Eid delights

Food Fiesta

This Eid will surely be different but don’t let the pandemic dampen your spirits. Here are a few simple recipes that’ll keep the festivities going...

Mutton Shami Kebab

Ingredients

500 grams boneless mutton

1 cup chana dal

½ teaspoon turmeric/powder

10 cloves garlic

2 inch ginger

3 green chillies finely chopped

¼ pecans finely chopped

3 spring mint leaves/pudina

Salt as required

Oil as needed

Whole spices

4 red chillies

1 teaspoon black pepper powder

5 cloves

½ inch cinnamon stick

2 cardamom

½ teaspoon shahi jeera

2 black cardamom

Method

To begin making the Mutton Shami Kebab recipe, wash and soak chana dal for minimum 1-2 hours. Wash mutton pieces nicely and pressure cook it with soaked chana dal, turmeric powder, salt, ginger, garlic and whole spices. Once the mutton is done, pass it through a colander and collect the stock in a separate bowl which you can use later to make any mutton curry. Collect the cooled mutton and dal mix in a grinder jar and grind to make a fine dough. The dough may look fibrous because of the meat. Add finely chopped onion, chopped green chillies, chopped mint and coriander and mix nicely till everything incorporates well. Heat a wide pan and grease it with 1-2 tablespoon oil. Pinch a lemon sized ball from the mutton mix and flatten in the shape of a round disk. Similarly, make rest of the kebabs and shallow fry from both sides in a wide pan till they turn dark brown in colour. Mutton Shami Kebabs are a perfect snack option during Eid and are also a great side dish with chicken biryani. Serve with onion rings, lemon and dhaniya pudina chutney.

Haleem

Haleem

With lentils, spices and broken wheat, it is a slow-cooked
delicacy usually enjoyed during Eid festivities.

Ingredients

½ tsp lamb (boneless)

150 gms moong dal
(washed)

100 gms wheat (broken)

500ml desi ghee

10 cloves

4 bay leaves

1 gms saffron

30 gms green chilly
paste

10 gms turmeric powder

6 gms mace

10 gms green cardamom

50 gms ginger paste

50 gms ginger,
grated

150 gms onion, fried

3-4 litre lamb stock

Salt to taste

Method

Wash and soak all the lentils and broken wheat together for 2 hours. Take a heavy bottom handi and add ghee to temper it with whole spices — cloves, bay leaf and green cardamom. When the spices start crackling, add the grated ginger and garlic paste till the colour turns brown. Add the lamb along with all the powdered spices, saffron, green chilly paste, turmeric powder and cook until it is half done and then add fried onions. Drain the water from the lentils and add it to the lamb along with lamb stock. Add salt at this stage. Let it cook until lamb gets tender and mixes with the lentils and becomes thick in consistency. Check for the seasoning and serve with choice of bread.

(Courtesy Chef Sabir, Banquet Tandoor Chef at Jaypee Greens Golf and Spa Resort)

Gulaab Ki Phirni

Gulaab Ki Phirni

Ingredients

1/4 cup basmati rice

4 cups walnut milk

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons rose syrup

Garnish

Few fresh rose petals

Walnut halves

Method

Soak the rice in water for half an hour. Drain water and pulse in a grinder till you get a grainy textured paste. Bring the walnut milk to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes. It shall also reduce and thicken slightly.

Add the rice paste while whisking continuously. This will help avoid lumps. Bring this to a boil while whisking, and then lower the flame to a simmer.

Keep stirring the mixture every couple of minutes till about 15 minutes. Add sugar and mix till it dissolves. Switch off the flame and divide the mixture into two parts. Mix rose syrup in one part and leave the other one as it is. Transfer into earthen pots and ripple both mixtures slightly. Place a walnut half and some rose petals on top of the phirni. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or leave it overnight. Serve cold.

(Curated by celebrity
Chef Varun Inamdar)