Fish charishma

Ingredients: Betki fish 300 gms, white mustard seeds 2tsps, black mustard seeds 2tsps, 2 dried red chillies, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, ajwain seeds, black cumin seeds, saunf seeds, 3-4 green chillies, 2 small onions, 4 medium cloves of garlic, ginger 1/4th of the small finger, yoghurt 2-3 tsps, 2tbsps of turmeric powder, mustard oil, Coriander leaves, a medium bowl of water and salt.

Method: First cut the fish as shown in the figure. Wash properly and see that there is no scale left on the skin. Put a bit of salt and turmeric powder on the fish and cover each fish properly. Put 3tbsps of mustard oil in a pan. Heat the oil properly and put the pieces of fish in it. Fry the fish till it becomes crispy and reddish brown in color. While the fish is fried, in the meantime make a paste of mustard seeds(white & black), onions, garlic, ginger and dry red chillies. One can exclude the seeds if he/she wants less of heat. Once the fish is properly fried, take it out of the oil and again put ½ tsp of oil into the remaining. Mix a pinch of all the dry spices(cumin, fenugreek, ajwain, black cumin and saunf). When mixed, take a tsp of this mix of whole dry spices and put it in the hot oil and put the heat on low flame and fry till the spices turn light brown. Put the paste of mustard in it and stir it for sometime. Add yoghurt into this and keep on stirring till the oil separates from it and the raw smell of the yoghurt is no more present. Pour the water, whole green chilies and also the fried fish into this. Let the whole thing come to a boil. Let it bubble away for 5mins and then turn off the heat. Pour 1&1/2 tsps of mustard oil from top and garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve with steamed rice.

Vannilla Fruit Cake

Ingredients: Plain flour one & quater cups, sugar(fine dust) one & a half cup, butter (unsalted) one cup, three eggs, two tbsps pure vannilla extract, one tsp baking powder, cinnamon powder one tsp, raisins, cashews, almonds, cherries, and other dry fruits of your choice to make it extra rich, 100ml matured black Rum.

Method: Before starting the process, soak the dry fruits in the rum overnight. First beat the eggs till fluffy and foamy. See that it becomes half the bowl in which it is whisked. Then add to it flour, sugar, vannilla extract, cinnamon powder, melted butter and mix on low speed of the mixer till all ingredients are mixed but see that the bubbles of the egg do not burst (mix everything for 30secs preferrably). Then scrape off the sides of the mixing bowl and add baking powder and again mix the whole thing for 30 secs. Grease the bowl in which the cake will be baked and pour the whole mixture into it. Put the fruits soaked in rum on the top and put it into the 180 degrees preheated oven and bake for 35-40 mins at 180 degrees. Bring out the cake and put a skewer into it to see whether the cake is fully baked. If the batter sticks to the skewer then put it back to the oven for some more time otherwise bring it out fully and let it cool to be served.

Chicken Malaikari

Ingredients: 400gms Chicken leg-piece, Yoghurt 200gms, 4 large onions, Ginger paste 1.5 Tbsp, Garlic 10-12 small cloves, Cashew and poppy seed paste- 3 Tbsps, Green chillies 4-5.Thick coconut milk 1/2 bowl, Red chili powder- 1Tbsp, Turmaric -1.5 tea spoon, Ghee- 3 Tbsps, Garam masala powder- 2 Tbsps, Oil, Salt and Sugar.

Method: Wash the chicken and marinate with Yoghurt, Red Chilli powder, 2 onion paste,Ginger-garlic paste, 2 Tbsps of oil and Turmaric. Keep it for at least 2 hours. Chop the other 2 Onions. In a cooking vessel, put 4-5 Tbsps of Oil and put 1.5 tsp of sugar. When the sugar caramalises put the cohopped onions into it and fry till it turns golden brown in color. Put the whole meat with the marinade into this and cook on high heat till the gravy is a bit thick. Then add salt and keep on cooking on low flame. When the meat is soft, add the coconut milk and the Cashew,poppy seed paste, green chillies slit through middle. Keep on stirring till the gravy thickens. Add ghee and turn-off the flame. Sprinkle garam masala powder from top. Serve hot with fine steamed rice/parathas/Chappattis.

Barbie Dessert

Ingredients: Jelly crystal 1 pckt, Custard powder 3 heaped tbsps, Milk 1/2 ltr., 2 Apples, Raisins 50 gms, Cashews 50 gms, Sugar 7 heaped tbsps.
Method:First empty the whole content of the jelly crystal and the sachet in a dry bowl and mix properly. Boil 3 cups of water and dissolve the mixture. Pour it in a designed glass bowl and let it come to the room temperature. Put the bowl in the refrigerator and let it set. Take more than half of the milk and boil. In the rest of the milk, dissolve the custard powder and add this to the rest of the milk and keep stirring it. See that it doesnt form lumps. Add the whole sugar and stirr continuously. The milk will come to a creamy consistency. Chop the apples finely and put it into the custard. Cut the raisins into halves and also break the cashews into small pieces and mix properly. Take it off the heat. Let it cool and come to the normal room temperature. Once the jelly is set, Pour the jelly on a glass plate and decorate it with the custard and put the whole thing in the refrigerator. Serve chilled.

Baked Hilsa

Ingredients: Hilsa fish 6 pieces (the pieces should be cut from the middle portion), Yoghurt 7-10 tbsps, mustard and green chilli paste 2.5 tbsps, mustard oil 4-5 tbsps, 3-4 whole green chillies cut from the middle, salt 3 tbsps.

Method: The Hilsa fish should be absolutely fresh and the pieces must be washed properly so that there is no smell. Put the pieces of fish in a container so that the lid can be put tightly. Put all the ingredients one by one on the fish. Mix properly so that the masala gets inside the opened portion of the fish. Close the box tightly and put it on boiling water. Cover the container where the fish is put on boiling water. Bring it off the heat after 20 minutes. Let it cool a bit and then open the box. Serve it with steaming rice.

Mutton Thriller

Ingredients: boneless Mutton 1kg cut into medium sized pieces, 5 large Onions, Ginger-garlic, Papaya Paste - 4 TbspsYoghurt- 500gms, Rose water, keora water, Meetha Atar, Milk, Saffron, Biryani masala powder, Vanaspati, Ghee, Salt and Sugar.

Method: Beat the mutton pieces with a rolling pin till a bit stretched and thin. Marinate it with Yoghurt, 2-3 drops of Meetha Atar, 2 large chopped and fried onion paste, Ginger-garlic paste, Papaya paste, roasted chilli powder. Keep it for one night.

Heat Vanaspati in pressure cooker. Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar in hot oil till the sugar turns red and caramalises. After this put the mutton with the marinade and cook on high heat till water from the mutton reduces. In the mean time, soak a pinch of saffron in 150 ml of Milk and 150 ml of Rose water and Keora water in a glass bowl. Add salt to mutton and a cup of water too. Put the mutton to full pressure and let it have 5-6 whistles while cooking on medium heat. After the mutton off the heat, wait till the pressure is released by itself. Open the cooker and add the mix of Milk, saffron, Rose and keora water. Sprinkle roasted Biryani masala powder and cover it for the flavour to get infused with the meat. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Crispy Fish

Ingredients: About 500 gms of fish fillets cut into small rectangles, Onion, Ginger, Garlic, Pudina leaves, Vinegar, Green chillis, Cornflakes, Cornflour, 2 Eggs, Oil to deep fry.

Method: Marinate the cleaned fish fillets in ginger, garlic, onion, green chillis and pudina paste to cover up the whole content lightly. Also add Vinegar, 2Tbsps Cornflour and salt to it. Keep it for at least 5 to 6 hours. Break the eggs in a bowl and stirr it adding a pinch or two of salt. take the fish fillets and dip it in the egg batter and then coat it with lightly crushed cornflakes, deep fry in oil and serve hot with fresh salad.

Pasta Salad

Ingredients: Any macaroni of your choice, Carrots, Fresh green peas, Brocolli, Babycorns, Beans, Butter,Tobasco sauce, Salt, Pepper, 2-4 Boiled Eggs,Mayonnaise, Cheese

Method: Boil with salt and drain the Macaroni and add a bit of butter so that it does'nt stick to each other. Boil all the vegetables with bit of salt and butter. See that the vegetables get soft absorbing all the water whatsoever. Take the boiled vegetables and pasta in a bowl adding mayonnaise to the full thing and mix with a fork. Add enough mayonnaise to make it look like a gravy. Add 4-5 drops tobasco sauce and taste. Add more if required or less if you want less heat. Chop the boiled eggs and garnish.Grate cheese on top, sprinkle pepper and serve hot.

Paneer Peas

Ingredients: Paneer (Cottage cheese) -1/2 kg, Peas- 1kg, Coconut milk-250 ml, Onion -2 (large),Ginger-Garlic paste - 1.5 tbsp, Bayleaves -2-3, Green Chillies, Salt and Sugar to taste, Yoghurt- 250gms, Refined Oil, Ghee- 2tbsps, Garam Masala, Fresh Cream to garnish.
Method: Cut Paneer into 1 inch cubes and soak it in hot salt water. Boil the peas with a bit of Salt and grind to a paste. Heat oil in a pan and add 2-3 bayleaves. Add onion paste, Ginger-garlic paste and fry till the oil is separated. Put the Youghurt and keep on stirring till it reduces to oil. Add peas paste to it and cook till the raw smell of the peas gets totally vanished. Add Coconut milk, Green chillies and keep on stirring on low heat till the gravy is thick. Sprinkle salt to taste, 1tbsp Sugar, 2 tbsps Ghee and then drain and add the Paneer to it. Turn-off the flame, sprinkle the Garam Masala dust and Garnish with fresh cream. Serve hot.

White Chicken

Ingredients: Chicken 1kg(cut into pieces), 5 medium-large onions, ginger paste 25gms,fat cloves of garlic 8-10.Yoghurt 250gms.Cinnamon,Cloves,Cardamom.Refined oil,/mustard oil/ghee/butter.

Method:First wash the chicken properly and add to it the entire yoghurt,Ginger-Garlic paste,paste of three onions and a bit of roasted red chilli powder.Keep it for 1/2 an hour. Then heat 5-6 tablespoons of oil in a pan and add chopped onoins.Fry the onoins till golden brown in color and keep aside. Add another tablespoon of oil and heat. Then put the chicken with the marinade.Keep on stirring it on high heat till the water from the chicken gets reduced a bit and the meat is soft.Reduce the flame and add Ghee(1tbsp)(irrespective of the cooking medium used),Salt and sugar to taste.Let it simmer till the gravy is enough to coat the meat pieces.Add to it the fried onoins.On a dry pan roast cinnamon,Cloves and cardamom and make a dust out of these.When the chicken is fully done, Sprinkle the dust over it and serve hot.

Fried-Rice

Ingredients:
400 gm Rice100 gm Ghee or butter65 gms onion2 gms cinnamon2 gms Bay leaf1 gm peppercorns6 gms Salt
How to make fried rice:
Heat the ghee in a large saucepan and add the finely sliced onion.
Fry till golden brown, remove from the pan and keep aside.
To the hot fat, add the washed and drained rice and the spices.
Keep stirring and fry for 4-5 minutes till the rice appears glazed. Add salt and boiling water an inch above the rice.
Boil and simmer till the water is almost absorbed and then put into a very slow oven at 250 degree and leave for 20-25 minutes till the rice is cooked.
Serve garnished with fried onions. Hard-boiled eggs cut in slices may also be used as a garnish.

Garlic-Rice

Ingredients:
2 cup cooked rice2 tsp crashed garlic2 green chillies chopped2 tblsp cashewnuts (kaju)1 tblsp almonds(badam), slivered.1 tsp chopped fresh coriander2 tblsp gheeSalt and pepper to taste
How to make garlic rice:
Take a heavy wok and heat ghee in it.
Now add garlic and green chilies to it.
Once garlic turns golden in color, add the dry fruits and roast for half a minute.
Now add the cooked rice, sprinkle salt and pepper and mix well.
Garnish the Garlic Rice with fresh coriander and serve.

Rice-Coconut

Ingredients:
400 gms Basmati rice120 gms coconut40 ml ghee25 gms black gram dhal25 gms broken pieces of nuts6 gms dry chillies2 gms curry leaves2.5 gms asafoetida powder20 gms (minced) coriander leavesSalt to taste
How to make coconut rice:
Boil rice and keep aside.
Fry coconut evenly to a golden colour on a slow fire.
Heat 3 dessertspoon of ghee. Fry the cashewnuts and remove.
Fry the broken pieces of dry chillies, black gram dhal, and curry leaves well.
Mix rice, coconut, nuts, 1 teaspoon of ghee and salt.
Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.