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Tag: Tript Arora

  • Nutri kulcha

    Nutri kulcha

    By Tript Arora

    This famous Street food from Punjab is finger licking good. Nutri is basically Soya chunks in a gravy. Soya chunks are high on protein. So they fulfill the requirement of protein in vegetarians. Very quick and easy to cook. It is a full meal at any time of the day.  I prefer it when I want to have something spicy and quick. The Kulchas are easily available at bakery shops. So what are we waiting for? Let’s get started.

    What we need

    Nutri Mini Soya  Chunks 2 cups (if you have big chunks just cut it into 2 pieces after boiling), Tea Bag 1, Onions 2 finely chopped, Ginger 2 tsp grated, Tomatoes 4 medium sized grinded to a fine paste. (You can use 6 tsp tomato puree alternately), Green chillies 2 grinded with tomatoes, Cumin seeds 2 tsp, Cumin powder 2 tsp, Coriander powder 2 tsp, Turmeric powder three fourth tsp, Kashmiri red chilli powder  2 tsp, Kasuri Methi 2 tsp, garam masala  2 tsp, Mango Powder (amchoor) 2 tsp, Soya sauce dark 2 tsp, Cooking Oil 6 tsp, Butter 4 tsp, Ghee 4 tsp, Salt to taste.

    Here we go

    -n      Boil Nutri Soya chunks in 6 cups of water along with a tea bag and one tsp of salt until soft. Drain water but don’t discard the water. Keep it to be later used in gravy. Press the Soya chunks with a spatula and drain excess water. Chunks will now be of blackish colour because of the tea bag.

    –        Heat a pan and add oil to it. Now add cumin seeds when they start spluttering and add finely chopped onions to it.

    –        Saute till onions turn reddish in colour. Add grated ginger and 4 tsp water to it. When water evaporates and the mixture turns homogeneous , add tomato chilli paste and kasuri methi to it.

    –        Now add salt , Turmeric powder , coriander powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder , cumin powder and saute till oil separates from the masala.

    –        Add Soya chunks , butter  and saute for 2 minutes.

    –        Add the tea water we have kept aside and adjust the consistency of gravy.

    –        Add mango powder , garam masala and Ghee.

    –        Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

    –        Garnish with ginger julians and fresh coriander.

    For Kulchas :

    –        Heat a nonstick pan, Smear butter on kulcha with a brush.

    –        Then roast it in a pan from both the sides till golden brown. Accompany it with green chilli and jullians of onion dipped in lemon juice.

    –        Your street food of Nutri Kulcha is ready. Don’t  bother about calories. Just  Enjoy.

    Tips

    –        While putting salt in gravy remember there is Salt in soya chunks also.

    –        A little Turmeric powder enhances colour but too much of it will spoil the taste and colour both.

     

  • Mutton Curry

    Mutton Curry

    By Tript Arora

    Mutton Curry is lamb cooked with flavourful spices in onion and tomato gravy. Though it is cooked in many delectable versions, Punjabi Mutton Curry is simple and tasty. The whole spices are sauteed in pure ghee or mustard oil and then cooked with onions, ginger garlic and tomato gravy. I prefer to cook it in mustard oil which gives a sharp flavour to this dish. I also prefer to cook my mutton Curry with bones. Since it adds flavour and juice to the Curry. The best meat is of the front leg of the lamb which is tender and juicy. The most asked question is why the mutton remains chewy. If we don’t pressure cook it for the required time, it doesn’t cook well and becomes chewy. It should be slow cooked for best results. Serve it with jeera rice on a Sunday brunch and delight yourself with this simple and flavourful recipe.

    We need

    500 gm Mutton with bones, 2 Tbsp fresh Curd, 3 Medium Onions, 2 Medium Tomatoes, 8 Cloves of Garlic, 2″ Ginger piece, 2 Green Chillies, 2 Tbsp Kasuri Methi, 1 Tbsp Turmeric, 1 Tbsp Red Chilli Powder, 1 Tbsp Coriander Powder, 1 Tsp Garam Masala, 1 Tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli powder, 2 Bay leaves, 4 Cloves, 2 Green Cardamoms, 1″  Cinnamon stick, 1 Black Cardamom, 1 Tbsp Cumin Powder, 1 Tbsp salt or to taste, 5 Tbsp Mustard Oil.

    Here we go

    –              Wash Mutton thoroughly under running water and then put it in a sieve to drain water completely.

    –              Add fresh curd to the mutton along with ½ Tbsp salt and red chilli powder. Mix well and set aside.

    –              Grind onion to a fine paste. Also grind ginger, garlic and green chillies separately. Make puree of tomatoes also and set aside.

    –              In a pressure cooker add mustard oil and heat it till it smokes. Let it cool. When cooled, put it again on flame and add cumin seeds, black & green cardamom, cloves, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks . Saute till cumin seeds splutter.

    –              Add onion paste to these whole spices and saute till onions turn light brown in colour. Add ginger garlic paste to the onions and saute again till it leaves oil.

    –              Add tomato puree and ½ tbsp salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, kashmiri Red chilli powder and garam masala powder. Saute till it leaves oil. Add kasuri methi and mix.

    –              Add marinated mutton to this onion & tomato masala. Saute till it leaves oil and gets aromatic. Mutton juices are also sealed. It will take 5 to 7 minutes. Keep the flame on low during the process.

    –              Add around 600 ml of water to the mutton and close the lid of the pressure cooker. Keep the flame on high.

    –              After 1 whistle, turn the flame on low and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Oh, it smells so good. After 15 minutes turn off the flame and let the pressure release on its own. When the pressure is released, open the pressure cooker and serve your mutton Curry with jeera rice or chapati. Enjoy your Sunday Lunch.

    Preparation Time : 15 minutes.

    Cooking Time : 45 minutes.

    Tips: Grind the onions to a fine paste for smooth gravy. Add a little water if required for grinding.

    First wash mutton and marinate with curd, red pepper and salt and then start with the gravy preparation as the mutton will get marinated side by side till you prepare the gravy. It will save time.

    Always keep the flame on low after the first whistle as the slow cooked mutton is tender and delicious.

  • Connoisseur’s Choice – Mixed Sauce Pasta

    By Tript Arora

    Mixed sauce Pasta is the Indian derivation of Red Sauce pasta. This recipe is not an authentic Italian recipe. This is an Indian street food and now officially adopted by the Chefs. It tastes great and is loved by both kids and adults. My daughter loves it . I have done the authentic Italian recipe of Penne Arrabiata also. You can check out my website for that recipe by the same name. I have received so many requests asking for how to boil perfect pasta without making it soggy. I have explained the full process in my Penne Arrabiata recipe and I am again giving it below for the first timers visiting my website.  For this recipe also we are using Penne pasta made of Durum Wheat. You can use any other type also. Penny takes around 12 to 15 minutes to get done. Do add salt to pasta while boiling otherwise the pasta tastes bland. Not to forget a spoonful of cooking oil which keeps the penne apart. All said and done, let us begin the recipe. It tastes  awesome and you will love it. If you like my website then Please Subscribe by leaving your email address, so that you never miss a recipe from me.

    We need 

    1 Cup Penne Pasta, 1 Big Tomato, 12 Cloves of Garlic finely chopped, ½ Red Bell Pepper, 2 Tbsp Sweet Corn, ¼ Cup Broccoli Florets, 1 Tbsp All purpose Flour / Maida, 1 Tbsp Salted Butter, 1 Tbsp Chilli Flakes, 1 Tbsp Mixed Herbs, 1 Tsp Chilli Sauce, 1 Tbsp Tomato Sauce, 250 Ml Milk, 3 Tsp cooking Oil.

    Here we go To boil the pasta

    Heat water in a deep, thick bottomed pan, bring it to a boil. Add one tablespoon salt and one tablespoon of cooking oil to it. Add the one cup of pasta to it.Let it boil on high flame for 15 minutes exactly. To prevent overflowing of water, place a wooden spoon/spatula/chopstick diagonally over the pan. Try it today and thank me later. After 15 minutes of boiling, turn off the flame. Do not cover with a lid. To check if your pasta is just right, take out one Penne and cut it with a knife. If it cuts smoothly, the pasta is done. If it shows rough edges and uncooked insides then boil it for 1-2 minutes more and re-check. The pasta should not be over boiled, else it will be soggy, drooping and the dish will not taste good. Strain the pasta out.

    To make sauce

    Give a cut at the base of the tomato and keep it on flame till the skin is charred. Remove the skin and cut it into small pieces. Keep aside. (This is called dry roasting)

    Heat a pan. Add 1 Tsp of oil to it. Saute the vegetables in it till a little soft but Crunchy. Remove the vegetables from the pan and keep aside. In the same pan add 1 Tsp of oil and saute chopped garlic till fragrant . Add chopped tomato and saute for 1 to 2 min till the rawness goes away. Take this out and put it in a grinder jar and make a smooth puree. Keep aside. (Instead of making a puree yourself, you can even use readymade tomato puree, adding a teaspoon of garlic powder)

    In the same pan add 1 Tbsp of butter and as soon as it melts add 1 Tbsp All purpose flour or Maida to it. Saute for 30 sec or till it turns slightly pink. Add 250 ml milk to it and keep on stirring to avoid lumps. Stir in the previously made garlic tomato Puree and Add the saute vegetables to it. Mix them in the sauce. Toss the pasta in the sauce and coat it with sauce gently so as not to break the pasta. Serve it hot as a snack or as a light meal.

    Preparation time: 20 minutes

    Total Cooking Time: 20 minutes

    Tips: Always boil the pasta al dente otherwise it will lose its shape in the sauce. You can make the sauce in advance and can add the pasta at the time of cooking. You can also add mozzarella cheese if you like after adding pasta.

  • Connoisseur’s Choice

    By Tript Arora

    Roasted Chicken

    Roasted Chicken is popular all over India, but it can be ubiquitously found on the menus of take-away joints of Punjab. Served with mint and coriander chutney, this hot, crispy chicken, tender from inside is a favorite snack of Punjabis. In the evenings in bustling market-places when you walk around on foot you can actually feel your senses tingle with the aroma of roasted chicken and fresh green chutney. The recipe I am giving below will give the same taste and aroma as the popular chicken joint near you. It is also very easy to achieve. Another plus point is that this recipe requires no garlic & ginger, thus saving you a lot of time gone in peeling and chopping. The chicken is cooked with whole spices and marinated with cream melts in the mouth. Do give it a try. You will love the taste and recipe too.

    We need

    2 Chicken (1400 gm), 200 gm Dairy Cream, 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice, 2 Tbsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder, 2 Tsp Salt, 4 Green,  Cardamom, 2″ Piece of Cinnamon Stick, 1 Tbsp Whole Black Pepper, ¼ Tsp Nutmeg Powder, 2 Tbsp Chat Masala for sprinkling, 1 lemon for Garnish.

    Here we go

    – Cut the Chicken into big pieces. One chicken ideally cut into eight pieces. Wash the chicken. Keep aside to drain water. When the water is completely drained, wipe the chicken pieces with a kitchen towel. When the chicken is dried make an incision on every piece for the marination to be fully absorbed.

    – Rub salt, Kasmiri red chilli powder and lemon on the chicken pieces and set aside to Marinate for 15 minutes.

    –              Meanwhile Grind whole black pepper, cinnamon stick, green cardamom and nutmeg powder. Add cream to this masala powder and set aside.

    –              After fifteen minutes , add masala mixed cream to the marinated Chicken. Mix everything together. Keep it in a refrigerator for 5 to 6 hours for Marination.

    –              After the Marination process, take out the chicken and let it come to room temperature. Meanwhile preheat OTG at 250 degree for 15 minutes with both rods on. When the oven is preheated, assemble chicken pieces on the middle grill inside it. Set the temperature at 180 degrees and cook for 30 minutes. You can cook it in an air fryer too. The process is the same. Preheat Air fryer at 200 degrees for 10 minutes. Keep marinated chicken pieces and roast for 25 minutes at 160 degrees .

    –              When the chicken is done take out and sprinkle some chat masala and lemon juice. Serve with Coriander Chutney and onion wedges .

    Preparation Time : 30 min.

    Marination Time : 5 to 6 hours

    Cooking Time : 45 min.

    Tips

    –              The longer the Marination Time, the better the taste.

    –              Do slit chicken pieces for better absorption of Marination.