Good Ol' Butter Chicken

This is a great butter chicken recipe for you to try.. Butter Chicken always reminds me of going out with family to a Punjabi restaurant whenever I visited India. Actually it was always a MUST ORDER at any Indian restaurant. Slightly sweet, very very rich, buttery and creamy, with just a hint of tang from the tomatoes. Yum Yum..
The way that I like to make it, is by first maranating the chicken, grilling it in the oven/bbq & then putting it in the gravy. Makes for one tasty dish. Let me know how it was..

Ingrediants (serves 5)

Marinade
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thigh
1/2 cup yoghurt
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 inch ginger minced
1/2 tsp tumeric
2 tsp corriander pwd
1 whole green chilli, minced
1/2 tsp red chilli
1/2 tsp garam masala pwd
salt to taste

Gravy
1 tbs oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
1 green chilli, minced
1 small onion, chopped
10 cashew nuts
1/4 tsp white poppy seeds
1 15oz can of tomato sauce, no salt
salt to taste
1/4 tsp tumeric
2 tsp corriander pwd
1/2 tsp red chilli pwd
1 tbs ketchup
1 tbs sugar
2 tbs butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbs kasturi methi

Method
Cut the chicken in bite sized pieces. Marinate the chicken in all of the marinate ingrediants and let it sit in the fridge for a hour. Grill it on a baking sheet at 375F for 30mins.



For the gravy. In the oil, add the green chilli, onions, saute till onions are pink. Add the cashew and poppy seeds. Now add the tomato sauce, sugar, salt, tumeric, corriander pwd, ketchup. Let it simmer over low heat for a few minutes. Blend in a food processer till it form a fine paste.
Heat the butter in the pan, add the cumin, bay leaf, the tomato mixture. Simmer for minute, now finally add the grilled tandoori chicken, the heavy cream and kasturi methi. Mix, Let it sit for a few minutes and let the chicken absorb the gravy.

Serve with naan / roti

Bukhara Dal Makhani

Are you looking for simple yet the most tastiest recipe for Dal Makhani? This recipe is perfect for you. Although this recipe takes some time to cook, but there is nothing like it. My husband who has lived most of his life in Mumbai, says this is the best dal makhani he has ever tasted and is even better than the famous Punjabi dhaba. This is a traditional recipe from Punjabi Cuisine. Dal Makhani is the most delicious Indian dish. It is included as a main dish in Indian lunch and dinner menu. Dal Makhani goes well with pulao, but it can also be eaten with plain rice or nan. You should definatly try this Dal Makhani recipe.


Ingrediants
1 cup Black moong dal + 4 tbs Rajma (Kidney Beans)
1/2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala whole or pdr
2 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
Salt to taste
8oz tomato pureed
1/2 tsp tumeric
2 tbsp coriander pdr
1 tbs Red chilli powder
2 tbs grams butter
1/4 cup cream
2 tbs Kasturi Methi

Directions
1. Thoroughly wash black grams (Black moong dal) and kidney beans. Then soak it in water (2 glasses) for about few hours. Pressure cook till dal is cooked to mash able consistency.

2. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan.

3. Add cumin ,garam masala(optional) ,you can skip garam masala and add little garam masala pdr at last .

4. Add ginger-garlic paste ,turmeric and add tomato puree and cook well for 10 min in medium flame covered

5. Add chilli powder, and salt. Cook on medium heat until the mixture thickens into pulpy sauce (about 3 mins).

6. Then add cooked grams and kidney beans to the mixture. Cook on low heat for 4-5 minutes. You can add a little water if you find it too thick.

7. Add the butter and cream and cook for 30 minutes.

8. The longer this Dal cooks the better it is, keep mixing every 10 mins as the dal settles at the bottom. Add the Kasturi Methi. Dal Makhani is ready to serve.

Methi Aloo

I love potatoes.. They are my favourite. Frying potatoes with methi leaves for me is Sindhi cuisine. I do know that Methi Aloo might be some north-indian cuisine too. I always like this with hot steamed rice and dal or chapatis. Combing the benefits of methi with the ever popular potatoes, mildly seasoned with turmeric, chilli and garlic.
Fenugreek or methi has been used in ancient Indian and Chinese medicine to treat a number of ailments from bronchitis and arthritis to inflammations, rashes and digestive disorders and promoting healthy metabolism. Recent studies have shown that fenugreek lowers blood glucose and cholestrol levels and are hence used in treating diabetes and cardiovascular problems.
Turmeric, popularly used in Indian cooking is considered a cleanser, blood purifyer, antiseptic and most importantly for it anti-cancer properties.This healthy combination of fenugreek and turmeric in the form of methi aloo makes an appearence on our table whenever fresh methi is available at the indian market. Methi aloo is clearly not a favourite among many due to the bitterness of methi. Sauteing the methi leaves with the salt till they wilt lightly removes the bitter taste.

Ingrediants
1 small bunch Methi, cleaned and cleaned again (it is usually very dirty)
1 tbs oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
1-2 green chilli / to taste, minced
1 small onion
1 large tomato
2 medium red potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 tsp tumeric pwd
salt to taste
1 tbs corriander pwd
dash of garam masala pwd

Directions
Heat the oil in a saucepan with a lid, add cumin, chilli, ginger & garlic, saute for a few mins. Add the onion and saute till pink-golden in color. Now add the tomatoes, over the pan with the lid and let the tomatoes get mushy, 4-5 mins. Stir well, add the potatoes, tumeric, salt, corriander pwd, & garam masala. Cover and cook for 4-5 mins. When the potatoes are half cooked add the methi leaves. Cook till potatoes are fully cooked.

Serve hot with rice / roti. Enjoy!!

Lemon Rice

My husband usually takes lunch from home every morning. This is a recipe that I tried out this morning for the first time. I have eaten it before many a times but had never made it myself. I ate it for breakfast, pretty good. I had lots of left over rice from last night's egg curry and rice dinner, so I gave it a shot. I packed this Lemon Rice with Masala Capsicum (Green Bell Peppers cooked in spices, recipe to follow), fruits and a salad. I hope he ejoyed it.


Ingrediants
2 portions cooked white rice, not mushy
1 tbs oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp channa dal
1 tsp urad dal
2 whole dried red chilli
1 green chilli, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
5 curry leaves
3 tbs peanuts
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp salt / to taste
juice of one lemon

Heat the oil in a wok type pan. Add mustard seeds, let them pop or they will be bitter. Add channa dal, urad dal, red chilli, green chilli, ginger. Fry for a few seconds. Add the curry leaves and peanuts, fry for a min. Lastly add the tumeric, salt & lemon juice and the cooked rice. Stir them gently until the rice is coated with the spices. Serve hot.