Boliche or Cuban Pot Roast

Boliche or Cuban Pot Roast Stuffed with Ham

This is another of the very famous Cuban recipes I learnt from my ex colleague. This dish is a typical slow cooker. So you can start of the dish on a lazy Saturday afternoon and it's ready by the time you are ready to entertain your guests or rather you are ready with a glass of wine, with your family members sitting round the table... this is not a dish which you can rustle up in minutes nor a dish you can hurriedly push into your mouth on your way to  your office. This is a dish to be enjoyed with someone close. This is the best way to show your love for them. Cubans cook their Boliche, with Pork/Beef stuffed with Ham and I recreated it with Chicken.

Preparation Time : 30 minutes
Cooking Time      :  2 hours 30 minutes
Resting Time       :  15 minutes
Difficulty              :  Medium
Serves                  :  6 - 8

Ingredients :

• 1 Kilo whole Chicken Roast (It is better to ask for Roast chicken from your Chicken shop, because it is difficult and time consuming to dress a chicken at home)
• 6 large Garlic cloves, crushed well
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, freshly ground
• 250 grams Ham, chopped into fine sheds
• 3 tablespoons Vegetable oil
• 2 medium Onions, sliced
• 1" slice of 1 Tomato, cut into quarters
• 10 whole Black Peppers
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 cup Dry White Cooking Wine
• 1 cup Water

                           Cuban Boliche (Chicken stuffed with shredded Ham)
 

Method :

Before you start, wash clean and drain the chicken well, including the cavity. Then dry it between two kitchen towel, till it is completely dry.

 

 1) Mix garlic with the salt and ground pepper. You can grind them together in a mortar and pestle for ideal results, set it aside.

 

2) Pierce all around the Chicken roast, with a thin sharp knife.

 

3) Using half the garlic mixture, stuff holes.

 

4) Using a long, sharp knife, cut an "X" through the centre of the roast, length-wise, to make a cavity for the ham.

 

5) Pack this cavity with the shredded ham.

 

6) Spread any leftover garlic mixture on the surface of the roast.

7) Heat a pan large enough to hold the whole roast on medium high gas. Add vegetable oil.

 

8) Once the vegetable oil is hot enough, add the Chicken and brown the roast on all sides. This is going to take about 15 minutes.

 

9) Once the chicken is properly browned, add all the other ingredients and bring to a boil.

 

10) Cover and lower the heat to a slow simmer.

 

11) Cook for 2-1/2 hours, turning the roast every half hour or so.

12) Once the roast is done and passes the fork test (i.e. the fork enters the thickest part of the chicken easily and it flakes out) take is out on a plate and cover with a foil.

13) Let it rest for 15 minutes, while you reduce the pan sauce to a sauce consistency. Check the seasonings and adjust if required.

14) To serve slice and garnish with the sauce.  You can serve this with mashed potatoes and boiled vegetables or even with yellow rice.

 

                                     A Typical Cuban Boliche with Beef

 

Spaghetti with Meatball Sauce

Spaghetti with Meatball Sauce

The Spaghetti dishes are most favourite Italian food of my sons. They prefer to have spaghetti any day, and I also very happily cook the buckwheat spaghetti, which is tasty as well as healthy. This Spaghetti dish with meatball sauce came from my friend who was transferred to Italy. A typical Bengali girl, who survived on fish curry, rice was forced to eat pastas and spaghetti days in and out. Ultimately she mastered the Italian cuisine so well that, post her 4 years stint in Italy, she came back to India and opened an Italian Restaurant. This is one of her best dishes.

Preparation time : 20 minutes
Cooking time     : 2 hours
Difficulty            : Easy
Serves                : 6

Ingredients :

MEATBALLS :

500 grams lean ground Beef/Mutton/Lamb 

1 cup fresh Bread crumbs

1 tablespoon dried Parsley

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon ground Black Pepper

1/8 teaspoon Garlic Powder (you get them bottled, in case you don't find it, use 1 small clove of garlic, grated) 

1 Egg, beaten

SAUCE :

3/4 cup chopped Onion

5 cloves Garlic, minced

1/4 cup Olive oil (use ordinary Olive oil, no need to use Extra Virgin) 

800 grams whole peeled Tomatoes (blanched, and peeled)

2 teaspoons Salt

1 teaspoon white Sugar

1 Bay leaf

2 packs of Tomato paste (puree)

3/4 teaspoon dried Basil

1/2 teaspoon ground Black Pepper

Spaghetti 1 x 400grams pack, cooked as per instruction.

Method :

1) In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and beaten egg.

 

2) Mix well and form into 12 balls. Store, covered, in refrigerator until needed.

 

3) Add Olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

 

4) Once the Oil is hot, add onions and garlic.

 

5) Saute onion and garlic, until onion is translucent.

 

6) Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 90 minutes.

 

7) Stir in tomato paste, basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and meatballs and simmer 30 minutes more.

 

8) Once the meat balls are properly cooked, check the seasonings and adjust if required.

 

9) Serve hot on the bed of ready spaghetti.

 

Kadhai Keema

Kadhai Keema

This mutton mince dish is from Pakistan. The cuisines from Pakistan are very close to that of Indian Cuisine, so this dish will be the best for any Indian Kitchen. I learnt about this from a dear friend of mine, who is from Pakistan. He used to cook this dish with beef mince. As most of the people in India do not eat or cook beef, hence I generally cook this with mutton or lamb mince and they do not alter much from the original taste. You can also cook this dish with Chicken mince, but that does not taste as good as red meat.

Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Marination Time  : 2 hours
Cooking Time      :
Difficulty              :  Easy
Serves                  :  4

Ingredients :

• 500 grams Ground Mutton / Lamb
• 2 medium sized Onions, finely chopped
• 4 small Tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon Ginger -Garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 2 to 3 whole Cloves
• 1 to 3 Cardamom pods
• 1 Bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons Cumin powder
• 2 teaspoons Garam masala (This is a typical spice mix used all over Indian Sub Continent, you'll get packaged masala in any food store)
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
• 4 tablespoons Oil (use any vegetable oil)
• Salt to taste
For garnish :
• Finely chopped Cilantro (Coriander) leaves
• 3 tablespoons Lemon juice

        For marinade : Blend these ingredients together.

• Fistful Cilantro (Coriander) leaves
• 1 tablespoon Ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon Curd (plain)

Method :

1) Wash, clean and Drain the Mutton/Lamb mince.

2) Mix the marinate with the mince very well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

3) Heat the oil in a wok over medium high heat.

 4) Once the oil is hot, add the bay leaves , cardamom, cloves, cumin seeds and saute on medium high for a minute.

5) Add the ginger and garlic paste and saute till light brown.

6) Add the onions, fry them till they are translucent.

7) Now add tomatoes and saute till the oil starts to separate.

8) Add the all the powdered spices. Cook for a couple of minutes. During this time, you can also sprinkle a little water to keep the spices from burning.

9) Once the spices are cooked, and oil separates, add the ground mutton/lamb and mix well.

10) Cook for 5 minutes on high heat.

11) Add salt, simmer and cook till done.

12) Once the mince are well cooked, taste and adjust seasonings if required.

13) Pour in a dish and garnish with cilantro (coriander leaves) and serve with a lemon wedge for the tangy taste.

14) This dish goes well with any Pilaf or Flat Breads like Naan, Chapati, Paratha etc.

 

 

 

Hawaiian Spare Ribs

Hawaiian Spare Ribs

I was fascinated, awestruck and spellbound... yes I'm giving sooo many attributes because this dish is worth every single word of praise. This Spare Ribs dish though originates in Hawaii, but it is totally influenced by the Chinese immigrants in Hawaii. The ingredients used in this dish are very Asian and the taste is absolutely unique. I first tasted this dish at a Hawaiian restaurant  in New York and managed to get the recipe from the chef. Then every time I cooked this dish, the diners ended up licking their fingers. So be ready to cook this lip smacking, finger licking dish for your loved ones.

Preparation time : 10 minutes
Grilling time        : 1 hour, with a basting at Half an hour
Resting time       :  15 minutes
Difficulty             :  Easy
Serves                 :  4 - 6

Ingredients :

1 Kilo Spareribs

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

2 tablespoons Red Bean Curd Sauce (available at all speciality / Asian food stores) 

1/4 cup Honey

1/2 teaspoon Five Spice powder (a powder made of 5 spices, used widely in Chinese cooking) (see Note) 

1 teaspoon Salt

2 tablespoons Sherry or Whiskey

1 teaspoon Red Food Colouring

1 clove Garlic, crushed

 

Method :

 1) Prepare a marinade by combining all of the ingredients except the spareribs themselves.

 2) Marinate the spareribs 12-24 hours in the fridge, well covered, turning the ribs over several times.

 3) About an hour before serving, pre heat your oven to 300 degree Fahrenheit.

 4) Place the ribs on a wire rack and bake them for half an hour. Keep the marinade aside.

 5) After a half hour, turn and baste the spareribs with the marinade.

 6) Continue cooking for about another half hour or until spareribs reach an internal temperature of 155°F to 160°F. Or pass the fork test, i.e. it breaks easily with a fork.

 7) Take out the ribs. cover with a foil and let it rest for 15 minutes.

 8) Serve hot with plenty of green salad and a slices of fresh/canned pineapples.


Note : from Wikipedia

The formulae are based on the Chinese philosophy of balancing the yin and yang in food. There are many variants. The most common is bajiao (star anise), cloves, cinnamon, huajiao (Sichuan pepper) and ground fennel seeds. Instead of true cinnamon, "Chinese cinnamon" (also known as rougui, the ground bark of the cassia tree, a close relative of true cinnamon which is often sold as cinnamon), may be used. The spices need not be used in equal quantities. Spices are dry roasted and then powdered.

Adobong Manok or Chicken Adobo

Adobong Manok or Chicken Adobo

This is a Philippine dish, which was originally created by the Spanish Colonisers. The name adobo comes from Spanish, it means Marinade. The people of Philippines have adopted this style of cooking and use it for cooking just anything. So you will also find Pork Adobo, Fish, Squid, Green beans even Eggplant Adobos being served in Philippine restaurants. This dish is easy to make and stays well for long due to the marination.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Marination Time  :  4 Hours
Cooking Time      :  40 minutes
Difficulty              :  Easy
Serves                  :  4 - 6

Ingredients :

1 1/2 kilos Chicken, cut into serving pieces

3/4 cup White vinegar

1/4 cup Soy sauce

1/2 Onion, thinly sliced

4-6 cloves Garlic, crushed 

1-2 Bay leaf

6-8 Peppercorns

1 teaspoon Salt

1 cup Water

1/4 cup Oil

 

Method:

1 ) Add the chicken pieces, vinegar, soy sauce, onion, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt to a large, non-reactive bowl and refrigerate for 1-4 hours to marinate.

 

2) Place the chicken and its marinade in a large pot.

 

3) Add the water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

 

4) Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

 

5) Add water as necessary to keep the chicken from drying out.

 

6) Remove the chicken from its sauce, reserving the sauce, and pat dry.

 

7) Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high flame and saute the chicken pieces to brown them. Remove from heat and set aside.

 

8) In a separate pot bring the remaining sauce to a boil over medium flame and cook until somewhat reduced and thickened. Discard the bay leaves.

 

9) Toss the browned chicken pieces with the reduced sauce and serve with rice.

 

Adobo Variations :

 

Adobong Manok na Gata (Chicken in vinegar sauce with coconut milk):

 

Use 1 cup coconut milk instead of the water. Keeping the rest of the recipe same.

 

Zuiji or Drunken Chicken

Zuiji or Drunken Chicken

Yes Chicken can also get drunk :) This dish is named so because the chicken is marinated in potent rice wine. I picked up this dish from an authentic Chinese recipe book, which mentioned that in China they also prepare a similar kind of dish with fish, which for obvious reasons is called a Drunken Fish.  Well, When I first prepared this dish, for a friends meet, everyone laughed their heart out, just getting to know the name. But when it came to taste the chicken, they were all amazed by the simple and wonderful taste of this dish. Hence I thought, I must share with my other friends too...

Preparation Time : 5 minutes
Cooking Time      : 35 - 40 minutes
Cooling Time       : 8 hours in fridge
Difficulty              : Very Easy
Serves                  :  4 - 6

Ingredients :

1 1/2 kilos of Whole chicken, cut into pieces

3 Scallions, roughly chopped 

3 slices Ginger root, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon Salt 

Water to cover

2 cups Rice wine or Dry Sherry (you can always use Sherry if you think the smell of Rice wine is too strong for you)

2 tablespoons Sugar

Method :

  1) Add the chicken, scallions, ginger and salt to a large pot and add cold water to cover.

 2) Bring to a boil over medium-high flame, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer slowly for 20 minutes.

 3) Remove the chicken pieces to a large bowl and set aside to cool.

 4) Discard the scallions and ginger and bring the broth back to a boil.

 5) Continue to boil until the volume of the broth is reduced by about half.

 6) Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

 7) Mix 2 cups of the concentrated broth with the rice wine or sherry and sugar. (Save the remaining broth for soup.)

8) Check and adjust seasoning, if required. Now, pour the marinade over the chicken pieces and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

9) Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade (it may have gelled at this point; that's good) and use a heavy cleaver or knife to cut them into bite-sized pieces.

10 ) Arrange the pieces neatly on a plate and serve. 

11) The marinade is served either cold and gelled or it can be lightly heated until it melts and served in small bowls as a dipping sauce.

This dish is mostly served cold, because it is meant to be a summer dish. But I generally heat up both the chicken and the marinade before serving. This dish can also be served as a starter, instead of main course.

Dal Kofta Curry

Dal Kofta Curry, Lentil Balls in Curry Sauce

This wonderful vegetarian dish is from Pakistan. The fragrant Curry sauce is very unique to The Indian Subcontinent and it's neighbouring countries. The use of lentils in every day food actually is a good source of protein for the huge Vegan population. I learnt this dish from a garment trader, who had set up a shop here in India and is my guru in Pakistani Cuisine. His father owns a Dhaba (Food stall) in Islamabad and he has picked up the secrets of trade. But to him, it is only limited to a passion of cooking for himself, his family and friends like us. I wanted to share this dish on my blog, to Honor his friendship.

Preparation Time : 6 - 8 hours for soaking, 20 minutes for masalas
Cooking Time      : 1 hour
Difficulty              :  Medium
Serves                  :  4

Ingredients :

For Koftas :

• 4 Tablespoons of Urad Dal (Split Black Gram)
• 1/4 cup of Toor Dal / Arhar Dal / Tuvar Dal (Split Yellow Pigeon Peas)
• 1/4 cup of Chana Dal (Split Bengal Gram)
• 1/4 cup of Moong Dal (split yellow lentil)
• 1/2 cup of Chopped Coriander Leaves
• 2 tablespoons of Chopped Mint Leaves
• 2 teaspoons of Saunf (Fennel seeds)
• 1 tablespoon of Garam Masala powder (commonly available packed in any food store)
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

For Gravy :

• 2 Large Onions
• 1 Large Tomato
• 1 Tablespoon of Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1 Teaspoon of Green Chili paste
• 1/2 Cup of Dal Kofta Batter (see above ingredients for Kofta)
• 4 -5 Curry Leaves
• 1 teaspoon of Cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon of Mustard seeds
• 1 Star Anise or Charki Phool
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoon Coriander and Cumin seed powder
• 1 teaspoon Red Chilly powder
• 1 tablespoon of Garam masala powder
• 1/2 Cup of Cream
• Water
• Salt to taste
• Oil for cooking

Method :

1) Soak all the dals/lentils overnight, or for 6 – 8 Hours. When they are soft, coarsely grind them in the food processor. Take care not to use much water while grinding. The paste should be thick enough to just drop off a spoon.

2) Add Chopped Coriander Leaves, Chopped Mint Leaves, salt, fennel and garam masala powder in the Dal batter.

3) Heat oil for frying in a big wok, on medium high heat.

4) Once the oil is hot enough, start frying the Dal koftas. Make small balls from the Dal batter. and add to the oil. Fry till golden. If the batter is not thick, try using deep round spatula or big spoon to drop the balls in the oil for frying. Remember not to overcrowd the wok, so fry the batter in batches.

5) Once done, set them aside.  Remember to keep 1/2 cup of the kofta batter aside to add in the gravy.

6) Keep a large bowl of cold water handy. Once the koftas are fried dip all the koftas in cold water. This will soften the koftas and make them ready to absorb the curry better.

7) Now, grind onions and tomatoes in a smooth paste, separately, for the gravy.

8) Heat oil in a wok over medium flame, add star anise, cumin seeds and mustard seeds.

9) When seeds starts spluttering add curry leaves and onion paste. Saute for few minutes.

10) Add tomato paste, turmeric powder, coriander and cumin seeds powder, red chilly powder and saute till oil leaves the side of the vessel.

11) Add Dal kofta batter which was kept aside and saute for few minutes. Since its a Dal mixture the gravy will become thick, so add 1/2 cup of water and garam masala and mix it in the gravy.

12) Add Dal koftas in the gravy and cook for few minutes. Don't boil the gravy with the koftas for long , then the koftas will disintegrate.

13) Once the curry is cooked add cream and chopped coriander leaves.

14) Serve this dish hot with pilaf or Roti, The wheat flat-bread.