Haleem – Slow Cooked Lentils, Wheat and Meat/Vegetables PorridgeServes: 4-5

Ingredients:

For Nonvegetarian Version-

Lamb/Veal Meat, boneless or with bone - 300 gms, washed and cubed (or) Chicken meat, boneless or with bone – 300 gms washed and cubed (I suggest using meat with bone) (you could also use minced chicken or lamb/veal meat)

For Vegetarian Version-

Fresh/Frozen chopped mixed Vegetables -300gms (you can use chopped vegetables like Cauliflower/PhulGobi, Peas/Matar, Carrots/Gajar, Capsicums/Shimla Mirch, Green Beans/Phalli)

Remaining Ingredients:

Broken Wheat/Bulgar Wheat/ Dalia – 1 1/2 cupsSplit Bengal Gram/ Chana Dal/Chane ki dal – 2 tbspSplit Yellow Lentils/Masoor dal – 2 tbspSplit Yellow Lentils/Tuvar dal – 4 tbspSalt – to tasteTurmeric/Haldi – 1/2 tspCanola oil - 6 tbspOnions – 4, large, finely slicedGinger-Garlic paste - 4 tbspRed chilli powder – 1 tspCoriander seeds – 2 tsp, dry roasted and powderedCumin seeds – 2 tsp, dry roasted and powderedGaram masala – 1 tsp

For Garnish:

Mint leaves/Pudina – chopped, for garnishCilantro/Kothmir – chopped, for garnishGreen chillies/Hari Mirch – 4, finely chopped or slitFried Onion/Pyaz – 1 cupJuicy Lemon/Lime – 4, halvedGhee – 2 tbsp (optional)

Method:

1. Add the broken wheat to surplus fresh cool water and drain in very fine wire mesh strainer several times to wash it, and soak the it and the lentils~chana dal, tuvar dal and masoor dal,

seperately overnight or for atleast 3 hours, in generous amount of fresh cool water.2. For a Non-vegetarian version, pressure cook the meat in surplus amount of water enough to cover it along with a pinch of salt and turmeric till tender. Chicken Meat will cook faster than Lamb meat. Once the meat is tender, drain, measure and reserve the stock in a bowl, shred the meat and keep aside in an anther bowl. Discard the bones. If using minced meat, cook it in a little oil, salt and red chilli powder until browned evenly. Keep aside.3. Drain the soaking wheat and lentils and keep aside in a fine wire mesh strainer. In a non-stick 7 quart Dutch oven at medium heat, pour oil and as it gets warmed up throw in the sliced onion and stir fry until evenly browned and crisp (make sure you do not burn it). Remove the pan from heat and using a slotted spoon, remove about 1/2 of the fried onions from the pan onto a platter and spread the fried onions well so that they crisp up. Return the pan with leftover fried onions to heat and add ginger-garlic paste, coriander and cumin seed powder, red chilli powder, salt and turmeric. Add the drained broken wheat and lentils and mix well. Pour in the reserved meat stock. If you are preparing a vegetarian version, you can add vegetable stock or just plain water. You need to add a total of 8 cups of liquid to the saucepan. Let it boil once then simmer and let it cook covered, until the lentils are tender and the wheat mushy, about 1 1/2 hours, stirring it every once in a while taking care it doesnt stick to the bottom of the dish.4. Stir in the garam masala and add the frozen/fresh chopped vegetables, or for a non-vegetarian version, the reserved shredded meat or minced meat, and mix well. Let it cook covered till the vegetables are tender and oil comes to surface, about 5 -8 minutes. You can keep adding a little water if needed. Remove the dutch oven from heat. Let it cool down slightly.5. Once cool, pour the entire thing into a food processor and process for a minute. Pour back into the dutch oven, add a little water, and let simmer covered for 5 more minutes.6. To serve pour the Haleem into individual plates with a laddle and garnish each plate with a few chopped mint leaves, chopped cilantro, chopped/slit green chillies, reserved fried onion, halved lemon for squeezing fresh lemon juice and a dollop of ghee(optional) for a deliciously nutritious meal.

Luv,Mona

Haleem~II:a gastronomic delight

Posted on December 24th, 2009 by Mona ©copyrighted in Almonds/Badaam, Blog Events/Entries/Polls, Broken Wheat/Daliya, Canola Oil, Cardamom/Elaichi, Cashewnuts/Kaaju, Chane ki Dal, Chironji/Charoli, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Cinnamon/Dalchini, Cubeb/Kawabchini, Cumin seeds/Zeera, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Garam masala powder, Ghee, Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Chillies, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Mint/Pudina (fresh), Poppy seeds/Khus-Khus, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Turmeric/Haldi, Wheat/Gehu, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz, Yogurt/Dahi | 17 Comments » 3,327 views

Brr, its cold outside. Curled up on my sofa under a soft quilt and enjoying the season with a bowl of haleem topped with fried onions, fresh herbs, ghee and few fried cashew nuts along with a splash of fresh lemon juice provides me the warmth and nourishment and makes me hopelessly nostalgic.

Haleem, a porridge made with wheat, pulses, meat, ghee is a classic Hyderabadi delicacy which has Persian origins. Back home in restaurants it is cooked in large amounts in huge cauldrons called as degh for hours together along with a range of exotic spices and other aromatics and pounded continually, until it resembles a velvety gruel like consistency. At homes, we use pressure cookers and processors to quicken the process.

This savory Ramadan speciality has a wonderful taste, and a delicious aroma. Haleem is usually prepared during the month of Ramadan(the ninth holy month of the Muslim calender in which Muslims observe fast from sunrise to sunset) and enjoyed at Iftaar and Suhoor, as it has got all the goodness to sustain and nurture a fasting body.

broken wheat and wheat grains

Below is my Ammi’s version of Haleem, I had also posted an another version Haleem here a while back. A yogurt qorma is prepared and mixed with the wheat+dal+meat mixture and cooked until the flavors marry and the desired consistency is achieved. My mother in law always prefers wheat grains over broken wheat for Haleem. I use broken wheat as it cooks faster.

Hyderabadi Haleem – Lentils, Wheat and Meat Porridge

Ingredients:

Boneless Lamb meat – 500 gms (or) Lamb meat with bone – 700 gms [preferably leg] – cut into small piecesGinger-garlic paste – 1 tbspRed chilli powder – 1 tspTurmeric powder – 1/4 tspSalt – 1 tspChana dal – 100 gmsBroken wheat – 250 gmsFor Qorma:White poppy seeds/Khuskhus – 1 tspChironji nuts – 1 tspChopped almonds and cashewnuts – 1 tbsp eachCanola oil – 4-5 tbspOnions – 3, large, finely slicedCloves – 2Cardamom – 2Cinnamon stick – one 2″ stickDry Roasted Kababchini powder – 1/4 tspDry roasted Cumin seed powder – 1/2 tspGreen chillies – 4, each broken into twoYogurt – 1 cup, lightly whiskedRed chilli powder – 2 tspSalt – 2 tspBlack pepper powder – 1/4 tspGaram masala powder – 1/2 tspCardamom seed powder – 1/4 tspLemon juice – 1/4 cup/60 ml/4 tbspFor Garnishfinely chopped Cilantro, and Mint leavesCrisply fried onionsLemon juiceGheeFried cashew nutssliced/chopped Green chillies

Haleem, garnished with fried onions, fresh herbs, green chillies, nuts and lemon juice

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker, add the meat, ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp red chilli powder, turmeric powder and 1 tsp salt and pour in 1 cup water. Pressure cook until the meat is about 3/4th done.2. Meanwhile soak chana dal and broken wheat for 30 minutes in fresh cool water. As soon as the meat is done, transfer the meat with all its juices into a bowl. Keep aside to cool.3. Drain the soaking dal and keep aside. In the same pressure cooker, add the dal and broken wheat and pour in 4 cups of fresh cool water and pressure cook for a few minutes until the mixture is soft. Transfer to a bowl.3. Meanwhile, shred the cooked meat and put it back into its juices and keep aside in a bowl. Discard bones.4. Soak khuskhus, chironji nuts, cashewnuts and almonds in 1/2 cup warm water for 15 minutes. Grind them into a smooth puree.5. In a food processor or a blender, add the cooked dal and the cooked broken wheat along with any remaining water in which it was boiled and process until well blended.6. In a large thick bottomed non-stick saucepan at medium high heat, pour oil and as soon as it warms up, add the sliced onion and stir fry it until evenly golden brown in color. Using a slotted spoon transfer half of the fried onions onto a platter, scatter so that they cool and crisp up in a while, use these fried onions for garnish later on. Meanwhile, in the pan with the fried onions, lower the heat and add cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom, kababchini power, green chillies and cumin seed powder. Stir fry for 10-20 secs. Add the yogurt. Mix well. Add the pureed nuts mixture and mix well. Add red chilli powder, black pepper powder and salt. Half cover and cook stirring occasionally until it leaves oil. Add the blended wheat+dal mixture and the shredded meat with all its juices and mix well. Pour in 2 cups water, and add garam masala powder and cardamom powder. Mix well. Cover and let cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally for 10-20 minutes. Remove from heat when the desired consistency of a thick porridge is achieved. Ladle in serving plates, garnish and serve warm.

Nihari

Posted on December 15th, 2008 by Mona ©copyrighted in Canola Oil, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Cornflour, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Ginger-Garlic paste, Gram Flour/Besan, Green Chillies, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Potli Ka Masala, Red Chilli powder, Red Onion/Lal Pyaaz, Saffron/Zafraan, Salt/Namak, Turmeric/Haldi, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz | 20 Comments » 5,063 views

It snowed here very heavily this year on Eid-ul-Adha, and I thought it would be best to cook a warming and nourishing brunch for the next day in the morning. My father in law recollected his good old times while we were having Nihari as our breakfast and said at the dastarkhaan, that when he was a school going kid, his father would ask him to get up very early if he would like to join him for a breakfast of Nihari at Shehran Hotel, beside Charminar in Hyderabad. He also added he always loved the Nihari at Shahran and devoured it and still remember its taste.

Some of the traditional dishes prepared by muslims just after Qurbani on Eid-ul-Adha are Nihari, Maghaz Masala, Organ meat and various kinds of the red meat preparations from the Qurbani ka gosht.

Nihari, is a rich broth, made out the bones and meat of a sheep or lamb’s cheek and head bones and the tongue meat and shanks. It has a special mention in the must-taste list of travelers visiting the city around Eid. In Hyderabad, after the Qurbani, my father would take the sheep’s head and feet to the butcher for further preparations so that we could prepare Nihari. The butcher used to remove all the hairs from the skin of sheep’s feet and head, discard the waste parts and whack them up into pieces. These were then roasted in fire to kill all the disease-causing agents, if present, and also to intensify its flavors. The meat from the sheep’s cheeks is substantial and most tender and delectable. Its tongue takes a longer time to get cooked, but is a delicacy. The butchers here where I live remove the skin from the trotters and clean them, so I do have to fire roast the shanks.

Nihari prepared using fire-roasted lamb trotters with skin

Nihari is prepared by boiling or slow cooking the sheep bones and meat along with a range of ambrosial spices and herbs. Earlier, people used to slow cook it on coal in large pots the whole night long, until it was thick and enticing by morning, ready for the breakfast. Today, women, use pressure cookers to save time.

The Hyderabadi Potli ka Masala or bouquet garni for Nihari contains a mixture of around 20 or more aromatic herbs and exotic spices which are tied in a muslin cloth and tossed into the saucepan to infuse wonderful flavors and a beautiful fragrance into the boiling broth. Its contains but is not limited to spices such as:

1. Coriander seeds  (Dhaniya)2. Bayleaf  (Tej Patta)3. Sandalwood sticks (Sandal ki Lakdi)4. Stone Flowers (Pathar ka Phool)5. Star Anise (Dagad Phool)6. Dried Rose Petals (Sukhe Gulab ke Phool)7. Roots of the Betel plant  (Paan ki jad)8. Black Peppercorns (Sabut Kali Mirch)9. Chinese Cubeb (Kawabchini)10. Spiked Ginger Lily (Kapoor Kachri)11. Black Cardamom (Badi Elaichi)12. Salt (Namak)13. Garam Masala14. Cinnamon sticks (Dalchini)15. Fennel seeds (Saunf)

16. Cloves (Laung)17. Mace18. Cumin seeds (Zeera)19. Roasted Chana Dal (Phula Chana)20. Dried Vetevier roots (Khas ki Jad)

Ready made Potli Ka Masala from a store in Hyderabad,containing various aromatic dried herbs and spices

You do not have to go searching for all these herbs to make your own Potli ka Masala. It is available ready made at many specialty stores in Hyderabad, especially in the Old city, a 25 gm potli ka masala costs around 10 Indian Rupees per packet. Use any of the brands that you get your hands on. In the ready made Potli Ka Masala packets available in the markets in Hyderabad, there is again a small packet inside called as the Nihari Masala powder, which consists of the powdered masala  used in the second stage in the cooking process for Nihari.What I do is, whenever I visit Hyderabad, I buy many packets from Hyderabad and get them with me here, so that they last me a long time, and freeze them to store and use whenever fancied.

Almost every household in Hyderabad prepares Nihari as breakfast or brunch at the second or third day of Eid. It is had by sousing soft and warm Kulcha’s or Paratha’s, or by dunking in crusty breads into the highly flavored and nourishing broth containing all the goodness.

Nihari, prepared using deskinned lamb trotters,served along with warm Parathas in the Hot-Pot

Nihari is always prepared out the head bones, tongue & cheek meat and the shanks or trotters of a lamb or a sheep. The traditional Nihari is never prepared of boneless lamb meat or chicken. However people add the same Nihari masala to chicken and boneless meat broths to simulate the dish in other simpler forms.

Nihari – Aromatic Slurpy Broth of Lamb Shanks and Cheek Meat

Ingredients:

4 legs and a head of a sheep – cleaned (and fire roasted if using the trotters with skin), and whacked into pieces + a sheep’s Tongue/Zabaan – cleaned (or) Lamb Shoulder meat with bone cut into big chunks – 1. kgPotli ka Masala – half the quantity in a 25 gm packetRed onion (or) Yellow Onion – 1, large, roughly choppedCorn/Gram flour – 3/4 cup, dissolved in a small amount of water to make a smooth pasteRed chilli powder – 2 tspSalt – 2 1/4 tspTurmeric/Haldi – 1/4 tspSmall green chillies – 6, each slit into half

For Tempering, Baghaar:

Canola oil – 2 tbspYellow onion – 1, large, finely slicedGinger garlic paste – 1 1/2 tsp

For Garnish:

Cilantro – 1/2 cup, finely choppedGinger juliennes – 2 tspLemon wedges – 1 cupSaffron threads – a pinchLemon juice – 1/3 cup

Method:

1. Wash the sheep’s head bones, tongue and trotters or the shoulder meat in surplus water. Put them in a strainer for the water to drain away. Meanwhile, in a pressure cooker, add the roughly chopped red onion, the washed bones, tongue and trotters or the shoulder meat from the strainer and pour in 1.5 liter of water, red chilli powder and green chillies. Make a bouquet garni of the required amount of potli ka masala (not the powdered masala from the small packet, read about it above). Add this bouquet garni along with salt and turmeric and close the lid to pressure cook until the meat is tender. Later, open the lid and add corn/gram flour paste. Half cover the lid and let it slow cook for 15 minutes more. The broth is ready. Cover with lid and keep aside2. During that time, prepare the baghaar. Take a medium sized non-stick frying pan at medium high heat and pour oil into it. Throw in the sliced onions, and stir fry them until they are golden brown in colour. Now add the ginger garlic paste to the fried onions and fry it along for about 2 minutes more stirring continously. Remove the pan from heat and keep aside.3. Just before you are ready to serve it to everyone, add half the quantity of the nihari masala powder from the small packet of the store brought potli ka masala, and the baghaar to the broth in the pressure cooker and bring to a boil. Lift out the bouquet garni and squeeze it thoroughly. Discard it later. Let it cook half covered for 15 more minutes. Close the heat and pour the Nihari into a large serving bowl. Add lemon juice, saffron threads and ginger juliennes. Serve the lemon wedges in a separate small cup if anyone wishes for an extra zing. Enjoy!

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy Nihari along with warm Parathas for a sumptuous breakfast.

Luv,Mona

Qimah Bhari Mirch

Posted on March 6th, 2009 by Mona ©copyrighted in Chillies and Peppers, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Long Sweet Peppers | 10 Comments » 1,164 views

Warm and sustaining dishes that comfort the soul are dear to everyone living in nippy cold weather conditions who is literally sick and tired of bearing the cold winds and seeing the huge piles of snow as white sheets everywhere covered on the vast ground, and waiting eagery to see sun and some color around.

I usually turn to cooking homely and comforting dishes quite often during this season of the year. Qimah bhari mirch is one such dish and I had prepared it with a day old left

over Masaaledaar Pudine Wala Qimah as the stuffing for some sweet long peppers which we enjoyed along with some warm store brought Afghani bread.

Qimah Bhari Mirch - Peppers stuffed with Spicy Minced meat

Qimah is so versatile. I usually prepare a good amount of Qimah, and use it in sandwiches, to prepare spring rolls, haleem, as a filling for samosas or aloo cutlets and even as a stuffing in various vegetables, etc. Peppers stuffed with spicy minced meat is a sure sight at most of the party/dawat menus. My Ammi prepares the best of its kind. The peppers are filled with Qimah and slow cooked on dum until they are soft and served warm.

You can even use Saada Qimah or whatever dry Qimah you have leftover as the filling for the peppers here.

Halved and cleaned long sweet red peppers (Red Shepherd Peppers) ready to be stuffed with Qimah

During my recent visit to the grocery mart, I happened to spot a few very fresh looking long sweet red peppers which I brought home. These peppers were really sweet in taste. You can use any kind and color of peppers that you like as long as they are thick enough, boat or bell shaped to hold the stuffing inside.

Qimah Bhari Mirch – Peppers stuffed with Spicy Minced meat

Ingredients:

Masaaledaar Pudine Wala Kheema – 1 RecipeBell Peppers (or) Long sweet peppers(Red Shepherd Peppers) - 5

Tomato ketchup – 4 tbsp

Method:

-Wash the peppers and pat them dry with paper towels.-If you have long bell peppers, cut them horizontally (and keep the other halves aside), so that they form into boat shaped containers in which the Qimah can be stuffed. Or else, if you have bell-shaped peppers, remove the tops, 1 inch from the stem end, and keep the tops aside. Remove the seeds and membranes carefully and discard. Dice the tops of the peppers into tiny pieces, discard the stem, and keep the chopped pepper tops in a bowl.

Sweet Long Red Peppers stuffed with Qimah and arranged on a tray

-Stuff the Masaaledaar Pudine Wala Kheema into the peppers and arrange them on a tray.-In a bowl add tomato ketchup, and the finely diced pepper tops into the remaining Qimah and mix well. Keep aside.-With the rack in the middle position, preheat oven to 450°F.-Spread the qimah mixed with ketchup evenly in a baking dish. Carefully arrange the stuffed peppers on the qimah, so that they do not touch each other and cover the dish with aluminium

foil. Keep the dish in the oven and let cook for 30 minutes or until the peppers are soft and well cooked. Serve warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: Pulao/ Baghara Chawal or Roti of your choice.

Luv,Mona

Dum ki Raan

Posted on September 22nd, 2009 by Mona ©copyrighted in Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Garam masala powder, Ginger-Garlic paste, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Lemon/Nimbu, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Turmeric/Haldi, Yogurt/Dahi | 19 Comments » 4,074 views

لله my Eid-ul-Fitr was fantastic. It was the weekend that day and and hence all my loved الحمدones were at home to be able to celebrate the joyous day with each other.

Dum ki Raan

I had prepared Dum Ki Raan for dinner on Eid-ul-Fitr. I had a few guests coming and الحمد we all enjoyed the meal. I was not able to take a picture of the garnished meat platter, as I had للهguests. My recipe is simple and ’simply lip-smacking’, as complimented by those who tasted it. Marinating the leg of lamb overnight is very essential. Yogurt, ginger-garlic paste and lemon juice help tenderize the meat.

Dum Ki Raan – Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb

Ingredients:

Leg of Lamb – 1.4 kg/3 lb (you can also use leg of Spring lamb, or Baby Lamb)Yogurt/Dahi – 1 cupGinger-Garlic paste – 2 tbspTurmeric – 1/2 tspGaram masala powder – 1 1/2 tspLemon juice – 4 tbspRed chilli powder – 2 tspSalt – 2 tsp

Method:

1. Wash and pat dry the leg of lamb thoroughly. Remove most of the fat and skin from lamb. Using a knife, make pockets and diagonal gashes on both sides. In a non-metallic flat bowl large enough to fit the leg of lamb, mix all the ingredients except the leg of lamb. Place the leg of lamb into the bowl and rub the marinade into the pockets and the gashes. Turn the leg of lamb, and rub the marinade on the other side also. Cover the dish with a plastic wrap or a tight lid and let it marinate in the refrigerator overnight. If possible, turn the leg of lamb in the marinade once after a while.2. The next day, pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Transfer the leg of lamb with all the marinade to a large roasting pan with high walls. Cover the pan tightly with aluminium foil and place it in the center rack of the pre-heated oven for 1 hour. After an hour, gently turn the leg of lamb and baste it with its own juices. Cover and place the roasting pan in the oven once again to cook for an another 1 hour. Later, give the leg of lamb an another turn and cover and let cook for a furthur half an hour until the meat is so tender that it falls off the bone and has absorbed all the delicious flavors.3. Remove the pan from the oven but do not remove the aluminium foil. Let it sit on a rack on

the countertop for more half an hour. Later, remove the foil, and using a fork and knife, remove the meat into a bowl and discard the bones. Using a flat wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan and add it to the meat. Mix thoroughly and cut the larger pieces of meat into smaller pieces.4. To serve, garnish, with lemon wedges, onion rings, lettuce leaves, tomato slices, baby carrots, chopped fresh cilantro and mint leaves and serve the meat warm in a platter. Enjoy!

Luv,Mona

Posted on November 16th, 2009 by Mona ©copyrighted in Black pepper powder, Canola Oil, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Cubeb/Kawabchini, Cumin seeds/Zeera, Curry leaves (fresh), Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Chillies, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Lemon/Nimbu, Mint/Pudina (fresh), Quick fix meals, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Turmeric/Haldi, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz | 18 Comments » 3,640 views

Perhaps one of the most simplest yet ambrosial meat preparations, made very often in Hyderabadi households, that I love to prepare for my family is Tala huwa Gosht, which means Sautéed meat. Simple seasonings, an aromatic baghaar, and lemon juice are the main flavoring ingredients.

Tala huwa Gosht – Sautéed meat in aromatic spices and herbs

Enjoy this delicious Hyderabadi meat preperation along with Tamatar ki dal, or Khatti dal and Baghara Chawal or plain Khushka.

Tala huwa Gosht – Sautéed meat in aromatic spices and herbs

Ingredients:

Boneless Veal/Mutton meat – 650 gms, washed and drained, cut into small bite size piecesSliced yellow onions – 100 gmsWater – 1/2 cupRed chilli powder – 1 tspSalt – 2 tspTurmeric powder – 1/4 tspGinger-garlic paste – 2 tbspFor Baghaar:

Canola oil – 2 tbspCumin seeds – 1 tbspCurry leaves – 1 sprigCilantro – 1/4 cup, finely chopped, loosely packedMint leaves – 1/4 cup, finely chopped, loosely packedGreen chillies – 4, each cit into two, then slit into halves in the middle

Black papper powder – 1/2 tspKawabchini – 1/2 tsp, dry roasted in a stovetop frying pan and cooled; once cooled, finely powderedLemon juice – 2 tbsp

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker, add the meat, onion, water, red chilli powder, salt, turmeric and ginger-garlic paste. Mix well. Cover and pressure cook for a few minutes until the meat is soft and tender. Make sure it not tough at all.2. Meanwhile, in a kadai or wok at medium high heat, prepare Baghaar. Pour in oil and as soon as it warms up add the cumin seeds. As the seeds splutter, add the curry leaves, finely chopped cilantro and mint, slit green chillies and fry for just a few seconds and remove from heat. Keep aside.3. Once the meat is done, let it cook uncovered until all of the liquid has been evaporated. Once almost dry, add it all to the baghaar in the kadai and mix well. Add black pepper power, kawabchini powder and lemon juice. Cook it for 5-10 minutes in the kadai at medium heat and serve immediately.

Luv,Mona

Tala huwa Gosht~II

Posted on December 10th, 2009 by Mona ©copyrighted in Ginger-Garlic paste, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Lemon/Nimbu, Quick fix meals, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Turmeric/Haldi, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz | 12 Comments » 2,679 views

An another after-qurbani special meat preparation that my Ammi used to prepare on Eid, which was a hit with us all as well as the guests.

A very simple meat preparation with lamb, onion, and basic flavorings, this dish will definitely become one of your favorites just it is my family’s. Lamb meat is enjoyed more than chicken meat in Hyderabad. Almost every Hyderabadi household has many versions of Talahua Gosht, which is a classic Hyderabadi Lamb preperation. I had also posted a different version here on my blog a few days back, and plan to post few more in the future inshallah.

There is no need to add oil while cooking for this recipe. Lamb with bone has enough fats that release after the meat is pressure cooked which help develop taste. I enjoyed this dish along with Khushka and Tamatar dal today on this cold snowy day.

Tala huwa Gosht~II – Braised Meat in aromatic spices and onion

Ingredients:

Lamb meat(with or without bone, preferably leg with bone) – 500 gmsOnion – 150 gms, roughly choppedRed chilli powder – 1 1/2 tspSalt – 1 1/2 tspGinger garlic paste – 1 1/2 tbspTurmeric powder – 1/4 tspRoasted Coriander powder – 1/2 tspLemon juice – 1-2 tsp (optional)

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add all the above ingredients except coriander powder and lemon juice and pour 1 cup water. Mix well and pressure cook until the meat is tender. Once done, add coriander powder, keep stirring and let it cook uncovered at medium high until there is no moisture left and the masala clings to the meat. Pour in lemon juice and serve warm along with roti or rice.

Tala hua Gosht~III

Posted on March 9th, 2010 by Mona ©copyrighted in Black pepper powder, Canola Oil, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Chillies, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Mint/Pudina (fresh), Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Turmeric/Haldi, White Potato/Aloo | 22 Comments » 3,704 views

I really love to discuss food; and also to host food events on my blog despite the effort it demands. Often it happens that with changing scenes of life, we tend to disremember and think no more of our most innate and deeply connected basic memories. And when by some means that old faded memory rejuvenates, you are instantly transported to that era of old times to relive and rewind. Food and memories are always so deeply associated. I have been hosting The Hyderabadi Ramadan Food Festival and The Hyderabadi Bakri-Eid Food Festival on my blog since last year لله and through these events and the participation of few enthusiastic ,الحمدfoodies, I have come across so many amazing recipes, some that invariably remind me of my Ammi’s food and some that I have never heard or tasted before.

Dhajji Kawab (or) Tala hua Gosht III ~ Shredded crisped meat with roasted potatoes

One such recipe was Syeda’s Dhajji Kawab. It reminded me of all those good old childhood memories filled with fun, leisure and laughter. This recipe was a usual in my Ammi’s house. She would prepare it for us all with so much love and we relished every last bit of it all. Somehow this recipe faded in my mind and it was only Syeda’s post that rekindled those memories. Jazakallahu Khairun Syeda.

Normally this dish is referred to as Tala hua Gosht~Sautéed meat. There exist many variations of Tala hua Gosht in Hyderabadi cuisine as Lamb meat is what is mostly preferred over any other meat by Hyderabadis. Syeda named it Dhajji Kawab (’dhajji‘ in Urdu language means ’shred’) and I really loved the name, so I am also going by it.

Update: According to Mahejabeen, a reader of my blog, this dish is also referred to as Buri ka Gosht. An another reader Pasha Bhai, has chipped in that this dish is also called as Tala Hua Chindi Gosht.Thank you Mahejabeen and Pasha bhai!

Today I am sharing my version of this recipe. I go gaga over it, one of my most favorite recipe that I have learnt from my Ammi. I recommend all my readers to once try this recipe and I am pretty sure inshallah you will all also fall in love with it.

Dhajji Kawab (or) Tala hua Gosht III ~ Shredded crisped meat with roasted potatoes

Ingredients:

Lamb/Veal meat (without bones) – 500 gmsSalt – to tasteTurmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste – 1 1/2 tbspRed chilli powder – 2 tspSmall green chillies – 2, finely choppedBlack pepper powder – 1/8 tspCilantro – 1 tbsp, finely choppedMint leaves – 1 tbsp, finely choppedRusset Potato – 1, large, peeled and quarteredLemon juice – 2 to 3 tbspCanola oil

Method:

Note: You need a heavy bottomed and preferably non-stick pan, or a well-seasoned cast iron pan for this recipe, or else the meat will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.

1. Add the meat, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 2 cups water to a pressure cooker and pressure cook the meat until it is very tender. Once the meat is done, drain the meat and reserve the water in a bowl. Using your hands, tear the cooked meat into fine shreds and add it to the reserved water. (if you are using meat with bones, discard the bones and only use the meat)2. In a heavy bottomed and preferably non-stick pan at medium-high heat pour 6 tbsp oil and add the quartered potatoes and stir fry them until they are browned on all sides. Using a slotted spoon remove the potatoes onto a platter and keep aside. In the same pan, add the ginger-garlic paste and stir fry for a few seconds. Now add the water+shredded meat and mix well. Add red chilli powder, salt, turmeric powder and mix. Let it cook until all of the moisture has been evaporated. Now add the stir fried potato quarters, black pepper powder, green chillies, cilantro and mint and mix. Spread the mixture out in the pan in one layer. Let it cook them without stirring for half a minute to give the meat the chance to crisp up. Continue cooking while stirring until all the meat has been nicely fried and crisped up. Pour in the lemon juice and mix. Serve immediately garnished with onion rings and cilantro.

For more versions of Hyderabadi Tala hua Hosht, please visit the Recipe index.

On a side note, I wholeheartedly thank all my well wishers who emailed me and asked about my well-being. الحمد.I am doing good and back to my usual routine لله

Luv,Mona

Turai Methi Gosht ka Salan

Posted on July 11th, 2009 by Mona ©copyrighted in Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Methi (fresh), Red Chilli powder, Ridged Gourd/Turai, Salt/Namak, Turmeric/Haldi, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz | 4 Comments » 1,763 views

Fresh Fenugeek leaves~Methi patta, a cleansing and healing Indian herb, adds an earthy flavor when cooked. Every Summer, I religiously sow a few seeds of methi along with other herbs and veggies in the small patch of vegetable garden in my lawn and enjoy the summers bounty.

Freshly plucked Fenugreek plants and chopped Turai

Fenugreek leaves are rich in iron, protein, calcium, carotene (vitamin A). When steamed along with Turai and meat, it enhances their taste and makes the curry more flavorful and appealing.

Turai Methi Gosht ka Salan – Ridged Gourd in Meat+Fenugreek leaves sauce

Enjoy this mellow tasting curry along with something khatta/sour like the khatti dal or khatta salan for a delicious meal.

Turai Methi Gosht ka Salan – Ridged Gourd in Meat+Fenugreek leaves sauce

Ingredients:

Yellow onion – 2, large, peeled and roughly choppedRed chilli powder – 1 tbspTurmeric – 1/2 tspSalt – 2 tspSheep/Veal meat with bone – 650 gmsTurai – 6, medium sized, peeled, and slicedSmall Green chillies – 2 or 3, chopped (optional)Fresh Methi leaves – 2 cups, loosely packed, finely chopped (discard stems and flowers)

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker, add chopped onions, red chilli powder, salt, turmeric and meat. Pour half cup water and mix well. Close the lid and pressure cook for about 10 minutes or until the meat is tender.

2. Open the lid and add the chopped turai. Mix well with a spoon. Half cover the lid and let it cook for 20 minutes.3. Add the chopped green chillies (if using), and chopped methi and stir well to mix. Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Serve warm.

Luv,Mona

Gobi Gosht

Posted on April 8th, 2008 by Mona ©copyrighted in Cabbage/Patta Gobi, Canola Oil, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Fats and Oils/Tel, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Non-Vegetarian/Gosht, Onion/Pyaaz, Quick fix meals, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Simple Kitchen Tips, Spices & Seasonings/Masaale, Turmeric/Haldi, Vegetables/Tarkariyaan, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz | 16 Comments » 5,090 views

Gobi Gosht is one of those very regular dishes that are prepared and had at many Hyderabadi households. It is simple to prepare, and is healthy enough. There are many other ways to prepare this very simple vegetable that is mostly disliked by so many people because of the strong aversion to cabbage some people keep.

Green Cabbage, halved

In this recipe, you can use, either Vegetable Stock, or Lamb Meat stock instead of water while cooking for more flavor.

Gobi Gosht – Cabbage with Lamb Meat

Ingredients:

Cabbage/Band Gobi – 1, medium-sized, finely shredded (I prefer green cabbage than white cabbage)Lamb meat, with bone – 600 gms, washed and cubed into bite size piecesRed Chilli Powder – 1 tbspSalt – 1 tbspTurmeric – 1/4 tspCanola Oil – 1 tbspYellow Onion – 2, small, finely slicedChopped Cilantro – 2 tbspChopped green chillies – 2 tbsp

Gobi Gosht – Cabbage with Lamb Meat

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker, pour oil, and as it gets warm, add the cubed meat, sliced onion, ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder, salt and turmeric powder. Add water to cover the meat and pressure cook until the meat is tender.2. Add the shredded cabbage, chopped cilantro and green chillies and half cover the lid. Let it cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes approx, until the cabbage is done. Keep a check, and add a few drops of water if needed while cooking the cabbage.

Luv,Mona

Kairi ka Do Pyaza

Posted on December 29th, 2009 by Mona ©copyrighted in Canola Oil, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Ginger-Garlic paste, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Mango/Aam, Mint/Pudina (fresh), Quick fix meals, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Turmeric/Haldi | 12 Comments » 2,314 views

The last week during my visit to the grocery mart, I had bought a few unripe mangoes and have been dishing out meals using this wonderful ingredient.

Unripe green mangoes ~ Kairi

Do Pyaza is an onion gravy preparation with a souring agent. Various main ingredients are used to prepare different versions of do pyaza. Tomatoes, Lemons, Gooseberries or Unripe green mangoes are the usual souring agents used. One can also prepare a vegetarian do pyaza without adding meat.

Kairi ka Do Pyaza

The acetic flavor of the unripe sour green mangoes in the current recipe adds a delicious kick to the curry which you will definitely savor. The following is my grandmother’s recipe.

Kairi ka Do Pyaza – Lamb meat in a spicy sour gravy

Lamb meat with bones – around 1 kgOnions – 1, medium sized, roughly dicedRed chilli powder – 1 1/2 tspTurmeric powder – 1/4 tspSalt – 1 1/2 tspGinger-garlic paste – 1 1/2 tbspCanola oil – 1 tbsp (optional)Sour, Raw and Unripe Green mango – 1, small, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup) (do not discard the stone)Fresh Cilantro and Mint leaves – 1 tbsp

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add everything except the chopped green mango and also pour in about 1/2 cup fresh water and pressure cook until the meat is tender. Once done, add the green mango and mix well. Aldo add the stone and pressure cook for 2-3 minutes. Now open the lid of the cooker and cook stirring frequently until most of the moisture has been evaporated, 5-10 minutes approx. Garnish with herbs before serving. Scrape all the soft flesh and juices from the stone and add to the gravy and discard the stone, check seasonings and serve warm along with Parathas or Tandoori Naan.

This is my contribution to the “The Hyderabadi Bakr-Eid Food Festival-’09” that I am hosting on my blog. The event is on and you can all send me your Bakr-Eid special recipes before December 31, 2009, which is the day after tomorrow. So hurry up and send me your entries! Click on the link or the logo for more details.

Luv,Mona

Tamatay Gosht – Lamb in Tomato Sauce

Posted on November 16th, 2007 by Mona ©copyrighted in Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Tomato/Tamatar (fresh) | 20 Comments » 2,267 views

As good as this curry looks, it tastes wonderful. You can prepare this curry along with Mitthi Dal and Khushka(Plain White Rice) and you will never forget this incredible combo which i learnt from my Lovely Mom! I use the left over, (if any!!) in between bread as sandwiches for lunch during work time. This saucy curry has a sweet and sour flavour and gets prepared very soon.

Fresh Ripe and Red Tomatoes

Tomatoes are rich in Lycopene, a strong antioxidant, and are healthy such that they are eaten raw in salads. They are rich in anti-oxidants and help prevent the occurance of Cancer, Heart diseases, Cataracts etc. Tomatoes are healthy when eaten raw, but their nutritional value enhances when they are cooked. The best way to choose tomatoes while buying them is to find for those that are firm, red and ripe. However, if you do not intend to use them immediately, you can buy raw tomatoes and ripen them at home at room temperature to use them later on. Or you can also preserve the ripe red tomatoes in the refrigerator to freeze their ripening process.

This particular recipe of Tamatay Gosht is simple to prepare, yummy and delectable. Try it out, Here goes the recipe..

Tamatay Gosht – Meat in a Fragrant Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

Lamb Meat – 500 gms, cut into 2 cm approx cubes Tomatoes – 4, large, ripe, red Garam Masala – 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp Salt – 1 3/4 tsp Green Chillies – 3, small, slit Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tsp Oil – 2 tsp Onion – 2, large Curry Leaves – 8 Coriander Leaves – For Garnish

Tamatay Gosht – Meat in a Fragrant Tomato Sauce

Method:

Wash well and then pressure cook the lamb pieces in some water in a pressure cook till they are tender. Keep aside.

In a pan, Pour oil, and fry the sliced onions till they are browned. Add ginger-garlic paste, slit green chillies and curry leaves. Fry them all a little.

Now add the tomatoes and the pressure cooked meat with the stock. Mix in red chilli powder, salt, garam masala, and let it cook covered for 5-8 minutes till

the tomatoes are mushy and properly cooked. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Suggested Accompaniments: Roti and Chawal

Updated Jan 28 ‘09: I am sending the picture of Tomatoes to Click Red, a food photography contest.

Luv,Mona

Gosht Pasinde~I

Posted on September 4th, 2007 by Mona ©copyrighted in Black pepper powder, Canola Oil, Chironji/Charoli, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Coriander seeds, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Garam masala powder, Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Beans/Binees ki phalli, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Mint/Pudina (fresh), Poppy seeds/Khus-Khus, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Turmeric/Haldi, White Potato/Aloo, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz, Yogurt/Dahi | 15 Comments » 3,881 views

Ah! The long weekend has gone by and I still wanted more of it. Weekends just fly away, dont you all also think so?

Today I am sharing with you all the recipe for ‘Pasinde’, my naniammi – grandmother’s version. This is a dry meat curry with a thick and aromatic gravy consisting of a range of spices, shallow fried french beans and potatoes.

Pasinde ka Salan

Pasinde is one of the most classic Hyderabadi dishes loved by the muslims mostly. My family loves it. We enjoy it with Paratha or Rice and Khatti Dal.

Pasinde ka Salan - Meat Cooked with Spices, French Beans and Potatoes

Ingredients:

Boneless Veal Meat – 600 gms, cut into thin long strips, 5 × 7.5 cm and 1.2 cm in thickness)Turmeric – 1/4 tspGinger-Garlic Paste – 1 1/2 tspYogurt – 1 cupSalt – 2 tspRed Chili Powder – 1 tspCanola OilGreen Beans – 10, each cut diagonally into 3 piecesPotatoes – 2, large, peeled and sliced thick from the longer sideYellow Onion – 2Khus Khus – 1 tbspChironji nuts, Almonds, Cashew nuts – 2 tsp each, soaked in 3/4 cup warm milk for 15 mins (optional)

Desiccated coconut – 1/4 cupGroundnuts – 1/4 cup, deskinnedBlack Pepper powder – 1/2 tspGaram Masala – 1 tspCardamom powder – 1/4 tspDry roasted Coriander Powder – 1 tspCilantro – 1 tbsp, chopped finelyMint leaves – 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Place the strips of meat between sheets of cling film and flatten and tenderize the strips of veal by pounding them flat with a kitchen mallet or a rolling pin. Marinate the meat with turmeric, ginger-garlic paste, yogurt, salt and red chilli powder for atleast 3-4 hours in the refrigerator. After the marination time of the meat, bring it to room temperature and, now, lets start preparing the curry.2. Add the marinated mutton to the pressure cooker and let it cook covered for 5 minutes. Keep stirring it occasionally so that it doesnt get stuck to the bottom of the pan. Close the lid and pressure cook until the meat is done.3. Meanwhile, in pan with little oil, shallow fry the french beans, and the sliced potatoes seperately and keep aside in individual platters. Keep aside.

Shallow fried french beans

Shallow fried thick potato slices

4. From the same pan, pour off all but 2 tbsp oil and shallow fry the sliced onions in that oil, until just lightly browned. Remove using a slotted spoon onto a paper towel lined platter. Keep aside to cool.5. In the same pan (no need to add any oil), roast the khus-khus, desiccated coconut, and groundnut on an iron rawa or in a thick bottomed pan individually for just a few minutes and remove onto a platter. Keep aside to cool.6. In a grinder, add the fried onions, and roasted khus-khus, soaking chironji nuts, almonds, and cashew nuts with milk, desiccated coconut and groundnut and grind them all together to a smooth paste. Add just a few drops of water if required.7. Open the lid of the pressure cooker. Using tongs, remove the meat strips from the masala into a bowl, cover the bowl and keep aside. Add the above blended smooth paste of spices to the pressure cooker and stir well to mix. Cover with a splatter screen and let cook on simmer until its starts leaving oil. Keep stirring occassionally. Add the black pepper powder, garam maslaa powder, cardamom powder, coriander powder and cilantro and mint.8. Add the meat, stir fried potatoes and french beans to the mixture and gently combine well without breaking the potatoes.9. Cook the mixture at medium heat till the potatoes are soft and the whole mixture is fairly dry about 4-6 minutes. Sprinkle a few drops of water if it sticks to the bottom of the pan. Serve immediately.

Suggested Accompaniments: We usually have this curry along with Parathas or Basmati Chawal and Khatti dal for a meal.

Luv,Mona

Qimah Aloo Matar

Posted on April 25th, 2008 by Mona ©copyrighted in Cheddar Cheese, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Fruits/Phal (fresh), Garam masala powder, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Lemon/Nimbu, Non-Vegetarian/Gosht, Onion/Pyaaz, Peas/Matar, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Simple Kitchen Tips, Soy Sauce, Spices & Seasonings/Masaale, Sunflower oil,

Tomato Ketchup, Tomato/Tamatar (fresh), Turmeric/Haldi, Vegetables/Tarkariyaan, White Potato/Aloo, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz | 21 Comments » 5,697 views

The weather has not been good at all. Been playing games with us since the temperatures actually started to be in the two digits. Its has suddenly become so very hot, this being just the Spring in Canada and not Summer yet. Weather has been too topsy-turvy for the past two to three weeks, resulting in me catching Flu. It was terrible. Now I feel alright and thank my God for the good health again. It sure is a precious bounty-Good health.

I have not even been cooking since the past few days, but yesterday as I began to feel alright, I prepared Qimah Matar Aloo and had it with some warm Phulkas. It was so good. Good home cooked food is always very comforting and gives solace.

Qimah Aloo Matar – Ground meat with Peas and Potatoes Curry

For this recipe, you can use the ground meat of Veal, Lamb or Goat, whatever is available. It turns out equally delicious and I have tried this recipe with all the above mentioned meats.

Qimah Aloo Matar – Ground meat with Peas and Potatoes Curry

Ingredients:

For Gravy:

Canola/Sunflower Oil – 4 tbspYellow Onion/Pyaz – 3 medium, finely choppedTomato – 1, large, choppedRed Chilli Powder/Lalmirch Powder – 1 tbspSalt – 2 tspPotato – 2, medium, peeled and quarteredTomato Ketchup – 2-3 tbsp (I use Heinz) OR Tomato Chilli Sauce – 2-3 tbsp

To Cook Qimah/Ground Meat:

Canola Oil/Sunflower Oil – 2 tbspQimah/Ground Lamb/Veal/Goat meat – 700 gms, washed and drained in a very fine wire mesh strainerTurmeric Powder/Haldi – 1 tspGaram Masala – 2 tspSoya Sauce – 1 tbspLemon Juice – 4 tbspMatar/Frozen green peas – 1/2 to 1/4 cup (if you are using dried green peas, soak them in surplus water a day before, drain and cook until just tender in fresh water)Shredded Cheddar Cheese - 4 tbsp (optional)

Method:

Pour 2 tbsp oil into a non-stick heavy bottomed sauce pan at medium high heat and throw in the finely chopped onions as soon as the oil warms up. Keep stirring them until they are lightly browned.

Add the chopped tomato, tomato ketchup, red chilli powder and salt and mix well. Let it cook until it is mushy. Add the quarted potatoes and a little water and close lid for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and keep aside.

In an another saucepan, pour the rest of the oil, and add the freshly washed and drained ground meat and let stand for 2 minutes. Stir to break lumps and add turmeric powder, garam masala, soya sauce, lemon juice amd keep stirring until the water starts evaporating and the raw smell of the meat wards off.

Pour in the reserved gravy of tomato+onion+potato and mix the whole thing together. Let cook on low heat and when the water has almost evaporated, add frozen peas and give it a stir.

Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, and serve hot.

Suggested Accompaniments:Serve it hot with Basmati Chawal / Naan/ Afghani Roti, along with a dollop of butter.

Tip: Leftovers? Use up this left over curry as the filling for Samosa for some very delicious Snacks.

Luv,Mona

Hyderabadi Mahekhalya

Posted on July 19th, 2007 by Mona ©copyrighted in Canola Oil, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds/Zeera, Dried Red Chillies, Dry Desiccated Coconut, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Fenugreek/Methi seeds, Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Chillies, Groundnut/Moomphalli, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Mint/Pudina (fresh), Onion/Pyaaz, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Sesame seeds/Til, Sunflower oil, Tamarind/Imli, Tomato/Tamatar (fresh), Turmeric/Haldi, Vegetable Oil, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz | 3 Comments » 3,027 views

Mahekhalya, is an classic Hyderabadi meat curry with onions, tomatoes, and tamarind and a range of aromatic spices.

Hyderabadi Mahekhalya – Tangy Meat Curry

Ingredients:

Lamb Meat – 500 gms, cubed-1.5 cm or sliced, boneless or with boneYellow Onions – 3, large, sliced thickTomatoes – 2, roughly choppedDry Desiccated Coconut – 1/2 cupDry roasted Coriander seed powder – 1 tspDry roasted Groundnut powder – 3 tbspDry roasted Sesame seeds – 3 tbspCanola Oil – 1/2 cupCumin seeds – 2 tspCurry leaves (fresh) – 1 sprigDried red clillies/Baghaar ki mirch – 3-4Methi/Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tspGinger-Garlic paste – 1 tbspRed chilli powder – 2 tspSalt – to tasteTurmeric powder – 1/4 tspTamarind juice – 1 cupSlit green chillies – 4Cilantro/Kothmir – 1 tbsp, chopped finelyMint leaves/Pudina – 1 tbsp, chopped finely

Hyderabadi Mahekhalya – Tangy Meat Curry

Method:

Prepare browned onion+tomato paste: Take a large thick bottomed & non-stick frying pan/skillet on medium heat, preferably a cast iron pan, and as soon as it gets warm, add the sliced onions. Keep stirring the onions and cook them without oil until the onions are all browned soft and get cooked in their own moisture evenly. Remove the pan from heat, and let them cool down. Add the chopped tomatoes and the cooled browned onions into a blender container or food processor and blend till pureed smooth adding just a few drops of water if necessary to aid in the process. Keep aside.

Prepare masala powders: Put a small non-stick frying pan on medium heat and dry-roast the groundnuts, sesame seeds, coriander seeds, shredded coconut each individually without oil till they are golden brown in colour. Do not burn them. Remove them into a platter. Once cool, grind them all together very finely. (You can dry roast a handful of almonds/cashewnuts/chironji nuts and grind them together along if you want it more rich). Make sure the obtained spice powder is very fine.

Take a pressure cooker and add oil and keep it on medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, dried red chillies, and fenugreek seeds to the oil and let them splutter. Now add the browned onion and tomato paste to it and cover the lid immediately, shake the cooker to mix, remove from heat and keep aside for 3-5 minutes, so that the aroma of the tempered oil with spices gets absorbed by the onion mixture. Remove the lid, put the cooker back on stove, lower the heat to medium low and add the ginger-garlic paste, the masala powders, red chilli powder, salt and turmeric powder and stir it well. Cook stirring continuously until oil leaves. This masala tends to stick to the bottom, so keep a close eye. Add the washed cubed meat pieces, slit green chillies and mix well. Cover with a splatter screen and let it cook while stirring it for 3- 5 minutes. Pour in half a cup of water, stir to mix, and close the lid. Pressure cook it on medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the meat is tender. Then open the lid and cook it till the oil has seperated

out from the mixture and starts appearing on the surface. Add the tamarind paste and give it a stir. Add about 2-3 cups water till you get the consistency you desire. Simmer and let it cook on medium high for about 3-5 more minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and mint leaves. Serve warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: Basmati Chawal or Parathas.

Luv,Mona

Kashmiri Lamb khorma

Posted on May 27th, 2008 by Mona ©copyrighted in Butter/Makhan, Canned Tomato paste, Cardamom/Elaichi, Cinnamon/Dalchini, Clove/Laung, Fats and Oils/Tel, Fennel seeds/Saunf, Ginger/Adrak, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Non-Vegetarian/Gosht, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Spices & Seasonings/Masaale, Tamarind/Imli, Turmeric/Haldi | 9 Comments » 4,800 views

The Rice shortage had severly affected my family’s dietary lifestyle. Rice is a staple food for me and my family. Nowadays, we rely on other sources as rice has become too costly here in Canada too and because of its unavailibility. I hope and pray that Rice will be available very soon again in the markets in surplus amounts.

A few days back I got my hands on the cookbook Regional Indian Cooking by Ajay Joshi and Alison Roberts. After a moments of spending my time browsing through the recipes of the book, I knew I will be trying out some dishes as the recipes and presentation pleased me a lot. The recipes were easy to follow and described and divided the different Regional Indian Cuisines very well.

Kashmiri Lamb Qorma

I tried the following recipe from the this cookbook and modified it here and there according to my tastes. I and my family enjoyed it, as it was very delicious and I mostly liked it because I found it very simple to prepare. I put the meat to cook for about an hour and then went on with my other house chores and activities and later came back to finish the dish which took me not more than 30 minutes and did not require any laborius techniques or ingredients for the preparation. 

Kashmiri Lamb khorma

Ingredients:

Boneless Lamb Meat – 650 gms, cut into 2 cm approx cubes Tumeric/Haldi – 1/2 tsp Salt – 1 tsp Water – 3 cups Unsalted Butter – 3 tbsp Green Cardamom pods/Sabut Elaichi – 4 Cloves/Laung – 6 Whole Cinnamon Stick/Dalchini Sabut- 2 inch piece

Aniseed/Saunf – 3/4 tsp, powdered Red Chilli powder – 2 tsp Fresh grated Ginger – 1/2 tsp Tamarind concentrate – 2 tsp

Method:

In a saucepan, combine lamb, turmeric, salt and water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered, until meat is very tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Drain meat, reserving cooking liquid. Set meat aside.

In a heavy-bottomed frying pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, aniseed, chilli powder, ginger and tamarind. Reduce heat to low and stir until oil seperates, 2-4 minutes.

Raise heat to high, add meat and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes to coat meat with seasonings. Stir in 1 cup reserved stock, reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes to blend flavors. Serve immediately.

Kashmiri Lamb Qorma in a pan 

Suggested Accompanimeant: Basmati Chawal or Paratha or Naan or Coconut Rice.

Luv,Mona

Talahuwa Qimah

Posted on July 6th, 2009 by Mona ©copyrighted in Canola Oil, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Curry leaves (fresh), Ginger-Garlic paste, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Lemon/Nimbu, MDH Chat Masala powder, Mint/Pudina (fresh) | 8 Comments » 2,400 views

Tala huwa Qimah

Sautéed minced meat/Talahuwa Qimah along with Kacchi Imli ki Khatti Dal and plain Basmati rice is ideal for a simple yet delicious meal. My Ammi always used to prepare Talahuwa Qimah as a change from the usual Qimah recipes and we all always relished it.

Tala Huwa Qimah - Sautéed Minced Meat

Ingredients:

Cumin seeds – 1 1/2 seedsGinger garlic paste – 1 heaped tbspDried red chilli – 2, each split into twoCurry Leaves/Karyapaak – 10 fresh leavesMinced Veal or Lamb or Sheep meat/Qimah – 800 gmsRed Chilli powder – 2 heaped tspSalt – to tasteTurmeric – 1/2 tspCoriander powder – 1 tspJuice of 1 Lime/LemonMDH Chat Masala powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)Fresh Cilantro and Mint leaves – 1 tbsp, finely choppedCanola oil

Method:

1. Wash Qimah and drain in a fine wire mesh strainer.2. In a non-staick heavy bottmed Kadai/Wok, pour 2 tbsp oil and as soon as it warms up, add cumin seeds and ginger garlic paste and stir fry till it is lightly golden brown. Add the dried red chiili, karyapaak and quickly in a minute add the Qimah. Using a wooden spoon mix it all well and keep stirring it breaking the lumps of the Qimah for 3-5 minutes.3. Let it cook uncovered at medium high heat until most of the moisture has been evaporated and the qimah is nicely cooked. Pour in about 3 tbsp oil and all the other ingredients and stir fry the qimah for 25-30 minutes more, stirring continously. Keep sprinkling a few drops of water if it tends to stick on the bottom of the Kadai. Fry the Qimah well and serve warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy the Talahuwa Qimah along with Kacchi Imli ki Khatti Dal and Plain boiled rice for a delicious meal. 

Luv,Mona

Masaaledaar Pudine wala Qimah

Posted on July 11th, 2008 by Mona ©copyrighted in Blog Events/Entries/Polls, Canned Tomato paste, Canola Oil, Cardamom/Elaichi, Cinnamon/Dalchini, Clove/Laung, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Fats and Oils/Tel, Gardening, Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Chillies, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Milk and Milk Products, Mint/Pudina, Mint/Pudina (fresh), Onion/Pyaaz, Pastes & Sauces, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Simple Kitchen Tips, Spices & Seasonings/Masaale, Turmeric/Haldi, Vegetables/Tarkariyaan, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz, Yogurt/Dahi | 17 Comments » 5,131 views

Spearmint growing in pot indoors in my kitchen

Mint or Pudina is my most preferred herb only next to Cilantro/Kothmir. They are so gorgeous to look at! I would have loved to dedicate a part of my garden to this herb if only there was no

threat of the plants being destroyed by the rabbits or raccoons or the groundhog which I consider a menace! To grow them buy a small spearmint plant from a garden center or nursery and propogate them into as many plants as you like as they keep growing. I have them placed indoors in front of the windows in small pots and they grow very well and quite rapidly. Mint has a very pleasant, fresh and strong aroma with innumerable benefits. I add this herb, fresh and chopped mostly to all of my meat preperations as the last step just before I turn off the heat source for a refreshing aroma to the dish.

One such meat preperation in which I love to add lots of fresh chopped mint leaves is the dish I writing about today. The mint leaves enhance the flavor of the dish diffusing their minty and fresh aroma to the meat preparation and brightens it.

Masaaledaar Pudine wala Qimah – Minced Lamb/Veal meat with Mint and Spices

Qimah is one of the most loved dish in my house. It can be devoured upon as a side-dish along with a number of main dishes for a meal, or the leftovers, if any, can even be used as a filling for parathas or samosas, or between toasted bread with cheese slices as evening snacks with a warm cup of tea. I usually prepare qimah in large amounts and portion and store them in plastic microwavable and freezable food storage boxes for very long time, so that I can use this during the days I dont feel like cooking.

Masaaledaar Pudine wala Qimah – Minced Lamb/Veal meat with Mint and Spices

Ingredients:

Minced Lamb/Veal meat – 550 gmsRed chilli powder – 2 tspSalt - 2 1/2 tspGinger-Garlic paste – 1 heaped tbspTurmeric – 1/2 tspHung Yogurt – 1/2 cupGaram masala – 1 tbspCanola oil – 1/4 cupCloves - 3Green Cardamom – 2Cinnamon stick – 2 inch pieceDried Bay leaf/Tej patta - 1Yellow Onions – 2, finely slicedTomato paste – 3/4 cupSmall Green chillies – 4, choppedChopped Mint leaves – 1/2 cup

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the minced meat, red chilli powder, 2 tsp salt, ginger garlic paste, turmeric, hung yogurt and garam masala. Mix it all well with a wooden spoon and keep aside.2. Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan at medium heat and as soon as it warms up, add the cloves, cinnamon stick and green cardamoms. Saute them for about a minute. Add the sliced onions and remaining salt and stir fry them till they are golden brown in colour.3. Add the marinated minced meat and mix well using a wooden spoon. Cover with a lid and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Later, open the lid and break up the lumps of meat using a wooden spoon and add the tomato paste and stir well to mix. Cover the lid and let it cook for 20 -30 minutes, stirring it occasionally.4. Later, once the water has completely dried, add the sliced green chillies and chopped mint leaves. Let it cook covered for a minute more. Serve warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: Warm Rotis or Parathas or Naan, or along with Basmato Chawal and a Vegetable side dish or just Khatti dal, or along with Khichdi and Khatta for a delicious and felling meal.

I am sending this as an entry to Grow Your Own event hosted by Andreas Recipes, and also to ‘Think Spice, Think Turmeric‘ event being hosted by Sudeshna.

And before I take my leave for today, here’s a very famous and touching song that I love, ‘Ye Galiyaan, Ye Chowbaara..’ from an excellent Bollywood movie Prem Rog. It never fails to bring tears in my eyes..

Luv,Mona

Reshmi Gosht

Posted on December 21st, 2008 by Mona ©copyrighted in Frozen Moments, Ginger-Garlic paste, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Lemon/Nimbu, Red Chilli flakes, Red Onion/Lal Pyaaz, Saffron/Zafraan, Salt/Namak, Turmeric/Haldi | 13 Comments » 1,995 views

This week’s weather forecasts are perhaps among one of the most monstrous weather conditions I had ever experienced here, with terrible snowstroms and piles and piles of snow everywhere.

Frozen Moment #4

Thankfully I and my family are at home for the holidays, but my I feel sorry for all those people who have to go through the harsh snow strom. Keep safe and warm everyone! I also feel miserable to watch my hubby shovel the snow and fight with the car to get it started everytime after a snowfall. 

After all this back breaking endeavor of scooping out the bulky mounds of snow, I decided to treat my hubby with one of my most loved recipes that I had learnt from my dear mother. Its simple and quick, and even so, one of the most delectable red meat dish that you will remember always.  

Reshmi Gosht - Spicy Lamb Breast pieces in an aromatic sauce

This recipe uses the Lamb breast riblets, also called as Seenay ka gosht in Urdu. It contains ribs and fat sheets arranged in layers and is one of the most delicious tasting flesh. However it is also high in fat content. You can also replace it using Lamb thigh meat which again has a delicate flavor.

Reshmi Gosht – Spicy Lamb Breast pieces in an aromatic sauce

Ingredients:

Lamb Breast Riblets/Seenay ka Gosht- 600 gms Red onion – 1, large, finely sliced  Ginger-garlic paste – 2 tsp Red chilli powder – 1 tsp Turmeric – 1/4 tsp Salt – 1 tsp Lemon juice – 3 tbsp Saffron threads – a pinch

Method:

Wash and clean the meat, and keep in a colander for the water to drain away. Add the sliced onion along with the meat in a pressure cooker. Add ginger-garlic paste,

red chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Pour in a cup of water and close the lid. Let it pressure cook on medium heat until it is tender.

Later, open the lid, and let it cook on meadium heat, until the meat is quite dry. Add lemon juice and saffron threads. Remove from heat and serve.

Note: There is no need to add oil to the curry, there is already enough fat in the meat

Suggested Accompaniments: Serve this curry warm along with warm parathas

Cheers,Mona

Lajawaab Hyderabadi Kachchey Gosht ki Biryani

Posted on December 1st, 2009 by Mona ©copyrighted in All-Purpose Flour/Maida, Basmati Rice/Chawal, Blog Events/Entries/Polls, Canola Oil, Caraway seeds/Shahzeera, Cardamom/Elaichi, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Cinnamon/Dalchini, Clove/Laung, Dry Bay Leaf/Tej Patta, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Garam masala powder, Ghee, Green Chillies, Hyderabadi special, Indian Cooking Utensil, Kiwi, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Lemon/Nimbu, Milk and Milk Products, Mint/Pudina (fresh), Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Simple Kitchen Tips, Turmeric/Haldi, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz, Yogurt/Dahi | 17 Comments » 6,137 views

I had prepared Kachchey Gosht ki Biryani on the second day of Eid-ul-Adha for our dinner. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed the meal to the last morsel لله .الحمد

Basically, there are two kinds of Biryani: Pakki Biryani, and Kachchi Biryani.

Pakki Biryani: where are half Basmati cooked rice is layered along with completely cooked chicken or lamb meat and then cooked till done on slow heat on dum.1. Pakki Gosht ki Biryani2. Pakki Murgh Biryani

Kachchi Biryani – which is the true Hyderabadi Biryani – where are half cooked Basmati rice is layered along with raw marinated meat and then finished on slow heat till done on dum.1. Kachchey Gosht ki Biryani (which I am writing about today)2. Kachche Aqni ki Dum Murgh Biryani

Raw tender and lean meat in this extraordinary kind of Biryani is allowed to first marinate in a mixture of raw papaya paste+yogurt+lemon juice+ginger+garlic, etc., all of which are natural meat tenderizers, along with several other aromatic spices for 3-4 hours. The marinating meat with all infused flavors is then layered with less than half cooked rice and allowed to slow cook, essentially in a deg, an Indian utensil with sloping sides and a narrow neck. The video here and here demonstrates the method and will be useful for beginners. Go through the videos once to have a good idea on the procedure before you try my recipe.

Hyderabadi Kachchey Gosht ki Biryani

The whole trick in this Biryani is to use very lean meat, and marinate it in a tenderizing mix before you cook, which is the most essential part. You cannot even think of preparing this Biryani without marinating it. Raw Papaya skin paste is always used back home for this purpose which is a powerful meat tenderizer. My Ammi however says that if the meat is tender enough, there is no need for a meat tenderizer. Here, I was unable to find unripe, raw and green baby papayas, which otherwise are quite easily available back in India. People love to plant Papaya in their backyards back home. So I set to hunt for other alternatives. I found out that Kiwifruit and Pineapple are also powerful meat tenderizers. Kiwifruit is very easily available here in Toronto, and hence I tried and was successful. The meat was so tender, juicy and perfectly cooked with a burst of flavors.

My dadi(grandmother) always advised us to use rice and meat in 1:1 ratio for Kachchi Biryani. However if you like a meaty biryani, go ahead and follow meat and rice in 1.5:1 ratio, or if you prefer more rice and less meaty, follow meat and rice in 1:1.5 ratio. To give time for the raw marinated meat to finish cooking along with rice, the rice is pre-soaked, and then just cooked for a minute or two, then drained and layered with the raw marinated meat and they are both cooked together. As the Biryani cooks, the steam from the meat and its marinade rises above to the rice and aids in its cooking as well. The rice also acquires flavors from the steam and the end result is piquant.

Hyderabadis prefer Kachchi Biryani over Pakki Biryani for many reasons~because this Biryani is the original Biryani, for its uniqueness in the method of preparation and ambrosial taste, and also because this biryani is very simple to prepare unlike considered. All you have to do is marinate for about 3 hrs, and then allow to slow cook for about an hour, thats it. You do not need to stand in front of the stove cooking it the whole time. Just leave on stove to slow cook and you are free to perform your other chores.

I prepare Kachchi Biryani~both Murgh and Gosht, in the oven as it is perfect for cooking on dum. Make sure that you have everything ready to hand before you begin cooking rice, as you will need to assemble the layers quickly, while the rice is still warm.

Hyderabadi Kachchey Gosht ki Biryani – Hyderabadi Lamb BiryaniServes: 6-8Total Marinating time: 3 1/2 hrsTotal ‘Dum/slow cooking’ time: Around 1 hr and 10 mins

Lean spring Lamb meat, with bone, preferably leg, cut into 5 cm cubes – 1 kg (my Ammi even adds mixed pieces like ribs, chops etc) excess fat trimmed, washed, drained and pat driedfor the tenderizing mix:Raw Unripe Green Papaya skin –  grated or made into a paste , about 2 or 3 tbsp (or) Kiwi fruit – 1, about 50 gms, peel discarded and the pulp mashed into a smooth pasteGinger garlic paste – 3 tbspSalt – 1 tspTurmeric powder – 1/4 tspfor the marinade:Thick Yogurt 2% – 300 mlYellow onions – 4 or 5, medium sizedCanola oilFresh Mint leaves – 1 tbsp, roughly choppedFresh Cilantro – 2 tbsp, roughly choppedSmall green chillies – 4-6, finely choppedRed chilli powder – 2 tspSalt – 1/2 tspGaram masala powder -1 tspCardamom powder – 1/8 tspLemon juice – 2 tbspfor the rice:Basmati Rice – 1 kg (old biryani rice)Shah Zeera – 1/2 tbspCardamom – 2Cloves – 2Cinnamon stick – one 2″ stickDried bay leaf – 1 or 2Salt – 5 tspfor the Biryani:(assembing layers)Saffron threads – 2 big pinchWarmed milk – 1/ cupGhee – 1 tbspCilantro – 1/2 cup, loosely packed and finely choppedMint leaves – 1/4 cup, looselyFried onion – 1/2 cupLemon juice – 2 tbsp

additional ingredients:Dough made with maida/all-purpose flour (flour+water) to seal the vessel(optional)

1. In a stainless steel/glass mixing bowl, add the tenderising mix and mix well. Wear gloves, add the meat and thoroughly mix the meat well. Using a knife, gash/poke the meat in the marinade. Mix once and again gash/poke it with a knife and then mix. Cover and let marinate for 1 1/2 hr.

2. In a kadai, pour in oil and deep fry the sliced onions until evenly golden brown in color, keep a close eye and make sure you do not burn them. Using a slotted spoon, remove the fried onions into a platter and spread them out. In a while, they will crisp up as they cool. Reserve the oil in which the onions were fried and let cool.3. In a small bowl, add the warmed milk and soak the saffron threads in it.4. In a small stainless steel/glass mixing bowl, add the marinade ingredients and mix well. Also add about 3/4 quantity of the fried onions to it, crush them lightly. Add this mixture into the marinating meat and thoroughly mix using a spoon. Cover and let marinate for 2 hrs.

5. Pour 1/4 cup of the cooled reserved oil in which the onions were fried into the marinating mixture. Mix well.6. In a large thick walled oven-proof vessel/saucepan (if you have a thick walled deg, please use it) (I used a 13 quart thick walled dutch oven) (also choose a vessel that is large enough so that there is about 1/4 amount of free headspace left after the whole biryani is assembled for the steam to collect and aid in cooking), smear the bottom with solid ghee and spread the marinating meat with all the marinade in a single layer and keep ready.7. Wash the rice in 3 changes of water and soak it in surplus fresh cool water for 30 minutes.8. In a large stockpot, pour in surplus cool water and add the caraway seeds, cardamom, cloves, dried bay leaf and salt (do not forget adding salt). Cover and bring it to a boil on high. Once the water is boiling, drain the soaking rice and add it to the boiling water and stir. Cook for just 2 minutes and drain the rice immediately.9. Spread the drained half cooked rice over the marinating meat in the vessel. Reserve 1 cup of rice. Spread evenly the chopped cilantro, mint, saffron soaking in milk, remaining fried onions and lemon juice. Now, spread evenly the reserved 1 cup of parboiled rice. Now pour evenly 1/4 cup of the cooled reserved oil in which the onions were fried. Cover the vessel properly with aluminium foil or a tight lid (with vents closed with dough if any) so that no steams can escape. You can also apply dough to seal the lid which is the traditional method.10. Preheat the oven to 450°F.11. (If the vessel you are using does not have a thick bottom, place a tawa on the stovetop and place the vessel with the assembled biryani on it). Cook the assembled biryani in the vessel on stove-top on high heat for 5-10 minutes, until nice steam has built up, which is called as the pehli bhaap, meaning first steam. Immediately transfer this vessel in the pre-heated oven for 20-30 minutes. After that, turn the oven setting to 300°F and bake it for further 15 minutes, after which have a quick look to see if the rice has cooked and stick a fork through to test the meat(be careful as there will a lot of steam, do not burn yourselves). Cover tightly with the lid/foil again and

cook for a furthur 15 minutes, if necessary. Remove from oven when it is done and wait for 10 mins before mixing the rice with meat, and serve on a large serving platter. For a special touch, garnish with more fried onions, cilantro and mint leaves, toasted/fried almonds or cashewnuts or pinenuts or raisins and quartered hard boiled eggs.

Serve this Biryani along with Mirchi Ka Salan or Baghare baingan or Tamatar ka Kut or plain and simple Dahi ki Chutney for a sumptuous Hyderabadi meal.

This lajawaab biryani is my contribution to the “The Hyderabadi Bakr-Eid Food Festival-’09” that I am hosting on my blog. The event is on and you can all send me your Bakr-Eid special recipes until December 31, 2009. Click on the link for more details.

Here are other versions of Kachchey Gosht ki Biryani from some of my fellow food blogger buddies:1. Yasmeen’s version of Kachchey Gosht ki Biryani2. Anjum’s version of Kachchey Gosht ki Biryani3. Foodgoddess’s version of Kachchey Gosht ki Biryani

Luv,Mona

Pakki Gosht Ki Biryani, and Dahi Ki Chutney

Posted on March 4th, 2008 by Mona ©copyrighted in Almonds/Badaam, Basmati Rice/Chawal, Blog Events/Entries/Polls, Butter/Makhan, Canola Oil, Caraway seeds/Shahzeera, Cereal Grains, Chutneys and Pickles, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Fats and Oils/Tel, Fruits/Phal (fresh), Ghee, Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Chillies, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Lemon/Nimbu, Milk and Milk Products, Mint/Pudina (fresh),

Non-Vegetarian/Gosht, Onion/Pyaaz, Raisins/Kishmish, Red Chilli powder, Red Chilli/Lal mirch, Saffron/Zafraan, Salt/Namak, Spices & Seasonings/Masaale, Sunflower oil, Tomato/Tamatar (fresh), Vegetable Oil, Vegetables/Tarkariyaan, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz, Yogurt/Dahi | 23 Comments » 17,118 views

Dear readers, today I present you with renowned Hyderabadi Lamb Biryani. Biryani is one of the most famous Hyderabadi one-dish meals craved and devoured by people from all over the world. The basic process of preparing Biryani involves the layering of raw marinated or cooked meat along with half cooked long grained aromatic Basmati rice, and a range of fresh spices and herbs for exceptional flavor and aroma.

Basically, there are two kinds of Biryani: Pakki Biryani, and Kachchi Biryani.

Pakki Biryani: where are half Basmati cooked rice is layered along with completely cooked chicken or lamb meat and then cooked till done on slow heat on dum.1. Pakki Gosht ki Biryani2. Pakki Murgh Biryani

Kachchi Biryani – which is the true Hyderabadi Biryani – where are half cooked Basmati rice is layered along with raw marinated meat and then finished on slow heat till done on dum.1. Kachchey Gosht ki Biryani2. Kachche Aqni ki Dum Murgh Biryani

Biryani always reminds me of my wedding, when I wore a very beautiful Khada Dupatta. It was on that day that I had best Biryani ever! This dish is so important in the Hyderabadi Muslim community that it is served along with Mirchi Ka Salan and Baghare Baingan and Dahi Ki Chutney, as the main dish at almost all gatherings, occasions, parties, all kinds of merry making get togethers. Essentially all weddings in Hyderabad are suposed to have Lamb Biryani and Mirchi Ka Salan in the menu.

My lovely sister had prepared this dish on the weekend. We were all in a mood to treat our family and ourselves with something special, and we immediately thought of this dish. What could be a more better meal to delight ourselves than this flavorsome fare.

Gosht Ki Biryani, Dahi Ki Chutney

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Dahi Ki Chutney – Yogurt ChutneyMakes:One small bowl

Ingredients:

Plain Yogurt (low-fat or full-fat)- 375 mlSalt – 2/3 tsp or according to tasteThai Red Chillies – 2, chopped (optional)Green Chillies – 2, choppedYellow Onion – 1, medium, finely choppedMint leaves – 1/2 cup, finely choppedCoriander leaves – 1/2 cup, finely choppedFirm Red Tomato (fresh) - 1, small, deseeded and chopped finely (optional)

Method:

1. To the yogurt in a bowl, add salt and half a cup of water and whip it till smooth, and creamy for approx 2-3 minutes.2. Add the remaining ingredients and fold them into the yogurt gently. Adjust salt according to your taste and cover the bowl with a plastic wrap.3. Put it in the refrigerator to serve it later along with Biryani.

You can store Dahi Ki Chutney in the refrigerator in an air tight food storage box for only one more day in a refrigarator, it doesnt last long. It is always better if you have an idea how much your family memebers will have it and you prepare it in only the required amount.

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Hyderabadi Dum Pukth Pakki Gosht Ki Biryani – Fragrant Flavored Meat and Rice CasseroleServes:5-8

Ingredients:

For the Marinade

Canola/Vegetable/Sunflower Oil (or) Butter/Makhan (or) Clarified Butter/Ghee – 90 ml/6 tbspYellow Onion/Pyaz – 2, large, thinly slicedLean Lamb leg meat – 1 kg, washed and cubed into 3 cm pieces approx (with bones preferably if available, I have used only boneless here)Plain Yogurt/Dahi – 500 ml, lightly whippedRed Chilli Powder/Lal mirch powder – 1 1/2 tspSalt/Namak – 1 1/2 tspLemon Juice/Nimbu Ras – 4 tbspGaram Masala – 1 tbspTurmeric/Haldi – 1/2 tspGinger Garlic paste – 2 tbspWater/Meat Stock – 1/2 cup

For the Garnish -

Green Chillies/Hari Mirch – 2, each slit into twoThai Red chillies/Choti Lal Mirch – 2, each slit into two (optional)Fried Onion reserved for garnish earlierMint Leaves/Pudina – 1/2 cupCilantro/Kothmir – 1/2 cupToasted sliced Almonds/Bareek Kata Badaam – 2 tbspFried Red Raisins and Cashwnuts/Tala-huwa Kishmish - 3 tbspPinch of Saffron threads/Zaafraan soaked in 1/2 cup warm MilkA dollop of Butter/Makhan or Clarified Butter/Ghee (optional)

For the Rice -

Long Grained Basmati Rice/Chawal (preferably ‘Lal Qilla’ Brand) - 4 cupsSalt/Namak – 4 tspBlack Cumin seeds/Shah Zeera – 1 tsp

Method:

1. Wash and soak the rice in a big bowl for about 30 minutes.2. In a pressure cooker at medium high heat, fry the onions in oil/butter until they are golden brown in colour. Remove with a slotted spoon on a kitchen towel and reserve half for garnish. Blend the other half in 2 tbsp water inoi a paste.3. In the same pressure cooker, with oil/butter in it, add the washed cubed meat pieces, Stir fry till the meat has browned on all sides. Add the fried onions paste and the ginger garlic paste and turmeric. Saute them for 2 minutes. Throw in the red chilli powder, salt, garam masala, half cup water, and yogurt. Mix well and pressure cook for about 15-20 minutes until the meat is tender.4. Meanwhile drain the soaking rice and keep aside. Bring 9 cups of water in a to boil in a large saucepan with Black cumin seeds and salt (do not forget to add salt to the rice!!) in it. As soon as its boiling, add the drained rice and let it cook till the rice grains are just done. Drain and keep aside.5. Now, open the lid of the cooker and cook the meat mixture well without covering the lid on medium high heat until the meat mixture is done and most of the liquid has dried up. It should be a little bit dry mixture.Add lemon juice to the meat and mix. Remove from heat.6. Preheat the oven to 350°F.7. In a large oven proof baking dish, add half of the rice in a layer at the bottom of the dish. Now add the whole meat mixture in one layer. Then cover it with the remaining rice completely and work gently, try not to break the rice kernels.8. Garnish the layered rice with the reserved fried onions, mint and coriander leaves, slit red and green chillies, toasted and fried nuts, and sprinkle the milk with saffron threads in it. You can also add a dollop of butter if you wish.

9. Cover the dish with a tight lid or aluminium foil and keep it in the preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes, till a nice steam has formed inside.10. Before serving, dig the spoon into the dish till the base and take the rice and meat in a bowl. mix it and serve it hot.

Tip: Adding salt to the water in which you cook rice is essential, or else the whole taste of Biryani turns upside down. One tip if you have forgotten to add salt to the water while boiling rice is – stir the required amount of salt in a little quantity of hot water, about half cup or a few tablespoons, and pour this on the biryani evenly. Warm the biryani in microwave and serve immediately.

Suggested Accompaniments: Mirchi Ka Salan or Baghare Baingan or Dahi Ki Chutney or Tomato Chutney.

This is my entry for Meeta’s Monthly Mingle-One Dish Dinners

Luv,Mona

Qimah ki Tahari

Posted on August 3rd, 2007 by Mona ©copyrighted in Basmati Rice/Chawal, Canola Oil, Caraway seeds/Shahzeera, Cardamom/Elaichi, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Cinnamon/Dalchini, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Garam masala powder, Green Chillies, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz, Yogurt/Dahi | 6 Comments » 3,868 views

Tahari is a kind of one dish meal made with mutton pieces+rice, or minced meat+rice and masalas for flavor. In this technique, the meat is cooked in seasonings and masalas and later water is poured in to the gravy in which rice is added and it is all cooked together until the rice is done. For this, one has to learn the perfect ratio of water and rice so that the rice does not end up like an over cooked mushy mess.

Qimah ki Tahari is different than Biryani. In Mutton or Chicken biryani, Mutton or Chicken is layered along with half cooked rice and finished in the oven until the rice completely done; whereas in Tahari, rice is cooked on dum in the gravy containing Minced meat or Mutton pieces.

Qimah ki Tahari, served along with tomato chutney

I like Qimah ki Tahari along with ‘Tomato Chutney’. On our Saturday’s trip to the Niagara Falls, we had Qimah ki Tahari and Tomato chutney for lunch. After a very long drive when we reached there, my hubby was so hungry, we quickly had Tahari and set out to enjoy the beautiful landscapic view of the Falls.

Qimah ki Tahari – Minced Meat with Rice CasseroleServes: 6-7

Ingredients:

Ground Lamb lean meat – 500 gmsYellow Onion – 1, large, slicedCanola Oil – 5 tbspGreen Chillies – 4, slit in middleGinger garlic paste – 1 1/2 tbspTomatoes – 3, finely choppedRed chilli powder – 1 tbspSalt – 2 1/2 tbspGaram Masala powder – 1 tspYogurt – 1/2 cupGreen Cardamoms -4Cinnamon sticks – 2Caraway seeds/Shah Zeera – 1 tspWater – 5 cupsRice – 3 cupsCilantro – 3 tbsp, finely chopped

Method:

1. Wash and soak the rice in fresh cool water sufficient enough to remain 5 cms above the level of rice.2. Wash ground meat along with sliced onions well and drain the water completely in a very fine mesh strainer.3. In a large saucepan at medium heat, add three tablespoons oil and green chillies, cinnamon stick, cardamom, caraway seeds and ginger garlic paste. Let it splutter and fry. In a minute. Add the drained onions+ground meat and also add red chilli powder, 2 1/2 tsp salt, garam masala powder, tomatoes and stir well and let it cook for 10-15 minutes until you see oil floating on top. Add the yogurt and mix well. Let cook for 2-3 minutes. Add cilantro and mix well.4. Add the water and let the mixture come to a boil. As soon as it begins to boil well, add rice and mix well. Let it come to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and cover with a lid. Let it cook till very little water remains. Keep checking it every now and then, and give a gently stir everytime. Add a few splashes of water if you feel you need more water for the rice to cook. Once the water is mostly dried up, close the heat, but leave the saucepan on the hot stove so that a nice steam forms. Let the dish rest for 15-30 minutes. Serve warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy this ambrosial one-dish meal along with Dahi ki Chutney or Baghare Baingan or Mirchi Ka Salan or Tomato Chutney.

Luv,Mona

Maghaz Masala

Posted on December 12th, 2008 by Mona ©copyrighted in Canola Oil, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Coriander seeds, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Garlic/Lahsun, Ginger-Garlic paste, Ginger/Adrak, Green Chillies, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Turmeric/Haldi, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz | 14 Comments » 1,759 views

Maghaz in Arabic language means ‘Brain’ in English, and ‘Bheja‘ in Urdu language. Maghaz masala is one of my favorite dishes only next to Nihari that I look forward to after every Qurbani. Eid-ul-Adha is a time when Muslims pray for forgiveness from God and pray for an increased strength in faith by refreshing the sprit of sacrifice for virtue and rectitude.

Just after the Qurbani on Eid-Ul-Adha, also called as Bakri Eid, muslims around the world, feast on red meat dishes, ranging from Biryanis, Nihari and many other kinds of its meat and organ meat preperations. Among them, Maghaz masala is one of the famous organ meat preperations, usually had as breakfast on Eid-ul-Adha after the Qurbani, which is easy to cook and most delicious. you will relish the excuisite and creamy flavor of the dish along with the sweet caramelized onions and spicy green chillies and fresh aromatic herbs.

This dish is also called as Bheja fry in some places in Hyderabad.

Maghaz/Brain Masala:

Ingredients

Sheep’s brain – 2Canola oil – 2 to 3 tbspYellow Onion – 1, large, finely slicedGinger garlic paste – 1 1/2 tspRed chilli powder – 1 tspTurmeric – 1/4 tspGreen chillies – 4, finely choppedSalt – to tasteRoasted coriander seeds powder – 1/2 tspCilantro – 2 tbsp, finely choppedLemon juice – 2 to 3 tsp

Maghaz/Brain Masala

Method:

Bring about a litre of water to boil. Close the heat and dip the whole brains into the hot water for about 2-3 minutes. Remove the brains from the water gently using a slotted spoon, and throw away the water. Wear gloves, carefully remove the membrane adhering to the brain and as many nerves as possible. You can also ask your butcher to do this. Once the brain is clean (it wont matter if a few nerves are till attached to the brain), cut it into bite size pieces. Keep aside.

Pour oil into a medium sized non-stick frying pan and as soon as it gets warm, add the sliced onions and salt and fry them on a medium high, with a careful eye so thet you do not burn them, until they are golden brown in color.

Lower the heat to medium low and add ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, coriander seed powder and green chillies, red chilli powder. Stir fry till a nice aroma comes, for about a minute or so, then add the cubed brain pieces and gently mix well. Add about half cup of water and mix it all gently with a rubber spatula. Cover the pan with a lid and let cook for around 5 minutes.

Remove the lid, stir fry for a minute more, until no water is left and it is mostly dry and well cooked. Serve onto a platter and garnish with cilantro, and sprinkle with lemon juice. Enjoy it warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy Maghaz masala along with some warm parathas for a delicious breakfast.

Consuming sheep’s brain might be a taboo food to some people, but for those of you willing to experiment and try out new victuals, do try it out. I am sure you will enjoy this mellow and delicate Hyderabadi dish.

Masaledaar Bakre ki Kaleji Gurda Phepsa

Posted on December 29th, 2007 by Mona ©copyrighted in Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Quick fix meals | 6 Comments » 3,350 views

We celebrated Eid Ul Adha, our festival on the 20th of Dec ‘07, and I had prepared this traditional organ meat curry prepared from the Qurbani ka gosht. This curry is loved by everyone, and is an excuisite recipe for this Eid which is also otherwise called as Bakr-Eid.

Some of the traditional dishes prepared by muslims just after Qurbani on Eid-ul-Adha are Nihari, Maghaz Masala, and various kinds of the red meat preperations from the Qurbani ka gosht.

This organ meat curry is had as a breakfast/brunch along with Parathas, on Eid just after the sacrifice. And I thought to share the recipe here with you all.

Instead of preparing this curry with the kidneys and lungs and liver of lamb, this curry can also be made the same way with any one of the organs, if anyone dislikes it.

Lamb Organ Meat Curry – Masaledaar Bakre ki Kaleji Gurda Phepsa

Ingredients:

Organ Meat of a young Lamb – Kidneys(Gurda)-a pair; Liver(Kaleji)-a pair; Lungs(Phepsa)-a pair; Trachea-cut into 2″ pipes – all nicely washed up and cut into bite size piecesOnions – 3, large, sliced thinlyGinger-garlic paste – 1 tbspCurd – 1 cupRed Chilli Powder – 1 1/3 tspSalt – 1 1/2 tspTurmeric – 1/4 tspRoasted groundnut paste – 2 tspCoconut milk – 1 tbspCilantro – 1 cup

Lamb Organ Meat Curry – Masaledaar Bakre ki Kaleji Gurda Phepsa

Method:

1. Pour oil into a pressure cooker on medium heat and once it has warmed up, throw in the two of the three sliced onions. Reserve one for later use in this curry. Stir fry the onions till they are lightly brown in color. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry along for a minute. Pour in the whisked yogurt, red chilli powder, salt and turmeric. Add the cubed organ meat pieces and gently mix. Add cilantro and mix well. Close the lid and pressure cook it for 10 minutes.2. Later, add the remaining ingredients, including the remaining sliced onion rings, and mix well.3. Keep stirring it every now and then taking care it isn’t getting stuck to the bottom of the pan, and let it cook until the gravy is thick. Serve hot with Naan or Parathas. Enjoy

Mazedaar Methi-Gosht ke Kofte

Posted on August 16th, 2007 by Mona ©copyrighted in Canola Oil, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds/Zeera, Dry Desiccated Coconut, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Garam masala powder, Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Chillies, Groundnut/Moomphalli, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Methi (fresh), Mint/Pudina (fresh), Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz, Yogurt/Dahi | 9 Comments » 2,995 views

Listening and enjoying the song ‘Mere Zindagi me aaye ho..‘, from the Bollywood movie Armaan in my ipod, today I prepared this curry for dinner and am just waiting to have it. I love to listen to songs when I stay alone with my hubby gone for the work, while I do my house chores and the cooking.. Music helps me stay happy, I cling to it. I’m energized by it. I’m inspired by it. I can go on and on..

Spicy Curries are always yummy, no doubt in that. By spicy curries, I do not mean curries that are super hot to burn your mouth., what I really mean by spicy curries is masaaledaar salan, which are gravy based curries infused by a range of exotic Indian spices as the base. I am an ardent lover of spicy curries, and I am sure almost everyone in the whole world love spices and the beautiful flavours they add to a dish. This curry of Meaballs is one such and it is a favorite in my house. Its easier to prepare and extremely delicious along with Parathas or Naan to mop up the gravy.

Meatballs are called ‘Kofta‘ in Urdu. They are similar to Meatballs or Meat dumplings in the U.S. The other version of Kofte ka Salan, or meatball curry that I most usually prepare is Amchur-Harimirch Wale Kacche Gosht Ke Kofte, Meatballs in a hot and sour gravy

When I prepare meat balls I make them smaller in size, about 2 cm in diameter. The reason is, I believe, they get done perfectly. Many of my associates always make larger sized meatballs- approx 4 cm in diameter, and they are never well cooked, (remain raw, undone and undercooked in the centre). So, this trick that I learnt my MIL comes very handy to me.

I always prepare larger amounts of curries, portion and store them in the refrigerator for a later use. It saves lot of time.

This curry/Salan gets prepared in almost an hour time, and you can have it with Parathas or Naan, or Khushka /Plain Boiled Rice .

Mazedaar Methi Kofte – Meatballs in a gravy with Fenugreek leaves

To prepare Meat Balls -

Ingredients:

Ground Lamb/Goat/Veal Meat (or) Boneless Lamb/Goat/Veal Meat Bite-Size pieces – 250 gmsGreen Chillies – 3, small, slitCilantro – 1 tbsp, finely choppedMint leaves – 1 tbsp, finely choppedSalt – 1 1/2 tspRed Chilli Powder – 1 tspYellow Onion – 1, large, slicedCanola Oil – 2 tbsp

Kacche Gosht Ke Kofte – Meatballs

Method:

-Pour oil into a pan at medium heat and add the sliced onions. Fry them till brown and crisp. Remove from oil, cool and reserve-Now in a meat processor, add the fried onion slices, the slit green chillies, chopped coriander and mint leaves, salt, red chilli powder and the ground meat or cubed boneless meat pieces, whatever you are using and process till its all grinded into a smooth paste.

(Note:Make sure that the washed meat, whether you are using ground meat or meat pieces, is completely dry, or they will not hold shape later on)

-Now, take a little bit of meat paste at a time and slightly apply pressure and roll it between your palms untill soft, tight and round shaped. Arrange them on a plate.-The meat balls are ready. Keep them aside.

TIP: To freeze meatballs ahead of time: You can prepare the meatballs and freeze them for future use.Form meatballs, and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet in the freezer. Once the meatballs are hard and well frozen, transfer them to a resealable plastic bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw and cook them in the curry.

To Prepare The Gravy -

Ingredients:

Canola Oil – 5 tbspYellow Onion – 4, large, finely choppedGinger Garlic paste – 1 1/2 tspYogurt – 6 tbspRed Chilli Powder – 1 tspSalt – 1 1/2 tspGaram Masala – 1/2 tspDry Roasted Cumin Seed powder – 1/2 tspDry Roasted Coriander seed powder – 1/2 tspDry Roasted Dessicated Coconut – 1 tspDry Roasted Groundnut Powder – 1 tspMethi/Fenugreek Leaves – 100 gms, very finely chopped

Mazedaar Methi Kofte – Meatballs in a gravy with Fenugreek leaves

Method:

-In a heavy bottom sauce pan at medium heat, fry the ginger garlic paste and add onions in the oil till light brown in colour.-Add yogurt to it and give it a good stir. Cook it well till it starts leaving oil.-Meanwhile wash the Methi/Funugreek leaves well, only the leaves, not the stems or flowers, chop them up very finely and reserve.-Add the dry ingredients, the red chilli powder, salt, garam masala, the dry roasted cumin seed powder, coriander seed powder, coconut powder, groundnut powder, and mix well.-After 3-5 minutes, remove from heat, cool the mixture and grind it to a paste.-Pour back the grinded mixture to the saucepan and add the very finely chopped Methi/Fenugreek leaves and let them cook till they are soft.-Add three glases of water to it and bring it to a boil.-As soon as it boils once, simmer and slowly drop the earlier prepared meat balls one by one into it. Now do not stir at all for about 10 minutes. Half cover the lid and let it cook undisturbed at the low heat.-Later, slowly stir the gravy and let it cook for 7-8 minutes more. You can add more water or let it cook for some more time on medium heat so that the water dries up and you achieve the consistency.-The curry is ready and serve it hot with Parathas preferably or along with Rice.

Suggested accompaniments: Enjoy the curry along with Parathas or Naan, or Khushka /Plain Boiled Rice .

Kofte ka Qorma

Posted on April 18th, 2009 by Mona ©copyrighted in Canola Oil, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Coconut Cream, Garam masala powder, Groundnut/Moomphalli, Lemon/Nimbu, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Turmeric/Haldi, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz, Yogurt/Dahi | 15 Comments » 2,493 views

This is one my family’s most loved dishes. Kofte ka Qorma is a tasteful dish in which the melt in mouth shallow-fried kofte/meatballs prepared from Shaami meat mixture are simmered in qorma, a spicy and fragrant yogurt masala gravy.

Kofte ka Qorma – Melt-in-mouth meatballs in a spicy fragrant sauce

There are usually two kinds of kofte/meatballs prepared. One type is that which is prepare from raw meat called as Kacche gosht ke kofte, in which raw meat marinated in spices and herbs are shaped into meatballs and later cooked to perfection in gravy; the other is the one which I am writing about today, when precooked delicate meatballs are simmered in gravy just before serving.

I prepare and store Shaami meat mixture in large amounts in zip lock sandwich bags and it lasts easily for around 3 months, but you store it for about an year frozen. I had earlier posted the method to prepare the shaami meat mixture here.

Round and small walnut size balls are prepared out of the cooked shaami meat mixture and shallow fried on all sides in a little oil. These are then left to simmer in the gravy. Be sure to add the meatballs just before you plan to serve them. If kept in the gravy to cook for a longer time before you serve, they may turn very soft and mushy as they already are delicate and velvety when shallow fried.

Kofte ka Qorma – Melt-in-mouth meatballs in a spicy fragrant sauce

For the Kofte:

Ingredients:

Makes 22 Kofte

Shaami meat mixture – 280 gms (the procedure to prepare Shaami meat mixture is given here)Canola oil – to shallow fry

Right-Shallow fried Meat balls    Left-Meatballs made from shaami meatBehind – shaami meat in a zip lock sandwich bag

Method:1. Take a small amount of the shaami meat and roll small walnut size balls out of it, gently between your palms. Continue until the entire mixture is finished. Arrange them all on a tray.2. Shallow fry them in small batches in a small frying pan using a little amount of Canola oil until browned on all sides.

For Qorma (the masala gravy):

Ingredients:

Canola oil – 2 tbspOnions – 4, finely slicedYogurt – 400 ml, lightly whippedRed chilli powder – 1 tbspSalt – to tasteTurmeric – 1/4 tspRoasted Groundnut paste – 1 1/2 tspCoconut cream – 1 tspGaram masala powder – 1 tspChopped cilantro – 2 tbspLemon juice – 1 tsp (optional)

Method:1. Take a heavy bottomed non stick frying pan on medium heat and throw in the thickly sliced onion rings with no oil. Give them a stir and cover with a lid. Open the lid, and stir them again, add a few splaches of water and cover the lid again. Continue doing this until the onions are are caramelized and cooked. Transfer them into a blender container. Add the yogurt and coconut cream and process/blend till it is a smooth puree.2. Pour oil into the same pan, and add the pureed paste. Throw in red chilli powder, salt and turmeric and mix well. Let cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally in between. Add the roasted groundnut paste and mix thoroughly. Let cook for around 5-8 minutes until oil separates and floats on top. Add garam masala, chopped cilantro and pour in a about 1 1/2 glass of water and mix well (you can add more water if you prefer a thin consistency.) Half-Cover and let simmer for 5-8 minutes. Pour lemon juice and remove from heat. For the final curry preperation:

1. Just when you want to serve the curry, gently drop the shallow fried Kofte into the Qorma and bring to a boil. Simmer and let cook for 3 minutes.2. Serve warm with Roti.

***

I would like to ask the readers of my blog before I sign off for today ..a) Are there any magazines, published in Hyderabad, showcasing local Hyderabadi food and recipes in English, Hindi or Urdu languages? If yes, please let me know which ones are your favorite?b) Or in a larger picture, any good food and recipe magazines about authentic Indian food published in India?

My current favorite food magazine is ‘Everyday Food’ by Martha. Just loving it! It is not about Indian food though.

Sheekh Kewab Series~I

Posted on October 26th, 2007 by Mona ©copyrighted in Canola Oil, Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds/Zeera, Egg/Anda, Garam masala powder, Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Chillies, Groundnut/Moomphalli, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Nigella seeds/Kalonji, Parsley (fresh), Poppy seeds/Khus-Khus, Poultry/Murgh, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Sesame seeds/Til, Simple Kitchen Tips, Turmeric/Haldi, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz | 28 Comments » 3,832 views

Kawabs are one of the most delicious non-vegetarian tandoori item next to Tandoori Chicken. I heard and read at a site that the first kawabs were invented during the war times, when the animal was slaughtered, cut into pieces, and pierced by the only things they had along, sword (!) and they roasted it over fire. We in the modern world continue to do so, but in a more decent way, we have replaced swords with skewers. ‘Sheekh’ means a ’skewer’, and ‘Sheekh Kawabs’ are the ‘Kawabs grilled/roasted on Skewers’.

Sheekh Kababs – Minced meat Kebabs

Kawabs are vegetables, or meat pieces or ground meat marinated with spices and wrapped around the skewers and grilled or roasted over fire, charcoal, or in oven. They are very easy to prepare too. Marinate them with the required ingredients, and later you just have to grill them. There is no long process to it. Kababs can be Vegetarian, Non-Vegetarian or both. They are a delicacy.

In this recipe I am using both minced chicken as well as minced lamb. The taste comes out very well. My Mother-In-Law usually prepares this type of kawabs. I learnt this procedure from her but modified it my way. An another version of Sheekh Kabab is posted here.

It is very important that after you wash the minced meat, the water from it has all been drained out completely, or else the shape doesnt come out very well. And while mixing the minced meat with the other ingredients, its important that you use your hands, and pulverise the mixture with your palm. You can marinate it for 2-6 hours in the refrigerator. Bring the whole marinated mixture to room temperature before you start grilling it.

Sheekh Kawabs – Minced meat Kebabs (I)

Ingredients:

Minced Chicken – 350 gmsMinced Lamb – 200 gmsOnions – 3, large, finely slicedDry Roasted Black Cumin powder – 3/4 tspDry Roasted Sesame seeds powder – 3/4 tspDry roasted Khus Khus powder – 3/4 tspNigells seed/Kalaunji powder – 3/4 tspDry Roasted Coriander seeds powder – 1 tsp

Dry Roasted Groundnut powder – 1 1/2 tbspGreen chilli – 6, cut and grinded to pasteGaram Masala – 1 tspRaw papaya paste – 2 tbspSalt – 2 tspRed chilli powder – 1 tspTurmeric – 1/2 tspEggs – 2, lightly beatenGinger Garlic Paste – 2 tspCilantro/Kothmir – 1 tbsp, finely choppedPlain Parsley leaves – 1 tbsp, finely choppedCanola Oil – to baste the kababs, and to deep fry the onions.

Method:

1. Wash the meat and drain it well till all the water has been removed completely and the meat is dry. This is important or else the shape does not come out very well.2. Fry the onions in oil oil they are crisp and brown in colour. Remove them once they are done from the oil onto a paper towel.3. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients, with your hands till they nicely mixed. Knead the mixture till pulverized with your palms. Later wash your hands very well with an antiseptic soap. Let the mixture marinate for 2 to 6 hours.4. Bring it to room temperature, and divide the mixture into 8 balls. Shape each one into a long cylinder.5. Dip your skewer into oil and insert it into the cylinders just to make a big hole in each one. Remove the skewer and continue doing it with all the shaped cylinders.6. Take a baking tray and line it with aluminium foil, place the holed cylinders on the tray and baste them with oil. Grill/Broil at low heat, 15 minutes, per side. Grill them till they are nicely done on both sides. (You can even grill them on a charcoal grill for the best smoked flavor).

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy the kawabs along with ’Kaddu ka Dalcha’, or ‘Khatti Dal’ and ‘Baghara Chawal’ aka Zeera rice, or simply along with a chutney as a finger food.

Tip: Enjoy the leftover kawabs as delicious Pita pockets.

Sheekh Kewab Series~I

Posted on October 26th, 2007 by Mona ©copyrighted in Canola Oil, Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds/Zeera, Egg/Anda, Garam masala powder, Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Chillies, Groundnut/Moomphalli, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Nigella seeds/Kalonji, Parsley (fresh), Poppy seeds/Khus-Khus, Poultry/Murgh, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Sesame seeds/Til, Simple Kitchen Tips, Turmeric/Haldi, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz | 28 Comments » 3,832 views

Kawabs are one of the most delicious non-vegetarian tandoori item next to Tandoori Chicken. I heard and read at a site that the first kawabs were invented during the war times, when the animal was slaughtered, cut into pieces, and pierced by the only things they had along, sword (!)

and they roasted it over fire. We in the modern world continue to do so, but in a more decent way, we have replaced swords with skewers. ‘Sheekh’ means a ’skewer’, and ‘Sheekh Kawabs’ are the ‘Kawabs grilled/roasted on Skewers’.

Sheekh Kababs – Minced meat Kebabs

Kawabs are vegetables, or meat pieces or ground meat marinated with spices and wrapped around the skewers and grilled or roasted over fire, charcoal, or in oven. They are very easy to prepare too. Marinate them with the required ingredients, and later you just have to grill them. There is no long process to it. Kababs can be Vegetarian, Non-Vegetarian or both. They are a delicacy.

In this recipe I am using both minced chicken as well as minced lamb. The taste comes out very well. My Mother-In-Law usually prepares this type of kawabs. I learnt this procedure from her but modified it my way. An another version of Sheekh Kabab is posted here.

It is very important that after you wash the minced meat, the water from it has all been drained out completely, or else the shape doesnt come out very well. And while mixing the minced meat with the other ingredients, its important that you use your hands, and pulverise the mixture with your palm. You can marinate it for 2-6 hours in the refrigerator. Bring the whole marinated mixture to room temperature before you start grilling it.

Sheekh Kawabs – Minced meat Kebabs (I)

Ingredients:

Minced Chicken – 350 gmsMinced Lamb – 200 gmsOnions – 3, large, finely slicedDry Roasted Black Cumin powder – 3/4 tsp

Dry Roasted Sesame seeds powder – 3/4 tspDry roasted Khus Khus powder – 3/4 tspNigells seed/Kalaunji powder – 3/4 tspDry Roasted Coriander seeds powder – 1 tspDry Roasted Groundnut powder – 1 1/2 tbspGreen chilli – 6, cut and grinded to pasteGaram Masala – 1 tspRaw papaya paste – 2 tbspSalt – 2 tspRed chilli powder – 1 tspTurmeric – 1/2 tspEggs – 2, lightly beatenGinger Garlic Paste – 2 tspCilantro/Kothmir – 1 tbsp, finely choppedPlain Parsley leaves – 1 tbsp, finely choppedCanola Oil – to baste the kababs, and to deep fry the onions.

Method:

1. Wash the meat and drain it well till all the water has been removed completely and the meat is dry. This is important or else the shape does not come out very well.2. Fry the onions in oil oil they are crisp and brown in colour. Remove them once they are done from the oil onto a paper towel.3. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients, with your hands till they nicely mixed. Knead the mixture till pulverized with your palms. Later wash your hands very well with an antiseptic soap. Let the mixture marinate for 2 to 6 hours.4. Bring it to room temperature, and divide the mixture into 8 balls. Shape each one into a long cylinder.5. Dip your skewer into oil and insert it into the cylinders just to make a big hole in each one. Remove the skewer and continue doing it with all the shaped cylinders.6. Take a baking tray and line it with aluminium foil, place the holed cylinders on the tray and baste them with oil. Grill/Broil at low heat, 15 minutes, per side. Grill them till they are nicely done on both sides. (You can even grill them on a charcoal grill for the best smoked flavor).

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy the kawabs along with ’Kaddu ka Dalcha’, or ‘Khatti Dal’ and ‘Baghara Chawal’ aka Zeera rice, or simply along with a chutney as a finger food.

Tip: Enjoy the leftover kawabs as delicious Pita pockets.

Shaami, Shikampur aur Kofte

Posted on January 15th, 2009 by Mona ©copyrighted in Canola Oil, Chane ki Dal, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Cumin seeds/Zeera, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Garam masala powder, Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Chillies, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Red Chilli powder, Red Chilli/Lal mirch, Salt/Namak, Turmeric/Haldi, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz | 21 Comments » 4,224 views

I remember when I was kid, my mother used to get up early and prepare the whole days meal while we were all still sleeping, and also fix everybody’s lunch boxes, sometimes each one different from one another according to the likes of each person. By lunch time in the school, tired and bored, lunch was always what I looked forward to. Yummy and heartfully delicious simple home food to satisty the hungry stomach. Later, when I was in the junior college, I had to stay away from my parents. I then seriously missed food, especially filling lunches. That is when I began to develop a like for Shaami-sandwiches for lunch everyday. My mother would prepare Shaami in bulk, and send to me. I used to store them in the freezer, content and happy. That is when I learnt to prepare these.

Shaami, Shikampur and Kofta are all prepared the same way from a dough like cooked meat+dal+spices paste. Boneless/Minced meat is cooked dry along with lentils, onions and spices to perfection, along with a few fresh herbs, spices and chillies. This is then ground to a dough like paste which is then shaped into various kinds. If you shape it into a diamond like oblong kawabs, it is called as ‘Shaami‘, if you shape it into a small patty with a finely chopped onion+yogurt+herb relish, it is called as ‘Shikampur‘, and if you shape them into small golf balls, they are called as ‘Kofta‘. Each of them are shallow fried in oil and then eaten.

Preparing the meat+dal mixture before hand, and storing it in sandwich bags, like I have explained below, saves a lot of time. Infact during my holidays, I buy the ingredients for this in bulk, and prepare and store them in the freezer for future use. Comes extremely handy to me.

You can serve Shaami and Shikampur as snacks along with chutney to your guests, or add them between your sandwich bread for lunch, between burger buns for a delightful meal, or you can add a few Shaami along with little chutney, salad and mayonnaise and roll them between a Paratha as a wrap. Kids will love it.

Shaami and Shikampur and Kofte - Fragrant and Spicy Meat Kababs

Ingredients:

Boneless Lamb/Veal meat (or) Minced Lamb/Veal meat - 700 gmsYellow onions – 2 large, roughly choppedChana Dal – 1 cupTurmeric – 1/4 tspLal mirch – 3 1/2 tspRoasted Cumin seeds – 1/2 tspGaram Masala – 1 tspCinnamon sticks/Dalchini – one 8 cm long stickSalt – 3 tspGinger garlic paste – 2 tbspGreen Serrano chillies – around 12, roughly choppedSmall Thai Red chillies – 3, chopped (optional)Cilantro – 1 cup, roughly chopped

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker at medium high heat, pour half cup water, and add lamb, dal, chopped onions, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt, cumin seeds, and ginger garlic paste. Close the lid and let it pressure cook until the meat is tender. Later, open the lid and let it cook until all the liquid has evaporated and it is mostly a dry mixture. There should be no water in the mixture left. This is important, else you will not be able to properly shape them later on and they will end up cracking while you shallow fry them later on.2. Let the mixture cool down. Once cool, remove and discard the cinnamon stick. Add the mixture to a food processor. Throw in the cilantro, garam masala, serrano chillies and process, without adding any water, until smooth and pasty. The mixture is ready.

Method of storing the extra meat mixture for future use:

Meat mixture packed in Sandwich bags to be stored frozen for later use

I often prepare the meat mixture for Shaami/Shikampur and Kofta in bulk at a time. Once the mixture is cool enough to handle, store the extra amount in ziplock sandwich bags. Stack them up and freeze for future use. When you feel like having it, take a few sandwich bags out of the freezer and keep them on the countertop until they defrost to room temperature. Shape them into Shaami or Shikampur or Kofta and shallow fry them to serve. It saves a lot of my time this way.

***

To prepare Shaami:

1. Wash your hands clean. Take a small amount of cool water/oil into a cup. Take the above prepared meat mixture, the size of a golf ball into your hands. Dipping your right hand fingertips into the water, shape the mixture into a oblong diamond shaped Shaami on the palm of your left hand. Keep aside. Continue preparing Shaami until you get the number of Shaami you need.

2. In a small frying pan at medium high heat, pour little oil and shallow fry the Shaami until crisp dark brown on each side. Shallow fry them in batches and serve warm.

***

To prepare Shikampur:

1. Finely chop 1 medium onion, 1 tbsp cilantro, 1 tbsp mint, and 4 small green chillies. Add 2 tbsp hung thick yogurt and salt to taste. Mix well. This is the yogurt  relish. (Prepare more of this if you are planning to make many Shikampur for a large crowd)2.Wash your hands clean. Take a small amount of cool water/oil into a cup. Take the above prepared meat mixture, the size of a golf ball into your hands. Make a well in the centre and add about a tablespoon of the onion relish prepared in the above step. Working gently with your hands, bring the edges together and cover the filling properly to shape into a flattened patty.3. In a small frying pan at medium high heat, pour little oil and shallow fry the Shikampur until crisp dark brown on each side. Shallow fry them in batches and serve warm.

***

To prepare Kofta:

1. Wash your hands clean. Take a small amount of cool water/oil into a cup. Take the above prepared meat mixture, the size of a golf ball into your hands. Wetting your palms with little the water, shape the mixture into a balls and keep aside. Continue preparing the koftas until you get the number you need.2. In a small frying pan at medium high heat, pour little oil and shallow fry the kofta’s, a few at a time, until crisp dark brown on their sides.(Note: Koftas prepared this way are used in Kofte Ka Qorma)

***

You can also Nagrisi Koftey using this same meat mixture.

Tip: If you feel like the meat mixture you have prepared for shaami, shikampur or kofta is very loose and not tight enough to hold a shape, dry roast about 2 tbsp or more or gram flour/besan for a few seconds, and once cool add it to the meat mixture. Mix well and you will now be able to shape it better. Add more if you require.

Amchur-Harimirch wale Kacche Gosht ke Kofte

Posted on August 15th, 2008 by Mona ©copyrighted in Amchur powder, Beef Stock, Blog Events/Entries/Polls, Canola Oil, Cardamom/Elaichi, Carom seeds/Ajwain, Cinnamon/Dalchini, Clove/Laung, Cumin seeds/Zeera, Curry leaves (fresh), Dried Red Chillies, Garam masala powder, Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Chillies, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Red Chilli flakes, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Sesame seeds/Til, Turmeric/Haldi, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz, Yogurt/Dahi | 25 Comments » 1,822 views

Happy Indepedence Day all my dear Indians!

Kofta (in Urdu language, Singular-Kofta; Plural-Kofte) means meatballs. Among all the meatball curries that I prepare, two of them, the Methi-Gosht ke Kofte and this one that I am writing about today are the most favorite in my house and we devour them along with warm Naan, or Afghani Roti which I get from the market usually.

It is called as ’Kacche Gosht ke Kofte’ as the meatballs/Kofte in this method are added raw into the hot gravy and are allowed to cook in it. The meatballs cook perfectly in the hot bubbling gravy within a few minutes. I love this technique because, as the raw meatballs cook in the hot gravy, they impert their juices and flavor and give a deep taste.

Amchur-Harimirch wale Kacche Gosht ke Kofte – Meatballs in a hot and sour gravy

The two main ingredients here are Amchur in the Kofta and Green chilli paste in the gravy. You can feel the light tartness in the meatballs when you have them and the slight hotness due to the green chilli paste in the gravy make you leave wanting for more. It is a very simple recipe.

As Ramadhan is fast appraching, you can prepare this curry in large amounts, portion it and store it in freezable plastic food storage boxes that are microwave safe. When you sit to have your meal after iftaar, just microwave the box for a few minutes, and you are done. It will save you a lot of time.

You can use ground meat to prepare this curry, or if ground meat is not available, then you can even use meat chunks to prepare it. Wash and cut the meat chunks into bite size pieces, and put the chunks along with the spices for meaballs in a food processor, and pulse till the meat is well ground and mixed with the spices. Food processor is one of the most important kitchen gadgets in my kitchen. It makes my work very easier.

Amchur-Harimirch wale Kacche Gosht ke Kofte – Meatballs in a hot and sour gravy

For the Meatballs/Kofte

Ingredients:

Ground Veal/Lamb/Goat meat (or) Veal/Lamb/Goat meat chunks cut into bite size pieces or mince – 300 grams (read the notes above)Dry Raw Mango/Amchur – 2 tspRed chilli flakes – 2 tspGaram Masala – 1 tspSalt/Namak – 1 tspTurmeric/Haldi – 1/2 tspGinger-Garlic/Adrak-Lahsun paste - 2 tsp

Kacche Gosht ke Kofte – Raw meatballs

Method:

1. In a food processor or a blender, add all the ingredients and pulse till the mixture is all well mixed. Remove it into a bowl. Take a small amount into your hand and shape into little balls (approx 1 inch in diameter) rubbing the mixture between your palms. Continue making balls untill all the mixture is completed. Keep aside.2. Wash your hands well with soap.

TIP: To freeze meatballs ahead of time: You can prepare the meatballs and freeze them for future use.Form meatballs, and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet in the freezer. Once the

meatballs are hard and well frozen, transfer them to a resealable plastic bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw and cook them in the curry.

For the Curry/Gravy:

Ingredients:

Canola oil – 4 tbspYellow onion – 3 , large, thinly slicedSalt – 1 tspSeseme seeds/Til – 1 tspCumin seeds/Zeera – 1 tspCarom seeds/Ajwain – 1 tspClove/Laung – 2Green cardamom/Elaichi – 4Cinnamon sticks/Dalchini – 1 inch stickGinger-Garlic paste – 2 tspGreen chilli – finely chopped, 2 tspRed chilli powder – 1/2 tspYogurt – 2 cup, lightly whippedBeef Stock – 1 litreCurry leaves – 6Dried red chilli – 4, broken into two, seeds shaken out

Method:

1. Pour 3 tbsp oil into a large non-stick frying pan at medium heat and as soon as it warms up, add the onion and salt. Saute it for 3 minutes, then cover the lid. After 3 minutes, stir the onions, add a tablespoon of water and cover the lid again. Continue doing this until the onions are well browned and soft.2. Add seseme seeds, cumin seeds, carom seeds, clove, green cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger-garlic paste and green chillies. Saute them for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle red chilli powder.3. Add the yogurt and keep strirring it continously for 1-2 minutes. Turn the heat off. Once cool, pour this gravy into a blender container and blend till finely pureed.4. In the same pan pour 1 tbsp of oil and as soon as it warms up add the dried red chilli powder and curry leaves. As they begin to crackle in a minute or two, pour the pureed sauce back into the pan. Add the meat stock and increase the heat to medium high. Let it come to a boil.5. Lower the heat to medium low, and gently add the meatballs one by one to the gravy in a single layer, and close the lid. Let it cook for 10-15 minutes. Keep gently giving it a stir every 3 minutes or so taking care not to break the meatballs. Serve warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: This curry goes very well along with Naan or Afghani Roti, or even along with steamed Basmati.

This curry goes all the way to Srivalli of ‘Cooking   4 All Seasons’ who is hosting the event- Curry Mela.

Also, congratulations to Jyothi of Shadruchulu for winning the title of ‘The Best Hyderabadi Blog 2008′.

Have a pleasant weekend eveyone!

Garma-Garam Qimah Samosa

Posted on August 25th, 2007 by Mona ©copyrighted in Blog Events/Entries/Polls, Butter/Makhan, Canola Oil, Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds/Zeera, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Garam masala powder, Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Chillies, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Lemon/Nimbu, Mint/Pudina (fresh), Nutmeg, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Turmeric/Haldi, Whole Wheat Flour/Durum Atta, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz | 21 Comments » 4,241 views

Samosas are triangle shaped Indian pastries that are filled with meat or vegetables, or both. The filled pastries are generally deep-fat fried but can also be baked. These pastries are eaten as snacks or appetizers. I’m a BIG fan of Samosas. I and my hubby usually go and get potato stuffed samosas for us all from the Samosa King Embassy Restaurant here, but today I thought of preparing them at home, Hyderabadi style.

This non-veg version of Samosas are my favorite,, which I prepare occasionally at home. I will also post the recipe of Aloo/Potato Samosas very soon in the coming days. I remember the wonderful aromas of all kinds of snacks and appetizers and the fast foods… tempting us to stop by from the road side stalls on the way home from College back in India. My Mom also used to make these samosas in large quantities in the month of Ramadhan, when we all Muslims fast, and at occasions or celebrations. This is my Mom’s recipe, and here it goes:

Qimah Samosa – Spicy Ground Meat Samosas

For the Dough-

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour (Durum Atta) – 1 cup Salt – 1/2 tsp Melted Butter – 2 1/2 tbsp Warm Water – 1 cup

Method:

Sift the flour and salt together in a bowl. Rub in the melted butter and gradually add water. Knead and mix the dough, preferebly 10 minutes, until it is soft and leaves the side of the bowl. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and keep aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.

For the Filling-

Ingredients:

Butter/Canola Oil - 2tbsp Yellow Onion – 1, chopped Ginger-Garlic Paste – 1 1/2 tsp Coriander seed/Dhaniya powder – 1 tsp Cumin seed/Zeera Powder – 1 tsp Tumeric/Haldi powder – 1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder – 1/8 tsp Garam Masala – 1/2 tsp Minced Lean Lamb meat – 200 gms Salt – 1 tsp Lemon juice – 1 tbsp Warm Water – 1/2 cup Mint leaves – 1 tbsp, finely chopped Green chilli – 2, small, finely chopped

Note: You will need extra flour while rolling the dough, and, Oil for deep frying the Samosas.

Method:

Pour butter in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat and fry the onion till it changes colour. Add the ginger garlic paste and stir fry it with the onions for 2 minutes. Lower the heat and add the cumin, coriander, turmeric powder and garam masala for 2 minutes. Add the minced meat and stir it well, mashing it against the walls of the pan, with the spoon to

prevent it from forming lumps. Add salt, lemon juice, water and stir well. Cover and cook it for 10 minutes. Once the mixture is dry, add nutmeg and chilli powder; stir well to combine. Remove from heat and let it cool. Now, Lightly knead the rested dough. Divide into 8 balls and press each ball and cover with a

plastic wrap.

The Dough Balls

Now roll out each ball, one by one, on a lightly floured work surface woth a rolling pin into 12 cm circles.

Cut each circle into semi circles and brush the edges with water.

Preparing Samosas

Put a generous teaspoon of the filling on one half of the semi circle and fold the free half over the filling to form a triangle.

Press the edges firmly to seal. Fold until all the samosas are ready for deep frying.

Prepared Samosas ready for frying

Heat Oil in a wok or kadai or a deep, heavy bottomed sauce pan until it begins to sizzle. Fry the Samosas, a few at a time, on medium heat, gently, until they are golden brown in colour.

Frying Samosas

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper. The Samosas are ready to be served.

Samosas,.. Hmm, they look Yummy :-p

This recipe goes as a contribution to Hima for the event ‘Whats Your Favourite..’ she is holding. For this time, the theme is ‘Whats your favourite Snack’. I’m sure her inbox will soon be overflowing with lots of snacks. So, it will a snack party at Hima’s place in the month of September. Be sure to drop by at here place! Eagerly and impatiently waiting for the round up Hima.

These Samosas make great Snacks, or you also serve them as Appetizers. Enjoy.

Kachchi Aqni ki Dum Murgh Biryani

Posted on August 23rd, 2008 by Mona ©copyrighted in Almonds/Badaam, Basmati Rice/Chawal, Blog Events/Entries/Polls, Canola Oil, Caraway seeds/Shahzeera, Cardamom/Elaichi, Cashewnuts/Kaaju, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Cinnamon/Dalchini, Clove/Laung, Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds/Zeera, Dry Bay Leaf/Tej Patta, Egg/Anda, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Garam masala powder, Ghee, Green Chillies, Hyderabadi special, Lemon/Nimbu, Milk and Milk Products, Mint/Pudina (fresh), Poultry/Murgh, RCI:Authentic Hyderabadi Cuisine, Red Chilli powder, Rose water/Gulab jal, Saffron/Zafraan, Salt/Namak, Tomato/Tamatar (fresh), Turmeric/Haldi, White Potato/Aloo, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz, Yogurt/Dahi | 38 Comments » 11,976 views

Note – Read the whole post very carefully (also watch the video link I have posted at the end of the post) before you try preparing the Biryani, Please do not be overwhelmed by the length of the post. I have tried to explain each and every step briefly and as efficient as possible. Do write to me, if you have any queries. I will be glad to help you out.

Biryani is one of the most famous Hyderabadi one-dish meals craved and devoured by people from all over the world. The basic process of preparing Biryani involves the layering of raw

marinated or cooked meat along with half cooked long grained aromatic Basmati rice, and a range of fresh spices and herbs for exceptional flavor and aroma.

Basically, there are two kinds of Biryani: Pakki Biryani, and Kachchi Biryani.

Pakki Biryani: where are half Basmati cooked rice is layered along with completely cooked chicken or lamb meat and then cooked till done on slow heat on dum.1. Pakki Gosht ki Biryani2. Pakki Murgh Biryani

Kachchi Biryani – which is the true Hyderabadi Biryani – where are half cooked Basmati rice is layered along with raw marinated meat and then finished on slow heat till done on dum.1. Kachchey Gosht ki Biryani2. Kachche Aqni ki Dum Murgh Biryani (which I am writing about today)

The preparation process of Kachchi Biryani is rather simple compared to the Pakki Biryani. In Kachchi biryani all you have to do is to marinate the chicken for overnight preferably and the next day layer it along with half cooked Basmati rice and leave it cook on slow heat/dum until completely done; whereas in Pakki Biryani you have to stand in front of your stove attending the chicken as it cooks completely, and then layer it with half cooked Basmati rice and finish it until done on slow heat/dum.

As you use the raw marinated chicken in this method, while you slow cook the Biryani on dum, the flavor of the chicken intensifies and infuses with the rice and other aromatic fresh herbs and

spices giving you a heavenly aroma in the end which will fills your kitchen and your entire house.

*****

Here is the outline of the steps involved in the preparation, so that it is simpler for you all to understand the detailed method, follow these steps while you prepare the Biryani:

Outline of the steps:

Day 1:Marinate ChickenDay 2:1. Add Fried onions to the Marinated Chicken2. Give a smoked flavor to the Marinating Chicken with Fried Onions (optional, but gives a very good flavor to the Biryani)3. Prepare Basmati Rice/Adhaan4. Arrange layers and garnish

*****

The Detailed method:

Kachche Aqni ki Dum Murgh BiryaniServes – 8-10

Day 1-Marinate Chicken

Chicken marinating in a bowl

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1.4 kg, with bone, cut into medium size piecesRed chilli powder - 1/2 tspGreen chilli paste – 1 1/2 tspSalt – 2 tspTurmeric/Haldi – 1/2 tspTomato – 2, medium sized, pureed (optional)Ginger-Garlic/ Adrak-Lahsun paste – 2 tbspYogurt – 1 cup, lightly whippedFreshly squeezed Lemon Juice – 1/2 cupGaram masala – 2 tbspGreen Cardamom powder – 1 tspDry roasted Cumin seed powder – 1 tspDry roasted Coriander seed powder – 1 tspFresh Cilantro and Mint – 2 tbsp, roughly chopped

Method:

In a large bowl marinate the chicken with all the ingredients. Make sure all the pieces of chicken are coated in the marinade. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight.

Day 2.

1) Adding Fried onions to the marinated chicken:

You can fry the onion at home or simply use 1 cup store-bought fried onions.

Ingredients:

Canola Oil – 3/4 cupFinely sliced Yellow Onions – 800 gmsSalt – 1 tsp

Method:

1. Remove the marinating chicken from the fridge and let it come to room temperature.2. Meanwhile, pour oil into a large non-stick frying pan at medium high heat. As soon as it gets warm, throw in the sliced onions and add salt. Stir fry until they are evenly golden brown in color. Make sure they do not burn them. Using a slotted spoon, remove the onions from the oil into a platter. Divide the fried onions into two equal parts and add one half of the fried onions to the marinating chicken and mix well. Spread the other half to be used later for garnish, until cool. Once they are cool, they crisp up. Also divide the oil in which the onions were fried into two equal parts. Add one part of the oil into the marinating chicken and mix well. Reserve the other half to be added to the rice as the top later along with garnish later on.

2) Give a smoked Flavor to the Marinating Chicken (optional step, but gives a really good flavor to the Biryani. I recommend you try this atleast once. Skip to the step 3 if you want to avoid)

Ingredients:

3 or 4 Burning Charcoal briquettesCanola oil/Ghee – 1 tspDisposable aluminium foil tray/loaf pan

Method:

1. Make a well in the center of the marinating chicken in the bowl so that the loaf pans fits into it perfectly.With the help of tongs, carefully put the burning charcoal briquettes into the aluminium loaf pan.2. Pour about a teaspoon of oil/ghee onto the charcoal. You will see that dense fumes start forming.3. Immediately cover the bowl with a lid, so that the fumes do not escape. Keep it aside until you prepare the rice.

3) Preparing Basmati Rice/Adhaan:

Ingredients:

Long grained Basmati Rice (preferably ‘Lal Qilla’ Brand) - 4 cups, presoaked in water for 30 minutesSalt - 3 tspBay leaf/Tej Patta – 1Cloves - 3Green cardamom – 4Cinnamon stick – 3/4 inchCaraway seeds/Shah Zeera – 1 1/2 tspWater – 9 cups

Method:

1. Wash the rice and soak it in surplus water for about 30 minutes.2. In a large cooking pot pour in water along with cloves, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, caraway seeds and salt. Give it a stir, cover and let it come to a boil. (While the rice is boiling, follow the steps below under ‘Arranging layers and Garnish’ until step 4 and be ready)3. Once boiling add the rice and mix gently, let the rice cook until it is half done, 2-3 minutes. Drain the rice and keep aside.

4) Arranging layers and Garnish: (Work fast while the rice is still hot! and try not to let the rice cool down)

Ingredients:

Marinating ChickenBoiled, Quartered and shallow fried Potatoes – 2 cups (optional)Chopped Mint leaves/Pudina – 1/2 cup, loosely packedHalf cooked rice prepared earlierChopped Cilantro/Kothmir – 1 cup, loosely packedGhee - 2 tsp (optional)Reserved Fried Onions for garnish1/4 Saffron strands, crushed and steeped in 1/4 cup warm milkRose water/Gulab Jal – 1 tsp (optional)Green Cardamom seed powder – 1/2 tspToasted Almonds and Cashewnuts – 1/2 cup totalShelled Hard Boiled Eggs – 6-8 (optional)Dough to seal the edges of the Casserole dish (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 550°F (only if using an oven to prepare it on Dum, read below)2. Carefully lift the loaf pan containing the charcoal briquettes from the marinating chicken, and discard it.3. In a heavy bottomed casserole dish (which can be used in Oven-if using the Oven method (or) which can be used on stove-top-if using the Stovetop method – read below), arrange the marinating chicken in a single layer. Do not crowd it. (Use two casserole dishes if needed)4. Spread the chopped mint leaves  and the shallow fried potatoes (if using) over it.5. Now add the drained warm half cooked rice prepared earlier and spread it nicely to cover the chicken all over. Reserve about 1 1/2 cups cooked rice for the top most layer.6. Next, spread the chopped cilantro, toasted almonds and cashewnuts, hard boiled eggs (if using), reserved fried onions, cardamom seed powder and pour ghee (if using) and the saffron soaked in milk and rose water all over the rice. Add the 1 cup reserved rice and spread as the top most layer to cover evenly. Now pour the reserved oil in which the onions were fried evenly all over the rice. This is done to avoid getting the onions and herbs blackened or burned by steam.7. Cover the dish with an aluminium foil and then with the lid (or) seal the edges with a dough and cover with the lid tightly, you can use some weight over the lid, so that no steam escapes.

Lid sealed with dough and being cooked on stovetop

If using an oven to cook:1. Put the Casserole in the preheated oven at 550°F for 20 minutes. Later, lower the heat to 300°F and leave the Casserole dish in the oven for a about 30 minutes.2. Close the heat, but the let the casserole dish be in the heated oven so that it stays warm, until you need to serve it in a few hours.

If you are cooking on stove top:1. Take a flat Dosa Tawa and put it on the stove at high heat (on either ceramic stove tops and gas burner stove tops). As it gets warm, put the casserole dish on the tawa and let it cook for about 5 minutes on high heat.2. Later, lower the heat to medium and let it cook for about another 15 minutes.3. Now, reduce heat to very low and let cook for another 15-20 minutes and your Biryani will be done by now.

Dough seal on lid broken open and the biryani being mixed

Before serving, open the lid and remove the aluminium and a heavenly aroma fills your house inviting all your house members. Carefully dig your spoon deep into the casserole dish until it touches the bottom, and mix the rice with the chicken until it is all completely mixed. Serve warm.

Tip: Adding salt to the water in which you cook rice is essential, or else the whole taste of Biryani turns upside down. One tip if you have forgotten to add salt to the water while boiling rice is – stir the required amount of salt in a little quantity of hot water, about half cup or a few tablespoons, and pour this on the biryani evenly. Warm the biryani in microwave and serve immediately.

Suggested accompaniments: I enjoy my Biryani with Mirchi Ka Salan or Baghare baingan and Dahi ki Chutney as a side dish, and glass of chilled coke alongside. Yumm-O!

Note: You can also go through this video of ‘Khan Biryani’ showcased by VahChef, one of my favorite chefs, to get an idea on how to prepare Kachchi Murgh Biryani. His method for Khan Biryani is a bit different but quite interesting though.

I shared this recipe as part of the RCI:Authentic Cuisine of Hyderabad Event that I am hosting this month on my blog.

Be sure to read all the rules for the event and drop me your entries. The last date to send me your entries is September 15th’ 07.

Hyderabadi Dum Pukth (Pakki) Murgh Biryani

Posted on July 17th, 2007 by Mona ©copyrighted in Almonds/Badaam, Basmati Rice/Chawal, Butter/Makhan, Canola Oil, Caraway seeds/Shahzeera, Cardamom/Elaichi, Cashewnuts/Kaaju, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Clove/Laung, Cumin seeds/Zeera, Dry Bay Leaf/Tej Patta, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Garam masala powder, Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Chillies, Hyderabadi special, Lemon/Nimbu, Milk and Milk Products, Mint/Pudina (fresh), Poultry/Murgh, Red Chilli powder, Saffron/Zafraan, Salt/Namak, Tomato/Tamatar (fresh), Turmeric/Haldi, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz, Yogurt/Dahi | 15 Comments » 10,178 views

Mazadaar!! (meaning ‘yummy’ in English) is what everyone in my house say when they have just had thier first niwaala/morsel of my Dum Pukth Murgh Biryani.

Chicken Biryani is an exotic one-dish meal, served usually at large get-togethers, occasions and parties like weddings, ceremonies and festivals in the city of Hyderabad, India. The method of cooking involves a layering process of half cooked rice with the cooked till done spiced chicken mixture. Hyderabadi people have a great fondness for Biryanis and it is seen at almost every restaurant in the menu cards as the speciality item.

Saffron strands

Basically, there are two kinds of Biryani: Pakki Biryani, and Kachchi Biryani.

Pakki Biryani: where are half Basmati cooked rice is layered along with completely cooked chicken or lamb meat and then cooked till done on slow heat on dum.1. Pakki Gosht ki Biryani2. Pakki Murgh Biryani

Kachchi Biryani – which is the true Hyderabadi Biryani – where are half cooked Basmati rice is layered along with raw marinated meat and then finished on slow heat till done on dum.1. Kachchey Gosht ki Biryani2. Kachche Aqni ki Dum Murgh Biryani

The following is the procedure how I prepare Pakki Murgh biryani in my house on a regular basis. In this recipe you can use a whole chicken with bones, cut into pieces; but I usually prefer to use boneless Chicken, as my family prefers boneless breast pieces of Chicken, which has minimal fat in it, hence a healthier option. Check out my Instant Light Chicken Biryani, which is light on stomach, and gets prepared in less than 30 minutes.

The caraway seeds, garam masala powder, saffron strands, and all other spices used in this recipe can be easily found in most Indian grocery stores which sell spices. My family prefers to have Biryani a bit hot and lemony with a little bit of an acetous flavor, so I’ve added red and green chilli and lemon juice according to our tastes. You can alter those according to your tastes.

Do not worry if you have never prepared Biryani till now by yourselves. I have tried here to explain each step in as simpler method as possible. Do write to me if you have any doubts regarding the procedure. Go ahead and prepare this for your family, Enjoy.

Hyderabadi Dum (Pakki) Murgh Biryani – Fragrant Rice-Chicken Casserole with SpicesServes: 8

Ingredients:

Ginger-Garlic Paste – 2 tbspGaram Masala – 1 1/2 tspYogurt -1 1/2 cupTomatoes – 2, large and ripe, pureed into a smooth paste (or) Canned tomato paste – 5 tbsp (optional)Turmeric – 1/4 tspRed chilli powder – 2 tspLemon juice – 6 tbspSalt – to tasteAlmonds – 1/2 cup, sliveredCashew nuts – 1/2 cupYellow Onions – 5, large, slicedChicken – 900 gms, Boneless, skinless breast pieces, cut into 2 cms cubesBasmati, Long Grained Rice – 5 cupsWater – 8 cupsCanola Oil -9 tbspCaraway seeds/ShahZeera – 1 tbspWarm Milk – 1/2 cupSaffron strands – one big pinchBay leaves – 1Green cardamom – 3Green Chillies – 5, small sized, slit lengthwiseHome-made Ghee – 3 tbspFresh Mint leaves/Pudina – 2 tbsp, wahsed, chopped finelyFresh Cilantro/Kothmir – 2 tbsp, washed, chopped finely

Hyderabadi Dum Pukth Murgh Biryani

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken with the first 8 ingredient for about 6-8 hours maximum or one hour minimum covered in the refrigerator.2. Start by pouring 1 tbsp oil into a large heavy bottomed non-stick frying pan and fry the almonds and cashewnuts till they are golden brown and remove them into a bowl.3. In the same pan add 8 tbsp oil and add the sliced onions. Fry them till the onions are brown and crisp. Make sure not to burn them. Remove from heat. Remove about a cup of the fried onions with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel in a platter.4. Take out the chicken from the refrigerator, bring it to room temperature. In the pan with oil and fried onions, dump the whole bowl consisting of the marinating chicken and all its juices into it and put the pan on medium high heat. Let it cook uncovered until the gravy is dry and dense and the chicken is done. Keep stirring it occasionally. This might take about 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and keep aside.5. Meanwhile take half a cup of warm milk, and add a few strands of saffron. Let them soak  for an hour.6. Wash and soak the rice in water for preferably half an hour. Later, drain the rice and keep it in the sieve. Boil 8 cups of water and add cinnamon sticks and caraway seeds/shah zeera, bay leaves, green cardamom and salt (I use the proportion:1 tsp salt for 1 cup rice). Once the water is boiling add the strained rice, give it a stir and let the rice soften up a bit. Once the rice is half done, strain the rice and throw away the water. Discard the bay leaves and the cinnamon stick.7. Arrange half the amount of rice as the bottom layer layer in a large dish. Next, add the chicken mixture prepared earlier in a layer. Now add the remaining rice above the chicken layer, covering it completely.8. Garnish with mint, cilantro, fried onions, slit green chillies, and fried nuts from step 2. Now pour evenly the milk with saffron strands and two tablespoons of ghee over the layered and garnished rice. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminium foil.

9. Preheat the oven to 350°F and put the dish in the oven for 10-12 minutes, till a nice steam has formed inside the dish, and the rice has been done. Serve hot for a delicious meal.

Tip: Adding salt to the water in which you cook rice is essential, or else the whole taste of Biryani turns upside down. One tip if you have forgotten to add salt to the water while boiling rice is – stir the required amount of salt in a little quantity of hot water, about half cup or a few tablespoons, and pour this on the biryani evenly. Warm the biryani in microwave and serve immediately.

Suggested Accompaniments: Biryani goes very well along with Mirchi Ka Salan or Baghare Baingan, or Tamatar Ki Chutney and Dahi Ki Chutney.

Sabut Zafraani Murgh

Posted on February 19th, 2009 by Mona ©copyrighted in Butter/Makhan, Carrot/Gajar, Egg/Anda, Ghee, Ginger-Garlic paste, Lemon/Nimbu, Poultry/Murgh, Red Potatoes, Rosemary (dried), Sea Salt, Sugar/Shakkar, Thyme (dried) | 11 Comments » 1,401 views

Baking during the winter season gives a lot of pleasure to me. It provides the warmth needed and enlivens the arid spirit inside us during these dull and cloudy days. I thank my god that I have a conventional oven that I love to use during these icy days.

Carved Roasted Chickenserved along with Roasted Veggies and Lemon slices

Roasting a whole chicken is not as laborious and redoubtable is it is considered to be. I love to roast whole chickens. Roasted chicken is perfect for a party dinner and comforting in the cold weather. Roasted red potatoes and carrots also bring seasonal color and nutrition to the dish.

Tip: To remove the skin of the chicken, use paper towels. Hold the chicken skin with a paper towel and pull it. This way your hand wont get slippery and the task is a piece of cake.

Sabut Zafrani Murgh – Saffron infused Whole chicken

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

For Brine:

2.5 litre fresh waterSalt – 3 tbspSugar – 2 tbspGarlic pods – 2, crushedBay leaves -2

For Chicken

1 medium whole roasting chicken, skinned/Sabut Murgh (Preferably Fresh)Black Pepper powder/Kali mirch, used liberallySea Salt/Namak, used liberallyGhee/Butter – 3 tbsp (you can subsbitute it with Canola oil)1/4 tsp Saffron/Zafraan, pounded1 tsp Ginger-Garlic/Adrak-Lahsun paste1/2 tsp Dried thyme1/2 tsp Dried rosemary1 large Egg/Anda, hard boiled and peeled1 large Lemon/Nimbu, cut into two halves (one half used as stuffing and the other half juiced to season the chicken)

For Vegetables

5 Red Potatoes, quartered/Aloo1 cup baby Carrots/Gajar (you can even use large carrots, peel  and cut them into pieces)Black Pepper powder/Kali mirch, used liberallySalt/Namak, used liberallyGhee/Butter – 3 tbsp (you can subsbitute it with Canola oil)Dried thymeDried rosemary

Stuffed and Seasoned Whole Chickenon the bed of spiced veggies ready to be roasted

Method:

-Remove the giblets and neck from the chicken and discard or freeze for future use.In a large pot pour 2.5 litres of cold water. Add the remaining ingredients for brine and let the water boil once. Remove from heat and let it cool down completely. Once cooled, place the chicken in the brine, breast side down. Cover and refrigerate overnight if possible or atleast for 2 hours.-With the rack in the middle position, preheat an oven to 450°F.-Remove the chicken from the brine. Wash with cool water and pat dry throughly both inside and out with paper towels.-Pound the saffron with ginger-garlic paste, ghee/butter, lemon juice, salt, black pepper powder, rosemary and thyme in a mortar and pestle until well combined and keep aside.-Rub the chicken inside and out with the prepared saffron+spices paste and place the boiled egg, a halve of the lemon in the cavity of the chicken.-Truss the bird. This means binding the legs and wings close to the body of the bird so that the meat is protected during cooking and the finished shape of the roasted bird is pleasing.-Combine carrots and potatoes in a large oval ceramic baking dish with a rack. Spread into one layer in bottom above the rack. Douse them with ghee/butter and liberally sprinkle with black pepper powder and salt. Carefully place the stuffed chicken, breast side up, on the bed of seasoned vegetables.-Roast the chicken at 450°F for the first 20 minutes and then lower the oven to 350°F for another 45 minutes or until juices run clear when pricked with knife, and thermometer insterted at thickest part of thigh next to body registers 180°F. Keep basting the chicken with ghee/butter and with the juices collecting below the rack in the baking dish and turn the chicken for even cooking every 20 minutes.-Once done, remove the chicken from the oven and place in a warm place, loosely covered with aluminium foil and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the trussing thread and carve to serve.

I have recently updated a new theme for my blog. Hope you all like it like I do.

Instant Light Chicken Biryani..

Posted on August 9th, 2007 by Mona ©copyrighted in Basmati Rice/Chawal, Blog Events/Entries/Polls, Canned Tomato paste, Canola Oil, Confectionary, Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds/Zeera, Drinks/Sharbat, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Garam masala powder, Ginger-Garlic paste, Lemon/Nimbu, Poultry/Murgh, Quick fix meals, Yogurt/Dahi | 18 Comments » 3,781 views

My earlier version of Chicken Biryani was the traditional kind, but I learnt this version from my Mother in law and is very light and has lesser calories and gets prepared quite quickly when compared to any other type of Chicken Biryani’s. As this Express Cooking Event calls for a meal to get ready in less than 30 minutes, I have used left over cooked plain rice, you guys can always make it fresh if you do not have left over rice. Its a complete meal with Biryani, a dessert, and a juice, and is filling but light on stomach.

My Version of ‘Instant Light Chicken BiryaniServes – 2

Ingredients:

Canola Oil – 1 tbspChicken Breast – 200 gms, washed, and cut into 2 cms cubesYogurt – 1 tbspTomato paste – 2 tsp (optional)Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tspGaram Masala – 1 1/2 tspDry roasted Cumin seed/Zeera powder – 1 tspDry Roasted Coriander/Dhaniya seed powder – 1 tspWater – 1/2 cupLemon Juice – 2 or 3 tbsp ( as you like)Saffron threads – a pinch, soaked in 1/4 cup warm milkCooked Plain White Rice – 3 cupsCrispy Fried Onions – 2 tbsp

Method: ( Target time to prepare the whole meal – 30 minutes )

1. Put a heavy bottom pan on medium heat, and pour oil into it.2. Add the chicken pieces, and fry till golden brown on all sides. This takes probably 7 minutes. When the chicken cubes has been browned properly, adjust the heat to medium high add the yogurt, tomato paste (optional) and ginger-garlic paste and the three dry masalas and stir well. This will take about 5 minutes. Now add half cup water and lemon juice. Cover the lid of the pan for 2 minutes until the water dries up.3. Now arrange the half of the rice in a microwave safe bowl in a layer, add the cooked chicken breast from the pan on top of the rice in a layer, again arrange the remaining rice layer on top. Sprinkle the fried onions on top and pour the milk with saffron threads evenly on top of rice. All this takes about 5 more minutes5. Cover and microwave for 3 minutes. The Biryani is ready.6. Serve the Biryani along with and a Juice and Ice Cream for a heartful meal for two ready in about in less than 30 minutes.

Tip: Adding salt to the water in which you cook rice is essential, or else the whole taste of Biryani turns upside down. One tip if you have forgotten to add salt to the water while boiling rice is – stir the required amount of salt in a little quantity of hot water, about half cup or a few tablespoons, and pour this on the biryani evenly. Warm the biryani in microwave and serve immediately.

Lazeez Murgh Qorma

Posted on January 29th, 2008 by Mona ©copyrighted in Almonds/Badaam, Canola Oil, Cashewnuts/Kaaju, Chironji/Charoli, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Coconut milk, Coriander seeds, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Ginger-Garlic paste, Heavy Cream, Hyderabadi special, Mint/Pudina (fresh), Poultry/Murgh, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Turmeric/Haldi, White Potato/Aloo, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz, Yogurt/Dahi | 16 Comments » 10,609 views

Murgh Qorma is one dish I and my family cannot live without, because we are pakka Hyderabadis at heart. Its Irf’s most loved dish. He will rate it ten out of ten all the time.

The masala which forms the base of the gravy consisting of yogurt, ginger-garlic, groundnut, coconut and fried onions and cashew nuts, chironji nuts and almonds, for this classic Hyderabadi dish is first braised/’bhun-na’ until oil floats on top, a technique essential for Qorma preparation, and then in the end, water is added to give it a gravy consistency and the chicken is simmered on low in the creamy fragrant yogurt sauce. Qorma is usually had along with Naan or Rumali Roti. The bread is dipped into the warm sauce, and had with a few bits of Chicken in each morsel.

A typical Hyderabadi menu for an occasion such as marriage will be: Non-Vegatarian or Vegetarian Kababs, or Spring rolls, or Marag as Appetizer; Any Sookha Salan (dry curry) of Chicken or Mutton; or a Chicken or Lamb Qorma (this will be the Patla Salan - gravy curry) with Rumali Roti (Rumali in Urdu language means kerchief, its called so because the roti/flat bread is unbelievably as thin as a kerchief!, it is light and very yummy); a Lamb   Biryani or Chicken Biryani along with Mirchi Ka salan; and then a Meetha in the end. Ah! I am missing India and my hometown’s wonderful and mouth watering dishes. I am proud of my native home, Hyderabad for its most illustrious and scrumptious cuisine. Inshallah will post the recipes of each and every recipe here to share with you all, the way I prepare it in my house.

I plan to inshallah someday publish a cookbook of my own where I can write all my recipes, my version of Hyderabadi Cuisine. I have not done much about it at all. This thought and wish always lingers on my mind and I will inshallah definitely be doing something about it. I will need resources for this project though.

Lazeez Murgh Qorma with Parathas in the Milton hot-pot

You can also add heavy cream, cashew nuts, chironji nuts or almonds, shallow fried quartered potatoes, or shallow fried large cauliflower florets to the gravy. But it is optional. You can even omit chicken or lamb/sheep meat only add potatoes and cauliflower instead, to make it ‘Aloo/Potato, or PhoolGobi/Cauliflower Ka Qorma’, a vegetarian version. Or simply make it ‘Malai/Creamy Qorma’, excluding both the meat and vegetables.

Lazeez Murgh Qorma – Chicken Simmered in Fragrant Spiced Coconut-Groundnut-Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients:

Chicken with bone/Boneless Chicken Breast – washed and cubed into bite size pieces, 600 gmsRed Chilli Powder – 2 tspTurmeric – 1/2 tspGinger-Garlic Paste – 2 tspSalt – 2 tspLemon juice – 1 1/2 tspOnions – 4, large, sliced thin

Cashewnuts, Chironji nuts and Almonds – 1 tbsp each, soaked in 1 tbsp milk for 30 mins (optional)Yogurt – 400 ml, lightly beatenCoconut cream powder – 1 tbspRoasted Groundnut paste -1 tbspMint leaves/Pudina – 1/4 cup, finely choppedCilantro – 1/2 cup, loosely packed and finely choppedGreen chillies – 3, small sized, finely chopped

Method:

1. Marinate the Chicken in ginger-garlic paste and lemon juice mixture for an hour.2. Take a heavy bottomed non stick saucepan on medium heat and throw in the thickly sliced onion rings with no oil. Give them a stir and cover with a lid. Open the lid, and stir them again, add a few splaches of water and cover the lid again. Continue doing this until the onions are are caramelized and cooked. Transfer them into a blender container. Add the soaking cashew nuts, almonds and chironji nuts along with the milk to the blender container. Also pour in the yogurt and coconut cream and process/blend till it is a smooth puree.3. In the same pan, heat 3 tbsp Canola oil and add the marinated chicken, quickly fry them lightly on all sides in batches, stirring gently and occasionally till just lightly browned. Remove them with a slotted spoon in a bowl and keep aside.4. In the same pan with the leftover oil in which the chicken were just shallow fried, add 1 more tbsp canola oil at medium heat . As it warms up add the pureed onion-yogurt mixture and let it cook for five minutes on medium flame. Reduce the flame to medium low, add red chilli powder, salt, turmeric and mix well. Cover it for a minute. Keep a close eye on it and keep giving it a stir every now and then. Add the roasted groundnut paste to it. Mix well and cover the lid again. The oil should start to separate by now. Let it cook a bit more, if the mixture has become too dry add a few splashes of water and cook it till all the oil has very nicely separated out.5. Gently drop in the shallow fried chicken pieces in the cooking gravy and mix well. Cover the lid for a minute. Pour in two glasses of water. Add the mint, cilantro and green chillies. Mix well and increase the flame to medium high, let it it come to a boil once. Lower the heat, cover the lid and let it cook for 10 minutes. Once the chicken is done, serve it immediately.

I am sending this Qorma to Meeta as the theme for her Monthy Mingle this time is ‘Comfort Foods’. I’m waiting for its round up, now who doesnt like Comfort Foods?!; and I am also sending this as an entry to ‘Think Spice, Think Turmeric‘ event being hosted by Sudeshna.

Tamatar Murgh

Posted on November 20th, 2009 by Mona ©copyrighted in Canned crushed tomatoes, Canola Oil, Cumin seeds/Zeera, Curry leaves (fresh), Fenugreek/Methi seeds, Garam masala powder, Hyderabadi special, Mustard seeds/Rai, Nigella seeds/Kalonji, Quick fix meals, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak | 12 Comments » 2,464 views

Tamatar Murgh

Today was one such day when I was out of ideas to prepare a chicken curry. Thats when suddenly I recollected the video that I had posted on my blog a while back where Rani Kulsum Begum was dishing out a delicious Tamatar Murgh curry. I tried her recipe today with a few changes of my own here and there and it was one ambrosial yet a simple curry to prepare.

Tamatar Murgh – Chicken simmered in crushed tomato sauce

Ingredients:

Canola oil – 3 tbsp/تيلکلونجی Nigella sativa seeds – 1 tsp/ثابت

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp/ثابتزیر دانہ Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp/میتھی

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp/رائیمسالہ لہسن َر�ک Ginger-garlic paste – 3 tbsp/اد

پتہ Curry leaves – 2 sprigs, fresh/کریپاوٴڈ� Dry roasted Cumin seed powder – 1 1/2 tsp/زیرہپاوٴڈ� Dry roasted Coriander seed powder – 2 tsp/دھنیاپاوٴڈ� مرچ Red Chilli powder – 2 1/2 tsp/سرخ

واال ٹين ٹماٹر وا ہپسا /Canned Crushed tomatoes – 400 mlSalt – 2 tsp/نمکWhole Chicken with bone – skinned and cut into pieces (around 1.5 kg)/ُم!رغ

پوڈ� مسلہ Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp/گرم

Method:

In a large non-stick saucepan or a saute pan at medium high heat, pour in oil and as soon as it warms up, add the nigella seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds. As they begin popping and spluttering, add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add the curry leaves and fry them along for a few seconds. Add the dry roasted cumin and coriander seed powders as well as the red chilli powder and mix well. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and mix well, let cook uncovered for 2 minutes. Add salt and chicken and mix well. Spread the chicken so that it is in a single layer. Cook uncovered at medium heat for 5 minutes. Then, cover with a lid and let cook for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is tender and well cooked, stirring it gently occasionally. Uncover the lid and cook until the oil is floating on top and the tomato masala is dry and clinging to the chicken, around 8-10 minutes. Add garam masala powder and mix well. Serve warm.

Note: If you like to have a saucy masala instead of a dry clinging masala, do not cook uncovered furthur in the last stages.

Chicken 65

Posted on January 15th, 2010 by Mona ©copyrighted in Black pepper powder, Canola Oil, Cashewnuts/Kaaju, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Cornflour, Cumin seeds/Zeera, Curry leaves (fresh), Egg/Anda, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Garam masala powder, Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Chillies, Hyderabadi special, Mustard seeds/Rai, Poultry/Murgh, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Tomato Ketchup, Turmeric/Haldi, Yogurt/Dahi | 30 Comments » 6,992 views

A quick, yummy and irresistible chicken stir fry~Chicken 65 is a famous Hyderabadi appetizer served at parties and easily available at most of the restaurants and food stalls in Hyderabad city. Please do not ask me why is it called Chicken 65, I have no idea about it.

There exist many versions of this dish, and today I am posting my version. I also make a dry version with no sauce, and just the baghaar/tempering. Inshallah I will post it in the future sometime. For now, you can prepare this simple dish and impress your loved ones.

Chicken 65

Serve Chicken 65 along with Rumali rotis. If you cannot buy or prepare Rumali roti, just heat a thin tortilla on a flat griddle until nicely toasted on both sides and enjoy.

Note: Normally, the chicken 65 that is served back home in Hyderabad is fiery red in color, that is because red color is added to it. I do not add color to food and hence the different color.

Chicken 65

Boneless Chicken – 500 gms, cut into bite size cubes, washed and drained (you can also use chicken with bone if you want)For Batter:Ginger-garlic paste – 1 1/2 tbspSalt – 1 tspTurmeric powder – 1/4 tspGaram masala powder – 1/2 tspBlack pepper powder – 1/4 tspEgg white – 1, largeCornflour – 1 tbspCanola oil – to deep fryFor Baghaar:Canola oil – 2 tbspCumin seeds – 1 tspBlack Mustard seeds – 1/2 tbspGreen chillies – 10, small, each slit into twoCurry leaves – 20-25 freshYogurt – 1/3 cup, lightly stirred until smoothTomato Ketchup – 3 tbspSoya sauce – 2 tbsp

Red chilli powder – 1 tspFor Garnish:Fried cashew nuts – roughly choppedCilantro – roughly choppedOnion ringsBaby carrotsSliced cucumbersShredded lettuce leavesLemon wedges

Method:

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, add all the ingredients for the batter except egg and cornflour and and mix well. Add the chicken cubes and gently combine. Cover and let the chicken marinate for 1 or 2 hours. Later, bring the chicken back to room temperature and add cornflour and egg. Mix well. Deep fry the chicken pieces in hot oil for not more than 3 minutes in batches. Drain the fried chicken in a wire mesh strainer for the extra oil to drain off  and keep aside until all are done.2. In a mixing bowl, add yogurt, tomato ketchup, soya sauce and red chilli powder and mix well. Keep aside.3. For baghaar/tempering, in a frying pan at medium high heat, add oil and as soon as it is warm add the cumin seeds and the mustard seeds. As the seeds begin to pop, remove the pan from heat and add the green chillies and curry leaves. Stir fry and let the pan cool down. Once the pan is slightly cool, add the stirred yogurt mixture and mix well. (if you add curd in hot pan the curd will curdle). Transfer the pan to the stove and keep stirring continuously at medium heat. Once boiling, add the fried chicken and mix well. Cover with a lid and let cook for 5-10 minutes. Keep stirring ever once in a while. Serve Chicken 65 on a platter garnished with fresh cilantro, fried cashew nuts, lemon wedges, lettuce leaves, cucumber slices, baby carrots and onion rings.

Murgh Methi

Posted on September 1st, 2008 by Mona ©copyrighted in Canned Tomato paste, Canola Oil, Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds/Zeera, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Fenugreek leaves/Methi, Ginger-Garlic paste, Hyderabadi special, Methi (fresh), Poultry/Murgh, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Simple Kitchen Tips, Turmeric/Haldi | 28 Comments » 5,157 views

Inshallah the holy month of Ramadhan begins from tomorrow here, I wish all my readers Ramadhan Mubarak! May the choicest blessings of ALLAH ( ى ل ا ع ت و ه ن ا ح ب ,shower upon us all (سand grace our home with peace joy and happiness.

Ramadhan Mubarak to you all!

This month inshallah, like the last year, I will try to take some time out and post about the Ramadhan special dishes, some authentic, and some daily recipes, with tips to make life easier.

Tip: In my current daily schedule, I do not get time to sit at home and cook leisurely for Iftaar or the dinner afterwards, or for Seher for that matter. So what I do is, I stock up my refrigerator and freezer with cooked food that I prepare as and when I get time. Lots of curries in the freezer- both vegetarian, non-vegetarian and dals., Rice for the week in the refrigerator. When I have to serve food, I reheat them all for a few minutes in the microwave and serve it all piping hot on the Dastarkhaan. This way I stay peaceful and get ample time for my studies and prayers. This a great tip that I learnt from my MIL.

Mature/Full-grown Fenugreek leaves/Methi in pot

Mature Funugreek Leaf/Methi

To Grow Methi: This Summer, I had planted Fenugeek leaves/Methi along with the others. Methi is very easy to grow and the quickest to germinate. Just sprinkle a few fenugreek/methi seeds on wet soil and cover them up lightly using damp soil. Keep watering them everyday a little bit, you will soon see small seedlings in about a week time. Usually we Hyderabadis do not use the full grown mature Fenugreek leaves/Methi leaves in cooking. We pluck the leaves when they are at the two-leaves stage, tender, young and full of flavor. Click

here to have a look at the tender baby methi available in Indian farmers markets. This time however I let it grow and used mature leaves to prepare Murgh Methi.

Murgh Methi is a delicious and well-known Hyderabadi chicken curry. I prepare it usually in the oven when I cannot devote my time to attend to the chicken cooking on stove top. But I have tried both the methods, the stove top method and the Oven method, and the curry was just as delicious both the ways.

Murgh Methi - Chicken with Fenugreek leaves

Ingredients:

Chicken with bone – 1.3 kgs, cut into medium size piecesOnionsCanola Oil – 1 tbsp (optional)Canned Tomato paste – 1/2 cupGinger -Garlic paste – 2tbspRed Chilli powder - 2 tspTurmeric – 1/4 tspSalt – 2 tspDy roasted Cumin seed powder – 1 tspDry roasted Coriander seed powder – 1 tspFenugreek leaves – fresh, roughly chopped, 1 cup

Oven Method-The following is a quick method, where you do not have to stand in front of the stove attending to the chicken and tiring your legs. You have to simply marinate it and then let it slow cook in you oven, saving you lots of time:

1. Wash the chicken pieces, pull off the skin and excess fat and leave to drain in a colander.2. In a large flat baking dish, add 100 gms of store brought fried onions. Add the chicken along with all the other ingredients except the fenugreek leaves and mix well so that all the chicken pieces are coated with the marinade. Cover the dish with aluminium foil and keep in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 3 hrs.3. Pre-heat the oven to 350° F.4. Bring the marinated chicken to room temperature and keep the dish, covered, in the oven and let it cook for about 35 minutes. Later, carefully remove the aluminium foil (hot steam can burn your fingers) and throw in the fresh chopped fenugreek leaves. Gently stir to mix without breaking the chicken pieces. Cover once again with the aluminium foil and put it back into the oven and let it cook for a further 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Stove-Top Method-If you do not happen to have an Oven in your house, You can always prepare this curry on stove-top. The following is the procedure for it:

1. Wash the chicken pieces, pull off the skin and excess fat and leave to drain in a colander.2. Pour oil into a large frying pan and fry two large finely sliced onions till golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste, and chicken pieces and stir fry them till they are lightly browned on all sides.3. Add salt, red chilli powder, cumin seed powder, coriander seed powder, turmeric and canned tomato paste. Close the lid and let it cook for 15-20 minutes for until the chicken is tender and fully cooked and oil floats on surface. Add a little water if needed to cook.4. Add the chopped fenugreek leaves and gently stir to mix well, taking care not to break the chicken pieces. Let it cook uncovered for 5 more minutes. Serve warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: Khatti Dal/Sojni Ki Phalli Ki Patli Dal, Khushka/Roti for a filling delicious meal.

Murghi ka Salan

Posted on November 7th, 2009 by Mona ©copyrighted in Canola Oil, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Coriander seeds, Ginger-Garlic paste, Hyderabadi special, Lemon/Nimbu, Poultry/Murgh, Quick fix meals, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Tomato/Tamatar (fresh), Turmeric/Haldi, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz, Yogurt/Dahi | 15 Comments » 3,796 views

Out of all the curries that I prepare using chicken, this is perhaps the one I prepare most usually at home for meals. Home made ginger-garlic paste and yogurt, fresh lemon juice helps tenderize the chicken, and both the yogurt and tomatoes render a subtle sour flavor which balances out the sweetness of the shallow fried onions in the curry. Fresh roasted coriander seed powder and fresh cilantro add a wonderful aroma.

Murghi ka Salan – Chicken Curry

Murghi ka Salan – Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

Chicken, with bone – 800 gm, skinned and cut into 10-12 piecesHome made Yogurt – 1/2 cupHome made Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbspFresh Lemon juice – 3 tbspRed chilli powder – 1 1/2 tspSalt – 1 1/2 tspTurmeric powder – 1/4 tspCanola oil – 3 tbspYellow Onion – 2, large, peeled and finely choppedGreen cardamom – 4Black peppercorns – 8Cloves – 3Cinnamon stick – one 2″ stickDry-roasted Coriander seed powder – 2 tspTomatoes – 4, large, ripe and red, finely choppedCilantro/Kothmir – finely chopped, 1/2 cup, loosely packed

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add yogurt, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, red chilli powder, salt and turmeric. Using a spoon or a whisk, mix well. Add the chicken pieces and mix well to coat all the pieces with the marinade. Marinate for 1 hour, covered, in the refrigerator2. Later, before you start cooking, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and leave on the

countertop to bring it back to room temperature. Continue cooking.3. In a large heavy bottomed non-stick casserole dish at medium high heat, pour in oil, and as soon as it warms up add the chopped onion and stir fry until it is nice and evenly golden brown in color. Add the cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom, black peppercorns, coriander seed powder and mix well. A wonderful aroma emanates. Fry them for a minute along with onions, later add the chopped tomatoes and mix well. Cover with a lid and let cook for 4-5 minutes. Add a few splashes of water and let cook until tomatoes are all mushy, add the marinated chicken with all the juices and mix well. Let cook uncovered for 5-10 minutes. Later, lower the heat to medium, pour in 2 to 3 cups warm water and mix gently. Cover with the lid and let cook for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is tender and well-cooked. Remove from heat and add the chopped cilantro and gently mix well. Serve.

Suggested Accompaniments: Serve the curry along with Khushka and Tamatar dal, or along with Parathas, and a vegetarian side-dish of your choice for a delicious meal.

Dinner Today

Posted on September 3rd, 2009 by Mona ©copyrighted in Almonds/Badaam, Black Peppercorns, Canola Oil, Cardamom/Elaichi, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Cinnamon/Dalchini, Clove/Laung, Dry Bay Leaf/Tej Patta, Garam masala powder, Ghee, Ginger-Garlic paste, Ivy Gourd/Tindora/Kandori, Lemon/Nimbu, Mint/Pudina (fresh), Poultry/Murgh, Red Chilli powder, Saffron/Zafraan, Salt/Namak, Tomato/Tamatar (fresh), Yellow Onion/Pyaaz, Yogurt/Dahi | 22 Comments » 4,621 views

The first Ashra of Ramadan has passed away لله ) May Allah .الحمد وتعالى accept all (سبحانهour dua’s inshallah. Todays dinner after our 14th roza features Ivy Gourd curry, Khatti dal and Dum ka Murgh along with Afghani Roti and Khushka.

Ivy Gourd~(Coccinia indica, C. grandis) (other names in various languages-Scarlet fruited gourd, Little gourd, Donda, Kandori, Tindora, Gherkin, Kova, etc) is an Indian vegetable, grown on aggresively climbing vines, and a very good source of Calcium, Fibre and Iron.

Fortunately this vegetable is available here at my place at most of the Indian stores, priced a bit higher though, but nonetheless and I am very happy for that reason. This humble vegetabe is one of my favorites and it makes its presence on my dinner table whenever its cravings defeat me.

Ivy Gourd – chopped and whole

Ivy Gourds in dry tomato-onion gravy

Ingredients:

Ivy Gourd – 2 pounds, topped, tailed, and chopped as shownOnion – 1, large, finely slicedTomato – 2. medium sized, finely choppedRed chilli powder – 2 tspSalt – to tasteCanola oil – 1 tbsp

Ivy gourd curry served along with Flat bread~Paratha

Method:

Heat oil in a pressure cooker at medium high heat. As soon as it warms up, add onion and stir fry until soft. Add chopped tomato, red chilli powder and salt. Also add in the chopped Ivy gourd and 1 cup water, and pressure cook for 10 minutes, until the Ivy Gourd is soft. Let cook uncovered until most of the moisture has been evaporated. Keep stirring occassionally and gently. Serve along with Parathas .

***

Dum ka Murgh – Slow cooked Chicken in Aromatic sauce

Ingredients:

Chicken, with bone – 1.3 kg, cut into piecesYogurt – 1/2 cupAlmonds, ground – 1/4 cupGaram masala powder – 2 tspSaffron strands, lightly crushed – 1/4 tspOnion – 4, large, finely choppedTomato puree – 2 tbspGinger garlic paste – 2 tbspRed chili powder – 1 tbspSalt – 2 tspLemon juice – 4 tbspCilantro – 1 tbsp, finely choppedMint leaves -1 tbsp, finely choppedGhee – 1/3 cupCinnamon stick – 1 inch stickCloves – 2Green Cardamom – 2Black Peppercorns – 4Bay leaf – 1, dried

Dum ka Murgh

Method:

1. In a frying pan at medium high heat, pour ghee and as soon as it warms up add the sliced onions. Fry them stirring it frequently until golden brown in color. Remove the fried onions using a slotted spoon onto a paper towel lined platter. Reserve the leftover ghee.2. In a mixing bowl, add yogurt, almond paste, garam masala, saffron, salt, fried onions, ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder, lemon juice, tomato puree and cilantro and mint leaves to the chicken. Mix it all well. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let the chicken marinate in the aromatic paste for about 2 hours in the refrigerator.3. Take the mixing bowl out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. In a large saucepan at medium high heat, pour the leftover ghee and as soon as it warms up add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, bay leaf, peppercorns and cloves. Saute for a few seconds and add the chicken mixture into it. Spread the chicken in a single layer and mix well. Cover the lid and cook on simmer for 20 minutes. Later, gently give a good stir and again cover and let cook for a further 15 minutes until oil leaves. Garnish with fried onions and serve with sliced onion rings and lemon wedges.

Suggested Accompaniments: Afghani Roti/Naan/Parathas or Plain Rice and Khatti Dal

Murgh Kofta Masala

Posted on June 9th, 2009 by Mona ©copyrighted in Amchur powder, Canola Oil, Poultry/Murgh, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Tomato/Tamatar (fresh), Turmeric/Haldi, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz | 9 Comments » 1,728 views

Kofta are meatballs. Today I prepared this Chicken Kofta side dish along with Kaddu ka Dalcha and Baghara Chawal for lunch.

Murgh Kofta Masala – Chicken Meatballs in Sweet and Sour Sauce

Meatballs cook quite quickly when simmered in sauce and I like to play with the ingredients I use to flavor up the meatballs. Amchur powder, which is the powdered dried mango, is one of my favorite ingredients in Kofta preperations. I like the slightly tangy taste it adds to the food. It is available easily in most Indian stores.

This preperation is a Sukha Salan, meaning, the sauce in it is fairly dry and clings to the meatballs. If you would like to prepare a Patla Salan using meatballs, you can go through them here.

Murgh Kofta Masala – Chicken Meatballs in Sweet and Sour Sauce

Ingredients:

For Sauce-

Canola oil – 2 tspMustard seeds – 1 tspYellow Onions – 2, finely slicedGinger garlic paste – 1 tspTomato – 1, large, roughly choppedRed Chilli powder – 2 tspSalt – to tasteTurmeric/Haldi – 1 tsp

For Meatballs/Kofte-

Boneless Chicken breast – 250 gms, cubed into piecesTurmeric – 1/4 tspRed Chilli powder – 3/4 tspSalt – 1/2 tspDried Raw Mango powder/Amchur – 3/4 tsp

Method:

1. In a pan, pour oil, and as soon as it warms up, add the mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, add the sliced onions and stir fry them till until lightly golden brown in color. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry it for a minute. Add chopped tomato, red chilli powder, salt and turmeric. Let cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and keep aside to cool. Once cool, puree it into a fine paste. Add a little water if needed. Keep aside.2. In a food processor, add the chicken pieces, turmeric, salt, red chilli powder, salt and raw mango powder. Pulse until the chicken is roughly minced and well mixed with the ingredients. Remove it into a bowl and mix with a spoon. Wet your hands with water, and take a little bit of the mixture in your hands and shape into little balls, about 2 cm in diameter, until the whole mixture is completed.3. Heat a saucepan and add the pureed onion+tomato mixture. Add 1 1/2 cup water and mix well. Let it come to a boil once. Later, simmer and gently drop the chicken meatballs one by one into the sauce and cover the lid. Let cook for 5 minutes. Open the lid and carefully mix with a spoon. The color of the meatballs should have changed from pink to opaque white in color. Let it cook for a furthur 5 minutes until the sauce is fairly thick. Serve warm.

TIP: To freeze meatballs ahead of time: You can prepare the meatballs and freeze them for future use.Form meatballs, and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet in the freezer. Once the meatballs are hard and well frozen, transfer them to a resealable plastic bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw and cook them in the curry.

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy this side-dish along with Warm Roti/Paratha/Chapati or any Pulao or rice preparations and a vegetable curry on the side

Palak Murgh

Posted on November 5th, 2007 by Mona ©copyrighted in Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Hyderabadi special, Poultry/Murgh, Quick fix meals, Spinach/Palak | 19 Comments » 2,184 views

I haven’t been a big fan of Spinach, either in salad or as curries since childhood, and my hubby also somehow falls into the same category. But because of its high nutrient value especially in the Iron content, I make it a point to regularly prepare and serve spinach in different forms each time. Out of all those, this curry is most loved by everyone in my house and gets finished in a jiffy. So, I thought of sharing it here with you all.

Palak Murgh – Chicken with Spinach curry

It is a simple curry which can be prepared very quickly and I love to enjoy it with Parathas, but I also sometimes, like today, like to have it with Basmati Chawal and Khatti Dal. Spinach is very good for health, especially for anaemic girls, and it combination with boneless breast pieces of Chicken makes it all the more nutritious.

Well, Speaking of Girls. I recently watched the movie ‘Chak De‘ with my miya and I enjoyed every bit of it. It is very beautifully directed, and I never felt bored for a single minute. For all those of you who haven’t yet seen that movie, go watch it!

Here goes the Recipe, Enjoy.

Palak Murgh – Chicken With Spinach curry

Ingredients:

Boneless Chicken Pieces – 250 gms, cut into 2 cm cubes (you can also use chicken meat with bone)Black Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tspDried Red chillies – 2, eacg split in half and seeds shaken outFresh or Frozen Chopped Spinach – 300 gmsOnions – 1, large, thinly slicedGaram Masala – 1 tspRed chilli powder – 1 /4 tsp

Salt – 2 tspTurmeric – 1/2 tspTomato Paste – 1 tbspCanola Oil – 1 tbspGinger Garlic Paste – 1 1/3 tsp

Method:

Pour oil into a heavy bottomed pan at medium heat and throw in the black cumin seeds and the dried red chillies. Once they start to splutter, add the sliced onions and stir fry until lightly browned. Add the ginger-garlic paste and mix well. Fry for 3 more minutes. Now add the chicken pieces and stir fry them gently until opaque and no longer pink. Add the frozen spinach and a cup of water and close the lid. Let it cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Later, open the lid and add the garam masala, red chilli powder, salt, turmeric. Mix well. Drop in the tomato paste and mix well (you can also add 1 large chopped red tomato instead of the paste). Pour in another cup of water and let it cook for another 8 minutes, stirring it occasionally. Once the chicken is done, and you get the consistency you like, remove from heat and serve hot immediately.

Suggested Accompaniments: We savor this dish along with Rotis or Basmati Chawal and Khatti Dal for a meal.

Khatti Moongphalli wali Murgh

Posted on July 7th, 2008 by Mona ©copyrighted in Amchur powder, Canola Oil, Fats and Oils/Tel, Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Chillies, Groundnut/Moomphalli, Poultry/Murgh, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Spices & Seasonings/Masaale, Vegetables/Tarkariyaan | 15 Comments » 1,964 views

The weather has been too hot and humid during the past few weeks and the weather forecast says its still going to stay so for the next few days as well. And during this type of weather, its quite unbearable to spend time in the kitchen in front of the stove preparing long and laborious meals. Speedy and quick recipes like this one come for my rescue here.

Khatti Moongphalli wali Murgh – Hot and Sour Chicken with powdered Groundnut 

The nutty taste of groundnut, a little hotness from the small green chillies and a slight acidic flavor of the amchur go very well along with the mild chicken here. This delicious dish gets prepared in less than 30 minutes.

Khatti Moongphalli wali Murgh – Hot and Sour Chicken with powdered Groundnut

Serves – 4 

Ingredients:

Canola Oil – 2 tsp Chicken Breast – 250 gms, cut into bite size piece Ginger-Garlic paste – 2 tsp Red chilli powder – 1 tsp Salt – 1 tsp Amchur powder/Dry Mango powder - 1 1/2 tsp Dry Roasted Groundnut powder – 1 tbsp Green chilli - 4, chopped

Method:

Pour oil into a large non-stick frying pan at medium heat and as soon as it warms up pour oil into it and add the chicken pieces. Stir fry them lightly till they turn from pink from white.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Pour in about half cup water and close the lid. Let it cook for about 20 minutes till the mixture is dry. Serve warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: Roti or Paratha, or along with Basmati Chawal and a vegetable side dish or Mitthi Dal.

Adraki Murgh

Posted on March 20th, 2008 by Mona ©copyrighted in Canola Oil, Clove/Laung, Curry leaves (fresh), Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Fats and Oils/Tel, Garam masala powder, Ginger/Adrak, Green Onion/Hari Pyaz, Hyderabadi special, Milk and Milk Products, Non-Vegetarian/Gosht, Onion/Pyaaz, Poultry/Murgh, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Spices & Seasonings/Masaale, Sunflower oil, Turmeric/Haldi, Vegetables/Tarkariyaan, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz, Yogurt/Dahi | 11 Comments » 5,779 views

Today is the first official day of Spring here and the forecast nowhere shows such signs. It will be remaining cloudy with a few showers of snow and the temperatures remaining in ‘minus’ for some more time. There are a few signs of sun only the next week, which again are not very consistent. I hope Spring arrives very soon. Winter has been too beautiful, loved it so much, but i admit it gave many problems to my dear hubby.. the shoveling, the problem with car and snow troubled him a lot. I am waiting for spring, then summer, mainly because i can take my grill out, and also plant a little vegetable garden inshallah. So looking forward to it..

Speaking about planting your backyard with plants and herbs, ginger is the simplest. Whenever i see some rhizomes with buds, i just plant them in a pot, keep it well watered, and in some time i see the pot full of ginger rhizome. It comes very useful to me, and it keeps fresh in the soil.

Adraki Murgh - Ginger Chicken 

I prepared this dish with these fresh ginger rhizomes. And it is also one of the quick non-vegetarian dishes that i prepare quite often in my house. Today i share with you the procedure of how i prepare Ginger Chicken. I believe the flavor of chicken goes very well along with ginger. They are made for one another. The sharp pungent taste of ginger, the sweet flavor of onion, and chicken is this dish is perfectly delectable. Irf loves this dish.

Adraki Murgh – Ginger Chicken

Serves:6-8

Ingredients:

To Marinate-

Chicken Boneless Breast Meat/Murgh – 800 gms, washed, pat dried and cubed into bite size pieces

Ginger juliennes - 3 tbsp Garam Masala - 2 tsp Yogurt/Dahi – 3 tbsp Red Chilli Powder/Lal Mirch Powder - 2 tsp Salt/Namak – 2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi – 1/3 tsp

Other Components- 

Cloves/Laung – 3 Canola/Sunflower Oil – 3 tbsp Curry leaves (fresh) - 4 Yellow Onion – 1, large, thinly sliced Scallions/Hari Pyaz - chopped, for garnishing Ginger juliennes - 1 tbsp

Method:

In a bowl or a resealable plastic bag, marinate the chicken with the ingredients under the heading ‘To Marinate’. Let the chicken marinate for about 2-4 hours in the refrigerator. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature atleast an hour befor you plan to cook it. (Remember this always)

Later, heat oil in a non-stick heavy bottomed pan at medium high heat and throw in the cloves and thinly sliced onions. Stir fry it till the onion is lightly browned. Add the curry leaves and saute it for just a minute more.

Add the marinated chicken and mix it well with the sauteed onion mixture. Close the lid for about 15 minutes. Later, open the lid and stir it gently, being careful not to break the tender chicken pieces.

Let it cook uncovered for a little more time, till it is quite dry. Garnish with the ginger juliennes and spring onions.

 Suggested Accompaniments: Parathas or Naan or Pulao..

Murgh Pasinde

Posted on December 17th, 2009 by Mona ©copyrighted in Almonds/Badaam, Black pepper powder, Canola Oil, Cashewnuts/Kaaju, Chironji/Charoli, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Coconut milk, Green Chillies, Groundnut/Moomphalli, Hyderabadi special, Mint/Pudina (fresh), Poultry/Murgh, Salt/Namak, Turmeric/Haldi, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz, Yogurt/Dahi | 15 Comments » 3,039 views

Murgh Pasinde

Just like Gosht Pasinde which is a classic Hyderabadi meat preparation, I often prepare Murgh Pasinde in my house using the same masalas and the same technique, but just replacing the kind of meat being used. Chicken is easier to cook and mush healthier than mutton or beef. The creamy nutty and spicy gravy of this curry is sure to seduce your taste buds. I serve this curry along with Parathas or Tandoori Naan for a delicious meal.

Murgh Pasinde – Chicken in a Creamy Nutty and Spicy gravy

Ingredients:

Chicken/Murgh – 1 kg, whole, skinned and cut into 12 pieces (you can also use boneless and thinly sliced flat chicken breast meat instead)Salt – 1 tspTurmeric powder – 1/4 tspKhusKhus – 1 tbspCanola oil – 4 tbspOnion – 2 cups, sliced roughlyDry roasted groundnut paste – 1/2 tbspCanned Coconut milk – 2 tbspGreen chillies, serrano – 3, each split into twoAlmonds, Cashew nuts, Chironji nuts – 1 tbsp each, roughly chopped and soaked in 1/2 cup warm milk for 15-30 minutes and then pureed into a smooth paste (optional)Yogurt – 1 cupDry roasted Coriander powder – 1/2 tspCardamom powder – 1/4 tspGaram masala powder – 1/2 tspBlack pepper powder – 1 tspCilantro – 1 tbsp, finely chopped

Ingredients:

1. Marinate the chicken with 1/2 tsp black pepper powder powder, turmeric powder and salt and keep aside.2. Meanwhile dry roast the khuskhus in a large heavy bottomed non-stick sauce pan for a minute or two. Transfer it to a small cup, pour in 2 tbsp warm water and keep aside.3. In the same pan pour in oil and add the sliced onions. Stir fry until golden brown in color. Add ginger garlic paste and fry along for a minute. Using a slotted spoon transfer it all to a platter.4. In the same pan with the remaining oil add the marinating chicken pieces and stir fry for 3-5 minutes until no longer pink. Using a slotted spoon remove the chicken to a platter. Cover and keep aside.5. In a blender container, add the fried onion+ginger garlic paste, soaking khuskhus along with water, groundnut paste, coconut milk, green chillies and blend into a smooth puree. Add yogurt and blend again into a smooth paste.6. Pour this paste into the saucepan, along with the nuts puree if using, and cook at medium high heat until bubbling. Lower the heat and half cover with a lid, cook stirring occasionally for about 10-15mins.7. Later add coriander powder, black pepper to taste, cardamom powder, salt to taste and garam masla powder. Mix well. Pour in 1/2 cup warm water and add the chicken with all its juices. Gently mix. Cover and let cook on simmer for about 20 minutes, until done. The gravy should be fairly thick in consistency. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Dinner on Second Roza

Posted on August 23rd, 2009 by Mona ©copyrighted in Almonds/Badaam, Cardamom/Elaichi, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds/Zeera, Eggplant/Baingan, Garam masala powder, Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Chillies, Half and Half Cream, Mint/Pudina (fresh), Olive Oil, Poultry/Murgh, Red Chilli powder, Saffron/Zafraan, Salt/Namak, Tomato/Tamatar (fresh), Turmeric/Haldi, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz, Yogurt/Dahi | 13 Comments » 3,922 views

Zafraani Malai Murgh, Baingan ka Bharta, Tamatar Tuvar dal and Khushka was the dinner today after our second roza لله The Iftaar was light~ Khajoor, Aloo Samosa with ketchup and .الحمدfresh Plums.

Zafraani Malai Murgh – Chicken in Creamy Saffron sauce

Ingredients:

Olive oil – 2 tbspGinger garlic paste – 2 tbspLong green chillies – 4, each cut into twoFried crisp onions – 1/2 cup (store bought)Chicken/Murgh, with bone – 1150 gms, cut into piecesSalt – 2 tspYogurt/Dahi – 1/2 cup, lightly whippedRed chilli powder – 2 tsp

Turmeric – 1/2 tspHalf and Half cream – 1/3 cup (you can also use light cream instead)Cardamom powder – 1/2 tspSaffron threads – one pinchSlivered almonds – 1 tbsp

Zafraani Malai Murgh

Method:

1. Wash the chicken and pat dry. Keep aside.2. In a saucepan at medium high heat, pour in oil and as soon as it warms up, add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for a few seconds. Add the green chillies and fried onions. Mix well. Add the chicken pieces and salt and fry until opaque, around 5-8 minutes. Pour in yogurt, red chilli powder and turmeric. Stir gently to mix and close the lid. Let cook for 5 minutes. Pour in half and half and gently mix well. Cover the lid and let cook for 8-10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Let cook uncovered for a further 10 minutes. Serve immediately along with Parathas or Naan or Khushka.

Baingan ka bhartha – Roasted Eggplants in tomato onion sauce ~ I

Brinjal – 4Olive oil – 2 tbspOnion – 1, large, finely choppedGinger garlic paste – 1 tbspCumin seeds – 1 1/2 tspLong green chillies – 4, choppedTomato – 2, finely choppedCoriander powder – 1 tspTurmeric powder – 1/4 tspRed chilli powder – 2 tspSalt – 2 tsp

Garam masala powder – 1 tspCilantro+Mint leaves – 1 tbsp, finely chopped

Fresh ingredients for Baingan ka Bhartha

Baingan ka Bhartha

Method:

1. Wash the brinjal and pat dry. Take a rimmed baking sheet and place a large sheet of aluminuim foil on it. Place the brinjal on the foil and place the baking sheet under the broiler-high setting for 15 minutes. Turn the brinjal after 8 minutes. Once the brinjal are evenly black in color, remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool, peel and discard the skin and finely chop the flesh of the brinjal. Keep aside.2. In a medium saucepan, add oil and as soon as it warms up, add the onion and fry just until soft. Do not let it brown. Add ginger garlic paste, green chillies and cumin seeds and fry them along for furthur 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, coriander seed powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt. Mix well. Cover the lid and let cook for 5 minutes.3. Add the chopped brinjal flesh and mix well. Cover the lid and let cook for 5 more minutes. Add garam masala and fresh chopped herbs and let cook uncovered for a few minutes. Serve.

Dahi Tamatar Murgh

Posted on March 10th, 2008 by Mona ©copyrighted in Canned Tomato paste, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Fats and Oils/Tel, Ginger-Garlic paste, Hyderabadi special, Milk and Milk Products, Non-Vegetarian/Gosht, Olive Oil, Pastes & Sauces, Poultry/Murgh, Quick fix meals, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Spices & Seasonings/Masaale, Yogurt/Dahi | 13 Comments » 4,123 views

It has been snowing; snowing very hard here since friday night. Today, I finally see sun in the sky and I immensely enjoyed the early morning sunlight streaking in through all the windows into my house. Beautiful and cheerful day it is alhamdulillah!

Dahi Tamatar Murgh – Baked Tomato-Yogurt Chicken

Food, especially in winter has to be comforting! The first thing Irf asks me after he returns home is, ‘Whats for dinner today?’ So, I try and prepare meals that are effortless to me and satisfying to my family too. These kind of quick curries, like the one I am writing about today, is my family’s favorite. This dish is easily done in less than 45 minutes. You just have to mix them all up, marinate for a little while, and let it slow cook by itself for the required time in the oven, and in the mean time you can prepare your other dishes for the day or complete the other chores. It doesn’t have the use of much oil, and you can even lessen the oil to one teaspoon if you wish! The yogurt and tomatoes give the chicken a delicious sweet-sour taste, and the garam masla makes it a little bit spicy. Its a very warming dish for these chilly winters.

Dahi Tamatar Murgh - Slow Cooked Tomato-Yoghurt Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken Breast Pieces/Murgh – 800gms, cut into bite size piecesTomato Paste – 3 tbspOlive Oil – 1 tspGinger Garlic Paste – 1/2 tspRed Chilli Powder – 1 tspSalt – to tasteYogurt - 2 tbspGaram Masala – 1 tspTurmeric – 1/3 tspCilantro – 1/2 cup, finely chopped

Dahi Tamatar Murgh - Slow Cooked Tomato-Yogurt Chicken, in a baking dish

Method:

1. In an Oven proof flat baking dish, mix all the above ingredients, except the coriander leaves, and let it marinate for 30 minutes or 2-4 hours preferably at room temperature if you can preplan it.2. Preheat the oven to 350°F3. Cover the dish tightly with an aluminium foil and put this dish in the middle rack of the oven.4. Check once after 25 minutes, and mix it well. Cover it again with the aluminium foil and put it back at the same temp in the Oven to cook completely.5. Remove the dish after 45 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Suggested Accompaniments: Basmati Chawal or Naan or Roti or Parathas or Pulao..

Badami Malai Murgh

Posted on December 3rd, 2007 by Mona ©copyrighted in Almonds/Badaam, Canola Oil, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Garam masala powder, Ginger-Garlic paste, Heavy Cream, Hyderabadi special, Poultry/Murgh, Quick fix meals, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak | 9 Comments » 1,630 views

Ah! The weather has finally changed and I subsequently got to witness snow! .. snow for the first time in my life !

Earlier it felt quite peculiar to witness darkness at 4:00 pm itself in the evening, and I sometimes found it scary. I remember, back in India, between 4 and 5 in the evenings, children from every house would gather on streets or parks, team up and start playing games, the most common~Cricket! 5:00 pm was a lively, noisy time, when I mostly got to hear ‘howz that!’ or ‘out!’, but here in winters, it becomes pitch dark, with everyone returning home in the darkness for a long night from their job places. But I have eventually got used to it.

Today I plan to make a nice big snowman in front of my house once my hubby returns home. I love watching snow from indoors. I love it when my feet goes inside the pile of snow and I leave a trail behind. lts fun! But, yeah, the cold outside is just too much, but if proper winter coats, caps, scarfs and gloves are worn, all is well and fine. So everyone, keep yourselves warm in this winter by wearing good winter clothes.

Warm and comforting foods are what I am craving for in this winter. And whats more comforting than Indian food, that has got spices and masalas, to make your body warm by the heat and comfort you. I had prepared this creamy chicken curry some days back. I had chicken lying in the freezer, some cream, almonds, nuts and spices. I thought to mix them all up and prepare a curry out of it. We had Peas Pulao along with this chicken curry, our meal was gratifying and pleasurable. Everyone loved it. Here’s the recipe:

Badami Malai Murgh – Creamy Almond Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

Chicken Breast – 500 gmsGinger-Garlic paste – 1 tbspSalt – to tasteRed chilli powder – 1 1/2 tspAlmonds – 1/2 cupCanola oil – 3 tbspCumin seeds – 1 tspGaram Masala – 1 tspHalf and Half cream – 1 cup

Method:

1.Wash and cut the chicken breasts into 2 cm approx cubes.3. Mix the chicken pieces with ginger-garlic paste, salt and red chilli powder. Let it marinate for about 1-3 hours at room temperature.4. Add 1/2 cup water to almonds and grind it to a smooth paste.5. Pour oil in a heavy bottomed pan at medium heat. Once the oil gets warm, add zeera and let it splutter.6. Lower the heat and add the marinated chicken with all its juices. Stir well and let it cook for 5 minutes.7. Add a cup of water to it and let the chicken cook, covered, till it is tender. Keep stirring it occasionally. You can add more water if the gravy dries up before the chicken gets soft.8. Add the almond paste and cream and mix it well. Adjust the salt and red chilli powder according to tastes. Cover and let it cook, stirring only to avoid it getting stuck to the bottom of the pan. Serve it hot.

Pudina Wali Malai Murgh

Posted on July 3rd, 2007 by Mona ©copyrighted in Almonds/Badaam, Butter/Makhan, Canola Oil, Cardamom/Elaichi, Cinnamon/Dalchini, Clove/Laung, Dry Bay Leaf/Tej Patta, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Fats and Oils/Tel, Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Chillies, Heavy Cream, Hyderabadi special, Light Cream, Milk and Milk Products, Mint/Pudina (fresh), Non-Vegetarian/Gosht, Onion/Pyaaz, Poultry/Murgh, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Spices & Seasonings/Masaale, Turmeric/Haldi, Vegetables/Tarkariyaan, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz | 1 Comment » 1,834 views

Serves : 4-5Preparation time : 15 minutesCooking time : 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Chicken-small boneless cubes – 1 kgCanola Oil - 1 tbsp

Ghee - 2 tbspBay leaf – 1Cinnamon – 2, 1-inch sticksCloves – 3Green Cardamoms – 4Yellow Onions-grated – 1 cupGinger-Garlic Paste – 1 tbspTurmeric powder – 1 tspRed chilli powder – 2 tspSalt – to tasteAlmond paste – 100gmsHeavy/Light Cream – 120 mlGreen chillies – 6Mint leaves - 2 tbsp

Method:

Heat the oil and ghee in a pan. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms and saute over medium heat until they begin to cracle.

Add the onions and saute for a few minutes. Add ginger and garlic pastes, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt and almond paste and cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until the oil seperates from the mixture.

Add the chicken, stir and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Add the cream, slit green chillies, mace powder and vetivier. Sprinkle with fresh mint leaves, cover and seal lid tightly either with aluminium foil or with

dough. Let the chicken simmer for 5-6 minutes on a very low heat. Garnish with coriander and chopped whole red chillies (optional) and serve hot accompanied

with Laccha Parantha.

Suggested Accompaniments: Basmati Rice/Naan.

Makhani Murgh

Posted on July 26th, 2007 by Mona ©copyrighted in Butter/Makhan, Canned Tomato paste, Coriander seeds, Cornflour, Cumin seeds/Zeera, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Garam masala powder, Heavy Cream, Hyderabadi special, Lemon/Nimbu, Light Cream, Mint/Pudina (fresh), Poultry/Murgh, Red Chilli flakes, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Turmeric/Haldi, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz | 2 Comments » 2,905 views

Butter chicken is one of the famous North-Indian dishes that made its way on the menu card of almost every Indian restaurant all over the world. Each person/household has their own style of cooking this delectable dish, but I prefer this procedure, its simple and gets prepared soon, and its delicious.

Butter Chicken - Makhani Murgh

Butter Chicken can be enjoyed along with parathas, naan or with plain rice.

Butter Chicken - Makhani MurghServes: 6-8

Ingredients:

For MarinadeChicken – 1 (large) whole, cut into piecesGinger garlic paste – 1 tbspYogurt (thick) – 1/2 cupRed chilli powder – 1 tspSalt – 1 tspTurmeric powder – 1/4 tspLemon juice – 1 tbspCanola oil – for bastingFor CurryButter – 1/4 cupGinger garlic paste – 1 tbspCanned crushed tomatoes – 1 1/2 cups (or) equal amounts tomato pureeRed chilli powder – 1 tspSalt – 1 tspHalf and half – 1 1/2 cups (or) equal amounts heavy cream or light creamGaram masala – 1 tspKasoori methi – 1/4 cup

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients under the heading ‘for marinade’, and keep aside for 2-3 hours or overnight. Bring it back to room temperature before you start cooking. Heat a stove top grill pan and grill the marinated chicken pieces until lightly charred on both sides. Baste with canola oil whenever needed.If using boneless chicken, marinate them as above directions. Skewer them onto bamboo skewers and grill them both sides until charred as shown here.You can even grill the chicken on a charcoal grill for best flavors.Cover and keep the grilled chicken aside in a bowl.2. Heat butter in a saucepan, add ginger garlic paste and stir fry for a few seconds. Add crushed tomatoes, red chilli powder, salt and half and half or whatever using and let it come to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat and add the grilled chicken, kasoori methi, garam masala and 1/2 cup water. Cover and let cook until the chicken is tender and thoroughly cooked. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with drizzles of cream.

Suggested Accompaniments: Parathas, Naan, Basmati Chawal, Pulaos.. or even in between toasted bread as sandwiches.

Murgh Tikka

Posted on July 10th, 2007 by Mona ©copyrighted in Canola Oil, Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds/Zeera, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Garam masala powder, Ginger-Garlic paste, Lemon/Nimbu, Poultry/Murgh, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Turmeric/Haldi, Yogurt/Dahi | 2 Comments » 1,901 views

A wonderful marinade of yogurt and aromatic spices adds a delectable flavor to the tender boneless chicken pieces. Traditionally it is made on skewers in a tandoor (Indian clay oven), but today I have used my stove top grill pan which I had bought from Ikea. You can also grill them using either charcoal or gas grills.

Chicken Tikka Kawabs – Murgh Tikka

Serve these kawabs as finger food along with chutney.

Chicken Tikka Kawabs – Murgh TikkaServes : 4

Ingredients:

Marinade:

Yogurt – 1/2 cupTurmeric – 1/4 tspRed Chili powder – 1/2 tspGaram Masala – 1/2 tspGinger-Garlic paste – 1 tbspRoasted Cumin seed powder – 1 tspRoasted Coriander seed powder – 1 tspLemon Juice – 2 tbspSalt – 1 tspAjwain seeds – 1 tspBoneless chicken –  500 gms, cut into bite size pieces

Cilantro – 1 tbsp, finely choppedCanola oil – to baste

Method:

1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except the last two. Add chicken pieces and toss well to cover. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

marinated boneless chicken pieces on bamboo skewers

Boneless chicken pieces on bamboo skewers being cooked in stove top grill pan

2. Thread 4-5 pieces of chicken onto each skewer and grill on medium heat, 350°F (177° C) on a grill rack placed on an aluminium foil lined baking tray; or at ‘4′ mark if using a Stove top grill pan for 6-8 minutes, turning frequently and basting with oil.4. Once done, remove the chicken skewers from the pan and place in a platter. Cover and let rest for 2-3 minutes once off the heat. Remove the chicken from the skewers and serve on a bed of raw sliced onions with lemon wedges.

Sheekh Kewab Series~I

Posted on October 26th, 2007 by Mona ©copyrighted in Canola Oil, Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds/Zeera, Egg/Anda, Garam masala powder, Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Chillies, Groundnut/Moomphalli, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Veal/Sheep, Nigella seeds/Kalonji, Parsley (fresh), Poppy seeds/Khus-Khus, Poultry/Murgh, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Sesame seeds/Til, Simple Kitchen Tips, Turmeric/Haldi, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz | 28 Comments » 3,834 views

Kawabs are one of the most delicious non-vegetarian tandoori item next to Tandoori Chicken. I heard and read at a site that the first kawabs were invented during the war times, when the animal was slaughtered, cut into pieces, and pierced by the only things they had along, sword (!) and they roasted it over fire. We in the modern world continue to do so, but in a more decent way, we have replaced swords with skewers. ‘Sheekh’ means a ’skewer’, and ‘Sheekh Kawabs’ are the ‘Kawabs grilled/roasted on Skewers’.

Sheekh Kababs – Minced meat Kebabs

Kawabs are vegetables, or meat pieces or ground meat marinated with spices and wrapped around the skewers and grilled or roasted over fire, charcoal, or in oven. They are very easy to prepare too. Marinate them with the required ingredients, and later you just have to grill them. There is no long process to it. Kababs can be Vegetarian, Non-Vegetarian or both. They are a delicacy.

In this recipe I am using both minced chicken as well as minced lamb. The taste comes out very well. My Mother-In-Law usually prepares this type of kawabs. I learnt this procedure from her but modified it my way. An another version of Sheekh Kabab is posted here.

It is very important that after you wash the minced meat, the water from it has all been drained out completely, or else the shape doesnt come out very well. And while mixing the minced meat with the other ingredients, its important that you use your hands, and pulverise the mixture with your palm. You can marinate it for 2-6 hours in the refrigerator. Bring the whole marinated mixture to room temperature before you start grilling it.

Sheekh Kawabs – Minced meat Kebabs (I)

Ingredients:

Minced Chicken – 350 gmsMinced Lamb – 200 gmsOnions – 3, large, finely slicedDry Roasted Black Cumin powder – 3/4 tspDry Roasted Sesame seeds powder – 3/4 tspDry roasted Khus Khus powder – 3/4 tspNigells seed/Kalaunji powder – 3/4 tspDry Roasted Coriander seeds powder – 1 tsp

Dry Roasted Groundnut powder – 1 1/2 tbspGreen chilli – 6, cut and grinded to pasteGaram Masala – 1 tspRaw papaya paste – 2 tbspSalt – 2 tspRed chilli powder – 1 tspTurmeric – 1/2 tspEggs – 2, lightly beatenGinger Garlic Paste – 2 tspCilantro/Kothmir – 1 tbsp, finely choppedPlain Parsley leaves – 1 tbsp, finely choppedCanola Oil – to baste the kababs, and to deep fry the onions.

Method:

1. Wash the meat and drain it well till all the water has been removed completely and the meat is dry. This is important or else the shape does not come out very well.2. Fry the onions in oil oil they are crisp and brown in colour. Remove them once they are done from the oil onto a paper towel.3. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients, with your hands till they nicely mixed. Knead the mixture till pulverized with your palms. Later wash your hands very well with an antiseptic soap. Let the mixture marinate for 2 to 6 hours.4. Bring it to room temperature, and divide the mixture into 8 balls. Shape each one into a long cylinder.5. Dip your skewer into oil and insert it into the cylinders just to make a big hole in each one. Remove the skewer and continue doing it with all the shaped cylinders.6. Take a baking tray and line it with aluminium foil, place the holed cylinders on the tray and baste them with oil. Grill/Broil at low heat, 15 minutes, per side. Grill them till they are nicely done on both sides. (You can even grill them on a charcoal grill for the best smoked flavor).

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy the kawabs along with ’Kaddu ka Dalcha’, or ‘Khatti Dal’ and ‘Baghara Chawal’ aka Zeera rice, or simply along with a chutney as a finger food.

Grilled Sweet Chilli Chicken

Posted on July 29th, 2007 by Mona ©copyrighted in BBQ Sauce, Black pepper powder, Butter/Makhan, Chilli Sauce, Coriander seeds, Ginger-Garlic paste, Honey/Shahed, Poultry/Murgh, Red Chilli flakes, Soy Sauce, Turmeric/Haldi | 3 Comments » 1,519 views

The secret to a juicy chicken is to marinate and let it brine well. Enjoy this sweet and spicy grilled chicken along with mango salsa or a cold pasta salad on a lazy weekend afternoon.

Ingredients:

Chicken drumsticks/Chicken wings – 8 pieces Butter – 6 tbsp

Soy sauce – 3 tbsp Honey – 2 tbsp Maggi Chilli Sauce – 2 tbsp Turmeric – 1 tsp Coriander powder – 1 tsp Vinegar – 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste – 3 tsp Crushed chili flakes – 1 tbsp Black pepper – 1/2 tsp BBQ Sauce- for basting

Method:

If you are planning to grill your chicken indoors in your oven, take a roasting pan with higher walls and line it on the base with aluminium foil folded twice. And if you have an outdoor gas or charcoal grill its all the more better.

Make small slit marks on the chicken drumsticks or chicken wings, whatever you plan to prepare for the day.

Mix all the ingredients well and coat the chicken the chicken with it. Let it refrigerate for 3 hours preferably. Let the chicken come back to room temperature again just before when you begin to grill it.

Pour all the contents of the marinate with the chicken in the roasting pan if using an indoor grill oven, or place the individual marinated chicken on the charcoal or gas grill and begin grilling it. Remember to keep the grill temperature on low heat so that the chicken cooks properly.

Let it grill for an hour time, until it is thoroughly cooked. Keep turning and basting the drumsticks with any of your favourite BBQ sauce.

Griil it until it is perfectly cooked, and make sure you do not burn it. You can test if it is nicely cooked by piercing it with a fork at the thickest portion of the drumstick. Once done, Serve it hot.

Chicken Croquettes

Posted on June 25th, 2007 by Mona ©copyrighted in All-Purpose Flour/Maida, Bread Crumbs, Butter/Makhan, Cereal Grains, Egg/Anda, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Fats and Oils/Tel, Flours/Aata, Milk and Milk Products, Non-Vegetarian/Gosht, Poultry/Murgh | 2 Comments » 3,971 views

A warm welcome to everyone on my blog!

This is my first post, and I start this blog attempting to make an insight into the method of home-style cooking in the Hyderabadi households for the whole world, and to make friends in the blogging world, which I loved since I had started to read recipe blogs of different people, who share interests like me, love to cook food and discover new ways of cooking food.

Chicken croquettes are loved by everyone, and is a hit with children and adults too. This recipe is an appetizer specifically, but you can have it anytime, as you want. Its an easy recipe that gets prepared in a jiffy and it tastes like melted cheese once you bite into it. Serve these hot as soon as

you prepare them as they do not taste very good when cold. Enjoy them along with any of your favourite sauces. You will definitely love them.

Chicken Croquettes

Chicken Croquettes

Ingregients:

Shredded cooked Chicken – 1 cupAll-Purpose flour/Maida – 4 tbspButter – 1 tbspMilk – 1/2 cupEgg – 1Bread crumbs – 1/2 cup

Method:

1. If you have any left over chicken, shred it and you can use it, or u can take some boneless chicken and fry it in oil, salt, red chilli and little water to make it soft. Once the chicken is soft, shred it, not too finely.2. Now take a non-stick pan, melt butter, add maida and brown it well enough, but not too much. Add milk to it, and stir it so tat it forms a good paste, add more milk if it requires, let it not form onto lumps. Let it cool down a little bit. Once it is cool, add the shredded chicken and mix well. Keep this mixture in the refridgerator for 15-30 minutes, so that it hardens a bit.3. Later, remove it from the fridge and make balls (croquette shaped)4. Beat an egg in a cup.5. In an another plate keep the bread crumbs.

6. Dip the balls into egg first, then in the bread crumbs, till it is properly covered, pat and remove the crumbs from the balls if excessively covered.7. Deep fry the balls till nicely golden brown in colour Serve hot.

Fish Manchurian

Posted on January 1st, 2009 by Mona ©copyrighted in All-Purpose Flour/Maida, Bass, Canola Oil, Capsicum, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds/Zeera, Curry leaves (fresh), Egg/Anda, Ginger-Garlic paste, Gram Flour/Besan, Hyderabadi special, Lemon/Nimbu, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Soy Sauce | 14 Comments » 3,575 views

Earlier, traditional dishes like Luqmi-Kawab, Mirchi Ka Salan, Kacche Gosht ki Biryani and desserts/meetha like Double ka Meetha and Gajar ka Halwa were a sure sight at any Hyderabadi wedding on the dinner tables. With passing time and generations, this has changed. A modern take on several authentic dishes and innovative techniques to present them is todays mantra. Among them, ‘Apollo fish’ is a seafood manchurian type of dish that is getting very popular nowadays, which more and more Bawarchis are prefering to include in the menus, and quite liked my common.

Apollo fish (or) Fish Manchurian

The below recipe is my imitation of ‘Apollo Fish’. I do not know why is it called particularly as ‘Apollo’ fish, but I sure am among those ardent lovers of this Hyderabadi seafood dish. Your friends will definitely enjoy this very light and tangy platter of fish.

Apollo fish (or) Fish Manchurian

Ingredients:

Gram flour/Besan - 4 tbspAll Purpose flour/Maida – 2 tbspCorn Flour – 2 tbspGinger garlic paste – 2 tspRoasted Coriander powder – 1/4 tspRoasted Cumin powder – 1/4 tspRed chilli powder – 1 1/2 tspSalt – 1/2 tspWater - 1 tspEgg – 1, largeAny firm boneless fish fillets (I prefer Bass/Salmon) – 500 gms, cubed into bite size piecesCanola Oil – 1 tbspGinger Garlic paste – 2 tspFresh Curry leaves – about 20Green, Yellow, Orange and Red bell peppers – 1/2 cup, cut into stripsSoya Sauce – 3 tbspLemon juice – 3 tbspMint and Cilantro leaves - 2 tbsp each, finely chopped, for garnish

Method:

1. In a bowl add the first 9 ingredients and mix them well to make a thick batter. Add the fish cubes and gently mix with a spoon so that each piece gets completely covered with the batter.2. Add a few drops of oil to a large non-stick frying pan at medium low heat and as soon as it gets warm, add the fish cubes in a single layer. Shallow fry them till they are golden brown on each side. Repeat until all the fish cibes are done. Remove in a platter and keep aside.3. In the same frying pan, add oil and throw in the ginger garlic paste. Stir fry it till it is golden brown. Add the curry leaves and peppers. Saute it for 2 minutes. Pour in the soya sauce and add the fried fish cubes. With a rubber spatula, gently mix them all. Cover the lid and let cook for 2-4 minutes.4. Add lemon juice. Garnish with cilantro and mint leaves and serve warm immediately.

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy the manchurian along with roti, rice or as a snack.

Tamatar Ki Chutney

Posted on July 25th, 2007 by Mona ©copyrighted in Canola Oil, Chutneys and Pickles, Cumin seeds/Zeera, Curry leaves (fresh), Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Garlic/Lahsun, Green Chillies, Hyderabadi special, Mustard seeds/Rai, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Simple Kitchen Tips, Tomato/Tamatar (fresh), Turmeric/Haldi | 3 Comments » 5,325 views

Tomato Chutney is the Indian condiment that you can prepare and store in air-tight food storage containers in the refrigerator for days together. It has a very long life if used with care and can be enjoyed as a dip or spread along with many snacks or even with meals.

Tomato chutney is spicy, tangy, and this is the reason it is complimentary to almost all other dishes as a side-dish. My Mom is an expert and she always made the perfect Tomato chutney. I have never tasted a Tomato chutney as tasty as hers. My cousin sister who used to come to live with us during holidays when I was a kid, used to lick her fingers endlessly after having that chutney and would appreciate my Mom for the culinary treasures she possessed. I’m proud I got to learn from her the procedures of some of her known dishes.

Fresh Ripe Tomatoes and Tamatar Ki Chutney – Tomato Chutney

Its spicy, its tangy, its tasty, a perfect Indian Chutney. You can have this as a side dish or with any of your favourite Manchuria’s or snacks you love. Go ahead and try it out.

Tamatar Ki Chutney – Tomato ChutneyServes: 6

Ingredients:

Tomatoes (fresh) – 4, large, red and ripe, washed and quarteredGreen chillies – 2-4, washed and slit (optional)Red chilli powder – 2 tspSalt – 2 1/2 tspCanola Oil – 2 tbspCumin seeds/Zeera - 1 tspBlack Mustard seeds/Rai – 1 tspGarlic pods – 3, large, each cut lengthwise into two or slivered thin

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tspCurry leaves (fresh) – 6 leavesGaram masala powder – 1/4 tspDry roasted Cumin seed powder – 1/2 tsp

Method:

In a saucepan, add the chopped tomatoes and the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, green chillies, salt and and give it a nice stir. Cover and let it cook on medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, stirring it occasionally, until the tomatoes are all mushy. With the help of a wooden spoon, you can press the tomatoes to the sides of the pan while stirring it so that it gets pulpy. Let it keep cooking half covered on medium heat and keep stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare baghaar~pour oil in a pan at medium heat and as soon as its warm, throw in the cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Cover with a splatter screen and as the seeds begin to pop, add the curry leaves and the cut garlic pods as well and stir for about 15-30 more seconds until the galic pods are slightly reddish in colour. This is the baghaar, or the tempering. Remove from heat and keep aside.

When the tomatoes are all cooked and most of the moisture has been evaporated and the consistency has reduced to a thick pulp as shown in the picture, add the garam masala powder, cumin seed powder and mix well. Add baghaar and mix well. Cook for 3-5 more minutes. Let cool, and serve.

Tip: You can store Tomato Chutney in an air tight glass jar in the refrigerator for almost a week, or freeze it in (microwavable) food storage containers for months together. When you want to have it, just microwave it for a few seconds or if you do not have a microwave, leave it outside at room temperature for a few hours, or in the refrigerator overnight and its ready to serve.

Suggested Accompaniments: ChickenDum Biryani, Gosht Ki Biryani, Tarkaari Ki   Biryani , Qubuli or Tahari(Minced Meat Rice)

Luv,