Veg Biryani

Hello Friends.............today in this post we will see how to make Veg Biryani. If there is one recipe that can make anybody drool is none other than Biryani................we all love it. Biryani has many variations it can be made from chicken, mutton, chicken mince, mutton mince, prawn, beef, egg, vegetables, paneer, soya nuggets, kabuli chana, and the list goes on and on.

The process of making Biryani varies from region to region. Hyderabadi Biryani is hot and spicy which is its specialty whereas the Awadhi Biryani is more aromatic and has subtle flavors. Malabar Biryani differs in the kind of rice used in making the Biryani. Last but not least Kolkata style Biryani where a lot of spices are used yet it's moist, subtle, and fragrant. 

Making Biryani takes a lot of effort, patience, time, and exact spices. While making this Royal dish you can't skip any step nor you can replace any spice with the other. But at the end when you serve it on your plate its a pleasure seeing the beautiful Biryani cooked with the aromatic spices and condiments. Your home even your neighborhood gets filled with its fragrance.

I have already shared the recipes of Chicken Biryani, Egg Biryani, and Maggi Biryani on my blog. Today in this blog I'll be sharing one more Biryani recipe and this it's Veg Biryani. Veg Biryani doesn't take that much of time as Chicken or Mutton Biryani does because you don't have to cook the veggies too long as the Chicken or Mutton. Just marinate the veggies with spices and condiments for some time and it's ready to be cooked. So, without doing any further ado let's begin with the recipe:

Maggi Biryani

Hello Fellas............ I hope this post finds you in your best state. These days I'm loving to do some experimental cooking in my kitchen and as you all know the outcome of any experiment can be a hit or a miss. But, the zeal of knowing the end result always keeps me motivated to try something new each day.

I'm very fond of fusion dishes and I always find myself experimental with this type of cuisine. Fusion Cuisine doesn't fall under any particular cuisine style and has played a part in the innovations of many contemporary restaurant cuisines since the 1970's. 

It's really very innovative and at the same time challenging to fuse elements of different culinary traditions into one style of cooking. I usually try to experiment with some traditional dishes and give them a new look and feel. I have shared many Fusion Dishes in my blog, if you're someone who loves to try this type of cuisine then I would highly encourage you check them out (click here).

This time I have tried to fuse two of the most lovable dishes of every Indian citizen and i.e. Maggi and Biryani. We all love them, isn't it? then how about combining both of them and trust me the end result is lip-smackingly good. If you're a lover of both of these dishes then you have to try this out.

So, without any further ado, let's begin with the recipe:

Restaurant Style Paneer Tikka Masala

            

Paneer Tikka Masala is a very popular North Indian dish that is commonly served in restaurants. This is a super delicious dish where marinated and grilled Paneer pieces are dipped in the spicy and tangy onion-tomato based gravy. 

Whenever we visit any Indian restaurant and we have to order any veg recipes Paneer Tikka Masala is one of our favorites along with Garlic Naan. This Paneer recipe tastes amazing with both Indian flatbread or Jeera Rice.

This recipe of Paneer Tikka Masala is a bit on the heavier side as it has onions, tomatoes, yogurt and cream (adding cream is optional). The most important step in this recipe is to balance the spices. This recipe is appropriate when you have any guests coming your way or you have a party at your home. You can prepare the Tikkas beforehand and make the gravy and dip the Tikkas in them. Ta-Da our Paneer Tikka Masala is ready.

You can grill the Paneer Tikkas or even Pan Fry them. If you don't have an oven then pan fry them and trust me there is no difference in the taste. So, without any further ado let's begin with the recipe:

Dhaba Style Dal Fry

           

Hello my foodie friends, hope you all are doing great. Today's recipe is all about Basic Cooking. Sometimes, we get so much into cooking special dinner and lunch for our friends and families that we forget about what we relish the most. 

The most comforting food which we can relish anytime and everytime is our basic staple food. It can be different for different people but for me is Dal-Chawal with a dollop of homemade Ghee. When I'm too tired to cook anything and just want to relax while having my supper I rely on Daal-Chawal. For me nothing can beat the flavor of Daal-Chawal when I'm too tired or sick.

If you want to make your simple Dal Fry a bit different then give a Dhaba style tadka to it and then see the magic. This tadka will give an instant taste to this Dal Fry and will level up the taste.

So, let's see how to give your ordinary Dal Fry a Dhaba style tadka.

Lauki Kofta Curry

           

Hello my foodie friends.......today's recipe is all about one of the most healthiest but neglected vegetables from our Indian household and i.e. Lauki or Bottle Gourd. I'm not blaming anybody I myself don't like Lauki that much so I think of new ways to include this healthy vegetable in our diet.

In order to include Lauki (Bottle Gourd) in our diet my Mom used to make Lauki Kofta Curry and I would eat the Koftas even before they went into the Curry. I love this simple Kofta curry recipe although the fritters are deep fried but still I have the satisfaction of including Lauki in my and my family's diet.

Although I'm thinking of buying Appam pan in which we can prepare koftas using few tablespoon of oil until then we have to compromise. 

One of the most important steps in making any koftas is that the water content should be zero. Whether you're making koftas out of chicken, mutton or with any vegetable, water should be removed as much as possible otherwise the Koftas will be ruined.

So, without doing any further ado let's see how to make Lauki Kofta Curry: 

Ilish Bhapa in Frying Pan

               

We Bengalis go mad over this fish, and we call it Ilish which is also known as Hilsa.....nobody else in the world can understand a Bengali's love for Ilish.

llish Bhapa is one of the signature Bengali dishes which can be enjoyed with steamed white rice. Today we’ll make Sorse Ilish or Hilsa in Mustard Sauce Gravy. It's a very easy peasy recipe and the fish retains its flavor because of the very few ingredients are used to cook this delectable dish. Just mustard seeds paste, coconut milk, salt, turmeric and you're done. 

I have already shared a recipe of how to cook Ilish Bhapa in microwave. You can check the recipe here,but this time we'll make this dish in frying pan. Either way you cook this dish taste awesome. 

I have used coconut milk here instead of grated coconut you because that gives a smooth texture of this dish without comprising upon the taste. You can use whatever you like. So, let's start with the recipe:

Dhaba Style Daal Makhni

                   

What is the most common food item that you always order while eating in the restaurant. Well for most of us it’s Daal Makhni.

Daal Makhani can be best described as "Lentils in a Buttery Sauce". It is pure North Indian Dish which is very popular in Dhabas in Northern India. We both love to eat in Dhabas. We have tried many dhaba style restaurants while we were in India. Undoubtably we loved the food but missed the ambience of Dhabas which can only be found at roadside Dhabas. 

Daal Makhni can be made by combining Urad Daal and Rajma but another variation is the Daal mixture which we get easily in the superstore. But the authentic Daal Makhni calls for Urad Daal and Rajma.

Sorse Ilish......HIlsa in Mustard Sauce Gravy

            

We Bengalis go mad over this fish, and we call it Ilish which is also known as Hilsa. Nobody in this world can understand a Bengali's love for Ilish.

Today in this video we’ll make Sorse Ilish or HIlsa in Mustard Sauce Gravy. It's a very easy peasy recipe and the fish retains its flavor because of the very few ingredients are used to cook this delectable dish. Just mustard seeds paste, salt, turmeric and you're done. 

Rajma Chawal (Red Kidney Beans with Rice)

Hello Fellas.....hope you'll are doing great. Hope you're having a great summer time in your respective places and making the most of it this season. Here, in this part of the world we're having an awesome time and enjoying my summer dresses to the fullest because after this we have to load ourselves with the boring jackets and sweaters. 

Although summer brings lot of fun but it also leads to health and skin problems therefore we need to put extra time to take care of our body. My mantra for this season is to eat simple and drink lot of fluids. So, I like to eat very easy-peasy dishes in this season.

Few days back I made Rajma-Chawal for lunch. If you follow me for some time you'll know that I had spend few years of my life in Punjab so there's lot of influence of Punjabi cuisine in my cooking. I'm a great lover of Punjabi food and almost tried every type of food in my kitchen.

So today I'm sharing the recipe of Rajma-Chawal. 

Pad Thai/ Phad Thai

            

We just love Thai food, if you ask me to choose between Chinese and Thai food; I'll always go for the later one. So, today I thought of sharing a recipe which is one of my favorites whenever I think of a Thai Cuisine. Yes, it's none other than Pad Thai.......a famous Thailand street food. 

              

The Asian store in my neighborhood carries so many sauces which always compels me to pick and try each of them; but thanks to the Chinese/Thai script which restricts me to do so and I always stick to the basic ones. 

When it comes to Thai food I love their Chicken Satay, Dumplings, Spring rolls, Tom Yum Soup, Basil Fried Rice, Pad Kee Mow and the list goes on. Although (for novice like us) Chinese and Thai cuisine have a very minute difference but I love the flavors of Thai cuisine.

Pad Thai or Phad Thai it's a stir-fried rice noodle dish commonly served as a street food and at most of the restaurants in Thailand. Preparing any kind of noodles is a time taking process because it needs a lot of pre-cooking time but the actual cooking time is very less. Just fry the protein & veggies add sauces and noodles. Stir fry them for few minutes and you're served. 

So without further ado let's start with the recipe of Pad Thai.

Herb Roasted Chicken

Hello peeps, hope you'll are doing good. Few days back I had posted a pic of Herb Roasted Chicken with Dijon Green Beans on my Insta stories and I received number of DM's to post the its recipe. 

Believe me that dish was an impromptu attempt to cook something for dinner; whatever was handy I had mixed up everything and came up with a dish which was a great hit on the dining table and on my social media handles too. 

So, I thought to give that dish a place on my blog so that I won't forget the recipe and you guys can also try it in your kitchen. This recipe is not only healthy but also requires minimal prep and cooking time which is very helpful on the days when we don't like to step into the kitchen.

Here, the recipe of Herb Roasted Chicken with Dijon Green Beans. 

Egg Tadka Daal (Dimer Torka)

Hello my foodie friends......hope you'll are doing good. "Torka- Ruti" (Egg Tadka Daal with Chapatis) is one of my go to food whenever I'm in India. In Kolkata it's a very common scene to come across various roadside carts selling Dimer Torka (Egg Tadka Daal) and Ruti (Chapatis) in evening. 

Even I used to buy that whenever I was not in the mood of cooking. Even the price is so reasonable that it won't hurt your pockets. But, the guilt of having the roadside food laded with all the dust and unhygienic things won't allow me to enjoy the deliciousness of this very popular food.

So, the foodie inside me woke up again and yelled at me to try this recipe at home. Egg Tadka Daal is nothing but Whole Green Moong Daal topped with scrambled egg. There is another version where the egg is beaten and added into the daal while it's cooking. I like the former one so, I'll be sharing that recipe here.

Paneer Do Pyaza

Hello Foodaholics!! Hope you'll are doing good and celebrating food everywhere. We foodies don't need any reason to celebrate food. Right? You give us any damn reason and we come up with innovative ideas to make our meal special for that day.

As we all know IPL season is going on in full swing in India, and we both are supporters of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR); though we have to get up at odd hours to see the matches but anything for you KKR! So, last week there was a match between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and obviously KKR won which gave us a big reason to celebrate.

And hence Paneer Do Pyaza and Garlic Naan (recipe here) to relish the flavors of this exotic dish. This is a very popular North Indian dish which is commonly served in restaurants. As the name itself specifies Paneer (Cottage Cheese)  Do (Twice) Pyaza (Onions). This recipe calls for using onions twice and in two different ways. How??? You'll get to know about it in the recipe:

Crab Curry

CRABS....."You cannot teach a crab to walk straight". 
Whenever we hear the word Crab, we can think of exotic dishes made from it but the real deal is in cleaning them. The thought of cleaning crab gives me goosebumps. It's so scary dealing with live crabs and this was the main reason I couldn't relish crab at home.

Whenever I visited our local Asian store I couldn't stop myself in gazing those live crabs. I never gathered the courage of handling them at home on my kitchen top. So whenever we thought of enjoying crabs we would go to some restaurants and dig a hole in our wallets (Mind you....eating crabs in restaurants is quite expensive). Of course I tried to search online and like always I got thousand of ideas on HOW TO CLEAN CRABS? But still I was not very confident about myself.

Finally, one day I saw huge KING CRAB LEGS lying down the display case in my nearby grocery store along with many seafoods. I couldn't stop my excitement and I shouted YES; NOW I CAN RELISH THEM AND MAKE SOME EXOTIC DISHES FROM CRAB AT HOME.

So, here I'm penning down our family's favorite Crab Curry recipe which we like to enjoy with steamed rice and salad. Hope you'll like it.

Peas Kachori/Koraishutir Kochuri

Hello my dear foodies, it's been a long time since I posted anything on my blog. Actually lot of things happened on my side; lot of friends and families visited our place, family functions and I suffered from cold and flu too. 

Since so many things happened so, I was not in the mood of blogging anything. Even this post was lying in my drafts folder from long time so I decided to complete and publish this post. In that way I can think what to blog next. Believe me I don't have any ideas what to 
blog next, can you provide me some ideas?

Anyway, this post is about one of the most popular winter delicacies in West Bengal and i.e. Peas Kachori or Koraishutir Kochuri (as we Bengalis call it). In Kolkata, January is the month of Picnics. People organize lot of picnics with their friends, families, office colleagues, schoolmates, college mates, commutation mates etc......Whomsoever you picnic with the breakfast (in Picnic) begins with Koraishutir Kochuri and Aalur Dom (Dum Aaloo). This delectable dish is also a common affair in Sunday Breakfast in most of the Bengali households.

This palatable dish is mostly enjoyed in winters as Peas are available in abundance during this time but thanks to the supermarkets where you can find frozen peas year long. 

Koraishutir Kochuri is generally enjoyed with Aalur Dom but you can also have it as it is. I enjoy it with stuffed green chilli pickle. So, without any further babbling let's begin with the recipe:

Schezwan Rice

Few days back I took a day off from work and utilized it in the best possible way I could. I did whatever I had planned for that day but amid of all the chores, suddenly a thought ran through my mind - What to have for lunch? Well, I opened my Fridge and found some cute little veggies peeping through the vegetable basket. 

After seeing those I thought of preparing Noodles (usually that's the best option I get when I want to finish off my veggies). But with the flick of mind I thought why not Schezwan Rice! It was completely impromptu preparation but the end product was so palatable that I couldn't resist the blogger inside me to click few pics to blog. 

Schezwan Rice is one of the most loved dishes in Indo-Chinese cuisine. You can find this dish in almost every Menu Card of Indo-Chinese restaurant. If you love a little spicy food I'm sure you will love this dish too. I'm not a full-time spicy food lover but I do like it sometimes. It's hot, spicy and completely irresistible. 

The prime ingredient of this recipe is the: Schezwan Sauce. If you have it handy then making Schezwan Rice is like a child's play. I like to add lot of veggies to my Fried Rice. You can make this recipe completely Vegetarian or add meat of your choice. This time I added few shrimps. 

So, let's start with the recipe: 

Bhature

Chole-Bhature is one of the most popular recipes of North India. It is a breakfast invented in Delhi after partition and now a days, it is a popular breakfast around Northern India and other parts of the country too.

I had spent almost 8 years of my childhood in Punjab and may be that's the reason I have a great affinity towards North Indian cuisine. I have posted the recipe of Punjabi style Chole long back. Here is the link of the recipe for Punjabi Style Chole. It took me almost a year to post the recipe of Bhature (to be very frank I don't know the exact reason). 

Bhature is one of my family's favorites. These soft fluffy deep fried breads are so delectable that I consume 1-2 Bhatures while making them. One might think procedure of making these Bhatures seems to be very tough but trust me this "no failure" recipe will prove them wrong. The first time I made these, I was quite amazed that how soft and fluffy they came out. Since then every attempt I made, I ensured I have it accompanied Chole with Bhatures and nothing else.

One more specialty of this recipe is that its Yeast Free. So, let's keep the calorie part aside and indulge yourself into this lip smacking recipe of Bhature:

Veg Pulao....The Bong Way!!!!

Hello all, wish you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year ahead. I hope you all are enjoying this Holiday season and ready to say a "Bye Bye" to the year 2015. Undoubtedly, this festive mood fills my heart with ecstasy. Everything becomes bright colored and sparkling like stars. You can see decorations and fairy lights all around. Even if you don't celebrate this festive season it's very hard not to get enticed from these lights and decorations. 

When it comes to this time of the year, I am sure you are no far from baking; that's the way of celebrating this season at least. The aroma of freshly baked cookies and cakes embarks holidays. I have baked some Vanilla Cupcakes and a simple vanilla cake with lots of dry fruits and tutti-frutti but couldn't click any pics; may be next time.

If you're looking for some holiday special recipes of cakes, cookies and desserts, please check out these links:

• Eggless Mango Mousse
• Cardamom Flavored Cookies
• Strawberry Swiss Roll
• Strawberry Shortcake Shooters
• Strawberry Mousse Cake
• Palmiers
• Skinny Mango Cheesecake
• Créme Caramel
• Raspberry Pannacotta
• Carrot Fudge
• Vanilla Cupcake

As I was already having so many holiday special recipes so I decided to post Bengali style Veg Pulao which I paired with a very simple Chicken curry. Local markets are usually flooded with lots of winter special veggies, so making a Veg Pulao is no big deal; adding few dry fruits give extra punch to it.

So, let's begin with the recipe: