Sunday mid-day's recipe hacks for the lockdown

Dish Kheema fryTastes best with Pav Cook Jane BorgesInnovation is the key to preparing a dish that you think you will enjoy Its also why I dont follow a recipe to the tee making tiny tweaks as I go along As someone who cooked regularly at one pointmdashI lived out of the country away from family for two yearsmdashYouTube tutorials and my mothers recipes were a mainstay Now that I am back to living with them I enter the kitchen rarely and only to experiment The lockdown is a good excuse to try something new I thought My goto dish is chicken kheema and I have tried all possible variants in chicken as well as mutton including the Dhaba style Hyderabadi garnished with boiled eggs and Irani specials This time I attempted the NorthIndian style Chicken kheema fry as shown by Pakistani vlogger on her channel Yasmins CookingSince I didnt have chicken mince I diced a portion of chicken breast mum says it helps retain the juices of the meat instead of mincing The original recipe involved letting the chicken kheema rest in a curd and green chilligingergarlic paste marinade Since weve cut down on shopping over the last two weeks I had run out of curd which gives the dish a tang I compensated by adding tomatoes In Yasmins recipe the kheema is fried in oil along with whole spices before she adds the onions and tomato paste I did it the other way around because we like our onions and tomatoes fried well I also diced my tomatoes because I didnt want the final dish to look like a gravy It was ready in 20 minutes Another kheema recipe ticked off my listIngredientsfrac12 kg chicken kheema2 large onions4 diced tomatoes1 tbsp ginger paste2 tbsp garlic paste2 green chillies2 tsp chilli powder2 tsp coriander powder2 tsp cumin powder1 tsp turmeric powder2 tbsp oil2 green cardamoms1 black cardamoms3 cloves7 black peppercorns2 small cinnamon sticks1 small piece of macefrac12 a lemonChopped fresh coriander for garnishSalt to tasteMethodMarinate the chicken mince in a paste of ginger garlic and green chillies Add turmeric and salt to it Let it rest for 30 minutes Grind the whole spices In a frying pan add oil and the spices followed by onions Once the onions turn golden brown add chopped tomatoes Sauteacute for 10 minutes Add the mince and the remaining masala powders Mix well Add half a cup water and let it cook on low fire Once ready garnish with coriander squeeze half a lemon and serveDish Paneer Simla MirchTastes best with Parathas Cook Aastha Atray BananI have figured out what good cooking really needs Its patience Patience to let the onions fry and then give time to the masala to roast and the dish to come together as a whole Before the lockdown if I did cook I would rush through steps leaving the dish tasting mehA Google search for a piquant recipe for paneer simla mirch led me to the YouTube channel of someone who simply calls herself Kabita Its easy with all ingredients available in the fridge If you like your spice add a dash of the hot and sweet ketchup like I didIngredients1 sliced onion2 sliced tomatoesGingergarlic paste to taste1 long sliced green peppercapsicum100 grams paneer cut into cubesRed chilli coriander powder turmeric powder and salt to taste1 tbsp Maggi hot and sweet sauceMethodFry the onions in a tbsp of oil for a minute Add ginger garlic paste and fry for another two minutes Then add the masalas and roast Add tomatoes and salt and put the lid on to let the tomatoes cook on low flame Once done add the sauce and green pepper and cook for five minutes with lid on Finally add the paneer Let it cook for another two minutes and garnish with coriander leavesDish Mor kuzumbhuTastes best with steamed rice Cook Gitanjali ChandrasekharanWhen the lockdown began and friends and relatives started sharing pictures of what they were cooking a Tamilian friend put up a picture of Mor Kuzhambu If youre not familiar with the pronunciation try the Internet It is a typical Tam dish that I last enjoyed perhaps atAndheris Tanjore Tiffin Room Not easily available its a nostalgiainducing comfortgiving dish that I needed With a curd base it comes closest to perhaps the kadhi The friends recipe required that I add vegetables to the mix So on the next market trip I bought drumsticks which I was cooking for the first time and most importantly curd Also the original recipe didnt come with proportions Like all home cooking it is based on andaaz The proportions are mine feel free to add deduct as you please The dish serves two The best part It takes around 20 minutes to make once all ingredients are on your kitchen counterIngredients2 drumsticksSaltTurmeric powderFresh grated coconut half a shell15 tbsp raw rice8 red chillies2 tsp cumin2 cups curd1 tsp methi seeds1 tsp mustard seedsCurry leavesCoconut oilMethodCut the drumstick into twoinch pieces add salt turmeric two cups of water and cook You will know they are done when you can run a fork through the skin Separately grind or grate the coconut raw rice 4 red chilies and jeera along with the slightly sour curd The raw rice will help thicken the kuzhambu Pour the ground liquid into the pan of boiled drumsticks and bring it a boil Then turn off heat Make a tadka of mustard methi curry leaves and red chilies in coconut oil and add to the coconut mixture Add salt to tasteDish Dhabastyle egg curryTastes best with Chapati Cook Anju MaskeriWhile the initial idea was to prepare a dhabastyle chicken curry the online meat shop bailed out at the eleventh hour making me consider substitutes Improvisation is key when resources are limited I dredged up fragrant masalas from my mothers inventory and made a similar gravy using eggs A recipe of the Punjabi anda curry posted online by dhabastylecom came handy It was surprisingly simple and quick The gravy was a comforting mix of onions tomatoes and spices A dollop of cream I added in the end lifts the taste For those 30 minutes I was absorbed in the process So if youre looking to channel nervous energy how about anda curry for lunchIngredients4 boiled eggs2 chopped onions2 tbsp oil3 chopped tomatoes2 green chillies1 teaspoon ginger garlic pastefrac14 tsp kasuri methi4 tsp cream1 tsp sugarSalt to tasteWhole spices optionalfrac12 tsp turmeric powderfrac12 tsp red chilli powderfrac12 tsp garam masalaMethodHeat oil in a pan Add whole spices and sauteacute When fragrant add onions and saute until golden brown Add gingergarlic paste and cook Throw in green chillies the spice powders and salt Mix well and cook for two minutes Add tomatoes and cook till soft and the oil rises to the top Add water and cover the pan to cook for five minutes on medium heat Add halfbooked eggs and chopped coriander Add some cream Cover with lid and let it cook on low heat for 10 minutesDish Konkanistyle chicken curryTastes best with White rice Cook Prutha BhosleSelfisolation has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for someone like me who has barely lifted a spatula in months Ordering in was not an option and then came the mommade chicken curry craving So I dialled in my mothers Konkani kitchen We prepare masalas pounded with coconut but I didnt have the equipment to keep it authentic My mother suggested an alternative which now that I have tried I can guarantee is foolproof I used the simple ingredients available in my kitchen and the curry tasted as good as the original recipe The key I realised is to balance the quantity of chopped onions and tomatoes at the time of temperingIngredients1 kg skinned chicken pieces1 onion finely chopped3 large pureacuteed tomatoesfrac14 tsp cumin seedsfrac14 tsp black mustard seedsGingergarlic pasteSaltTurmericRed chilli powderEverest chicken masalaMethodMarinate chicken in gingergarlic paste Fry the onions with black cumin seeds and black mustard seeds in oil for 2 minutes Add tomato puree and mix well Add the chicken to the mix Dont add water let the meat release its juices Now add the Everest chicken masala along with a pinch of salt turmeric and red chilli powder Stir well Cover the pot with a lid and let it cook for 30 minutes on low fire Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves and lemon slicesCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news