TASTY TANDOORI

Tandoori dishes derive their name from the Tandoor oven that they are cooked in.Tandoor ovens are traditionally clay ovens fuelled by charcoal in the bottom. Today, in the Indian restaurant, they are a little more high-tech, and can be fuelled by charcoal, gas or electricity. It is probably the heat generated in the Tandoor that give Tandoori dishes their unique taste, rather than the particular fuel used to fire them. Meat, kebabs and breads are cooked in the Tandoor.

Chicken Tandoori

Servings

4-5

Ingredients

4 Chicken Drumsticks

4 Chicken Thighs

1 Diced onion

2 tbsp Crushed Ginger

5 cloves Crushed Garlic

2/3 cup Plain Curd

1/4 cup Lemon Juice

1/2 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Chili Powder

1 tsp Cumin Powder

1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Ground Cloves

2 tsp Salt

1 tbsp Oil

1/4 tsp Garam Masala

1/4 tsp Coriander

1/4 tsp Corn Starch

Preparation

• Remove skin from chicken parts. Make deep slashes in the meat with a sharp knife.
• Mix all of the ingredients together to form a marinade. Blend it thoroughly and then pour into a leak-proof plastic bag.
• Add the chicken pieces, squeeze air from the bag, and seal. Knead the bag to rub the marinade into the slashes. Place on a plate and refrigerate for 12 - 24 hours, turns the bag occasionally.
• To cook, lift the pieces from the mariande and wipe off the excess
• Grill/broil with a hot flame for about 5 minutes per side to seal in juices, then continue to cook over a lower flame until the meat is cooked through
• Garnish with side of lettuce, sliced onion rings and lemon.

BEGUN BHAJA RECIPE ( Something for the veggies)

Ingredients:

Mustard oil to fry
1 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
1 big size brinjals (Eggplant)

How to make begun bhaja :

• Wash and cut the brinjals (Eggplant) into half inch round slices.
• Apply salt and turmeric powder.
• Heat up the oil in a pot to smoking point.
• Take off heat, cool slightly and then reheat.
• Fry the brinjal pieces till crunchy and brown.
• Serve hot.

Dish of the day: BENGALI FISH CURRY

Today's dish is from the land of tigers and philosophers- West Bengal.

Food is a very important aspect of the Bengalis. Fish, sweets and other foods are discussed and debated about passionately as Leftist ideologies and Tagore. The cooks and the ladies spend a lot of time planning out the menus and preparing them.

Ingredients:

2 tblsp lemon juice
2 tbsps mustard oil for frying
salt to taste
8 fish fillets
1 tblsp red chilli powder
4 red chillies whole
1 tsp mustard paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
4 green chillies slit
2 tblsp coriander powder
1 tblsp garlic paste
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 bay leaf
2 cup onions chopped
1 tblsp ginger paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp onion seeds (kalonji)

Preparation

• Clean and cut fish fillet, wash well, remove excess water and then marinate with limejuice, turmeric powder and salt.
• Keep aside for 30 minutes.
• Heat up a pan, mix in 1 tblsp oil, shallow fry marinated fish from both sides until slightly browned.
• Take off and keep aside.
• Heat up remaining oil, mix in mustard seeds, kalonji, whole dry red chillies and bay leaf, stir fry for a few minutes till seeds crackles, mix in ginger, garlic paste and stir fry again for a moment.
• Mix in cut onion and stir fry until slightly brown in colour.
• Mix in mustard paste, red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder, stir fry masala nicely until oil starts separating.
• Adjust water and salt, bring to boil and then mix in shallow fried fish, put green chilli slits on top.
• Stir fry on a slow flame until fish get cooked and oil starts floating on top of gravy.
• Take off and decorate with cut green coriander leaves.