Banoffee Pie

Ingredients

Base

• 100g butter, melted
• 250g digestive biscuits, crushed

Filling

• 100g butter
• 100g dark brown soft sugar
• 1 (397g) tin condensed milk

Topping

• 4 ripe bananas, sliced
• 1 (300ml) tub whipping cream, whipped
• cocoa powder for dusting

Lets Get Cracking

1. Line base of a 20cm round spring-form tin with parchment paper, then grease base and sides.
2. For the base: Combine butter with biscuits and mix well. Press firmly into prepared tin. Chill for at least 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, make the filling. Gently heat butter and sugar until sugar has dissolved. Pour in condensed milk and gently bring to the boil, stirring continuously until thick. Do this slowly, to avoid getting any lumps. Immediately remove from heat and allow to cool until just warm. Spread on biscuit base and chill for 1 hour.
4. Just before serving, fold 3/4 of the sliced bananas into the whipped cream. Spoon over toffee layer. Decorate with remaining bananas. Dust with cocoa powder and serve. 

Enjoy :) :) :)

KFC Grilled Chicken

Ingredients

Brine

• 8 cups water 
• 1/4 cup salt

Brush with the following mixture 

• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 1/4 tsp. liquid smoke 
• 1/4 tsp. soy sauce

Rub Dry Seasoning 

• 2 tsp. all purpose flour 
• 1/4 tsp. salt 
• 1 Chicken bouillon cube, crushed 
• 1/4 tsp. coarse grind black pepper 
• 1/4 tsp. crushed dried rosemary 
• 1/4 tsp. dried basil 
• 1/8 tsp. dried oregano 
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Lets Get Cracking

1. Combine all the ingredients for the seasoning in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Dissolve the salt in the water to make brine. Add the chicken, cover and chill for 2 hours. When the chicken has marinated, rinse each piece of the chicken with water and blot dry.
3. Whisk together the oil, liquid smoke, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Brush oil over one side of each piece of chicken. 
4. Sprinkle the dry rub over the oiled side of each piece of chicken, then flip each piece, brush with oil again and sprinkle on more dry seasoning. 
5. Grill on gas grill. Turn half your grill on high, the other on low, cook over low side turning every 5-10 minutes for approx 20 minutes or till done.

   OR

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (or 325 if you have a convection oven). Brush some of the leftover oil solution onto an oven safe grill pan or grill plate. Set the pan over medium heat, and when oil begins to smoke, place chicken skin side down on the pan. Cook the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes or until the skin begins to brown and grill marks form on the chicken, then flip the chicken and cook it for another 1 to 2 minutes. Pop the grill pan into the oven for 20 minutes, then flip each piece of the chicken and bake for another 20 minutes or until the surface of the chicken is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through.

Enjoy :) :) :)

Badam Kheer

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Almond (Badam)
• 2 cups Milk 
• 3 tblsp Sugar 
• 5 crushed Cardamoms
• a pinch of Saffron (Kesar), soaked in lukewarm milk 

Lets Get Cracking

1. Boil half a litre of water in a sauce pan . add the almonds when the water is boiling and cook for 2 minutes. remove from the flame and drain.
2. Remove the skin of the almonds and grind to a fine paste.
3. Boil the milk in a thick bottomed pan. when the milk begins to boil add the almond paste and the sugar and cook for 5 minutes over a low flame stirring continuously.
4. Remove from the flame.. add the dissolved saffron and the crushed cardamoms.
5. Allow to cool and serve chilled. 

Enjoy :) :) :)

Chicken Biryani

Ingredients

• 7-8 Onions (very thinly sliced and deep fried until light brown)
• 10-15 Cashews (fried in a little desi ghee/clarified butter)
• 1 Kg Chicken on the bone cut into 12 pieces
• 1 cup yogurt
• 2 Tsp Garlic paste
• salt to taste
• 500 gm Basmati Rice (washed and soaked in salted water for at least half an hour)
• 3-4 Tbsp oil
• Oil for frying the onions
• 6-7 cloves
• 2 (1 inch) Cinnamon
• 4 green Cardamoms
• 3 Bay leaves
• 1/4 Tsp Caraway seeds (shahi jeera/black cumin seeds)
• 4 large Tomatoes (chopped finely)
• 1/4 Tsp of mace powder
• 1/4 Tsp of grated Nutmeg
• 1 Tsp Coriander powder
• 1 Tsp red Chili powder (to taste)
• 1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
• 2-3 green Chilies (to taste, chopped)
• 1 Tbsp Ginger (chopped)
• 1 Tbsp Garlic (chopped)
• 6-7 dried, pitted prunes
• 1/2 cup of milk
• a few strands of Saffron (kesar)
• 3-4 Tbsp Desi ghee (clarified butter)
• 2 cups of fresh green Coriander (chopped)

Lets Get Cracking

1. Marinate the chicken pieces in 1 cup yogurt, 2 Tsp garlic paste and little salt, for a good 8 hours. Slice the onions very thinly (almost paper thin) using a sharp knife. Heat oil in a pan or kadai. Separate the sliced onions using your finger tips. Put the onions in the oil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Keep stirring the onions, so that they get evenly browned. The trick is to evenly and slowly brown the onions. If the flame is very high the onions will burn on the outside and remain watery on the inside. Once a uniform color is obtained, drain on thick layer of kitchen paper, so that maximum oil is soaked. Keep these aside. As they cool down, the onions will become crispy.
2. Boil the rice. For this take a BIG vessel (deep and wide), put lots of water in it, tip in the soaked rice along with 1 stick cinnamon, 3-4 cloves, 2 green cardamom, 1/4 tsp of Shahi jeera (caraway seeds) and more salt. Remember that you should boil the rice in lots of water and salt (pretty much like a pasta). The rice should absorb the salt otherwise the biryani will be tasteless. Boil on a high flame and let the it boil vigorously on high flame for about 5-7 minutes. You have to par cook the rice (meaning 3/4 cooked and rest will get cooked later). Do not over boil the rice. To check if the rice is done you can take a grain of rice out and press in between your thumb and forefinger. If the grain breaks into 3 parts, it means your rice is cooked just right. Now strain the rice and spread it out on a flat tray or surface, so that it cools faster. 
3. Heat oil in a deep pan, add the remaining bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and green cardamoms. When they crackle, add the ginger, garlic and chilies. Saute for a minute and add the marinated chicken, along with the marinade. Cook on a medium heat till all the water dries up (water from the chicken and yogurt). Add the tomatoes, 1/3 of the fried onions, all the powdered spices, salt and cook till all the water from the tomatoes dries up. If the chicken is cooking too quickly then either cook on a high flame to fasten the evaporation or remove the chicken pieces aside. The chicken should be just cooked and dry (because it will get cooked further in the final step and if any water is left in it the rice will become soggy). Once done, sneak a taste, adjust the seasoning. Mix in the dried prunes. 
4. In 1/2 cup of warm milk crush a pinch of saffron strands and put some whole strands. Wait till it turns yellow. Keep on one side.
5. Use a deep heavy bottom pan with a lid. First spread some desi ghee at the bottom of the pan. Second a layer of rice, followed by a layer of chicken. Now sprinkle a generous handful of chopped coriander and fried onions. Repeat the layers with rice being the top most layer. Sprinkle the leftover onions and all the cashews. Pour the milk and saffron on the top using a spoon, evenly covering the whole area. Once all layers are set, take melted desi ghee and with a spoon pour it around the rim of the vessel and a little on the rice. Close the lid and seal.

There are 2 ways to seal the lid in order to prevent the steam from escaping.

1. Take a large foil, cover the pot/vessel with it and place the lid on top.
2. Take some dough made from whole wheat flour. Roll it into a thin strip and stick it going around the rim of the pan half on the lid and half on the pan in order to seal the whole pan. Keep this pot on a very low heat for 45 minutes. Place this pan on top of a cast iron tawa (on which chapatis are made) or another heavy bottom pan in order to prevent the bottom layer of rice from getting burnt.

After 45 minutes turn off the heat. Let it stand for 5 minutes and open.

Enjoy :) :) :)

Chole Bhature

Ingredients

For Chole

• 1 cup kabuli chana (white chick peas), soaked overnight 
• 1 tea bag or tsp tea leaves , tied in a muslin cloth (optional)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera) 
• 1 onion, finely chopped 
• 12 mm (1/2") piece of ginger (adrak), grated 
• 2 cloves of garlic (lehsun), grated 
• 2 tsp chole masala 
• 2 tsp chilli powder 
• 2 tsp dried mango powder (amchur) 
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi) 
• 1 tbsp coriander (dhania) powder 
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera) powder 
• 2 tbsp oil 
• salt to taste

For the Bhature

• 1/2 cup plain flour (maida) 
• 1/2 cup potatoes, boiled and grated 
• 1 1/2 tsp oil 
• salt to taste 
• oil for deep-frying

Lets Get Cracking

For Chole

1. Put the soaked, washed channa in a cooked with enough water, tea-pouch and bay leaves. Pressure cook till done. (approx. 6-7 whistles). Cool about 5 tbsp. channa for grinding. 
2. In a mixer, blend together 1/2 tomato, 1 onion and 1/2 tbsp. coriander. Keep aside. Chop remaining tomatoes and onions fine.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add cumin seeds to splutter. Add ginger-garlic and fry for a minute. Add chopped tomatoes, onion and fry till tender. Add paste, fry further 3-4 minutes. Add all dry masala except cinnamon-clove powder.
4. Stir and fry till oil separates. Add drained channa and 2 cup water which was drained from channa. Stir and bring to boil. Simmer for 7-8 minutes till gravy thickens.
5. Take in serving dish. Heat ghee in a small sauce pan. Add the chillies and cinnamon-clove powder. Add chopped coriander and pour hot over the channa. 
6.  Squeeze lemon over channa. Stir in seasoning gently.

For Bhature

1. Mix all the ingredients above and knead well using enough water to make soft dough. Cover it with wet cloth and keep it in a warm place for 2-4 hours.
2. Make a lemon sized ball and roll them out to chapatti sized circles with ¼ cm thickness.
3. Heat oil in a deep frying pan and fry bhaturas till they turn slightly golden and place them on paper towel. Make sure that you don’t fry the bhatures long because you want them to be soft and light golden. 
4. Serve them with Chole and vegetable salad and relish.

Enjoy :) :) :)