Corn Chaat & a Trip to the Qutab Minar

If there is one place on this planet where people love winters, it has to be New Delhi. After a hot and long summer season and hot,humid rainy season, the cold, foggy winters are a treat. Despite the cold, people are out on the streets and it is non-stop party season. This winters we decided as a family to go out every Saturday to one historical monument to showcase our heritage to our 2 boys. What better place to kick off than with the Qutab Minar, the logo of New Delhi and its most popular landmark.

I for one have a lot of childhood memories associated with the place. We stayed for 2 weeks in the tourist guest house situated inside the qutab complex. Everyday my sister and I would go out and roam the complex and play our games there. Of course, there was not too much of a crowd in those days and the security was non-existent. You could touch the monuments and even go inside the Qutab (Now you cannot touch some of the relics like the Iron Pillar and cannot go inside the Qutab). It was nostalgic to be there with my parents, my better half, my sister and her son and my two boys. It was a day long picnic and the tour was followed by a nice lunch in the gardens with the kids playing all around.

Legend has it that Delhi was composed of seven ancient cities (not counting the modernistic New Delhi), namely,

- Quila Rai Pithora (an extension of Lalkot)

- Mehrauli

- Siri

- Tuglakabad

- Ferozabad

- Shergarh

- Shahjehanabad

Lalkot was constructed by King Anandpal Tomar in the Eleventh Century. The Tomar Rajputs are,incidentally, credited with founding Delhi. Lalkot was more of a defense structure surrounding an area. One of his later successors, Prithviraj Chauhan (also popularly known as Rai Pithora) took over and extended lalkot for his city which he called Quila Rai Pithora (literally meaning the Fort of Rai Pithora).

Muhammad Ghori after various unsuccessful attempts succeeding in capturing Quila Rai Pithora in 1192 AD. He returned back to Ghazni (in present day Afghanistan) and placed Qutab-Ud-Din Aibak as his Viceroy in Delhi.After Ghori's death he enthroned himself as the Sultan of Delhi and thus started the Slave dynasty (He started as a slave purchased by the Ghori dynasty who rose through the ranks).In his short rule (he died playing polo in Lahore), Aibak started the construction of Mehrauli by demolishing all Hindu Temples and establishing Islamic structures in their place. He started the construction of the Qutab Minar as his Tower of Victory, but died after constructing the first storey. His son-in-law Iltutmish completed the 2nd, 3rd and 4th storey. After damage by Lightning, it's 4th storey was dismantled and reconstructed by Firoz Tughlaq. He also added a 5th storey to the structure. Later on restorations were also done by Sikandar Lodi.

Picnic food in India can be tricky. We could see some families around, complete with their pressure cooker and casseroles with tasty gravies around. There were also some with sandwiches and burgers around. I have always been somewhere in between, Picnic on a cold wintery afternoon (it was the coldest day in New Delhi in 6 years) for me means having a nice chaat,some bread pakoras or samosas, ending with some warm carrot halwa. There should be hot tea for company throughout the meal and a leisurely walk to digest the food later. For the chaat we decided to have a twist by making a Corn Chaat instead. It was really quick to make and stays well during tavel. You have an option of either mixing the Tamarind (Imli) chutney during the making of the chaat or give it alongside as an accompanying dip. I have tried both and found both working fine taste wise.

Corn Chaat
Makes 4 Portions


Ingredients:
American Corn - 3 Cups
Onion(large), finely chopped - 1
Tomato (Large), Chopped - 1
Coriander, finely chopped - 1/2 Cup
Green Chillies, finely chopped - 2
Peanuts - 1/2 Cup
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp
Black Pepper Powder - 1 Tsp
Anardana - 1/2 Tsp
Amchoor Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Black Salt - 1 Tsp
Tamarind Chutney - 1 Tsp
Mint Chutney - 1 Tsp
Lemon Juice - 1/2 Tsp
Cumin Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/4 Tsp
Cloves, powdered - 2
Potato Chips, crushed - 1/2 Cup
Potato, cubed - 1 (Optional)
Coriander - For Garnish

Method:
1. Steam the corn till soft and done. (Believe me, I have tried boiling it and it just doesn't taste right. Steaming does take a little longer but worth every single minute spent.)
2. Roast the peanuts till they begin to change color. About a minute on high flame.
3. Add all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. NOTE: You have the option of either adding the Tamarind and Mint Chutneys straight away or serving them on the side with the chaat.
4. Serve in individual plates or bowls.

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Tamarind Chutney (Imli Chutney)

Tamarind Chutney is a delicious dip that is essential to the preparation of many fast foods in India, especially the different chaats. The sweet and tangy dip is also served as an accompaniment to other dishes esp. samosas and pakoras alongwith the tomato based chutneys. My better half even does a fried rice dish with vegetables and tamarind chutney.  She has it with plain raita (yogurt) and is an ideal comfort food on those cold winter evenings when you want to grab a quick bowl and get into bed and enjoy while watching the TV.

Tamarind Chutney

Ingredients

Tamarind, deseeded - 250 gms

Sugar (I personally prefer Jaggery) - 300 gms

Cumin Seeds, roasted - 2 Tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp

Salt - 1 Tsp

Black Salt - 1 Tsp

Ginger Powder (Saunth) - 1/2 Tsp

Water, boiling - 2 Cups

Method:

1.Soak the tamarind pieces in the hot water for an hour. After they have been soaked for an hour, mash them to take the pulp out of the tamarind pieces (Yes, using hands is preferred).

2. Pass this mixture through a strainer (pressing hard against the strainer to ensure all pulp is squeezed out) and discard the pieces.

3. Put this strained mixture on flame. Add sugar and mix well.

4. Add on the remaining ingredients and mix well.

5. Cook till desired consistency is attained. Take off flame and cool down.

Keeps well for over a month or two if refrigerated. I personally suggest making a thick tamarind chutney. You can use it as is for purposes of a dip. To use it over chaats, I thin it by adding water and mixing well.

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Frango Na Pucara - Portuguese Chicken in a Pot

Recently while browsing through my cookbooks, I chanced upon a chicken recipe which had all the ingredients for a smash hit dish. Always on the lookout for interesting recipes, I just knew my chilly sunday afternoon would be enjoyed cooking this recipe.

The dish is called Frango na Pucara, which roughly translates to Chicken in a Pot. It's simplicity, use of easily available ingredients and easy recipe makes it a truly global dish. The taste has a universal appeal and I loved every minute of preparing this one. Checking the web, I found a dozen recipes for it, each with some difference in ingredient than the next. Some added brandy, some grappa, some neither. Some called for the oven, some cooked it on flame altogether. Some made it dry, some with too watery a gravy (almost stew like). I decided to go with the flow and come up with my version of the same. One quick visit to the local grocery store and I was done with my list of requirements to get me going for this one.

Frango Na Pucara - My Version


Makes 4 Portions


Ingredients:

Chicken, cut into 8 pieces (or if you want more, go ahead) - 1

For the chicken coating
All-purpose Flour - 1 Cup
Paprika - 1 Tblsp
Thyme - 1 Tblsp
Salt - 1.5 Tsp
Black Pepper, freshly ground - 1/2 Tsp

For the gravy
Prosciutto -120 gms
Pearl Onions, peeled and blanched - 12
Red Bell Pepper, roasted, peeled and cut into thick strips - 1
Garlic cloves - 6
Tomatoes, diced - 3
Bay Leaves - 3
Parsley sprigs - 4
Dry white wine - 1/2 Cup
Tawny Port - 1/2 Cup
Tomato Paste - 1 Tblsp
Dijon Mustard - 1 Tblsp
Paprika - 1/4 Tsp
Salt - To Taste
Extra-virgin olive oil - 2 Tblsp

Method:1 . Sift together the ingredients for the flour coating in a large bowl.
2. Add the chicken pieces to this flour mixture, 1 at a time. Coat evenly on all sides.
3. Heat oil in skillet or a pan (medium flame). Add the chicken pieces to the skillet and saute till brown (4 minutes each side). Transfer the chicken pieces to a plate and keep aside. Reserve the skillet with all the juices.
4. In a large ovenproof crockpot, arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer. Top them with diced tomatoes, prosciutto, pearl onions, red bell pepper, garlic, parsley and bay leaves. Sprinkle paprika on top.
5. Put the reserved skillet back on the flame. Add in the port wine and white wine. Bring to a boil while scraping the sides and bottom for the browned bits.
6. Remove the skillet from the flame. Add in the tomato paste and mustard. Mix well.
7. Pour this over the chicken. Put the crockpot on flame and bring to a boil. Adjust seasoning.
8. Transfer the crockpot to the oven and braise at 350 degrees F for an an hour to an hour and a half.
9. Remove chicken and discard the bay leaves. Pour in a serving dish and serve hot with rice (if you made one with lots of gravy) or with bread (dry with enough coating consistency).

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Choco Lava Cake

Ever had your kids make your life miserable for something they want. If you haven't then consider yourself lucky. They say Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Believe me, that's nothing. Hell hath no fury like a demanding kid ...atleast till the demands are not met.

My younger one had this craving for a chocolate lava cake...and that was not all. He didn't want the one available in restaurants. He wanted ME to bake him one. 3 days of persistent quizzing by him, on whether today was the day, emotional hijacks that I don't love him (and he is only 4), hunger strikes (I will only have food if the dessert is a choco lava cake), mass announcements to neighbors that his father will bake him a molten cake, I finally relented. Last Sunday, he  got his Choco Lava cake and yes! I did bake him one 6-7 so that he could have one for the next 3 days.

The choco lava cake (as my son calls it) is known by many names - Molten Chocolate cake, Chocolate fondant pudding, Chocolate Lava Cake. It's invention is disputed, with Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten claiming to have invented this in 1987, and Chef  Jacques Torres(France) claiming that this dish existed in France from much before. Still, Chef Vongerichten did make it popular within the US and is credited with the same.

Choco Lava Cake

Make 8 Ramekins


Ingredients:
Chocolate (semi-sweet or bitter), chopped - 170 gms 
Butter, cut into pieces - 115 gms
Eggs, yolks & whites separated - 3
Granulated white sugar - 65 gms (For the egg yolks)
Granulated white sugar  - 1 Tblsp (For the egg whites)
Vanilla Essence or Extract - 1 Tsp
Cream of Tartar - 1/8 Tsp


For the ramekins/molds
Butter - 1.5 Tsp
Castor Sugar - 2 Tblsp

Method:
1. Prepare the ramekins/molds by buttering the insides evenly and then coating them with sugar. An easy way to coat with sugar is to drop a tsp into the buttered mold and then just swirl it around. The sugar will stick to the buttered portions and you can tap the excess back into another bowl.
2. Preheat oven to 200 Degrees Celsius.
3. In a medium heatproof bowl, add in the chocolate pieces and butter pieces. Put it on a double boiler (or over a pan of boiling water ensuring that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water but is just above it). Melt the chocolate and butter. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
4. In a large bowl, add in egg yolks and 65 gms. sugar. Beat till they turn white (very pale...almost white), thick and fluffy.
5. Add in the vanilla essence. Beat the egg mixture again till the batter starts to fall back in ribbons once lifted.
6. Fold in the melted chocolate and butter.
7. In another clean bowl, add in the egg whites and whip till they turn frothy.
8. Add in the cream of tartar and whip to form soft peaks.
9. Add in the 1 Tblsp of sugar and whip till stiff peaks form.
10. Gently fold these egg whites into the egg & chocolate mixture. Take care not to overmix or the batter will deflate. An ideal way is to fold it in batchwise. Do not worry, if certain streaks of white remain visible.
11. Pour into the buttered and sugared molds.
12. Bake for 10 minutes or till outside is set and middle appears wet. NOTE: Cracks may appear on the surface and that is normal.
13. Remove from oven. Rest for a minute and serve either in ramekins/molds or independently.
14. You can garnish with raspberries, sprinkling of icing sugar, coffee powder, whipped cream or ice cream on top.

NOTE: You need not rush to bake after pouring the mixture into the molds. You can also prepare this in advance and cover with a film of wrap and keep it in the refrigerator and bake later. Just increase the baking time to make up for the cold mixture. It keeps well for 4-5 days.

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Strawberry Pancakes

It was a Sunday well spent catering to the needs of my little ones. My better half was out on work and I was Daddy Day Care for the day. Right from cooking breakfast to a lava cake for dessert and some games in between, the day just flew.  Pancakes it was going to be and after much thinking Strawberry Pancakes it was ( the box in the fridge had a lot to play in the decision making). 

They are extremely easy to make and if you are willing to play with various toppings like strawberry sauce, maple syrup, chocolate sauce, some sprinkles they are going to be a show stealer for the little ones.

Strawberry Pancakes

Makes - 8 Pancakes (3-in diameter)

Ingredients

Flour, All-purpose - 150 gm
Sugar - 2 Tblsp
Baking Powder - 2 Tsp
Egg - 1
Milk - 1 Cup (240 ml)
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Vanilla Essence - 1 Tsp
Strawberries, chopped - 2 Cups
Strawberries, sliced - 2 (For garnish)
Maple Syrup - For topping
Butter, melted - 1 Tblsp
Butter - for making pancakes and topping

Method:
The Batter:
1. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla essence.
3. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add in the melted butter.
4. Whisk the batter well to ensure there are no lumps and it is smooth and thick.
5. Fold in the chopped strawberries.

Making the Pancakes:
1. Heat a non-stick skillet/griddle. Add in a tsp of butter and rotate to coat the skillet/griddle.
2. Spoon the batter onto the skillet/griddle (1/4 of a cup).
3. Cook till pancakes start to turn bubbly on top and appear set. (2-3 minutes)
4. Flip them around with a spatula and cook on other side for 2 minutes.
5. Remove to a plate. Repeat again with another spoonful till all batter is used up or you have made the number you require.
NOTE : Keep buttering the skillet as necessary.
Keep pancakes warm as you remove them by either storing them in a casserole or a warm cloth.
6. Serve warm with softened butter and maple syrup on top.

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Country Captain Chicken

So all this silence on this space makes one wonder if all is well. It has been a busy 3 weeks, and the way it looks, it is going get only busier. Between work, partying and family commitments, I wonder if there will be any time left for anything else. We had the grill out for the first time this year, and, even though I had not found any time to give any thought to what I will prepare. it turned out pretty fine. The tangri kababs, grilled sole, multani paneer tikkas and grilled jacket potatoes just flew and I was left wondering if I should have got more stuff.

In the meanwhile my better half launched her own housekeeping service in Delhi. I had to provide support in terms of the website and facebook microsite. With that done, it was just the numerous festivals and parties that kept me on my toes.

The changing weather also bought a lot of wildlife out. I saw some amazing out of birds in my garden from time to time. Some were clicked, some just remained in my memory.

I cooked up loads during the time period and one was Country Captain Chicken. It is a true Southern American dish, but if you roam around India, you can come across different versions of this dish where only the name and the main ingredient is the common link. Even the version by Jiggs Kalra mentioned in his book, Zaike Ka Safar is so different. A lot of people might mistake it to be an Indian dish, but it is an American dish with influences from India. As the story goes, The dish was enjoyed by British officers in India, and over the years, it made its way to Port of Savannah, an important port for spice trade through a British Sea Captain.  Since then the recipe has undergone many changes, from a basic chicken and curry powder stew to a mature wholesome dish consisting of other ingredients like raisins and tomatoes. Even in the US, different versions abound. I chose the recipe provided by Lee Bros. on the Food Network site, with a few tweaks (visit the Food Network site for the original).

Country Captain Chicken

Serves - 4

Ingredients:

Chicken - drumsticks, diced thigh pieces - 1 Kg 

Chicken stock - 1/2 Cup

Bacon, chopped - 120 gms

Garlic - 3 cloves

Ginger, grated - 2 Tblsp

Onions, finely chopped - 2 cups

Yellow Bell Peppers, diced - 2 cups

Carrots, peeled and sliced into roundels - 2 Cups

Dried red chillies. seeds removed - 1

Tomatoes, blanched and concassed - 3 cups

Curry Powder - 1 Tblsp

Garam Masala - 1 Tblsp

Raisins- 1/2 cup

Salt-  To Taste

Freshly ground black pepper - 1/2 Tsp

Almonds,Slivered, toasted and chopped- 1/2 cup

Parsley, chopped - 1/2 cup

Oil

Method:

1. Cover the raisins in warm chicken stock and keep aside.

2. Take a stew pot or handi and hear a tsp of oil. Add in the bacon pieces. Cook till it is golden brown, stirring the pieces occasionally to evenly color them. Strain and keep aside.

3. Take some of the fat from the handi and reserve.

4. Add in the chicken pieces to the handi and brown the pieces lightly. Take out and reserve.

5. Add in the dried red chili and toast the chili in fat for about 30 seconds.

6. Add in the onion and garlic cloves. Cook for two minutes or till onions start to turn translucent.

7.Add in the carrots and bell peppers. Cook until they soften (5-6 minutes). Incase the ingredients in the pot are becoming dry add in the reserve bacon fat that we had taken out initialy.

8. Add in the grated ginger, tomatoes and curry powder, garam masala, salt and black pepper. Cook for 2 more minutes.

9. Add in the raisins with the chicken stock. Cook on a low flame till tomatoes are cooked and the sauce thickens.

10. Add in the chicken pieces. Cover the pot with foil.

11. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

12. Transfer the pot to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.

13. Remove the foil and bake further until sauce has thickened.

14. Garnish with reserved bacon, almonds and parsley.

15. Serve hot over rice.

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Phaldari Kofta aur Ananas Ki Tarri ( Plantain Koftas with Pineapple Gravy)

Fresh on the success of my watermelon curry and having fresh and juicy pineapples staring at me from the grocery aisles, it was only a matter of time that it found its way into some delicious item on my dining table. Fortunately, there were quite a few curry recipes made from Pineapple that I found on the internet, and some of them were from India - Southern part of India. This was strange since I assumed that I would end up finding some from the North-East part of India, where it is abundantly grown but did not find any from that part. The koftas on the other hand were my tried and tasted Plantain koftas. Plantains (Raw Bananas), unknown to many make for an amazing cooking ingredient. They are cooked and treated the same way as potatoes and are very popular in tropical regions across the world. 

Phaldari Kofta aur Ananas Ki Tarri ( Plantain Koftas with Pineapple Gravy)


Ingredients:


For the Koftas:
Plantains, boiled & mashed - 2
Cheese, grated - 3 Tblsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 Tsp
Corriander Powder - 1 tsp
Fennel Powder - 1 Tsp
Amchur Powder - 1 Tsp
Salt - To Taste
Flour - To coat


For the Curry:
Onion, sliced - 1 Cup
Cumin seeds - 1 Tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Tsp
Asafoetida (Hing) - A Pinch
Curry Leaves - 3-4
Pineapple - 4 roundels
Coconut, frsh & grated - 3 Tblsp (30 gms)
Cloves - 6
Cinnamon Stick - 1 (1 Inch)
Green Cardamom - 2
Ginger, chopped - 1 Tblsp
Red Chilies, dried - 5
Turmeric Powder (Haldi) - 1/4 Tsp
Jaggery - 2 tsp (You can substitute this with honey if you like)
Salt To Taste
Oil - 3 Tblsp
Coriander, finely chopped - To garnish


Method:


For the Koftas:
1. Mix all the kofta ingredients with the plantains (Except the flour) well.
3. Divide into equal portions and form round balls.
4. Coat with flour and deep fry in hot oil till they turn golden brown.
5. Drain and keep aside.

For the Curry:
1. Make a paste of grated coconut, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom and red chilies. Add in a tsp. of water if required while making the paste. Keep aside for use later.
2. Heat oil in a wok, and add in mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and hing. Add in the sliced onions.
3. Mix well and cook till onions turn translucent.  
4. Add in the coconut paste. Mix well and cook till the mixture starts to turn brown.
5. Add in 2 cups of water and stir to mix. Add in jaggery and turmeric.
6. Add in the pineapple pieces and cover and cook on medium flame for 10-15 minutes or till pineapple pieces turn soft and mashy.
7. Take off flame and cool. Process in a blender and pass through a strainer.
8. Transfer back to the wok and return to flame. Cook for 5 minutes and adjust seasoning.

To Serve:
1. Add in the koftas and serve garnished with chopped coriander.

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Kachi Mirch Ka Gosht

Gastronomically, it was a very satisfying weekend. The start could not be more interesting, with a visit to Aap Ki Khatir near Nizamuddin. I will post a short write-up on the place in a day or two. The remainder of the weekend was spent cooking up a lot of stuff and trying out new things. It all culminated last night with some close friends, a lot of good spirits and an array of food made by my better half and I. The star of the entrees was the Kachi Mirch Ka Gosht and though I did not get to taste it last night, a nice heapful on top of some pulao was heaven this morning.

The recipe has been adapted from Prashad - Cooking with Indian Masters, a gem of a book by Jiggs Kalra, showcasing brilliant recipes from the Masterchefs. I have had my copy for over 17 years now (I bought this in my 1st year college) and I keep going back to it, sometimes for recipes, and, sometimes just to browse through the book and bring back great memories from my kitchen days. I have worked with some of the chefs featured in the book, mostly as a trainee or as a colleague and I love the way the book breaks down each recipe and explains how to go about it.

Kachi Mirch Ka Gosht

Ingredients:

Lamb, assorted cuts - 1 Kg
Yogurt - 1 Cup
Coriander Seeds - 4 Tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 Tblsp
Black Cumin Seeds (Shahi Jeera) - 1.5 Tsp
Black Peppercorn - 1.5 Tsp
Whole Garam Masala (5 Green Cardamom, 1 Black Cardamom, 1 Cinnamon Stick, 4 Cloves, 1 Bay Leaf)
Onion Sliced - 250 gms
Ginger,chopped - 2 Tblsp
Green Chillies, deseeded and chopped - 4
Green Peppercorn -1 Tblsp (10 gm)
Cream 3/4 Cup
Fennel Powder - 1 Tsp
Ghee - 3/4 Cup
Salt - To Taste

Method:
1. Pound Coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black cumin and black peppercorn. Mix in Yogurt along with salt. Whisk well.
2. Marinate lamb cubes in this yogurt marinade for an hour.
3. Heat ghee in a large vessel. Add in the whole garam masala and saute till it begins to crackle.
4. Add in the sliced onions and fry till it starts to turn golden brown.
5. Add in the ginger,green chilies and fry for a minute.

6. Take off flame and allow to cool. Once cooled process in a blender. Put the processed mixture back on flame.

7. Add in green peppercorns and cook for a couple of minutes.
8. Add in the lamb pieces along with the marinade. Stir for 30 seconds.
9. Add in 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Simmer till lamb is tender.
10. Add in the cream and bring to a boil. Add in the salt and mix well.
11. Sprinkle fennel powder before finishing.
12. Serve hot with roti or pulao.

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Korma Ki Biryani

It has been a really long and busy weekend. Actually the weekend started on Thursday itself, with everyone celebrating Dussehra, the festival celebrating the Indian god Rama's victory over the evil demon king Ravan. The festival is celebrated with large effigies (some of them as huge as 70 ft high) of Ravan, his brother Kumbhakarna and his son Meghnaad, set afire. The festival is also called Vijaydashami and is on the 10th day of Navratri. In the eastern part of India, this day is also celebrated as the day Goddess Durga killed the buffalo demon Mahishasura. In short, the day is celebrated as the day of victory of good over evil. Starting the Navratris the festival season has started in Delhi and many parts of India and will continue till Diwali and then all the way till X'Mas and New Years eve. The weather has also turned much cooler, so there will be a lot of parties and a lot of good food being cooked.

After the hectic Navratras and Dussehra, we decided to take it easy this weekend, as far as cooking at home was concerned. We anyways had the F1 Grand Prix Food Festival to attend at Leela's in Gurgaon and I was saving myself up for a grand evening and I can say now after having been there last night, that it did not disappoint. Taking it easy meant a Biryani lunch. Now Biryani, atleast in our household is the relaxation day food. It is meant for days when you want to laze around in front of the TV, watch a movie, eat food and drink beer. Since I had picked up atleast a dozen movie titles from a sale a few days back, the agenda was to start watching the movies, and enjoy some tasty Biryani alongside chilled Beer (raita, papad thrown in too). 

The Biryani that I decided to cook up this time was a Korma Biryani. Korma and Biryani, both, are extremely popular food items and when we marry the two we get an absolutely brilliant, tasty dish.

Other Biryani recipes on this site:

Bohri Biryani
Lucknowi Dum Pukht Biryani
Khoja Kachi Biryani
Hyderabadi Biryani

Korma Ki Biryani


Ingredients:
For the Korma
Mutton / Lamb, assorted cuts - 500 gm
Potatoes, medium sized, quartered - 2
Onions, finely sliced - 2
Caraway Seeds - 1/4 Tsp
Green Cardamoms - 2
1" Cinnamon Stick - 1
Ginger Paste - 1 Tsp
Garlic Paste - 1 Tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/3 Tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp
Yogurt, whisked - 1 Cup
Muskmelon Seeds - 2 Tsp
Watermelon seeds - 2 Tsp
Cashews - 6
Dessicated Coconut - 2 Tsp
Coriander, chopped - 1 Tsp
Mint Leaves. chopped - 1 Tsp
Green Chilies, chopped - 2
Salt
Oil - For frying

For the Rice:
Basmati Rice - 250 gm
Peppercorns - 5
1" Cinnamon Stick - 1
Cloves - 2
Salt
Oil - 1 Tblsp

For Assembling
Milk - 1/3 Cup
Lemon Juice - 2 Tsp
Ghee - 1 Tblsp
Cream - 1 Tblsp
Saffron, crushed & dissolved in half cup warm milk - 1/2 Tsp
Wheat flour (Atta) - Made into dough with water for sealing the pot
Coriander, chopped - 1 Tsp

Method:
For Korma
1. Make a paste of musk melon seeds, watermelon seeds, cashews and dessicated coconut with 1 Tblsp water. Keep aside.
2. Heat Oil in a handi. Fry the potatoes till they turn golden brown. Drain and keep aside.
3. In the same oil, fry the onion slices till they turn golden brown. Remove and keep aside. Once cool, crush the onion slices.
4. Now take, a large pot (preferably a lagan) which can accommodate both meat and rice. Transfer half the oil from the handi to this pot/lagan. Put it on flame.
5. Once the oil is hot, add caraway seeds, cinnamon stick and cardamoms. As the cardamom starts to change colour, add the ginger and garlic paste. Fry for half a minute and add in the salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder (mix red chili powder with a tsp of water to make a paste and add - this will prevent the spice from burning).
6. Add in the meat pieces and fry on high flame for 5 minutes. Lower the fame and add in the yogurt and continue stirring till it comes to a boil.
7. Add in the melon seeds, cashew, coconut paste. Mix well and cook for a minute.
8. Add a cup of water and cover and cook on a medium flame for 20 minutes or till meat is 3/4th done.
9. Add in the fried potatoes and crushed onions. Mix well and cook till potatoes are tender and the meat is done.
10. Add in the chopped coriander, green chilies and mint. Mix well.
11. Cook till meat gravy is reduced to one cup.
For the Rice:
12. Soak the rice for 20 minutes. Drain.
13. In a large vessel (separate from the one used to cook the meat) boil a litre of water along with peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, salt and oil.
14. When water comes to a boil, add in the rice.
15. Cook till rice is 2/3rd done. Drain the water.
To Assemble:
16. Layer the rice over the Korma (Meat gravy).
17. Sprinkle the ghee, cream, lemon juice, saffron soaked in milk and milk on top.
18. Cover with a tight fitting lid and seal the sides with atta dough.
19. Put a tava (Flat plate) on flame and add the Biryani vessel on top. Cook for 10-15 minutes on medium flame.
20. Remove from flame, open pot and garnish with freshly chopped coriander.Serve hot.

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Sooji Ka Halwa (Semolina Sweet Dessert)

Today happens to be Maha Ashtami (the eighth day of the Navratri festival) and it is fairly common in the Northern Part of India for households to celebrate Ashtami by doing the Kanjak Ashtami Pooja. Since these nine days of the festival are dedicated to the Hindu goddesses, on Ashtami people break their fast by calling young girls home and treating them as goddesses. These "Kanjak Devis" are called home, their feet are washed and they are offered the ceremonial food, which consists if puri (fried bread), chana (gram) and halwa. Apart from this they are also offered bangles, red chunni and some token amount known as a shagun.

Halwa means a dense sweet preparation and derives its name from the Arabic word Al Halwa meaning "Sweet Confection". Though there are numerous kinds of Halwa, made with different exotic ingredients, the ones made with Sooji (Semolina), Carrot (Gajar), Almond & Moon Dal (Mung Bean) are most common and popular. You also find a pistachio based halwa commonly in India, but people are unware that it is a kind of Halwa. It is called Soan Papdi in most places and its more denser preparation is called Patissa. In fact, if you have anyone going towards Doda in J&K, you should request them to get you some Patissa from a place called Kud. It is like nothing you ever tasted before. Similarly, if you manage to go down South of India or have some one going, Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu is a place to visit. Called the Halwa City, it is famous for it's sweet wheat based halwa.

 

Sooji ka Halwa


Ingredients:
Semolina - 3/4 Cup
Sugar - 3/4 Cup
Ghee (Clarified Butter) - 6 Tblsp
Water - 1.5 Cups (Most suggest using Milk, but I prefer using water)
Almonds - 1/4 Cup
Cashews - 1/2 Cup
Raisins - 1/2 Cup
Pistachios- 1/4 Cup
Green Cardamom Powder - 2 Tsp

Method:
1. In a small sauce pan, combine water and sugar to make a light syrup. Keep aside.
2. Also, chop the nuts, keeping some aside for garnish. Fry the nuts in 1 Tblsp ghee. Keep aside.
3. Heat 4 Tblsp of ghee in a wok.

Add the semolina and mix well.

Roast the semolina while stirring consistently (to prevent sticking) till it attains a light biscuit color.

4. Add in the fried nuts and mix well.
5. Add the sugar syrup to the sooji (Semolina) and mix well.

Keep stirring and cooking till most of the water has been absorbed and the mixture has achieved a wet pasty form.
6. Add in the remaining 1 Tblsp of ghee. Mix well and take off flame.
7. Garnish with fried nuts.

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Boiled Onion Paste

Just a few posts ago, I had written on lengths about the cuts of the onions and how it influences the dish. That post was about fried onion paste, this time we talk about boiled onion paste. 

The recipe for this paste is straight out of a Jiggs Kalra book (all of his books, have the same recipe). Incase you love Indian cuisine, you have to possess a Jiggs Kalra book, atleast one if not all.

Now various authors talk about additions of various spices to this paste, but having tried out addition of cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon etc., I go with Bay leaves and Black Cardamom as they pep up the flavors without overpowering the paste.

Boiled Onion Paste

Ingredients:
Onions, peeled, washed & roughly cut - 1 Kg
Bay Leaves - 3
Black Cardamom - 3

Method:
1. Add all ingredients in a handi alongwith 200 ml + 4 tsp water. (The onion to water ratio has to be 5:1)

2. Bring this to a boil and simmer till until then onions are transparent and the water has more or less evaporated.
3. Cool this mixture and transfer to blender. Make a puree.

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Bharwaan Aloo in Tarbuj Ki Karri ( Stuffed Potatoes in Rajasthani Watermelon curry)

I have been contemplating a fruit based curry for over 2 years. The reason behind this has been a chicken in watermelon curry recipe that I found on a food magazine. I had tried that out and did not really like the way it turned out. So my joy knew no boundaries when I stumbled upon this watermelon curry recipe on the Saveur site. It was a traditional Rajasthani dish made with pieces of watermelon (both the red flesh and the outer white flesh) and the final dish was like a watermelon pieces in a thin curry dish. It's really so amazing, getting exposed to your country's culinary gems by someone in a different continent. The writers in Saveur based their recipe on one that appeared in 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer (Workman, 2008).

My take below was a little different. I turned this into a curry sauce in which I added some stuffed potatoes. Since, it was a very last minute decision to cook this one, the justice done to the stuffed potatoes was not as much as should have been, since I wanted to plate it up before the sun went down. The gravy on the other hand was a different story altogether. It tasted yum! and my better half and I are in total agreement that this is now part of our collection of dishes for the special occasions. I'm tempted to replace the stuffed potatoes with some fish, but for that to happen, we will need to wait till the Navratras (Traditional Hindu festival of 9 days of worship - No meat or egg) get over.

Incase you still want to cook it the traditional way (no stuffed potatoes), then click here for the original.

While you are at it and if you love stuffed potatoes, also check out Bharwan Aloo Churneywaale (Stuffed Potatoes in a chutney gravy) posted a few years earlier on this blog.

Bharwaan Aloo in Tarbuj Ki Karri (Stuffed Potatoes in Watermelon Curry)
(4 Portions)

Ingredients

For the Stuffed Potatoes (Bharwaan Aloo)
Potatoes, Medium, Peeled and cut into barrel shapes - 750 gm (Around 4-5 big potatoes)
Paneer, shredded - 120 gm
Green Chilies, minced finely - 4
Ginger, grated - 1 Tsp
Cashewnuts, crushed - 7
Cheese, grated - 3 Tblsp
Pomegranate Seeds - 1/2 Cup
Salt - To Taste
Oil - For frying

For the Watermelon Curry (Tarbuj Ki Karri)
Watermelon, medium sized - 1
Ajwain (Carum Seeds)- 1/2 Tsp
Cumin seeds (Zeera, whole)- 1/2 Tsp
Nigella seeds (black onion seeds) (Kalonji) - 1/2 Tsp
Dried Red chillies, stemmed - 2
Garlic, finely chopped - 4 Cloves
Turmeric powder (Haldi) - 1/4 Tsp
Oil - 2 Tblsp
Salt - To Taste


2 tsp. chopped fresh coriander, to garnish

Method:
Bharwaan Aloo
1. Heat Oil in a Kadhai (wok). Deep fry potatoes till three-fourths done.
2. Remove and cool the potatoes. Scoop out the centre leaving around 1/4' from the sides.
3.Keep Aside.
4. Now prepare the filling by mixing the grated paneer, finely chopped green chillies, grated ginger and crushed cashews & raisins. You can also add in some of the scooped potato after frying it a little & mashing it.
5. Stuff this filling in the potatoes.

Tarbuj Ki Karri
5. Trim and discard the green skin of the watermelon, leaving the inner, whitish flesh intact. Separate the white flesh from the red flesh with the knife, discard the seeds and cut both white & red flesh into 1-1.5" pieces. Set aside.
6. In a handi, heat oil over medium heat. Add ajwain, cumin, kalonji and dried red chillies and cook, until cumin starts to turn color (around 2 minutes).
7. Add chopped garlic and cook, until golden brown (around 30 seconds).
8. Add watermelon white flesh, salt, and turmeric and mix well. Cook until the white pieces turn color to light brown and all liquid evaporates. Stir occasionally.
9. Pour a cup of water into the handi, cover the pan, and simmer the curry over medium heat. Cook for around 10 minutes or till the white flesh pieces are tender.
10. Uncover the handi, add the red flesh pieces and any juice that you might have collected. Mix well.
11. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to boil, stirring occasionally for around 5 minutes, until the flesh softens slightly.
12. Switch off the flame and cool the curry.
13. After the curry has cooled down, process it in a blender.
14. Pass through a strainer into the handi.

Bringing it Together
15. Put the pureed curry back on flame and add in the potatoes.
16. Simmer till potatoes are done.
17. Check for seasoning.
18. Transfer curry to a serving bowl. Halve the stuffed potatoes and place with stuffed side up. Garnish with chopped Coriander.
19. Serve hot.

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Street Foods of India - Kulle Ki Chaat (Delhi)

The charm of being a true blue Delhi resident is the exposure one has to chaat ...different kinds of chaat. Chaat derives its name from the hindi word 'Chaatna', literally meaning licking ones fingers. Since most of the chaat items ensure you will end up licking your fingers, the name is very apt. Chaat has now spread its tentacles to various parts othe country and it is not uncommon to find chaat stalls in South India, where they hawk something called a Delhi Chaat. The key differentiators of all chaats boils down to the use of ingredients and their freshness. The freshness of yogurt used, the freshness of the spices, the crispness of the papdi, the freshness of the fruit ...the freshness.

I was in Old Delhi last to last Saturday to sample the chaat fare on offer and try out the kulle ki chaat which sadly is not commonly available, atleast, not in the area I'm in. I love my chaats and my better half more than me, but we had both never had a kulle ki chaat ever. So it was a pleasant experience and the glee on both our faces while we were sampling this was a moment to freeze.

Post my return back home, I knew this was one chaat I had to do for this blog. More than that, this was one for keeps as a great appetizer for parties. It's simple, fresh and so different. The first challenge was to source the variety of bengal gram used in the chaat. Since, it is not used in the chaats in my area, I had to request someone to get it from me from Khari Baoli. Next was the conceptualization. For kulle ki chaat, you need to make a kulla out of Potatoes, cucumber, chunk of watermelon, bananas,tomatoes and then fill them and spice them. Kulla is a scooped out vegetable or fruit. I used only three, Watermelon, Potato and Cucumber, despite protests from my better half to use bananas as she loved the banana ka kulla. The result was the same expression on both our face as we had our plate of watermelon, potato and cucumber ka kulla and enjoyed a wonderful Noida sunset from our rooftop.

Kulle Ki Chaat
(For 4 People)


Ingredients
Potatoes,big - 2
Watermelon, seedless (I didn't get one) - 1
Cucumber - 2
Cumin - 3 Tblsp
Black Salt - 2 Tblsp
Salt - To Taste
Lemon - 2
Bengal Gram, the zero size variety (soaked overnight and boiled) - 1/2 Cup
Pomegranate seeds - 1 Cup

For the Masala (alternately, use 3 Tblsp chaat masala)
Black Pepper Corns - 2 Tsp
Cloves - 4
Cinnamon Stick - 1
Mango Powder - 3 Tsp
Ginger Powder - 1 Tsp
Ajwain - 1/2 Tsp
Dry Mint Leaves - 1/2 Tsp

Method:
1. Parboil the potatoes and peel and cut them into half (breadthwise). Scoop out the middle to make a empty barrel.
2. Peel the cucumber and cut into 4 inch pieces. Hollow them out too.
3. Take a small chunk of watermelon and hollow it out.
4. Arrange them on a plate.
5. Dry roast the ingredients for the masala and powder them.
6. Dry roast the cumin seeds and powder them with a mortar and pestle.
7. Sprinkle half the salt, black salt, cumin powder, chaat masala on the hollowed cups.
8. Add the pomegranate and bengal grams and fill the cups till they are half full.
9. Sprinkle the rest of the salt, black salt, cumin powder, chaat masala.
10. Squeeze lemon juice on the cups.
11. The chaat is ready to go.

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Fried Onion Paste

A lot of times, people find themselves stuck when it comes to adding specific pastes to Indian pastes, one of them being onion pastes. Just like a recipe calls for onions cut a specific way, so do some recipes when they call for a boiled onion paste or a brown onion paste (also called a Fried Onion Paste). The cut of the onion and the paste does make a difference to the dish, a very subtle difference but a difference surely.
This was a very important lesson that I received way back in 1997 while cooking in the management training kitchen at WMI (Welcomgroup Management Institute). Till then, I used to cut the onions any which way I felt like and mostly used onion pastes as I liked my gravies smoother. Else, sliced were much preferred, unless you were in the mood to finely chop the onions (believe me, when you have been chopping 20 odd kgs of onions everyday for a month, mood does come into play, when you have some leeway, like we had in the MT kitchen). Chef Manjeet Gill was visiting the WMI facility and dropped by the kitchen to see what my 3 other colleagues and I were upto. On seeing me slice onions for a specific dish, he walked me up to ask me what I will use it for. The dish in question called for chopped onions, and he promptly pointed it out and told me to correct it. I asked him as to what difference it will make to the dish and his reply was "plenty" atleast to the taste(summing it up. Can't remember the exact words).
Due to the huge respect for the man (his works are legendary and he's a fantastic man. Just met him a year back and I just go starry eyed meeting him), I promptly corrected the technique. But in a day or two, I tried the experiment of cooking up a dish three times, using chopped onions, sliced onions and fried onion paste. The difference was there ...the difference that makes one dish good and the other great.

Fried Onion Paste

Ingredients:
Onions - 1 Kg.
Yogurt- 100 gm.
Oil - For frying

Method:
1. Slice the onions.
2. Heat oil in a wok and saute onions till they are golden brown.
3. Remove onions on an absorbent paper to drain excess oil.
4. After they have cooled down, blend them in a processor with yogurt to a fine paste consistency.
5. Your fried onion paste is ready to use or store. (can be stored in an air tight container for 10-15 days).

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Chocolate Nankhatai

It was a busy last weekend. After weeks of delay due to rains, and laziness, I finally managed to get to the Walled City (Chandni Chowk and around) to sample the foodie fare available. And I did it 2 days in a row. With 65 places marked for me to try out, it is going to take me a few more trips. And when I finally complete the list the post (or posts on Old Delhi food) is going to be one amazing read. You need to keep watching this space, so that you don't miss when it does appear. Now I knew the regular items (read chaat, kachori, kababs) that I will eat in the bylanes of Chandni Chowk, Nai Sarak etc., and some exotic food like Japani Samosas, Kullas that I will try out for the first time, what I wasn't expecting and came as a pleasant surprise was a vendor hawking Nankhatai's.

Now nankhatai's are Indian eggless cookies and the real easy ones at that. History points to Dutch colonizers of 16th Century with inventing the nankhatai and it was popularized by the Parsis who took over the bakeries started by the Dutch in Surat, Gujarat. Over time the nankhatai found their way to the streets in Delhi and from there to many a heart (and stomach). One early morning trip to eat the Nihari and I came across one of the hawkers preparing the nankhatai's on their very carts. Since it does not call for many ingredients, the hawker very easily makes the dough and cuts them into circles. He adds them to a round tray (which from far makes it look like a idli tray) and sets the tray in his oven made with hot coals. He covers the oven with his heavy skillet and waits for the nankhatai's to cook (or rather bake).

Going for Rs. 2.50 they are a steal and melt in your mouth. An ideal sweet after a heavy meal, when you crave for something sweet but not too heavy.

As I ate my nankhatai, I remembered my days in BTK (that is Basic Training Kitchen) in 1st Year Hotel Management, making my first batch of nankhatai's. It was almost 20 years and I had to get down making these lovely cookies. Though, I instinctively should have either reached for my 1st year recipe book (I have it somewhere in my pile of books) or gone the way the roadside hawkers do ( they use gramflour, flour, semolina, khoya, cardamom powder, sugar, soda bi-carb, baking powder and desi ghee), I decided to experiment a little. Since it is mandatory for all cookies to have chocolate in our house (my younger one insists), and my better half had tried the regular version a day earlier, I made Chocolate nankhatai's. I made them a little bigger (more appealing to a kid ...have one and don't come back for the second) and also used a little cinnamon (just a wee bit). The regular recipe and regular sized nankhatai will have to wait for another day ..and another post.

Chocolate Nankhatai
(Makes 16 cookies)


Ingredients
Flour - 155 gm
Ghee (Clarified Butter) - 130 gm
Sugar, powdered - 150 gm
Cocoa Powder - 5 gm
Semolina - 5 gm
Soda Bi-Carb - 1 Tsp.
Cinnamon - 1 Tsp


Method:
1. Cream the sugar and ghee until well blended.
2. Sift the flour with the Semolina, Cocoa Powder, Soda Bi-Carb and Cinnamon.
3. Add this dry mixture to the creamed ghee mixture.
4. Knead into a dough.
5. Divide into 16 balls.
6. Flatten each ball a little and place on a cookie sheet. Keep some distance between the cookies.
7. Bake the nankhatai's at 180 for 35 minutes.
8. Switch off the oven and let them cool in the oven for an hour.
9. Store in an airtight container.

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