A dawat-e-khas

Eid ki Seviyan

Vermicelli           1 kg
Milk                    3 kg
Milkmaid             1 kg
Cashewnuts    150 gm
Almonds          150 gm
Raisins            100 gm
Pista                100 gm
Dry dates          250 gm
Chironji              50 gm
Pure ghee          250 gm
green Cardamom   4
 Cloves                  4
Sugar                     3 kg

Method: Heat ghee in a pan, fry cloves and elaichi till you get a lovely aroma. Now, add roasted vermicelli or seviyan and fry till they become golden brown. Pour the milk and let it come to a boil. Add half a box of milkmaid and sugar and mix well. Keep the flame low, and let the milk simmer for a while till the seviyan gets cooked for 20-30 minutes. Now, add all the chopped dry fruits.

— Recipe courtesy Simera Anwar, Play Academy

Baingan ka salan

Baingan ka salan (For eight people)

Ingredients
l 1 kilo brinjal l 1/4 kilo onion l 1/2 tomato l a few curry leaves l 1 tsp mustard seeds l 1-1/2 tsp cumin and Seema powder l 1-1/2 tsp chilli powder l 3 dry red chillies l 1/4 tsp haldi l tamarind paste l 1 tbsp salt to taste

Method
Slice brinjal with stalk into four parts.
Make paste of onion and tomato and keep it aside.
Fry 150 gm oil. Heat and add curry leaves, mustard seeds and dry red chilli with brinjal and Fry till it browns.
Add ground masala with all ingredients, and let brinjal cook till it is soft.
Add tamarind paste and cook for five to 10 minutes. Add 1 tsp vinegar and simmer. Serve with hot biryani.

— A homemaker

Biriyani

BIRIYANI

Ingredients
150 gm basmati rice, soaked in cold water for 5–7 minutes, 150 gm cauliflower cut into florets, 150 gm broccoli in florets, 100 gm green beans (cut) 15 gm butter, 1 tbsp sunflower oil, 2.5 cm cinnamon or cassia bark, 4 green cardamom pods, 2 cloves, 1 bay leaf, 1 blade mace, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 onions (thinly sliced) 3-1/2 tsp finely chopped ginger, 100 gm plain white flour, 50 gm frozen sweet corn kernels, 50 gm frozen peas, 20 small chestnut mushrooms (halved) 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala, 2 tomatoes (chopped) 75 ml single cream, a few saffron threads, 1 tbsp chopped mint, 1/4 tsp ground cardamom, 1/4 tsp ground mace, sea salt, chopped coriander and mint leaves, to garnish, edible dried rose petals, to garnish 400 ml.

FOR MINT RAITA: 200 gm greek-style yogurt, 1 tbsp chopped mint, a few to garnish, 1tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground. Mix yogurt, mint, cumin and salt to taste, then cover and chill to serve.

For red Onions: 2 red onions, sliced, 3 tbsp Benares vinaigrette, 1/4 tsp chaat masala, 1/4 tsp chilli powder, fine sea salt, coriander cress, to garnish, 2 limes, halved, to serve

Method
Bring two pans of salted water to boil. Drain rice, add to pan and boil for 3–4 minutes (al dente). Drain and set aside. Add cauliflower to the other pan and blanch for 2–3 minutes. Remove and cool in cold water. Repeat with broccoli, green beans. Keep vegetables cool, drain and set aside. Melt butter with oil, add cinnamon, cardamom pods, cloves, bay leaf, mace and cumin seeds, and sauté over medium heat until spices crackle. Add onions and 2 tsp fresh ginger, sautée for 5–8 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Mix flour with enough water to dough. Roll dough into a long rope shape, set aside. When onions have coloured, add all blanched vegetables, plus the sweet corn kernels, peas and mushrooms, and sauté for 2–3 minutes. Stir in ground coriander, turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala, and stir for a minute. Add tomatoes and continue stirring for 2–3 minutes. Stir in cream and saffron, fold in rice. Sprinkle with the mint, remaining ginger, cardamom and mace.

Put the lid on a casserole and use the dough to seal. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 8–10 minutes until the pastry turns golden brown. Break the pastry seal, uncover, place a clean tea towel on top of the biryani before re-covering. Leave to stand for five minutes before serving.
Toss red onions with vinaigrette, chaat masala, red chilli powder and salt to taste. Sprinkle coriander and mint leaves and rose petals over biryani and serve straight from the casserole.

— Recipe courtesy Chef Atul Kochhar, NRI – Not Really Indian and Benares

Shahi Nawab Biryani

Shahi Nawab Biryani

Ingredients: 1kg Basmati rice (semi-cooked), 750 gm boneless meat (chopped into squares), 500 gm curd, 4-6 tsp ginger-garlic paste, 4-6 green chilli, 8-10 big onions (sliced), ¼ cup lime juice, ½ tsp red chilli powder, ½ a pinch of caraway seeds (shahi zeera), 5-6 twigs coriander leaves (chopped), 5-6 twigs mint leaves (chopped), 2-4 pinch saffron, pods cardamom and cinnamon, 2-3 drops saffron water concentrate, 1-2 pods clove, 2 cup oil, 2 tsp ghee and salt to taste.

Method: Smear pieces of meat with ginger-garlic paste and marinate for an hour. Fry sliced onions in a heated pan till light brown. Let onions cool and crush them. Add crushed fried onion (only three-fourth), curd, red chilli powder, cinnamon, green chilli paste, cardamom, shahi zeera, coriander leaves, clove, saffron water, mint leaves and salt to the marinated meat. Leave meat another hour.

Make mixture of aromatic water by adding salt (one tsp), cinnamon, clove, cardamom, mint leaves and coriander leaves in a little water. Spread half semi-cooked rice in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add saffron water, lime juice, ghee and the remaining onions over the rice. Spread a layer of marinated meat over this, and again spread, the remaining semi-cooked rice. Add aromatic water in a circular motion over rice. Now, tightly cover the vessel with a lid. Keep it on a low flame. Remove vessel from the flame exactly after 15 minutes. Your Shahi Nawabi Biryani is ready to serve.  Garnish with coriander and mint leaves and serve hot.

— Recipe courtesy Srikant Parashar, Chef de Cuisine, JW Marriott Bengaluru