Zaiqa

We celebrated Eid Ul Adha, our festival on the 20th of Dec ’07, and I had prepared this traditional organ meat curry prepared from the Qurbani ka gosht. This curry is loved by everyone, and is an excuisite recipe for this Eid which is also otherwise called as Bakr-Eid.

Some of the traditional dishes prepared by muslims just after Qurbani on Eid-ul-Adha are Nihari, Maghaz Masala, and various kinds of the red meat preperations from the Qurbani ka gosht.

This organ meat curry is had as a breakfast/brunch along with Parathas, on Eid just after the sacrifice. And I thought to share the recipe here with you all.

Instead of preparing this curry with the kidneys and lungs and liver of lamb, this curry can also be made the same way with any one of the organs, if anyone dislikes it.

Lamb Organ Meat Curry – Masaledaar Bakre ki Kaleji Gurda Phepsa

Ingredients:

Organ Meat of a young Lamb – Kidneys(Gurda)-a pair; Heart(Dil); Liver(Kaleji)-a pair; Lungs(Phepsa)-a pair; Trachea-cut into 2″ pipes – all nicely cleaned, washed up and cut into bite size pieces
Onions – 3, large, sliced thinly
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Curd – 1 cup
Red Chilli Powder – 1 1/3 tsp
Salt – 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Roasted groundnut paste – 2 tsp
Coconut milk – 1 tbsp
Cilantro – 1 cup

Lamb Organ Meat Curry – Masaledaar Bakre ki Kaleji Gurda Phepsa

Method:

1. Pour oil into a pressure cooker on medium heat and once it has warmed up, throw in the two of the three sliced onions. Reserve one for later use in this curry. Stir fry the onions till they are lightly brown in color. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry along for a minute. Pour in the whisked yogurt, red chilli powder, salt and turmeric. Add the cubed organ meat pieces and gently mix. Add cilantro and mix well. Close the lid and pressure cook it for 10 minutes.
2. Later, add the remaining ingredients, including the remaining sliced onion rings, and mix well.
3. Keep stirring it every now and then taking care it isn’t getting stuck to the bottom of the pan, and let it cook until the gravy is thick. Serve hot with Naan or Parathas. Enjoy.

Luv,
Mona

I had prepared this yummy lamb dish for dinner yesterday, from Madhur Jaffery’s. It was delicious.

Dum Gosht – Slow Cooked Lamb Curry

The recipe is simple and quick to prepare. It takes only minutes for the stove top preparation, and the rest is to just let it finish off in oven at low heat until tender, so that it cooks completely and slowly.

We had it with Afghani Naan and Plain white rice. It was a delicious meal! Here goes the recipe-

Dum Gosht – Slow Cooked Lamb Curry
Source: Madhur Jaffrey’s Illustrated Indian Cooking

Ingredients:

• Canola Oil – 1/4 cup
• Lamb meat – 500 gms, cut into 2 cm cubes
• Onions – 1, large, finely chopped
• Ginger-Garlic paste – 2 tsp
• Red Chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Salt – 2 tsp
• Black Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
• Yoghurt – 1 cup, lightly beaten

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
2. Pour oil into a large non-stick pan on medium heat. When the oil is warmed, put the meat pieces into the pan, as many as the pan can hold, and brown them on all sides. With a slotted spoon remove the meat pieces once browned into a deep bowl. Cover and set aside.
3. In the same pan throw in the sliced onions. Once they are translucent, add the ginger garlic paste to it. Stir fry them for a few minutes. Now, put the browned meat with all its juices into the pan. Sprinkle red chilli powder, salt, black pepper powder and mix it well. Pour in the lightly beaten curd and bring it to a boil on simmer.
Then, pour this mixture into a baking dish and cover it with a lid, or aluminium foil, taking care that it has been covered properly and once formed, the steam will not escape from anywhere. Transfer this baking dish with the mixture in it into the oven for an hour.
4. After an hour, check the meat if it is tender and soft. If it is not, pour in half cup water, give it a stir, cover the dish very well again, and put it inside the oven for more 15-30 minutes till the meat has been properly cooked and is tender. Once done, garnish with chopped spring onions and serve hot with Naan or Plain White Rice.

Luv,
Mona

As good as this curry looks, it tastes wonderful. You can prepare this curry along with Mitthi Dal and Khushka(Plain White Rice) and you will never forget this incredible combo which i learnt from my Lovely Mom! I use the left over, (if any!!) in between bread as sandwiches for lunch during work time. This saucy curry has a sweet and sour flavour and gets prepared very soon.

Fresh Ripe and Red Tomatoes

Tomatoes are rich in Lycopene, a strong antioxidant, and are healthy such that they are eaten raw in salads. They are rich in anti-oxidants and help prevent the occurance of Cancer, Heart diseases, Cataracts etc. Tomatoes are healthy when eaten raw, but their nutritional value enhances when they are cooked. The best way to choose tomatoes while buying them is to find for those that are firm, red and ripe. However, if you do not intend to use them immediately, you can buy raw tomatoes and ripen them at home at room temperature to use them later on. Or you can also preserve the ripe red tomatoes in the refrigerator to freeze their ripening process.

This particular recipe of Tamatay Gosht is simple to prepare, yummy and delectable. Try it out, Here goes the recipe..

Tamatay Gosht – Meat in a Fragrant Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• Lamb Meat – 500 gms, cut into 2 cm approx cubes
• Tomatoes – 4, large, ripe, red
• Garam Masala – 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
• Salt – 1 3/4 tsp
• Green Chillies – 3, small, slit
• Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tsp
• Oil – 2 tsp
• Onion – 2, large
• Curry Leaves – 8
• Coriander Leaves – For Garnish

Tamatay Gosht – Meat in a Fragrant Tomato Sauce

Method:

• Wash well and then pressure cook the lamb pieces in some water in a pressure cook till they are tender. Keep aside.
• In a pan, Pour oil, and fry the sliced onions till they are browned. Add ginger-garlic paste, slit green chillies and curry leaves. Fry them all a little.
• Now add the tomatoes and the pressure cooked meat with the stock.
• Mix in red chilli powder, salt, garam masala, and let it cook covered for 5-8 minutes till the tomatoes are mushy and properly cooked.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Suggested Accompaniments: Roti and Chawal

Updated Jan 28 ’09: I am sending the picture of Tomatoes to Click Red, a food photography contest.

Luv,
Mona

Kawabs are one of the most delicious non-vegetarian tandoori item next to Tandoori Chicken. I heard and read at a site that the first kawabs were invented during the war times, when the animal was slaughtered, cut into pieces, and pierced by the only things they had along, sword (!) and they roasted it over fire. We in the modern world continue to do so, but in a more decent way, we have replaced swords with skewers. ‘Sheekh’ means a ‘skewer’, and ‘Sheekh Kawabs’ are the ‘Kawabs grilled/roasted on Skewers’.

Sheekh Kababs – Minced meat Kebabs

Kawabs are vegetables, or meat pieces or ground meat marinated with spices and wrapped around the skewers and grilled or roasted over fire, charcoal, or in oven. They are very easy to prepare too. Marinate them with the required ingredients, and later you just have to grill them. There is no long process to it. Kababs can be Vegetarian, Non-Vegetarian or both. They are a delicacy.

In this recipe I am using both minced chicken as well as minced lamb. The taste comes out very well. My Mother-In-Law usually prepares this type of kawabs. I learnt this procedure from her but modified it my way. An another version of Sheekh Kabab is posted here.

It is very important that after you wash the minced meat, the water from it has all been drained out completely, or else the shape doesnt come out very well. And while mixing the minced meat with the other ingredients, its important that you use your hands, and pulverise the mixture with your palm. You can marinate it for 2-6 hours in the refrigerator. Bring the whole marinated mixture to room temperature before you start grilling it.

Sheekh Kawabs – Minced meat Kebabs (I)

Ingredients:

Minced Chicken – 350 gms
Minced Lamb – 200 gms
Onions – 3, large, finely sliced
Dry Roasted Black Cumin powder – 3/4 tsp
Dry Roasted Sesame seeds powder – 3/4 tsp
Dry roasted Khus Khus powder – 3/4 tsp
Nigells seed/Kalaunji powder – 3/4 tsp
Dry Roasted Coriander seeds powder – 1 tsp
Dry Roasted Groundnut powder – 1 1/2 tbsp
Green chilli – 6, cut and grinded to paste
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Raw papaya paste – 2 tbsp
Salt – 2 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric – 1/2 tsp
Eggs – 2, lightly beaten
Ginger Garlic Paste – 2 tsp
Cilantro/Kothmir – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Plain Parsley leaves – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Canola Oil – to baste the kababs, and to deep fry the onions.

Method:

1. Wash the meat and drain it well till all the water has been removed completely and the meat is dry. This is important or else the shape does not come out very well.
2. Fry the onions in oil oil they are crisp and brown in colour. Remove them once they are done from the oil onto a paper towel.
3. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients, with your hands till they nicely mixed. Knead the mixture till pulverized with your palms. Later wash your hands very well with an antiseptic soap. Let the mixture marinate for 2 to 6 hours.
4. Bring it to room temperature, and divide the mixture into 8 balls. Shape each one into a long cylinder.
5. Dip your skewer into oil and insert it into the cylinders just to make a big hole in each one. Remove the skewer and continue doing it with all the shaped cylinders.
6. Take a baking tray and line it with aluminium foil, place the holed cylinders on the tray and baste them with oil. Grill/Broil at low heat, 15 minutes, per side. Grill them till they are nicely done on both sides. (You can even grill them on a charcoal grill for the best smoked flavor).

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy the kawabs along with ‘Kaddu ka Dalcha’, or ‘Khatti Dal’ and ‘Baghara Chawal’ aka Zeera rice, or simply along with a chutney as a finger food.

Tip: Enjoy the leftover kawabs as delicious Pita pockets.

Luv,
Mona

Haleem, is a stew or a porridge made by slow cooking the lentils, meat and broken wheat together. It is a nutritous one-dish meal, perfect for a cold weather, or a starving stomach.

Murgh/Chicken Haleem garnished with fried onion slices, halved lime and sliced green chillies

It is mostly a middle-eastern dish in origins, heavily modified by Hyderabadis to suite their palate and is today one of the most famed dishes of Hyderabad city. It is usually prepared by muslims at Iftaar or dinner in the holy month of Ramadhan. I remember back in India, stalls and shops, especially for the month of Ramadhan would be set up and people would gather in big crowds to have it then and there, or parcel it and take home for everyone at home. The crowds and the stalls, the Pista restaurant famous for Haleem being one such, which would especially be seen in the month of Ramadhan in Hyderabad was a sight to watch, remember and recollect always.

This dish needs some pre-planning and is a little bit time consuming. But you will definitely love it once you try it. It is a balanced, delicious and famous Hyderabadi one dish meal.

I have been trying out many ways of preparing this delicious one dish meal and here is my modified simpler version of the dish. Inshallah I will post my Ammi’s version of Haleem in the future.

Haleem – Slow Cooked Lentils, Wheat and Meat/Vegetables Porridge
Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

For Nonvegetarian Version-

Lamb/Veal Meat, boneless or with bone – 300 gms, washed and cubed (or) Chicken meat, boneless or with bone – 300 gms washed and cubed (I suggest using meat with bone) (you could also use minced chicken or lamb/veal meat)

For Vegetarian Version-

Fresh/Frozen chopped mixed Vegetables -300gms (you can use chopped vegetables like Cauliflower/PhulGobi, Peas/Matar, Carrots/Gajar, Capsicums/Shimla Mirch, Green Beans/Phalli)

Remaining Ingredients:

Broken Wheat/Bulgar Wheat/Dalia – 1 1/2 cups
Split Bengal Gram/Chana Dal/Chane ki dal – 2 tbsp
Split Yellow Lentils/Masoor dal – 2 tbsp
Split Yellow Lentils/Tuvar dal – 4 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Turmeric/Haldi – 1/2 tsp
Canola oil – 6 tbsp
Onions – 4, large, finely sliced
Ginger-Garlic paste – 4 tbsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Coriander seeds – 2 tsp, dry roasted and powdered
Cumin seeds – 2 tsp, dry roasted and powdered
Garam masala – 1 tsp

For Garnish:

Mint leaves/Pudina – chopped, for garnish
Cilantro/Kothmir – chopped, for garnish
Green chillies/Hari Mirch – 4, finely chopped or slit
Fried Onion/Pyaz – 1 cup
Juicy Lemon/Lime – 4, halved
Ghee – 2 tbsp (optional)

Method:

1. Add the broken wheat to surplus fresh cool water and drain in very fine wire mesh strainer several times to wash it, and soak the it and the lentils~chana dal, tuvar dal and masoor dal, seperately overnight or for atleast 3 hours, in generous amount of fresh cool water.
2. For a Non-vegetarian version, pressure cook the meat in surplus amount of water enough to cover it along with a pinch of salt and turmeric till tender. Chicken Meat will cook faster than Lamb meat. Once the meat is tender, drain, measure and reserve the stock in a bowl, shred the meat and keep aside in an anther bowl. Discard the bones. If using minced meat, cook it in a little oil, salt and red chilli powder until browned evenly. Keep aside.
3. Drain the soaking wheat and lentils and keep aside in a fine wire mesh strainer. In a non-stick 7 quart Dutch oven at medium heat, pour oil and as it gets warmed up throw in the sliced onion and stir fry until evenly browned and crisp (make sure you do not burn it). Remove the pan from heat and using a slotted spoon, remove about 1/2 of the fried onions from the pan onto a platter and spread the fried onions well so that they crisp up. Return the pan with leftover fried onions to heat and add ginger-garlic paste, coriander and cumin seed powder, red chilli powder, salt and turmeric. Add the drained broken wheat and lentils and mix well. Pour in the reserved meat stock. If you are preparing a vegetarian version, you can add vegetable stock or just plain water. You need to add a total of 8 cups of liquid to the saucepan. Let it boil once then simmer and let it cook covered, until the lentils are tender and the wheat mushy, about 1 1/2 hours, stirring it every once in a while taking care it doesnt stick to the bottom of the dish.
4. Stir in the garam masala and add the frozen/fresh chopped vegetables, or for a non-vegetarian version, the reserved shredded meat or minced meat, and mix well. Let it cook covered till the vegetables are tender and oil comes to surface, about 5 -8 minutes. You can keep adding a little water if needed. Remove the dutch oven from heat. Let it cool down slightly.
5. Once cool, pour the entire thing into a food processor and process for a minute. Pour back into the dutch oven, add a little water, and let simmer covered for 5 more minutes.
6. To serve pour the Haleem into individual plates with a laddle and garnish each plate with a few chopped mint leaves, chopped cilantro, chopped/slit green chillies, reserved fried onion, halved lemon for squeezing fresh lemon juice and a dollop of ghee(optional) for a deliciously nutritious meal.

Luv,
Mona