Curries & Stories

A lot of things have transpired in one month since I last posted. One among the many things being moving into a new house. Though its farther away from the last place we stayed, the scenery around is something to die for. For a city like Pune where the builders are leaving no stone unturned to build residential complexes, this area is tucked away in into the lap of the nature and surrounded by velvety hills. As the dawn breaks I am greeted to a view of misty clouds hugging the sleepy mountains cuddled in a quilt of warm green. It almost feels at times that I am staying in some hill station and not Pune. It’s just a matter of years until all this is gone but till then this feels like heaven. The temperature drops by at least two degrees the moment you are in the complex premises. And you know what when I lay on the bed I can witness the myriad colors that the skies and the clouds take throughout the day, the occasional visit of the sparrow couple and the beautiful breeze from the mountains . It almost feels like meditation. I may be closer to Nirvana than I think :)

So much green all around it almost hurts the eyes!

The best part of this house is the Kitchen. Its super spacious, airy and the red and white colors make me feel happy as soon as I enter the space. I longed for such an airy kitchen from the time I came to Pune.

View of the building (my Mom in the pic) My Kitchen

Due to some constraints we had to shift our belongings in batches. The first day when me moved in, we found out that the previous occupants of the house had left behind a lot of utensils which we could use, which was like a blessing to us as we couldn’t bring our own utensils by then.

A rainy evening, a brand new house with bare minimum stuffs and couple of hungry souls languishing for a home cooked meal after a long long day. Though we didn’t have an ounce of energy left to go out and buy grocery but still we needed to get something to cook. So after freshening up we went exploring the market area to get familiarized with the stores. We saw a chicken store and got some chicken and eggs. What’s better than warm chicken curry and steaming rice on a cold and rainy night.

The chicken was quickly washed and marinated. My mother proposed “Dak-Bungalow Chicken Curry” for our hungry souls. I am used to make chicken curry the conventional way or the more exotic ones. I had previously read about this particular preparation but never tried it. The name itself kind of transports you back to an era lost in folds of time. The days of the British Raj and the taste of the Colonial Indian Cuisine.

The Dak-bungalow

“Dak” means mail. The mails in those days were relayed via the post stations along a route for carrying mail. The Dak-bungalows were rest houses for travelers travelling along these mail routes. The British used to travel across the country for various reasons including administration, policing, revenue work, trade, hunting, trekking and photography. En-route they used to spend the nights at these quaint Dak-bungalows which had basic necessities provided and a house chef who would quickly round up a meal comprising of steamed rice, some fritters on the side, yellow dal, a seasonal vegetable curry, a custard or dessert and the specialty of the house - Dak-bungalow curry. The curry has meat, a boiled egg and halved potato. It could be made of mutton, chicken, beef or lamb.

More from my backyard

The Dak-bungalow or the Government circuit houses as they are known today found its mention many a times in Satyajit ray’s works. I never had the chance to stay in any circuit house but the vivid description of the same in Ray’s stories were sufficient to paint a picture of a house situated off the beaten path, cream-colored, with red tiled sloping roof meshed with flower vines , a patch of a garden in front, surrounded by tall trees on all other sides and a ‘chowkidar’ (guard) to usher the guests in. None of Ray’s stories are without a detailed description of meals. When Feluda would travel far and wide on a crime trail we would be introduced to the beauty of the place and the local cuisine. The circuit houses and zamidar houses would always have “Bon-murgir jhol” (wild fowl curry) on the menu along with an array of other delicious delicacies served in ivory white bone china dishes. The meal description of Ray would never fail to make me hungry.

All these were a part of our growing up days. We are still very much kids in the comfort corners of our minds waiting to run back into time and revisit the fancies and beliefs of the childhood days.

The chicken was done to perfection while me and my mom were having a tête-à-tête in the kitchen about the Dak-bungalows and old times. The chit chat was just like the old days when me and mom would go on for hours on multiple topics without a care in the world. Ah! How I miss those days!

Nothing would have made a more perfect ending to the day than a dinner comprising of piping hot chicken curry and rice.

Here’s a slice of culinary history from the bygone era ( I left out the boiled eggs in the recipe)

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Marinating Time : 1 hr

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Serves:2

Cuisine: Bengali

Ingredients:

Marinade:

· Chicken – 600 gm (cut into medium sized pieces)

· Lemon – half

· Turmeric Powder

· Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp

· Curd – 300 gm

· Salt to taste

Gravy:

· Potato – 2 medium size (halved)

· Onion – 2 medium size (thinly sliced)

· Ginger Paste – 2 tbsp

· Garlic paste – 2 tbsp

· Tomato – 1 medium

· Bay Leaf – 2

· Cumin Powder –

· Coriander Powder –

· Cinnamon – 2” stick

· Cardamom – 3

· Clove – 5-6

· Sugar to taste

· Mustard oil

Procedure:

1.    Clean the chicken and place it in a big bowl. Add lemon juice to it

2.    Take Curd in a bowl. Add salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder and whisk the curd into uniform consistency. Add the curd to the chicken and mix well. Marinate the chicken for an hour.

3.    Fry the potato till sides are lightly browned. Keep aside.

4.    Take oil in a deep bottomed skillet and heat it. Add bay leaf and coarsely pounded garam masala (Cinnamon, Cardamom and Clove)

5.    When the spices are aromatic add the sliced onions and half a spoon salt. Fry the onions till golden brown. Add the ginger and garlic paste.

6.    Grate the tomato and add the tomato pulp ( You may skip the tomato if you feel the curd is sour enough)

7.    Add the marinated chicken, mix well with the fried onion in the skillet. Add the cumin and coriander powder. Cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.

8.    Adjust the salt at this point and add a cup of warm water ( or according to the quantity of gravy required). Add the fried potatoes. Cook on high heat for 5-6 minutes stirring occasionally, then reduce the heat and cover and cook the chicken till done (About 25- 30 minutes)

9.    If you desire you can garnish it with chopped cilantro

Serve the Dak-Bungalow Chicken with Steamed rice, a portion of crispy fried potato( aloo bhaja), a wedge of lime and a green chili.

Bon Appétit!

Sending this recipe to Cooking 4 all Seasons' "Side Dish Mela" event.

5 comments

Rains,

Lush green forest laden mountains,

Cascading milky white waterfalls, cloud filled valleys,

Turbulent coastlines, lush paddy fields, colorful insects,rolling blanket of blossoms,

Piping hot bhajiyas at the roadside stall with steaming cup of Masala chai ,

Long drives, romantic music and getting drenched in endless greenery…

Monsoon brings in a lot of bitter-sweet memories with itself every year. For the nature lovers residing in the western part of the country it’s time to pack their bags and set out to experience the wet and wild. The entire Konkan belt is rich in flora and fauna and monsoon brings out the best in them. Even the mundane chores like travelling to office and back becomes a pleasure ride as the entire pathway is bedecked in different shades of green – all fresh and sprightly.

This entry will be more of a photoblog instead of the normal writeup.Want to share with my readers the awesomeness of monsoon in the Konkan belt.

Lonavala 2012

I look forward to this time of the year when one can forget every tension in their life just by looking out of the window. The whole of Maharashtra becomes a nature lover’s paradise. The light drizzle and rumbling clouds strikes an instant romanticism even in the most unromantic souls. It’s time for garma garam Khichdi and some vegetable fritters to go with it. The contrast of the chill in the air and the warmth of a homemade meal is something to die for.

The irony is that this is considered to be the low season time for tourism industry because rainy season doesn’t attract the high spending party goers. This is an added boon for the monsoon lovers who can enjoy some of the best nature destinations at dirt-cheap prices. I try to plan an outing near mid-June when the monsoon had already set in and the backdrop has changed from light brown to dark green. Last year we had visited this amazing place called Wildernest, safely hidden inside the deepest jungles of Chorla Ghats in Goa. Goa usually means sunny beaches, seafood shacks and wild parties. But most are unaware of the breathtaking forest cover that Goa offers. The place was everything beyond our imagination with rooms facing thundering waterfalls, an infinity pool which opened up the cloud laden jade valleys, delectable Konkani fare served in earthen bowls and endless walks through the forest trail – an experience which I would rate as the best-est among all the places I have visited worldwide.

Swapnagandha Valley @ Wildernest

Waterfalls visible from Reception @ Wildernest

Mesmerizing Konkan Yatra by rail

This year also with the onset of May we started planning our monsoon destination. We didn’t want it to be a Mahabaleshwar, Matheran or Lonavala trip but something different. And different we have planned. A sneak peak of the place where we will be holed up. Will update details once we complete our tour.

Talking of the rains and not talking about the foods that make the season all the more special would be an injustice to all foodies out there. After getting drenched on way home what could give you more comfort than a bowl of steaming vegetable Maggie (noodles)? Add a handful of scrambled eggs to it and voila you have a royal dish in your hands. Monsoon is the time everyone willfully surrenders to their fritter cravings. Kanda Bhaji (onion fritter), Pale Bhaji (Spinach fritter), Batata bhaji (potato fritters) and all other kinds of bhajiyas make their appearance at the roadside stalls. Bun-maska and masala chai is also a great combination for the hungry souls. Back in Bengal it would be time for muri makha (a heady mix of puffed rice with different spice mix) ,aloor chop (Potato cutlets) and adda (chitchat). Time would fly and no one would even notice when the evening made way for the night. Let's also not forget to mention about the sliced tangy Kacchi kairi (raw mangoes) seasoned the typical Maharashtra way that you get near any tourist destinations especially outside the historic forts. It was an electrifying experience the time we had some kacchi kairis at the Sinhagad fort.

Kacchi Kairi @ Sinhagad Fort

Along with the food we also have the all important chai (tea). Whether its a masala chai, raw tea or a simple milk tea a rainy evening cant do without it. The shot of steaming cutting chai (small tea cup) is as intoxicating as a shot of tequila.

Cutting Chai & Bhajjis

Lets come to the recipe part of this photo blog now. In Bengal we have Bhaja instead of Bhajjis. The essential difference between a Bhaja and a Bhajji is that the later is dipped in batter and then fried whereas a Bhaja may or may not have a coating over it. Simply frying the cut vegetable seasoned with salt and turmeric makes a Bhaja like Potol Bhaja (Parwal fry), Shak Bhaja (leafy vegetable fried), Kumro bhaja (Pumpkin fry), more royal Ilish Mach Bhaja (Hilsa Fish Fry)to name a few. It makes for some great side dish to go with the normal rice and daal. Young or old it will be hard to find a person who will not love any kind of fritter.

The recipe for today is a very simple Bhaja – Kumro Phool Bhaja or Pumpkin blossom fritters. During childhood days we used to get a lot of pumpkin blossoms in the local market. I found these pillowy and buttery saffron yellow delicate blossoms with soft green stems tied in a bunch of 6-8 very attractive as a kid. My father used to frequently get them which was a good thing for me as I loved to devour the piping hot pumpkin blossom fritters freshly fried. There was another blossom fritter that I used to love equally – Bok phool (or Heron flower, as its white and hangs like a heron from the tree) bhaja/ Humming bird tree blossom fritters. Now a days when I visit Kolkata I can see Pumpkin Blossoms being sold but never saw any Bokphool. Maybe those got lost with our childhood.

Coming back to Pumpkin Blossoms. A pretty simple recipe for those rain soaked evenings.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Serves:2

Cuisine: Bengali

Ingredients:

Kumro Phool (Pumpkin Blossom)-8
Besan (Bengal gram flour) - 1/2 cup
Rice Powder - 1/4 cup
Kalonji (Nigella seeds) - 1/4 tsp
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
Refined oil - for deep frying

Procedure:

1. Remove the stigma and the stem from each blossom. Wash the blossoms properly in a colander taking care not to tear them (the blossoms are very delicate)

2. Prepare a uniform thick batter of gram flour, rice powder, baking soda, red chilli powder, nigella seeds, sugar and salt.

3.Heat oil in a skillet. When the oil is hot enough, dip the blossoms one by one into the above batter and place them in the skillet. The blossoms will quickly get fried in about a couple of minutes. Fry them till they turn a shade of golden brown.

4. Remove the blossom fritters from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them over tissue paper so that extra oil gets soaked.

Note: You can try the same recipe with other Squash family blossoms like Zucchini blossoms.

Serve as it is with any chutney or sauce or you can serve it as an accompaniment to daal rice.

It's also my Birthday today. So it's a day of celebrating my birthday, the monsoons and plenty of warm memories to go with it. Today is no-cooking day for me. It will be a dinner of delectable mutton pulav and chicken kabab from a famous Parsi joint in Pune.

Signing off with a few lines I read somewhere:

My kaleidoscope dreams have all been unfurled
Since you Green have colored my world,
You rescued my heart, Green
You rescued my heart...

Take care everyone and enjoy the rains!

Sending this to Just not the cakes' "Let's celebrate Halloween" event and Pari & Jiya's "Only Traditional Recipe",.

10 comments

So I have been meaning to post this for a long time but somehow it got forgotten amongst other day to day chores. Elaborate recipes like this need the right kind of mood and a good occasion to go with it. I had made this one last December for ushering in the New year and then I again made it last week simply to celebrate the onset of pre-monsoons. Such a rich recipe can only be had when the weather cools down a bit. And this year we had a very hot and humid summer in Pune – totally unsuitable for any dish that was heavy on the stomach.

After such a scorching summer I felt as elated as a peacock when I saw the first drops of pre-monsoon hitting my office window. Only I didn’t have a ornate tail to spread and show off my happiness (poor me!). Nonetheless, me and a couple of my colleagues rushed to the parking lot to feel the rain on our face. The smell of the wet earth is so tantalizing that it makes you forget all the summer ordeals. We stood there by the balcony staring at the rain. People were scurrying around trying to hide themselves behind the shade of a tree or a tea stall. Some less fortunate who were on bikes were letting themselves soak in the rain. The Gulmohar tree in our office premises had suddenly started looking all bright and clean- red flowers swaying in the rain. The mercury had gone down considerably and a pleasant breeze had replaced the searing summer wind. Time for celebration and planning our first getaway to enjoy the beautiful monsoons.

Such a nice weather demands gastronomic celebration as well. My heart was set on Khichudi and begun bhaja (khichdi and fried Aubergine), the very typical way for a Bengali to celebrate a rainy evening. But I saw some chicken in the freezer languishing from a couple of days. So racked up my brain and recreated this rich and decadent almond based curry of the Mughlai origin. Anything Mughlai has a royalty feel to it, same applies to this recipe as well.

I am a glutton when it comes to some of my favorite recipes. So who is not? Anyone who cooks surely loves their meats and vegetables not to mention their sweets. It’s another thing whether they accumulate the calories like me or not. I really envy those gourmet chefs who are known to cook up a storm in their kitchen and yet look like they haven’t eaten in years. For normal people like you and me, an extra bowl of delectable kheer or an elaborate seafood platter means extra hours of working out to avoid piling up of good-for-nothing calories.

Since I am not a housewife I do not have the time to pick and choose recipes and then go shopping for the ingredients. Most of the ingredients that goes into making anything special is always available at my home which I usually pick up during bi-weekly trips to the super markets. Last time my mom and mother-in-law visited our place they gasped at the variety of spices and other ingredients present at our home and tagged it as over indulgence. But anything for good food and photography. And for patrons of good cooking.

It always makes you happy when someone appreciates your dishes. But it’s an honor when someone says that they are going to showcase your creations to the masses. While I was working on an endless presentation one day I received an email which was from a lady named Arnie kaye dillen who wanted to share some of my works on her company facebook pages( www.wikichicken.com, www.gourmetrecipe.com etc). I was going crazy with work and I wasn’t sure whether this was some sort of a spam mail or not, so it was simply forgotten with time. But soon after a couple of days I got a sweet “gentle reminder” mail from the same lady asking whether I had received her earlier mail. That was a reality check. Someone really was interested in my food. I felt a sudden adrenaline rush, somewhat jittery and a lot more ecstatic. I quickly responded back with an apology of not responding first. Arnie is a very very sweet person, she published my recipe and even sent me a link of the same. The saga still continues. I remain to be the procrastinator as always putting the blame on my workload and Arnie patiently bears with me and sends me mails, invites, requests followed by those sweet little gentle reminders after which my guilt starts to buildup and overpower me and I quickly do the needful :). I hope this beautiful association will continue for a long time. This special chicken recipe is dedicated to this very sweet lady.

Links to the facebook pages where my recipe is hosted by Arnie:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151924804573102&set=a.10150914386228102.527985.116441078101&type=1

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=560526060658863&set=a.359634600748011.88978.194974980547308&type=1

Marinating Time: Overnight

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Serves:4

Cuisine: Mughlai

Ingredients:

Marinade (overnight)

· Chicken – 1 kg (cut into medium sized pieces)

· Lemon Juice – 2 tsp

· Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp

· Black Peppercorn – 4 (ground)

· Salt – 2 tsp

· Curd (beaten) – ¾ cup

· Garam masala (ground) – 1.5 tsp

· Refined Oil – 1 tsp

For Tempering

· Bay Leaf - 2

· Green Cardamom Whole -3-4

· Cinnamon Stick - 2"

· Clove -4-5

· Nutmeg – ¼ tsp

For Gravy

· Onion – 2 medium (made into fine paste)

· Potato (Diced) – 2 big

· Ginger Paste – 2 tsp

· Garlic paste - 1 tsp

· Charmagaz (melon seeds) or Cashew (paste) – 3 tsp (Optional if you want to make the gravy extra thick)

· Almonds – ½ cup (soaked and skin removed)

· Fresh green chillis – 3-4 (or depending upon your spice tolerance level)

· Milk – 1 cup ( you can also substitute by fresh coconut milk)

· Raisins – 10 (soaked) [you can use as many depending on your liking]

· Sugar to taste

· Salt to taste

· Ghee or refined oil – ½ cup

For Garnish

· Almonds- 6-7 (lightly fried)

· Fresh Coriander Leaf – 2-3 twigs

· Fresh cream - 2 tsp (optional)

Procedure:

1. Clean and cut the Chicken. In a bowl take the chicken and add all the ingredients mentioned under marinade. Mix well and leave it overnight in the refrigerator.

2. Fry the diced potato and keep aside.

3. Lightly toast the skinned almonds. Let the almonds cool down and make a thick paste of almonds and ¼ cup milk. Keep aside.

4. Make a paste of the onion and green chilli.

5. Take a mortar and pestle and coarsely grind all the spices mentioned under tempering except bay leaf (the spices become more fragrant by grinding)

6. Take a heavy bottomed pan (kadhai) and add the ghee/oil . When the oil is hot enough add the ground spices and bay leaf. Toss them for a few minutes until fragrant

7. Add the onion-chilli paste to the spices. Add a pinch of salt and sugar. The salt will help in softening the onion faster and the sugar will caramelize in the heat and give a nice color to the onions. Sauté until the onion is soft and takes a golden brown color. The oil will also separate at this stage.

8. Add the ginger-garlic paste at this stage and let it cook for 5 more minutes

9. Add the chicken from the marinade and lather it well with the spice mix of the pan. Let it cook for a while taking care to brown the chicken slightly on all slides. Keep tossing the chicken around to get a uniform browning.

10. At this stage add the marinade to the chicken and fold in. Add a cup of warm water to it. Using warm water instead of normal water enhances the taste of the gravy. Mix well. Cover and let it to cook for 10-15 minutes on medium flame.

11. When the chicken is almost half cooked add the soaked raisins and let it cook till chicken is tender. Add some sugar at this stage if you want your gravy to be on the sweeter side. I usually prefer a balanced taste not too sweet not too salty.

12. Add the diced potatoes and let it cook. (adding potatoes is optional)

13. If you are planning to add charmagaz or cashew paste add it once the chicken is cooked and oil floats up. Let it cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Serve the preparation in a bowl and garnish with fried almond pieces, coriander twigs and cream. You can add a dollop of butter to this if you wish. Naan, roti or basmati rice anything will go well with the chicken. I prepared Zafrani pulav as an accompaniment.

Note: This gravy is supposed to get its color from the fried onions and is a turmeric less recipe.