This dish is a combination of meat and lentils. I personally prefer Urad dal (black gram lentil) with meat because of its creamy and soft texture. It happens to be an ideal curry to have with parathas as breakfast or dinner. I am not trying to exaggerate in any ways when I say that it is one of the easiest and quick recipes which makes it so phenomenal. There is no need of cooking lentils and meat separately, as everything gets cooked in one single pot. The cooking time of the meat and lentils is almost the same.
Serves: 4 Cooking time: 30 to 40 minutes.
Ingredients:
500 gm mutton mince (chicken or beef can be used)
1 cup Urad Dal (wash and soaked for 15 minutes)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 tbsp ginger & garlic paste
2 tbsp yogurt
1 tbsp red chili powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp shahi jeera (caraway seeds)
2 green chilies chopped
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt
4 tbsp cooking oil
Method:
Wash and soak urad dal for 15 minutes or till it has to be added to mince.
Heat oil in a sauce pan and add 1 tsp shahi jeera, 1 cup chopped onion and 2 green chilies. Fry till onion becomes soft and pink.
Then add 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tbsp red chili powder, 1 tbsp coriander powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and 1 tsp cumin powder. Saute well for 2 to 3 minutes on low flame. Or till the raw smell disappears.
Add mince and stir well till it is well combined with spices. Now add 2 tbsp whisked yogurt, mint leaves and salt. Place the lid and cook on medium low flame for 10 minutes.
Once the mince is half cooked, then add the soaked dal (without water). Mix well and add very little water only if needed. Place the lid again and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes or till dal is cooked. Do not add too much water and overcook as we want the lentils to be firm and not mushy.
Finally add 1/2 tsp garam masala powder, lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves. Cook for a minute and serve hot with parathas.
Dal Panchratan is a popular dish in most of the Indian restaurants. 'Panchratan' means five jewels, and here five jewels represents five different kinds of lentils. The idea is to prepare a curry using these five kinds of lentils. It is very essential that you need to have an equal proportion of these. The method of preparing remains the same as any other dal tadka recipes.
Wash and boil the lentils with salt and few drops of cooking oil in a pressure cooker by adding enough of water (3 to 4 cups approx).
Heat oil in a sauce pan and add whole cumin, fry till it sizzles and turns slightly dark in color.
Add chopped onion and saute till soft, followed by 2 tsp ginger garlic paste, 2 tsp red chili powder, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. Fry for sometime on low heat till the raw smell disappears. Add few drops of water if spices stick to the saucepan.
Now add chopped tomatoes, green chilies and mint leaves. Fry till tomatoes are cooked and oil starts to separate from the masala.
Add the boiled lentils along with its water and stir well so that the spices are well combined with lentils.
Finally add lemon juice, garam masala powder, chopped coriander and salt if needed.
Stir well, cover and cook on low flame for 20 minutes. Keep stirring in between to avoid the lentils from sticking to the pan.
Serve hot by pouring some ghee (clarified butter) and chopped ginger.
Step by step pictures
You might also like my other dal recipes on the blog:
This chutney takes me down the timeline when I would visit my grandparents in Mangalore. Those were much awaited vacations to getaway from books and studies (not exactly... as we had never ever ending list of holiday homework).
Just before our lunch time, I could hear a walloping sound in the kitchen, almost like a monster's footsteps, that is what it sounded like in that age of mine. After a while, I find my grandmother using her kitchen appliance which was a huge stone grinder (heavy mortar & pestle). Then I realize the sound of a monster footsteps is actually the 'making of this chutney'. And the divine aroma which lingered in the kitchen, of fresh coconut, dried red chilies, the tamarind and of course the main hero of the dish 'dried shrimps' all of these getting crushed to perfection and getting into a form of a humble and classic chutney which is passed down from generation to generation. My grandmother had those magical powers to create some of the classical dishes which cannot be found in any restaurant.
Ingredients:
2 cups dry shrimps (washed & toasted)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 tbsp tamarind pulp (washed and seeds removed)
2 tbsp red chili powder (or according to preference)
2 cup grated fresh coconut
Salt
Preparation:
Wash the dried shrimps thoroughly with water and dry roast on a pan till crisp. (try to roast it with a closed lid on or in an oven as the smell could be unbearable to others)
This chutney needs to be prepared using a mortar and pestle.
In case if you do not have one, then use the Pulse button on your grinder and grind the chutney in short burst.
Method:
Add all the above ingredients and crush till everything comes together in form of crumbs.
If you are using an electric grinder, then add all the ingredients in the grinding jar and grind using the pulse button just till you get a chutney of crumbs texture.
Serve this chutney with dal chawal. (lentil curry & steamed rice)
I am so much in love with Chicken 65 that I like to have it in many different forms. If you are familiar with my other recipes on blog, you will find recipes like Chicken 65 which is dry preparation. And then I also have made a biryani using the same concept Chicken 65 Biryani. The one which I am going share with you in this post is a slight gravy version of Chicken 65. This one is an ideal party dish, and your guest will just enjoy every bit of it. It can also be a part of your daily food with a regular home style dal and steamed rice. I had clicked this picture when I had a lunch party at home and trust me this was the dish which was more in demand. Ingredients:
Ingredients For Chicken 65:
1 kilogram chicken (washed & cut into medium pieces)
5 tbsp Yogurt
1 tbsp chicken tikka masala powder (or 1 tbsp red chili powder)
Pinch orange red food color
Oil for deep frying. (3 to 4 cups)
10 curry leaves
10 whole green chilies.
Marinate for Chicken :
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
4 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp each grated ginger & garlic
2 tbsp red chili powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 egg
1/2 tbsp vinegar
Salt to taste.
Method of making chicken 65:
Combine all ingredients for marinate in a glass bowl, add chicken pieces and mix well. Set aside in the refrigerator for 1 hr.
Heat oil for deep frying and fry chicken pieces till done and keep aside.
Heat some oil in a pan and fry curry leaves and whole green chilies for few seconds. Remove from the pan.
In the same pan add yogurt mixed with 1 tbsp tikka masala powder (or red chili powder) and red food color.
When yogurt starts bubbling add chicken pieces to it and cook till yogurt is dry and chicken is well coated.
Turn off the heat and add fried curry leaves and green chilies.
Note: Green chilies should be whole with the stem. When you add chicken pieces to the yogurt, wait till the yogurt dries up completely and chicken pieces are well coated.
Ingredients for Gravy Masala :
2 medium onion chopped
2 medium tomatoes chopped
2 green chilies with slit (medium hot)
1 tbsp ginger & garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp red chili powder (medium hot)
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 cup yogurt
Salt to taste
2 tbsp tomato puree (any brand)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
5 to 6 curry leaves
5 tbsp cooking oil
Method for making Chicken 65 Masala:
Heat cooking oil in a saucepan and add chopped onion and fry till light golden, along with green chilies and curry leaves.
Add 1 tbsp ginger & garlic paste and fry 1 minute. To this add chopped tomatoes and cook till it is soft.
Now add all the spice powders like 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp red chili powder, 1 tbsp coriander powder and 1 tsp cumin powder.
Cook on low flame for 5 minutes till aromatic and oil separates.
Then add 1/2 cup yogurt, Salt, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp tomato puree and 1 cup fresh coriander leaves. Place the lid and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add prepared Chicken 65 to this masala, stir gently. Add 1/2 cup water and cook on low flame for 5 minutes.
Serve hot
You might also like my recipes of some Dry Chicken
Whenever we hear about a kabab recipe we assume that it has to be done on a charcoal flame or in a pre-heated oven. Most commonly kababs are prepared that way, but slightly modifying the cooking method enhances the taste and the flavor.
In this recipe of Kalmi Kabab, I chose to cook the marinated chicken in a pot. This way we do have a full control over the meat and also it retains its moisture and gives more succulent result. Cooking any kind of kabab in a pot over slow flame is my favorite method of cooking. But I do miss that charred color and texture and also that smokey flavor.
The recipe is very easy and simple without too many spices. Also the most important step here is marinating the chicken twice. Do not look for a short cut by combining both marinades, as the result of the final dish will change.
Marinate chicken pieces with salt, black pepper and lemon juice and set aside for 1 hour.
In a grinding jar add ginger, garlic, green chilies, 1 tbsp kasoori methi and 1 tsp shahi jeera and make smooth paste.
To the marinated chicken pieces add the masala paste, 2 tbsp yogurt, 2 tbsp cream, 1 tsp garam masala powder, 2 tsp amchoor powder and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well and again marinate for 30 minutes.
Heat cooking oil and butter in a sauce pan.
Fry chicken pieces on high heat for 1 minutes on both sides. Place the lid and cook the chicken till it is almost done. Keep stiring and add few drops of water if needed. Taste and check the salt and other seasoning.
Finally add 2 tbsp of cashewnut powder and for another 5 minutes.
Note: This kabab can also be prepared in an oven or as a barbecue on a charcoal flame. In that case, add cashewnut powder along with the second marinate.
You might also like to try my other Kabab Recipes:
In my previous posts on biryani, I have always divided the whole procedure into steps. This is to make the procedure clear and more easy to understand. Preparing biryani is never a rocket science, but yes, it needs a little practice and some fine details that needs to be followed. For example, a good and perfect biryani depends on how well you have cooked the rice.
Whenever I prepare the rice for the biryani, I avoid doing any other work and just stand and wait for the rice to cook. After adding the rice to the boiling water, it takes approximately 8 to 10 minutes. So we need to be a little extra alert to this step. When the rice looks ready, we need to drain it as soon as possible to stop the rice from getting cooked any further. As far as the gravy is concerned, it should neither be a runny or of thin consistency nor too dry and thick. Try to maintain a nice medium consistency with lots of flavors and spices. Compared to other curries, a biryani masala needs more of onion and tomatoes.
The secret to a perfect biryani also lies in its dum-cooking procedure. While assembling the biryani together for dum, make sure that rice and gravy are both hot enough. And after assembling the dish for dum, the steam should appear within 10 minutes of cooking.
Step 1:Chicken Tikka
Ingredients:
1 l kilogram chicken (medium size pieces)
2 tbsp. yogurt
1 tbsp ginger & garlic paste
1 tbsp red chili powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp roasted cumin powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp crushed black pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
Pinch of red food color
1 tbsp mustard oil
Salt
Method:
Marinate chicken pieces with rest of the ingredients for minimum 2 hours.
Heat 4 tbsp oil in a saucepan and cook chicken till it is fully done. This will take about 20-25 minutes.
Preserve the juices with the chicken.
Step 2: Biryani Masala
Ingredients:
2 medium onion chopped
2 medium tomatoes chopped
4 green chilies with slits
1/4 cup mint leaves
1 tbsp ginger & garlic paste
1 tbsp red chili powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp roasted cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 cup yogurt
1 tbsp kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
Whole Spices: 2 " piece of cinnamon, 3 cloves, 3 cardamom, 1 bay leaf, 2 tsp shahi jeera
Salt
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 piece of coal
Method:
Heat 1/2 cup cooking oil in a saucepan and add all the whole spices.
Add 2 onions chopped and fry till light golden, along with 4 green chilies (with slits) and chopped mint leaves.
Add 1 tbsp ginger & garlic paste and fry 1 minute. To this add 2 tomatoes chopped and cook till it is soft.
Now add all the spice powders like 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1 tbsp red chili powder, 2 tsp coriander powder and 1 tsp cumin powder. Cook on low flame for 5 minutes till aromatic and oil separates.
Then add 1/2 cup yogurt, 1 tbsp kasoori methi, 1/4 tsp garam masala powder and 1 cup fresh coriander leaves. Place the lid and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add this biryani masala to the chicken tikka pieces, mix well and cook for another 5 minutes on low flame. Taste and adjust the seasoning (add water and salt if needed).
Place a piece of foil on the surface of the gravy and keep a hot burning coal on it. Pour a tsp of ghee over the coal. Cover with an air tight lid to trap the smoke. Leave it covered for 15 to 20 minutes.
Open the lid and discard the foil and coal piece.
Step 3: Biryani Rice
For Rice Preparation
4 cups of long grain basmati rice
2 bay leaves
Big piece of cinnamon stick
5 cardamom
1 tbsp vinegar
Salt to taste
4 tbsp oil
Enough water to cook the rice.
Method for cooking rice:
Wash the rice thoroughly and soak for 30 minutes in water.
Heat a large vessel filled with enough water. Bring to a boil and add 2 bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom, vinegar, salt and oil.
Add the soaked rice and cook till 90% done. When you check the rice, it should be firm and not fully cooked.
Drain the rice in a colander and set aside.
Step 4: Dum Cooking
Ingredients:
1 cup fried onion
1 cup chopped coriander leaves
1/4 cup milk + 1 tsp rose water + Pinch of yellow colour
1 tsp garam masala powder
2 tsp shahi jeera
4 tbsp. of ghee or butter
Dum Cooking:
In a large sauce pan add all the chicken tikka masala as first layer.
Spread half of the cooked rice and sprinkle with the few drops of milk + rose water + colour mixture. Sprinkle a handful of coriander leaves and fried onion along with pinch of garam masala and 1 tsp shahi jeera.
Repeat the step 2 with rest of the rice.
Make some deep dents in the rice so that the steam can easily circulate. Pour some ghee or butter over the rice and seal the vessel with a foil and a tight lid. (to avoid the steam from escaping)
Cook on medium high heat for 10 minutes. You will see the foil has puffed up due to the steam. Switch off the gas and let the biryani stay covered for another 15 minutes.
Serve hot.
You may also like other similar recipes of biryani
Wash and soak mung dal for 4 hours. Boil it in a pressure cooker with 3 cups of water and salt.
Heat oil in a sauce pan and add 1 tsp cumin seeds. Once it splutters and changes color, add asafoetida followed by chopped ginger and garlic.
After few seconds add chopped onion and saute till light brown.
Then add tomatoes, chopped green chilies, 2 tsp red chili powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and 2 tsp coriander powder. Cook the masala on low flame till tomato cooks well along with the spices and oil starts to separate. This will take about 5 minutes.
Now add the boiled mung and mix well. Cover with the lid and cook for 10 minutes on low flame. Adjust the consistency by adding water as required.
Finally add 1 tbsp of lemon juice, 1/4 tsp garam masala powder, chopped coriander and salt if needed. Stir well and check the seasoning.
Cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve hot with steamed rice, pulao or rotis.
Note: If the curry becomes too watery, then cook for a longer time till the water evaporates.
A very simple and easy recipe with very few ingredients, you can make this dish in a very less time. It tastes equally good even without the coal fumigation. It goes very well with the freshly made steamed rice and home style dal. Or just enjoy with toasted pav.
In this kind of cooking technique, there is no need of adding any extra water, as the chicken releases its own juices along with the moisture present in tomatoes. There is no harm in adding extra water at the end in case if you need any gravy.
This recipe is different from usual chicken curry, as it is high on flavors. Flavor of coal, tomatoes and spices gives the curry a restaurant touch and the richness from the roasted and ground cashew nuts.
You can try similar recipes on blog which are equally easy and simple to prepare. Kadhai Recipe
Marinate chicken pieces with 1 tbsp ginger & garlic paste, 1 tbsp red chili powder and salt for 1 hour.
Make a paste of 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes along with 1 tbsp tomato puree (store bought).
Roast 1/2 cup cashew nuts and grind to a fine powder.
Chop coriander leaves.
Method:
Heat oil in a saucepan, add marinated chicken pieces and stir fry on medium heat for 1 minute.
Now add the paste of fresh tomatoes and tomato puree, along with 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder and 1 tbsp kasoori methi.
Stir well and place the lid. Cook on low flame till chicken pieces are fully done.
Keep a piece of charcoal on open flame and heat till it turns red hot.
Add 2 tbsp of powdered cashew nut and green chilies to the chicken and cook for 1 more minute. Check the salt and add if needed.
Garnish with chopped coriander and remove chicken from flame.
Place a small piece of foil or a steel bowl on the surface of the chicken masala. Keep the burning piece of coal on the foil and pour 1 tsp of ghee or butter on it. Immediately cover with lid and keep the gravy covered for 30 minutes.
Open lid and discard the foil and coal piece.
Reheat if needed and serve hot with roti, naan or steamed rice.
Note: You can add more water in step 5 if you need more gravy. You can prepare this curry even without using coal fumigation, it tastes equally good.
