ASH GOURD WITH YELLOW MOONG

Today's recipe is a traditional Bengali dish, very healthy and filling side dish made using ash gourd and lentils, tempered with cumin seeds and bay leaves. Being grown on creepers, ash gourd has the highest life force which helps in making our meditation practice more effective. It is generally cultivated for its nourishing and medicinal values. In India it is well known as 'Petha', contains lots of minerals and vitamins. It is broadly used for making sweets. Ash gourd juice is highly recommended for maintaining general good health and in curing many deseases. It is very comfortable and delicious side dish with rice, pickle and papad.

INGREDIENTS:

750 gm Ash Gourd (petha)
1/2 Cup Yellow Moong Dal
2 Bay Leaves
2 Red Chillies
2-3 Green Chillies (chopped)
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
A pinch of Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder (optional)
3-4 tbsp Clarified Butter (ghee)
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
Chopped Coriander Leaves for garnishing (optional)

METHOD:

First cut ash gourd from the middle and cut into wedges. Peel the ash gourd by using a knief or peeler and deseed. Cut into 1&1/2" thin slices as shown in the picture below. Set it aside.

Dry roast moong dal for 3-4 minutes, till it turns into golden brown and a nice aroma comes out. Keep it aside.

Heat clarified butter in a kadai. Add asafoetida, cumin seeds, bay leaves and green chillies. Saute till cumin seeds lightly changed its colour.

Add Chopped ash gourd in it. Stir for 2 minutes followed by adding roasted yellow moong dal in it. Mix nicely. Add turmeric powder and salt in it. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes. Ash gourd releases lots of water and it is getting cooked in its own juice. Keep stirring occassionally.

Add broken red chillies in it. Fold well. Cook uncovered till all water evaporates and oil comes out from the sides. Mix sugar in it. Keep frying for 3-4 more minutes. Switch off the heat now.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice. Its delicious!

MUTTON NILGIRI KORMA

Kormas are typically made by mutton marinating in yogurt. With other spices, it is then cooked in its own juice. This is a zesty, my all time favorite mutton recipe cooked in coriander and other rich flavours. As much you put it on low flame, its getting more tasty and delectable. First time I had this yummilicious mutton curry made by my mom, since then I am a great fan of it. Just explore it in your kitchen, you'll definitely admire this dish.

INGREDIENTS:

800 gm Mutton (goat meat), cut into medium sized pieces
200 gm Plain Yogurt (curd)
2/3 Cup Grated Coconut
100 gm Onions (thinly sliced)
50 gm Cilantro / Coriander Leaves
1&1/2" Ginger
8 Pods Garlic
5-6 Green Chillies (as per taste)
2-3 Red Chillies (as per taste)
1 tbsp Coriander Seeds (dhania)
Garam Masala (3 Green Cardamoms, 1" Cinnamon, 2-3 Cloves, 2 Mace Blade & pinch of Nutmeg)
50 gm Clarified Butter (ghee)
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Clean and wash mutton very nicely in luke-warm water. Drain water completely. Marinate mutton with beaten yogurt and set it aside for atleast 1 hour.
Dry roast garam masala for 3 minutes. Pound coarsely and keep it aside.
Grind ginger, garlic, 1/2 portion of onions, green chillies, coriander leaves, coconut, red chillies and coriander seeds together to make a smooth paste.
Heat oil in a kadai/wok. Fry onion till it turns into golden brown.
Add grinded spice paste in it and fry till spice leaves oil from sides.
Now add marinated mutton in it. Fold well. Cover and cook for 30 minutes on medium heat. Stir occassionally.
Pour mutton with gravy in a pressure cooker, add 1 cup warm water in it. Pressure cook upto 4-5 whistle or till it is tender.
Wait till pressure releases normally, open the lid now. Sprinkle pounded garam masala on the top, mix well.

Serve hot with roti, naan, paratha or rice.

PEAS PULAV (MATAR PULAO)

A very traditional, popular and quick rice dish is Peas Pulav. This tasty, delightful, little spicy one pot meal goes well for lunch box or picnic which can be made within 20 minutes. You may have it in any lazy day or when you think for Basmati rice, it is a great delicious option for that. Can be served with any tomato based gravy or raita or simply with curd.......its always superb!

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups Basmati Rice
1 Cup Green Peas
2 Bay Leaves
1/2 tsp Caraway Seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tbsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
2 Onions, Cut into thin slices
6-8 Green Chillies (according to taste)
2" Ginger
2 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Clarified Butter (ghee)
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Wash rice nicely. Soak it in water for 30 minutes. Drain water completely and set it aside.

Dry grind green chillies and ginger in mortar and pestle.

Heat oil in a large pan. Add bay leaves, cumin seeds, caraway seeds in it. Saute for few seconds. Mix sliced onions in it and fry till onion turns into golden brown. Add turmeric powder, fry for a minute. Add pounded green chillies and ginger in it, saute for a minute till raw smell of spices disappear.

Add coriander powder and garam masala in it. Mix well. At this time, add soaked rice in it and fry for 3 minutes on medium heat.

Pour 4 cups of warm water, peas, clarified butter and salt in it and fold well. When water starts to boil, cover with a lid and lower the heat now. Cook for 15 minutes. Switch off the heat now. Open lid after 6-8 minutes.

A nice aromatic peas pulao is now ready to serve.

"THE CHINA-JAPAN DEBATE ON A PLATE" AT ITC SONAR, KOLKATA

ITC Sonar, a luxury hotel in Kolkata having a distinctively modern and sleek architechtural design contrasting with the rich historical essence of Kolkata. After Delhi and Mumbai, an exquisite event is going on at Pan Asian, ITC Sonar, Kolkata; named  'The China-Japan Debate On A Plate' partnered with Johnnie Walker for a very short period from 7th Nov to 10th Nov. In this, the Corporate Chinese Chef Liang Xiao Ping and Contemporary Japanese Expert Chef Vikramjit Roy, both are offering delectable menu and contesting against each other. The pair have offered outlandish menu pairing with delicate blended Johnnie Walker Black Level. Join this event through Twitter, Facebook or Google+. Visit http://wcom.in/chinajapandebate and put in your words to get a chance to win exotic signature culinary experience in this short event. 

Before the main event begins, we were asked with a lovely cocktail as a welcoming drink, I choosen 'Wasabi infused drink Rising Sun'. It was an exquisite cocktail of pomegranate, whiskey, pickled ginger and some other ingredients, shaken well and served over ice cubes. This was a Japanese version of cocktail, on the other hand Debi parna choosen Chinese tea infused cocktail, which I tasted, a lovely stong cocktail of Chinese tea and Johnnie Walker Black Lebel whiskey.

Before sitting up in dinning table, Chef Vikramjit told us that he would have a special drink for us to start and when it came in our table, I was really very excited and that vodka based peachy drink, the glass rimmed with soy based salt and served in a very special manner. I really surprised to see how it was presented so wonderful way. Chef Vikram describes us how to drink it with plum tomatoes, bean curd, wafer with pinch of celery salt.

I choosed option for starter and soup, starters 'Golden fried prawns with crispy garlic chilli powder and sesame seeds', a Chinese classic; where as soup 'Edamame soup sansho crisp, foie gras foam', a fusion Japanese contemplation. In golden fried prawns, prawns were crisp from the outer side but soft and tender from inside, truely a mouthmelting dish.  On the other hand, 'Salmon with confit melon, miso cream cheese, bubuarare smoked corm mash' was made as Japanese non-veg starters. The second dish which was an absolutely delectable soup offered by Chef Vikramjit where 'Foie gras' i.e made of the liver duck or goose that had been specially flattened. Its flavour is rich, buttery, delicate and not like ordinary duck or goose liver. The speciality of soup served a covered dome, when it opened a roundel of sansho crisp with a slice of foie gras, warm Edamame soup poured on it, simply a super fusion and delightful Japanese combo soup. Mr. Raveen Mishra, Regional Brand Ambassador, Diageo India who describes about three types of Johnnie Walker whiskeys which we would be served with Four courses of dinner. The first it came with starters was Johnnie Walker Gold Lebel. I must say it was a wonderful paired menu.

For main course I opted Chinese classic, 'Double Fried Pork with mild chili and hoisin sauce' with chinese fried rice, actually a traditional and popular dish in Sichuan, China. Pork was tender, tasty, slightly sweet but I missed its crispyness. Raveen brought out for us 'Johnnie Walker Platinum Label' for pairing with this delectable Chinese speciality. Both flavours so well, which tuned with me for a long time. But Japanese segment's 'Blue cheese and spinach stuffed chicken breast, freeze dried tomato, whiskey ponzu reduction' caught definitely my attention, I tasted it little bit and it was just amazing!

For dessert, I choosen Japanese delicacy, 'Poarched pear carpaccio yuzu probiotic Yoghurt ice', it was absolutely delicious and wonderfully paired with 'Johnnie Walker XR 21' a whiskey which preserved in cusk at least for 21 years. The whiskey smelled so well and tasted divine with desserts. On the otherhand, PB went with fried ice cream from Chinese segment. It was also a mouth watery dessert.

Another surprise came from Chef Vikramjit, a fusion dessert and which was not in menu list. A lovely combo of sweet-bitter combo in a one dish, valhrona mousse based with crumbled biscuits and a scoop of yummy mint ice cream; small balls of fruits - a total fusion dessert, simply awesome!!! 

(Group Photo - Picture courtesy: Poorna Banerjee)

Lastly, we were gifted with a lovely pack of goodies by ITC and returning back to home with a ton of sweet memories, will remain with me forever.

Pan Asian, ITC Sonar
Date: 7th - 10th November 2013
Timing: Dinner Only - 7.30 to 11.45 pm
Price: INR 4000++ per guest
For reservation and further information call 033-23454545.

CHICKEN CURRY

This one is such recipe which can never be tired to cook this Chicken Curry. It is such a favourite dish which I made often is enjoyed by our friends and family. As usual Indian spices are used in this curry, only the special thing is fried onion grinded with yogurt and green chillies used while cooking.

INGREDIENTS:
500 gm Chicken, cut into medium sized pieces
3 Onions (sliced)
1 tbsp Ginger Paste
2 tbsp Garlic Paste
3 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
4-6 Green Chillies (as per taste)
1/2" Cinnamon, 2 Cloves, 2 Green Cardamoms (roughly crushed)
100 gm Plain Yogurt (curd/dahi)
3 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Clarified Butter (ghee)
1 Cup Warm Water
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Heat oil and clarified butter in a wok. Add sliced onion in it. Fry till onion turns into golden brown. Set it aside and let it cool.

Grind fried onions with yogurt and green chillies to make a smooth paste.

Add crushed garam masala (cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves) to the same oil. Stir for a minute till a nice aroma comes out. Add chicken pieces in it. Fry well till chicken turns into golden brown. Remove from heat and keep it aside.

Add ginger-garlic paste in the same oil. Stir for a minute, add coriander powder and kashmiri red chilli powder in it. Fry for 2 minutes till raw smell of spices gone.

Mix onion-yogurt paste in it. Fold well for 3-4 minutes.

Add fried chicken pieces in it. Keep stirring and mix everything for 2-3 minutes. 

Add salt and a cup of warm water in it. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes on medium heat or till the chicken is tender.

Serve warm with roti, paratha, naan, pulao or simply with plain steamed rice.
For Original Recipe: CLICK HERE