KFC at Home???

Who doesn’t like crispy fried chicken from KFC? At least I have neither heard nor come across anybody satisfying this criterion! Well, it was a “Love at first bite” for me and I have become an unfaltering enthusiast ever since. Every time I indulged into this marvel, I wondered what might be the secret recipe of Colonel Harland Sanders. Ma is equally a fan of KFC and I always take home some crispy fried chicken for her whenever I pass by its outlet. I remember the first time we had taken her to KFC and we were standing in a queue to get in. She is an impatient soul and kept on protesting waiting in a long line just to have fried chicken to fill hungry stomachs that too during lunch time! I still can’t forget her dialogue “Eta to amader machher kabirajir moto na?” (Meaning it’s like our Fish Kabiraji right? – all you non Bengali people, Fish kabiraji is crispy fried fish which mostly makes its appearance on special occasions.) Fortunately for us, it was worth the wait for her.

Now what’s with the title of this post? Does that mean I picked up a bucket on the way home and savored it with family? No folks! I actually made them at home and?? Curious to know the verdict??? It was very close to Sanders’ version. Did I solve the mystery of herbs behind it to prepare it at home? No, all I did was to follow Sailu’s recipe of Crsipy Fried Chicken. Like always, her recipe didn’t fail me. It’s a very easy but not quick to make. Chicken has to be marinated for a total of 12 hours but after that it is a breeze. Oh yes! It was finger licking good too! My niece helped me in dipping the chicken pieces in egg mixture and then rolling it in flour mixture and the sweet little fingers perhaps enhanced the taste!

Ingredients:

3 or 4 chicken legs
oil for deep frying

For first marinade: 8-10 hrs
1/2 cup buttermilk OR 3 tbsps vinegar+6 tbsps water
1/2 tsp salt

For second marinade: 3-4 hrs
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli pwd
3/4 tsp salt

For first coating:
1 egg
2-3 tbsps milk
salt to taste
pepper to taste

For second coating:
3 tbsps cornflour
3 tbsps maida
salt to taste
pepper to taste


Method:
1. Wash chicken legs and make slits all over. Take a large ziplock bag, place chicken and the first marinade and lock it. Place the zip lock bag in the refrigerator for atleast 8 hrs.


2 After 8 hrs, drain the first marinade and add the second marinade to the chicken legs and shake the zip lock bag well. Lock it and place in refrigerator for another 3-4 hours.

3 Remove chicken legs after marination, dip in the first coating mixture (eggs/milk) and then coat with the second coating mixture (cornflour/maida).

4 Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, once the oil is hot, reduce flame, place one or two coated chicken legs (based on the size of the vessel) and cook on low to medium flame on both sides of the legs for 6-7 mts. Cook on high flame for another 2-3 mts on both sides till golden brown. Drain onto absorbent paper and bake in hot oven at 175 for 10 mts
  

Laal Jhaal Kosha Mangsho

Kosha Mangsho is one of the numerous Bengali dishes to salivate over. I never ate mutton before my marriage coz the variety I had tasted in Kundapur was very hard. When Abbas had asked me before marriage, which of the two I liked more – chicken or mutton? Without a thought, I had replied Chicken. Post marriage when I tasted this dish, I instantly developed a strong inclination towards mutton. It simply melted in the mouth and it was heavenly!!! You have to eat it to feel it.

Well, the recipe that I’m sharing today is not a pure Bengali Kosha Mangsho version. I have tweaked the recipe a bit. I had seen Chef Marut Sikka cooking Rajasthani Laal Mangsho on TV. This recipe is a combination of both. Folks, are you ready to cook a hybrid mutton curry which is a Bengali cross Rajasthani breed? This sure is very spicy. You might wanna adjust the red chillies to suit your palate.

Ingredients:
Mutton – 1 kg
Tomatoes – 2 medium sized, chopped
Potatoes – 5-6 medium sized, peeled and cut into halves.
Curd – 1 cup
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste
Oil – 2-3 tbsp

To grind to a paste:
Onion – 3 medium sized
Ginger – 2” piece
Garlic – 7-8 pods

For the masala powder:
Red chillies – 10-15
Coriander – 1 tbsp
Cumin – 2 tsp
Cardamom – 2-3
Cloves – 4-5
Cinnamon – 1” stick

Method:

1. Marinate the mutton with onion-ginger-garlic paste, curd, turmeric powder and salt and keep in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 mins, the longer the better.

2. Dry roast the ingredients called for under the masala powder head and grind them to a fine powder. ( I microwave the masalas instead on high for a min)

3. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add a tsp of salt and a pinch of turmeric powder. Drop in potato pieces on a high flame. Stir for 2-3 mins. Lower the flame and cook covered till the potatoes turn golden on all sides. Remove them from the oil and keep aside.

4. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel and add the marinated meat along with chopped tomatoes and cook on a low flame. The meat gets cooked in its own juices. Occasionally stir and cook till all the water gets evaporated from the mutton and oil oozes out from the sides. This process might take an hour even.

5. Now combine the mutton, fried potatoes and the masala powder in a pressure cooker. Add water to suit your desired consistency. You may adjust salt at this stage. Pressure cook for 1 or 2 whistles.

6. I simply cook steamed rice to accompany this and none in my family complains coz they can wholly and solely indulge in this divine dish. One can have it with Indian bread if the gravy is cooked to thick consistency.

Tiramisu Cake

Myself being a small town girl I have marveled at the various flavoured pastries offered by Parijatha Bakery, Kundapura. When Ria, Divya and Maria announced a baking challenge called “A Sweet Punch”, I was thrilled big time. I have been an avid reader of their blogs and have been intimated by their baking expertise. Learning from them meant I could create all those yummy goodies I have been drooling over. After registering myself in the event, I was eagerly waiting for my first challenge. It came earlier than expected.

Tiramisu… the name sounded exotic but certainly alien to me in all respects. First thing I did was reading about it in Wikipedia. Reading about it gave me a cold feet coz Wiki had declared it as one of the most popular Italian cakes. My god, was I gonna attempt something foreign while I am still an amateur at anything Indian for that matter? Glancing through the lengthy recipe added to my nervousness and I was almost planning to chicken out at that moment. But luckily when I reached the end of the recipe, I saw a paragraph in which Ria had simplified the recipe and penned down words of encouragement which I badly needed to stay in the game.

The cake sure was a breeze to make and a delight to nibble upon. Only thing I wish I could do better was the decoration. When I had to sprinkle the cocoa powder on top I should’ve perhaps used a sieve to evenly spread it. I sprinkled it just like that (so foolish of me). After that I was very upset with the uneven cocoa layer that I simply tuck some Gems on its top and sides to give it the final touch. Despite the appearance, the taste was unmatched. I’m glad I acted a brave sport and didn’t quit the challenge.

Thanks Ria, Divya and Maria for hosting such a beautiful event. Looking forward to the next challenge.

My first home made Mascarpone cheese... Yay I loved making it and eating it too. 

The cake that came out of the oven

After cutting into layers

I didn't have choco chips and hence added choclate strands.

That was a badly cut piece of cake but I was in a hurry...

Here goes the recipe:

Tiramisu Cake

Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

For the cake layers:

2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup buttermilk

For the espresso extract:

2 tablespoons instant espresso powder

2 tablespoons boiling water

For the espresso syrup:

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon amaretto, Kahlua, or brandy

For the filling and frosting:

1 8-ounce container mascarpone (store-bought or homemade)

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon amaretto, Kahlua, or brandy

1 cup cold heavy cream

2 1/2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, or about 1/2 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips

Chocolate-covered espresso beans, for decoration (optional)

Cocoa powder, for dusting

Getting ready:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9×2 inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess, and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

To make the cake:

• Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  
• Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy.
  
•  Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, and then the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don’t be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
  
• Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans at the midway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean. Transfer the cakes to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them, and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right-side up.
  

To make the extract:

• Stir the espresso powder and boiling water together in a small cup until blended. Set aside.
  
• To make the syrup:
  
• Stir the water and sugar together in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Pour the syrup into a small heatproof bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of the espresso extract and the liqueur or brandy; set aside.
  

To make the filling and frosting:

Put the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla, and liqueur in a large bowl and whisk just until blended and smooth.

Working with the stand mixer with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream until it holds firm peaks. Switch to a rubber spatula and stir about one quarter of the whipped cream into the mascarpone. Fold in the rest of the whipped cream with a light touch.

To assemble the cake:

If the tops of the cake layers have crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them. Place one layer right-side up on a cardboard round or a cake plate protected with strips of wax or parchment paper. Using a pastry brush or a small spoon, soak the layer with about one third of the espresso syrup. Smooth some of the mascarpone cream over the layer – user about 1 1/4 cups – and gently press the chopped chocolate into the filling. Put the second cake layer on the counter and soak the top of it with half the remaining espresso syrup, then turn the layer over and position it, soaked side down, over the filling. Soak the top of the cake with the remaining syrup.

For the frosting, whisk 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of the remaining espresso extract into the remaining mascarpone filling. Taste the frosting as you go to decide how much extract you want to add. If the frosting looks as if it might be a little too soft to spread over the cake, press a piece of plastic wrap against its surface and refrigerate it for 15 minutes or so. Refrigerate the cake too.

With a long metal icing spatula, smooth the frosting around the sides of the cake and over the top. If you want to decorate the cake with chocolate-covered espresso beans, press them into the filling, making concentric circles of beans or just putting some beans in the center of the cake.

Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours (or for up to 1 day) before serving – the elements need time to meld.

Just before serving, dust the top of the cake with cocoa.

Chicken Lollipop - 'Thai style' Errr........ 'My style'

The title must be confusing, isn't it? Well, this dish was born out of confusion. Being a Capricorn, I take pride in organizing my work efficiently, plan things well ahead of time and try my best to stick to the plan. Every day I plan what I am going to cook the next day (sometimes even next week) and make calculations in my mind as to what ingredients I need and whether I have them at home, if not I buy them on the way back home from the local grocery store. There are times when I give my mind a break and feel myself very relaxed. Today was one such day when I didn't know what to cook. I had got 4 chicken leg pieces in my freezer which as you may guess had a purpose to be there. I had "planned" to prepare Chicken leg roast during the weekend. As per my plan, I would marinate it on Friday or Saturday night. (See I make flexible plans too.) But I was in a mood to break rules after all rules are meant to be broken. My heart hummed 'Kal Ho Na Ho' and there I was all set to prepare Leg Roast then and there. But hey hold on, panic! panic! panic! My heart sobbed "Yeh kya hua! Kaise Hua! Kab hua! Kyun Hua!" There was no hint of ginger or garlic in my entire chicken. My heart hooted "Chale Chalo...Chale Chalo" I was suddenly very determined to have those chicken legs no matter what. While I quickly scanned my pantry to PLAN instantaneously my next action, I saw a packet of Thai Red Curry Paste that I had bought on a whim some time back and it was lying there reassuring me - "Tu chal.... Main aayi". I tasted the paste and found it sour. The instructions called for using coconut milk and palm sugar in the curry. Well that was hint enough for me to add something sweet to balance the flavours. I began thinking at a different level to add very unusual ingredients. I came up with Sweet Chilli sauce and Demerara sugar. I added curd to give body to the roast. Talking about unusual ingredients, I added some fresh sprigs of curry leaves too.

Prior to marriage, Sindhu (my sis) and I used to experiment in the kitchen and my dad would encourage us with kind words - "Don't worry about the results of your experiments, girls. No matter how it turns out there is always someone who would eat it without blurting out a single word". For all those who thought the guinea pig was my dad, you are wrong. He referred to our pet dog!

This recipe was an experiment of the sorts and if you are curious to know how this turned out, scroll down to the last pic in this post.

Ingredients:
Chicken Legs - 4
Onion - 1 medium sizes, finely chopped (optional)
Curry leaves - 8-10
Oil - 2 tbsp

For Marination:
Thai Red Curry Paste - 1 packet
Sweet Chilli Sauce - 2 tbsps
Demerara Sugar - 1 tbsp (You could use ordinary sugar too I guess or smiply omit it)
Curd - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken leg pieces with the ingredients called for in the 'For marination' section. Leave it aside for 30 mins, the more the better.

2. Heat oil in a pan, add chopped onions and curry leaves. Saute till onions turn light golden brown. Strain and remove them from the oil.

3. In the same oil, add the marinated chicken legs and leave it on a low flame covered. Stir occassionally.

4. Once the chicken pieces are cooked, increase the flame and cook without lid till there is no water in the pan and the entire masala is sticking on to the legs. Add the caramlized onions and combine.

5. Serve hot as a starter/appetizer.

This dish had a very unique taste which I had never ever tasted before. Felt good to be the originator of this recipe. If anyone of you tries it out, do let me know. I would be very glad to hear from you. Kids could nibble on the legs easily coz it was not spicy at all.

Chicken Manchurian

I've been working in night shifts continuously for the last couple of months. Initial days had taken my health on a toll. I would pop in Saridon after Saridon every alternate day due to lack of sleep. Mondays and Tuesdays would be kinda OK. With Wednesday's onset I would drag myself hard to reach Saturday. There were days when I had no interest to cook whatsoever but then simply HAD to. The outcome from my kitchen those days had to tolerate the tied eyebrows, wrinkled noses, disgusting looks and forced consumption for the sake of survival. Abbas, being in Bangalore, would come to Chennai on alternate weekends. His visits earned me nasty comments which were not unfair (honestly) considering the kind of fare I was presenting them with. When Ma finally declared one day that 'Seema, you have forgotten how to cook. You would soon need to hire a cook!', that hit the ego of the cook in me. Since that day, even though I was strained and drained after coming home in the morning, I would put my 100% in cooking to earn compliments as before. When my sincere efforts didn't bear fruits, I assigned myslef to Root Cause Analysis. Root Cause of the disaster was these spice powders I had recently bought which would spoil anything and everything that I cooked. When I filled my masala dabbas with new masalas, I was Sooo back in the game! Well, why am I discussing all this instead of talking about Chicken Manchurian???. That's because this is the first dish that brought me my first compliment after that phase. All thanks to Sailu for the marvellous recipe. Abbas told me after having this that it was even better than any other restaurant's version that he had ever had! The recipe is simply foolproof. I have cooked this several times after that and it has turned out great everytime Yipppeee.

Ingredients:
1/4 kg boneless chicken, cut into fine pieces
6-7 tbsps spring onion whites
3-4 tbsps spring onion greens
1/2 tbsp chopped garlic (I used garlic paste)
1/2 tbsp chopped ginger (I used ginger paste)
2 tsps soya sauce
1 tbsp chilli sauce
2 tsps vinegar
1 tbsp corn flour + 5 tbsps chicken stock or water (I mixed Maggi's Chicken Stock podwer in water and microwaved on high for 30 secs)
1/2 tsp brown sugar (I omitted this as I didn't have at hand)
2 tbsps tomato sauce
1/2 tsp red chilli pwd (preferably Kashmiri)
salt to taste
1 1/2 tbsps sesame oil (I used sunflower oil)
oil for deep frying

For marinade: (marinate chicken with below ingredients for at least 15 mts or 1 hr)
1/4 tsp pepper pwd
1 egg white
salt to taste
1 1/2 tsps ginger-garlic-green chilli paste
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp maida/all purpose flour
2-3 tbsps corn flour
1-2 tbsps of water, if required

Method:
1 Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, make small balls of the marinated chicken and carefully drop into the hot oil. Cook on low medium flame and towards the end of the cooking process increase flame to high and deep fry to a golden brown shade. Drain with a slotted spoon and place on absorbent paper. Keep aside.

2 Heat a heavy bottomed vessel, add oil, add the chopped garlic and saute on high flame for about 30 secs. Add the chopped ginger and green chillis and saute for a few more secs. Add the spring onion whites and saute for 3 mts on high flame.

3 Reduce to medium heat and add the brown sugar, soya sauce, tomato ketchup, chilli sauce and vinegar. Combine well and cook for 2 mts. Add 1/4 cup chicken stock or water and cook for a mt. Add the deep fried chicken balls and cook for 4 mts. Adjust salt, if necessary.

4 Add the cornflour water and cook, tossing the contents, for 4-5 mts. You will find that it becomes thick due to cornflour.

5 Add the chopped spring onion greens and combine. Garnish with more spring onion greens. Serve hot as a starter/appetizer.

Eggless Black Forest Cake

I have been working in night shift for the past couple of months. Two of my colleagues Janaki and Deepika would always come to work with one or the other delicious snacks or savouries and share with us during their night shifts. I have always eaten from their tiffin boxes but never took anything to share with them. Deepika is going to get married on 10th of this month and last Friday was her last working day here. I thought it was the last chance for me to make up for all those nights when I relished the snacks she brought. She is a vegetarian, and I wanted to make something special for her to bid her a memorable farewell. What could be better than a Cake? I had seen this Eggless Black Forest Cake recipe in Divya's blog which was a perfect fit for this occasion. The cake was easy to prepare. For the frosting, I couldn't find fresh cream in the nearby shops. Hence I used BlueBird's Instant Whipped cream powder. Unfortunately I added a little more water than called for. Hence the cream had become a bit thinner than required. After assembling the cake I had to immediately get ready and leave for office. And that too in HOT CHENNAI SUN at around 3pm. I felt as if I would melt sooner than the frosting due to my cold feet. After reaching office, I immediately requested the fruit juice stall Bhaiyya to keep it refrigerated for some time and that really saved me.

Well, the cake was very moist and simply melted in mouth. Deepika's comment was "It was chanceless". Everybody enjoyed eating the cake. I enjoyed all the compliments more than the cake itself! He he :-D

I have used Blue font to reflect minor changes that I made to the recipe.

Ingredients

Condensed milk-Milkmaid – 400 grams(1 can)
Butter – 125 grams
Maida/Flour – 225 grams
Cocoa powder – 3-4 tablespoons
Baking powder – 1 teaspoon
Baking soda – 1 teaspoon
Aerated cola – 200ml(I used Pepsi)

Method

1. Grease and line an 8’ round baking tin
2. Preheat oven to 150C.
3. Melt butter-Microwave for 1 minute on high.Let it cool.
4. Add milkmaid and beat well.
5. Sift together maida,cocoa powder,baking powder and baking soda.
6. Add maida mix to the milkmaid-butter mixture alternating with cola till maida and cola are finished.
7. Pour into the greased baking tin and bake for 30-40 minutes or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
8. Cool on a wire rack.

Ingredients –For the Sugar syrup
Sugar – ½ cup
Water – ½ cup
Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp

In a thick bottom pan,mix the sugar and water and boil till the sugar melts.Keep aside to cool.


Ingredients –For the cream (I used BlueBird's Insant Whipped Cream powder)
Fresh cream – 300 ml
Powdered sugar – 4-5 tablespoons
Vanilla essence – 1 teaspoon

Keep cream and the beater blades in the freezer for about half an hour.
Add sugar and essence to the chilled cream.
Beat well till the cream is thick and forms soft peaks.
Keep refrigerated till use.

Ingredients for filling and garnish
A cup of cherries chopped fine-I used glazed cherries-reserve a few for garnishing on top.
A bar of milk chocolate – Make chocolate shavings out of the bar and keep refrigerated till use. (I had very less time on hand. So I used store bought Chocolate strands)
Few edible silver beads

For assembling the cake
Cut the cake into 3-4 layers horizontally[I cut it into 3 layers].
Keep one layer of the cake on the serving plate.
Sprinkle 3-4 tablespoons of sugar syrup on it.
Now spread 2-3 tablespoons of whipped cream on top of the cake.
Add the chopped cherries on top.
Repeat with other layers.
Cover the cake completely with whipped cream on all sides and the top.
Level the top and sides with a broad spatula dipped in chilled water.
Decorate the top with chocolate shavings,halved cherries and silver beads.
Keep chilled in the fridge till use.

Before going into the oven.

After baking

                                                  After assembling.

Chicken liver cum kidney Do Pyaza

Here I am with a recipe whose main ingredients are those parts of chicken that are shown disdain by some while some simply honor them. Yes I'm talking about the liver and kidney of Chicken. I was always a fan of Chicken liver but never ate kidney. Recently got to taste this out of the world dish prepared by my Bhabi. I could simply guess how delicious it would be when I saw my 4 year old niece coming on frequent rounds to the kitchen blabbering 'Kocho kochi' (meaning chicken kidney in bengali) and getting impatient to eat it.

It is really an easy to prepare recipe (which I am always on a hunt) with a handful ingredients that one always has in the kitchen. Its a winner recipe thats not gonna fail you. It can be served hot with any of the Indian breads.

Ingredients:

Chicken liver and kidney - 1/2 kg

Onions - 2 medium sized, sliced

Onion - 1 medium sized, ground to a paste

Ginger paste - 1 tbsp

Milk - 1 cup

Vinegar - 1 tsp

Rose water - 1 tsp (optional)

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

To pound:

Cardamom - 2 or 3

Cloves - 5 or 6

Cinnamom - 1" stick

Method:

1. Clean the liver and kidney peices well and drain the water. Cut kidney pieces into 1" long pieces using scissors. Basically a kidney piece can be cut into 4-6 pieces.

2. Marinate with milk and vinegar for half an hour or atleast a minimum of 30 mins.

3. In a pan heat oil and caramalize the sliced onions and keep aside.

4. In the same oil, add onion and ginger paste. Saute till raw smell goes off.

5. Add the marinated chicken liver and kidney, turmeric powder and salt to this. Cook on medium flame with a lid stirring occasionally. Liver gets cooked very fast. But kidney pieces consume time.

6. While they are being cooked, your kitchen might get filled with a pungent smell which will force you to judge my sanity. Well don't panic. You may drizzle rose wtaer to avoid the smell at this point of time. The end product will be exclusive of any such smell.

7. Once kidneys are well cooked, add caramalized onions and pound garam masla. Remove the lid and increase the flame till the gravy thickens and achieves your desired consistency.