Punjabi Cuisine - Ghost Palak

Ingredients:

2 tbsp - Ginger Garlic paste
5 nos - Green chillies chopped
2 nos - Bay leaves
1 tbsp - Garam masala whole
500 gms - Spinach
Salt to taste
1 tsp - Cumin seeds
500 gms - Mutton
1 tsp - Red chilli powder
4 tbsp - Oil
1 cup - Onions sliced

Cooking Method:

- Clean, wash and cut lamb into even sized pieces.
- Blanch the spinach in salted water and grind it along with green chillies to a rough paste.
- Heat up oil in a thick bottomed pan.
- Mix in bay leaves, whole garam masala and cumin seeds.
- Add onions till golden brown, add ginger-garlin paste, red chilli powder and then mix in lamb pieces.
- Stir fry on high flame heat up stirring constantly.
- Add three cup of water and stir until lamb is almost done.
- Check salt and spinach and stir till lamb is fully mixed with spinach and tender.

Punjabi Cuisine - Naan (Butter Naan)

One of the very popular Indian breads is Naan... it is a simple bread cooked in a tandoor (Claypot oven). We will see the ingredients required and the cooking method in this post.

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp - Active dry yeast

1/2 cup - Warm water

1 tbsp - Sugar
3 tsp - Milk
1 egg, beaten
Salt to taste
2 cups - Bread flour
1 tbsp - Butter (Optional)

Cooking Instructions:

- In a bowl dissolve yeast in warm water, stand it until frothy.
- Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough.
- Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth.
- Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
- Punch down dough. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size.
- During the second rising, ready the tandoor and if you do not have a tandoor you can preheat grill to high heat.
- At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Turn over the naan and let it cook well from both sides.

As an option we can brush the naan with butter during the cooking process to get Butter Naan. Serve it hot with any gravy. 

Suggested Reading:

Punjabi Cuisine

Maharani Dal

Hyderabadi Cuisine - Nihari

We've seen about hyderabadi cuisine and a few dishes from that cuisine. Today, we will see another signature dish of the hyderabadi's. Nihari is a beef preparation and is cooked till the meat is tender with the gravy.

Ingredients :

1/2 kg - Beef
1/2 tsp - Turmeric Powder
1 tsp - Coriander powder
1 tsp - Ginger paste
1 tsp - Pepper
1 tsp - Chilli powder
4 tbsp - Oil
3 tbsp - Flour
Salt to taste

Spice mix :

2 tsp - Fennel Seeds
2 nos - Green cardamom
2 nos - Black cardamom
2 tsp - Coriander seeds
1/2 tsp - Peppercorns
1/2 tsp - Cumin Seeds
10 nos - Cloves
1 no - Cinnamon Stick
1 no - Bay Leaf
1/4 tsp - Nutmeg
Onion slices, coriander, ginger and green chilies for garnishing

Cooking Instructions :

- Take a heavy based pot and heat oil. Fry the meat a little.
- Mix salt, chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, pepper and ginger paste. Pour a little water. - Mix flour in half cup of water.
- Add this mixture to the meat and boil it.
- Grind all the spice mix until powdery fine.
- Add this to the meat.
- Add 3-4 cups of water cover and leave it to tenderize over very low heat.
- It will take about 7 hours for beef to get done.
- Fry some onion slices in oil until golden brown.
- Garnish the Nihari with it.
- Fresh coriander, ginger and green chilies can also be used for garnishing.

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Suggested Reading:

Hyderabadi Cuisine
Hyderbadi Biryani
Mirch ka Salan
Haleem

Chettinadu Cuisine - Chettinadu Biryani

We've seen a couple of chettinadu dishes already and this post is on chettinadu biryani, a rice preparation South Indian Chettinadu style. This dish is full of flavour and spice and a typical main course of the chettiars.

Ingredients :

• 300 gms Basmati rice
• 600 gms Chicken
• 4 Cardamoms
• 6 Cinnamon
• 1 Ginger
• 3 Garlic flakes
• 2 Onions
• 10 gms Coriander leaves
• 10 gms Mint leaves
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• 1 tsp Coconut paste
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice
• 2 Cups parboiled rice
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

Cooking Instructions :

- Soak basmati rice in water for 30 minutes.
- Add salt, cardamom and cinnamon.
- Grind ginger and garlic to make a paste.
- Mix the paste with coriander and mint leaves.
- Add coconut, cardamom paste, lemon juice and black pepper.
- Mix it well.
- Now add red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt.
- Cut chicken into pieces.
- Marinate the chicken in this mixture.
- Heat the oil and fry the chopped onions.
- Add marinated chicken pieces.
- Cook over medium flame till done.
- Prepare a bed of parboiled rice in a handi.
- Sprinkle the fried onions.
- Put chicken pieces and cover it with rice.
- Cover it properly and cook for 10 minutes.
- Serve hot.

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Suggested Reading :

Chettinadu Cuisine
Chettinadu Chicken

Punjabi Cuisine - Maharani Dal

We've seen what Punjabi Cuisine is about and now we would see a great recipe prepared with lentils. This is rich creamy recipe which is not only tasty but healthy as well considering the amount of proteins that gets added in it.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup - Rajma
1/4 cup - Whole Urad Dal
1/4 cup - Channa Dal
1 nos - Onions, chopped
2 nos - Tomatoes, chopped
3 nos - Green chillies, sliced
1/2 inch - Ginger, Grated
Salt To taste
1 Pinch - Turmeric Powder
1 tsp - Red chilli powder
Corainder leaves
1 tbsp - Butter
1/4 cup - Cream
1/4 tsp - Cumin Seeds
1/4 tsp - Mustard Seeds

Cooking Instructions :

- Soak rajma, urad daal and chana dal overnight.
- Pressure cook the urad dal, chana dal and rajma. Mash them a little. Keep aside.
- Heat butter in a pan, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and fry until they splutter. Add ginger and chillies.
- Fry for few minutes. Add chopped onions and tomatoes. Cook until done.
- Add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and stir well.
- Add the mashed dals and boil for few minutes.
- Add cream, corainder leaves and mix well. Serve the dal maharani hot with roti or Naan.

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Suggested Reading:

Punjabi Cuisine

Hyderabadi Cuisine - Recipe for Haleem

Continuing the series knowing a cuisine with Hyderabadi cuisine, today we see Haleem a dish prepared with meat and served with rotis usually during a meal. Hyderabadi cuisine is known for its influence of the mughalai cuisine and this recipe is a signature dish (one of the highest searched recipes on the net). Going no further I bring to you the recipe for Haleem.

Ingredients :

200 gms - Wheat (whole)

300 gms - Boneless Mutton

20 gms - Green Chillies

2"piece - Ginger

6-8 flakes - Garlic

100 gms -Ghee

3 medium - Sliced onions

1/2 tsp -Turmeric Powder

2 tsp - Garam Masala

Salt to taste

Cooking Instructions :

- Clean wheat and soak in water for 2 hours.

- Grind ginger, garlic and chillies to a fine paste.

- Clean and slice mutton into small pieces.

- Marinate mutton pieces with half quantity of ground paste and salt for 1 hour.

- Pressure cook the soaked wheat and marinated meat till done.

- Once cooked mince and grind to a fine paste.

- Heat ghee in a pan and saute onions till brown.

- Add turmeric, garam masala, salt and remaining ground paste and keep stirring occasionally on a low flame till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.

- Adjust seasoning and serve hot.

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Suggested Reading :

Hyderabadi Biryani

Mirchi ka Salan

Hyderabadi Cuisine

Knowing a Cuisine - Punjabi Cuisine

Knowing a cuisine, as you are aware by now is a series that concentrates on the various cuisines of the world. This series provides a gist of the cuisine under discussion and the popular dishes and recipes of the cuisine would be followed up through the posts that follow. So, under the series today we look at another cuisine, The punjabi cuisine.

Punjabi cuisine (from the Punjab region of Northern India) is mainly based upon Wheat, Masalas (spice), pure desi ghee (Clarified butter), with liberal amounts of butter and cream. Though wheat varieties form their staple food, Punjabis do cook rice on special occasions. During winter a delicacy, Kheer a very popular dessert is cooked using rice.

Punjabi cuisine specializes in variety and it can be non-vegetarian or completely vegetarian. It is widely popular however there is some ignorance in Western Cultures that Punjabi is cuisine is completely curry based. The level of spices can vary from minimal to very prevalent. One of the main features of Punjabi cuisine is its diverse range of dishes. Home cooked and restaurant Punjabi cuisine can vary significantly, with restaurant style using large amounts of clarified butter, known locally as desi ghee, with liberal amounts of butter and cream with home cooked concentrating on mainly upon wheat masalas (spice) flavorings. Though wheat varieties form their staple food, Punjabis do cook rice on special occasions. During winter a delicacy, Roh Di Kheer, is cooked using rice. Rice is cooked for a long time in sugar cane juice.
Within the state itself, there are different preferences. People in the area of Amritsar prefer stuffed parathas and milk products. In fact, the area is well known for quality of its milk products. There are certain dishes which are exclusive to Punjab, such as Mah Di Dal and Saron Da Saag (Sarson Ka Saag).

The food is tailor-made for the Punjabi lifestyle in which most of the rural folk burn up a lot of calories while working in the fields. The main masala in a Punjabi dish consists of onion, garlic and ginger. Tandoori food is a Punjabi speciality especially for non-veg dishes.

We will have follow through posts which will have the recipes of the popular dishes of the punjabi cuisine. Make sure subscribe to more such posts by Email

Suggested Reading :

Udupi Cuisine
Hyderbadi Cuisine
Chettinadu Cuisine

Udupi Cuisine - Bisi Bele Bath

In the series knowing a cuisine we saw Udupi cuisine and what is it about Udupi cuisine. I though I would start it with a great recipe!!

It is just for your information that my mother makes lovely bisi bele bath and now my beloved has picked up the tricks of the trade. I am these days being spoilt with good food. So the signature dish for your benefit as below.

Ingredients :

1 Cup - Rice
1/2 cup - Toor Dal
2 Nos - Boiled Potatoes
1/4 cup - Cooked Peas
3 Tsp - Ghee
10 Nos - Cashew
1/4 Cup - Grated Coconut
1 1/2 Tsp - Tamarind Paste
10 Nos - Small Onions

For Masala:

8 Nos - Dry Red Chillies
1 1/2 Tsp - Corriander Seeds (Dhania)
1/4 Tsp - Fenugreek Seeds
1/2 Tsp - Urad Dal
1 Tsp - Bengal gram
1 Tsp - Khus Khus
1 No - Bay Leaf (Patta)

Cooking Instructions :

- Fry the above masalas in a dry pan and powder them.
- Mix Rice and Dal and cook in cooker.
- Heat oil in a pan, fry onions till brown, add cut boiled potatoes and peas, can also add brinjal.
- Add tamarind powder and 1/2 cup water and salt and the ground masala powder. Let it boil.
- Now add cooked rice and dal and mix well. Remove from flame.
- Fry the coconutes till brown and powder them.
- Garnish with chopped coriander, fried cashews and powdered cocounts.

Enjoy the lovely bisi bele bath like I do. Don't miss more such posts that are due in the future, subscribe to more such posts by Email

Suggested Reading :

Udupi Cuisine
Hyderbadi Cuisine
Chettinadu Cuisine

Hyderabadi Cuisine - Hyderabadi Biryani

In the series Knowing a cuisine, we saw what Hyderabadi cuisine was and one of its famous dish. Continuing the series of knowing a cuisine I am writing now a recipe which is world famous, "the Hyderabadi Biryani"
It is a rice preparation with a lot of spices and meat. A wonderful concoction of various ingedients full of flavour and taste

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kg Basmati Rice
• 1 kg Boneless meat
• 500 gm Curd
• 4-6 tsp Ginger-garlic paste.
• 4-6 Green chilli
• 2 Big onion
• 1/4 Cup limejuice
• 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
• A pinch of shazeera
• Finely chopped coriander leaves
• 8-10 Sticks mint leaves
• 2 Pinch saffron
• 1-2 Cinnamon
• 2-3 Cardamom
• Saffron color
• 1-2 Clove
• 2 Cup oil
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp Ghee

Cooking Instructions:

- Wash and chop the meat into square pieces.
- Marinate the mixture of meat and ginger garlic paste for an hour.
- In the meanwhile, chop the onions lengthwise and saute them in the oil on low heat till light brown.
- Cool these fried onions and crush them in a plate with your hand.
- Mix 3/4th of crushed fried onion, curd, red chilli powder, cinamon, green chilli paste, cardamon, shazeera, coriander leaves, clove, safron water, mint leaves and salt into the marinated meat.
- Leave the mixture for 1 hour.
- Wash the rice and cook it.
- Pour little water and add one tsp salt, shah zeera, cinamon, clove, cardamon, mint leaves, coriander leaves and green chilli.
- When rice becomes half cooked, remove it from the flame.
- Drain the water completely.
- Spread this cooked rice over marinated meat.
- Add saffron color, limejuice, ghee and the remaining crushed onions over rice layer.
- Tightly cover with a lid.
- Keep on a low flame.
- Remove from the heat exactly after half an hour.
- Hyderabadi Biryani is ready to serve.

Enjoy your biryani with dahi raitha or mich ka salan. For more such recipes and articles you can choose to subscribe to World Cuisines by Email

Suggested Reading :

Hyderabadi Cuisine
Chettinadu Cuisine
Mirch Ka Salan
Chicken Chettinadu

Chettinadu Cuisine - Chettinad Chicken

Following the hyderabadi cuisine's "Mirchi ka salan", I thought it is absolutely fine to go ahead and venture into other cuisines of the world and their popular dishes and recipes. So, in continuation in the series knowing a cuisine we would see today about a very popular chettinadu recipe.

Chettinad Chicken is a very popular recipe from the chettinadu region. Chettiars hail from this region and the food preapred by the chettiars are wonderfully flavoured and the taste is out of the world. The name suggests the origin of this recipe. Lets see the recipe for chicken chettinadu.



Ingredients:

1 - Chicken
1 tsp - Turmeric powder
1 tsp - Cayenne pepper
3/4 Inch piece - Ginger
1 tsp - Ground coriander
6 - Curry leaves
2 - Onions
2 - Garlic pods
Black peppercorns
2 Ounces - Kurumulaku
2 tbsp - Vegetable Oil
3/4 Cup - peeled and chopped tomatoes
Salt to taste

Cooking Instructions:

- Chop the chicken into pieces.
- Fry chopped onions, ginger and garlic in the vegetable oil.
- Add remaining spices and fry for a few minutes.
- Add tomato pieces and salt. Fry for another 5 minutes.
- Add chicken pieces and mix well to coat them with the gravy.
- Put the lid and simmer the contents for about half an hour.
- The mixture would turn almost dry. Occasionally add a little water if required.
- Chettinad chicken is ready to serve.

Enjoy the full bodied gravy with rice or dosas. For more such recipes and articles delivered to your email inbox, subscribe to World Cuisines by Email

Suggested Reading :

Chettinadu Cuisine
Hyderabadi Cuisine

Knowing a Cuisine - Udupi or Udipi Cuisine

Whats in a name? whether you want to call it udupi or udipi it does not really matter. The region Udipi in Karnataka state of India is a traditionally rich region with a lot of variety when it comes to the food served there.
We are looking at this post to understand the cuisine of the Udupi region. This is another post in the series "Knowing a cuisine"

A very traditional and religious this region in Karnataka, literally shuns non vegetarian food.
Udupi cuisine is a world renowned cuisine of the southern India. Udupi cuisine comprises dishes made primarily from grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits. The variety and range of dishes is wide, and a hallmark of the cuisine involves the use of locally available ingredients.
The very famous masala dosa has its origins in Udupi and a whole school of South Indian vegetarian cuisine takes its name from this town. This is ‘pure’ vegetarian food and ofcourse adhering to strict vedic tradition the use of onions and garlic is discouraged.

Pumpkins and gourds are the main ingredients, while sambar is prepared with ground coconut and coconut oil as its base. Rasam, a spicy pepper water, is an essential part of the menu and so are jackfruit, colocasia leaves, raw green bananas, mango pickle, red chillies and salt. Adyes (dumplings), ajadinas (dry curries), and chutneys, including one made of the skin of the ridge gourd, are specialities.

There can be a lot more that can be told about the cuisine of the udupi region. There are a lot of signature dishes fromt this region like, bisi bela bath which is a mixture of rice, lentils and vegetables which once prepared has so much flavour and taste which blows people away. Another signature dish that originated from this udupi region is Upma prepared using sooji, wow is not the word for this dish usually served as breakfast.

Well, let us not get into all the dishes from this region already, we will look at a lot more dishes from the udupi cuisine in the posts to come. Till then you might want to subscribe to more posts to come by Email

Suggested Reading:

Hyderabadi Cuisine
Chettinadu Cuisine

Hyderabadi Cuisine - Mirch ka Salan

If you are aware of the developments on this blog then you would have come across initiation of a new series knowing a cuisine. This series is mainly to talk about various cuisines of the world along with it popular dishes and recipes listed under that series

We saw about Hyderabadi Cuisine and now I would follow it up with one of its very popular dishes "Mirchi ka Salan". In simpler language its a concasse of various ingredients, a gravy.

Find below the ingredients and cooking instructions for mirch ka salan

Ingredients :

500 gms - Green chillies
1 no - Large onion
1 no - Large tomato
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
1 tsp - Ground corriander
2 tbsp - Roasted cumin seeds
2 tbsp - Roasted peanut seeds
2 tbsp - Coconut grated
2 no - Garlic flakes
1 no - Ginger
1/2 Cup - Tamarind juice
3 Cups - Oil
Salt to taste

Cooking Instructions :

- Grind the roasted peanut and cumin seeds to make a powder.
- Chop onions and tomatoes finely.
- Grind garlic and ginger to make a paste.
- Heat the oil and fry chilies and keep it aside.
- Fry chopped onions and tomatoes.
- Add ginger garlic paste and fried chillies, saute for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle tamarind juice and salt
- Add this mixture to fried green chillies.
- Serve it with rotis and biryani.

We will see more such recipes and posts on various cuisines in the days and months to come.Subscribe to more such posts by email

Suggested Reading:

Chettinadu Cuisine
Hyderabadi Cuisine

Knowing a Cuisine - Hyderabadi Cuisine

As you are aware there was this new series on Knowing a Cuisine and that series was started with the Chettinad Cuisine. Another famous cuisine, the Hyderabadi Cuisine would feature as a second post on the series knowing a cuisine. Originating from a region in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India, the hyderabadi cuisine is ranking very high on the list of cuisines that trigger the taste buds.

The highlight of the Andhra Pradesh cuisine is the Hyderabadi food. It is famous for its rich and aromatic nature. It's taste is very distinguishable having a liberal use of exotic spices and ghee. The Hyderabadi food uses fresh fruit instead of dried fruits. It is also famous for its non-vegetarian preparation and Lamb is the most widely used meat here.Biryani, one of India's most popular foods, is a flavored rice with meat or vegetables. It is an important part of Hyderabadi cuisine.

Hyderabadi cuisine is inspired by the Mughlai cuisine. This style of cooking is here since the Asaf Jahi period. Thus, the Hyderabadi cuisine is a perfect amalgamation of the typical Mughlai flavors with a blend of rich spices.

What makes the Hyderabadi Cuisine special is the use of special ingredients, carefully chosen and cooked to the right degree. The addition of a certain Herb, Spice, Condiment, or an Amalgam of these add an unique taste and texture to the dish. The herbs and spices used and the method of preparation gives the dish its name. "Murgh do pyaza" gets its name from the onions that are added twice to the dish in two variations.

The Masalas or the rich blend of herbs, spices and condiments give the dishes a base, or what is popularly known as "Gravy". Some of these blends are a well-kept secret that pass only down the family line or from the Ustad(Teacher) to his Shagird(Pupil). The head cooks or the "Khansas" were an asset to the house hold, and were treated with due respect.

The word "Nawabi" is as synonymous with the Hyderabadi cuisine as "Shahi" is with Luknowi. These terms conjure delicacies that are rich in taste and texture with mouth-watering aromas. The "Kebabs" in Hyderabad need a special mention, the "ShammiKebab" is one such popular dish. The Kebabs are originally from Greece!!

Now, we know the cuisine and what need to follow this post is the popular dishes and recipes, which will sure follow. Subscribe to more such posts by email

Suggested Reading:

Chettinadu Cuisine

Knowing a Cuisine - Chettinadu Cuisine

There seems to be no end to the list of things that I want to write about and the posts keep on coming, don't you think. If you think in the same lines as I do then we are on the right track. I was told by a few pro bloggers and my idol Darren Rowse(not personally though) that it's better to write more posts to attract traffic and to attract the spiders. hew.... spiders???

If you are not understanding what I am talking about, I will quickly explain to you as to what I am getting to. I was talking about blogging and one of the ways to be a better blogger.... writing more posts. Do you know blogging can be very lucrative? check my posts on Are you ready to blog and what is a blog. If you are still in the dark let me tell you that I am writing another blog on Earning money blogging.

Anyways, getting back to track apart from my other two series Knowing a Fruit and Knowing a vegetable I am wanting to start another series "Knowing a Cuisine". I would like to start this series with one of my favourite cuisines "The Chettinadu Cuisine" and I would follow these with popular dishes and recipes of a particular cuisine I am writing about. So what is chettinadu/chettinad cuisine?

Chettinad cuisine is the cuisine of the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu state in South India. Chettinad is one of the driest regions of south India. The Chettiar community, who are a majority in this region are a very successful trading community. Chettinad cuisine is one of the spiciest and the most aromatic in India.Chettinad cuisine is famous for its use of a variety of spices used in preparing mainly non-vegetarian food. The dishes are hot and pungent with fresh ground masalas, and topped with a boiled egg that is usually considered essential part of a meal. They also use a variety of sun dried meats and salted vegetables, reflecting the dry environment of the region. The meat is restricted to fish, prawn, lobster, crab, chicken and mutton. Chettiars do not eat beef and pork.Most of the dishes are eaten with rice and rice based accompaniments such as dosais, appams, idiyappams, adais and idlis. The Chettinad people through their mercantile contacts with Burma, learnt to prepare a type of rice pudding made with sticky red rice.

Chettinad cuisine offers a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Some of the popular vegetarian dishes include idiyappam, paniyaram, vellai paniyaram, karuppatti paniyaram, paal paniyaram, kuzhi paniyaram, kozhakattai, masala paniyaram, adikoozh, kandharappam, seeyam, masala seeyam, kavuni arisi & athirasamSpices usedIn Chettinad food, the most important spices are marathi mokku (dried flower pods), anasipoo (star aniseed) and kalpasi (dried bark). In addition, tamarind, whole red chillies and saunf (Fennel seeds) are also used along with cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, peppercorn, cumin seeds and fenugreek.

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Culture of eating in India
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