Festive Greetings with Chicken Parcel Recipe and Choco Chip Cookies

 We are facing a very challenging pandemic year so far and each of us have their versions of challenges. However, festivals bring hope and happiness and we start anticipating nice things in progress, forgetting about the obstacles and challenges of a pandemic year.

Hope this Christmas lightens up your day with joy and laughter. Merry Christmas!!

I have made these Chicken parcels and dear daughter has made Choco chip cookies on Christmas eve yesterday, so likewise it has featured in the blog. These chicken parcels are easy to assemble with ready-made short crust pastry dough. These parcels reminded me of Cornish pasties, although not entirely similar but has uncanny resemblance, perhaps a little shape is lacking here and there. The crescent shape Pasty was replaced with a rectangular chicken parcel. I have avoided doing egg wash for each parcel. But next time will do that for a nice even shinny and crusty layer.

Now to the recipe

Chicken Parcel

Recipe requirements

• Short crust pastry block- 500gms
• 400-500 gms of chicken thigh portions
• 1 medium size potato
• 1 medium size onion
• 1 cup of green peas
• 100 Gms of baby chestnut mushrooms
• 1 medium size tomato
• 3-4 heaped tbs of chicken gravy granules
• 1 tsp of black pepper powder
• 3-4 tbs of cooking oil
• 1 tsp of salt

Method

• Clean and cut chicken thigh portions into bit size portions. Chop potato, tomato and onion. Cut potato into small bite size portions.
• Now put a fry pan on medium heat. Add cooking oil, add in onions, baby chestnut mushrooms, green peas and cut tomatoes. Add in potato and chicken pieces as well.
• Add in chicken gravy granules and salt. Add in black pepper powder. Add in a cup of water. Cover and cook for about 15-20 mints or till chicken turn out soft and the content starts collecting well somewhat more like semi-dry.

Now to the pastry

• Take out pastry dough from the packet and divide it into 4 portions. Roll into a long rectangular slab. Please follow package direction for thawing and rolling the dough.
• Divide the cooked chicken and potato mixture into 4 portions.
• Place the mixture at one side and roll over from other side. Press with fork and seal the ends. (At this time, you can even do an egg wash for each parcel)
• Preheat an oven at 180 deg C.
• Put the parcels over baking tray and bake 25-30 mints depending on the make of oven. Take out once the sides of parcel start to brown out. The sides of the parcel should nicely toast and center should remain little bit soft but cooked well.
• Serve warm and enjoy. Vegetarians can make it with soya chunks or Paneer pieces.

These Choco Chip Cookies were made by dear daughter and these turned out very delicious.

Choco Chip Cookies

Recipe requirements

Recipe adapted from (Here)

• 125 gms of softened butter
• 100 gms granulated sugar
• 100 gms light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 and ¾ cup of self-rising flour
• 1 tsp of vanilla essence
• ½ tsp of salt
• 100 gms of chocolate chips

Method

• Cream softened butter and granulated sugar, light brown sugar in a big mixing bowl.
• Now add egg and vanilla essence and mix well.
• Sift in self raising flour and salt. Keep mixing this flour mixture with creamed butter and sugar till all the dough starts to collect well. Dust off more flour if it gets sticky.
• Put the dough to rest in fridge for about 2-3 hrs. Take out when you are ready to make Choco chip cookies.
• Preheat an oven at 180 deg C. Line up a baking tray with grease proof paper or baking paper sheet.
• Now make walnut size small balls out of the dough and roll them nicely rounded. Put them apart on baking tray. Sprinkle some chocolate chips over and gently press to secure them on cookies dough.
• Bake in the oven for about 10-15 mints or the make of your oven.
• Take out once sides are just starting to go light brown in color. Delicious Choco chip cookies are ready. Enjoy. This dough can be put in deep fridge and it will stay fresh for about a month, Use it accordingly.

May this Christmas bring you loads of happiness and laughter. 

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year everyone.

Multigrain Jeera Kali Mirch Namakparey/Nemki and Happy Diwali

 

Greetings for a very Happy Diwali.

May festival of light brings loads of happiness and peace to you and your family.

I often think festivals brings out much positivity among us, as we gather around and mingle with family more and spend quality time. We share generously and reach out to friends and family members, whom we haven’t met or talked for a while now. This pandemic is turning out more challenging for each of us, as we slowly try to adjust and live our ‘new normal’. That doesn’t take away the spirit of festivity within us. We are home bound, restricted but not lacking the festive spirits. We lighted 14 prodeep/Diyas yesterday to celebrate' Choto Deepawali' and today also we lighted candles. And festivals without some ‘pet puja’ is incomplete as well. Here is our platter for this Deepawali.

I have made Kaju katli and Balushahi and these multi grain Kali mirch jeerey wale namakparey in Hindi or nemki in Bengali and these are delicious. We always make some savoury snacks for Deepawali. These multi grain nemki were crunchy and bustling with flavours. I have added freshly grounded cumin seeds and whole black pepper to give a nice kick and flavor.

 Now to the recipe

Jeera Kali Mirch Multigrain Namak parey/Nemki

Recipe requirements

• 2 and half cups of multi grains flour
• 3 tsp of cumin seeds
• 10-15 whole black pepper
• 1 tsp of red chilly flakes
• 1 tsp of sonth (ginger powder)
• 2 Pinches of hing (asafetida)
• 1 tsp of salt
• 3-4 tbs of cooking oil
• ¼ tsp of baking soda

For deep frying namkin/namakparey

• 2 cups of cooking oil

Method

• Take a big mixing bowl. Add all the multi grain flour.
• Dry roast 2 tsp of cumin seeds and whole black pepper for about 2-3 mints. In a mortar and pestle, dry grind, toasted cumin seeds and whole black pepper.
• Now add all the spices in the mixing bowl with multi grain flour. Cumin and whole black pepper coarse powder, rest of cumin seeds, ginger powder, red chilly flakes, hing, baking soda and salt.
• Mix all well. Now add in 3tbs of cooking oil. Knead the dough with water. Just enough to hold it together. Cover it and leave it to rest for about 2-3 hrs.
• Now divide the dough in equal portions.
• Meanwhile, heat up a fry pan, add cooking oil. Let it heat up properly.
• Take one portion and roll into big round just like chapati.
• Cut them into diamond shapes out of them and fry the namakparey in hot oil. Take out and drain over a kitchen towel.
• Store in air tight container and it stays fresh for about 4-5 days.

Recipe Mentioned 

Kaju Katli

Balushahi

Enjoy Deepawali with your friends and family.

Happy Diwali everyone. Have a good one.

Multigrain Laddu - Happy Vijayadashmi and Shubho Bijoya

 Festivity invokes myriad feelings. The feelings which takes you back to growing up years, recalling the food, laughter and joy shared with friends and family. Even though, we are in midst of a Covid pandemic, the surroundings around us have become somewhat pleasing with beautiful fall colors. Besides that, it brings much relief to us these days, amidst the chaos, we sometimes observe around the globe happening in present time.

And autumn coincides with Dussehra, Bijoyadashmi and Kojagori Lakhsmi pujo, Halloween and then, soon festival of lights- Deepawali. Autumn season imparts a lovely sense of calmness and a festive spirit. May the festive spirit linger on to give us courage and strength to carry on our daily life.

These days, we are mostly confided to home as social gathering is restricted or we have left with limited options, either with morning walks in local parks, occasional local super-market rounds and compulsory school days over here. 

‘Sharadoutsav’ had started couple of days ago and a Bengali in me, was yearning for that ‘Pujo- Pujo’ feeling. So, we caught up with Live telecast of Durga Puja at Belur Math, Kolkata. We missed the Pujo buzz surrounding Pujo pandals this year just like many of you. So, we tried to recreate the atmosphere with home-made Bhog er khichuri, labda and tomato chutney and offered Pushpanjali in home listening to Mantra chanting by Priest, of course there are many videos on YouTube,which came to our aide and also caught up with some other old telecast of local “Sarbojonin” Durga Puja as well. This created a magnificent ambience for us -It says “Something is better than nothing.”. 

Let’s keep our traditions alive in our hearts and try to adjust and live with our ‘new normal’ as of now.

Moving on to our recipe of Multigrain laddus’, I have made these laddus on Shashti and these turned out moist and delicious. I have made whole Wheat Laddus  and Boondi Laddu earlier as well. These laddos are much more flavorful with multigrain. Multigrain atta is easily available everywhere these days, so no need to dry grind all grains in home. This flour mixture of grains had-Oats, Wheat, Maize, Quinoa, Channa, Spelt and Soya. Please read labels if you are allergic to any ingredients before making these laddos. You can create your own version of multigrain flour as well. You need a heavy-duty grinder/mixer for that purpose. 

Now to the recipe.

Multigrain Laddus

Recipe requirements (Makes approx- 16)

• 3-4 cups of multigrain atta/flour
• 1 cup of granulated sugar 
• ¾ cup of desi ghee
• 4-5 cardamom pods

Method

• Put a deep pan on flame. Add 2-3 tbs of ghee to it. Add multigrain flour and roast them for 10-15 mints at medium-low flame, stirring in between.
• Add in sugar and mix well. Add in freshly crushed cardamoms. You can use cardamom powder as well.
• Add ghee slowly and keep mixing. When all the ghee is poured into the flour sugar mixture. Keep stirring, till it starts to collect well.
• Stop stirring and take it off. Let it cool a bit.
• Clean your hands with soap and water. Start shaping laddus with some portions. I have made approx. 16 laddos with this much of quantity.
• Store in cool and dry place. Stays fresh for 3-4 days. Further, if required after 4 days, please put them in refrigerator.

Enjoy festivity and wish you all a very Happy Dussehra and Shubho Bijoya.

Cod Fish Fry with Harissa

I wrote my first blog post in 2006 and it never occurred to me that I am inviting myself for a whole new experience. I thought it was more of a fluke for me at that time and other recipe posts written thereafter. For me, it was like a toy given to pacify a child. I was super excited that there is something called ‘Blogspot' and where I can write my ramblings and share recipes. This also happened in a spur of moment, never planned it and still it remains the same, even after fourteen years. God! its fourteen years in food blogging world. In between all these years, food blogging procedure has changed and so is the norm now. It has shifted its base readers to Instagram and other social platforms, but I being a stubborn, continued food blogging here.

Initial years, it was exciting to know about number of people subscribing to this blog. But now the initial euphoria has subsided, almost like gone with a wind. I have let go of the urge of updating the blog routinely and strictly also. When I feel like I need to write a post, then only I update. I know many of you who are regulars here may feel disappointed. There lies a virtual world and a real world and many go on to balance it well and few can’t. I will add another name in the last ‘few’. Well who else? The author herself!!

Let me write a thank you note starting from my sabziwali to dudhwala to machiwala, who made their contributions in their own way. After all what is a food blog, if I don’t mention them for providing me with their supply of choicest of fresh vegetables, fish and poultry. All that which looks good in pictures in this blog, should taste good as well, otherwise there is no point being a food blogger, well at least for me. I should also thank my readers who find some sort of familiarity when they visit here and try out recipes,or many can relate to the ramblings written over recipe posts. The intention is to have rough estimations and precise procedure for that particular recipe.

Thank you readers for being part of this fourteen years journey with me!!

Food has been integral part of many cultures, actually whole gamut of cultural revolution happened due to food – either its shortage or its availability. Spice routes were created to discover hidden treasure islands, from Columbus to Vasco Da Gama who explored sea routes to mysterious countries where spices can be found in abundant. And to discovery of Balti cuisine in a country known for eating mashed potatoes, Sunday roast and fish fry. Who would have thought our very own ‘Topse Mach Bhaja’ can be competing with deep fried Cod dressed in flour beer batter. Well dressing really makes the difference, isn’t? A Bengali Bhadra Lok Dhoti Clad and an English gentleman, both can devour their versions of fish fry in seconds. Last part is a bit exaggeration. But guess what, fish fry remained staple for both of them. Here comes a new version for this staple fish fry recipe.

Cod fish pairing up with North African spice blend ‘Harissa’ wrapped in flour beer batter.….err. I mean to say Cod fish fry with Harissa in Besan batter. When East meet West and they together meet South. The concoction formulates a perfect formula for a delicious fish fry. There you go now, north African can also join in to our cultural revolution. Presenting Cod fish fry with Harissa.

I have used store brought Harissa spice blend as its easily available in many super stores over here. World is a global village now, think Harissa spice blend is readily available in India as well.

Now to the recipe 

 

Cod Fish Fry with Harissa spice

Recipe requirements (serves 2-3)

• Cod fish Fillets 200-250 gms (approx.)
• 3 heaped tsp of Harissa powder
• ½ tsp of salt
• ½ cup of Besan/ Bengal gram flour
• 1 tsp of harissa powder
• ½ tsp of garlic powder
• ½ tsp of salt
• 2-3 tbs of cooking oil

Method

• Clean Cod fish fillets. Pat them dry with kitchen towels. Marinate them with harissa spice powder and salt.Keep aside for about an hour.
• In a separate flat plate – mix besan, garlic powder, salt and more harissa powder. Clean hands with soap and water. You can make a wet batter as well with water. Then you will need water and more oil to deep fry them. This recipe relies mainly on coating the cod fish fillet with Besan, enough to hold the dry spices.
• Now coat the Cod fish fillet with this besan+ harissa powder mixture. Leave aside for about half an hour.
• Again, coat well the fish fillet with besan mixture by pressing gently with hands. This double coating seals the moisture on Cod fish fillets.
• Put a sauté pan ( non-stick ) on heat. Add in cooking oil.
• Add in marinating and well-coated Cod fish fillets, frying for 3-4 mints each side at medium flame.
• Take out and serve.Tip- Other firm fish- like Haddock and Sea Bass fish fillet can also be used with Harissa.

Happy Cooking Friends!

Turkey Meatballs and Mushroom Rice Pilaf- Kofte and Mushroom Pulao

 We have been witnessing obnoxious level of summer heat in UK, with past couple of days being extremely hot. This reminded me of Indian summer and the only respite, I can think of is torrential rain showers. The rumbling clouds came hovering on few evenings and played their part in bringing down the temperature momentarily, only to disappoint us again with rising temperature next day. Wednesday being one of the hottest day of this summer season. The scorching heat has made everyone feel the heat, even the trees, birds and bees are not spared.

This is another effect of climate change and we need to adjust with it along with Covid. This virus has made us all chaotic and going restless, claiming victims with immense suffering and with economy taking a plunging fall across globe.Among all these, there is a place where we may find some solace, to each to their own. Please keep doing those things which brings mental diversion from negativity happening around us.In this pandemic era, we need to hold on to our patience level and act with caution. Keep safe and follow local guidelines where ever you are placed in the world. 

Yesterday evening, it was a welcome change with heavy rainfall leaving a pleasant relief from humidity and scorching heat.” Sawan” or monsoon is a special season in India, rain itself evokes so many emotions. Food and poetry have been integral part of Monsoon season in India. 

I just happened to listen to these “Thumri”- Jamuna Kinare Mora Gaon and "Kajri" Sawan Ki Ritu to replicate the same ambiance from back home. The pitter-patter of raindrops on window panes amidst rumbling clouds and these heart wrenching Thumri Gayaki enthralled the night for me. After this soul music, it is now time for some soul food as well.

 Now let’s talk about the recipe

I have made these turkey meatballs a fortnight ago. These meatballs are regular in our food menu. We make spaghetti with meatballs with them often. I have used them to make Kofte curry as well. So, you can guess its versatile nature and its very adaptive. You can even stuff them in Pita and serve with hummus as well.

I have made kofte and mushroom pulao this time. I sometimes add whatever vegetables I have in my pantry to make pulao even more filling and nutritious.These meatballs freeze well. You can make big batches and freeze them in freezer. These stays fresh for about a month. I won’t recommend using them after a month as its home-made with no preservatives. There are many other possibilities with these turkey meatballs.

I have used Turkey mince, but you can replace it with other red meat mince. 

Now to the recipe

Baked Meatball and Mushroom Rice Pilaf- Kofte and mushroom Pulao

For Meatballs/Kofte (Baked)

Recipe requirements (Makes 18-20)

 Turkey mince – 750 gms

2-3 tsp of tandoori masala

1 tsp of coriander powder

2 tsp of red pepper powder

2 tsp of freshly crushed whole black pepper

1 tsp of garam masala

1 tsp of salt

2-3 tsp of fresh lemon juice

¼ cup of Besan/ Bengal gram flour

2-3 tsp of cooking oil

Method

Take out turkey mince from the packet in a big mixing bowl. Clean it with running water, but do not break the mince slab while cleaning. It will be nice if you can squeeze out excess water from it once you have cleaned the mince. Pat dry with kitchen towel to soak up extra moisture.

Add in tandoori masala, coriander powder, red pepper powder, garam masala, and freshly crushed black pepper and salt as per taste.

Add in lemon juice to the mince. Add in besan and cooking oil.

Now with clean hands, mix all very well. Keep on kneading just like you would do for making atta dough. When it starts to collect well and no sticky, the mixture is ready. If required, you may add some more oil.

Cover the mince mixture and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Preheat an oven at 175 deg C.

Line up a baking tray with foil.

Divide the mixture into equal parts. I ended up making about 18-19 turkey mince balls out of it.

Bake in for about 25-30 mints. Take out and let it cool.

This will be added later into Pulao.

It can be refrigerated also for future use.

 Pulao - Rice Pilaf

Recipe requirements (serves 2-3)

1 large cup of long grain Basmati rice

2 cups of chopped mushroom

3-4 tsp of biryani masala – refer this recipe

1 tsp of red pepper powder

4 tsp of rose water

3-4 tsp of ghee

 3-4 tsp of cooking oil

2 tsp of grated ginger and garlic paste

1 large onion finely chopped

3-4 green cardamom

2-3 black cardamom

 ½ inch cinnamon

2 tsp of whole black pepper

1 tsp of salt

Method

In a big pot, cook rice with ample water till they are ¾ done. Just like al Dente as in pasta. Drain the starch. Add in ghee and 2 tsp of biryani masala powder and slowly fluff with a spoon.

Now in a big wok or a pot, add in cooking oil. Temper the oil with freshly crushed cardamom, cinnamon and whole black pepper.

Add in grated ginger and garlic and finely chopped onions. Fry them well for about 4-5 mints, till a nice aroma hits your nose.

Add in dry spice powders- rest of biryani masala, red pepper and salt. Mix well. Sprinkle bit of water.

Now add in baked meatballs and chopped mushrooms and coat with spices well.

Now add in cooked rice in that pot, mixing slowly, making sure Kofte don’t break out.

Sprinkle rose water all over it.

Cover the pan and cook at low flame (at Dum) for about 8-10 mints.

Take it off and let the rice pilaf/pulao sit in for about 1-2 hrs.

Serve with boiled egg and raita. Enjoy.

Other Kofta recipes from this blog

Kale leaves Kofta curry

Green Banana Kofta Curry

Lauki Kofta Curry

Keema Kofta Curry

 Let me also wish my fellow countrymen a very Happy Independence Day in advance.