Asafjahi Korma

The erstwhile Royals of India were known for their fondness for all the good things in life. Of these, music and food were the most patronized, and often used to showcase their superiority over one another. I think, it would be really good, even today to settle so many issues between nations or states over a culinary battle or a song duel. Only if it were this simple. Going back, the culinary secrets were often guarded closely, not even written down for fear of landing in the enemy hands, and many gastronomical gems have in the due course been lost, as they were not documented.

The Asafjahi's were a dynasty that ruled the state of Hyderabad (now in the state of Andhra Pradesh,India) since 1719 till India's independence. They were appointed the Nizams of Hyderabad (Nizam was a shortened form for Nizam-Ul-Mulk meaning Administrator of the Realm or Country) on behalf of the Mughal empire, and when the Mughal empire crumbled post Aurangzeb's(Mughal Emperor)  death, the Nizam's declared Independence and formed their own kingdom. The Asafjahi's were extremely fond of their cuisine and it is no wonder that Hyderabad even today is known for it's food. 

Though the Kulcha (Indian Bread) was the official emblem of the dynasty, it has got more to do with the legend that while on a hunting trip, the first Nizam was offered a Kulcha by a holy man. The Nizam could eat seven of those Kulchas, and thus it was prophesized by the holy man that seven generations of his family would rule the state.

Even though I stayed in Hyderabad for 2 years, I never ever came across the Asafjahi Korma, even once. Infact, there was a lot of the Asafjahi Cuisine that I did not sample, except of course the popular ones, whose cheap imitations are even available in Delhi. I'm sure the Asaf Jah's were keenly watching over me from their tombs, and wanted me to sample the real fare and do something with it. So, here I was, lazing around in Delhi, going through the newspaper, and I come across this recipe for Asafjahi Korma. One look at the photo and a quick read of the recipe, with all the richness bursting through the print had my taste buds on an overdrive. Though, it was from a book written by an erstwhile ruler on Indian Princely Cuisine, I also found the recipe on a few Pakistani sites (word by word similar). My version is a wee bit different in how I assembled it in the end and some more cooking. I liked it and hope you do too.

Asafjahi Korma


Ingredients:
Mutton/Lamb, boneless, cut into 1" cubes - 500 gm.
Yogurt, lightly hung (for about 2 hours) and whisked  - 250 gm
Onion's, chopped - 60 gm
Green Chillies, deseeded and finely chopped - 25 gm.
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp.
Black Peppercorns - 1/2 Tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Sugar - 6 gm
Ghee - 110 gm.
Ginger Paste - 12 gm
Garlic Paste - 12 gm
Almonds, blanched and sliced - 12 gm
Raisins - 12 gm
Coriander Leaves, washed and finely chopped - 1 Tblsp
Saffron, soaked in 2 tblsp warm water - A Pinch
Salt - To Taste


Method:
1. Heat half of the ghee in a pan. Fry the almonds and Raisins separately, one after another, till a golden brown color. Drain and keep aside.
2. In the same ghee, now add the chopped onions and fry them to a golden brown color. Add in red chili powder, garam masala powder, black peppercorns, sugar and green chilies. Add in 2 tblsp water and cook till water dries up.Take off the flame and allow to cool.
3. After the mixture has cooled down, put it through a food processor to make a paste. Keep aside.
4. Heat the other half of the ghee in the pan. Add in the ginger and garlic pastes and fry till they start to turn golden.
5. Add in the meat and salt. Bhunao the meat and add little water to cook the meat. Cook till meat turns tender and the water dries up.
6. Add in the onion-chili and masala paste. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add in the whisked yogurt and mix well. Cook till the oil starts to appear on the surface.
8. Add in the almonds, raisins, saffron and chopped coriander. Stir well. Simmer for another 5 minutes on low heat.
9. Serve hot with rice or bread.

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Sweet Potato Soup

This post comes a little late as winters are almost over and the best part of winters must be sitting at home in the evenings and having hot soup. Since I have discovered the joys of sweet potato this season, it was but natural to have a sweet potato soup. It is hearty and comforting for a cold wintery evening and you must try it out either immediately before the summers have set in totally or for the next time winters set in. 

Sweet Potato Soup
(Makes 4 Portions)


Ingredients:
Sweet Potatoes, - 3-4
Onion, chopped - 1
Leek, chopped - 1/2 Cup
Carrots, peeled and chopped - 1
Celery, chopped - 1/2 Cup
Garlic, chopped - 2 cloves
Red Wine - 1 Cup
Chicken Stock - 2 Cup
Black Pepper, freshly ground - 2 Tsp
Olive Oil - 2 Tblsp
Cream - 1/2 Cup

Method:
1. Prepare the Sweet Potatoes - Put the sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add 2 Tsp of salt and put on flame. Bring to a boil and simmer till they are soft. Take off flame and drain the water. Allow to cool. Once they are cool, peel them and cut them into quarters.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add onions, celery, leek, garlic and carrots. Cook them till they are cooked.
3. Add in the red wine and cook till the wine evaporates. Scrape any brown bits stuck to the pan.
4.  Add in the sweet potatoes to the pot and then the stock. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low flame for another 20 minutes.
5. Take off flame and allow to cool. Put into a processor and Puree until smooth. Pass through a strainer.
6. Return the pureed soup back to the flame. Add in the cream and seasoning.
7. Serve hot garnished with sweet potato chips or straws.

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The Queens Head - Some photos

The Queens Head - A pub situated near the Basingstoke Canal just outside Fleet, Hampshire.
The Address - Pilcot Lane, Dogmersfield, Fleet, Hook, Hampshire, RG27 8SY.
Tel - 01252 613 531
Click here to Get Directions.

The Queen's Head

Entrance

A table to seat 4

The Black Pudding Tower (Black Pudding & Pancetta, in English Mustard Sauce, topped with poached egg)

Fish & Chips

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Bharwaan Kheere Ka Saalan ( Stuffed Cucumber Curry)

Last weekend, while browsing through some cookbooks in a bookstore I came across a book with some good concepts but fairly mediocre recipes. One of those consisted of stuffing cucumbers with meat. It was a good concept but one look at the photo (consisting of whole cucumbers) and a quick read through of the gravy, it was a clear no-go. Sadly, it was touted as being one from the kitchens of the Indian royalties. I mulled upon the concept of having stuffed cucumbers for the whole week and then yesterday decided on how I will end of doing it and the gravy to go with it. 

Bharwaan Kheere Ka Saalan
 ( 6 Portions)


Ingredients:
Cucumbers - 4-5
Lamb/ Mutton, minced - 500 gms

For the Filling:
Ghee - 4 Tblsp
Onions, sliced - 2
Ginger, chopped - 50 gm
Red Chili Powder - 3 Tblsp
Coriander Powder - 3 Tblsp
Cloves - 6
Green Cardamoms - 6
Cinnamon Powder - 1 Tsp
Salt - To Taste
Water - 1/2 Cup

For the Gravy:
Ghee - 2 Tblsp
Onion Paste - 100 gm
Ginger Garlic Paste - 6 Tblsp
Yogurt - 2 Cups
Red Chili Powder - 2 Tblsp
Coriander Powder - 1 Tblsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 Tsp
Almond Paste - 1/2 Cup
Lamb/Mutton Stock - 3 Cups
Salt - To Taste
Kewra - 2 drops

Masala Powder (Make a powder of these whole spices):
Black Peppercorns - 6
Cinnamon Stick - 1" stick
Cloves - 3-4
Green Cardamoms - 4
Black Cardamom - 1
Mace - 0.2 gm

Method:
For the Bharwaan Kheera (Stuffed Cucumbers):
1. Peel the cucumbers. Hollow out the centers (keeping the cucumbers whole) and boil them in salted water for 15 minutes.

2. Drain and cool.
3. Heat ghee in a large pan/wok.
4. Add the sliced onions and fry till they are brown.

5. Add in the minced meat. Mix well.
6. Add in the ginger and other ingredients for the filling. Saute until mince in browned.
7.  Add in the water and cook till mince in cooked. Cook till all water evaporates.

8. Fill the hollowed cucumbers with the cooked mince.

For the Gravy:
1. Whisk the yogurt with red chili powder, coriander powder & turmeric powder.
2. Heat ghee in a large pan that is wide enough to hold the stuffed cucumbers.
3. Add in the powdered masala and after 10 seconds add in the ginger garlic paste. Saute for a minute and add in the onion paste.

4. Cook till the flecks of fat start to appear on the surface.
5. Take the pan off the flame and stir-in the whisked yogurt mixture. Return to the flame and cook till fat starts to appear on the surface.
6. Add in the almond paste and cook till fat leaves the sides.
7. Add in the stock and cook on low heat for another 10-15 minutes.

Bringing it together:
1. Add in the stuffed cucumbers to the gravy and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. (add in more water if required)

2. Sprinkle kewra,stir, remove and adjust the seasoning.
3. Remove the cucumbers and slice them into roundels.
4. Place each roundel on a plate on a bed of the gravy. You can even choose to pour the gravy on top.
5. Serve hot with rice or roti.

NOTE: Vegetarians can experiment with adding in an assortment of fillings ranging from paneer to corn and mushrooms.

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Sweet Potato Chips

Come the winter months, you can find roadside vendors in Delhi hawking their sweet potato fare ...shakarkandi chaat. Shakarakandi or Kachaloo is the hindi name for Sweet Potato and the Shakarkandi Chaat is an ideal in between meals snack. Frankly, I had never tasted Sweet Potatoes and was not a big fan of trying them out. I don't think anyone in my household also liked sweet potatoes, so I never stumbled upon them in the kitchen. A chance encounter with some wonderful looking sweet potatoes got me thinking that I just had to pick them up and get them home. So there they were ...sweet potatoes...on my kitchen counter and none of us with a clue as to what will become of them. After some thinking, we decided it was going to be some chips ...I mean who hates chips (even the calorie conscious do)...they were just going to be the perfect introduction to sweet potatoes. The entire family loved the chips, they didn't even last an hour. We have since moved on to trying other recipes with the sweet potato and I'm sure you will shortly catch me visiting one of the roadside vendors for my own portion of the Shakarkandi Chaat.

Sweet Potato Wafers (Chips)

(Makes 4 generous portions)

Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes - 4 in number

Water - To parboil

Oil - To Deep Fry

Salt - Optional

Method:

1. Wash & Peel the sweet potatoes.

2. Cut into fine round slices (preferably using a mandolin) 

Note: If they are too hard and you are finding it hard to take out slices, parboil them in hot water to soften a little bit. Take care not to turn them mashy.

3. Heat oil in a wok. Fry the Chips till they turn golden brown.

4. Remove from the wok and drain on absorbent paper.

5. Season if you wish. I have found them perfect even without salt and other seasonings. I have tried tossing them with chili flakes and I love the sweet spicy combination..maybe you could try that.

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Culinaire - GK 2, New Delhi - Restaurant Review

OVERALL RATING -     

Address - 1, Chandan Market, S Block, Greater Kailash 2, New Delhi
Tel - 011-29212413/4, 29218050
Credit Cards - Yes
Average Price - 900/- for 2 people
Alcohol - No

It all started with my better half talking to her friend, who went on and on about Culinaire in GK-II, New Delhi. With so much said, we decided to land up one evening to size the place up. We are both critical of restaurants and with praises coming from a few quarters, we had anyways raised our bar of expectations from the food ..needless to say, this review was going to turn out disastrous. It was a very mixed bag experience at the end and to say will I ever go back to the place, my answer will be a yes (not an emphatic yes, but surely a yes).And the yes comes with conditions attached which you will realize at the end of this review.

It's a blink and miss place, ahead of the famous M-Block market, nothing fancy in the decor, some seating outside for 25 odd pax and inside (which is hidden, so you wouldn't know unless you asked) for similar count. The ambience is very casual, with the outside area consisting of regular plastic tables and chairs.The kitchen is open and you can witness the entire commotion happening. In all respects it is just a roadside shack and nothing more. So if you go expecting a classy affair, you will be disappointed.

The staff is casual but extremely helpful. It was also nice to note that they had small coal sikris that were placed near each table to help keep us warm (it was cold in the night). The place is extremely busy and people are hovering around waiting for a table to vacate (we were there till 10:30 and it was packed ...thursday night).

Coming to the Menu, they serve Thai, Chinese and Lebanese cuisine (Weird combo of cuisines), which can be best described as extensive Thai food choices, decent Chinese selection and some sprinkling of Lebanese items. Strangely all pages of the Menu (4 odd pages) have a stupid "No MSG" watermark in the center. The prices of the dishes are a shock at first (considering the setting), but maybe the locality can command such prices for food. A decent appetizer can be between  Rs.150-300 for non-vegetarian items and Rs. 100-150 for vegetarians. This is unless you want to go for Doner kebabs and falafel rolls which are available for Rs. 85/- or the safe dimsum which is priced at Rs. 80 for vegetarian dim sums (Please note that our vegetarian dim sums had cottage cheese in it) and Rs. 100 for Non-vegetarians. The main course ranges from Rs. 175-300 for chicken, lamb and seafood dishes and Rs. 175-200 for vegetarian fare (strangely the mix vegetables Thai curries are at a staggering Rs. 300...I say staggering considering chicken & lamb Thai curries are at 325/-). There are no desserts, so don't even bother asking. Hop into the ice-cream parlor across the street or go someplace else for winter time sweets.

We ordered Drums of Heaven (150/-), Veg Dim Sums (80/-) and Crispy Potato Chilli Honey (150/-) for starters.None of them lived up to our expectations. The dimsums had cottage cheese (paneer) in them and tasted like the regular street fare (which is available at one-third the price), the potato chilli honey lacked the chilli part (And I dont blame them...not many restaurants in Delhi do this dish properly) and the Drums of Heaven were in short Chicken Pakoras (on the bone).

Our main course consisted of Thai Lamb Red Curry (325/- and yes all Thai curries come with Steamed Rice) and Veg. Burnt Garlic Rice(135/-). The Burnt Garlic Rice was passable but the Thai Red Curry was out of the world. The lamb was the best I have tasted for some time in a Thai dish. Later I came to hear that most people come here for the Thai food which is good value for the price.

And that brings me to the important point ..yes I will go back...provided I'm in the vicinity and only for the Thai food..nothing else.

FOOD -        

SERVICE -       

AMBIENCE -    

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