Boti kebab

   Boti kebab, traditionally refers to chunks of mutton, marinated overnight with yoghurt and other spices.  This, the next day was grilled to perfection.  The name, boti is from sanskrit language which means, 'small chunks of meat'.  The following recipe is adapted from Morphy richard's recipe guide, where both chicken and mutton were given sited, I proceeded with former one.

One interesting fact with the guide was that they used wine for basting the marinated pieces, in between their grilling period.  I was very curious with this, and yes, used wine (first time in my blog :D ) for the same.  I could foresee an sweet- sour taste from the wine.  Minced onions gave an added sweet touch and with other spices, the dish appeared spicier too.  Finally such an sweet-hot- sour combination brought out an mesmerizing yield and all thanks to my recipe guide.  

Malai panneer tikka - Potluck party, cyber style

    Am back from Chennai from an function, and I was equally excited about my dish at party!  I soon recalled that I hadn't tried any starters, so here I am with Malai panneer tikka.  'Malai' means any dish cooked with milk cream and also adds on cashewnut paste.  In North India many dishes are prepared using this term, Malai kofta,  Matar malai, Rasmalai,  Malai peda etc.  Here, in an similar way paneer tikkas are prepared.

Idly ki tikka

   As anybody could easily guess, the below pic is idly ki tikka, a fat-free evening snack which is also awesome in taste and is prepared with left over idly's........  Isn't that a wonder? 

Ingredients required

• 4-6 leftover idly
• 2 tsp hung curd
• 1 tsp tandoori masala
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• Pinch of black salt
• Salt, to taste
• Half tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp dhanya powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Pinch of haldi

Method

Idly used here is hard natured.  Tip to cook hard natured idly (rather than soft, spongy types) is to overcook them.  We are avoiding normal soft types because they can get tooo soggy when marinated with masalas.  Take idly, cut into  squares and marinate them with above said masalas.

   First mix masalas very finely

Then add idly pieces, marinate for five to six hours.

Place them in grill skewer.  Alternatively, one could also shallow fry/ deep fry in tawa.

Cook at 200 degree celsius for 15-20 minutes

Serve with mint chutney. 

Very yummyyyyyy

Tangdi kebab- Nawabi style

   Tangdi kebab is my all-time-favourite and that too at hyderabad, that is available 24/7.  But rather than traditional masalas, i enriched my kebabs more my adding khoya/mawa along with usual spices with a touch of cheese.  The kebabs turned out to be quite delicious, and i called it a NAWABI style of kebab :) :)

Ingredients required:

For home-made masala, one red chilli, one tsp jeera, 8-10 garlic pods, 1tsp kasoori methi, 1/2 tsp dhanya, 1/2 tsp peppercorns,1/2 tsp saunf/sombu, and dry garam masalas like 2 stick of cinnamon, 3 cardamom, 3 cloves.  Just grind all the above for home-made masala

And of course, two BIG tangdi's (about 350gms of chicken)

One cup home-made khoya, one cube cheese and mixed masala(our home-made masala+1 tsp salt+ pinch of haldi+1tsp dahi+1tsp chicken masala+1 tsp tandoori masala+1/4tsp amchoor powder)

Method:

At first, mix all masalas, khoya and cheese.  If possible blend all three to get a uniform purree of fine masalas, (I blended them )

Toss the chicken legs all around, and let this marinate this form some ten hours in refridgerator.

Finally grill them at 200 degre celcius for 30 to 45 minutes, turn them around for a while.  Our delicious tangdi kebab is now ready to serve

Want a bite?????

Serve with veggie platter and mint chutney

Crumbled onions

   Ever wondered why restaurent made gravies are more dark in colour, making an wonderful impact??  Saw an cooking video of street-side dhaba in delhi and know wat? these guys add brown onion powder in the gravy to make it smell great and thus make an differentiation in colour as well.


    These powder, i assue should be made by deep frying finely chopped onions, draining off excessive oil and grinding even before their crispiness wipes out.  Such an delicate fantacy can be added to garnish curry, added on stuffed parathas and ur salads as well.  These have wide range of applications.  However, i tried to bake them till they went brownish red and grinded them once to get crumbled texture.  If you need a paste (as brown onion paste is also equally applicable in lots of gravies) you can grind it with a little water

  So, in a tray lined with oil greased foil, i laid down finely chopped onions,

Then i baked for 150 degee celcius for 10-15 minutes, this may take a time depending upon the quantity of onions added

Then i grinded it for single round, and here i go, have crumbled onions

Isn't it wonderful?

As said before they can be used to

1. garnish curry/gravy
2. added in curry/gravy
3. added in stuffed paratha
4. Also in salad

Grilled pomfret with veggies

    Pomfret is 'vavval meen' in tamil.  Never had it before in my life.   My mother had owned an old Morphy richards cookbook with this recipe, however that recipe baked the fish with other veggies with usual spices, i just added a few more to make it interesting and served with spicy n tangy mint chutney, it was great.  My husband called it as 'delivered as in restaurent style'  I was sooooo happyyyyy :) :) :)

    Cooking was done by coating fish in dry masalas, and partially tawa cooked in order to evaporate the masala content and put into oven as a dry fish, after grilling the fish was good, crisp and very tasty too

    So, let us get back to recipe

Ingredients required

(Make sure the pomfrets are cleaned and washed without disturbing its shape and I recommend making three deep incisions over the body as shown in pic so that masala will penetrate deeply)

Three medium sized pomfrets(300gm), hung curd half a cup, and spice mix(1/4tsp haldi, 1 tsp chicken tandoori powder, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1tsp gingergarlic paste, 1 tspdhanya powder, 1/4 tsp amchoor powder, 11/2 tsp salt), a pinch of colour(optional, for i didnt use)

 Method

In a broad vessel take hung curd

Mix the spice mix and give a thorough whisking in hand

Add one tsp oil for glazing and continue whisking by hand

 Now drop pomfret pieces and immerse deep and keep marinated fishes in a separate vessel

You can add veggies if u wish, i added cabbage, capsicum and carrot

Let this marination rest in fridge for minimum 3-4 hours, after that cook partially in tawa so that all masala evaporates.. Note that this is done in order to make the fish dry before you keep in oven

So, after 5-10 minutes turn in upside down, and add one tsp of oil

It is done and masala has got evaporated, now for grill..

Arrange veggies over ironrods and fish over grill plate.  Bake at 150 degree celsius for 30-45 minutes, although temperature may slightly vary upon thickness of fish.  And here it is ................