Burrah Kabab

It has been a long and hot summer. The hot weather has been a factor in staying away from the kitchen and I missed staying away from my grill. The last two weeks you can feel the chill in the air during evenings and early mornings. The winters are here finally, though sadly we skipped monsoons here in Delhi. I have greeted this change in weather by taking out my grill and cooking up some tandoori fare. The Burra Kabab was one of the things I cooked. It had been on my mind for the last few months and this was a perfect occasion to try out the delicious kabab.

On my last few visits to the Bukhara I had found myself relishing the burrah kabab more than any other kababs and tikkas on the menu. Surprisingly, even some of the counterparts and visitors from overseas whom I had gone alongwith found a special liking for this kabab. Literally meaning the 'Big Kabab', the burrah kabab demands time for the preparation. The secret in the taste apart from the mild spiciness is the fact that the kabab should just melt in your mouth. This translates to marinating the pieces overnight or for atleast 6 hours if using a tenderizer. Having worked in the Bukhara for some time and knowing some of the old timers there helped in getting to know the recipe.

Burrah Kabab

Ingredients:
Lamb/Mutton, chops and leg pieces, cut large (It is of course the Big Kabab) - 1 Kg ( I use mutton)
Red Chili Powder - 2 Tblsp
Mace (Javitri) powder - 1/4 Tsp
Nutmeg (Jaiphal) - 1/4 Tsp
Garam masala - 1 Tblsp
Shahi zeera (Black cumin seeds) - 2 Tblsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 6 Tblsp
Raw Papaya paste - 2 Tblsp
Malt vinegar - 1/2 Cup
Juice of 1 lemon
Hung yogurt - 1/4 Cup
Oil - 1 Tblsp
Salt - To Taste

Oil for basting

Method:
1. Make a marinade out of red chili powder, mace, nutmeg, garam masala powder, shahi zeera, ginger-garlic paste, raw papaya, lemon juice, malt vinegar and hung yogurt.

2. Marinade the lamb/mutton in the above ingredients for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight). Cover and put the marinated meat in the refrigerator.

3. Skewer the pieces an inch apart from each other.

4. Grill on a charcoal fire for 15-20 minutes or till half done.

5. Take the skewers off the grill and let them stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

6. Baste with oil and grill again till fully done ( 20 more minutes)

7. Serve hot garnished with chaat masala and lime juice sprinkled on top alongwith some mint chutney.

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Oat Bran Muffins

Cooking at home is a great stressbuster and relaxation technique for many. Cooking with your kids is a great way to bond with them. Not only are you spending time together but are also creating something new. It is also very educational for your kids. They feel a part of something important and learn new things. It also personally, solves a big problem for me. My kids are very fussy and choosy eaters. When they help me in the kitchen, they want to try out their creation (that's the important part ...the kids made it, not you ).
Last weekend was one such bonding time for me with my kids and what better than baking. Baking is a great way to teach them counting, measuring, time and so on. We baked muffins ...and that too Oat Bran muffins. I found this great recipe on Joyofbaking and since I had oat bran in the kitchen, we decided to give it a try.
Bran is the hard outer layer of grain and is rich in nutrition. Oat bran is the edible, outermost layer of the oat kernel. They are rich in B complex vitamins, protein, minerals & a heart healthy soluble fiber. They are known to lower cholesterol levels by as much as 25% over 1-3 months when taken regularly. The muffins made with oat bran are easy to make and taste delicious.

Oat Bran Muffins

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour - 1 Cup
Oat bran - 1 Cup
Brown sugar - 1/3 Cup
Baking powder - 1.5 Tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 Tsp
Salt - 1/4 Tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 Tsp
1 large egg
Honey - 60 ml
Vanilla essence- 1 Tsp
Refined oil - 2 Tblsp
Milk - 300 ml
Raisins - 1/2 Cup

Method:

Cool on a wire rack.

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Sesame Honey Chili Potato

Sometime back when I was still with the hospitality industry a hugely popular Chinese Restaurant in the capital decided to change the decor, get in new chefs from China and get traditional Chinese cuisine into the menu. Thankfully for them, they still retained some Chinese dishes you find in India in their menu.The desi Chinese dishes remained the best sellers.

Chinese cuisine is a very popular cuisine in India. In my household, we cook Chinese atleast once every 2 weeks and eat out Chinese food every 2 weeks. But the fare we love to eat is so different from authentic Chinese cuisine that it is wrong to term it as one. It should be ideally termed Sino-Indian cuisine. Even this has so many sub varieties, ranging from Punju Chinese like the manchurian, to udipi versions of sweet & sour idli and sichuan dosa. There are even restaurants serving jain versions of Chinese food. A few years back one could even get themselves a pizza with a sichuan chicken or paneer topping. A lot of it has got to do with the Indian love for things fried, crispy and spicy. Nevertheless it sells, it's very popular with the masses and classes and I love it.
I love to eat American Chopsuey and drums of heaven and need to satiate my cravings every third day. My spouse has a similar thing for chili potatoes. Between us we can tell you the best places to have Sino-Indian food in various cities in India. Talking about them, I think I have had the best drums of heaven in Hyderabad in a place called Walden Court. It's a small clubhouse for residents of a society but serves the best drums of heaven. If you can, you must get your way in and sample those. Closer home, the newly opened Mandarin Trail (Noida) has decent fare and great chili potatoes. They are a drier, crispier version, with a great after taste of chili. If you want a more saucy chili potatoes then head 50 kms. out of Noida to Dana Choga in Gurgaon. My better half and I have been going there for the last 13 years to have their chili potatoes and chopsuey, though the chopsuey has gone down in terms of taste, the chili potatoes still rule. The China Club in Gurgaon is another favorite of ours though we haven't gone there for sometime now.For the time being I'll leave you all to try the chili potatoes recipe below. The chopsuey and drums of heaven can wait for another post.

Sesame Honey Chili Potatoes

Ingredients:

Potatoes, cut into thick finger shaped pieces (french fries shape) - 250 gm
Red Chili Flakes - 1 Tsp
Garlic, crushed - 2 Tsp
Salt - 2Tsp
Sesame Oil - 2 Tsp

For Marinade:
Red Chili Sauce - 2 Tsp
Honey - 3 Tsp
Soy Sauce - 1.5 Tblsp.
Vinegar - 1.5 Tblsp.
Tomato Sauce - 2 Tblsp.

For Garnish:
Spring Onions, scallions, chopped- 2 Tsp
Sesame seeds, dry roasted - 2Tsp

Method:
1. Deep fry the potatoes on a medium flame till they are golden brown.
2. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade and add the fried potato sticks to the marinade. Keep for10 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a wok. Add in the crushed garlic and chili flakes. Stir fry for 30 seconds.
4. Add the potatoes along with the marinade and cook on a high flame.
5. Toss the potatoes and cook well on high flame for 5 minutes or till potatoes are almost dry.
6. Arrange on a serving platter and sprinkle chopped scallion and sesame seeds on top.

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Kashmiri Akhrot Chutney (Walnut Dip)

Walnuts get their name from an old English term called wealhhnutu, meaning, foreign nut. It was called so as it was introduced to England from Gaul ( Present day France & Belgium and parts of Switzerland, Netherlands & Germany) and Italy. Apart from being an excellent source of protein they also have a higher Omega-3 Fatty acid content than other nuts and incorporating them in our daily diet can lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Now the best walnuts are the Persian Walnuts or Royal Walnut, that comes from Balkans, Southwest & Central Asia. In English speaking nations they are also referred to as the English Walnut or Common Walnut. These walnuts are known for their delicious nuts. Other species include the Black Walnut, Butternut, Japanese Walnut & Hind's Black Walnut apart from various hybrids.
I spent a part of my childhood in Kashmir living in Srinagar in the Badami Bagh Cantonment. The entire areas was full of different trees. There were Mulberry, Apple, Almond and Walnut trees all around and being the naughty kids that we were, one could find us climbing those trees. Armed with a pen knife and a bag, it was good fun to have walnuts that were still not dried. The akhrot chutney was special as one of my classmates usually got it from home alongwith other Kashmiri goodies, needless to say his lunchbox was a much sought after item. I stumbled upon the recipe to make this dip some days back and since we were planning on a Kashmiri meal this chutney made its way to the dining table and once again into my life.

Kashmiri Akhrot ki Chutney

Ingredients:

Walnuts, shelled - 50 gm
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - To Taste
Yogurt - 60 ml

Method:
1. Put the shelled walnuts, salt and red chili powder in a grinder and grind until smooth.
2. Transfer this powder to a bowl. Add the yogurt and mix well.
3 Chill before serving.

Variation:

Akhrot Muli ki chutney (Walnut Radish Dip) -Add 60 gm shredded radish to this chutney. Mix well till the chutney coats all the shredded radish.

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Diwali & Salsa

Diwali or the festival of lights, transforms the entire nation overnight. Everyone is in high spirits weeks before the festival. The malls are brimming with activity as everybody is busy shopping for gifts. You can hear firecrackers go off in the evening and mostly people are in a good, festive mood. The art of gifting during diwali has also witnessed a major shift in the past few years. The traditional sweet boxes made way for dry fruits which in turn gave way to designer chocolates. These are now making way for other innovative gifts.
We decided to step away from tradition this time and decided to gift some homemade salsa alongwith diyas (lamps). Salsa, or simply sauce, is attributed to Mexico and it's very name implies Mexican food. However, it goes beyond. Records date salsa back to the Aztecs, Mayans and Incans. For more on Salsa and it's history, please visit this site.
There are various kinds of salsa with the most common one being a combination of tomato, onions and chillies. Variations without tomato, involving peaches, mangoes and cactus are common.The classic tomato salsa is also popularly known as Salsa Ranchero or Salsa Mexicana. Salsa Verde involves green tomatillos. Traditional salsas do not involve oil and rely on the fresh flavor of the vegetables. They are also a very healthy choice to include in your meals. My version below is not too classic,but does not deviate too much.

Happy Diwali 2009 !!!

Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:

Tomatoes, ripe & firm - 10
Serrano Chiles, finely chopped- 3
Onion, finely chopped - 2
Cilantro, finely chopped - large bunch
Jalapeno Peppers, finely chopped - 2
Garlic, minced - 5 cloves
Juice of limes - 4 Tblsp
Olives, finely chopped - 6
Salt - To Taste
Sugar - 2 Tsp
Black Pepper-2 Tsp

Method:
1. Blanch the tomatoes by cutting a small cross in the bottom of each tomato. Put them in boiling water for 10 seconds and refresh under cold running water.The skins will begin to peel back from the crosses. Remove the skins completely.
2. Deseed the tomatoes and chop finely.
3. Combine with all other remaining ingredients.
4.Mix gently so that all ingredients are coated with the lime juice and the sugar and salt have dissolved.
5. Chill in the refrigerator before serving.

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Salli Jardaloo Keema (Apricot Meat Mince)

The rains finally arrived, and when they arrived, they really arrived in full fury. It rained the last few days. All rainfall deficit has been wiped out alongwith the roads in many parts of Delhi. They have been a welcome respite from the heat wave. I celebrated the arrival of rains by cooking up a parsi keema dish. Parsi cuisine is a welcome blend of various influences, the most notably being persian, as that is where they came from. What you get in the end is a treasure of dishes that combine sweet with the sour, meat with fruits, and so on.


Salli Jardaloo Keema


Ingredients:


Lamb Mince - 250 gm
Turmeric (Haldi) Powder - 5 gm
Ginger garlic paste - 3 Tbl Spoon
Oil - 20 ml
Green Cardamom - 1 gm
Cinnamon - 1 gm
Cloves - 2-3
Cumin seeds - 1 Tsp
Onion paste - 1 Cup
Tomatoes paste - 1 Cup
Green chillies - 2-3
Red chilli powder - 2 Tsp
Coriander powder - 3 Tsp
Garam masala powder - 2 Tsp
Apricot puree - 50 gm
Mint leaves, finely chopped - 20 gm
Potato straws - For garnish
Salt - To Taste



Method:
1. Mix the mince with turmeric, ginger garlic paste and salt. Boil with 3 cups of water. Keep aside.
2. Heat the oil and add the cardamom, cinnamon and the cloves. Add the cumin seeds. When the cumin start to crackle, add the onion paste and saute till it turns golden brown.
3. Add the tomato paste and the rest of the ingredients.Saute for 5 minutes on a slow flame.
4. Add the boiled mince. Cook for 20 minutes stirring constantly till the water dries up.
5. Serve garnished with potato straws.

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Nadur Seekh with Mint Chutney

Last week we discovered Lotus Stem at our local mandi and I have since gone gaga on it. It's been ages since I had eaten lotus stem and I have been going back every week to get some more of this stuff. After trying out some traditional dishes with Lotus Stem which were mostly Kashmiri delicacies ( Lotus Stem is called Nadur or Nadru in Kashmiri language), I decided to get innovative. The seekh is a product of that "let's try something different"mode.

Nadur Seekh

Ingredients:

Lotus Stem ( Kamal Kakri) - 200 gm
Chana Dal - 100 gm
Ginger, finely chopped - 2 Tsp
Garlic, minced - 2 Tsp
Pistachio - 2o gm
Almonds- 20 gm
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 2 Tsp
Fennel Powder - 2 Tsp
Salt - To Taste
Oil

Method:
1. Peel and wash the Lotus stems. Take care as there is a lot of dirt trapped in between.
2. Chop the lotus stems into slices. Keep aside.
3. In a flat pan, heat oil. Add in the ginger and garlic. Saute till they start to turn a little pink.


4. Add in the lotus stems. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add in the chana dal. Saute for 3 more minutes.
6. Add in the pistachios and almonds. Mix well.
7. Add in the spices and water. Mix well. Let it cook till all water has dried up. Take off flame.
8. Add in the salt and pass this mixture through a blender.
9. Holding a skewer in one hand, take a ball of this minced mixture in the other hand.
10. Press the mince to the skewer and shape into a sausage like kabab.
11. Heat up the grill or tandoor. Grill the kababs, regularly basting them.
12. Serve hot with mint chutney.


Mint Chutney

Ingredients:
Mint - 1 Bunch
Coriander - 1 Bunch
Green Chillies, roughly chopped - 2
Ginger, peeled and roughly chopped - 1" piece
Garlic, peeled and washed - 4 cloves
Lemon Juice - 2 tsp
Salt - To Taste

Method:
1. Wash mint and coriander. Cut off their roots.
2. Put them in a blender along with all other ingredients and blend into a smooth paste.
3. Adjust seasoning. Chill and serve.

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Chetinaad Kozhi Kozhambu (Chetinaad Style Chicken Curry)

I visited Dakshin (the restaurant in ITC Sheraton) with a colleague of mine a few weeks back. All these months in Delhi had gone by eating punju food and even when I went out with family or clients it was the usual kebab and tikka fare. The evening at Dakshin made me realize how much of good food from down south I had missed in the past few months.

Chetinaad Kozhi Kozhambu

Ingredients:

Chicken - 500 Gm
Onions, finely chopped - 200 Gm
Tomatoes - 250 Gm
Ginger Garlic Paste - 5 Tblsp

Cinnamon - 1 Stick (1-in)

Cloves - 3-4

Green Cardamom - 4-5
Cumin Seeds (Zeera) - 2 Tsp
Fennel Seeds (Saunf) - 2 Tsp
Coconut, dessicated - 25 Gm
Whole Red Chillies - 3-4
Peppercorns - 2 Tsp
Marathi Mukku - 2
Star Anise - 5 Gm

Turmeric Powder - 1 Tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp
Salt - To Taste
Curry Leaves
Oil

Method:
1. Dry roast Star Anise, Marathi Mukku, Peppercorns, Whole red chillies, fennel, cumin & dessicated coconut and grind them to a fine powder.

2. Heat oil in a pan.
3. Add in green cardamom, Cinnamon & Cloves.
4. Add in onions. Saute till they start to turn golden brown.
5. Add in the ginger garlic paste. Cook well.
6. Add tomatoes, chilli powder, turmeric powder and the roasted masala. Cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add in the chicken pieces. Cook well till chicken is tender and done.

8. Add in the curry leaves. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
9. Serve hot garnished with corriander.

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The joys of baking - Chocolate Chip & Fruit Tea Cake

My better half discovered the joys of baking a few months back and has not looked back since then. At first it was my signature weekly banana bread that got passed on to her, and I must admit it tasted better when she baked. Then came the other breads and cakes. The cheesecakes (I still feel deeply my cheesecakes are the primary reason she married me) will come sooner or later ...I'm waiting.

Chocolate Chip & Fruit Tea Cake



Ingredients:

Refined Flour - 225 gm
Brown Sugar, ground - 100 gm
Unsalted Butter - 175 gm
Eggs - 4
Baking Powder - 1 Tsp
Chocolate Chips - 175 gm
Raisins, soaked in hot water - 100 gm
Walnuts - 50 gm

Method:

1. Sift the flour and baking powder. Keep aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar until soft, light & fluffy.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Add in the flour & baking powder.
5. Stir in chocolate chips, raisins and walnuts.
6. Pour into a greased & floured cake tin.
7. Bake at 180 Deg. Celsius for 40 minutes to 50 minutes.
8. Cool for 10 minutes in the tin.
9. Turn out on a wire rack carefully and allow it to cool completely.
10. Cut into thin slices and serve.

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Barbeque Pork Chops and Herb & Garlic Mashed Potatoes

The long Independence day weekend was fantastic. It rained all 3 days in Delhi, though intermittently, and the weather was perfect for a cooking outdoors. This was a perfect time for me to take out my latest acquisition, a weber's smokey joe portable grill and head to a nice retreat. 2 days of grilling and having fun with kids has left me totally refreshed. It was also good fun to catch up with some old friends and forget work for sometime.

My friend decided to do Pork Chops on Sunday and it was the last meal before we headed back to the daily grind. It was a simple recipe with Bbq sauce and did not take too much time. I contributed on the side by making up some herb and garlic mashed potatoes.

For trivia sakes, Pork Chops is the favorite food of Homer Simpson (The Simpsons). :)

Bbq Pork Chops

Ingredients:

Pork Chops - 10

Malt Vinegar - 1 Cup

Tomato Ketchup - 1 Cup

Tabasco Sauce - 10 drops

Garlic, minced - 3 cloves

Cloves - 4

Paprika - 1/2 Tsp

Mustard Sauce - 2 tsp

Black Pepper - 2 Tsp

Worcestershire Sauce - 2 Tblsp

Brown Sugar - 2 Tblsp

Water - 1/2 Cup

Sea Salt - 2 Tsp

Olive Oil - 1 Tblsp

Method:

1. Put a pan on flame and add in all the ingredients, except the pork chops.

2. Mix well and let it come to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool. The Bbq sauce is ready.

3. Place the pork chops in a large deep bowl. Pour the bbq sauce over the chops. Leave aside in a cool place for 3 hours.

4. Heat the grill. Grill the pork chops over charcoal for 5-7 minutes each side. baste each side with the bbq sauce while grilling.

5. heat the remaining bbq sauce. Serve with the Pork Chops.

Note: You can add in Honey and celery salt if you wish. I did not have them at the place where we were grilling. :)

Herb & Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

Potatoes, peeled & quartered - 2 Kgs

Garlic, peeled & chopped - 20 cloves

Butter - 3 Tblsp

Milk - 3/4 Cup

Parsley, chopped - 1/2 cup

Basil - 1 Tblsp

Chervil - 1 Tblsp

Chives - 1/2 tsp

Black Pepper, freshly ground - 2 Tblsp

Salt - To Taste

Olive Oil - 1 Tsp

Method:

1. Boil the potatoes in a large bowl of water alongwith 7 cloves of garlic, salt and 1 tsp olive oil. Simmer till potatoes are tender.

2. Drain when done and pass the potatoes and cloves through a ricer. (you can mash them whichever way you prefer).

3. Heat butter in a large pan. Add in the remaining garlic. Saute till translucent.

4. Add in the mashed potatoes and milk. Mix well.

5. Add in the herbs and black pepper.

6. Season with salt and Serve.

Note: If potatoes appear too stiff, add in more milk.

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