Winter Special- Anthony's Chicken Pepper Capsicum

How does it look. Well it was 600 gms of dressed chicken( undressed would be around 800-900) and I finished alone. Been a few days since I cooked. I even posted it, with a really long post, about what I love in winter et al... and I clicked publish and it returned website not found... YRRRRRRRGGGGG... and it was a very beautiful post. When I pressed back on the browser, it was long gone. I got so yengry, I didn't want to post it and I been busy too.. Been at a client's place for requirement study and they didn't give net acess to us. Security reasons being a financial services company. So no post, and my net at home is still dial up via my Mobile phone, and so the page not found. It was loss of so many words.......

By the way, why do we call clean and undressed chicken meat as dressed chicken. Point to ponder.

And yeah this is my contribution to Meena's call from the rasoi.


I thought of what I had to post, because winter reminded of so many traditional dishes which I don't want to post here since you won't get the ingredients to cook them. And another thing, it is still warm, well hot in Mumbai specially in the afternoons, though mornings have been chill.

Winter is about Sarsong ka preparations, we love many dishes of sarsong(Mustard leaves) and no we never eat sarsong da saag, I mean not traditionally. We make a stew kind of dish rather with dried fish.

Try it, boil water with one onion chopped and ginger finely chopped. Also add some green chillis and red chillis. Boil well, and add 4-5 pieces of fried fish. Now add the mustard leaves shredded by the hand into 2 inches long leaves. Add salt and have with rice.
Have pakoras as a side dish, in the winter. It's supreme.

All fishes taste good in winter, specially my kheema like fish preparation, but we leave the cooked dish overnight and next day it forms into a jelly like preparation. We call it ngaren, a never-miss-in-the-winter dish. Specially if it is Buwal Macch.
Prepare at night, just leave it as it is, and then have it in the brunch with rice.
With freeze, I now have it even in Summer but nothing like a genuine weather cooled Dish, had in the sunshine.

Why I chose the particular dish for winter is simple. I wanted to give a simple dish that was easy to cook, and something I often prepare during the cold of winter. I wanted to give another dish made out of tandoori chicken, but then this pepper capsicum dish is what reminds me of Winter. The best thing about this preparation is that it will make you warm, and the pepper will clear your throat and nose if you have become victim to the chill already.
And it turned out so yummy, I ate like a Pig. Finished everything.

How I cooked?

Took 600 Grams of chiken cut into smaller than usual pieces. 1 inch cubes!
Half a cup of Greeen peas( Ah I love peas, another winter vegetable)

I can have peas with everthing, and BTW it turned out really nice I told you!!

Two capsicum cut into 1 square inch pieces.
One medium size potato cut into 1/2 inch cubes.( You may not add the potato, but I love potato in chicken)
Two medium tomatoes chopped roughly.
2/3 bayleaves and 2/3 cloves
1 tsp black pepper freshly ground into a rough powder.
1 tsp each dhania powder and jeera powder.
3 green chillis sliced into halves.
1 large onion finely chopped.
1 TBS ginger garlic paste( I prefer freshly ground rough paste).

In a frying pan or kadhai, heat oil and add two bayleaves and two cloves.
Add the onions, fry for a few minutes. Add the green chilli.
Don't wait till it is golden brown. Its ok if it becomes translucent.
Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for 30 seconds.
Add the chicken and stir well.
Fry for a 10 minutes and add the potatoes.
Cover it. Cook for 5 minutes and open it.
Now add the dhania-jeera powder, half tsp of turmeric, half tsp of chilli powder
and stir well. Add the black pepper powder.
Add the capsicum and tomatoes and mix and then cover the pan and cook.

Open and stir from time to time. When oil and the meat separates it is done.
If you put potatoes, check if potatoes are done .
Garnish with half a cup of finely chopped coriander
Enjoy...... and do tell me after you have cooked it.

PS: Meena's dish was not an inspiration though I would love to have been inspired.
I am not too fond of chinese.

I also have been tagged by a foodie doctor.
Update: Thalassamikra have also tagged me on this.

I have list down my favorite foods and if possible the recipes. Hmm!!!
First of all I am not much of a critic, and in Manipur, when one is asked how the food was?, it is often replied as," Ah!! It is said that you shouldn't ever say food was bad". Lol what was he implying.

I love gourmet food, but lemme stick to more traditional and bachelor kind of food here, because Gourmet food I can give a pass anyday over a Maccher Paturi, or Elish macch in mustard. Ahh How I love it.

My favorite lists:

1. Nothing beats a Chital macch Kalia, a sweetish fish preparation.

2. Hilsa/Elish macch steamed in mustard.

3. Grilled Pork Chops.

4. Steak. yummmm.

5. Fish paturi: Boneless fish wrapped in plaitain leaf and cooked in charcoal (right? Parna)

6. OOTTI: White peas cooked with baking soda. Yummm haven't you tried it???

7. Minched fish curry. Wow I am such a fish lover.

8. Chicken Tandoori and Hyderabadi Biryani, anyday.

9. Prawn pakodas.. mama Mia

10. Tuna Salad at Subway's...( At least twice a week)

I love veg dishes too... Mostly salads tough, not the fake ones.
And Dhoklas, and Thepla's and Rava idli, and Fries.
Ah!!! Daal makhani...
Butter paneer? well, ok.


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Update: My Home, Manipur Blog Updated

French Beans with coconut and Grams

I love anything French; specially "French".

No wonder I love French beans.
So, when I saw this Recipe at Sury's, It brought back fond memories of Bangalore and ubiquitous South Indian thalis. French beans with Coconuts and grams was my favorite dish. Never tried to cook it though, though I always eat French beans, usually steamed or just boiled much to dismay of many people, but I love beans boiled. When i am alone and I am cooking rice, I always add a handfull of beans in the rice which I sort them out later and eat, just like that. Not much for the taste, it kinda taste bland, but not bad.

I eat french beans more for the nutritious value, than the taste but have gotten a liking or addiction to it after a long time. I am a heath freak, and I hate being sick, and I hate medicines and hospitals, except for multi vitamins and an occasional anti-flattulent or antacid very rarely, I don't take medicines. And Gods have been kind, I am rarely sick. Last time I was sick was in March 2002 , when I was down with Jaundice during a backpacking trip down Hyderabad and Aurangabad. I guess it was water, and even since I have stopped drinking unsafe water. I remember having down with fever only 4 or 5 times since I grew up. Last fever i had was a long time back just after I declared to my grandma that I am never sick, and she told me," Shhh!! don't say that, say Vishnu Vishnu(manipuri for touch wood equivalent)". Coincidence or a cosmic joke, i was down with fever the next day after many years. Superstitious that I am, I stopped announcing that I was healthy. And being superstitious made me realise that if I keep telling it, God would get tired of making me fall ill again and again, so I don't mind saying that I haven't been sick in 3 years. Vishnu Vishnu. Touch Wood. Since Gods have been kind to me, I also keep my side of the bargain by eating healthy and follow the maxim pevention is the best cure. My ambition in life is to make all the pharma companies bankcrupt.. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Ah! I love Apples, and yeah french beans is very healthy and its green. So french beans is a part of diet. And by the way, a garlive clove or two with your dinner makes you smell awful but its good for health. If you are in the season when fluor cold is common, don't forget to have fresh garlic cloves everyday with dinner. And brush your teeth well.





So, where were we? Oh Coconut and French beans, well I would like to direct you to Sury's since I followed his recipe to the T. Here is the Recipe. The picture is what I cooked.

I put a little more jeera than necessary and the dish was a little strong on jeera, add very little jeera when you cook it. And Sury recomended cury patta, but I forgot to get it so i did it without the cury patta. But for the excess jeera, the food turned out quite well.

And message to all, eat healthy, sleep well, and keep away from medicines. All doctors will tell you that medicines only cure the symptoms, but if you are used to having medicines, you immune systems will be so weak that you can't fight away deseases. Try eating those food that strengthens the immune system. And eating meat is not bad at all. Meat also strengthens the body, one reason why India can't get any gold medal in the olympics is mainly due to this. But again, I won't force anyone but a balance diet should contain everything. Soya beans cannot replace meat as the ruchi soya campaign claims. But better than meat is Fish. Eat fish for brains, the intelligence of the Japanese has much to do with their diet, and why are bengalis smarter than most non-fish eaters.. LOL. I won't say much about Manipuris, Modesty is my name. And yeah, Fish does great for the Libido. I won't say more....

Peek into my Other blog here

Recipe,Beans,French Beans,manipur,South India,Cocunut Dish,Fish,Health Food,

Kheemafied Fish -Manipuri Delicacy

This Post is dedicated to Parna of rannabanna of kitchen Notes. Parna co owns this blog with Prerona. But Parna does most of the cooking. Parna never learnt to cook while at home, and so had to learn via the telephone. God save the phone.. But learnt, she did. She is now is a very refined cook, huh!! Do I hear some clap clap clap..there is a whistle too.. Ahh.. that Babumoshai Out there..

Wait, This is also dedicated to all the Bongs who loves fish like fish love water. One can imagine a fish without water, but a bong without fish? Unimaginable. So sad though, most bongs haven't tasted the dish I am going to prepare today. Well I have started it, and I am writing this as the fish is being cooked at low flame... Ummm I can smell it... You won't find a good piece of fish in the dish, because all the fish have been mashed.. Just imagine the gravy, which is what we are going to have with Basmati rice...
May I also dedicate this to Thalassa Mikra, who had asked me to post a Manipuri Fish Recipe. I have much more up my sleeves lol..

We call is Nga Atoiba..( Nga=fish, can you pronounce.. Ng is ka-kha-ga-gha-nga in the devnagari script). Atoiba means well mixed or broken into small pieces or well kheema would be a better word. No Manipuri Feasts , unless it is vegetarian feast during shradh or rath jatra, is complete without this paticular dish. And believe me, ask any of your Bengali relative who had been to Manipur how they liked the kheema fish curry or nga Atoiba. They will surely tell you how they miss it. When Bengali Brides married to a Manipuri return from their Maike( parental home), the first thing they miss is a Nga Atoiba. Trust me.. This is heavenly..

Ingredients:
# 750 grams of Fish(about a pound). Cut the slice into four further pieces. it c\should be about 1 inch cubes as you see. Mix a little turmeric powder and salt and keep aside for half an hour.

# One large potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes as in the picture above.
# Two medium tomatoes cut the same way in the picture.
# One medium onion, again chopped the way u see in the pic.
# half a kaotori of green peas
And spices- Whole Jeera, jeera powder and dhania powder, heeng( asafoetida), meethi( fenugreek), chilli and turmeric powder.
# 1 inch finger of ginger, 7-8 cloves of garlic both crushed with mortar pestle or mixer.

Break here: Will go and finish it. Also have to take a picture...
Now,
Steps:

Heat oil in a pan, and semi fry the fish. Don't fry till cooked. Just fry as much as the colour slightly turns. Keep aside.

Heat 2 Tbs of oil( use mustard oil if you have), and add 1 tsp of whole jeera and a pinch of heeng and then add the onions.
Fry till Onions are brown and add half tsp of fenugreek, then add the ginger garlic paste.
Add the poataoes and peas and fry together.
Now add half a tsp of turmeric and equal amount of chilli powder.
Add 1 tsp of jeera powder, and 1 tsp dhania powder.
Add the fish, and mix well and add salt to taste. Cover and cook in low flame for 10 minutes.
Take care that it don't get burned, remove the cover and stir from time to time.
Now after the 10 minutes, add the tomatoes and increase the heat.
Fry for 5 minutes, and add 2 cups of water. Cook till potatoes are done and mash some potatoes and tomatoes to mix with the gravy.

Now, for this dish, tempering is very important.
Heat oil in a separate kadhai, or pan.
Add 1 bay leaf, 2 kashmiri chilli, and half a tsp of Jeera. Add half a tsp of Finely chopped ginger.
Pour this into the fish. Mix and garnish with chopped Coriander or Cilantro.

I have just tasted a spoonful. It didn't disappoint me.
Dear Bongs who can cook, try this out. This is one delicious dish I tell you.

I used the fish called Bao, looks like Rohu but slightly darker and quite a bigger head. Katla or Rohu might also be used.

Now, since all the fice pieces are minced while cooking, you will find a lot if spines or thorns.
But, would rose have been so precious without the thorns. Tagore said, "A rose is a great deal more than a blushing apology for its thorns" . It is imprinted at the metro Station at rabindra Sadan, Calcutta.
Be carefull when you eat it, but its worth it.
You may also ask for boneless fish if you are too afraid, or use bigger fishes. it is easier to sort out the bones as you eat since bigger fish have bigger spines.

This is best cooked with a fish that we call sareng. Cooked the same way, but a different fish. In bengali that fish is called Buwal macch.. Try cooking buwal macch this way... And use garlic liberally during tempering( Buwak is smelly, no?)


PS: Instead of onions, we use a particular herb that looks like garlic chives but since its is not available many places and I am still unsure if it is garlic chives, I have used onions. This particular herb is said to be available in All china towns all over the world. Swati, just use Chives and see the taste. if it is good than it has to be chives afterall...

Have a nice weekend.. Peek into my other blog at Anthonysmirror
And please, do leave a comment. It makes us going lol.

Recipe,Fish,manipur,Kheema,Minched Fish,Desi

Egg Curry- again

I have often been asked to post pictures as well. So today I remembered to take the pictures before I cooked myself a very delicious, filling and simple egg curry. the recipe was posted earlier here as eggy treat.

Very simply cooked. the ingredients are all you see but for Salt, turmeric, Jeera and dhania powder and red chilli powder. Green chilli sliced into halves could also be added when frying the onions. Heat oil in a pan, cut the eggs in halves and fry both side till you get a colour like you see n the picture and keep aside. into the oil add half tsp whole jeera and let it crackle, add onions and Fry the onions till golden brown, add the garlic paste, fry for 30 seconds and add half tsp each of dhania powder, jeera powder, 1/4 tsp of chilli powder and 1/4 tsp of turmeric. Add the potatoes and tomato and green peas( all pre-poiled). the potatoes could be mashed roughly before adding or it can be mashed in the pan only using a spatula. Add water and cook for 10 minutes. Now add the eggs and cook for 5 minutes more. garnish with Coriander. I had run out of coriander leaves...


Excuse the aesthetics, it is afterall a bachelor's recipe and after a hard days' work, I couldn't care much about Aesthetics. Believe me it was Yummy. And I have tried to make it as bachelor as possible LOL.

My other Blog : A Journey called Life
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Recipe,Egg,manipur,Egg Curry,Food Photography,Desi