KASHMIRI PULAO RECIPE

KASHMIRI PULAO RECIPE

INGREDIENTS :

Spices :

METHOD :

• Wash and soak Basmati Rice for 30 minutes.
• Soak Saffron strands in 1 Tbspn of warm milk.
• Blanch the Almonds and chop them.
• Boil 3 cups of water and keep it aside.
• Heat Ghee in a pan, add all the ingredients mentioned under 'spices' and fry them on a low flame for few minutes.
• Saute Onions and Green Chillies until onions turn translucent.
• Add freshly ground Dry Ginger Powder and Fennel Powder & give a quick stir.
• Add the Basmati Rice, Saffron soaked milk, Cream & mix well.
• Pour water and salt, stir and cover the pan.
• Leave this on a low flame until the rice is cooked.
• Meanwhile, fry the sliced onions in ghee/oil with a dash of salt until crisp and caramelized.
• Remove and drain them on a paper towel.
• In the remaining ghee fry the dry fruits and nuts.
• When the rice is cooked, fluff it up slowly.  Care should be taken not to break the rice.
• Garnish Kashmiri Pulao with caramelized onions, fried dry fruits and nuts.
• Serve Kashmiri Pulao hot with any spicy curry of your choice.

NOTES :

• Soak the rice at-least for 20-30 minutes.
• Adjust the amount of water according to the required measurement.
• Can add any preferred dry fruits and nuts of your choice.
• Can also add fresh fruits like small pieces of apple, pineapple and pomegranate.
• If adding fresh fruits, garnish them just before serving.
• Adding freshly ground dry ginger powder and fennel powder gives more flavour to the pulao.
• Can add thick milk instead of cream.
• Can cook the Kashmiri Pulao in a pressure cooker too, if so leave in high flame for a whistle and leave it on a low flame for 10-12 minutes.
• I cooked this in a Microwave.  Sauteed and mixed all the ingredients on a stove top in a  pan, then transferred it into a microwave-safe bowl and cooked on Micro Power High for 15-20 minutes.
• Keep the lid closed while cooking the rice, this will lock the flavours.
• Just fluff the Kashmiri Pulao with a fork slowly without breaking the rice, just before garnishing.

Spice Up Your Meals with Chinna Vengaya Chutney | South Indian Small Onion Chutney

Spicy Chinna Vengaya Chutney Recipe | Small Onion Chutney

    When it comes to side dishes for popular South Indian dishes like Idli, Dosa, Paniyaram, Uthappam, Sambar and Coconut Chutney usually take the spotlight. However, there are underrated chutneys that deserve special mention, like the flavourful and versatile Chinna Vengaya Chutney. This spicy chutney, made with shallots or small onions, adds a unique twist to your meal. Learn how to make this delicious Chinna Vengaya Chutney with this easy recipe and elevate your dishes.

    The Rojapoo Chutney Story In my household - My Mom used to make a quick fix chutney that was a variation of Ulli Mulagu Chalichathu. She lovingly named it Rojapoo Chutney for me when I was a kid, with the sole intention of making me eat Idli and Dosas with this spicy chutney. To entice me, she would convince me that it was made with delicate rose petals, which gave it a pink colour. She added a bit of green chillies for spiciness and drizzled coconut oil over the chutney to enhance the flavours. As I grew older and started cooking myself, I put my own twist on the chutney by substituting green chillies with red chilli powder. To this day, these chutneys hold a special place in my kitchen, reminding me of those cherished childhood memories.

"Click here to explore my version of a spicy twist with Vengaya Chutney."

    Add a zing to your South Indian meals with this delicious and spicy Chinna Vengaya Chutney. Made with small onions, this under-celebrated chutney brings a burst of flavour to your favourite dishes. Try this easy-to-make recipe and elevate your culinary experience. Enjoy the Chinna Vengaya Chutney with various breakfast or dinner items for a delightful and satisfying meal. And remember, every chutney has its own story, just like the delightful Rojapoo Chutney that brings back fond childhood memories.

For more CHUTNEY RECIPES & CULINARY INSPIRATIONS, visit Essence of Life - Food

Cuisine - South India 
Recipe Type - Condiment
Spice Level - Medium-High
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 3-4
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 10-15 Minutes
Cooking Time - 10-15 Minutes

Spice Up Your Meals with Chinna Vengaya Chutney | South Indian Small Onion Chutney

Ingredients:

For Chinna Vengaya Chutney:

For Tempering:

Method:

For Chinna Vengaya Chutney:

• Heat Gingelly Oil in a pan.
• Add Dry Red chillies and Kashmiri Dry Chillies and fry it on a low flame for a few minutes.
• Remove it from the oil and keep it aside.
• In the remaining oil, add small onions, chopped regular onions, garlic, and salt. 
• Add 1/2 a lemon-sized tamarind and give a quick stir. 
• Sauté it for about 6–7 minutes until the onions turn slightly brown and translucent. 
• Remove from heat and let it cool.
• Grind the onion mixture along with the roasted chillies into a smooth paste. 
• Avoid adding water while grinding. Set aside.

For Tempering:

• Heat Gingelly Oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, add urad dhal. Let it turn into light golden colour.
• Add dried red chillies, curry leaves, and asafoetida and fry it on a low flame for a few seconds.
• Now, pour in the ground onion paste to the pan. 
• Rinse the mixer jar with 1/4 cup of water and add it to the pan. 
• Optionally, add half a teaspoon of powdered jaggery for added flavour.
• Sauté the chutney for a couple of minutes until it thickens to the desired consistency. Avoid overcooking, as the onions are already cooked.
• Serve the flavourful Chinna Vengaya Chutney with a variety of South Indian dishes like Idli, Dosa, Paniyaram, Uthappam, Ilaneer Dosai, Kal Dosai, Set Dosai, or Rava Dosai.

Tips and Notes:

Variety of Chillies: 

     For an authentic flavour, use a combination of Kashmiri red chillies and Normal dry red chillies. The Kashmiri chillies not only add a vibrant colour but also lend a unique taste to the chutney. However, if you don't have access to Kashmiri chillies, you can omit them and use only the regular dried red chillies.

Roasting Chillies: 

     Take care not to overcook or burn the dried red chillies while sautéing them. They can quickly turn bitter if exposed to high heat for too long. Sauté them just until they become plump and aromatic.

Sautéing Onions: 

     When sautéing the small onions and regular onions, aim for a golden brown colour and translucent. This helps enhance the depth of flavour in the chutney.

Grinding the Onion Mixture: 

     While grinding the onion mixture along with the roasted chillies, refrain from adding water. This ensures a thicker consistency and concentrated flavours in the chutney. However, if needed, you can add a small amount of water sparingly.

Tempering the Chutney: 

     The tempering process adds an aromatic touch to the chutney. Allow the urad dhal to turn golden brown before adding the mustard seeds, dried red chillies, curry leaves, and asafoetida. This enhances the overall flavour profile of the chutney.

Adjusting Consistency:

     If you prefer a thinner consistency for the chutney, you can add a little water while sautéing the onion mixture or during the tempering stage. However, be cautious not to make it too runny, as the chutney should have a slightly thick texture.

     Including jaggery in the chutney helps balance the flavours by adding a subtle sweetness. It can be omitted if you prefer a purely spicy chutney or adjust the amount according to your taste preference.

Serving Suggestions: 

     The Chinna Vengayam Chutney pairs well with various South Indian dishes like Idli, Dosa, Paniyaram, Uthappam, Ilaneer Dosai, Kal Dosai, Set Dosai, or Rava Dosai.  However, feel free to experiment and enjoy it with other dishes or as a dip for snacks.

      Remember, cooking is a creative process, so feel free to adjust the spice levels, ingredients, or proportions based on your personal taste preferences. Enjoy the delicious and flavoursome Chinna Vengayam Chutney!

METHI CHICKEN

    Methi Chicken is a North Indian style Chicken Curry cooked with loads of Fresh Fenugreek Leaves. Fenugreek Leaves are called Methi in hindi and hence the name of the dish.  Methi Chicken is a tasty & rich Chicken Curry with a nice flavour of fresh fenugreek leaves coming through in every bite.  Methi Chicken Curry has hidden within itself multiple layers of flavour. This is a rich, creamy textured and aromatic Chicken Curry.  Methi Chicken is a curry where Pan-seared Chicken pieces are slow cooked in a rich yogurt based spicy gravy. Methi Murg is loaded with flavours from the spices used and the red hue of the curry from Kashmiri Chilli Powder, which treats you with a perfect feast to eyes, nostrils and taste buds.
    

    Methi Leaves are the selling point of this Curry, they impart a smell unique to itself.  Traditionally, fresh Methi/Fenugreek Leaves are used while cooking this recipe.  If you cannot get hold of fresh Methi Leaves use a handful of dried ones,  Though, the fresh ones are surely going to elevate the aroma of Methi Chicken.  I do not get fresh Methi Leaves, where I live.  Have to mention here, that my trial growing Fenugreek Leaves turn out to be futile every time I try to sprout it up from Fenugreek Seeds.  But have given a try once again with all meticulous nuances of trying to sprout & grow Fenugreek Leaves.  As of today, my measures seems to be worthwhile.  Has sprouted up well into microgreens.  Yet to see whether they are going to yield me with wonderful patches of Fenugreek Leaves.  Waiting to make incredible recipes with fresh fenugreek leaves. 

    Methi Chicken is an easy recipe which can be prepared quickly and needs less ingredients. The true flavour of  Methi Murg comes from the intense flavours of the spices added in the curry and above all the strong aroma of Kasuri Methi/Fenugreek Leaves. Curd/Yogurt Base gives this curry a silky texture. Methi Chicken Curry can be served as a side dish for Roti, Naan, Paratha, Chapati, Kulcha, Batura or with steamed Basmati Rice. Goes well with Rice Dishes, Biriyanis & Pulaos too.

Cuisine - North Indian
Course - Side Dish
Difficulty - Medium
Serves - 4-6
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 25 -30 Minutes
Cooking Time - 30- 45 Minutes

For RECIPES WITH FENUGREEK LEAVES/KASURI METHI, Click here...  

HOW TO COOK METHI CHICKEN- CHICKEN CURRY WITH FENUGREEK LEAVES

METHI CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS:

For Methi Chicken:

Chicken - 500 Grams
Onion - 1 No.
Spring Onions - few Stalks
Green Chillies - 4-5 No's.
Garlic - 3-4 Cloves
Ginger - 1" Piece
Fresh Fenugreek Leaves - 2 Cups
Oil/Butter - 2-3 Tablespoons
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 Teaspoon
Fennel Seeds - 1/2 Teaspoon
Asafoetida - a Pinch

For Yogurt/Curd Base:

For Garnishing:

METHI CHICKEN

METHOD:

For Methi Chicken:

• Clean & wash Chicken Pieces and allow it to drain.
• Clean, wash and separate the leaves from the Fenugreek Leaf stalks.  Can use tiny stalks of fenugreek leaves too.
  
• Whisk Curd/Yogurt along with Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder, Coriander Powder, Garam Masala and Salt.
• Whisk until well combined and leave it aside.
• Heat Oil/Butter in a Deep Pan, splutter Cumin & Fennel Seeds on a low flame.
• Add Asafoetida powder and give a quick stir.
• Immediately add the Chicken Pieces to the above and sear the Chicken pieces until the colour changes.
• Sear the Chicken Pieces on a medium flame.
• Add finely chopped Onions, Spring Onions, Green Chillies, Garlic and Ginger to the seared Chicken Pieces.
• Saute the ingredients on a low flame until Onions turn translucent.
• Pour the Yogurt/Curd Base and mix well.
• Cook this on a low flame, stirring occasionally, until the chicken pieces are well cooked, and the raw flavour goes from the Spice -Yogurt mix.
• Sprinkle water if needed.
• Now add the Fenugreek Leaves and give a quick stir.
• Cover and cook for a few minutes, or until the greens wilt and are cooked through.
  
• Cook Methi Murg until oil separates from the Curry, and it reaches the desired consistency.
• Sprinkle Sugar and give a quick stir.
  
• Garnish Methi Chicken with a few teaspoons of finely chopped Kasuri Methi(Dried Fenugreek Leaves) & Coriander Leaves.
• Serve Methi Chicken hot with Roti, Naan, Paratha, Chapati, Kulcha, Batura or with steamed Basmati Rice.
• Goes well with Rice Dishes, Biriyanis & Pulaos too.
  

METHI CHICKEN

NOTES:

• Can use any type of vegetable oil for the recipe. Mustard Oil gives an authentic flavour to the dish.
• Slow cooking enhances the flavour of the dish.
• Adding Kashmiri Chilli powder gives a vibrant colour with a red hue in the gravy.
• Kashmiri Chilli Powders are less spicy but have a bright red colour.
• If Kashmiri Chilli Powder is not available, use normal Dry Chilli Powder, but adjust the amount to suit your spice level.
• Can use Red food colouring to do the job, if preferred - which I would suggest not to... 
• The true flavour of Methi Murg comes from the intense flavours of Cumin, Fennel, Asafoetida & needless to say  - fresh fenugreek leaves.
• If you cannot get fresh fenugreek leaves, add about 2-3 tablespoons of dried fenugreek leaves(Kasuri Methi).  
• Adding Sugar is purely optional, but helps to balance the overall taste notes in this Curry.

BENGALI CHICKEN KOSHA

    Sometime last year, my son send me a recipe and asked me to make it.  When I looked into the recipe, I was damn sure why he even asked me to make it.  The Chicken Curry had Potatoes in it.  Chicken/Mutton/Beef with Potatoes are liked head down by my hubby & kids.  So went along to make a new recipe - a Bengali Style Chicken Curry, the popular Chicken Kosha. 

    Chicken Kosha is a traditional Bengali way of cooking chicken. It is rated as high on spice level in local terms.  Pondering through the recipe and its history & origin, The word Kosha in Bengali means dry or with a little gravy but mostly quite dry in consistency. It’s a popular dish from a Bengali Kitchen & every Bengali family has their own version of cooking Kosha - may be Chicken/Mutton.  This recipe is the one my son send me and the way I cooked Chicken Kosha.  

    And experts suggests cooking this recipe in an Iron Wok, which brings out the dark colour unique to the authentic Kosha recipes.  But I personally would recommend removing the dish from the wok, once cooked.  Otherwise, the acidity in the Curry can react with the Iron wok giving a metallic taste to the dish, and also it can make the dish go very dark.  I learnt this during my initial days of cooking.  Traditional Kosha recipes and particularly Bengali style of cooking mostly use Mustard Oil.  You can get easy with your preferred Vegetable Oil while cooking this recipe, but Mustard oil gives the authentic flavour to Chicken Kosha.

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HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN KOSHA - BENGALI STYLE SPICY CHICKEN CURRY

BENGALI CHICKEN KOSHA

INGREDIENTS:

To Marinate the Chicken:

For Chicken Kosha:

METHOD:

To Marinate the Chicken:

• Clean, Wash & cut the chicken into medium-sized pieces.  Wash them thoroughly and allow it to drain through a colander.
• Heat oil in a pan and sauté 2 finely sliced Onions along with  a dash of Salt on a medium-low flame.
• Slightly crush the Garlic Pods and add it along with the Onions and fry them on a medium-low flame until Onions turn into rich brown colour.
• Adding salt while sautéing the Onions helps in speeding up the browning process.
• Care should be taken not to burn the onions, which can make the dish bitter.
  
• Once, the Onions turn into golden brown, remove it from the pan and allow it to cool down.
• Now, marinate the Chicken Pieces with a dash of Salt, Kashmiri Chilli Powder, Garam Masala Powder, fried Onions & Garlic and Lemon Juice.
• Mix well until well combined and keep it aside for about an hour or overnight.

BENGALI CHICKEN KOSHA

 For Chicken Kosha:

• Peel, wash and cut Potatoes into large Cubes.
• Leave the Cubed Potatoes in salted water until use.  Drain off any excess water before adding it into the hot oil.  
  
• Heat 1/4 Cup of Oil in a wok and deep-fry the Potatoes(a small batch at a time).
• Fry the Potato Cubes until golden brown and keep them aside.
• In the remaining Oil, add Bay Leaves, Green Cardamoms & Dry Red Chillies(snapped into 2 or 3 pieces). 
• Fry the spices on a very low flame until fragrant.
• Add finely sliced Onions and sauté it on a medium-low flame until it turns into golden brown.
• Now, add Ginger Garlic Paste and fry this on a low flame until the raw flavour goes.
• Then add, Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder, Coriander Powder & Cumin Powder and give a quick stir.  Fry this on a low flame for a few minutes.
• Then add finely chopped Tomato and cook this on a low flame until the tomato turns soft & cooked.
• Sprinkle some water if needed at this stage & Cook this Masala on a low flame for a few minutes until oil separates from the mix. 
• Now add the marinated Chicken Pieces to the Kosha Masala along with Green Chillies slit into two.
• Add about 1/2 cup of hot water to the above and mix well.
  
• Cover & cook on a low flame until the Chicken pieces turn soft and cooked, stirring occasionally.
• Once the chicken is cooked, add the fried Potatoes,  sprinkle some Pepper Powder and cook this on a low flame for a few minutes until the potatoes are well coated with the Kosha Masala.
• Adjust the amount of Salt at this stage, add Sugar and leave the Chicken Kosha on a low flame until it reaches the desired consistency.
• Chicken Kosha is a slightly dry gravy like Curry.  Adjust to your preference.
• Once the Chicken is well done, switch off the flame and keep it covered for a few more minutes on the stove top.
• Serve Chicken Kosha hot, with Roti, Naan, Paratha, Chapati, Kulcha, Batura, Puri, Luchi, Parotta.
• Goes well with White Rice or or with steamed Basmati Rice. It can also be served along with with Rice Dishes, Biriyanis & Pulaos, Kichadi etc.,
  

BENGALI CHICKEN KOSHA

NOTES:

• Can use any type of vegetable oil for the recipe. Mustard Oil gives an authentic flavour to the dish.
• Slow cooking enhances the flavour of the dish.
• Adding Kashmiri Chilli powder gives a vibrant colour with a red hue in the gravy.
• Kashmiri Chilli Powders are less spicy but have a bright red colour.
• If Kashmiri Chilli Powder is not available, use normal Dry Chilli Powder, but adjust the amount to suit your spice level.
• Can use Red food colouring to do the job, if preferred - which I would suggest not to... 
• While frying the onion slices for marinating, care should be taken not to burn them, which will totally spoil the taste of this dish.
  
• The true flavour of Chicken Kosha comes from the intense flavours of spices & mustard oil.
• Adding Sugar is purely optional, but helps to balance the overall taste notes in this Curry.

Delve into Authentic Kerala Prawn Pickle

 "Pearly Aunty's Culinary Legacy: A Heartfelt Journey with Kerala Prawn Pickle"

    In my kitchen, every food holds a story and every dish is a labour of love. It all started with a tale from my daughter, studying medicine miles away in Georgia. She shared anecdotes of her friends carrying bottles of pickles from home, a taste of India in a foreign land.

    My children never had much of a palate for pickles.  So, when she told me about her friend's batch of prawn pickle, I was intrigued. Despite watching my mother-in-law's sister, Pearly aunty, craft pickles with finesse, I had reservations about preserving non-vegetarian items. But my daughter's enthusiasm sparked something within me, a desire to recreate those flavours in my own domain.