Peshawar Style Chicken Curry

Today is one of those Sundays that hasn't been particularly fantastic. Or relaxing. Or interesting. Or worthwhile. Apart from some great news that came in the morning - my nephew and his wife welcomed their first baby into the world today (which now officially makes me a grandma), nothing much happened. So I won't bore you with mundane stories of how my day rolled by. I greatly believe in jinxes - this recipe may well be shelved if I don't post it right away. Not only has it been sitting in my drafts for ages, the editing of the second picture has happened 5 times over a period of 1 week and each time my work didn't get saved for some reason or the other. So before I ruin it one more time - here's today's recipe.

I have never been to Peshawar nor have I tasted this dish anywhere, so I cannot vouch for its authenticity. 

A simple and yummy curry to accompany your rotis - I am sure you will enjoy it as it is pretty simple to make. Found the recipe on a little book with easy Indian recipes - unfortunately I can't recollect the name of the book. The original recipe calls for mutton, I simply tried my luck with chicken and it was great. I'll provide the credits asap. Till then, go make it & tell me how you liked it!

Peshawar Style Chicken Curry
(Printable Recipe)
Prep time: 15mins | Cook time: 25 mins | Servings 4

You Need

• 1 kg chicken
• 4 cardamom pods bruised
• 4 cloves
• 1" stick of cassia bark or cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ginger paste
• 2 teaspoons garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree *see notes
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder (adjust to taste) * see notes
• 1/2 cup thick curds (yogurt)
• 2 teaspoons gram flour /chickpea flour (besan) (substitute with cornflour/cornstarch)
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves chopped
• 3 tablespoons ghee or oil
• salt to taste

Method
1. Cut the chicken into medium sized pieces, wash and allow to drain on a colander.
2. Heat the ghee or oil in a large heavy based or wide non stick pan and toss in the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaves and let them sizzle over a low heat. Add in the chicken and let it fry for about 2-3 minutes or until both the sides are lightly browned. Take care to see that the pieces don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
3. Add the chopped onions, ginger & garlic paste, salt to taste, mix well and allow to cook on a medium flame for about 5-6 minutes. Add the tomato puree, turmeric, coriander & cumin powders and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
4. In a small bowl whisk together the curds, chilli powder and gram flour into a lump free smooth mixture and add this to the chicken. Add the water, cover the pan and simmer for about 10-12 minutes, stirring in between. Check salt and adjust if required and cook till the chicken is done.
5. Garnish with chopped mint & coriander leaves (add this to the chicken half a minute before you remove it from the fire). Serve hot with rice or chapathis or any Indian bread.

Notes:
1. If you are using very sour curds, skip the tomato puree. You may use store bought tomato puree which is thicker than fresh homemade puree.
2. For a less spicy curry you may use 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder - if you are using the spicy variety, otherwise 1 teaspoon of kashmiri chilli powder is good to go.

Easy Cheesy Macaroni ~ Kiddie Meal - Treats for Tiny Tots

They say that being a parent is ridden with challenges. I guess the worst challenge in that case is to feed a fussy child. I cannot even begin to describe how painful mealtimes are at my place. My son who ate just about anything till he cut his 3rd birthday cake has now transformed himself into someone who can raise anyone's blood pressure. The term 'picky eater' in reality has a million different meanings. From eating like a bird (picking (not eating) just 4 grains per hour) to complete refusal to eat - I have dealt with a child who displays a range of excuses of how not to eat & drive mommy crazy!

My mum says that feeding me when I was his age was hardly an issue. It was a piece of cake (I wonder if she fed me just that - haha!). But then I tell her that God stopped making people like me long ago! Jokes apart, my son's pediatrician says that today's kids are not without a mind of their own. They want to eat what they want to eat! I was asked not to force him to eat what I cooked especially when he was ill and asked me to prepare whatever he liked the best. Woe is me! I have been reduced to doing just that - every single day! Ill or not, I find myself making what I think he will finish in less than an hour and I don't have to suffer through the trauma of coaxing, cajoling & yelling during mealtime. 

My aunt assured me that by the time my son turns 7 he would be a changed boy. She better be right! Or else!! 

Sigh! Anyways, here's one of those recipes which saves my sanity when I want to bang my head against the wall. Thanks to my friend Veda for brainstorming the idea/ingredients with me. Hope this recipe helps all you moms out there who are in the same boat as I am.

About the dish

Pasta with white sauce is preferred by most kids. Make it in a jiffy and watch your lil one devour it in one go (hopefully!). The goodness of cheese makes for a filling, nutritious & lip smacking meal

Easy Cheesy Macaroni
(Printable Recipe)
Prep time: 8-10 mins | Cook time: 5 mins | Serves 1

You Need:

• 1/2 cup dried macaroni (or any pasta of your choice)
• 1/2 a small onion finely chopped
• 1 big clove of garlic finely chopped or grated
• 2-3 tablespoons of pre boiled, shredded chicken or 4-5 mushrooms quartered
• 1/3 cup warm milk
• 1 teaspoon all purpose flour (maida)
• 1/8th cup (or 2 triangles) cheddar cheese (I used Kraft cheese) (use as much as you wish)
• freshly ground pepper to taste (1/4 teaspoon or just a sprinkling will do for kids aged 3 and above)
• 1/2 tablespoon butter or olive oil
• 2 slivers of sun dried tomatoes (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano or thyme (or any dried herbs)
• No salt required as the cheese has plenty of it!

Method
Boil 2-1/2 cups of water and add the macaroni to it. Add a pinch of salt and 2-3 drops of oil and cook for about 7 minutes or as per the instructions on the packet. The pasta should be al dente (90% cooked or else it will break). Strain & gently refresh with cold water and allow to drain. Add a couple of drops of oil so that the pasta doesn't stick to each other.

In a small bowl make a smooth lump free paste of the flour and warm milk.

Heat butter or oil in a non stick pan and fry the chopped onions till pale. Toss in the chopped garlic and fry for a couple of seconds. Add the shredded chicken & sun dried tomatoes and fry for half a minute. Add the grated cheese and stir until melted.

Add the flour and milk paste, reduce the flame and quickly stir to avoid lumps. Toss in the ground pepper, oregano and mix well. Do not overcook - the sauce should have a creamy consistency.
Add the pasta and mix gently. Serve immediately

Notes:
If you are making this for toddlers under 3 years, use onions, garlic & pepper as per the level of spice tolerance. Skip any one or all the aforesaid ingredients and replace with extra cheese.

Lime & Poppy Seed Muffins

For all my readers who love baking as much as I do, here's a lovely lovely recipe for you. 

Lime & poppy seeds are omnipresent in every Indian kitchen and I totally love baking with readily available ingredients. Usually when I am in the mood to bake I am always looking for instant gratification. I am talking about times when I just get this sudden urge to bake and I just want to leave whatever I am doing and find myself in the kitchen pulling out all my baking gadgets. 

During such times I prefer digging out recipes that either make no use of eggs (although I prefer eating cakes with eggs than without) and those that don't need butter - its not very easy finding unsalted butter in Bombay. It's almost always Amul salted butter that gets shoved in your face or a poor quality baking butter (actually margarine) that is offered by the grocery-wala. 

Anyway, this was one of my de-stressing activity that I indulged in recently and totally loved the outcome the next day - yes, I hid away a few for the sake of the photoshoot which usually never happens in the evenings. The flavour and aroma of these muffins had matured overnight and they tasted so wonderful. There is so much that lime can do to uplift your mood isn't it? It was my first time that I was using lime as the main flavour of a cake and I thoroughly enjoyed the subtle notes it lent to the muffin.

The zesty limes just about balance the sweetness of these muffins and the poppy seeds impart a great texture that makes you want bite after bite of this simple cake. The cupcakes may seem slightly hard on the surface but they will taste awesome anyways.

These muffins are so cheerful in terms of appearance & taste that you will want to bake them over & over again. They make perfect tea time accompaniments. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. If you can help it, hide some for the next day and notice how the taste has gone up a whole new level!

Lime & Poppy Seed Muffins
(Printable Recipe)
Prep time: 10 mins | Baking time: 25 mins | Makes 12-15 medium sized muffins

You Need

• 175 grams  (3/4th cup) sunflower oil (or any odourless vegetable oil)
• 225 grams (1-3/4th cup) plain flour (maida)
• 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar, powdered * see notes
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 150ml milk
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon lime zest (grated)
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds (khus khus)

Topping

• 2 teaspoons lime zest (grated rind)
• 1-2 teaspoons poppy seeds (preferably black coloured ones for a more dramatic look)

Method:
1. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C/375 degrees F.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt a couple of times into a mixing bowl. Add the caster sugar and stir.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, egg white, sunflower oil, milk, lime juice and grated lime rind (zest) and mix well. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and tip in the poppy seeds. Stir gently to incorporate. The mixture will be a little lumpy which is fine.
4. Spoon in the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Each cupcake liner should be filled 2/3rds full. Sprinkle the grated lime zest and poppy seeds to decorate and pop the pan into the preheated oven. Bake for 25 minutes or till the toothpick inserted comes out clean.
5. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool. Serve the muffins warm if desired. For best results, serve them after they have completely cooled down or after a few hours (or overnight) - the flavours would have set in beautifully.

Notes:
1. The recipe asked for 225 grams caster sugar, since I didn't have any, I measured 200 grams of regular granulated sugar (instead of 225 grams as I prefer cakes that are less sweet) and powdered it in the dry grinder.
2. You may use white or black poppy seeds - both are suitable, but the black one will add more beauty to the muffins.

Kaljiryaso Kasai (Herbal Kashayam / Decoction of Ironweed Seeds) ~ Mangalorea Post Natal Recipe # 1

Today's recipe is the first among the Mangalorean post natal recipe series and is probably the most unpleasant recipe on my blog. Unpleasant only in taste because it is a very bitter potion - a medicinal decoction (reduced tea) made with an unfamous herb. However the health benefits and goodness of nature is anything but unpleasant.

(Click to read introductory post!)

Kaljiryaso Kasai is a deadly black & bitter decoction. The first medicine that is served to the new mother after she arrives home from the hospital. It is usually drunk on an empty stomach, served early in the morning. The ritual consists of the decoction freshly brewed, cooled and served with a piece of palm jaggery (pele god / ole bella). The taste is so bitter that it can knock you off your senses if you let the brew linger in your mouth for too long. This is one reason why you are advised to gulp it in one go and quickly pop the jaggery into your mouth in order to negate the bitter taste. Not more than a quarter cup of this decoction is served on three consecutive days as it is believed to remove 'nanji' (a very versatile Mangalorean word that roughly sums up to 'allergy') and other post delivery related ailments that get nipped in the bud on consuming this medicine. 

While I totally detested this drink during my first delivery, this time around I was curious - so I did taste the brew a bit, made a face, drank some more and then when I felt that my brains would pop out I bit into the palm jaggery - thankfully at first and greedily after that (asking for seconds!)

Since neither my balnti posteli (live in ayah/nurse) nor my mum, MIL or close relatives knew the botanical name of Kaljire I had a tough job ahead of me. After hours (spread across days) of searching on the net I finally found a few pictures that told me that I was on the right path. Do note that Kalijiri is NOT to be confused with Kala-Jeera (black cumin which belongs to the cumin family)

Kaljire is also known as Kadu Jirigay in Kannada, Kattu Jirakam in Malayalam and Kali Jiri (KALI not KALA and JIRI not JEERA) in Hindi. In English it is known as Ironweed and looks a lot like cloves without the heads.
The botanical names and gyan is as below:

Some excerpts from the net:  

Centratherum anthelminticum (L.) KUNTZE (family: Asteraceae) is an erect, pubescent annual herb found widely in the Indian subcontinent which is locally known as “Somraj,” and its seeds are known as “Kalijiri” in Hindi [5, 6]; scientific synonyms for this plant include Vernonia anthelmintica and Conyza anthelmintica, among others. This plant is used extensively in Ayurveda for the treatment of cough and diarrhoea, as well as an anthelmintic, stomachic, diuretic, and anti phlegmatic agent. (Read more). Click here to see how the plant looks like

I also requested my very good friend Anjum who is a certified nutritionist freelancing in Mumbai to help provide the nutritional benefits of this herb and here's what she has to say. Thanks Anjum for all your help! 

Nutritional Benefits of Kalijiri/Iron Weed 

By Anjum Shaikh,  Nutritionist, Andheri W, Mumbai

It is used as diet therapy for a series of medical issues like diabetes, renal problems as well as in treatment of cancer in some cases. Its also used for medicinal property in Ayurveda, Unani , Homeopathy and Sidha.

It is spermicidal, antiviral and antibacterial and hence useful in treating skin infections. Its also been found effective in treating thread worm infections in hospitals.

There are researches being carried on its health benefits even in USA and other parts of the world and has been found to be good in healing purpose. However, little is known about the calorific value contained in it. But it does contain some oils that have a range of health benefits mentioned above.

Nutritional Content of Kalijiri decoction:

Since its only 1 tablespoon of kalijiri, which is boiled and strained, this decoction has 0 calories and 0 proteins. This decoction had antiseptic and healing properties and no calories.

About & Disclaimer: 

The above mentioned information about Ironweed/ Kalijiri has been found after a lot of research on the internet done out of personal interest - I am not a medical practitioner. Use of one's own judgement before purchasing & preparing this decoction is advised. The nutritional information provided is to be used only as a reference and is not medical advice and hence this ayurvedic preparation should not be used as a substitute to prescribed medication.

Important:

1. Purchase this ingredient only from renowned ayurvedic shops that have the license to sell medicinal herbs and ingredients. Ensure that packaging contains name of ingredients printed on it. When in doubt, do not purchase.
2. If you have any medical condition/are undergoing treatment avoid having it or consult your doctor prior to consuming it.

Kaljiryaso Kasai / Kalijiri (Ironweed) Decoction
Prep time: Nil | Brewing time: 10-12 mins | Serves 1

You Need

• 1 tablespoons of kaljeera / Ironweed
• 2 cups of water

Method
1. In a pan bring two cups of water to a boil. Coarsely powder or pound the iron weed and add it to the boiling water and simmer until the liquid reduces to approximately one cup.
2. Remove from flame. Cool and consume - preferably on an empty stomach (early morning). Munch on a piece of palm jaggery to help negate the bitter taste. 

Introduction ~ Mangalorean Post Natal Recipes (Balntiche Randhap)

Pregnancy & post natal care are treated with equal importance in our country. Especially because it involves two lives - that of the mother and the child. The health & well being of the mother is largely responsible for that of the newborn and hence special attention to diet & exercise is essential.

Every Indian community has its own practices to assist a new mother regain her health & vitality after the delivery. These practices include preparation of special health foods, herbal/medicinal concoctions and postpartum care to the mother & baby by way of oil massages followed by hot baths. Traditional Mangalorean customs are also similar whereby a mother is given the best postpartum care during the confinement period so that she regains her health and is back on her feet in no time.

The confinement period lasts for 40 days starting from the birth of the baby, so technically it is approximately 6 weeks of pampering and care. It is called the 'confinement period' because traditionally the new mother is confined to her home and is not allowed to leave the house until the 40 days are up. In the olden days these rules were rigid and a new mom would not dare to break them lest she face the wrath of the elders, especially the grand old ladies of the house and the 'balnti posteli', the ayah/live-in confinement nurse. The new mother ironically also liked being 'grounded' as it gave her respite from the rigorous and gruelling hours in the paddy fields or household chores. Some elderly women tell me that in those days the confinement period was secretly welcomed as if it was an all expense paid vacation!! One would get so pampered & fed well and was not expected to step out of her living quarters.



The term 'balnti posteli' literally means one who looks after the balanth (new mother). A caregiver.
Her tasks include massaging and bathing the mother & the newborn baby, washing the baby's clothes, preparing traditional homemade medicines which include the 'randho' (a kind of a thick 'lehya' or herbally infused jam made out of herbs, dry fruits, nuts and spices), 'thiklem'  also known as 'suko randho' (a dryish & more coarse version of the randho but with almost the same ingredients) and 'kasai' (herbal teas or reduced water, bitter potions) and other regular & special foods that were considered most safe & suitable for the well being of the new mother during her confinement.

A good & nutritious diet is provided to the mother to nurture her back to health as the whole process of delivery weakens the body and mind. This diet is also believed to aid good lactation in nursing mothers and in turn benefits the baby. Some medicines help purge a gassy tummy for the mother & child while the others help cleanse the internal system and help the mother regain her strength and vitality quickly.

Today not everyone hires this caregiver as close family members (usually the mother or the mother in law) of the mother-to-be usually help out by arriving with bag & baggage a few months in advance or just in time of the birth so that they can help nurture the new mother, cook for the rest of the family & attend to the household chores. But in my case I hired the 'balnti posteli' although the charges were quite high. I was also lucky to find good ones both the times - those who spent time & effort to ensure that I was comfortable & doing well.

For those of you who are new here, I recently delivered a baby girl, my second child. I must say that it has been an exhilarating experience - going through the whole experience all over again is exciting and overwhelming at the same time. But this time around I decided to make the most of my experience. I collected almost all the recipes of foods that were prepared in my honour. Haha!

Having been there, done that I knew what to expect this time around and decided to record all of my food and non food related experiences on the blog so that it helps those young women who are on the threshold of motherhood for the first time. However do note that some recipes require time & effort. They are tedious, like the randho which takes upto 8 hours to prepare from start to finish and hence I was not able to see how it was prepared. I have however made the effort to plate, present & click pictures of these dishes despite the fact that I was unable to actually make them (as a rule I don't post recipes that my husband or I have not personally tried in our kitchen). I realised that it was the least I could do to ensure that they get recorded on my blog.

So do stay tuned for the recipes that I will post as frequently as possible. I hope they help all those who are keen to prepare the post natal dishes at home.

P.S: 

For those of you looking for the recipe of the above pictured 'Randho' - I am sorry to disappoint you. It is the only recipe that my 'balnti posteli' refused to part with.

"If I give you the recipe and you make it at home, who will hire me?"  She exclaimed! Well she did have a point, especially because women like her - from the weaker strata of the society and/or school dropouts are now practicing this skill to support their families. Publishing such prized recipes may render them jobless.

If you still wish to eat this preparation or have it made there are several women in Mangalore with whom you can place an order and purchase it by the kilo. It will save you the hard work & time of hunting for the herbs (at ayurvedic shops) and going through the tedious method.