Are you thinking of rustling up some yummy food for your lovely mom this Mother’s Day? Bored of going to the same restaurant like every other year? Why don’t you try cooking at home this time? Why not recreate her favourite North Indian fare? Be it biryani, gosht, or a simple dal, every North Indian meal can be made quite easily. Here are a few recipes for you to try:
Zafrani Gosht Mutton Biryani
Ingredients: Basmati rice 1 kg, mutton 1.5 kg, ghee 60 gm, sunflower oil 250 gm, ginger 50 gm, garlic 30 gm, onion 250 gm, cinnamon stick 12 gm, shahi jeera 15 gm, cloves 10 gm, curd 250 gm, green chilli paste 25 gm, khova 20 gm, cream 15 gm, milk 250 ml, saffron 1 gm, coriander 40 gm, mint 40 gm, slit chillies 6, lime juice 25 ml, salt 50 gm, cardamom 5 gm.
For boiling rice: Shahi jeera 10 gm, cinnamon stick 8 gm, ginger-garlic paste 20 gm.
Method: Wash and soak the rice in water for one hour. To the pre-cut lamb, apply salt, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, green chilli and marinate for a couple of hours. In the meantime, fry sliced onions till golden brown and spread for cooling. Crush and keep aside.
Mix the marinated meat with curd, lime juice, fried onions and oil and keep aside. In a handi, boil 3 ltr water with salt and garam masala. Drain the water from the soaked rice and add to the boiling water and bring to a boil. Cook the rice 70% in boiling water.
Take out the rice and spread over the meat evenly. Pour the saffron milk on top of rice. Seal the edges of the container with tin foil and cook on high heat till it starts to steam. Then cook on dum for at least ½ hr and then let the lid be till another ½ hour. Mix desi ghee with the biryani and serve.
Tangdi Kebab
Ingredients: Chicken legs/drumsticks 6, turmeric powder 2 gm, cumin powder 2 gm, garam masala 2 gm, Kashmiri red chili powder 4 gm, ginger garlic paste 5 gm, lemon juice 5 ml, mustard oil 5 ml, hung curd 30 gm, chickpeas flour 30 gm, ghee 6 ml, chopped mint 4 gm, salt as required.
Method: Wash and clean chicken legs and make slits on them. Marinate the chicken with ginger-garlic paste and keep it aside for an hour. Then add Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, garam masala, lemon juice and salt. Mix the drumsticks properly so that mixture coats them completely. Keep it aside for 45 minutes. Then add mustard oil and mix it again. In a small frying pan over medium heat, add ghee. Add besan flour and fry it on low heat till it becomes golden in colour. To the marinated chicken, add hung curd and fried besan. Mix it well. Cook the chicken in a charcoal oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or till it is cooked and there’s a nice golden colour on them. If necessary, cover the drumsticks with foil.
(The author is executive chef, Grand Mercure Bangalore)