Punjabi Raw Mango Pickle - Raw mango pieces smeared with Indian spices

This is my 100th post!!! I am too excited and wanted this to be very special. So I decided this post should be a recipe that had got me lots of kudos!. My Punjabi Mango pickle has been a favorite one for most of our family and friends…..So here I am gonna share this recipe with my readers. I hope you will surely love this Authentic Punjabi mango pickle.

As the summer season has already started and everyone is busy making pickles or should be!!! The yearly stock of mango pickle would be high on the to-do list for most of us.

I had already posted the Raw Mango pickle –Kerala style. So this year I want to share my specialty  Punjabi mango pickle, The spice blend in Punjabi mango pickle is slightly different from the regular mango pickle .The spices are slightly crushed, the addition of kalonji(nigella seeds) and ajwain gives it a wonderful taste and flavor.

Here you go….Do try it and share your comments….

Ingredients:

3 kgs Raw Mango

250 grams Fenugreek Seeds

150 grams Mustard Seeds

250 grams Fennel Seeds

4 tsp Nigella Seeds / Kalonji

3 tsp Carom Seeds / Ajwain

3 tbsp Peppercorns

8 tbsp Red Chilli powder

7 tsp Turmeric Powder

3 tsp Asafoetida

300 grams Salt

1 litre Mustard Oil

Method:

1. Dry the whole spices for a day in bright sunlight to remove the moisture.
2. Coarsely crush mustard, fennel and fenugreek seeds.
3. Kalonji and ajwain should be added whole, so no need to crush or grind them.
4. Wash and wipe mangoes with a cloth napkin.
5. Heat mustard oil to smoking point and then let it come to room temperature.
6. Chop raw mangoes into medium or small size pieces as per your liking.
7. In a big and wide bowl add the crushed spices and all the powdered spices along with the chopped mango pieces.
8. Mix well and keep it covered for a day.
9. Next day cover the bowl with a muslin cloth and keep in sunlight for few hours.
10. Also keep the storage jar in sunlight for a day and dry it completely, now transfer the mango pickle to this jar after a day.
11. Add the mustard oil in the jar, the oil should be at least 1 inch above the pickle level.
12. Cover the jar with the lid and let it mature for a week before start using.

This delicious Mango Pickle stays fresh till it lasts:)

Restaurant-Style Tandoori Chicken / Tandoori Chicken Recipe / Oven Roasted Chicken Tandoori

Tandoori chicken as a dish originated in the Punjab before the independence of India and Pakistan. Although tandoor cooked chicken dates back to as early as the Mughal era, the dish is believed to be invented by Kundan Lal Gujral, a man who ran a restaurant called Moti Mahal in Peshawar(Source Wikipedia). The Chicken drumsticks are marinated in warm, fragrant spices and yogurt that tenderises them, and the marinated chicken is skewed on to the skewer and cooked in a heated clay oven known as the Tandoor to make a mouth-watering appetizer. Tandoor is heated by charcoal or wood which also add to the smoky flavour. (A tandoor, or an outdoor clay oven is traditionally used to make tandoori chicken, along with other delicacies like naan or tandoori roti.)

Rather than mostly being eaten as in starters and appetizers, Tandoori chicken sometimes is also eaten as a main course traditionally with naan (an Indian Flatbread).  It is traditionally cooked at high temperatures in a tandoor (clay oven), but can also be prepared on a traditional barbecue grill.

Tandoori chicken is an Indian classic for a reason. No Indian celebration is complete without mounds of these tasty, delicately spiced, grilled chicken pieces, coupled with cucumber and tomato slices, sprinkled over with cilantro and with lemon or lime slices beside them to squeeze over. Traditionally tandoori chicken is served with a yogurt raita and a mint/ chutney, which adds another level of freshness and flavour to this simple, elegant dish.

My husband is a great fan of Tandoori chicken. This paired with Tandoori Roti & Garlic Mayo dip is his all-time favorite. In India whenever we go out for dinner this is the first thing that we order. But after coming to Canada, we rarely visit any Indian restaurants, so I started making this at home. This Indian classic Tandoori Chicken is actually very easy to make at home in the oven! Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients:

Chicken drumsticks - 4 – 6 nos

Cooking Oil – 1 tbspn

Marinade:

Plain yogurt - ½ cup

Tandoori masala - 4 tbspns

Kashmiri chilli powder (optional) - 1 teaspoon

Cooking oil - 1 tbspn

Garlic – 3 cloves, minced

Ginger - ½ inch piece, grated

Juice of 1 medium size lemon

Salt to taste

Method:

Whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade. Rub into the chicken pieces and marinate for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight, in the refrigerator. When ready to make the tandoori chicken, preheat oven to 450 F. Brush a heavy baking tray with about 1 - 2 tablespoons oil, then arrange the drumsticks in a single layer. Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes, depending on the size of your drumsticks, turning once or twice, or until cooked through.

Serve with Lemon slices, Yogurt Raita (plain yogurt, chopped cucumber, chopped cilantro and salt to taste) or Mint Chutney

Punjabi Rajma & Channa Masala

Punjabi Rajma & Channa Recipe or Rajma channa masala is a popular North Indian dish that is made very often in Punjabi households. Boiled Red kidney beans are simmered in spicy onion-tomato gravy.

Red Kidney beans are rich in proteins. This is one the healthiest and easiest curry to make. This recipe requires very less ingredients and does not require any special cooking skills or preparation.

Lets get into the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup rajma/red kidney beans & channa, about 200 gms, soaked overnight & boiled

Oil / butter – 2 tbspns

Bay leaf – 1

Onions – 1 small or ½ cup, Chopped finely or food processed

Ginger paste – 1 tspn

Garlic paste – 1 tspn

Turmeric powder – ½ tspn

Red chili powder – 1 ½  tspns

Coriander powder – 1 tspn

Cumin powder – 1 tspn

Tomatoes – 2 medium or 1 cup, pureed

Channa masala powder – ½ tspn

Salt – to taste

Method:

Heat the butter / oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add bay leaf and saute for 30 seconds. Then add chopped onions and sprinkle some salt. Cook the onions till they get light brown in color. Add ginger and garlic paste. Saute for a minute or till the raw smell goes away.

Add tomato puree, Mix well and let it cook. Do stir in between to make sure that it is not sticking to the pan. Cook till all the moisture evaporates and oil starts to leave the sides of the pan.

Add Turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and channa masala. Mix well and cook for a minute.

Now add boiled channa & rajma along with its water. Mix well and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Check the salt and other spices. If gravy is too thick then add some water and bring it to a boil. If gravy to too thin and watery then let it simmer for few more minutes or till you get your desire gravy consistency.

Punjabi Rajma Masala curry is ready to serve. Enjoy with roti / naan or just plain rice.