Creating a blog was out of the question for a long time for me, as measuring everything in the kitchen was like biting into an eggshell. I enjoy cooking and don’t want to waste even a slightest bit of enjoyment in that small world of mine. But little did I know that everything will change, when my husband came home with the Oscar nominated film ‘Julie and Julia’( a real life story) where Julie Powell (part played by Amy Adams) challenged herself to make all the 524 recipes from Julia Child's cook book ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ and blogging all her experiences (The Julie/Julia Project). It was an inspiring movie. A few days later when we were discussing this casually with a friend of ours over tea…everything changed dramatically…..” How about you making at least half of it in one year? Not French but your own. 262 recipes that will inspire others and present it as a blog?” For a minute my mind traveled faster than light… With an experience as a helper in my mother in laws kitchen for 6 years followed by a three year everyday struggle to satisfy the palate of my foodie husband, if I cannot do it then why should I cook? But on the other side with an experience in English literature extending no more than expanding outline stories in English grammar class when I was 18 and two small kids that come in handy at times, will a commitment for the next one year work? Anyway my ‘cook's ego’ didn’t allow me to say no...

So my friends …here I am opening my recipe book, trying to perfect and present 262 recipes in the coming 365 days….A Challenge that will of course tastes good. Come.. Have a walk with me along my journey.. Cheering and inspiring….Forgiving and tolerating…Testing and tasting….for ‘A Tasty Challenge’

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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

‘Multi Purpose’ Gravy and Butter Chicken

This is a type of gravy that I use as a base for a lot of dishes. You can make this ahead of time and can store in the fridge for up to 3 days or can be kept frozen up to 3 weeks in the freezer, making it very versatile.
Ingredients for the gravy
  • Oil…………………………….1 Tablespoon
  • Whole Garam Masala…4 Cardamom, 8 Cloves, 2 1inch Cinnamon pieces and 1 Teaspoon Fennel Seeds)
  • Onion ……………………….1 Cup (roughly chopped)
  • Garlic………………………..4 big or 10 small roughly chopped
  • Ginger……………………….1 inch piece roughly chopped
  • Chilly Powder…………….1 Teaspoon
  • Coriander Powder……...1 ½ Teaspoons
  • Turmeric Powder……….1/4 Teaspoon
  • Whole Cashew Nuts…....12
  • Tomato………………………1 Cup roughly chopped
  • Kasoori Methi……………..1 Teaspoon
Method of Preparation
  1. In a pan heat Oil and add the whole Garam Masala and saute till fragrant.
  2. Add Chopped Onion, Garlic and Ginger and saute till translucent.
  3. Add Cashew nuts and saute till the Onions starts to brown on the sides.
  4. Add Chilly, Coriander and Turmeric powder and saute till the raw smell is gone.
  5. Add Tomato and Kasoori Methi and mix for two minutes and switch off the heat.
  6. Grind this mixture well using just enough water to blend in a blender until smooth.
Notes:
  • Onion, Ginger and Garlic don’t have to be finely chopped. Just cut it into big slices.
  • Take care while blending a hot mixture. Leave a small space open on the top of the blender to let the vapor escape. To prevent liquid from flowing out, cover the space with a folded kitchen towel.
  • I use this gravy base for a lot of other dishes like Paneer, Meatball curry etc: 
       
Butter Chicken

Recipe No: 59

 Ingredients                                                 Serves 5-6 adults
  • Chicken…………………………1/2 kg
  • Turmeric powder…………..1/4 Teaspoon
  • Salt……………………………....1/2 Teaspoon
  • Multipurpose gravy………..1 batch
  • Butter………………………..…2 Tablespoons
  • Heavy Cream………………..1/2 Cup
  • Coriander Leaves…………..4 Tablespoons
  • Kasoori Methi……………..…1 Teaspoon
    Method of Preparation
    1. Cook the Chicken with Turmeric powder, Salt and 1 Cup of water till ¾th done. Remove the chicken pieces and keep the liquid for later use.
    2. In another pan, melt Butter and add the Chicken pieces and fry for 2 minutes.
    3. Add the gravy and the reserved cooking liquid mix well, close the pan and let the chicken finish cooking. Small oil droplets can be found floating on top at this stage. Do stir at times as Cashew has a tendency to stick to the bottom of the pan.
    4. Take Kasoori Methi in your palm and crush as much as possible with the other palm before adding.
    5. Add Cream and Coriander leaves and let it boil along the sides and switch off the flame and serve hot.
    Notes:
    •   Kasoori Methi is dried Methi or Fenugreek leaf. This is available in most of the Indian stores. This gives the signature taste of Butter Chicken. so don't avoid this.
    • Heavy Cream can be substituted with half and half or evaporated milk or even regular milk. In all these cases the amount varies, so use according to your taste.
    • When I make this just for us, I substitute Butter with regular Oil. Even though, it cannot be called ‘Butter Chicken’ it tastes awesome too.
    • Usually in restaurants this dish is reddish in color due to added food color. If you want you can add that too but I prefer this without the color.







    Make it enjoy the deliciousness and
    serve it to your family with love…

    1 comments:

    Unknown said...

    hi asha, your blog is very nice and inspiring..keep up ur gr8 work..

    Shifa

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