Courting Awadhi food

Celebrating the ‘courtly cuisine’ of Lucknow, Chef Mohammed Asif Qureshi of Kochi Marriott gives out the recipie of a unique and a grand Awadhi cuisine, the nehari.

Lucknowi Nehari

Ingredients

• Mutton -500 grams
• Onions, sliced-2
• Ginger Paste-2 table spoons
• Garlic cloves, chopped- 8
• Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
• Tomato puree-2 teaspoon
• Bay leaf -2
• Water-2 cups
• Curd, beaten-1 cup
• Cooking oil-2 teaspoons
• Ghee-1 teaspoon

For the Spice Powder

• Ginger, julienned-1 teaspoon
• Nutmeg powder , a pinch
• Mace powder-1/2 tea spoon
• Cinnamon stick-1
• Black pepper powder-1/4 teaspoon
• Bay leaf -2
• Black cardamom -1
• Red chilli powder-1 teaspoon

Preparation

• To begin making Nihari Gosht Recipe, first clean the mutton pieces and rub salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder on the meat.
• Leave the mutton pieces to rest for 15 minutes.
• Take a bowl and mix all  the dry spice ingredients nutmeg powder, mace powder, black pepper powder, bay leaves,  black cardamom and red chili powder.
• Place a pan on medium flame and add ghee and  oil. Once the oil and ghee have warmed up, add the  chopped onions and  sauté until the onions are  soft. Now add the ginger  paste and chopped garlic cloves. Sauté until the  raw smell goes away.
• Now add the marinated mutton pieces and fry till the colour of mutton changes which will be in approximately 10 minutes.
• Add bay leaves, tomato puree and the dry spice ingredients that you had mixed in a bowl. Sauté for another five minutes  until the spices get combined well.
• Now add the beaten curd and water. Close the lid  of the pan and let it simmer for two hours.
• Transfer the Nihari Gosht to a serving bowl and  add the julienned ginger.