Kashmiri gourd
Ingredients : - 250 grams bottle gourd, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida, 1/4 teaspoon dry ginger powder, 1 red chilly,1/2 teaspoon saunf(aniseed) powder, 1/2 teaspoon garam masala( hot spice mix), 2 cloves,1 cup curd, 1 cup water, oil for deep frying and salt to taste.
Preparation time : - 15 minutes Serves : - 2
HOW TO PREPARE : - Peel the bottle gourd and cut it into roundels. Ensure that they are dry. Beat the curd well. Take a frying pan and pour oil for deep frying and fry the gourd roundels till the turn brown. Take it out and put it on to some newspaper and ensure that all the extra oil is soaked up by the paper and keep it aside. Now take another pan and pour 1 tablespoon oil and bring it to heat. Ensure that the oil is very hot and then add the cumin seeds and cloves and let them crackle. Add the asafoetida and fry till the cumin seeds turn a golden brown. Now add the fried gourd roundels and the red chilly. Sauté and put in the saunf powder (aniseed) and dry ginger powder. Pour some water and add salt to taste. Let it come to boil, simmer and cook for five minutes. Add the garam masala at the end so that the flavour remains and stir and serve.
Chicken kurma
Ingredients : - 400 grams chicken boneless, 1 cup sour curd(yoghurt), ¼ cup cashew nut paste, 2 cloves, 1 cardamom, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon garam masala(hot spice mix), 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste, ½ tablespoon green chilly paste, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 tablespoon ghee(clarified butter) and salt to taste.
Preparation time : - 30 minutes Serves : - 2
HOW TO PREPARE : - Take a thick bottomed pan and heat the ghee. When the ghee melts and begins to boil add the cloves, crush the cardamom and put that in too. Sauté briefly and add the cumin seeds. Cook till it turns golden brown and add the turmeric, garam masala, coriander powder and sauté till the masala blends well. Now put in the ginger garlic paste and green chilly paste. Sauté till the raw smell leaves and pour in the curd. Simmer and cook fro five minutes and keep stirring. Now add the chicken and very little water and mix it all up. The water should be just enough to move the chicken freely. Cover the pan with a lid and cook till its half cooked. Open the lid and check by poking the chicken with a fork. Add the cashew nut paste and salt to taste. The gravy mustn’t be too liquid and so don’t add water unless the gravy is too thick. Stir well and cover with a lid again. Cook for about 15 minutes. Check if the chicken is tender and then remove from flame. Garnish with fried onions and fresh cream in the centre and serve.
See: Chicken Recipes