AIR FRYER - CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA SKEWERS

This is one of those impromptu and super duper easy recipe that I decided to make on the spur of the moment. 😊

My family has been eating dinner together nowadays ..... At least most of the times 💁🏻‍♀️ 

So, I try to make dinner time itty-bitty more special😍 

On this particular day, I had marinated some chicken and was going

EASY MUTTON BIRYANI

  

I am a total novice when it comes to making any type of biryani... It's one of those dishes that I did not even attempt to cook. And I didn't need to, specially with the multitude of restaurants all around me😋  

It took me some time to overcome this fear of cooking biryani. I tried it some weeks back, but was not satisfied with the result. The rice was a bit overcooked and the spice level was not up to my satisfaction. No harm,no foul... 

Learning from these mistakes, I reattempted cooking biryani once again this afternoon.

CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN LEGS

CRISPY CHICKEN LEGS

Crispy Fried Chicken legs in under 30 minutes!

Have you ever experienced getting a request just 30 minutes before dinner time for fried chicken legs! It's difficult, but doable.. So, one busy Thursday evening, when hunger pangs strike and your taste buds call out for Crispy Fried Chicken Legs.... Follow this easy-peasy quick fix...

PARSI TEA TIME SPECIAL - DAR NI PORI

Dar Ni Pori is a traditional Parsi tea time snack made with sweet lentils and dry fruits and nuts filling.
It is typically made with Tur Dal (split pigeon peas)

The filling is made in the morning and the pori is baked/cooked on the tawa just before tea time.

MINCE MACARONI STEW

This is a recipe which was frequently made by my mom when I was a kid. 

Yummy mince cooked to perfection with soft succulent macaroni. Real nostalgic memories! 

This is a good comfort food recipe which is a no-fuss, down to earth, simple meal by itself.

PARSI BERRY PULAO

PARSI BERRY PULAO

Few of my friends went to Sodabottleopenerwala and relished the Parsi cuisine there! While talking to me, their demand arose for home cooked versions of the restaurant dishes!

So, on a recent potluck lunch, I made Parsi Berry Pulao and teamed it with some parsi ‘ kachumber’ on the side.

Mumbaikars who’ve been to Britannia Cafe at Ballard Estate can’t forget this…It’s the one and only Berry Pulao that has no match elsewhere. I love Parsi cuisine because of two things, the lavish use of dry fruits and the dishes are just mildly spicy.

Parsi Berry Pulao was an instant hit in a family and also in my friends circle ! I have made the vegetarian version today, but you team it with chicken or mutton as well.  

SPICY LADYFINGER FRY ~ OKRA FRY

You either love Ladyfinger or you hate it. Your affection or lack thereof can be decided on how it was prepared. If you were unfortunate enough to try a slimy version, you probably don’t like Ladyfinger very much unless you like slimy things.

But if you had the good fortune of trying Ladyfinger in its crispy charred glory or a fast flavorful spicy fry like the one I am about to share today, you will love it !

PARSI DHANSAK DAL (VEGETARIAN AND MUTTON DHANSAK)

Dhansak is of Parsi origin and is a healthy sweet, sour and hot stew. The name comes from dhan meaning grain and sak, a Gujarati word for stewed vegetables.

Dhansak has elements of Persian and Indian cuisine. The sweetness is obtained from some kind of pumpkin, gourd or squash, and tomatoes. The sourness can come from lime, lemon or tamarind. Traditionally this would be quite a hot dish but I prefer this one about medium.  It’s a flavorful, healthy and delicious curry contributed by the Parsi community.

PARSI DHANSAK DAL

*PARSI MUTTON DHANSAK DAL

There are hundreds of recipes for Dhansak and they are all different, every time I make it I do it slightly differently.  It has quite a list of ingredients and does take a little while to make - it is a traditional Sunday dish in many Parsi homes - but it is totally worth it !

This is the vegetarian version of the Dhansak recipe. I have included the non-vegetarian (MUTTON) recipe as well.  (**The recipe for the Dhansak Masala is given below.**)

**Lamb or mutton is the traditional meat for Dhansak and other meat is rarely used, but this dish is nothing if not versatile and you can use chicken or even no meat to make a vegetarian dish.**

PARSI KHICHRI-SAUCE NI MACHCHI (FISH)

It is said that the best food is simple and tasty …. Khichri - Sauce ni Machchi is one such dish which will tickle your taste buds and leave you asking for more …. definitely a must try in your home soon!

This delightful dish is often served at Parsi weddings and special events, the Khichri -  Sauce ni Machchi is also a popular home-cooked meal, generally accompanied by Basmati rice Khichri  (recipe for Parsi Khichri is give below) However, the Fish Sauce is just as amazing served with plain steamed Basmati rice or pav (bread)

MINCED MEAT POTATO CHOPS

Minced Meat Potato Chops are generally made during Christmas or any family functions at home. I recall, as a kid , making these potato chops used to be a family get-together time since my sister and I used to assist my mum is preparing these potato chops.  This time around, my 5 year old son helped me to the best of his limited capabilities ! 

This is basically cooked minced meat encased in a pocket of spiced mashed potatoes. 

It’s crispy from outside and soft, fluffy from within.  Its an absolute melt-in-the-mouth delicious !

MINCED MEAT POTATO CHOPS

PAN FRIED MACKERELS

Mackerel is one such fish that is super easy to cook, extremely tasty and very healthy! For adults and children alike !

GUMBO WITH PRAWNS AND OKRA

Gumbo is a time-honored stew from Southern Louisiana. It borrows from several culinary traditions notably Native American, West African and French. To build the gumbo’s hearty texture, you’ll add okra, another hallmark of Southern cooking. Traditionally, the dish is made for social gatherings and family meals.

It’s literally a one pot dish that can be quickly whipped up and enjoyed by the whole family!

'PANEER AKURI' - PARSI STYLE SPICY COTTAGE CHEESE

AKURI is a delicious Parsi style spicy scrambled eggs, which gets its distinctive flavor from the spices used. Akuri is cooked till almost runny and enjoyed with bread slices. 

PANEER AKURI

KALEJI MASALA ~~ LIVER MASALA FRY

I will be honest with you. As a kid and all through my growing years, I did not like this dish at all ! I remember my mom trying her level best to persuade me to have ‘Kaleji~~liver’ since it is very high in proteins and iron! But somehow my taste buds just did not co-operate with me on this!

The change-over happened much much later – 3 years ago—to be precise ! It was when we had gone to a friends’ place for dinner and my friend served Liver Fry as a starter. She failed to mention it was liver! I, thinking it is just some ‘meat’ fry, took a bite of it, realized it was liver because of the texture, and surprisingly , LIKED IT!  It was soooo well-cooked that it totally transformed my distaste for liver!

Now, I make Liver fry as well as Liver masala … (albeit not too often since Liver is quite high in cholesterol!  And seriously, who wants more of that in one’s system!)

This is the recipe for Liver Masala that I cooked today.

KALEJI MASALA ~~ LIVER MASALA FRY

‘DHAN-DAR‘ ~~ PARSI STYLE SPLIT YELLOW PIGEON PEAS ~~ TUVAR DAL

This is a traditional Parsi Dish cooked on special occasions like Birthdays and Sunday afternoons.

The word ‘dhan’ translates to ‘rice’ and ‘dar’ means ‘dal’.

‘CHANA NI DAR’ ~ PARSI STYLE SPLIT BENGAL GRAM

Chana dal is baby chickpeas that has been split and polished. It looks and tastes like small kernels of sweet corn, and is one of the most popular ingredients in Indian cuisine.

Chana dal is delicious, nutritious and easily digested.

‘CHANA NI DAR'

'KHICHRI-RAWAIUU' - PARSI STYLE STUFFED BABY AUBERGINES

KHICHRI-RAWAIUU, simply put is stuffed baby aubergines served with a side of Parsi style rice & lentil dish. It is a common man’s food, one which you will not find in a Parsi restaurant or any Parsi occasion. Neither is it a Sunday special dish.

It is just a simple dish which my mom used to cook just about any time of the week. (Specially on my request mostly)  

KHICHRI-RAWAIUU - PARSI STYLE STUFFED BABY AUBERGINES

PARSI STYLE 'BHEEDA PAR EEDU' - EGGS ON OKRA

My 5 year old son calls it LADYFINGER PIZZA!!  

This is a very popular dish in Parsi Cuisine. Parsis love anything and everything with eggs !

High in proteins and teamed with veggies makes this a very healthy and power packed meal for children and adults!

BHEEDA PAR EEDU

‘MASOOR NI DAAR’ ~~ PARSI STYLE BLACK LENTIL GRAVY (WHOLE MASOOR DAL)

Am sure every family has one such dish that has some very fond memories attached to it! My earliest childhood memories revolve around our dad telling us humorous snippets (almost repeatedly every time mom would cook this dish ) about the escapades few of my family members had with masoor …  

So, yes, ‘MASOOR NI DAAR’ is THAT special dish for my family ! 

PARSI STYLE BLACK LENTIL GRAVY

PAPETA-PAR-EEDU (EGGS ON POTATOES)

Today I made a traditional Parsi dish called ‘Papeta-par-eedu’, which can be whipped up in a jiffy..! (Cooking time ~ 20 minutes)
Say it with me now :: **puh-pay-taa pur ee-doo** ……… :) 

In English, eggs on potatoes….. Sounds boring… tastes amazing …. TRUST ME !!

PAPETA-PAR-EEDU (EGGS ON POTATOES)