Jasmine and Jinns
Page 10
Gobi Gosht – Cauliflower with Mutton
1 kg cauliflower
½ kg mutton
2-3 tbsp shredded ginger
Prepare gobi gosht with the basic salan recipe. Add the cauliflower to the meat when it is half done, along with finely sliced ginger strips. Leave on low flame till the meat and cauliflower are both done. The cauliflower is used in a larger quantity because it reduces during cooking.
Gobi gosht is bhuna, not watery, so if there is water left, then dry the excess water. As cauliflower is said to be baadi, not easily digestible, it requires a garnish of shredded ginger strips and plenty of fresh chopped corainder leaves.
Chuqandar Gosht – Beetroot with Mutton
1 kg beetroot
250-300 gm spinach
½ kg mutton
Beetroot and meat is another unusual combination that Dilliwalas relish. Beetroots are sweet, so some spinach or beetroot leaves are added to the dish. When I made a fuss as a child, Apa Saeeda almost force-fed me saying, ‘Chuqandar se khoon banta hai,’ beetroots increase your blood count! I grew to love them as she made them so well.
There are two way of cutting beetroot. Amma would slice them in half, then cut them into wafer-thin slices. Apa Saeeda grated the beetroot, and since I learnt from her, I do the same. I prefer the shredded beets but this is a personal choice.
Since beetroots melts and reduce while cooking, it is best to use 1 kg for ½ kg mutton. Make chuqandar gosht with the basic salan recipe. Add the beetroot to the meat when it is half done. To reduce the sweetness, add a small bunch of palak leaves weighing 250-300 gram.
Sometimes, I make it without the spinach and still love the taste. This dish is not meant to be watery, so if there is water left in the cooking utensil, cook on high flame and dry the excess water. A fresh green chutney made of garlic, green chillies and coriander leaves is mixed with chuqandar gosht after the cooking is done. It adds a tangy taste.
Green chutney for Chuqandar Gosht
A few pods of garlic
Few green chillies
Small bunch of fresh coriander leaves
Small bunch of fresh mint leaves
½ tsp dried raw mango powder (amchoor)
Salt to taste
Grind all the above ingredients in a mixer and the chutney is ready.
Gandley Gosht – Mustard Greens with Mutton
1½ kg shredded gandley (sarson saag)
½ kg shredded spinach (palak)
½ kg mutton
3-4 tbsp shredded ginger
Sarson saag, that is mustard greens, is made with and without meat. Dilliwalas prefer sarson with mutton, we call it gandley gosht. The leaves and the stems close to the leaves should be washed thoroughly and finely chopped.
Prepare the meat with the basic salan recipe. Don’t use too much water while cooking the meat base as spinach will release a lot of water. When the meat is half done, add sarson and palak along with shredded ginger strips. Leave on low flame till done. This is not a gravy dish, so make sure that the excess water has dried. Garnish with shredded ginger strips.
Dal Gosht – Lentil with Mutton
300 gm kg chana dal
½ kg mutton qorma or plain salan
Dal
300 gm chana dal
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 level tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp garlic paste
Salt to taste
Prepare dal gosht with the basic salan recipe and make sure that the meat is done. Then, remove the oil layer and set aside. If it is left in the utensil, the chana dal will later absorb it all up.
Ideally chana dal should be soaked in water for a few hours before cooking. Boil the dal with turmeric, red chilli, garlic paste and salt. Add just enough water for the dal to cook while remaining whole. If using a pressure cooker, one whistle is enough. When the dal is ready, add to the mutton qorma. Take the oil set aside and pour over the serving dish. Garnish with sookha pudina, dried mint, or fresh mint leaves and a sprinkling of garam masala.
Lobia Gosht – Black Eyed Peas with Mutton
1 kg black eyed peas
½ kg mutton
2-3 tbsp shredded ginger strips
Prepare lobia gosht with the basic salan recipe. Destring the lobia and cut them into half inch pieces. Add the sliced lobia to the meat when it is half done along with the shredded ginger strips.
Garnish with shredded ginger strips.
Matar Qeema – Green Pea Mince
½ kg shelled green peas
½ kg mincemeat
4 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 whole green chillies
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garlic paste
¾ tsp ginger paste
3-4 medium-sized onions
2-3 tbsp shredded ginger strips
Salt to taste
Heat oil and fry the onions to golden brown. Now add garlic, ginger, coriander powder, chilli powder and salt. Fry for a few minutes, then add the mincemeat. When it is half done, add tomatoes and stir for 5 to 10 minutes before leaving on low flame. It is better to skin the tomatoes, but this is not necessary. Add peas, ginger strips and whole green chillies to the mincemeat when it is half done. Leave on low flame till the mincemeat and peas are tender.
Traditionally, matar qeema is cooked with curd instead of tomatoes. I prefer using tomatoes. They add both taste and colour to the dish. You could replace the tomatoes with 200 gm curd. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves and a sprinkling of garam masala.
Kachri Qeema – Marinated Smoked Mince
Kachri is a small, wild brown melon found in desert areas. It is a common ingredient in Rajasthani cuisine. We use it as a food tenderizer and it is available at spice stores in both whole and powder form. Kachri spoil easily on contact with moisture and should be stored in airtight containers. Whole kachri stay better and it is best to crush them when needed.
Kachri qeema is a specialty and not many outside our community know of this dish. It is amongst my son Arman’s favourite dishes. He claims it transports him straight to paradise! Each time I make it, he begins inviting his friends over and it doesn’t last very long on the table. This is an absolute must-try recipe.
Marination
1 kg mincemeat
4 whole kachris crushed or 2 tsp kachri powder
1 cup half-ripe papaya, peeled and pulped
1-1½ tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
Salt to taste
Marinate the mincemeat with all the above ingredients. Leave overnight in the fridge or at least for four to five hours.
Cooking the Mincemeat
300 gm curd
4 medium-sized onions, golden fried
4 cloves
4 green cardamoms (optional)
½ cup oil
Mix the curd and onions with the marinated mincemeat an hour before cooking. Heat oil and add the cloves and cardamoms and leave for a minute or two till they crackle. Now add the marinated mincemeat. Stir for a few minutes on medium flame and then leave on low flame till done. Do not use the pressure cooker. This is a dry dish, so let the water released from the mincemeat evaporate fully.
After the mincemeat is cooked, prepare to smoke it. Light a small piece of coal over the stove flame, then place it on an onion slice, pour a few drops of oil on the live coal so it smokes. Then, leave the smoking coal over the qeema and cover the cooking pot with a lid. Let it remain there for a few minutes. I sometimes use a long deep spoon, place the smoking coal on it and close the lid. It adds an exceptional smoked aroma.
Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves, onion rings, chopped green chillies, shredded ginger strips and a sprinkling of garam masala. A squeeze of lemon juice adds a bit of tanginess.
Palak Qeema – Spinach Mince
1 kg spinach
½ kg mincemeat
Palak qeema is made with the same recipe as the matar qeema. Replace the tomatoes with 200 to 250 gm curd. In palak qeema, a fistful of fresh chopped methi leaves or a teaspoon of dried methi leaves is usually added along with the palak to enhance the flavour.
Lobia Qeema – Black Eyed Peas Mince
½ kg lobia
½ kg mincemeat
2-3 whole green chillies
Lobia salan and lobia qeema are both specialties of Dilliwalas. For lobia qeema, use the matar qeema recipe, replacing the peas with lobia beans. Also, make sure to replace the tomatoes with 200 gm of curd. Destring the lobia and then cut in fine pieces. Add the green chillies and lobia to the mince when it is half done. Garnish with shredded ginger strips.
Murgh Musallam – Whole Chicken
Murgh musallam was once a favoured dish in Emperor Akbar’s court. It was part of the staple banquet cuisine in Delhi. Khala Rabia, Ammi’s older sister makes the best murgh musallam in the family. Khala lives in the Kishanganj Mohalla near Hindu Baada Rao. I enjoy visiting her house, which has a traditional courtyard and large sunken mirrors on the wall with borders of rare English floral tiles. This is Khala’s recipe.
1 kg whole chicken
Marination
3 tsp cumin seeds, roasted
8 black peppercorns
2 lemons
2 medium-sized onions, chopped
2 tsp ginger paste
2 tsp garlic paste
1-1½ tsp red chilli powder
250-300 gm curd
Salt to taste
Stuffing
2 medium-sized onions, finely chopped
2 eggs, hard boiled
Saffron or saffron colouring
4-5 green chillies, finely chopped
Roasted almonds (optional)
Roasted cashew nuts (optional)
Cooking
6 cloves
6 green cardamoms
½ cup oil
Wash the chicken well and prick all around with a fork. Then make a few cuts so the marinating mixture goes deep inside. Grind all the spices together in a mixer and add the lemon juice. Marinate the chicken all over with this paste. Leave for a few hours in the fridge.
Dip the boiled eggs in a few strands of saffron or a little saffron colouring soaked in a tablespoon of milk, otherwise the eggs will remain a bland white. Place these peeled, hard-boiled eggs and the rest of the stuffing inside the stomach hollow. Khala Rabia stitches the chicken up with a needle and thread. I tie a thick cotton thread and crisscross it to seal the stuffing and keep the chicken whole.
Once the chicken is sewn tightly, heat oil, add cloves and cardamoms. Crackle them for a minute or two and then place the chicken in the utensil. Use a wide pan that takes the whole chicken comfortably. Toss it around gently so it colours evenly and then leave for about half-an-hour on low flame till ready. Serve whole on a large rice dish and pour the leftover gravy over it. If you wish to dress the dish extravagantly, make a ring of dry fruits such as raisins, roasted cashews, almonds and pine nuts around the murgh musallam. Carve on the dining table.
A food stall near Jama Masjid, Delhi
Fish
Dilliwalas love fish, but have rules regarding their consumption. They mostly eat fish in the months that contain the letter ‘r’. We begin cooking in September and continue till April. I don’t know exactly when and how these informal rules came to be established. One obvious reason appears to be that because fish has garam taseer, it is best enjoyed in winter. The other reason is that since Dilliwalas traditionally got their fish from the Yamuna river, they did not fish during breeding season.
Before the advent of refrigerated transport facilities, Dilliwalas were dependent on the fresh catch from the Yamuna. Now Delhi gets fish from Gujrat, Mumbai and other parts of the country. Earlier we got fish from the fish market near Jama Masjid, but now it is easier for me to buy from markets in New Delhi.
Dilliwalas mostly relish fish either in a salan or fried. Fish tikka are a recent addition. Food stalls near the Jama Masjid have been known for the best fried fish. I maintain the family tradition of going there occasionally to enjoy their fried fish during winter.
Machli Salan – Fish Curry
The preferred variety of fish for is singhara, a river fish with a central bone. Fish sellers know how make different cuts for frying, baking and curry dishes. You can have it deboned, but it just doesn’t taste the same, for bone stock adds flavour to the dish.
1 kg fish, sliced
6-7 medium-sized onions, golden fried
2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1½-2 tsp red chilli powder
6 tbsp coriander powder
6 cloves
6-8 green cardamom pods
400 gm curd
½ cup oil
1 tsp dried methi leaves (optional)
Salt to taste
Blend the fried onions with the curd and keep the mixture aside. Heat oil and add cloves and green cardamoms. After a minute or two, add garlic and ginger paste, coriander powder, salt and red chilli powder. Remember to add a little water so that the masala does not burn. After a few minutes, when oil bubbles surface, add the onion and curd mixture. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes till the bubbles rise. Lastly, add the fish pieces and cook for 10 to 15 minutes on low flame till done. Add dried methi to the fish a few minutes before turning off the flame. Keep a check on the fish so that the pieces don’t break with excess cooking. Garnish with a sprinkling of garam masala.
Machli Salan is best enjoyed with basmati rice. I like to heat a little desi ghee and add a teaspoon of cumin seeds and a little salt before adding the rice and leaving it to cook.
Tali Machli – Fish Fry
Although Dilliwalas prefer singhada for frying, this recipe can be used for other varieties of fish.
1 kg fish, sliced
2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
2-3 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp garam masala
250 gm curd, thick
½ tsp turmeric
Gram flour (besan) for coating
Salt to taste
Marinate the fish with all the above ingredients for 4 to 6 hours. Then coat the pieces of fish with gram flour and deep fry in piping hot oil. The flour can be dry or made into thick batter by adding a little water and a pinch of salt. Spread the fried fish on paper towels to soak the excess oil. Serve with fresh green or any other chutney.
Matar ki Phaliyaan – Peas in the Pod
½ kg peas in the pod
½ tsp red chilli powder
2-3 tbsp tamarind water
Salt to taste
Matar ki Phaliyan remind me of my childhood when we had these as evening snacks on the arrival of winter. The peas must be from the first fresh crop of the season that are both soft and sweet.
Wash the whole peas with the chilka, outer covering, thoroughly. Boil these in half a cup of water with red chilli powder and salt. Keep on low flame or, if using the pressure cooker, let it cook for one whistle. Meanwhile, mix some tamarind in a little water. Run this water through a sieve and pour over the cooked whole peas. Serve these peas in the pod on a platter.
The proper method of eating matar ki phaliyan is daant se soonthna, to slide and scrape them with the teeth. This way one gets the combined taste of the pulp from the pod and the peas.
Shalgam Bhujia – Turnip Crush
Dilliwalas relish shalgam in any form. Cooking turnips with meat or without are both popular in winter. Shalgam Bhujia is easy and quick to prepare. Apa Saeeda taught me this recipe.
1 kg turnips
10-12 garlic pods
2 tsp cumin seeds
5-6 red chillies, whole
150-200 gm curd
¼ cup oil
Salt to taste
Boil the turnips with the skin. Turnips are best boiled in a pressure cooker with one whistle. Once done, peel and mash the turnips.
You can use a fork or the special ladle used for mashing potatoes.
Chop the garlic into small rounds. Heat oil and add the garlic. When it turns light brown, add cumin seeds and leave for a minute till they crackle. Now add chopped red chillies and salt. Then add the mashed turnips and fry for a few minutes before adding the lightly beaten curd. Stir occasionally and leave on low flame for 5 to 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves.
Bathua Roti – Spinach Roti
Bathua is a saag available only in winter. Dilliwalas make rotis with this variety of spinach. Bathua Roti with plain curd and a little pickle on the side is by itself a wholesome meal. This was one of Apa Saeeda’s regular treats for us during winter. She taught me this recipe. Once the bathua roti mixture is ready, it can be stored it in the fridge for a few days and pulled out to make fresh roti when required.
½ kg whole-wheat flour
1 kg bathua
1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp garlic paste
Salt to taste
Pluck the bathua leaves and clean them thoroughly. Then boil them for around 10 minutes and strain. Now, add to regular whole-wheat flour and mix the two well. The wheat will take on a green colour. Add the remaining ingredients to the dough.
Make roti on a regular tava. Use oil, or preferably a little desi ghee, to spread over the tava before making the roti. When cooking the roti on the flip side, oil the tava again. Place the roti on a paper towel to drain excess oil. This is best served with fresh curd and pickle.