MURG MALAI KHORMA

INGREDIENTS :

1 chicken,boneless,medium pieces

1 tsp- ginger paste

1tsp- garlic paste

2 green chillies,chopped

3 tomatoes,skinned and chopped

2 cups yogurt

1/4 tsp nutmeg and mace powder

1 tsp cumin seeds powder

1 tspn coriender seeds powder

1/2 tsp ground peppercorn

1/4 tsp ground cardamom and cinnamon

10 almonds ground

2 tsp water melon and musk melon seeds grounded

150 gms fresh cream

1/2 cup oil Salt to taste

PROCEDURE :

Blend into a puree the yogurt,ginger and garlic,green chilliesand tomatoes.Keep aside.Heat oil.Add the puree along with the ground water melon and musk melon seeds.Stir briskely and bring to a boil.Slip in the chicken pieces,add salt and stir occasionally. Cook till the chicken is tender.Add very little water,if required.When chicken is tender,add the spieces at 'A' and the ground almonds.Reduce heat and after a couple of minutes.add the cream and mix gently. Serve hot.

COCKTAIL GOBI SAMOSA

FOR THE DOUGH:
Ingredients: 3/4 cup plain flour [maida]
1/4 cup fine semolina
1/4 tea spoon salt
A pinch baking powder
Vegetable filling:
Medium cauliflower grated 2 cups
1 boiled potato---mashed coarsely 1/2 cup
1/2 inch/ 1 centimetre piece fresh grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
salt to taste
3 tbsp oil
1 tsp roasted groung cumin seeds
1/4 tsp dry mango powder
1 tbsp each raisins and cashew's chopped
2 green chillies de-seeded and finely chopped
1/4 tsp sugar

PROCEDURE:
1. Sift flour,semolina, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Rub in ghee or butter. Add a few tbsp's of cold water to form a firm dough. Knead for 5 to 7 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Cover the dough and keep aside for 30 minutes or longer.
2. To prepare the filling, heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan, remove from heat. Add ginger,salt,red chilli powder,ground cumin seeds and dry mango poweder.
3.Return to heat. Add cashew's. Cook for a few seconds. Add potatoes stir for a few seconds. Add cauliflower, mix well. Add sugar and green chillies.
4. Cover and cook on low heat till the cauliflower is cooked. Make the filling spicy if u like. Keep aside.
5. Make lemon sized balls of the dough. Roll out into thin rounds. Cut each circle in half. Brush some water on the straight edges. Pick up the half circle and form a cone shape, overlapping straight edges and pressing firmly to seal the seam. Fill cone 2/3 with the filling about 1 tbsp of the filling in each cone.
6.Press together to make a secure joint.
7. Deep fry in medium hot oil till golden. Serve with mint or tamarind chutney.

DALCHA [ MUTTON LENTIL CURRY ]

PREPARATION TIME:20 mins

COOKING TIME:45 mins

SERVES:6

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 kg mutton

250 gms--lentils,either split red[masoor] or red gram [ arhar] or a combination of 2/ 3 red [masoor] and 1/3 yellow split gram lentils[ chana dal].

1 and half tsp--water melon and musk melon seeds [ ground]

2--onions,finely sliced

1/2 tsp--ginger paste

1/2 tsp garlic paste

1/2 tsp--red chilli powder

1/4 tsp--turmeric powder

1/2 tsp--caraway seeds

1/2 inch cinnamon stick

2 green cardamoms

4 cloves

100 gms--tamarind

1 small bunch of green coriander coarsely chopped

2 green chillies whole

1/3 cup oil

salt to taste.

FOR BAGAAR:

4--whole dry red chillies

15-20--curry leaves

8-10--cloves of garlic

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp--fenugreek seeds

2tbsp--ghee

METHOD:

Presure cook lentils with salt and turmeric in about 4 glasses of water till lentils are tender.

soak tamarind in one cup of water for 15 minutes.Mash,strain to get tamarind water.

Simultaneously,heat oil in a heavy based pan.Add caraway seeds , cinnamon,cloves and cardammom.When spices darken a little add onions and fry till light brown.Add ginger and garlic and fry a little.Add salt,turmeric and red chilli powder and the ground watermelon and musk melon seeds.Fry just a little and sprinkle a little water and cook for a while so that the spices become homogenous.Add meat and fry on medium fire till the water dries up.Add just enough water for the meat to become tender and pressure cook first on high and then on medium fire till the meat is tender.

When meat is ready add the boiled lentils,tamarind water,green chillies and coriander and simmer for about 10 minutes.

For bagaar,heat ghee in a frying pan.Add all the bagaar condiments,fenugreek seeds last of all.When the red chillies darken,add the bagaar to the dalcha,cover immediately.

HYDERABADI BAGHARE BAIGAN

PREPARATION TIME: 40 mins

COOKING TIME: 30 mins

SERVES: 6--8

INGREDIENTS:

500 gms-- brinjal

4 onions--cut into 4 to 6 pieces each

1 small piece of ginger

half pod of garlic

1 tbsp coriander seeds

3 tbsp sesame seeds

1/4 cup peanuts

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds

20 gms copra

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 tsp red chillipowder

1 tsp jaggery or sugar

75 gms tamarind

a few curry leaves

1 cup oil

salt to taste

METHOD:

Soak tamarind in about one cup of warm water.Mash and sieve to get tamarind water.Discard the residue.Set aside.

Wash brinjals.Make 2 inch slits along the length of the brinjal ensuring that the brinjal is held together at the stem.

Roast the onions on the girdle,till they soften a little and turn slightly golden brown. Then dry roat toghther over medium heat the coriander seeds,sesame seeds,peanuts,cumin seeds,poppy seeds,copra and the fenugreek seeds till their shade darkens very slightly and the aroma starts emitting.

Grind together the onions,roasted spices,ginger garlis,salt,turmeric,red chilli powder and jaggery or sugar in a very fine paste.Mix with tamarind water.Stuff the brinjals with ground spices,setting aside some of the mixture.

Heat oil.Add curry, leaves after a few seconds,add the stuffed brinjals.Fry for about 10 minutes and then add the reserved ground spices.Cook over medium heat,covered,gently stirring occasionlly.Add just a little water while cooking. Cook till the brinjals are fully cooked and the oil comes to the surface.The dish has thickish consistency.

HYDERABADI MUTTON BIRYANI

PREPARATION TIME:4o mins

MARINATION TIME:3 - 4 hours

COOKING TIME: 30 mins

SERVES:8

INGREDIENTS:

mutton --1 kg [ shoulder of lamb ]

rice - 1/2 kg [ basmati ]

onions--4 finely sliced

ginger paste--1 tsp

garlic paste--1 tsp

green papaya skin--1 tsp [ paste]

red chilli powder--1 tsp

chopped coriander--2 bunches

green mint--1 small bunch

green chillies--4

cardamoms--4

cloves--6

cinnamon stick--1 inch

caraway seeds--1 tsp

peppercorn--1 tsp

nutmeg--1 small piece

mace--a few flakes

Make a fine powder of ingredients from cardamom to mace.

yoghurt--4 cups

lemon juice--of 3 limes

milk--1/2 cup

oil--2/3 cup

ghee or clarified butter--2 tbsp

salt to taste

liberal pinch of saffron

METHOD:

Heat oil and fry the oniond till golden brown,crush them after they cool.Rub the ginger and garlic and the papaya paste into the meat.Add 3 cups of yoghurt,salt,red chilli powder,coriander,mint, green chillies,the ground spices,lemon juice,crushed onions and oil in which the onions were fried.Mix well and marinate.

Wash the rice and mix with 1 cup well beaten yoghurt.Add saffron to 1/2 a cup of milk.Set aside.Take a heavy bottomed pan with a tight covering lid.Transfer the marinated meat with the marinade to the pan.Place the rice over the meat.Sprinkle the saffron milk over the rice.Dot it with ghee.Cover and cook,first at high heat,then at medium and then at low heat till the meat is tender,the liquids are absorbed and rice cooked.Take out gently and serve steaming hot.

SHRIMP BIRYANI

SHRIMP BIRYANI RECIPE

Ingredients:
1 lb Shrimp shelled and deveined
1 cup Basmati Rice
1 Medium chopped Onion
1" Grated Ginger Piece
2 cloves Crushed Garlic
2 Green Chillies
2/3 cup Grated Coconut
2 tsp Garam Masala
1 tbsp Lime Juice
1 tbsp Cashewnuts and Raisins
2 Bay Leaves
1/4 cup Ghee or butter
1 tsp Salt or to taste
How to make shrimp biryani:
Soak the rice in normal water for 20 minutes.
Make a fine paste of green chilies, garam masala, ginger, garlic, cashew nuts & coconut.
In a pan heat 3 tablespoons of butter or ghee and add half of the onions and fry until golden brown.
Add the paste to the onions and stir for about 5 minutes.
Add the shrimps and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix well so that all the shrimps are coated with the cooked masala and cook on a low flame for 5 minutes Remove from heat and set aside.
In a separate pan heat 2 tablespoons of butter or ghee and fry the bay leaves and add the remaining onions and fry until the onions are golden brown.
Add the rice and stir fry for about 10 minutes. Add the peas, 1/2 tsp salt and 2 cup of water.
Put the lid on the pan and let it stay for 15 minutes or until the rice is almost done on a low flame.
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
In a serving bowl mix the shrimps and rice together.
Cover the bowl with the aluminium foil. Put it in the oven for about 10 - 15 minutes.
When done add the lime juice and garnish the shrimp biryani with fried cashewnuts and raisins.

BLACK CURRENT KULFI

BLACKCURRANT KULFI WITH MANGO SALSA

Delicious blackcurrant kulfi served with mango
Preparation Time : 25 minutes
Cooking Time : 3-4 hours
Ingredients
Milk -2 litres
Black currants -1/4 cup
Cashewnuts -10
Condensed milk -3/4 cup
Cream -1/2 cup
Ripe mangoes -2 large
Red chilli flakes -1/4 teaspoon
Lemon juice -1 tablespoon
Honey -1 tablespoon
Method:
Soak blackcurrants in half a cup of warm water for fifteen minutes. Drain and grind coarsely. Grind cashewnuts coarsely.Heat milk in a saucepan and bring it to boil. Let it boil, stirring continuously, till reduced to three-fourths the original quantity. Add condensed milk and keep stirring.Add the coarsely ground cashewnuts and cook till it thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.In a large bowl take ground currants and cream and whisk well. Add the reduced milk. Mix well.Pour into kulfi moulds, seal them airtight and freeze them in the refrigerator till set. Peel mangoes and cut the flesh into half inch sized cubes.To serve arrange the mango cubes in the serving plate. Demould the kulfi and place it amid the mango cubes. Mix lemon juice, honey and chilli flakes and sprinkle over the mango cubes. Serve immediately.