Zaiqa

Perhaps one of the most simplest yet ambrosial meat preparations, made very often in Hyderabadi households, that I love to prepare for my family is Tala huwa Gosht, which means Sautéed meat. Simple seasonings, an aromatic baghaar, and lemon juice are the main flavoring ingredients.

Tala huwa Gosht – Sautéed meat in aromatic spices and herbs

Enjoy this delicious Hyderabadi meat preperation along with Tamatar ki dal, or Khatti dal and Baghara Chawal or plain Khushka.

Tala huwa Gosht – Sautéed meat in aromatic spices and herbs

Ingredients:

Boneless Veal/Mutton meat – 650 gms, washed and drained, cut into small bite size pieces
Sliced yellow onions – 100 gms
Water – 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Salt – 2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste – 2 tbsp
For Baghaar:

Canola oil – 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tbsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Cilantro – 1/4 cup, finely chopped, loosely packed
Mint leaves – 1/4 cup, finely chopped, loosely packed
Green chillies – 4, each cit into two, then slit into halves in the middle

Black papper powder – 1/2 tsp
Kawabchini – 1/2 tsp, dry roasted in a stovetop frying pan and cooled; once cooled, finely powdered
Lemon juice – 2 tbsp

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker, add the meat, onion, water, red chilli powder, salt, turmeric and ginger-garlic paste. Mix well. Cover and pressure cook for a few minutes until the meat is soft and tender. Make sure it not tough at all.
2. Meanwhile, in a kadai or wok at medium high heat, prepare Baghaar. Pour in oil and as soon as it warms up add the cumin seeds. As the seeds splutter, add the curry leaves, finely chopped cilantro and mint, slit green chillies and fry for just a few seconds and remove from heat. Keep aside.
3. Once the meat is done, let it cook uncovered until all of the liquid has been evaporated. Once almost dry, add it all to the baghaar in the kadai and mix well. Add black pepper power, kawabchini powder and lemon juice. Cook it for 5-10 minutes in the kadai at medium heat and serve immediately.

This recipe is also being featured in the HomeAway.co.uk Travel Cookbook.

Luv,
Mona

Out of all the curries that I prepare using chicken, this is perhaps the one I prepare most usually at home for meals. Home made ginger-garlic paste and yogurt, fresh lemon juice helps tenderize the chicken, and both the yogurt and tomatoes render a subtle sour flavor which balances out the sweetness of the shallow fried onions in the curry. Fresh roasted coriander seed powder and fresh cilantro add a wonderful aroma.

Murghi ka Salan – Chicken Curry

Murghi ka Salan – Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

Chicken, with bone – 800 gm, skinned and cut into 10-12 pieces
Home made Yogurt – 1/2 cup
Home made Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp
Fresh Lemon juice – 3 tbsp
Red chilli powder – 1 1/2 tsp
Salt – 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Canola oil – 3 tbsp
Yellow Onion – 2, large, peeled and finely chopped
Green cardamom – 4
Black peppercorns – 8
Cloves – 3
Cinnamon stick – one 2″ stick
Dry-roasted Coriander seed powder – 2 tsp
Tomatoes – 4, large, ripe and red, finely chopped
Cilantro/Kothmir – finely chopped, 1/2 cup, loosely packed

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add yogurt, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, red chilli powder, salt and turmeric. Using a spoon or a whisk, mix well. Add the chicken pieces and mix well to coat all the pieces with the marinade. Marinate for 1 hour, covered, in the refrigerator
2. Later, before you start cooking, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and leave on the countertop to bring it back to room temperature. Continue cooking.
3. In a large heavy bottomed non-stick casserole dish at medium high heat, pour in oil, and as soon as it warms up add the chopped onion and stir fry until it is nice and evenly golden brown in color. Add the cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom, black peppercorns, coriander seed powder and mix well. A wonderful aroma emanates. Fry them for a minute along with onions, later add the chopped tomatoes and mix well. Cover with a lid and let cook for 4-5 minutes. Add a few splashes of water and let cook until tomatoes are all mushy, add the marinated chicken with all the juices and mix well. Let cook uncovered for 5-10 minutes. Later, lower the heat to medium, pour in 2 to 3 cups warm water and mix gently. Cover with the lid and let cook for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is tender and well-cooked. Remove from heat and add the chopped cilantro and gently mix well. Serve.

Suggested Accompaniments: Serve the curry along with Khushka and Tamatar dal, or along with Parathas, and a vegetarian side-dish of your choice for a delicious meal.

Luv,
Mona

Any Indian restaurants are sure to list Paneer Butter Masala on their menu. One of the favorites of any Indian, this North-Indian curry is rich, creamy and pleasing to the eye with its bright orange-red color.

Paneer Butter Masala

I usually prepare my own home-made Paneer at home. But occasionally I get it from the stores to simplify my work. The usual ready made brands that I trust and buy usually are Nanak and Mother dairy. Recently I had got Paneer manufactured under ‘Nanak’ brand name, and it was a totally bad experience for me. The paneer block had bits of egg-shell like pieces in it (which when I had later contacted their Manager, I was told that the pieces were scales of deposited calcium chloride from the surface of the tubes in which the coagulation of milk takes place, which look like egg shells, he also apologized for it and asked if he could replace the product). It was totally unpleasant, and I hence had to discard the curry I had prepared using it, as I did not like the feeling of a crunchy Paneer.

The following is my sisters recipe, which I thoroughly enjoyed eating along with fresh warm Methi wale Naan.

Butter Paneer Masala – Paneer in rich buttery tomato-cream sauce

Home-made Paneer block – 400 gms
Tomatoes – 4, medium sized, chopped
Long green chillies – 2, chopped
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
Onion – 1, large, finely sliced
Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
Kasuri methi – 1 tsp
Tomato Ketchup – 1 tbsp (I used Heinz)
Canned Tomato puree – 2 1/2 tsp
Half and half cream – 1 cup
Salt – to taste
Cashew nuts – handful, whole
Unsalted Butter

Fried Paneer cubes (Paneer is Indian Cheese)

Method:

1. Cut the paneer block into rectangular bite size pieces. Heat Canola oil in a pan, and shallow fry the paneer pieces until lightly browned on all sides. Remove using a slotted spoon onto a paper towel lined platter. Keep aside. Also, fry the sliced onions and cashew nuts individually in the same oil until golden brown. Remove using a slotted spoon onto a platter and keep aside.
2. Add the chopped tomatoes and green chillies into a blender and blend into a smooth puree.
3. Heat 2 tbsp butter in a medium sized saucepan at medium heat and as soon as it warms up, add the ginger garlic paste. Fry for a minute. Add the fried onion and mix well. Pour in the pureed tomato+chilli paste. Add coriander powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, kasuri methi, tomato ketchup and tomato puree. Let cook for 5 minutes covered on simmer.
4. Pour in half and half cream and salt. Mix well. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the fried paneer pieces and let it cook for a further 3-5 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and fried cashew nuts and serve.

Luv,
Mona

Baghara Khana (or Baghara Chawal), is an another simple and nourishing dish that reminds me of that happier era, when I was a kid. Food that reminds me of my childhood and my hometown definitely makes me immensely nostalgic every time.

Baghara Khana along with Aloo Gobi Matar ~ was my yesterday’s lunch

Fragrant long grained basmati rice is cooked along with caramelized onion and exotic whole spices that give a delicate flavor and a wonderful aroma that will fill your house, and welcome your loved ones with open arms and a sense of home where warmth and comfort abounds. Always serve Baghara khana warm, along with the accompaniments of your choice.

To prepare Baghara Khana, use rice and water in the ratio of 1:2, i.e., for 1 cup rice, use two cups of water. Save a little amount of the water to add later on after the rice is about 3/4th cooked as described below.

Baghara Chawal/Khana
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Long grained White Basmati Rice – 1 cup (I prefer the brands ‘Daawat’ or ‘India Gate’ or ‘Lal Qila’)
Canola Oil – 1 tsp
Ghee – 2 tsp
Onion – 1, small, finely sliced
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tsp
Fresh Cilantro/Kothmir – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Fresh Mint/Pudina – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Green cardamom/Elaichi – 2
Cinnamon/Dalchini – 2 inch stick
Dry bay leaf – 1, medium sized
Caraway seeds/Shahzeera – 1/2 tsp
Water – 2 cups
Salt – 1 tsp

Method:

1. Wash the rice in two changes of water and soak it in surplus cool water for 30 minutes.
2. In a saucepan at medium high heat, pour oil and ghee and as soon as it warms up, add the sliced onion and stir fry until the onion is nicely browned up. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry it along for a minute. Add the chopped herbs, green cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and caraway seeds. Fry them for a minute more. Add 1 2/3 cup of water and salt. Cover with a lid and increase the heat to high. Let it come to a boil.
3. Meanwhile drain the soaked rice and keep ready.
4. Add the drained rice to the boiling water in saucepan and mix well. Let it come to a boil once. Lower the heat to simmer and cover with a lid. After 3 minutes using a spoon, mix the rice well, lower the heat to minimum and and cover it back again and let cook for a furthur 3 minutes. Open the lid, pour in the remaining 1/3 cup water and gently mix well. Cover and let cook until the rice is tender. Close the heat and leave the saucepan on the hot stove for about 15 more minutes to finish cooking on Dum. Serve warm.

My house smells like a potpourri every time after I prepare Baghare Chawal due to all those aromatic spices.

Note: You can also add chopped green chillies and a few whole cloves along with the other spices while frying the onions. I do not prefer to add them. Also for a special touch, garnish the cooked rice while serving with a few toasted whole cashew nuts.

Suggested Accompaniments: Baghara khana is enjoyed along with Dalcha or Baghare baingan or Mirchi ka Salan or Sem ki phalli gosht or Qimah or Qorma for a delicious Hyderabadi meal.

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This Summer, I had planted a few tomato seeds (first time with tomatoes) and voila, I had plenty of fresh tomatoes from my lil tomato garden in the backyard. Here are a few snaps:

Tomato Variety: Moneymaker

tomato budss under the warm early spring sunshine

tiny tomatoes and blooms in early summer

after a shower
I love the fuzzy stems and the unique strong scent of tomato foliage

on a warm sunny evening

ripening on the vine

For the curry below I had used the garden ripe tomatoes from my plants. With the commenced autumn chill in the air, I do not think the plants will live much longer. To freeze tomatoes, just cut out the tough part of the core, put the whole tomatoes on a baking sheet and into the freezer. After they’ve frozen, transfer them to a plastic zipper bag and put them back into the freezer. When you want to use them, you can easily peel them if you allow them to thaw until they’re just barely soft on the outside. Then just rub off the skins. Or you can run warm tap water over them and peel them immediately. Use them in recipes for any cooked dish. Inshallah the next season, I plan/wish to grow the heirloom ribbed or beefsteak tomatoes and even more veggies. Have a look at the beautiful heirloom tomatoes here, I am sure even you all will be smitten by their beauty. Need to stock up the seeds soon for the gardening season.
For those of you interested, this book has loads of information on heirloom tomatoes and how to plant them.

Aloo Gobi Matar – Potato Cauliflower and Peas in one pot

Ingredients:

Canola Oil – 1 1/2 tbsp
Onion – 1, large, finely sliced
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Fresh Curry leaves – 6
Dry red chillies – 3, each broken into two
Salt – 2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Cauliflower – 1 medium head, cut into florets, washed and drained
White Potatoes – 3, peeled and cut into quarters
Tomatoes – 2, medium sized, chopped
Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
Frozen organic peas/Matar – 3/4 cup
Fresh Cilantro – 2 tbsp, finely chopped

Aloo Gobi Matar along with toasted Afghani Roti, and home-made Lemon pickle ~ todays lunch

Method:

Heat oil in a wide saucepan at medium high heat and as soon as it is warm, pour in oil. Add the sliced onion and stir fry until the onion are just lightly browned. Add the baghaar ingredients~cumin seeds, curry leaves and dry red chillies. Also add salt and turmeric powder. Mix well. Add the cauliflower florets and potato quarters and mix well. Spread the vegetables so that they are in a single layer in the pan. Sear the vegetables for about two minutes. Keep stirring them occasionally. Add the chopped tomatoes, half cup of warm water and red chilli powder. Mix well and cover the lid. Let cook until the vegetables are tender and have absorbed most of the liquid. Keep stirring occasionally. Add the frozen peas and cover the lid for 2 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve warm.

‘Aloo Gobi Matar – Potato, Cauliflower and Peas’ in one pot goes to Andera’s Grow Your Own event.

Luv,
Mona

Sweet red beets when cooked in a hot and spicy tomato meat stew result in a delicious curry that you will definitely enjoy. We Hyderabadis like to cook our vegetables with meat.

Peeled and chopped red beets

I enjoy beets this way a lot, along with warm parathas. My brother dislikes the way it tends to color your rice though. Whenever I go to the market, I buy beets along with its greens which are very nourishing, that way I can enjoy the goodness of both the greens as a subzi, as well as beets as a seperate curry.

While preparing salad with beets, do not peel and then boil the beets in water. That way all the nutrients are lost when you drain the water. If you have to boil the beets, wash them thoroughly and boil them unpeeled. In this manner, the nutrient loss is less. I recommend steaming the beets when you wish to have them as salads. This is the best way with minimum nutrient loss and maximum flavor.

Chuqandar Gosht – Beets in Spicy Meat stew

Ingredients:

Canola oil – 1 tbsp
Yellow Onion – 1, small, finely chopped
Lamb/Veal/Sheep meat (with or without bone) – 250 gms, cut into bite-size pieces
Salt – 1 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder – 2 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tsp
Tomato – 2, medium sized, finely chopped
Water – 1 cup
Beetroot/Chuqandar – 5, medium sized(as shown in the picture), peeled, sliced and cut into bite-size wedges

Chuqandar Gosht – Beets in Spicy Meat stew

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker at medium high heat, pour oil and as soon as it warms up, add the chopped onion and stir fry until the onion is just soft. Add meat, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder and salt, and fry them along for a minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and water and pressure cook until the meat is tender.
2. Later, add chopped beetroot and pressure cook again for 2-3 minutes until tender. Cook on high until the water has all almost dried up. Remove from heat and serve warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: Tastes delicious along with warm Parathas, or you can even savor it along with Basmati Chawal.

Luv,
Mona