Lamb cooked in Milk

Lamb cooked in Milk can be eaten with boiled rice or roti. It is fragrant and delicate in flavor.

Ingredients:
1)Saffron strands-8

2)Stewing Lamb cubed-1 1/2 lb

3)Shallots-4 oz

4)Oil-5 tsp

5)Lamb bones for stock-9 oz

6)Bay leaf-1

7)Cloves-2

8)Green Cardamom-5

9)Cinnamon sticks-2 inch

10)Milk-4 1/2 cup

11)Single cream-2 tsp

12)Fennel Powder-1 1/4

13)Cumin Powder-1/2 tsp

14)Ground White Pepper-1/4 tsp

15)Salt to taste

16)Sugar-1/2 tsp
Preparation:

1)Soak the saffron strands in 1/4 cup water.
2)Soak the lamb in hot water for half an hour or until lightened in colour.

3)Puree the peeled shallots in a food processor and fry in 3 tsp oil in a pan until golden.

4)Boil the meat and bones in 6 cups water along with salt,bayleaf,clove-1,cardamom-3, one cinnamon stick and the fried shallots until tender.

5)Lift out the meat and keep it aside,strain the stock and discard the bones.

6)While the meat is cooking bring the milk to boil in another vessel, with the remaining clove,cardamom and cinnamon stick, stir from time to time and keep cooking until the milk reduces and thickens.

7)When the milk is reduced to by a third,remove from the heat and allow it to cool,strain, add the cream and stir well.

8)Now add the meat and 3 cups of stock to the milk.

9)Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan,when it is hot,add the fennel powder,cumin and pepper.Fry for 8-10 seconds and pour the oil mixture into the meat,add sugar and milk,season with salt to taste..

10)Cook for a few minutes with lid on to prevent the meat from darkening.11)To serve,reheat uncovered and simmer for about 2-3 minutes.

12)Add saffron just before removing from the heat.
Lamb cooked in Milk is ready to be served with rice or roti (prefer with rice)

Baked Stuffed Onions

Ingredients:
Serves 8
8 large white onions
2 tablespoons butter
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
½ fennel bulb,chopped into small cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
½ pound ground meat
1 teaspoon Herbs
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, flat leaf, chopped
1 egg slightly beaten
½ cup chicken stock
Preparation:
Cut a slice ¼ inch thick off the top of each onion, ensuring you do not cut off the root. Peel the dried skin of each onion. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a roiling boil. Add the onions and reduce the heat to medium, cooking until the onions have softened, about 15 minutes. Drain the onions and allow them to cool for 15 minutes. Using a spoon, scoop out the centers of each onion, leaving 4 outer layers in tact.
In a small sauté pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons butter and heat until the butter becomes foamy. Add the tomatoes, cubed fennel, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté, stirring frequently for about 8 minutes. Raise the heat to high, and stirring constantly, allow the tomato mixture to thicken for 2 minutes.
Oil a baking dish with olive oil and preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, tomato mixture, ground meat, Herbs, parsley and egg. Season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.
Stuff each onion with the meat mixture, dividing it evenly. Place the stuffed onions in your baking dish and add the chicken stock to the bottom of the dish. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the stuffed onions.
Bake the stuffed onions, basting occasionally with pan juices, until tender. About 45 minutes - use a long skewer to check center for tenderness. Remove from oven and serve.

Sidreyat Al Dajaj ( Chicken Breast )

hope that it is as pleasing to you as it always is to my family and I.
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (skinned)
2 tablespoons rice flour
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
5 cups milk
ground cinnamon for decoration
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons rose water
Preparation:
Boil the chicken breasts until well-cooked. Remove the bones from the chicken. Put the chicken in a food blender with 1 1/2 cups of milk and the cardamom. Blend thoroughly then strain through a fine mesh metal sieve. Sweeten the remaining milk. Add the rose water and bring to a boil over low heat. Add the blended chicken to the milk and stir. Add the rice flour, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Pour the mixture into a dish and leave aside to thicken.
Sprinkle with ground cinnamon, and place in the refrigerator to cool and have it when its cold.

Hummus bi Tahina (Chickpea and Sesame Dip)

Ingredients:
125 g (4 oz) chickpeas, soaked for a few hours
juice of 2 lemons
3 Tbs tahina (Sesame)
2 garlic cloves crushed
salt
GARNISH
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. paprika
a few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped

Preparation:
Drain the chickpeas and simmer in fresh water for about an hour or until tender. Reserve the cooking water.Process the chickpeas in a blender with the lemon juice, tahina, garlic, salt and enough of the cooking water to obtain a soft creamy consistency.
Serve on a flat plate, garnished with a dribble of olive oil, a dusting of paprika and a little parsley.
Serve with warm bread.

Coconut Truffle

Ingredients:3 cups of shredded coconuts,

10 Oz of condensed sweetened milk

1 tsp vanilla essence (optional)

Your choice of raw or roasted nuts

Method

In a bowl, mix 2 1/2 cups of coconut with the sweetened condensed milk (adding vanilla essence is optional)Roll into a dough and let it set aside for 10 mins or so,Form small balls with the dough and insert a piece of nut into the balls completely.Roll the balls on the 1/2 cup of coconut for coating garnish Refrigerate for at least couple of hours before servingEnjoy!

Jhinga Biryani

Make any occasion even more special by serving this delicious one-dish meal. Jhinga Biryani goes really well with a green salad and green chutney

Ingredients:
500 gms Basmati rice
500 gms large prawns shelled and deveined
To marinate prawns: Juice of 1 lime/ lemon
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsps garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
Salt to taste
To fry: 4 large onions sliced thinly (divided into 3 equal portions)
3 large tomatoes chopped finely
For dry masala/ spice mix: 4 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp saunf/ aniseed/ fennel seeds
1 tbsp khus khus/ poppy seeds
2" piece of cinnamon
5 cloves
5 pods green cardamom
10-12 black peppercorns
2 dry red chillies
For wet masala: 2 green chillies
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
To garnish: 1 tbsp saffron strands
3 tbsps warm milk
3-4 tbsps fresh chopped coriander
4-5 tbsps cooking oil
Preparation:
Wash the rice. Soak it in warm water for 30 minutes.
Cook the rice till amost done. Drain remaining water (if any) and keep aside.
Marinate the prawns in the ingredients mentioned under "To marinate prawns".
Heat a griddle or flat pan on a medium flame and gently roast all ingredients mentioned under "For dry masala/ spice mix" till they start to become slightly darker and give off a faint aroma.
Peel the cardamom pods and remove seeds. Throw skins away. Now grind all the roasted ingredients to a fine powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.
Grind the ingredients mentioned under "For wet masala", to a smooth paste in a food processor.
Heat the cooking oil in a deep pan till hot and then fry 1 of the 3 portions of sliced onions till crispy and golden. When done, drain and remove from the oil and keep aside on paper towels to garnish biryani later.
In the same oil, add the remaining sliced onions and fry till soft. Now add the tomatoes and fry till soft.
Add all the dry and wet masala ingredients prepared earlier and fry till the oil begins to separate from the whole mix.
Now add the prawns and all the marinade to this spice mix. Stir and allow to cook till the prawns are done. Do not overcook as the prawns will get rubbery in texture. Season with salt if required. Remove from fire.
Soak the saffron strands in 2-3 tbsps of warm milk.
Take a large, deep baking dish/ ovenproof dish (it MUST have its own cover) and grease lightly with cooking oil. Layer the rice and prawn as follows: rice - prawn - rice. End with a layer of rice.
Pour the saffron infused milk all over the top of the last layer of rice.
Garnish with the crispy fried onions, chopped corainder leaves. Cover the dish and seal tightly.
Bake in a hot oven for 30 minutes.
Serve hot with chutney and green salad of your choice

Shahi Biryani

Shahi Biryani is fit for a king and was probably eaten by many too! This makes the perfect one-dish meal for when you have company. It combines ingredients typical to the Mughlai style of cooking.
Ingredients:
For the meat: 1kg lamb/ chicken cut into 2" pieces (if using chicken, use breast or thigh fillet)
4 large onions sliced thin
2 tsps garlic paste
2 tsps ginger paste
1/2 cup almonds
6 tbsps ghee
1" stick of cinnamon
5 cloves
3 pods cardamom
8 peppercorns
2 tsps coriander powder
1 1/2 tsps cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 cup yoghurt
Juice of 1 lime
1 cup chicken/ lamb stock
2 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsps finely chopped mint leaves
Salt to taste
For the rice: 2 cups Basmati rice
Hot water
Salt to taste
Preparation:
Put the almonds in a bowl of hot water (enough to cover them) and set aside for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes remove skins from all the almonds.
Mix the garlic and ginger pastes, the peeled almonds and grind to a smooth paste in a food processor.
Wash the rice in a sieve and add enough water to fully cover the rice - at least 4" over the surface of the rice. Add salt to taste. Set the rice up to boil. Cook till almost done. To determine when it has reached that stage, remove a few grains from the pot and press between your thumb and forefinger. The rice should mostly mash but will have a firm whitish core. Turn off the heat. Strain through a colander and keep drained aside.
Heat 3 tbsps of oil in a pan and fry 2 of the onions till caramalized - golden brown. Drain and keep aside on paper towels for later use.
Heat 3 tbsps of oil in another pan and add the whole spices - cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns. Fry till the spices turn a little darker.
Add the 2 remaining onions and fry till they are translucent.
Add the ginger-garlic-almond paste and fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add all the spice powders - coriander, cumin and garam masala and mix well.
Fry till the oil begins to separate from the masala and then add the lamb/ chicken. Keep frying till the meat is fully sealed (it will become opaque and lose its pink colour).
Now add the yoghurt, lime juice, stock, coriander and mint leaves and salt to taste.Mix well.
Cover the pot and allow to cook till the meat is tender.Grease a deep baking dish and evenly layer the cooked rice, meat (and its gravy) in it to form at least 2 sets of layers (rice-meat-rice-meat-rice). Garnish with the previously caramalised onions. Cover the dish tightly.Put in a pre-heated oven set at 350 F for 20 minutes.
Turn off the oven and let the dish sit in the oven till you are ready to eat. Only open when you are ready to eat. The way to serve Biryani is to gently dig in with a spoon so you get through the layers.

Chicken Tikka

The word Tikka means bits, piecces or chunks. Chicken Tikka is an easy-to-cook dish in which chicken chunks are marinated in special spices and then grilled on skewers. This is one of India's most popular dishes.

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh yoghurt (should not be sour)
1 cup finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
2 tbsps ginger paste
3 tbsps garlic paste
3-4 tbsps garam masala
6 peppercorns/ 2 dry red chillies
3 tbsps lime/ lemon juice
1/2 tsp orange food coloring
1 kg chicken (breast or thigh) skinless and cut into 2" chunks
1 large onion cut into very thin rings
Lime/ Lemon wedges to garnish
1 tsp Chaat Masala (available at most Indian groceries)
Preparation:
Grind the chopped coriander (keep some aside for garnishing) and all other marinade ingredients (except yoghurt) to a smooth paste in a food processor.
Pour the above mix into a large bowl and add yoghurt. Mix well. Add the chicken pieces and mix well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate. Allow to marinate overnight.
Thread the chicken onto skewers and keep ready.
Preheat your oven or grill to a medium high temperature (200 C).
Place the skewers on the grill racks in your oven with a tray underneath to catch drippings. Roast open till the chicken is browned on all sides and tender.
Remove from skewers and put the chicken in a plate.
Put the onion rings in a separate bowl and squeeze lime juice over them. Now sprinkle the chaat masala over them and mix well so the onions are fully coated.
Garnish the Chicken Tikka with these onion rings and serve.

Chicken Kababs

This delicious kabab gets its name from the juicy, succulence of the chicken meat used to make it. The meat gets this way thanks to the marinade in which it is soaked. Serve it with Mint-Coriander Chutney, thinly sliced onions and hot Naans

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken mince 1/2 kg

Onion 1

raw Green chillies 6

Coriander leaves 2-3 tbsp

Mint leaves 2-3 tbsp

Ginger pieces 2 inch

Onion (fried and ground) 1

Salt 1 tsp

1/4 cup fresh yoghurt (should not be sour)
1/2 cup almonds
Juice of 1 lemon

White pepper 1/2 tsp

Red chillies (ground) 1/2

tsp All spice 1 tsp

Zeera (roasted and ground) 1 tsp

Preparation:

Mix all of the above ingredients in the chicken mince and marinate it for an hour.Later, roll the mince into seekh kababs and BBQ.

Shahi Paneer

Shahi Paneer is considered to be a mainstay dish especially in the Northern parts of India. Shahi which means 'Royal' and Paneer when translated is ' Cottage Cheese' gives Shahi Paneer a royal feel to it. However, Shahi Paneer is a famous dish liked by many and is available in almost all the hotels, restaurants and roadside eateries. 'Shahi Paneer' is undoubtedly one of the most popular dishes originating from India.

Ingredients

250 gm: Paneer (cottage cheese)
1/4 cup: Beaten curd
1/2 cup: Milk
1 1/2 cup: Tomatoes (chopped fine)
1/2 cup: Onion (chopped into strips)
1/2" piece: Ginger chopped fine
2-3: Green chillies chopped fine
2-3: Cardamoms (crushed)
1/2 tsp: Garam masala
1/2 tsp: Red chilli powder
2 tsp: Tomato sauce
3 tsp: Ghee or butter
Salt to taste
For Garnish
2 tsp: Grated paneer
1 tsp: Chopped coriander

Method
Chop paneer into 2" fingers.
Heat half the ghee. Add onion, ginger, green chilli and cardamom. Fry for 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for 7-8 minutes, covered. Add curd and cook for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and cool.
Blend in a mixer till smooth.
Heat remaining ghee, add gravy and other ingredients except milk and paneer. Boil to get a very thick gravy.
Just before serving, heat gravy, add milk and paneer fingers and boil for 3-4 minutes.
Garnish with chopped coriander and grated paneer.

Kali Daal

This is also a very common dish in north Indian households. This dal is tougher than the other dals and it tastes best after it has been simmering for a couple of hours. Buy a pressure cooker or test your patience if you want to make this dish.Serves 4-5.

Ingredients:

1 cup mah dal (black lentils)

6 cups water

1 fresh green chili chopped (or substitute with 1/2 teaspoon cayenne)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped into tiny pieces

2 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoon heavy cream (optional)

cilantro leaves to garnish
Wash the dal in several changes of water. Drain and add the water. Add salt, coriander powder and half of the ginger; cook on low heat for 2 - 3 hours or pressure cook for 30 mins.
Meanwhile, heat the oil, add remaining ginger, chili, and fry until golden brown. Add the cumin and pepper and stir. Pour this mixture into the dal and simmer for at least another 30 minutes. Add heavy cream and simmer until the lentils are thoroughly soft. Garnish with cilantro leaves before serving.

Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken is among the best known Indian foods all over the world. Its gravy can be made as hot or mild as you like so it suits most palates. Also commonly known as Murg Makhani, Butter Chicken tastes great with Naans and a green salad.

Ingredients:
1 kg boneless chicken skin removed
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to suit your taste)
6 cloves
8-10 peppercorns
1" stick of cinnamon
2 bay leaves
8-10 almonds
Seeds from 3-4 pods of cardamom
1 cup fresh yoghurt (must not be sour)
3 tbsps vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil
2 onions chopped
2 tsps garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
2 tsps coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 can (400g or 14 oz) of tomato paste
1/2 litre chicken stock
2 tbsps kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
3 tbsps unmelted, soft butter
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves to garnish
Preparation:
Mix the chicken, lime juice, salt and red chilli powder in a large, non-metallic bowl. Cover and allow to marinate for 1 hour.
Heat a flat pan or griddle on medium heat and gently roast (stirring frequently) the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, bay leaves and almonds till they darken slightly. Cool and add the cardamom seeds. Now grind into a coarse powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.
Mix the yoghurt, above whole spice powder (from previous step), coriander, cumin and turmeric powders together and add them to the chicken. Allow to marinate for another hour.
Heat the oil in a deep pan on medium heat. When hot, add the onions. Fry till a pale golden brown in color and then add the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for a minute.
Add only the chicken from the chicken-spice mix and fry till sealed (chicken will turn opaque and the flesh will go from pink to whitish in color).
Now add the tomato paste, chicken stock, kasuri methi and remaining part of the yogurt-spice mix to the chicken.
Cook till the chicken is tender and the gravy is reduced to half its original volume.
Melt the butter in another small pan and then pour it over the chicken.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Naan.
For an authentic and traditional cooked-over-the-coals flavour: Heat a briquette of coal till red hot and when the dish is done, put the coal in the pan and cover immediately. Remove just before serving.

Introduction To Cooking

Cooking is the process of preparing food by applying heat. Cooks select and combine ingredients using a wide range of tools and methods. In the process, the flavor, texture, appearance, and chemical properties of the ingredients can change. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training.
Preparing food with heat or fire is an activity unique to human beings, and some scientists believe the advent of cooking played an important role in human evolution.Most anthropologists believe that cooking fires first developed around 250,000 years ago. The development of agriculture and trade across civilizations offered cooks many new ingredients. New inventions and technologies, such as pottery for holding and boiling water, expanded cooking techniques. Some modern cooks apply advanced scientific techniques to food preparation.
There are very many methods of cooking, most of which have been known since antiquity. These include baking, roasting, stewing, frying, grilling, barbecuing, smoking, boiling, steaming, braising. A more recent innovation is microwaving. Various methods use differing levels of heat and moisture and vary in cooking time. The method chosen greatly affects the end result. Some foods are more appropriate to some methods than others.