Creamy Egg Curry

Creamy Egg Curry

I have Srinanda Sen (Denzy - my bestie) to thank for this light and easy recipe. Most of her recipes are low-cal because, unlike me, she is extremely health conscious. As we sat sipping on cup(s) of Twinings Assam at our 'tapri' (Le Meridien), we happened to discuss food and cooking. That's when she told me of this recipe. A recipe her mom used to regularly make at home. Babes, thank you for sharing this with me <3

Ingredients:

1 big onion

1 inch ginger

2-3 green chilies

½ liter milk

1-2 tablespoons oil

Salt to taste

3 eggs, boiled and shelled

¼ teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder

A couple of sprigs coriander to garnish (optional)

Method:

1. Grind the onion, ginger and chilies to a fine paste. (You may not need to use any water as the water from the onion will be quite enough)
2. Heat oil. Add the ground paste and sauté well till the paste changes to a darker color and the onions are cooked.
3. Take off from fire. After 2-3 minutes, gradually add warm milk and stir to blend the milk well with the fried onion/ginger/chilies paste.
4. Put the vessel back on slow fire and allow it to heat up. Stir continuously.
5. Let the gravy boil on low heat till you achieve the desired thick consistency for the gravy. (I prefer it thick and creamy because that is more delicious)
6. When desired consistency is nearly achieved, make a small slits in the eggs and slide them into the curry.
7. Allow the curry to simmer for a couple of minutes.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with steamed rice. 

Chef’s Note: 

1. This is a mild flavored recipe. The flavors are subtle but the garam masala lifts the recipe to an aromatic high.
2. The recipe calls for boiled eggs to be slit and then lowered into the curry but I cut them in half because I wanted to click colorful pics for my blog.
3. For Bengali garam masala, grind equal amounts of cinnamon, cloves and cardamom to a powder. Bottle, store and use as and when needed.
4. I was petrified that the milk would curdle but Denzy had reassured me it wouldn't. It didn't!
5. This recipe is courtesy my bestie, Srinanda Sen (Denzy, to me).
6. Not all my recipes are spicy, oily or complicated. I do cook light and easy food….. once in a while :P ;) 
7. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own.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.
   
   

Chicken Ghee Roast

Chicken Ghee Roast

This one is definitely not for the faint hearted (read: delicate stomach). Only those with a ‘brawny-tummy’ should go for this. People used to Kolhapuri and Goan food will freak out on this, for the rest of you, here’s a disclaimer… make it at your own risk ;-)

Ingredients:

1 kilo chicken (cut to medium pieces)

Juice of 1 lemon

100 grams curds/yogurt

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

Salt to taste

30 long red chilies (Kashmiri)

8 small red dry chilies or dry red Gavran chilies

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

¾ teaspoon cumin seeds

2 teaspoons peppercorns

½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

15 large garlic flakes

A small one inch ball tamarind

1 cup ghee

5½ teaspoons sugar 

Few curry leaves

2 tablespoons coriander leaves, chopped

Pic taken with flash 'on'

Method:

1. Marinate chicken in yogurt/curds, salt, turmeric powder and lemon juice. Refrigerate for 4 hours or more. 
2. Soak the tamarind in 3 tablespoons hot water.
3. Roast long and small red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorn and fenugreek seeds and grind along with tamarind and garlic to thick and fine paste.
4. Place a large pan on medium high flame and add 1/4 cup ghee, when ghee is hot add all the marinated chicken and cook till almost done. Transfer the chicken to a vessel. Reserve the liquid released by the chicken in the separate bowl. Keep this aside.
5. To the same pan add remaining ghee and add the masala paste, fry for 5 to 7 minutes till the raw smell disappears and oil leaves the side of the masala.
6. Now add the fried chicken, check for seasoning balance, and half cup of reserved liquid. Fry for 5 to 7 minutes till the masala dries up.
7. Now add sugar, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Take off flame and serve.

Chef’s Notes:

1. This is an extremely hot (spicy) dish so if you are planning to use the amount of chilies mentioned you're going to need a fire brigade to douse the fire within. If you aren't used to spicy stuff I would advise you to reduce the quantity of chilies.
2. As in regard to marinating the chicken for 4 hours or more, I concentrated on the word ‘more’ and marinated it overnight, in the fridge. I would definitely advise that because I believe when marinated overnight the flavors infuse better.
3. The amount of sugar mentioned is five and half teaspoons. Even after having added that the chicken was spicy as hell but the flavors were perfectly balanced.
4. This recipe is courtesy Cherie's Stolen Recipes.
5. 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. 

Turia Par Eda – Eggs on Ridge Gourd

Turia Par Eda – Eggs on Ridge Gourd

(Parsi lingo: Edu = one egg / Eda = many eggs)

We Bawas (Parsees) are known for our love of eggs. Give us anything, be it vegetable or meat, and we'll do our best to cook it in a way just so we can break eggs over it. Yes, we truly are famous for breaking eggs over anything and everything. Here's one such recipe. :-)

Ingredients:

1 kilo turai/ridge gourd, peeled and cut into small pieces

300 grams onions, finely chopped

5 tomatoes, chopped

1- 1½ teaspoon green chilies, finely chopped

1½ teaspoon ginger-garlic paste

50 grams coriander leaves, finely chopped

¾ teaspoon cumin, crushed

3 - 4 tablespoons oil

Salt to taste

6 eggs

Method:

1. Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan or wok. 
2. Add onions, green chilies and sauté till soft and translucent.
3. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 3 minutes on low fire.
4. Add the crushed cumin, salt and sauté a bit. 
5. Add the tomatoes and sauté on medium flame till they soften and oil separates.
6. Add the gourd pieces and sauté for a minute. Cover and cook on very slow fire till the vegetable is cooked. It should not be watery. The consistency should be soft and thick.
7. Add coriander leaves and cook for two more minutes.
8. Spread the vegetable in a non-stick frying pan.
9. Once you spread the vegetable, press the vegetable at six places to make gentle dents.
10. Break an egg into each dent. Sprinkle a wee bit of salt over the eggs. 
11. Cover and cook till eggs are cooked to desired consistency (soft yolk or hard yolk)
    
    
    
    
    Chef’s Notes:
    
    
    1. Alternately, you can also separate the whites from the yolks, beat the whites quite stiff, add the yolks and beat again, layer that over the turai and cook on low flame till the eggs set. This sets like a soft mousse over the turai mixture.
    2. I used 2½ teaspoons green chilies because my preference tilts towards hot stuff (no pun intended) :D 
    3. 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.