a hit amongst friends & family, so thought it would be nice to share the recipe.....

Ingredients:
1.Chola(chickpeas)-3 cups (soaked in water overnight or 8hrs min)
2.Onions- 2 big(finely sliced)
3.Tomatoes-2 nos(finely chopped)
4.Green chillies-2 nos(slit)
5.Jeera-1/2 tbs
6.Haldi- a pinch
7.Chilly powder-2-3 tbs
7.Coriander powder-2 tbs
8.Garam masala-3/4 tbs
9.Tea -2 tbs
10.Oil- 3-4 tbs or more if you feel the need..
11.Coriander leaves for garnish(finely chopped)
12.Choley masala is optional-if using,reduce the chilly & coriander powder quantity
13.Cashew-3-4 nos
14.Cloves,cinnamon & cardamom-2 each
15.Ginger Garlic paste-3 tbs
16.Water- as required

Procedure:
1.wash the soaked chickpeas well & put it into a pressure cooker....
2.Boil some tea leaves with water until really dark. Strain & add the black tea into the cooker with washed chickpeas. Add some salt & Haldi & put the pressure cooker on the gas, until some 8-9 whistles come or until the chickpeas is well cooked.
3.In the meantime, in a large pan, put some butter/oil to heat, add the jeera, cloves &elaichi & when they start sputtering, add the sliced onions, cashew & ginger garlic paste....Stir well and once the onions start changing its colour, add the tomatoes & stir well until a little pulpy. Switch off the flame & let this mixture cool down..Once cooled, make a smooth paste of this in a mixer. Heat a tbs of oil in the pan & add this paste to it & the slit green chillies.....stir well ensuring that the paste doesn't get burnt.Add the masalas & mix well. Once the oil starts leaving the sides, add some mashed & cooked chickpeas & stir well.You could add some water at this stage, if the paste starts sticking to the bottom & there are signs of getting burnt....finally add the boiled chickpeas & its reserve water...Let all this boil until the gravy is thick & of the right consistency.....You might have to add some more salt.....Switch off, once the right consistency is achieved....Finally garnish with coriander leaves...Serve with onions sliced into rounds & lemon wedges....

Enjoyyyyy...:)))))

Butter Murukku

When it comes to murukke, there is nothing to beat what my mother used to make & it tasted awesome.Only she could make it soo very well & though my trial was not at all bad, I wish I could get it as well as she did....She did the shaping of he murukke by hand & I think I can never master that & I used a murukku presser.....

This is how you make it:

Ingredients:
3 cups rice flour
1/2 cup urad dhal flour
1/2 tbs white/black sesame seeds(optional)         
1 tbs jeera
1/4 tsp hing (I didnt use hing)
5og butter
1 cup water/as needed to knead the flour
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry     

Procedure:

1. To make urad flour- In a heavy bottomed pan, fry Urad dal till light brown & let it cool. Grind it into a fine powder
2.In a mixing bowl take required quantity of rice flour, urad dhal flour, sesame seeds,jeera, hing and salt.
Add Butter and knead the dough. Add water little by little and knead till you get a soft dough.(Make sure it has the right consistency to pass through the murukku presser)
Meanwhile heat the oil in a medium flame.
Fill the murukku presser with the murukku dough and press it  &drop it into the hot oil and fry both sides till golden brown.
3.Drain them in a paper towel to remove excess oil, let them cool. Store in an air tight container.

Fish Biryani

Wow! Got an amazing response on Face book after posting pics of some of my culinary exploits...That encouraged me to add a few more recipes to my modest list...:)
This one happens to be my hubby's favourite & he loves it....:)
This is inspired by the typical Malabar style fish biryani & I had a favourite restaurant in Bangalore, during my college days, which served amazing Fish Biryani....I do not know if it is still there, but the fish biryani they served was heavenly.........BTW the restaurants name is Relish....
Hope you all do relish this after trying....:D
So here goes my recipe:

Ingredients:

For Marination:
1.Fish fillets(cleaned & deskinned)- 1 kg
2.Haldi powder- 1/2 tbs
3.Red Chilly powder-2-3 tbs
4.Coriander powder- 2-3 tbs
5.Ga ram Masala- 1/2 tbs
6.Pepper powder-1-2 tbs (you can omit if you do not want it to be very spicy)
7.Ginger garlic paste-2 tbs
8.Small onions paste- 2 tbs
9.Curd- 2 tbs
10.Oil-2 tbs
11.salt to taste

For the curry Part:
1.Onions-2 large ones(thinly sliced)
2.Tomatoes- 2 large(finely chopped)
3.cashews-5- 6 nos
4.ginger garlic paste-3 tbs
5.green chillies-2 nos(slit)
7.Haldi-a pinch
8.chilly powder-1 tbs(more if you want it v spicy)
9.coriander powder-1 tbs
10.garam masala-a pinch
12.salt to taste
13.Oil- 3-4 tbs

For the Rice:
1.Basmati Rice or Jeera rice-3 cups(soaked in water & salt for at least 20 Min's)
2.Bay leaf- 1 big
3.Cloves-1-2
4.Cinnamon-a small piece
5.elaichi- 1 pod(split)
6.Ghee- 3 tbs
7.Jeera- 1/2 tbs
8.Onion-1 no(thinly sliced)
9.Salt to taste

For the Garnish:
1.fried cashew pieces
2.fried thinly sliced onions
3.Finely chopped Coriander leaves

Procedure:
1.Firstly marinate the fish with all the ingredients mentioned & keep aside for at least 2 hours.Its best if kept refrigerated for a minimum of 5-6 hrs....
2.After the required time has lapsed after marination,shallow fry the fish pieces until golden brown & keep aside..
3..In the meantime take a large pan & heat some oil, add the sliced onions,ginger garlic paste & cashews....saute for a while until the onions start changing colours...add the chopped tomatoes & keep stirring until a little pulpy...Switch off the flame & let this mixture cool down a little...Once cooled, make a  smooth paste of this mixture in a grinder..Then again heat the pan with some oil & add this paste into it along with the slit green chillies...add all the masalas & keep stirring until the oil starts separating from this paste & mixture....add some water at this stage & some salt too..once the consistency is thickish add the fried fish pieces into it & let this boil for a minute or two..The gravy should be really thick....Set aside...
4.For the Rice,take a heavy bottomed vessel & heat some ghee.Add the bay leaves,cloves,cinnamon,elaichi & jeera to it & once they start sputtering, add the thinly sliced onions & stir well. Once the colour changes add the washed rice & stir well...add some salt too & keep stirring ensuring the rice doesn't get burnt..Add requisite water (I follow 1:2 ratio) &  squeeze some lemon juice into it. Let it come to a boil. Put a lid on the vessel & reduce the flame to low & let the rice cook for another 5-10 Min's...switch off &  d not remove the lid for at least half an hour.....
5.Take a large dish & layer it with Rice & the curry until over....finally garnish with fried cashews, onions & coriander leaves.....

Finally Enjoyyy.....:)))))