Marinate chicken for an hour or more in 1tsp Salt, lemon juice & 1tsp of ginger garlic paste

1 big onion sliced fine

1tbsp each ginger and garlic paste

2tbsp curd

1tbsp coriander powder ( lightly roasted on a griddle)

1/2 tsp each pepper corn & cloves

2bayleaves

1/2 tsp powdered garam masala

Salt and chilli to taste

1cup water

3tbsp oil

Method :

In a pressure cooker heat oil.

Add the cloves, peppercorns and bayleaves. Add the onions and fry till onion is golden brown.

Remove from oil, making sure all oil is drained back into the cooker and set aside. Remove bayleaves & rest has to be ground to a fine paste.

Shake off excess water and add the chicken pieces to the oil.

Lightly fry. Add the ginger garlic paste, chilli and coriander powder. Saute it and keep adding dashes of curd to prevent it sticking or burning.

When oil leaves the sides add the garam masala, salt and paste of fried onions. Stir for a minute add water and pressure cook for 5 minutes.

Open when steam has disappeared and serve with chapati.

You can also cook in a kadhai or wok. It takes longer to cook.

1/2 kg meat – I like chops and marrow bones in it but your choice

2 onions ground
I onion for frying
2 tomatoes ground or finely chopped
1 tablespoon of ginger garlic each
1 tsp haldi
1 tablespoon dhania p
Mirch and salt to taste

150 gm or 10 pieces of big chillies red and green
1 packet achar masala

Deseed chillies and add the achar masala ( wet it with water so it’s easy to stuff)
And fry in mustard oil for few minutes.

Cook mutton.
Fry onions add the onion , tomato , ginger garlic paste + powder masala.
Bhuno  well and pressure cook.
After steam escapes add the mirch with its oil to meat.
Toss to mix well and serve hot with chapati

Vegetarians you can substitute meat with paneer or soya nuggets. Tastes as good

Khichra –
Broken wheat (or daliya) – 2 tbsp
Chana dal – 2 tbsp
Urad dal – 1 tbsp
Masoor dal – 1/2 tbsp
Moong dal – 1/2 tbsp
Rice – 1/2 tbsp
Jau – 2tbsp
Soak the above ingredients fr two hours

1. Bring water to boil with the following ingredients-
Mustard oil – 1tbsp
Haldi – 1 tsp
Dhaniya – 2tsp
Ginger/garlic paste – 1 tbsp each
Salt n red chilli of to taste.
Tezpat -1
Bari illaichi – 2
Laung – 2
Peppercorn- 7/8
2. Add the soaked lentils n bring to a boil, stirring.
3. Pressure cook fr 8mins on a low flame.
4. Add bhunna meat (recipe given below) n mix really well.
5. Add 1/4 tsp garam masala pd.
6. Fry some sliced onions in ghee.
7. Add to the Khichra. Garnish with podina, hara dhaniya,ginger n green chillies. Serve with lemons.

Bhunna Mutton –
Heat oil – add 1/2 kg meat n fry till changes colour.
Add :1tbsp ginger,
1 tbsp garlic,
2 onions (paste)
1tsp haldi,
salt n mirch to taste
1tsp dhaniya pd
Brown well till moisture dries n raw smell of masala goes. Add water n cook till done. Dry water n then add to the cooked lentils.

Note: Can make it without the meat too for vegetarians. Just increase the masala a little.
Also, I use Daliya instead of kuta gayhun (wheat) n Porridge (oats) instead of Jau as it’s not always easy to get both. If using porridge then don’t soak it n add it directly whilst boiling.
Recipe and photographs by Sakina Hussain