Chicken Jalfrazie

Jalfrazie is a sautéd dish, which can be prepared with meat, poultry, sea food etc.
The word “Jalfrazie” came from 2 words: “Jal” meaning “spicy or pungent” and “Frazie” meaning “Fried”. As in the case of almost all of our cuisine, which started out as insipid concoctions, in the days of the British Raj, the original “Jal Frezie” was bland and tasteless. The Colonial servants would fry up the leftover Christmas Turkey and Chicken Roasts with some pepper, chillies, etc., for Breakfast the next day. Over the years many more ingredients and spices were added to this dish to make it as spicy and delicious as it is today and it has become synonymous with the cuisine of West Bengal.
CHICKEN JALFRAZIE

Serves 6 Preparation Time 1 hour
Ingredients

1 kg Boneless Chicken cut into cubes
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 dry red chillies broken into bits
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon ginger paste
3 tomatoes chopped
2 onions sliced finely
1 teaspoon spice powder or garam masala powder
1 teaspoon peppercorns
3 tablespoons oil
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a suitable pan and add the cumin seeds. When they begin to splutter add the dry red chillies, onions and pepper corns and fry till golden brown. Add the chicken and sauté for a few minutes till it changes colour. Now add all the other ingredients and stir well. Simmer on low heat till the chicken is tender and the gravy is quite thick. Serve with rice, chapattis or bread.

Anglo-Indian Meat and Vegetable Stew

Serves 6 Preparation Time approx 1 hour
Ingredients

1 kg Beef or Mutton / Lamb cut into cubes
2 tablespoons oil
2 onions sliced finely
1 Bay leaf
4 or 5 cloves
6 or 8 peppercorns
3 cardamoms
2 pieces cinnamon
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon ginger paste
2 teaspoons flour
2 tomatoes chopped or pureed
2 carrots peeled and cut into pieces
1 cup shelled green peas
2 potatoes peeled and cut into cubes
1 cup cauliflower florets
½ cup beans cut into 1 inch pieces
2 green chillies slit
Salt to taste

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker or suitable pan. Add all the whole spices and fry lightly. Add the onions and fry till golden brown. Add the ginger paste, garlic paste and green chillies and fry for a few minutes. Add the tomato and fry till the oil separates. Now add the meat and stir fry for 5 more minutes. Next add the cut vegetables, salt and sufficient water and cook on high heat for 10 minutes. Release the steam and open the pressure cooker. Now add the flour mixed with a little water and mix well. Simmer for a few more minutes. Serve hot with Rice or bread

ANGLO-INDIAN PEPPER CHOPS

Serves 6 Preparation time 1 hour

½ kg good chops either mutton, beef or pork
2 large onions sliced fine
2 or 3 green chilies sliced lengthwise
3 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons pepper powder
3 potatoes peeled and halved

Wash the chops and marinate them with the pepper powder, and salt for about 30 minutes. Heat oil in a large pan and sauté the onions and green chilies for a few minutes. Add the marinated chops and mix well. Simmer for a few minutes till the chops get firm. Add sufficient water and the potatoes and cook till the chops are done and the gravy dries up. Garnish with onion rings.

RAILWAY LAMB CURRY

Railway Lamb / Mutton Curry is a direct throw back to the days of the British Raj, when traveling by train was considered aristocratic. This very popular and slightly spicy dish was served in Railway Refreshment Rooms and on long distance trains, with Bread or Dinner Rolls. The curry was not too spicy keeping in mind the delicate palates of the British. It was also popular with the Railway staff who had to be on duty for long periods at a stretch. The vinegar or Tamarind juice used in its preparation would ensure that the curry would last for quite a few days and was an ideal accompaniment with rice as well. The recipe for this dish is sure to bring back some happy memories.

RAILWAY LAMB CURRY

Serves 6 Preparation Time 45 minutes

½ kg mutton or lamb cut into medium size pieces
6 peppercorns
2 big onions sliced
2 pieces cinnamon
2 cloves
2 cardamoms
8 to 10 curry leaves
4 red chilies broken into bits
1teaspoon chilly powder
1teaspoon ginger garlic paste
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons vinegar or ½ cup of tamarind juice

Wash the meat and mix it with the ginger garlic paste, salt and the chilly powder. Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions, curry leaves, red chillies and spices till golden brown. Add the meat and mix well. Fry for a few minutes. Add the vinegar / Tamarind juice and sufficient water and cook on medium heat till the meat is done. Keep frying till the gravy is thick and dark brown.

A Tri-Colour Marble Cake to celebrate India's Independence

India will celebrate 60 years of independence on the 15th August 2007. On this Diamond Anniversary here's a Tri-Colour Marble Cake to celebrate the day.

250 grams refined flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
200 grams butter
200 grams sugar
4 tablespoons milk
A pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 eggs beaten well
¼ teaspoon orange food colour
¼ teaspoon green food colour


Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together. Cream the butter and sugar well. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla essence and mix well. Fold in the flour slowly. Add the milk if the mixture is too thick. Divide the mixture into 3 portions in separate bowls. Mix the orange food colour with a teaspoon of milk and add to one portion of the mixture and mix well. In the same way mix the green food colour with a teaspoon of milk and add to another portion of the cake mixture and mix well. Take a greased and papered cake tin or dish and pour the green portion of the mixture in to. Spread the mixture evenly. Next spread the plain portion of the mixture over the green layer and spread evenly. Lastly, spread the orange portion of the mixture over this plain layer and spread evenly. Care should be taken not to mix the colours. Bake the marble cake in a moderate oven for about 1 hour till done.