Best Indian cuisines

Dum aaloo
Ingredients: - 500 grams small potaoes,1 medium sized onion, 3 big bay leaves, 2 cups curd, 1/2cup milk, 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 3 cardamoms, 3 cloves,6-7 black pepper, 1 small stick cinnamon,1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1 pinch asafoetida, 1 teaspoon chilly powder, 4 tablespoons oil/ghee and salt to taste.

Preparation time : - 20 minutes Serves : - 2

HOW TO PREPARE: - Grate the onion and keep it aside. Beat the curd (yoghurt). Take all the spices and dry grind it together till it’s a fine powder. Peel the potatoes and take a fork and prick it nicely and on all side. Pour the oil in a pressure pan and put the potatoes inside and fry them in oil till they turn golden brown and set aside. Put the fried potatoes on paper to absorb the extra oil. Take another pan and pour some oil and bring to heat. Then add the bay leaves, asafoetida, ginger garlic paste, grated onion and sauté till the raw smell leaves. Slowly the paste will turn a dark brown. This will give the gravy its colour and so let it be a nice dark brown. Add the mixed spice powder we made. Sauté for a minute and add turmeric, chilly powder and salt. Sauté for a minute till the smell of the spices fades and an aroma begins to rise. Add the milk and then slowly stirring continuously add the curd. Now add the fried potatoes. Pour water if required and pressure cook it for five minutes. Ensure that you take it off the flame before the first whistle blows.

Khatte aaloo
Ingredients : - 4 medium sized potatoes, 3 garlic flakes, 100 grams tamarind, 4 teaspoons cumin powder, 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon red chilly powder, few curry leaves, 4 tablespoons oil and salt to taste.

Preparation time : - 20 minutes Serves : - 2

HOW TO PREPARE : - Half boil the potatoes, peel them and cut them into cubes. Soak the tamarind in water for at least ten minutes and take out the juice. Crush the garlic flakes nicely and keep it aside. Then take a pan and heat up the oil. When the oil is well heated add the mustard and let it crackle. Now add crushed garlic and sauté till the raw smell leaves. Add the curry leaves and let it crackle. Now put in the cumin powder, chilly powder and salt to taste. Stir well so that everything mixes up well. Add the tamarind juice to this mixture. Add the potato cubes and cook for five minutes or till the potatoes are soft. Garnish with coriander 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.

Tandoori chicken
Ingredients : - 500 grams chicken, 1/ 2 cup curd(yoghurt), 1 tablespoon red chilly paste, 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon red chilly powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala (hot spice mix), 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon oil and salt to taste.

Preparation time : - 15 minutes Serves : - 2

HOW TO PREPARE : - Cut the chicken into small pieces and make slits in them. Take a big bowl and put the chicken in it. Now add the red chilly powder, ½ tablespoon lemon juice and salt. Mix it all up and let the chicken marinate for at least an hour. Now in another bowl pour the curd and add the ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, garam masala, cumin seeds and red chilly paste. Beat it nicely so that all the ingredients blend well and there should be no lumps. Now add this to the chicken and mix it well. Now with the help of a fork make as many tiny holes as you can in the chicken. This will help the masala to seep into the chicken. Marinate it for another hour and then refrigerate it over night. Now if you have a tandoor or if you have an open hot grill barbeque the chicken for 10 minutes or till its tender. Apply the butter on the chicken and roast for a minute. Garnish with onion roundels and lemon juice and serve hot.