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Inito – a journey into the flavours of Indian street food in London’s East End

March 31, 2015 by manjirichitnis 5 Comments

Journey into India’s by lanes without leaving London? Yes it’s possible well at least transporting your taste buds is. Simply head to London’s east end for a treat to your senses. Located a stone’s throw away from Liverpool street, @Inito_UK has the look and feel of a really cool dhabba plus an old college canteen rolled into one.

While we waited for all our friends to arrive we were served some thick and delicious lassi, I love salted lassi and this one made me greedily want another round – it’s the kind of lassi that you will happily drink and not worry about your ‘lassi moustache’ – I almost thought I was stuck in the dhabba scene from Rang de Basanti for a minute there (which reminds me I must add a road trip to the North of India to my bucket list – with loads of stops at roadside dhabbas included and if I can do this one a motorbike – waah!!) As expected the Mango lassi was most popular choice.

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We were then served Chicken Lollipop with a mini masala dosa, the chef was generous enough to even give some dosa batter away to experiment at home to one of us. Chicken lollipop is another very popular ‘item’ on the menu in India and is very popular even as a starter for parties. Dosa stalls dot streets where dosa lovers throng to eat a variety of different dosa’s with delicious stuffing , there is at least one dosa stall to be found outside every big railway station in Mumbai.

Inito served the dosa with some delicious coriander and mint chutney.

Then came Pani- Puri – the one snack that makes me go weak in the knees. Everytime I go to Mumbai I must head to Elco Pani Puri to gobble up as many plates I can possibly stuff myself with! The pani puri was ok and much better than what I have tried elsewhere in London but amongst everything we sampled that evening I would put this at the bottom of my list. This has nothing do with the what they served per se but more to do with what type of pani puri I am accustomed to having back in Mumbai.

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Then came the bhel and the dahi chaat – both were excellent and the tamarind chutney was fab.

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Then came a huge platter with various roti- rolls – basically loads of meat or veggies with some fresh veggies and chutney stuffed inside. I loved the chicken and lamb – the meat was cooked tender and it was what I would expect in terms of taste. Reminded me of Tibbs Frankie ummm The prawn roti roll was my least favourite – I would rather have had the prawns on their own.

We were given a selection of different dips and chutneys to go with these roti-rolls, my favourite was a chewy aubergine chutney, very good. The adventurous few can even design their own roti rolls. No wonder then the Chef Saurav Nath is an award winner – he has managed to retain the authenticity of most of the dishes while coming up with clever fusion dishes like the pau slider and roti rolls.

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Then came the Tikka’s – tender and succulent portions of meat, chicken and paneer- Indian cottage cheese – marinated in Awadhi spices and yoghurt and then skewered inside a tandoor. I loved the mini pau-sliders too. Highly recommend pairing the tikka’s with Bombay Blonde a blonde beer crafted specially to compliment the complex flavours of curry and a great alternative to Indian Lagers.  For those who have had Cobra beer before can order Cobra, Mongoose or Kingfisher too. I love Kingfisher especially when I am in Mumbai or Pune over summer – nothing better to help me survive temperatures upwards of 32 deg cel!

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The chef then got us some curries to try and dum-biryani. While all of us went into a frenzy clicking pictures and capturing the moment when the lid was lifted off the biryani , the air filled with the unmistakable biryani fragrance of basmati rice, spices and meat  The very thought of that steaming hot biryani  makes me salivate even now  -ummm . I had fun explaining to my one of blogger friends who had never seen anything quite like that before. Folks its worth the trek to this place just for the biryani! – Head over to my Instagram feed to check out a cool ‘biryani’ video here

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The curries were delicious and I am biased in favour of the lamb. But by this point I was ready to explode and so were the others. It was good then that some jumped at the chance to take some the curries home, I would have hated to see the food go waste.

No Indian meal is complete without some freshly made pipping hot gulab jamun and ice cream and even with full tummies , everyone did justice to the sweets. I was quite delighted to hear that the ice cream was Horlicks flavoured – Horlicks and Bournvita were my favourites while growing up and made drinking hot glasses of milk bearable. The mini Gulab Jamuns were irresistible little bite sized ones in sugar syrup. (as confirmed by my friends since I did not touch them – had vowed to stay away from sweets – whyyy???!! But I just had to try the ice cream and allowed myself as teensy weensy taster)

The rasmalai was fabulous too (as confirmed by my friends) with the right consistency and topped with pistachios and cardamom floating in a sweet thickened milk.

The best thing about going for a review dinner with blogger friends is that you have great company sorted and you hope for good food and when food is fabulous it just turns into one of those evenings that you wish would happen more often. I got to meet my friends, eat fab food, discuss things food and blogging related that only like minded folks can fathom and enjoy discussing – what more can one ask for, huh?

We were served by smiling and courteous staff and sampled a large variety of dishes from the vast menu. The Chef came and spoke to us at length and I loved chatting him up in Hindi. The food is brilliant and I would certainly  recommend anyone who wants to try fabulous melt in your mouth tikka’s , steaming hot biryani and tangy chaat – If the food managed to transport my taste buds to Mumbai then am sure they got that bit right!

The minimalist decor goes well with the street food theme and the bright wall art will have you clicking away to share pictures on Instagram – I did !

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*With  thanks to the PR Agency and Inito for the invite. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. 

Square Meal

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: Awadhi spices, Bombay Blonde, Bournvita, cardamom, Chef Saurav Nath, chicken, Chicken Lollipop, Cobra, coriander and mint chutney, dum-biryani, food blog, food writer, foodie in London, Horlicks flavoured ice cream, hot gulab jamun, Indian cottage cheese, Kingfisher, lifestyle blogger, Mango Lassi, Manjiri Chitnis, Manjiri Kulkarni, meat, mini masala dosa, Mongoose, Mumbai, paneer, pau slider, pistachios, Pune, rasmalai, really cool dhabba plus an old college canteen rolled into one, reviews from travelsfortaste blog, roti rolls, salted lassi, sliceoffme, taste buds, thick and delicious lassi, Tibbs Frankie, travel blogger, travel writer, travelsfortaste, yoghurt

Pasta Please Challenge – April 2014

April 1, 2014 by manjirichitnis 29 Comments

Spring is here and so is April, Easter breaks around the corner. With kids being at home it is a great time to cook up some delicious, healthy, and quick pasta recipes for the whole family. I love cooking pasta because it is a great way to bring smiles around on full tummies and its a great way to combine lots of greens with meat or leave out the meat totally and get a very healthy meal on the table. Its also a thrifty meal idea to use up things from your larder and fridge that would otherwise face sure death. Pasta comes to the rescue always!

This is the first-ever food challenge and linky that I shall be hosting so am nervous and hopeful that everyone participates with great enthusiasm 🙂  Thanks to Jacqueline who blogs at Tinned Tomatoes, for letting me host this lovely food challenge for April’14.

The theme for this month’s entry is – OLIVE OIL. I have just infused a bottle of olive oil with crushed garlic,chilli flakes and fresh Italian herbs! Am very  excited to create something tasty with this oil and use some of  large packet of Pappardelle Pasta I purchased yesterday!

Sounds exciting? Ready to join in the challenge?

The rules ARE:

PASTA PLEASE – Food Blog Challenge – April 2014

To join in, simply post a pasta dish on your blog by the 28th of April 2014

Link to Travelsfortaste and Tinned Tomatoes.

Use the Pasta Please logo in your post.

If you use twitter, tweet your post with @tinnedtoms and @manjirichitnis using the hashtag #PastaPlease and we will re-tweet it to our followers.

Current theme is Olive Oil.

Vegetarian dishes and  with any dishes using  meat,sea food,pork,beef,chicken,dry fish are  allowed (any non-vegetarian
dish).

One entry per entrant.

Recipes must be added to the linky by 28 April 2014.

Please email me your post with one image on fruitsnveg@yahoo.com.(Why? because the Linky has a GREMLIN inside and is not working! Thankfully its the last day to link up -phew!)

pasta please

Entries So far :

  1. Tagliatelle with Chorizo,Garlic and Sundried Tomatoes by Corina of searchingforspice blog.
  2. Fusilli with Baked Eggplant and Marinara Sauce by Ridhi of Drizzling Delicious Blog.
  3.  Easy Entertaining :Stuffed Pasta Shells by Katie of Feeding Boys Blog.
  4. Chicken Riggies: A Utica,New York Pasta Speciality by Rachel at The Crispy Cook Blog.
  5. Red Peppers in Pasta Bake, Stuffed and in Soup by Johanna of Green Gourmet Giraffe Blog.
  6. Extremely Delicious Vegetable Lasagne by Chris of Cooking around the world blog.
  7. Gnocchi with Asparagus,Sage & Prosciutto by Louisa Foti of Eat your Veg blog.
  8. Spicy Chorizo Pasta with loads of veggie goodness! by me 🙂

 

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Miscellaneous Tagged With: April 2014, chicken, chilli flakes, crushed garlic, fish, meat, olive oil, pappardelle, Pasta Please Challenge, seafood, sliceoffme, Theme for April 2014 Pasta Please challenge is Olive Oil, Tinned Tomatoes, veggies

Chapali Kebab Recipe

March 3, 2014 by manjirichitnis 26 Comments

Succulent, melt-in-your-mouth meat that is a rich mix of flavours and a popular starter – Kebabs – I love sheekh kebabs the most, and close on their heels are Chapali Kebabs. I decided to do a taste experiment and used 500gm of lamb mince or kheema to make Chapali Kebabs using a packet shop bought ready to cook masala mixture and used the remaining 500gm of lamb mince to make the very same kebabs using a mixture of my own spices and homemade garam masala – oh yes I finally got around to making my own Garam Masala (recipe coming up this week with a huge surprise!)

But before I let you in on my easy peasy recipe, let us familiarise ourselves  with a slice of history behind the dish (oh yes – every great recipe has a story!)

The word Chapli derives from the Pashto word Chaprikh which means flat. It is prepared as a flat and round mini pancake but fried like a fritter and is served with Naan.

Kebab (also kebap or kabab) is a Middle Eastern dish of pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables roasted or grilled on a skewer or spit originating in the Eastern Mediterranean and later adopted in Central Asia and by the regions of the former Mongol Empire and later Ottoman Empire, before spreading worldwide. Indian cuisine is widely influenced by the various rulers and dynasties that ruled and colonised India at various periods including the British Raj. The Mughal Empire has left a heavy influence on the food, culture, and tradition and is deeply woven into the fabric of society to create a new, beautiful, and modern-day cuisine that has been adapted, modified to the local taste, and is now our own. 

In American English, kebab refers to shish kebab (Turkish: kebap) cooked on a skewer, whereas in Europe it refers to doner kebab, sliced meat served in a slice of pita bread. In the Middle East, however, kebab refers to meat that is cooked over or next to flames; large or small cuts of meat, or even ground meat; it may be served on plates, in sandwiches, or in bowls. The traditional meat for kebab is lamb, but depending on local tastes and religious prohibitions, other meats may include beef, goat, chicken, pork, or fish. Like other ethnic foods brought by travellers, the kebab has remained a part of everyday cuisine in most of the Eastern Mediterranean and South Asia.

Though traditionally these kebabs are large and very flat – almost as large as the palm of your hand, I wanted to make a smaller patty, easy to fry and serve as a starter and easy to pop in the mouth while wielding a chilled glass of wine don’t you think?

Chapali Kebab Recipe

Easy recipe for succulent, melt-in-your-mouth kebabes
Print Recipe
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Pakistani
Servings 2

Equipment

  • 1 Frying Pan
  • 1 Knife
  • 1 Spatula

Ingredients
  

  • 500 gms Lamb mince or ground lamb or kheema/Keema
  • 1 tsp Dried Pomeogranate seeds
  • 2 tsp Freshly Ginger – crushed
  • 1 tsp freshly squeezed Lemon juice 
  • 1.5 tsp Red Chilli powder
  • 1.5 tsp Coriander Seed Powder
  • 1.5 tsp Cumin powder
  • 1 tbsp freshcoriander leaves – finely chopped
  • 1 small-size redonion finely chopped
  • 1 medium-sized juicy red tomato finely chopped
  • 2 greenchillies – finely chopped
  • 3 small Eggs
  • Salt to taste
  • 3.5 tbsp Riceflour or Cornmeal

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl, crack the eggs and beat lightly, add all the spices and mix with a fork
  • Then work in the corn followed by the meat
  • Ensureany excess water is drained out and then add the finely chopped tomatoes andred onions
  • Spread a large sheet of kitchen plastic foil or beeswax paper n a flat table or the kitchen platform and place the flatted patties on it, cover it with another sheet, and refrigerate
  • In a kadhai or wok take enough oil for frying and fry them, and serve hot with lots of chopped tomato and red onions on the side. Tastes great dipped into a freshly made mint coriander chutney or any dip of your choice

Recipe Notes:

  • If like me you live in a tiny but expensive urban flat with an open plan kitchen – read tiny as a bird’s nest, then probably best to leave the entire mixture in the bowl, cover and refrigerate for about half an hour. Helps save on safe if you are using a smaller fridge.
  • Delicious with a fresh green coriander mint chutney or the life-saving ketchup 🙂
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References:Wikipedia

Am submitting this recipe to Made with Love Mondays hosted by Javelin Warrior on his blog Cookinwluv

Made with Love Mondays Resized Badge
Chapali Kebab

Filed Under: Food, Indian, Meat, Recipe Index Tagged With: American English, beef, Chapali Kebab Recipe, chicken, coriander powder, cumin powder, doner kebab, dried pomegranate seeds, fish, fresh coriander leaves finely chopped, freshly crushed ginger, goat, green chilli, kabab, Kacche gosht ke chapli kebab, kebab, kebap, medium juicy red tomato finely chopped, Middle Eastern, Mongol Empire, Ottoman Empire, pita, pork, red chilli powder, red onion finely chopped, skewer, sliced meat, spit, Turkish

Irani Bakeries Still Soldiering On

September 6, 2013 by manjirichitnis 14 Comments

Guest Post by Mrinal Kulkarni who blogs at Retro-Reflections.

Since childhood bakeries have held a special fascination.The exotic and delicious goodies displayed in the glass counters and shelves often led me to press my face against its glass  to peer even more closely.Not to mention the whiff and aroma of freshly baked bread and rolls further tantalizing the pallette. To own a bakery then became a childhood  dream.Though I knew that could never be, visiting one was on my daily agenda .

Living in colonial cities like  Bombay,Coonoor, Wellington, Madras and up  north  in the hills of Musoorie and Shimla through the 50’s,60’s and the 70’s saw a plethora of bakeries almost around every street corner.Each one having  a special quality of its own.

Finally settling down in Bombay and  during my growing years I  perceived bakeries in a different light.Living in a suburb,the area was practically surrounded by at least five to six  bakeries.But these bakeries were different with cafes attached.They belonged to the Iranis who did a brisk business throughout the day and late into the night. Their  method of working, the fare they offered, the ambiance that was created around them made it so popular especially the simplicity sans any  frills. Some of these bakeries had  two sections – a  variety of breads—pau, whole sliced  bread,bun and  brun pau and  bakery products like mawa cakes,cream rolls and the other section was a tea space  with grayish white marble-topped square tables and black chairs against a backdrop of dark brown glass cupboards stacked with different utilities like groceries (the range which expanded over the years). The walls were often adorned with pictures of old Bombay or English countryside. These small joints  eventually began to be known as cafes.These  small  café spaces or little tea and cake joints were in existence for a long time. They excluded an old world charm.Daily samplings soon became a regular  feature for  tongue tickling treats and a place easily accessible and affordable for all.The goodies were not eye-catching nor were they colourful but tasty and tantalizing.The entire aura around these little cafés  was alive and buzzing  which attracted attention of any passerby.The high-and  low-pitched voices of the Irani owner giving orders, the chatter of the Irani errand boys executing  the orders, the clatter of crockery and a general bonhomie that went with it was just as alluring and endearing as to what they were serving.Whiffs and aromas of all kinds made you want to sit around (literally in a no-time bound frame of mind) soaking in the milieu and drinking endless cups of sweet mana——the Irani  chai.

The bakeries were owned by Iranis who  migrated to India,from Iran  to Surat,a flourishing commercial city on the west coast of India, in search of some lucrative  enterprise.They came to India in the late 19th century.Most of them who migrated were not well versed in the literary sense  but possessed astute business sense  and were  proficient  in the business of baking – as  this was their traditional business and the only enterprise they understood.Soon they set up Irani cafes all over the city which  became synonymous with the city’s landscape. A unique feature of an Irani café was that many of them were situated at corner of the street.It is believed they acquired these corner spaces as the Hindu shop-owners were superstitious about setting their own shops there as they felt it would not prosper.

As mentioned earlier one could, or rather one wanted to  linger on in the café for hours.It served as a meeting  place for some,an appropriate setting for both serious political and social discussion for others and leisurely conversation for all and sundry.This space cut across all classes and community.The sweet and delicious hot cuppa-dunked with the typical Irani khari (a buttery and subtly flavoured light flaky biscuit which almost disintegrated  before you could put your mouth to it) was and still is to die for….

The word “Irani” conjures images of old-fashioned  bakeries,wine shops, restaurants and its delicious fare with their typical names——the ubiquitous maska pau (thick yellow butter slathered on a small round of fresh bread, the pau,the origin which dates back to the time of the Portuguese who first introduced this now hugely popular bread in India, particularly Bombay.These cafes, bakeries and restaurants have evolved over the years, introducing several other items on their menu. Khari chai and bhurji, mawa cakes to name a few. At one time almost half the Irani population in the metropolis was  involved in  running of these enterprises (a tradition dating back to almost 100 years) which at one time thrived but now facing stiff competition from modern type of bakeries and deli.The famous Irani bakeries which were one of the famous landmarks of Bombay and visible at strategic corners in most suburbs are practically non-existent except for a few which are trying to be a bit more aggressive  to compete with the modern cafes. However,today the baking process too has changed — all traditional breads baked in wood fire ovens have been replaced with modern energy efficient ovens.

This article besides highlighting their popularity  takes a look at the  plight of the existing bakeries which still occupy certain pockets of the city and are still popular among young and the old who still want their usual fare of  brun maska or khari and chai to drink at leisure and watch the world go by.

What makes these Irani bakeries tick? Obviously its mouth-watering fare – the brun maska (a hard round bun which is oh so soft inside  which when you cut when hot and slather blobs of  butter and dip it in tea is sure to leave a slick of melted butter on the surface –that’s the way its supposed to be eaten. Have it with kheema(minced meat),scrambled eggs with green chillies onions and tomato (akoori) or plain fruit jam , it delicious all the same.Each café puts up its own menu of the day but brun maska, mawa cakes and khari are  constant.

The bread making process  in Iran goes a long way back.Even before the  Iranis migrated to the city of dreams, bread making  in Iran was a traditional process; bread was prepared and baked at home in special ovens.The practice is still carried out in most villages.Each bakery specializes in a special kind of bread and they do not bake other kinds of bread simultaneously. Irani breads are of a wide variety. Barbari  made of white flour is thick and popular among the Turkish people . It is a specially type of leavened bread that seems to have been introduced in Iran fairly recently like the  European style bread. It  is  a long  narrow loaf about 2 to 3 ft long  inch thick and 2-3 ft long and 8-12” wide. It is separated before baking to give it an added crispness and is sprinkled with sesame seeds. It needs to be eaten soon after baking as it becomes stale quickly and is often used as breakfast bread.  La vash made of white flour is thin and several lavash are enough for one person, is of Armenian origin. Sangak is also thin but made from brown flour. It gets its name from the process of baking it on a bed of heated pebbles instead of the wall of the oven , which gives bread a very crisp and irregularly surfaced texture.

Barbari Bread

Image – Courtesy Iranian.com – Barbari bread

La Vash

Image -credit Wiki – La Vash Bread

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Image credit Wiki – La Vash bread stacks

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Image credit Wiki – Sangak

Sangak_bakery

Image credit Wiki – Sangak goes into a hot oven

Taftoon or Taftun is made from white flour and is thin but oval in shape.Taftoon and La vash  are baked thin against the wall of the oven and differ primarily in the type of wheat (whole wheat or white) is used to make them.

La vash is very soft. In rural areas many families bake their own bread on a weekly basis and produce a hard La vash which is softened at the time of use by sprinkling a little water on it.

Naan In Iran is a kind of flat bread which is brought directly from the bakers who are called naanva i.e. a naan baker.

Acorn bread was made in ancient Iran. A small bread oven and the remains of acorns were discovered by archaeologists in Iran to conclude that ancient Iranis did bake bread using acorn flour, over 3000 years ago.The Ayapir cultural heritage team found almost 40 kinds of plants species at the ancient site of Izeh in Khuzestan Province, Iran , a dig carried out prior to the rising waters of the reservoir of Karun 3 dam.

To quote Hajir Kiani, the head of the team, “the acorns’ resistance to the elements made it an important foodstuff for the local people. Different parts of the oak tree such as fruits and leaves were used as food and medicinal purposes . The tools found in the mountains when compared to tools found in the present day nomads of the region prove that the baking method  has been almost the same for the past 3000 years.

The Bakhtiari nomads who currently live in the region grinding acorns with a grindstone, then put it inside a basket made of thin branches of the almond tree and put the basket in the stream for about a week. This helped to remove the bitter taste of the acorns.The acorns expand and gradually turn into dough within a week. The only thing to do is to pick up a handful of dough , knead it well and put it on the fire to bake”.

Religiously speaking, bread is treated with so much respect among the Iranians. Muslims are taught to avoid dropping bread on the floor or under feet or dumping it in a disrespectful place.Unused bread is used as feed for birds.

The type and quantity of bread found in the Iranian meals can to some extent be understood as an artifact of traditional dinning habits. During earlier times , the custom was to sit on the floor , a large cloth called sofrah would be spread out and the bowls and platters containing the various dishes put on it. Formerly, there were no plates and cutlery instead thin sheets of flat bread served as plates and for eating from utensils or for  scooping  up morsels of food. The art of fine dinning and etiquette was absent. It was only  under European influence ,use of tables and chairs forks and spoons became common especially in urban areas. These have been described in detail by European travelers who came to Iran.

Grain crops such as wheat and barley are well-suited for cultivation in the arable areas of the Iranian plateau and have been growing there since ancient times . Wheat was used to make a variety of breads that form part of the daily diet. In towns and cities , it is customary to buy bread freshly made from one of the many neighbourhood artisanal bakeries. That is why bakeries cook their bread three times a day, early morning, noon and in the evening . Scenes of crowded bakeries at this time is very common. Since most of the people come to buy bread at the same time, bakeries have long queues at rush hours and families prefer to send male members especially teenagers to buy bread.

 Iranian cafes and bakeries started by the Iranian immigrants in the 19th century  provided cheap food and good company in a leisurely setting.

After coming to India, the Irani bakeries modified their typical Irani bread to suit the taste buds of the Indians as well as specialize in a whole range of eats from garlic bread, shrewsberry biscuits, mawa cakes and to the bun maska and brun maska fare ( a bun or crusty bread sliced horizontally and generously slathered with butter dunked in paani kum chai (strong milky tea) which is usually eaten in the bakery itself  either standing near the entrance or some bakeries do provide for a small tea space where a few chairs and tables are laid . This is usually a quick fare which is satisfying and wholesome.Those cafes with ample  space provide full meals of  akoori on toast ,chicken/mutton patties, kheema pao, lagaan nu custard, falooda (chilled milk with rose syrup, vermicelli and basil seeds).

Honest to a fault the Iranis believe in offering good value for money but have lost ground in the bakery business due to the northerners taking over bakery business.Today the bread is baked elsewhere and through contract.The owners are totally dependent on the delivery.

Living near a Irani café,I  have had several opportunities to meet the owners and understand their problems and methods of survival. It has been a fascinating journey for them when they set out but a hard struggle now and yet they are popular. Often Sunday morning with its  special menu like kheema rice and mutton biryani, long queues are seen.Is this a sign of survival  if so how many more years. The second and third generation of owners certainly do not want to be behind counters.They want to explore the whole wide world  like their counterparts. Will they succeed or come right back into the business,one doesn’t know.

Interview with some Irani owners just might reveal  whats on their mind. So look out for the next read on the Irani cafes and their owners.

 Mrinal blogs at retro-reflections.

 

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: akoori on toast, Ayapir, Bakhtiari, Barbari, basil seeds, biryani, Bombay, brun maska, bun, cafe, cafe'.brun pav, chai, chicken, chilled milk, Coonoor, cream rolls, cultural, falooda, freshly baked bread, green chillies, Hajir Kiani, heritage, Hindu, India, irani, Irani khari, Izeh, Khari chai and bhurji, kheema pao, kheema pav, lagaan nu custard, light flaky biscuit, lucrative, Madras, maska pau, mawa cakes, Mumbai, Musoorie, mutton, nomads, old fashioned, onions, paani kum chai, paav, patties, pav, plain fruit jam, Portuguese, rose syrup, scrambled eggs, Shimla, shrewsberry biscuits, Surat, sweet mana, tea, the Irani chai, thick yellow butter, tomato (akoori), vermicelli, Wellington, whole sliced bread

Easy and healthy one-pot chicken noodles

June 17, 2013 by manjirichitnis 4 Comments

It was one of those days when I wished the dinner made itself ,but hey you know what I am saying right?Like it’s ONLY Monday and am wishing it was the weekend again , ya, ya that kind of a horrible feeling- gaaahhh! Happens to the best of us , yes even me , ok ok I will get on with the recipe.I  had this vegetable stock packet in my kitchen cupboard that had to be used or else! And I had some tomatoes, bright red  chillies, half a red onion sliced , some unused tiny onions, a juicy lime and a spanking new bottle of Kafir Lime leaves .

Since I had spent the better part of the day, well on facebook 😉 I got my lazy,fat a** out of my house and walked to the supermarket.Some chocken thighs ,a mixed bag with chopped carrot and brocolli on reduced price , just what I was looking for!

Ok so here’s a list of all the ingredients I threw in and managed to make something that made hubby go from ”hummm ummm” to ”interesting” to ” u came up with this recipe like now?” the best compliment, ok am showing off and that sickening right?

Serves:2 , Cook time including serving time :25 miutes

Ingredients:

  1. 500ml vegetable stock
  2. 100ml water
  3. 1/2 of a medium sized red onion sliced lengthwise
  4. 2 -3 shallots chopped lengthwise
  5. 2 cloves of garlic with the skin on
  6. 1 tiny pinch of cumin seeds
  7. 2 Kaffir lime leaves – no more ,they are POTENT!
  8. 2 bright red chillies slit lenghthwise
  9. 1 small tomato chopped into tiny pieces
  10. 3 pieces of chicken with the skin taken off
  11. Red chilli powder as per taste
  12. Salt as per taste
  13. 1 portion of thin egg noodles  – 100 gm approx
  14. 1 small palmfull of diced carrot  – 100 gm approx
  15. 2 -3 bits of broccoli cut into smaller bite sized portions – 100 gm approx
  16. 1/4th of piece of lime to squeeze onto the chicken
  17. 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  18. A smile on your face because you are going to make a new yum dish super quick and you n yours are gonna love-uh it!

The Ingredients

Preparation:

  • Wash the chicken pieces and remove the skin
  • Pan on hob and add one tbsp oil ,saute the thinly length-wise sliced red onion saving a few bits to go into the stock pot.
  • place the chicken pieces and lower the flame, turn the pieces in a few minutes after they start to fry, do not cook them fully as this pan fry bit is to ensure flavour on double impact and get the chicken to release it’s juices
  • at this stage add the tomato bits into the pan and flatten with a spatula after they have sizzled for a bit, this will make the sauted onion flavour marry with the tomato and lock in the chicken juices,squeeze the lime onto this
  • add about 2 tbsp of the vegetable stock to the chicken in the pan and simmer on  as low a flame as possible,keep checking to ensure it does not dry up!
  • Now add 1 tbsp in a saucepan and when it’s hot throw in the 2 big red chillies which have been split lengthwise,followed by the cumin,crushed garlic cloves with skin, some of the red onion chopped leftover from what went in the pan and the shallots chopped lengthwise.Keep the saucepan on a low flame to prevent burning of these ingredients.

IMG_2931 (Copy)

  • When the garlic is done and the pungent chilli and garlic gives off its trademark punch of aroma throw in the Kaffir lime leaves ,when the onion is totally pink n garlic crisp , throw in some of the vegetable stock and some water , add the noodles carrot and broccoli ,cover and bring to a boil, at this stage the carrot is almost cooked and the noodles too, scoop in the chicken and the thick onion-tomato gravy it was in, ensure you get every last bit of the thick sauce from the pan to not loose any of that wholesome goodness!

IMG_2935 (Copy)

  • Now throw in all the remaining vegetable stock and water and add salt and red chilli powder as per taste.
  • cook on a low flame with lid till done, the chicken should just fall of the bone easy and the carrot should be well cooked but not squidgy.
  • Serve hot with soft boiled potatoes in butter and herbs or a crisp baguette.

At 2 small spoons of oil and how it fills you, this one dish stock pot is filling, wholesome,relatively easy and a good for a weekday dinner when you are feeling  well BLAH 😉

please leave comments to let me know if this recipe rocked your boat or totally sucked !

Love,peace and good night bloggy world ,I love ya !

One stock pot chicken and noodle dinner

Filed Under: Food, Meat, Quick and Easy, Recipe Index Tagged With: chicken, chilli, cumin, delicious, easy dinner recipe, eat well, garlic, healthy low calorie dinner recipe, hob, kaffir lime leaves, low flame, noodles, one stock pot, pan, ready in 20 minutes, recipe development, red chilli, red onion, salt, saucepan, shallots, slimming food, sunflower oil, tasty, vegetable stock, water, wholesome goodness, yumyum

Spicy Chicken curry

August 20, 2012 by manjirichitnis 12 Comments

Sunday Special Lunch – A Family Tradition

What a Sunday Roast is to a traditional English Family Sunday Lunch is what the combination of Spicy Chicken Gravy and Jeera rice or layered Chicken Biryani is to my family. My sister and I, have been brought on such wholesome, hearty, home-made totally from scratch – delicious food.

All these divine yet easy to recreate dishes, which my parents have always cooked with great passion and a lot of effort are what fuel my desire to share them with all of you.

My Aai and Baba ( Mum and Dad in Marathi) who wake up early every Sunday morning and work as a team to produce this brilliantly tasty chicken curry. Saturday morning my Baba would take me with him to te butcher to buy fresh chicken curry pieces. After coming home he would very patiently explain to us how he marinates the bird using all the freshly ground pastes and purees that Aai used to prepare while he was out shopping. On Sunday morning they would again team up to cook us the most amazing lunch. My best memories of Sunday morning are of waking up to the aromas of food wafting through the house.

Keeping the tradition alive

Few years ago when my husband and I moved to London, I was determined to keep this Sunday family tradition alive. I cooked the chicken adding my own twists and trying my best to recreate the same flavour that my parents seem to get spot-on every single time! So, when they came to London to visit us shortly after we had moved here, I was super delighted that they would cook this special Sunday family meal for us. As promised they cooked us their Sunday special while hubby and I eagerly took notes, clicked pictures and took in the whole energy they bring to this whole process.

This recipe is a spicier version of our traditional Sunday Chicken curry. The bord is cooked in thick gravy bursting with flavour. My Baba loves serving this with Jeera Rice and a beautifully simple Maharahstian Kakdichi Koshimbir in Dahi – Cucumber yoghurt raita. I hope you will enjoy cooking up this dish and hopefully creating happy family memories of your own.

Spicy Chicken – Chitnis Family Sunday Special recipe

My family’s Sunday Special Chicken curry recipe

manjirichitnis
A spicy and easy traditional Indian chicken curry recipe
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Large heavy bottomed pot with Lid/Pressure cooker/ Instant Pot / slow cooker
  • Spice grinder
  • Blender
  • Knife
  • Chopping Board

Ingredients
  

For marinating overnight

  • 1.25 Kilos Chicken – curry pieces / 1 medium sized whole
  • 25 gm fresh coriander
  • 1 tbsp toasted Dhane/coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp Toasted Jeere/ Cumin
  • 3 cloves Lasun/Garlic
  • 15 gms Aale/Ginger
  • 2 Dry Laal Mirchya/ Red Chillies
  • 2 Dry Kashmiri Laal Mirchya/ Red Chillies
  • 2 Hirvya Mirchya/ Spicy Green chillies
  • 2.5 tsp Halad/Turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp Meeth/Salt
  • 1 tbsp Tel/ Cooking Oil

Tomato-Onion Mix for the gravy

  • 1 tbsp from the marinade above
  • 2 medium Ripe Tomatoes
  • 2 medium Kaande/Red Onions/ Bombay Onions
  • 2 cloves Lasun/Garlic
  • 10 gm Aale/Fresh Ginger
  • 5 gm Fresh coriander leaves

For the Phodni/ Tadka

  • 2 tbsp Tel/ Oil
  • 1 tbsp Sajuk Tuj/ Pure ghee
  • 2 Tamalpatra/Bay Leaves
  • 1 small piece of Dalchini/Cinnamon stick
  • Pinch Hing/Asafoetida
  • 3 tbsp Garam Masala
  • 2 tsp Coriander powder
  • 2 tsp Halad/ Turmeric powder
  • 3 tsp Laal Tikhat/ Extra Hot Red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp Meeth/ Salt – or as per taste

Garnish

  • One dry red Kashmiri chilli and one green chilli sautéed insome oil /ghee
  • Few fresh leaves of coriander to tear and scatter on top

Instructions
 

  • Wash the chicken curry pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. I always use chicken without skin
    Whole chicken before marination
  • Make a thick paste in the mixer-grinder/ blender using all theingredients , asfmentionedabove for the marinade.Ensure the consistency is that of a thick paste and not a watery mixture
    Marinade for chicken
  • Using a sharp knife make small cuts to the chicken flesh to allow the marinade to really penetrate inside the chicken, this will ensure that each piece is flavourful and not just from the outside
  • Apply the marinade onto the washed chicken curry pieces, season with some salt and a splash of oil. Mariante overnight in the refigerator
    Marinade for chicken ready
  • The next day get the marinated chicken out of the refrigerator about an hour before cooking
  • While the chicken is coming to room temperature, make the puree usingall the ingredients as mentioned above for the tomato and onion mixture. Ensure this mixture it is not watery. Set aside.
  • Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or a pressure cooker
  • When the oil is hot, add the asafoetida, sauté the bay leaf and cinnamon stick (dry red kashmiri chilli at this stage is optional)
  • Add the garam masala, coriander powder and sauté
  • Then add the onion-tomato mixture and cook for under two minutes until the mixture thickens
  • Now add in the marinated chicken stir and some water, mix well. Add the red chilli powder turmeric powder and salt
    Chicken gravy consistency
  • Add just enough water to allow for a thick gray. Stir , cover and cook on a medium flame until the gravy begins to boil
  • Cover and cook until the chicken is totally cooked through and the oil seperates, this shoud take approximately 20 minutes on a low flame. Stir occasionaly to ensure the gravy does not dry out In the pressure cooker this takes two whistles – for a large bird three whistles
  • Garnish with roughly chopped fresh coriander leaves and the fried red kashmiri chilli and green chilli
  • Serve hot with a side of pipping hot jeera rice and some cucumber raita

Loved this recipe? For more chicken recipes try some more of my creations:

  • Chicken noodle soup
  • Chicken Tikka Masala – Air-fryer recipe
  • Easy one-pot Moroccan Chicken
  • Minty Chicken Kadhai Masala
  • Tawa Chicken Frankie Roll
  • Chicken and Red lentil one-pot Stew
  • Spicy grilled chicken bites with an avocado dip
  • Spicy Mexican Chicken Wings
  • Pomegranate Chicken curry
  • Jerk Chicken and coconut rice
  • Easy and healthy one-pot Chicken noodles

Filed Under: C.K.P recipes, Curry - Meat, Seafood, Food, Indian, Meat, Recipe Index Tagged With: chicken, coriander, cucumber, curd, curry, family favourite, flavoured, grated coconut, green chillies, jeera rice, love, oil, onions, parents, puree, red, salt, sunday roast, tomato, tradition

Ruskin Bond and Hayfever

June 18, 2012 by manjirichitnis 3 Comments

I am suffering …it’s a crazy mix of Hayfever and a viral infection which is messing with my throat . So I am congested , sneezing ,wheezing,coughing and drowsy all the time .

As is my practise every morning , I logged into my email to check and there were 2 emails from my council library to come and collect the reservations – – Two Ruskin Bond books I have been waiting to get my hands on for months now !

In spite of all the misery , I am smiling , ready to rush out and get the books home, will then curl up on the sofa with a dozen fluffy pillows, a HOT mug of tasty chicken soup and read till I sleep into a blissful sleep – hopefully 🙂

I cannot believe I have gone through life not having read any of his awesome books , to think that he is of British descent and that many of the big book stores here do not stock his books is really sad . But thankfully the libraries run by the council’s in London are all connected so even if these books were miles away in another borough, I simply reserve them online ,albeit for a nominal charge and then just wait for then to make their to the library next to my house .

What I am looking forward to the most is slipping away into the bylanes of India’s northern states , seeing it through eyes and loosing myself in the magical tales he has weaved . I am sure he already has a long list of fans world over and I have added my name to that list . So Hayfever and a sore throat not withstanding, I am going to go get the books right away .

Ok maybe after a small ,much-needed nap 🙂

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Miscellaneous Tagged With: borough, bylanes, chicken, council, curl, fluffy, Hayfever, hot, India, infection, librarty, North, pillows, Ruskin Bond, sofa, sore throat, soup, viral

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