Tag: protein

Chana Dal Gosht – A great recipe from Pakistan!

chana dal gosht-1

INGREDIENTS

For the Bhuna Gosht

1 kg Mutton/Lamb (with bone)
4 Medium Onion, peeled, finely chopped
4 tsp Garlic paste
3 tsp Red Chilli powder
Salt
3 tsp Coriander powder
2 tsp Cumin powder
½ tsp Turrmeric powder (haldi)
5 Medium Tomatoes, pureed or finely chopped
4 tsp Ginger paste
1-½ cups Water
¼ cup Oil / Ghee

For the Chana Dal Gosht

1 cup Chana Dal (split chick peas)
2 tsp Red Chilli powder
2 tsp Garam Masala powder
4-5 tbs Fresh Cream
1 Onion, sliced, fried until brown and kept aside
2 Green chillies, lightly fried
A handful of mint leaves
Lemon juice

PROCEDURE

  1. Put mutton, onions, garlic, salt, chili powder, ground coriander, turmeric and water in a heavy based saucepan or pressure cooker. Cook for 20 minutes on high flame, stirring continuously (bhunaoing) or until all the water including the water from the chopped onions has dried up.
  2. Add tomatoes and ginger paste. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring all the time.
  3. Add oil and cook for 10 minutes, again stirring all the time. Add one or two tablespoons of water to prevent gravy from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
  4. Shut the flame when oil separates from the gravy.
  5. Add the chana dal and red chilli powder to the bhuna gosht prepared above.
  6. Add water to this. Make sure that the water covers around 1 inch above the level of the dal and meat.
  7. Simmer under pressure for 3 whistles. Alternatively cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the dal and meat are fully cooked.
  8. Open the lid. Sprinkle garam masala powder, adjust the salt and mix thoroughly. Cook on medium flame for around 10 minutes, stirring continuously. Turn off the flame.
  9. Add fresh cream and mix into the Dal Gosht. Cover and let it rest for around 10 minutes.
  10. Serve with lemon juice, fresh mint and brown onions.

This is a wonderful recipe that I have got from the great singer/composer and my brother from Pakistan, Shafqat Ali. The dish is attractive, delicious and a massive hit with everybody. The trick is to ensure that Bhuna Gosht is made correctly with a lot of stirring to ensure that gravy does not get stuck to the bottom of the pan.

You can make a lot of variations to this dish. Change the dal – try red lentils, kidney beans or soaked Bengal gram or a mixture of all the dals. Instead of dal you can also add vegetables like okra, cauliflower, potatoes, yam or turnips to the Bhuna Gosht to get delightful dishes! Cooking times of course will vary. You can also replace the tomatoes with yoghurt. Keep trying and serving. That is what passion is all about. Happy cooking!

Mutton Kolhapuri – nothing subtle about this one!

mutton kolhapuri -3INGREDIENTS

1 kg Mutton, medium sized pieces
3 large Potatoes, cut into large pieces
1 ½ tsp Turmeric powder
2 tbs Ginger-Garlic paste
5 large Tomatoes, chopped
3 large Onions, chopped
½ Coconut, grated
10 pcs Cloves (Laung)
8-10 pcs Whole Red chillies
2 tsp Poppy seeds
2 tsp Fennel seeds (saunf)
2 tsp Coriander seeds
2 tsp Peppercorns
½ cup Oil
Salt, to taste

PROCEDURE

  1. Thoroughly mix salt, turmeric powder and ginger-garlic paste into the meat. Keep aside for at least  45 mins.
  2. Heat 3-4 tbs of oil in a pan. Add the poppy seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and red chillies. Fry until the poppy seeds just begin to turn brown.
  3. Add the chopped onions. Fry until light brown.
  4. Add the grated coconut and fry for about 1 minute.
  5. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry (bhunno continuously) until the oil begins to separate from the masala.
  6. Cool the masala. Blend to a fine paste. Kolhapuri Masala is now ready.
  7. Heat the remaining oil in a pressure cooker. Add the marinated mutton pieces and potatoes. Fry until they turn brownish.
  8. Add the Kolhapuri Masala prepared above. Mix well. Add approximately 2-3 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Cover.
  9. Cook the mutton under pressure on low heat for around 4-5 whistles (depending on the tenderness of the meat).
  10. Wait for all the pressure to be released, then open the lid.
  11. Add chopped fresh coriander and mix.

 While I enjoy subtle flavors and aromatic cuisines, this Mutton Kolhapuri was a welcome change. There is nothing subtle or gentle about it but it is simply delicious. You can use the Kolhapuri masala for chicken, vegetables  or paneer but I think the robust flavors come out best with red meat. Eat this with the traditional Maharashtrian bread bhakri or the sinful, deep fried wada. As usual I prefer it with my staid, slightly crisp phoolka.

Jowar Bhakri
Jowar Bhakri

Cooked this mutton kolhapuri for my wife last night. I  was showered with a lot of rekindled  love, affection and a much needed foot massage. Maybe it was the poppy seeds! Or the excellent new wine from the Dindori region of Nashik. This region produces some excellent grapes and the wines from here are excellent. Sula Dindori Reserve and Chateau d’Ori are two brands that use grapes from this region. While the Sula Reserve is truly the pick of Indian wines, this new one is also quite good. Cheers!

Chicken Breast in a Bag!

chicken in a bag

INGREDIENTS

2-3 Chicken Breasts
2-3 Baby Potatoes
2 Lemons
4 tbs Olive Oil
1 tbs Ginger Paste
1 tsp Fennel seeds, hand pounded (saunf)
2 cloves Garlic
2 tbs Dried Oregano
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Salt

PROCEDURE

  1. Pre-heat the oven to approx. 220°C.
  2. Make a bag placing 2 pieces of tin foil (large enough) on top of each other. Fold three sides and keep one side open.
  3. Flatten the chicken breasts with a mallet.
  4. Pierce the baby potatoes with a fork.
  5. Squeeze the lemon juice and reserve the lemon. Put these in a bowl.
  6. Add olive oil, crushed dried oregano, ginger paste, pounded fennel seeds, garlic, and black pepper to this.
  7. Put the chicken breasts and potatoes. Mix.
  8. Keep this mixture aside for around 45 minutes. (Longer the better!)
  9. Place this mixture in your foil bag. Seal the bag and place carefully on a roasting tray.
  10. Heat in the pre-heated oven for approximately 30-35 minutes.
  11. Remove from the oven. Break open the foil on the table.

Enjoy this simple recipe with pao, garlic bread or lemon rice. Experiment with different herbs like thyme, rosemary and vegetables like spinach, beans, mushrooms. You can also add fresh cream or white wine to the marinade to get delightful variations. Serve with a glass of good white wine.

Dal Chicken (Chicken in a Red Lentil Sauce)

 dal chickenINGREDIENTS

1 kg Chicken, medium pieces, cleaned and washed
¼ cup Yoghurt
1 tbs Oil
2 tbs lemon juice
1-1/2 cup Water
Salt
1 tsp Turmeric powder (Haldi powder)
2 tsp Coriander powder (Dhania powder)
1 tsp Red Chilli powder
½ tsp Cumin seed powder (jeera powder)
½ tsp Cumin seeds (jeera)
2 Medium Onions, chopped
2 Medium Potatoes, diced
½ cup Red Lentil (Masoor dal)
2 Medium Tomatoes, chopped
1 tbs Ginger, julienned

  1. Mix the chicken thoroughly with yoghurt, 1 tbs lemon juice, salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Marinate for approximately 45 minutes.
  2. In a pressure cooker heat the oil
  3. Fry the cumin seeds for a minute. Add the onions and sauté until golden brown.
  4. Add the marinated chicken and diced potatoes. Mix thoroughly.
  5. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes.
  6. Now add the red lentils and chopped tomatoes. Cook on medium flame for a 2-3 minutes.
  7. Add water, bring to a boil. Cover the pressure cooker and lower the flame to low.
  8. Simmer under pressure for 2 whistles. Turn off the burner and let the steam release slowly on its own from the cooker.
  9. After all the steam has been released, open the lid and cook until the chicken is tender and the sauce is completely done. Adjust the salt. Stir continuously while cooking.
  10. Add the remaining lemon juice and mix. Sprinkle julienned ginger before serving.

This is again a light and unique recipe and tastes delightful.  I enjoy this with steamed kolam rice or any unpolished rice.  I am not very fond of the excessively refined basmati rice available in stores.  I also enjoy this mildly spiced dish with a good crisp paratha. Great recipe for those who are on diet and particularly for all those on high protein diets! You could also try this with lamb. Of course cooking times will vary. A tempering (tadka) of ghee, garlic, whole red chillies and a pinch of asafoetida (heeng) can be an interesting addition.

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