Chicken Wings in Lemon Butter Garlic Sauce

Chicken wings in lemon butter garlic sauce. 6 Steps recipe is quick to cook and great to taste.  Generally when you say a recipe is easy unhealthy fried food comes to everyone’s mind first. However this one is very healthy uses minimalistic oil and cooks in its own juices and steam.

This one is especially dedicated to a very close friend who these days is living alone and doesn’t really enjoy cooking. I am sure he can cook this one and knowing his taste he would love this as well. This is a tried and tested recipe and I have indeed shared this with a few friends earlier as well and have got amazing feedback.

This recipe again like Lamb Yakni, comes from my father in law’s kitchen and this is my favorite food whenever I do my occasional diet food spree.

Ingredients

      1. Chicken Wings -10 pcs

      2.  Lemon - 2   pcs

      3. Butter – 1 dollop (or olive oil when you are thinking about diet)

      4.  Coriander – few sprigs

      5. Garlic – 10 cloves

      6. Salt

      7. Pepper

Pre Prep

1. Finely chop coriander and garlic

2. Clean and wash chicken wings

3.  Squeeze the lemon juice

Cooking

     1. In Pressure cooker heat butter/olive oil

     2.  Add garlic and brown it for couple of minutes

     3. Add Chicken Wings and coat them with butter across

     4. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves half lemon juice  

     5. Add Salt and pepper

     6. Pressure Cook it for approx. 10 minutes and you are done

You can also use chicken breast as well in place of chicken wings just cut them into thin strips. You can eat them as snacks/ main course. 

Black Pomfret en Papillote (Fish in paper envelope)

Went to a restaurant with some friends a couple of days back and he ordered Fish en papillote and the first comment when he got the plate was "I wish i could make something like this at home".

To break the myth that "en papillote" commonly known as "in envelope" is very difficult to make and you will have to only go to a good restaurant to eat this. Today i will share the basic quick to cook and good to taste recipe. 

En` Papillote is cooking style which started in Italy and was adapted in different cuisenes very well, 

This is a technique where the meat literally cooks in its own juices and absorbs some flavor of the outer shell. This is very healthy way of cooking where the accompaniments are cooked with the meat itself and has base flavor of the meat, which harmonizes the overall dish. 

Its an overwhelming felling when you open/ tear the envelope and get all the aroma and juices out. And all your guests can appreciate the true flavor and blast of the taste with every bite.

Now lets go to the recipe and see how simple it is to cook.

Ingredients

1. Fish - 700 gms   

2. Onion - 2 Large 

3. Potato - 2 Large

4. Carrots - 1 Large

5. Beans - 8-10 

6. Rosemary - 4 Sprigs/ 2 TBsp if dried

7. Garlic - 10-12 cloves

8. Olives - 8-10 

9. Lemon - 2 Large

10. Parchment Paper - 4 sheet (size o fold the fish)  

11. Butter - 1tsp (just to brsuh Parchment paper)

12, Salt 

13, Pepper

Pre- Prep

1. Wash and cut the fish in Fillet 4 Pcs

2. Thinly slice Onions, carrots 

3. Boil the potatoes till half cooked and slice in same thickness as onions and carrots

4. String the beans and cut into 1 inch pc

5. Clean the garlic and slice 

6. Slice the olives 

7. Squeeze the lemon 

8. Marinade the fish with Salt, pepper & lemon juice

Cooking

We will cook four (4) separate portions/ packets so please repeat the same 4 times

1. Pre-Heat the Oven on 200 degree C for 10 mins.

2. Brush the Parchment paper with Butter in the center 

3. Place 1/4th Onions, Potato  and carrot slices and sprinkle salt

4. Place 1 Fillet of fish on top 

5. Put 1/4th Garlic and Olive slices on top

6. Sprinkle Rosemary on top of fish

7. Place beans around the fish

8. Wrap the parchment paper in a way to ensure the steam doesn't stays intact 

(We can wrap in a traditional style, heart shaped cutout and pinching the parchment paper or simply folding all side from outside to inside and enclosing with a toothpick)

9. Place the envelopes in a baking tray and cook for approx 20 mins in the preheated oven 

10. Open/ tear the envelope on the table itself  Serve it with a wedge of lime.

>>> Even better let your guest tear their own envelope

LAMB YAKHNI - A delicate Kashmiri yogurt based preparation with influence from Mughals and British

LAMB YAKHNI

The Preparation I am sharing today is Lamb Yakhni.

Yakhni is a yogurt based lamb dish from Kashmir, which originated in Persia and brought to India during Akbar rule in late 1500. The earliest documentation of Yakhni is found in Ain-I-Akbar. And sometime during the British Raj  Yakhni was modified for vegetarians as well.

And using this I give you option of cooking this dish with Lamb/ Chicken or Potatoes.

Yakhni is a perfect example where 7 very simple ingredients can give you a very complex dish which has layers of flavor. This is one of very few Indian recipes which don’t have onions& tomatoes in the gravy.

Lets move to the recipe

Recipe

Ingredients:

1. Mustard oil  6 Tbsp

2 Asafetida (Heeng ) – 1/2 tsp

3.Aniseed (Saunf ) – 4 Tbsp ground to a powder

4.Cinnamon (Dalchini) – 1/2 stick

5. Yogurt – 1 Kg (Preferably home made or unsweetened curd)

6. Lamb – 1 Kg (preferable cut of meat- Neck Chest – Soft cuts )(Replace it with chicken/ potatoes if you want)

7. Red chilli powder – 2 tsp  (Deghi mirch for a better color)

Preparation:

1.  Powder the Aniseed

2.  Clean and wash the lamb

3.  Whisk the curd to ensure that there are no lumps and, it’s all smooth

Cooking:

1.       Put the lamb to cook in a pressure cooker for approx. 25 minutes sprinkle 1tsp aniseed powder for additional flavor

2.       Turn on the heat and take a wide pan with a heavy bottom (Like a kadai/dekchi)

3.       Put mustard oil and let it burn and loose the strong mustard flavor

4.       Once the oil starts smoking turn the heat off and let it cool for couple of minutes

5.       Turn the heat on , add asafetida and cinnamon and stir it for a minute

6.       Mix aniseed powder with half cup water and add to the cooking mixture

7.       Keep stirring all through the while ensuring it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan

8.       Cook till the mixture turns reddish in color  

9.       Turn the gas low

10.   Add yogurt and keep stirring all the time till the time. Ensure that yogurt is simmering and doesn't boil

11.   Add Chilli powder and keep simmering it should not take more than 25-30 minutes

12.   Keep cooking till the fat from yogurt comes on top and the gravy turns reddish in color, add salt and more chilli powder as per your taste

13.   Take the cooked lamb and strain the liquid add it to the top

** don’t throw the liquid it could be used to thin the gravy if you require, you can use it as a base of soup or to cook rice. It has a lot of flavor I love to add some spice in the broth and turn into a soup (but let’s keep that recipe for some other time)

14.   Bring the pot to boil and  cook for 5 more minutes

15.   Serve it with long grain rice and enjoy Kashmiri cuisine right at your home

Naga Pork curry with Bamboo shoots

The First preparation I would like to share is Naga meat curry flavored with Bamboo shoot and raja mircha.
When it comes to north eastern part of the country we only talk about Momo's and Thupka, on exploring i realized the cuisine has loads of flavor, taste and textures. The dish we are talking about is healthy, tasty and very easy to make.
You can get a distinctive taste of all the ingredients and enjoy the depth of the dish with every bite you take. it goes best with plain steamed/boiled rice.
I have added my touch to the recipe by adding some greens which makes it even healthier than what it is.

Recipe
Ingredients

Meat – 1 Kg (Chicken/Lamb/ Pork)

Bamboo Shoots – 50 grams

Raja Mircha (Paprika easily available option )  - 3 Chilies / 2 Tsp

Tomato – 2 no

Ginger – 3 Inches

Garlic – 10 Pods

Spring Onions -   ½ Bunch

Spinach – ¼ Bunch

Vegetable Oil – 1 Tbsp

Salt     - As per taste 

Preparation  :

1    1.   Wash and Clean Meat

      2.   Peal and wash Ginger and Garlic and crush it in a pestle and mortar 

      3.   Make incisions in Tomato on top to make it look like a cross

      4.   Clean and Wash Spring onions and Spinach

  

     Cooking   :

      1.  Take the pressure cooker and heat oil 

      2.  Saute Meat till its sealed and brown (Chicken - 8-10 minutes ; Lamb - 25 minutes ; Pork 45 minutes) 

      3.  Add Water and bring it to boil (water only to cover the meat and 1 inch higher the meat). 

      4.  Add Bamboo shoots, crushed Raja mircha (Paprika) and tomatoes and Salt. 

      5.  Put the lid and let it cook.

      4.  Cook till meat is done (Chicken - 10 minutes ; Lamb - 20 minutes ; Pork 40 minutes)

      5.  Let the steam get off Open the lid and add crushed ginger garlic

      6.  Let it cook for 5 minutes and add spring onions and spinach

      7.  Taste for Salt and heat from the chilies

        Naga curry is ready to eat 

I I want to dedicate this recipe to the friends who made it for me few months back and got me hooked to bamboo shoots from then on. 

  And this should help all to explore some more flavors of north east. 

   Look out for the next recipe from my favorite part of the country GOA. One of the authentic Portuguese recipe which takes us to sweet, sour and spicy taste.     

Introduction

I am Navneet , food is my passion only next to my family. There is no better way to express myself than food.
I generally say food is my religion and food is divine to me.
In this blog we will talk about food, try some authentic recipes which we dont get in resturants and cook books often, but passed on through Grand mums, mums and friends, and give them my own twist. Make them easy to cook.

In our busy lives we are moving away from our roots, and turning towards fast food and packed food. In this blog we shall cook and share some easy, fast yummy recipes and make it time friendly.
We shall also try some different cuisines and make them our own, adapt them to local ingredients and taste to make is easy to cook.

We will also talk about some restaurants and food experience around Pune/ India and across the globes. This should help us decide where to go and what to eat.

I hope you will enjoy reading the experience, try some recipes and share your feedback.