Chicken Jalfrazie

Jalfrazie is a sautéd dish, which can be prepared with meat, poultry, sea food etc.
The word “Jalfrazie” came from 2 words: “Jal” meaning “spicy or pungent” and “Frazie” meaning “Fried”. As in the case of almost all of our cuisine, which started out as insipid concoctions, in the days of the British Raj, the original “Jal Frezie” was bland and tasteless. The Colonial servants would fry up the leftover Christmas Turkey and Chicken Roasts with some pepper, chillies, etc., for Breakfast the next day. Over the years many more ingredients and spices were added to this dish to make it as spicy and delicious as it is today and it has become synonymous with the cuisine of Anglo-Indians of West Bengal.
Chicken Jalfrazie
Serves 6
Preparation Time 1 hour
Ingredients

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

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

ALMOND CHOCLATE FUDGE

Makes 24 pieces
Preparation time 1 hour
Ingredients

100 grams cocoa powder
1 tin condensed milk
300 grams sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
4 tablespoons ghee or butter
1 cup chopped almonds
½ cup milk

Melt the sugar with the milk and condensed milk in a thick bottomed vessel. Add the cocoa powder and mix well. Add the chopped almonds, vanilla essence and ghee and mix well. Simmer on low heat till the mixture becomes thick and leaves the sides of the vessel. Pour on to a greased plate and decorate with a few almond slivers. When slightly cool cut into squares.

SAUSAGES… Appetizer or a Quick-and-easy Meal?

The meaning of the word “Sausage” in the dictionary means “Chopped or ground meat that has been blended with spices and other seasonings and usually stuffed in natural or manufactured casings”. The origin of meat processing is lost in antiquity but probably began when mankind learned that salt is an effective preservative. Sausage making evolved as an effort to economize and preserve meat that could not be consumed fresh at slaughter. Sausage makers use almost all parts of the animal carcass that cannot be used in other ways. The less tender cuts and organ meats are ground, spiced and made into delicious sausages. The procedure of stuffing meat into the sausage casings remains basically the same today as in the olden days. However, sausage making has now become a culinary art and is now available in a great number of varieties and flavours. Sausages have grown in popularity over the centuries. Today more than 250 varieties of sausages are manufactured and sold worldwide. Some of these varieties can actually be traced back to the town and country of origin. The contemporary role of sausage fits conveniently into our modern lifestyles as an elegant appetizer for entertaining as well as the main course in "quick-and-easy" meals. Sausages are made from beef, veal, pork, lamb, poultry and wild game, or from any combination of these meats. Traditionally, sausages were formed into a symmetrical shape, but now they can be found in a variety of shapes and sizes to meet consumers' needs and fancies. There are lots of innovative ways that you could use sausages besides having them with your Toast and Eggs at Breakfast. You could slice / dice fried sausages and serve them on crackers with cheese as an appetizer. Dice them and add in salads, soups, curries, etc. Grill the sausages and eat with a creamy garlic dip. Use them in Casseroles and Bakes with other vegetables and meats or you could just make a very delicious curry dish with them as under. 

 SAVOURY SAUSAGE CURRY 500 grams pork or beef (pepper) sausages 2 big tomatoes chopped 2 large onions sliced finely 2 green chilies sliced lengthwise 1 teaspoon ginger paste 1 teaspoon chopped garlic 2 tablespoons oil 1 teaspoon chilly powder ½ teaspoon tumeric powder ½ teaspoon coriander powder ½ teaspoon cumin powder Salt to taste Heat oil in a pan and add the sausages and a little water. Cook on low heat till the water evaporates and the sausages turn golden brown. Remove from heat and slice the sausages into halves. In the same oil add the onions, chopped garlic and green chillies and fry till golden brown. Add the ginger paste and fry for 2 or 3 minutes. Now add the tomatoes, turmeric, chillie powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt and fry till the tomatoes turn pulpy. Add 1 cup of water and bring to boil. Add the sliced sausages and cook on low heat till the gravy becomes thick. Serve with bread or rice