Shahi Murg Korma

Diwali is over and the wait for the next big festival continues. It was a very hectic diwali this time around. There were quite a few taash parties (Card Parties) that we did manage to attend and yes, I did win at most of them, especially the big one on Diwali. There was a lot of socializing, sweets, fireworks (yes it is customary and we did our own small fireworks thing for a little while) and the weekend after Diwali we went over to a friends place for dinner. Though, it was supposed to be a quiet evening with him cooking some of his famed mutton curry for us, since it was the first time at his place, I decided to carry a rich, aromatic korma dish for him. I fell in love with the shahi korma and since I only had the mutton curry at his place I came back determined that I needed to cook it again and that is what I did this week. A look at the ingredients and you are sure that its a winner all the way, with the purdah(veil), the rich dry fruit and the rose petals. The shahi masala and paste do take some work, but believe at the end, the delicate curry is really worth the preparation you put in.

Other Korma recipes on this site:
Asafjahi Korma
Murg Dahi Dhania Korma
Murg Korma
And of course, the Korma Ki Biryani

Shahi Murg Korma

Ingredients

Chicken drumsticks - 8
Ginger Garlic Paste - 40 gm
Fried onion paste - 60 gm
Fried garlic paste - 20 gm
Yogurt, whisked - 200 gm
Saffron, soaked in 1 Tblsp of warm milk - 1 gm
Red Chili Powder - 2.5 tsp.
Chicken stock - 1/2 cup
Cream - 60 gm
Ghee - 3 Tblsp
Salt - To Taste

Shahi Paste
Almonds, blanched and peeled - 30 gm
Raisins, washed, soaked and refreshed - 20 gm
Pistachio, blanched and peeled - 15 gm
Poppy Seeds (Khus-Khus), soaked in luke warm water for 10 minutes - 15 gm

Shahi Masala
Cumin Seeds - 10 gm
Cloves - 5
Green Cardamom - 8
Black Peppercorns - 10
Cinnamon, 1" sticks - 3
Mace - 1 flower
Nutmeg - 1/4
Dried Rose petals - 14

For the Purdah
Flour
Water
Salt
Ghee
(The quantity depends on the lagan/handi being used. The dough needs to be rolled out to cover and seal the entire lagan/handi)
Egg white - 01 egg


Method:
1. Rub the chicken drumsticks with ginger garlic paste and salt. Keep aside for 30 minutes.

2. Put all ingredients for the shahi paste in a blender, add in 4 tblsp of water and make a paste. Keep aside.

3. Add all the ingredients for the shahi masala in a mortar and pound with a pestle to make a powder. Keep aside.

4. Heat ghee in a handi. Add in the fried onion and garlic pastes. Cook for 2-3 minutes on a medium high flame.

5. Take off the flame and add in the yogurt. Stir well to mix, so that the yogurt does not separate. Return back to the flame and cook till oil separates to the sides (approx. 5 minutes).

6. Add in the chicken drumsticks and cook for 3 minutes. Add in the shahi masala. Mix well and cook for another 3 minutes. Add in the red chili powder. Mix well and cook for another minute.

7. Add the remaining marinade and 1/2 cup chicken stock. Cook for 10 more minutes on medium flame or till chicken in half done.
8. Add in the shahi paste. Mix well and cook till chicken drumsticks are almost done. Adjust seasonings if required.

9. Take the handi off the flame. Separate the chicken drumsticks and arrange them on a lagan/flat pan or a large handi/pan.

10. Pass the gravy through a sieve and pour the gravy on top of the chicken drumsticks.
11. Evenly spread the cream on top and the saffron.
12. Make a dough with Flour, ghee, salt and water. Roll out the dough into a large round shape and cover the lagan/handi to seal it from all corners.

13. Either put in oven at 160 degrees celsius for 15 minutes or put a tawa/hot plate on flame and place the lagan on top, cook for 15 minutes on medium flame.

14. Open the purdah (the dough seal) at the time of service and let the aromas fill the room. Nedless to say, serve hot.

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Butter Chicken Quesadillas

Quesadillas is a dish which is mexican in origin and derives its name from the spanish word for cheese (Queso). Don't let the name fool you, its a simple corn or flour tortilla filled with cheese and other ingredients, which are generally savory in nature and then folded in half (into a half moon shape). This filled mixture is then toasted or fried until the cheese melts. It is then cut into wedges or slices and served.

Quesadillas have undergone a lot of changes throughout history and numerous variations exist not only in different parts of the world, but even in different parts of Mexico.

Purists differentiate between a quesadilla froma taco or burrito by stating that in a quesadilla, the ingredients are filled and then it is cooked, whereas for the taco or burrito the ingredients are cooked before and then added.

I just added my own twist to the variations by bringing in an Indian angle to the quesadilla, and though, my ingredients for the filling were cooked before, I still prefer to call it a Quesadilla. It is a little more time consuming to make, however, it is a very good recipe if you are out to impress and the look and compliments make up for the time spent preparing this. For starters, I have used Chilla (Indian chickpea flour pancake), instead of the flour or corn tortilla. Since you do not get Chillas in the marketplace of the shelves (as you would in the case of tortillas), this will require preparation. Also, you need to ensure the chillas prepared are thin, else they will break once filled and folded. The filling being used is the traditional butter chicken with a thick gravy and Monterrey Jack cheese. Butter Chicken requires grilling chicken first and then cooking in a tomato based gravy.

This requires both time and rolling up your sleeves, but then this is a show stealer and a damn good one at that.

Butter Chicken Quesadillas

4 Portions ( 9 wedges)

Ingredients:

Chillas - 3 No.s (Check recipe here. make the chillas thin)

Butter Chicken - 250 gms

Cheese, grated - 2 Cups

Oil - 4 Tblsp

Method:

1. Prepare Butter Chicken as given here. The only variations to the preparation are as follows:

- After grilling the chicken pieces, cut them into small 2 cm pieces.

- Simmer sauce before addition of cream and kasoori methi, till sauce almost coats the chicken pieces. Reduce cream to quarter.

2. Take each chilla and lay it flat on the working surface.

3. Spread the thick butter chicken mixture on one semi circular side of the chilla.

4. Sprinkle grated cheese on that side on top of the butter chicken mixture.

5. Fold the other plain side to cover the fully and form a folded semi circle. Press lightly.

6. Heat a flat plate/tawa and add 2 teaspoons of oil.

7. Add the semi folded chilla with the stuffing and cook lightly. Flip it over to cook the other side.

8. The cheese will melt and bind the 2 halves of the chilla.

9. Take off the hot plate/tawa and cut into 3 wedges (or 2 as you desire).

10. Repeat with remaining chillas.

11. Serve hot with your choice of dip or sauce.

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