Date Almond Sandesh/Gulkand Stuffed Sandesh

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Gulkand stuffed date almond sandesh. Soft mouth melting and delicious sandesh sweetened with date powder and topped with white chocolate. Gulkand stuffing taste heavenly with the outer layer of sandesh.

One more fusion recipe for my readers. Sharing a sandesh recipe after a long time. Taste flavour and look is completely different from other traditional sandesh. You can call it kids friendly sweet. Because not only adults but kids will also enjoy the taste and look. You don’t need sugar or jaggery to make these sandesh. Little date powder gives enough sweetness to these sandesh. My last post Apple coconut kheer was also made with date powder.

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Sandesh is a delicious sweet from Bengali cuisine. These sweets are very easy to make. You need some cottage cheese/chhena or paneer with any flavoring to make this sandesh. Homemade paneer or cottage is best for sandesh. You can also use different types of fruits with cottage cheese to make sandesh. Here are some different flavoured sandesh recipes from this blog.

1. Hazelnut chocolate sandesh

2. Carrot sandesh

3. Sugar free date sandesh

4. Sugar free pineapple sandesh

5. Coconut sandesh

6. Chocolate sandesh

7. Coconut pomegranate sandesh

8. Paan or betel leaf sandesh

9. Sandesh

10. Watermelon sandesh

11. Cake sandesh

12. Chocolate coconut sandesh

13. Kesar pista sandesh

14. Mango sandesh

15. Chocolate stuffed chocolate sandesh

16. Steamed sandesh

17. Steamed sandesh with date palm jaggery

18. Saffron pistachio sandesh panna cotta

19. Mango steamed sandesh

As I mentioned above making sandesh is very easy. You need to mash the paneer or cottage cheese mixture well and then add date powder, almond powder and milk powder. Mash again to make smooth. Cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes. Stir continuously while cooking and don’t cook more than 3-4 minutes to get soft sandesh mixture. Over cooking will make your sandesh crumbly and chewy. So to get soft mouth melting sandesh always cook on low heat till mixture starts to leave the sides, immediately remove from heat. Mash the mixture again when still slightly warm to make smooth.

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Recipe

Paneer or cottage cheese – 3/4 cup

Date powder – 1/4 cup

Milk powder – 3 tablespoon

Almond – 1/4 cup

Caramel essence – 1/4 teaspoon, optional

White chocolate – 1/4 cup, grated

Gulkand for stuffing

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Method

1. Make the paneer with curd instead of lemon juice or vinegar to get soft paneer for sweets. Get the method of making paneer here. After draining the whey from paneer or cottage cheese transfer the paneer on a plate.

2. Grind the almond to make fine powder.

3. Mash the paneer with your finger tips and heel of your palm to make the paneer smooth. Add date powder, milk powder and almond powder and mash again.

4. Grease a silicon chocolate mould with ghee or oil. I used little ghee or clarified butter.

5. Melt white chocolate in microwave or double boiler. I have used microwave. In a microwavable glass bowl melt the white chocolate on full power for 1 minute. Stir with a spoon. If your chocolate not melted completely then microwave for a few seconds more. Spread a layer of melted white chocolate in every mould and keep aside to set.

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6. Heat a nonstick or heavy bottom pan. Add the paneer mixture. Cook on low heat and stir continuously. Cook till moisture almost evaporate and mixture becomes like a soft smooth dough. Don’t overcook because overcooked paneer mixture becomes grainy and chewy. And remember don’t increase the heat, cook on simmer.

7. When the mixture starts to leaving the sides immediately remove from heat. Add caramel essence if using and mix well. Let the mixture cool down.

8. Mash the mixture again when slightly warm. Mash to make smooth. Make small equal size balls. Flatten the balls with your palm and place half teaspoon Gulkand in the middle. Seal the edges and make a ball again. Press the balls over white chocolate layer in every mould. Press gently.

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9. Keep the silicon chocolate mould in refrigerator for an hour. After one hour demould the sandesh and arrange on a plate. Serve chilled. Leftover can be stored in refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Notes

1. Mash the paneer really well to make smooth. You can use your food processor to mash the paneer or cottage cheese.

2. Any essence can be used instead of caramel essence.

3. Don’t cook the paneer or cottage cheese mixture more than 3-4 minutes. And don’t increase the heat. Cook on simmer and stir continuously.

4. You can use sugar or any sweetener instead of date powder.

5. If you don’t want to use milk powder then you can use same amount of mawa or evaporated milk and add little more date powder.

This recipe is going to be feathered in Facebook gourmet group Shhhhh Cooking Secretly Challenge. In this monthly group members are paired with different partners every month and two secret ingredients are given to each other. We have to use these ingredients in our recipe.

This month theme is Diwali Dhamaka suggested by the admins Mayuri Patel and Renu Agrawal Dongre. You can get numerous delicious recipes on Mayuri’s blog. Mayuri shared Kalakand with cottage cheese for this Diwali theme.

Renu gave me milk powder and white chocolate as secret ingredients and I made this soft mouth melting and delicious sandesh with these ingredients. Renu has a wonderful blog and she shared Easy milk powder chocolate laddu modak for this theme. Do visit her space for many more amazing recipes.

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If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

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Apple Coconut Date Kheer Or Pudding

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Apple coconut kheer or pudding sweetened with date powder. Thickened milk, cashew nuts, almond, date powder, apple and coconut made this kheer heavenly.  Taste is much better than the kheer usually made with sugar or jaggery. And best part is you need only 3 spoon of date powder to make this delicious kheer. 

This kheer is made with apple coconut and dry fruits. So its perfect for your fasting days.  My recent visit to local supermarket Kipps I got this date powder and very happy with the taste. Very fine powder so easy to use in any dishes. Stay tuned for one more scrumptious recipe with date powder. 

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Here are some more kheer recipes on this blog. 

1.  Chakhao kheer or black rice kheer

2.  Chhanar paesh or paneer kheer

3.  Rice kheer

4.  Khajur gur or date palm jaggery kheer

5.  Rasgulla kheer

6.  Kheer komola or orange Kheer

7.  Lauki or bottle gourd kheer

And you may also like to try  Dry fruits and foxnut or makhana kheer from my blogger friend Swaty Malik. 

Recipe is very simple and easy. Only thing to remember that never add apple in hot thickened milk. Milk may curdle if added in hot milk. And please don’t skip the stir frying grated apple with little ghee. But you can use olive oil or any flavorless oil instead of ghee if you want. Coconut is optional, you can omit coconut if you want. Or you can stir fry the grated coconut with one teaspoon ghee before adding in the thickened milk. You can also use any dry fruits of your choice. 

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Recipe

Milk – 4 cup 

Apple – 1 large 

Grated Coconut – 1/4 cup, tightly packed 

Ghee or clarified butter – 2 teaspoon 

Date powder – 3 tablespoon 

Cardamom powder – 1/2 teaspoon 

Almond – 20, sliced 

Cashew nuts – 20, sliced 

Pistachio to garnish 

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Method

1. Peel and grate the apple. Discard the seeds. Heat a pan and add ghee or clarified butter.  Add grated apple and cook till all the moisture evaporate. Keep stirring to avoid sticking to the bottom. When dried up completely remove from heat and keep aside. Cook grated apple immediately after grating.

2. Boil milk in a heavy bottom pan or vessel. Cook the milk for 15 minutes. Stir continuously and scrap the sides. I have used toned milk but you can use full cream milk if you want. 

3. After 15 minutes add grated coconut and mix well. See notes for more options. If you don’t like coconut, then you can skip this step.  

4. When milk starts to rolling boil reduce the heat. Cook on simmer for 30 minutes or till milk becomes thick. Keep stirring in regular interval. Also scrap the sides. 

5. After 15 minutes add date powder. Break all the lumps of date powder and mix well with a ladle or spoon. Add sliced almond and cashew nuts and cook for 5 minutes more. Reserve some nuts for garnishing. 

6. Add cardamom powder,mix and remove from heat. Let it cool down completely.  Add apple and mix.

7. Garnish with shredded almond, cashew nuts and pistachio.

8. Keep the kheer in refrigerator and serve chilled. Or you can also serve it in room temperature. Enjoy the heavenly taste. 

Notes

1. You can use raisins or any dry fruits of your choice. 

2. You can also stir fry the grated coconut with 1 teaspoon ghee before adding in milk. 

3. Sugar or any sweetener can be used instead of date powder. 

4. Add apple when thickened milk becomes completely cool down. 

5. You can use olive oil or any flavorless oil instead of ghee.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment. 

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Peanut Egg Curry

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Peanut egg curry. Spicy delicious egg curry in peanut gravy. Grated eggs and ground peanut made this curry rich creamy and mouthwatering. Perfect side dish to pair with any Indian flatbread, jeera rice, pulao or fried rice.

Taste is completely different from the egg curry we usually make. You can make this as a side dish for your lunch or dinner. This tasty and flavorful curry is also great as party side dish. You may like some more egg curries with different taste and flavour on this blog. Click on the name below to get the recipe.

1. Srilankan egg curry

2. Dim kosha

3. Egg in green curry

4. Dim posto

5. Kerala egg roast with potato

6. Egg korma

7. Egg in mustard gravy

8. Egg in yogurt sauce

9. Spicy egg or masala egg

10. Piperade with Indian spices

And you can also try delicious Potato stuffed egg enchilada

To make this curry you have to grate the hard boiled eggs. Grated eggs and ground peanut will give your curry a rich creamy texture. Peeling soaked peanut is very easy. Just rub the peanut lightly with your finger tips to peel the red skin. I have ground the cardamom, cinnamon and cloves with onion garlic to make a smooth gravy. You can use these whole spices for tempering or tadka before adding onion ginger garlic paste. But these will come in mouth while eating so better to grind into a smooth paste.

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Recipe

Egg – 3-4, hard boiled

Peanut – 1/2 cup

Onion – 1 large, chopped

Garlic – 3-4 cloves

Ginger – 1/2 inch piece

Green chilli – 1-2

Green cardamom – 2

Cloves – 3

Cinnamon – 1/2 Inch piece

Tomato – 2, medium

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon

Kashmiri red chilli powder – 2 teaspoon

Cilantro or coriander leaves – 1-2 tablespoon, chopped, optional

Kasuri methi – 1 teaspoon

Oil – 3 tablespoon

Water – 1&1/4 cup

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Method

1. Wash and soak the peanut in sufficient water overnight. Next day drain the water and wash again. Peel the red skin of peanut. Rub the peanut gently with your fingers to remove the red skin.

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2. Peel and grate the boiled eggs and keep aside.

3. Grind onion, garlic, ginger, green chilli, green cardamom, cloves and cinnamon into a smooth paste.

4. Grind the soaked and peeled peanut. Add chopped tomato and grind again. Make a smooth paste of peanut and tomatoes.

5. Heat oil in a pan. Add onion garlic, chilli, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon paste. Fry till oil leaves the sides.

6. Add tomato and peanut paste. Mix well. Add cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and Kashmiri red chilli powder and mix. Saute till spices dried up completely and oil separated.

7. Now add the grated boiled eggs and salt. Also add chopped cilantro or coriander leaves if using. Mix well.

8. Add water and mix. When the curry starts to boil reduce the heat. Cook on simmer for 5-6 minutes.

9..Crush Kasuri methi with your palm and add in the curry. Remove from heat. Your peanut egg curry is ready.

10. Garnish with cilantro or coriander leaves. Serve hot with pulao, jeera rice, rumali roti, paratha, puri, roti, naan or any bread.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

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Kheerer Malpua Or Mawa Malpua

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Kheerer malpua or mawa malpua. Soft fluffy delicious fried pancake from Bengali cuisine. Malpua is soft but edges are crisp and taste heavenly. Saffron and cardamom flavored kheerer malpua or mawa malpua is a perfect festive treat.

You can also make this malpua to offer Goddess Durga or Bhog prasad.

Earlier shared delicious Malpua. Method of making this malpua is same but khoya/mawa or dried milk used in this malpua. You have to make a smooth lump free batter to make perfect malpua. Khoya or mawa and milk should be blend really well. You can add any shredded dry fruits in the batter. You may like some more fried and sugar syrup soaked sweets on this blog like Gulab jamun, Chhanar jilipi, Pantua, Gokul pithe and Ranga aloor pithe or sweet potato dumplings. And you may also like to try Pahala rasgulla from Sasmita’s blog.

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This malpua is very easy to make and taste is delectable. Remember that batter should not be very thick. Make a lump free smooth flowing batter for perfect malpua. Fennel seeds or sounf is optional, you can skip it. But lightly crushed fennel seeds will give a lovely flavour. Sugar syrup is flavored with cardamom and saffron. If you don’t like cardamom then use only half teaspoon. I have used peanut oil mixed with 2 tablespoon ghee or clarified butter for frying. You can use only oil or only ghee/clarified butter if you want. You can use any flavorless oil for frying.

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Recipe

Khoya or mawa – 1 cup

Maida or all purpose flour – 1 cup

Suji or semolina – 4 tablespoon

Saunf or fennel seeds – 1 teaspoon, optional

Baking soda – 1/4 teaspoon

Warm milk – 1&3/4 cup

Oil or ghee/clarified butter for frying

Sugar – 1&1/2 cup

Water – 1 cup

Saffron or keshar – a pinch

Cardamom powder – 1 teaspoon

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Method

1. Blend khoya or mawa and warm milk with a hand whisker or you can use your blender to mix really well. Homemade khoya will be soft and easy to blend. Get the method of making khoya here. But if you are using store bought khoya or mawa, grate the khoya before using.

2. Lightly crush the fennel seeds or sounf in a mortar pestle.

3. In a large bowl whisk maida or all purpose flour gradually with khoya and milk mixture. Don’t add all the maida in one go to avoid forming lump.

4. Add lighly crushed fennel seeds, semolina or suji and baking soda. Whisk well to make a lump free batter. Cover and keep aside for 30-40 minutes. Batter shouldn’t be thick. Make a flowing batter.

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5. In a pan boil water and sugar with a pinch of saffron. Let it boil for 4 minutes. Add cardamom powder, mix and switch off the heat. If you don’t like the flavour of cardamom then add only half teaspoon cardamom powder.

6. Heat oil or ghee/clarified butter in a wok or pan. I used oil with two tablespoon ghee for flavour.

7..When oil becomes hot reduce the heat. Give a good stir to the batter. Pour a ladle full of batter in the middle of the ghee or oil. Fry on low medium heat till light golden brown from both sides and transfer on a plate. Fry all the malpua.

8. Dip the malpua in warm sugar syrup for 2-3 minutes. Press gently with a spoon to soak from both sides. Take out from the sugar syrup and arrange on a plate. Dip all the malpua this way.

9. Dip 2-3 malpua at a time and arrange on a large plate. Don’t dip in syrup for more than 2-3 minutes to soak each malpua. And remember sugar syrup should be warm.

10. Garnish with pistachios. You can also use shredded almond or grated khoya or mawa for garnishing. Serve warm or at room temperature. You can also serve malpua with rabri.

Notes

1. You can use shredded almond,cashew nuts or any dry fruits in the batter.

2. Batter should be lump free, smooth and flowing.

3. You can use only oil or ghee for frying. Or use a mixture of oil and ghee.

4. Any flavorless oil can be used for frying.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.

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Shahi Dum Aloo

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Shahi dum aloo. A no onion garlic rich creamy and delicious curry. Easy to make spicy and flavorful curry to paired with puri, paratha, roti, fried rice, jeera rice or pulao. A perfect side dish for this festive season.

On upcoming Navaratri which starts from 7th October this year, many people avoid onion garlic on these days. So here is a mouthwatering and easy recipe for you. You can also make it to serve as Bhog prasad with Luchi, Basanti pulao, Bhuni khichuri or Bengali pulao. I have served it with basanti pulao.

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Potatoes are always comes to our resque when no other vegetables available for some reason. I always store potatoes when my vegetable vendor is on leave. Versatile potatoes are

• Packed With Nutrients.

• Contain Antioxidants. Potatoes are rich in compounds like flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic acids

• May Improve Blood Sugar Control

• May Improve Digestive Health

• Naturally Gluten-Free

• Incredibly Filling

• Extremely Versatile

To read more about health benefits of potato click here.

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Some fragrant spices are used to make this potato curry flavorful. I have used ground paste of these spices. You can also use these cardamom, cloves and cinnamon in tempering or tadka. If you are using in tempering don’t forget to crush the whole spices in a mortar pestle. But I like my gravy smooth and many people don’t like if these whole spices comes in mouth while eating. So to make the gravy smooth and creamy grind the spices into a smooth paste. And you can also add 1-2 tablespoon fresh cream at the end of cooking if you want.

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Recipe

Small potatoes – 500 gram

Tomato – 1 medium, chopped

Green chilli – 3-4 or to taste

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Cashew nuts – 10

Melon seeds – 1 tablespoon

Poppy seeds or khas khas – 1 tablespoon

Green cardamom – 3

Cinnamon – 1/2 Inch piece

Cloves – 3

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Kashmiri red chilli powder – 2 teaspoon

Curd or yogurt – 4 tablespoon

Mustard oil – 3 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Sugar – 1/2 teaspoon

Kasuri methi – 1 teaspoon

Water – 1&1/2 cup + 4 tablespoon

Ghee or clarified – 2 teaspoon

Cilantro or coriander leaves – to garnish

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Method

1. Boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker for 2 whistle. Don’t make too soft because we will fry the potatoes. If you don’t have small potatoes then you can also use large size potatoes. Cut the boiled potatoes in large pieces before frying.

2. Let the cooker cool down. Take out the potatoes and peel them. Prick the potatoes with a fork and keep aside.

3. Dry grind poppy seeds, melon seeds and cashew nuts. Add 3-4 tablespoon water and grind again. Make a smooth paste. Pour the paste into a bowl. Mix well beaten curd or yogurt with the mixture and keep aside.

4. In the same grinder grind tomato, ginger, 1-2 green chilli, cinnamon, green cardamom and cloves. You can use green cardamom, cinnamon and cloves for tempering or tadka but I recommend to grind everything into a smooth paste to get creamy smooth gravy. And the whole spices will not come in mouth while eating.

5. Heat oil in a pan. Add potatoes and salt. Fry till potatoes becomes golden brown.

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6. Add tomato, ginger, green chilli, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves paste. Mix well. Add cumin powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and Kashmiri red chilli powder. Saute till oil leaves the sides.

7. Reduce the heat and add cashew nuts, melon seeds and poppy seeds paste mixed with curd or yogurt. Saute till everything dried up and oil leaves the sides. Don’t increase the heat. Cook on simmer to avoid curdling the yogurt.

8. Add 1 & 1/2 cup water, sugar, 2-3 green chilli and little salt. Remember we have added salt in potatoes.

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9. Increase the flame. When the gravy starts to rolling boil reduce the heat. Cook on simmer for 10-15 minutes. Or till you get your desired consistency.

10. Crush Kasuri methi with your palm and add in potatoes. Taste and adjust the salt if required. Add a dollop of ghee or clarified butter and remove from heat. You can add 1-2 tablespoon fresh cream if you like. I didn’t.

11. Garnish with chopped cilantro or coriander leaves. Serve with any pulao, steamed rice, puri, luchi, naan, paratha or any Indian flatbread.

Notes

1. You can use almond instead of cashew nuts.

2. Use chilli according to your spice tolerance.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.

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Kolkata Style Chicken Biryani

Kolkata style chicken biryani with potato and eggs. This scrumptious biryani is mildly spiced and highly aromatic. Saffron, rose water, Kewra water, meetha attar and aromatic whole spices made this biryani extremely flavorful.

Fragrant rice, soft potatoes, eggs, juicy chicken pieces made this biryani superbly delicious. We are not going to the history of Kolkata chicken biryani. Let’s discuss only about taste and flavour. Your house will fill with lovely aroma while making this biryani. A pure bliss.

But now Editing the post with a brief history of this Kolkata style biryani. Thanks to my nephew Saumyajit Ray for this info. Now copy pasting from the write up of Saumyajit.

The Calcutta-style biryani has potatoes in it. History says that biryani came to Calcutta with Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh, when he shifted to the then capital of British India after being dethroned in Lucknow.

Wajid Ali Shah settled down in Metiabruz in eastern Calcutta on the banks of the Hooghly. If Maulana Abdul Haleem Sharar’s GUZESHTA LUCKNOW is to be believed, the former Nawab’s retainers started adding potatoes to his biryani since he could not afford so much mutton. This, despite his 100,000 rupees per month pension which he received from the British and blew up on dancing girls and the upkeep of animals in his fabled private too.

Now the big question. Calcuttans of that era had no idea of biryani before Wajid Ali Shah came and took up residence in Metiabruz and set up a “Chhota Lucknow” there. So why shouldn’t the Calcutta biryani be called Metiabruz biryani?

What do you think. Please share your thoughts in comment. I would love to hear from you.

If you don’t like chicken like me then enjoy the biryani with potato and eggs, let other family members enjoy soft juicy chicken with fragrant rice. I have used chicken leg pieces to make this biryani. You can also use curry cut chicken. Use big pieces of chicken. If you don’t like eggs then you can skip it.

If you don’t want to boil the potatoes then fry the potatoes till golden brown and cook with chicken. Process of making this biryani is lengthy but worth trying. You can prepare everything in advance and assemble and cook on simmer just before serving.

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Recipe

For chicken

Chicken – 1/2 kg

Curd or yogurt – 1/2 cup

Ginger garlic paste – 1&1/2 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Red chilli powder – 1 teaspoon

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon

Oil – 2 teaspoon

Biryani masala – 1 teaspoon

Rose essence or rosewater – 1 teaspoon

Kewra water – 1 teaspoon

Lemon – half

Onion – 1 large, finely chopped

For rice

Long grain basmati rice – 2 cup

Green cardamom – 4

Cloves – 4

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Star anise – 1

Mace or javitri – 2 strands

Bay leaves – 2

Oil or ghee -2 teaspoon

Salt – 1 tablespoon or to taste

Lemon – half

Water as require

Saffron milk

Saffron – a pinch

Milk – 1/4 cup

Rose essence or Water – 1 teaspoon

Kewra water – 1 teaspoon

Meetha attar – 3 drop

For biryani

Oil – 1/2 cup

Ghee or clarified butter – 2 tablespoon

Biryani masala – 1 teaspoon

For potato

Potato – 3 large

Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Salt – 1 teaspoon

Egg – 3, hard boiled

For barista

Onion – 3 large, thinly sliced

Oil for frying

Method

1. Wash the rice 4-5 times or till water runs out clear. Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes.

2. In a bowl mix curd or thick yogurt, salt, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, biryani masala, ginger garlic paste and 2 teaspoon oil. I used mustard oil but you can use any oil. Mix everything well.

3. Add cleaned and washed chicken pieces, rose essence or rose water, Kewra water and juice of half lemon. Mix everything well. Cover the bowl and keep aside for an hour. You can marinate the chicken overnight. Keep the marinated chicken in a covered bowl and keep in refrigerator overnight. Take out the chicken just before cooking.

4. In a bowl mix 1/4 cup warm milk and saffron. Let it soak for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes crush the saffron threads with your finger tips to mix well. Now add rose water or essence, Kewra water and 3 drops of meetha attar. Add only 3 drops not more than that. Cover and keep the bowl aside.

5. Now make a spice bag. In a piece of cheesecloth or muslin cloth or any thin cotton cloth place lightly crushed or broken 4 green cardamom, 4 cloves, a piece of cinnamon, 1 star anise, 2 strands of javitri or mace and 2 bay leaves. You can also add 1 black cardamom if you like, I didn’t. Tie the cloth tightly.

6. Boil sufficient water with 1 tablespoon Salt, 2 teaspoon ghee or oil and juice of half lemon. Taste the water. Water should be perfectly salty. 1 tablespoon is perfect but you can add little more if required.

7. Add drained rice and spice bag. Cook till rice becomes long. Rice should be 80 percent cooked so be careful and stir the rice gently to avoid breaking the rice. When rice becomes long immediately strain the water from the rice. Drain the water completely and spread the rice on a plate to cool down.

8. Wash the potatoes well. Prick the potatoes with a fork. Boil potatoes in a pressure cooker with 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon salt and water. Boil for 2 whistle. Let the pressure settle down on its own. Peel the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into half and keep aside.

9. Or if you don’t want to boil the potatoes then peel and fry with little salt and turmeric powder till golden brown. And cook with chicken.

10. Peel the hard boiled eggs. You can fry the eggs, I didn’t. If you are frying the eggs, don’t forget to make some slits on the eggs with a knife.

11. Heat oil in a pan. Fry thinly sliced onion till brown to make barista. When onion becomes brown remove from oil and place on a paper towel. Onion shouldn’t be burnt so be careful and keep stirring while frying.

12. Heat oil in a pan. You can use same pan and oil which we used to make barista. Fry the potatoes till golden brown and transfer on a plate.

13. Now add one finely chopped onion and fry till light golden brown. Add marinated chicken. And fry for 5 minutes. Chicken will release water. Cover and cook on simmer for 10 minutes. Stir and check in regular interval.

14. You can also cook potatoes and eggs with the chicken. I sometimes do so. Potatoes and eggs will absorb the flavour and taste of the gravy and taste better. Do as per your convenience.

15. After 10 minutes check the chicken. It will becomes tender, if not covered and cook for a few minutes more. When chicken becomes tender remove the cover and cook on high heat till gravy is about to dried up.

16. Let’s assemble the biryani. Place 3 pieces of chicken and 3 pieces potatoes with little oil gravy of chicken.

17. Above chicken and potatoes make a layer of rice. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon ghee, 1/2 teaspoon biryani masala and half saffron soaked milk. Spread barista or crisp fried onion all over the rice.

18. Now spread remaining chicken, potato and gravy over the rice. Spread rice over it. Again sprinkle one tablespoon ghee, 1/2 teaspoon biryani masala and remaining saffron soaked milk. Spread fried onions. And press the eggs over it.

19. We have to cover it properly to cook. You can use atta dough to seal the sides of the cover. But I have covered the pan with a piece of aluminum foil properly and place the lid over it. And placed a clove in the hole to secure the air inside.

20. You can also cover the pan with a plate and place a heavy vessel with hot water on the plate. Heat a tawa or skillet. Keep the heat on lowest. Place the assembled biryani pan on the tawa.

21. Cook on simmer for 25 minutes. Or until your biryani pan becomes too hot and you will unable to touch it.

22. Your Kolkata style chicken biryani is ready to serve. Fluff the rice gently. Serve hot with any raita.

Notes

1. I have made two layers but you can make three layers if you want.

2. Always use old basmati rice to make biryani.

3. I have used leg pieces to make this biryani. You can also use curry cut chicken pieces. Use big pieces of chicken.

4. You can skip eggs if you want.

Linking this recipe to Facebook gourmet group Shhhhh Cooking Secretly Challenge. In this monthly group members are paired with different partners every month and two secret ingredients are given to each other. We have to use these ingredients in our recipe. This month Exotic biryani and pulao theme is suggested by Swaty Malik who blog at Food Trails. I recently bookmarked her healthy and delicious Badam gur phirni to try sometime. A perfect dish for festive season.

And this month my partner is Preeti Tandon Shridhar who blog at Cakes & Curries. Preeti is a very talented blogger. Do visit her space for many delicious recipes. I have to try her delicious Cowboy cookies soon. For this theme preeti gave me Kewra water and curd or yogurt. I used these ingredients to make this mouthwatering biryani. And I gave cranberries and quinoa to Preeti as secret ingredients. Preeti shared delicious Quinoa masala pulao using these ingredients.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag #batterupwithsujata. I would love to see your creations.

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