Daalcho ( Slow cooked daal and meat )

This is an old recipe for achieving a smooth daal and fall of the bone meat in a slow cooker. You could very well do this in a slow cooker/crock pot, although this would traditionally be done in big pots over a wood fire.

You should plan to do this recipe with a hard to cook piece of meat ( E.g. brisket ).

Use a 5.5 Quart Pot for this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 Cup of Toor Dal ( Oily )
3/4 Cup Toor Dal
1/2 Cup Moong Dal ( Yellow )
1/2 Cup Pink Masoor
3 Qts Water ( 2.8 Ltrs )
2 Tbl spoons of ground Cumin/Coriander
2-3 Bay Leaves
1 1/2  onion (roughly chopped)
1/2 tomato
3-4 Leaves of Kokum
1.5 Lbs of Meat - Use Brisket of beef/Lamb shoulder - not cut and washed. Use one big chunk.
6-7 Green Chilies
1 Tblspn of chopped ginger
2-3 cloves of crushed garlic
1 Beetroot - Roughly Chopped
1/2 Bottle Gourd  ( Duudi )
1/2 Tblspn salt ( add to taste )

For the Garnish
3-4 Dried Red chilies
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 Tblspn of julienned ginger
Handful Coriander leaves-Chopped
2 Tblspns of ghee

Put all the ingredients in a stock pot, crock pot, slow cooker. Leave overnight (10 hours ) on a medium setting - I put it in the oven at a temperature of 350F for the first couple hours, then turned it down to 300. Next morning take the meat out of the daal, and blend the mixture. Add the meat back in and bring the mixture to a boil.

Heat the ghee in a small saucier on medium-Hi.Add the red chily, garlic, ginger and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add it into the daal and top with chopped coriander leaves.

Eat with naan and rice.

Disclaimer : Eating this for lunch can render you useless for the rest of the day :)

My take on Chicken 'teeka' masala

Well you would think why I would choose this particular dish! I mean its so popularly available everywhere and yet you find very little variation. Even america's test kitchen has a version of it.

But truth be told, I wanted to better something the world makes so proudly and yet add my own twist to a timeless classic.

What I want ? Is the following:

A chunky yet creamy sauce
A vibrant reddish orange
A sauce with a kick
The chicken itself not showing signs of prolonged exposure to colour ( yes that yucky orange when you break into the piece )

The perfect pairing, garlic naan and basmati rice.

To achieve this I use unusual ingredients. Ancho chile paste to build the base for the reddish orange. Annato seed powder and dried saffron flowers to give a bright red colour and fragrance to the dish. You can find all three ingredients in a mexican aisle of your grocery store.


Ingredients
4 lb of chicken ( white and dark with bone )

For the rub:
2 ancho chile
3 tbslpn yogurt
2 tblspn ginger garlic paste
2 tsp red chile powder
2 tsp ground corriander
1/4 tsp tumeric
1 tsp salt and pepper
2 tblspns oil
1 tblspn chili oil

For the sauce:
2 medium onions - finely chopped
3 green chillies finely chopped
2 tsp cumin ( jeera )
1 stick cinnamon
5 cloves
5 cardammom (crushed)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3 bay leaves
2 tsp saffron flowers
1 tsp annato seed powder
1 28oz can whole peeled san marzano tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup cream
1.5 tblspns kasoori methi - dried fenugreek leaves

Start by preparing the chicken. In a small bowl, place the ancho chille and cover with water. Then microwave for 3 mins. Discard water and puree with yogurt. Add this with the rest of the ingredients into the chicken and mix well. Let this sit for 30 minutes. Pre heat the oven to 375F. Pour the chicken mixture on to a baking sheet and bake for 15 mins. Then turn the oven to broil and let a brown crust form over the chicken (about 3-4 minutes). Remove the chicken from the oven and set aside.

For the sauce: In a big ( I used a 5.5 qt pot ) start by heating the oil. Add the green chillies, jeera, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves and let fry for about 3-4 mins. Add the cardammom , onion , saffron flowers, nutmeg and fry until the onions turn light brown. Add the salt, annato seed powder & kasoori methi. In a seperate vessel crush the canned tomatoes, then add to the pot. Let the mixture stew for about 15 mins until the tomatoes have broken down. Remove mixture into a seperate vessel and puree with a hand blender until smooth ( a few chunks of tomato are ok ). Pour sauce back into original pot.

Add the chicken ( and gravy ) into the tomato sauce. And leave to simmer ( low heat ) for 10 mins. 2-3 mins before serving add cream and let simmer.

Serve with garlic naan & basmati rice :)

Sorry I do not have a picture for this one, it was all gone by the time I realised I should take one !


- posted from my IPAD !

Location:Bandooks kitchen, Germantown

Comfort food and lamb stew

How do you define comfort food? Its a coversation I've had with multiple people without finding any conclusive answer.

For me the definition of comfort food is something that would bring a smile to your face even before tasting it, something you would crave for when you are depressed or maybe after a long day at work.

One of the foods that has consistantly satisfied the criteria above is lamb stew with khichdi. At home we prefer to call this haleem and that is different from the pakistani version of it.

Its primararily a lamb and vegetable stew dunked into a lentil rice. For the meat i prefer to use lamb neck bones. This cut is cheap ( 2-3$/lb ), easily avilable ( safeway has it in their meat section ) and a pound and a half of meat is enough to satisfy 3 people. I pressure cook this to make it an everyday food but this could very well be done in a dutch oven.

Ingredients:

1.5 lb lamb neck
1.5 tb spn ginger & garlic paste
2-3 bay leaves
6 pearl onions peeled
6 small potatoes ( fingerling or similiar ) peeled
8 florets of cauliflower ( this would be half a head of a cauliflower - ea floret being no more than an inch )
40 fluid oz of water.
10 mint leaves
4 thai hot peppers ( can be substituted with other chiles or amount varied to suite your taste ) - roughly chopped or broken
1 tsp of salt
1.5 tsp ground corriander (seeds)

For roux
1.5 tblspn white unbleached flour
1tsp cumin seeds
1tsp garam masala
1tsp black pepper
2tblspns vegetable oil

For lentil rice: Khichri
2cups Sona masuri( find this in an indian grocery or use thai jasmine if not available )
1/2cup yellow Moong daal
1/2cup red lentils ( pink masoor daal )
1/4 tsp tumeric ( haldi )
1 tsp ghee




Wash & soak rice and lentil mixture in water ( until fully covered ) for half hour. Then transfer to a heavy bottom pan or saucier. Remove existing water and add in 3 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil (high heat) and then turn down the heat to a simmer (low heat) for 16-18 mins or until the rice is aldente. Add ghee and fork the rice.

For the soup:
Wash the lamb. Then allow to marinade in salt and ginger garlic paste. In a pressure cooker, add the lamb and the rest of the ingredients ( first set ). Close the cooker, turn up the heat to med-HI and allow the soup to cook for 40 minutes.

To prepare thr roux:
In a heavy bottemed pan ( large ) heat the oil and add in the cumin seeds. Once they start to splutter, add the rest of the ingredients. Allow the flour to brown for about 1-2 mins until the flour changes from a light off white colour to a khaki color. Then add the lamb mixture from the cooker into the roux. ( The roux will burn quickly after it has turned brown, remove the mixture from heat and then add the lamb stew )

Allow this mixture to boil for about 10-15 minutes until it thickens to a soupy consistency. Adjust the salt if needed.

As seen in the picture, it is served up with the khichri. A variation of this would be to add milk in the last 5 minutes of the boiling process.

- posted from my IPAD !

Location:Bandook's kitchen, Germantown,United States

Pozole - Columbian style corn soup

This recipe was based off Bobby Flays Posole recipe. I have tried to combine what he did with a traditional Pozole recipe.

Serves 8-10
For Soup:
60 Oz chicken broth ( optionally you can use a low sodium version. I used 2x14oz & 1x32oz cans. )
25 Oz White Hominy (you can find this near the canned corn aisle of your grocery store)
7 Ancho chile
3 Negro chile
1 Big Carrot
1 Red Pepper
5 Pearl Onions
3-4 Cloves of garlic
1 tblspn ground black pepper
2 Oz dried porcine mushroom
Salt to taste
Meat:
Traditional pozole recipes use a combination of chicken and pork, braised and then shredded. I have made this twice and have used different kind of meat on both occasions. You can opt to take 3 Lb of chicken breast, cut into small pieces ( 1" strips ) and shallow frying them by dredging them in a coating of flour , black pepper , oregano & paprika. Alternatively you can get a store brought rotiserrie chicken and shred it into thin 1" strips.

For Garnish:
1 Bag of White & Blue corn tortilla chips
2 Cups of Queso Fresco ( or any other quick melting cheese would do )
Chopped Cilantro
Lime
1 Cup of sour cream

Method:

Start by boiling the stock in a large vessel with the hominy for about 10-15 mins on medium high. Once the stock comes to a boil, turn the temperature down to medium.

Now place a colander into the vessel such that its submerged into the stock halfway through. Now add the carrot , red pepper , pearl onions & the garlic to the liquid in the colander. Leave them there for about 10 mins. Once the vegetables have cooked, take them out in a bowl with a little stock.

Whilst the stock is boiling and the vegetables are cooking, roast the chiles in a pan on high for about a minute on each side. Then soak the chiles in a big cup by adding in enough boiling stock to cover them and leave for 5-6 minutes. If you plan on using the mushrooms, soak them too by pouring in a ladle of hot stock.

Puree the vegetables from the colander and back into the stock. Cut the mushrooms into 1" strips and add into the stock. Puree the the chiles. Add about half of the puree back into the stock leaving the rest aside for later. Add the chicken into the stock and let the soup simmer for 30-40 mins. Add in the salt and black pepper.

About 15-20 minutes before serving. Bring the soup back to a simmer by leaving on Med-Lo heat. Place the corn tortilla on a large cookie sheet and spray with PAM or any other vegetable oil. Set the oven on broil and place the cookie sheet on the lowest rack. Leave the tortilla in for no longer than 3-4 minutes. Monitor the chips closely until they develop a golden-brown ( light ) color and remove. Serve in a large soup bowl topping with cheese , cilantro , lime , browned tortilla chips and sour cream ( in that order ).

Pair with empanadas.

Pehli Raat

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Shepherd's Pie

Churned this one out of my own old Shepard's pie recipe & left over thanksgiving protein, in my case : grilled lamb. This was very exciting since I was also inaugurating my new [black friday]dutch oven.

Serves 6

Ingredients :

Lamb Rue: 

2 lbs lamb - grillled , chopped into 3/4" cubes ( best substitute would be beef tips or grilled chicken breast )

1 tblspn butter

3/4 cup meat stock - I used chicken stock, any other stock will do

2 tblspns A1 steak sauce

1 tblspn all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

MirePoix:

1.5 Cups chopped red onion 

5 cloves of garlic - sliced

2 sticks of cinnamon

1 Cup diced celery 

3/4 Cup diced carrot

1/2 Cup of spring onions

2 tblspns of olive oil

1/2 tsp each of dried oregano , thyme & rosemary

1 tsp of flavored salt - I used celery salt.

1 heaping tsp of crushed black pepper - adjust to taste

2 tblspns hot sauce

Mash Potato:

5 big potatoes - boiled

1 tblspn butter

1 cup of goat cheese

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup of cheddar

1-3 tblspns of milk

Use a 5.5 Qt heavy bottom pan - preferably a dutch oven for the main dish ( or something that can also be used in the oven) & a cast iron skillet for making the lamb rue. If you dont have a heavy bottom pan that is oven safe, transfer the lamb mixture into a baking dish before putting the mash potato on top.

Method:

Heat oil in heavy bottom pan and add garlic & cinnamon sticks. Fry the garlic for minute and then add the onions. Let the onions cook until soft and transparent - stirring occasionally. Now add the spring onions , carrot , celery , herbs , salt & pepper and let cook for 3-4 minutes. 

Meanwhile heat another heavy bottom skillet and add lamb. Leave the lamb on the skillet for a couple minutes until it starts to stick to the bottom. Once that happens, remove the lamb ( without removing the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan ). 

Stir the lamb & hot sauce into the onion mixture stirring occasionally. 

Add the butter & flour to the skillet and scrape all the bits of the bottom of the pan. Let the flour cook for about a minute before adding in the stock , salt & steak sauce. Allow the sauce to thicken for about 5-6 minutes. Add the sauce to the lamb & onion mixture and let cook for about 10 minutes. 

On the side, peel and mash the potatoes with butter. Then add in the cheese , salt and pepper and mash again.  Add 1 tblspn of milk at a time until the mash potato reaches a spreadable consistency.

Spread the mash potato over the lamb in the heavy bottom pan such that it forms a 1" ( or more ) layer over the lamb. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese on the top and place the pan in the oven while setting the oven to broil. Leave in there only for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese melts and browns ( dont leave it for more than that or you'll land up with burnt cheese like mine !! ).

Serve with toasted pumpernickel bread.

The rest of the food

-- Sent from my Palm Prē