Shahi Mughlai Paratha

Ingredients:
For paratha:-
All purpose flour – 1 cup
Oil – 1 teaspoon + oil to fry paratha
Salt – to taste

For filling:-
Eggs – 2
Onion (chopped) -2 tablespoons
Green chili (chopped) – 2 (or according to your taste)
Ground chicken / small pieces of chicken – 4 tablespoons
Ginger + garlic + chili paste – 1 teaspoon
Salt – to taste
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Garam masala powder – a pinch
Oil – 1 tablespoon

For potato curry:-
Potato – 1 big (peel and cut into 1 inch cubes)
Onion – 2 tablespoons paste
Ginger + green chili paste – 1 teaspoon
Tomato – two 1 inch cubes
Salt – to taste
Sugar – 1.5 teaspoon
Turmeric powder – 1/8 teaspoon
Cumin powder – ¼ teaspoon
Garam masala powder – a pinch
Bay leaf – 1
Green cardamom – 2
Cloves – 2
Stick cinnamon – 1 inch piece
Oil – 2 tablespoons

Method:
Mix ground chicken / chicken pieces, salt, turmeric powder and ginger + garlic + chili paste.
In a pan heat 1 tablespoon oil.
Add 1 tablespoon chopped onion to it. Fry until onion becomes golden brown.
Add chicken mixture to it and mix well. Cook it in medium heat until chicken pieces become tender/ well cooked. If required sprinkle little warm water. The cooked chicken should be dry.When the chicken is cooked, add garam masala powder and remove from the heat and keep aside.

In another pan heat 2 tablespoons oil.
Add ½ teaspoon sugar to it and caramelize. Add bay leaf, green cardamoms, cloves, stick cinnamon to it and fry till green cardamoms become light golden.
Add onion paste, ginger + green chili paste, salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder and tomato to it. Fry until masala becomes brown and tomato pieces become tender.
Add potato pieces ans remaining sugar to it and cook in medium to low heat covering the pan until potatoes become tender. If required sprinkle little water to it. The curry should be with very little gravy (almost dry).
When the potatoes are cooked sprinkle garam masala powder and remove from heat.

In a bowl mix all purpose flour and salt. Add 1 teaspoon oil and blend well. Add enough warm water to make firm dough.
Divide the dough into two halves to make two paratha from it.
In a smooth surface brush little oil and roll one dough ball into a very thin (as thin as possible so that the filling cooks properly) circular shape.
Beat one egg and add ½ teaspoon chopped onion, some chopped green chili and half portion of cooked chicken to it. Mix well and put this mixture at the center of the rolled paratha.
Fold four sides of the paratha to give a square shape and to secure the filling inside it.
Repeat the process of making paratha for the second dough ball also.
Heat enough oil in a pan (depth of the oil should be at least same as the thickness of the paratha with filling).
Fry the parathas (both sides) one by one in medium heat until each side become brown.
Drain excess oil. Cut the paratha in four pieces (by this way you will be sure that the filling is also cooked properly; if you find it is not properly cooked then fry the pieces again; this will not kill the taste of the paratha) and serve hot with potato curry (alternately you can serve the paratha with “kosha mangsho”), tomato ketchup and sliced onion-cucumber salad.

Spring roll

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 50 gm
Corn flour - 50 gm
Garlic (grated) - 30 gm
Carrot - 50 gm
Cabbage - 60 gm
Capsicum - 60 gm
Onion – 1 small
Spring onion (green onion) - 1
Beans - 50 gm
Sugar - 1/2 teaspoon
Soya sauce - 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Black pepper – ¼ teaspoon
Oil – 4 teaspoons + for deep frying

Method:
Grate/chop finely all the vegetables.
Heat 3 teaspoons oil in a pan.
Add garlic and sauté well.
Add carrot, cabbage, capsicum and beans and sauté well.
Add sugar, Soya sauce, salt and black pepper and mix well.
Add spring onion and remove from the heat; let it be cool.
In a bowl mix all purpose flour, corn flour and salt.
Add 1 teaspoon oil and blend well.
Add warm water as required to make firm dough.
Divide this dough to small lime size balls.
Roll each dough balls to thin circular shape. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in a long shape in one side of this circle (about 1” away from the 3 edges nearest to it). Moisten the edges of the wrapper with little water. Fold the top and bottom part over the filling to enclose the filling securely. Now roll it to the shape of spring roll.
Deep fry the rolls in hot oil till it becomes golden.
Serve hot with your favorite chutney or tomato ketchup.

Note: You can add small shrimps and/or cooked shredded chicken in the filling if you wish.

Luchi (Puri)

Ingredients:
All purpose flour – 1 cup
Salt – to taste
Warm water – about 100 ml
Oil – 1 teaspoon + oil for deep frying

Method:
Mix flour and salt.
Then add 1 teaspoon oil and mix well.
Make firm dough by adding about 100 ml warm water slowly to it. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes.
Divide it into 8 small lime size balls.
Roll the dough balls into about 4 inch diameter uniform circle (it should not be thin somewhere and thick elsewhere).
Deep-fry it (fry both sides turning the luchi upside down when one side is golden) one at a time in vegetable oil (the oil should be very hot; otherwise luchis will not be good). Luchis should puff up.
Remove the excess oil using a paper towel and serve hot with your favorite curry.

Chicken dum biriyani

Ingredients:
Chicken – 6 pieces (medium size)
Ginger-garlic paste – ½ teaspoon
Curd – 1 tablespoon
Salt – to taste
Rice (white long grain) – 1 cup
Potato – 1 (medium) size (peel and cut into halves)
Onion – 1 medium (finely sliced)
Oil – 1 teaspoon
Ghee – 2 tablespoons
Milk – 1/2 cup
Water – 1 cup
Sugar – 1/4 teaspoon
Saffron – a pinch (optional)
Shaan pilau biriyani masala – 2 tablespoons
Aluminum foil to cover the container in which you will cook the biriyani

Method:
Marinate the chicken overnight (at least 8 hours) with ginger-garlic paste, curd and salt. More you marinate better will be the taste.
Soak the rice for 1 hour into water. Then drain it and keep aside.
Fry onions in 1 teaspoon oil until it becomes brown. Drain excess oil and keep aside.
Soak saffron and sugar in Luke-warm milk for 30 minutes.
Mix the pilau biriyani masala in water.
In a greased oven-proof big container first keep the marinated chicken and potato.
Sprinkle soaked rice over it.
Add pilau biriyani masala and water mixture to it.
Sprinkle fried onion over it and then add sugar-saffron-milk mixture to it.
Pour ghee over them and seal the container with aluminum foil.
Cook it in a pre-heated oven (375 degree F) for 45 - 50 minutes.
Turn off the oven and let the biriyani stand in the oven for another 30 minutes.
Serve the biriyani hot (decorating with boiled egg-halves) with fresh salad and raita.

Singara (bengali samosa)

Ingredients:
All purpose flour – 1 cup
Oil – 4 teaspoons + oil for deep fry
Water (warm)– to make dough
Salt – to taste
Potato – 1 medium (peel and cut in small cubes)
Cauliflower – 2 florets (cut into small pieces)
Green peas – 1 tablespoon
Peanut – 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Sugar – 1/2teaspoon
Cumin powder – 1/4 teaspoon
Coriander powder – 1/4 teaspoon
Garam masala – 1/8 teaspoon
Panch phoron – 1/8 teaspoon
Bay leaf – 1
Dried red chili – 1
Asafetida (hing) – a pinch

Method:

Heat 3 teaspoons of oil in a pan.
Add bay leaf, dried red chili, asafetida and panch phoron.
When panch phoron starts to splatter add potato and cauliflower. Stir for few minutes.
Then add salt, turmeric powder, sugar, cumin powder and coriander powder. Mix well.
Now add peanuts and green peas and cook covering it until potatoes are tender. If required add very little water. The curry should be dry but not like fry.
Now add garam masala powder and turn off the heat. Let the curry be cool.
Mix flour and salt into a bowl.
Add 1 teaspoon oil and enough warm water to make firm dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth and roll into a ball.
Divide the pastry into equal lime-sized balls (around 8 balls) and roll out into a thin oval shape.
Divide this into two equal pieces with a knife.
Brush each edge with a little water and form a cone shape around your fingers, sealing the dampened edge.
Fill the cases with the cool potato-cauliflower curry and press the two dampened edges together to seal the top of the cone.
Deep fry the singaras in hot oil (medium heat) until crisp and brown.
Take out and drain on a paper towel.
Serve hot with your favorite chutney or tomato ketchup.

Besan dhokla

Ingredients:
Gram flour (besan) - 3 tablespoons
Water – 2 tablespoons (about)
Curd (should be a little sour) – 1 tablespoon
Baking powder- 1 teaspoon
Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon
Ginger + green chili paste – ½ teaspoon
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Salt to taste
Coriander (chopped) - 1 tablespoon
Oil - 3 teaspoons
Boiled green chilies – 2-3 (optional)
Shredded coconut – 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds – 1/8th teaspoon
Curry leaves – 4-5

Method:
Put gram flour in a bowl and mix in curd, water and beat to a smooth thick paste. Leave aside to ferment for 4-5 hours. The mixture will increase in size.
Add ginger + chili paste, salt, and turmeric powder to the batter.
Heat the steamer or pressure cooker with about 2 cups water for steaming the dhokla. Make sure the water does not get into the container in which you will cook the dhokla.
In a small bowl, mix baking powder, 1 teaspoon oil and lemon juice.
Add this mixture to the fermented flour mixture and mix well. This will increase the volume of the mixture.
Pour immediately into flat greased vessel or a thali or a cake tin.
Steam with cover for about 20 minutes. Do not place the weight if you are using pressure cooker.
Let the cooked dhokla be cool for few minutes.
Cut the dhokla into your desired shape.
In a small pan heat the remaining oil. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves.
When they start spluttering stop heating and pour over dhokla pieces.
Sprinkle chopped coriander, shredded coconut, boiled chilies.
Serve with tamarind chutney.

Aloo methi

Ingredients:
Potatoes – 3 cups, diced (about 3 medium potatoes)
Fresh methi Leaves – 1 bunch, washed well and roughly chopped
Onion – 1 medium sized (finely chopped)
Garlic (finely chopped) – ½ teaspoon
Green chili – 1 (chopped)
Oil – 4 teaspoons
Cumin seeds – ¼ teaspoon
Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
Asafetida (Hing) – pinch
Salt to taste
Coriander powder – 2 tsp
Dried red chili - 1

Method:
Heat oil in a non-stick pan.
Add asafetida, dried red chili and cumin seeds and allow them to sputter.
Add onion, garlic and green chili. Fry until onions become translucent.
Add Potatoes and stir well.
Add Salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder and mix well.
Cook covered for about 8 minutes on medium-low flame.
Add Methi Leaves and mix well.
Cover again and cook until potatoes are tender.
Serve hot with roti/ luchi (puri) / paratha / rice / peas polau.

Misti Doi (Bengal Speciality)

Ingredients:
1 cup full cream milk
2 tablespoons yogurt
5 teaspoons sugar

Method:
Put 3 teaspoons of sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan, on a medium flame to melt.
Allow the sugar to caramelize (brown).
When done add the milk and mix well.
Boil the milk till it is reduced to 2/3rd of its original volume. Stir frequently to prevent the milk from sticking. When it is complete, cool the milk till it is just warm.
Put the remaining sugar to the reduced milk and mix well.
Now add the yogurt to the mixture and stir gently to mix. Pour into the desired container and keep in a warm dark spot for the Misti Doi to set. The best taste results are achieved by setting the Misti Doi in an earthenware pot.
When the Misti Doi has set and is firm, chill for a few hours.

Chili chicken

Ingredients:
Chicken – ½ kg, cut into small pieces
Onion – 2, medium size, cut into square-like shape or whatever you like
Ginger – ½ inch size, finely chopped and crushed
Garlic – 2 beads, finely chopped and crushed
1 tablespoon of tomato sauce
Green chilies – 3, medium size, medium hot, finely chopped
Capsicum - 1, cut into square-like shape or whatever you like
Black pepper powder – ½ teaspoon
All purpose flour – 2 tablespoons
Soya sauce – 3 teaspoons
Vinegar – 2 teaspoons
Salt – ½ teaspoon
Oil – 1 tablespoon

Method:
Mix well the flour, black pepper powder, Soya sauce, vinegar, tomato puree, ginger, garlic, and salt.
Add the chicken pieces to this marinade and marinate it covered for 4-5 hours.
Heat oil in a fry pan and when the oil is very hot, add the onions and sauté till slightly golden.
Add the marinated chicken pieces and capsicum and sauté on low heat (covering it) for 30 to 35 minutes or until the chicken is tender taking care not to burn the chicken pieces by stirring frequently. Sprinkle a little hot water only whenever needed while cooking.
Serve it hot garnished with onion rings, lemon wedges, tomato slices, and/or fresh green chilies.

Chinese fried rice

Ingredients:
3 cups white rice (preferably long grain, cooked and cold)
3 tablespoons oil
1 cup cooked peas, green beans, and carrots mix (if you wish add corn also)
Salt as per taste
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
2 tablespoons Soya sauce

Method:
In a wok heat the oil.
Add peas, green beans and carrots mix and stir fry until tender.
Lower the heat and add the eggs and stir fry until finely scrambled.
Add Soya sauce and then add rice and salt and blend well.
Stir fry for 2 minutes.
Serve hot.
If you wish you can add shrimps, cooked shredded chicken also.

Chicken Lollypop

Ingredients:

8 chicken drumsticks1 tablespoon corn flour
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon Soya sauce
2 tablespoons curd
½ teaspoon tandoori masala

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper powder

Oil for deep frying

1 egg

Method:
Make 4-5 slits on each drumstick length wise so that masala can get into it.
Marinate the drumsticks with ginger-garlic paste, salt, black pepper powder, curd, tomato ketchup and tandoori masala for 1 day. You can refrigerate it if you wish to marinate for more than 1 day. More time you marinate better will be the taste. I prefer to marinate for 2 days in refrigerator.
Add corn flour, all purpose flour and beaten egg to the marinated chicken before frying.
Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan and pour in the drumsticks and deep fry until the chicken turns reddish brown.
Serve hot with fresh salad.