All about Food

Kasundi is an exotic traditional condiment originated in the State of West Bengal. 

Ingredients required:-

• Chicken* 500 gms. Washed & drained 

• Kasundi 4 tbsp

• Coconut milk 250 ml 

• Nigella seeds 1 tsp

• Annie seeds 1/2 tsp

• Cinnamon stick 1″ long

• Ginger paste 1 tbsp

• Garlic paste 1 tbsp

• Turmeric powder 1 tsp

• Kashmiri chilli powder 1 tsp

• Red chilly powder 1 tsp

• Green chilly 3 nos (Slitted)

• Mustard oil 2 tbsp

• Coriander leaves 2 sprigs

• Hot water 250 ml

• Salt as required 

Method:-

In a mixing bowl, add the chicken along with 2 tbsp of Kasundi, 1/2 tbsp of ginger paste, 1/2 tbsp of garlic paste, 1 tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp of kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tbsp of Mustard oil and required salt. Combine well and let it marinate overnight or for minimum 6 hrs.

Heat a pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the remaining mustard oil and allow the oil to get hot till it emits smoky mustard smell. Add now Nigella seeds, Cinnamon stick and Annie seeds await for it to splutter. Add the remaining ginger,garlic paste and saute till it’s raw smell is reduced. Add now kashmiri chilli powder, green chilly and saute well. 

Once it’s ready, add the marinated chicken and saute on high flame till the chicken is properly seared. Add now the remaining kasundi paste and combine well. Pour the coconut milk, add hot water, combine well and check for consistency and salt. 

Cover the pan and cook the chicken on low flame for about 10 minutes.  Put off the flame and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before it’s served.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Ideal to serve along with steamed rice or any Indian breads or even along with Idly or dosa. 

This is a popular South Indian dish. A very delicious food, a combination of more than 21 kinds of vegetables,  4 kinds of lentils, spices  and rice. This is a highly nutritional food and is very good for health. This food gives us more strength and energy required, particularly during  the winter months. 

This dish is usually prepared the next day after undertaking fast on Ekadasi day (10th phase of the moon). Fasting adjusts our digestion and this dish gives us more energy. In other words this dish is a health booster.

All vegetables does not have the same cooking duration.  They are categorized into three – long, medium and short cooking time vegetables. Below are the pictures of these three categories. 

The long duration Veggies like turnips, potatoes, carrots etc.

Vegetables with medium cooking duration like Drumsticks Cucumber Snake gourd Raw mango etc.

These above vegetables take less cooking duration – Capsicum, raw banana,  egg plant etc.

Materials required 

*3 bowls of cut vegetables comprising of 21 varieties:

Hard

Sweet potato
Red raddish
White radish 
Carrots
Beetroot
Tapioca
Sapan (colocasia)

Medium 
Beans
Drumsticks
Cucumber
Snake gourd
Field bean
Goose berry
Bottle gourd
Scarlet gourd
Raw mango
Bitter gourd
Raw banana
Cabbage

Soft

Brinjal
Ladies finger
Capsicum
Black eye legume etc. 

*4 kinds of lentils: measuring table spoons 

3 of Toor dal,

2 of Urad dal,

3 of Chenna dal and

2 Moong dal.

1 tea spoon of 

*Chilli powder 

*Pepper powder 

*Fenugreek

*Mustard 

A pinch of 

*Turmeric

*Asafoetida (Hing)

*Tamarind (2 lemon size balls)

*Oil 3 table spoons 

*Ghee 2 tea spoons 

Rice 2 cups 

Salt as required 

Recipe 

Wash and soak all the four types of lentils for 10 minutes and then cook on fire till soft. Mash it, and  keep aside.

Wash rice  and add  4 cups of water and cook in slow flame till water gets absorbed fully and keep aside. 

Soak tamarind and extract its puree. 

Take a deep pan and heat oil. Add mustard, red chillies, fenugreek  and after splutter add the hard vegetables, pour 2 cups of water and cook in low heat.  When half boiled add medium vegetables and continue cooking for 5 more minutes, then add soft vegetables, add salt and cook for 2  more minutes. Add curry leaves  with  stacks, Turmeric powder and Asafoetida and keep cooking on low flame. 

Vegetables being cooked in low flame.  Then add Tamarind juice,  Chilli powder, pepper powder and boil it. Below is the picture of vegetables boiling in Tamarind juice and added spices. 

To this  add the  cooked  lentils and rice and mix properly.  Add 2 spoons of ghee to it.

Now the aromatic Kadhamba Sambar Rice is ready.  No other side dish required. Just imagine the flavors of different varieties of vegetables in one go. The taste is simply amazing. 

Crispy fried chicken breast cubes layered with authentic Orange sauce.

Ingredients:-

• Chicken breast – cut in 1″ size 500 gms

• Fresh Orange juice – 1 cup

• Finely chopped garlic – 1 tbsp

• Apple cider vinegar – 1 tbsp

• Honey* – 1 tbsp

• Corn starch 2 tbsp

• Butter 2 tbs

• Fresh egg 2 nos whisked

• Light soy sauce – 1 tbsp

• Chopped Ginger – 2″ length

• Chilly flakes**- 1/2 tsp

• Orange / lemon zest 1/2 tsp

• Cooking oil for frying 

• Chefs special spice oil – 1 tbsp

• White sesame seeds – for garnish

• Scallion for garnish.

*   You can opt for sugar if desired 

**  Deseeded green chilly pepper chopped

Preparation:

Step 1.

Soak the chicken cubes in whisked egg and then coat nicely with corn starch.pat dry and keep it aside.

Heat the oil in a heavy bottom work over medium flame,once oil is hot cook the chicken in small batches for about 2 minutes

Until it’s light golden. Repeat the process for the remaining chicken.

Remove the fried chicken and get it drained over paper towel

Step 2.

To prepare orange sauce, heat a pan over low flame, add the butter and when it’s melted, add the rest of ingredients – pour in orange juice, soy sauce, vinegar and stir well . Add sugar, chopped garlic, ginger and red chilly flakes and cook on medium – high flame till the juice is reduced to creamy consistency. Add now cornstarch solution and cook till it’s thickened. 

Toss the fried chicken in orange sauce and add the orange zest and chopped scallion as garnish.

Ingredients required:

• Garlic cloves 250 gms peeled & washed*

• Grated coconut half coconut

• Fenugreek 1/2 tsp

• Black pepper whole 1 tsp

• Red Chilly powder 1 tbsp

• Coriander powder 2 tbsp

• Tamarind paste 3 tbsp

• Green chilly 3 nos 

• Coconut oil 4 tbsp

• Red chilly whole 2 nos

• Mustard seeds 1 tsp

• Curry leaves 2 sprigs

• Salt to taste

* cut half the quantity in to 2 pieces. 

Heat a pan, add a tbsp oil in to pan and roast black pepper, fenugreek and grated coconut. 

Keep roasting / stirring till coconut is dark brown ensure its not burnt. Roast it on low flame. Once it’s done put off the flame and add coriander powder and chilly powder and mix well and allow to cool. Now grind the same to a fine, smooth paste. Do not  add water. If you find difficult in grinding, you may add a spoonful of coconut oil but no water. In the same frying pan, saute garlic in the preserved oil in low fire until it’s soft and about to get light golden brown. Reserve oil for later use.

Add now the tamarind paste ( pasted need to be diluted using a cup of water) to garlic and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. 

Add now the grounded paste, required salt and stir well. Check for consistency and salt. Should you require water to be added, ensure you are adding only hot water.

Slit the green chilly and add to it. 

Cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Now it’s time for tempering.

Heat a pan, add reserved coconut oil, once it’s hot, add mustard seed, dried red chilly  and curry leaves. Allow it to splutter, add this tempering to curry.

Mix well and cover the pan and leave to rest for about 15 minutes. 

Garlic puli curry taste heavenly after a day or two. The more it ages, the taste gets enhanced.

Happy Cooking👨‍🍳

( Chicken curry from Karakudi) 

A delicious spicy chicken curry originated from Karakudi, Tamilnadu state. 

Ingredients required:

• Chicken curry cut 500 gms

• Aniseed 1 tbsp

• Dried red chilly 12 nos

• Coriander seeds 2 tbsp

• Turmeric powder 1 tsp

• Cooking oil 3 tbsp

• Mustard seeds 1 tsp

• Curry leaves 2 sprigs

• Onion 3 large ones finely chopped

• Tomato 3 large ones finely chopped

• Garlic cloves 5 nos crushed

• Coriander leaves 2 sprigs chopped

• Rock salt to taste

Step 1.

Dry roast aniseed, coriander seeds dried red chilly (10 nos. Reserve 2 nos for later usage) and turmeric powder on low flame. Once roasted aroma emits from the pan put off the flame and allow it to cool. Then grind to a coarse – smooth powder. 

Step 2.

Heat a wok over medium flame. Pour oil and add dried red chilly( cut in halves) mustard seeds and curry leaves. Once mustard start splutter, add chopped onions, add required salt and cook till it turn translucent. Now time to add washed and drained chicken. Increase the flame to high.Mix well and saute chicken for about 3 minutes. Now add chopped tomato. Add the grounded masala powder and stir well. 

Add required water, mix well, cover the wok and cook for about 20 minutes. 

Check for salt and consistency. 

Now the final addition of the crushed garlic. Mix well cover the wok and switch of the flame. 

Allow the chicken to rest for about 15 minutes for better flavor and taste. 

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. 

Ingredients required:-

• Green tea leaves 60%

• Moringa pods 15%

• Ginger 5%

• Clove 3%

• Cinnamon 5%

• Green cardamom 5%

• Black pepper whole 3%

• Star Anise 2%

• Mace 1%

• Mint leaves 2%

Step 1 – Add 1.5 tbsp of Moringa masala chai mix into a teapot/ saucepan. Pour freshly boiled water into it. 

Step 2 – Brew the tea for about 3 minutes or ti you get desired color. 

Step 3 – Strain the tea into a cup and enjoy moringa masala chai. 

Optional-  You may add hot milk and sweetner asper taste. 

Ingredients required:

• Chicken mince 250 gms

• Garlic finely chopped 2 tbsp

• Ginger 1″length finely chopped

• Spring onion finely chopped 1tbsp

• Black pepper powder 2 tsp

• Bell pepper cut in dice 1 cup

  Green, Yellow, and Red

• Spring onion cut in length 1/4 cup

• Soy sauce dark 2 tsp

• Honey 1tsp

• Egg 1 nos

• Cooking vinegar 1 tsp

• All purpose flour 1 tbsp

• Corn starch 11/2 tbsp

• Sesame seeds1/2 tsp 

• Cooking oil 3 tbsp

• Salt to taste

In a mixing bowl, take chicken mince

Add along with it chopped ginger, 1 tsp of garlic and chopped spring onion.

Add 1 tsp of soy sauce, 1 tsp black pepper powder and required salt. 

Break the egg to it. Add a tbsp of all purpose flour and 1/2 tbsp corn starch and mix well. 

Now it’s time to prepare mice balls. Scoops mince and roll on to ball shape and the size could be preferably lemon size. 

Heat a pan on medium flame and pour the oil. Once oil is heated, take the ch

mince balls and shallow fry them. 

Keep turning the balls for cooking all sides evenly. 

Once it’s done, take out them and allow to drain oil. 

Use the same pan with left over oil and heat on high flame. Add chopped garlic, and when it’s lightly browned, add the diced bell pepper and saute for a minute. 

Now add the soy sauce, honey in a cup of water and mix well. Pour it to the vegetables and cook for a minute. Now add the meat balls in to sauce and cook for about 3 minutes. Let theeat balls get infused in sauce. 

Prepare starch slurry and add to pan to thicken the sauce. Add pepper powder and check for salt. 

Garnish with dry roasted sesame seeds and spring onion. 

An ideal way to preserve tomatoes all through the year. 

Take fully ripened tomatoes. Check for its firmness, blemishes and for any insects bite. 

Wash them thoroughly and score them for removal of skin. Immerse them in water and blanch them for about 40 seconds. You may find the skin starts seperating from flesh. 

Drain them and let it dry. Once it’s completely dried, peel off the skin cut in halves and deseed. 

Take a sterilised glass jar, arrange the tomatoes in layer, sprinkle rock salt and keep making layers and repeat same process. Cover the jar (airtight) and keep in a dark place for 4 days. 

After 4 days, now pour in cooking vinegar and let tomatoes get completely immersed in vinegar. Close the jar and let it remain for another 3 days. 

After 7 days of pickling, it’s time to get it sun dried. 

Use aluminum foil to spread the tomatoes. Ensure sufficient space is there between each halves. Dry them in sunlight. Occasionally, keep turning each halves so that it dries up fast. 

To get the tomatoes completely dried, it may take minimum 2 weeks. Once it’s dried, it’s time to make sure it’s completely free from any Pathogenic organisms. Therefore keep it in a preheated oven at 80 degree Celsius for about 10 minutes. 

Remove and allow to cool. Once it’s cold, store in airtight glass jar. As it contain salt, while using the dried tomatoes, ensure usage of minimal salt. 

A typical bihari street food kebab commonly prepared out of lamb meat. Thin slices of lamb meat is marinated in rich yoghurt – garam masala marinade for overnight and cooked on charcoal fire. Here I’m trying to make bihari kebab with chicken. 

Ingredients required:

• Chicken breast thinly sliced to 2″ length 250 gms

• Onion 2 medium size sliced

• Coriander seed 1 tsp roasted

• Cumin seed roasted 1 tsp

• Garam masala powder 1 tsp

• Garlic 1″ length

• Garlic cloves 5 nos

• Yoghurt 1/2 cup

• Mustard oil 3 tbp

• Butter 1 tbp

• Lemon juice 1 tsp

• Salt to taste

# Wash the chicken and allow to drain water completely. 

# Fry the sliced onion and drain oil

Grind fried onion, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, garlic and ginger to a fine smooth paste

Add now the yoghurt, garam masala, lemon juice, salt and a tablespoon mustard oil and grind for few seconds. 

Take chicken in a mixing bowl, add the grounded paste and mix well. 

Keep it for minimum 2 hours to marinate. 

Skewer the marinated chicken pieces on a metal skewer or woods. Heat a pan under medium flame, pour mustard oil and sear the kebab uniformly. You may brush the butter before taking out the kebab from pan. 

Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and

serve onion rings along with it. 

Happy Cooking! 

(Fenugreek leaves with Greenpeas in cream sauce)

A rich dish with creamy gravy which can be an ideal for any special occasions. It’s truly delicious. 

Ingredients required:

• Methi leaves(fenugreek leaves) 250 gms

• Matar (Green peas) 1/2 cup – frozen or fresh ones

• Finely chopped onions 2 medium size

• Green chilli 5 nos 

• Cumin seeds 1tsp

• Cashew nut 1/2 cup – you may use broken cashew or it’s kernel. 

• Khus khus* (Poppy seeds)1/4 cup

• Ginger paste 1tsp

• Garlic paste 1tsp

• Ghee 2 tbs

• Fresh Cream 1cup

• Salt to taste

# Soak Cashew and Poppy seeds for an hour and grind it to a smooth paste and keep aside. 

# Wash methi leaves for several times under running water. Blanch the leaves for 2 minutes so that the bitterness in leaves will be reduced. Chop the leaves and keep. 

Heat a skillet under medium flame. Pour the ghee and once it’s hot, add cumin seeds and wait for it to sputter. 

Add now the chopped onions and saute till it’s translucent. You many add a pinch of salt at this time to get onion cook faster. 

Add ginger, garlic and slitted green chili and saute till the raw aroma from garlic and ginger is gone. 

Add now the cashew paste and cook for about 3 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally to avoid catching at bottom. Add now the Green peas and  methi. Stir well and cook for another 5 minutes. 

Pour in the cream, check for the consistency and salt. Cover and cook for another 3 minutes under low flame. 

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve along with Tandoori flatbreads or Steamed rice

* Optional

If you require, you may sprinkle little garam masala powder. But it’s purely personal. 

Happy cooking!