Whats Cooking!!!!

 I finally gave in to the craze of instant pot and honestly it has been a life saver. I am not saying its going to replace all of the cooking utensils that you have collected over the years or the food taste much better when cooked in this. But what I can say is its a life saver for all you crazy busy people who would prefer to have a home cooked meal without having to baby sit the pan or even a traditional pressure cooker. That said, I have been experimenting a lot with some amazing successes and some not so amazing ones :)  There are so many versions of Instant pot and each one has its own set of buttons and settings.  What I have ?  I have  Instant Pot 6qt Duo Gourmet Multi-Use Pressure Cooker.  I am far from mastering all the tips and tricks of cooking in it but decided to share the success with you. Ingredients:  Olive oil : 2 to 3 tablespoons( you can choose to use coconut oil for more flavor) Yellow onion :  1 medium,  diced ...

Amritshari Murg Makhani  is a delicacy form state of Panjab which is really famous for its colorful culture, big hearted people and delicious lip smacking food.  Ingredients: For the marination: Chicken pieces: 1 pound Ginger Garlic paste: 2 tbsp Curd: 4 ytbsp Lemon juice: 1 tbsp Coriander powder: 1tsp  Cumin powder: 1 tsp Onion: 1 medium chopped Red chilli powder: 2 tbsp Salt to taste For the gravy: Tomato Puree: 1 cup Butter: 2 tbsp Red chilli powder: 1 tsp  Ginger :1 tsp finely chopped Green chilli: 2 finely chopped Orange color: 1/4 tsp Fresh cream: 2 1/2 Tbsp Coriander powder: 1 tsp Cumin powder: 1tsp Sugar: 1tsp Salt to taste Procedure: Mix all the ingredients for marination to make a paste. Marinate the chicken pieces with the paste and let it marinate for 2 hours. Heat butter in a heavy bottom wok and add the marinated chicken to it. Cook till the chicken is tender. In the meanwhile in a saucepan, heat butter ...

Its been long since I have posted something. With a new born its really difficult to cook something blog worthy and on top of it take pics and write about it. But finally I said to myself, its enough and decided to give some importance to my blog. Bombay biryani is a milder version of biryani  and incorporates potatoes in it. Ingredients: Chicken : 2 lbs ( I used 10 leg pieces but you can use the pieces you desire) Basmati Rice: 3 cups Potatoes: 2 large peeled and quartered Onion: 2 large thinly sliced Tomato: 2 large diced ( adjust according to the sourness of tomatoes you have ) Ginger garlic paste: 2 tbsp Yogurt: 1 cup Bombay Biryani Mix : 1 pack ( I used shan brand) Oil: 1 cup Procedure: Clean the chicken and make sure you drain as much as water possible. In a bowl mix together yogurt, ginger garlic paste, Biryani mix and marinate the chicken and potatoes in the mix for about 1 hr. In the mean while in a  pot heat oil and fry onions with a pinch of sa...

Mughlai cuisine is a style of cooking developed in South Asia by the imperial kitchens of the Muslim Mughal Empire. It represents the cooking styles used in North India, Pakistan and the Indian city of Hyderabad. The cuisine is strongly influenced by the Central Asian cuisine, the region where the Chagatai-Turkic Mughal rulers originally hailed from, and it has in turn strongly influenced the regional cuisines of Kashmir and the Punjab region. Dishes include various kebabs, kofta (meatballs), nihari, pulao (a.k.a. pilaf in Central Asia), and biryani. Ingredients: Chicken Pieces : 2 pounds Green Chillies: 4 Garlic: 20 flakes Ginger: 2  inch Garam Masala Powder: 1 tsp Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder: 2 tsp Curd: 1 cup beaten Cloves: 12 Peppercorn:12 Cinnamon: 1 inch 2 sticks Cardamom: 8 Almonds: 16 Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp Coriander seeds: 1 tsp Onion: 2 large thinly sliced Tomato: 2 large: pureed Oil: 4 tbsp Salt Procedure: Prick Chicken all over wit...

As a kid mine and my brother's favorite food used to be chicken. My mom is an excellent cook and my dad rarely cooks but his chicken is one of the best I have ever had. Over the years I have tried and tested different measurements to achieve the same taste, even though I have never been completely successfully, still I got quite close and here is my version of chicken kasha.  Chicken Kasha has a very spicy and thick gravy and is really enjoy with roti, poori, naan and also with rice. Ingredients: Chicken: 2 lbs cut into small pieces Onion: 1 large thinly sliced Ginger garlic paste: 2 tbsp Garlic: 2 cloves crushed Tomato: 1 large chopped Salt: to taste Turmeric Powder: 2 tbsp Red Chilli Powder: 1 tbsp Coriander Powder: 1 tbsp Cumin Powder: 1/2 tbsp Whole garam masala: 4 cardamon, 2 cloves, 2 inch cinnamon  Bay Leaf: 2 Green chilli: 2 whole Oil: 2-3 tbsp Procedure: Marinate the chicken with 1tbsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp oil and about 1tsp salt...

For couple of days I have been craving fried food like onion rings, chicken tenders and cheese sticks. The last time I had these items the quantity was so less that I was left craving. So I decided to make some at home.  Here is how I made my chicken tenders. Splatter alert, there would be a lot of splattering while cooking the chicken but the taste is  really worth the post cooking cleaning. So lets get started. Ingredients: Chicken Breast: 1  All Purpose flour: 1 cup Egg: 1 large Bread Crumbs: 2 cups Salt To taste Red Chilli Powder: 2 tbsp Oil For deep frying. Procedure: Rinse and pat dry the chicken breast. Lay it on the counter between 2 layers of plastic wrap and gently pound until they are about 1/8 inch thick. Then cut it into strips of your desired size. Heat oil in a pot. In the meanwhile mix the all purpose flour, salt and red chilli powder in a large shallow dish. In a large shallow dish beat the eggs. Pour the bread crumbs ...

Pepper chicken is a popular appetizer and served in loads of restaurants. Ingredients: Boneless Chicken - 1 pound Cut into small pieces Onion - 1 large sliced Ginger Garlic Paste - 4 tbsp  Green Chilli - 2-4 slit length wise Tomato - 1 medium chopped Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp  Chilly Powder - 1 tsp Coriander Powder- 1 tsp Fennel Powder- 1/2 tsp Pepper Powder- 1 1/2 tsp adjust as per taste Lemon Juice- 2 tbsp Salt - a per taste Oil- 2 tbsp Procedure: In a bowl, mix all the above ingredients together except oil and mix well. Let the marinate stand for at least 30 minutes. Heat oil in a pan. Separate the chicken pieces from the marinade. Shallow fry the chicken in the heated oil until it is slight brown in color. Remove the chicken from oil.  In the same oil add the remaining marinade. Add extra oil, if needed. Once the onion is completely translucent, add the fried chicken and mix well for a minute or two.  ...

Kadhai chicken is a very popular recipe served at restaurants and I guess it gets its name the way it is served in a small kadhai ;)  Ingredients: Chicken : 1 lb cut into cubes Capsicum: 1 large cut into cubes Onion: 1 medium cut into chunks Marinade: ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp Red chilli powder: 1 tbsp Turmeric Powder: 1 tbsp lemon juice: 2 tsp Salt: 1/2 tbsp Gravy: Onion: 1 medium finely chopped Ginger garlic paste: 2 tbsp whole cinnamon : 1 inch cardamon: 2 whole cloves: 2 Red chilli powder: 1 tbsp Turmeric powder: 1 tbsp Coriander powder: 1 tbsp Cumin powder: 1/2 tbsp Tomato: 1 large finely chopped Garam masala powder: 1 tsp Salt: to taste oil: 2 tbsp Procedure: Mix the ingredients for marinade in a bowl. Add chicken to the marinade and let id marinade for 30 mins. In a kadhai/wok heat oil, add the whole garam masala ( cardamon, cinnamon and cloves) to it. As the whole garam masala stops cracking add the finely choppe...

Chicken tikka masala is a dish of roasted chicken tikka in a spicy sauce. The sauce is usually creamy, spiced and orange-coloured. Chicken tikka masala has been found to be the most popular dish in British restaurants and it has been called "a true British national dish". Ingredients: Marinade: Chicken: 4 breast piece cut into bit size chunks Curd: 1 cup Lemon Juice: 1tbsp Cumin Powder: 2 tsp Cinnamon Powder: 1 tsp Chilli Powder: 2 tbsp Slat: 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 tbsp Sauce: Green Chilli: 2 finely chopped Garlic: 8-10 minced Cumin Powder: 1 tbsp Red Chilli Powder: 1 tbsp Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp Tomato: 1 large finely chopped Cream: 1 cup Slat : as per taste Oil: 1 tsp Butter: 1/4 stick Procedure: Mix all the ingredients for the marinade and let it soak in for 20 mins. In the meanwhile heat the grill to high. Thread in the chicken chunks of chicken into skewers. Grill the chicken chunks for 5 mins till it gets little chared ...

I planned on making a lot of dished for this 4th July week but unfortunately was stuck up with loads of studies and work so could not execute the plan. So this is the last and 5th recipe for m 4th July cooking spree. A pot pie is a term for a type of baked savory pie with a bottom and top completely encased by flaky crusts and baked inside a pie tin to support its shape. An American pot pie typically has a filling of meat (particularly beef, chicken or turkey), gravy, and mixed vegetables (potatoes, carrots, green beans and peas).  The distinction between a pot pie and other types of savoury pie is specific to the United States of America.  There are so many recipes available on the internet for this popular American dish, but I decided to go with this one that I found on the Bisquick website as they are mini and can the serving would be very easy when entertaining a big group of people. Ingredients: Chicken Mixture  vegetable oil: 1 tablespoon  boneles...

4th of July is around the corner so I decided to make as many all American dishes as I can. I know this year its not a long weekend and that has put a dent in everybody's annual long weekend plans. But still we all can have fun with our friends and family with some great food and good old American style BBQ :) So here goes my first dedication to 4th July weekend. Ingredients: boneless, skinless chicken breast halves: 1  pound  fine dry bread crumbs: 1/4  cup chili powder: 1  tablespoon ground black pepper: 1/2  teaspoon salt: 1/4  teaspoon margarine or butter, melted: 2  tablespoons wooden skewers:   6-inch Procedure: Soak skewers in water for 30 minutes.  Combine crumbs, chili powder, black pepper, and salt in a shallow dish. Cut chicken into strips wash and pat dry. Thread the chicken strips onto skewers.  Brush chicken strips with melted margarine or butter. Roll in crumb mixture. Place chicken skewers in a single ...

Chicken Pakoda is a great appetizer and people who enjoy a drink or two for them its a great side to go with that patiyala pack :) Ingredients:  Boneless chicken: 1 lb  cut into small pieces Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 ½ tsp Chili Powder:  1 tbsp (adjust to your taste)  Garam Masala Powder: 1 tsp   Coriander Powder: 1 ½ tsp  Turmeric powder: ½ tsp  Salt to taste Lime Juice: 1 tsp Onion: 1 small chopped  Green Chillies: 4-5 chopped  Mint Leaves: 10 – 12 chopped  Cilantro: ¼ cup  chopped  Besan/Bengal Gram Flour: 2 tbsp  Corn flour: 1 tsp   1 Egg  Oil for deep fry  Procedure:  Mix all the ingredients except oil to make a batter.  Marinate for at least 30 minutes.  Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the chicken pieces on medium – medium high flame.  When pakodas turn golder brown, remove from o...

As I have mentioned Tanmaya is on a health kick and prefers eating mostly grilled chicken and salad so boneless chicken is abundantly available to my disposal :) So I keep experimenting with it. One of my friends Divya used to get pulled chicken sandwich for lunch and I wanted to give it a try. So here we go. Ingredients: Chicken Breast: 2  Onion: 1 medium finely chopped Ginger garlic Paste: 2 tsp Green Chili: 2 slit Tomato: 1 medium finely chopped Salt as per taste Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp Red chili powder: 1 tsp Coriander Powder: 1/2 tsp Chicken curry masala: 1/4 tsp Vegetable/chicken stock: 1/2 cup Oil: 2 tsp Water: 1 cup Procedure: In a pressure cooker cook the chicken breasts along with water till 1 whistle. Let the pressure release automatically. In a pan heat oil add finely chopped onion and green chili along with a pinch of salt. Let it cook stirring in between till the onions turn transparent. Add red chili powder and cook for a noter minute or so....

Recently Tanmaya is one health kick and the only thing he eats through out the week is green salad and grilled chicken breast. So every other weekend he would get huge pack of boneless chicken from costco and I am left wondering how to make something tasty out of it that doesn't need a lot of oil , time and tastes good. So I decided to make kebabs. Ingredients: Boneless chicken: 3 thigh pieces Ginger: 1 inch Garlic: 8 -10 cloves Red chilli: 4 whole Egg: 1 whole Coriander Seeds: 1 tsp Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp Turmeric: 1 tsp Green chillies: 2 finely chopped Garam masala: 1/2 tsp Onion: 1 small finely chopped Chat Masala: 1 tsp Corn Flour: 2 tsp Oil: 2 tsp Procedures: Make a fine paste of ginger, garlic, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and red chilli. To this paste add egg and chicken and make a fine paste. Now take the grinded paste into an bowl Add chopped green chillies, chopped onion, garam masala, Corn Flour, and chat masala and mix well Now using t...

Chilli Chiken is one of my favorite chinese dishes. We enjoy the indo-chinese way better than real chinese. So here is how I approach the yummy dish. Ingredients:  Bonless chicken :1/4 inch pieces (1/2 pound) Onion: 2 large cut into large chunks and peeled Garlic: 3-4 (Crushed) Green Pepper: 1 large cut into chunks Carrot: 2 medium or 1 large cut into thin long slices Green chilli: 2-3 slit Egg: 1 whole Cornflour: 1/2 tsp Red chilli Powder: 1 tsp Tomato Sauce: 1/4 cup Chilli Sauce: 2 tsp Soya Sauce: 1/ tsp Salt: as per taste Oil : 2 tsp Spring Onion: 2 tsp finely chopped for garnish. Procedure: Mix the egg, 1tsp of salt, cornflour, red chill powder, crushed garlic.  Marinate the chicken in the above mix for 30 mins. In a pan heat 1 tsp of oil and fry the chicken pieces few at a time till they are cooked through, tender and slightly brown all around. In the same pan add rest of the oil and add the peeled chunks of onion, and c...

Methi chicken is a north Indian chicken dish. I keep trying different varieties of chicken dishes and some how I keep coming back to this one. Its yummy, good to look at and real simple. And the best part you don't have to go shopping for fresh methi leaves, as I used kasoori methi instead. Ingredients:  for marinade Chicken: 2 pounds (I used chicken quarters as I had them in the fridge but you can use any pieces) Curd: 1 cup Ginger: 1 inch Garlic: 5-6 cloves Green Chilli: 3-4 (adjust as per taste) Salt : as per taste Red chilli powder: 1 tsp (adjust as per taste) for gravy Onion: 1 large finely chopped Tomato : 1 large finely chopped Green chilli: 2 finely chopped Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp Red chilli Powder: 1tsp Coriander Powder: 1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder: 1 tsp Salt, black pepper: to taste Kasoori Methi: 2 tsp Oil: 2 tsp Procedure: Make a fine paste of ginger garlic and green chills. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade. Add the chi...

Its no surprise that after a whole month of being vegetarian Tanmaya wanted to enjoy as much non-veg he can, so  he decided to have traditional style chicken, the way he used to enjoy as a kid. I generally prepare the chicken little dry and make it real spicy, but Tanmaya likes it with lots of gravy and little sober so here we go.... Ingredients: Chicken: 1 kg (cut into small pieces) Potato: 2 medium cut into 4 piece each Onion: 2 medium ground into a fine paste Ginger : 2 inch Garlic: 1 whole head Whole red Chili: 2-4 Red Chili Powder: 2 tbsp Turmeric Powder: 2 tbsp Tomato: 2 medium finely chopped CuminPowder: 2tbsp Coriander Powder: 2Tbsp Bay Leave: 1 whole garam masala: 4 cardamon, 2 cloves, 2 inch cinnamon  Oil: 4 tbsp Salt to taste Procedure: Marinate the chicken with 1tbsp red chili powder, 1tbsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp oil and about 1tsp salt (keep in mind the amount of salt you add at this point, so that you can adjust salt in the masala). Let i...