Afghani Murgh

Afghani Murgh

Because of it's Geographical location Afghanistan has a unique cooking style. It has adopted it cooking style from all the neighbouring countries and developed it's own signature which is spicy yet not too hot. It is full of aromas with a subtle use of dried fruits like apricots, dates and figs. They also use a lot of nuts along with the mutton, which they generally derived from lambs. This Chicken dish is generally cooked as a one pot meal and served with tandoori roti or Flat breads, roasted over open clay fire pots. With a little planning you can serve this wonderful chicken dish for dinner.

Preparation Time  : 10 minutes
Marination Time   :  Overnight
Cooking Time       :  45 minutes
Difficulty               :  Very Easy
Serves                   :  4

Ingredients  :

• 2 cups and 2 tablespoons plain Yogurt
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 4 whole Chicken Legs, skinned and separated
• 4 cups Chicken Broth
• 400 grams Garbanzo Beans/Chick peas (soaked overnight and boiled)
• 1 medium Onion, chopped
• 1 large Carrot peeled and sliced
• 1 Zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
• Salt to taste
• ¼ teaspoon ground Pepper
• ¼ cup chopped fresh Dill (you can also used dried dill)
• Juice from 2 lemons
• 8 -10 whole Dated, seeded

Method :

  1) Place 2 cups of the yogurt, garlic, cumin, and chicken pieces in a sealable bowl or bag. Rub the chicken till the marinade is evenly coated and place it in the refrigerator to marinate overnight.

 

  2) Place a skillet over medium-high heat.

 

  3) Remove the chicken from the marinade and add it to the skillet with the broth, garbanzo beans/chickpeas, onion, carrot, zucchini, salt, and pepper.

 

  4) Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

 

  5) Remove the lid and add the dates.

 

  6) Cook for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

 

  7) The broth should have reduced by half.

 

  8) Stir in the reserved 2 tablespoons of yogurt, dill, and lemon juice in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Add it to the chicken and simmer for another 2- 3 minutes.

 

  9) Check the seasonings and adjust if required. Serve hot with Tandoori Roti (flat breads) or  over long grain white rice.

 

Chingrir Malaikari - Prawns in Coconut Cream Sauce

Chingrir Malaikari - Prawns in Coconut Cream Sauce

This Shrimp dish is a very famous one all over Bangladesh. The country gets a fresh supply of Prawns, Shrimps and Lobsters from it's water bodies (rivers . lakes and sea) and cook a varieties of dishes from the day's catch. This dish is very easy to cook and is equally tasty. The recipe though varies sightly from household to household, everyone claiming theirs to be the most authentic one. I have personally tasted five to six different types of cooking in the city of Dhaka alone. Here I am posting a recipe which I liked best and got addicted to. Even my hubby, who is not much of a fan for any thing coconut's, fell for this dish. This recipe is my tribute to my ancestral land.

Preparation Time :  30 minutes
Cooking Time      :  45 minutes
Difficulty              :  Medium
Serves                  :  4 - 6

Ingredients :

• 12 Large Prawns, Cleaned, shelled, except the head and tail (read the details of cleaning)
• 2 medium Onion, churned into paste
• 1 inch Piece of Ginger, finely grated
• 2 whole Green Chili, churned into paste along with onions
• 1 teaspoon Cloves
• 3 pods of Green Cardamom
• 1 inch stick of Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Chili Powder (you can use Kashmiri Mirch if you don't want it to be too spicy)
• 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder (available in most Indian food stores)
• 400 mils of Coconut Cream (The first extract, you can also buy can/tetra packs)
• Salt to taste
• Pinch Sugar
• 1/3 cup of Mustard Oil (slightly pungent oil, derived from Mustard seeds, used extensively in cooking in Eastern India and Bangladesh)
• 1 Tablespoon Ghee (Clarified Butter)

 

Method :

First comes the cleaning and shelling the Prawns. You can get them cleaned from the vendor, in that case ask him to keep the Head and the tail intact but remove the black string from the back of the Prawn.  In case you are cleaning it, chop off the eyes, you will find a plastic like string in the head, remove it. Then remove the legs and the jacket, leaving the tail part intact. Hold the back side facing you, make a slight incision with a sharp knife, you will find a black string, remove that and when done, wash the prawn once more and set aside to drain.

1) You can make a paste of Onion, Ginger, Garlic and Green Chilies separately or you can also puree them together with a tablespoon of water. Set aside.

2) In a big wok heat oil over medium-high heat till the oil stops bubbling.

3) Add the whole spices (Clove, Cardamon and Cinnamon) to the oil, but be careful, they might splatter.

4) Reduce the heat immediately to medium and add the onion paste and the dry spice powders (cumin, coriander, Turmeric, Garam masala) and fry well.

5) The spices needs to be fried till they start leaving oil from the sides. This will take about 5 - 7 minutes.

6) Once the paste is mostly dry and the oil has separated, lower the heat to simmer and add half of the coconut cream.

7) Stir in well and keep stirring till the oil starts separating again.

8) Now add the salt and mix. Taste to check the seasoning and adjust if required.

9) Now add the Prawns to the Sauce and mix well.

10) keep turning till the prawn fleshes turn completely pink. This will take about 7-10 minutes, depending on the size of the prawn.

11) Once the prawns are completely cooked add rest of the coconut cream and mix well. Lace with pinch sugar, mix well and set aside.

12) In a small pan, heat Ghee (Clarified butter) and add a large pinch of garam Masala, hold over heat, till ghee melts and you get an aroma of the spices. Take it off the fire and pour over the Prawn Curry and mix well.

13)  Your Prawn in Coconut Cream Sauce is ready to serve. Serve it hot over a plate of Basmati rice.

Thai Sweet and Sour Stir Fry with Broccoli

Thai Sweet and Sour Stir Fry with Broccoli

Thailand streets are full of road side vendors and they rustle up some wonderful dishes which enchant your senses and mesmerise you with the aroma and look. They are fast and easy to prepare and equally tasty. During my three visits to Thailand I picked up lots of recipes from these roadside vendors. This is one such dish. The Sweet and Sour Chicken Pieces, stir fried with Broccoli and served on Hot bowl of fragrant Jasmine Rice is a simple treat from Food Heaven. Try this out for yourself and enjoy it with your family and friends.

Preparation Time  : 10 minutes
Cooking Time       :  20 minutes
Difficulty               :  Very Easy
Serves                   :   4

Ingredients :

3 cups Broccoli florets

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

2 skinless, boneless Chicken Breast Halves - cut into 1 inch strips

1/4 cup sliced Green Onions

4 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon Hoisin Sauce

1 tablespoon Chili Paste

1 tablespoon low sodium Soy Sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger

1/4 teaspoon crushed Red Pepper

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

4 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced

1/8 cup Chicken Stock (you can also use stock cubes in water)

 

Method :

   1) Place broccoli in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes.

 

   2) Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, add and saute the chicken for a few minutes. 

 

   3) Now add green onions, and garlic saute until the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

 

   4) Stir the hoisin sauce, chili paste, and soy sauce into the skillet.

 

   5) Season with ginger, red pepper, salt, and black pepper.

 

   6) Stir in the chicken stock and simmer about 2 minutes.

 

   7) Mix in the steamed broccoli until coated with the sauce mixture.

 

   8) Once the sauce is thick, taste and adjust seasonings, if required.

 

   9) Serve hot over a bowl of Hot Jasmine Rice. You can also sprinkle some chopped Green onion from the top to make the dish look better. 

Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala

This is an Franco - Italian dish, which is named after the Marsala wine, in which the chicken cutlets are cooked. This dish is generally a very easy dish which includes, mushrooms and herbs and some recipes from Italy also adds up some cream to make a creamier version. But to me The simple Chicken breasts or cutlets cooked with Marsala Wine tastes much better. This Marsala wine is specially grown and processed in Marsala, in Sicily. In case you think you can't procure a bottle of Marsala, don't worry a bottle of Madeira, Port or Sherry would serve the purpose equally well. I personally cooked it with Port a couple of times and found not much difference in taste. So go ahead friends, cook something elegant over this weekend and give your spouse a real surprise.

Preparation Time   :   5 minutes
Cooking Time        :  25 minutes
Difficulty                :  Very Easy
Serves                    :   4

Ingredients : 

• 4 boneless Chicken Breast Halves, without skin
• 1/4 cup all-purpose Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Leaf Basil
• 3 tablespoons Butter
• 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 120 grams fresh Mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup Marsala Wine (alternately use Port)

Method :

   1) Pound chicken to 1/4" thickness between 2 sheets of plastic wrap.

   2) Combine flour, salt, pepper, and basil in a dry big bowl; mix well.

   3) Heat oil and butter in a heavy non-stick skillet over medium high heat.

   4) Dredge chicken in seasoned flour mixture.

   5) Cook chicken until lightly browned on first side, about 2 to 3 minutes.

   6) Turn chicken and add mushrooms around the chicken pieces.

   7) Cook about 2 minutes longer, until lightly browned; stir the mushrooms.

   8) Add Marsala wine to pan.

   9) Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Check the chicken with fork if it is properly done.

  10) Serve this easy chicken with hot cooked pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice.

 

Turkish Biber Dolmasi

Turkish Biber Dolmasi 

Turkish cuisine is known as one the world's most versatile cuisine, and I simply love Turkish dishes. This one dish which I adore most is Biber Dolmasi. It is very easy to prepare and one can play around with the fillings and create an unique version every time. That what makes it so interesting. I have always loved to serve this dish as an antipasti, you can serve this as a part of the main course too. Just because it takes very little time to prepare, it can be teamed up with Harira or even a bowl of fresh salad or pita wraps and adorn your weeknight dinner table.

Preparation Time  :  20 minutes
Cooking Time       :  50 minutes
Difficulty               :  Easy
Serves                   :  4 - 6

Ingredients :

• 3 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive oil
• 12 sweet Bell Peppers (green is most common, but different colours add to the fun)
• 100 grams minced Lamb or Beef (you can do more or less depending on how meaty you would like it)
• 200 grams Rice, well rinsed and drained of water
• 5/6 Onions (medium sized), finely chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, crushed
• 4 tablespoon Raisins
• 4 tablespoon Pine Nuts
• 2 tablespoon Mint (fresh ones are the best)
• 3 teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoon Pepper
• 4 tablespoons Sugar
• 100 mils Water
• Round Slices of the Tomatoes (to use as covers) 

Method :

  1) Heat a pan over medium-high flame and add oil to it.

  2) One the oil is sufficiently hot, add onions and saute the onions in the oil until transparent.

  3) Add the rice and saute on low heat until the grains also look transparent.

  4) Add the mince, cook through, then add the garlic, raisins, pine nuts, mint, salt and pepper, and fry gently for another couple of minutes. You will know when it's done from the wonderful aromas.

  5) Pour in about 100ml of water and sugar, stir.

  6) Cover and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until the water has evaporated.

  7) Set aside to cool.

  8) While the filling is cooling, slice off the tops of the peppers, just the tops. (I use tomatoes to use as tops, you can also use the pepper heads)

  9) Clean out the insides of the peppers, to remove all the seeds, doing your best to keep the bodies of the peppers intact.

10) Now using a dessert spoon to scoop the mixture into the peppers, ensuring you press down gently after each spoonful to fill all the corners.

 11) Once fully stuffed, pop the tomato tops on eash peppers as if they were lids, and arrange the peppers on the bottom of a large saucepan with about 350 mils of water.

 12) Bring to a gentle boil and cook until most of the water has evaporated, and the peppers are tender. This will take about 20-30 minutes. Alternatively, you can put in a medium oven for about the same time. But don't forget to put a small bowl of water in the oven, otherwise the peppers would get too dried and wrinkled.

 13) Once the peppers are done, set aside for 5 minutes.

 14) Serve with a salad, yogurt, and fresh bread as a meze. Or as a main meal, with some soup, salad and Pita wraps.



 

Norwegian Meatloaf

Norwegian Meatloaf

This meatloaf might not be one of the easiest or fastest meatloaf recipe, but a Norwegian Meatloaf can easily make its place in the history of food, because it dates back to the era of Vikings. I was going through a book about Vikings, some ten years back, when I came across this recipe. I did a bit of research on Norwegian food at that point of time, and came to know that, this meatloaf was a part of their staple diet. Though meatloaves are a part of many European Cuisine, but somehow I liked this more. So my dear friends, get, set and cook something which was once cooked over a hearth by the Viking ladies :)

Preparation Time  : 15 minutes
Baking Time          : 1 hour + 20 minutes
Resting Time         : 10 minutes + 5 minutes
Difficulty               :  Easy
Serves                   :  4
 

Ingredients :

• 500 grams of Ground Beef (you can substitute with Lamb or Mutton, as I do)
• 5 cups seasoned Mashed Potatoes
• 1/2 cup minced Onion
• 2 Eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 tablespoon Flour (use ordinary all-purpose flour)
• 3/4 teaspoon Dill Weed (use fresh ones, if you don't get fresh then only go for bottled version)
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
• pinch Nutmeg
• 1/2 cup shredded Pasteurised Processed Cheese

Method :

  1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  2) Line an 8-inch loaf pan with foil extending about 1/2 inch above sides.

  3)  In medium bowl, combine ground beef/lamb/mutton, 2 cups of the potatoes, onion, eggs, flour, dill, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix well but don't kneed too much, it will harden the meat.

  4) Press mixture into loaf pan.

  5) Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

  6) Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes.

  7) Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.

  8) Carefully remove meatloaf by lifting foil from pan.

  9) Peel off foil and transfer with spatula to an oven proof serving platter.

 10) In medium bowl, combine remaining potatoes with cheese.

 11) Spread on top and sides of loaf.

 12) Return to oven and bake 20 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned.

 13) Let it stand for 5 more minutes before you slice and serve with boiled vegetables and apple sauce or pan juice sauce.

 

Poulet a la Saucisse

Poulet a la Saucisse

This wonderful Italian dish is very popular in most Italian Restaurants. The chicken is excellent served with either a bechamel sauce or a light sauce made of sour cream, milk, Parmesan, and cream cheese, and sprinkled with parsley before serving. I had this dish at my friend's restaurant and was so hooked to it that every time I go there this dish becomes an integral part of my order.

Preparation Time :  15 minutes
Baking Time         :  45 minutes
Difficulty              :   Very Easy
Serves                  :   4

Ingredients :

• 2 hot Italian Sausage links, casings removed (or any other spicy sausages)
• 120 grams Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 Egg Yolk
• 3/4 teaspoon Dried Oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 skinless, boneless Chicken Breast halves - pounded thin
• 2 tablespoons Butter, melted
• 1/2 cup Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs (you can also use ordinary bread crumbs and season it with mixed herbs)

Method :

  1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

 

  2) Lightly grease a baking dish.

 

  3) In a skillet over medium heat, break apart the sausage and cook until evenly brown. Drain grease.

 

 4) In a bowl, mix sausage with cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg yolk, oregano, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce.

 

  5) Place equal amounts of the sausage mixture on each chicken breast.

 

  6) Fold breasts tightly over the filling and secure with toothpicks.

 

  7) Arrange in the prepared baking dish. Brush with butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs to coat.

 

  8) Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until chicken juices run clear.

 

  9) Serve the Chicken Breasts on a plate along with bechamel sauce or a light sauce made of sour cream, milk, Parmesan, and cream cheese, and sprinkled with parsley before serving.