After the month of fasts, the feasts

While Ramadan is a time of fasting and piety, it is also a time when the city comes alive with the delicious aromas of some of its signature dishes. The heavenly haleem for example, is served only during this month. And then there are the kebabs, Nihari, Pathar Ka Gosht, and much more to look forward to.

To celebrate the holy month and Eid veteran home cook Nuzhat Khan of Jodhpur, who caters to people through Thrice app, shares some of her favourite recipes.

Chicken Khorma

Ingredients:

• 1kg chicken, cut into medium pieces                                     
• 200ml curd, thick                                                                          
• 100ml oil                                                                                       
• 300 gm ginger garlic paste
• 15gm chilli powder                                                                          
• 5gm haldi                                                                  
• 10gm dhania powder                                                                   
• salt to taste                                                                                    
• 30gm cashew nuts                                                                      
• 20gm poppy seeds                                               
• 2 cinnamon  pieces                                                                          
• 3gm shahzeera                                                                              
• 6nos elaichi
• 4nos cloves                                                                                      
• saffron, a pinch                                                                               
• mint leaves, 2 sprigs of  chopped                                                      
• 2nos green chillies, chopped                                                      

Method:

• Wash and drain chicken. Marinate in curd and salt. Set aside for 1 hour.
• Slice the onions, fry in oil till golden brown. Drain and grind to a fine paste.
• Heat the oil in which the onions were fried, add ginger garlic paste, cashews and poppy seeds paste. Fry for a while.
• Add chilli powder, haldi powder and dhania powder. Fry on low flame for a minute. Add half cup of water. Let it simmer till oil separates out.
• Add the marinated chicken, fry till the curd masala gets fried.
• Add the fried onion paste and two cups of water.
• Powder cinnamon, elaichi, cloves and shahzeera. Add to the chicken masala.
• Sprinkle coriander, mint and green chillies. Cover and simmer till the chicken is cooked. Add more water if necessary.
• Add soaked and ground saffron.

To serve:

Lay chicken pieces in a dish, pour the gravy on it. Garnish with chopped mint and coriander.

Shikampoor

Ingredients:

• 750gm minced mutton                                               
• 50gm bengal gram dal                                          
• 20gm ginger garlic paste                                          
• 15gm red chilli powder                                            
• 5gm turmeric                                                              
• 5gm shahzeera                                                             
• 5gm coriander powder                                             
• mint leaves, 4 sprigs                                                     
• coriander leaves, 4 sprigs                                          
• 3-4 green chillies                                                          
• 30gm onions, sliced                                                        
• 30gm roasted bengal gram                                         
• salt to taste                                                                        
• lime juice, of one lime                                                         
• oil                                                                     
• 20gm cashews                                                                   
• 20gm poppy seeds     

For the stuffing:
Thick hung curd 30g, u  30gm onions, finely chopped                                
mint leaves, 2 sprigs, Finely chopped  u coriander leaves 2 sprigs, Finely chopped u salt to taste           

Method:

• Wash and drain minced mutton.
• Add ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, Bengal gram daal, turmeric powder, mint, coriander, green chillies, onions, salt and 250ml water.
• Pressure cook for five whistles. Reduce pressure and cook the meat till dry but moist.
• Roast the cashew and poppy seeds powder along with the cardamom, shahzeera and roasted Bengal gram dal.
• Grind the meat mixture to a fine texture. Use the lime juice to moisten.
• Mix well with the cashew and spices powder. Divide into even sized balls.
• Grease hands with oil, flatten a ball into a cup shape. Put a teaspoonful of stuffing in the centre.
• Bring the sides together to cover the mixture and a patty is formed.
• Pat on both sides and smoothen the edges, repeat for the rest of the balls.
• On a flat pan, shallow fry the shikampoors on both sides till brown.

For the stuffing:
Remove excess water from the curd by putting it in a strainer.
Mix well with chopped onion, mint, coriander and salt.

To serve:
Garnish with onion and mint with wedges of lime.

Hyderabadi Mutton Dum Biryani

Ingredients:

• 1kg, Mutton with bones
• 50gm, Ginger garlic paste
• 20gm chilli powder
• 10gm turmeric powder
• 10gm cardamom powder
• 5g mace and nutmeg powder
• 5nos cardamom whole
• 5nos cloves
• 2 pieces cinnamons
• 5gm shahzeera
• lime juice, of 2 limes
• 2 bunches coriander leaves, chopped
• 2 bunches, mint leaves, chopped
• 4-5reen chillies, chopped
• salt to taste
• 250ml thick curd

For rice:

• 750g, biryani rice
• 5gm shahzeera
• 2 pieces, cinnamon
• 6nos cardamom
• 6nos, cloves
• 10 pepper corns
• salt to taste
• 1ltr water, approx

For layering:

• 300gm onion, sliced, fried to golden brown
• 175ml ghee
• coriander, 1 bunch
• mint, 1 bunch
• lime juice, of 4 limes
• 300 ml, milk 300ml
• saffron soaked in half cup milk

Method:

• Wash, clean and drain the mutton.  
• Add ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric powder, cardamom, shahzeera, lime juice and salt.
• Mix well. Let the mixture rest for at least one hour.
• Add the beaten curd, chopped mint, coriander and green chillies.  Mix well and set aside for 20 minutes.
• Lay meat mixture in a thick bottomed pan. Pat it.
• Heat ghee, fry onions to a golden brown, drain roughly and set aside.
• Sprinkle the fried onion, coriander and mint leaves on the meat mixture.

Layering:

• Wash rice in plenty of water till the water comes out clean.
• Soak rice in water for half an hour.
• Boil water with spices, ginger garlic paste and salt. Bring to a brisk boil.
• Drain soaked rice and add to the boiling water. When the water starts to boil again, cook for two minutes. With a strainer or ladle, remove a portion of the rice and layer it on the meat mixture. Level it.
• Keep cooking rice for five more minutes. Again remove a portion of rice and cover it on top of the previous layer.
• Repeat this process till all the rice is layered.
• Sprinkle lime juice, milk and saffron.  Pour over the ghee.
• Cover with a tight fitting lid.
• Cook on high flame for 10 minutes.
• Lower heat to a simmer, put a tawa underneath the pan. Cook for 30 minutes.
• Turn the flame off. Let the biryani cook in its own steam for at least 20 minutes.

Sheer khorma

• 1.5ltr whole milk                                                                                                      
• 50gm seviyan (fine vermicelli)                                                                             
• 60ml ghee                                                                                                              
• 250gm sugar                                                                                                          
• 30gm almonds                                                                                                       
• 30gm pistachios                                                                                                     
• 150gm dried dates                                                                                                
• 5nos cardamom                                                                                                    
• 5nos cloves                                                                                                            

Method:

• Soak almonds, pistachios and dates overnight.
• Boil milk to reduce to 1ltr.
• Heat 30g of ghee, add cardamom, cloves and crushed vermicelli. Fry on a low flame till light golden brown.
• Pour in the reduced milk along with the dates sliced length wise, boil for 10 minutes.
• Reduce the heat and boil for five more minutes.
• Cut the almonds and pistachios into fine slices.
• Heat the remaining ghee in a small pan and fry the nuts till light golden brown. Reserve half the nuts for garnishing.
• Add the remaining ghee and nuts to the sheer khorma.

To serve: Serve in bowls and sprinkle the fried nuts.