Paneer Butter Masala

Paneer - 250 gram pack
Oil
Salt (to taste)

Cinnamon stick - 1
Bay leaves 2-3
Cumin seeds - One tea spoon

Onions - 2-3  large chopped
Cashew nuts - 10 - 12

Tomato - 2 large
Ginger garlic paste - 2 table spoon

Red chilly powder - 1 tea spoon
Cumin powder - 2 tea spoon
Coriander powder - 2 tea spoon
Gram masala powder - 1 tea spoon

Double cream - 2-3 table spoon
Coriander leaves (to garnish)

Recipe

1. Cut Paneer in cubes, and put in hot water with 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder for few minutes, then take the paneer out of the water
   
   
2. Heat oil in a pot
3. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, fry for 30 seconds
4. Add chopped onions and fry them until light brown
5. Take onions out avoid taking spices out leave them in oil
6. Grind onions and 10-12 cashew nuts in a grinder
   
   
7. In the remaining oil add two chopped tomato and ginger garlic paste and salt
8. Once tomatoes starts softening and oil is separated, add cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilly powder and any meat masala, mix well
9. Add grinded onion in pot and mix well then add paneer (or fried chicken) and mix well again 
10. Add water and put on low flame till paneer (or chicken) is done
11. Add double cream and cook for another 5-10 min till oil comes on top
12. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves

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Mediterranean Chicken Casserole in Oven

It's a simple dish, but has got loads of flavour and straight forward to cook. There is something in the casserole for everyone. Mediterranean flavour add wonders, the apricot, the olives, Ras-el-hanout, Greek yogurt, its packed with oomph.

Chicken Casserole in Oven

Ingredients

Chicken - 1 medium or 8 leg pcs

Lemon - 1

Olive Oil 

Ginger paste - 1 teaspoon

Onion - 2 medium

Greek Yoghurt - 1 cup

Olive -5-7 pitted

Garlic Cloves - 5

Potatoes (small) -4

Cherry Tomato - 5

Dried Apricot - 5

Almonds - 7-8

Cinnamon stick - 1

Ras-el-Hanout - 3 teaspoon

Paprika - 1 teaspoon
Salt (to taste)

Chicken Casserole in Oven

Recipe

1. Marinate chicken in lemon juice for 5-7 hours
2. Microwave dried apricot in half a cup of water
3. Fry chicken in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, with whole spices and ginger garlic paste
4. Rub olive oil on sides of the oven dish
5. Add chicken to the oven dish
6. Fry onion in oil, add to chicken
7. Add greek yoghurt,  garlic cloves, potatoes, cherry tomato, apricot, almond, cinnamon stick, ras el hanout, paprika and salt
8. Cover with silver foil and bake for an hour
9. Remove from oven, check if cooked else oven for another 15 minutes
10. Remove the silver foil and grill for 5-7 minutes to get the crispy look

Butterscotch Cake

Ingredients

Cake
Light Brown Sugar - 2 Cups (about 240 gram)
Butter - 200g
Vanilla - 1 teaspoon
Eggs (medium size) - 2 
Plain Flour - 2 Cups (about 300 gram)
Baking Powder - 1 teaspoon
Baking Soda - 1 teaspoon
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
Buttermilk - 1 Cup (to make buttercream - add 1 spoon white vinegar to warm milk and leave for 5 minutes to let it curdle)

Caramel Icing
Light Brown Sugar - 1 and 1/2 cups (about 220 gram)
Plain Flour - 1 tablespoon
Salted butter - 60 gram (divide in 2 parts)
Milk - 1/4 Cup
Vanilla - 1 teaspoon


Frosting
Unsalted butter - 300 gram
Dark brown sugar - 2 cups (about 270 gram)
Heavy cream - 1 cup
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
Cream cheese - 300 gram
Icing sugar - 2 cups (about 200 gram)

Garnish
Pecans (crushed) - 2 cups

Butterscotch Cake

Recipe

Cake Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 180c. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake tins.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer on medium until fluffy.
3. Add vanilla, then add eggs one at a time, beating on low just until they are mixed in.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
5. Add the flour and the buttermilk (alternating one then the other)  into the sugar/egg mixture on low speed.
6. Pour batter into the two 9 inch cake tins and bake for 25-30 minutes.
7. Cool before frosting.

Caramel Icing Recipe

1. In a small saucepan, mix together all ingredients and the extra 30g of butter. Heat over medium and bring to a boil. Stirring frequently to prevent burning, let the mixture boil for a good one minute.
2. Take off the fire and add in the 30g butter. Cool the mixture, occasionally giving it a vigorous stir, until it is still warm (but not HOT) and has thickened enough to spread. 
3. Spread it over the cake, moving fairly quickly because it will set as it cools. It will be a thin coating, not a thick layer. 
4. Let it set completely before frosting.

Frosting Recipe

1. Beat the butter, brown sugar until creamy.
2. Add the cream cheese, powder sugar, salt and beat until thickened.
3. Add heavy cream, and whip it in a mixer.
4. Spread all over the cake and pipe the rest.
5. Press chopped pecans on sides, and garnish the top with halves.

Butterscotch Cake

Chicken tikka masala

Chicken tikka masala stimulates the senses; the mildly spiced masala coating tender pieces of marinated, char-grilled chicken is one of Britain’s favourite takeaways.

Although it is claimed the dish was created in Glasgow, it certainly has Indian influences.There is no standard recipe for chicken tikka masala; a survey found that of 48 different recipes, the only common ingredient was chicken. I found Madhur Jaffrey’s Curry Nation to be the most interesting for my taste buds. Her recipe of marinating chicken in whipping cream, ends up flawlessly moist, and it is all because of her grilling technique. No one can beat Jaffrey’s DIY answer to the fiery tandoor, it gives the chicken an intense charcoal flavour.  I went through few of the recipe's before deciding on what I want to do. 

Chicken Tikka Masala

The Marinade

Ingredients

500 g boneless, skinless chicken, thighs or breasts, cut into 2.5 cm chunks

The marinade:

Lemon juice - 3 table spoons
Salt - ½ teaspoon

Ginger - 1 table spoon (peeled and finely grated)
Garlic cloves - 2 (finely grated)

Ground cumin - 1 teaspoon
Paprika - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric - 2 teaspoon
Garam masala - ½ teaspoon
Dried red chillies - 2 (crushed)
Cardamom pods - 10

Whipping cream - 6 table spoons
Sunflower oil - 3 table spoons

Recipe

1. Rub in ½tsp salt and lemon juice to the chicken. Leave for 20min.
2. Add rest of the marinade ingredients to the chicken, cover and refrigerate overnight.

The Masala

Ingredients

White onion - 1 (finely sliced)
Garlic cloves - 5 (finely sliced)
Ginger - 1 table spoon (peeled and finely grated)
Sunflower oil - 5 table spoons

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Coriander seeds - 1 teaspoon
Dried red chillies - 3 (crushed)

Paprika - 2 teaspoon
Turmeric - ½ teaspoon

Yogurt - 4 table spoons
Tomatoes - 3 (finely chopped)
Tomato purée - 1 table spoon
Ground almonds - 1 table spoon
Chicken stock - 350 ml
Single cream - 120ml

Garam masala - ¼ teaspoon

Coriander leaves - 4 table spoons (fresh, chopped)

Recipe

1. Grind the cumin, coriander seeds, chillies in a pestle and mortar and fry for 1-2 minute. Add paprika and turmeric.
2. Heat the sunflower oil into a large, preferably non-stick, lidded pan on medium heat. 
3. Add the onion and fry for 6-8 minutes, until it caramelises. 
4. Add the garlic and ginger and continue to fry, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the spice mixture (cumin, coriander, chillies, paprika and turmeric). Stir for 10 seconds.
6. Then add a tablespoon of yoghurt. Stir and fry until it is absorbed. Add the remaining yoghurt in this way, a tablespoon at a time.
7. Add the tomatoes and fry until they turn pulpy.
8. Add the tomato purée, ground almonds and chicken stock. 
9. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, the sauce should turn thick.
10. Stir in the cream.

and the Chicken

Recipe

1. Preheat the grill to its highest setting.
2. Thread the chicken on skewers.

   

   Marinated chicken

3. Place the skewers across a casserole dish or baking tray so the meat is suspended above the dish.
4. Grill for about 5 minutes each side, until the meat is cooked through and charred in places.
   
   

   

   Grilled Chicken
   

5. When the chicken skewers are cooked, reheat the sauce and fold in the chicken.
6. Garnish with garam masala and coriander leaves.

PS:
If you don’t have skewers, oil the chicken, place on a baking tray and grill on a high heat for 5 minutes each side until the meat is cooked through and charred.
When you think the chicken is ready, cut a large piece of chicken to the centre to check there is no trace of pink.