Zaiqa

I remember when I was kid, my mother used to get up early and prepare the whole days meal while we were all still sleeping, and also fix everybody’s lunch boxes, sometimes each one different from one another according to the likes of each person. By lunch time in the school, tired and bored, lunch was always what I looked forward to. Yummy and heartfully delicious simple home food to satisty the hungry stomach. Later, when I was in the junior college, I had to stay away from my parents. I then seriously missed food, especially filling lunches. That is when I began to develop a like for Shaami-sandwiches for lunch everyday. My mother would prepare Shaami in bulk, and send to me. I used to store them in the freezer, content and happy. That is when I learnt to prepare these.

Shaami, Shikampur and Kofta are all prepared the same way from a dough like cooked meat+dal+spices paste. Boneless/Minced meat is cooked dry along with lentils, onions and spices to perfection, along with a few fresh herbs, spices and chillies. This is then ground to a dough like paste which is then shaped into various kinds. If you shape it into a diamond like oblong kawabs, it is called as ‘Shaami‘, if you shape it into a small patty with a finely chopped onion+yogurt+herb relish, it is called as ‘Shikampur‘, and if you shape them into small golf balls, they are called as ‘Kofta‘. Each of them are shallow fried in oil and then eaten.

Preparing the meat+dal mixture before hand, and storing it in sandwich bags, like I have explained below, saves a lot of time. Infact during my holidays, I buy the ingredients for this in bulk, and prepare and store them in the freezer for future use. Comes extremely handy to me.

You can serve Shaami and Shikampur as snacks along with chutney to your guests, or add them between your sandwich bread for lunch, between burger buns for a delightful meal, or you can add a few Shaami along with little chutney, salad and mayonnaise and roll them between a Paratha as a wrap. Kids will love it.

Shaami and Shikampur and Kofte – Fragrant and Spicy Meat Kababs

Ingredients:

Boneless Lamb/Veal meat (or) Minced Lamb/Veal meat – 700 gms
Yellow onions – 2 large, roughly chopped
Chana Dal – 1 cup (pre-soaked for 1 hour and drained)
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli powder/Lal mirch powder – 3 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder- 1 tsp
Cinnamon sticks/Dalchini – one 8 cm long stick
Salt – 3 tsp
Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp
Green Serrano chillies (or) Small green chillies – around 12, roughly chopped
Small Thai Red chillies – 3, chopped (optional)
Lemon juice – 4 tbsp
Cilantro – 1 cup, roughly chopped

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker at medium high heat, pour half cup water, and add lamb, pre-soaked dal, chopped onions, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt, cumin seeds, and ginger garlic paste and cinnamon stick. Mix well. Close the lid and let it pressure cook until the meat is tender. Later, open the lid and let it cook until all the liquid has evaporated and it is mostly a dry mixture. There should be no water in the mixture left. This is important, else you will not be able to properly shape them later on and they will end up cracking while you shallow fry them in the end.
2. Let the mixture cool down. Once cool, remove and discard the cinnamon stick. Add the mixture to a food processor. Throw in the cilantro, garam masala powder, chillies, lemon juice and process without adding any water until smooth and pasty. The mixture is ready.

During earlier times, this mixture was grinded using a Sil-Batta or a grinding stone from the past. Sil referring to flat stone and Batta referring to a cylindrical grinding stone. The process must have been a vigorous exercise for arms.

Method of storing the extra meat mixture for future use:

Meat mixture packed in Sandwich bags to be stored frozen for later use

I often prepare the meat mixture for Shaami/Shikampur and Kofta in bulk at a time. Once the mixture is cool enough to handle, store the extra amount in ziplock sandwich bags. Stack them up and freeze for future use. When you feel like having it, take a few sandwich bags out of the freezer and keep them on the countertop until they defrost to room temperature. Shape them into Shaami or Shikampur or Kofta and shallow fry them to serve. It saves a lot of my time this way.

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To prepare Shaami:

1. Wash your hands clean. Take a small amount of cool water/oil into a cup. Take the above prepared meat mixture, the size of a golf ball into your hands. Dipping your right hand fingertips into the water, shape the mixture into a oblong diamond shaped Shaami(as shown in the picture above). Keep aside. Continue preparing Shaami until you get the number of Shaami you need.
2. In a small frying pan at medium high heat, pour little oil and shallow fry the Shaami until crisp dark brown on each side. Shallow fry them in batches and serve warm.

***

To prepare Shikampur:

1. Finely chop 1 medium onion, 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, 1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, and 4 small green chillies. Add 2 tbsp hung thick yogurt and salt to taste. Mix well. This is the yogurt relish. (Prepare more of this if you are planning to make many Shikampur for a large crowd)
2.Wash your hands clean. Take a small amount of cool water/oil into a cup. Take the above prepared meat mixture, the size of a golf ball into your hands. Make a well in the centre and add about a tablespoon of the relish prepared in the above step. Working gently with your hands, bring the edges together and cover the filling properly to shape into a flattened patty(as shown in the picture above).
3. In a small frying pan at medium high heat, pour little oil and shallow fry the Shikampur until crisp dark brown on each side. Shallow fry them in batches and serve warm.

***

To prepare Kofta:

1. Wash your hands clean. Take a small amount of cool water/oil into a cup. Take the above prepared meat mixture, the size of a golf ball into your hands. Wetting your palms with little water, shape the mixture into smooth balls and keep aside. Continue preparing the koftas until you get the number you need.
2. In a small frying pan at medium high heat, pour little oil and shallow fry the kofta’s, a few at a time, until crisp dark brown on their sides.
(Note: Koftas prepared this way are used in Kofte Ka Qorma)

***

You can also prepare Nagrisi Koftey using this same meat mixture.

Tip: If you feel like the meat mixture you have prepared for shaami, shikampur or kofta is very loose and not tight enough to hold a shape, dry roast about 2 tbsp or more of gram flour/besan for a few seconds, and once cool add it to the meat mixture. Mix well and you will now be able to shape it better. Add more if you require.

Luv,
Mona

It snowed here very heavily this year on Eid-ul-Adha, and I thought it would be best to cook a warming and nourishing brunch for the next day in the morning. My father in law recalled his good old times while we were having Nihari as our breakfast. He recollected that when he was a school going kid, his father would ask him to get up very early if he would like to join him for a breakfast of Nihari at Shehran Hotel, beside Charminar in Hyderabad. He also added he always loved the Nihari at Shahran and devoured it and still remembers the scrumptious taste. Always so many memories associated with food.

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

Nihari, also sometimes referred to as Nahari or Sir-e-Paaya (plural is Sir-e-paaye) (sir means head and paaya means legs), is a rich broth, made out the bones and meat of a sheep or lamb’s cheek and head bones and the tongue meat and shanks. It has a special mention in the must-taste list of travelers visiting the city around Eid. In Hyderabad, after the Qurbani, my father would take the sheep’s head and feet to the butcher for further preparations so that we could prepare Nihari. The butcher used to roast the ‘whole head with skin and hairs on’ (sir) and the legs (paaya) in open fire to kill all the disease-causing agents if present, and to burn the hairs, and roast the skin to intensify its flavors. The butcher would then scrape off the burnt hairs, discard the waste parts and whack them all up into small pieces. The meat from the sheep’s cheeks is substantial and most tender and delectable. Its tongue takes a longer time to get cooked, but is a delicacy. The butchers here in Toronto do sell the head and legs of the sheep, but with the skin removed. The real taste of the Nihari is due to the fire roasted skin which is not available here, so I really enjoy the true Nihari whenever I visit my parents in Hyderabad.

Nihari prepared using fire-roasted lamb trotters and head pieces with skin

Nihari is prepared by boiling or slow cooking the sheep bones and meat along with a range of ambrosial spices and herbs. Earlier, people used to slow cook it on coal in large pots the whole night long, until the broth was thick and flavorsome by morning ready for the breakfast, the the bones so soft you can literally chew them. Today, women use pressure cookers to save time.

The Hyderabadi Potli ka Masala or bouquet garni for Nihari contains a mixture of around 20 or more aromatic herbs and exotic spices which are tied in a muslin cloth and tossed into the saucepan to infuse wonderful flavors and a beautiful fragrance into the boiling broth. The Potli ka Masala contains but is not limited to spices such as:

1. Coriander seeds  (Dhaniya)
2. Bayleaf  (Tej Patta)
3. Sandalwood powder (Sandal ka powder)
4. Stone Flowers (Pathar ka Phool)
5. Star Anise (Dagad Phool)
6. Dried Rose Petals (Sukhe Gulab ke Phool)
7. Roots of the Betel plant  (Paan ki jad)
8. Black Peppercorns (Sabut Kali Mirch)
9. Chinese Cubeb (Kawabchini)
10. Spiked Ginger Lily (Kapoor Kachri)
11. Black Cardamom (Badi Elaichi)
12. Salt (Namak)
13. Garam Masala
14. Cinnamon sticks (Dalchini)
15. Fennel seeds (Saunf)
16. Cloves (Laung)
17. Mace
18. Cumin seeds (Zeera)
19. Roasted Chana Dal (Phula Chana)
20. Dried Vetevier roots (Khas ki Jad)

Ready made Potli Ka Masala from a store in Hyderabad,
containing various aromatic dried herbs and spices

You do not have to go searching for all these herbs to make your own Potli ka Masala. It is available ready made at many specialty stores in Hyderabad, especially in the Old city, a 25 gm potli ka masala costs around 10 Indian Rupees per packet. This Potli ka Masala or Nihari masala is also easily available in Indian grocery stores. I do not recommend buying the ‘Nihari powder’ from the market, instead go for the one that also contains the whole spices. Use any of the brands that you get your hands on. In the ready made Potli Ka Masala packets available in the markets, there is again a small packet inside called as the Nihari Masala powder, which consists of the powdered masala  used in the second stage in the cooking process for Nihari.
What I do is, whenever I visit Hyderabad, I buy many packets from Hyderabad and get them with me here, so that they last me a long time, and freeze them to store and use whenever fancied.

Almost every household in Hyderabad prepares Nihari as breakfast or brunch at the second or third day of Eid. Nihari is enjoyed by sousing soft and warm Kulcha or Naan or Paratha, or by dunking in crusty breads into the highly flavored and nourishing broth containing all the goodness.

Nihari, prepared using deskinned lamb trotters,
served along with warm Parathas in the Hot-Pot

Nihari is always prepared out the head bones, tongue & cheek meat and the shanks or trotters of a lamb or a sheep. The traditional Nihari is never prepared of boneless lamb meat or chicken. However people add the same Nihari masala to chicken and boneless meat broths to simulate the dish in other simpler forms.

Sir-e-Paaye ki Nihari – Aromatic Slurpy Broth of Lamb Shanks and Cheek Meat

Ingredients:

4 legs and a head of a sheep – cleaned (and fire roasted if using the trotters with skin), and whacked into pieces + a sheep’s Tongue/Zabaan – cleaned (or) Lamb Shoulder meat with bone cut into big chunks – 1 kg
Potli ka Masala – half the quantity in a 25 gm packet
Red onion (or) Yellow Onion – 1, large, roughly chopped
Cornflour/Gram flour – 3/4 cup, mixed with a small amount of water to make a smooth paste
Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
Salt – 2 1/4 tsp
Turmeric/Haldi – 1/4 tsp
Small green chillies – 6, each slit into half

For Tempering, Baghaar:

Canola oil – 2 tbsp
Yellow onion – 1, large, finely sliced
Ginger garlic paste – 1 1/2 tsp

For Garnish:

Cilantro – 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Ginger juliennes – 2 tsp
Lemon wedges – 1 cup
Saffron threads – a pinch
Lemon juice – 1/3 cup

Method:

1. Wash the sheep’s head bones, tongue and trotters or the shoulder meat in surplus water. Put them in a strainer for the water to drain away. Meanwhile, in a pressure cooker, add the roughly chopped red onion, the washed bones, tongue and trotters or the shoulder meat from the strainer and pour in 1.5 liter of water, red chilli powder and green chillies. Make a bouquet garni of the required amount of potli ka masala (not the powdered masala from the small packet, read about it above). Add this bouquet garni along with salt and turmeric and close the lid to pressure cook until the meat is tender. Later, open the lid and add corn/gram flour paste. Half cover the lid and let it slow cook for 15 minutes more. The broth is ready. Cover with lid and keep aside
2. During that time, prepare the baghaar. Take a medium sized non-stick frying pan at medium high heat and pour oil into it. Throw in the sliced onions, and stir fry them until they are golden brown in colour. Now add the ginger garlic paste to the fried onions and fry it along for about 2 minutes more stirring continously. Remove the pan from heat and keep aside.
3. Just before you are ready to serve it to everyone, add half the quantity of the nihari masala powder from the small packet of the store brought potli ka masala, and the baghaar to the broth in the pressure cooker and bring to a boil. Lift out the bouquet garni and squeeze it thoroughly. Discard it later. Let it cook half covered for 15 more minutes. Close the heat and pour the Nihari into a large serving bowl. Add lemon juice, saffron threads and ginger juliennes. Serve the lemon wedges in a separate small cup if anyone wishes for an extra zing. Enjoy!

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy Nihari along with warm Parathas or Naan for a sumptuous breakfast.

Luv,
Mona

Maghaz in Arabic language means ‘Brain’ in English, and ‘Bheja‘ in Urdu language. Maghaz masala is one of my favorite dishes only next to Nihari that I look forward to after every Qurbani. Eid-ul-Adha is a time when Muslims pray for forgiveness from God and pray for an increased strength in faith by refreshing the sprit of sacrifice for virtue and rectitude.

Just after the Qurbani on Eid-Ul-Adha, also called as Bakri Eid, muslims around the world, feast on red meat dishes, ranging from Biryanis, Nihari and many other kinds of its meat and organ meat preperations. Among them, Maghaz masala is one of the famous organ meat preperations, usually had as breakfast on Eid-ul-Adha after the Qurbani, which is easy to cook and most delicious. you will relish the excuisite and creamy flavor of the dish along with the sweet caramelized onions and spicy green chillies and fresh aromatic herbs.

This dish is also called as Bheja fry in some places in Hyderabad.

Maghaz/Brain Masala:

Ingredients

Sheep’s brain – 2
Canola oil – 2 to 3 tbsp
Yellow Onion – 1, large, finely sliced
Ginger garlic paste – 1 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Green chillies – 4, finely chopped
Salt – to taste
Roasted coriander seeds powder – 1/2 tsp
Cilantro – 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Lemon juice – 2 to 3 tsp

Method:

• Bring about a litre of water to boil. Close the heat and dip the whole brains into the hot water for about 2-3 minutes. Remove the brains from the water gently using a slotted spoon, and throw away the water. Wear gloves, carefully remove the membrane adhering to the brain and as many nerves as possible. You can also ask your butcher to do this. Once the brain is clean (it wont matter if a few nerves are till attached to the brain), cut it into bite size pieces. Keep aside.
• Pour oil into a medium sized non-stick frying pan and as soon as it gets warm, add the sliced onions and salt and fry them on a medium high, with a careful eye so thet you do not burn them, until they are golden brown in color.
• Lower the heat to medium low and add ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, coriander seed powder and green chillies, red chilli powder. Stir fry till a nice aroma comes, for about a minute or so, then add the cubed brain pieces and gently mix well. Add about half cup of water and mix it all gently with a rubber spatula. Cover the pan with a lid and let cook for around 5 minutes.
• Remove the lid, stir fry for a minute more, until no water is left and it is mostly dry and well cooked. Serve onto a platter and garnish with cilantro, and sprinkle with lemon juice. Enjoy it warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy Maghaz masala along with some warm parathas for a delicious breakfast.

Consuming sheep’s brain might be a taboo food to some people, but for those of you willing to experiment and try out new victuals, do try it out. I am sure you will enjoy this mellow and delicate Hyderabadi dish.

Cheers,
Mona

Crisp Wadas (Wada-singular, and Wade-plural) with hot sambar or soconut chutney are an another favorite of the Hyderabadis and all South Indians. These are available at almost all the food stalls and tiffin restaurants. I remember I had the most delicious of the Wada-Sambar and Dosas at Shadaab restaurant at Charminar in Hyderabad.

Maash ke Wade – Indian Soft and Spicy Donuts

Wadas are quite simple to prepare. I always used to be so amazed at the ease by which my mother used to get a perfect hole in the centre and deep fry these yummy and spicy, crisp outside and soft inside Indian donuts aka wadas. The trick is not to add excess water and wet your hands before you prepare each vada in your palm to drop into the hot oil carefully. Once you will get a hang of it with some practice, it will be easy as pie.

Wadas are a common sight as street food or tiffin in India, usually had at breakfasts or as snacks in the evenings. An another variety of a dish prepared with wadas is the famous Dahi-Wada, an another favored snack of Hyderabadis.

I often prepare these wadas for Iftaar along with Kothmir-Pudina ki Chutney along with other light snack items, or enjoy them as a snack in the evenings during normal days.

Maash ke Wade – Indian Spicy Donuts

Ingredients:

Split Black Gram/Urad dal – 1 cup
Green chillies – 6-8, small
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp (optional)
Dried and crushed Curry leaves – 1 tsp (optional)
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Cilantro/Kothmir – 1/4 cup (optional)
Dry desiccated Coconut – 1/4 cup (optional)
Water – 1/4 cup

Vada Batter

Method:
1. Wash and soak the dal for about 4-6 hours in surplus water.
2. Drain and add the dal and the rest of the ingredients to a food processor container or a blender container and process/blend till smooth. Only add a little water to make the batter smooth. Do not make the batter watery, or else they will not be able to hold their shape.
3. In a wok or kadai at medium high heat, add oil for deep frying and let it heat up.
4. Wet your hand, take a portion of the mixture and make a hole in the center with your thumb. Upturn your hand and drop the wada in hot oil.
5. Deep fry about 4-6 wadas depending upon the size of the kadai or wok. They need to be turned for even frying. Once they are golden brown in colour, remove them on a tray lined with paper towel. Continue doing this until all the batter is used.

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy them along with Kothmir-Pudina ki Chutney.

Note: Inspite of deep frying, they do not have oil in them as the air inside the Wadas pushes the oil out while they deep fry, hence they are relatively oil-free.

This goes to ‘Joy from Fasting to Feasting’.

Luv,
Mona

After a good afternoon siesta during the humid and sultry Indian Summer days, a few Aloo Bondas along with a cup of warm tea while going through the days newspaper would be perfect. It is also savored during the rainy days in India. Oh, it brings back many cherished memories..

Aloo Bondas – Potato Croquettes

Aloo Bondas are balls of mashed lightly spiced potatoes dipped in chickpea flour and deep fried till golden brown. They are the most loved snacks in India, sold in most of the ready made food stalls, and also as a street food by the bandiwalas in small carts by the road side.

I often prepare Aloo Bondas for Iftaar in Ramadhan. These are our favorite snacks.

Aloo Bondas – Potato Croquettes

Makes -About 20

Ingredients:

For the Tempering/Baghaar:

• Canola Oil – 1 tbsp
• Split Black Gram/Urad Dal – 1 tbsp
• Black Mustard seeds/Rai – 1 tsp
• Dried Curry leaves – 6, crushed (optional)
• Ginger – 1 tbsp, finely chopped

For the Potato filling/Aloo:

• Potatoes – 4, medium sized, boiled, peeled and diced into 1/4 inch pieces
• Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
• Salt – 1 tsp
• Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
• Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
• Finely chopped Cilanto, Mint leaves and Small Green chillies/Hara Masala – 1/2 cup, loosely packed
• Roasted Cashewnuts – 1/4 cup (optional)
• Frozen peas (thawed) – 1/2 cup (optional)

For the Chickpea flour batter/Besan:

• Chickepea flour/Besan – 1 cup
• Water – 150 ml
• Canola Oil – to deep fry

Method:

Prepare Popato Filling/Aloo:

• Pour oil into a small frying pan at medium heat, and add the black mustard seeds, split dal and chopped ginger. Cover with a splatter screen. Saute for 30 seconds or until the seeds stop popping. Add the dried crushed curry leaves. Remove from heat. This is the ‘Baghaar’.
• Add red chilli powder, salt, turmeric and the prepared baghaar to the chopped potatoes. Also add the cashewnuts and peas, if using, and mix well. Take a little bit of the potato mixture at a time in your hands and shape them into walnut sized balls pressing them between your palms. Keep doing this until the whole potato mixture is completed. Keep them aside.

Prepare the Batter/Besan:

• In a bowl, add the chickpea flour, water, red chilli powder, salt and turmeric to it and whisk it till there are no lumps and it is a smooth, pancake or buttermilk like batter of pouring consistency.

Deep frying the Croquettes/Bondas:

• In a kadai or a wok at medium heat, pour oil and let the oil heat up. After a little while, drop about 1/4 tsp of the chickpea flour batter into the hot oil. If it floats on surface the oil is ready for deep frying.
• One at a time dip the potato balls into the chickpea flour batter. With the help of a tablespoon, bath them well so they are covered all over with the batter. (Note: The potato balls should be completely covered with the batter or else they will disintegrate during deep frying)
• Carefully drop them, one at a time, into the hot oil. Deep fry about 4-6 balls depending upon the size of the Kadai or wok. They need to be turned for even frying. Once they are golden brown in colour, remove them on a tray lined with paper towel. Continue doing this until all the potato balls are done. Discard excess chickpea flour batter. Serve warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy them along with Tomato ketchup, Kothmir-Pudina ki Chutney or any of your favorite Chutney as a dipping sauce along with a cup of warm tea.

This goes to ‘Joy from feasting to Fasting’. Takecare everyone and enjoy your weekend!

Luv,
Mona