Bihari Kebab - II

May 20, 2020

Smoky, spicy, and melt-in-the-mouth — Bihari Kebab is a dish steeped in North Indian heritage. Traditionally cooked on open flames, the key lies in its deeply aromatic marinade and mustard oil magic.

Ingredients #

• Chicken / Lamb / Beef – 1 kg (cut in long strips)
• Papaya – (optional, for tenderising lamb or beef)
• Onion – 2
• Ginger & Garlic paste – 2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Black pepper – 1 tsp
• Garam masala (or meat masala) – to taste
  (Garam masala includes green cardamom, black cardamom, clove, nutmeg/jayphal, mace/javitri, cinnamon stick)
• Khas khas (poppy seeds) – 1 tbsp
• Red chilli (whole) – 2
• Yoghurt – ½ cup
• Bhuna besan (roasted gram flour) – 1 tbsp
• Mustard oil – as needed
• Salt – to taste

Method #

1. Dry roast cumin seeds, black pepper, and garam masala spices in a pan for about a minute. Grind to a fine powder.
2. Separately grind onion, ginger, garlic, khas khas, and red chilli into a smooth paste.
3. In a large bowl, mix the ground spices and paste with yoghurt, bhuna besan, salt, and mustard oil.
4. Add meat strips to the marinade.
   • If using lamb or beef, add mashed raw papaya for tenderness.
5. Let marinate:
   • Chicken – 1.5 hours
   • Lamb – 2 hours
   • Beef – 2+ hours
6. Cook over a pan (covered) or grill in the oven/barbecue until cooked through and nicely charred.

Serve hot with paratha or mint chutney for the full Bihari experience.

Moussaka

December 3, 2016

Moussaka #

A good moussaka is a joy to behold — cinnamon-spiced lamb mingling with aubergines and topped with a delicious creamy béchamel-style sauce.

Moussaka is an eggplant- or potato-based dish, often including ground meat, with regional variations found across countries of the former Ottoman Empire.

• In Turkey, it’s sautéed and served warm or at room temperature.
• In Arabic countries, it’s often eaten cold.
• In the Balkans, it’s layered and served hot, with a top layer of creamy custard or béchamel.

Ingredients #

Base #

• 2 aubergines / brinjals (cut into 1cm/½in slices)
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 750g lamb mince
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1½ tsp dried mint
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 400g canned chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 7 tbsp olive oil
• 500g potatoes (peeled and sliced into 1cm/½in slices)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

White Sauce #

• 125g ricotta
• 25g finely grated parmesan
• 125g Greek yogurt
• 3 eggs
• Freshly grated nutmeg (to taste)
• Salt and black pepper (to taste)

Recipe #

1. Place aubergine slices in a colander, sprinkle with salt and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a frying pan.
3. Add onions, garlic, oregano, mint, bay leaves, and cinnamon. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add lamb mince. Cook for 10 minutes, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon.
5. Stir in flour, season with salt and black pepper.
6. Add tomatoes and purée, bring to simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Set aside.
7. Rinse aubergines under cold water, pat dry with a tea towel.
8. Heat 3 tbsp oil and fry aubergines 2–3 minutes each side. Drain on kitchen paper.
9. Boil potatoes for 5 minutes. Drain and cool.
10. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
11. In a baking dish, layer one-third meat sauce, followed by potatoes and aubergines.
12. Repeat layers two more times, ending with aubergines on top.
13. For the white sauce, beat together ricotta, half the parmesan, yogurt, eggs, and nutmeg.
14. Season with salt and pepper.
15. Pour over layered dish and spread evenly.
16. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan.
17. Bake for 45 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Serve hot. Best enjoyed with crusty bread and a fresh green salad.

Galawati Kebab

October 10, 2016

Galawati Kebab #

Melt-in-your-mouth kebabs from the Awadhi table! Try this aromatic and flavoursome Galawati Kebab recipe (also called Galouti Kebab), originally created for Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Lucknow, who had lost all his teeth but not his passion for meat.

Traditionally made using finely minced meat, unripe papaya and a mix of exotic spices, Galawati Kebabs are famous for their soft texture and luxurious aroma.

Ingredients #

For the meat mixture: #

• ½ kg finely minced meat (lamb, mutton, veal or beef)
• 3–4 tbsp raw papaya paste
• 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 2 tbsp roasted chickpea flour (besan)
• 2–3 strands of saffron (soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk)
• 1 tbsp rose water
• 1 tbsp kewra water
• 1 tbsp milk powder
• Salt to taste
• Desi ghee – for frying

For the Galawat Spice Mix: #

• ½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves (laung)
• 4 green cardamoms (choti elaichi)
• 2–3 black cardamoms (badi elaichi)
• 4 black peppercorns (kali mirch)
• ¼ tsp mace (javitri)
• Pinch of nutmeg (jaifal)
• 1 tsp poppy seeds (khas khas)
• ½ tsp mustard seeds (rai)
• 2 bay leaves

For Dum (smoking): #

• 1 piece of coal
• 3 cloves
• 2 green cardamoms

Recipe #

1. Marinate the Meat:
   Clean and deseed papaya, make a paste. Mix papaya paste into minced meat and marinate for 2 hours.

Nihari

September 10, 2016

Nihari #

Nihari (Urdu: نهاری‎) is a rich, slow-cooked meat stew made from lamb or beef shanks and often enhanced with bone marrow. Traditionally eaten after Fajr prayers, its name comes from the Arabic word “Nahar” (نهار) meaning “day.”

The dish simmers overnight in large vessels known as shab deg—resulting in intensely deep flavours and melt-in-the-mouth meat. Though chicken versions exist, beef shanks or lamb leg bring out the best texture and taste.

Kashmiri Mutton Tikka (Seekh Tuji)

July 18, 2020

Seekh Tuji — the smoky soul of Kashmiri street food. Skewered over charcoal by riverside vendors or in backyard barbecues, these succulent tikkas are marinated in a fiery spice blend, bursting with flavour and tradition.

Ingredients #

• Mutton boneless or chicken quarter legs – 1 kg
• Mustard oil – a few tablespoons (for frying chili powder and marination)
• Red chili powder – 1 tbsp
• Curd – 1 cup
• Vinegar – 2 tbsp
• Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Black pepper powder – ½ tsp
• Meat masala – 2 tbsp
• Salt – to taste

Method #

1. Heat mustard oil and briefly fry the red chili powder to bring out its colour and aroma.
2. In a large bowl, mix the fried chili oil with curd, vinegar, ginger garlic paste, and all other spices.
   (Tip: Roast whole coriander, cumin, and pepper seeds before grinding for extra depth of flavour.)
3. Add the meat and coat it thoroughly.
4. Leave to marinate overnight in the fridge.
5. Thread onto skewers and grill until cooked through and slightly charred.
6. Serve hot with chutney, naan, or saffron rice.

Home | BBQ

Tangri Kebab

September 7, 2016

Tangri Kebab #

A succulent North Indian-style stuffed chicken leg kebab, marinated in a rich, tangy Afghani-style base and filled with a savoury egg and mince stuffing before being grilled to perfection.

Marinade #

Same as Afghani Chicken (Barbecue)

• 1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• 3 tbsp White vinegar
• Salt (to taste)
• (Optional: Food colour)

Stuffing (for 4 pieces) #

• 1 Egg
• 100 g Chicken keema
• Black pepper (to taste)
• Salt (to taste)
• Khoya (small amount, crumbled)
• Green chilli (finely chopped)

Method #

1. Lightly fry all stuffing ingredients together like a bhujia, until the egg is cooked and mixture is dry.
2. Make a slit in the chicken leg (tangri) and fill it with stuffing.
3. Apply marinade over the stuffed chicken legs. Let rest for at least 1–2 hours (overnight recommended).
4. Barbecue the stuffed tangri kebabs until cooked through and lightly charred on the outside.

Serve hot with mint chutney, lemon wedges, and salad for a regal starter or main.

Tandoori Raan

March 27, 2014

Spiced Roast Leg of Lamb (Tandoori Raan) #

A leg of lamb roast is divine — rich with flavour, tender in texture, and steeped in tradition. The first time I had tandoori raan was at Karim’s, during a special dinner to celebrate receiving my first salary. Since then, it’s been close to my heart.

For my first home attempt, I used lamb shoulder. My concern was whether the inside would cook thoroughly — it did, beautifully. The key is to prick the meat generously so the marinade penetrates deeply, delivering flavour in every bite.

Sid's Chicken Curry

December 25, 2007

Most of what I see is forgotten.
Most of what I think never makes it out of my head.
Most of what I say disappears into the air not long after I say it.

“Silence is golden”—but sometimes, a few of those thoughts or words might be worth capturing. Like that half-written recipe or a fleeting idea. Maybe it’ll help someone out there. Maybe it’ll help me when I stumble across it again.

Tehri

November 23, 2013

Tehri was a Sunday lunch in childhood. ‘Tehri’ is yellow rice with potato and peas.
I had a different version with meat once at a friend’s place and have not forgotten the taste yet.
So a while back when my taste buds asked for it, I was on the phone with my friend and asked his mum for the recipe — thanks to her for sharing it.

Ingredients #

• Lamb, cut into pieces – ½ kg

Harissa

December 9, 2013

Harissa is a very popular meat preparation, traditionally made for breakfast.
It is slow-cooked for hours with warming spices — and yes, stirred by hand for a very long time. With the sharp dip in temperatures, Harissa becomes the most sought-after delicacy during winters in Srinagar.

History #

It is said that the concept of Harissa was brought to Kashmir by Mirza Hyder Duglat of Yarkand during the Chak period in 1540.
Some historians trace its origins to Central Asia, which greatly influenced Kashmiri art, custom, rituals, belief, and cuisine — blessing the region with this flavoursome delight.