Chef Megha Kohli, Of Cafe Mez, Shares Her Go-To Comfort Food Recipes
With everything that is going on around us, food can be a great source of comfort especially when it’s an all-out-indulgent affair. Most of us have our favourite comfort food recipes, and our favourite professional chefs have their own go-to treats. While most of our indulgences involve two keywords: ‘fried’ and ‘butter’, we wondered what does a professional chef indulge in? Executive chef at Cafe Mez and The Wine Company, Megha Kohli revealed that chefs are humans too and shared some of her favourite comfort foods, including crowd favourites like Butter Chicken and Chicken Biryani. Before you drool all over yourself, try out some of her go-to comfort food recipes yourself!
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Butter Chicken
Butter Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken (curry cut or boneless): 1Kg
Refined oil: 2 tablespoons
For the marinade:
Hung curd : 300 gm
Garlic paste : 2 tsp
Ginger paste : 1 tsp
Degi mirch/red chili powder : 1 tsp
Garam masala powder : 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder : 1 tsp
Coriander powder : 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Lime juice of 2 lemons
For the makhani gravy:
Tomatoes:1 kg
Butter : 150 gm (Amul)
Red chilli powder / Degi mirch : 1 tsp
Vinegar : 1 tsp
Kasuri Methi : 1 tsp
Garam masala : 2 pinch
Amul cream : 2 tablespoons
Method:
*Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together and nicely mix in the chicken in it. Let it marinate for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. Boil the tomatoes in water, strain, and then puree them in a blender.
* Once the chicken is marinated, heat oil in a big pan and cook the chicken in it on low heat.
* Whilst the chicken is cooking, start working on the makhani gravy. Put the tomato puree in a separate frying pan and cook for 10 to 12 minutes till it has cooked and reduced. Add the butter, red chilli powder, Kasuri Methi, Garam masala and salt. Cook for 5 minutes. Finish with cream and stir well.
* Now pour the makhani sauce into the chicken and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
* Finish with vinegar (please taste the curry before, only add the vinegar if you feel it can do with some more sourness).
* Serve hot. You can garnish this with Coriander, Kasuri Methi, butter, cream or just dig into it immediately! .
Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Skillet
Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Skillet
Ingredients For The Chicken:
Boneless skinless chicken thighs / chicken breast: 500 gm
Garlic powder: 1 teaspoon
Thyme: 2 sprigs
Salt to taste
Olive Oil: 2 tablespoons
For the sauce:
Butter: 1 tablespoon
Mushrooms (sliced): 300 gms
Garlic (sliced): 12 cloves
Fresh chopped Parsley: 1 tablespoon
Thyme: 3 sprigs
Rosemary: 2 sprigs
Onion (sliced): 1
Black Pepper: 1 tsp
Cooking Cream: 3 cups
Fresh shredded Parmesan cheese (optional): ½ cup
Dijon mustard (optional): 1 tsp
White Wine (optional): 1/4th cup
Method:
*Combine the garlic powder, herbs, salt. Coat the chicken evenly with the combined seasoning.
* Heat the oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat and sear chicken in batches until browned on each side and cooked completely (4 mins on each side if using breast & 6 minutes on each side if using leg boneless). Transfer to a plate; set aside and keep warm.
*To the same pan or skillet, melt the butter and add the mushrooms and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft (about 3 minutes). Add the garlic, parsley, thyme, rosemary and onions and sauté until fragrant and till the onions turn translucent (about 2 minute).
* Deglaze with white wine if you want.
* Stir in cream, bring to a simmer, add the mustard, then reduce heat and continue cooking until the sauce has thickened slightly.
* Stir in the Parmesan cheese (if using) and allow it to melt through the sauce for a further 2 minutes, while occasionally stirring.
* Return chicken to the pan. Taste test and season with salt and pepper to your taste. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately.
Chicken Biryani
Chicken Biryani
Ingredients for the rice:
Basmati rice: 2 1/2 cup (soaked for 30 mins)
Green Cardamoms: 3
Cloves: 3
Cinnamon Stick: 1
Bay Leaf: 1
A pinch of whole Cumin
Black Cardammom 1
Boil water in a pan and add all the ingredients and cook rice till it’s 3/4th cooked. (This should take 7 to 8 minutes).
For the biryani:
Chicken (can be with bone or boneless): 1Kg
Ghee: 1 cup
Salt to taste
Green Cardamoms: 3
Black Cardamom: 1
Cloves: 3
Cinnamon Stick: 1
Bay Leaf: 1
Cumin Seeds: 2 tsp
Onions: 2 (sliced)
Ginger paste: 5 tsp
Garlic paste: 5 tsp
Red chili powder: 2 tsp
Yogurt: 3 cups (Keep 1.5 cup in one bowl and 1.5 in another bowl)
Juice of 2 Lemons
1 tsp Saffron mixed in 3 tablespoons of warm milk
Fresh Mint: 1 cup
Fresh Coriander: 1 cup
Kewra water: 4-5 drops
Gulab Jal ½ tablespoon
Method:
*Mix the saffron milk into one of the yogurt bowls.
* Heat ghee in a handi and sauté the whole spices for 2 minutes.
* Add onions and sauté till they are golden brown in colour. Add ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder and sauté for 1 minute.
* Add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes. Add the plain yogurt and salt and sauté.
* Add 1 cup of water and let the chicken cook till it is 3/4th cooked. Add lemon juice and check seasoning.
* Now sprinkle the chicken with coriander, mint and saffron yogurt and layer it with the rice. Sprinkle the mint, coriander and saffron yogurt again and layer with rice. Repeat the process.
* Now sprinkle the kewra water and gulab jal on top.
* Cover the handi with a lid and seal with the atta dough and let this cook for 10 to 15 minutes on a low flame. Serve hot!
Kashmiri Phirni
Kashmiri Phirni
Ingredients:
Milk: 1 litre (full fat)
Saffron strands: 1/2 tsp
Semolina: 40 gm
Sugar: 50 gm
Condensed Milk: 110 gm
Almonds sliced: 10 pc
Method:
*Boil the milk with the saffron for 3 to 4 mins.
*Add the semolina and stir continuously till it reaches a sauce-like consistency and the milk reduces to almost half of what you began with.
*Add the sugar, condensed milk and cook for 2 to 3 mins.
*Pour into bowls & serve chilled garnished with nuts.
