indian main course
Chicken Jalfrezi
Chicken Jalfrezi is tender juicy chunks of mild hot chicken curry cooked in a spicy tomato sauce
studded with stir-fried peppers and onions.This richly flavored jalferazi with capsicum and onion ,
tastes best with chapati rice, but you can also serve it with steamed rice.
Ingredients:
250 grams of chicken breast, cut into medium size cubes.
2 tbsp of oil
1 large onions, cut into medium size cubes
1 cup of green capsicum, yellow capsium and red capsicum cut into medium size cubes
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 slit green chillies
½ tsp of turmeric powder
1 tsp of red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
2 tsp of coriander powder
½ tsp of cumin powder
1 tsp of garam masala
1 tsp of canned tomato paste (optional)
1 cup of chopped ripe tomatoes
Directions || How to make Chicken Jalfrezi
Prepare all the ingredients and keep ready
Heat 1 oil in a pan, add onion cubes
Sauté until the onions turn soft and a light brown around the edges.
In the same pan, add green, red and yellow capsicum and saute them well for 2 mins.
Remove them from pan and set it aside.
In a cooking pot, add oil.
Add chicken cubes ,ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute until fragrant and mix it well with chicken again
Cover and cook the chicken for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through
The chicken will let out water while cooking so the dish shouldn’t burn but keep an eye on it every 3-4 minutes by giving everything a good stir
Once the chicken is cooked, uncover and cook on a medium flame a few more minutes.
Now add all the spices – coriander, cumin powder, chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric ,green chillies – and fry again for a minute until they turn fragrant.
Take care not to burn the spices at this stage by keeping the flame low
Now add the tomato paste (if using) as well as tomato ketchup
Mix well, add ½ cup water, and cook for a minute
Check in between to give the curry a stir and keep heat to medium- low.
The gravy should be thicker by now and not watery (which is what we want)
Add salt and stir, check the taste to see everything is balanced well.
Add fried onions and capsicum and mix it well with chicken gravy.
cook for 5 mins on medium flame before removing from the heat
Serve chicken jalfrezi hot with rice or rotis
Mughlai Keema(Qeema) paratha
Mughlai Keema Paratha, which is stuffed with spicy mutton keema (minced meat of a goat) filling,topped with whisked eggs.This authenic paratha is famous throughout India.
I prepared this dish with chicken ‘keema’.The chicken variant can be prepared the same way as normal mughlai paratha.You can check this simple unique paratha with the easy recipe and step by step video.
A must try recipe at home.
Preparation time : 20 mins
Cooking time : 10-15 mins
Makes 7-8 parathas
Serves 3 to 4
Ingredients:
For the dough:
2 cups wheat flour
1 cup all purpose (maida) flour
1 tsp oil
Salt to taste
Water
For the filling:
250 gm minced chicken(keema)
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 green chilly finely chopped
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
Half cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 egg, beaten
Salt to taste
Direction || How to make Mughlai keema paratha
Mix the wheat flour , maida, oil, salt and water and knead it into a soft dough.
Make seven to eight equal portions from the dough.
Keep the dough aside.
In a hot pan, add oil and chopped onions.
Fry onions till it turns golden brown and then add ginger garlic paste, green chilli ,red chilli powder,garam masala powder,cumin powder and salt.
Stir and cook till water has almost dried.
Remove and keep aside.
Now add chopped coriander leaves.
Let it cool for some time.
Now, roll out each portion of dough into a thick small ,round shaped dough.
Now in the center of the dough , place some prepared chicken keema.
Take the edge and start pleating as well as bringing the pleats in the center.
Pressed the pleats in the center and now with the rolling pin , make a round shape paratha.
Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan or a tawa. Place the paratha on the pan.
Pour some beaten egg over the paratha in the pan. Flip and pour some beaten egg again.
Fry till it turns golden brown in colour.
Your Mughlai keema paratha is done!!
Serve with green chutney.
Tomato Pulao/Tamatar pulao
Tomato Pulao also know as tamatar pulao/tamatar bhath or biryani or South Indian spicy tomato rice.
It is an easy one pot meal or a lunch box or also a saver recipe on those busy weekdays cooking.
I saw this recipe on one tv channel and found it interesting for my family.
I just gave it a try and it happened to turned out good.Both my kids enjoyed as it didn’t had much of hot spices.
You can either serve it with raita or even plain curd or just have it with any chips of your choice.
So lets move on to the recipe..
Prep Time : 10 mins
Cook Time : 30 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the seasoning
1 tbsp ghee
3 Bay leaf small
3-4 cloves
5-6 peppercorns
1 tsp jeera
1 cup Basmati Rice
2 medium size Onion
1/4 cup green peas
1 tsp Ginger-garlic paste
4 Ripe juicy tomatoes puree
1 slit green chilli
1/2 tsp Chilli Powder
1 tbsp Garam masala powder
2 tsp Salt(or as required)
Oil for cooking
For Garnishing
2 tbsp finely chopped Coriander leaves
Direction || How to prepare tomato-peas pulao
Soak basmati rice for 20 minutes, drain the water completely and keep it aside.
Chop tomatoes and prepared its puree in a blender.
Heat ghee in a pan, add bay leaf, black peppers and cloves. Fry for a few seconds and then add thinly sliced onions.
Saute till onions become slightly golden brown, add ginger garlic paste,salt and saute for a few more minutes.
Then add tomatoes puree and allow it to cook for 5 minutes , Then add green peas,chilli powder, garam masala powder and green chillies, Cook till tomatoes become mushy.
Add the drained rice, 2 cups of hot water,(check for salt now by tasting the water)
Close the lid and allow it cook on a high flame for 10-15 mins, open it and check the rice.
If the rice is almost half done,garnish with the remaining coriander leaves.
Look it on a low flame till the rice is well cooked or appox for 5 mins.
Serve it hot with any raita/papad/salad
Veg Kofta Curry
The word kofta comes from Persian kūfta ‘rissole’: (kuftan) means “to beat” or “to grind”, hence grinding the meat of the meatball.
In India, vegetarian varieties, like lauki kofta and shahi aloo kofta, are popular.
I tried mix vegetable Kofta along with a curry.
You can have the kofta’s for snacks or as an appetizer or try out my quick and easy Kofta curry recipe as a main course.
Ingredients
For koftas
Mixed vegetables (carrots, peas) finely chopped .You can add any vegetables of your choice.
2 medium size Potatoes boiled, peeled and mashed
1/2 cup Fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup of Paneer
1/4 cup of cheese
2-3 Green chillies finely chopped
1 tablespoon Ginger finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Red chilli powder
Salt to taste
Oil for deep-frying
For gravy
1 small Onion
1/2 cup Tomato puree
5-6 Cashew nuts
1 tablespoon Butter
1 inch Cinnamon stick
5-6 Green cardamoms
1 teaspoon kasturi methi
1 teaspoon Red chilli powder
1 tablespoon Coriander powder
a pinch of Turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon Cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon Garam masala powder
1/2 cup Fresh coriander leaves roughly chopped
1/2 cup Fresh cream
Direction || How to make Veg Kofta curry
To make the gravy, heat oil in a non-stick pan.
Add cinnamon, green cardamoms and cumin seeds and sauté till fragrant.
Add onions and saute till golden brown and then add cashew nuts fry it for few seconds.
Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder and mix well.
Add coriander and kasturi methi and mix. Transfer the mixture into a mixer jar and let it cool slightly.
Add a little water and grind into a purée. Transfer the puree into a bowl and set aside.
To make the koftas,
Mix together mixed vegetables, potatoes, breadcrumbs, green chillies, ginger, red chilli powder paneer ,cheese and salt.
Heat sufficient oil in a kadai.
Divide the mixture into equal portions and shape them into balls. Slide these into hot oil and deep fry till golden and crisp.
Drain on absorbent paper.
Heat butter in another non-stick pan.
Add tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes. Strain the ground purée and add to this pan.
Add fresh cream and mix well.
Allow the gravy to come to a boil. Simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Transfer the gravy into a serving dish, place koftas over it and serve hot.
Garnish it will Corainder leaves.
Tip
If you have breadcrumbs,you can use bread too. soak one slice of bread in water for like a min or two ,
take it out and squeeze the water out. Add it to the mixture.
KomalFiesta 