Chicken Rogan Josh

I have always loved food, only now I love cooking it as much as eating it. Sunday calls for a tasty treat at home as its everyone's holiday, so I try to cook something new. 

Today, I planned of cooking Chicken Rogan Josh -  a Kashmiri dish. 

As I like to cook dishes which does not involve me buying many ingredients for just one dish, so rogan josh was one for which I had everything but one ingredient at home - the Kashmiri red chilli. Kashmiri red chilli does not have the chili factor but its the best spice to give a beautiful red colour to any dish. So, as it does pretty much nothing to the flavor, me not having it did not bother me much, till later when I realized that the vibrant color is missing from my dishes leaving it to a pale yellow color.

To compensate for the lack of color, I added a bit of the regular spices, which turned out to be the right decision for an awesome chicken gravy dish.

The recipe for my Rogan Josh inspired dish is below- 

Ingredients

• Chicken - 500 gms
• Onion - 2 big chopped
• Whole red chilies-  3 soaked  in water
• Saffron - 3 - 4 strands soaked in water
• Ghee
• Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Garam masala - 1tsp
• Coriander powder - 2 tsp
• Green cardamom - 3 - 4
• Cloves - 3 - 4
• Kasuri Methi - 1/4 tsp
• Black pepper whole - 3 - 4
• Salt - to taste

Method

1. Saute the chopped onions in ghee till golden brown. Keep aside to cool.
2. Shallow fry the chicken pieces in ghee with a little salt. 
3. Grind the fried onion with a little water into a smooth paste.
4. Grind the soaked red chillies to make a paste.
5. In a new pan, add around 2 tbsp of ghee, then add cloves, cardamom, and whole black pepper. When it splutters, add ginger garlic paste and saute. Then add the onion paste. Saute for 2 minutes.
6. Add chilli paste, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and garam masala. 
7. Add the fried chicken pieces, salt, kasuri methi, and a little water.  ( Water to be added depending upon the desired thickness of the dish. )    
8. Cover and cook for around 5 - 7 minutes. (Chicken can be checked by slightly pricking with a fork)
9. Once done add saffron water. Mix well. Then add half teaspoon of ghee on the top. 
10. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or chapati or parantha.   

Enjoy the dish.

Suji Malai toast

Ingredients:                                                                                     2 servings
Bread slices - white / brown (as per requirements):  4
Cream fresh (Malai) : 2 tablespoons
Semolina (Suji): 1 tablespoon
Following vegetables finely chopped
Onion
Capsicum
Tomato
Coriander leaves
Green chilli
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil / butter

Method:
1. Make the cream smooth in a bowl. Add semolina and leave for half hour. (if it seems too thick after half hour add little more cream)
2. Add all the vegetables and salt to taste. Mix well. The mixture should be thick .
3. Take the bread slices. Spread the cream mix on one side of the bread just like jam.
4. Take tawa or frying pan. Pour a few drops of oil and turn the gas on.
5. Put the bread on the tawa or frying pan with the mix side up.(on low flame)
6. Let the bottom side of bread become crisp.
7. Turn the bread on the tawa to cook the other side and pour a few drops of oil at its sides. Press the bread lightly. Turn to check whether it is cooked.When done it will look like cheese on bread.
8. Serve hot with sauce or chutney.