Lazzet-e-Taam: Where to get it and How to make it

As I promised, I am back with the Recipe of Lazzat-e-Taam, which is used in most of the awadhi dishes specially kebabs. Around 40-50 types of Kebabs are made and served in Lucknow & in nearby towns and cities according to their authentic traditional taste. In this region, the combination of Kebabs and Paratha (fried bread) is very popular. There are over a thousand big and small Kebab shops in the city.
Lazzat-e-Taam. is sold in just a few shops in the old area of Lucknow.  I would personally suggest to buy it from Mata Badal Pansari, Aminabad.
(Pansari = an old word for grocer)

The ingredient of this masala are many and difficult to find but for the benefit of the people who may like to prepare the masala themselves,  I will give the recipe. I got this recipe from Sangeeta Bhatnagar and R Saxena 's cook book Dastarkhwan-e-Awadh.

Ingredients

1. 5 gms clove
2. 7 gms Green Cardamoms
3. 3 gms mace
4. 2 gms cinnamon
5. 1 nutmeg
6. 5 gms black pepper
7. 5 gms coriander seeds
8. 5 gms baobeer
9. 5 gms allspice
10.  5 gms of coconut
11. 5 gms of jarakhush
12. 5 gms of cumin
13. 5 gms of caraway seeds
14. 5 gms of sandalwood pder
15. 3 gms rose petals
16. 5 gms makhana
17. 1 gm Bay leaf
18. 5 gms poppy seeds
19. 5 gms fennel seeds
20. 5 gms anise seeds
21. 5 gms white pepper
22. dry fennel leaves
23. 1 tbsp kewra
24. 1tbsp mitha ittr

Method: Lightly roast all the dry ingredients on a griddle on a very slow flame til subtle aroma emanates. Remove from the fire and pound or grind in a grinder, sieve finely, then add kewra and mitha ittr. Dry indoors.

Inception - Galavat Ke Kebab

This is my very first Blog on food. It's not that i always wanted to be a Chef or a Food writer or both, but i have been cooking since my childhood and now, at 33, i cook almost everything and everyday. I know i am a late starter, as far as writing goes, but people like Vir Sanghvi truly inspired me to come out and start writing. Not because Vir Sanghvi is a positive influence but because he has been talking nonsense about Awadhi (Lucknowi) food, specially 'BIRYANI'. I want to tell him that Gosht Biryani was never a part of Nawab's main menu but was and is very popular for the informal meals. Later i will explain the difference between Biryani and Pulao (Pilaf).

However to begin with i would like to share the recipe of Galavati Kebab. The reason to share this recipe is simply because i have seen a 100 odd recipes of it and hardly found any close to the real one. This recipe is Authentic and Old Awadhi style and i promise you that if you follow the recipe and make these Galavati Kebabs then for the rest of your life you will have a problem with all the restaurants that claim to cook Authentic Kebabs. There is a little secret about this kebab that i will reveal later.
So here we go...


Mince meat - 1 kg

Masala ‘A’
Raw Papaya - 50 gms.
Ginger paste - 25 gms.
Garlic paste - 25 gms.
Red chilli Powder - 1-2 tsp

Masala ‘B’
Cloves - 5
Green Cardamon - 5
Black Cardamon - 2 (optional)
Mace - 1 Blade
Black pepper - 1 tsp
All Spice - 1 tsp


Salt To taste
Onion - 2 nos.
Roasted Gram Flour (Besan) - 1 tbsp
Curd - 50 gms (Hanged)
Kewra Water - 1 tbsp
Lazzat-e-taam - 1 tsp
Ghee - 150 gms.
Sweet (meetha) ltra - 2 drops

Wash the mince carefully with running water in a sieve or muslin cloth and keep aside in the starrier,  to allow the water to drip off.
Apply Masala ‘A’ and rub well with the palm of the hands, so it permeates every grain of the mince. Keep aside for 20-30 minutes. In the mean time grind Masala 'B' and keep aside.
Finley Slice the onions and fry in ghee till golden brown, grind with the hanged curd. Now with the mincemeat mix together Masala 'B', the onion paste, gram flour, lazzat-e-taam, kewra water and the sweet itra. Place in a Lagan and apply Dhungar . Divide into 30 portions and shape into round patties. Place a Mahi Tawa or a thick tawa or a non-stick tawa on the fire. Pour two table spoons of ghee, put the kabab mixture in it and fry both sides on a slow flame till they are cooked to a golden brown colour. Remove from the griddle and serve hot with onion rings, green chutney and lemon, along with warqui parathas or roomali roti.

TOP TIPS

1. The mince has to be really lean with about 5% fat. 
2. Use hands to mix the mince 
3.  Use Fresh Ginger and Garlic

As i promised earlier, time to reveal the secret. Galavati Kebabs are more or less like "Pardah Nashin Kebabs", which were very famous in Laucknow. You might get them at "Nawabi Kothis" but hardly in restaurants. Another interesting fact is that Tundey Kebabi also used the same ingredients as given above but, since he was a one-armed chef, instead of making patties he used to throw small portions of kebabs in the Mahi Tawa. This technique made him famous all over India.