Tel Ilish

1. 6 Pieces of Hilsha( Ilish).
2.1 tsp turmeric powder
3.1tsp Kashmiri mirch
4.Salt to taste
5.Mustard Oil.

Take the fish pieces in a Pan. Add turmeric powder, kashrimi mirch , salt and enough mustard oil to make this curry tasty:).
Now add 2-3 cups of water and bring it to boil and cover the pan. Wait till almost all water dried up and only oil is visible.
Your delicious Tel ilish is ready. Place it into serving bowl and put 2 slit green chillis.
Serve hot with hot rice:))
Enjoy

Mutton Rogan Josh

I found this simple and authentic (looks like) mutton roganjosh recipe in this blog : http://www.steffisrecipes.com/2017/03/mutton-rogan-josh-recipe.html . This blog is also a good source for other popular but not so common (for bengalis) mutton recipes e.g. Mutton Ghee roast.

I plan to try out the mutton rogan josh soon. But copying the recipe for my friends.

Mutton Rogan Josh Recipe
Author: Angela Steffi
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 90 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings

Calories per serving: 310 calories
Fat Content: 22 grams

Mutton Rogan Josh is a tasty and delicious recipe from the Kashmiri  cuisine. The added whole spices add nice flavor and taste to the recipe. It does not require any onions or tomatoes, which is quite easy and very simple to make. 

Rated 4.8/5 based on 32 reviews

Ingredients: 

For Mutton Rogan Josh
• 1/2 kg Mutton
• 4 tbsp Ghee
• 1 Cinnamon Stick , 2 black cardamom. 4 green Cardamom , 1 mace
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp pepper corns
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Hing
• 2 tbsp Kashmiri Chili powder
• 1 tsp Dry Ginger powder
• 2 tsp Fennel seed powder
• 1/2 cup Thick Yogurt / Curd
• Required Water
• Salt to taste
For Grinding:
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 3 Green Cardamom
• few Saffron strands

Instructions:

1. Melt ghee and add the whole spices
2. Add the mutton and cook for 2 minutes
3. Add the masalas ,required salt ,Water and cook until the mutton is fully done
4. Once the mutton is cooked completely turn off the heat
5. Our Mutton Rogan Josh is ready to be served hot with Naan or chapathi.

Murg Nihari (Copied)

Murg nihari 🍗 with Polaao 🍚
চিকেন নিহারি Murg Nihari
🍗🍗🍗🍗🍗🍗🍗🍗🍗

✔চিকেন ১ কেজি
✔স্টার অ্যানিস ১টি ( না পেলে ২ চামচ মৌরি বাটা )
✔গোটা জিরে ১ চামচ
✔জয়িত্রী জয়ফল গুঁড়ো সামান্য
✔ছোট এলাচ ও দারচিনি গুঁড়ো ১ চাচামচ
✔ধনে গুঁড়ো ১ চামচ
✔শুকনো লঙ্কা গুঁড়ো ১ চামচ
✔কাশ্মীরি লঙ্কা গুঁড়ো ২ চামচ
✔সামান্য চিনি
✔আদা-রসুন বাটা ১ চামচ
✔একটা গোটা পেঁয়াজ বাটা ,
✔ঘি ১ কাপ
✔ময়দা জলে গুলে রাখা ১/৪ কাপ
( আমি জলে গুলে ময়দা অথবা আটা বা দিইনি )
✔পেঁয়াজ বেরেস্তা পেস্ট ৪ চামচ
✔ধনেপাতা কুচি ২ চামচ
✔নুন স্বাদমতো
✔জল পরিমাণমতো
পদ্ধতি -
➖➖➖
মিক্সারে স্টার অ্যানিস ( না পেলে ২ চামচ মৌরি ), গোটা জিরে, গরমমশলা গুঁড়ো, ধনে গুঁড়ো, শুকনো লঙ্কা গুঁড়ো দিয়ে মিহি করে নিন।
প্যানে ঘি গরম করুন।
ঘি গরম হলে তাতে দিন আদা-রসুন বাটা, পেঁয়াজ বাটা , নুন, শুকনো লঙ্কা গুঁড়ো ও সামান্য চিনি ,
মশলাগুলো লালচে করে ভেজে প্যানে চিকেন দিন।
এরপর প্যানে গুঁড়ো করে রাখা মশলা দিয়ে নেড়ে নিয়ে জল ঢেলে দিন।
আঁচ কমিয়ে ঢাকা দিয়ে রান্না করবেন l
গ্রেভি ফুটে এলে প্যানে জলে গুলে রাখা ময়দা, আটা দিয়ে নেড়ে ফোটাতে থাকুন।
চিকেন ভালোভাবে সেদ্ধ না হওয়া পর্যন্ত প্যান ঢেকে রাখুন।
চিকেন সেদ্ধ হয়ে গেলে ঢাকনা সরিয়ে প্যানে দিন পেঁয়াজ বেরেস্তা পেস্ট , ধনেপাতা কুচি।
তৈরি চিকেন নিহারি।

Banana cake

http://omgchocolatedesserts.com/easy-banana-magic-cake/

Dragon Chicken

Copied

Ingredients:
Boneless Chicken Breast – 500 grams(cut into thin strips)
Coriander leaves or Spring Onion for garnishing (finely chopped)
Oil for Deep frying


For Marination:
Dark Soya Sauce – 2 tsp
Red Chilli Paste – 1 tblspn (ground up dry red chilli)
Egg – 1
All Purpose Flour / Maida – 1/2 cup
Corn Flour / Corn Starch – 1/4 cup
Ginger Garlic Paste  – 1 tblspn
Salt to taste
Pepper – 1 tsp
Ajinomoto / Msg – 1 tsp (optional)


For Sauce:
Oil – 2 tblspn
Dry Red Chilli – 3
Cashews – 4 tblspn broken into small pieces
Onion – 1 large sliced thinly
Capsicum / Bell Peppers – 1 sliced thinly
Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tblspn
Red Chilli Paste – 1 tblspn (ground up dry red chilli)
Dark Soya sauce – 1 tblspn or to taste
Tomato Ketchup – 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Ajinomoto /Msg – 1 tsp (optional)
Sugar – 2 tsp
Method:
Take chicken in a bowl and add all the marination ingredients. Mix well and let it marinate for 15  mins. Now heat some oil for deepfrying. When the oil is hot drop the chicken in oil and fry till golden. Drain and set aside.
Now heat oil in a frying pan. Add in dry red chilli and cashews and fry till the cashew turn golden brown.
Now add in onions and bell peppers and toss well in the oil.
Add in ginger garlic paste and saute for a min.
Now add in red chilli paste, soy sauce, tomato ketchup, salt, ajinomoto, sugar and mix well.
Cook this for a couple of mins till the water evaporates and sauce thickens.
Now add in the fried chicken and toss well in the sauce. Add in chopped coriander or springonion and mix well.
Serve hot.

Gravy Chowmein

This is not my recipe. I have followed the youtube recipe.Sharing the link here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Olo0LxN36c

If you love restaurant style gravy chowmein, please try out this recipe.

 

Ilish Polao ( Copied)

ইলিশ পোলাও ।😊😊
বাংলাদেশের বিখ্যাত ইলিশ পোলাও আজ চেষ্টা করে দেখলাম ।যানি না কেমন লাগবে।
উপকরন : ইলিশ মাছ চার পিস ।
গোবিন্দভোগ চাল দুই কাপ ।(ত্রিশ মিনিট ভিজিয়ে জল ঝরিয়ে রাখা)
নারকেল দুধ দু কাপ ।
এক টেবিল চামচ মিস্টি দই একটু ময়দা দিয়ে ফেটিয়ে রেখেছি ।
পেঁয়াজ কুচি একটা ।
আদা বাটা এক টেবিল চামচ ।
রসুন বাটা এক টেবিল চামচ ।
লঙ্কা গুরো এক চা চামচ ।
একটা পেঁয়াজের রস ।
আদার রস এক চা চামচ ।
রসুনের রস এক চা চামচ ।
কাঁচা, পাকা লঙ্কা আন্দাজমতো ।
সাদা তেল, ঘি ।
প্রণালী :করাইতে তেল, ঘি দিয়ে পেঁয়াজ কুচি, আদা বাটা, রসুন বাটা দিয়ে, পরিমাণ মতো নুন দেবেন ।ভালো করে নাড়াচাড়া করে ফেটানো মিস্টি দই দেবেন ।মশলা গা মাখা হয়ে এলে নারকেল দুধ দেবেন ।কয়েকটি কাঁচালঙ্কা দেবেন ।পেঁয়াজ নরম হয়ে গেছে দেখলে ইলিশ মাছের পিস দিয়ে হালকা হাতে একটু নারিয়ে আবার ও কিছুটা নারকেল দুধ দিয়ে ফুটতে দেবেন ।ইলিশ মাছ সেদ্ধ হতে একদম সময় লাগবে না । দশ মিনিট মতো হালকা আঁচ হলেই মাছ নরম হয়ে যাবে ।তেল ছেরে এলে গ্যাস অফ করে দিতে হবে ।
এরপর পোলাও বানানোর জন্যে করাইতে তেল, ঘি দিয়ে তাতে কাঁচালঙ্কা দিয়ে, পেঁয়াজের রস, আদার রস, রসুনের রস দিয়ে, খানিকটা ইলিশ মাছের ঝোল দিয়ে আগে থেকে ত্রিশ মিনিট ভিজিয়ে, জল ঝরিয়ে রাখা গোবিন্দভোগ চাল দিয়ে নাড়াচাড়া করতে হবে । এরপর যা চাল তার ডাবল পরিমাণ জল দেবেন । দু কাপ চালে তিন কাপ জল এবং এক কাপ নারকেল দুধ দিতে হবে । পরিমাণ মতো নুন দিতে হবে ।এরপর চাল সেদ্ধ হয়ে এলে এবং ঝরঝরে হয়ে গেছে দেখলে ইলিশ মাছের পিস উপর থেকে দিয়ে, এবং খানিকটা ঝোল মাছের উপরে থেকে দিয়ে সিম করে দশ মিনিট দম দিতে হবে ।
দশ মিনিট পর পরিবেশন করবেন ইলিশ পোলাও




 

Chilli Chickn

Chicken: 700 gms boneless
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Green pepper: 1 ( cut into cubes)
Red Pepper:1  (cut into cubes)
Onions: 2 (cut into cubes)
Green chillies: 3-4 (as per taste)
Soya sauce: 3 tsp
Cornflour: 3 tbsp
Vinegar: 2 tsp
Tomato ketchup: 2 tsp
Sugar: 1/2 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Egg
Oil for frying
Spring onion (to garnish)   



Preparation:
Wash the chicken and marinade with 1 ginger garlic paste,1 tsp Vinegar,1tsp Soy sauce,pepper powder,salt,1 egg and 1 tsp cornflour. Keep for 30 mins.

Heat the oil and deep fry the chicken pieces .Drain on a kitchen roll and keep it aside.
In oil add oinion and few green and red pepper and green chili and fry for some time. Once onion turns golden brown add ginger garlic paste and fry for some time. Now add chicken, soy sauce,vinegar and tomato ketch up along with rest of the Green and Red Pepper. Add salt and sugar as per your taste and add little bit of pepper powder. Mix 1 tbsp of the cornflour with water and add it to the chicken. Mix well. Boil till it thickens. Garnish with Spring Onion.

Doi Chicken kasha

Ingredients

1. 1lk . skinless chicken on bone
2. 1 cup thick yogurt
3. 2 medium sized onion sliced
4. 1 tbsp. garlic paste
5. 1 tbsp. ginger paste
6. 1/2 tsp of cumin seed
7. 1 tsp. bay leaf
8. 3-4 tsp. green cardamom
9. 3-4 clove
10. 1 stick cinamom
11. 1 tsp. turmeric powder
12. 2 tsp. Kashmiri red chili powder
13. 2-3 potato
14. 1 tsp. whole pepper powder
15. 1 tsp garam  mashala ( you can avoid it also since whole garam mashala is already added)
16. Salt
17. Sugar
18. White oil

❥Prepare the potatoes:
In a sauce pan add water and potatoes.
Bring it to boil keeping the heat to high.
Boil for about 6 minutes then drain the water from the potatoes.
Let dry completely then fry them on hot oil for 3 minutes or until it's slightly golden brown.
Once golden brown remove from oil and transfer onto a paper towel to remove the excess oil.
Set aside.
❥Prepare the chicken:
In a wok heat oil on medium low heat then add sliced onions.
Fry for 18-20 minutes on low heat or until it turns golden brown.
 add ginger and garlic and fry for 1 minute.
Then turn the heat to high and add chicken. Fry for 2 minutes.
After that add spices and seasoning (salt, turmeric powder, red chili, bay leaves, black pepper,
cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick and cumin seeds). Fry for 5 minutes. add potato.
Then add yogurt and mix well until everything is well combined.
Next cover and cook on low medium heat for 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully tender.
After 20 minutes remove lid and turn the heat to high fry for 5 minutes or until most of the liquid (water) has evaporated or when the oil comes up.
Now add garam masala. Mix well.
Then add tomatoes, fried potatoes and green chili (optional). Stir until everything is
well combined.
Turn off heat immediately and remove from heat.
The chicken is done, set aside.

Server with bengali sweet polao, paratha.

Tel Tyangra

Ingredients

1. 10-12 tyangra mach cleaned
2. 1 large onion grated ( do not make very fine paste)
3. 1 tsp cumin powder
4. 1tsp ginger paste
5. 2-3 green chilies
6. 1 tsp green chili paste
7. 1 tsp. turmeric powder
8. 2 tsp. chili powder
9. Salt
10. Mustard oil ( you need oil for this as you can see its TEL tyangra.. :)

Marinade the fish with all ingredients and keep aside for 5 mins.
Heat the pan and a little bit of oil . Once the oil is hot add the marinated fish and cover the lid. Occasionally turn the fish ( please ensure  not to break the fish). Once oil gets separated and mashala gets almost cooked then take some water into the container where you marinade the fish. was the container and add the water into pan. and cook for some more time.
If you need a light sweet taste you can add very lil amount of sugar. I do not use sugar generally.
This is a very tasty dish. :)

Loitte macher jhol

• 1kl loitya maach or Bombay Duck cleaned and washed( cut into 2-3 medium sized pieces depending up the size of the fish)
• 1 medium sized onion thinly sliced
• 1 medium tomato finely chopped
• 1 tsp Green chili paste  
• 1-2 whole green chilies
• 1 + 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2tsp. kashmiri red chili powder   
• 1tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 cup finely chopped coriander leaves (Cilantro)
• Salt to taste
• 5 – 6 tbsp. mustard oil( do not compromise on oil).

Smear the fish with half tsp. turmeric and salt and one tsp oil. Now take a pan and heat the oil.  Fry the onion till golden brown. Once it is done add cumin powder,turmeric powder,kasjmiri red cihili powder and green chili paste,salt. cook for 2 mins and  chopped tomatoto. again cook for few mins. Add the fish. cover the lid. Occasionally turn the fish around but ensure that it dose not brake. Cook till oil separates . Boil 3/4th cup of water and add to fish curry. After 1-2 mins add the coriander  leaves.
Loitte macher jhol is ready to serve with hot plane rice:)

NB: Please do not add sugar .

Chicken sindhi Rice

Inspired by Sindhi Chicken Biriyani

❥INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp ginger, grated
1 tsp garlic, minced
3/4 cup oil
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1-1/4 tsp salt or to taste
5 cloves
5 green cardamom pods
16-18 whole black pepper
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cinnamon sticks
2 small bay leaves
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 medium size onions, sliced
2 medium size tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 medium size potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
1 green chilies, chopped (optional)
yellow/orange food coloring
oil for frying the potato
water, as needed. for boiling the potato
❥For rice:
2 liter water for boiling
3 tsp salt
1 tsp whole garam Mashala
2 cups long grain basmati rice
❥DIRECTIONS:
❥Prepare the potatoes:
In a sauce pan add water and potatoes.
Bring it to boil keeping the heat to high.
Boil for about 6 minutes then drain the water from the potatoes.
Let dry completely then fry them on hot oil for 3 minutes or until it's slightly golden brown.
Once golden brown remove from oil and transfer onto a paper towel to remove the excess oil.
Set aside.
❥Prepare the chicken:
In a wok heat oil on medium low heat then add sliced onions.
Fry for 18-20 minutes on low heat or until it turns golden brown.
Once it's golden brown remove some of the onion for the later topping of the biryani.
In the remaining frying onion add ginger and garlic and fry for 1 minute.
Then turn the heat to high and add chicken. Fry for 2 minutes.
After that add spices and seasoning (salt, turmeric powder, red chili, bay leaves, black pepper,
cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick and cumin seeds). Fry for 5 minutes.
Then add yogurt and mix well until everything is well combined.
Next cover and cook on low medium heat for 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully tender.
After 20 minutes remove lid and turn the heat to high fry for 5 minutes or until most of the liquid (water)
has evaporated or when the oil comes up.
Now add garam masala. Mix well.
Then add dried prunes, tomatoes, fried potatoes and green chili (optional). Stir until everything is
well combined.
Turn off heat immediately and remove from heat.
The chicken is done, set aside.
❥Prepare the rice:
Wash and rinse rice until the water runs clear.
Once cleaned soak rice in water for 30 minutes.
After that drain the soaked rice and place it in the boiling water.
Add salt and whole garam mashala. Give a good stir.
Cook the rice al dente just for about 6 minutes on medium high heat.
Don't cook it fully. It should be about three quarters of the way cooked.
Then drain the water off.
❥Assembling the Biryani:
Layer the meat masala with the rice, remembering to sprinkle the reserved fried onions and some food coloring over the rice in between the layers.
Cover with a tight lid and place on very low heat for about 5-10 minutes to steam.
Once done, open and fluff up the biryani gently.
Serve with sliced lemons, Riatah...

Jhinge Bessari

1. 10-15 small prawn
2. 3-4 Ridge gourd, finely chopped
3. one small size coconut grated
4. Salt
5. 2-3 chilis
6. Mustard Oil


Mix all the ingredients including prawn and oil and in a low flame  heat  a lil bit of oil in kadai and put the mixer in kadai. cover with lid. Stir occasionally . Cook it Ridge Gourd are cooked and water dries up.
PS: Khub beshi shukno hobena .

Narkel Chingri:(Moms kitchen)

1. 20-25 medium sized prawn deveined
2. 1 medium onion finely chopped
3. 1 medium size coconut, make a paste of it ( not very fine paste)
4. 3-4 green chilies
5. Turmeric powder
6. Coconut milk half cup
7. Salt
8. Sugar
9. Mustard Oil (you need more oil to make it)

Clean and wash the prawn. Smear the prawns with salt and turmeric. Now in a blow put all ingredients. Add prawn and mix all . Now you can cook this in a microwave or in a pressure Cooker.
I usually do it in Micro since this method takes less time :)). In high power, micro it for 3-4 mins and then give a stir, if needed add some more coconut milk and a lil bit of oil again ( since  if you make anything in micro it usually gets dry up very fast). Micro it again for another 2-3 mins. Make sure oll prawns are cooked properly.
PS: besh anek ta sarser tel lagbe..kiptemi korle chalbena :)))

Now.. narkel Chingri is ready to eat..yammuuyyy.


 

Capsicum Chicken - recipe by Archita

1kg chicken r jonyo 1.5 capsicum ar 1/2 bunch dhonepata r as required Kancha lonka. eksonge bete nibi

Tarpore chkn ta..oii bata, 1 boro Peyaj/2 medium bata...doi..ada rasun nun ar samanyo halud diye 2 hours marinate kore rakhbi..tarpore sada tele chkn pc gulo mashla theke tule..ektu mashla jhariye ektu bheje niye then mashla diye kashabi

Jakhan chkn ta cook hoye jabe..tel chere berobe..jol dibi..bhalo kore futite mishti diye namabi

Mutton dopiaaza

inspired from : http://www.ecurry.com/blog/indian/curries/gravies/mutton-do-pyaza/

Mutton Do Pyaza

Ingredients: (serves 3-4)

1. 1 lb mutton/goat meat

For marinade:

1. 4 tablespoon plain, thick yogurt
2. 1.5 tablespoon  garlic paste 
3. 1 tablespoon ginger paste
4. 2-3 tablespoon onion paste or grated onion (use a box grater)
5. 1 tablespoon mustard oil
6. 1 teaspoon salt
7. 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
8. 1 tablespoon grated raw papaya or a tiny bit of meat tenderizer (optional: this just helps the meat cook a bit faster and makes it tender)

For the Sauce:

1. 5 tablespoon oil or ghee (ghee preferred)
2. 1 cups packed thinly sliced onions + 1 tablespoon oil/ghee
3. 1 large black cardamom
4. 2 small green cardamom
5. 2 inch stick cinnamon
6. 6 cloves
7. 5 hot green chili peppers, stemmed and slit (remove seeds and membrane if you do not want it too spicy)
8. 4-5 cups (8 oz ) tightly packed thinly sliced onions (pref. red onions)
9. 1 teaspoon sugar
10. a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper (adjust amount to taste)
11. 2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
12. 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
13. 1 tablespoon coriander powder
14. 1 teaspoon turmeric
15. 1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chili powder
16. 1 cups water or as much needed, if needed. 
17. 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala (homemade or store bought)

Note: Please do not compromise on the amount of onion (or the time spent in slow cooking them). While more won’t hurt, less will.  The onions make the dish, in both texture and flavors.

Method:

Note: I will have two ways to cook this; One will be the traditional long, slow cooked way and the other one is the quick way which I usually do these days. 

Wash the meat clean and pat dry. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade and toss the meat well with it. Or you can place the marinade in a ziploc bag and place the meat in it. Then rub the marinade on the meat and allow it to sit for a couple of hours. Overnight works well.

When starting to cook: heat the tablespoon of oil or ghee. Add the cup full of sliced onions to the ghee/oil with a little sprinkle of sugar and salt and cook the onions in low to medium heat until the onions turn golden. Keep stirring and cook until they are brown and crisp, not burned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

To cook the short-cut way:  Precooking the meat
Place the meat with the marinade and one cup of water in a pressure cooker and partially cook the meat, for about 10 minutes after the steam builds up or whatever time your pressure cooker will take to cook it. The meat should to a bit more than one fourth cooked. Let cool and open the pressure cooker. Set aside the pre cooked meat and the sauce and marinade.

For the traditional way, just remove the meat from the refrigerator if you were marinating in the refrigerator about an hour  before you start cooking so it can come to room temperature.

Once it comes to the room temperature, remove the meat from the marinade (and save the marinade). Heat about a tablespoon of oil in the pan and place the meat, if possible in a single layer and slightly brown them on all sides, tossing and flipping them in required. Remove the meat and set aside. This is somewhat seal them so they remain moist.

Making the Sauce:

Pound the cardamoms, cinnamon and clove until they crack. Place them in a large (you are going to cook the meat here), heavy bottomed pan and let it heat up with pounded spices. As the spices toast there will be sweet aroma of the spices. Add the 5 tablespoon oil to the pan and allow it to heat up.

Once the oil is hot, add the sugar and stir it around in low heat until it starts to dissolve. Be careful not to burn the sugar. Add the slit green chili peppers and all the onions and cook at low to medium heat until the onions starts to caramelize. They will turn pinkish golden first and then deep brown on the edges, not dark or burnt brown. Now add the minced ginger and garlic  and the fenugreek seeds to the cooked onions, toss well and cook again for about a couple of minutes.

Time to add the meat: If you have pre cooked the meat, strain them from the liquid (save the liquid) and place them in the pan. If you have just sealed the meat by browning them, place them in the pan with the onions. The cooking process is going to be the same for both, except the uncooked meat will take longer to complete.

Toss the meat well with the onions mix. Increase the heat. You will now be cooking mostly on medium to high heat. Add the turmeric, coriander powder, fresh grinds of black pepper and chili powder. Cook everything for about 5-7 minutes until the meat and the onion mix blends well. Now start adding some of the cooking liquid (if you have pre cooked the meat) , or some of the marinade with some sprinkle of water so the mix does not stick at the bottom of the pan and continue to cook at medium heat mostly. The target is to braise the meat slowly with the spice mix for the flavors to infuse slowly.

Cook slowly adding the cooking liquid or some of the marinade with warm water when the mix dries out. With the partially cooked meat you might need to cook for about 40 minutes, and much more with the uncooked meat. When all the cooking liquid/marinade + warm water is used up and the meat and the onion mix in the pan comes to a texture of a thick brown mix with oil separating from the sides, it is time to cover and do the final cooking for the meat to get tender.

Add a cup (less for the pre cooked meat as the meat might be almost done by now) of hot water to the pan,  and the pre fried crisped onions and cover it tightly. The precooked meat will need less water and way less time to cook depending on how much it was cooked before. Cook until the meat is tender and almost falling off the bone.  (might take more than an hour or hour and half for the uncooked meat). Add more water if required. The consistency of the final dish should be like the one I have in the wok (see photo).

If you want less sauce, you made uncover and reduce the liquid to what ever consistency you want. When done, add the Garam Masala powder and kewra water. Cook for five more minutes switch off the heat. Keep tightly covered until ready to serve. Garnish with fresh cilantro/coriander and more fresh slit green chili peppers if you wish.

Serve with rice or bread and  good squeeze of fresh lemon juice on the meat. Sit down and enjoy your meal.

Mutton biryani Kolkata authentic

Inspired from : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpOw5q6HuVU 

Chicken Chaap

Kolkata Chicken chaap

Inspired from : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWFUOySRDtg


Ingredients :

Chicken big pieces - 2kg,
Curd - 2tblspoon,
Kewra water
Big onion paste - 1
Rose water
Saffron in hot water - 1/2cup
Beson - 6tbsp roasted on dry tawa
Ginger paste - 1tbsp
Garlic paste - 1tbsp
Oil: ghee -  3:1 in generous amounts
Garam masala powder - 1tbsp or so (biryani masala or make shahi garam masala at home)
Whole garam masla (cloves, darchini, cardamom, black pepper corn)
Red chilli powder


Marinade the chicken with curd, onion paste, ginger garlic paste, salt, saffron water, beson, some kewra and rose water for atleast 2 hours.

Heat oil and ghee. Give few cardamoms, cloves, and a stick of darchini, and 5-6 whole black pepper corn.

Shake marinade from chicken pieces and fry in a single layer - both sides.  Fry on medium heat. Make sure the chicken pieces become pale and not too brown. Take from oil and keep aside.

Now pour the marinade in oil along with the fried chicken pieces. Cover and cook on low-medium heat for 20mins or so until the chicken gets cooked.

Give 2tspoons of kewra water, rose water and ghee at the end. Ready to serve with biryani, pulao, paratha, naan