Ripe mango curry

There is a interesting story behind this. Saurabh was surfing channels and he started shouting "Arati Arati". I came running and he said - "look this guy is cooking ripe mango". I said : Raw mango". He said "no ripe mango ".
It is highly unlikely that saurabh notices a cookery show on tv and I dunno if such an event will happen again in this millennium. So well the cook made the dish and he himself was loving it so much and I wonder if he was acting or not but he sure was getting hysterical. Well, when I made it, I couldn't help freaking out after tasting it. Infact I ate away more than half of it before saurabh could come back from work.

Ingredients:
1) Ripe mangoes -the bigger the better
2) Sesame seeds (til) (1-2 spoons)
3) Curry leaves
4) Fresh ground coconut (fistful)
5) green chillies
6) jeera
7) Yoghurt
8) Red chillies
9) Mustard seeds

1) Peel mangoes
2) Cut the mangoes in two ways - one in slices and one minced.
3) Take ingredients (2-6) and grind them in the mixie.
4) In a pan add the ground paste from 3 and add the minced mangoes. Let it cook.
5) After a while add yoghurt to it.
6) Now add the big slices of mangoes and cover it for some time so that the slices become soft with steam.
7) In another pan add oil - put red chillies and mustard seed and curry leaves.
8) Mix it with 6 and yeah the tangy ripe mango curry is ready to be served.
Yes it was really good.

Mustard Fish / Wasabi Fish

I learned this authentic Bengali recipe from vikramjit's mother when I visited calcutta and made it for Vicky when he came here. I think he felt it was pretty close to what his mom made (except that I used Surmai fish and not Bangda). Alexus who accompanied him (and I felt that Alexus wouldn't like it), called this fish Wasabi fish as the gravy was close to the Wasabi sauce, and he being a sushi fan, liked it too.

Well also - this fish curry is the EASIEST fish curry I have come across, there is less mess too while cooking and though Bengalis use mustard oil, you can really do away with the oil.

Ingredients:
1) Mustard seeds (2 table spoons)
2) Khus khus (poppee seeds) - 3-4 teaspoons
3) 2-3 cloves of garlic
4) 7-8 green chillies
5) Fish
6) Salt
(yes the ingredient list is really minimal)
Method:
1) In a blender, blend together mustard seeds , poppy seeds ,garlic, 1 green chilli and water to smooth yellow paste with a strong mustard smell.
2) Add the paste in a pan, add the remaining green chillies (slit) and the fish. Let the fish get boiled and cooked.
3) Add salts to taste

That's it!! Simple and nice with the flavour of fish and mustard coming across. Eat with steamed rice.
P.S: Saurabh couldn't get his share of the fish as it got ove before he could start digging. So the onus on me is to actually make this dish again - exclusively for him. And my maid is telling that she broke the mixer so well, I guess he has to wait :(.

Simple chicken biryani

Last week I made chicken (that I really didn't want to eat but my husband really wanted to eat and went and bought without informing). So the easist thing to make with chicken was chicken biryani. I decided to settle for a recipe that was an extension of my Veg Biryani recipe and it came out just fine...
I will share my simple recipe below... This works if you are a grad student or if you and your loved ones have simple non fussy low cal taste or if it were a lazy Sunday afternoon and your maid had taken off or if you have no maid.

Ingredients:
1) Chicken(I would always go for boney chicken - the bones add to taste)
2) Onions (finely chopped)
3) Tomatoes (finely chopped)
4) Ginger garlic paste (these days I don't go for the one that we get in the market but opt for homemade. That day even homemade was not available so I took few garlic cloves and half a piece of ginger and tried to crush them (didn't use mixie))
5) Some yoghurt (this was the first time I used it - it is kinda optional but it really adds a great taste)
6) 5-6 Cloves (must for any biryani actually)
7) all the random masala you have - whole black pepper, bay leaves, cardomom, jeera etc

Method:
1) In a cooker - add a little < 1 table spoon oil let it heat.
2) Add jeera, crushed cloves and let the aroma of cloves come.
3)Add other spices and onion. The oil should be good for onions to turn *golden brown* without sticking to the pan bottom. Note - Turning golden brown is crucial for its taste to come else there is no need to add onion.
4)Add tomatoes. And let it melt. Add salt , garam masala, haldi, red chilli powder.
4b) Add yoghurt to form a paste
5) Add chicken and let it immerse in the paste created above.
6) Add rice and enough water to cook the rice (my water proportion is always in excess - try 1:1.5 mebbe) - figuring that out is almost 6th sense :).
7) Let it come to a boil - with 1 whistle in simmer heat. Simmer and one in full heat. Varies with cooker to cooker.

Its cooked and ready to serve with some raita made with yoghurt and onions nad a little salt :).



P.S: Here is one recipe I came upon net today - it closely apporximates my recipe but has a little bit of hulla bulla :). I would recommend this if you are inviting guests over: http://enjoyindianfood.blogspot.com/2008/10/chicken-pullao.html