Dahi Chicken or Doi Murgh

We are in the last week of January ..... Yeaah everyone knows that. But do you know that I have been able to keep my resolutions. So for all those pessimists who thought that resolutions are made to be broken or that they walk out of the door the very next day, it is indeed BAD NEWS !

Of course I am out of bed by 8am ..... I swear. Weekends are the only exceptions and that's allowed. I breathe my lungs out and get all the oxygen around me .... that is what Pranayama teaches right ? I even tried opening my windows early morning in the middle of the worst winter .... that was the stupidest thing to do.

I have emptied a pack of cereals in two weeks which means that I have not skipped Breakfast. And and I have not shopped anything other than groceries ( that's so not me) ..... Frankly I myself also find it difficult to accept.

And by now you must know my creative side.

Let me stop bragging before one of you asks me to ....

But there is one thing where I fumbled ...... Blogging and visiting all your blogs. Ahhh Obsession. But you like that right ..... me reading your blogs :D So that's one thing that I decided to compromise just for the sake of my blog friends.

But are you really happy for me ? Come one tell the truth .... at least once. No, it won't hurt me.

Any hooo let me come to the recipe and cut my crap before you decide to navigate away from this page.

This is my mother's recipe ...... so if you like it let me know. If you don't blame it on her.

Preparation Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken - 1 pound (with or without bones)

Curd - 1/3 cup

Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp (per taste)

Turmeric - 1 tsp

Coriander Powder - 2 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1 tsp

Chicken Curry Masala - 2 tsp

Onion - 2 big finely chopped

Ginger - 1 inch minced

Garlic - 5 cloves minced

Whole Black Pepper - 10

Bay Leaf - 1

Whole Cinnamon - 2 inches

Cardamom - 2

Salt per taste

Oil for cooking

Method of Preparation

1 Clean the chicken, remove skin and keep aside. I made this with boneless meat but it tastes even better with bones.

2 Add curd, red chili powder, turmeric Powder, salt and all the whole garam masala/ spices to the chicken. Marinate and keep aside in fridge for at least an hour.

3 Heat oil in a kadhai. When hot add the ginger and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the chopped onions to it and saute till they are brown.

4 Add the marinated chicken to the masala and mix well. Add the cumin, coriander and chicken masala. Mix in all the ingredients. Add more salt to adjust the taste if required.

5 Cover and cook. Make sure to stir intermittently else the masala would stick to the bottom of the kadhai.

Add a little water if required. Cook till the chicken is tender. Garnish with a little chopped coriander leaves.

Serving Tips

Serve hot with Naan or Roti

Kankada Tarkari .... Crab Curry Odiya Style

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear 'San Francisco' ? If your instant answer is the Golden Gate Bridge, please congratulate yourself. You belong to the category of normal or sane people walking on the surface of this blue planet. Why ? The Golden Gate Bridge is the most photographed bridge of the world ? Oh sure you knew ....

Or did somebody whisper 'Crabs at Fisherman's Wraf' ? Welcome aboard. I don't want to be the only insane, crazy Crustacean eater. The Golden Gate and other things are secondary !

The first time I was at Fisherman's Wraf I just went crazy at the very sight of these one pound ones. They were huge as compared to their cousins residing in the Bay of Bengal. All I needed was salt, pepper, lime juice and a little space in those tight shops selling sea food. Forgetting all codes of conduct I started with my hands ... I didn't require any of those sophisticated tools for cracking the claws. J stared at me startled ...... "Crabby Girl" was his clear expression. I ignored all that and the crowd around me and continued cracking my crab trying to reach the sweet meat in every corner and then smacking it clean.

When I turned around to ask the shop guy for another one ...... the self looked empty. This Chinese guy selling crabs signaled that the crabs are gone. The only thing I understood from his broken english was that I needed to wait for two more hours if I wished for another one. The next trailer with this priced Pacific catch would arrive at 9.30 pm he said.

Was the wait worth, especially in the month of December when the chilled Pacific wind freezes you. Yes without a doubt !

The crabby affair continues till date. I go nuts at the very sight of these . Ask me if I am willing to take a six hours flight from New York to San Francisco ...... The answer is 'Yes' (Courtesy if it is a Business Trip).

For the time being I have to satisfy myself with the ones available in the neighborhood sea food stores. The guy selling those tells me that these crabs travel all the way from the Pacific coast to make it to my kitchen. I have no option but to believe him for the love of these beautiful creations of God !!

So get your hands dirty and enjoy !!

Preparation Time - 40 minutes

Ingredients

Crabs Cleaned Cooked and de shelled - 2

Potato - 1 medium

Chopped Onion - 1 medium

Ginger - 1 inch

Garlic Cloves - 2 big

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Coriander Seeds - 1tsp

Dry Red Chilies - 2

Cinnamon - 1 inch

Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1 big pinch

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp (per taste)

Bay Leaf - 1

Salt per taste

Mustard Oil for cooking ( You can also use Canola/Vegetable Oil)

Method of Preparation

1. Cut potatoes into wedges. For the masala make a smooth paste of onion, ginger and garlic Coriander seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilies and cinnamon in a blender.

2. Heat Mustard Oil in a kadhai and fry the potato wedges on both sides till golden brown. Remove and keep aside.

3 Reduce the heat and add the bay leaf. Add the masala, turmeric, red chili powder and salt. Fry till the masala is cooked and there is no raw smell.

4 Add water to make a gravy of diluted consistency. Add the Potato wedges and crabs. Simmer for 5 minutes. Sprinkle garam masala powder and cook for one more minute.

Serving Tips

Serve warm with plain rice.

Oops ...... Sorry I forgot about the normal people who are not crabby and who would visit SFO for reasons more than crabs .... Here is the list of things you can do when in this beautiful city .... But my last word - Do check out the Pacific Crabs ;-)

1 Golden Gate Bridge

2 China Town

3 Alcatraz

4 Embarcadero

5 Pier 39

6 Fisherman's Wraf

7 The Exploratorium

8 Cable Cars

9 Coit Tower

Cornish Hens n Letter to Santa

So here I am back after a short hibernation .... Do you want to know what I did during this period ? I am sure you are all ears for it !! So here is my little secret. Promise me you will not tell anyone and also you won't laugh at it. Well I had been making a list for Santa ..... I am going to FedEx it tomorrow. So you can add your list to mine before I send it off to the North Pole.

My Dear Santa,

I have been an awful good girl this year. So here comes my small wish list for you. I know I no more qualify for sending such things ..... but here is a deal .... I promise a lovely dinner for you and Mrs Claus on new year eve. You can bring your elves and reindeers too.

I am sorry to post it a little late ..... but I am sure it will make it to the North Pole just on time. Please make your elves work a little extra time if needed to grant my wishes. I know you will be busy delivering gifts to all the kids on the cold wintry nights.

I will be keeping your favorite cookies and a glass of warm milk by the Christmas tree. Please help yourself with some when you sneak down my chimney.

1. I wish a real house made of ginger bread.

2. I wish chocolates grew on trees ..... and if I could have a Godiva tree in my backyard it would be wonderful. I promise to share some with the neighborhood kids and my friends.

3. I wish it snows ice creams during winters.

4. And last I wish for a bottomless jar of candies ....... :p

Isn't my wish list a small and sweet one !! I have not been greedy at all. Don't you think this wish list is going to bring joy to all.

I hope Mrs Claus is also helping you with sorting out our mails and with the gift wrapping. I insist you get her with you during this Christmas trip.

Also tell Rudolph that I have a surprise awaiting him.

See you guys soon .....

Hugs,

Satrupa

So here is the little secret recipe from the kitchen of Ina Garten. I followed it as is and the birds were gorgeous.

Charred Tawa Prawns

Have you ever built a snowman and discovered the next day that his grin has gotten a little crooked, or his tree-branch arms have moved? And you've wondered . . . what do snowmen do at night?

What do these little snow people do when we tuck ourselves cozy in our bed ....... Have you ever wondered if all the snowman march up to the neighborhood park for a little "Snowman' get together. Do they slide down the slopes of snow and throw snow balls at each other. Or do they accompany Santa on his sledge and go distributing gifts to all the cute angels on earth.

Mr Gavin took us to a wonderland of fantasy as he read out this hilarious story of 'Snow Man in the Night' to his students. I was one of the lucky audiences of Mr Gavin's Story telling group. My friend's 6 year old had invited me to be a part of Snowman's Night Celebration at his school this weekend. We did a little scrap book on snowman later in his classroom. This super creative fella made a Snowman Baby and a Snowman Mommy ...... Can you be any better creative than him. I loved watching him doing his little Snowman family.

I felt like I was back to school after all these years. He was excited to show me his school. Cut outs of Snow Man adored every nook and corner of the school. The school cafeteria served hot chocolates and there was cookies for everyone. What better than dunking some cookies in hot chocolate while watching lil brats run and play all around you. Ahh I was loving every moment of it and wished if time could come to a halt.

As we walked out after the event we saw flurries all over. The night could not get any better....... Kids were sticking their tongues out to feel the cold cottony snow ..... I knew it was going to snow ....... an indication of 'Snowman Night'.

I remembered the little snowman I had made last winter and how he looked distorted the next morning with a crooked grin. Well now I know what Snowman do at night :-)

My Snowman family with their sledge and reindeer :-)

Well this Charred Masala Tawa Prawns are a HIT ..... Perfect Appetizer for a cold snowy eve when you want to have some quick fix meal.

Preparation Time 20 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients

Big Shrimps/ Prawns - 14 nos

Chopped Onion - 1/3 cup

Garlic Clove - 1

Ginger - 1/2 inch

Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch

Cumin seeds - 1/3 tsp

Red Dry Chili - 2

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Lemon Juice - 1 tsp

Salt per taste

Oil for cooking

Method of Preparation

1 Wash and de vein the shrimps/ prawns leaving only the tail. Pat dry and sprinkle some turmeric and salt. Keep aside

2 Make a smooth paste of Onion, ginger, garlic, dry red chili, cinnamon and cumin seeds in the blender and adding very little water or no water.

3 Add this mixture to the shrimps/ prawns and mix well. Add a little oil too while mixing.

4 Drizzle a little oil on a frying pan. When hot add the marinated shrimps/ prawns. Fry on medium-high heat till the masala on each side is a little charred.

5 Remove from heat and add a little lemon juice over it.

Serving Tips

Serve warm as an appetizer.

Thanksgiving weekend with Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks

How was your Thanksgiving weekend ? Did you shop till you dropped ? Did you meet your family and friends over a feast ? Did you roast a turkey ? And most importantly did you have a wonderful time ?
Festivals help us break free from our mundane life. I have no two minds about it. It doesn't matter to me if it is Diwali or Thanksgiving ........ what matters at the end of the day is getting to spend time with your loved ones and celebrating life !! These are the moments that we cherish later in life. And I pity people who build boundaries around themselves ..... There is nothing wrong in embracing and celebrating festivals of other countries/ culture as long as you are appreciating your owns. Festivals just give us another reason to get together with family and friends.
J and I were super enthusiastic this Thanksgiving. We didn't want to miss the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade this year. We were off to New York city at 3 am on Thursday morning (11/24/2010). We reached there when it was still dark and the roads were deserted with the temperature at -4 degrees Celsius. The deserted roads were so not New York style. The parade had been on our Bucket List for couple of years and we were happy to strike it off this year.
We shopped like crazy on Black Friday ..... fourteen hours at a stretch. I won't be surprised if you raised your eyebrow and said "Crazy People". The best thing that I love about myself and J is we live life every moment and we don't mind that little bit of madness.
Came home and slept like a pig. And when I woke up there was a sweet surprise awaiting for me ...... A lovely candle light dinner for two. Courtesy J. It was Thanksgiving Dinner ...... well no roasted Turkey but Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks and Cocktails ....... J's signature recipe which he has mastered over a period of time.
As I bit into the spicy and juicy chicken drumsticks I said my silent prayer and thanked God for everything !!

Preparation Time - 50 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients

Chicken Drumsticks - 6

Lime Juice - 2 tsp

Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 2 tsp

Turmeric - 1 pinch

Cumin Powder - 1 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1 tsp

Kasuri Methi Dry - 1 tsp

Plain Yogurt - 5 tsp

Salt per taste

Canola Oil - 2 tbsp

Method of Preparation

1 Remove the skin from the chicken drumsticks and wash under running water. Pat dry using a paper towel.

2 Make incisions in the chicken drumsticks. Take a tea spoon of lime juice. Mix 1 tsp red chili powder and a little salt to make a paste. Rub this paste on the chicken drumsticks and into the incisions.

3 Make a mixture of the remaining ingredients. Marinate the drumsticks with this mixture and keep keep in refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

4 Preheat the oven at 450 F. Place the marinated drumsticks on a grilling tray and grill for about 35 - 40 minutes till the chicken is cooked.

Serving Tips

Serve warm. Sprinkle a little chat masala and drizzle a little bit of lime on it.

I would like to thank all my followers and people reading my blog on this occasion. Your comments and suggestions have helped me come a long way and are always an inspiration.

Chingudi Bara aka Shrimp Cakes

How was your weekend ? Did you relax and have quality time with your family and friends ? Did you cook something special, light some fragrant candles and play some light music and enjoy some mushy moments ? Or was it a busy one ..... with you catching up with pending stuff and running around to complete errands that had been waiting to catch your attention.

Mine was quite a balanced one.

It began with the birthday party of a six year old on Friday. I ran errands on Saturday but Sunday was quite peaceful.

I decided to prepare these Chingudi Bara ( Chingudi = Shrimp in Odiya) Shrimp Cakes ..... my very own recipe. But there is not much to boast about because when you add shrimps to potatoes with some dry ground spices they are supposed to taste good. You can never go wrong with it.

Preparation Time 30 minutes

Makes about 8-9 medium size cakes

Ingredients

Cleaned and de-veined Shrimp - 6

Potato - 1 (Medium Sized)

Chopped Scallions - 1 cup

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1 pinch

Lime Juice - 1 tsp

Salt per taste

Oil for cooking

Method of Preparation

1. Roughly chop the shrimps. Mash the Potatoes.

2. In a pan, heat about 1 tsp of oil. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 -3 minutes. Add the chopped shrimps and fry till the shrimps are transparent. Remove from pan and let it cool.

3 Mix the rest of the ingredients with the mashed potatoes along with this fried shrimps.

4 Make small cakes out of the mixture.

5 Heat some more oil in a tawa. Fry till both sides are brown and crisp.

Serving Tips

Serve warm. Sprinkle some Chat Masala and lime juice.

Variation

You many also shallow fry the cakes.

Other Names

Shrimp Cakes - Chingudi Bara

Do let me know what you think about this recipe. I would appreciate your inputs for the same. Have a wonderful week ahead !

Chicken Marsala & A Milestone

It was only couple of months back when I was a rookie in this blog world. After long hours of discussions and brain storming I and J decided to name our 'Blog Baby' - 'Food for thought' - Meaning something that tickles one's grey cells. Well it tickles our taste buds too .....

After long hours of selecting the layout, design etc I decided to make my first post. I was nervous like a small kid going to school for the first time. I wanted to start the blog with something sweet, so decided to post the recipe for 'Rasgulla'. Like a curious little kid I clicked on my blog every hour to check if I had any visitor. Not to forget I called my parents, in - laws and relatives ..... to make this very important announcement.

I was exhilarated the moment I saw my first follower and then the first comment. The excitement and happiness was nothing less than what I had felt when I got my first salary credited to my bank account.

Time flew and this space of mine became an open book ..... Something like a diary where I could pen down my memories, experience and thoughts without the fear of being judged.More than anything I was loving what I was doing ...... and this is what mattered to me at the end of the day.

If you are wondering why all this nostalgia. Well my friends ..... even to my own disbelief this happens to be the 100th post !!!

And if there is one person who has happily stood by me, encouraged me and has been a gleeful Guinea Pig to my 'food experiments' .....it's J.

I owe it all to my loving husband ........

I would love to say few lines from my favorite movie 'Julie and Julia' for him ....

'You are the butter to my bread and the breath to my life'

(No matter how much I irritate you and fight with you) I still love you :-)

He is the one who has been my friend, mentor and critic ....... So as a remembrance to this happy journey to my 100th post I would love to dedicate this post to J.

I also want to thank everybody who has constantly encouraged me through their loving comments.

Preparation Time - 30 minutes

Serves -2

Ingredients

Thin sliced chicken breasts - 3/4 pound

All purpose flour - 1/2 cup

Oregano - 1/2 tsp

Fresh Crushed Pepper - 1/2 tsp

Chopped Mushrooms (Baby Bella) - 2 cups

Marsala Wine - 1.5 cups

Olive oil for cooking

Method of Preparation

1 Wash the chicken breasts and pat them dry using a kitchen towel. Place them on a hard surface (chopping board) and pound them a little.

2 In a plate mix All purpose flour + Oregano + Pepper. Dust the chicken breasts on both sides on this flour mixture.

3 In a wide pan heat some olive oil. Take enough oil to coat the pan. Fry the chicken breasts on both sides for 2 minutes each. This gives a nice texture to the chicken pieces. Remove from heat and keep aside.

4 In the same pan, drizzle little more oil if needed. Add the chopped mushrooms to it. Do not crowd the mushrooms else they won't brown. Add one cup of marsala wine to it. Add the fried chicken pieces too. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium flame. Stir occasionally if required.

5 Add the remaining wine to it and cook for some more time till the chicken pieces get cooked.

Serving Tips

Serve warm with grilled asparagus/ mashed potatoes and red wine.

Notes

Marsala Wine by itself is salty, so add salt only if required.

Make sure you use thin sliced chicken breasts and do not forget to pound them.

Egg Curry .....

This week began with a pile load of pending stuff. I am struggling to make things work ..... can't blame anyone but myself for this situation. Well I can ....... blame it on the weather. The cloudy rainy days dampen my mood and make me lazy. Not to forget the dropping temperature.

I wish I had a magic lamp like Aladdin ...... rub it and the Genie appears saying 'Kya hukum hai mere aka'. And then I can read out my never ending wish list to him. Yah I know that's called day dreaming ..... but there is no harm in dreaming if that makes you feel good.

But I am well aware that nothing like that is ever going to happen. So to lighten my spirits I decided to cook, to take a break from the mundane life.

Ever since I saw the egg curry recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's Cookbook on Indian Simmer, I was desperate to prepare it. The inspiration - Prerna :-) , the blog owner who posted this as her 50th post celebration. Her recipe and clicks are a sure motivation for food lovers. Every time I see her posts I can't stop myself from drooling. Wish she was my neighbor.

So today I decided to make this egg curry ..... I tweaked the recipe a little bit though.

It was perfect combination with plain basmati rice for this busy day.

Preparation Time - 30 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients

Boiled Eggs - 4

Grated Onion - 1/2 cup

Grated Ginger - 1/2 tsp

Grated Garlic - 1/2 tsp

Tomato Paste - 1 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala - 1/3 tsp

Crushed Black Pepper - 1 big pinch

Turmeric Powder - 1/3 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1/3 tsp

Salt per taste

Oil for cooking

Method of Preparation

1 Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in a kadhai. Add a pinch of turmeric to it. When the oil is hot add the boiled eggs to it. Fry the eggs till they are golden in color. Remove and keep aside.

2 Add the grated onion, ginger and garlic to the hot oil now. Add turmeric and salt and fry till the masala gets cooked and leaves oil. (Approximately 10 minutes).

3 Add the tomato paste to it and mix into the masala.

4 In a separate bowl mix Cumin + Coriander + Red Chili Powder. Add a little water to make a paste.

5 Add this paste to the cooked masala and fry for 2 minutes. Add about 2/3 cup of water and let the gravy simmer.

6 Add the eggs to it and cook for two minutes.

7 Add garam masala powder and simmer for a minute.

8 Remove from heat and sprinkle the crushed pepper on it.

Serving Tips

Serve warm with rice.

Notes

Do not over fry the eggs. The oil should be hot when you fry the eggs, else the eggs will stick to the vessel.

Variation

Use fresh pureed tomato if tomato paste is not available.

Other Names

Egg Curry - Anda Curry.