Potato & Leek Soup

Potato & Leek Soup

Warm, soul-satisfying, velvety and delicious! The creamy Potato & Leek soup is all that… and more! This soup is had hot in Britain, though the French version (Vichyssoise), credited to Chef Louis, is served cold. According to the information on the net, the origin of the soup is still embroiled in debate. The French claim it as theirs, the British insist they invented it and the Americans make the same claim. I really don’t care where it originated because as a home cook what truly interested me were the smiles on the face of Grumpy and Anu when I put this in front of them. Grumpy went on to grumpily ask for a second helping (I’m beginning to believe in miracles :P ). My all time favorite soup, since the age of four, has been Sweet Corn Chicken soup. Well, guess what?? Not any more!!

Ingredients:

½ cup + ½ tablespoon butter

3 leeks, light green and white part only

4 medium-sized or 2 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup cream, very gently whisked to a smooth texture (I used Amul)

450 mils hot chicken stock

200 mils milk, or as needed

Salt, to taste

¾ teaspoon freshly milled black pepper

1 teaspoon white pepper powder, or to taste

2 rashers chicken bacon, cut into tiny ¼ inch pieces

1 chive, finely chopped for garnish

Method:

1. Peel the potatoes. Wash and cube them into one inch pieces. Soak the potato cubes in water. Keep aside.
   
   
2. Trim off the dark leaves of the leek. Use only the very light green and white part of the leek. Horizontally, slice the leek in half and then chop it finely. Discard the root.
3. Add the leeks to a bowlful of cold water and with your fingers separate the leeks so that the dirt and grime fall off and settle at the bottom of the bowl.
   
   
   
   
4. Gently lift the leeks from the cold water and give them a rinse or two in a sieve to wash out any excess dirt. Keep aside.
   
   
   
   
5. Heat ½ tablespoon butter in a pan and fry the chicken bacon till crisp. When done, drain the chicken bacon on a paper towel.
   
   
   
   
6. Add ½ cup butter to the butter in which the chicken bacon had been fried.
7. When the butter melts, add the chopped and washed leeks and cook for about 10-12 minutes until the leeks soften.
   
   
8. Drain the potatoes from the water. Add the cubed potatoes, salt and pepper to taste and give it a good stir.
   
   
   
   
9. Turn down the heat to low. Place a cartouche (round greaseproof paper) over the potatoes to ensure the steam stays in.
   
   
10. Cover the pan with a lid and allow the potatoes to cook for about 8 minutes or until they are cooked. They should at this point be cooked through but not mushy.
11. Uncover the pan, discard the cartouche.
12. Add the hot chicken broth and continue to simmer the broth for 5 minutes.
    
    
    
    
13. Take the pan off the hob, allow the soup to cool for 10 to 15 minutes and then grind it in blender, in batches, until smooth. If needed, use some of the milk to blend it smooth if the mixture is too thick.
14. Empty out the smoothly blended soup into a clean pan. Add the smoothened cream. Mix well.
15. Put the vessel back on the stove and simmer on very low heat, stirring all the time.
16. Add the remaining milk to adjust the consistency. Feel free to use a bit more or less to adjust the consistency. (For consistency details please check Chef Notes)
17. Add salt, check seasoning and adjust as needed.
18. Simmer on very low heat, stirring all the time, till soup reheats.
19. Remove the soup into individual soup bowls, garnish with crisp chicken bacon and a pinch of chives. Serve hot with soup sticks or warm crusty bread.
    
    

Chef Notes:

1. The consistency of this soup is thick but not gluggy or blobby. It should be just thick enough to smoothly coat the back of a spoon.
2. Leeks belong to the onion family but they take longer to soften than regular onions or spring onions so ensure that you cook them until they are soft and cooked through.
3. I used chicken stock and chicken bacon because I’m a non-vegetarian but feel free to use vegetable stock and omit the use of chicken bacon if you wish to make a vegetarian version of the soup.
4. If you need to go low-cal with this soup, feel free to reduce the quantity of the butter. Some people opt for milk with just a tablespoon of cream. I refuse to do that because I know it will adversely affect the creamy texture and taste which is the heart and soul of this soup.
5. Please do your best to use freshly milled pepper as that truly enhances the flavor of the soup. (Okay, at the cost of sounding very vain, i admit, I love my Peugeot pepper mill ;) )
6. If you choose to use regular bacon instead of chicken bacon you won’t need ½ tablespoon of butter to crisp it. The fat released from the bacon will work to crisp it up.
7. I retained a wee bit of the soup and refrigerated it for six hours and tried it cold because I wanted to try the Vichyssoise version of it. It was just as creamy and delicious but, I have to honestly admit, I preferred it hot.
8. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Murgh Makkhan Kali Mirch (Buttery Pepper Chicken)

Murgh Makkhan Kali Mirch (Buttery Pepper Chicken)

I’m the sort who likes complex recipes. I like recipes that have layered elements. Simple recipes usually bore me. Yeah, I'm a Bawi, we aren't known for our eccentricity just for the heck of it, we thrive on it! Having said that, there is a sane part of me that always stashes away simple recipes for those rare days when I don't really want to do much in the kitchen. This simple recipe has just six ingredients, all of which are usually available, at home, in the pantry and freezer. This recipe is sinfully! It’s as easy as... damn! I can’t even say ‘pie’ because it’s easier than that. Don't believe me?? Give it a try and check it out for yourself!

Ingredients:

900 grams - 4 whole chicken legs, each cut into two pieces
125 grams butter
2 tablespoons oil

2½ tablespoons black pepper, ground to a coarse texture
4-5 sprigs coriander leaves, finely chopped

¼ teaspoon salt (optional) 

Method:

1. Heat butter and oil in a thick bottomed vessel on a medium-low flame.
2. Add the chicken pieces and fry the chicken until it turns brown.
3. Add the ground pepper and salt (optional) and stir well.
4. Reduce heat to low and cook till water from the chicken evaporates.
5. Add 200 mils hot water and cook till chicken is tender.
6. Add chopped coriander leaves, and stir fry for a minute. Remove from the hob and serve with naan, paratha or roti.
   
   

Chef Notes: 

1. If you do not wish to slather the chicken in peppery-butter while dining, feel free to remove half the quantity of butter just before you add the pepper powder. That way you will save up on calories. Those who know me do know that I personally will balk at the idea of doing so. *Oh bite me!*
2. Salt is optional because the butter added to the dish is already salty. I felt it needed a wee bit of salt hence added ¼ teaspoon. Please feel free to adjust the salt content to suit your taste buds.
3. I used the coarsest level on my peppermill to ensure there were intermittent bits of 'pepper-hits' on my palate. Trust me, that is the way to go!
4. I was in no mood to do anything fancy or cook anything else hence served the chicken with double-yolk fried eggs and potato smiley.
5. This chicken recipe if made with coriander and served with dal, roti, paratha, etc., will make a great Indian meal. On the other hand, you can substitute coriander with a few sprigs of parsley, the roti/paratha can be substituted with garlic bread and the potato smiley could well be interchanged with mash potato or french fries. Voila! The dish turns into a continental delight!
6. The original recipe is courtesy Rocky Mohan, I have tweaked the proportions to my liking. I was motivated to try this recipe thanks to Rajeev Nandagopal who recreated this dish and is a master at non-vegetarian dishes. 
7. Please do not throw away the extra pepper-butter after you’re done with the chicken. It keeps in the fridge for a week or more. Use it to scramble eggs, or to make an omelet, or to fry eggs. The eggs when made in this flavored butter, taste heavenly!
8. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism. 
   
   

Murghi na Farcha

Murghi na Farcha (Fried Chicken - The Parsee Way)

There is a hardly a Bawa on this planet who does not drool at the name of this dish. This is a must-have on the menu at weddings and navjotes (Parsee thread ceremony). There are two ways to make this. Some people boil the chicken, marinate it and then fry it. I always find that lacking in flavor which is why I marinate the chicken for a few hours and directly fry it. This ensures that the chicken absorbs the spicy flavor and also remains succulent. For those of you who are wondering whether the chicken will cook through if fried directly, yes, it will. :-)

Ingredients:

4 chicken legs, each cut into two

2 tablespoons red chili-garlic-cumin paste (I use Atash or Dabar brand when in a lazy mood)

1-2 tablespoons Deghi Mirch powder – (adjust the spice to your liking – I used 2 tablespoons)

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste

1½ teaspoon garam masala powder

Salt, to taste

½ - ¾ cup semolina/rava

2 eggs, add a pinch of salt and beat to a light froth

Oil, to fry

Method:

1. Make two-three light slits with a sharp knife on the thickest part of each piece of chicken.
2. In a bowl add chili-garlic-cumin paste, deghi mirch powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, ginger-garlic paste and salt. Add a wee bit of water to make a thick paste of the spices.
3. Apply the spice paste to the chicken pieces. Leave aside for 2-3 hours.
4. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan. Lower heat once the oil gets hot.
5. Roll the chicken pieces in semolina (coat well but not too thick). Dip in seasoned egg wash and fry in hot oil over medium-low heat flipping the chicken just once after 7½ - 8 minutes. When done remove on kitchen towel to drain the excess oil and serve hot with chapattis and salad.
   
   

Chef Notes:

1. The oil should come half way up to the chicken pieces when you fry them
2. My exact time for frying a chicken weighing 1 kilo to 1.2 kilo is 7½ - 8 minutes on EACH side – this ensures that the chicken is cooked through and yet remains juicy and succulent. The time will increase if the bird is a larger one and, subsequently, decrease if you're using a smaller bird.
3. Please ensure that the flame you fry on is at medium-low. This will ensure that the bird is cooked through and at the same time the outer layer isn't overly browned or burnt.
4. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.
   
   

If you wish to make red chili-garlic-cumin paste at home, here’s the recipe. The recipe is courtesy my friend, Zarina Cama Clowsley.

Chili-Cumin-Garlic Paste (Marcha-Jeeru-Lasan no Masalo)

Ingredients:

10-12 cloves garlic

6 dry red Kashmiri chilies

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon oil

Method:

1. Grind garlic, chilies and cumin to a fine thick paste.
2. When done, add oil and give it one more whiz in the mixer.
3. Use as directed for recipes like Sali Boti, Murghi na Farcha, etc..

Chef Notes:

1. This can also be made in a larger quantity and stored in the fridge.
2. This can also be made with green chilies if a recipe demands it.