Coca cola chicken wings

Sometimes the Facebook status updates can give interesting ideas. I read about coca cola chicken for the first time when she updated about how she was enjoying those. A quick search on the internet revealed it to be chicken marinated in coca cola and other Chinese sauces and then pan-fired, while the coca cola is reduced to a glaze. It sounded like an interesting idea and I decided to try it. I got some chicken wings. And even though the skin adds to the ‘unhealthy-ness’ of the dish, it adds to the taste. I kept it simple. Coca cola, soy sauces, rice wine, that was all for the marinade. The coca cola when reduced caramelized into this nice sweetish glaze for the succulent chicken wings. It was one of those foods when I love to not only use my fingers to eat but also actually get messy while doing so!

 

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INGREDIENTS:

(Serves 2)

6 chicken wings

200ml coca cola

1tbsp dark soy sauce

1tbsp light soy sauce

1sp of Chinese rice wine

1tbsp sesame oil

1sp Chinese five spices

1sp chili flakes

Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

METHOD:

1.      Clean and pat dry the chicken wings.

2.      Marinate the chicken wings in coca cola, soy sauce, sesame oil, five spice and chili flakes, for 30 minutes.

3.      Grease a pan and fry the chicken wings to get a nice golden sear, around 3 minutes each side.

4.      Add the marinade liquid and bring to boil. Simmer the wings on low heat for around 10 minutes covered; and then around 10 minutes uncovered until the liquid is reduced to a glaze.

5.      Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper (optional) and serve hot.

Macher tikki (Fish tikki)

These days are rainy. A time, when I crave for Kolkata street food. And macher chop was what I was craving for. The Rohu fish flavored with simple spices is nestled inside a delicious mashed potato wrap. The whole thing is then coated with breadcrumbs and fried to get the glorious golden. The crust crunches into the melting softness of potatoes and fish. The nuts and raisins give a hint of sweetness to balance the green chili peppers. Accompanied with chutneys and sauces, it is perfect for the rainy evenings to munch on. Away from Bengal, without those street side shacks, if I am to have macher chop, I very well have to make it on my own. So one afternoon, I was all set to satisfy my palate.  Rohu was replaced by Carp. And I decided to incorporate a healthy twist (I was a bit lazy). I did not wish to have the potato mash coating. And, Instead of deep frying them, I pan fried the fish patties. Hence was born macher tikki from the chop. Ghee used as the frying medium brought richness to the flavors and added aroma. The sweetness of onions and raisins, the heat from ginger and chilies, the crunch of the nuts, all brought together to make the coldish rainy evening delicious!

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INGREDIENTS:

(Makes 10)

600g Carp fish (or any sweet water fish)

2 onions

2 inch ginger

5-6 cloves garlic

3-4 green chilies

1/2sp turmeric

1sp coriander powder

1sp cumin powder

1sp garam masala powder

25g roasted peanut

25g raisins

Ghee

METHOD:

1.      Boil the fish in salted water. Debone. Mash well and keep aside to let it cool.

2.      Chop the onion, ginger and garlic roughly.

3.      Heat ghee in a wok. Add onion, ginger, and garlic. When it softens, add turmeric, cumin and coriander powder. Fry until golden brown.

4.      Blend the fried onion, ginger, garlic and green chilies in a smooth paste.

5.      Chop roughly the peanuts and raisins.

6.      In the heated wok used for frying, mix uniformly the fish, onion-ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, peanuts and raisins. Let it cool a bit.

7.      Divide into 10 equal portions and form patties.

8.      Pan-fry the patties using ghee.

9.      Serve hot with ketchup and chutneys.

Cheese snails

These cheese bread rolls are super easy to make, and oh so yummy. The soft texture of the bread and the tempting smell of molten cheese just do not allow one to stop eating them. I love the taste of sesame and the occasional salt crystals. We made a batch of them and they were finished in no time. Yum!

You can print the recipe for your kitchen here: PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

Dough:

1kg flour

84g yeast

1tbsp sugar

Salt

100ml oil

400ml milk

Filling:

400g grated cheese

2eggs

Garnish:

1 egg white

Sesame

Salt crystals

METHOD:

1.      Warm 50ml of milk with 1 spoon each of sugar and flour. When the milk is lukewarm, remove it from heat and add the yeast. Cover it and allow it to rise for 15min.

2.      Add the yeast to the dough. Add salt, oil, and lukewarm milk.

3.      Make a smooth dough. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 1hr so that it rises.

4.      Roll it into a square 1/2cm thick. (Use the dining table and one clean tablecloth dusted with flour for rolling.)

5.      Smear it with beaten egg and spread the grated cheese evenly.

6.      Tightly roll the dough. Cut it into 3cm thick wheels. Arrange them in a baking tray and gently squeeze them a bit.

7.      Let them rise again for 15mins.

8.      Smear with egg white. Sprinkle sesame seeds and little salt crystals.

9.      Bake them in preheated oven at 180°C for 15-20 mins.

Fish galawati kebab

Galawati kebab is a delicacy from Awadhi cuisine. It originated to satisfy the delicate tastes of the Lucknow Nawabs (Uttar Pradesh, India). The name Galawati means ‘that melts in mouth’. It is an exquisite mixture of ground meat and aromatic spices formed into patty and fried on a griddle. The high fat content makes the kebab melt in the mouth. It is said that the authentic recipe has long secret list of aromatic ingredients that are signature of this preparation. Even though I do not know the secret recipe, I tried to keep it as close to the authentic one as possible. However, there are variations. I did not use atar or rose petals, because I did not have those. The major variation is the use of fish instead of meat. And that is why the name is Fish galawati kebab instead of just Galawati kebab. I wished to experiment with fish. The fat in this recipe mostly is fish oil with some cream. I do intend to try it once with ground meat, but this time it was with fish. But don’t let that disappoint you, as the kebabs were no less delicate. Soft, juicy, and delicious they were. With each bite, it was a celebration of flavors. The fish meat created a nice smooth texture, and the subtle blend of flavors and aroma of different spices took it to a different level. It was delicious.

You can print the recipe for your kitchen here: PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

(Makes 6)

250g Rohu fish (or Carp fish)

1 onion

1 inch ginger

4 cloves garlic

2 green chili

2tbsp Bengal gram flour

2tbsp khoya kheer

1tbsp cream

Salt, sugar

Ghee

Spice mix:

1inch cinnamon,

2 black cardamom

4-5 cloves

10 black pepper

3g mace

Pinch nutmeg powder

1 small dry red chili

2tbsp sesame seeds

1tbsp poppy seeds

METHOD:

1.      Boil the fish pieces, debone and set aside.

2.      Make a paste of the onion, ginger, garlic, chili.

3.      Heat ghee in a wok. Add the paste.

4.      Fry the paste until water evaporates and it is nicely brown.

5.      In the meantime, roast all ingredients of spice mix except nutmeg powder. Finely grind everything. Add the nutmeg powder.

6.      Mash the fish well. Add the onion-ginger-garlic-chili paste and the ground spices. Add khoya kheer and cream. Season with salt and a pinch of sugar. Mix well.

7.      Make dough using roasted Bengal gram flour.

8.      Cover and put in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

9.      When making the kebabs, take the dough out and again knead well.

10.   Make 6 equal sized balls and shape them like a patty.

11.   Grease a pan with ghee and pan-fry each of the kebabs until brown on both sides and starting to get a hint of char.

NOTE:

Condensed milk powder can be used instead of khoya kheer.

The kebab is very delicate and needs gentle handling while pan-frying.

If Rohu (or even Carp) is not available, any other sweet water fish from same family can be used.

Dal paturi

Paturi is the Bengali style of wrapping food in banana leaves and steaming it. Needless to say, it is a delicacy with the recipes handed over through generations. The delicate flavor that the banana leaves impart into the steaming food is simply matchless. It is prepared with fishes, vegetables, lentils and all other possible combinations. One such is dal paturi. It is a paste of yellow split peas (matar dal) and coconut steamed to form a delicate ‘cake’. Dal paturi is one of my favorite foods. I love the subtle flavors and the spiciness of chilies. I can just keep on eating it. Unfortunately, the last time I had it was at least 8 years ago, if not more. So, this weekend, I was determined to make it. I cannot get banana leaves here and first thought of using some other leaves. But, then decided against it. Some other leaves cannot replace the delicate flavor of banana leaves, and I did not want some different new flavor in it. I wished and craved for the original taste. I remember once I had the ‘dal paturi’ baked in oven instead of steaming in banana leaves. It actually tasted almost like the authentic recipe. Therefore, I decided to try it. I called my mother for the recipe, in case I do not remember any particular ingredient. And finally was all set to cook. Even though, I used a complete different cooking method, it did not disappoint me. Of course it wasn’t same as steaming in banana leaf, but well, I cannot help that. However, except that, everything tasted exactly the same. And I went back to the delicious flavors of childhood.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Serves 5)

1cup yellow split peas (soaked overnight)

1cup coconut

2tbsp mustard oil

3 green chilies

1/4cup chopped fresh coriander

Salt, Sugar

METHOD:

1.      Grind the soaked split peas with little water possible (4-5tbsp). The texture of the paste should be a bit rough.

2.      Mix together split pea paste, grated coconut, chopped chilies and coriander, mustard oil, salt and a pinch of sugar. Mix well for around 5 minutes.

3.      Spread it on a greased baking dish in a 1-1.5cm uniform layer.

4.      Bake for 15 minutes in a oven preheated at 180°C (bottom heating only).

5.      Serve hot or room temperature as a starter/side.

Pickled bread poha

I had some bread lying around for long. In the fridge there was some pickled cucumbers and bell peppers waiting to be eaten. A few slices of salami was there from breakfast before. Some potatoes were there in the box. And I had not much mood of cooking a proper lunch. So I decided to use up all these leftovers together for some short-cut meal. I make these kinds of food when I am not in much mood, when there is little time, or when the leftovers need to be finished. And this recipe is perfect for a tasty quick snack-meal and for cleaning the fridge.

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INGREDIENTS:

(Serves 2)

3cups of old bread cut into cubes

1/2cup chopped pickled cucumber

1/2cup chopped pickled bell pepper

1 medium potato cut into small cubes

1/2cup chopped salami

Salt

Pepper

Oil

Ketchup

METHOD:

1.      Heat little oil in a wok. Add the potatoes and cook on medium heat for a couple of minutes.

2.      Add all the cucumber, bell pepper, salami.

3.      Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4.      Cook until the potatoes are done.

5.      Add the bread cubes. And sprinkle 1/2 cup a bit of water. Cook until its dry.

6.      Serve with ketchup.

Cheese muffin

Muffins are small convenient sweet treats. But what if it takes a salty taste? And at any point I prefer salty food than sweet. So when I saw this recipe of salty cheese muffins, I had to just try it. The soft melting sheep cheese, with bits and pieces of olives, and a hint of rosemary flavor made an enchanting taste in the mouth as I bit into one freshly out of the oven. The only drawback is that the muffin sticks to the paper cups because of the cheese. But I happily choose to neglect that and enjoy this little salty treats.

You can print the recipe for your kitchen here: PRINTABLE RECIPE



INGREDIENTS:

(Makes 12)

Dry ingredients:
250g flour
70g pitted black olives
2.5sp baking powder
1/2sp soda bicarb.
salt
1tbsp rosemary
Ground black pepper

Wet ingredients:
300g yogurt
80ml olive oil
1 egg

200g sheep cheese

METHOD:

1. Cut 150g of cheese into 12 equal-sized cubes.
2. Crumble the remaining cheese.
3. Thinly slice the olives.
4. Whisk the egg and mix in it the olive oil and yogurt.
5. Sift the flour. Add baking powder, soda, rosemary, pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Add the sliced olives in the flour and mix.
7. Slowly add the flour into the egg (dry into wet) and fold in quickly with a gentle hand.
8. Line the muffin try with muffin cups.
9. Fill half of each cup with the dough. Place in each a cube of the cheese. Then cover it with the rest of the dough.
10. Sprinkle on top with crushed cheese.
11. Bake in preheated oven at 180°C for 25-30 minutes.
12. Remove the baked muffins, and let it stand for 5 minutes before eating.

NOTE:

The cups should not be filled over 3/4 of its volume.

Ocvirkovka (Potica with cracklings)

 Ocvirkovka is an old Slovenian specialty. It is a salty version of Potica (rolled dough pastry) filled with cracklings (ocvirki). Mostly made by the farmers, it is quite difficult to get in the shops. I had a bit of it during an organized walk in 2009, and after that never really could get it anywhere easily. As it is generally made in larger quantities, and because this particular version is filled with fat, we never thought of making it at home. However, a couple of months back, I was again remembering it so much, and really wished to have it. So with Blaž’s mother, we decided to make half the quantity. And wow, we just almost finished it over the dinner! It tasted great, the rich bread and the crackling fat. It is not the healthiest of foods, but as it melts in mouth, there is a burst of creamy salty enticing taste. One for sure can sometimes indulge in unhealthy food.

You can print the recipe for your kitchen here: PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

(Serves 10-12 or Makes 2 loaves)

Dough:

1kg flour
700ml milk
1 egg
1 egg yolk
120g butter
20-30g yeast
1sp sugar
1 sp salt

Filling:
300g cracklings
1 semi-dry sausage
400ml sour cream

METHOD:

1. Crubmle the yeast cube in a big bowl. Add 1sp sugar, salt, 2tbsp flour. Add lukewarm milk (50ml) and let it rise in warm place for 15 minutes.
2. Heat the rest of milk until lukewarm and add butter. Remove from heat and add the egg and egg yolk.
3. Sift flour and add salt. Add the yeast mixture. Pour in milk-egg mixture and knead into a smooth tight dough.
4. Set aside and let the dough rise for 1 hour.
5. In the mean-time, cut the sausage in cubes.
6. Heat the cracklings on moderate temperature.
7. When the dough has risen, roll it into a think big square (as think as possible) on a floured cloth.
8. Spread it with the sour cream.
9. Sprinkle with the cracklings and sausage cubes.
10. Tightly roll it into a log.
11. Put it in a greased baking pan and let it again rise for 30 minutes.
12. Bake in a preheated oven at 180˙C for 1-1:15hr.
13. Make crosswise slices and serve hot or cold.

NOTE:
The yeast mixture should rise properly.
Use a floured cloth or baking paper to roll the dough.

Nimki

This simple salty snack with subtle flavor of Nigella seeds reminds me always of Kolkata and childhood. I have always seen my parents and grandmother making nimkis after Durga Puja. I always enjoyed looking at the little diamonds getting deep fried and slowly turning golden. And later I enjoyed devouring them all along the day. They can be stored for months, but in reality would not last a few days. This year after the Durga Puja, I decided to follow the tradition and make nimki. Though I sort of had the idea about the recipe, I called my mother to know it in details, and specially learn the tricks or tips from their experiences. Having no experience of making crispy snacks from dough, I was a bit not confident in the beginning. The dough is similar to paratha dough and I couldn’t imagine how deep frying it will turn it nicely crispy. But in the end they did turn crispy. Though I over fried the first batch making it a bit too hard, there was no compromise in the taste. And I was happily munching these nimkis for days.

You can print the recipe for your kitchen here: PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:
(Makes a bowl full of nimkis)

2cups flour
3tbsp refined oil
2sp Nigella seeds
1/2 sp baking soda
1sp salt
Warm water
Oil for deep frying

METHOD:

1. Take the flour in a bowl and add baking soda. Make the flour lighter and airy by rubbing in between fingers. After sometime you will be able to feel that the flour is lighter.
2. Rub in the oil; mix for a couple of minutes to form fine crumbles.
3. Add salt and Nigella seeds. (Rub the Nigella seeds in palm before adding, this brings out the flavor.)
4. Make smooth and tight dough using warm water.
5. Divide dough into 2-3 balls and roll each into 0.5cm thick.
6. Cut into small diamonds (1cm apart vertical cuts followed by 1cm apart diagonal cuts).
7. Heat oil for deep frying.
8. Gently put the nimkis in oil and fry on low heat in batches until they turn light golden.
9. Drain excess oil and store in airtight container when cold.

NOTE:
Making the flour lighter, and rubbing with oil (also amount of oil used) is the key to the crispiness. The more you do, the crispier it is. But doing too much can result in making brittle nimkis.
To test if oil is hot enough, put a little dough in it, if it floats with initial foaming of a few seconds, the oil is ready.
Fry on low heat such that nimkis get cooked in middle and are not too borwn.
Over frying can result in a bit harder nimkis.

Pepper ham wrap

A breakfast with fresh and crunchy vegetables is always delightful. And this pepper ham wrap is a quick and healthy way to start the day. The crunchiness of the colorful pepper added with the salty cheesy taste wrapped in tortillas is just what is perfect for a Sunday breakfast. I was aiming to realize this idea for quite some time, and finally made it a few weekends ago. Now, I cannot wait to try it again and try out some other variations.

You can print the recipe for your kitchen here: PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:
(Serves two)

4 tortillas
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 small carrot
100g ham
1 cup grated cheese
Salt
Pepper
Lemon juice

METHOD:

1. Thinly slice the bell peppers and coarsely grate the carrot.
2. Season the vegetables with salt, pepper and lemon juice according to taste.
3. Chop the ham.
4. Load a tortilla with vegetables and ham, leaving the edge.
5. Generously cover half of the tortilla with cheese.
6. Fold the tortilla in half and press gently on the edge.
7. Heat a pan and carefully place the tortilla in it.
8. Cook on medium-high heat for a few minutes pressing the edge gently with the spatula until the cheese melts sealing the edge.
9. Turn over the wrap gently and do the other side for a couple of minutes.

NOTE:
Use bigger tortillas, it is easier to handle.
Any cheese can be used as long as it is easy to melt and seal. I used general light cheese in this recipe.

Upma

Upma is a common breakfast dish you will find cooked in South Indian household. It is tasty, healthy, and above all very easy to cook. It is colorful with different vegetables and leaves. I also many times cook it for dinner or a brunch, or as some simple evening snack. However, the original recipe has few ingredients not so easily available to me here, and I like to call this particular recipe as “my version”. Like, I don’t get curry leaves here, a main ingredient of upma. Also there I cook it in a slightly different procedure. Anyway, the simplicity of this dish makes it so interesting to me, and I don’t mind a few modifications. Also I like adding more vegetables than the flour, such that the flour will roughly coat the vegetables. Sometimes I even add a small diced tomato. I like to add many different kinds of vegetables in it, and like the subtle flavor of mustard. And finally I love to have it with a generous amount of tomato ketchup.

INGREDIENTS:
1 big bowl of different vegetables cubed (carrot, cauliflower, peppers, broccoli etc)
1 medium sized potato (peeled and cubed)
2/3cup of semolina flour
1tbsp of black mustard seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2tbsp oil
Water

METHODS:
1. Heat oil in a pan.
2. Put the mustard seeds and cover over low heat. Let them crackle.
3. When the crackling stops and one gets the aroma, put in all the cubed vegetables.
4. Cook in medium to low heat for some time, until the vegetables are almost cooked.
5. Add the semolina flour, mix well and cook for 1-2 min.
6. Now add water little by little, such that the semolina gets cooked but not overcooked and lumpy.
7. Cook covered for 1-2min over medium flame.
8. Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

NOTE: Adding the right amount of water is a crucial step. Around 1/2-2/3 cup of water is generally enough, but it is advisable to add a little at a time and then add again if necessary. Also, sometimes roasting the semolina flour a bit before using it helps it making less sticky and lumpy.