Chicken Momo

Though Momo was originated in Nepal but it is famous in all over the world. Momo is not only a very good breakfast or snacks but also it is a very healthy food for anyone. I still remember I used to have those momo's in Exide crossing (a very popular place in Kolkata) while returning from office.They used to set up the Momo stall just beside RabindraSadan Metro Station. Knowing the popularity of the dish I am pretty sure that those stalls are still there and many people like me, do equally enjoy those momos in the street itself.They served those Momos with soup and one special hot chatni. Today I am going to share the whole recipe with you......

Ingredients:

1. 100gms ground chicken(chicken kima)
2. chopped cabbage 1/2 cup
3. chopped onion 1/2 cup
4. chopped carrot 1/2 cup
5. chopped ginger 1 teaspoon
6. chopped garlic 1 teaspoon
7. chopped green chili 1-2 teaspoon(optional)
8. 1 teaspoon black pepper powder.
9. 1 teaspoon salt (as required)
10. 200gms of flour.
11. 3-4 teaspoon of oil.

Procedure:

• First of all we have to prepare a dough. For making the dough take a bowl,add flour,a pinch of salt, 2 teaspoon of oil and mix it well.Now add about 1 cup of water (not all at a time,mix it slowly) and mix it really well to make a smooth dough.Knead the dough very well and let it rest for about 10-15min.Cover it with a wet soft towel or a wet paper.
• Take a frying pan and put it on medium heat.Add 2 teaspoon of oil and let it get warm.
• Add all the chicken ,ginger garlic and vegetables one by one.Make sure the vegetables are finely chopped ,otherwise momo's will not taste good.add pepper and salt in it and fry it for maximum 5-6min in high flame. Now let it cool down.
• Now take the dough and cut it into several small pieces like we used to do while preparing luchi or puri.
• Give it a small circular shape with a roller(just like luchi)
• Put the staffing in the center and give it any shape you want to give.Best way is to put it in the middle of your palm then try to close your palm.It will take a shape automatically .You just need to lock both the side by pressing it together.
• One more thing you can do is to take one side of the circular piece,and give it a shape like you are waring sari (kuchi deoar moto). So it will become a pocket with design on one side.Now put the chicken mixture in it and then close it by pressing both the sides together.
• Boil some water in your rice cooker.You can do it in your idli maker as well  in any normal pot.Just we need a plate with hole in it and which can be put on the pot. Fill half of your pot with water and let it boil.Then grease the plate(which has several hole in it) with oil and place 5-6 momos (depending on the size of the plate) in it.Then cover it with the lid and let it cook for at least 15-20 mins in medium heat.If you are using rice cooker just boil some water in rice cooker and place the momo in the plate that comes with it and cook it for 15min and same for idli maker.Just instead of idli you need to put the momos on it.
• For preparing the chatni take some (6-8)red chili,1 clove of garlic,and 1/2 cup vinegar.Put it together in a bowl and let it rest for about 30-40min.Then take a mixer grinder and make a smooth paste of it.Add a little bit of salt in it .
• For preparing the soup please refer to my soup recipe or you can add some chopped vegetable,salt and pepper powder in the boiling water to make the soup as well.
• Now serve the hot momo with chatni and soup.

For my vegetarian friend you can replace the chicken with some more cabbage or capsicum and  then enjoy it equally like the non-veg people do.Happy cooking :)

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Chicken Lasagne(Lazania)

Lasagne or Lazania whatever you say it is an amazing Italian Dish. I had it first in one of my closest friend's(I call her boudi) house as a snacks but believe me you can have it as a lunch or dinner.It was delicious and a mouthwatering dish with lots of vegetables and cheese. As my husband is a pure and honest non-vegetarian I had to replace all the vegetable with chicken. Today I will show you my own version of lasagne which is slightly modified according to my taste or you can say I have 'Indianzed' the recipe. I will surely gonna show you the traditional lasagne on my upcoming post but for the time being I am sharing 'Indian Chicken Lasagne'..

Ingredients:
 Diced chicken boneless pieces 750gms,12 lasagne pasta,3 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese,2cup ricota cheese,1cup parmesan cheese,1 egg,1 teaspoon chili flakes,2 table spoon tomato sauce,1 teaspoon black pepper powder, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, 2 teaspoon oil,1 cup chopped coriander,1 medium size *ragu sauce (tomato,garlic,onion),salt as per taste.

*you can replace ragu with your own sauce. you can easily make it at home. Take 2-3 tomato's, 1 small size onion and 3-4 cloves of garlic in a mixer and make a smooth paste.In a pan add about 2 teaspoon of oil and pour the mixture. Add 2-3 teaspoon of chopped parsley and cook it for 5 min.let it cool down and your tomato,garlic,onion sauce (red sauce)is ready.

Procedure:

• put your frying pan in high flame and add 2 teaspoon of oil.
• add diced chicken,let it get light brown and then turn it.
• sprinkle some salt and black pepper on it.Then add chopped garlic and let it mix with the chicken.After that add rest of the pepper powder and tomato sauce and fry it for another 5 min in low flame.
• take a big container,fill it with a lot of water and let it boil.Add 1 table spoon of salt in it.When it start boiling add lasagne sheets into it and let it boil for 5-7 min.Remember the quantity of the water should be so that all the sheets go inside it.After 5min remove the sheets from the water and immediately wash it with cold water and put it aside.
• take a separate bowl.Add 1 cup ricota,1 cup parmesan,1 egg,1teaspoon salt,1 cup chopped coriander and mix it really well.This is our white sauce.
• Now we have to do the layering.Take a baking tray and spread 2table spoon of ragu or the red sauce on the tray.Then put 4 sheets on top of it so that all the sauce get covered.While doing that make sure that one sheet do overlap with other.
• Then put 1/3rd of white sauce on top of it and spread it evenly.
• Add 1 cup of shredded mozzarella on top of it evenly.
• Add one third of the chicken on top of that and on top of the chicken add one third of the red sauce.Again put 4 lasagne sheets and repeat the process.
• You can make how many layers you want but I prefer to do 2-3.
• Do not put sheets on the last layer . Just add the chicken , the sauce on top of it ,sprinkle some shredded mozzarella and some chili flakes on top of it.
• Preheat your oven on 350 degree Fahrenheit which is 180 degree Celsius.
• cover the baking tray with aluminum foil and bake it for 20min.
• after 20 min remove the foil and bake it for another 5-10.

After 5min let it rest for another 5-7min and then you can enjoy your Lazania...

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Marble Cake

The idea of combining two different colored batters into a cake originated in nineteenth century in Germany. It is a cake with a mottled appearance achieved by very lightly blending of light and dark batter which gives a texture of marble. Originally the cakes were marbled with molasses and spices. The first recorded Jewish recipe for a marble cake appears in an American cookbook called “Aunt Babette’s Cook Book: Foreign and Domestic Receipts for the Household,” published in 1889. This recipe replaced the molasses and spice combination by marbling chocolate into the cake.
So lets start making Marble cake at home... :)

Ingredients:

 *For making any cake the quantity of every ingredients is very important.So please maintain the exact quantity what I will mention.

1. 225gm flour
2. 250gm powder sugar(you can put normal sugar in mixer to make it powder sugar)
3. 100gm butter
4. 50gm dark chocolate
5. 1/2 cup milk
6. 4 egg
7. 1/3rd teaspoon baking powder
8. 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Procedure:

• brake all the eggs in a mixing bowl ,add 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence and beat it in a uniform speed(I prefer speed 3) for about 10-15 min or till it becomes nice and foamy and reaches to ribbon state.
• The best way to understand if it reached to ribbon state or not is to put off your hand mixer from it and try to make a '8' with the help of its front portion on it.If the '8' disappear very quickly then it is on its correct stage.I am attaching a picture for your reference.

• put the butter in microwave for about 1min and it will be melted.
• now take a separate bowl and add the sugar in it and beat it for about 5-6 minutes in a lower speed(preferably at 2) until it becomes nice and foamy.

• now pour the half of the egg mixture in it and mix it very slow with a spatula. You have to mix with hand and if you mix with beater then all the air that was trapped in the egg and butter will be vanished and the cake will become hard. then pour the remaining egg mixture and mix it slowly.
• now sieve the flour and baking powder on top of the mixture,add the milk and again mix it slowly.
• then put your chocolate in microwave oven for 1 minutes for melting it.
• put 1/3rd of the cake mixture in a separate bowl and pour the melted chocolate in it.Again mix it slowly until it get mixed evenly.

• take a oven proof flat tray(not a glass tray) or you can buy aluminum trays for making cake.Grease some butter or oil in it.sprinkle a little bit of flour so that it can come out easily.Or else you can take a parchment paper and put it on the tray and then can apply some oil in it. we are doing this so that your cake does not stick to the tray and can easily come out.
• now pour half of the white mixture in the tray then flatten it with a spatula,then pour the chocolate mixture on top it and again flatten it with the spatula and at the end pour the remaining white mixture on top of it.It means we actually made three layer first with white,second with dark and third with white.
• don't worry if it get mix a little bit while flattening.
• now take a knife or a spoon and try to draw a zik zak pattern on the cake or try to make some '8' with it.After that you can see that your batter will look like a piece of marble.
• now preheat your oven at 350 degree Fahrenheit which is 180 degree Celsius and keep it for 20-25 minutes.For those who are in India have to bake it in convection mode after preheating.
• after 20-25 minutes take out the cake and insert a tooth pic in it. then take out the tooth peak and check if it is clean or not. If your tooth pick comes out clean means your cake is ready if not then you have to bake it more.
• after taking out the cake let it rest for at least 10-15 minutes.Do not de-mold  it immediately.
• after 10-15 min, take out the parchment paper and put the cake on a plate and cut it into piece.
• If you haven't use parchment paper just take a knife and run it through the edges of the cake,put a plate on top of it and then turn the tray.
• Remember this cake wont rise double of the batter like the other cakes. It will rise a little bit than the batter and will be very spongy.
• do not put it in refrigerator. Put it in a air tight container and it will taste same for at least 7 day.

For making a good cake you have to be very patience,caring and loving. If you can put these qualities 

while preparing your cake it will definitely become a big hit among your friends and family.

So enjoy your cooking and make everyone happy... :)      

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Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala is a very famous dish in India.Though the history of this dish is a little controversial but It is commonly believed that Chicken Tikka Masala was originated in an Indian restaurants run by Bangladeshi chefs. There is a saying that, once a  British gentleman in 1960s thought that  his Chicken Tikka was too dry and demanded a better dish. Then the chef tossed it in a can of Campbell’s tomato soup, sprinkled some spices and added a dollop of yogurt to the dish. 450 years after Babar’s reign, this hybrid dish was introduced in Glasgow(UK) and named as Chicken Tikka Masala.

During and after the independence movement of India the British not only had taken away  the precious Kohinoor Diamond but also declared our 'Chicken Tikka Masala' as a true British National Dish.
Be it a British National Dish or a truly Indian dish, we Indians are love to have it at restaurant as well as our kitchen. So lets start the procedure of preparing Chiken Tikka Masala at our kitchen... :)

Ingredients:
Diced chicken boneless pieces 250gms,1 diced medium size capsicum , 1/2 diced small size red bell papper(lal capsicum),1/2 diced medium size onion, plain yogurt 1 cup (tok doi),onion paste 3 table spoon,ginger garlic paste 2 tea spoon,1 diced tomato,1 table spoon cashew,turmeric powder 1 and 1/2  teaspoon,cumin powder 2 teaspoon,red chili powder 1 and 1/2 teaspoon,fenugreek leaf powder 1 teaspoon,whole garam masala(4clove,4 green Cardamom,1 cinnemon),1bay leaf,Kabab sticks,3-4 tablespoon of cream,2 teaspoon of lemon juice,3-4 tablespoon of vegetable oil, salt as per taste.

Procedure:

• take a bowl and add yogurt,1  teaspoon of ginger garlic paste,1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder,1 teaspoon cumin powder,1 teaspoon coriander powder,1/2 teaspoon of fenugreek leaf powder,1 teasoon of red chilli powder,2 teaspoon of lemon juice, 2 teaspoon of oil, about 1 teaspoon(or as per taste) of salt and mix it really well.
• add diced chicken,bell peppers and onion in the above marination and marinate ir for about 10 minutes.
• take one kabab stick and arrange the onion ,bell peppers and chicken in a pattern.First put a green bell pepper,then 2-3 piece of chicken,red bell pepper,again 2-3 piece of chicken and then diced onion.Repeat the pattern to cover the total stick. Likewise arrange all the chicken in all the sticks.
• take a griddle or a normal tawa or frying pan and put those sticks in it.cook it in medium flame till it gets nice light brown in color and become soft and juicy.
• spray some oil in it if required.
• put the diced tomatoes  and cashews in a mixer grinder and make a smooth paste of it.
• put a frying pan in medium heat,add whole garam masala and bay leaf in it.
• add onion paste and start stirring it.when the onion become light brown add 1 teaspoon cumin powder,1 teaspoon coriander powder,1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder,1/2 teaspoon of fenugreek leaf powder,1/2 teaspoon of red chili powder,1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste,some salt as per your taste  and mix it really well.add a little bit of water so that the masala dont get burn.
• now add the tomato and cashew paste and mix it really well.put it in high flame till the masala release some oil from it. now add about 1 cup of water and mix it.then cover it with lid and let it cook for about 6-8 minutes in low flame.
• add previously made chicken tikkas along with bell peppers and onions on  it and then add 3-4 table spoon of fresh cream and switch off the oven.Though cream is optional but I prefer to give it.
• put on the lid and let it rest for 5 more minutes and then serve it with nuns or polao. 

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Jackfruit Cutlet

This recipe was requested by one my friend and I drafted it long back but forgot to post it.Sorry for the delay Tamali...now it is all yours ;)

Ingredients:

Jack fruit 200gms,1 small potato, garam masala powder 1 teaspoon,dusted sugar 3-4 teaspoon,salt as per taste,1/4th teaspoon of turmeric powder,2 bay leafs(tej pata),1/3rd teaspoon of red chili powder,1 dry red chili,1 egg,1-2 cups of bread crumb,1teaspoon of deshi ghee or oil, 2 cups of vegetable oil to deep fry.

Process:

• boil the jack fruit with water,salt and turmeric powder till it became nice and soft.
• boil the potato and then smashed it .
• drain the water from the jack fruit and smash it.Then mix the smashed potato with it.
• add salt,red chilli powder,garam masala poder,sugar and then mix it really well.Remember the taste of the mixture will be hot and sweet so if you don't get this taste then add sugar or red chili powder accordingly.
• take a frying pan and put it in medium flame and add ghee or oil in it.
• add bay leafs and dry red chili and then pour the jack fruit mixture in it.Fry it for about 2-3 min and then take it out in a bowl.let it cool down and then give any shape as per your choice.Before giving shape do not forget to take out the bay leaf from it.I prefer to do pentagon so I did that.Just make sure that the shape should be flat not a circle or cylinder.
• break the egg ,add some salt and mix it with the help of a fork.
• now dip one jack fruit pentagon in it and then wrap it with bread crumbs. repeat the process once again with the same cutlet.Do this process for all the cutlets.
• Deep fry those cutlet till it gets nice light brown in color and serve it with green salad and sauce.

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Mango Delight

We have learned about different kind of main courses and side dish but haven't tried any sweet dish.Today I am going to show a you very very easy and one of my favorite sweet dish.

Ingredients:
3 small cream puffs(easily available in market),3-4 table spoon mango pulp(available in market generally in can),1-2 teaspoon of dusted sugar,2-3 teaspoon chocolate sauce,some cashew(kaju) and raisins(kismis).

Process:

• Take a nice glass or bowl and put 2 puffs on it.
• add sugar and mango pulp in a separate bowl and pour that mixture on the glass so the puffs get covered.
• add one more cream puff on top and again pour mango pulp on top  of it.
• make ribbon with chocolate sauce from top as  shown in the picture.
• decorate it with cashew and raisin.

 As you can see,all of the ingredients is easily available in market so you don't have to put any extra effort to make it. You just need to put it together in a decorative way and your Mango Delight will be ready.

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Tandoori Chicken

This recipe was originated in 1920 by a man named Kundan Lal Gujral who opened a restaurant called Moti Mahal in Peshawer when British were ruling in India.As he cooked the chicken in a cylindrical clay oven called Tandoor, the name of the dish became Tandoori Chicken. I know, none of us have tandoor at home so there is no point of making tandoori chicken at home.But today I will tell you how to cook tandoori chicken without tandoor and with our normal microwave oven.

Ingredients:
4 chicken leg pieces, 4 teaspoon of plain yogurt(tok doi),1/2 teaspoon of Fenugreek leaf powder(kasauri methi),1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder,1 teaspoon of cumin powder,1 teaspoon of coriander powder, 1 teaspoon of garam masala powder, 2 teaspoon of red chili powder,1teaspoon of ginger paste,1 teaspoon of garlic paste, 2 teaspoon of lemon juice,1 teaspoon of salt(as per your taste),1/2 teaspoon of chat masala,2-3 teaspoon of oil,1/4th teaspoon of red food color.

Process:
For this preparation we need to marinate the chicken twice.

• take a small bowl and put 1/2 teaspoon of salt,2 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of red chili powder and mix it well.Give some slits to all the leg pieces on both the sides and then rub the mix really well on those leg pieces and marinate it for 10 mins.
• now take a air tight bowl and mix yogurt,ginger garlic paste and all the spices (except chat masala and oil) in it.Put the marinated chicken in the second marination,add 2 teaspoon of oil,put on its lid and put it in the refrigerator. I specifically mentioned air tight container because I want that all the flavor of the spices penetrate properly and uniformly in all the chicken pieces.
• Preheat your oven to 450 degree Fahrenheit which is 230 degree Celsius.
• take a oven proof tray or container,put a aluminum foil on top of it.make a base of slice onion and carrot. Though it is absolutely optional and you can put the leg pieces directly on the foil itself but I prefer to put a base as it absorb all the extra liquid that will comes out from the chicken.
• add some salt in the chicken and put it on the tray and cook it for 30-35 min on the oven.Please do check once after 20-25 mins and then get it cooked accordingly. Suppose if you find that the chicken was cooked properly after 25min then you can take it out from the oven and if it is not then you have to check it for every 5 mins.
• now take a griddle or a tawa put about 1 teaspoon of oil and then put those chicken pieces on it.Then sprinkle some chat masala and fry it for 5 more mins.This is also optional but I prefer to do it as it gives nice smokey flavor in it.
• That's all your Tandoori Chicken is ready to serve.

I hope you have enjoyed today's recipe...I am sure you did, because today we have learned one of the most famous preparation in India...Have a great day ahead and enjoy cooking :)

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Egg roll

Street food is vary famous in India. I don't know about the hygienic factors of those foods but it is really really tasty.As a Bong girl I must admit that now I really miss those foods.People like me, who stay abroad and miss those tasty rolls has no other option left rather than making it at home.
I will share one of those rolls which is really easy to make and probably the most selling street food(snacks)
in Kolkata.

 Ingredients:
Flour 1 cup, 1 egg, half medium size onion cut into slice,1/2 cucumber cut into slice,1/2 teaspoon of black pepper powder,1 teaspoon of tomato sauce,4 tablespoon of oil ,chopped green chili 1/2 teaspoon,1/2 lemon,1/2 cup water,white paper to wrap the roll and salt to taste.

Procedure:
First of all we have to make a dough to prepare the base of the roll. In a container take one cup of  flour, 1 tablespoon oil and a pinch of salt. Mix it well  and then add almost 1/2 cup of water and knead it well to make a fine dough.Do not mix the water all at a time rather mix it slowly. Now with the use of a roller we have to give it a shape of a circle or in other words have to make a Roti. Now take a tawa or non stic pan and put it in medium flame. Put the Roti in it and bake both the sida a for 1min(1/2 min each). do not make it brown.We want this to be half done. Those people who dont want to follow this procedure can simply buy flour tortia(probably not available in India) and then do the following steps what I am going to share now.
Now brake the egg in a small bowl ,add some salt and mix it well. Take a frying pan and put it in medium heat.Add about 2 teaspoon of oil and let it get warm.Then add the egg and put the Roti on top of it.Once the egg get cooked properly from inside turn the Roti on the other side and add some more oil. Fry both the side of the Roti properly until it turns into nice light golden color with some brown spots on top of it.

 Now take a rectangular white paper(can use kitchen roll as well) and put the fried Roti such that half of it remain outside of the paper.Now add some sliced onion,cucumber,1 teaspoon of tomato sauce. sprinkle some black pepper powder,squeeze 1/2 of a lemon , add some salt to taste and about 1/2 a teaspoon of chopped green chili.Though chili is optional but I would prefer to give it. If you don't like it just don't add it.Now wrap it really well with the paper and also close the lower part of the paper carefully so that the stuffing do not come out.
One of our famous street food Egg Roll is ready to serve all alone or you can serve it with cold or hot drinks as well...

Hope you enjoyed this session... :)  happy cooking :)

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Language of the Blog????

I am getting complains from my non-Bengali friends about the language of the blog. As I am sharing all the recipes in Bengali only it is not reachable for them. I am really confused. So friends please help me out and let me know should I continue this as it is or I should change it to English. Please post your suggestions and comments.

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Batter Fry

First of all Thanks to Kakima for sharing this lovely recipe. This is actually a value added service for celebrating the new year at Adwitiya's house.If you have your special recipe you can share that with me at my mail id and then I will share your recipe with all my frinds...Then lets start praparing Butter Fry or 

Batter Fry..

Ingredients:
200gms Vetki/Telapia thin filet , 1/2 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste, 1 teaspoon of green chili paste, 1 teaspoon onoion paste,1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder, 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup oil(vegetable or soyabin oil), 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 -1 cup milk,salt to taste, vegetable oil to deep fry the fish

Procedure:
First of all we need to marinate the fish for 1 hr. For marinating the fish we have to add the onion paste,ginger garlic paste,green chili paste and black pepper powder with the fish.
Now after marinating the fish for an hour we have to create a batter.
For preparing the batter take a bowl. add flour and 1/2 cup oil and mix it well. you can use melted butter as well instead of oil but I prefer to give oil due to my increasing weight.After that add baking powder and egg in it and mix it well.Add some salt according to the taste and then add the milk to make the batter thicker.Don't add the milk at one go.Mix it slowly.Don't make the batter too thin or too thick. It should of medium density and very smooth.

Now add some salt to the marinated fish ,coat the fish with the batter and deep fry it until it turn into rich brown color. That's all the yummy Butter Fry is ready to serve.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe....happy cooking :)

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Chana Fried Rice

Ingredients:
 2 cup plain rice or Basmati rice, 1/2 cup Garbanzo Beans(kabuli chola)(overnight soaked in water), 2 eggs, chopped coriander 5-6 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon chilli flakes, 1 teaspoon chopped green chili,1 teaspoon butter,salad shrimp( kucho chingri)(optional) 10-15ta,oliveoil or vegetable oil 2 teaspoon, black pepper powder 1/2 teaspoon

Procedure:
You can use any rice for this recipe but I will prefer to do it with Basmati rice.Just make sure that the rice should not get overcooked.It will be so nice that you can separate one rice grain from another easily. Now take a frying pan and put it in high flame.Add two teaspoon of oil and wait till it get warm.Now add two eggs and some salt and then stir it so well so that all the eggs turn into a bunch of tiny egg pieces.After that add all the shrimp with the egg and fry it really well.This is absolutely optional.If you don't like shrimp just avoid this step.Now we will add garbanzo beans,chilli flakes,green chili,chopped coriander and black pepper in it one by one and mix it really well.Then remove the pan from the oven and add the butter and mix it well and put on the lid of the pan for 5-7min.
After 5mins your Chana Fried rice is ready to serve :)

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