Chicken in Red Wine Sauce (Coq Au Vin)

SERVES : 4
PREPARATION TIME : 12 Hours
COOKING TIME : 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS:
12 Chicken Quarter Legs (medium size with skin)
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Crushed Black Pepper Corns
2 Cups Dry Red Wine
2 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
3 Garlic Cloves (minced)
1 Cup Onions (sliced)
1/2 Cup Celery Sticks (sliced)
1/2 Cup Carrots (sliced)
8 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
4 Bay Leaves
1 tsp Whole Black Pepper Corns
2 Cups Chicken Stocks
2 tsp Unsalted Butter
12 Yukon Gold Creamer Potatoes
12 Pearl Onions
4 Button Mushrooms
1 tsp Chopped Parsley
Salt to taste

PREPARATIONS:
Take a chicken quarter leg, remove skin and debone the leg (care should be taken so that while deboning, the thigh and the leg remain intact and do not cut it through). Debone all the legs same way. Now marinade them with salt, crushed black pepper corns, 1 Tbsp olive oil and the red wine. Roll all the legs into cylindrical shape. Cover and refrigerate them over night.

Remove the chicken from refrigerator and take out the chicken pieces from the marinade. Roll them in the seasoned flour (flour mixed with salt) one by one. Keep aside the marinade.

Peel, wash and keep the potatoes in a bowl of water. Peel, wash the pearl onions. Turn the mushrooms (optional) and keep in a bowl of water.

COOKING:
Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place dusted chicken legs in the skillet and cook for three minutes on each side. Remove from the skillet.

On the same skillet saute chopped garlic, add onions and saute till light brown. Now add carrots, thyme, whole black pepper corns and bay leaves. Saute for another five to seven minutes. Add chicken stock and the remaining marinade. Cook for ten minutes on low medium heat.

Now slide the sauteed chicken legs into the skillet, cover and cook for approximate eight to ten minutes. When chicken is being cooked, boil the peeled potatoes into salted water and keep aside.

Remove the cooked chicken legs, add unsalted butter to the liquid and stir till all the butter is melted an incorporated. Cook the sauce for one more minute. Strain the red wine sauce in a bowl.

Just before serving heat a small skillet, pour half of the red wine sauce. Add the onions, mushrooms  and cook for a minute. Add the chicken pieces and potatoes. Stir for another minutes. Serve hot topped with red wine sauce and garnish with chopped parsley.

Chicken Kabab Dal

Chicken Kabab Dal

Serves: 4
Ingredients:
3 oz Masoor Dal
3 oz Toor Dal
3 oz Eggplant (cubed)
3 oz Red Pumpkins (cubed)
6 oz Tomatoes
3 oz Onions
2 tsp Ginger
2 tsp Chopped Garlic
1 tsp Turmeric
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Black Pepper Corns
40 ml Tamarind Pulp
1 tsp Kasoori Methi (dry methi leaves)
1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin Seeds
3 Whole Red Chillies
1/2 tsp Cloves
1/2 tsp Black Cardamom Seeds
1 oz Coriander Seeds
10 ml Cooking Oil

For the Kababs:
1/2 lb Minced Chicken (preferably white meat)
1 tsp Saunf Powder
2 oz Finely Chopped Onions
1 oz Ginger- Garlic Paste
2 Chopped Green Chillies
2 tsp Cilantro (Chopped)
A few Mint Leaves
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Egg ( white only)
Salt to taste

Method:

For the Kababs:
Combine chicken mince, onions, saunf powder, green chillies, coriander, mint, egg and mix well. Divide into 16 equal portions and roll into a 2" long Kababs between your palms.

Bake for 7 - 8 minutes at 350F in a preheated oven. Remove and keep aside.

For the gravy:
Wash the dals together a few times and soak for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a saucepan. Add onions, ginger, garlic, whole red chillies and saute over medium heat for 3 or 4 minutes till the onions change color.Add the dals, vegetables, tomatoes, turmeric, salt and black peppercorns. Stir to combine and add one liter water.

Cover and cook till the lentils and vegetables turn soft. Keep aside to cool.
Put the mixture in a blender and make a smooth puree. Return the pureed lentils to fire and add tamarind pulp, roasted cumin, kasoori methi and kababs. At this point you may add some water if needed. Bring to boil. Add the Kababs now and simmer briefly.

Serve hot garnished with chopped cilantro or any micro greens of your choice.

Cheese Corn Balls

Cheese Corn Balls

Serves: 4
Time required: 45 minutes

Ingredients for the cheese corn balls:
5 oz Boiled Sweet Corn Kernels
7 oz Gruyere Cheese, grated
6 oz Potatoes, boiled and mashed
3 oz Green Bell Peppers cut into very small pieces
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp White Pepper Powder
1/2 tsp Cornstarch
1 tsp All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Oregano
4 Tbsp Japanese Panko Breadcrumbs
Oil for deep frying

Ingredients for the batter:
4 tsp All purpose flour
1 tsp Cornstarch
Salt to taste
water as required

To prepare the corn cheese balls:
In a bowl, combine the cheese, potato and chopped bell peppers. Add the sweet corn kernels to the mixture. Add salt, white pepper, oregano, cornstarch and the all purpose flour. Mix thoroughly. Divide and shape the mixture into small sized balls. Set aside.

To prepare the batter:
Mix all purpose flour and cornstarch with sufficient water to make a batter of thick consistency.

To make the corn cheese balls:
Dip the corn cheese balls in the batter and roll them in the breadcrumbs. Keep them in the refrigerator for about ten minutes. Heat the oil in a deep pan and fry the corn cheese balls.
Serve hot with green chutney or any kind of sauce of your choice.

MALPUA

MALPUA


Ingredients:
Milk - 500 ml
Khoya / Mawa (grated) - 2 oz
Semolina - 2oz
All purpose flour- 3 oz
Saunf - 0.2 oz
Desi ghee (clarified butter) to deep fry - 1 lb
For Sugar Syrup
Sugar - 1 lb
Saffron - a few strands
Water - 650 ml
For Garnish
Pistachio Nuts (chopped)- 1/2 oz

Method:

1. Boil milk to reduce to coating consistency (reduce by half). Cool it to room temperature.

2. Now add grated khoya, semolina, shifted flour and saunf to make a smooth batter of medium thickness. Keep aside for 30 minutes.

3. Put sugar and water in a sauce pan and bring to boil. Now simmer till it forms one string sugar syrup.

4. Dissolve saffron in 2 table spoon of hot milk and add to the sugar syrup.

5. Heat ghee in a shallow flat bottomed non stick fry pan. Now pour a small ladleful of batter to form a small pancake. Fry on low to medium heat.

6. Turn it over when it starts to change color slightly. Fry till the pancakes are light golden brown on both the sides. Transfer the pancakes into the sugar syrup.

7. While serving remove the pancakes from sugar syrup and serve hot garnished with pistachio nuts.