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Dal Bhati ( Rajasthani Cuisine )

Dal Bati

This recipe is thanks to Pushpita Singh , a friend and the author of Rajasthani Kitchen . The book is beautifully written . The recipes are easy to follow and there are some hidden gems and lost recipes to be discovered here .

Panchmela Dal

Black Gram ( Urad Dal ).
Bengal Gram ( Chana Dal ).
Green Gram ( Mong Dal ).
Red Gram ( Arhar Dal ).
Masur Dal.

50 grams of each Dal , soak for 1 hour , wash and cook with haldi ( turmeric powder ) and salt in just enough water till done. Don't allow the dal to mash up.

Tempering :

75 Grams Ghee.
A Pinch of Hing.
1/2 Teaspoon Jeera Seeds.
6 Cloves / Laung.
2 Onions Chopped.
1 Tablespoon Each - Ginger & Garlic Paste.
Red Chili Powder.
1 Teaspoon Chopped Ginger.
Chopped Green Chilies To taste.
3 Tomatoes Chopped.

Heat ghee , add hing jeera and cloves. A few seconds later add onions and cook till light golden brown.Add ginger & garlic paste along with red chili powder.Cook 2-3 minutes.Add chopped ginger , green chilies and tomatoes , cook till oil separates. Add the lentils and cook together for 4-5 minutes to marry flavors.Garnish with dhania leaves and Julienned ginger when ready to serve.

Bati

Traditionally Bati's are baked in ash , welcome to modern times and preheat your oven to 200C

500 Grams Maida / Bajra Flour.
1 Tablespoon Ginger Paste.
1 Tablespoon Garlic Paste.
1/2 Tablespoon Green Chili Paste.
4 tablespoons Ghee
Salt.
Mix all the above and with very little water knead into a semi hard dough.
Make 14 balls .
Bake dough balls for 20 minutes or so , turning once.
Remove baked bati and dip in ghee and serve hot with Dal & Chorma

The dish is yummy and one of Rajasthan's better known and a much loved specialty .
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Kerala Mutton Curry

Kerala Mutton Curry

This perhaps is the easiest mutton dish I have made . Once you put everything together on the fire you can almost forget about the dish for an hour while it gently cooks , rather stews in it's own juices .

500 Grams Mutton- cut to size.

Make a paste of all ingredients listed below :

200 Grams Sambar Onions.

2 Green Chilies.

2 Dried Red Chilies.

10 cloves of Garlic.

1 " Ginger .

1/4 Teaspoon Haldi.

1 Teaspoon Garam Masala

1 -2 Teaspoons Vinegar ( I used Kachampali Vinegar and it gave a great color )

Salt

2 + 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil ( use only 2 tablespoons in marination )

Marinate mutton in the paste for 4 hours . I cling wrapped and marinated over night in the fridge .

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons coconut oil , add curry leaves and dry red chilies ( optional ) , add the mutton with minimum marination . Fry on high to seal for about 5 minutes . Add balance marination and 1 cup water - cook covered until done - 60 minutes or so . OR pressure cook 3 whistles ,  cool and adjust flavors.Although this is a ' curry ', there is a minimum amount of thick gravy . Super easy and delicious .

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Makhni / Butter Chicken

Makhni / Butter Chicken

This is how we make makhni chicken at home - comes out real nice and it is easy to make despite the lengthy looking recipe. No cream is added .

750-800 Grams Chicken - cut to size.

marinate in juice of 2 lemons , chili powder and 1 tablespoon mustard oil for one hour.

Second Marination for 2 Hours :

1 Tablespoon Ginger Paste.

1 Tablespoon Garlic Paste.

6 Tablespoon Solid Hung Yogurt.

4 Tablespoons Tandoori Chicken Powder.

2 Teaspoons Crushed Kasoori Methi

1 Tablespoon Mustard Oil

Salt.

Combine all the above ingredients and marinate the chicken in the paste for 2 -4 hours , cling wrapped in a dish.

Set oven at 200 and bake on a tray . Turn once. The chicken will leave out juices which are enough to baste the chicken in.Cook about 15 minutes till done.Set aside covered to rest for 30 minutes.The chicken is ready and can be served as is if so desired.

Makhani Gravy

Aprox 750 Grams Tomatoes

10 Mace Flowers

8-10 Green Cardamon Crushed

10 Peppercorn

5-7 Cloves

Boil ( low heat and covered ) the above in 4 cups of water for about 25 minutes , when cool remove the tomatoes onto a plate . Peel and discard the shriveled skins , if some remain , it's also okay .Discard the mace etc from the water used to boil the tomatoes and puree the tomatoes with that water , pass through a sieve discarding seeds .Set aside for later use.

Heat up 75 Grams Butter + 1 Tablespoon oil  put in 1 inch stick of cinnamon till it turns brown , then add 1/2 teaspoon Ajwain /Carom Seeds and 10 seconds later add :

1 Tablespoon Ginger Paste .

1Tablespoon Garlic Paste

2 Medium Sized Onions Chopped Fine

Saute the above till onions are translucent , then add the tomato puree , cook covered on a very low flame till it all reduces to 1/2  , this will take about 20 minutes , you should be left with a semi thick gravy .

Now add  :

1/2 teaspoon Jeera Powder

1 Teaspoon Dhania / Coriander Powder ,

1 Teaspoon Red Kashmiri Mirch ( for color )

1 tablespoon Sugar.

1 Teaspoon Garam Masaala

1-2 Teaspoon2 Kasoori Methi.

Salt To Taste .

Cook another 4-5 minutes to blend flavors . Lastly add the chicken , simmer covered a few minutes for all flavors to develop only then adjust flavors as the chickens flavors will enter the gravy too .

Serve with some hot naans or rotis. I seldom add cream.

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Mixed Veg

Mixed Veg

Mixed veg must be one of the most commonly made vegetarian dish in most homes - in some combination or another . I love it as this dish not only allows one to bring together different contrasting yet complimenting flavors in a dish , but also takes care of those odd bod leftover pieces of assorted uncooked veggies which otherwise would find their way into a Sambar of sorts ! This recipe is ' andaaz say ' / approximates .

2 White Radish - Cut Like Fingers

100 Grams Flat Beans- String and cut to size

200 Grams Potatoes - Cut / cube to size.

200 Grams Small Baingan- Cube to size.

1 Teaspoon Garlic Paste.

1 Teaspoon Minced Ginger .

2 Tomatoes Pureed.

1 Tomato Chopped.

1/4 Teaspoon Methi Seeds.

2 Onions - Slice thin , fry till medium dark , strain , cool and make paste .

Salt

Haldi

Chilies.

Garam Masala

Mustard Oil.

Heat oil , when it begins to smoke take off the heat add methi seeds , hing and dried red chilies . Next add the potatoes and chopped tomatoes , when potatoes are half done add the rest apart from the radish , cook uncovered - when almost done add the radish - you want to retain a bit of a bite - further cook till done . Adjust flavors after sprinkling garam masala . Comes out delicious.

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Review of The Restaurant "Soda Bottle Openerwala" - Gurgaon.

Review of The Restaurant "Soda Bottle Openerwala" - Gurgaon.

Few understand the food scene as well as restauranteur A D Singh does . Sensing the gap for niche cuisine restaurants he along with Super Chef Sabyasachi Gorai has given Delhi / NCR two new gems , Guppy by AI ( Japanese ) and A whole new kind of Bombay Irani Cafe aptly named - Soda Bottle Openerwala , and in a master stoke filling tha gap for good authentic Parsi cuisine in Gurgaon/Delhi.

The moment you enter the restaurant you are transformed back to nostalgic times spent in Mumbai's Irani Cafes or the best known of all the iconic Britannia . Old odd bod pieces of furniture , cleverly matched antique lights , some kitch sofas , jars of namakpara along with toffees, retro music of the 60's all blend beautifully to create this lovely Bombay Irani Cafe .

To begin with we ate Vada Paos and Spicy Mushrooms on Khari which were washed down with excellent Ganna Nu Ras ( sugarcane juice ). A special mention is not out of place for the mushroom khar ( puff pastry ) . Next ordered was Aloo Aunty 's Veg breadcrumb fried cutlets which have a dash of rava adding that bite to them. The filling was interesting as it was chutney infused.Another very nice dish was Marghi Na Fracha - Parsi style fried chicken - wait for their bar license , a perfect snack .While we waited for the next round ( yes I have a great appetite ! ) we ordered yet another indulgence - Sekhan Je Bin - a nimbu based drink with chunks of plum and mint leaves .
What followed was a foodies dream . Sali Marghi , Chicken Beri Pulao , Keema Baida Roti and Bhendi Bazar Ke Sheekh Paratha . All of these were as I remember eating them years ago when Britannia had still retained it's sheen and flavors . We needed the good old fashioned whipped frothy espresso coffee to wash all this down .

The food follows its traditions . If the Keema called for sugarcane juice brewed natural vinegar - that and that alone is used or not made at all , nothing is compromised . Soda Bottle Openerwala has clearly raised the bar . I hope they maintain the quality and standard and look forward to the Dhansak next which I believe will be a Sunday special.Do check the place out , I don't believe you will come away disappointed .

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Roast Chicken

Roast Chicken

This is my first roast chicken and I am really happy with the results - came out delicious and juicy .

1.500 Grams Whole Chicken With Skin.

The marination - all approximates and to suit your taste tweak them:
150 mls Extra Virgin Olive Oil
50 Grams Melted Butter.
1 Tablespoon garlic Paste.
1 Cup Chopped Fresh & Green Parsley + Basil + Chives. ( Use Thyme or avoid herbs if you dont have any handy ).
2 Tablespoon Crushed Black Pepper.
Salt.
120 Ml Lemon Juice
Wash and pat dry the chicken . Then take the marinade and gently but generously rub it all over - under the skin - be careful not to rupture the skin , and also huge dollops of the marinade along with about 10 - 15 whole unpeeled cloves of garlic and one lemon sliced - the slices all stuffed inside the cavity . The rest rub all over the chicken - be generouus with butter and oil !
Take a string and truss the chicken to tie it up as seen in the picture - Youtube this part if need be.

Chop carrots , leek / spring Onion ..many whole cloves garlic and butter and salt .. mix all , place them on the bottom of a baking dish . Place chicken on top . Bake at 190 C for 90 minutes , turning the chicken once and basting .I covered the chicken half way and cooked it like that - end result was delicious , soft and moist !

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