Zaiqa

We celebrated Eid Ul Adha, our festival on the 20th of Dec ’07, and I had prepared this traditional organ meat curry prepared from the Qurbani ka gosht. This curry is loved by everyone, and is an excuisite recipe for this Eid which is also otherwise called as Bakr-Eid.

Some of the traditional dishes prepared by muslims just after Qurbani on Eid-ul-Adha are Nihari, Maghaz Masala, and various kinds of the red meat preperations from the Qurbani ka gosht.

This organ meat curry is had as a breakfast/brunch along with Parathas, on Eid just after the sacrifice. And I thought to share the recipe here with you all.

Instead of preparing this curry with the kidneys and lungs and liver of lamb, this curry can also be made the same way with any one of the organs, if anyone dislikes it.

Lamb Organ Meat Curry – Masaledaar Bakre ki Kaleji Gurda Phepsa

Ingredients:

Organ Meat of a young Lamb – Kidneys(Gurda)-a pair; Heart(Dil); Liver(Kaleji)-a pair; Lungs(Phepsa)-a pair; Trachea-cut into 2″ pipes – all nicely cleaned, washed up and cut into bite size pieces
Onions – 3, large, sliced thinly
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Curd – 1 cup
Red Chilli Powder – 1 1/3 tsp
Salt – 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Roasted groundnut paste – 2 tsp
Coconut milk – 1 tbsp
Cilantro – 1 cup

Lamb Organ Meat Curry – Masaledaar Bakre ki Kaleji Gurda Phepsa

Method:

1. Pour oil into a pressure cooker on medium heat and once it has warmed up, throw in the two of the three sliced onions. Reserve one for later use in this curry. Stir fry the onions till they are lightly brown in color. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry along for a minute. Pour in the whisked yogurt, red chilli powder, salt and turmeric. Add the cubed organ meat pieces and gently mix. Add cilantro and mix well. Close the lid and pressure cook it for 10 minutes.
2. Later, add the remaining ingredients, including the remaining sliced onion rings, and mix well.
3. Keep stirring it every now and then taking care it isn’t getting stuck to the bottom of the pan, and let it cook until the gravy is thick. Serve hot with Naan or Parathas. Enjoy.

Luv,
Mona

Eggplants/Brinjal/Baingan are one of those vegetables which are often not much preferred by many people. I too did not like this vegetable much during my childhood, except when my Ammi used to prepare this eggplant snack. I and my sister really love it. These eggplant snacks are my all time favorite.

Baingan Bhajiya – Eggplant Fritters

I have used Japanese eggplants,  which are long and slender, like a cucumber. I buy these kind when I plan to prepare eggplant fritters as I feel the slices of the eggplants are of approximately same diameter and I can make many fritters out of just two Japanese eggplants. This time during my grocery visit to the market, I bought two of them and prepared these as snacks. They were yummy. You can however use the common ovoid shaped Indian eggplants too for this recipe. I love to enjoy these fritters without any chutneys. They are so tasty as they are.

Baingan Bhajiya – Eggplant Fritters

Ingredients:

• Gram Flour/Besan – 110 gms
• Japanese Eggplants – 2
• Garam masala – 1/2 tsp
• Ginger Garlic paste – 3/4 tsp
• Red Chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Salt – 1 1/4 tsp
• Oil – to deep fry

Method:

• Put gram flour, garam masala, red chillli powder, salt and ginger garlic paste in a bowl and mix them well. Pour hot water into it, little at a time and mix well, so that the consistency of the mixture is like a thick paste. It shouldnt be watery. So, be careful while adding water. Mix well. This will the batter.
• Pour Oil to deep fry the fritters in a Kadai, or a Wok.
• Cut the eggplants into 4mm thick disks. Dip them in the batter and deep fry them till they are golden brown on both sides.
• Remove with a slotted spoon on a kitchen towel.
• Once all are done, arrange them on a serving tray and serve hot.

Luv,
Mona

Ah! The weather has finally changed and I subsequently got to witness snow! .. snow for the first time in my life !

Earlier it felt quite peculiar to witness darkness at 4:00 pm itself in the evening, and I sometimes found it scary. I remember, back in India, between 4 and 5 in the evenings, children from every house would gather on streets or parks, team up and start playing games, the most common~Cricket! 5:00 pm was a lively, noisy time, when I mostly got to hear ‘howz that!’ or ‘out!’, but here in winters, it becomes pitch dark, with everyone returning home in the darkness for a long night from their job places. But I have eventually got used to it.

Today I plan to make a nice big snowman in front of my house once my hubby returns home. I love watching snow from indoors. I love it when my feet goes inside the pile of snow and I leave a trail behind. lts fun! But, yeah, the cold outside is just too much, but if proper winter coats, caps, scarfs and gloves are worn, all is well and fine. So everyone, keep yourselves warm in this winter by wearing good winter clothes.

Warm and comforting foods are what I am craving for in this winter. And whats more comforting than Indian food, that has got spices and masalas, to make your body warm by the heat and comfort you. I had prepared this creamy chicken curry some days back. I had chicken lying in the freezer, some cream, almonds, nuts and spices. I thought to mix them all up and prepare a curry out of it. We had Peas Pulao along with this chicken curry, our meal was gratifying and pleasurable. Everyone loved it. Here’s the recipe:

Badami Malai Murgh – Creamy Almond Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

Chicken Breast – 500 gms
Ginger-Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Red chilli powder – 1 1/2 tsp
Almonds – 1/2 cup
Canola oil – 3 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Half and Half cream – 1 cup

Method:

1.Wash and cut the chicken breasts into 2 cm approx cubes.
3. Mix the chicken pieces with ginger-garlic paste, salt and red chilli powder. Let it marinate for about 1-3 hours at room temperature.
4. Add 1/2 cup water to almonds and grind it to a smooth paste.
5. Pour oil in a heavy bottomed pan at medium heat. Once the oil gets warm, add zeera and let it splutter.
6. Lower the heat and add the marinated chicken with all its juices. Stir well and let it cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add a cup of water to it and let the chicken cook, covered, till it is tender. Keep stirring it occasionally. You can add more water if the gravy dries up before the chicken gets soft.
8. Add the almond paste and cream and mix it well. Adjust the salt and red chilli powder according to tastes. Cover and let it cook, stirring only to avoid it getting stuck to the bottom of the pan. Serve it hot.

Luv,
Mona

I haven’t been a big fan of Spinach, either in salad or as curries since childhood, and my hubby also somehow falls into the same category. But because of its high nutrient value especially in the Iron content, I make it a point to regularly prepare and serve spinach in different forms each time. Out of all those, this curry is most loved by everyone in my house and gets finished in a jiffy. So, I thought of sharing it here with you all.

Palak Murgh – Chicken with Spinach curry

It is a simple curry which can be prepared very quickly and I love to enjoy it with Parathas, but I also sometimes, like today, like to have it with Basmati Chawal and Khatti Dal. Spinach is very good for health, especially for anaemic girls, and it combination with boneless breast pieces of Chicken makes it all the more nutritious.

Well, Speaking of Girls. I recently watched the movie ‘Chak De‘ with my miya and I enjoyed every bit of it. It is very beautifully directed, and I never felt bored for a single minute. For all those of you who haven’t yet seen that movie, go watch it!

Here goes the Recipe, Enjoy.

Palak Murgh – Chicken With Spinach curry

Ingredients:

Boneless Chicken Pieces – 250 gms, cut into 2 cm cubes (you can also use chicken meat with bone)
Black Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Dried Red chillies – 2, eacg split in half and seeds shaken out
Fresh or Frozen Chopped Spinach – 300 gms
Onions – 1, large, thinly sliced
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 /4 tsp
Salt – 2 tsp
Turmeric – 1/2 tsp
Tomato Paste – 1 tbsp
Canola Oil – 1 tbsp
Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 1/3 tsp

Method:

Pour oil into a heavy bottomed pan at medium heat and throw in the black cumin seeds and the dried red chillies. Once they start to splutter, add the sliced onions and stir fry until lightly browned. Add the ginger-garlic paste and mix well. Fry for 3 more minutes. Now add the chicken pieces and stir fry them gently until opaque and no longer pink. Add the frozen spinach and a cup of water and close the lid. Let it cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Later, open the lid and add the garam masala, red chilli powder, salt, turmeric. Mix well. Drop in the tomato paste and mix well (you can also add 1 large chopped red tomato instead of the paste). Pour in another cup of water and let it cook for another 8 minutes, stirring it occasionally. Once the chicken is done, and you get the consistency you like, remove from heat and serve hot immediately.

Suggested Accompaniments: We savor this dish along with Rotis or Basmati Chawal and Khatti Dal for a meal.

Luv,
Mona

Prawns are my favorite seafood, next to Salmon fish.

I prepare this quick prawn stir fry with minimal use of spices, keeping the flavour of prawns the dominating one.

Prawns are rich in proteins. Thay are also high in cholesterol, but the tendency of the body to produce more cholesterol depends on the amount of fat in a particular food. As Prawns are so low in saturated fats, the cholesterol in the Prawns does not affect much. They can be had once in two weeks for a change. People with Heart diseases and Diabetes have to consume it in moderation as advised by their doctors.

I buy frozen prawns more often here. Back in India fresh Prawns were always available. Fresh prawns can be stored for a day or two, till used in a bowl of cold water with ice cubes once bought from market. I buy and store the frozen prawns for almost a month in the freezer compartment. Always wash and devien the prawns before you cook them.

Talehuwe Jhinge – Simple Fried Prwans

Ingredients:

Oil – 2 tsp
Fresh/Frozen Prawns – 400 gms, deviened, and deshelled
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Water – 3/4 cup

Method:

1. Thaw the prawns and wash them well.
2. Pour oil in a pan on medium heat and throw in the prawns.
3. Stir fry them for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add salt, red chilli powder, and turmeric. Mix well.
5. Pour in water and cover the lid for 5 minutes.
6. Uncover and increase the temperature and let the water dry completely. Serve warm.

Luv,
Mona