Tangy Apricot Chicken | Day 10 Food Memories

For readers who believe love and food are rarely separate, my foodie romcom Oops My Heart Did a Somersault awaits at https://www.authoravirupabasu.com/

I made a plan to cook apricot chicken for my pals as a surprise during the summer. But as dinnertime drew near, I realized I'd neglected to pick up apricot preserves. In a fit of panic, I decided to use a jar of apricot jam as a stand-in. I anxiously made the dish, unsure if it would turn out. To my astonishment, the impromptu apricot jam's sweet and sour flavors harmoniously matched the delicate chicken. The joy on my friends' faces was contagious, and the evening became a triumph to remember. I learned the value of creativity from this experience, as well as how life's unforeseen turns may result in great surprises.

So, you should try my apricot chicken gravy recipe too!

Ingredients for Apricot Chicken:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 cup chicken broth

• 1 cup apricot preserves

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

• 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (optional, for a bit of heat)

• 1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional, for garnish)

• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Chicken preparation:

Chicken breasts should be rinsed in cold water and dried with paper towels. Add salt and pepper to the chicken's both sides.

2. Chicken Dredge:

Each chicken breast should be well covered in flour before being shaken off.

3. Make the chicken brown:

Olive oil should be heated over medium-high heat in a sizable skillet or frying pan. When the chicken breasts are golden brown, add them to the pan and cook for about 3–4 minutes on each side. The chicken should be taken out of the pan after browning and placed aside.

4. Sauté the garlic and onion:

Add the minced garlic and onion to the same skillet. The onion should be sautéed for about 2 minutes, or until it turns translucent and smells good.

5. How to prepare apricot sauce

Add the chicken stock, apricot preserves, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and dried red pepper flakes (if using) to the skillet along with the onion and garlic. To thoroughly incorporate all the ingredients, stir well.

6. Chicken in Sauce: Simmer the chicken:

Add the apricot sauce and the browned chicken breasts back to the skillet. When the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has slightly thickened, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the chicken simmer in the sauce for about 15-20 minutes.

7. Serve and garnish:

Remove the skillet from the heat when the chicken is thoroughly done. To give the chicken more texture and colour, top it with chopped fresh parsley and sliced almonds (if using).

For a satisfying and full meal, serve the apricot chicken with roasted veggies or over steaming rice.

Enjoy your homemade apricot chicken, which has the ideal harmony of sweet and savory flavors to wow your family and visitors!

Grandmama's Fish Curry | Day 9 Food Memories

If you enjoy stories where food quietly carries emotion, you may like my foodie romcom Oops My Heart Did a Somersault at https://www.amazon.in/Oops-My-Heart-did-Somersault-ebook/dp/B0D3NG7M7M

This week, I decided to turn to my maternal grandmother's recipe diary for inspiration. I have never liked fish, except when it was her maacher jhol, aka fish curry. In our family, this dish represented togetherness, tradition, and love. Everyone would congregate in the kitchen every Sunday for a family dinner as the enticing aroma of this fish curry filled the house.

I think this is precisely why I love food. It brings us together. It brings us closer together. And it leaves lasting memories for life. Grandmama is no longer there, but I can feel her presence around me whenever I cook her fish curry. Makes me feel she is smiling at me and approves of the flavors.

Ingredients for Fish Curry:

For the marinade:

• 500 grams of firm-fleshed fish (such as Hilsa, Bhetki, Salmon, or Cod)

• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

• 1 teaspoon red chili powder

• Salt to taste

• 1 tablespoon mustard oil

For the curry:

• 2 tablespoons mustard oil

• 1 teaspoon nigella seeds

• 2-3 green chilies, slit lengthwise

• 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped

• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 teaspoon ginger paste

• 1 teaspoon cumin powder

• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

• 1 teaspoon red chili powder (adjust to taste)

• 2 tablespoons mustard paste (prepared by grinding mustard seeds, green chilies, and water)

• 1 cup water (adjust as needed)

• Salt to taste

• Fresh coriander leaves for garnish

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Method:

1. Marinate the fish first. Salt, mustard oil, turmeric powder, and red chilli powder should all be combined in a bowl. Making sure the fish pieces are evenly coated, rub this mixture onto them. For 15 to 20 minutes, let the fish marinade.

2. Heat the mustard oil in a large, deep pan or kadhai. Green chiles and nigella seeds are added, and they are sautéed for a minute to release their perfume.

3. To the pan, add the minced garlic, ginger paste, and onion that has been chopped. The onions should be sautéed until they are golden brown and have released their fragrant aroma into the oil.

4. Reduce the heat and stir in the red chilli, turmeric, and cumin powders. To help the spices blossom and unleash their flavours, thoroughly stir them into the onion mixture.

5. Gently mix the mustard paste into the spices in the pan as you cautiously add it. Give it a minute to cook so the mustard flavour may permeate the curry base.

6. Pour the water in gradually, varying the amount to achieve the appropriate consistency. Add salt and cook the curry for a short while.

7. sure the marinated fish pieces are completely soaked in the curry before placing them in. For a period of 10 to 15 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and flakes readily, cover the pan and cook it over low heat.

8. Transfer the curry to a serving dish gently once the fish has finished cooking. Fresh coriander leaves make a colorful garnish.

Recipes are never really about instructions. They are love letters left by our ancestors, to cherish, nurture and hold close.

I love you Grandmama.

Tender One-Pot Lamb Curry| Day 8 Food Memories

Before we begin — a small note from a writer of foodie romcoms: Oops My Heart Did a Somersault at https://www.authoravirupabasu.com/

There is something mystical about the air being filled with the scent of spices, hearing onions crackle in a hot skillet, and anticipating a scrumptious curry. We set out on a culinary journey today to explore the heavenly flavors of Bengali Lamb Curry. Because it conjures up warm feelings and my Bengali roots, this traditional recipe has a particular place in my heart. There is something about Indian cooking...it warms the heart and lights the soul!

Childhood recollections come flooding back as I stand in my kitchen, surrounded by the familiar aroma of Bengali Lamb Curry. This dish was a standard at celebrations and family get-togethers while I was growing up. My grandma would expertly create this masterpiece in the kitchen, and the mouthwatering aroma would entice me there from a distance.

I remember how thrilling it was to watch mom pick the spices with care, roast them to perfection, and make a thick, aromatic foundation for the curry. My family would congregate in the kitchen as the lamb cooked, anticipating the moment when it would become delicate and juicy. The kitchen would come alive with laughing and chatter.

But more than just the flavor of the food, it was the manner it drew our family together that made it unforgettable. Bengali Lamb Curry has come to represent joy, celebration, and love. It gave us a sense of our heritage and allowed us to cherish the customs that had been passed down through the years.

I can't help but feel a deep sense of appreciation for the link this recipe holds to my heritage and the treasured experiences it has enabled as I bite into the soft lamb enrobed in the colorful spices.

So, here is the recipe of the curry that I love more than anything:

Ingredients for Lamb Curry:

• 1 kg lamb, cut into pieces

• 2 large onions, finely chopped

• 4 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1-inch piece of ginger, grated

• 2 tomatoes, pureed

• 2 teaspoons cumin powder

• 2 teaspoons coriander powder

• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

• 1 teaspoon red chili powder (adjust to taste)

• 1 teaspoon garam masala

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

• Salt to taste

• Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

Cooking Time:

2 hours

Serves:

4 to 6

Instructions:

1. In a sizable, heavy-bottomed pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook them for a few minutes until golden brown.

2. Once the raw scent has subsided, add the minced garlic and grated ginger and stir thoroughly for a minute.

3. Make sure the onions are evenly coated with the cumin, coriander, turmeric, and red chilli powder before adding them to the pan. Give the spices a minute to roast so that their flavours can be released.

4. When the oil begins to separate from the masala, creating a rich, fragrant base, add the tomato puree and continue cooking.

5. Then add the lamb chunks to the pan and gently swirl them into the spice mixture. Make sure the masala is evenly distributed throughout each piece.

6. Bring the mixture to a boil and then add just enough water to cover the lamb. After that, turn down the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer the lamb for about an hour, stirring now and then, until it is cooked.

7. Once the lamb is cooked to perfection, whisk in the garam masala and sprinkle it over the curry. You can adjust the salt and spices to your liking.

8. Add finely cut cilantro leaves as a garnish to give the dish a burst of freshness.

Bengali Lamb Curry is a sensory experience that captures the spirit of family, tradition, and culture in addition to being a culinary delight. I am reminded of the important function that food plays in our lives as I continue to prepare this cherished dish every Sunday. It helps us connect to our past and sustain our present. So why not set out on your own delicious adventure and indulge in the alluring flavor of Bengali Lamb Curry? It's a dish that not only pleases the palate but also warms the soul and evokes memories.