Kacche murgh Ki Dum Biryani ( Chicken Biryani cooked the Dum Pukht way )

Dum Pukht cuisine is one of the oldest and very popular cuisine which started off in India some 200 years ago. Dum Pukht literally means choking off the steam. It allows the meat to cook on low heat so the meat cooks in its own juices. This is especially useful in cooking a biryani where the meat juices and the resulting steam cook the rice, allowing the rice to absorb the flavour and aroma of the meat. The end result is a flavourful and fragrant biryani which is incomparable to any other biryani.

Ingredients :

Chicken : 1 Kg.

Curd : 250 gm.

Chilli Powder : 1 tsp.

Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp.

Garam Masala Powder : 1 tsp.

Ginger Garlic Paste : 1 1/2 Tbsp.

Shahi Jeera (Black/Royal Cumin Seeds) :  1 tsp.

Onions : 5 medium-sized

Chopped Coriander Leaves : 2 Tbsp.

Long-grained Rice : 750 gm. (preferably Basmati)

Cinnamon : two 1 inch pieces

Cloves : 4 no.

Black Peppercorns : 5 nos.

Black Cardamon (Masala Ilaichi) : 1 no.

Green Cardamom : 4 nos.

Bay Leaf : 1 no.

Chopped Green Chillies : 1/2 tsp.

Lime Juice : 1 tsp.

Salt : to taste

Milk : 2 Tsp.

Saffron :  A few strands

Ghee ( Indian Clarified Butter) :  2-3 Tbsp.

Refined Flour (Maida) : 200gm

Method :

Finely slice the onions and they fry them in ghee till browned. The sliced fried  browned onions  are known as Barista which is an essential part of any Indian biryani.

Soak the rice in plenty of water. This is very important as the Basmati rice tastes better when you have soaked it for at least half an hour.

Warm the milk and add the saffron to it to infuse it with the saffron flavour.

Make a dough of the refined flour and water.

Clean, remove skin and cut the chicken into 12-14 pieces. To the chicken add the curd, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, half of the barista, half of the chopped coriander, shahi jeera and salt to taste.  Keep aside for 1/2 hour.

Meanwhile heat plenty of water at least a 4 times the amount of rice. When it starts to boil, add the cinnamon (one 1 inch piece), cloves (2 ), peppercorns (5 ), black (1/2) and green cardamom (2) and salt to taste to the water. Drain the rice.  Then add the rice to the boiling water and let it cook till half done.Then drain the rice and spread it on a plate to cool it done and stop the cooking process.

Heat the ghee in a heavy(thick) bottomed pan (Handi) and add the remaining cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and the bay leaf. Then add the marinated chicken and saute for a few minutes. Then layer it at the bottom of the pan. Then layer the rice on top of the chicken and sprinkle the remaining barista, chopped green chillies and the chopped coriander on the rice. Pour the saffron infused milk and lime juice on the rice.

Cover the mouth of the pan with the dough and press down the lid on top so it completely seals the mouth of the handi. Let it cook on low heat for about 45 minutes.

Using a knife separate the lid from the handi and remove the dough. Then mix the rice lightly with the chicken and serve with cucumber raita.

 

Saunfiyani Aloo ( Potatoes flavoured with fennel seeds )

Ingredients :

Potatoes : 6 medium sized

Onion : 1  medium sized

Curd : 1/2 cup

Salt : to taste

Ginger Garlic Paste : 1 tsp

Vegetable Oil : 2 tsp

Coriander leaves : 2 tsp

For Masala :

Cumin Seeds : 1 tsp

Fennel Seeds (Saunf / Badishep) : 1 Tbsp

Coriander Seeds : 1tsp

Red Chilli Powder : 1 1/2 tsp

Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp

Method :

Peel and cut potatoes into quarters or into eight pieces. Then parboil them with a little salt. Cut the onion into large dices.

Dry roast the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds and then powder them. Mix the powder with the chilli and turmeric powders to get the masala powder.

Heat the oil and suate the onion till translucent. Then add the potatoes and the ginger garlic paste and a little water. Saute till the paste turns brown and then remove from fire.

Add the curd, the masala powder, water and salt to taste. Mix well. Return to heat and cook covered for 6-10 minutes till you have a gravy coating the potatoes.

Remove and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.

 

A Nut Gone Bad

Some times when we break open a coconut, we find that it has gone bad and we don’t know what to do with it. My aunt gave me this wonderful recipe to make delicious dosas from the bad nut. All you need is raw rice, toor dal, tamarind and dried red chillies. This dosa can be eaten as breakfast item or as a substitute for the usual dal-chawal dinner.

Ingredients :

Rice : 1 cup

Toor dal (Split Yellow Lentils) : 1/2 cup

Coconut(bad) : 1/2 no.

Tamarind pulp : 2 tsp

Red chilies : 6 -8 nos.

Salt : As required

Method :

Soak the rice and dal separately for 2-3 hours. Grate the coconut. Then drain the dal and rice, add the rest of the ingredients and grind to a coarse paste. Add water if needed to make dosa batter. Season to taste.

Heat an iron griddle on medium flame and add a teaspoon of oil to it. Let it heat and sprinkle a few drops of water on the hot griddle. Let the oil sputter, which will result in the oil coating the griddle evenly.

Now add a ladle of batter to the griddle and spread this with the back of the ladle into an oval shape. Spoon a few drops of oil around the dosa and let it cook. Now turn the dosa over, add a few drops of oil around the side and let it cook.

Serve the dosa hot with a chutney of your choice or with tomato ketchup.

 

Teekha Tawa Batata (Spicy Griddle-sauteed Potatoes)

There are a few dishes that become closely associated with our childhood. They evoke memories that transport us to simpler times: times when things were simpler, relationships were easier and our loves and hates were frequent but fleeting.

I still remember Saturday afternoons, when I used to come home from school, glad to be greeted at the door by my mom. As she was a working mom, these occasions were special and therefore treasured.  She knew I loved her special potato tawa bhaji and used to make it on those days so I could enjoy it. The thali with steaming white rice, yellow Dal and the slightly burnt crispy potato bhaji was a combination that never failed to lift my spirits. No matter how bad the day might have been, finding mom home,  making the potato bhaji was enough to make my day.

Life is indeed a series of such small pleasures. A steaming home-cooked meal, a cup of hot coffee on a rain-soaked evening, the smell of earth after the first showers, finding a good book after rummaging through stacks of used books – there isn’t much to compare these pleasures.

I remember the first time I made this dish by myself – my mom was ill and she had asked me to cook lunch for both of us. I was scared but also eager. I had watched my mom cook a thousand times and helped her in the kitchen as I could. But this was different. I had to make everything from scratch and not make a mistake.  I kept running out to where mom sleeping and asking her every little detail that hadn’t seemed so important till now – how much water should I add to the Dal & how much in the cooker, how long should I cook the potatoes, how much salt is just right and how much chilli powder is too much. The questions never stopped and finally the meal was ready. I eagerly awaited mom’s verdict. She took the first mouthful and made a face. I was heartbroken….thank god, it was because the food was too hot. I finally gathered enough courage to ask her how the dish fared. She replied, quite oblivious to my mental state,” Very good! Tastes just like mine.” My heart did a summersault and I was hooked on cooking.

Now the recipe

Ingredients :

Potatoes : 8 medium sized

Groundnut Oil : 3 Tbsp.

Mustard Seeds : 2 Tsp.

Asafoetida (Hing) : a pinch

Turmeric Powder : 1/4 Tsp.

Red Chilli Powder : 2 Tsp.

Salt : To taste

Sugar : a pinch

Method :

Boil the potatoes till done and peel them. Cut the potatoes into 1/2″ (inch) dices. Rub the pieces with salt and sugar.

On an iron griddle, heat oil. Then add the mustard seeds, asafoetida and turmeric powder. When the seeds crackle, add the chilli powder. Now add the potatoes to this mixture and toss them with a spatula. Make sure the potatoes are evenly coated with the masala. Now spread the potatoes in a layer on the griddle and let the potatoes cook on medium flame till crispy on one side. Now turnover the potatoes and let them become crispy on the other side. If the potatoes burn a little, don’t worry. It gives a nice, smoky flavour to the dish.

 

Sambar (Sambhar) A South Indian Lentil Delicacy

I have already given the recipe for Sambar Masala Powder in an earlier post. Now it’s time to prepare the sambar.

South Indians need sambar as an accompaniment with a wide variety of dishes. Most are breakfast dishes like Idli, Dosa, Medu Wadai etc. It is also an important part of a meal. The taste of hot steaming rice with the fragrant sambar poured on top is an experience that cannot be put into words.

For some reason Sambar like Ma Ki Dal tastes better when a day old.

Ingredients :

Red Gram Dal (Tur Dal) : 1 cup

Fresh Green Chillies (slit) : 2 nos.

Tamarind : 1 Tbsp.

Turmeric Powder (Haldi) : 1/2 Tsp.

Red Chilli Powder : 2 Tsp.

Sambar Masala Powder : 2 Tbsp.

Vegetables :

Potatoes : 2 medium sized

Onions : 4 small, peeled and kept whole

Brinjals : 2 medium sized

Drumsticks : 2 nos. cut into 2″ pieces

Red or White Pumpkin : 150 gms.

Cauliflower : 100 gms.

Fresh Coriander : 2 Tbsp.

For Tadka :

Oil : As Required

Mustard Seeds : 2 tsp.

Asafoetida (Hing) : a pinch

Curry Leaves : 8 – 10 nos.

Method :

Wash the dal and then add the slit green chillies to it and cook till done.

Cut the brinjals, potatoes, cauliflower and pumpkin into 1″ pieces. Then parboil the vegetables and drumsticks in salted water. Take care, so the vegetables are not completely cooked as we have to simmer them in the sambar.

Soak the tamarind in warm water for 15 minutes and then strain it to remove any fibers and pits.

Now in a pot, take the dal and add the tamarind pulp to it. Make a paste of the turmeric, red chilli and sambar powders and add to the dal. Keep the pot on simmer and add the vegetables. Now simmer the mixture for about 10 minutes. Adjust the seasoning.

Tadka : In a tadka pan, add oil and heat it. When the oil is hot, add the asafoetida and mustart seeds and let them crackle. Then add the curry leaves and pour this tadka over the dal. Mix well and remove from heat.

P.S. : Adding a few drops of oil to the dal helps to cook it quickly.

 

Sambar Masala (Sambar Masala Powder)

Sambar Masala Ingredients Photo by Alaivani @ flickr

No South Indian feast is complete without the Sambar. The Sambar, according to Wikipedia, is a lentil and vegetable stew or a chowder based on a broth made from Tamarind and Toovar Dal.

The Mumbaiites are believed to have been introduced to the Udupi cuisine in the early 1930’s with the opening of Cafe Mysore in Matunga, a suburb of Mumbai.The owners are from proper Udupi, as opposed to most other ‘Udupi’ restaurants, which are run by Shettys from or around Mangalore.

The difference in the Sambar from these Shetty-run restaurants is that the sambar has been modified to suit the taste buds of their local clientele. They have created a sort of sweet vegetable dal that is suitable for their local clientele. As a result, it has lost its authentic flavor. The Sambar that you get in Udupi is a lot more pungent, aromatic and flavorful.

In my house, sambar is made in a large quantity so as to last atleast 2 days. The first day is spent eating it with idli, dosa etc. The next day the taste of the sambar develops (matures) and all the subtle flavours come to the fore and vie for you attention. This makes it the perfect accompaniment to a plate of steaming white rice.

This is going to be a two part series as first I will put up the Sambar masala and then explain how to make the sambar.

So here goes -

Sambar Masala

Ingredients :

Coriander Seeds : 250 Gm.

Dried Red Chillies (Sankeshwari + Bedgi = 50:50) : 250 Gm.

Turmeric Powder : 25 Gm.

Asafoetida (Hing) : 15 Gm.

Cumin Seeds : 75 Gm.

Black Peppercorns : 50 Gm.

Mustard Seeds : 50 Gm.

Split Black Gram / Black Lentil (Urad Dal) : 100 Gm.

Split Bengal Gram (Chana Dal) : 100 Gm.

Raw Rice : 50 Gm.

Fenugreek Seeds (Methi) : 20 Gm.

Curry Leaves : one bunch

Method :

Dry roast the ingredients individually and then powder them. Keep the masala in an airtight jar and use as required.

 

Jirya Miryachi Kadhi (Coconut gravy flavoured with cumin and black pepper)

One of the first aamchigeli recipes i.e. one from my native place Udupi, that I loved has to be Jirya Miryachi Kadhi. The combination of the cumin and black peppercorns with the added fragrance of garlic was to die for. Especially during the rains,  when one wants something really hot, spicy and fragrant, this is the dish in which I find succor. The rain  splattering incessantly on the terrace roof, the sudden thunderclap and the cold and muggy weather of  Mumbai starts to bring me down. I need comfort, warmth and that’s when I make this dish. The kadhi poured on steaming hot basmati rice is a combination that hits a spot. The ultimate comfort food! So today in my ongoing South Indian recipe series, I present -

Jirya Miryachi Kadhi

Ingredients :

Fresh Grated Coconut : 3/4 th

Dried Red Chillies : 6-8 no.

Cumin Seeds : 1 Tsp.

Black Peppercorns : 8 no.

Skinned Garlic Cloves : From one whole garlic pod + 1 extra garlic pod

Kokum (Dried Mangosteen Peals) : 4 – 6 no.

Coconut oil  : As required

Mustard Seeds : 1 Tsp.

Salt : To taste

Method :

Saute the chillies, cumin, peppercorns and skinned garlic cloves in 2 tsp. of coconut oil and then make a paste with the grated coconut.

To this paste, add about 3 1/2 cups of water and salt to taste ( 1 Tsp.) and add the kokum. Bring to a boil and remove.

Tempering (Tadka) : Take 2-3 Tsp. of coconut oil in a tadka pan and to this add the mustard seeds and let them crackle. Now add the crushed garlic cloves from the other pod ( no need to skin these cloves). When the garlic cloves are brown, add this tadka to the kadhi. Mix well and serve hot with white rice.

P. S. : Do not boil the kadhi for too long as it tends to change the taste of the kadhi and also thins it.

 

Mangalore Buns (a sweet puri)

A few days ago, I attended a wedding. I went with my mother and aunt. We were very late and missed the ceremony, but managed to be on time for lunch.

Both the bride and groom were from the Southern Indian state of Tamilnadu. So the cuisine was a typical TamBram affair. The last time I ate a south Indian wedding feast was at least few years ago. This was my first Tamil wedding, so I was looking forward to the feast.

They put a nice, big banana leaf in front of us. Then followed a slew of accompaniments. There was a chutney (gojju), a mixed raita, a raw mango pickle ( my favorite in any feast), spiced banana wafers, a wada and a fried papadum. The papadum was huge compared to the puny ones I usually eat.

There were four vegetable dishes – an avial, a mixed vegetable dish with a coconut gravy, a mildly spiced potato dish and a Foogath. The foogath was nice – shredded cabbage, carrots and beans with slit green chilies and sprinkled liberally with freshly grated coconut.

There were also four katories filled with spicy rasam, payasam, buttermilk and curd. The payasam was way too sweet for me.

On the whole, a very satisfying meal indeed with the exception of the wada and avial.

This made me think as to why I haven’t put up more south Indian recipes. I am from the southern Indian state of Karnataka ( for the nitpickers, I am from Udupi, Mangalore). So I have decided to start with recipes from my state first.

Today I will introduce you to a wonderful breakfast dish, deceptively called Buns. It in no way resembles a bun, but is more like a sweet puri. it derives its sweetness from the banana and has a nice kick added by black pepper.

The picture of Mangalore Buns is courtesy Khalnayak. You can check out his pictures on Flickr by clicking on this link here – Khalnayak

Ingredients :

Maida (Refined Flour) : 2 cups or as required

Overripe Banana : 1 no.

Jaggery : 3-4 Tbsp.

Soda Bi Carb : 1/4 Tsp.

Sour Curd : 2 Tsp.

Roasted Cumin (Jeera) : 1 Tsp.

Crushed Black Pepper : 1/4 Tsp.

Salt : to taste

Ghee : for deep frying

Method :

Mash the banana with salt and jaggery and then add the curd, cumin, black pepper, and soda bi carb. Now add the maida to form a dough. Use maida and water as required to make dough. Apply some oil or ghee to cover it and keep overnight to ferment. In the morning, devide the dough evenly into balls. Then roll the dough a little thicker then for a puri (about 1/8 inch). Then deep fry the puris in hot ghee on both sides. Drain on paper.

The puri needs no accompaniments. You just need a cup of steaming, fragrant, flavorful cup of south Indian filter coffee. Aah Heaven!!!

 

Yam what a Yam!

I looked it up and it seems a sweet potato is called a Yam in US. But the yam I am talking about is called Suran in India. It is a tuber and has a rough, dark brown skin, which is very tough. The yam needs to be cooked in a alkaline medium as it can otherwise irritate the throat. So Indians generally use tamarind, kokum or lime juice while making a dish using yam. Also according a friend who is very knowledgeable about Ayurveda, yam is supposed to be very good for people suffering from Piles. He says they should eat at least 100 gm of yam everyday.
I love cooking suran in different forms and today I will put up a couple of my favourite recipes.

(1) Yam Salad ( सुरणाची कोशिंबीर)

Ingredients :

Yam : 1/2 kg

Green Chillies : 6 – 8 no.

Onions : 2 no.

Grated Fresh Coconut : 100 gm.

Lemon Juice : 1 Tbsp.

Oil : For Frying

Salt : to taste

Method :

Remove skin and finely chop the yam. Rub with salt and keep aside. Then squeeze out the water and fry till it is brown. Remove and keep aside.
In a bowl, add finely chopped onion, chopped green chillies and mix well with the yam. To this add grated coconut and lime juice. Adjust the seasoning and Serve.

(2) Yam Chops ( सुरणाचे काप )

Ingredients :

Yam : 1/2 kg.

Tamarind Pulp : 2 Tbsp.

Whole Wheat Flour : 4-6 Tbsp.

Salt : to taste

Red Chilli Powder : 1 Tbsp.

Oil : For shallow frying

Method :

Slice the yam into 2″ long, 2″ wide and 1/4″ thick slices. Coat them evenly with the tamarind pulp and keep aside for 5 minutes. Mix the red chilli powder and flour and add salt as required. Then roll the slices in this mixture to coat them with it and then shallow fry on a griddle.

P.S. : Some people prefer to use rice flour instead of wheat flour.
Another variation of this recipe is to make a paste of dried red chillies, ginger, garlic, tamarind and salt to taste. Coat the yam slices with this paste and keep aside for a few minutes. Then roll in rice flour and shallow fry.

 

East Indian Bottle Masala

A friend of mine gave me this masala recipe. I had been on the look out for this recipe for quite some time. Earlier I saw the recipe for this bottle masala in a book but it had only about 10 ingredients, but I had it on good authority that the original recipe has more than 20 ingredients. So I was very happy to finally lay my hands on this recipe. Hope all other gourmets on the look out enjoy this as well.

Ingredients :

Dried Red Chillies : 2 Kg.

Coriander Seeds : 500 gm.

Whole Turmeric : 50 gm.

Cumin Seeds : 125 gm.

Mustard Seeds : 50 gm.

White Poppy Seeds : 125 gm.

White Sesame Seeds : 125 gm.

Fennel Seeds : 25 gm.

Black Peppercorns : 125 gm.

Green Cardamoms : 75 gm.

Taj (Ceylon Cinnamon) : 125 gm.

Cloves : 50 gm.

Black Cardamoms : 25 gm.

Nagkesar ( Casia Buds) : 25 gm.

Mace : 25 gm.

Nutmeg : 2 no.

Maipatri (Mugwort) : 25 gm.

Badian / Badalphool (Star Anise) : 25 gm.

Trifal (Sichuan Pepper) : 25 gm.

Tamalpatra (Tejpatta / Indian Bay Leaf ) : 25 gm

Dagadphool ( Lichen) : 25 gm.

Kababchini (Allspice) : 25 gm.

Shahi Jeera (Black Cumin) : 25 gm.

Whole Asafoetida (hing) : 25 gm.

P.S. Dagadphool. This is a dried lichen used in Indian cooking. (Latin: parmelia perlata.)

Method : Saute the masala ingredients individually in little oil to let them release their flavours and then mix them together and grind to a fine powder. Alternately you can also dry roast the ingredients. Take care to crush the asafoetida, turmeric and nutmeg into smaller pieces before sauteing or roasting them.