Leg of Lamb

Its the festival of Eid ul Adha aka Bakrid, the time to pay allegiance to Allah by sacrificing a Sheep following in our Prophet Ebrahims footsteps, its the time of meat,meat and more meat...As children,we would wait behind closed windows and doors and await the preparation of biryani,liver fry and so many other delicious preparations my mother would churn out in our kitchen. After the Biryanis and the Kormas it was always the time to make the dried Kebabs....This was always the laborious  process of cutting the meat into long strips,pounding them a bit ,marinating in spices,stringing them and then allowing them to dry...This post however is not about Kebabs,but about a leg of Lamb recipe which i often make post Bakrid..

Ingredients :
1 leg of Lamb kept whole,make gashes against the grain to allow masalas to seep in (i used the front leg approximately weighing 1 1/2 kg)
2 heaped tbsp raw papaya paste
Juice of 4 large lemon
Salt to taste
Apply all the above mentioned to the leg of lamb and allow an hour of marination
Next take
2 tbsp ginger and garlic paste (2:1) ratio or whole ginger and garlic equivalent to 2 tbsp of paste 
10 Red chillies whole
2 tsp Peppercorns
2 inch stick cinnamon
8 cloves
6 pods cardamom
2 tsp coriander powder or 4 tsp whole coriander
2 tsp cumin powder or 3 tsp whole cumin
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chillie powder
1 large bunch coriander leaves,cleaned and washed well or 1 1/2 heaped cup coriander leaves
1/2 cup  mint leaves
3 green chillies
a bit of salt
Grind the above ingredients to a paste adding very little water,till you get a smooth consistency,add 1/2 cup olive oil to the marinade and apply thoroughly to the leg of lamb...seal well with aluminium foil and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours ... keep turning the leg every 6 hours....Remove an hour ahead of grilling and bring to room temperature...
Fire a grill up and place the leg without removing the foil,turning often,till you feel the semi liquid has dried inside.....remove the foil baste generously with melted butter and grill to desired consistency..serve hot with wedges of lime and walnut chutney...

Tips :Remove some of the masala from the leg before putting it on the grill,keep aside and use it later when you remove the foil,basting alternatively with butter and masala...Always grill the leg with the foil on first so as to seal in the flavours...once you feel the meat is cooked and there is no liquid remaining,remove the foil and allow the leg to grill to perfection,baste generously with melted butter.

A leg of lamb should be a little on the spicy side though not overly so,it should have a good amalgamation of spicy and sour in equal proportions...please do try this,its delicious to taste..
  Walnut chutney is very simple,take a handful of walnuts,add 4 almonds,a cup of coriander leaves,1/2 cup mint leaves,2 green chillies and salt to taste..grind carefully with little water,remove .mix in 1/2 cup well beaten curd and you're good to go....

Hope you liked this recipe...do share your food and don't forget to serve with love and kindness

Fish Fingers

This is one of the easiest to make, and the best Fish Fingers i have ever had....The first time i've had this is at my friend Ketu Irani/Sahani`s home,whose mother, Silloo Minoo Irani,one of the kindest person i know,parted with a recipe book (The Time and Talents club Recipe book) which has a plethora of wonderful recipes from several culinary experts of Chennai...Now this recipe is not there in the book,but is oft repeated and made in their home...The recipe book  is a 1934-59 edition and has some great Parsi recipes....This recipe though is what i have learnt from them...thank you Aunty for giving me the book and for introducing me to this recipe.... 

For the Fish fingers,you would need a firm fleshed,less bones and which can be made into fillets,kind off a fish...i find king fish/seer/surmai/vanjaram,works pretty well for this recipe...

Ingredients:
250 gms Fish,skinned,deboned and made into fillets
2 tsp of worcestershire sauce..
1 large egg well beaten
1 cup bread crumbs
oil for frying
salt and white pepper powder to taste....

Method:
  Clean fish well..drain in a colander for 15 mts...apply salt,pepper and the sauce and allow it ti marinate for not more than 1/2 an hour...Dip in egg,coat with breadcrumbs and shallow fry till golden brown,turning just once....

Some tips on washing fish, to remove its odour...use gram flour...apply as a paste on fish, allow it to rest for five minutes,wash thoroughly.......
If required,you could add some paprika powder to the marinade too...

Hope you enjoy this recipe...its easy to make and tastes good served hot spicy chillie garlic sauce....Do share food and serve with love and kindness.....

Bovine Colostrum Pudding

I was introduced to this pudding by my mother in law,who loved to prepare this whenever our cow had a calf...To the uninitiated Colostrum is the first milk that is produced after a cow has had her calf...the calf has its first feed and the remaining is collected and distributed to family and friends...for those of you who think that this is gross, the understanding from my local milkman is that too much of colostrum is harmful for the calf...the benefits far outway the sorrow of this thought...
  

 Growing up in Chennai in the 60s and 70s was indeed God sent,every home had a cow lazing in a shed at the back of the house..now with homes shrinking in size and want of space and time,obtaining colostrum has become a rare commodity...however my friends tell me that they are available in tins in many countries all over the world....Today bovine colostrum is considered one of the healthiest foods in the world..please educate yourselves and give it to your children and family as much as you can...The process is the same as how my mother in law makes it,though however i have added a few ingredients and eliminated some in conformity to today's taste buds....

Ingredients:
1 litre colostrum milk (I ask for the 2nd days milk)
2 1/2 litres milk
250 gms sugar or to taste
1 tsp nutmeg powder
2 tsp dried ginger powder (sonth in hindi and chukku in tamil)
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
6-8 green cardamom, seeds removed and crushed,can add some of the skin too
A few unsalted pistachios cut into slivers can also be added to add a bit of crunch
1 tin whole cream (optional )I omitted it in my second batch and did not notice any difference...

Method:
Boil the milk and set aside to cool thoroughly.....Once cool add in the colostrum and the rest of the ingredients and mix well.....This pudding is always steamed...Place a large vessel with water on stove,place another vessel which fits into the first one and fill 1/2 with the pudding mix...cover and steam for 10-15 minutes...switch off but allow it to remain in the steamer for a while....Alternatively you can pour into ramekins and steam them individually....

Some tips on the pudding....Do not overcook the pudding...at 10 mts open and check to see if its a little wobbly at the center and firm on the sides, that's your cue to switch it off and let it settle in its own steam....Do these in batches so that you can adjust the ingredients subsequently...Never add the Colostrum to hot milk as it will set and cook immediately... For some who don't want the sweet version can add salt and pepper and steam it..cut into pieces and use instead of panner in a gravy... I have watched my mother in law make this,but this is my first attempt,hope you like it...

Theres a lot of goodness in colostrum,hope you will share this recipe with others so that somewhere,someone can benefit and stay healthy and happy...Please share your food and serve with love and kindness....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colostrum

Lentils (Dal)

Lentils or Dal as we refer to it at home is such a comforting food..Trying to follow in my dear mothers footsteps,who always prepared dal everyday quoting",dal helps children grow",this recipe though is my aunts,(Chachi) from my fathers side,who in spite of her tiny diminutive appearance was a powerhouse in the kitchen....Born and brought up in Pakistan,she taught me this dal,which is so simple and easy to make and delicious with both roti`s and rice... I do try to make it at least once a week.... 

Ingredients:
1 cup moong dal (green grams)the yellow variety...
1 big onion sliced absolutely fine
1 big tomato just slit on top but not all the way through,the objective here is to keep the tomato whole...
2 slit green chillies
1/2 tsp ginger and garlic paste (2:1)ratio
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
A pinch of red chillie powder or even better yellow chillie powder
A few sprigs of coriander leaves cleaned
4 tbs oil
salt to taste

Method :
Take a heavy bottom vessel with lid and add all the ingredients except the oil and onions...add 2 cups water and allow it to cook covered gently stirring the dal occasionally without mashing the dal or the tomato....once the water has drained,check to see if dal has cooked...it should remain whole,but at the same time should have cooked...this dal should remain  thick ,depending on your requirement for the day you could add some more water to make it a little less thick as i have shown in the photo....Remove the tomato and take it of the fire...In a pan heat oil and add the thinly sliced onions in batches...fry till crisp and brown..remove,drain excess oil ...just before serving the dal,add the browned onions to the dish and serve with wedges of lemon...

Some points to remember when your making dal,always pre soak them in enough water (a little more than double) and cook the dal in the same water...do not discard the water....use organic dal as much as possible...lessen the volume of dal if using organic...always remove the scum which forms on top...Enjoy  this dal,its healthy,nutritious and and packed with proteins...Remember to share your food and serve with love and kindness....

Mutton Chops

Whats with barbecuing and men,there is something which draws them towards a grill pit,whether its the meat or the fire i`m not sure but I`m most certainly not complaining...I love to grill and barbecue,though the marination is done by me,the grilling is often times done by the male members of my family its the simplest of recipes and is always tantalisingly delicious....Visiting relatives necessitated the firing of the grill,marination is simple and with as few ingredients as possible....A good mutton chops requires the least number of ingredients possible...i can`t stress it more here...please do not flood a barbecue recipe with too many spices or sauces..keep it simple,allowing for the taste of the meat to come through....

This is a picture of both a chicken and a mutton chops barbecue...more on the chicken in a later post...As far as possible get the best chunk of meat as possible.if you live in India ask your butcher to give you a rack of lamb chops,uncut,this way you have a control of the pieces you want to have...I cut them into big chunks of 3,that way they singe less and you have more meat in each piece.....

Ingredients:
1 kg of mutton chops cut into pieces of 3 each,on an average you will get 8-9 pieces
2 tbs ginger and garlic paste
8 tsp of lime juice
2 tsp of papaya paste,i have a dear friend an neighbour who gives me the raw papaya from her garden,I peel,dice and puree it,keep 1/2 in the freezer and the other half in the fridge for use
2 tbs chillie powder or as per your spice quotient 
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tbs chillie flakes,put a couple of red dried chillies in a mixie and pulse for a while
salt to taste.....

Method:
Apply the papaya paste,lime juice and salt to the chops and marinate for 1/2 an hour....
Follow by adding all the spices and mix well by hand...marinate for not more than 6 hours in the fridge,turning occasionally...
Grill on a barbecue grill......
Some notes on a grill...get the fire started and heat the coals well,keep stoking them as you grill,do not turn the meat more than once,if you have to, then twice only otherwise you will be left with a rubbery kind of a texture in the meat....Leave a bucket of water beside the grill in case of accidents,and keep an eye on children...Hope you like this recipe....avoid too many spices in a barbecue as the high heat tends to burn most of it...just keep it simple....Please share,and serve with love and kindness...

   

Fish Curry

What do you do when you have a large fish on your hands,and your done with making cutlets,frying and grilling them...you end up making fish curry....Yes after using up all the good pieces from an entire King fish for all of the above, I was left with the head and tail bits and i most certainly wanted to make my favourite fish curry...

Many of you must be making a similar fish curry using the choicest of fish pieces,but I always use the head and the tail pieces...somehow the taste is better when you use this...but even better in my opinion is making fish curry with small fish...any small variety would do....

Ingredients:
Fish head and Tail from a 1 1/2-2 kg Fish
 3/4 Gingelly oil 
1/4 cup Coconut oil (as far as possible please use both these oils,this gives the curry its distinct taste,you can lessen the amount if you want,but its fish curry,i always add a generous amount of oil)
2 Large onions chopped fine
2 Tomatoes sour variety chopped fine...reduce if mangoes are too sour
4 Green chillies chopped
1/2 small bunch Coriander Leaves chopped
1 large raw mango cut into big chunks
A few sprigs curry leaves
A lemon size ball of tamarind soaked in 2 cups of warm water,mashed well and strained
1 tsp ginger and garlic paste (2:1) ratio
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 heaped tsp chillie powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp heaped cumin and fenugreek powder (this is a powder I always keep stock of,in a 2:1 ratio,cumin being 2.i roast them on a dry skillet till fragrant,cool and powder them,store in airtight container)
1/2 tsp coriander powder
salt to taste....

Method:
As far as possible please use a mud pot to make this curry and to serve it too...i find that it gives an earthy taste to this dish,and that it keeps better for a couple of days at least....You can use any vessel of your choice,though a heavy bottom one would be preferable...add  the gingelly oil and heat well,drop in the fenugreek seeds and before it browns too much add the mustard seeds and splutter them....add the curry leaves,whole garlic pods and onions and saute till just going to turn brown stage....do not brown the onions too much...add the ginger garlic paste and saute well....add the dry spices,always keep your heat low when you add dry spices...saute well add the tomatoes and mix in some water so as to get everything together,mash well with a wooden spoon...add the cut mangoes,coriander leaves,salt and the tamarind water,cover the dish and bring to a rapid boil,turn the heat to sim and allow it to simmer on gentle heat for at least 1/2 an hour....
          A seasoned cook will tell when the curry is ready,just by the smells emanating from the pot......even before you add the fish,this curry gives out a fish curry smell like nothing else does...after 1/2 an hour gently add the fish,cover and let it simmer occasionally shaking the pot, swirling it gently....After 10 minutes open lid and add heated coconut oil and close lid...swirl again and remove from fire...let it rest for a while...serve with hot rice...
   

As many of you will know this curry tastes best the next day...on the following day heat gently and serve with dosa,appam or idli....Remember to share with love and kindness.... 

Channa Batura

My first ever glimpse of a channa batura was at woodlands drive inn hotel...those of you familiar with chennai would remember this quintessentially beautiful place with a never ending row of huge trees and lush greenery all over...this was the place where the family went to on Sundays...were people in love met to have a cozy rendezvous,where college students,read New college because of its close proximity,hung out and a place where "everybody knows your name".....This place was the best restaurant to serve the channa batura,it was huge enough to fill a hungry stomach and easy enough for a near empty wallet...my first impression was whats such a big poori doing on my plate...the first bite was the kicker...this breakfast just draws you to it...i make this on and off,and do a simple batura,avoiding the yeast and adding curd instead...the more elaborate batura asks to be kneaded and kept overnight,but i do the simpler,easier one and its still delicious....

Ingredients for the batura:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup fine semolina (sooji,rawa)this one has to be the fine variety,if you live in chennai,you get it at Bombay General Stores BGS(T Nagar)

2 tbs thick curds

oil for frying

1/2 tsp sugar

2 big pinches of salt

Mix the flour with the semolina into a bowl

Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the curds,sugar and salt,mix it and allow it to sit for awhile...gradually add in the flour with some water to form a firm dough,cover and let it rest for some time...keep it longer if you want to go for the sour taste...i prepare this just before i start the channa...whenever your ready,form big balls and roll out into big discs...much bigger than the average poori ..heat the oil in a large kadai and gently fry flipping just once....

Ingredients for channa:

1/2 kg white kabuli channa washed and soaked overnight

2 onions chopped

2 tomatoes skinned, seeds removed and chopped

2 green chillies chopped

1/2 cup or bunch coriander leaves cleaned

3 inch piece ginger cleaned and cut into small pieces...leave some ginger for the garnish

1 inch piece cinnamon,3 cloves

1 tsp chillie powder

1 tsp cumin powder

2 tbs dried pomegranate seeds (anardana)also available at BGS  or a tea bag...use either of the two as the channa will turn too dark almost blackish ,i like the pomegranate seed taste better than the tea leaves one....my vote goes to it...

1 tsp coriander powder

A couple of spoons oil

1/2 tsp cumin

salt to taste

Method:

Throw away the water used for soaking the channa and fill with fresh water,place in a cooker,if your using the tea bag this is the point where you add it,if your not using it proceed with cooking the channa till done..cooker 5-8 whistles depending on your cooker...don`t add too much water to boil,add just enough..once cooked,if your using the tea bag remove it now...take a few channa and mash well,mix it back in and set aside....Grind the pomegranate seeds along with all the powder spices to a paste adding some water to it,set aside....Take a heavy bottom vessel add some oil,heat and add cinnamon and cloves,saute well,add the chopped ginger,cumin and green chillies,fry for a while and then add the chopped onions  fry till it turns golden brown,add the ground spices mixture and saute well.....keep adding some water along the way and continue to cook the mixture....add the tomatoes and keep sauteing till the oils are released...at this point add the cooked channa and mix thoroughly...allow to simmer gently..serve garnished with ginger julienne and a slit green chillie...

There is a tangy taste which comes in this channa recipe,but if you feel you need some more you can add tamarind paste along the way.....  salt and spices can be adjusted as per personal choices...Rolling the batura can be a bit challenging for some,but with practice a perfect one can be achieved...Enjoy your channa batura,remember to serve with love and kindness....