Rumali Roti, Bell Pepper Korma, Kalonji Naan, Kalamata Olives, Artichoke hearts,Walnuts Spread/dip

Happy Easter!

We had almost 80F almost Summer like temperature last weekend, hot, humid and very windy after going thru' a long cold Winter and chilly early Spring weather. We had BBQ on the deck in the evening for dinner on Sunday, had to hold down the Lettuce and napkins on the plate from flying off of the deck though! :D
Although temp went down drastically on Tuesday, still very sunny here. To add to the joy, Tar Heels (UNC Chapel Hill athletes, Trisha's college) won their 5th NCAA championship!! YAY!! Feels great, our little white and Blue Tar Heels flag is still flying in our front yard as you can see and you can listen to the UNC fight songs here. Curious to know why North Carolinians are called "Tar Heels? Read here and here. Go Tar Heels, you made us very proud! :)

Spring Tulips:
Most beautiful of all the Spring flowers are Tulips in my opinion. Who can forget Tulip fields in Amsterdam, Holland every Spring and Fall once you visit when they are in full bloom? We visited there once about 12 yrs ago, still remember the beauty, Heaven on Earth.

Spring Tulip showcase at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC:
In Asheville, a beautiful city nestled in the Blue Ridge mountains of NC, there is a palace like largest home in America and also a luxury hotel called Biltmore Estate, built by George W. Vanderbilt, which showcases colorful flowers in "Festival of Spring" from April 4th to May 17th, 2009. They say;

"The gardens will be bursting with color and fragrance—thousands of tulips, flowering shrubs and trees, and spring bulbs dazzle your senses. Enjoy music in the gardens and in Biltmore House along with bright floral displays, springtime dining specials, and unique shopping opportunities."

Colorful Spring Tulips from my neck of the woods:

One of the weekend projects, prepped up our veggie patch:
For a starter, we topped up 3 huge bags of soil to the veggie patch, fertilized and then planted Husky red Cherry Tomato, Bush Goliath Tomato, Mint and Cayenne Pepper plants in the ground. My 4th Herb pot is ready to go with Pineapple Sage, Sweet Basil, Lemon Thyme. Right now, Herb pots are still in the garage just to be safe until temp goes up and stays up there at 70F. One single morning frost will destroy them all if they are kept outside now, may be we will get them on the deck next month. Last month, lawn was yellow and brittle and after many rainy days and fertilizing, look at that green color of that lawn now! :)

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Let's get cooking!

Rumali Roti, Bell Pepper Korma and Bharwa Baingan:
I made some Rumali rotis this week. "Rumaal" which literally means "Handkerchief" in Hindi, these rotis are made to look like Rumal because of their very thin and wide square or round shape. These are rolled out very thin and as wide as you can and baked quickly on a hot inverted Wok/Kadai to serve with gravy dishes or Kababs. I made Bell pepper Korma and stuffed masala Eggplants to go with Rumali rotis. Enjoy the recipes!

Recipe for Bharwa Baingan masala/stuffed Eggplants I have already posted last year is here.
Usually I don't get small round Eggplants here, so the recipe I posted before is made with chopped Eggplants with the same ingredients. This time, I bought some round Brinjals from the Indian store last week. I slit these round Eggplants halfway still attached to the stem and stuffed with the same ground masala and pressure cooked them on low heat to cook them just until soft but not mushy. This is my favorite masala Baingan to have with rice rottis or Rotis.

My favorite "Royal Doulton" stainless steel and non-stick Wok I used to make Rumali rotis, didin't dare to invert it! :D
Although I have a beautiful huge Wok, I didn't dare to invert it to expose the non-stick interior to direct heat which will destroy the non-stick coating. So, I heated the Wok as usual and cooked the wide thin rotis inside the Wok instead. They came out fine, not as good as you see in these videos but not bad at all. You can see how to make traditional Rumali roti here and here and here.

To make Rumali rotis:
1. Mix 1 1/2 cups of Wheat flour, 1/2 cup of plain flour, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp oil, add enough water and knead well to get a firm plaible dough. Cover and rest the dough for 30mins.
2. Divide into equal portions, roll out the dough as thin as and as wide as possible to fit into the Wok you are using.
3. Take a Wok/Kadai, invert on the medium to high heat, let it get hot or heat the wide Tava or Wok until hot. Iron Woks without handles on a gas burner do very well to invert and bake these.
4. Add the thin rotis, let it cook and bubble, quickly flip and cook the other side, fold the sides into a square like handkerchief and serve immediately if you can with veg and non-veg gravies or wrapped around the Kababs.

Bell Pepper Korma:
A south Indian "Kurma" usually has ground coconut, poppy seeds etc., slightly different ground spice masala than a North Indian "Korma" or Mughlai style "Qorma". Korma has aromatic spices mainly spices like Fennel, nut paste, little cream added with vegetables or various meats. Since I had bought green, red and orange Bell Peppers, I made a Korma masala and served with Rumali rotis.

To make Korma:
1. Chop 3 large red, Orange and Green bell Peppers/Capsicums in to large pieces. Idea is not to cook them too many but just until soft and still holding their shapes.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil, add 2 onions chopped and fry it until they are slightly golden. Then add 2" chopped Ginger and 2 large chopped garlic to onion mix and stir fry for a minute. Add these to a blender and let it cool for 2 mins.
3. In the same pan, add 1 tsp Fennel seeds, 1 tbsp Coriander seeds, 2 tsp Cumin seeds, few seeds of Cardamoms, 14-16 whole Almonds, saute slightly for 1 minute or so, add to the blender. Add 2 tbsp Yogurt and blend all these to a smooth paste. Add enough water if you need it to grind but not too much.
4. Now, heat 2 tbsp oil+butter mix in a non-stick deep pan, add the Bell pepper pieces, little salt and fry just until they get soften a bit, take them out on a plate.
5. Add ground onion masala to the same pan, fry until it smells good making sure you don't scorch the masala. Once the masala leaves the sides of the pan, add 1/4 cup Tomato sauce, 1 tsp sugar, fry again for 2 mins. Add salt, chilli pd, sauteed peppers and 1/2 cup water to the pan, simmer.
6. Lastly, mix 3 tbsp warm heavy cream and 1/4 tsp Saffron strands, add to the Korma gravy along with 1 tsp of good quality Garam Masala, simmer gently on low heat.
Garnish with Cilantro and serve with Raita and Naan or Rumali rotis.

Kalonji/Nigella seeds Naan:
Kalonjis are Nigella seeds (also known as black onion seeds although not related) in English. It has a pungent taste when eaten and is widely used in Bengali "Panch Phoran" (click on the link, Bong mom Sandeepa has a wonderful post on PP with recipes) as one of the five seeds. Kalonjis are usually added on top of Naans before baking in Tandoor. I had plans to cut and toast one of these Naans to serve with Olive spread I made below but they didn't last long enough since we had chicken masala for dinner to go with these! :D

To bake eggless Naan bread with black onion seeds:
This recipe for Naan is adapted from a cookbook by Tahera Rawji. I didn't add the Egg which was mentioned in the recipe but replaced the sesame seeds with Kalonji and followed everything else just as it is in the book. Milk pd gives it a nice texture and makes it rich, don't think it needed an egg but will add next time I make these just to see whether eggy Naan tastes any different.

1. Mix 1 pack of dry Yeast (2 1/4tsp), 1 tsp Sugar, and 1/2 cup warm water, set aside for fermenting for 5 mins.
2. Add 2 1/2 cups of flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp Kalonji/Nigella seeds, 5 tbsp dry milk powder to a mixer, mix for a second and add 1/4 cup vegetable to it, 5 tbsp yogurt and yeast mix to it, beat well for 3 mins until you get a firm and pliable dough. (You can add 1 egg to this dough too but it's optional, I didn't add it.)
3. Brush some oil on top of the dough,cover and let it rise in warm place for an hour or so or until double.
4. Divide this into 6-8 equal portions, knead well. Take a ball, roll out or press out with your hand to about 5" circle, pull one end to make a tear shape. Brush the top with melted butter, sprinkle some Kalonjis and press them down gently. Repeat with other balls, place them on a foil 2 at a time, cover with a kitchen towel and let them rise again for about 10mins.
5. Heat your oven to the maximum up to 500F or more with the Pizza stone or cookie sheet in, slide the naans with the foil on hot cookie sheet or Pizza stone. Bake for 7-8 mins or until they are golden on top. Do not over bake.
6. Serve as soon as possible to get the best out of these Naans.

Kalamata Olives, Artichoke Hearts and Walnut Spread/Dip:
I love Olives, will snack on them them just like candies if you give me a bowlful. Of all the Olives, Kalamata Olives are my favorite kind. Since they are relatively expensive to buy, I add some Artichoke Hearts, Walnuts etc to make a spread and enjoy it with Bagel chips, crisp Veg Crackers, any homemade toasted bread or even with sliced and toasted Naan.

To make the Spread:

1. First take about 10-15 Kalamata Olives (bottled is okay too, don't add salt and Vinegar too much since Olives are already soaked in it), slice them roughly and take the seeds out, put these in a bowl.
2. Open a can of Artichoke Hearts, drain well and chop them roughly, discard the rough and stringy parts of Artichoke. Add to the bowl with Olives.
3. Now add 2 tbsp crushed Walnuts, 1/4 tsp Garlic powder or 2 chopped Garlic, 3 tbsp or more Mayonnaise, 2 tsp Sour cream, salt (careful not to add too much if Olives are out of a bottle), plenty of freshly crushed peppercorns, 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese and 1/4 tsp Italian herb seasoning or 1 tbsp fresh Chives. Mix well.
4. Adjust the seasoning, chill in the fridge for 30 mins. Serve chilled or at room temperature with Toasted hard crusted bread, crackers or toasted Naan.

Logos and links of all the events, thanks to all of you for hosting ladies! :)

Bell Pepper Korma, goes to EC's "WYF-Side Dishes" event.
Kalonji Naan bread, goes to Dee's "Think Spice..think-Kalonji". This event is started by Sunita.
Olive-Artichoke Hearts-Walnuts Spread, goes to Priya's "AFAM-Olives", an event started by Maheswari.
Green and Red Bell Peppers Korma, also goes to Neha's "FIC-Red and Green", this event is started by Harini.
Stuffed Masala Baingan with Cashews, goes to Poornima who is guest hosting "Let's Go Nuts-Cashews", an event started by Aquadaze.

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My tried and tasted dishes from other blogs in the last 2 weeks, thanks to all of you for posting these delicious dishes ladies! :)

Porial, from Nags. (Didn't have Eggplants, used Beets instead)
Vankaya Bagara, from Vijaya.
Capsicum and Tomato Pappu, from Priya.
Beet Root-Corn Upma, from Ashwini.

Movies I watched and liked last week:

"Seven Pounds":
I didn't hear much about this movie before when it's released but picked up to watch last week. I loved it. Film is about a well educated guy who gets into a car accident which kills seven people including his fiancée. He gets depressed and decides to donate his seven organs/body parts (seven pounds flesh) to seven people who deserve them so they can live. He tests 7 people to make sure they deserve his eyes, Liver, Kidneys, Bone marrow etc. When he finds 7 people, he kills himself so others can have his body parts. It is a very emotional movie to watch, takes some courage to do something like that in real life and I think this is Will Smith's best movie so far, loved his "The pursuit of happyness" movie as well.

"Marley and Me":
This movie is based on a book of the same name. A young couple adopt a yellow Labrador puppy and he writes a column in his newspaper about it as their 12 yrs of marriage and their dog Marley go through various stages of joys and sorrows of their lives until the end of Marley's life. My both kids cried watching this movie when Marley dies of old age. Dog lovers shouldn't miss this movie!

Book I am currently reading:

"The Girl From Foreign" by Sadia Shepard.
This book is somewhat similar to "Burnt Bread and Chutney" by Carmit Delman I have reviewed before in my older post. It's a biographical story of an American girl Sadia Shepard whose mom is a Pakistani Muslim amd dad is an Christian American from Colorado. Sadia's grandmother who lives her family one day tells her that she was born in Bombay to a Bene Israli Jewish family and her real name was "Rachel Jacobs".
When her grandmother had married to a Pakistani Muslim later, she had converted to Islam and moved to live in Pakistan and had her children there as well. Sadia becomes curious about her grandmother's Jewish roots, gets a schalorship to go to India and do a reserch film on Bene Isrreli community and to learn about her own roots in the process. When she goes to meet people in India on the first day, they refer to her as "that girl from foreign with a muslim name!" :D
Intesting book, keeps you glued to the book and also we can see her confusion because of her multi cultural and multi religious upbringing when visiting Bombay for the first time to film about Bene Israel Jewish community, meet her surviving family and her grandmother's childhood home. It's heartening to see the old photos of her family in Bombay in this book and read about India and Indians thru' Sadia's eyes.

Enjoy the better weather and have a fun week and the weekend too. Spring break is on for all the kids here from Saturday, I will be taking little easy on blogging next week since kids want to go out more if they are at home! :)

Dhaba style Naan from a Jewish Baker's recipe with Chicken curry

PHEW!! I never had more hectic and stressful days in my whole life like the past 3 weeks!! My daughter had 6 AP exams and 2 EOC tests, (she is done with all her HS credits a year early except English 12, is being sent to University by the county free of charge next year instead of 12th grade), her Immunization record is updated with 2 new shots for college, a half day of exhausting University tour on a very sunny Monday with class registration, college ID etc for Fall 2008 class as a "High School visiting Student" and my son went thru' 3 EOG exams (7th grade) himself this week and a booster Varicella shot for him too. To top it all, I sprained my left Index finger yesterday and I have no clue how and when that happened until I saw the swelling and felt the pain! :P
Now we are almost home free and school ends on June 12th! Hurray until Aug 25th! Looks like I am back to regular Wednesday posts again like before too! :D

Oh well..so be it. Here they are, my newly discovered recipe for almost Dhaba style soft sour dough Naans! Dhabas are small Punjabi road side restaurants in India, very much like "Truck stop" restaurants here in US which serve authentic, delicious and inexpensive food!
You know how I am always on the look out for that elusive restaurant style Naans? I have tried and posted 4 types of Naan recipes so far, usually tried from Indian cookbooks with satisfying but "not yet there" results! This time I found this "Dhaba style" Naan recipe in a Book called "Secrets of a Jewish Baker" by George Greenstein which has traditional Jewish breads along with other World breads and these sour dough naans taste almost like restaurant naans. If I had a Tandoor which heats up to 1000+F temp. at home like the restaurants, these would look perfect. Alas! My oven goes only up to 550F but I am mighty pleased with these naans! They taste excellent with my fragrant Chicken curry or use the gravy recipe with Koftas or veggies for vegetarian curry treat with these Naans. Hope you give it a try!:)

Dhaba style Naans with Chicken curry, made with coconut milk and Almond gravy:

Naans Stacked up!
Sri reminded me of her "Roti Mela" event which going on in full swing right now. I am sending my Naans to Srivalli from "Cooking 4 all seasons" blog for "Roti mela" as well. Have fun Sri! :)

Fermented sour dough starter of flour and yogurt:
(made 24hrs in advance at room temp.)
For sour dough starter, you Need: 1 cup plain Yogurt or Sour cream or Buttermilk, 1/2 Cup plain flour, a pinch of dry yeast or 1 small piece leftover dough if you have made the dough earlier instead of yeast.

How to start:
Mix all the above well to a smooth paste in a glass bowl and leave it on counter top for 24hrs without covering the bowl (very important, do not cover it!) and let it ferment.
Note: If you want the Naans for 6pm dinner next day, mix the starter day before at 4pm and next day at 4pm, add it to make the Naan dough. Make sure to save a large marble size dough for next starter or make the starter again.

How to make these Naans:
You need: Add all the above sour dough starter, 1 Egg (skip if you are a vegetarian), 2 tbsp oil, 1/2 tbsp sugar, 3 cups to 3 1/2 cups of plain flour or enough to make a smooth dough, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt.

To make Naans:
1. In a large bowl or in stand mixer bowl, add all the starter, 1 Egg (skip if you are a vegetarian), 2 tbsp oil, 1/2 tbsp sugar, 3 cups or 3 1/2 cups of plain flour enough to make a smooth dough, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, mix them well with flat beater or by hand until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl.
2. With kneader attachment or by hand, knead the dough very well for 6 mins until the dough is smooth, soft and silky to touch.
3. Brush some oil allover the dough, cover the bowl and let it double in size in a warm plave for 1 hour or more. After rising, punch down and divide into 6-8 balls. Cover again and let it rest for 15mins.
While it rising for the second time, turn on the oven to your highest setting ie 550F. Place a Pizza stone if you have it in the oven.
4. Roll each Naan to about 1/8" thin 6" circle, pull one side to a tear shape, place on square foil sprayed with no-stick oil. You can bake 2 at a time.
5. When the oven is ready, place the foil with Naans on the Pizza stone using a Pizza peeler if you have it or on a non-stick baking sheet.
6. Bake for about 2 mins or until you see the golden bubbles on Naans.
DO NOT OVER BAKE which makes them crispy. If you want more color on top, turn the oven to grill and let the top get some color or lift the foil with the Pizza peeler closer to top of the grill. The base should be soft and bubbles you get on top should be crispy, a sign of a great Naan!:)
7. Take them out, brush some butter or Garlic butter with cilantro and cool and store until you need them. Repeat with others in the same way.
Almost Dhaba style soft Naans are ready! :)

Pile of Naans!
To make delicious Chicken curry:
(Make the fragrant gravy and add veggies to make it vegetarian)
You Need: 8 Chicken Drumsticks or use white and dark boneless chicken, 1 tbsp Butter+1 tbsp oil, 1 small Onion finely chopped, 1/4 tsp Turmeric, 1 tsp sugar,1 Cup of thick canned Coconut Milk.
Roast and powder:
1 tbsp Coriander Seeds, 2-3 dry red Chillies or add cayenne pepper pd or Kashmiri chilli pd to gravy, no need to roast and grind, 1 tsp Aniseeds, 1 tsp Cumin Seeds, 1" Dalchini/Indian Cinnamon, 3 Cloves, 1 Cardamom Pod seeded, a piece of Star Anise or Mace, 1/2 tsp Pepper Corns, 3 tbsp Almonds, skinless or blanched.
To grind:
2 Onions,chopped, roasted until reddish, add 1" ginger, 2 Garlic Cloves, 2 Tomato or 1 cup Tomato sauce, grind these to paste.
For garnish: Few Lemon slices or 1 tsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp chopped Cilantro.

How to make the chicken curry:
1. Heat oil and butter in a non-stick pan, fry finely chopped onion until reddish. Add ground onion, ginger, garlic etc and fry for 5 mins. Put in all the powdered spices, turmeric, stir fry till oil shows on top.
2. Add in chicken, stir fry for a minute. Add 1 cup water, sugar, bring to boil and turn down the heat to low, cook covered for 10 mins until chicken is tender on low heat.I use pressure pan on very low heat to cook for 1 whistle, so I don't burn the burn the bottom of the dish.
3. Uncover, mix well. Turn down the heat to low if it's not already and add coconut milk, mix. Simmer gently for 5 mins. Gravy should little thicker to help scoop with Naan.
3. Garnish with Cilantro and squeeze some lemon juice before serving or serve with lemon slices.
4. Serve with Naan and cucumber Raita/salad.
One more look:
Enjoy!:)

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Book: "The Blood of Flowers" by Anita Amirrezvani.
The author was born in Tehran, Iran but raised and educated in US, a Iranian-American. She went to Iran and researched the history for this book. This is a beautifully written book with lot of stories inside the story, describes the Iranian culture, LOT about beautiful, plush Carpets and it's impact on many lives, shocking practice of "renting brides" thru' temporary "marriage contract", the young girl's struggle to survive and feed herself and her mom and how she succeeds to be free of "Sigheh" and earns enough to survive solely by her skills of carpet making in the end !
The story is set in 1620s when Shah of Iran was ruling, gives an insight to culture and practices of Iranians at that time. Story revolves around a 14yr old girl, the only child of poor but loving family. It tells us about her life and coming of age as it unfolds after the sudden death of her father. She moves to another city with her mother to her Uncle's house where mom and daughter were treated as servants. While there, she also learns the secrets of Carpet weaving from her uncle, which only men are privileged to learn and learns to weave the most beautiful carpets with most unique color dyed wool and also gets abused by her aunt.
At 15, she was forced to "marry" a much older man for just 3 month's contract by her aunt who gets paid by this rich old man as "bride price" citing a common practice called "sigheh" and her mom says she has to do this to help her and the family members! About 10% of the book is very sexually explicit. I am not a prude but it made me very uncomfortable to read how a poor 15yr old girl trying so hard to seduce an old man just to please him so he extends the contract for 3 more months so she can please her family!
Personally for me it was ugh!.., even though "Sigheh" (a temporary "marriage" contracts, for a day or month or few month's for money!) was acceptable, but kept secretive in that society in the 17th century!! How awful and what a degradable responsibility for a child, all that for money!! Author says this practice is still goes on there to some extent although not as common as in 1600s! How sad!!
Anyway, when old man tries to renew his 'Marriage" for the third time, she dares to refuse to be his "bride" anymore since her own best friend, also a 15yrs old girl, is legally forced to get married to the same man as one of his wives and about to produce a son for him! As a result of her refusal, she gets her jaw broken by the uncle and along with her mom gets thrown of the Uncle's home. Her own mother gets very angry with her and humiliates her for her lack of compassion for the family, makes her feel guilty for not accepting the "marriage" and of course his money!!
They move into a home of her uncle's servant, begs for money and food on the streets to survive, gets offers of "marriage" for a day from men. But she refuses the offers and finally, she goes back to her Uncle and begs him to get her some wool to make Carpets, which he does and at the end of the story, she sells her beautifully designed carpets to women of Shah's Harem, who are her biggest clientèle, which makes her rich enough to keep her mom happy again! I bet her mother didn't win any "MOM of the year" award anytime!:P
Except for "those" few chapters, it's a great read which tells a beautiful imaginative vivid story of carpets, women bonding in the bath houses and bazaars. I learned a lot about a culture. But I will not be keeping this book at home in my collection though. I don't want my kids to read it, will donate to the local library. For adults, it's a fascinating book keeps you glued to the story! Hope you read this Summer! :)
No movie until Memorial day holiday!
Dishes I tried last week:
I am very very attracted to traditional dishes in all your blogs most of the time and I absolutely love it when some recipes reminds me of my grandmothers' dishes like Mudare Kanni here. Thanks for hunting it down to post Linda and thanks to all of you who posted these wonderful traditional recipes. We are practically eating dishes from other blogs for atleast 4 days a week now! I have bookmarked so many, the list scares me! :D

Coorg style Mudare Kanni from Linda's blog.(I used Hurulikalu/Horse gram/Kollu)
Tausha Idli from RC's blog.
Pudina Pachadi with peanuts from Indira's blog.
Muttai Kuzhambu from Purl's blog.
Set Dosa and veg curry from Sagari's blog.
Thengai Vengayam chutney from Kalai's bog.
Rajma from Mandira's blog.
Kalayile Phovu with Phova Pittu from Shilpa's blog.
Saibhaji from Jyotsna's blog.
Kolombo with Kolombya Pitto from Maya's blog.
Onion-Tomato sauce Kulcha from Jayashree's blog.
Ulli Kozhi from Shaheen's blog.
Have a great week while I hunt for more dishes in your blogs! :)

PANEER MAKHANI, NAAN AND TANDOORI CHICKEN, YAKHNI EGGS WITH SAFFRON PULAO

Happy Dasara/Navratri to all of you. Have a great time. I will be cooking a feast this Sunday and can you guess what's coming next Wednesday for JFI and RCI?!:D

Now...
I cooked few dishes and yummy Pav Bhaji for us in the last two or weekends weekends while I was taking a "break". I am still getting plum tomatoes, Okra and Eggplants from my veggie patch, thought Paneer Makhani dish would be perfect to use those Tomatoes.

Bee of Jugalbandi mentioned about a Mexican cheese product called "Queso Blanco" (White cheese), which is similar to Indian Paneer in her blog. I couldn't find Queso Blanco but did buy big hunk of "Queso Fresco"(Fresh Cheese) instead, loved the flavor. I found a smaller pack of Queso Blanco a week later. Queso Fresco is lot better tasting and creamier than store bought Indian Paneer. Just add the Fresco cheese chunks (no frying) to hot Makhani just before serving, absolutely delicious!
I cooked some Palak Paneer too with this cheese. Did I tell you my daughter is a cheese freak?!:D Thanks for the Queso info Bee!:)

Menu this week:
Paneer Makhani (Cheese in Buttery, creamy Tomato Sauce)
Quick rise Naans,
Tandoori Chicken to serve with Naan or Kesar Pulao,
Saffron(Kesar) Pulao,
Flavorful Kashmiri Yakhni Ande (Eggs).

Paneer Makhani:
Paneer is Indian cheese which is similar to block of cottage cheese which is replaced here with Mexican fresh cheese. Makhani in Hindi literally means Buttery sauce.

You need: 3 cups Tomato sauce, canned or home made, 1 tbsp oil, 1 onion, ground separately to paste, 1" fresh ginger and 2 garlic, ground to paste with 2 tbsp Melon or Pumpkin seeds or walnuts or Almonds or Cashews and 2 green chillies, 2 tsp Coriander seeds pd, 1 tsp fennel seeds pd, little turmeric, paprika or chilli pd , 1 tsp Garam Masala, 1/4 tsp Cardamom pd and 1/8 tsp Nutmeg pd and 1 tsp Kasoori(dry) methi leaves(both of these are optional).
2 tbsp sweet butter, 1/4 cup Heavy Cream, salt, and minced Cilantro.
To make Makhani:
1. Heat oil in non-stick pan,add and fry ground onion until softened, lightly reddish. Add in ground ginger and nut paste,stir for a minute or two. Turn down the heat.
2. Now, add all the dry spices,stir until thickish, don't burn it. Pour in Tomato sauce, add 1/2 cup or more water.mix well and simmer for 15 mins until thickish.
3. Add in butter, and cream,simmer very gently, adjust salt and heat. Add minced cilantro. Cool slightly. Put it in a bowl and heat in the microwave with 50% for 10mins to get butter glaze up..
4. Just before serving,heat up the sauce and add cubes of cheese.Serve with lemon slice and Pulao or Naan.

Paneer Makhani with quick rising butter Naans:
I have made 3 types of Naans so far here at FH(refer to Bread on the sidebar menu). Here is another quick rise Yeast Naan recipe I made. Try and see if you like these.

You need: 3 1/2 cups of plain flour, 2 packages of Red Star quick-rise highly active yeast,1/2 tsp Baking pd, 1 cup warm water, 1 tsp Salt,1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp crushed Fennel seeds, 1 tbsp plain Yogurt. 2 tbsp melted Butter + 1 tsp Garlic pd to brush on top.
To make Naans:
1. Warm water and oil in a bowl for 40 secs in the microwave until temp is between 115F-125F,(very imp!) add yeast and sugar. Let it foam for 5-10mins.
2. Sift the flour, salt, Baking pd. Rub in the yogurt , Fennel seeds and then add yeast mix and knead well until soft dough like for Chapati or knead in the KitchenAid with a dough hook. Add more water only if needed.
3. Brush some oil on the dough, cover and rest for an hour until doubled in a warm place or in the oven with pilot light on. I preheat the oven to warm(170F),turn it off and put the covered bowl with dough in there in colder weather. Punch down the dough.
3. Divide the dough into 6-8 or more balls, press one portion with your palm into 5"-6" circle 1/2" thick on a greased foil and pull one side to make a tear shape.Place it on a sheet. Repeat. Cover them with a clean towel and let them rise for few mins or until the oven heats up to 450F.
4. Preheat the oven to 450F, slide the cookie sheet with 3 Naans at a time, bake for 5-7 mins until they are golden on top. Repeat with others.
5. Take them out, brush with Garlic butter immediately and cool on the rack or serve immediately or cover with foil until you are ready.

Oven baked Tandoori Chicken:
This is the usual basic marinade for all the Tandoori chicken I make.You can add any other spices of your choice and grill in the broiler for a caramelized crust on top. I baked this time for a softer meat, grill it after you cooked if you like.

This is how you make it:
1. Wash, poke few holes with a knife in 4-6 Chicken Drumsticks or legs, keep them aside.
2. Grind 1 onion, 1" fresh ginger, 2 Garlic to a paste, add to a big oven proof dish.
3. To this, add 1 tbsp butter, 1 tsp Paprika or chilli pd, 2 tsp Garam masala, 1 tbsp Tandoori masala (or 1 tsp cumin pd and a drop each of Orange and red food color), salt, 1/2 cup Yogurt, 1 tsp Lemon juice, mix well.
4. Add chicken to the this mix, coat well, cover and keep in the fridge overnight or for at least 6hrs, occasionally turning the chicken to marinate well.
5. Next day or after 6hrs, heat the oven to 375F. Keep the whole bowl in the oven and bake for 35-45 mins or until cooked well, basting the gravy over the chicken now and then to keep them moist.
6. Once cooked, take the chicken out of the liquid. You can grill the top for few mins if you want the grilled look. Serve with sliced onion rings and Lemon slices along with Naan or Pulao.
7. I reduce the liquid by cooking it in the Microwave to serve in the gravy boat or you can discard the liquid.

Kesar(Saffron) Pulao:
Make Saffron flavored and seasoned rice to serve with chicken dish or any other gravy. Lightly fragrant and colorful (not to mention the expensive spice,Saffron!:D), a great dish to serve with meat and veg gravy.

To make Kesar Pulao:
1. Heat 1/2 tbsp butter, add 4 cloves, 1 bay Leaf, few peppercorns, 1/2" Cinnamon,1 whole crushed Cardamom for 1/2 a minute.
2. Add this seasoning to a big enough microwavable bowl with 2 cups of long grain rice, 1/8 tsp salt, 3 1/2 cups of water, 1 tsp Lemon juice and 1/4 tsp Saffron strands or 1/8 tsp Saffron powder and cook uncovered on high for 13 mins.
3. Add 1 cup frozen Greenpeas, cover the bowl with a plate and cook for 6 more mins at 50% power or cook the rice as you do usually.
4. Let it rest for 2 mins and with a fork, mix and fluff the rice.

Yakhni Eggs with Kesar Pulao:

To make Yakhni Ande:
1. Hard boil 4 Eggs, peel, slice halfway and keep them aside.
2. Make 2 portions that is double the quantity of Kashmiri Yakhni (Sauce) as shown in the linked post.
3. If you want the sauce a little thicker, add 1 tbsp toasted and ground Almonds, 2 tsp roasted Chickpea flour, mix with sauce and simmer until little thicker. Add Eggs and serve with Kesar Pulao.
4. Kashmiri Yakhni sauce is usually thin but very flavorful, fragrant gravy. Any meat or Koftas can be added to the sauce too instead of Eggs.

Well...Enjoy the meal. See you all next week with RCI Festival food!:)

SHAHI BELL PEPPERS AND SHAHI ALMOND CHICKEN, NAAN, ADOBO AND CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM!

Hello Y'all! Hope you are all doing well and keeping cool this hot August!:) Ah!!! Two more awards for me from the sweetest girl Amanda of "little foodies"!:))

"The Thoughtful Blogger Award is for “those who answer blog comments, emails, and make their visitors feel at home on their blogs. For the people who take others’ feelings into consideration before speaking out and who are kind and courteous. Also for those bloggers who spend so much of their time helping other bloggers design, improve, and fix their sites. This award is for those generous bloggers who think of others.”

Hee Hee! Me likey dis!!

"The Power of Schmooze Award is for bloggers who “effortlessly weave their way in and out of the blogosphere, leaving friendly trails and smiles, happily making new friends along the way. They don’t limit their visits to only the rich and successful, but spend some time to say hello to new blogs as well. They are the ones who engage others in meaningful conversations, refusing to let it end at a mere hello - all the while fostering a sense of closeness and friendship.”
Thank you Amanda.I appreciate both of them and what they are meant for.However,I CAN NOT choose just five bloggers out of my fave 100+ to award these,so I am skipping this step! Hope you don't mind!:)
Have a great holiday dear Amanda!

Colorful sweet Bell peppers; feast for the eyes and soul!

I am in love with these colorful Bell peppers,and I am attracted to them like magnet at the grocery store! You will see more recipes with these at Aroma too until they run out of these colorful peppers for this season!!:D
Anyway,today's menu is Shahi veg this and Shahi Murgh that,a Filipino Chicken Adobo(rejoice Y'all non-veggies!:D),Naans and a yummy Chocolate Ice cream with a very shameful story for a cook like me!!:D
Shahi Kaju Mirchi-Baingan(Royal style Bell peppers and Eggplant in Cashewnuts gravy)
Shahi Badami Murgh (Royal style Chicken dish in rich creamy Almond gravy)
An easy No-Yeast Naans, Nita Mehta style which I liked!!

And a very popular Philippines dish Adobo with Chicken,
for dessert, Chocolate Ice cream with Chocolate chip Cookie chunks!

Shahi Kaju Mirchi-Baingan:
This recipe is based on Nita Mehta's book but I changed the recipe slightly and used Peppers and Eggplants.

This is a flavorful rich Mughlai style dish with creamy nutty sauce which tastes so good with Parathas.Tastes better next day,so all flavors mingle together overnight.You can use meat or any of your fave vegetables as well.
You Need:
2 long purple Eggplants, 1 each yellow ,Green,red and Orange bell peppers,2 tbsp oil, 1/8 tsp Turmeric, 1/2 tsp Rajwadi Garam masala or just regular Garam masala,salt, 1/4 cup plain yogurt,1/4 cup milk,1/2 cup water.
To grind: 6 tbsp Cashewnuts broken to pieces, 2" fresh ginger,2 garlic, 1/4 tsp sweet paprika for color and 1/2 tsp chilli pd for heat.
To season: 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter mixed, 1 tsp shah jeera or cumin seeds,1 Bay leaf, 2 small onion finely chopped.
For Garnish: finely chopped cilantro,4 toasted Cashewnuts,split.
How to make it:
1. Slice peppers and Eggplants and fry in oil in a non-stick pan for 3 mins until they wilt.Keep aside.Grind Cashews,ginger ,paprika and garlic to a smooth paste.Keep aside.
2. Heat oil+ butter,add a bay leaf, Shah Jeera or cumin seeds,onions,fry until reddish.Add turmeric, Garam masala and salt.
3. Add in ground masala paste,cook for a minute until you see oil on top.Whisk yogurt,add to the pan and cook until almost dry stirring often.
4. Turn down the heat, add water and milk,simmer gently for 5 mins.
5. Add in all the fried vegetables to the pan,simmer until the sauce thickens a little.
6. Garnish with Cilantro, toasted Cashews and serve with layered Parathas.

Shahi Kaju Mirchi-Baingan with layered Parathas:



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Shahi Badami Murgh:
Badam Murgh is from a book called "Simply Indian" by Tahera Rawji and Hamida Suleman.I changed the recipe again since the instruction were not very clear in this book.I used my experience with their ingredients to cook my way,dish turned out very tasty!:)

You Need:
4 chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces,2 medium onions, 2 tbsp oil and butter, 1 cup plain yogurt,whisked smooth, salt to taste, 1 bay leaf, 2 tsp coriander powder, 2 tsp cumin powder, 20 whole almonds, blanched and peeled and ground to a paste or use 6 tbsp already peeled and sliced Almonds,toast slightly and grind to paste with little water.
To Grind: 2 garlic, 2" fresh ginger, 2 green chillies, ,
To Sprinkle: 1/4 tsp each of mace powder, cardamom powder and cinnamon powder or powder 1/4 tsp of each whole spices or 1/tsp Garam masala.
To garnish: 2 tbsp cream,cilantro few slivered toasted Almonds.
To make it:
1. Make a paste of ginger, green chilies, and garlic. Keep aside. Slice onions finely, fry in 2 tbsp oil until they are golden ,cool, grind to a paste.Blanch Almonds in hot water,peel and grind with little water to a smooth paste.
2. Mix yogurt, salt, ginger garlic paste, onion paste, and chicken. Marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil and butter. Add bay leaf. Take out just the chicken pieces out of the marinade (not the liquid) and fry until almost dry. Take them outon a plate.
4. Add all the marinating sauce to the pan , fry until thickish sauce and oil shows on top. Add coriander powder, cumin powder, 1 cup of yogurt, and fry again on low heat until thickish gravy is left.
5. Add the chicken, Almond paste with 1 cup of water, and simmer for 15 minutes on low heat.Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Sprinkle mace powder, cardamom powder and cinnamon powder on top, mix and turn off the heat.
7. Garnish with cilantro, cream and slivered almonds and serve with Naan and/or rice, Lime silces,sliced red onion and raita.

No-Yeast Indian style Naan!
So far,I have tried yeast Naans like here and here, which are great tasting but I always wanted to try the real Indian style Naans.I saw this recipe in Nita Mehta's book as Kheema stuffed Naans.I skipped the stuffing,followed the recipe,came out pretty good.Tastes best fresh out of the oven!

You need:
2 1/2 cup Plain flour,1/2 tsp baking soda,1/2 tsp salt,1 tbsp Ghee,1/2 cup Milk, 1 tsp Baking powder, and about 1/2 cup warm water.(Melted butter,1 tsp black Poppy seeds to brush on top)
How to make Naans:
1. Heat milk until warm for 1 minute,add to a big bowl with baking powder to it and let it rest 1-2 mins.You see the bubbles on the surface.
2. Now mix flour,soda, ghee and salt,rub with your fingers to mix ghee,add to the milk and baking pd mixture.
3. Knead to a pliable dough adding enough warm water,smear some oil,cover and let it rest for 3-4 hrs.
4. Heat the oven to the maximum 550F. Divide the dough to 6-8 pieces,roll out to circles,stretch one side to make tear shape,place them on baking sheet 2 or 3 at a time.Touch the top with wet fingers wherever you want the naan to be golden.
5. Slide into the oven and let it puff for 5-6 mins,watch it carefully.Take them out,brush with butter and poppy seeds mix and cool on the rack.Repeat with others.
6. Wrap with the foil if you are not using them immediately,reheat in the oven.

Homegrown Pear Tomatoes Salad:

This is easy to make.I have surplus of Pear Tomatoes with just one single plant! I am practically eating these every day which I don't mind at all.Love the color,shape and the sweet taste, perfect!:)
How to toss the salad:
Slice the tomatoes lengthwise in a bowl.Sprinkle some Cilantro,salt,freshly ground pepper and 3 tbsp Italian dressing which has olive oil, vinegar,garlic,Italian herbs and chilli flakes.Toss everything and chill in the fridge.

Badami Murgh with Naan, rice and Salad:



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A delicious Filipino Chicken Adobo:
One of my readers,Geethi asked me whether I have ever tried Adobo.At first I thought she is talking about a Mexican Adobo (Chipotle Chillies soaked in Adobo sauce) and then started searching for a popular Filipino Adobo.I tried a small amount just to taste it first.This dish turned out so delicious,it is going to be a favorite dish for us.Hope you try and enjoy.I found the original recipe for Adobo here, I have changed the recipe a little by skipping Potatoes etc.Vegetarians can use the same recipe with any veggies like Potatoes and Cauliflower.Hope you try!:)

Dark and delicious Chicken bites marinated in soy sauce, Lime juice, Apple Cider vinegar, garlic, onions, and bay leaf, and simmered with little brown sugar, dashed with Sambal Olek or pepper,Adobo from Philippines is a absolutely surprisingly delectable dish.
Here is how I made it:
1. Cube 2-3 Chicken breasts into bite sized pieces,place in a bowl.Now add juice of 1/2 a lime,1 tsp Garlic powder or 2 fresh Garlic pounded,1/4 cup light and low sodium soy sauce,1 tbsp dried Onion flakes or 2 tbsp minced onion, 2 tsp brown sugar or dark molasses,2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar,1/2 tsp Chinese Five spice, mix and marinate overnight in the fridge.
2. Next day, heat 2 tsp butter in a wide non-stick pan, add 1 bay leaf.Pour in the marinated chicken with all the liquid,2 tsp sweet dark Soy sauce and pepper or Sambal Olek(red hot chilli sauce).Do not add salt until dish is done,since Soy sauce has salt in it already.
3. Stir-fry on medium heat until it cooks down and the sauce is thick,shiny and clings to the chicken.Taste for salt and sugar, add only if needed.Serve garnished with Green onions on it's own or with little rice. YUM!!
Thanks Geethi,it was a great and delightful learning experience!:)

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Ghirardelli Chocolate Ice Cream with Chocolate cookies served with honey and Vanilla filled Pirouette!

To make this: Beat 1 Egg and 6 tbsp sugar until white and fluffy,add 1 cup Half and Half or cream, 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup melted Ghirardelli chocolate,1 tsp vanilla essence.Add to the machine,churn for 25mins or freeze in the container for 2 hrs and blend again.Now add 6 chocolate chip cookies cut into chunks to the machine,let it mix for 2 mins or add to the blended Ice cream,mix and return it to freezer overnight.
To serve: Drizzle honey on the top of Ice Cream and arrange few Pirouettes.

My miserably failed attempt to make Mexican fried Ice Cream!!!

Well..I thought I will try making fried Ice Cream.Took 2 scoops of Ice Cream, rolled them in the Graham cracker crumbs powdered, and put them in the freezer for an hr.I heated the oil, brought the Ice Creams out and immediately added to oil.They fried well ,I got happy and then the disaster!!! They split and started to melt.I threw them all out along with the oil!!
What might have gone wrong? I should have frozen the coated scoops overnight and heated the oil little more,fry quickly less the minute and take them out! Shame on me!! :D

My "little girl" is ready to fly err...to drive! Actually,she has a learner's permit and still practicing to get the real license!:D

We bought her a Nissan Versa SL yesterday with AC,Power,Blue Tooth phone tech and MP3 plug in. Her rank in school is #1 in 10th grade again, so we thought we should reward her with a new car.I am glad I don't have to haul her everywhere from this year! One down,one to go.YESSS!! Nissan car dealership manager and salesman both are Arvind's patients,so we got a pretty good deal!!;D
She will be finishing HS with 6 AP's and one year early after 11th grade this year.For 12th grade, she will be attending first year of college(school's choice) for lessons although she will still graduate(official ceremony) from HS after 12th. School will take up the tuition for first year of college,then she can choose which college she wants to go to graduate in Biology.

Have a great weekend! Next week, I will post some cool summer veg. salads and more non-veg dishes!:)

PERFECT GARLIC NAAN WITH GOLA KURMA MASALA!

Hello everybody,YUP!! New template again!After receiving many mails from readers that they can't leave comments or get into this blog,I decided to change the template.I see many of you can access this blog now which makes me very happy.If you still have trouble commenting,read Kalyn's comments in my sidebar where she advised me what to do.Hope it helps you too!

One more thing buddies,please read the whole recipe and understand it before you start cooking any of my dishes.If you have any doubts at all,you are welcome to ask me about anything before you mess it up! ;D

Well..I am thrilled to bits today to give you a my ultimate(fruit of my labor!) Naan recipe for which I finally hit a perfect balance after many tries and trials.I was sooo happy with these Naans, I even postponed this week's planned post to next week so I can bring you this Naan ASAP. After going through innumerable cookbooks and hours of internet surfing,after many unsatisfactory results than Naans,I finally ended up with this recipe adding,eliminating and adjusting the amounts of the usual ingredients.I just couldn't stop smiling when I tasted this delight.I have given you step by step photos to make it easy is for you.I know I am hyperventilating now!!:P

A perfect Garlic Naan:


You Need:
A bread Machine with dough cycle or grease your elbows and get ready to knead!!:)
Take 1 Pack (1/4oz)Active dry Yeast,1 cup warm (105F-115F)water,2 tsp Sugar,2 tsp salt,3 tbsp oil,3 tbsp Yogurt,1 egg,1 tsp dry Parsley and 3 3/4 cups Bread flour.
To brush on top:Mix 3 tbsp Melted butter,3 minced Garlic or 1 tsp Garlic pd,pinch of salt and 1 tsp minced cilantro.


In Bread Machine; add the ingredients as in the above order given,liquid first and then solids.Put it on the dough cycle and wait until it beeps.Do not add garlic to the dough now which kills the yeast if added in excess with yeast!
By hand; mix all the ingredients and knead until you get a dough and set aside to rise covered until double.Punch down and let it rise again.



Now preheat the oven; to the maximum 550F or as high as you can go with Pizza stone inside.Melt butter to brush on top with a brush and heat a grill or cooling rack on stove top medium high to get that burnt look on the Naan.
Take the dough,cut into four or eight pieces.I made four huge ones like Afghani bread called "Snowshoe"(shapes like ovals) naans!Press gently and stretch it to make a tear shaped Naans.



Place one Naan on a foil to make it easy to slide in the oven and put in the oven quickly and bake for about 3 minutes.When you see the Naan puff up and slightly reddish on top,take it out with a pizza peeler or leave it in the oven for 5 mins to let the top get brown and skip the next step of browning the top manually.



Invert/flip the top of the Naan with the bottom up on the heated grill/rack to get that reddish look on top evenly, moving it over the heat Place it on another big cooling rack,brush the top of the Naan immediately with melted garlic butter generously and let it cool.



Or if you don't want to do this and did let the Naan cook in the oven for 5 mins until brown on top,brush with garlic butter immediately after taking it out of the oven.I like soft Naan, so I do bake for 3-4 mins,grill the top and brush with butter.It's up to you to choose either way.



Serve these with any creamy rich veg or non-veg gravy dish and have a great meal.These serve for 6 people as they are thick and soft to mop up the gravy.



That's it!! Look at those beautiful Naans!! I ate quarter of one Naan even before it's even cooled and it's hiding behind or under the three!:D

Gola Kurma Masala:
I also made Gola Kurma masala to go with Naan,which I used to make in B'lore as a young bride.I bought my first pressure cooker 2 week's after I got married and with it came a recipe book which is completely yellowed now after 20yrs!!:D
One of the recipes in this book is "Gola Kurma Masala"(real title "Vegetarian Mutton Kurma!" because the gravy with Golas look like meat chops!!),a wonderful recipe which I had almost forgotten and haven't made in a long time. When I saw how beautiful these Naans looked,I thought of this vegetarian dish,took a while to find the book,wiped the dust off, and cooked!

Gola Kurma Masala:


"Gol/Gola" means round or circle in Hindi.In this case,a steamed or boiled like pasta,then fried crispy flour balls added to and simmered until soft in a delicious vegetarian Kurma gravy!Once I made this dish and gave a bowl to my Coorgi vegetarian neighbor in B'lore,she almost had heart attack because she thought I brought her a non-veg dish.She loved it after I explained to her how I made those Golas!!:D

How to make it:

Grind all these first to a smooth paste:
2-3 tomatoes or 1 cup Tomato sauce,2 green chilies,1 tsp chilli pd,2 big cloves of garlic,1" piece ginger,few curry leaves,2 tsp of poppy seeds,1 tsp fennel seeds,1 1/2 tbsp dry coriander seeds,1" cinnamon,1/2 tsp cardamom pd,3 tbsp grated coconut,3 cloves,1 tsp sugar,salt.
Golas: Make them as explained below.If you think they are too many of Golas for this dish,you can add half and freeze the rest for next time.Don't add Golas more than a cup. This green peas Kurma is excellent tasting even without the Golas. Enjoy.



Mix 1/2 cup plain flour,2 tbsp Besan/Gram folur,3 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds,1/8 tsp of soda,1 tsp garlic pd, and 2 tsp ghee or butter,knead to soft dough.Roll them like rope about 1/2" thick,(looks big in the photo bcos of the Zoom)cover and let it rest for 1/2 an hr.




Then cut them about 1" pieces and steam them without water covered in pressure cooker or boil in lot of water with little salt until they float on top.When done,separate them on plate and cool.Shallow fry or deep fry,when cooled and keep them aside.Soak and cook 1 cup dry Green Peas until soft until soft but do not overcook.





Grate or process 1 large Onion.Heat 1 tbsp each butter and oil,fry this until soft and slightly reddish.Add ground Masala and fry until the oil shows on top.Then add fried Golas and peas,simmer gently until Golas are soft.Garnish with Cilantro and serve.



A vegetarian plate for you!:))


Sailaja's (of "Sailu's Kitchen/Food") most delicious Coconut Chicken curry:
I love all her authentic Andhra recipes so much that I don't know where to start and where to end to try them all! I decided to try this since my kids love non-veg with Naan.It reminded me of a Andhra restaurant(Amaravati?)dish at Brigade road in B'lore we used to visit eons ago!!Thank you for sharing such a great recipe Sailu!:)
Vegetarians: Don't miss out on this great tasting gravy because it's non-veg,You can skip the meat and add Cauliflower or Koftas instead.Tastes divine,believe me.

Sailaja's Coconut Chicken Curry:


I followed the recipe as it is mostly except added boneless chicken,1 tsp red Kashmiri chilli pd instead of green chillies because my kids somehow think that if any gravy doesn't look red like Spaghetti sauce,it's not edible! Little morons!!;P
Also added some yogurt to marinate and added 1/2 cup tomato sauce to make reddish !! Arvind said "she is right,green chillies taste better". Ah..!!!I can't please everybody people,next time I will make it with green chillies!;D

You Need:
2 lbs chicken breast and thighs pieces,1 onion chopped,1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste,1 tbsp coriander pd,2-3 green chillies slit,1 1/2 tsp garam masala pwd or2″ dalchini, 2 green cardamom, 6 cloves finely ground,cilantro,salt.
2 tbsp oil and butter.
Grind:1 large onion roasted,3-4 green chillies,1/2 cup fresh grated coconut or 1 can coconut milk,colantro,10-12 mint leaves,10-12 cashew nuts,soaked in 2-3 tbsps milk.

How to make it:
1. Marinate the chicken in 1/4 cup Yogurt,coriander pd,turmeric,ginger garlic paste,2 slit green chillies and few mint leaves for 10-15 mts. Make a paste of fried onion,green chillies,coconut,cilantro,mint leaves and cashew nuts. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pressure pan, add the green chillies and chopped onions and saute till it softens. Add the marinated chicken and cook on high heat for 4-5 mts, combining the ingredients once in a while.(Add tomato sauce now if you are using it)
3. Reduce the heat,add the ground paste and salt and mix well.Let it cook for 8-10 mts, uncovered. Cook till oil separates.Add water if necessary.
4. Finally add the garam masala pd or powdered masala,pressure cook the chicken for 3-4 mts.Turn off heat and garnish with fresh cilantro.It's done!
5. Serve with rice,Naan or Parathas.

Naans with delicious Chicken Curry.Enjoy!:))


Both my kids have their 12th(son)and 16th(daughter) birthdays this week on the 14th and 16th of March respectively but the party will be on the 17th Sat.Imagine two very busy parents (over tired mom included!) and two happy kids with loads(9 kids total!) of happy and stuffed up to the nose with food friends!!;D This year I am not baking or cooking but buying everything for the party,thank God for that. You too have a great weekend guys!

Here are some "Aroma" dishes if you would like to try:




Gajar(Carrot)Masala Roti with Garlic chutney











Pineapple-Coconut mini Bundt cakes









Latha's Maddur Vadas








Cornmeal-Methi vadas