Making life easier for the host

The weddings may be over but the long list of post-wedding luncheons and dinners have just begun. The following are some recipes that can be tried out to treat the newly-weds.  Chicken is suggested to ease the gustatory suffering  of the poor souls and a dessert, to wind up the whole proceedings on a sweet note. Try them out.

Chicken handi

Chicken handi is a popular dish in India and Pakistan. Although traditionally cooked in clay pots, it can be prepared in any other pan with a lid. The spices and ingredients in chicken are used in a different way and that is why they imbibes a unique flavour to chicken.

The cream and coconut, which are specifically added, are tto create a sweet aroma hardly ever found in other chicken recipes.

Ingredients

1 kg boneless chicken, cut into small cubes

2 medium size onions, finely chopped

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

4 tomatoes make a paste in blender without adding water

1 tbsp cumin powder

½ cup yoghurt

3 tbsp fresh cream

1 tbsp desiccated coconut

3-4 green chillies, chopped

2 tsp red chilli powder

1tsp turmeric powder

A handful of fresh coriander leaves

½ cup oil

Salt to taste

Method

Heat oil in a pan and fry chicken cubes until it changes the colour on high flame; do not over fry otherwise the chicken will get dry. Remove chicken from oil and keep aside. In the same oil add onion and fry until light golden. Add ginger-garlic paste, cumin powder and fry for 1 minute. Now add tomato paste, salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder, cook till everything is well combined for 3 minutes. Add yoghurt and stir until the oil starts appearing on top. Add desiccated coconut, chicken, green chillies and cream in the gravy; cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.

Chicken chaap

Chicken chaap - a unique classic combination of juicy and moist chicken pieces and a rich and thick gravy. It is best accompanied by pulao, naan, paratha or even biryani.

Ingredients

6 whole legs of chicken

3 large onions ground to a paste a little water

3 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

2 grated tomatoes

1 tbsp poppy seeds paste

1 cup hung yoghurt

¼ cup milk

1 tbsp red chilli powder

2 Thai green chilli

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp kewra essence

1 tsp rose water

1 cup oil

2 tbsp ghee

½ tsp caraway seeds

2 bay leaves, 4 clove

3-4 cardamom

Method

To prepare the chicken chaap, first marinate the chicken with half of the ginger-garlic paste, yoghurt and salt for 2 hours. Heat oil and ghee in a pan, add bay leaves, caraway seeds, clove and cardamom to it. When they splutter, add onion paste and fry till it becomes golden brown.

Now add rest of the ginger-garlic paste and chopped tomatoes, cook well. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and salt, mix spices for a few minutes. Now add marinated chicken and fry for 5 minutes on low heat. Close the lid of the pan and steam for 10-15 minutes till the chicken becomes tender. Do not add water. Open the lid and add kewra and rose-water, mix thoroughly. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes more. Chicken chaap is ready to serve.

Khirer chop

This is one of the most popular sweetmeats from Bengal. Kheer stuffed 'chop', lightly tossed in sugar syrup is a wonderful way to make any occasion special. Its outer layer is crisp which provides a perfect contrast to the soft stuffing on the inside; flour, semolina, nutmeg, milk, sugar and mawa into a 'mishti' that is truly out of this world. A delectable flavour with every bite, the 'khirer chop' is undoubtedly one you and your guests will relish.

Ingredients

2½ litre milk

4 tsp semolina

¼ cup mawa

1 pinch nutmeg powder

2 cup flour, 2 tbsp ghee

2 cup sugar

2 cup water

Oil for deep frying

Dry fruits for garnish

Method

Boil the milk in a pan. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoon of semolina into it. Cook until the milk thickens and reduced to half. Add remaining semolina and keep stirring. Let the kheer thicken. Finally add mawa and nutmeg powder. Mix well and remove from heat. Allow it to cool down. For making syrup, boil water in a pan and add sugar to it. Continuously stir till it thickens. Remove from the heat. Now make dough with flour, 2 tablespoon of ghee and water. Knead well. Divide it into equal portions. Keep aside for 10 minutes.

Take a portion and put some 'kheer' into it. Gently seal the mouth. Press the dough ball lightly with your hand and give it a circular shape. Now heat oil in a deep pan. Deep fry until the chops turn golden brown. Put the fried chops into the sugar syrup. Sprinkle some chopped dry fruits over it and serve.

Photo: Collected