Butter Chicken / Murgh Makhani

Its hard to resist grilled or fried chicken in a creamy rich gravy.....
This is one among the very popular Indian Chicken dish...
A must try recipe for those who haven't tasted it , next time you visit any Indian restaurant.

Ingredients 

Chicken - 2 Breast pieces (cut into small pieces)

For Marinating 

Lemon juice - 1 Tb Sp
Red chili Powder /Cayenne Pepper - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp (Optional)
Olive oil or Vegetable oil - 2 tsp + more for grilling , baking or frying.
Caraway seeds / Ajwain - 1/4 tsp crushed ( or else use fennel seeds )
Salt to taste.

For the sauce/Curry/Gravy

Butter - 2 to 3  Tb Sp
Onion - 1 small finely chopped (Optional , Onion is not used traditionally)
Ginger and Garlic paste - 2 tsp each
Tomato's puree - from 3 medium sized tomatoes (or else use canned tomato Puree)
Yogurt - 3 Tb Sp
Red Chili Powder - 2 tsp (or more as per preference)
Kasuri Methi / Dried Fenugreek leaves - 1 Tb Sp crushed / powdered.
Cashew nuts - 2 to 4 Tb Sp
Fresh Cream - 1/4 to 1/2 cup (Makes the curry thin or thick and rich too)

Masala's / Spices 

Garam Masala Powder / Meat Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cardamom - 4 no's crushed
Cloves -2 no's
Cinnamon stick - 1/2 inch small piece

Method 

* Marinate the chicken pieces with the ingredients given for marination , keep for at least an hour (if possible overnight).

* Line the skin of tomatoes with a knife and boil it for 15 to 25 minutes , peel off the skin and puree the same. Powder cashew nuts , mix 3 Tb Sp(Approx) water to the powdered cashew nut , mix and keep aside.

* I grilled the chicken pieces in a 400 Degree preheated oven for approx 12 minutes turning the sides in between , may cook on a grill till the pieces looks nice and golden brown and cooked through , keep the cooked chicken pieces aside. 

Drizzle few drops of oil over the pieces before grilling it.

* Heat butter in a wok/Kadai , when it melts add the crushed whole spices / Masala's ( Cardamom , cloves , cinnamon and Cumin seeds) saute and then add the ginger and garlic paste , saute till done and add finely chopped onion(if using) , cook till the onion looks golden brown.

* When the onion are nicely done, add tomato puree,stir , cover with a lid and cook till the puree reduces and are done (Almost takes 15 to 20 minutes , stir occasionally) 

* Add red chili powder and stir then add the cashew nut paste , cook in low heat for 2 to 4 minutes and then add curd, stir to combine.

* Add the chicken pieces to the gravy , May add up to 1/2 cup water to the gravy (if you want it loose or else sprinkle some water, I washed the baking dish used for grilling the chicken with little water and poured it to the gravy) Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.

* When the gravy starts to thicken ,add salt , Garam Masala/Meat masala  powder , Kasuri Methi / Dried fenugreek leaves crushed and cream.

* Stir to combine well and switch off the heat.

Serve with Naan bread or any Rice dish. 

Traditionally served with a teaspoon of butter on top which melts over the dish and makes it extra rich. 

Notes :
       This dish can be made with lot of alterations as per preference , like frying the chicken pieces instead of baking /Grilling it , adding whole cashew nuts to make it extra rich.
        May substitute cream with evaporated milk , more curd etc and also using Margarine instead of butter , the result varies as you know Butter and Cream gives the best result :)
        

Cheers

TN

Butterscotch Cake with Butter Fingers

This cake was made for one of our friend's Anniversary, though wanted to decorate it with Spun sugar and Caramel frosting,I couldn't try it this time :( and also it would make the cake Brown in color which I didn't want for an anniversary cake , hence decided to frost it with normal Butter cream icing....wanted to make it look graceful with light color's :)

Butterscotch is something with its primary ingredients being Brown sugar and Butter - As given in Wikipedia , This cake is different than a typical butterscotch Cake as I have added crushed Butter fingers to it.

Recipe Slightly Adapted from The curvy carrot
Have taken half the measurements as I was trying it for the first time ...

Ingredients 

All Purpose flour - 1 and 1/4 cups
Baking Powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Brown Sugar - 1 and 1/4 cups (Packed)
Vegetable Oil - 1/2 cup
Butter - 1/4 cup
Eggs - 2 no's
Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Sour Cream - 3/4 cup (Or else use yogurt ,sour cream gives the best result)
Butter Fingers chocolate - 1 bar crushed

Method

* Preheat oven to 325 degree F. Sift together All purpose flour , baking powder and salt , keep aside.

* Beat  Butter and oil with brown sugar until light and fluffy ,add in eggs 1 at a time , beat well to combine , then add the vanilla essence , continue beating.

* Add in the sifted flour ingredients to the egg butter mixture , alternately add the sour cream , beat for just 1 minute , scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

* Add the crushed butter finger's chocolate to this cake mix and use a spoon to fold mixture and combine it well.

* I transferred it to 2 foil cake dishes of size  7 inch / 1.5 inches each.
   or else bake only 1 bigger sized cake with this batter.

* Bake in 325 Degree F for 30 to 35 minutes , until a tester comes our clean.

* Cook the cake completely and then frost as you like with Plain butter cream or else Butter scotch cream frosting as they have given in the original recipe Here.
Shall Upload the recipe for Butter cream Frost Soon.

Did a simple and easy cake decoration here.

Very happy to see their Happy Faces :)

Have a blessed year ahead CH & DR :)


Cheers
TN

Chutney stuffed Egg Bajji / Stuffed Egg -Batter Fried

 Its said that 3 eggs in a week is the maximum recommended for adults , especially for people who have a comparatively higher cholesterol level , but at times we live to satisfy our taste-buds too
and all 3 of us here are Egg Lovers :)
I think majority of you guys too would love Egg's
This is a very tasty snack , popular everywhere in India , mainly seen in the Tattu kada's /Street-shops.

Filling is not necessary, made it for a change, looks attractive ...

colorful season colorful food :) 

May fry boiled egg with out any stuffing  and then enjoy with a chutney /Dip too...that's easy.

Ingredients 

Boiled Eggs- 4 No's (or more )

For Batter 

Chickpea Flour - 1/2 cup
All Purpose flour or Corn Flour - 2 Tb Sp
Red chili Powder /Cayenne Pepper - 1/2 tsp (Optional)
Asafoetida - a pinch (Optional)
Baking Powder - a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

For the filling / Chutney 

Coconut -  1/4 cup
Mint leaves - 5 to 8 leaves
Cilantro - 1/4 cup chopped
Green Chili's / Pepper - 2 no's
Ginger - 1/2 tsp finely chopped
salt to taste

Method 

* Grind together all the ingredients given for filling , until smooth paste.
(May sprinkle few drops of water to help grind it smooth)

* Make batter with the ingredients given for batter, mix with little water to make the batter thick but in pouring consistency , keep aside.

* Heat oil in a pan ,
  Spread 1 to 1 and 1/2 tsp of filling over the yolk side of the halved egg.

* Dip the other side of the egg in the batter , pour the batter over the top to coat the egg all over.

* Deep fry or shallow fry these coated eggs in medium to high heat.
Its better to place the filling -side of the egg in the oil first , once done (2 to 3 minutes) flip to the other side. Fry till golden brown.

Make sure the oil is very hot when putting the egg to get nice crispy shell

Tends to absorb more oil when fried in low heat.
But Don't fry your fingers....use a spoon to put egg in the oil 

* Serve hot with the rest of the chutney.

Enjoy !

Cheers
TN

Crab Curry - Kerala Style

My favorite even though one needs to be little patient and spent time to enjoy these thoroughly. 

Other wise need to chew its shell but that's only when we get small crabs.

We used to have crab curry at least once in a week as my Achachen's (Dad) was a huge fan of these, it was me and him who were the most happy one's to be present in the dining room waiting to hear from my Mum that the curry is ready...In Kerala we never get this cleaned, need little more patience to clean it too hence my Mother used to an "Angry bird" ;)

every time she sees "live crabs" in the Market Bag...

Yea.....its tough to clean and to cook these then again spent time eating it too...but its worth doing.

At the end of the day we all appreciate Mum's patience which brings that bright smile on her face.. 

That's so True :) 

 We got Crab claws this time and they had its shell slightly cracked too hence didn't have to crush it as we used to do in my place. 

If we get a whole crab , or any fleshly part of it with its shell on , its better to crush its thick shell with any metal rod or heavy object before cooking so that the flavors enters its flesh and also it helps to remove the shell easily. 

This recipe is without Coconut, that's how we make it in Alleppey - My place in Kerala.

Unlike any Fish Curry's in Kerala ,  Masala's / Spices plays a major role in flavoring this curry , and its believed that "Black pepper " and "Coriander Powder " are the key - ingredients in any Kerala style Crab Curry. 

This Crab curry is spicy , do adjust pepper as per to your preference.

Ingredients 

Crab - 1 Pound 

Onion  - 1 medium sliced (For best results use small Onion/Shallots 10 to 15 no's) 

Green chili's - 2 sliced 

Ginger and Garlic chopped - 2 Tb Sp each 

Curry Leaves - 2 springs

Turmeric Powder  1/2 tsp

Kashmiri Red Chili Powder/Paprika - 1 and 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 2 Tb Sp 

Kudampuli/ Kokum or Cocum - 2 to 4 no's (May substitute with vinegar or normal tamarind paste)

Coconut Oil - 3 Tb Sp 

Meat Masala Powder / or else use Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp 

Salt to taste

Other Spice's 

Cinnamon - 1 small pieces 

Cloves - 3 to 5 no's 

Black Pepper corns - 1 to 2 Tsp crushed (Adjust as per your preference)

Whole Coriander - 1 Tsp (Optional) 

Method 

*Soak Cocum/Kudampuli (If using) in 1/4 cup hot water , keep aside. 

* Wash the crab pieces , if need crush lightly its hard shell with any heavy object , I didn't do it as I got it marked.

* Add salt , turmeric powder , onion , ginger , garlic and Green chili's to it, mix to combine then sprinkle little water (About 1/4 to 1/2 cup) , Keep aside (though no marination needed)

* Crush Cinnamon , cloves and Coriander seeds (if using) and keep aside.

*  Heat 2 Tb Sp oil in a chatti/Madka  or Wok and add in crushed spices (cinnamon , cloves and coriander seeds )  saute for few seconds and then add the crab mixture.

 Cook this covered in medium heat till it starts to boil.

* When it boils , add red chili powder /Paprika and coriander Powder , stir and sprinkle water (if it looks dry) and cover and cook again for 5 to 10 minutes.

* Then add the Cocum with the water in which it was soaked and stir, let the gravy start to reduce to consistency you need it , I wanted it thick so cooked it open for more time. 

* Add crushed black pepper, Meat Masala powder and curry leaves,  stir and cook for 4 to 6 more minute and switch off the heat.

* Drizzle the rest of the oil on top , and cover the pot/wok, let sit for sometime , it taste best when it sits for 3 to 6 hour's after cooking,

But we never waited that long :) 

Enjoy Spicy Kerala Style Crab Curry with Rice , Roti or any Bread. 

Cheers 

TN

Pineapple Cake Roll's Recipe

Had some pineapple in my fridge , if left any longer will have to be trashed hence decided to make a Pineapple Roll Cake and some fun Pineapple painting too as after my successful painted cake roll, am too much interested in decorating cake's.

Went artistic today....

To make the Pineapple cake roll's you'll need the following

For Paint/Design - Optional 

1 egg white
2 Tb Sp Butter in room temperature
3 Tb Sp Powdered Sugar or Confectioner's Sugar
4 Tb Sp All Purpose flour
Color's - Yellow and Green

For the Filling 

1 cup Chopped Pineapple pieces
2 Tb Sp Brown Sugar
Water - 2 Tb Sp
2 Tb Sp Powdered Sugar
1/3 Cup Whipping cream (may take more- up to 1 cup)

For the Cake 

All Purpose Flour - 3/4 cup
Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
Powdered Sugar - 3/4 cup
Egg - 4 no's (i used 3 whole eggs and 1 left over egg yolk only)
Pineapple essence - 1 tsp or else use Vanilla Essence
Warm water - 2 Tb Sp

Method 

If making the decoration , start with the Paint/Design , as it need to be kept in the  freezer for at least 15 minutes.
Prepare Parchment paper and first , draw a rough design of pineapple's on a parchment sheet , need to draw only 1/2 part of the parchment paper as the rest goes inside when rolled.
Reversed this sheet to place it on to a Sheet Pan / Flat pan. 
Grease this parchment paper with some butter and dust flour over it or else use a non stick spray.

Pipe the Design 

Use Ingredients given under Paint/Design -

Mix first room temperature Butter and sugar with a spoon , then add slightly beaten egg white to it , stir and combine and then add the flour little at a time , mix and combine everything well - divide this in to two and mix colors (Green and Yellow) to each. transfer to a piping bag or any plastic storage bag - cut its ends off and pipe the designs to the prepared parchment paper.

Place this design with the baking tray in the freezer so that the designs gets set , in the mean time prepare the Cake Batter.

Preparing Cake Batter 

* Preheat the oven to 375 Degree F
* Swift together flour and baking powder , keep aside.
* Beat eggs with superfine sugar till light and fluffy then add in the vanilla essence and warm water , beat for another 2 to 3 minutes
* Add then the sifted flour mixture little at a time , mix with a spoon to combine and the batter is ready.
* Pour this batter over the freezed design (If making cake with the design)  or else pour this batter to a baking tray lined with greased parchment paper
* Bake for just 10 minutes in 375 Degree F and take out the cake immediately.
* Let it cool for 3 to 5 minutes.

Preparing the Filling 

Heat the Pineapple Pieces with 2 Tb Sp Brown sugar and 2 Tb Sp water , let the water start to boil and then stop the heat , remove the water / Syrup from the pineapple pieces and keep aside.

Beat Whipping cream , when stiff add 2 Tb Sp powdered sugar , beat and combine well , add then cooled pineapple pieces and beat again for another 4 to 5 minutes

 The filling is ready.

Rolling the Cake 

* Once the cake is out of the oven let cool for 3 to 5 minutes ,then flip the cake to another parchment paper dusted with confectioner's sugar so that the cake wont stick , then slowly remove the parchment paper from above to see the design let cool again for another 3 minutes.

I forgot to reverse the paper after drawing the design's hence the outline marks on the cake :( 

*Flip again (now the plain side of the cake will be visible) to spread the filling.

* Before spreading the prepared filling , just roll the cake once and keep for a minute , unroll it and brush the cake with the pineapple syrup (which was taken from the pineapple pieces while boiling) then fill the cake with the cream and pineapple filling.

* Roll the filled cake , start form the other end of the design so that when fully rolled the designs are visible.

* cover with a parchment paper and refrigerate for an hour. Then cut the ends off and serve.

Enjoy !!

Check Painted cake Roll / Jam Roll's here in this blog for a detailed presentation on how to make roll cakes.

Happy Weekend :)

Cheers
TN