Butter Chicken

        Butter chicken or Murg Makhani as we all know, was developed by Moti Mahal restaurant.

       
It's not only popular in India but is a hot stuff all over the world.
     A classic recipe where grilled pieces of chicken chunks or tandoori chicken tikka pieces are cooked in tomato -cream gravy touched zenith when it was ordered by Bill Clinton. 

  Ingredients :
2 Ktbsp Oil
2 Green chillies (chopped)
1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
2 Black Cardamom
4 Green Cardamon
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 Onions' slices
3 Tomatoes (chopped)
5 Tomatoes (blanched and pureed)
Salt , to taste

3/4 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Kashmiri Red chilli powder
2 tbsp Honey
2 cups water
1 tsp Kasoori methi (roasted and powdered )
1/2 tsp Garam masala
1/3 cup Cream

For chicken tikka:
2 Chicken breast(cut into 1.5 "cubes)
100 gms. Yogurt
Salt , to taste
1/2 tsp. Red chilli powder
1/4 tsp Kashmiri Mirch
1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
1 tbsp Mustard oil
2 tsp Lemon juice
2 tsp Kasoori methi
Oil for cooking

                       Directions:
1: Clean and cut chicken into cubes.
2: In a bowl, add Yogurt,salt,  red chilli powder, Kashmiri Mirch,  ginger garlic paste, garam masala powder,mustard oil, lemon  juice and Kasoori methi.
3: Whisk it nicely and add chicken pieces to it.
4: Let it marinate for 4-6 hours or overnight.
5: Heat a grilling pan. Add oil and then chicken pieces;  often turning them so that they are cooked evenly.
Keep them aside.

Gravy:
1: Heat oil in a kadhai.
Add chopped green chillies,black Cardamom ,green Cardamom  ginger-garlic paste and Cumin seeds.
2: When it crackles, add onion slices and cook till golden brown.
3: Add chopped tomatoes and cook till it leaves oil.
4: Cool it and grind it into a smooth paste.
                

5: Heat kadhai and add ground paste.Cook for 2-3 minutes.
6: Add blanched and pureed tomatoes.
7: Add salt, red chilli powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder and honey.
8: Cook till it is thick.
9: Add roasted and ground Kasoori methi .
10: Cook for 2-3 minutes.
11: Add garam masala and remove from fire.
12: Cool it and add cream.Mix properly.
13: At the time of serving, add chicken pieces.
14: Cook for 2-3 minutes and serve.

Wholewheat Beetroot and Chocolate Cake

Yes , I know Indulgence is a Sin but who doesn't commit a sin when there is involvement of CHOCOLATE.

 Atleast I can't be manacled or should I say,I can be wheedled into doing almost anything for that last piece of scrumptious Chocolate cake.

But after delivering a harangue over HEALTHY EATING, I had to add some twists to make it less SINFUL...😉😉
    We all know that Beetroots are healthy.They can actually BEAT the roots of many diseases.They help in relieving Arthritis,cleansing the liver,combating Anemia, warding off Cancer,curing digestional disorders and preventing heart diseases. They have a pigment BETALAIN which is  Anti inflammatory ,Anti Cancer and aids in detoxifying the body.

    So I decided upon baking @NigellaLawson's Beetroot and Chocolate cake but I switched to wholewheat, Brown Sugar and Olive oil for a healthier version.

                       Ingredients:

175 gms. Wholewheat flour
2 tsp Baking powder
75 gms Cocoa powder
250 gms. Brown Sugar (Powdered)

3 Eggs (at room temperature )
250 gms. Beetroot (peeled,chopped and pureed)
200 ml Olive oil

                      Directions:
1: Preheat oven at 180 degree Celsius.
2: Grease and line 9 " Springbottom pan.
3: Sift whole wheat flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and sugar in a bowl.
4: Blend beetroot to make fine puree.
5: Add eggs and oil and blend it nicely.
6: Fold this mixture into whole wheat mix.

7: Pour into spring bottom pan and bake for 45 minutes.
8: Let it cool down and release from pan.
9: Pour chocolate ganache or have it as it is. (I slathered a liberal amount of Nutella over it)

Rose infused Chai Ice Cream

The quietude while reading morning newspaper with a cup of tea in hand or the camaraderie it sets between family and friends is not ambiguous. 

I still feel chatting over a cup of tea or coffee is far better than sitting alone with your gadgets.

My husband loves tea and whatever time it maybe, you pop up the question if he wants to have tea ; the answer would be banal.

The smile at my acquiescence to make tea for him on late nights is priceless. Though he doesn't have a sweet tooth, he loves to have Ice cream at times.

So this time , I gave my man ample reason to be happy and satiate his taste buds.

I mixed his Chai and dessert and came out with this delicious CHAI ICE CREAM. ..

Ingredients :

2 1/2 cup Milk (Full Cream)

1 cup Cream (I used Amul)

3/4 cup Powdered Brown Sugar

1/3 tsp Salt 

2 1/2 tbsp Cornflour

1/3 tsp Rose white tea

1 cup Water

3 tsp Darjeeling Tea

1" Cinnamon stick

3/4 tsp Fennel seeds

8-12 Black Peppercorns

3/4 tsp Cardamom Powder

DIRECTIONS:

1: Boil water and add tea, cinnamon, fennel seeds, Cardamom powder along with pepper corns.

2: Boil further till its half in quantity. Add 1/3 tsp Rose tea in it and let it steep for 3-4 minutes.Strain it.Add Cornflour in half of this concentrate. And stir nicely.

3:In a saucepan,  add milk, cream , brown sugar ,salt and rest of Chai concentrate. 

4: Simmer it and when it comes to a steady simmer , stir it with a whisk. Simmer it for another 5_6 minutes; stirring it with a whisk all the time.

5: Lower the flame and add Chai concentrate (one with cornflour)

6: Cook on medium heat for 2 more minutes while stirring it.

7: Remove from heat and strain it in a big vessel.

8: Keep the vessel in Ice Bath (lots of ice in water in a big shallow vessel)and keep on stirring till it becomes cold.

9: Pour it in Ice cream container and freeze it till set.

                                  ENJOY!!