Quick Moti Pulao (Pearl Pilaf)-Restaurant Secret Recipe for Durga Puja/Navratri

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“Aaj dhaner Khete roudro chhaya-e lukochuri khela re bhai – lukochuri khela”  – (The fun game of hide-n-seek in the sun & shade of the paddy field…)

These beautiful lines(part of a song) by Tagore reminds me of my childhood. We were three sisters – me & two of maternal cousins who I spent the initial 10 years of my life with. It was enriching & full of activity. Now that I see my little niece who can barely hold her herself together demanding an ipad, I can’t help but wonder if how the days have changed. For us luxury was either a trip to the zoo or a Bengali spread at lunch with Pulao, beguni (Eggplant fritters), pathar mansho (Mutton gravy), something sweet my mami’s tomato chutney. I know that makes me sound like hundred and two years old but how simple & charming were those days! Gone!

Before I fly off to my memories, let’s get on with the recipe of the day, Pulao. I am sorry if I come out as an Indian Classic dish maniac to you but I can’t just help but try these evergreen recipes. But this time I took a step ahead & whipped up something my family hardly makes – Moti pulao (Pearl pulao).

Weird name?? Well, the word moti which means pearl in hindi comes from the pearl-like cottage cheese/paneer balls. They are either stuffed or plain flavoured. They look good, yes. But they also taste delicious with the saffron sweet-ish rice!

What irked me the most for years is how the pulao made at home in the comfort of my kitchen never seemed to be the same as those we are served in fancy restaurants. I have tried endless versions of similar kind of pulaos & 70% of the websites online  are all good but alas not the restaurant-like. Note that by no means do I want to say the homemade ones are any bad but….well! you know what I mean, don’t ya?

So after a good number of try & massive help from my maa, here’s a restaurant trade secret just for you. It certainly was an ‘eureka’ moment for us in the kitchen!!

Here’s the recipe of the day for you. Go crazy!

10 Tasty Chicken Recipes you must try!

I am gonna keep the introduction as short as possible today. why? Because I am excited as hell!

It’s my first round-up post with list of delicious 10 style chicken recipes. This is a simple yet interesting mix – from tender chicken in tangy rice to kebabs to Bengali stew! If you are a chicken lover, you will adore this. wink

If not, this is my earnest try to make you fall for it. Amen.

(CLICK ON EACH RECIPE TITLE TO OPEN THE COMPLETE BLOG POST)

1. MY MOTHER’S ONE POT CHICKEN PULAO (TRADITIONAL INDIAN PULAO/PULAV RECIPE)

Why is it special you ask?
☆ Its an one-pot meal – so no extra cleaning & slogging in kitchen!.
Not only can it be made in a Branded One-Pot meal maker, Rice cooker, Pressure cooker, Handi…it can also be made in a wok/kadai or Pan.
☆ Its quick. yes!
☆ It’s delicious. Period.
☆ It’s extremely filling. Even if you dont make a side dish or get your salads ready..your tummy will be a happy tummy!
☆ It’s got basic ingredients that’s easily available.
☆ versatility is a word I adore. This is versatile..Not only in terms of how its served but how it can be made ~ Swapping an ingredient or two, adding 3 more, minus 1 here or there is all common But you can even alter the sequence of a step of making or two. It wont matter much!
☆ Don’t think these one-pot meals are for work days..this can be just as Posh and apt for those fancy dinner parties. All you need is a decent plating skill!
(Shh..If I can plate, so can you! trust me!)
How about taking a look now….

One pot chicken pulao

 Ingredient list :

♡ Chicken (With bones), 500gm
♡ Basmati rice (soaked for at least half an hour), 2- 2.5 cups
♡ onions (finely sliced), 1 big & 1 small
♡ Tomatoes (chopped small), 1 big or 2 small pieces
♡ Curd or yogurt, 1/4 cup or 3 big tablespoon
♡ ginger garlic paste- 1 big tablespoon
♡ Green chilies (chopped fine), 1 or to taste
♡ Salt, to taste
♡ Red chili powder/Kashmiri chilli powder, 2 teaspoon or to taste
♡ coriander powder, 1- 1.5 teaspoon
♡ Garam Masala powder, 3/4th teaspoon
♡ Whole garam masala
(Cinnamon- 1″ stick,
Green Cardamom – 1 or 2,
Cloves – 1 or 2,
Nutmeg, a small piece)
♡ 1/4 cup oil + 1/4 cup ghee
♡water, as required
♡ chopped green & red chilies for garnishing (optional)

2. Chicken Kebabs (made in the oven)

Another Indian/Turkish classic that people drool over. The best part about this is it’s made in an oven rather than the tandoor/mud oven.

All you need are :

• Chicken breast – 1 lb, cut into chunky bite sized pieces
• Almonds, blanched and skinned – 1/2 Cup (I used store bought slivered almonds)
• Greek Yogurt/Hung Curd – 1/2 Cup
• Ginger – 1 inch, peeled
• Garlic – 3 to 4 fat cloves
• Harissa Powder – 1 tsp (can be substituted with red chili powder)
• Black pepper, freshly cracked – 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp to season the chicken pieces
• Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp
• Few squeezes of lemon juice
• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

That’s it! When are you trying this then? (Click on the title to go to recipe site)

3. Shorshe Murgi: Indian Chicken Curry With Mustard Paste 

If you are a bengali, you must be drooling – Mustard & bengalis have a bond! If you aint, trust me and add some mustard in your palate now! The usual mustard fish is ditched by the chef at Hamaree Rasoi here for chicken.

Toddy palm/Tadgola/Taal Payesh – Raksha Bandhan/Janmasthami Special

Growing up in a Bengali household, summer months meant a lot of quintessential things – be it mangoes or certain vegetables that became part of our staple diet; but what has always been a conspicuous part of the festivals of summer is the Toddy palm which we bengalis dearly call Taal. My family adores sweet dishes & so I keep making one or the other time to time.For those who doesn’t know about it, I will quote the Wikipedia here on Toddy palm.

  “ Borassus flabellife commonly known as doub palm, palmyra palm, tala palm, toddy palm or wine palm, is native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, including Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia,Indonesia and the Philippines. It is reportedly naturalized in Pakistan, Socotra, and parts of China.”

There are so many recipes on this – be it kheer or payesh (aka payesham) or bora (fritters). Considering there are so many festivals on our way – Rakhi Purnima/Raksha bandhan , Independence day or Krishna Janmasthami..I though why not show you a recipe that I have borrowed from Baby aunty through my beloved Sky & Gulu. Cheers!

Toddy palm/Tadgola/Taal payesh

• Time: “20-40minures”
• Difficulty: “easy”
• Print

Ingredients:

• Toddy palm/Tadgola/Taal – 2 cups
• Nestle Milkmade – 1 cup or to taste + 2 tablespoon (to drizzle on top)
• Khoya/Mawa/milk solid – 75 grams (Keep aside a little for garnish)
• Elaichi/ Green Cardamom powder, ¼ teaspoon
• Fresh coconut, grated, 2 tablespoon

Golbarir Kosha Mangsho-the classic bengali mutton gravy recipe (Most viewed recipe)

UPDATE : “Thank you so very much for liking this recipe.Even though this site has not been updated for months now, this post gets hundreds of views regularly and that makes me so happy.

Do take a look around and see if you like other nonveg or veg recipes.If you have any doubt or query,feel free to drop me an email.

If you try the recipe, tag me or send me a photo on facebook.“

Golbarir mangsho…

Sounds mouthful isn’t it?

If you have been to Kolkata and haven’t tried that yet, be grieved.

If you live here and haven’t tried it.Wake yourself up & rush to Shyambazar  ASAP to feed your soul.

Here is a sneak peak of how the tiny old and most loved eatery looks like & also the loved kosha mangsho(which in bengali means saute’ed meat. Any meat really, but here it’s mutton)

Golbarir kosha mangsho – No it’s not for the faint hearts! (Google image)

This place is so humble- it’s small and kinda dingy but it’s older than I am & it serves you meaty goodness. It’s heaven for meat lovers. The gravy they serve there is mostly had with plain rice or roti & is dark in colour. Why you ask?

It’s cooked in a thick iron wok since years. It’s all words of mouth that we hear about how secretive and selective their chefs are about their meat or how they marinade overnight. You will damn well find a hoard of other recipes online claiming it’s authentic Golbarir Kosha mangsho recipe but I hardly think so! They guard it with their lungs & heart! This is just an attempt and after a few trials I am happy with how it tastes. Almost like the gem itself! You can always decide for yourself.

Golbarir Kosha Mangsho (Saute’ed mutton dish) -The Bengali classic

 

This dish is ideally made in an iron wok/kadai but it’s fine if you don’t own one 🙂

Golbarir Kosha Mangsho - Classic Bengali mutton recipe

• Time: 1-1.5 hour
• Difficulty: medium
• Print

Ingredients you will need :

• Mutton- 1 kg (medium sized pieces with bone)
• Onion- 2 medium sized (grated)
• Cumin powder- 1  Tablespoon

Egg Masala Gravy Recipe – Indian restaurant style

“A day without argument is like an egg without salt” – Angela Carter

Angela Carter was an English novelist and journalist, known for her feminist, magical realism and picaresque works (who’s up for adventures of a rogue hero??) If a renowned writer like herself thinks an egg can be a part of literature, you better agree!

There are three two kind of people on this planet – One who likes/loves/is obsessed with eggs and Two,dislikes/hates/ignores eggs.

I fall somewhere between them…neither will I die without a boiled egg for breakfast nor will I order a sunny side up in some fancy restaurant (just because it’s cooked to Gordan Ramsay like perfection there!)

Of course, I like my egg pasta, egg-y pudding, eggs in cake, frittata and eggs in curries & gravies. I also have a fair number of boiled eggs or omelette per month though! Among others , One egg recipe I absolutely love is the “Egg Masala Gravy”.

Now, it’s so common and has endless variants (just like any other Classic recipes) but the general ingredients and texture remains same. We make it at home every other week and I have had it in more than two eateries/restaurant.

It is delicious. Period.

Fast & Simple recipes can be yummy too!

It needs no other definition. The richness, especially those that’s served in restaurants/hotels, the smooth texture, the colour, the flavours of all those spices is to die for…………If all the above was not enough, understand that this is another fast  & simple recipe. Fast recipes are like my niche now!

Check a lot more interesting FAST & SIMPLE recipes/dish here.

Like I have already mentioned above, its very versatile. You can make ir on week days where you barely have time after work or even on weekends parties or special lunch, be it holiday meals, get togethers, puja/festivals, dinner invites etc.

I have made it today proper “restaurant style” – made from scratch, styled, served and photographed in a very restaurant-ish way! (Restaurant-ish is my new creation, eh!)

My mother’s One pot Chicken Pulao (Traditional Indian Pulao/Pulav Recipe)

what comes to your mind when i say “One pot meal”?
Rice or Polenta with some yummy veggie or meat?? No??
A quick stir fried rice or semolina with spices & herbs???
There could be endless answers & most of them just as simple and delicious!
If you don’t trust me, keep reading.

My mother is a great cook..and no, I dont say it because she means the world to me..She really is a great cook!
Her Shukto (will be guest posted soon), which is a quintessential Bengali starter is a hit and that is an understatement! Be it her Hydereabadi Murgh lazeez or chingri /prawn kalia (another bengali classic) or her vegetable chops (one of the most loved street food of all times) ~ She rocks ‘n’ roll the Kitchen of the house!

So, today as a Ganesh Chathurti treat for my lovely readers, I have a very special One-pot Chicken Pulao/Pulav Recipe. This is also a Durga Puja special dish of all times..those holidays, festivals ,dinner or lunch invites that you worry about- this is the solution!

Why is it special you ask?
☆ Its an one-pot meal and pretty versatile at it.
Not only can it be made in a Branded One-Pot meal maker, Rice cooker, Pressure cooker, Handi…it can also be made in a wok/kadai or Pan.
☆ Its quick. yes!
☆ It’s delicious. Period.
☆ It’s extremely filling. Even if you dont make a side dish or get your salads ready..your tummy will be a happy tummy!
☆ It’s got basic ingredients that’s easily available.
☆ versatility is a word I adore. This is versatile..Not only in terms of how its served but how it can be made ~ Swapping an ingredient or two, adding 3 more, minus 1 here or there is all common But you can even alter the sequence of a step of making or two. It wont matter much!
☆ Don’t think these one-pot meals are for work days..this can be just as Posh and apt for those fancy dinner parties. All you need is a decent plating skill!
(Shh..If I can plate, so can you! trust me!)
How about taking a look now,

Without much ado, lets get started on the fun quick culinary trip!

Chingri Maachher Kalia (Prawn/fish kalia – an authentic Bengali recipe)

Hello & am back! After a few days of being MIA (missing in action, silly!) I decided to do a special recipe today. That too for the coming puja/festival season.

There’s Ganesh Chathurti round the corner and this long span pujas are just perfect for trying out new recipes or elaborate meals ideas.
Also,not to forget the Durga Puja craze is already on..In Bengal, this is like the biggest gala that goes on for several days but the preparation is no less extravagant.
Be it Pandal-making, Shopping for the festival days or planning trips in & outside Hometown..its a fun riot!

So, I thought why not go with the Bengal -Bengali theme & opt for a quick,delicious authentic recipe of machher Kalia.
Now, Kalia is most commonly made with big varieties of fishes/Carps etc. but Prawn/Chingri Kalia is just as drool worthy!
I cant explain how much I love this particular dish.

 

The colour is fetching & the flavours so balanced. You dont get a strong hit of any spice in particular…the fish/Prawn & the bite size potatoes if well cooked, tastes like heaven in mouth!

If you have guests coming , be it sudden or pre-planned, make this as a Durga Puja special dish or festival themed authentic Bengali cuisine. It will be a hit!
You may also try Prawn Butter masala,

Prawn Butter Masala~ spoil yourself with this recipe!

any chicken dish or a Vegetarian option like Soya, may be?! 
The best part being, going wrong with this dish is very unlikely.
Its so safe & simple but the look or taste contradicts the fact!

Dont forget to check out other vegetarian & non-vegetarian options to try this Puja season for dinner/Lunch, snacks/starter!