Crispy Sweet Corn

Feeling so good to be back in blogging again. I was on vacation for more than a month, then all of a sudden my laptop conked off. To replace the mother board it took more than 3 weeks. Ah, I know its a long time. But still happy be a part of this Smart Phone realm that at least, it didn't make me totally deprived from the social networking channel. I didn't think that I would be able to participate this time to the ongoing event: "Gaming Night Bites" that KFB has announced. Yea the event is created to keep the spirit of the FIFA World Cup 2014 final and to munch and crunch instead of biting your nails. So I thought of making something very easy but tasty that can be fully enjoyed to boost up the gaming spirit. Its healthy so you can pass on some energy to your favourite team too..:P 

This Crispy Sweet Corn dish  I was actually created after getting thoroughly  inspired by one of my favourite restaurants- Bar-b-Que Nation in Kolkata. We the food lovers and the Cooking Kings/Queens, whenever we visit a food joint the first thing we do, we take the first bite and then start to postmortem the succulent flavour by dissecting the ingredients in it. Yes of course if it hits the palate and wins the heart. And moreover if your lil one gives a thumbs up of any dish, you become more into it to storm your brain how the dish gets cooked. One will see your lips and tongue are moving in nano seconds. The tip of your tongue is hitting the  palate and with full concentration noting down the ingredients. You may have already cooked the dish in your mind's kitchen and your impatient soul will keep on tapping by making you a bit crazy when you will go back home and hit the dish in your kitchen. Now apart from all the mouthwatering Kababs and main courses this Crispy Sweet Corn gets serve as a veg starter in Bar-b-Que Nation. My lil one wants go back again and again to Bar-b-Que Nation only to have this dish. So Mamma thought let us try in our kitchen. And here it is. (Never thought it will be so easy to make.. ;) ) So here is the recipe. Do try it and let me know..Yes I will be waiting for feedback.....

Ingredients:

Pls Note: This time I am note going to give any measurement. You have to make it with your own measurement.

Sweet Corn Kernels

Besan/Gram Flour

Salt & Sugar to taste

To spice up a bit you can sprinkle after it gets done:

Chat Masala

Black Salt

Lemon Juice

Red Chilly Powder

Method:

It will look like this
before frying..

1. Wash the corn kernels and put it on a strainer so that the excess water should drained out.

2. Put them in bowl and add salt and sugar as per taste. Mix them nicely and keep them aside for a while .

3. Add Besan/Gram Flour 1 spoon at time and keep on folding nicely. Make sure each corn kernel should get nicely coated with the Besan/Gram Flour.

4. Take a Kadai/Deep dense Pan and heat sufficient oil so that you can deep fry the kernels. Make sure the oil is hot enough and then keep on frying the kernels in a bunch till they turn brown.

5. Take them out and pour them on a plate that is covered with a kitchen towel/tissue paper so that the oil should get absorbed. 

6. Now enjoy plain or sprinkling some spices after your mind.

Note:

1. You can spices when you are adding the salt and sugar too.

2. Beware while frying the kernels. They are tend to splutter.

3. Using Arrowroot will make it more crispy. 

It is off to the ongoing event Game Night Bites by Kolkata Food Bloggers..

Herbed Chicken Tikka

Kolkata Food Bloggers has geared up with the March events. The very first event of the month is called "Kashmir to Kanyakumari". All the bloggers are pretty excited and busy in their kitchens to come with something special regional dishes from North India to South India. For me the month has started with a very busy note. I am semi-shifting to my new house, where we have the plan to spend our vacation and some quality time on and off. So that needs a minimum setup to consider it as the habitat. Last few days ran off with some crazy whole day shopping what made us happy and at the same tired too. I have taken leave from my work for few days to enjoy and relax some special time in setting up the home after our mind. Hope to come up soon with snaps of my new home. Right now let me share my contribution for the event that I have come up considering this busy schedule - a pretty easy one which takes almost no time to shred your energy . I have made Chicken Tikka picking it up from the North Indian Cuisines. I have given a twist to our regular Chicken Tikkas to make taste a bit different. I have baked it but for best result if you have a charcoal griller then go for it. I bet  it would taste 2 times better than the baked/grilled one. Following are some detail I am sharing about Chicken Tikka from Wikipedia:

"Chicken tikka (Hindi: मुर्ग़ टिक्का Urdu: مرغ تکہ ‎; [ˌmʊrɣ ˈʈɪkkaː]) is a chicken dish originating in the Indian Subcontintent where it remains popular in both Pakistan and India. It is traditionally small pieces of boneless chicken baked using skewers in a clay-based oven called a tandoor after marinating inspices and yogurt - essentially a boneless version of tandoori chicken.[1] The word tikka means "bits" or "pieces". It is also a chicken dish served inPunjabi cuisine. The Punjabi version of the dish, however, is grilled over red-hot coals, and does not always contain boneless pieces. The pieces are brushed with ghee (clarified butter) at intervals to increase its flavour, while being continuously fanned. It is typically eaten with green coriander andtamarind chutney served with onion rings and lemon, or used in preparing a chicken tikka masala."(Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tikka)

Ingredients:

For Maronation:

Boneless Chicken (Cubed) - 300gm

Curd- 2 tbspn

Ginger Garlic Paste- 1 & 1/2 tbspn (Heaped)

Onion Juice - out of one large

Mixed Herb (Dry) - 2 tspns (crushed)

Red Chili Powder- 1/2 tspn (One can add more or less, depends on the hot quotient)

Salt as per taste

Mustard Oil- 1 tspn

****

Tomato (Diced)- 1 medium

Onion (Diced) - 1 small

White oil- 1 tspn

Salt and sugar as per taste

White Pepper- A pinch

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients under marination and marinade for at list 5-6 hours. For best result keep it over night.

2. Pre-heat the oven at 200 Degree C for 6-7 minutes.

3. Place the chicken cubes on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes (10+10 both sides).

4. Heat oil on a pan. Add the diced onion and and the seasonings for a couple of minutes or so. Add the tomatoes fry for few seconds and then take it off from the fame.

5. Take Skewers. Prick the Chicken Tikka's along with the onion and tomatoes.

6. Grill for 5 -10 minutes on high and serve hot with salad or your desired dips.

This is off to the event "Kashmir to Kanyakumari" by Kolkata Food Bloggers(KFB).

Fish Chops / Fish Croquettes

Time really runs fast. I can still remember the day when five Food Bloggers from Kolkata started this new adventure to achieve a dream to create a Food Bloggers' society in Kolkata. And now only 4 days are left to celebrate the First Birthday of Kolkata Food Bloggers aka KFB. With lot of twist and turns now we have come to this podium where we, the KFBians so much enjoy each other’s company, the internal-external activities, the Table meets, the events et al. Within this short span of time KFBians got a chance to work as a co-organizer of the Nutrifest of the KPC Medical College. The KFBians did four video shoots for a documentary which went to the 19th Kolkata International Film Festival last year. The team KFB started taking invited review programs and sampling food fests and so on and so forth...

We hope to achieve many more milestones by the KFB group. Wish us good luck so that we can keep on cooking, clicking, sharing and learning many more things and achieve those which we really lack. Here I Invite all my Food Blogger Friends to celebrate the KFB birthday with us. Keep following us and pour your love for us.

This Fish Chops/ Fish Croquettes I have once made for the first KFB Potluck Party. Everybody liked it. But I was pretty tensed about the reaction of the KFBians as this time I was going to face all the expert cooks from Kolkata. But I did a happy dance when everyone praised it whole heartedly. During my USA stay this one was one of my signature dishes for each party. So today I can't think of any other Finger food (this is the birthday celebration theme of the week, that our Event Manager Sarani has decided) but the Fish Chops/ Fish Croquettes. So here is the recipe, hope you all will like it.

Ingredients:

Rohu Fish (Peti/ Belly part) Block- 6pcs

Potato- 3 medium

Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tea spn

Cumin Powder- 1 tea spn

Coriander Powder - 1 tea spn

Onion- 2 medium

Ginger paste- 3/4 tea spn

Tomato - 1 large

Salt & Sugar- According to taste

White Oil- 2 tbspn + Enough to Fry the Fish Chops/croquettes.

For the crust:

Flour- 1 tb spn

Water- 3/4 cup

Roasted Biscuit crust- 2  cups (more or less- I always keep 1 extra cup handy)

Method:

1. Boil the Fish with a pinch of Turmeric Powder and salt for 15 to 20mnts. Strain and bone the fish very carefully so that not a single piece leaves and also remove the fat/skin of the fish.
2. Boiled the potatoes. Strain the water and reserve.
3. Now add and mash all the dry ingredients/ Masala, Salt nicely with fish and Potato. Make nice dough.
4. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan. Add the onion. Fry till it turns brown. Add chopped tomatoes and Ginger paste. Keep on frying till the Tomatoes separate the oil.
5. Add the fish mixture to it. Fold nicely and keep on Sautéing till the mixture starts to leave a fried aroma and looks like a very dry dough. (Don't forget to check the taste to add more salt or not)
6. Cool it. Grease your hand with oil. Start shaping the chops/Croquettes a good shape.
7. Now add the flour and water. Make a nice mixture out of it. Take a plate and spread the Biscuit crumbs.
8. Take one croquette. Dip in the Flour mixture and then roll on the crumbs. Again dip in the flour mixture and then roll on the crumbs. Doing it two to three times gives a very crusty bite after it gets fired.
9. When all the croquettes are ready to fry just keep them in the freezer for an hour or so.
10. Then deep fry them till they turn brown and serve them with sauce or desired dips. Don't forget to absorb the excess oil for the Croquettes by using a tissue paper.

Note:

1. To make this croquettes you can use Katla/ Basa or Bhetki fish.

2. Usually 2 normal size Fish block + 1 medium Potato yield 3 croquettes (of course - depends on the size).

3. You can store it (Non-fried one ) in the freezer for a week and just take it out and fry whenever you want to have it.

Eggplant/Brinjal/ Aubergine Satay

At my early learning stage, I was shown to a picture of a big egg shaped fat, purple coloured vegetable  with a stem poking out from its head and was introduced that as 'BEGUN' in Bengali, 'BAIGAN' in Hindi and 'BRINJAL' in English. Who thought that after growing up in a lady and owning a kitchen to rule, I had to scratch my head after getting encountered with more names of that fat, purple veggie. Yes, you read it correctly. I did scratch my head when I first stepped in to the vegetable market in USA and saw that the my very well known Mr. Fatty Purple Brinjal was sitting on an isle with a name tagged on its head as "EGGPLANT". Newlywed then, I was not able to relate how could an EGG  be called as a PLANT and why Brinjal was tagged as an EGGPLANT. Too much confusion for the budding cook I decided to rush back home to investigate about it. Cheers to Wikipedia I found this:

"Eggplant (Solanum melongena) is a species of nightshade commonly known in British English as aubergine and also known as brinjal, brinjal eggplant, melongene, garden egg, or guinea squash. It bears a fruit of the same name (commonly either "eggplant" in American English or "aubergine" in British English) that is widely used in cooking, most notably as an important ingredient in dishes such as moussaka and ratatouille. As a member of the genus Solanum, it is related to both the tomato and the potato. It was originally domesticated in India from the wild nightshade, the thorn or bitter apple, S. incanum." (Source: HERE)

I was introduced another name of Brinjal - "Aubergine". Now I don't have any confusion. Do you have?? I guess No..:)

I think Brinjal/Eggplant/ Aubergine is one of the most versatile vegetables that can be cooked in so many different ways.  Some has some allergy problem with this veggie but apart from that, taste wise it is unbeatable. I love to experiment with food. And from a long time I thought of making vegetable Satay with Brinjal/Eggplant/ Aubergine . Satay is actually now became famous as a Thai cuisine. But originally it came from Java, Indonesia, though there are confusions hovering around about its originality:

“Although both Thailand and Malaysia claim it as their own, its Southeast Asian origin was in Java, Indonesia. There satay was developed from the Indian kebab brought by the Muslim traders. Even India cannot claim its origin, for there it was a legacy of Middle Eastern influence.”

—Jennifer Brennan (1988), Kitchen Daily

If we delve deep in the history of Satay, the true meaning of Satay is: "Three pieces of Meat" which derived from the word "Min Nan words sa tae bak (三疊肉)". So in true sense Satay should be made with meat only. Non veg , mainly Chicken Satay is widely famous among the Satay family, though pork, mutton, beef and following with many other wild fleshes are its big competitors too.

I took a plunge to go for a vegan Satay and experiment it in a new way. I was not too confident about the result. But when it was served and tasted by the family it was a hit. My hubby became little skeptical after hearing the menu and was not able to hide his grimaced face. Thankfully after tasting with confusion he within a minute called for the next one. Devoured happily by everyone, I ended my day with a peaceful sleep. So here is the recipe of Eggplant/Brinjal/ Aubergine Satay : 

Ingredients:

Eggplant : 2 medium (Long)

Peanut Butter: 2 tbspns (room temperature)

Soy Sauce: 3 tbspns

Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce: 2 tbspns (more or less)

Garlic paste: 1 tspn

Warm Water: 1-2tbspns

Salt and Sugar : as per taste

Method:

1. Thinly slice the Eggplant lengthwise. Rub them with salt and  leave for few minutes. (See Notes)
2. Take bowl. Add all the ingredients except the water. Mix it well in to a smooth paste. If you think its too thick then add water in drops. The sauce will be semi thick.
3. Take a baking pan.  Cover it with aluminum foil. Grease it with oil.
4. Take each Eggplant slice, brush the sauce nice on the both sides and line up on the baking tray.
5. Bake for 7-8 mnts first at 200 degree C. Then turn them carefully so that they should not get broken and bake for another 5mnts.
6. Take each slice and put in the skewers and serve with salad and sauce/dip. 

Notes:

1. When you will thin the Eggplant make sure it should not cut too thin. If it is too thin then it might get a chance to get broken while putting them in the skewers.

2. I always wrap the baking pan with aluminium foil. It helps to get a burnt free and clean pan.

3. You can make it with Potato and other vegetable too.

4. Too make a dip you make some extra sauce same we did for marinating the eggplants.

Chicken Quiche

Quiche (Keesh, how it gets pronounced), is one of my favourites and many a time I thought of giving it try at home. But I was too much fascinated with all the easy recipes that rivet to spend no time in the kitchen. Being a Food Blogger I may sound queer, but I have seen my most popular recipes are those which are easy to cook in minutes kind of dishes. That means many are there like me who always seek for easy and short time taking recipes. Believe me I found this Chicken Quiche very easy and less time taking too. One day I read a Recipe on Quiche which one of my blogger friends Antara who blogs at Antypasti.com, had posted. I got quite inspired and bookmarked it to try.  Yesterday I had a small Tea Party at home so I decided to offer some different small savoury bites to them. I was bit of scared how the dish would come up or it would taste. But I was too happy with the success. I prepared the dish in my way. But thanks for many inspiring recipes which I combined and created mine. Next time I have thought of giving an Indianised version to the Chicken Quiche.

Few lines about Quiche:

Although known as a classic French dish, the quiche originated in Germany. The word quiche means "cake" which came from the German word Kuchen. Today, quiche is considered as typically French. However, savoury custards in pastry were known in English cuisine at least as early as the 14th century. Recipes for custards baked in pastry containing meat, fish and fruit are referred to Crustardes of flessh and Crustade in the 14th-centuryThe Forme of Cury and in 15th-century cookbooks as well. (Source: HERE)

Let us now move on to my recipe. Chicken Quiche is very easy to make and you will fall in love with it that I can bet. Quiches are such a great stunner for small Tea Parties that I realised yesterday. So here is the recipe of Chicken Quiche: 

 Ingredients:

(Yields 9-10 cup cake size Quiche )

For  the Shell:

Flour: 1 & 1/2 cups

Egg: 1

Butter: 50gm (Room temperature)

Salt: 1/4 tspn

Water: As per requirement

For the Stuffing:

Minced Chicken : 200-250gm

Chedder Cheese: 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup, Grated  (I used Britannia one)

Onion : 1 Medium Size (Chopped)

Mushroom : 4-5 (Chopped)

Mayonnaise : 2 tbspn

Sweet Chilli Sauce : 1 tbspn (You can add more)

Egg : 1

White Pepper Powder : 1/4 tbspn (Optional)

Salt & Sugar according to taste

Method:

1. First make  the dough as with make for Roti/Bread. First mix all the dry ingredients nicely then add the butter . Knead. Then add Egg. Knead again then add water little bit at a time. Keep on kneading unless the dough becomes smooth and soft.
2. Make the stuffing: Add everything under the stuffing section except the 1/4 cup cheese and mix well.
3. Take a muffin/ cup cake pan. Grease it well.
4. Pre-heat the oven at 200 degree C.
5. Make 9-10 a little bit bigger than a ping pong size balls and with a help of a rolling pin roll them like a flat bread/Luchi/ Pizza base. The thickness will be not much but not so thin too. Take each base and put it in each cups shaping them according to the size.
6. Put stuffing in each cup and bake for 20mnts.
7. Take the pan out and top little bit of grated cheese on each Quiche.
8. Bake for another 2-3 mnts. And serve with sauce.

Notes:

1. You can add loads of vegetable in the place of chicken.

2. To make the stuffing more soft and creamy you can add milk too. Add milk with the egg and beat together. And then add.

3. You can add many more spices and sauces to enrich the taste.

Mochar Phuler Bora( Banana Blossom Heart Fry)

It is my sister who is very much fond of all Bengali cuisines. On the other hand I am always running away from it. I know being a Bengali it might sound obnoxious, but this is my honest citation. My taste bud only tickles when I am served continental foods with less spices and oil. I am talking about this attitude towards food when I was celebrating my state of celibacy. As everybody knows marriage does make life topsy turvy and compels to take a new birth again. My man is a true blue Bengali who hearts for all Bengali cuisines. So I have to introduce different types Bengali cuisines in my kitchen and started growing a likeness towards it after marriage. But at the same time hubby get introduced with all the foods that I used to love too. The recent scenario has surprisingly changes and we have a different story. Hubby wants more continental foods and me the delectable Bengali dishes. So now what we do we have Bengali dishes at the lunch time and at dinner time we have oriental/continental.  The most precious part is my daughter has also grown a likeness towards each kind of foods.

Mochar Phuler Bora/Banana Blossom Heart Fry this is one the tastiest fries that I have learnt from my sister. Now what is Mochar Phul or Banana Blossom Heart? It is the soft tender part inside the Mocha or Banana Blossom which can't be peeled any more but you have to chop it and add it in the curry. Many a times we discard the part or chop it and add it. But the best usage of it is to make fry out of it. Just try it and I bet you will surely fallen in love with it. So here is the recipe how you will make Mochar Phuler Bora (Banana Blossom Heart Fry).

Ingredients:

Mochar Phul/Banana Blossom Heart- cut half then each half in semi thin slice

Turmeric Powder- a pinch + 1/4 teaspoon

Besan/Gram Flour-  3/4 cup

Cumin Seeds- 1/4 tea spoon

Salt according to taste.

White Oil-  Enough for frying

Method:

1. Boil the Mocha r Phul /Banana Blossom Slices with a pinch of turmeric powder and salt for 15mnts.
2. Make a thick batter with the besan/gram flour adding water and all other ingredients. (Remember the batter should be thick, not like a dough but very little flowing)[Tips: Add a tea spoon oil to make it more crispier with the batter.]
3. Heat oil. Let it get quite hot. Then take each slice. Dunk in the batter and fry in a low flame till it turns brown.
4. Soak the excess oil in a tissue papper and the serve with hot rice and dal.

More recipes on Mocha/Banana Blossom:

1. Mocha Chingri / Banana Blossom with Prawns

2. Mochar Paturi (Steamed Banana Blossom wrapped in Banana Leaves)

Sweet and Tangy Chicken Wings

Chicken wing always tastes better with the skin on in it. And I love to have them like that only. But the man doesn't like the skin on it.  Therefore chicken wings are very rare visitors at our household. But now we have another lover of Chicken wings at home, is the little one. So now  I have a strong reason to cook chicken wings often, though not with a very happy heart as I never want to spoil the taste bud of the man too, but sometimes you have to become little bit selfish too, mainly when food is considered (:P).  

The other day I made this Sweet & Tangy Chicken Wings.  The day I saw Satrupa's & Deepasri's posts on chicken wings I bookmarked it and planning to make it from a long time. And at last I was able to do it. I add some more and less ingredients in it and believe me they taste just awesome. My lil one alone finished 6 of them as she liked it so much. So I am going to make next time soon again. You also must try it. Very easy to make and tastes delicious. On my next party I am going to serve it as a starter.

Ingredients:

For Marination:

Chicken Wings (with skin recommended)- 12

Vinegar- 3  table spoon

Honey- 2 & 1/2 table spoon

Tomato Sauce- 3 table spoon

Red Chilly Sauce-2 Table spoon

Soy Sauce- 2 table spoon

Kashmiri Red Chilly Powder- 1/2 tea spoon (I used the EVEREST one, not hot but leaves bright colour in the dish)

Olive oil- 1 tea spoon

Sugar- 1 tea spoon or more

Salt- As per taste

Pepper-  a pinch (Optional)

For the Sauce:

Olive oil/White oil- 1 tea spoon

Chopped Garlic- 1 table spoon heaped

Sweet Red Chilly Sauce- 1  & 1/2 table spoon

Method:

1. Marinate all the ingredients for 4-5 hours or over night for best results listed under MARINATION.
2. Pre- heat the oven at 210 degree C.
3. Pour Every thing in a  baking pan along with juice. Bake for  10mnts then turn the wings and bake for 10 mnts more.
4. Heat oil in a Kadai or a deep dense pan. Fry the chopped garlic till they turn brown. Pour  the baked chicken wings along with the juice discharge from the chicken while it was baking. Fry in slow flame till the wings are nicely fried and dry. Add the Sweet Red Chilly Sauce and taste it salt or sugar is needed or not. Fry nicely and then serve and enjoy.

Note: You can add Spring onion and Monosodium Glutamate/ Ajinamoto (a pinch) also at the end with sweet chilly sauce. It will enrich the taste more.

For more recipes on Chicken Wings, click to the below links:

Indianized Spicy Chicken at Satrupa's Food for thought.

Spicy Baked Chicken Wings at Deepasri's Hamaree Rasoi.

Baked Crispy Tilapia Fillet

Now it's a Recipe time. In the recent weeks suddenly our car needed to visit the car service station due to some internal problem. Though it's quite annoying and frustrating if the check engine light starts to blink, for me it became a healthy boon. During the time the car got checked I confronted with a great recipe idea from one of the magazines lazily laid around the center table of the sitting area of the store. Nowadays I am proned towards making healthy recipes mainly where a wee bit of oil or no oil is added at all. I found a recipe of crispy chicken nuggets which is coated with cornflakes and more pleasingly it's Baked. I borrowed the idea, googled for more recipes alike after coming home. The next day I made this Baked Crispy Tilapia Fillet. I never thought even in my imagination that Fish Fry can also be made with out oil. To be true you will not get the exact pleasure and taste what a deep fried stuff enhances, but I bet too you will not regret after tasting it. More good is you will never suffer from the nightmare that next how much calories you have to shed. You can have it as a starter or as a  dinner  with some dips and salads. Following is the recipe:

Recipe adapted from Cooks.com

Ingredients:-

Marinade:

Tilapia Fillets- 3 large

Ranch/Salad dressings- 2 tbspoon

Vinegar/Lemon juice- 1 tbspoon

Mayonnaise- 1 tbspoon

Parmesan Cheese- 3 tbspoon

Salt+pepper+Italian herbs- According to taste

Coating:

Cornflakes- Approx 2 cups (crumbs) [Note: I will suggest to make extra crumbs and not to use all at same time. The extras can be saved and used later if stored in a airtight container.]

Bread Crumbs- 1/2 cup

Method:-

1. Pre-heat the oven at 350F degrees.

2. Mix all the ingredients nicely with the fillets, listed under marinade and keep for 10-15mnts.

3. Put a silver foil on the baking tray and grease it nicely. (lining foils make easy to clean the tray.)

4. Mix the cornflakes and the bread crumbs and coat the fish gently. Lay them on the tray. Now spread some crumbs on the top of each fillet and press it little bit with your palm. Gently turn each fillet and do the same process.

5. Bake for 10-15mnts. Then turn the fillets and bake for 10 mnts more.Serve hot with bread, salads or dips.

Variation:

I also tired with chicken. I marinated the chicken breasts with Shan's tandoori Chicken masala and yoghurt and coated them with cornflakes and bread crumbs. Baked them at 375F degrees for 35-40mnts. This one also came out perfect and too tasty.

Note: I am not satisfy at all with the snaps. The snaps are taken in a hurry struggling a lot with the hungry tummies. Hope you can understand.