Cakes

MUTTON YAKHNI PULAO

Yakhni Pulao  is a combination of  tender meat pieces and rice  flavored  with  meat stock. Yakhni means meat stock, like beef, mutton or chicken stock. It is the yakhni (stock) which brings out the taste in this pulao.

This dish though simple, tastes delicious and can be served with Raita (yoghurt based salad).

Mutton Yakhni Pulao

Ingredients :

250gms Mutton 

250gms Rice (Basmati rice soaked in water for 30 minutes)

2 med. Onions (peeled & sliced)

2 tbsps. fresh Ginger-Garlic paste

¼ tsp. Turmeric pwd. (optional)

2-3  fresh Green Chillies (slit) 

5 tbsps. Vegetable Oil

Salt to taste

Whole Garam Masala 

1 large stick of Cinnamon, 16 Cloves, 20-25 Peppercorns, 2 Black Cardamom(lightly bruised), 3 Green Cardamom (lightly bruised), 1 tsp. Cumin Seeds, 2 tbsp whole Coriander Seeds, 2 Bay Leaves (Tej Patta). 

For the Garnishing :

Coriander & Mint Leaves (chopped)

Method :

Wash, drain & marinate the mutton with 1 tbsps. ginger-garlic paste, turmeric pwd.,and a little salt for about an hour.  

Pressure cook the marinated mutton, one sliced onion, whole garam masala with 5 cups of water for about 4-5 whistles or till the meat is just tender.

Allow the cooker to cool down a little and then release the steam completely.

Strain the stock, separate the meat, discard the whole spices.

The meat stock should measure up to 5 cups. If the amount of stock is less then add water accordingly to measure up to the required amount of liquid.

Heat the pressure cooker with cooking oil till hot.

Add the remaining sliced onions and fry until lightly golden brown. 

Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté till the moisture evaporates.

Add the slit chillies and fry for a few seconds.

Drain and add the soaked rice. Gently sauté till the rice grains are separated, well coated and glossy.

Add the cooked meat and pour in the reserved meat stock and give it a good stir. Taste to check seasoning and adjust if necessary. Also adjust water level if required as this depends on the quality of the rice.

Pressure cook  the rice till done.  

Serve garnished with freshly chopped coriander leaves.

Simple Chicken Biryani

Biryani is a rice-based dish made with spices, rice (usually basmati) and chicken, mutton, fish, eggs, or vegetables. The name is derived from the Persian word beryā(n), which means "fried" or "roasted".  Biryani was believed to have been invented in the kitchen of the Muslim Mughal Emperors. The difference between biryani and pulao is that while pulao may be made by cooking the items together, biryani denotes a dish where the rice is cooked separately from the gravy. The curry and the rice are then brought together and layered, resulting in a dish of the contrasting flavours of flavoured rice (which is cooked separate with spices) and intensely flavoured  meat or vegetables. This separation is partly of necessity. The proportion of meat/vegetables to the rice is high enough to make biryani a one-dish meal. In a properly made biryani, the final dish is dry or minimally moist, with the individual rice grains separate. However, many biryani recipes call for the rice to be cooked for three-quarters of the usual time, followed by layering with the meat/vegetable base, and then a final slow-steaming (Dum) until fully done. This approach allows the flavors to blend well. There are various types of biryani like Hyderabadi, Lucknowi, Awadh, Andhra style, Kerala style etc.,  I have tried various biryanis as my family loves biryani.  The below one is a quick biryani when you have no time for elaborate preparations.  Even though it seems complicated, this is a very very simple yet yummy biryani.

Ingredients

Chicken 1 kg

Basmati rice 1/2 kg

Onions – 3 (sliced and fried brown - brishta)

Potatoes – 2 medium sized (each chopped into 4 pieces)

Whole Garam Masala (1 bay leaf, 1 inch piece cinnamon, 1 star anise, 3-4 black pepper,2-3 cloves, 2-3 cardamoms)

3-4 slit green chillies

10 cashews chopped / few raisins - fried

Yellow or orange food color

For Maranade

Yoghurt  ½ cup

Red chilly powder 1 full teaspoon

Turmeric powder  ½  teaspoon

Dhania powder ½ teaspoon

Jeera powder ½ teaspoon

Ginger /Garlic paste 1 tablespoon

Garam Masala powser - 1 teaspoon

Lime/Lemon juice 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Step 1

Chop the chicken into medium pieces, wash, pat dry and set aside.

Apply lime/lemon juice and salt to chicken.

In a bowl whisk all the ingredients for maranade (except lime/salt).

Add this to the chicken.  Add the chooped potatoes. Mix well and set aside for ½ and hour.

Heat a heavy bottom pan with oil or ghee (1 tablespoon). Add chicken /potatoes pieces, fry for a minute add 2 cups of water.  Cover and cook till chicken/potatoes are done and there is a thick gravy.

Step 2

Slice 3 medium sized onions, apply salt, squeeze out the excess water.

Heat a pan with ghee or oil and fry the onions till crisp and brown (brishta)

Step 3

Wash the rice and soak for 10 minutes.

Heat a deep vessel with ghee or oil.

Add whole garam masala, fry for 1 minute till you get the aroma of the spices.

Add the rice and fry (careful not to break the grains) till coated with spices and ghee

Add sufficient water and cook the rice till ¾ done (¾ cooked rice means, you should be able to feel a slight grain and the rice should be quite firm when you press a grain of not fully cooked rice with your fingers). Drain and divide the rice into two.

Pour a teaspoon of ghee on both the divided rice.  To one add food color (or you can add saffron soaked in milk) mix till the color is blended and keep both sections of the rice aside.

Step 4

(Layering)

Take a deep bottom vessel.

Pour 1 tablespoon of hot ghee or oil.

Place ½ the potatoes at the bottom of the vessel

Add the ½ the quantity of chicken pieces on top of it.

Spread some fried onions on top of it. 

Add some chopped coriander/mint  on it

1 – 2 slit green chillies

Add the white rice (you can discard the whole spices if you want)

Top with chicken and potatoes

Add some more fried onions, chopped mint/coriander, few cashew/raisins

Place the colored rice on top.

Spread the balance onions, mint/coriander, cashews, raisins on top.

Cover the vessel.  Seal the edges (I sealed with foil paper).

Place a tawa on gas and then place the vessel on top of it and let it cook on dum for 15-20 minutes.

Leave covered for 10 minutes before opening it.

Serve hot with raita. (a yoghurt based salad with chopped onions, green chillies, coriander and mint)

Prawns Chilly Fry

The Goan Prawn Chilli Fry (not to be confused with Chinese Prawn Chilly) is a simple, quick and super tasty dish. It needs very few ingredients which are always available in your kitchen. The most important aspect is the freshness of the prawns and the tiny variety. Fresh prawns bring out the flavor in the preparation. When the prawns are fresh, you hardly need spices. This dish is prepared using lots of onions, some green chillies, tomatoes, vinegar and just a dash of dry spices. 

Ingredients :

250 gms. fresh small Prawns 

2 med. Onions sliced fine

1 med. fresh Tomatoes chopped fine

3 fresh Green Chillies sliced

1 tsp. fresh Ginger/Garlic paste

1 tsp. Palm Vinegar

1 tsp. Turmeric pwd.

Sugar - a large pinch or to taste

Black Pepper pwd. 

1 tsp Garam Masala 

Salt to taste

4 tbsps. Vegetable Oil

A handful of fresh Coriander Leaves (roughly chopped)

Procedure :

Wash the prawns & drain completely. Apply salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan or wok.

Fry the onions till slightly brown in color.

Add the green chillies  and fry for a few seconds  

Reduce heat add the tomatoes. Fry till the tomatoes are nicely smashed.

Now add the prawns and stir fry on high heat till the prawns are lightly cooked. 

Do not overcook the prawns or they will turn hard.

Add  sugar, pepper pwd., garam masala pwd. and stir to combine well. 

Add vinegar; stir. Adjust salt to taste. Taste to check seasoning. 

Serve immediately garnished with chopped coriander leaves. 

East Indian Khudi Curry

East Indian Cuisine is a mix of Maharashtrian, Portuguese and British techniques and methods using aromatic spices in their dishes. 

The main ingredient for any East Indian recipe is the use of bottle masala which is a powdered masala using  various spices stuffed in a bottle - usually a beer bottle. This spice mix can be used to make chicken or mutton or any  meat gravy dish.

Khuddi is usuallt a  regular Sunday lunch fare at any East Indian home.  This curry tastes nice with either Ghee rice or pulao. You can use beef also instead of chicken for this dish.

Khudi

1 kg chicken

1 tablespoon ginger/garlic paste

1tablespoon East Indian bottle masala

1 tablespoon oil

Salt to taste

Roast the following and grind to a smooth paste.

3 medium size onions

1/4 cup coconut scrapped

4 green chillies

Heat oil, fry the masala till oil leaves the sides.

Add chicken pieces and coat with masala

Add water depending on how much gravy you want.  This curry should be slightly thick.

Add salt

Cover and cook till chicken is cooked.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with boiled white rice or pulao.

Pork Vindaloo

The name "vindaloo" is derived from the Portuguese dish "carne de vinha d'alhos," which is a dish of meat, usually pork, with wine and garlic. The Portuguese dish was modified by the substitution of vinegar (usually palm vinegar) for the red wine and the addition of red Kashmiri chillies with additional spices to evolve into Vindaloo. Alternative terms are vindalho or vindallo.  

This below recipe is that of my mother's who is an East Indian.  The Goans make their vindaloo masala differently.  My Dad who is a Goan (and an excellent Cook) would grind the masala using Kashmiri chillies, Ginger, Garlic, Whole Garam Masala (which is not used in my recipe).  

We usually make this dish during festivals like Christmas and Easter and also if there is any special occassions like birthdays etc.  

Ingredients:

1 Kg pork with 1/2inch layer of fat.

1 tsp salt

Grind the following in Vinegar :-

10-15  Kashmir chillies

10-15 flakes of garlic

1 tbsp full cumin seeds

1 cup Palm Vinegar 

1/4 tsp Salt

1 tsp Sugar

Method:

Wash and dry the Pork with a towel.

Meanwhile grind the above ingredients with vinegar to  a fine paste.

Apply the masala paste to the pork and let it marinade in an earthen dish, or glass bowl for 8 hours or overnight.

Next day put all the pork in a vessel and cook on slow fire till tender.

PS : Taste the masala and adjust the sourness according to your taste.  If you prefer it more sour you can add more vinegar at the time of cooking.  Also if you prefer it more spicy add more red chillies whilst grinding the masala.

Also in the picture below you will not see I have not used much of pork fat, the dish is pretty dry. I avoid the fat as I feel it is unhealthy.  But if you have fat in the pork use it as there is no need to add any oil to the dish and the pork will be succulent and even more tastier.

Boneless Chicken Tikka

Chicken Tikka is boneless chicken pieces marinated in yoghurt and  spices and then cooked in a tandoor (a claypot oven).  At home since we don't have a tandoor we can cook it in the oven.  The word tikka means "bits" or "pieces". It is also a chicken dish served in Punjabi cuisine. The pieces are brushed with ghee (clarified butter) at intervals to increase its flavour. It is eaten with green coriander and tamarind chutney served with onion rings and lemon.

For preparing
BONELESS CHICKEN TIKKA

Ingredients :

500gms  boneless Chicken Breasts

For Marinade :

1 tbsp lemon juice 

Salt & Pepper to taste

For the 2nd  Marinade :

¼ cup Hung Curds 

1 tsp. fresh Ginger paste

1 tsp. fresh Garlic paste

1 tsp. Red Chilli pwd.

1 tsp. roasted Cumin pwd.

1 tbsp. Coriander pwd.

1 tbsp. Tandoori Masala

¼ tsp. Garam Masala pwd.

A drop of Orange Food Color (optional)

Ghee or Oil for basting

Procedure :

Clean and wash the boneless chicken breasts. 

Pat dry and cube the chicken in to sufficiently large pieces. 

Place the pieces of chicken in a  large bowl and rub some salt, pepper and lime juice into the chicken. Set aside for about 15-20 mins.

In another bowl, whisk together the hung curd, ginger-garlic paste, red chilli pwd., roasted cumin seed pwd., coriander pwd., tandoori masala, garam masala and orange food color. 

Add this tandoori paste to the bowl of chicken pieces and mix well to combine. The pieces of chicken should be well coated.  Cover the bowl with cling film or a lid & and let it marinate for about 3-4 hrs or overnight in a fridge.  When ready to cook, pre-heat the oven to 200c.  Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil & lightly brush with oil.  Arrange the marinated chicken pieces at a uniform distance.   After baking for 15-20 mins. remove the tray baste/brush with oil or ghee and flip the tikkas.  Baste the flipped tikkas with oil & let it bake for another 10-12 mins. 

Check with a toothpick to test if cooked through & tender. If not, baste/brush again with some oil & bake again; flipping again after every 3-4 mins. The pieces should actually be lightly blackened.  I have not done this as my kids don't like it.   

For serving sprinkle lemon or lime juice, chaat masala powder, and serve with fresh onion rings.

Beef Chilly Fry

A chilli fry is a dish with mainly onions, green chillies and ginger/garlic.  This dish can be fixed in a jiffy.  You can add fried  or boiled potatoes to this dish and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. You can add capsicum if you wish or even garnish with chopped spring onion greens. I have made beef chilly fry with some leftover beef roast (recipe given below) that I had in my refrigerator. You can make Prawn or chicken Chilly Fry too by substituting the beef with prawns.  

For the Beef Roast

Ingredients :

For the Marinade :

1 kg Beef sirloin

3 one inch pieces fresh Ginger (crushed)

8-10 flakes of garlic

1 tsp. Turmeric pwd.

6 Peppercorns

5 Cloves

2 one inch Cinnamon Sticks

Juice of 2 Limes or a dash of Vinegar

4 tbsps. Vegetable Oil/Ghee

4 dry Kashmiri Chillies (destemed, deseeded & broken)

1 cup Water

Salt to taste

 

Method

Wash the chunk of beef & drain well.

Pierce with the fork all over the meat.

Rub ginger-garlic paste, turmeric pwd., lemon juice & a little salt all over the meat.

Marinate overnight in the fridge.

Heat pressure pan with oil till hot.

Add broken dry Kashmiri chillies, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon sticks, crushed ginger, garlic.  Fry for a minute or two till make sure not to burn the spices. 

 Add the marinated beef.  Fry the meat till it is  browned on all sides.

Add approximately 2 cups water.

Pressure cook upto 4-5 whistles till the meat is tender.

Once the cooker is cool open and dry up the excess water till you get a thick gravy.

When the meat cools slice it into thin slices.

 

For the Beef Chilli Fry :

Ingredients :

1 cups Beef Roast  sliced thinly or you can cube it

1 smal Potato cubed (can either fry or boil it)

4 large Onions sliced fine

1 med. Tomato chopped fine

½ tsp. Black Pepper pwd

3 flakes Garlic cut fine 

1 tsp. Ginger 

6-8 fresh Green Chillies chopped on a slant

¼ tsp. Turmeric pwd.

A pinch of Sugar

4 tbsps. Vegetable Oil

Salt to taste

A fistful of fresh Coriander chopped fine

  

Method

Heat a thick bottom pan with oil till hot.

Reduce heat & add onions and fry till slightly pinkish  

Add green chillies, garlic-ginger and fry for 3-4 minutes.

Then  add the chopped tomatoes & a pinch of sugar & cook till soft.

Add sliced roast beef, pepper powder and mix well.

Fry on high heat till the beef is coated with onion mixture.

Add a tablespoon of the roast gravy. Mix well, add the fried or boiled potatoes.

Reduce heat & adjust salt to taste.

Serve hot garnished with freshly chopped coriander leaves.

Enjoy either with Pulao, Chapattis or sliced bread.

Birthday Cake : Chocolate Ganache with Buttercream Icing Decor

SRILANKAN FISH CUTLETS

SRILANKAN FISH CUTLETS

Sri Lankan Cutlets are a traditional party fare for any dinner or cocktail party.  My kids are huge fans of these breaded and fried little balls of savory goodness. You can make a cutlet with any meat/seafood you wish, but I really prefer the tuna fish variety.  I first got a taste of this yummy snack whilst I visited Srilanka.  I then asked my Srilankan host to share the recipe with me and she gladly did.

Ingredients

3 (200gms each) cans of light tuna fish in water drained

1 medium onion finely chopped

1-2 green chillies finely chopped

2 boiled large white potatoes crushed

Small handful of curry leaves minced

Small handful of mint leaves minced

1 Tbs of ginger garlic paste (or 1/2 Tbs each separately)

1/2 medium lime juiced (about 2-3 tsp)

salt and a lot of black pepper

 

For breading and frying:

bread crumbs for breading

2 eggs beaten well

1/2 bottle of oil for frying (I used Canola)

Directions:

Boil potatoes.  Peel and smash with a fork.

Cut onions, green chilies and curry leaves.  

Heat 1Tbs of oil in a frying pan and add the onions, chilies, mint and curry leaves to fry.  

Then add the garlic and ginger paste and fry for another minute. 

Salt and pepper the onions and then add the 3 cans of tuna drained.  

Then add the lime juice. Add the boiled (mashed) potatoes and mix in well.  

Mix together well and taste for the salt and pepper in the dish now that the potatoes have been added. 

I like to give my cutlets a peppery kick so I'm heavy on the pepper.   

Take off the stove and allow to cool completely so you can handle the mixture with your hands to form the cutlets.

The breading deep frying process:

                                    

Grab a small handful and slowly form into balls the size of a walnut. The most important part here is to make sure you don't have any cracks. If you have a crack then the cutlet will burst open when frying.

 The egg wash: Beat 2 medium eggs together with a tablespoon of cool water for dipping the cutlets before breading.

Breadcrumbs: I made my own by grinding some heals of bread in the blender or you can buy prepared breadcrumbs.  I don't recommend using seasoned bread crumbs.

Once you have dipped the cutlets into the egg wash and then the bread crumbs, the breaded cutlets are all ready for frying. Get this all done before you move onto the frying.

  

Heat the oil in a deep enough pan that you immerse the entire cutlet for cooking.  Heat  oil at a medium/high heat .  Drop a few breadcrumbs in the oil to see if the oil was hot enough for frying. Once they browned, the oil was nice and hot.  The oil should not be smoking hot as that will burn your cutlets.

  

Once fried, drain cutlets on a paper towel. This makes about  28-30 cutlets total.  Serve hot or at room temperature.   Enjoy !