All about Food

Kharda or Techa chicken is Maharashtrian originated dish and it’s aromatic spice and coconut combination makes it very special. This recipe,a different version preparing with chicken lollipop. 
Ingredients required:
• Chicken lollipop 500gms• Onion 2 medium size chopped• Ginger paste 1tsp• Garlic paste 1tsp• Star Anise 2 nos• Turmeric powder 1/2tsp• Garlic cloves 5 nos chopped• Green chilly 4 nos cut in halves• Grated coconut 1 cup• Coriander leaves 2 sprigs• Garam masala 1/2tsp• Cooking oil 3 tbsp• Ghee (clarified butter) 1tsp• Rock salt as required
Heat a wok over medium flame. Pour half the quantity of oil and once it’s hot, add chopped onions ( reserve half quantity for later usage) and saute till it’s translucent. Add ginger paste and garlic paste and saute until it’s raw smell is gone. Add turmeric powder and combine well. Now add the chicken lollipops and sear it on high flame till lollipops get bit golden brown color over it. Add half a cup of water, and required salt. If you require more gravy, you may increase water quantity. However recommend to keep this dish with very little thick gravy. Cover and cook it in low flame for about 5 minutes. 
Heat a pan, pour little oil, add chopped garlic, green chilly and grated coconut. Saute till it turns golden. Put off the flame and allow to cool. Grind above with coriander leaves to a coarse – fine paste. 
Heat a pan over medium flame. Pour the remaining oil and the ghee. Add the chopped onion and saute till it’s golden, add now the grounded paste and stir well. Add the chicken lollipops and mix well. Sprinkle garam masala over it, mix and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes. 
Garnish with coriander leaves. 
Happy cooking! 

Ingredients required:
• Tofu 250 gms cut in cubes• Bell pepper red, yellow, green 1medium each cut in to large wedges. • Scallions for garnish• Garlic cloves 4 nos finely chopped• Onion 1 medium size finely chopped• Soy sauce 2 tsp• Oyester sauce 1 tsp• Apple cider vinegar 1tsp• Black pepper crushed 1tsp• Cooking oil 2 tbsp• Kosher salt as required
Heat a pan over medium flame. Pour oil and once it’s hot, add chopped garlic and onion. Saute till it’s translucent.  Add now bell pepper and give it a good toss. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce and the vinegar and stir well. Add seasoning and tofu. Saute for about 5 minutes. Ensure that bell pepper is not over cooked as it has to remain crunchy. Garnish with spring onion. 
Happy cooking! 

Ingredients required:

• Almonds* 1/2 cup• Red Bell pepper 1 medium size • Red peppers(chillies) 2 nos• Apple cidar vinegar 1tsp• Sun dried tomato 4 pieces• Olive oil 2 tbsp• Kosher salt as required
* Blanch almonds – Soak almonds in hot water for 5 minutes and peel of skin. 
Roast almonds on slow flame.Once it’s done, allow it to cool. Quarter each sides of bell pepper, cut out the veins and remove seeds. Cut red pepper in to halves. Add roasted almonds along with bell pepper, red pepper, sun dried tomato kosher salt in to a blender jar. Add vinegar and olive oil. Grind to a fine paste. 
Ideal to serve along with Fish, Chicken, Meats also as a dip. 
Happy cooking! 

Ingredients required:
• Garlic 5 cloves chopped• Lemon juice 1 tbsp• Kosher salt as required• Olive oil 2 tbsp
Using a hand blender, blend garlic, salt and lemon juice to smooth consistency. Add olive oil little by little to get emoulzified. (Blitzing of garlic) 

A delicious, Umani,savory salty flavor condiment which can be used for many purpose as a spread or seasoning. 
Ingredients required:
• Unsalted softened butter* 1 cup• Miso paste 1/2 cup• Galic cloves 6 nos crushed & finely chopped• Finely chopped parsley
* It’s recommended to use unsalted butter as miso has high salt content. 
Take a mixing bowl, add softened butter, miso paste, chopped garlic and finely chopped parsley. Whisk it thoroughly, or use a blender to get it completely mixed together to get a smooth consistency. Transfer to a jar or to aluminum foil, roll it to cylindrical and freeze it. 
Happy cooking! 

Ingredients required:
• Fettuccine 250 gms• Tomato* 4 medium size blanched,deseeded and chopped• Basil leaves 6 nos• Black peppercorn crushed 1/4 tsp• Kosher salt as required• Olive oil 2 tbsp• Garlic 5 cloves finely chopped• Parsley 1 sprig finely chopped• Parmesan cheese 1/3 cup 
Heat a stock pot with water. Once water starts boiling, add a pinch of salt and slip in fettucine. Cook it for about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta. Reserve a cup of pasta water for later use. Heat a pan over medium flame. Pour oil and once it’s hot, add chopped garlic and saute till it’s soft. Add now chopped tomato and cook till it’s mushy. Add seasonings. Add cooked fettuccine ,the cheese(reserve little for garnish) and combine well with the sauce. Garnish with parsley and sprinkle parmesan cheese. 
Happy cooking! 

Ingredients required:
• Soybean 500gms• Tofu coagulant /Food grade Gypsum

Wash and soak soybean for overnight. Grind it using a blender. Strain it through a fine sieve and boil the soya milk. In a bowl, take a teaspoon of tofu coagulant, mix it well in little water and add to boiled soya milk. Allow it to cool for about 30 minutes. While it’s resting, the coagulant work and solidify and tofu will be formed. Now slowly scoop out the tofu mass and pass through a sieve,preferably a cheese cloth then squeeze out all water and place it in a tofu press mold and keep weight over it to drain out the excess water content in it. 
Store in food grade plastic box and refrigerate. 
Happy cooking! 

• Egg yolk 6 nos• Kosher salt 1 cup• Sugar 1 cup
Take kosher salt and sugar in equal proportion. Grind it to fine powder. Spread half the quantity in to a good grade plastic box. Create 6 yolk size depressions/ cavities in the salt and sugar mixture. Take egg yolks. Ensure white is completely drained out from yolk. Place each yolk in those cavities. Now cover the yolk with reserved quantity of salt and sugar. Make sure it’s completely covered. Refrigerate for a week period. Take out the yolks, give it a wash and use as an accompaniment or for salads. 
Happy cooking! 

Known as Pakki biriyani, means cooked in slow fire also known as Dumpukth. The masala used in preparing Lucknowi biriyani is known as Lazzat e  Taam or the Pottli masala originated in Lucknow during the regin of the Nawabs of Awadh. 
Ingredients required:
• Chicken 500 gms – Curry cut• Basmati rice 1 cup• Onion 2 medium size sliced• Cloves 6 nos• Cinnamon 2″ length pieces 2 nos• Green cardamom 6 nos• Black cardamom 2 nos• Black peppercorn 1 tsp• Fennel seeds 1 tsp• Nutmeg 1/4″ Piece• Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp• Mace 2 blades• Shahi jeera(caraway seeds) 1/2 tsp• Ginger paste 1/2 tbsp• Garlic paste 1/2 tbsp• Green chilly paste 1/2 tsp• Bay leaves 3 nos• Chilly powder 1 tsp• Coriander powder 1 tsp• Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp• Yoghurt 1/2 cup• Rock salt as required• Cooking oil 2 tbsp• Clarifies butter (Ghee) 2 tbsp• Fresh milk 2 cups• Fresh cream 1/2 cup• Rose water 1 tsp• Kewra water 1 tsp• Saffron 1 pinch strands• Food grade colors*• Coriander leaves 2 sprigs chopped
Green cardamom, black pepper, bay leaves, cinnamon and cloves needs to be divided in to two parts for two different cooking procedures. 
* It’s purely individual choice. Take a pinch of each colors in seperate bowl and mix it with a tablespoon of water. 
Step 1Grind Black pepper, fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cumin seeds, mace, shahi jeera, mace  to a fine powder. Add red chilly powder, coriander powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, green chili paste, yoghurt and grind to a smooth paste. Add the marinade to the chicken,combine well and let marinate for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight. 
Step 2Wash basmati rice, and soak it for about 15 minutes.Boil water in a vessel under medium flame. Add black cardamom, half a portion of green cardamom, black pepper, bay leaves, cinnamon,cloves and required salt. Once the water starts boiling, add the rice and cook it 3/4 th. The rice grain will get completely cooked during the next procedure. Drain the rice and keep aside. 
Step 3Heat a skillet over medium flame. Pour oil and half quantity of ghee and once it’s hot, add sliced onion, bay leaves and saute till it’s translucent. Add the chicken,turmeric powder and cook for about 15 minutes under high flame. Check for seasoning, add a cup of water and cook till the chicken is done. Add now the milk and cream and stir well. Add the saffron strands, rose water, kewda water and mix well. Add the cooked rice on top of it and level it up so that the chicken is completely covered with rice. Now add the food colors if required. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes under low flame. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve a long with raitha / yoghurt. 
Happy cooking! 

A sweet, sour, tangy chichen dish from Philippines. It’s truly delicious. 
Ingredients required:
• Chicken 500 gms – you may use any cuts, thighs or drumstick. • Dark Soy sauce 1/2 cup• Brown sugar 2 tbsp• Apple Cidar Vinegar 1/2 cup – you may use white vinegar too• Onion 2 medium size sliced• Ginger 2″ length finely chopped• Garlic 5 cloves finely chopped• Black pepper crushed 1tsp• Fresh red chillies 3 nos sliced• Kosher salt as required• Bay leaves 3 nos• Spring onion(Scallions) chopped
Prepare the marinade with soy sauce, vinegar, black pepper, chopped garlic, chopped ginger and brown sugar. Marinate the chicken for overnight. You may also use individual discretion on number of hours it should be marinated. However, overnight marination is recommended. 
Heat a pan over medium flame. Pour in the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces from the marinade to pan and let’s start browning*the chicken.Keep turning the chicken both sides to get evenly browned. Once done, remove the chicken and add sliced onion in to pan and saute till it’s translucent. Add now the chicken and the left over marinade,bay leaves and the chilly. Give it a good stir.Make sure there is adequate sauce for the chicken to get braised. If not, add little water, mix well cover the pan and cook for about 20 minutes in low flame. Now give a slow stirring so that all pieces get overturned and check for sauce consistency. Should need the sauce be little more thick increase the flame to medium and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. 
Garnish with spring onions. 
Happy cooking!

*This procedure is not compulsory, but to get a brown color on chicken which will enhance the flavours.If you want to skip this process, when the oil is hot, Add onion saute till it’s translucent and add the chicken.