Mangsher Ghughni (dried white peas cooked with chicken)

Hello,

So today I am going to divluge you the secret of making the Kolkata-style ghughni with chicken. You can forgo the chicken of course, but where is the fun in that?

Ghughni is a quintessential Bengali delicacy which was no doubt imported from the middle-east like many other food items favoured by the Bengalis. We really need a deep and meaningful research on the connection between the two places, but as of now, let us just concentrate on the recipe.

Ingredients:

250 grams of dried white peas or matar
200 grams chicken (on bone, but without liver) cut into small, bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon ginger and garlic paste
2 onions and 1 large ripe tomato ground together into a coarse paste
1 tablespoon cumin powder (dry roasted)
1 teaspoon coriander powder (optional)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon red chilli/paprika powder (optional)
1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
1/2 cup oil (any flavourless vegetable oil will do)
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 sprig of coriander, chopped (for garnish)
Julienne of cucumber, onions, carrots and de-seeded chillies for garnish

Preparation:.

Soak the white peas for at least 12 hours. Rinse thoroughly and drain. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the ginger-garlic paste. Sauté and add onion and tomato paste. Cook on high heat until water evaporates. Add the chicken pieces and the dry spices. Stir on high heat for about five minutes or until half-way cooked.

Add the dried peas and sauté again. After a few minutes add salt and 2 cups of water. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and let it simmer for fifteen to twenty minutes or until the peas soften. It does take time for they are really stubborn. The chicken pieces will break and mix with the gravy and will enhance its taste.

Once done, remove from the heat and add lime juice. Sprinkle the garnish on top and serve hot with toasts.

Apple Hand Pie

Hello friends,

So I have been bogged down with work of late that really don't leave me much time to experiment. But I wanted to try my hands at an apple pie for a long time. Since I am yet to buy a pie tin, I decided to go rustic and make a hand pie instead.

It came out FABULOUS!

I really did not imagine it to be so good at my very first attempt.

Here is the recipe...enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the pastry dough:

1/2 cup butter cubes (frozen and grated and re-frozen)
2 cups of flour
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
3 ice cubes (crushed)
1 tablespoon chilled water
A pince of salt (ONLY if you are using unsalted butter)
1 egg mixed with two teaspoon of milk
1 tablespoon of granulated sugar

For the filling:

2 green apple (peeled, cored and diced)
1/2 cup sugar (based on how sour the apple is)
1 teaspoon honey (optional)
1 pinch of salt
3 to 4 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon melted butter

Preparation:

First prepare the filling by melting butter in a saucepan and throw in the cinnamon sticks. When the butter is aromatic, add the diced apple and sweat until they are softened. Add sugar, salt and honey and let it cook over low heat until it is cooked to its desired level. You can cook it until the apple cubes are almost breaking down, so that the filling is more like an apple jam or you may want to cook them less and let them be somewhat crunchy. I cooked them until they were tender and caramelised but still holding their shape.

Set aside and let lit cool (don't forget to take out the cinnamon sticks with at this stage for they have served their purpose.

Now place the bowl and the fork with which you are going to make the pastry dough for at least half an hour.

Sift flour into the chilled bowl. Add the sugar, salt and mix. Add the butter and mix with the fork. Don't use hands. The trick is into keeping the mixture at a low temperature so adding body-heat is a strict no-no. Break the butter cubes to mix them with the flour until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.

Now add the crushed ice cubes and mix again. It will soon look like wet sand. At this stage take a little bit of the crumb between your thumb and index fingers. If they come together and sticks like a dough it is ready. If not add a teaspoon of chilled water.

Now using your fingers very sparingly make the dough come together. Don't knead. Just make sure that the dough holds itself together, wrap it up in a plastic and stick in inside the fridge for half an hour.

When the filling has cooled down and the pastry dough has been chilled, divide the latter into three/four portions and roll them out individually. Place the filling inside them. Brush the border with melted butter and fold them in a half-moon shape. Cut the edge so that they look even. Now press down the borders with fork to seal it or you can carve them with fingers like I did. Be creative, but just make sure it is airtight.

Now, most importantly, make a few holes with knives on the top of each pie. Otherwise your pie may burst inside your oven and that will not be pretty!

Deep your cooking brush/spoon in the egg and milk mixture and paint the top of the pie (very, very important finishing touch for achieving the striking golden-brown colour). Sprinkle sugar on top.

Bake at a preheated oven at 200 degree celsius for 30 minutes in the convection mode.

Cool the pies for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm, but not scalding hot.

What can I say...it is one of the most delicious things I have every tasted!