NAAN TO GO WITH DAL MAHARANI, KESARI MURGH AND CHILI ?!

I am glad to say that last week's bloggers' protest against Plagiarism went well and hope the concerned parties got the message!! As I planned with Inji Pennu,I will keep the message with the link to her "Ginger and Mango" blog and Sandeepa's logo against Plagiarism in my sidebar to spread the word for few more weeks.Hope this event and the idea of giving the credit where it's due hits home with one and all. Btw,yesterday I got 2 "anonymous" comments with pics of female anatomy created by PC keyboard letters and numbers,both of which I rejected!! Are you proud of yourself,anonymous??!!Didn't your mother teach you manners??!!

Now on to food,there is something for everyone,whether you are a vegetarian,non-vegetarian, red meat eater or a bread lover! Enjoy...

I am posting these fabulous dishes:
Naan,(Indian baked Flatbread)
Dal Maharani, (Whole Black Moong with Kidney beans)
Kesari Murgh (Saffron Chicken)
Chili (Con Corne)

Note: Since there are no step by step photos given to some dishes,read the recipes completely to see what ingredients you need to have first before you start cooking!:D

Naans: from Paati of "en veetu Samayal". Please click on the highlighted Naans to go to the original recipe.

I had tried making Naans once before,didn't like it and never tried them again.That is until I saw Naans at Paati's blog.They were excellent to look at,asked her for the recipe and she graciously translated to English from French.
I made them by hand and baked them in the HOT oven(I don't own a traditional Tandoor people!!Shocker,ain't it?!;D),loved the soft and flaky texture.Not exactly like Dhaba style Naan(mine anyway)but a great tasting Naan bread.

Yes,I made them again with the same recipe and posted new pics to replace the old one's if you coming back to see!:)

I have taken down my bread machine and will be trying again and experiment a little further to get the Dhaba style Naans too.
These Naans taste great with rich gravy,I am glad I tried these.I didn't brush with butter on top since there is enough butter in the recipe as it is.This is the recipe for hand made Naans as I did,not bread machine made.Thank you Paati for a wonderful recipe! :))

Here is the recipe as Paati had posted with little adjustment from me,enjoy!:)


You Need: 3 cups Flour, melted butter 2 tbsp or ghee , yogurt 3 tbsp,1 tbsp Canola or Olive oil ,fresh yeast 1 tsp, salt 1 tsp, warm milk or water about 3/4 cup(105F-115F),1 tsp sugar.Heat Oven at 550F,use pizza stone if you have or thick double layered cookie sheet.Lay a aluminum foil to help you slide the Naan in and out of the oven.




Warm milk to 105F-115F,add yeast and sugar,let it foam.Add flour,melted butter ,oil,yogurt,salt,knead until smooth,cover and let it rise for 3 hrs.Punch down, divide into 6 balls,cover again,let it rise for an hour until double.



Now,stretch with your hand or roll out to a circle and pull one side to form a tear shape.Slap it on the foil,put it in the oven,bake for 3 mins and flip if you can,bake for 3 more mins.Take it out,brush with melted butter,cool,and cover with clean cloth and store.Serve with any veg or non-veg dishes.


Naan, soft and buttery Paati style!:))


Dal Maharani:
Maharani means Queen.Is this dish named thus because it's the Queen of all dals or some Queen's favorite dal?!;D
Whatever it is,tastes fabulous! I made this dal long time ago,was in my draft,thought it's time I posted it!:) It is a very traditional Punjabi dal and nutritious too full of protein,goes well with Naans or Parathas.

You Need these:


Here is the recipe for Dal Maharani:
1. Cook 2 cups soaked whole black Urad(Sabut Maanh),4 tbsp Chana dal,1/2 cup soaked or canned Kidney beans,3-4 cups water,1 tbsp ghee, ground (1" ginger-1 garlic-2 red dry chillies) until soft but not mushy.Mash some beans and keep aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil/butter,add 1 bay leaf,1 tsp cumin seeds,1 onion minced,1/2" ginger minced,1 tsp garam masala,1 tsp Kashmiri chill pd or any you have,1 tbsp coriander seeds pd.
3. Stir for a min and add 1 cup Tomato sauce and fry until oil shows on top.Add cooked dal to this and stir gently until heated through.
4. Garnish with 1/4 fat-free cream and cilantro.Serve with Parathas or Naan.

Kesari Murgh/Saffron Chicken:
Kesari Murgh is highly aromatic rather than a spicy dish and most colorful with the addition of World's most expensive herb/spice Saffron.If you don't have it on hand,add a drop each of red but the flavor you get from the real Saffron is undeniable.You can adjust the chilli pd to make it spicier to your taste. Add Koftas or veggies to the gravy to make it vegetarian.


How to make Kesari Murgh:
Roast,cool and powder all these first:1 tsp Kashmiri chillies or chilli pd or Paprika,1 tbsp Coriander seeds,6 cloves,1 tsp cardamom seeds,1" cinnamon stick,2 tbsp Poppy seeds,1/2 Star Anise,1/4 tsp Mace pd,1 tsp Fennel seeds,1/2 tsp Turmeric pd,1/4 tsp of Saffron pd and keep aside.
1. In a pressure pan or pan,heat 2 tbsp oil/butter,saute 1 onion minced in the food processor until soft,add ground 1 tbsp Ginger 1"-2 garlic paste,fry for a min.
2. Add 1 cup tomato sauce,salt,1 tsp sugar,ground masala powder and 1/2 cup water and cook until oil shows up on top.
2. Add in about 4 cups cubed combination of chicken breast and dark meat like thighs and mix thoroughly and add 1 more cup of water.Close the lid and cook on a medium heat until chicken is cooked.
3. Lower the heat to simmer,open the cooker lid, stir and add 1 can(13 ozs)of Coconut milk/Cream of coconut and mix well.Heat gently until you get a thickish sauce.
4. Garnish with Cilantro,green onions and 2 tbsp of cream.Serve with Naan or Parathas or Basmati rice,Onion relish and lemon slices.

Here is a plate for you:

Yes! The Naan you see here on the plate is not the Naan you see up there.I will post this Naan recipe in my later post.


Chili Con Corne:
Here is my special Chili,one of my best recipes and my family's favorite dish.It's almost like Kheema dish of India but with more Mexican spices like garlic pd,Mexican Cumin seeds and chilli pd..Try it and you will love it.I made this with slow cooker stewed whole night on low heat this time,usually do it on stove top.I will give you both versions.
For vegetarians: Add Soya granules,taste great as well.

Cooked perfectly in the Slow cooker all night and garnished with Cilantro:


How to make in Slow cooker or Crock pot:
Add all these to the cooker: 1 lb lean ground round(beef),1 lb lean cubed Sirloin tips,1 small onion chopped fine,1 green bell pepper chopped,1/2 cup celery chopped,1 tsp Garlic pd,salt,1 tsp chilli pd or chilli flakes and Paprika,1 tsp each Oregano and Parsley, 1tbsp Worcestershire sauce,1 tsp Soya sauce,1 tsp red wine vinegar,1 can(15oz)Tomato sauce,1 can(15oz) red Kidney beans drained,1 cup beef stock or water,1 tbsp Cumin seeds powder.Put the crock pot on high for 2 hrs and then turn it down to low, close the lid and forget about it for 12hrs!!When it's done,sprinkle cilantro and adjust the salt and spices.I also add few rings of bottled Jalapenos in the sauce to give that zing.No extra oil is necessary at all!:)
To serve: Ladle into a bowl,garnish with minced onion ,sour cream and some Cheddar cheese if you like.I make some Cheese fries and my kids also like to eat with rice or with some crusty bread or with buttery Naan.

A bowl of delicious Chili:

Here is how to make Chili on the stove top:
1. Heat a pan,brown the meat.Add peppers and onion,saute for a mins.Add all the other ingredients I have given above and heat on high until it comes to boil.
2. Turn down the heat to medium and cook until thickish or put it in the oven at 350F for about 35-45 mins.
3. If you find it too thin,mix a tbsp of Masa Harina or corn flour with water and add to the sauce.
4. Make the chili a little spicier than usual.It tastes great with rice or bread.

Another look and out!!:D

Have a great week and weekend friends.See you next week with more veg.dishes!!;P

Here are some of my "Aroma" dishes you might have missed:





Caribbean Salad









Cardamom-Raisin Quick Buns









Banana Pudding











Hoppin' John








South of the Border Farfalle



Have a great weekend! :)