I absolutely LOVE the jungle. If the capital letters aren’t enough to stress just how much then the multiple posts on my social media and this website should give you some idea. There’s still many National Parks in India I have yet to visit but from the few that I have, I’ve got my favourites and Tadoba is right up there on the top. Not only is it beautiful ( all the jungles in India are no matter where you go ) but it’s been a really lucky jungle for me with some of the best tiger sightings of my life. Safaris really are a game of luck and I always say its up to the jungle and what she decides she’d like to show you. Having said that, Tadoba has always been very kind and made my experience all the better.

Why Visit Tadoba ?

I’m always asked why people should visit Tadoba and not the popular Pench and Kanha or even Bandhavgarh as those are often the first jungles people visit and the state of Madhya Pradesh is considered the best when it comes to a tiger safari. The truth is they’re not wrong. All three are stunning parks no doubt but I still think if you’re looking specifically to spot a tiger then your chances are far better in Tadoba.

Many of the big cats have cubs. There’s a lot of movement and sighting. The jungle is not as big as say Kanha and it’s also home to everyone else in the jungle and if you’re lucky you’ll see them all. It’s also very conveniently located in Maharashtra just a 2 hour drive from Nagpur airport making it easy to get to. It also helps that they’ve got some lovely hotels.

Where To Stay In Tadoba?

There’s a range of hotels to stay at from budget, mid-range to the higher end so it really depends on how much you’re willing to splurge. The last couple of times I ended up at what I’d call basic hotels masquerading as a resort but this time I experienced the beautiful Waghoba Eco Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris and it is what I would constantly recommend. Not only is the hotel’s commitment to sustainable travel commendable but their staff are superb and really made all the difference. After all, it’s the people that make any place.

Waghoba Eco Lodge By Pugdundee Safaris

This is a fairly new property that has come up in 2021 and is part of the popular Pugdundee Safari change of hotels. This eco friendly resort is located near the buffer of Tadoba National Park and is committed to reduce its impact on the environment. The lodge has 16 beautifully spacious cottages each with a small sit out area and a beautiful view, perfect to catch the setting sun. Each cottage is built with sustainable features like ground water recharge, rain water harvesting and Phytroid sewage treatment plant. The linen and toiletries are 100% organic and even labour and materials used to build these cottages are from people in adjoining villages and materials sourced from nearby areas. All this is done in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. I have to say it is very endearing to see a hotel or resort pay homage and try to protect it’s surrounding environment specially when it’s right near a forest.

The lodge has all the amenities you might wish for during your stay. From a library full of books, to documentaries screened in the evening and even a pool to splash around in and cool off between safaris – there’s plenty to keep you occupied when you’re not in the jungle.

The food is lovely and you can choose from local or Indian fare or perhaps a more international based meal (ideal for visitors who don’t want to eat Indian fare) and each meal is served with warmth and the utmost care.

The staff at the lodge are fantastic. Right from the server at lunch to the staff at the front office, everyone is polite friendly and goes out of their way to make your stay enjoyable.

If you’re looking for a more skilled and insightful jungle safari I highly recommend getting one of their extremely skilled naturalists to accompany you on your safari. If you do end up staying at Waghoba Eco Lodge, I

Things To Know For Your Trip To Tadoba

• It’s a 2 hour drive from Nagpur Airport
• The Park is shut on Tuesday
• They also have night safaris in case you’d like to visit the jungle in the dark once the sun goes down
• There is some boating activity in Tadoba. It’s on the Irai lake and not really a safari but people have been lucky and spotted animals on the banks including a tiger

It’s safe to say that Jungle Fever has gripped this writer for over a decade with no sign of ever leaving. Those that know me, know how excited I am to spend days on safari hunting for elusive big cats and admiring everything the forest wishes to show me. Yes, that’s right – you’re at the mercy of the jungle and what she decides you are privileged to see. This is exactly what happened at Pench National Park with Pugdandee Safaris https://www.pugdundeesafaris.com/

For most people the idea of a safari holiday means a trip to Africa, often the Masai Mara or the Serengeti. Many forget that India is home to some of the most magnificent jungles thick with foliage, flora, fauna and the most exciting wildlife. It’s also home to Tigers and the entire safari experience is magic. India is home to almost 50 national parks and a popular one from these is Pench in Madhya Pradesh.

Pench is a beautiful jungle approx. 257.26kms ( 99.3 square miles ) and also the inspiration for Rudyard Kipling to write The Jungle Book. Pench is also an ideal jungle for those who are on their first ever safari because it’s smaller in size compared to other parks, easily accessible as it’s approx. a 2-hour drive from the city of Nagpur which connects via flights across the country. It’s home to several tigers and if you’re lucky you might chance on some of their cubs. Apart from tigers you’ll find Leopards (again frightfully elusive creatures but they’ve been known to show themselves on occasion), monkey, wild dogs (commonly called Dhol and they roam around in a pack) which look nothing like dogs but more like little fox, deer, wild boar, Indian Bison (gaur), sloth bear and a fantastic number of birds in all shapes and sizes. A safari drive through the park is like taking a ride through Enid Blyton’s enchanted forest and even if you’re not a great animal or nature lover, you’ll end up appreciating it’s beauty and leave feeling refreshed unlike you’ve ever felt before. 

There are several options to choose from when it comes to choosing your lodge or accommodation and having spent time in different hotels, I can say there is no property in Pench quite like the Pugdandee Tree Lodge.

Part of the Pugdandee group who specialize in sustainable hotels across several national parks, The Pugdandee Tree Lodge is the perfect harmony between modern facilities to ensure comfort and the rustic finish to remind you that you are quite literally in the middle of the jungle. As the name suggests they have tree houses to stay in which are beautifully furnished with everything you could possibly need but gives you the feeling of living in a tree house. There’s even a balcony in your tree house to spend your time sitting and enjoying the sights and sounds around. If you’re an avid bird watcher then you’ll though roughly enjoy this.

While the thrill is of course in staying perched high up in your tree house, if you’re unable to climb, or for whatever reason want to be planted firmly on the ground there are luxurious spacious cottages that can room an entirely family without anyone stepping on each other’s toes. They also come with a small sit out to enjoy the birds chirping or where you can just curl up with a book and enjoy the surrounding nature.

Apart from adventurous tree houses and sprawling cottages, the lodge has a swimming pool, a den full of books and board games, walking trails and even a small under ground like bunker that they call the hide out where you can sit to enjoy a cup of tea and also bird watch where the birds or sometimes animals can’t see or hear you.

As lovely as all the extra-curricular options are and as lovely as their accommodations are, I think the biggest highlight at the Pugdandee Pench Tree Lodge is their stellar cuisine. It’s rare to find a hotel or resort that takes such pride in highlighting local cuisine with simple home cooked meals that pack such a punch. Majority of their produce are from their organic garden where they grow a variety of fruit and vegetables. So not only are you eating clean but it’s all local and sustainable and the simplest recipes that will leave you longing for more. I chose to opt for local meals but they also offer international dishes just in case someone wants a change from the usual fare. I don’t really recommend it – the chef goes out of his way to delight you with each meal and I can’t stress enough what a joy it is to be fed simple wholesome food with so much flavour.

Experiences are what really set the property apart so if it’s a meal set in the middle of a jungle with raging camp fires and trees illuminated with lanterns and a fully stocked bar with table service or trail through the property to go bird watching or try and hunt for animals like civet cat and cfdf that frequent the property – they ensure each experience is unique and memorable.

In order to make your stay at the Pench Tree Lodge memorable, it is the tireless efforts of their very friendly and helpful staff. A team that consists of locals who serve you, escort you through their property so you aren’t lost or worse encounter an animal long the way (it is after all in the middle of wilderness) or perhaps the very well-trained naturalists who try to make Kipling’s Jungle Book come alive. No matter who it is, this team is what makes you’re entire Pench Tree Lodge experience unforgettable. For me, this was my first every Pugdandee experience and it most certainly won’t be my last.

Facts and Tips To Plan Your Trip To Pench –

Book a flight from Nagpur it is the closest city and the drive to Pench is about 2.5 hours.

If you’re a couple or single occupant the tree houses are cozy and delightful but if you’re more than 2 it will get cramped. If you’re travelling with children opt for one of the cottages it’s extremely comfortable.

Temperatures are extreme in each season if you’re visiting in the winter pack well, specially on the open jeep during early morning safaris the wind adds to the cold and you will freeze.

The property is focused proudly on sustainable tourism so they do not encourage any plastic. Refrain from carrying any plastic bottles, they will gift you a metal water bottle and encourage you to carry it around and on safari and have water coolers at their reception in case you’d like to refill your bottle at any time.

It’s always nicer to have one of the naturalists accompany you on your safaris both morning and evening so that they can help you understand the jungle and all the animals better. There is so much to learn about the jungle and it just enriches the experience.

Yes the highlight is always a Tiger and every jeep is always on the hunt to spot this majestic creature but don’t be tiger obsessed and then miss out on all the other wonders. A safari is a beautiful experience even if you aren’t fortunate enough to spot a tiger.

Disclaimer – I was invited to stay and review the property. However all views, thoughts, ideas and opinions expressed are completely mine.

This recipe works as a fantastic snack. Chicken tenders is the ultimate comfort food and this recipe can be made at home with good quality ingredients.  These chicken tenders are exactly like what you’d get at a KFC or any other fast food joint and the recipe is really simple. Hope you enjoy this Chicken Tenders Recipe.

Recipe

Ingredients

500 grams of Boneless Chicken Breast

2-3 teaspoons of Red Chilli Powder or Paprika

2-3 Teaspoons of Salt

2-3 Teaspoons of Pepper

1 Teaspoon of Cumin ( optional )

300 Grams of Flour

1 Egg

Oil for deep frying

Method

Cut the chicken breast into strips about 2 inches thick in size. Marinate them with one teaspoon of salt, red chilli powder and pepper each. Mix well it it all coats the chicken well.

In another bowl, add a cup of flour, an egg and a teaspoon of red chilli powder, pepper and salt ( cumin is optional ). Add a little water and start mixing it together. It will start to form a lumpy mixture. Just keeping adding water little at a time to thin it out till you eventually get a thick batter to coat the chicken ( check the video ) please don’t add too much water at one time or the batter will be too runny. Once ready set it aside and assemble your dredging station.

In a flat dish add about 3 cups of flour and your seasonings, again about a teaspoon of red chilli powder pepper salt and cumin or any other spices you personally like. Mix it through.

Now dip one of the chicken strips in the batter till it coats the chicken well. Drain any excess batter and place the chicken in the dish with flour and cover the chicken completely so that the flour presses on and form an outer covering. Place it on a plate and continue the process with all the chicken strips.

In a deep bottom vessel heat your oil and once it’s nice and hot add in your chicken strips one at a time. Cook till the chicken is nice and crispy for about 5 – 7 minutes. In case you’re cooking this in a pan like I have in the video, make sure you cook it on either side for about 3-5 minutes and flip over. Once it’s golden brown, drain it on a paper towel and serve hot with a dipping sauce or ketchup.

How To Serve Chicken Tenders

You can serve these chicken tenders as is or with any sauce or dip of your choice. I like to make a quick sweet spicy glaze with a little honey and hot sauce or sriracha and dip the tenders in that. You can serve chicken tenders with ketchup as well.

Can I Store Chicken Tenders

This unfortunately doesn’t stay very well. You can keep leftovers in the fridge and re heat it the next day. However they won’t taste the same and will lose some amount of crispiness so ideally the Chicken Tenders need to be eaten fresh.

The best snack or appetizer are the ones that are fried. Add to it a whole lot of potato and melting gooey cheese then it’s a winner. The Potato Cheese Balls are an instant hit anywhere. You’ll find them on fast food restaurant menus, at children’s birthday parties and even whipped up at people’s homes just for a casual evening snack.

They’re so popular that several brands make these frozen ready to eat cheese balls that are full of excessive salt, sodium and a bunch of other ingredients that aren’t really healthy. This recipe is easy to make, uses fresh ingredients that are available at home and is a delight to eat devoid of any preservatives.

Recipe

Ingredients

3-4 Large Potatoes, peeled and pressure cooked till soft.

100 grams  Cheese ( can be processed cheese, cheddar or mozzarella )

You can also do half half of two different types of cheese

1 Capsicum finely chopped

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3-4 table spoon Corn Flour

200 grams Bread Crumbs ( a store bought packet )

Oil for frying

Method

Peel and boil your Potatoes till they are soft. I put mine in a pressure cooker for 15 minutes so they cook and soften completely. Add the potatoes to a bowl and with the help of your spoon or potato masher, mash it all together. This is easier to do when the potatoes are still warm. If you’ve cooled them down to room temperature they don’t mash easily and get lumpy.

Once mashed well, add your cheese. You can grate the cheese so it’s easier to mix and melt. Ideally cheddar cheese is the best to use for this recipe I would avoid processed cheese as it takes longer to melt. Even Mozzerella is a great choice specially if you want an oozy cheese ball where the cheese stretches when you break into it.

To the Potatoes and cheese add the rest of the ingredients – chopped capsicum, salt, pepper, red chilli powder and cumin powder and about two tablespoons of corn flour and then with your hands mix it all together.

It’s essential to use your hands here as all the ingredients need to get incorporated into the potato mixture. Knead it like it’s dough and in case there are any lumps of potatoes you can break those and ensure that the entire mixture is smooth.

Now it’s time to prepare your dredging station. In a plate spread out all your bread crumbs, and in another bowl add a tablespoon of corn flour and water and make a thick slurry to help coat your potato cheese balls.

Now take a handful of the potato mixture and roll it into a golf ball size ball, cover it gently in the slurry mixtures and then toss it in the bread crumbs and ensure that the entire ball is covered well with breadcrumbs and rest it on a plate. To ensure that the cheese balls are extra cheesy, You can add a piece of mozzarella or cheddar cheese inside. So take some of the potato mixtures, roll it into a ball, press down in the middle to make a small indent and place a small piece of cheese and then cover it with some more potato mixtures. Roll it into a ball and then again cover it in the slurry and bread crumbs. Repeat this process till all the potato cheese balls are ready to fry. You can choose to add the cheese inside or skip it, either way there is cheese.

Heat your oil in a wok or kadai and once it’s hot gently place the potato cheese balls inside carefully. Let it cook for about 5 minutes WITHOUT touching them or trying to turn them. If you do they will break so be warned. After about 5 minutes gently turn them and let it cook on the other side. Be cafe and use a spoon, it’s easier to cook them with it and ensure the balls cook on all sides.

Once they turn golden brown, remove and drain them on a paper towel and then serve hot with any dipping sauce or even ketchup.

How To Serve Potato Cheese Balls ?

This is a great snack and the best way to serve potato cheese balls is with good old ketchup. You can also add any dipping sauce you like, sriracha with mayo, hung curd dip anything. They’re also just as tasty on their own.

Can I Freeze Potato Cheese Balls ?

No you cannot freeze potato cheese balls as they’re deep fried and it just won’t taste the same. You can however, make the potato mixtures and roll them out covered in breadcrumbs and then freeze those in a zip lock bag. Whenever you want to eat them just take it out of the freezer let it thaw for a bit and then fry them.

Can I Re Heat Potato Cheese Balls ?

These potato cheese balls are best eaten fresh but yes you can re heat the potato cheese balls in the microwave.

Which Type Of Cheese Should I Use For Potato Cheese Balls ?

The type of cheese used for potato cheese balls completely depends on which type of cheese you personally enjoy. I would recommend cheddar and or mozzarella cheese because they both melt well and are easy to manage. I don’t recommend a brie or camembert because they’re soft cheese and not really easy to manage with the potato mixture. You can use processed cheese as well. The amount of cheese is also a personal choice and you can mix it up and use a combination of cheese not just one type for this recipe.

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There are several popular Parsi Dishes that are synonymous with Parsi cuisine. Dishes like Salli Chicken, Patra Ni Macchi or even the beloved Dhansak are what you instantly think of when it comes to Parsi food. There are many other dishes that don’t have this cult like following but are just as delicious and the community loves them.  One such dish is Kid Gosht.

What is Kid Ghosht

This is a traditional white mutton curry. Kid refers to a young goat or lamb so essentially the meat of a baby goat which is tender. So it’s not just any gosht or gos as we Parsi’s pronounce it, it’s Kid Gosht. The gravy is mild not spicy but flavourful and compliments the meat well.

Recipe

Ingredients

For the mutton & stock

500 grams mutton pieces ideally some with bone for more flavour

1 bayleaf

 1 green chilli

1 table spoon ginger garlic paste

salt to taste

1 cup of water

For The Paste

1 cup soaked cashews

1 small bark of cinnamon

3-4 cardamom pods

3 – 4 cloves

5-6 pepper corns

1 green chilli

small piece of nutmeg

1/2 cup milk

For the Gravy

2 tablespoon ghee

1 teaspoon garam masala powder

1 – 2 small chopped onion

3 dried red chillies

1/4 cup of coconut milk

2-3 Boiled potatoes cut into pieces of sliced into wedges

salt to taste

Method –

Marinate the mutton in the ginger garlic paste along with salt, a green chilli, a bayleaf. Add the cup of water and pressure cook this for 20 mins. Once cooked let the pressure cooker cool and set it aside. You will notice stock has released strain in and keep the stock for use later.

Make your paste by adding all the ingredients mentioned above for the paste in your mixer grinder. Grind into a nice smooth paste as set aside.

In your pot add the ghee and garam masala and then your chopped onions. Cook for 5 minutes and then add the ground paste. Add a little water and cook the paste for another 5 – 7 minutes. Add 2-3 dried red chilies as well.

Add the cooked mutton pieces along with the stock and keep cooking till it comes to a boil. Just in case you feel the stock is too much ( like in the video ) just burn the water off and keep cooking till it thickens slightly. I would suggest adding a little bit of the stock at a time to avoid this. The texture you want is of a slightly thick gravy and not a thin soupy curry like consistency.

Once it’s cooked and thickened add in you chunks of boiled potatoes. Add the coconut milk, again just a little to add a slight thickness to the gravy not too much. Stir well for about 4 minutes and then switch off the flame and serve hot. ( Refer to the video )

How Do You Serve Kid Gosht ?

There is no rule on how to serve Kid Gosht. You can serve it with rice or roti. It’s eaten like a curry. I like to mop up my Kid Gosht with a slice of bread or chapati.

Can You Freeze It ?

It doesn’t need to be frozen but you can freeze the paste for Kid Gosht. It will stay in your fridge for 3-4 days once cooked.

Other Popular Parsi Recipes On My Channel

For me Pan Fried Noodles are a tricky recipe. Not so much in making it, but more when you order it at a restaurant because each joint will give you a slightly different version. It’s also the best part about this dish because you really can customise this and make it your own.

I discovered this at a restaurant in Mumbai called Ling’s Pavillion but soon realised I could discard those awful chunks of carrot and bell peppers and pick and choose what I like best.  I’ve left this recipe vegetarian so its easy to make specially the first time around but feel free to add chicken or prawn to it.  If you’re ever at Ling’s then try my standard order – Pan Fried Noodles with Mushroom Baby Corn Pak Choy or Broccoli Beef and Water Chestnut. This recipe is heavily inspired by that order.

What Are Pan Fried Noodles

These are two textured noodles – both soft and slightly crispy served with a choice of vegetables and or meats with a thick gravy like sauce. It’s not served separately it’s all served together the gravy and veggies on top of the noodles which aren’t seasoned with anything but salt. It’s the kind of dish you can eat without needing anything else and you can make this your own by adding hot sauce and spicing it up or leaving it more mild like it originally is.

Recipe

Ingredients

1 packet 120 grams noodles

1 packet of Button Mushroom

1 Packet Baby Corn

1 Small Bulb of Pak choy

1 Zuccini

(You can also add any other vegetables like carrot beans bell peppers etc )

2 Spring onions

3-4 cloves of garlic chopped

1 small knob of ginger chopped

2 tablespoon dark or light soya sauce

1 teaspoon pepper

1 -2 Cups of Vegetable stock

1 table spoon Corn Flour

Method

Boil the noodles as per packet instructions. Drain the noodles once cooked and add it to a frying pan lined with oil. Spread the noodles out as best as you can and cook this for 7 minutes or until the bottom layer of noodles crisps up.

Flip is over and cook for another 2 -3 minutes and then place it on your serving tray. You need to just crisp up one side of the noodles the rest need to remain soft. It needs to have two textures, soft and crispy.

In the same pan add some oil and toss in your vegetables starting with the ones that take longer to cook. In this case I’ve added in the baby corn first, followed by the mushroom and cooked them on a high flame till they start getting some colour. Then toss in your chopped spring onions, garlic and ginger. Cook for 3 minutes and then add in your vegetable stock.

Let it come to a slight boil and then add in your corn flour slurry – mix the corn flour with water and add it into the pan. Also add in your zucchini and pak choy and let it all come to a boil. I add the zucchini and pakchoy towards the end because they cook fast. You can also add it just before the corn flour slurry.

Let this entire mixture cook and bubble away till the sauce thickens up into a nice gravy. Once you achieve that consistency. Switch off the flame and pour over all the vegetables and sauce on the noodles ( Please watch the video above ) and serve hot!

How To Serve Pan Fried Noodles

The best way to serve Pan Fried Noodles is immediately once it’s cooked. You don’t need to garnish it or decorate it. It’s quite rustic in its appearance and if you wait too long the noodles and sauce will congeal. Serve hot and enjoy.

Can I Freeze Pan Fried Noodles

No you cannot freeze Pan Fried Noodles in fact I don’t’ recommend keeping it in the refrigerator. It’s not easy to re heat and congeals too much. It’s a dish that needs to be eaten hot and fresh.

Other Recipes

These are some other popular recipes you might like that work well with the noodles.

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My most favourite dosa is a Rava Dosa or what I like to call the ‘ Cheat’s Dosa’. If we’re going to get technical then I doubt this can qualify as a dosa since it doesn’t have the traditional ingredients and is infact far easier to make the batter. However one taste of that hot crisp rava dosa and all strict dosa laws are forgiven. This is an easy recipe and I know a lot of you might feel intimidated by cooking this, believe me it’s so easy – all you need is patience !

How Is Rava Dosa Different From Regular Dosa?

The main visual difference is of course the look of the dosa. The Rava Dosa has these holes or lattice type of look and feel while a regular dosa is completely covered there are no holes or jaali’s as they say in the dosa.

The real difference is the batter itself. The rava dosa is of course made up of rava or semolina along with rice flour and regular flour ( maida ) which gives it that crispy thinner texture. It is also not fermented and doesn’t take very long to make.

A regular dosa is made from rice and sometimes dal and it soaked and ground and then fermented overnight to get the batter. It’s a slightly longer process and is fermented.

Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup rice flour

1/2 cup semolina ( rava )

1/4 cup flour ( maida )

4 cups of water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 chopped green chilli

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

ginger or ginger garlic paste ( optional )

ghee and oil to grease the pan

Method

In a bowl, add the rice flour, semolina and regular flour along with two cups of the water and whisk together till it all mixes. To this add in the third cup of water and then all the seasonings – chopped onion, chilli, salt pepper etc and add the 4th cup of water and mix well.

The batter should be a runny liquid pouring consistency. Once it’s done, let the batter rest for half an hour.

Once it’s ready, please mix the batter again as all the flour settles at the bottom of the bowl and it becomes thick and lumpy. While making the dosas the batter has to consistently be runny.

Heat your non stick pan till it gets nice and hot and then grease it with some oil or ghee. Pour your dosa batter till it covers the pan and let it cook. You will notice the dosa has holes and that is how the rava dosa needs to cook and eventually look.

After a few minutes as the dosa is cooking, drizzle some ghee on top. This helps to crispen the dosa from the bottom. Don’t be in a rush to take this dosa off the pan and don’t keep touching it with your spatula. It will take an easy 5-6 minutes to cook if not longer.

Once the dosa stars to cook you’ll notice it turned brown and crispening up. In case parts of the dosa are still uncooked pls keep rotating the pan so each area gets enough heat to cook ( please refer to the video to see how )

Once it’s cooked the sides of the dosa automatically start to slightly lift off the pan. Carefully with your spatula either fold or roll up the dosa and serve hot with your choice of chutney.

How Do You Store The Rava  Dosa Batter?

You can store the rava dosa batter in an air tight container in the fridge. Every time you need to use it just stir it well and add more water if needed to get that runny watery consistency.

Can  You Stuff A Rava Dosa ?

Sadly no you cannot stuff the rava dosa because of its net like texture and appearance. The dosa has holes in it, it won’t be able to hold the stuffing and it traditionally isn’t stuffed either. You can of course serve it with anything on the side, puri bhaji, a spiced potato mixture or chutneys of your choice.

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What’s not to love about a Chicken Nugget? It’s tasty, crispy, crunchy even and works well with all sorts of dips and sauces. It’s easiest snack and something that conveniently sits in your freezer ready to fry up whenever needed.

It is however also incredibly unhealthy with a ton of preservatives and sodium so instead of ordering from a Mcdonald’s or buying frozen packet nuggets just make them yourself they’re so easy !

Recipe

Ingredients –

500 grams chicken mince

1 -2 teaspoon salt

1-2 teaspoon pepper

1-2 teaspoon mustard

1 teaspoon paprika powder ( can use chilli flakes or chilli powder )

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder ( Optional )

1 teaspoon ginger powder ( optional )

2 Eggs Beaten

1  cup of corn flour

1 -2 cups of bread crumbs

Oil to Fry

Method –

Mix all your seasonings into your chicken mince – salt pepper mustard baking soda paprika powder etc and mix it all well. Let it sit in the fridge for 30 – 40 mins.

Grease your hands with oil and take a spoonful of chicken mince and shape it into your nugget, The size and shape you like ( refer to the video ). Make sure you place all the nuggets on a plate lined with parchment or baking paper so the chicken doesn’t stick to the plate. Once you’ve made all your nuggets put it back in the fridge for 45 mins so it firms up and is easy to manage in the next step.

Prepare your dredging station with a bowl of your beaten eggs, a bowl of breadcrumbs and a bowl of your corn flour.  Take one nugget and then first cover it in corn flour, then dip it into the egg batter and make sure it’s covered in the egg. Take a fork and then gently lift the nugget with the egg coating and place in your bowl of breadcrumbs and ensure the entire nugget it covered in bread crumbs. Place on a plate and continue till it’s all done

At this point you can put them all in a freezer bag and store it till you want to cook them. If you’re making the nuggets immediately then put these back in the fridge for another 20 – 30 mins. The constant refridgeration helps the nuggets to retain their shape.

In a wok or pan add in your oil and heat the oil for 5 minutes. It needs to be hot but not too hot or they will burn. Fry the nuggets in batches untill golden brown or you can also fry them in your air fryer ( refer to video )

Drain them on a paper towel and serve hot with a sauce of your choice of just ketchup and enjoy !

How To Store Chicken Nuggets ?

Ideally eat them hot freshly made but it will also stay in an air tight container for two days. You can re heat them whenever you’d like to eat it.

Can I Freeze Chicken Nuggets ?

Yes you actually can freeze them when they’re at their raw stage. Once you’ve coated your nuggets in breadcrumbs you can refrigerate them for half an hour and once it firms up, pop them into a freezer bag and store in your freezer for upto 2 months. Whenever you want to make nuggets, take them out and fry them up or pop them in the air fryer and enjoy.

While I adore cooking and find it incredibly therapeutic, baking has the exact opposite effect on me. I find it stressful and most of the time intimidating. I’m what you would call an ‘ Andaaz Se ‘ cook. I like to eye ball my measurements. A handful of this and a pinch of that. It’s never always just a teaspoon of spices and I find this style of cooking to be relaxing. Baking is of course a précised science and as I’ve learnt from multiple experiments – if you waver from the recipe you’re asking for trouble!

Since I’ve decided to face this fear or baking head on, I started with the simplest of recipes – the humble cookie. This recipe is fabulous and if you follow it well then the world is your oyster, I mean cookie

Recipe

Ingredients

225 grams of Butter

170 grams of Castor Sugar

100 grams of Brown Sugar

354 grams of Flour

300 grams of Chocolate pieces

2 Eggs

2 teaspoon of Vanilla essence

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

Method

Melt the butter in a microwave or over the stove ( check the video for details ) and mix in the sugar. Mix well till it’s all combined.

If you’ve heated the butter on the stove then make sure your butter sugar mixture is down to room temperature and then add in your eggs one by one and mix well. Add the vanilla essence as well.

In another bowl, mix all your dry ingredients – the flour, salt and baking powder.

Slowly add the dry ingredient mixture to your wet ingredients and mix well. Don’t add all the flour at one time, do it in two or three batches so it’s easier to mix and you don’t spill any.

To this dough add your chocolate chips or chunks and once mixed pop the dough into the fridge for an hour. You can leave it in longer but a minimum hour.

Line your baking tray with parchment paper and pre heat your oven for 10 minutes.

With the help of an ice cream scoop or in my case a teaspoon, scoop out some dough, shape it into a round ball and place on your baking sheet with enough distance between the balls since the cookie will spread out.

Bake in the oven at 180 degrees C for 13  minutes. Once baked let them cool for 5 minutes before tranfering them on a wire rack or plate to cool further.

Store in a box and enjoy !

How To Store Chocolate Cookies ?

You can store your cookies in an air tight container for upto 6 days. They will easily stay as long as they’re not exposed to air. I also wouldn’t recommend popping them in the fridge they will sit out on the counter in a box comfortably.

Can You Freeze The Cookie Dough ?

You really don’t need to but I suppose you could. Ideally it will stay in your fridge for upto 5 days so you can make cookies whenever you like and it’s convenient to have ready cookie dough. It also helps to firm up the dough a bit.

The holy month of Ramzan (Ramadan) is special to many but for foodies around the world, it’s one of the best times to indulge in some of the best dishes. Every Ramzan food lovers flock to various eat streets or “Khao Gullies“ to indulge in an array of delicacies. This year was no different. Ramzan time in Mumbai is a treat for carnivores and there are some spots you just can’t miss. One such spot is Bohri Mohalla in Bhendi Bazar.

Even those that don’t frequent these eat streets often, have heard of Mohammed Ali Road and all the hustle bustle.However, a truefood connoisseur knows where the real culinary treasure is hidden and that my friends is at Bohri Mohalla.

What makes this Eat Street unique is that is actually home to a fair number of people from the Bohra Community. The Dawoodi Bohra Muslims trace their heritage to the Fatimi Imams of Egypt and Yemen. They are a wonderful enterprising community (with a unique delicious cuisine of their own) and take pride in helping their community members to flourish.

Take for example the establishment of the Saifee Buhrani Upliftment Trust. This trust is tasked with a mammoth project to rehabilitate one of the most densely populated areas and give it a new face lift. Since phase 1 of this tremendous feat is complete and I got a glimpse of it through this brilliant food walk at Bohri Mohalla, I can just imagine how grand the end result will be.

Bhendi Bazar is a cultural hub that is home to a closely knit community of residents, shops, businesses and a number of legendary food stalls. What was once old dilapidated buildings with inferior infrastructure, built during the British era to house migrant workers, is now in the process of being turned into swish high rise housing towering in the sky, and wider roads to facilitate an easier way of life.

What is interesting is that over 90 % of the residents in Bhendi Bazar live as tenants with no ownership rights but this rehabilitation projects brings them back as property owners which is a tremendous feat as this is prime real estate in the heart of South Mumbai. While the locality is home to several Dawoodi Bhora muslims, there are other communities that have been living here for generations and the benefits of this project are for all the residents of Bhendi Bazar regardless of their caste creed and religion.

There is a lot of detail, thought and planning that has gone into this charitable trust and I’m going to leave a link to their website here –

Coming back to the glorious food stalls that open in time for Iftaar, Bohri Mohalla is a haven for those who want to indulge in an array of dishes and sweets that are specially made during this time.

This food walk was a mix of some of the popular spots in the locality that you’ll find on every food walk to Bohri Mohalla. What makes it special is that if it’s your first time ( like it was mine ) then you’re so excited about the quality of food and if you’ve eaten before then you know what to expect and are excited to enjoy it again. Having said this, there are a number of different food stalls and restaurants, if you visit explore more and find your favourites.

First top on my walk was to Haji Tikka Kebab Corner. The name is rather self-explanatory but my goodness what extraordinary kebabs. Soft melt in your mouth Mutton Sheekh is what I’d recommend along with their pillowy Beef Kebab Kofta. Almost forgot to mention the Kiri or Khiri ( not sure how you spell it ) but it’s a delicacy. The Baida Roti is another hot favourite but if you’re more comfortable with chicken then there’s an array of chicken tikkas and kebabs to choose from. Please skip all the burgers and pizzas on that menu not for any other reason than them being crowd pleasers and fillers. Stick to the kebabs you will thank me later.

Stop nos 2 on this walk was at Shabbir’s Tawakkal. What started out as a sweet shop and still of course dishes out increadible sweets, has also added a range of ‘ tawa items’ to their menu. Think Baida Roti, Chicken Rolls (  fried like an egg roll or spring roll but more Indian flavours ) and lots more. One of their signature dishes is the Buttery Gurda (Kidney) that’s served with pav it is a big hit and even if you don’t eat kidney meat try nibbling on that flavourful gravy.

This place is also home to excellent phirni and malpua. The Phirni is a rice pudding and comes in different flavours, the traditional white plain one but also a bright yellow Saffron flavoured one and a fruity orange looking Mango Phirni, all delicious and I usually will pick the saffron one but the mango phirni is quite special. Make the most of it before the season ends.

Malpuas are a treat for me and remind me of my childhood as my granny would buy them for me and we’d indulge together without anyone else knowing. They’re a pancake that’s deep fried and somehow remains crispy on the outside almost like a crisp lacy border but soft on the inside. It’s soaked in a sugar syrup and eaten with rabdi or cream or even on its own and just delicious.

Stop nos 3 was Taj Ice Cream which has been around for I think over 100 years if I’m not mistaken or something close to that. The specialty here is their seasonal flavored hand churned ice creams. Currently Mango is the best pick but in season strawberry and custard apple are also great choices. Lots of flavours apart from mango as well but it’s lovely ice cream and a cool treat on a hot day.

Stop nos 4 was Surti Bara Handi. This place is incredible for different cuts of meat. Nihari (a stew cooked with shanks of meat and marrow either beef or mutton) is their number one dish but it’s also home to some great Paya (trotters). The uniqueness of this restaurant is that the food is cooked in 12 pots (barahandi ) and it’s slow cooked for over 12 hours. So if you’re eating it at night it means they started to cook it in the morning. It’s this process of slow cooking that gives you this intense flavourful soft meat.

The tour actually ended here and there wasn’t much space left in my stomach for me to eat. ( I had to skip the nihari at bara handi as well ) but it’s so blisteringly hot thanks to this cruel Indian summer that a quick pitstop to a ssherbat wala became stop nos 5.

Imam Sherbatwala is a roadside stall that is famous for his sherbet. It’s a concoction of milk, watermelon, sugar syrup and some secret masala mix that gives you think bright orange drink that looks really heavy but it is actually cool and refreshing. It’s a great way to end your food walk.

Eid is almost here so many of these stalls and make shift spots on the road will disappear. However almost all of them are around through the year it’s just not the same atmosphere and festive cheer. It’s great fun to see Bohri Mohalla come alive during the holy month of Ramzan but even through the year the same epic food is easily found. In case you missed it this time around, try and pop by post Eid and still enjoy the food. Till then hopefully the video will give you a glimpse of what you’re missing!

Disclaimer – This post was made possible due to the generous hospitality of the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust. Thank you for educating me on the work you’re doing and for hosting me through this walk.

As always, thoughts, ideas, opinions and views are all mine

What Is Chicken Pot Pie

A chicken pot pie is a simple recipe that is actually quite easy to make and very uncomplicated. It’s a pie with a flaky crusty top and full of vegetables and chicken in a thick sauce served in a pot or individual sized bowl.

What Is The Difference Between a Regular Chicken Pie & A Chicken Pot Pie?

There isn’t much difference between a regular chicken pie and a chicken pot pie except that you don’t need to roll out your pie base or cover for a chicken pot pie. You use puff pastry ( readymade or store bought ) and often they are served in an individual bowl ( pot ) and just covered with puff pastry and you eat it out of the bowl itself you don’t cut a piece like you would in a traditional pie. The chicken pot pie has a top crust only and usually has the addition of more vegetables unlike a savoury chicken pie.

Recipe

Ingredients

250 grams of boiled shredded boneless chicken

1 litre of Chicken stock or Water

1 Carrot diced

4-5 Potatoes boiled and cubed

1/2 Cup Frozen Peas

Pepper

Salt

1 Sheet of Puff Pastry ( frozen and store bought )

 50 grams of Butter

1/2 cup flour

1 Onion finely chopped ( optional )

1 Celery Stalk finely chopped ( optional )

Butter to grease

Method

In a pot add the butter and once it melts add in the flour and stir continuously till it combines. Keep stirring and add in the chicken stock or water. You might not need the entire litre but add half keep stirring till it forms a sauce. Don’t be alarmed if there are lumps, keep stirring till they all disappear.

Add the chopped carrots and cook for 5-8 minutes. Once the carrots have cooked add the boiled potatoes and the frozen peas and cook further for another 5-7 minutes. You can add any vegetables of your choice, onion, celery, French beans, broccoli etc. Just ensure that the vegetables cook.

As you cook the sauce will thicken and if you feel it’s too thick and you want more of a sauce add some more chicken stock and keep stirring to thin it out. In case you feel like you’ve added too much stock and it’s too watery and you need to thicken it then add some more flour and keep stirring. Adjust accordingly to get enough sauce for the filling.

Once all the vegetables have cooked add in your shredded boiled chicken and mix it all together. Since the chicken is already cooked  you don’t need too much time, add in your seasonings. In this recipe I’ve only added pepper because the chicken stock is salted enough and so is my butter but please taste and add salt accordingly. You can also add chilli flakes, cumin or any other seasoning. I like to keep it simple and have only added pepper. Cook for another 3 minutes and switch off the flame and let this mixture rest.

The easiest part of this recipe is the store bought puff pastry. Make sure you thaw it slightly so its managable. Please keep in mind in hot humid weather the pastry will start to sweat quickly and won’t be easy to work with so make sure it’s not completely room temperature but at the same time not frozen. If you feel it’s too warm pop it back in the fridge for some time.

Roll out your puff pastry and then cut out a circle of pastry using the bowl that you’re going to bake your pie in for reference. The idea is to cut a circle of pastry that is slightly bigger than your dish so you can cover it entirely and seal the sides. ( as shown in the video )

Fill your ramekin or bowl with the chicken filling and then cover it with your cut out puff pastry and press down the sides to seal it completely. ( refer to the video ) Brush the pastry with melted butter and bake in the oven at 180 degree C for about 5-10 minutes. I would advise to keep checking post the 5 minute mark to see if the pastry has cooked and risen and accordingly adjust the time so you don’t end up burning the pastry ( trust me I burnt it thrice because I wasn’t paying attention ). The pastry will puff up and the butter helps it turn golden brown.

Once cooked, let it cool for 5 minutes and then serve hot ! The pastry is lovely and flaky and you cut right into it and enjoy the crust with the pie filling.

Please note you can make individual portions of this pot pie or one larger portion it’s entirely up to you. This will give you approximately 2-3 individual pot pies.

How To Make Chicken Stock ( And The Boiled Chicken )

You can use readymade chicken stock or use the chicken bouillon cube to make stock but I like to cook my chicken and then use the stock.

In a crock-pot add 1 1\2  litres of water, about 500 grams of chicken ( I only used about 250 grams for the recipe but you can add as much or as little as you like for the stock. ) I use boneless chicken because it’s easier but chicken on the bone will add more flavour to your stock. Add 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon pepper corns, 5-6 pods of garlic, a knob of ginger, one small onion cut in quarter and if you have a carrot and celery stick for more flavour. Let the chicken and aromatics come to a boil and then simmer it for a minimum of 45 minutes to an hour.

Strain the mixture and reserve the stock water. Take the boiled cooked chicken and shred it with two forks and use that in your recipe or to make sandwiches.

How To Serve A Chicken Pot Pie

This is almost like a one pot meal because you serve it as is, in the dish that it’s baked in. So there aren’t any accompaniments or anything to go with it.

Can I Freeze A Chicken Pot Pie

No this is a dish that has to be eaten fresh out of the oven and I don’t recommend freezing or refrigerating it at all.

You can go to any Parsi wedding or celebration and the hot topic of discussion will almost always be the menu. We take immense pride in our food and are always eager to know – what’s for dinner ( or lunch or breakfast ). Most menus are a standard affair and will get a seal of approval but if there’s no Saas Ni Macchi on the menu, I can guarantee at least one if not several disgruntled uncles and aunties muttering under their breath. It’s so beloved that a popular Parsi wedding caterer once told me ” the wedding feast is considered incomplete without Saas ni Macchi and couples have even called off their wedding because they couldn’t agree over this particular dish. “

It sounds ridiculous to be honest but I guess such is the lure of this dish for our community and the truth is while it sounds fancy or elaborate – the recipe is incredibly simple and unintimidating.

What Is Saas Ni Macchi ?

This is a popular Parsi dish that features on any and almost every festive menu or celebration. Macchi means fish and Saas refers to Sauce – It is fish cooked in a white sauce. While it’s heavily inspired from British white sauce recipes and the Portuguese need for vinegar – this dish is completely different. Pomfret which is the preferred choice of fish for the Parsi community is always used and it’s a sweet spicy tangy mix of flavours.

Recipe

Ingredients

500 grams Pomfret fish cut into pieces

1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1 Onion chopped

4-5 Green Chillies chopped

2 Teaspoons Ginger Garlic Paste

5-6 Curry Leaves

2-4 Tablespoons of Flour ( Maida )

1 Cup of Water

Salt to taste

1-2 Tablespoons of Sugar or Jaggery

1  Tomato chopped or a handful of cherry tomatoes

Chopped Coriander – a handful

Method

In a pan add your oil and the cumin seeds and let it splutter. To this add your chopped onions, green chillies and curry leaves and let it cook for a minute or two. Then add in the ginger garlic paste and cook for 3-4 minutes till everything softens.

Add in the flour and whisk it well to combine with the onion mixture and then add in a cup of water and keep whisking and mixing continuously into a sauce without any lumps. This is like how you would make a roux and then a sauce. If you feel the sauce needs to be thicker then add a little more flour. If it needs a little thinning then add more water but keep stirring to avoid lumps.

Once the sauce is made let it simmer till it starts to bubble and boil. You will notice a thin layer of froth or scum on the surface, just gentle remove it with your spoon.

To the sauce add in salt, sugar or jaggery and the Parsi vinegar and mix well. Taste at this point to see if you need more or less or anything. Each recipe will differ as it’s made according to the cook. If you want it sweeter or tangier etc you’ll add accordingly.

Add in your pieces of fish and don’t mix or you will break the fish. Gently just spoon the sauce over the fish while it cooks. You can swirl the pan or pot gently so get the sauce to coat the fish if you like ( as shown in the video above). Cover this and let it cook for 5 minutes.

The fish needs to cook for a total of 8 minutes so in the last couple of minutes take off the lid and add in your chopped tomatoes or cherry tomatoes and the chopped coriander for garnish. Give the pan a swirl and serve hot and enjoy !

How Do You Serve Or Eat Saas Ni Macchi ?

You can eat this however you like with Dal or rice. At a wedding or navjote while you’re enjoying the bhonu patru you’ll eat the Saas ni Macchi with chapati or roti. Most houses will also serve and eat Saas Ni Maachi with khichadi rice – it’s just saffron coloured rice not a traditional khichadi but you can serve it however you like.

What Is Parsi Vinegar ?

Parsi Vinegar is the essential Vinegar that is used in all Parsi Cuisine. It’s sugarcane vinegar and made by a company called EE Kolah or EF Kolah for the last 250 years or so. It’s got a distinct taste smell and flavour and according to me, the closest substitute would be a Balsamic Vinegar. Ideally any vinegar can be substituted in most Parsi recipes even this Saas ni Macchi, but to get that distinct flavour I recommend any sugarcane vinegar or a dash of balsamic.

Other Popular Parsi Fish Recipes

There are several popular Parsi dishes that feature fish or seafood in general. The most popular apart from Saas Ni Macchi is the famous Patra Ni macchi, there’s also fish patio ( lagan nu patio ), Prawn Patio ( my personal favourite ) Boomla and many more. I’ve shared a few videos below and you can search for more Parsi recipes on this website.

I’m not a big baker and generally avoid things like cakes and cookies because the precision of baking intimidates me. However I’ve been hankering to bake more lately and in terms of unintimidating and easy recipes this Nankhatai biscuit is perfect. It’s also a biscuit I grew up eating and was always reserved for a special treat for me.

It’s not a traditional Parsi recipe per say but since it was developed by a Parsi in an Irani bakery in Gujarat and the community enjoys it so much it’s adopted and every Parsi home will enjoy these Nankhatai biscuits.

What Is Nankhatai Biscuit ?

Nankhatai is the Indian shortbread cookie. It is a version of a bread that has its roots in Persia. Infact Naan means Bread and Khatai means biscuit. This biscuit was originally made in Surat Gujarat in an Irani bakery and has become a hit ever since. It’s a beloved Indian biscuit but the Parsi community in particular adores this biscuit and eats it often.

Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup Maida or all purpose flour

1.2 cup Besan or Chickpea flour

1/4 cup Rava or Semolina

1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

1 teaspoon Baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Cardamom powder

1/2 cup Ghee or clarified butter

1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg Powder

Sliced almonds or pistachio for garnish ( optional )

Method

In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients – the maida, besan, semolina, sugar, cardamom powder, nutmeg powder, salt and baking powder. Mix it gently and then add in the ghee and mix it together. It will start to crumble and slowly with your hands, bring it together to form a dough.

Place the dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Once it’s hardened a little and more manageable roll out the dough into small balls and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Top each ball with almond slivers for garnish or you can skip this step entirely. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees C for 15 minutes.

In case the almonds burn, you can bake the biscuits without any almonds for 10 minutes then take it out, garnish with the almonds and bake again for the remaining 5 minutes.

Once baked let them cool a bit and enjoy !

What Is Nankhatai Eaten With?

These biscuits can be enjoyed  on their own. Most Parsis like to enjoy their Nankhatai with an evening cup of tea or choi. It works as a teatime snack and can be served with any other biscuits or stored in a jar and enjoyed whenever you feel like eating a cookie.

Can You Store Naankhatai Biscuit?

Yes you can store Nankhatai biscuits. Just place them in any air tight container and they will last up to 7 days comfortably. It’s like any other cookie or biscuits you don’t need to refrigerate or re heat them.

Other Parsi Recipes

This recipe for Stuffed Peppers is not just really easy to put together but also versatile. You can pick from any stuffing or filling of your choice. Traditionally most Stuffed Peppers Recipe will include some sort of rice and beans filling but you can go carb free and add just vegetables or meat as well. Some recipes add minced chicken or beef so it really depends on what type of stuffed peppers recipe you personally enjoy.

I’ve left this stuffed capsicum really simple with the filling and just for aesthetics I picked a red yellow and green capsicum but it doesn’t matter which one you get honestly.

Recipe

Ingredients

3 Bell Peppers ( any colours work )

1 Cup Shredded Cheese

4-5 Boiled Chopped Potatoes ( make sure they’re boiled and cooked )

1 Chopped Onion

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Cumin Powder

2 Teaspoon Paprika Powder

Chopped Coriander

Method

Cut each bell pepper in half and scoop out all the seeds from inside to give you clean cups of bell peppers. Drizzle olive oil and bake them in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 180 degrees C.

In a pan, add some oil and sautee the chopped onions. Once it softens add the boiled potatoes and cook for 3 -5 minutes. Add salt, paprika powder, cumin powder and some chopped coriander. Cook it for another 3-4 minutes and then switch off the flame and let the mixture cool.

Once the peppers have cooked in the oven, take them out and fill each bell pepper with the potato onion stuffing. Make sure you fill each capsicum generously. Top each one with shredded cheese and then bake again in the oven for 5 minutes at 180 degrees C so the cheese melts on top.

Serve hot and enjoy !

Other Recipes From My Youtube Channel & Website

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 What Is Chilli Mushroom or Mushroom Chilli ?

This is such a great recipe and what I like to call the vegetarian version of the famed Chilli Chicken. Mushrooms work as a great meat replacement but truth be told they’re delicious without any comparison. This is a popular Indo- Chinese dish and you’ll find this at plenty of Indian restaurants that serve Chinese food. Sometimes folks like to refer to dishes like these as dirty Chinese. It’s in the same family as gobi manchurian, chilli chicken and hakka noodles and it’s delicious.

Like it’s other siblings, this is also a dish that has been created in India and not one you’ll find at any traditional Chinese restaurant in any part of the world. Give it a try though, it’s a popular pick and very tasty.

Recipe

Ingredients

1 packet Mushroom

1 small onion cubed

1 small capsicum cut into pieces

1/2 cup corn flour

Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 tablespoon Red Chilli Sauce

1 tablespoon Tomato Ketchup

1 teaspoon Dark Soya Sauce

1 tablespoon Vinegar ( optional )

3-4 Cloves Garlic Chopped

1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste

Method

In a bowl add the corn flour, salt, pepper and a little water and mix it into a batter. In case you add too much water and the batter is too runny add more corn flour. You need a slightly thick batter. Keep adjusting till you get the consistency.

Cut the mushroom into pieces ( not too thin ) and add it into your batter and toss well so they all cover in the mixture.

In a wok heat some oil and one by one add in the batter mushrooms to deep fry till golden or brown. Please do this batch wise and add them one after another or they will all stick together and clump up.

Once all fried remove them from the pan and set aside.

In a fresh pan add some oil and toss in the onions, capsicum, chopped garlic and ginger garlic paste. Mix for about 2 minutes and then add in your sauces. The red chilli sauce, dark soy sauce, tomato ketchup and vinegar. Mix it all together.

Add in the batter fried mushrooms and ensure that each mushroom piece gets covered in this sauce. Please note, if you add more soy sauce then the colour will be brown, if you add more red chilli sauce it tends to have an orange tinge. There is no right or wrong you can add according to your taste.

Cook for about 5 minutes and then add in your cornflour slurry ( 1 teaspoon corn flour with about 6 teaspoons of water or a little more ) and let it cook on a high flame till the sauce starts to thicken and glaze the mushroom pieces. This slight sticky gravy works well if you’re making this as an appetizer like I did but if you add more slurry and water you can make this a gravy dish.

Once it’s all mixed, cook for about 5 minutes, you can garnish with chopped coriander if you like and serve hot and enjoy!

How To Serve Chilli Mushrooms ?

Serve these chilli mushrooms or mushroom chilli hot and straight off the stove. It doesn’t re heat well. You can serve this as an appetizer or a main course if you’ve made it in a gravy form. It can be served with fried rice, noodles or even as is.

Can I Freeze Chilli Mushrooms ?

No you can’t freeze mushroom chilli or chilli mushrooms as it is best served hot and freshly made. You can re heat it as leftovers but it’s not the same and doesn’t do justice. I do not recommend freezing or refrigerating this dish.

Other Recipes On My Channel

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What Is Shepherd’s Pie ?

A Shepherd’s Pie is a lovely English dish. It’s a wholesome meal that can be made for the entire family almost like a casserole dish. It’s a layer of cooked minced meat ( lamb ) covered with smashed potatoes and baked in the oven.

What Meat Is Used In Shepherd’s Pie ?

Traditionally a Shepherd’s Pie is made with minced lamb meat. You can also used mince goat or mutton or even minced beef. I don’t recommend chicken usually because it’s a dry meat but if you prefer that you certainly could.

Can You Make A Vegetarian Version Of Shepherd’s Pie ?

Yes you can absolutely make a vegetarian version of this pie. For the meat you can replace it with ground tofu or soya granules. I prefer the soya as it retains a similar texture. If you don’t eat egg just skip that in the potatoes and you’ve got yourself a veggie version of Shepherd’s Pie.

Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 Kg Mutton Mince

1 chopped onion

2-3 chopped garlic pods

1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste

1 carrot chopped

1 teaspoon red chilli flakes

1 teaspoon dried or fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1-2 teaspoon salt

1 table spoon corn flour or regular flour

1 tablespoon tomato puree

1/2 cup of chicken stock or water

1/2 cup frozen peas

A small bunch of coriander choped

5-6 large potatoes

1 teaspoon butter

1/2 cup of grated cheese ( any you like )

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

Method –

In a large pot add oil along with the chopped onion ginger garlic paste and chopped garlic. Sautee for a couple of minutes and then add in the chopped carrots. Cook for 5 minutes.

( at the same time peel your potatoes and put them in a cooker or pot to boil, let it keep cooking till you’re done with this first half of the recipe )

Add in the minced meat along with chilli flakes, rosemary salt and cumin powder. Cook and mix it all together for 10 minutes.

Add the flour and chicken stock or water and cook for another 10 mins cover the pot and let it cook. Once it’s cooked with the pot covered take off the lid and cook again till the gravy reduces.

Add in your frozen peas and chopped coriander and cook till the sauce thickens. You don’t want a watery liquid but a slightly thick sauce. Use the spoon to see if it’s pulls back as you mix it. Once you’ve reached this stage switch off the flame and pour this mixture into your baking dish.

Smoothen it out and make sure the meat mixture is an even layer in the pan. Set it aside to work on the mash.

Take your boiled peeled potatoes and add butter, grated cheese, an egg and the milk and mash it well till it all combines into a creamy mashed potato.

Please note this has to be done when the potatoes are hot or atleast still warm. You can’t do this with cold potatoes so boil them while you’re cooking the meat.

Scoop the potato filling into your baking dish on top of the meat mixture and make sure you cover it completely specially all the sides. You can smoothen out the top of the potatoes.

Bake this in the oven for 30-40 mins at 200 degrees Celsius and serve warm.

Can I Freeze It ?

Yes you can though it will stay as leftovers in the fridge as well. Just re heat it in the oven whenever you’d like to cook it. You can also make this in advance and pop it into the fridge and then bake it just before you sit to eat.

How To Serve Shepherd’s Pie?

There’s no special way, it’s almost like a one pot meal. It’s eaten on its own but you can add a side dish of vegetables or some bread rolls to go with it.

More Recipes From My YouTube Channel & Blog

Parsi Style Mawa Cake Recipe

Mawa cake is a tradionaly Parsi recipe that the community just adores. The trick is to get the cake light and airy despite it being dense because of the mawa. In Mumbai you’ll find these at several popular Parsi bakeries and most of the time they come in these convenient cup cake size portions. It’s a lovely tea time snack and a very simple recipe you can easily make at home.

What Is Mawa ?

Mawa or Khoya as its commonly called, is made from burnt milk. Actually you keep simmering the milk in a large kadhai and wait till all the moisture evaporates. Eventually all that’s left is milk solids and that is your Mawa or Khoya. It’s commonly used in cooking and specially for sweets or Mithai in India, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangaladesh. It is an integral ingredients for making Indian sweets like pedas and gulab jamun among many others.

Is Mawa & Paneer The Same Thing ?

While both are made from Milk, Mawa and Paneer are not the same and are made differently. Paneer is made by curdling boiling milk, straining the liquid and compressing the solids till it forms a block of cottage cheese. Mawa is made by slowly simmering the milk in a large pot/ kadai until all the moisture evaporates leaving only solids behind.

Can I Make An Eggless Mawa Cake ?

While the traditional recipe for Mawa Cake contains egg, you can absolutely make an eggless Mawa Cake. Just replace the eggs with whipped yogurt or even cream. You can’t however make this a vegan cake as there is just too much butter and dairy that makes this cake. I haven’t tried an eggless version of this cake but you can certainly experiment.

Recipe

Ingredients

100 grams Butter

1&1/4th cup Maida/ Flour

1/4th teaspoon Baking Soda

1 cup Icing Sugar/ Granulated Sugar

1/2 cup Milk

150 grams of Mawa/Khoya

1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

1 teaspoon Cardamom Powder

2 Eggs

Method

In a bowl add in your butter and sugar and whisk it together with an electric beater till it’s all combined. Add the eggs, milk and vanilla essence and mix it all together.

To this batter use a sieve and add in the flour, cardamom powder and baking powder. Gently fold it all into the batter. Again use your electric beater to mix it into a smooth batter. Add in your grated mawa and mix it well.

Once the batter is all ready, grease your baking tin with butter and a parchment paper and pour in the batter. Smoothen it out and you can add some chopped nuts to garnish the top but it’s optional. I used sliced almonds.

Bake the cake in the oven at 180degrees Celsius for about 30 minutes. Stick a skewer or tooth pick to check that it’s ready. I recommend covering the top of your cake so you don’t burn it.

You can use any baking tin, a rectangular or circular shape or even make small cup cakes out of the batter. If you are making cupcakes they won’t take as long to bake and should be done in about 20 minutes.

Once it’s baked remove it from the oven, let it cool for a bit and then demould the cake and enjoy!

Goes best with your evening tea of coffee.

How Do I Store Mawa Cake ?

Once the cake it baked and cooled, you can cut it into manageable slices or pieces and store it in an air tight container. The cake will last up to a week.

Where Can I Buy  Mawa Cake In Mumbai ?

There are several bakeries in Mumbai where you can buy good Mawa cake. The most popular of course is B Merwan in Grant Road ( East ) opposite the station. They start retailing their cakes at 5 am and come 9am they’re almost always sold out. You can also buy Mawa Cake in Mumbai from Paris Bakery, Kyani Bakery, PAC, Belgaum Ghee Depot,

Other Parsi Recipes

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I have the best memories from my childhood eating this delicious poro. It’s a humble simple recipe but it is just so nostalgic. I remember going on family vacations and road trips that started at 4 am watching my mum and grand mum make these divine poro sandwiches to take en route.

We Parsis love our eggs and I’ve shared some of the popular egg recipes before on the site and my youtube channel ( linking them below ) but this one while it might not be very popular, it’s a favourite and one I just had to share.

What Is A Parsi Poro ?

A Parsi Poro is basically how the Parsi community makes their Omelette. Poro means Omelette and the Parsi style of making it includes finely chopped onions, chillies, coriander and a bit of spice. The trick is to cook it well and get the desired consistency that makes it so different from a regular omelette but just as good.

Variation Of A Parsi Poro

You can customise your poro or omelette however you like. A lot of people add tomatoes to their poro but you can have many variations of a Parsi Poro. You can add more spices, include leafy veggies or even a little mint to the omelette. The choice is yours.

Difference Between A Masala Omelette & A Parsi Poro

Honestly there is hardly any difference except for the fact that most Parsi Poro’s don’t use tomatoes. Some homes will add tomatoes it boils down to personal preferences but the recipe doesn’t ask for it. You will also try and make your Parsi poro as thin as possible and not a fluffy omelette. Some folks think the eggs are over cooked because of that lovely almost burnt caramalization on the omelette but it’s just adds to the taste and texture.

Most eggs are made in oil or butter and of course many Parsi homes will cook their poro in oil or butter as well but traditionally it is meant to be cooked in a generous helping of ghee.

Recipe

Ingredients

2 Eggs

1 small onion finely chopped

1 small bunch of coriander chopped

1 green chilli chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste

2 teaspoon ghee ( clarified butter ) or oil

Method

In a bowl, add all the ingredients – finely chopped onions, coriander, chillies, ginger garlic paste, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and eggs, and whisk it all together. Don’t let this mixture sit for too long or the onions will start to release water.

In a pan add ghee and pour in your egg mixture. Spread it out all over yoru pan and cover and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Take off the cover and you’ll notice the egg has cooked on top as well. Gently flip it over and cook on the other side for 3-4 minutes.

To get that nice caramalised texture, cook the egg on both sides for another couple of minutes till it turns dark brown and you’ve achieved the desired texture.

Serve hot and enjoy!

How To Serve A Parsi Poro

You just enjoy the poro or omelette as is but you can add ketchup or any hot sauce if you like. I like to eat these as sandwiches so I put the poro between two slices of bread along with a little butter and it makes for the most delicious poro sandwiches.

Can I Store A Parsi Poro?

No I don’t recommend this at all. It works for a day as a sandwich but still works best eaten fresh. I don’t recommend storing this in the fridge at all.

Other Egg Recipes

Parsi Recipes

the

Growing up the only way we’d cook fish in my house was to either deep fry it or toss it into a luscious curry. Don’t get me wrong I love both these but once you eat this Soy Ginger Steamed Fish it’s a game changer.

This is a popular Chinese dish you’ll find at any restaurant and incredibly simple with a few ingredients that really allows the fish to shine. It’s also much healthier than frying the fish and makes for a great restaurant style meal at home.

What Fish Can You Use For This Recipe ?

This particular recipe works best with any type of white fish. Ideally any local fish of your choice but I think it works best with sea bass. You could also use Salmon or any other fish you enjoy eating.

Recipe

Ingredients

500 grams Fish Fillet ( either Basa/ Sea Bass or any white fish, even Salmon works )

3-4 Tablespoons of Dark Soy Sauce

3-4 Tablespoons of Light Soy Sauce

1 Teaspoon Lime Juice

2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil

1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

1 Knob of Sliced Ginger

2-3 Spring Onions Thinly Sliced

Method

Peel the ginger and slice it into fine thin strips. Cut the spring onions into fine thin strips, the thinner the better and then add all the spring onions into a bowl of cold water. After some time you’ll notice it starts to curl up beautifully and makes for a great garnish for several other dishes as well.

In a separate bowl add both the light soy sauce and dark soy sauce along with the lime juice and set it aside.

In a glass bowl or dish add in your fish fillet. Top it with the sliced ginger ( it helps to remove the raw smell of the fish as well ) Gently pour the soy sauce mixture onto the fish so it covered as much of the fish as possible.

Place the fish into your steamer and cook for 10 -12 minutes.

In a small pan add the vegetable oil and sesame oil and heat it till small bubbles appear.

Once the fish is cooked, take it out of the steamer and in the same bowl add the sliced spring onions on top like a garnish. Pour the hot oil mixtures on top ( it helps to remove the raw sting of the spring onions and add another flavour to the fish and sauce ) and serve hot.

You can eat the fish as is or along with some steamed rice and it makes for a lovely bowl meal.

How To Serve Soy Ginger Steamed Fish

The best way to eat or serve this dish is along with a bowl of steamed rice or fried rice. You can also serve it with some wok tossed noodles but the sauce is delicate and best eaten with rice. A lot of people prefer to eat the fish as is without any accompaniment so really the choice is yours.

Can You Store / Freeze Soy Ginger Steamed Fish

You can always slice up the ginger and spring onions and fish before hand and refrigerate but the truth is this dish doesn’t take long to prepare. I don’t’ recommend freezing it once it’s cooked but you can refrigerate it up to 3 days. However I personally recommend cooking it and eating it straight off the steamer.

The Link To The Steamer I Use –https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07N7FZB65/?ref=idea_lv_dp_ov_d

Other Recipes

Mumbai is home to some fantastic South Indian fare that you find tucked away in specific neighbourhoods. This entire Pineapple Sheera recipe is inspired from a trip to one of these South Indian meals that I had recently in one of these popular neighbourhoods.

There is a restaurant called Ramashraya in Matunga that’s a hot spot for breakfast. Typically there’s no menu, regulars know what to order or the waiter will rattle off a list of specials. Idli, dosa, Manglore buns and the other usual suspects and then they save the best for the last. Their outstandingly delicious Pineapple Sheera. While there are other flavoured desserts as well this one is the hero and it’s one I’ve loved since the first time I ate it so of course I thought why not re create it since it’s actually a really easy recipe with minimal ingredients.

What is Sheera ?

Sheera or Suji is a common Indian Halwa or sweet dish made from Semolina (rava or suji) which is cooked in ghee and sweetened with sugar or honey syrup. You can add any flavourings, sometimes even milk in certain recipes and usually garnished with nuts.

What Are The Different Types Of Sheera ?

This semolina sweetened pudding is found in several forms. You can have a basic sheera or suji halwa or in this case, flavour it with chopped pinepples. There’s also a black current sheera, or a cashew ( Kaju ) Sheera. There’s also atte ka sheera or a even a mango sheera. You can mix it up and get creative but the base recipe usually has the same ingredients.

Recipe

Ingredients

1 Cup Semolina / Rava/ Sooji

4 -5 TableSpoon Ghee

1 Cup Sugar

1 Pineapple chopped into small pieces

1 pinch of Saffron

1 Teaspoon Yellow Food Colouring ( Optional )

1/4 Cup of chopped nuts ( almond, cashew, raisins ) which ever you like

Method

In a pan add a tablespoon of ghee and your chopped nuts. Let the nuts roast in the ghee for a minute or two and empty it into a plate and keep it aside. Don’t cook it for too long you might burn the nuts and raisins.

In the same pan add another tablespoon of ghee and your semolina and gently mix it all together till the semolina gets roasted and starts to form small crumbs. This should take about 2-4 minutes just till everything is roasted. Switch off the flame, empty this mixture into another plate and set it aside.

In a Kadhai or deeper pot or wok add another tablespoon of ghee and the chopped pineapple and half the cup of sugar. Mix it all together and let this cook for a good 5-7 mins. Let the pineapple get caramalised well. Then add 2 cups or water along with the saffron and let this simmer with the lid on for 10-15 minutes. The saffron infused in the water with the pineapple is what will give it that bright yellow colour. However if it still doesn’t you can add the yellow food colour later or just skip the saffron at this stage and add the food colour later.

Once the pineapple sugar water mixture has cooked slowly start adding in your roasted semolina and keep stirring. The mixtures will clump up fast so be careful at this stage and keep mixing it vigorously so no lumps form.

Add the rest of the sugar along with the yellow food colour and another tablespoon of ghee and keep mixing and stirring till the pudding cooks. There shouldn’t be any lumps and you’ll notice it firming up.

Add the chopped nuts as a garnish, mix it all well turn the flame off and serve it hot. You  can serve it in a bowl as is or plate it like a mould as I’ve shown you in the video.

How Do You Serve Pineapple Sheera?

Sheera is a pudding best served hot when it’s freshly made. You can serve it in a bowl or plate or if you want to be fancy you can unmould it from a bowl like I’ve shown in the video. You can garnish it with some roasted nuts as well.

Can You Freeze Pineapple Sheera ?

It would be unwise to freeze Sheera but it does refridgerate for a couple of days. You can just re heat it in the microwave but remember it’s always best eaten hot and once it’s just been cooked.