Daal Gosht (Lamb/Mutton cooked with Lentils)

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While returning from a meeting, with my friends, I went to a restaurant that serves Peshawari food in Bombay But there was nothing Peshawari about it. The dishes were Deceitful. What sets Peshawari food apart from the rest is the lack of spices in it, without which they still manage to create scrumptious dishes for their customers. One such dish, their Namkeen Karahi, is a simple and special one. However I didn’t find this on the menu and some other popular Peshawari dishes like Suleymani Murgh Ke Kebab, Maash Pulao were also missing. So we with a heavy heart, ordered Daal Gosht (Which no-one eats in Peshawar apparently) and when I took a bite, my taste pallet started sulking. So I decide to share the Daal Gosht recipe. Its simple yet so delicious.

There are thousand of variants of Daal Gosht in India and subcontinents however not all of them are flavorsome. Amateur chefs and home cooks have been using different kind of lentils to compliment mutton but in my opinion Chana daal and Mutton complement each other beautifully. The slow cooked meat should ideally fall off the bone for the perfect Daal Gosht. It goes well with Matar pulao.

The ingredients we need are

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Chana daal (Chickpeas lentils)
• ½ kg mutton (cutlet or chop piece) or Mutton Shoulder
• 1 big onion sliced
• 2  tomato sliced
• 2 tbspns ginger julienne
• 2 tbspns ginger and garlic paste (use fresh for better results)
• 1 cup Ghee
• Few green chillies sliced
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed Pepercorns
• 2 tbspns lemon/lime juice
• Fresh coriander 

Dal gosht

A photo posted by the artful dodger (@nazarabbass) on Dec 18, 2016 at 11:02am PST

Procedure:
Soak channa daal for atleast 2 hrs before cooking.


-Boil meat in salted water until its tender.
-Reserve the stock and keep aside the meat.
-Heat Ghee in a deep vessel and fry onion, ginger garlic paste until they are brown. Now add coriander powder, turmeric, red chilli powder, peppercorns and mix well.
-Add boiled meat and fry in this masala for some time.
-Now add tomatoes and mix well.
-When tomatoes are a cooked, add daal and 1 cup of stock (remember the stock we are using already have salt in it, so be concerned about the salt) and 1 cup of warm water.
-Cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes until the daal comes in rite consistency. (Rite consistency of Channa daal is that it is tender and well-cooked but in its shape).
-Add green chillies, fresh coriander, lemon juice and ginger julienne  and serve hot with naan or chapattis or Matar pulao. 

Spaghetti with Meatballs

Mounds of spaghetti, fork twirling strands in a spoon, tasty meatballs, even the very serving of the spaghetti, trying to lift just the right amount from the bowl, these are some of my favorite memories from Italy. During a film shoot I stayed there for 25 days and I had meatballs nothing less than ten times. 
This particular spaghetti and meatballs recipe was given to us by a chef in Puglia whose enthusiasm for all things food and cooking was infectious.
For the following recipe, I adapted it slightly from original, but it is essentially the same recipe. I love it and my friends love it too. 

Spaghetti meatballs #homemade #cooking #instafood #italian #lamb #foodporn #cheflife #chefsofinstagram #foodgasm #foodpic #foodlover

A photo posted by the artful dodger (@nazarabbass) on Jul 19, 2015 at 9:14pm PDT

MEATBALLS

• 500 gm. lean ground beef/Lamb with atleast17% fat
• 16-tablespoon fresh breadcrumbs
• 2-tablespoon fresh flat parsley
• 1-tablespoon basil
• 4 tablespoon grated Parmesan (parmaggiano) cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, grated 
• 1 egg, beaten
• Extra virgin olive oil to brown the meatballs

SAUCE

• 12 Tablespoon chopped onion
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cans whole peeled tomatoes / 800 gm. fresh tomatoes
• 4-tablespoon olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 can tomato paste (175 gm.)
• 4 tablespoon chopped Italian basil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method
Prepare the sauce. Heat olive oil in a pot on medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add canned tomatoes, stir together. Add basil and stir tomatoes with a potato masher until sauce starts to thicken about 5 minutes over medium high heat. Add tomato paste concentrate, stir to blend. Reduce heat and simmer while preparing meatballs, stirring occasionally.
Prepare the meatballs. Mix by hand in a large bowl beef, basil, parsley, eggs, breadcrumbs, cheese, salt, and pepper until well mixed. Use small melon baller, or teaspoons to form 1-inch round meatballs. Roll and compress into tight balls.
 Heat frying pan on high heat. Add olive oil. Sear and brown meatballs on all sides. About 2-3 minutes. Depending on pan size you may need to brown two batches of the meatballs. Do not crowd the pan by stacking the meatballs. Cook in a single layer. Do not over-cook. (Option-As meatballs are finishing; you can add a little bit of red wine to de-glaze pan)
Add ¼ cup salt to the sauce. Add meatballs, gently stir. Simmer sauce and meatballs for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add meatballs, gently stir. Simmer sauce and meatballs for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot with 4 quarts of water in it to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add 1 Tbsp. of salt. When the water returns to a boil add the pasta to the pot. Leave the pot uncovered while you cook the pasta on high heat with a vigorous boil. Put a timer on for 8-10 minutes, or whatever your pasta package directions say is appropriate for al dente (cooked but still a little firm). Drain.

To serve, place thin layer of sauce on plate, add pasta, add sauce and meatballs, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

Thyme Infused Pumpkin Soup

I love Sundays!! Reason being I can cook without attending to my calls. Else I get needless and endless calls every day and then it distracts my devotion. I am not able to put exclusive devotion to my food.

It’s Sunday again and Today I am making pumpkin soup and Parmesan crested Catfish.

I love pumpkin soup; I was introduced to this yummy soup in Salsburg, Austria. And the taste of it got printed on my soul. It’s very easy to make it but it’s very very tasty.  It hits your taste buds instantly and you have a craving for more. My Son loves it and I am sure your kids will love it too. 

We need following ingredients

6 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon freshly chopped parsley

1 cup chopped onion

1/2-teaspoon fresh thyme

1 clove garlic

1/2-cup heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoon of butter

Method

1. In a heavy bottom pan, heat stock, salt, pumpkin, Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.

2. Puree the soup in small batches (1 cup at a time) using a food processor or blender.

3. Take another pan put the butter to melt then add onion, thyme, garlic, and peppercorns. Then add the puree. 

4. Bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir in heavy cream. Pour into soup bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

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Idrees Ki Biryani- Lucknow / Authentic Biryani- GOSHT KI DUM BIRYANI

I wanted to give away this recipe a year back but I had not perfected the art of cooking “Idrees ki Biryani” so I pledged to give away the recipe only when I can be testified as a Biryani Culinary artist like Late Mohammed Idrees way back in sixties in Lucknow.

I am a big Biryani lover, so is my family. My Wife and Son appreciate this particular Indian Dish more than anything else since both are accustomed European eater. But they savour Lucknawi Biryani because it has subtle flavors of spices and they don’t Scream out their presence’ and it’s fragrance can bring the neighbors and uninvited guests to your home. 

In reality, “Idrees ki Biryani” is my favorite too. As far I remember there has not been a single occasion that I visited Lucknow and I didn’t eat at Idrees. It’s small restaurant in Patanala Near Kotwali in Chowk but you can ask anywhere or anyone in Lucknow, they will give you the proper address. I have not met a single meat lover in Lucknow who had not eaten at Idrees. 

“Idrees ki Biryani” in certainty, is not a genuine Biryani; it’s more like a “Pulao” (Palao aur Pilaf) since rice is cooked in the broth (Yakhni) of cooked meat. However Rice are not fully cooked in the broth so it is kind of Biryani too. Its complicated but it is true. Chefs in Lucknow have perfected the art of culinary simply for two reasons

1- Nawabs had enough money for research and development of cooking 

2- People of Lucknow respected culinary culture more than anything else. 

Cooking Biryani is an intricate process and if undivided attention is not paid, the outcome will fluctuate even if you are using the same method and same ingredients. So as a culinary artist I would recommend two vital ingredients for cooking ”patience and persistence”. Other ingredients are easy to match but these two can only make one a Biryani Chef. 

Lets start the Process, we need these condiments..  

Mutton: 1 Kg (Make sure it’s a male and young goat)
Extra Long Grain Basmati Rice: 750 gm
Red Onion: 2 Big ones
Milk: 500 ml.

Curd- half Cup (optional though recommended)

Ingredients to cook Meat and Broth we need these whole spices. 

Garlic Paste: 2 Tablespoon
Ginger Paste: 2 Tablespoons

Salt: 2 Tablespoon or as per taste
Red Chili Powder: 1 Tablespoon
Black Pepper:  1 Tablespoon
Cloves: 15
Green Cardamom: 15
Black Cardamom (Big ones): 2
Cinnamon Stick: 2
Cassia: 2 1"
Jyfal: half
Javitri: 1 Blade
Fennel Seeds (Small ones): 1.5 Tbsp
Ghee - 1 Cup

Ingredients to finish the Broth (YAKHNI)

Jyfal: 1/2
Javetri: 1/2 blade
Red Chili Powder: 1 Tablespoon
Green Cardamom: 4
Fennel seed: 1 Tablespoon
White Cumin: 1 Tablespoon
Sugar 3 Teaspoon
Fried Onion: 1/2 of the quantity
Saffron: 3 Pinch

Rose Water: 3 tablespoons
Kewda Water: 3 tablespoons 

Whipping Cream – 50 gm

Ingredients to Boil Rice
Salt: 3.5 Tablespoon
Cloves: 10
Green Cardamom: 10
Black Cardamom: 2
Cinnamon Stick: 1

INGREDIENTS for DUM
Fried Onion: Remaining 1/2 of the quantity
Kewda Water: 3 tablespoons
Ghee: 1/2 Cups
Food Color: 1/4 Tbsp

To beign with, Wash Basmati rice twice in clean water and soak it in a bowl for minimum one hour. Slice the onion thin and nice and keep it aside. Heat the ghee in a Degh (copper Vessel) and once heated, fry the onion till it turns into golden Brown. Quickly take it out and keep it aside. Pour half the ghee out in a bowl and leave the rest in the vessel.

Put the flame on High and Put the meat in the oil with curd and all the ingredients, which are above mentioned to cook the meat. In short span of time meat will start turning in brown. This process should be finished in 5 minutes. Then put half a glass of water and cooked it till meat is tender. 

Once meat is cooked take the meat out and pass the broth through sieve to take out all the spices. It should be watery and without any solid spice and meat. 

While meat was almost done, boil the water with the ingredients mentioned above for the Rice. To do the same put the spices in a small bag (Potli) ans put in the water before boiling.  Once you see it boiling put the Rice and cook it till Rice is 75%-80% done.  Pass it through the sieve and keep the Rice aside. 

Take the ingredients (spices) mentioned above to finish the Broth (Yakhni) (except cream, Kewda Water, Saffron and Rose Water) and put them in a grinder and make a vey fine powder of it. Now in the “Degh” put milk and fine powder of spices and half fried onion, cream, Kweda water, Rose water and saffron and cook it for 5 minutes or till you see its water has reduced a bit. Now add ¾ Broth from the meat and all the mutton pieces.  

Now time to put the biryani on DUM. To accomplish this, over broth, put a layer of rice and on the top of the rice put Friend onion, Kewda water and Safforn colour. Cover it with the lid and put the flour dough around it to seal the aroma. Put it on a Dum for 15-20 min and let it rest for another 10 minutes. 

When you will open the lid, its aroma will induce your hunger and you will thank Idrees Bhai. 

Note – Serve it with 1.4 of the Broth we didn’t use. 

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