Spicy Masala Egg

Spicy Masala Egg

Egg is a versatile cooking ingredient. Many people who do not eat meat eat eggs.
Eggs Cooked in a Spicy Roasted Masala Gravy. I love eggs in any form.

 

Ingredients:::

• Egg ( hard boiled ) – 9 Eggs (As many as you need).
• Onion – 4 large ( chopped roughly )
• Tomato – 2 large ( chopped roughly )
• Ginger paste – 2 tsp
• Garlic paste – 2 tsp
• Cumin powder ( or paste ) – 2 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric paste ( or powder ) – 2 tsp
• Red chili powder – 2 1/2 tbsp
• Salt – as needed
• Cinnamon stick ( 1 1/2 inch )
• Green cardamom – 3
• Ghee ( Clarified butter ) – 2 tsp
• Garam Masala ( cinnamon powder+cardamom powder+clove powder in equal parts ) – 1 tsp
• Cooking oil – 4 tbsp

Method:::

1. Heat oil in a pan. Make a single small cut in each egg but don’t divide them entirely. This is to avoid possibility of  sputtering when added to hot oil. 
2. Fry the eggs lightly till they turn golden, remove from oil and keep aside
3. Now throw in the cinnamon stick and the cardamoms in the oil, fry for 1-2 minutes, be careful not to burn them
4. Add onion and fry until they become somewhat pink. It may take 4-5 minutes on high flame
5. Add ginger paste, garlic paste, turmeric paste ( or powder ), cumin powder, red chili powder, salt and mix well 
6. And saute for 6-7 minutes or until the raw smell goes away. In this process if it sticks too much in the pan add very little water, be careful not to add too much water or else the spice mixture will not give the desired taste
7. Now add tomato and crush them with your spatula, saute for 2-3 minutes
8. Add the eggs and move them carefully to mix well with the whole mixture.
9. Add ghee, garam masala and 1-2 cups of water. 
10. Cook covered in medium flame until you get a thick gravy. It may take 8-10 minutes
11. Remove from heat and 
12. Enjoy with hot rice, roti or paratha or whatever suites you.

Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun is one of India’s famed and popular desserts.  It is basically fried dough balls soaked in lightly spiced sugar syrup.  This dessert is a must at Indian festivals and major celebrations.  There are several recipes to make the perfect ‘Gulab Jamun’ and this  is an easy and quick one, Can be served chilled or warm.

Ingredients:::

• Milk powder - 1 cup
• Plain flour - 3/4 cup
• Salt - To taste
• Baking powder - 1 teaspoon
• Melted ghee - 2 tablespoons 
• Curds  - 2 tablespoons 

For Syrup:::  

• Granulated sugar - 3 cups
• 4 cups water – add few cardamons, 
• Rose water- 1 tsp
• A few strands of Saffron.

Method:::

1. In a bowl Mix milk powder, plain flour, salt, baking powder together with 2 tablespoons of curds and 2 tablespoons of melted ghee.   
2. Knead the dough – it will be soft and shiny from the ghee.   
3. Make small round balls ensuring that they are smooth with no cracks.  
4. Take oil in a pan and deep fry on a very slow fire till they are dark brown.    
5. It is important that the fire is very slow or else the balls will brown too quickly.   
6. Fry in small batches.
7. Add immediately to hot syrup and boil for 5-10 minutes till double in size.

Onion Rings

Onion Rings

Crispy coated onion rings is a most popular snack dish of drive-in restaurants. These delicious onion rings are the excellent appetizer or side dish, which gets amazing taste and texture only when fresh, homemade buttermilk is used for making its batter.

Ingredients:::

Ingredient

• Onion - 1 big
• All-purpose flour (maida) - 1/2 cup
• Cornflour - 1 tbsp
• Buttermilk - 1 cup
• Soda-bi-carbonate - 1/2 tsp
• Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - to deep fry

Method::

1. Peel the onion and wash in tap water.
2. Pat dry with clean kitchen napkin and cut into thin round slices, just like we cut it for making sandwiches.
3. Take out the rings from each slice as many as you can.
4. Make sure, if the onion slices are thin then thin rings will come out and that is the best thing about it.
5. Take a bowl and mix remaining ingredients very well.
6. Make a lump free batter with continuous mixing.
7. Heat good amount of oil in a frying pan.
8. Dip 2-3 rings in the prepared batter, coat from all sides and drop into hot oil.
9. Fry the onion rings on medium high flame from both sides until turns little brown and crispy.
10. Drain the fried onion rings on oil absorbent paper.
11. Serve immediately with mango salsa dip, tomato sauce.

Chingri Malai Curry

Chingri Macher Malai Curry or Chingri Malai Curry is among one of my favourite Bengali dishes. A curry cooked with Chingri Mach (a common Bengali term used for lobsters, prawns or shrimps) is generally a part of the Bengali menu, especially on occasions.

Ingredients::: 

• Jumbo prawns or lobsters, with the skin over the heads and tails being intact (deveined): 4 (medium-sized)
• Freshly scraped coconut paste: ¾ cup
• Turmeric powder (for marination): ¾ tsp
• Salt (for marination): ¾ tsp
• Mustard oil: ½ cup
• Onion (very finely chopped): 1 cup
• Ginger paste: ¾ tsp
• Freshly made black-mustard-seed paste: 1.5 tsp
• Whole dried bay leaf: 1 (big)
• Whole cinnamon (cassia bark): 1 (one-inch stick)
• Whole green cardamoms: 4
• Raisin paste: 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds: ¼ tsp
• Red chilli powder: ½ tsp
• Cumin powder: ¾ tsp
• Turmeric powder (for the curry): ½ tsp
• Salt (for the curry): ¾ tsp (or according to taste)
• Granulated sugar: ¼ tsp
• Ghee(Indian clarified butter): 1 tsp
• Green chillies: 4
•  Water: 1 cup

Method:::

1. Marinate the lobsters (or jumbo prawns) for atleast 15 min, with turmeric powder and salt.
2. Heat oil in a kadai or a pan. When it starts smoking, reduce the flame to medium and introduce the lobsters carefully and close the lid immediately to prevent sputtering. 
3. After 1 min, turn the lobsters and fry the other side for another minute. Remove the lobsters from the oil.
4. In the same hot oil, add the bay leaf, whole cinnamon (cassia bark), green cardamoms and wait for a few seconds. 
5. Add the cumin seeds and let these seeds turn light brown. Add the chopped onion and half the salt (for the curry). 
6. Sauté for 7 min, or until the onion looks golden-brown and soft.
7. Add the turmeric and the cumin powders, combined with 4 tbsp water. Sauté continuouslyto prevent burning of the powders.
8. Add the ginger paste and sauté again, sprinkling a little water if the onion mixture starts sticking to the pan. 
9. After 5 min, add the rest of the salt, sugar, red chilli powder, black-mustard-seed paste, raisin paste and coconut paste and sauté till the mixture starts separating from the oil.
10. At this stage, add the fried lobsters and sauté for 5 min at a simmered flame. 
11. Add whole green chillies and ¾ cup of water. Let the curry boil for 10 min, simmered and covered. 
12. Before serving, add the ghee to the curry.
13. Chingri Malai Curry is best served with steamed rice.