Egg Curry

Ingredients

Eggs - 8 (Boiled)

Potatoes - 4 or 5 small (skin off and cut into half)

Onion - 2 large or 3 small (cut to small pieces)

Tomatoes - 3 medium (cut to small pieces)

Green Chilly - 1

Ginger Garlic - 1 table spoon (or 2 frozen cubes)

Salt

Turmeric powder

Chilly podwer

Corriander powder

Cumin powder

Whole Spices -  half tea spoon cumin seeds, 4 pepper, 2 cloves, 1 small cardamom stick, 1 Big Cardmom

Egg Curry

Recipe

1. Wash and chop 4 tomatoes and keep them aside.
2. Peel 3 onions. Wash it. Chop the onions and keep it aside.
3. Peel the skins of 4 potatoes, wash, and cut them in two. The size should look like Egg.
4. Boil 8 eggs for 20 minutes and keep them aside. (As soon as it is boiled, you should discard the water and replace it with cold water. Then peel it and keep it ready).
   Pierce the egg with a fork – this piercing will ensure that masala will get inside the egg.
   
   
5. In a kadai, pour oil and when it’s hot, put the peeled boiled egg (without water otherwise it will spill off). 
   Care to be taken, that the egg must not stick to the kadai when we drop the egg. The probability to stick is only in the beginning, as we keep moving the eggs in the kadai, after 30 or 40 seconds, they will not stick to the oil. Depending on preference fry the eggs lightly or crispier golden.
6. Optionally you may also fry potatoes in the same oil.
7. Add turmeric, this will give golden yellow colour to the boiled egg. Once its fried to preference take that egg out, and put it in a bowl.
8. In a pressure cooker, pour oil and add onion.
   The main trick is here. Spread the onion and wait until it turns yellow. Do NOT keep spreading for 1 minute. (This was a mistake I did when I was trying to cook earlier. It will leave an onion smell). After 1 minute, now periodically turn over the onion, to ensure all sides are cooked.
9. Simmer the gas. Now create an empty space (moving onions to the sides, like a concentric circle)
10. In the empty space, pour some oil (if needed), then it heats up
11. Add half teaspoon chilly powder, half teaspoon turmeric powder
12. Add 2 teaspoons Corriander Powder
13. Once the masala is ready i.e. shiny and leaves oil, add whole spices.
14. Add whole spices - half tea spoon cumin seeds, 4 pepper, 2 cloves, 1 small cardamom stick, 1 big Cardmom
15. Fry it for 20 seconds
16. Add 2 cubes of garlic paste. It should be like a paste. Fry for 20 seconds
17. Once the paste is ready, increase the gas level
18. Add chopped tomatoes kept aside and mix it
19. Add a green chilly
20. Add 1 and half tea spoon salt. Never add extra salt, if it's less you can taste and add later.
21. Cook for few minutes till tomatoes are slightly cooked.
22. Add potato, close the cooker lit and leave it for 1 whistle.
23. Wait for the curry to cool, then open the cooker.
24. Add the eggs
25. Add half teaspoon garam masala powder. 
26. Add half teaspoon cumin powder. 
27. Wait for 1 or 2 minutes to cook.
28. Add chopped green coriander leaves for garnishing, and serve.

Haandi Aloo Ghosht

 Ingredients

Lamb - 500 gram
Potato - -5-6
Onion - 2 medium
Ginger Garlic - 2 table spoon

Whole Spices
Spice powders

Mustard Oil
Salt

Haandi Ghosht

Recipe

1. Add lamb to  Haandi
2. Add onion and ginger garlic paste
3. Add whole spices
4. Add salt
5. Add turmeric poder and chilli powder
6. Cook for 30 minutes approximately till lamb is slighlty cooked
7. Add potatoes
8. Cook till potatoes and lamb is done
9. Add mustard oil
10. Add cumin podwer and Garam masala podwer
11. Cookf for few minute or two till oil separates
12. Add green corriander (optional)

Paneer Butter Masala

Paneer - 250 gram pack
Oil
Salt (to taste)

Cinnamon stick - 1
Bay leaves 2-3
Cumin seeds - One tea spoon

Onions - 2-3  large chopped
Cashew nuts - 10 - 12

Tomato - 2 large
Ginger garlic paste - 2 table spoon

Red chilly powder - 1 tea spoon
Cumin powder - 2 tea spoon
Coriander powder - 2 tea spoon
Gram masala powder - 1 tea spoon

Double cream - 2-3 table spoon
Coriander leaves (to garnish)

Recipe

1. Cut Paneer in cubes, and put in hot water with 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder for few minutes, then take the paneer out of the water
   
   
2. Heat oil in a pot
3. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, fry for 30 seconds
4. Add chopped onions and fry them until light brown
5. Take onions out avoid taking spices out leave them in oil
6. Grind onions and 10-12 cashew nuts in a grinder
   
   
7. In the remaining oil add two chopped tomato and ginger garlic paste and salt
8. Once tomatoes starts softening and oil is separated, add cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilly powder and any meat masala, mix well
9. Add grinded onion in pot and mix well then add paneer (or fried chicken) and mix well again 
10. Add water and put on low flame till paneer (or chicken) is done
11. Add double cream and cook for another 5-10 min till oil comes on top
12. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves

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Sheermal

Ingredients

Plain Flour 500 gram
Salt - 10 gram
Butter - 65 gram

Castor Sugar - 25 gram
Milk Powder - 50 gram

Egg - 1
Cream - 20 gram
Kewra Water - 20 gram
Milk - 220 ml
Saffron (few strands in 2 tbsp Luke warm water)

Yeast - 1 tsp

Panasonic Bread maker Setting 22

Sheermal

Peas Pulao

Ingredients

Oil
Onion Red - 2
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Big Cardamom - 1
Clove - 3
Black Pepper - 5
Bay leaf - 2

Green peas - 1/3 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Rice - 1 cup
Salt
Water - 2 cup

Recipe

1. Heat oil in a pan
2. Add onion, sauté
3. Add whole spices, fry for a minute
4. Add green peas and ginger garlic paste, fry for 2-3 minutes
5. Add salt
6. Add rice fry it for 3-4 minutes
7. Adds and hot water
8. Cook in a rice cooker or a pressure cooker till done

Naan

Ingredients

Water (lukewarm) - 3/4 cup
Yeast (instant) - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp

Plain flour - 3 cup
Baking Soda - pinch

Yoghurt - 2 and 1/2 tbsp
Oil - 2 Tablespoon

(makes about 6 naans)

Naan with Nihari

Recipe

Dough

1. Add salt and sugar and yeast to lukewarm water.
2. Leave in a warm place for 5-15 minutes (depending on outside temperature), to rise.
3. Add baking powder to plain flour, mix.
4. Add oil.
5. Add Yoghurt.
6. Add water mix.
7. Mix the dough, not much.
8. Put in a big bowl, cover with a cling film,  to rise for 30 minutes to 2 hours (depending on temperature).

Baking

1. Turn oven on for 20 minutes, leave the tray in.
2. Make 6 balls from the dough.
3. Roll up, round or teardrop.
4. Add sesame seed (optional), press it in.
5. Bake in preheated oven for about 3-5 minutes or until done (turn around midway).
6. Once done, put butter on.

Lamb Stew - Khushi Style

One of the best Lamb Stew recipes I've tried, courtesy my dear cousin Khushi, who learnt it from her mum. I bargained recipe from her in return for sharing a barbecue recipe !

Ingredients

Lamb shoulder - 750 gm
Onion (sliced) - 4
Ginger Garlic (paste) - 2 teaspoon
Tomato - 1
Green chilli - 2

Whole Spices
Green Cardamom (chotti elaychi) - 2
Black Cardamom (badi elaychi) - 1
Cloves (laung) - 2
Black Peeper (kali mirch) - 6
Mace (Javitri) - 1/4
Bay Leaf (tez patta) - 2

Fennel (Khadi saunf) - 1/2 teaspoon
Dry whole red chilli - 2

Ground Spices
Red Chilli Powder (to taste)
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Garam Masala - 1/3 teaspoon

Green coriander leaves - 3-4 tablespoon (chopped)
Salt (to taste)
Cooking oil

Lamb Stew

Lamb Stew (garnished)

Recipe

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker
2. Add 2 onions
3. Add green and black cardamom, clove, black pepper, mace and bay leaf
4. When onion gets golden brown add lamb
5. Fry till water dries out
6. Add salt and ginger garlic paste
7. Ache se bhuno
8. Add 2 onions, tomato, khadi saunf, coriander powder, green chilli and dry red chilli 
9. Add red chilli powder (to taste, optional)
10. Add 1 cup water
11. Pressure Cook till meat is cooked
12. Steam nikalne ke baad bhuno
13. Add garam masala
14. Add green coriander

Galawati Kebab

Melt in your mouth kebabs from the Awadhi table. Try this aromatic and flavoursome Galawati kebab recipe (also called Galouti Kebab).

The history of Galawati kebab is interesting. This kebab was created for the ageing Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Lucknow. The Nawab had lost all his teeth. But his passion for meat remained intact. So, this melt in the mouth kebab was prepared in his royal kitchens to satisfy the Nawab's love for meat.

The Galawati kebabs are traditionally prepared by marinating the finely ground meat with unripe papaya and a mix of exotic spices. The keema is then shaped into patties and fried in oil or ghee. The Galawati kebabs have taste that you just cannot compare with anything else. So, whether a foodie or not, you must try this exotic and mouthwatering Galawati kebab recipe and refresh your taste-buds.

Galawati Kebab 

Here's the lip-smacking recipe for the speciality of Lucknow:

Ingredients

Meat – ½ Kg finely minced meat of your choice (lamb, mutton, veal or beef)
Papaya (raw) – 3-4 tbsp
Onions – 1 medium (finely chopped)
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tablespoon
Red chilly powder (Kashmiri lal mirch) – 2 tbsp
Roasted Chickpea flour (Besan) – 2 tbsp
Saffron – 2 to 3 strands
Rose water – 1 tbsp
Kewra water - 1 tbsp
Milk Powder – 1 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Desi Ghee –to fry

Dry Spices for Galawat Spice (galawat masala)
Cumin Seeds (Jeera) – 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon stick (Daalchini) – 1 inch
Cloves (Laung) – 4
Green cardamom (Choti elaichi) - 4
Black cardamom (Badi elaichi) - 2 to 3
Black Pepper (Kali Mirch) - 4
Mace (Javitri) – 1/4 tsp
Nutmeg (Jaifal) – one pinch
Poppy seed (Khas Khas) – 1 tsp
Mustard seeds (Rai) – ½ tsp
Bay Leaves – 2

For Dum
Coal - 1
Cloves (Laung)– 3
Green cardamom (Choti Elaichi) - 2

Recipe

1. Clean papaya, remove the seeds and make a paste. Add papaya in finely minced meat and leave it for 2 hrs.
2. Heat a pan and slightly roast chickpea flour (besan). Be careful that it shouldn’t get burnt.
3. Heat a pan and carefully dry roast Cumin Seeds (Jeera), Cinnamon stick (Daalchini), Cloves (Laung) , Green cardamom (Choti elaichi), Black cardamom (Badi elaichi), Mace (Javitri), Nutmeg (Jaifal), Poppy seed (Khas Khas), Mustard seeds (Rai) and bay Leaves. When spices leave the beautiful aroma and are roasted, switch off the heat and let it cool down. Grind it into fine paste after spices are at room temperature.
4. Now cut the onions and sautee in 3 tablespoons of ghee. When onion is golden brown, switch off the heat and let it cool down.
5. Grind onion and ginger garlic into fine paste.
6. Soak saffron in 2 tablespoon warm milk around 15-20 minutes before use.
7. Add roasted masala powder, sautéed onion and ginger garlic paste, roasted chickpea flour, red Chilli Powder (Kashmiri lal mirch), saffron, rose water, kewra water, milk powder and salt in marinated meat.
8. Mix the ingredients very finely with the meat
9. Cover the meat with cling film and put in refrigerator for 4 -5 hrs.
10. After 4-5 hrs meat is ready, just one more final step to give it authentic flavor.
11. Heat a small piece of coal till it starts burning. Put it in a metal bowl and keep it in the center of the vessel containing meat. Add some ghee and put cloves (laung) and green cardamom (Choti elaichi) in it. This will release pleasantly aromatic flavor and flavoured smoke into the meat . Quickly cover the vessel with meat and burning coal with foil so that meat absorbs all very earthy flavour of ghee and coal. Leave it covered for about 15-20 minutes.
12. Meat is now ready for kebabs. Make flat patties of the meat. Heat 2 table spoons of ghee in a pan. Fry the patties on very low flame till cooked.

Galawati Kebab

Here it is!! Mouthwatering, softest (melt in mouth) kebabs in world are ready. Serve it with paratha or naan accompanied with onions lemon and mint chutney. Mint Dip (Pudina Chutney) is one must have accompany for any kebabs.

Nihari

Nihari (Urdu: نهاری‎) is a delicious, slow cooked meat curry made of Lamb or Beef (and sometimes even Chicken) along with bone marrow and garnished to taste. 

The word Nihar originated from the Arabic word "Nahar" (Arabic: نهار‎‎) which means "day" as it was typically served after sunrise Fajr prayers.

Nihari involves the slow cooking of meat with the stock in large vessels, sealed with dough. Since the meat is cooked overnight over slow fire, these vessels are called shab deg or overnight vessels. Nihari can be made of mutton or chicken, but it tastes best when cooked with beef shanks.

Nihari tastes best when had with khameeri roti, naan or phulka. It is said that the Nihari is so heavy on the stomach that in olden days, the nobles ate a plate of it and took a nap till the zohar or afternoon prayers. That's why, it is said "Nihari is to winter what Haleem is to Ramzan." Winter is the best time to enjoy a hot plate of Nihari.

Nihari with Naan

Ingredients

Lamb leg - 1 Kg (4-6 large portions)
Bones (Knuckles and marrow) - 1 Kg (optional)

Cooking Oil - 1 cup

Ginger Garlic paste - 2 table spoon

National / Shan Nihari Mix - 1/2 packet

Salt (to taste)

Flour - 1/2 cup
Onion - 2 medium (sliced)

Paprika - 1 tsp

Nihari

Recipe

1. Add oil (or mix of oil and ghee) in a wok(Karahi) 
2. Add Meat and ginger garlic paste, fry until oil separates
3. Add National / Shan Nihari Mix, fry for another 3-4 minutes
4. Add 18 cup water
5. Add salt
6. Bring to boil
7. Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours
8. Dissolve flour in 1 cup of water
9. Gradually add flour mixture to gravy, stir (keep stirring continuously), and mix
   (add more flour mix if needed, to get the right consistency)
10. Bring to boil and cook for another 15 minutes
11. Heat oil in a pan and add onion, fry until golden brown
12. Add paprika, fry for another 30 seconds
13. Add oil and paprika to Nihari
14. Taste the spices, and if needed add more Nihari Mix
15. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes
16. Garnish with green chilies, ginger, and lemon

Afghani Chicken (Gravy)

Ingredients

500 gm Chicken
1/2 cup mustard oil
2 tbsp coriander leaves
1-inch ginger roughly chopped
5-6 Garlic cloves
2 green chillies
1 medium onion roughly chopped
2 tbsp cream + 2 tbsp milk
1/2 lemon juice
1 cup yoghurt
3/4 tsp black pepper powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp special Bhuna masala
1/2 tsp garam masala

Recipe

1. Grind coriander, green chilli, ginger, garlic and onion and make a fine paste
2. Marinate chicken with all the dry spices, ground paste, cream+ milk mixture, yoghurt and lemon juice for at least half an hour (for best results marinate overnight)
3. Heat oil in a saucepan, fry marinated chicken without the masala until lightly golden and take it out and keep aside.
4. In the same oil add the masala cover and cook for 10 mins, first 5 mins on the high flame while stirring occasionally, then on low flame for another 5 mins. Add some water and cook until the gravy boils. Add chicken to it and cover and cook for 15 - 20 minutes. Then add garam masala, mix well and turn the flame off.
5. Heat charcoal and put it in the steel bowl in the saucepan and pour 1 tsp ghee, cover and leave it for 10 minutes. It will give the chicken a smokey flavour.

BHUNA MASALA RECIPE

Ingredients
2 Tbsp Cumin seeds
3 Tbsp Coriander seeds
Dried Red Chillies (according to your spice level)
1/2 Tsp Black pepper

Recipe
Dry roast all the spices and grind them to powder.

Nimish

Ingredients

Double cream - 450 gram
Icing sugar - 50 gram
Rosewater - 1 tsp
Pinch saffron strands (soaked in 100 ml warm milk for 15 minutes)
few chopped pistachios and edible silver leaf (optional)

Nimish

Recipe

1. Whip the cream in a bowl until soft peaks just start to form – it’s important not to over-whisk it.
2. Sift in the icing sugar, then add the rosewater and the now cool saffron milk and strands. Whisk together for a minute until smooth and a few bubbles appear on the surface. 
3. Pour gently into small serving bowls or glasses and chill overnight.
4. Decorate with sliced pistachios, and silver leaf if you like. Serve.

Yakhni Biryani

“Yakhni” means broth or stock. The meat is cooked with whole spices and the broth is used to cook the biryani.

Ingredients

For the mutton :
1 kg mutton, cut into pieces 
2 Tbsp coriander seeds 
1 onion, roughly chopped 
12 cloves of garlic 
2 bay leaves 
4-5 green cardamoms 
2 cinnamon sticks 
6-7 cloves
Salt, to taste
Water

For the pulao :
3-4 Tbsp oil 
2 bay leaves 
6-7 cloves
4-5 cinnamon sticks 
4-5 green cardamom 
7-8 onions, thinly sliced length-wise 
4 heaped Tbsp ground garlic
1 grated nutmeg 
1 tsp cinnamon powder 
2 cups of basmati rice 
4 cups of mutton stock 
Salt, to taste

Recipe

         Preparing the “Yakhni”

1. Add enough water to a pan.
2. Tie up the onion and all the spices into a small muslin cloth (potli), drop it in the pan.
3. Add meat.
4. Add salt.
5. Cook until meat gets tender.
6. Discard whole spices from the potli
   
   Preparing the "Biryani"
7. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed vessel.
8. Add the whole spices to it. 
9. Once they start spluttering, add onions. 
10. Fry till they turn golden brown in color. 
11. Add garlic paste and stir for some time. 
12. Add nutmeg and cinnamon powder and mix well. 
13. Mix in the cooked mutton and the rice. 
14. Sprinkle salt over it and continue to stir. 
15. Add the mutton stock and mix well. 
16. Cover it with a heavy lid to prevent the steam from escaping. 
17. Cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes. 

Serve hot with raita or chutney.

Biryani - Lucknow or Hyderabad ?

I love biryani, it’s the best meal.

Among various Biryani the Lucknow and Hyderabad style are dominant with a friendly rivalry.

There are nearly 30 different types of Biryani served in India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka today. Out of all most hyped Biryani, there are two competing Biryani in India: Lucknow, and Hyderabad.

The hype is orchestrated  to promote various restaurants. Lucknow is a grand old city once ruled by Nawabs and capital of Uttar Pradesh; while, Hyderabad is a grand old city once ruled by Nizams and joint capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. This has become a friendly food fight between North and South over Biryani. After all, all the tastes are acquired. North Indians like Lucknow Biryani, and South Indians like Hyderabad Biryani. The hype has created a natural curiosity over the differences.

People can get into arguments over which city makes the best biryani, and then over which restaurant in that city makes the best biryani.

Biryani or Pulao ?

And then there are arguments about calling our's as "Biryani" and and other's as "Pulao", depending on which one you prefer. Lucknow’s biryani is also often – unfairly I think – referred to as pulao since the meat and rice are cooked separately and then layered together at the end. That’s only semantics. Wheras Hyderabadi biryani is what Lakhnawis call pulao or tehri. Lakhnawis cook the yakhni separately and then layer it in a degchi with rice and put on dum. Whereas in Hyderabadi biryani, everything is cooked together like pulao or tehri in Lucknow.

Hyderabad Biryani

This is called Kutchi Biryani. Kutchi means raw. 

The process does not adhere to the name Biryani in Farsi meaning 'fry before cooking'. Neither the meat, nor the rice are fried before cooking.  The meat is marinated in a mixture of spices for a few hours. Meat and the meat marinate are put in Handi. The rice is mixed with spiced yogurt. The 'rice and yogurt mixture' is put on top of the meat. The Handi is sealed and cooked over low heat. Eventually, the meat and rice are Dum cooked. The result is very different than Lucknow Biryani. The Lucknow Biryani has a homogenous meat flavor throughout the Biryani; while, the Rice in Hyderabad Biryani has more of a yogurt flavor than the meat flavor. In theory, Hyderabad Biryani is simple to make, but requires a lot of experience.

Lucknow Biryani

Lucknow Biryani is also called Awadh Biryani. Lucknow Biryani is a form of Pukki Biryani.

Pukki means 'cooked'. Both the meat and rice are cooked separately and then layered and baked. The process also lives up to the name Biryani in Farsi meaning 'fry before cooking'.
It basically has three steps. First, the meat is seared in ghee and cooked in water with warm aromatic spices till meat is tender. The meat broth is drained out. Second, the rice is lightly fried in Ghee, and cooked in the meat broth from the previous step. Third, cooked meat and cooked rice are layered in a Handi. Sweet flavors are added. The Handi is sealed and cooked over low heat. The result is a perfectly cooked meat, rice, and a homogenous flavor of aromatic meat broth, aromatic spices and sweet flavors.

Kolkata biryani
There is a third kind of Biryani called Kolkata biryani, which is a version of the Lucknow one. The biryani in Kolkata is known for its subtle use of spices, fragrance and delicious potato, which is almost as tasty as the chunk of mutton in the rice. It was brought to the erstwhile Calcutta by Lucknow’s ruler, Wajid Ali Shah, the last nawab of Oudh. When he was exiled to Calcutta , he brought his personal chefs with him. Potatoes were used in the biryani instead of meat during the recession, which later became a special feature of the Kolkata style biryani.

The variables are complicated such as amounts, moisture of yogurt mixture and marinate, and cut of meats. All the variables have to be carefully balanced so everything will cook together and come out perfectly.

As for India’s best city for biryani? Well, that depends on where you come from.

Tehri

Tehri was a Sunday lunch in childhood. 'Tehri' is yellow rice with potato and peas, I had a different version with meat once at a friends place and have not forgotten the taste yet. So a while back when my taste buds asked for it I was on phone talking to my friend and asked his mom for the recipe, thanks to her for the recipe.

Tehri

Ingredients

Mutton, cut into pieces - 1/2 kg
Onion (chopped) - 1 large
Ginger (paste) - 1 table spoon
Garlic (crushed) - 4 cloves
Turmeric powder (Haldi) - 2 teaspoon
Chili powder - 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder (Dhania) - 1 teaspoon
Bay leaves - 2
Cumin Seeds (Zeera) - ½ teaspoon
Garam masala - 1 and ½ teaspoon (alternatively use crushed - cloves 2, black pepper 5, green cardamom 1 and black cardamom 1)
Salt (to taste)
Oil - 3  table spoon

Potato (cut into quarter) - 2 large
Green Chilli (cut into half) - 2
Green Peas - 1 bowl
Rice (basmati) - 1/2 kg
Water


Recipe

1. Add 3 table spoon oil to a cooker.
2. Once oil is hot add onions, fry till they turn golden brown in colour. 
3. Add ginger and garlic and stir for some time.
4. Add meat and salt, and stir it until medium brown.
5. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and continue to stir until oil separates.
6. Add bay leaves and cumin seeds, stir for another minute.
7. Add Garam Masala and stir for another 30 seconds
8. Add 1/2 cup water and close the pressure cook lid.
9. Cook until meat gets tender.
10. Open the lid and add potato and green peas, cook for 2 minutes.
11. Add rice, green chilly, water.
    
                       
12. Taste salt, add if necessary.
13. Cover it with a heavy lid to prevent the steam from escaping. 
14. Cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes. 

Serve hot with pickles.