Ginger Beef Vegetable Stir-Fry

Ingredients:
1/4 pound (4 ounces) thinly sliced eye round of beef
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 cup frozen Asian vegetables
1/2 cup dry egg noodles
1 tablespoon chunky peanut butter
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Directions:

Saute beef in a nonstick skillet with olive oil and grated ginger until pink in the middle, about 5 minutes. Remove meat from skillet, add frozen vegetables to the remaining liquid and saute until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil egg noodles according to package instructions. Drain noodles and mix with peanut butter, green onions, red pepper flakes and soy sauce. Top noodles with meat and vegetable mixture.

Chicken Dressed in Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons white wine
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (or to taste)
2-3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup sliced mushrooms
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Combine the broth, wine and lemon juice in a small bowl or large mixing cup. Set aside.

Rinse and dry the chicken breasts. Using a kitchen mallet, pound to 1/4-inch thickness. Dredge the breasts in flour, saving the excess flour. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the chicken and saute until cooked through. Remove from the pan and place on a plate.

In the same pan used for the chicken, add the butter or margarine and the mushrooms. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining flour to the mushrooms and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth mixture to the mushrooms and stir constantly until the mixture thickens. Add chopped fresh parsley if desired.

Spoon the sauce over the chicken breasts and serve.

Pasta with Vegetables and Garlic Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pasta shells
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small eggplant, chopped, or 1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli

florets (or a combination totaling about 1 1/2 cups)

• 1 carrot, grated
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup half-and-half or cream
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Cook the pasta shells according to the package directions. Drain well and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic to the skillet and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggplant or broccoli (or both), then the carrot, red pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and cook over low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the half-and-half, nutmeg and parsley. Raise the heat to medium and heat until almost boiling, but do not boil.

Add to the pasta and mix well. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken breast and thigh fillets

Juice from 1 lime

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup wine vinegar

2 tablespoons clarified oil

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

2 teaspoons coriander

2 teaspoons cumin

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Score skin and rub with lime juice, salt and pepper. Let stand for 30 minutes.

In a bowl, combine yogurt, vinegar and oil. Mix thoroughly. Add onion, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika and chili powder. Process into a paste. Place chicken in a baking dish and rub thoroughly with seasoning. Cover dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.

Remove chicken 1 hour before roasting and rub again with seasoning. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place chicken in a roasting pan and cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes.

Red Lentil Soup

 Ingredients

1 lb red lentils
4-5 cloves chopped garlic (or to taste)
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 stalks celery, in medium-thin slices
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin (or cumin seed)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Clean the lentils by rinsing them several times. Take care to remove any small stones. Place the lentils in a heavy pot. Cover with water by about 3 1/2 to 4 inches. Bring to an easy boil. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, saute the garlic in the butter (or olive oil). After about a minute, when the garlic is fragrant, add the celery and saute until a gentle aroma comes forth, about another minute. At this point, add the cumin and cook for 4 to 5 minutes longer. Add to the lentils, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste; if the soup is too thick, add a few tablespoons of water. Before serving, stir in the lemon juice.

Chinese Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon refined oil

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced

3 Spring onions, finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 cup cooked chicken, thinly sliced

1/2 cup unsalted peanuts

2 1/2 cups cooked white rice

2 eggs

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil, plus more for serving

And here’s how to make it:

• In a wok or a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat.
• Add half of the ginger and half of the scallions and saute for a few seconds.
• Add the celery and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Mix in the chicken and the remaining ginger and spring onions and stir-fry for another minute or 2.
• Add the peanuts and rice to the wok, being sure to break up any clumps, and stir-fry for 3 minutes, tossing constantly so that they don’t burn or stick.
• In a small bowl, beat the eggs with 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil. Add the egg mixture to the wok and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes more, until the eggs are thoroughly cooked and blended into the rice.
• Serve with soy sauce and additional sesame oil on the side.

Mishti Doi/Sweet curd… A Traditional Bengali Dessert

Ingredients:

2.250ltrs Milk (Buffalo Milk with full fat)

500 gm Sugar

25gms Yogurt

• Earthen pot (handi) Small container of 1.5 kg. capacity Or Deep Bowl to set the curd
  

Preparation:

• Add 300gms of sugar to the milk and put to boil on Medium heat for at least 45mins and stir the milk constantly while boiling.
• See that the milk is reduced to almost 40 % and becomes thick and light brown in color.
• Place the remaining 200gms of sugar in heavy bottom vessel with 50ml of water and melt on low heat. Allow the sugar mixture to turn dark brown in colour.
• Gradually add this sugar mixture to the boiled milk and boil again for 15 minutes.
• Take it off the flame and beat constantly with a ladle till the mixture becomes Luke warm.
• Transfer the mixture into the Earthen Pot.
• Mix the Yogurt into the mixture after 5 min.
• Cover and allow to set for 8 to 12 hours at a warm place, do not open or move the pot during this period.
• Uncover and Store in a refrigerator, Serve Chilled.

Goan Style Mackerel Masala

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut scraped
5 peppercorns
salt to taste
1 tblsp oil
5 onions sliced
5 cloves
1/2 inch cinnamon
6 big size mackerels (bangda) scaled
8 red chillies whole
1 tblsp coriander seeds
1 small size tamarind
6 cloves garlic
2 tsp turmeric powder

And here’s how to make it:

• Wash and cut each mackerel into 4 pieces.
• Apply salt, then wash again after 5 minutes.
• Put the mackerels in a pot along with 3 to 4 cup water, a pinch of salt and one tsp of turmeric powder.
• Stir fry for 10 minutes.
• Drain.
• When the mackerels cool, de-bone and cut into small pieces.
• Heat up oil and stir-fry garlic, peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon.
• Drain.
• Stir-fry coriander seeds and red chillies in the same oil and drain.
• In the remaining oil stir fry the onions till dark brown.
• Grind all the fried ingredients (except the onions) with coconut and tamarind into a fine paste.
• Mix in the ground masala and water to the browned onions and bring to a boil.
• Mix in the mackerel pieces and salt and simmer (boil slowly at low temperature) for 2-3 minutes.
• Serve hot.

Goan Style Chicken Vindaloo

Ingredients:

1/2 kg boneless chicken, cut into pieces

3 tomatoes, pureed

4 potatoes sliced

2 tsp. whole cumin seeds

1 tsp. black peppercorns

1 tsp. cardamom seeds

3 stick cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. whole black mustard seeds

1 tsp. whole fenugreek seeds

5 tbsp. vinegar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp Ginger-garlic paste

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. light brown sugar

10 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 large onions, cut into half rings

6 tbsp. water

8-10 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp. grounded coriander seeds

1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

To make it:

• Grind cumin seeds, black pepper, cardamom seeds, cinnamon, black mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds together in a grinder.
• In a small bowl, mix grounded spices, vinegar, salt, cayenne pepper and brown sugar. Set aside. 
• Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry onions, stirring frequently, until they are a rich, dark brown. Remove onions and put them in a blender. Add 3 Tbsp. water to the onions and blend until you have a smooth paste. Add this onion paste to the  spices in the bowl. This mixture is the vindaloo paste.
• Heat the remaining oil in a pan over medium heat. 
• When hot, add the ginger-garlic paste. Stir until the paste browns slightly. Add the coriander and turmeric. Stir a few seconds. 
• Add the chicken, and brown lightly. 
• Now add the vindaloo paste, tomato puree and potatoes to the chicken in the pan. Stir and bring to a slight boil.
• Cover the pan, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about an hour, or until Chicken and potatoes are tender.
  

Chicken with Yogurt, Cashew and Poppy seeds

Ingredients:

1 kg Chicken

100 gms Yogurt

10/12 Cashew nuts

3 tsp Poppy seeds

1 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder

3 Onions, choppedM

1 tsp Ginger garlic paste

1/4 tsp Sugar

Salt to taste

Oil

Preparation:

• Cut chicken in small to medium sized pieces.
• Marinate chicken in yogurt for an hour
• Make a paste of cashew nuts and poppy seeds together with some water.
• Heat oil in a pan, and fry chopped chopped onions till they turn golden brown.
• Remove half the onions and make a paste of them.
• To the remaining onions add ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, salt and sugar and stir well.
• To this add the chicken along with the yogurt marinade and mix well.
• When it starts cooking add the cashew-poppy seed paste and the onion paste.
• Cover and cook till chicken is soft.
• Cook till you get gravy of desired consistency.
• Serve hot.