Chicken in capsicum,onion and tomato gravy

As I have mentioned earlier, my family loves chicken for dinner. Had to think of a variation, since there was no garlic in my pantry.
Garlic and chillies are that amazing combination, when making any stir fry.
The magical savoury taste of garlic uplifts the ingredients to a different level.
However to combat the garlic less state, I seek refuge in the combination of onion, tomato and capsicum or green bell peppers !
This helped, for the three vegetables compliment each other, very well......

Ingredients

Boneless chicken cubes - 250 gms
Onions diced - 2
Capsicum diced - 2
Tomatoes diced - 2
Soya sauce - 2tsp
Any chilli sauce - 1tsp
Vinegar - 1tsp
Black pepper powder - 1tsp
Refined flour - 2tbsp
Sugar - 2tsp
Refined oil - 3tbsp
Salt to taste

Procedure

Cut the chicken in cubes and marinate with half the salt and black pepper powder. Keep for 5minutes.
Heat oil in a wok or deep kadhai.
Dust the chicken pieces in flour. Fry them in batches, over medium heat and keep aside.
In the residual oil, add onions and capsicum pieces. Toss in high heat.
Add the tomatoes and the fried chicken pieces.
Mix all the sauces and vinegar. Let it coat the chicken pieces well. Add pepper powder, a tsp of flour, sugar and adjust salt.
Mix a cup of water to the kadhai and let the dish thicken a bit.
As a glossy look appears, put off gas and serve.

Serve with noodles, light fried rice, any bread, plain rice or chapattis.
Absolutely simple dish with the flavours of vegetables and chicken overlapping smoothly !!

Sole fish curry or shol macher jhol

In our locality some maids come from a distance, by train every morning to work. My maid is such a person. She brings me fresh water fish alive from her village. I try to prepare them and give my family this rare freshness !
She brought sole fish today.Bengali pronunciation is 'shol'. The taste and texture of this fish is different from others. Texture is bit meaty and tastes very near to mutton. My Grand mother used to say " mangsher moto ranna korte hoy "....means it should be cooked like mutton.

Ingredients
Sole fish medium - 4 (cut into half )
Potatoes - 2 (cut into quarters)
Onion paste - 1 large
Ginger paste - 1tsp
Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Sour curd - 1 tbsp / tomatoes -1 big
Slit green chillies - 4
Red chilli powder - 1tsp
Cumin or jeera powder - 1tsp
Turmeric powder - 2tsp
Crushed cardomom - 2
Cinnamon stick - 1inch
Cloves - 2
Mustard oil - 4tbsp
Sugar-1tsp
Salt to taste

Procedure

Clean and wash the fish. Marinate with half the salt and turmeric. Keep aside.
Heat a kadhai or wok. Heat oil.
Fry the fish in batches and keep aside.
In the remaining oil fry the potatoes and keep.
Crush all the garam masalas and add to the oil. Do not burn them.
Add all the pastes and saute for a minute.
Dissolve all the dry spices in a cup of water. Add this to the kadhai.
Let oil separate. Add the fried potatoes. Beat the curd and add. ( if using tomatoes then cut them to pieces and add ) saute for a minute.
Mix 2 cups of warm water. Add the fried fish pieces. Add green chilies, salt and sugar.
Cover and simmer in low flame for 10 minutes.
Put off the gas. Rest covered for  10 more minutes.

Serve this hot with boiled warm rice. A slice of lemon will compliment the gravy or jhol best.
Filled with goodness and health, this dish will provide, guaranteed happiness :)

Grated papaya curry

For me Papaya is a super food. Whether raw or ripe. Every week, I try to include raw papaya thrice in the menu. Sons detest chunks, so grated the papaya.
In Thailand, they make a grated raw papaya salad with crushed peanuts, fish sauce and palm sugar. That's the healthiest way to eat it.
Derived this dish and added toasted peanuts, to make it crunchy and acceptable for my sons.
They did not complain !!

Ingredients

Grated raw papaya - 4 medium cups
Cubed potato - 1cup
Toasted peanuts - 1/2 cup
Slit green chillies - 2
Grated ginger - 1 tsp
Whole cumin seeds or jeera - 1/2tsp
Whole aniseed or saunf - 1/2 tsp
Refined oil - 1 tbsp
Sugar or jaggery - 1tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper powder 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

Procedure

Heat a kadhai. Add the refined oil. Fry the potatoes and keep.
Lower the gas.
Add all the whole spices in the residual oil. Do not burn the spices.
Add the grated papaya and saute for a minute. Add fried potatoes and turmeric powder.
Add salt. Cover and cook for 2 minutes.
Add green chillies, sugar and black pepper powder.
Saute till the moisture is evaporated.
Mix in the peanuts and cover. Put off the gas.
Serve after ten minutes.

Accompany this dish with rice,chapattis, parathas or luchis.
The goodness of the vegetable is retained and its a great source of vitamins.

Tomato Prawns

Prawns or Chingri are loved by all, excepting those who are allergic to it. My personal experience, the lesser time you cook it, the better it is.
It has a very subtle deliciousness which should not be overpowered with lots of spices.

Ingredients

Prawns (with or without head ) - 500gms.
Tomatoes - 4
Onion paste - 4tbsp
Whole cloves - 5
Whole cardamom - 5
Cinnamon sticks - 4 (1 inches each )
Whole red chillies - 2
Green chillies - 3
Mustard oil - 2tbsp
Turmeric - 2tsp
Sugar - 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Procedure

De - vein, clean and wash lightly the prawns. Marinate with half of the turmeric powder and salt. Keep aside.
Heat oil in a kadhai or pan. Let the bubbles in the oil subside.
Add whole spices, lower the gas flame.
Fry the onion paste till translucent.
Add chopped tomatoes, sugar and remaining turmeric powder.
Fry till oil separates.
Add salt. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Add two medium cups of water and simmer for two minutes. Add the prawns and cover cook for two minutes.
Add green chillies. Put off the gas.
Rest covered for 10 more minutes.

Serve with anything of your choice.
Warm rice, chapattis or buttered toast.
It's simplicity is unbelievable !!

Sticky chicken wings

Who doesn't like to nibble at finger foods ?? Chicken wings provide us with the ultimate snacking pleasure!
In a Sunday evening or in parties, you can just wow your dear ones, with this dish.

Ingredients

Chicken wings 500 gms (with or without skin )
Flour - 4tbsp
Ginger paste - 1tbsp
Garlic paste - 1tbsp
Dark soya sauce - 2 tsp
Red chilly sauce - 2tsp
Sugar - 1tbsp
Vinegar - 1tsp
Refined oil 4tbsp
Salt to taste

Procedure

The wings have usually a joint. Cut them all into two pieces. Add a tsp of salt, ginger and the garlic pastes. Marinate for an hour in the fridge.
Heat a deep kadhai or wok. Add oil and heat it.
Dust flour to the wings, discarding the excess marination juices. Fry them in batches.(see picture )
In the remaining oil, add the sugar, salt and vinegar. Let it simmer till sugar fully dissolves.
Add the sauces and the fried wings.
In high heat toss well.
As you see a sticky gloss on the chicken wings remove from heat.
Pile this on a plate and serve immediately.
(Can replace sugar with honey )

Keep some tissues handy...for this is lipsmackingly good !!

Mutton with dried mushrooms

Fixing a dinner with the bits and pieces left in my fridge !!
Yes, there are days when we try and make use of little residues. Shitake mushrooms have a spongy texture, which soaks all the flavours around it. The juice of mutton enables them to plump up and a whole new dish is created.....

Ingredients

Mutton strips and trimmings - 200 gms
Shitake mushrooms -  6
Red bell pepper - half
Sliced onions - 1 medium
Chopped garlic - 1/2 tbsp
Chopped green chillies - 1tsp
Flour - 1tbsp
Dark soya sauce - 2tsp
Chilly sauce - 1tsp
Black pepper powder -1/4 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Refined oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Procedure

Pat dry the mutton strips. Marinate in pepper and dust them in flour.
Soak the mushrooms in warm water and keep for 10 minutes.
Heat oil in a deep kadhai or wok. Fry the mutton in batches and keep aside.
In the residual oil, add garlic, chillies and the shitake mushrooms. Fry till a nice toasty aroma arise.
Add the onions and fried mutton.
Toss well.
Add the sauces and mix. Add the sliced red bell peppers.
Add sugar and salt.
Mix a tsp of flour at this stage.
Add a cup of water and the pepper powder.
As the gravy turns thick and glossy, put off the gas.
Serve hot with a simple garlic egg fried rice.
Chilly vinegar is the best accompaniment.
Mushrooms are superfood so its a wholesome dish in every way.

Cashew Chicken

My sons are rigid, during dinner times. All they crave for is chicken that too in its Chinese avatar. As a cook I detest cooking the same chilly or garlic or lemon chicken. I need variety, to cut the monotony of a recipe, a twist has to be given. So a crunch and some spiciness with the smooth ending, at the end of your palate, describes this dish !!

Ingredients

Boneless chicken - 250gms
Diced onions - 2
Grated garlic - 1 tsp
Chopped green chillies - 2tsp
Whole cashews - 1/2 cup
Light soya sauce - 2tsp
Sugar - 1tsp
Flour -2 tbsp
A medley of capsicums diced -1/2 cup
Pineapples chopped -1/2 cup
Refined oil - 4tbsp
Salt to taste

Procedure

Cut the chicken into small pieces. Pat them dry with a towel. Add some salt and dust them in the flour.
Heat a deep pan. Add oil and heat it up.
Fry the cashews lightly and keep aside.
Fry the chicken in batches and keep aside.
In the residual oil, add garlic and chillies. Saute for a minute and add onions. Fry till the onions are half done.
Add the fried chicken pieces and in high heat mix them all.
Add the soya sauce, fried cashews, capsicum and the pineapple.
Add sugar, salt and toss well. Soya sauce has salt so check with the seasoning. As a glaze appears on the dish, put your gas off.
Immediately serve on a bed of rice or with home made chapattis.
It's delicious when hot.
Sparkle in their eyes....pays it off !!

Ilisher Kacha jhol

Rains and illish or hilsa are synonymous. Being a Bengali I am truly in love with both of these. A dearth of big ones nowadays, but will definitely search for some every year.
Off to the market one Sunday and bargained a big fat one !! Felt nothing less than victorious.... Haha
Plain flavours with true quality ingredients....this is my Mantra.

Ingredients

Hilsa or Ilish fillets - 6
Turmeric powder -1 tsp
Slit green chillies - 8
Red kashmiri chilly powder -1/2 tsp
Kala jeera or onion seeds - 1/4 tsp
Black pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Mustard oil 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Process

Do not wash the hilsa fillets. Clean them dry. Add turmeric and half the quantity of salt. Keep aside for half hour.
Heat a kadhai. Add mustard oil and as it heats up, add kala jeera whole and the green chillies. Lower the flame. Don't let it burn.
In half cup water soak the dry spice powder together.
Add to the kadhai.
Add another cup of water and as this starts bubbling, add all the fish fillets.
Cover and cook for 3minutes.
Put of flame. Let it rest covered, for 10 minutes.

Serve with plain, boiled white rice.
The hot rice and the buttery fish, is an unique combination. Simple watery thin jhol with the rice is the ultimate taste.