Happy Birthday ! ...My Annual Roundup and a Giveaway

Gastronome By Choice completes its first year today. It's been a wonderful and exciting journey so far. When I started blogging, I never in my wildest dreams imagined that this blog will go so far and be so well received.
Now that a year goes by, here's the opportunity to roll out the credits and vote of thanks to all the people behind (promise it will not be a tear jerker). First and foremost, Thanks to Sudhindra for introducing me to the blogosphere. Sudhi, really owe it to you for this and those amazing times at office discussing the big bad world and how two old guys on the wrong side of 30 are coping with it (Krithika, If you are reading it in Chennai...you know what we discuss and laugh about).
My spouse, Subha has been a real pillar throughout my life come what may and has really motivated me to do more than I would have usually done. Though I started this blog, she made me really go the whole nine yards with this blog, just as she has been pushy about me pursuing my love for golf and going back to painting the canvases.
Harry has been extremely kind in raving about my blog and giving me the sense of satisfaction with doing this thing.
Last but not the least, a big thanks to all those who found the time to come to my blog, read it and post their comments. I know, I have been a real jerk in not replying to all those comments and not even complimenting by going back to your blogs and posting comments, but with a job which is anything but a 9 to 5 thing, 2 kids who are mischief personified and a whole big load of extra hobbies to devote time to, it really becomes a grind. I promise though, that I will improve on this and for starters reply back to the comments in time. Again, thanks Srivalli, Arundati, Swati, Arundathi, Nags, Divya, Mansi, Jayasree, and all others who I cannot recollect at this moment.
Coming to the point. Here's the round-up of the year gone by, the recipes that I have posted and the giveaway.

Beverages :
Burning Peaches (Cocktail)
Tiranga (Cocktail)
Screwdriver (Cocktail)

Starters:
Khaman
Bread Pakoras
Cilantro Falafel with Star Anise flavored Soy Garlic Humus
Potato Chops
Lachhedar Aloo
Tandoori Gobi
Achari Paneer Tikka
Murg Malai Tikka (Creamy Chicken Kababs)
Vegetable Skewers
Cocktail Sticks
Momo's
Chicken 65
Chicken Fry

Veg Dishes & Accompaniments:
Ennai Kathrikai
Aloo Poshto
Tamatar Ka Saar
Mirch Ka Salan
Tamatar aur Chana Dal Ka Salan
Lasan Ka Salan
Dry Fruit Salan
Gobi Aur Mirch Ka Salan
Kache Pyaaz Ka Khatta
Stuffed Chili with coconut peanut sauce
Paruppu Usili (Lentil Curry)
Chhole Bhature
Baghare Baingan
Beetroot Fry
Kashmiri Mushroom
Khumb Masaledaar
Pickled Carrot Relish
Paneer Makai
Vengaya Sambar ( Lentil Curry with shallots)
Mint Potatoes
Heart Shaped Cheese Mushroom Ravioli in Herbed Tomato Sauce

Chicken Dishes:
Murg Kairi ( Chicken with raw mango)
Hyderabadi Anjeer Murg (Chicken in Figs Gravy)
Chicken Whatever
Olive Chicken
Butter Chicken
Hot Garlic Chicken
Murg Patiala

Mutton:
Mutton Chops Kozhambu
Malabar Mutton Curry

Seafood:
Hari Machhli
Konkani Fish Curry
Rice Crusted Snapper
Narangi Mahi ( Pan seared fish with orange dill & vodka)
Squid Fritters
Prawn Curry
Jhinga Samarkand

Rice:
Puliyogare (Tamarind Rice)
Carrot Rice
Bohri Biryani
Hyderabadi Biryani

Breakfast:
Sabudana Khichadi
Carrot Idli
Strawberry Smoothie
Chocolate Muffins
Banana Bread

Desserts:
Khubani Ka Meetha (Indian Apricot Compote)
Gajjar Halwa with Star Anise
Poached Spiced Pears in Pear Sauce
Baked Figs Jamun-E-Gul
Pineapple Calypso
Apple Torte
Strawberry Cheesecake
Cheesecake Omnia

Wow! I cannot believe I cooked up that much in the year gone by.

Now coming to the giveaway. Choose the 5 best recipes that I have posted in the year gone by and post it in the comments section. A panel independent of myself but consisting of my better half and some fellow foodies (read a motley group of fellow colleagues who love gluttony and some old pals who are chefs worldwide) will choose the best 5. The one's that come closest to that list stand to win specially designed cooking aprons. I have 3 aprons to give away. Wish I could have put up a photo of them but after I finished designing them for myself and placed the order much time had gone by and they are still being made. I have designed it myself and gone through the trouble of going through each and every detail alongwith Subha.
We post the lucky one's names on the 20th of this month.

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Murg Patiala ( Chicken in creamy cashew & poppy seeds gravy)

Indian food has this peculiar thing about being associated and named on famous people ( read aristocracy) and places. I'm a little skeptical though on whether these people ever tasted the foods named after them or did the places ever see the dishes :) It's more rampant with the mushrooming restaurants that name these dishes after exotic places to differentiate themselves from competition and create that royal ambiance on the menu.
Patiala is one such place. In pre-independence era it was a huge princely state and hub of many activities. Murg Patiala though has many variations like tandoori murg patiala or sharabi murg patiala, I prefer this one for its simplicity to cook and the gravy is mind blowing.
There is though another thing that Patiala is more known for in the food and beverage arena ...the Patiala Peg. A Patiala peg is a double of a normal serving of Whisky, but these days any unusually large peg is called Patiala Peg. The reason it was named so was due to Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala who was a heavy drinker apart from other things and once made double pegs for an opposition so that they are groggy for a match the next day.You can read the entire story here.

Murg Patiala

Ingredients :
Chicken - 500 gm
Poppy Seeds (Khus) - 3 Tblsp
Melon Seeds - 3 Tblsp
Cashews - 5-6
Ghee or Oil - 4 Tblsp
Onion, made into a paste - 1
Tomatoes, chopped - 2
Yogurt - 1/2 Cup
Garam Masala - 1 Tblsp
Black Pepper - 1 Tsp
Kashmiri Red Chili Powder - 2 Tsp
Single Cream - 1/4 Cup
Raisins - 8-9
Almonds, blanched and slivered - 6
Salt - To Taste

Method:
1. Make a paste out Poppy seeds, melon seeds and cashews. Keep aside.
2. Heat Oil/Ghee in a wok. Add in the onion paste. Brown lightly.
3. Add tomatoes and continue to brown until oil starts to separate.
4. Add in the poppy,melon seeds and cashew paste. Stir for 3 minutes.
5. Add in the whisked yogurt one tsp at a time so that it blends into the sauce without curdling.
6. Add the spices and chicken pieces. Add in 1 cup of water. Mix well.
7. Cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes or till chicken is cooked and tender.
8. Add in the cream, half of the raisins and almonds, and mix well. Simmer.
9. Cook for another 5 minutes till gravy thickens.
10. Serve hot garnished with cream, and some almond slivers and raisins sprinkled on top.

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Hyderabadi Biryani

My previous post on the Biryani shed some light on the way the simple rice dish has travelled over the centuries, assumed different names and forms and become a mainstay of that place's cuisine. Now, Hyderabad is known for its Biryani's. I remember way back in 2002, I had dropped in to Hyderabad on some official work ( half my businesses were operating out from this city) and how I feasted on it. When the time came to go back, I ordered a parcel of 2 Kgs of Biryani to take with me to Delhi. Once the Biryani landed up in my Hotel Room, I realized that its aroma had filled up the entire hotel room. Somewhat embarrassed that everyone in the airplane is going to be looking up to me as the glutton who hasn't got enough of the Biryani, I made my way to the airport and boarded my flight ...only to find almost every second passenger on the flight carrying a parcel of the Biryani with them.

Till date, my favorite haunts for good Hyderabadi biryani in the city (Hyderabad) are Shaadab, Bahaar and hold your breath ...ITC Kakatiya Sheraton. It's true! though Shaadab and Bahaar in Hyderabad is understandable, but a five star cooking up a great local fare... well, you got to try it.
Hyderabadi Biryani

Ingredients:
250 gm Basmati Rice
500 gm lamb
Onions -2 ( Sliced and fried in oil till golden brown. Drained from the oil. Oil saved for marination)
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 3 Tblsp
Green Chillies, split in half - 2-3
Cinnamon Stick, broken - 1 Stick
Cardamom - 6
Cloves - 8
Cilantro Leaves - a few sprigs
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp
Yogurt - 3/4 Cup
Salt - To Taste
Oil - For frying onions
Milk - 1/2 Cup
Saffron - few strands

Method:
1. Marinate the lamb pieces in yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, green chillies, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, red chili powder, salt, onion and some of the oil that we had used for frying the onions.
2. Keep covered in the fridge for 4-5 hrs.
3. Boil the rice in twice as much water till it is half cooked. Drain.
4. Take a pan for making the Biryani and apply some oil(leftover from frying) and ghee at the bottom.
5. Place the marinated meat at the bottom of the pan evenly.
6. Spread the rice on top of the mix.
7. Soak saffron in half a cup of warm milk. Spread this saffron milk on top of then rice.
8. Cover the pan with a cover or aluminum foil.
9. Switch on your gas range and place a tava or flat girdle on top. Arrange the Biryani pan on top of this.
10. Cook for 45-60 minutes on slow flame. Check after 45 minutes for doneness of meat.
11. Mix well and garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.
12. Serve hot with raita, papad and Mirch ka Salan.

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5 Must See Recipes For The Week

Finally on target for this week's selection. It's been fun exploring some real killer recipes that really worked up my appetite. Infact, in between one of the recipe search sessions I had to leave and go to the closest subway to pick up a footlong. This week's fab five must see and must try are:

1. Hot Dog with a twist - Lore correctly points out that Hot Dog is most closely associated dish with the US. I love the hot dogs in the US. Even the ones that I had in UK and other European countries could not match up to the ones from US. This is great recipe. Frankfurters wrapped up in a Puff Pastry with caraway flavoring should really be fun and tasty. Go easy on the mustard though :)

2. Chicken and Zucchini Brochetas - Great idea when u got guests coming over. Would recommend some Chipotle sauce in the marinade.

3. Tandoori Tofu Kebabs - Great variation with Tofu. Would be great on their own. I though, have another variation in mind. Make a wrap with them. Make the Kebabs and arrange in a roti alongwith some shredded lettuce, Mayo mixed with Mint Chutney and some chopped onion and tomato. Voila!

4. Chocolate-Banana Wontons - Amazing idea to wrap up a Chinese meal rather than the usual Lychee's with ice-cream fare at home.

5. Black Forest Ice Cream Cake - The piece de resistance. A tasty mouth watering blend of chocolate and cherry ice creams with chocolate cake and vanilla cream. Need I say more!!!

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Bohri Biryani

Coming from the land of Biryani and having it excluded from my blog for such a long time sounds like a sin which cannot be pardoned. Having said so, Biryani has always fascinated me. Even while I was training, I took extra care to watch how the chefs prepared the Biryani in the famed kitchens of Welcomgroup. Over the last few years I have managed to collect a variety of Biryani recipes and now my collection stands at 40 different kinds ( both veg and non-veg). Eating Biryani also has been of special interest and reaches a peak during the festive season.
So what is a Biryani and how did this tasty dish originate ? As with other dishes of Indian cuisine different theories and stories exist. For starters, Biryani comes from the Persian word 'Birian' meaning 'Fried before cooking'. Now with the stories behind it. One theory states that Biryani came from Persia through Arab traders to the Indian coasts of Calicut or via Afghanistan to North India. To be to the point legend also states that it was Tamerlane who bought it to India. Another legend states that , and which I believe to be more truthful and accurate, is that Rice in Persia was the mainstay of the cuisine and not the side accompaniment. They made Rich and fragrant Pilaos ( Pilaf's) with nuts raisins, saffron, etc. When the Moghuls came to India they bought their rich Pilaos with them to the subcontinent. The Pilao had already travelled from Persia to other parts of the Muslim world and absorbed in that country's cuisine. So we had the Pilav in turkey, Paella in Spain ( which has addition of seafood and saffron), Risotto in Italy etc. Here in India, thanks to the Moghul Emperors this rich pulao met the Pungent and spicy dishes of Hindustan and the Biryani was born. I can go on talking on this subject but would rather guide you all to this site which also has exciting things to say about the Biryani and most importantly tells you about the Kuchi Biryani and the Pukki Biryani and also has a section on as to which Biryani is better Lucknowi or Hyderabadi :)
This Particular recipe is for Bohri Biryani which I got from an ex-team member of mine in Pune, Mustafa Rangwalla, who belonged to the Bohra community. I've had this from him for quite some time and tried it out a long time back. It's a little more fragrant and less spicy than the usual fare and also its more of a Pulao thing than a regular Biryani. Any variations on this are most welcome. I've only known this to be a Bohri Biryani and wouldn't mind other recipes.

Bohri Biryani

Ingredients

1 Kg Mutton \ Chicken
750 Gms Rice
3Nos Tomatoes Cut Fine
2 Table Spoon Ginger & Garlic Paste
2 Teaspoon Red Chilly Powder
1 Teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
1 Teaspoon Shazeera ( Shahi Zeera or Black Cumin) - whole
2 Table Spoon Yogurt
1 Kg Onion – Fried and Crushed
2 Potatoes, half cut into cubes and half into circular rings – Fried
3 Green chilies – Slit
Bay Leaves - 3
Salt – To Taste
Ghee
Saffron - Few Strands
Milk - 1 Cup

Method:
1. Mix all the ingredients above except –
Saffron, shazeera, potatoes,green chillies and rice. Marinate the mutton/chicken in it for 4-5 hrs.
2. Par boil the rice with salt, Bay leaves and shazeera and strain it.
3. Prepare the vessel for the Biryani. Put 1 Table spoon Ghee in the vessel and put 2 potatoes cut in circular rings.
4. Pour half the par boiled rice, then all the marinated ingredients along with the remaining potatoes and then put the remainder of rice.
5.Put a Tava or a griddle on a cooking range and put the Biryani vessel on top of the tava.
6. Add in some of the crushed onions on top.
6. Soak the saffron in 1 cup of warm milk for 5 minutes and pour over the rice.
7. Cover the vessel and cook for 45 minutes.

Photo courtesy Stock.Xchng

Soon to Come - Dum Hyderabadi Biryani

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