Flavours of India

MALAI KOFTA

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Cottage cheese ...............200 gm

Coriander, chopped..............2 gm

Chilli, green, chopped .........2 gm

Salt ......................................to taste

White pepper .........................5 gm

Oil ..............................................50 ml

Yoghurt..................................50 gm

Cashew nut .........................50 gm

Green cardamom .................2 gm

Cream, fresh .........................20 ml

Coriander, chopped....to garnish

Saffron..................................a drop

Method

Grate the cottage cheese, and mix with salt, 2 gm white pepper, 1 gm coriander and 1 gm chilli. Make balls of the mixture and deep-fry.

Heat oil in the pan and add yoghurt and cashew nut paste; cook for 20 minutes.

Add salt to taste, green cardamom powder, and the remaining white pepper, green chilli and coriander; cook until it boils.

Add fresh cream, and garnish with chopped coriander and saffron.

GOSHT KORMA

Serves: 2

Ingr edientsts

Oil ..........................................................75 gm

Bay leaf..................................................2 gm

Star anise ............................................2 gm

Cardamom, green, whole..................3 pc

Ginger paste......................................25 gm

Garlic paste........................................15 gm

Indian mutton, boneless............250 gm

Brown onion paste .........................50 gm

Yoghurt................................................75 gm

Cashew nut paste ...........................15 gm

Almond paste ...................................15 gm

Kashmiri chilli powder ...................10 gm

Mace powder.......................................2 gm

Green cardamom powder...............4 gm

Cloves ...................................................2 gm

Salt ....................................................to taste

Mutton stock, clear.......................500 ml

Coriander, chopped.................to garnish

Ginger, julienned.......................to garnish

Method

Heat oil in a pan and add bay leaf, star anise and green cardamom with ginger-garlic paste.

Sauté mutton and brown onion paste and cook for 15 minutes on a slow fire.

Add yoghurt, cashew nut paste, almond paste, chilli powder, mace powder, green cardamom powder, cloves and salt, and cook for 30 minutes.

Mix mutton stock and cook until it boils.

Separate the mutton from the gravy and strain the gravy. Then mix the mutton with the strained gravy to remove the whole spices and make it smoother.

Serve hot, garnished with coriander and ginger.

SHAHI PHIRNI

Serves: 2

Ingr edientsts

Rice................................................2 tbsp

Milk..................................................2 cup

Sugar.............................................3 tbsp

Cardamom, green.........................5 pc

Almond, blanched.....................¼ cup

Silver or gold foil

paper (varak)......................to garnish

Metho d

Soak the rice in water for a few hours, then drain and grind rice into a smooth paste.

In a non-stick saucepan, bring milk to a boil. Over a moderately low heat, add rice, sugar and cardamom and stir constantly till milk turns thick.

Remove from heat and add almond then pour into a serving bowl and chill.

Garnish the phirni with silver or gold foil paper (varak) and serve.

VEGETABLE KEBAB

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Yam 200 gm

Chana dal 50 gm

Clove, whole 2 gm

Cardamom, green, whole 2 gm

Star anise, whole 2 gm

Cumin, whole 1 gm

Ginger paste 5 gm

Garlic paste 5 gm

Onion, brown 50 gm

Coriander stem 2 gm

Red chilli powder 2 gm

Salt to taste

Chilli, green 10 gm

Black pepper powder 1 gm

Garam masala powder 3 gm

Method

Boil the yam and chana dal for 20 minutes then mince together.

Heat some oil in a pot and sauté 
together clove, cardamom, star anise, cumin, ginger-garlic paste, brown onion, coriander stem, red chilli powder, salt, yam and chana dal.

Add chopped green chilli, black 
pepper and garam masala powder.

Make round patties of the mix and cook on a hot iron griddle till golden brown.

Remove and serve with mint chutney.

DHANIYA MURGH

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Oil 50 ml

Yoghurt 75 gm

Onion paste 50 gm

Ginger garlic paste 20 gm

Cashew nut paste 25 gm

Turmeric powder 2 gm

Red chilli powder 5 gm

Clove powder 2 gm

Salt to taste

Chicken, boneless, cubed 200 gm

Coriander, chopped 10 gm

Chilli, green, chopped 3 gm

Garam masala powder 2 gm

Coriander, chopped to garnish

Method

Heat oil in a pan and sauté onion paste, ginger-garlic paste, yoghurt and cashew nut paste.

Mix in the turmeric, red chilli powder, clove powder and salt. Sauté until the oil separates.

Add chicken and sauté. Braise in a little water for 15 minutes.

Purée the coriander and mix it in the gravy; season to taste.

Cook until the chicken is cooked. Add chopped green chilli and garam masala powder and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve hot with chopped coriander leaves as garnish.

HYDERABADI MASALA PULAO

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Basmati rice 250 gm

Ghee 70 gm

Black pepper, whole 1 gm

Mace 1 gm

Bay leaf 2 pc

Cumin seeds 1 gm

Onion 1 pc

Tomato 1 pc

Ginger garlic paste 10 gm

Chana dal 150 gm

Red chilli powder 5 gm

Water 300 ml

Green chilli, slit 2 pc

Cardamom powder 2 gm

Lemon juice 1 tsp

Mint 5 leaves

Kewra water 1 tsp

Saffron 1 tsp

Coriander, chopped 5 gm

Salt to taste

Method

Wash the rice and soak it for 45 minutes. Boil with salt till 75 per cent cooked then strain and keep aside.

In a pot, heat the ghee and add black pepper, mace, bay leaf and cumin seeds. When it crackles, add the onion and sauté till golden brown. Add chopped tomato and salt; sauté.

Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for few minutes then follow with the chana dal, salt, red chilli powder and water. Cook until the dal is 75 percent cooked.

Add the chilli, cardamom powder, lemon juice, mint and kewra water. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the cooked rice and saffron and cover it with silver foil for dum (slow steam cooking), about 10-12 minutes. Garnish with mint leaves and chopped coriander. Serve hot.