Karahi Chicken (Karahi Murgh)

Karahi Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken or Mutton - 1 Kg
Onions - 3 medium (cut in cubes)
carom (Ajwain) Seeds - 1/4 table spoon
Ginger -  1 inch (finely chopped)
Garlic - 3 cloves (finely chopped)
Tomato Puree - 1 can
Coriander Powder - 1 and ½ teaspoon
Shaan Karahi Masala - 1 teaspoon
Chilli Powder - ½ teaspoon
Salt (to taste)
Oil - 4 table spoon
Water - ½ cup
Jalapenos -3 (slice vertically on one side)
Fenugreek((Methi) Leaves dried - 1 table spoon

Recipe

1. Add oil to a wok (Karahi), when it is hot add onions.
2. Fry till the edges starts to turn golden brown.
3. Add carom (Ajwain) seeds, fry for another 15 seconds.
4. Add ginger garlic, and fry till it leaves oil.
5. Add tomatoes puree, saute till it leaves oil.
6. Add coriander powder, shan karahi masala, chilli powder and salt.
7. Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Add water, cover and cook till it is tender.
9. Add jalapenos and dried Methi leaved in the end.
10. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Kunafa

Kunafa (also spelled knafeh, Kunafeh, kunafeh, knafeh, or kunafah) is a Mediterranean cheese pastry soaked in sweet sugar-based syrup, typical of the regions belonging to the former Ottoman Empire. Kunafa  is especially popular during the month of Ramadan.

Naboulsi or akawi cheese is layered between the crispy thin Kataifi pastry dough. The flavoured sugar syrup and crunchy nuts are added for perfect finish. You may substitute kataifi  with thin vermicelli, and naboulsi or akawi Cheese with ricotta and fresh mozzarella.

Kunafa

Ingredients

Vermicelli (or Kataifi) - 200 gms
Butter - 50 gms (unsalted)
Ricotta - 200 gms
Mozzarella - 100 gms (shredded)
Sugar - 1 and 1/2 cup
Water - 1 cup
Lemon - 2 table spoon
Cinnamon - 1 stick

For garnish (add or remove based on choice):
Almonds - 5 (blanched)
Dates - 5 (dried and chopped)
Golden Raisins - 10
Cashew - 5
Walnuts - 5
Green Pistachio - 5



Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Grease and line 8 inch sandwich tin (use a piece of baking paper to rub a little baking spread or butter around the inside of the tins until the sides and base are lightly coated), line the bottom of the tins with a circle of baking paper.
3. Break vermicelli into small pieces and roast in butter. You may add 2 tablespoon of water, so that vermicelli is soft, make sure that it is not mushy.
4. Spread half of vermicelli in the baking dish, press down lightly.
5. Spread ricotta cheese evenly.
6. Spread mozzarella evenly.
7. Cover with remaining vermicelli.
8. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes until lightly golden-brown.
9. In the meanwhile prepare the sugar syrup, in a heavy bottomed saucepan add water over medium heat.
10. After two minutes add sugar and lemon juice.
11. Add cinnamon stick (or 5 strands of saffron depending on your personal preference).
12. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Let simmer to a syrupy consistency.
13. Remove from heat and let it cool, remove cinnamon stick. Make sure that the syrup does not get hardened.
14. When vermicelli is baked, take it out of oven and immediately pour cold sugar syrup evenly over the hot vermicelli. 
15. Let cool completely to room temperature.
16. Loosen the edges and invert onto the serving plate.
17. For garnishing lightly roast all the dried fruits and nut, chop them into small pieces.
18. Sprinkle the garnish all over. Slice in squares and serve.

Variations

• You may boil half cup of milk with 3 table spoon of semolina and 3 table spoon sugar, make it thick and then let it cool. Mix cheese with it until it gets a smoother texture.
• Another option is to make a filling of mawa or Khoya instead of cheese, add chenna (coagulated milk) and 3 table spoon sugar to it.
• May replace cheese with cream (malai).
• Remember the syrup shouldn't be hot, it should be of room temperature. Neither should it get crystallised.
• You may garnish with small pieces of mango or banana instead of dry fruits.

Meatball Biryani ( Kofta Biryani )

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 500 gms


For the Kofta:

Lamb or chicken mince - 1 kg
Onions - 3 (Large chopped very fine)
Garlic paste - 2 table spoon
Ginger paste - 1 table spoon
Garam masala - 2 table spoon
Tomato ketchup - 3 table spoon
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup (chopped fine)
Salt to taste

For the Kofta curry:

Tomatoes - 4 (large, diced)
Coriander powder - 2 teaspoon
Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala - 1 table spoon
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil - 5 table spoon
Garlic paste - 2 table spoon
Ginger paste - 1 table spoon
Salt to taste

For garnish:

Onion - 1 (large sliced finely)
Saffron strands - 1 table spoon
Milk - 3 table spoon (warm)
Coriander leaves - 3-4 table spoon (chopped)


Recipe

1. Wash the rice and soak in warm water for 20 minutes.
2. Cook the rice till almost done. Drain remaining water (if any) and keep aside.
3. Put the minced lamb/chicken, 2 of the chopped onions, 2 table spoon garlic paste, 1 table spoon ginger paste, 2 table spoon garam masala, tomato ketchup and coriander leaves and salt in a large bowl and mix well.
4. Form the mixture into equal sized balls and keep on a plate.
5. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the sliced onion in it till crispy and golden. When done, drain and remove from the oil and keep aside on paper towels to garnish biryani later.
6. In the same oil, add 1 onion (finely chopped). Fry till they are light brown then add the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for a minute. 
7. Add all the spices - coriander, cumin, red chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric - and fry for 2-3 minutes.
8. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Fry the masala till the oil begins to separate from it.
9. Add 1 cup of warm water to the masala and season with salt to taste. 
10. Gently add the meatballs now. Do not stir for at least the next 5 minutes.
11. Stir gently so as not to break the meatballs.
12. Cook uncovered till the meatballs are done. There should not be more than 1 to 1 1/2 cups of gravy left at the end of this stage, so dry it as required.
13. Soak the saffron strands in 2-3 table spoon of warm milk.
14. Take a large, deep baking dish/ oven proof dish (it MUST have its own cover) and grease lightly with cooking oil. Layer the rice and Koftas as follows: rice - Koftas - rice.
15. Spread the saffron infused milk over the top of the last layer of rice.
16. Garnish with the crispy fried onions, chopped coriander leaves. Cover the dish and seal tightly.
17. Bake in a hot oven for 30 minutes.
18. Serve hot with a raita and green salad of your choice.

Barbecue Chutneys

Spring Green Chutney

Ingredients

Spring Green leaves - 10 (finely chopped)
Mustard Oil - 1 table spoon
Salt - 1 teaspoon

Recipe

1. Mix all the ingredients.

Roasted tomato and garlic Chutney

Ingredients

Tomatoes - 5
Garlic - 5 cloves
Green Chilli - 2 (finely chopped)
Coriander leaves - 5 (finely chopped)
Mustard Oil - 1 table spoon
Salt - 1 teaspoon

Recipe

1. Drop the tomatoes and garlic in between the coal while barbecue is lit, leave for 10 minutes.
2. Using a tong take the tomatoes and garlic out.
3. In a bowl crush tomatoes.
4. Squeeze the garlic from the peel in the bowl.
5. Add green chilli, coriander leaves, mustard oil and salt, mix well.

Seekh Kebab Barbecue

Ingredients

Lamb mince - 1 kg

Onion - 1 (finely sliced)

Green Chilli - 3 (finely sliced)

Coriander leaf - 7 (roughly chopped)

Ginger - 1 table spoon (peeled and finely grated)
Garlic cloves - 5 (peeled and finely grated)

Coriander Seeds - 1 table spoon
Cumin Seeds - 1 table spoon
Black Pepper - 1 table spoon

Mustard Oil - 1 table spoon
Salt - 1 and 1/2 table spoon (or to taste)

Lemon - 1

Recipe

1. 2 hours before barbecue, lightly toast coriander, cumin and black pepper in a pan, crush the 3 ingredients in a mortar and pestle.
2. Add onion, green chilli, coriander leaf, ginger, garlic, crushed spices (coriander, cumin and black pepper), salt and mustard oil to the lamb mince, mix well.
3. Now leave the marinade for 2 hours.
4. Get the barbecue ready.
5. Make round balls of mince, insert in skewer and flatten it around the skewer in the shape of seekh kebab, barbecue.
6. Remove from skewer once done, and squeeze 3-5 drops of lemon on each kebab (absorbs lemon more easily when it has just come off barbecue).

Note: 1 kg lamb will make approximately 18-20 seekh kebabs.

Chicken Tikka Barbecue

Ingredients

Chicken - 1 kg (boneless or leg pieces)
Lemon - 2

Ginger - 1 table spoon (peeled and finely grated)
Garlic cloves - 5 (peeled and finely grated)

Coriander Seeds - 1 table spoon
Cumin Seeds - 1 table spoon
Black Pepper - 1 table spoon

Yoghurt/Cream - 2 table spoon
Paprika / food colour - 1 table spoon (optional)
Olive Oil - 1 table spoon
Salt - 1 table spoon (or to taste)

Recipe

1. Make 2 deep cuts in each of the chicken piece.
2. Squeeze 1 lemon on Chicken, mix well and leave overnight to marinade.
3. 2 hours before barbecue, lightly toast coriander, cumin and black pepper in a pan, crush the 3 ingredients in a mortar and pestle.
4. Add ginger, garlic, crushed spices (coriander, cumin and black pepper), salt and olive oil to the chicken marinade, mix well.
5. Add yoghurt or cream.
6. Add Paprika or colour (optional).
7. Now leave the marinade for 2 hours.
8. Get the barbecue ready.
9. Slice in 3 to 4 pieces on skewer, and barbecue on coal (brush with oil if chicken looks dry during barbecue).
10. Remove from skewer once done, and squeeze 3-5 drops of lemon on each chicken piece, chicken absorbs lemon more easily when it has just come off barbecue.

Chicken Curry - Haque Style

Haque Murgh is chicken cooked in subtle spices, it is very different from the hot and spicy Indian curries, goes pretty well when served with roasted lamb or chicken, to add a gravy dish to the table.

Ingredients

Chicken - 1 kg cut into standard 12 pieces

White onion - 1 (grated)
Ginger - 1 tablespoon (peeled and finely grated)
Garlic cloves - 4

Garam masala - ½ teaspoon
Corriander Podwer - 2 table spoons

Water
Salt - 1 teaspoon (or to taste)
Oil (cooking) - 4 or 5 large spoons

Recipe

1. Heat the cooking oil into a large, preferably non-stick, lidded pan on medium heat. 
2. Add the onion and fry for 6-8 minutes, until it caramelises. 
3. Add the garlic and ginger and continue to fry, stirring, for 1 minute.
4. Add the coriander powder, stir for 30 seconds.
5. Add salt.
6. Add Chicken and fry for about 10-15 minutes.
7. Add garam masala, stir fry for another 30 seconds.
8. Add water to cover chicken pieces.
9. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, the sauce should turn thick.