Hassle free, easy dry chicken recipe marinated in cashew and curd along with spices and cooked with fried onions. Can be served as a starter or in the main course.
main course
Punjabi Garlic & Rice Curry – Thom Chawal
Our elders had the unique ability of creating curries out of anything that is edible, well just about anything. Nowadays if an unexpected guest comes, we order food from outside. In the past, though, my mom would conjure up quick interesting recipes to save the day. One such recipe is thom chawal. Made with a few basic ingredients, mostly available at home its quick and easy and looks special. Mom would sometimes make it for lunch during summers. I used to love it as a child, and would ask mom to save it for the next meal. This unique dish…
Masala Crabs – Spicy Crabs cooked in Kerala Style
Having lived most of my life in North India , non vegetarian food has mostly been Chicken and Mutton. Seafood was restricted to fish and that too fried fish. I was lucky to travel alone, a bit once I joined work, and on my trips I used to experience all the local cuisines. I had crabs for the first time in the US a couple of years back. After that, although I have been eating crabs in India , it is mostly as crab cakes or in mixed sea food pasta , pizza or soup. I got introduced to this…
Chatpati Bhindi – Okra made in Air Fryer
Okra or Bhindi is a vegetable made in almost all parts of India. It is one of the vegetables which most kids love. Mine loves it too. I am certain that the lunch box from school will return empty on the days “Bhindi – Roti” is given. Masala bhindi is normally a spicy preparation , wherein the okra is slit horizontally and the mix of spices are filled in. It is a very time consuming process especially if one needs large quantities, so I prefer to cut the okra into half, and then cook with the spices. This recipe is…
Paneer Butter Masala – Cottage Cheese Cooked in Cashew and Tomato Gravy
In a Punjabi household, Paneer or cottage cheese preparation is a must, if one has guests coming over or for a grand meal at home on special occasions. This is one of the recipes, which comes to my rescue, when I have guest coming over for a meal at short notice or if I am making an elaborate meal and have many dishes to prepare that are time consuming. The recipe is quick to prepare and comes out well with little effort. I learnt this recipe from my second guru, my sister. Over a period of time I have learnt…
Rajma – Kidney Bean Curry
For all my friends, who love the Rajma at my place, I had to post this recipe. Rajma or Kidney beans curry, is a popular dish in a Punjabi household. I have hardly come across anyone who does not like Rajma Chawal . My daughter loves it and when ever I make it , I make a little extra for her to eat the next day as well, as she is sure to ask! One of my friends who travels from Delhi for work to Bangalore every few months, and stays here for a week, requests for rajma rice on…
Aam Ki Launji – Raw Mango Relish
No Indian meal is complete without pickles and relish. Aam ki launji is a sweet and sour relish from North Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. It is made with a few spices and is quick & easy to make. Having spent my childhood in eastern Uttar Pradesh, I came across many dishes that required panch phoran. As the name suggests it is a mix of five spices. Unlike other mix of spices , panch phoran is a mix of whole spices, all of which are seeds, in equal quantities. I use lesser fenugreek seeds for milder taste and…
Dum Aloo
Potatoes are an integral part of every cuisine. One of our family friends used to say that in their family irrespective of how many dishes are made for a family get together, the culinary skills of the hostess will be assessed based on how well the potatoes are prepared. In all the states of India potatoes are cooked in various forms, dry and curry. Each family has it’s favorite potato preparation. There are various preparations of Dum Aloo- Kashmiri, Banarsi, Punjabi etc. My mother used to make this recipe of dum aloo whenever we had a vegetarian guest. It is…
Barbeque Chicken in Orange Sauce
My mantra is to keep meals simple, use as many fresh ingredients as possible and not to use many flavours. The advantages of having an air fryer are that you can also use it for various other functions such as barbeque. This is one of my favourite barbeque recipes, for an air fryer. It is important to marinate the chicken for a minimum of 4 hours, such that the chicken absorbs the juice and all the flavours. Sweetness of orange juice and chilly is an interesting combination- sweet and spicy. Rosemary gives it a very distinct flavour. This dish can…
Baked Fish
I start planning what to cook over the weekend on Thursday. Make a list of ingredients needed and check the availability. On the way back from work, on Friday, I buy the items that are not at home. Weekend lunch is a very important ritual at our home. Weekends are the only time, we get to eat together, so very special for me. Also, as I am into a full time job, I hardly get time to cook over the weekdays. So while deciding what to cook for lunch, I also try to ensure that the dish is liked by…