As the New Year dawns, New Woman thought it the right time to celebrate the diverse and unique tastes of India. We got Kamlesh Rawat, Executive Chef, Grand Sarovar Premiere, to rustle up some of the popular dishes from around the country.
Srikhand
(A traditional Maharashtrian sweet)
Ingredients
1 cup hung curd
½ cup sugar
½ tsp saffron
2 tsp milk
1 tsp cardamom powder
1 pinch of nutmeg powder
1 tbsp dried fruits
(almonds, cashews, pistachios),
finely chopped
Method
- Mix sugar with the hung curd.
- Warm the milk and soak the saffron strands in it for a few minutes. Add the saffron milk to
the sugar and curd mixture. - Now add the cardamom and nutmeg powders and the chopped dried fruits. Mix well.
- Serve it chilled with puris or chapati.
Aloo Posto
(A Bengali favourite during Durga Pujo)
Ingredients
4 potatoes
2 tbsp poppy seeds
6 green chillies
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 cup oil
2 bay leaves
salt to taste
Method
- Boil, peel and cube the potatoes.
- Grind the poppy seeds, half the amount of green chillies, turmeric powder and salt in a mixer,
to make a thick paste. - Mix the paste with a tablespoon of water. Smear this paste on the potato cubes.
- Heat oil and season with bay leaves; add the potatoes and remaining chillies, and fry on low heat until the potatoes turn golden brown.
- Drain the oil off the potatoes and take them off
the heat. Serve Aloo Posto hot with rice and dal.
Undhiyu
(The mixed-vegetable favourite from Gujarat)
Ingredients
A few fried fenugreek (methi) muthiyas
4–5 baby potatoes
3–4 small brinjals
½ cup yam (suran),
cut into ½-inch pieces
¾ cup sweet potatoes,
cut into ½-inch pieces
¼ cup peanuts, coarsely ground
¼ cup sesame seeds, coarsely ground
1/3 cup desiccated coconut
½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
5–6 green chillies, finely chopped
2 tsp ginger paste
4 sprigs of green garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp sugar
salt to taste
2 tbsp lemon juice
3–4 tbsp oil
2 cups water
For garnishing
cilantro, chopped
coconut, grated
Method
- Make a slit into the brinjals and baby potatoes. Dice the yam and sweet potatoes.
- Coarsely grind the peanuts and sesame seeds in a grinder, and add it to the desiccated coconut as well as the remaining ingredients. Mix it well.
- Fill the brinjals and potatoes with the above preparation.
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add to it the yam and sweet potatoes, all the remaining spices and the leftover masala. Mix well.
- Add water and adjust the salt. Then, gently add the stuffed vegetables. Avoid stirring to avoid the stuffing from spilling out.
- Cover with the lid and cook it for two whistles on medium-high heat.
- Once done, wait for the pressure to reduce before opening the lid of the cooker. Add the fried muthiyas and mix.
- Turn heat to medium-low and let the whole dish simmer for five minutes. Garnish with cilantro and coconut and serve with puris or chapatis.
Sarson Ka Saag Aur Makke Ki Roti
(A Punjabi delicacy especially around Lohri)
Ingredients
For the Sarson Ka Saag
1 bunch mustard leaves (sarson)
1 bunch spinach leaves (palak)
½ tsp cumin seeds
4–5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ inch ginger, crushed
2 onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
For the Makke Ki Roti
2 cups makai flour (cornmeal),
for the roti
1 tsp butter
1 tsp oil
salt to taste
Method
- Chop and cook the sarson and palak leaves in a little water for half an hour. Cool it and make a coarse puree.
- Heat 1 tsp butter and oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds, chopped garlic, crushed ginger and onions to it and stir.
- Now add the tomatoes and cook again till they become tender.
- Add the sarson and palak puree and cook for a few minutes on low heat.
- Pour it out into a serving dish, with a garnish of white butter (makhan).
For the Makke Ki Roti - Mix the makai flour and salt. Add warm water and knead into semi-hard dough.
- Divide the dough into medium-sized balls.
- Roll the balls carefully with a rolling pin or using your hand.
- Cook the rotis on a griddle, using oil on both the sides.
- Serve hot with an accompaniment of Sarson Ka Saag and jaggery.
Kootu Curry
(A vegetarian, coconut-based accompaniment for Onam sadya)
Ingredients
2 raw bananas
50 g elephant yam
50 g black chana (soaked overnight)
1 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp mustard seeds
2 dry red chillies
4 curry leaves
1 tbsp coconut oil
a clump of freshly grated coconut,
for garnishing
salt to taste
For the paste
1 fresh coconut, grated
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp pepper corns
1 tbsp garlic
1 green chilli
Method
- De-skin the raw bananas and yam, and chop them into bite-sized pieces. Now cook them in a little water and salt, till soft.
- Cook the soaked chana for five whistles in a pressure cooker.
- Meanwhile, coarsely grind the ingredients for the paste and set aside.
- Heat a pan, add oil and then the ground paste; then, add turmeric powder and chilli powder and check for salt. Fry till the coconut in the paste becomes dark brown in colour.
- Now add the cooked veggies and chana and sauté for a while.
- Season the curry with mustard seeds, red chillies and curry leaves.
- Dry-roast a little coconut till it turns reddish or golden brown, and add it to the pan.
- Serve hot with rice.
Dum Aloo
(A delicious and festive Kashmiri recipe)
Ingredients
18–20 small potatoes, peeled
2 cups yogurt
5–6 Kashmiri red chillies, ground
1 tsp green cardamom powder
a pinch of clove powder
1 tsp dry ginger powder
1 tsp fennel seeds powder
a pinch of asafoetida
a pinch of roasted cumin powder
a pinch of garam masala powder
salt to taste
¼ cup mustard oil
oil, for deep-frying
Method
- Heat sufficient oil in a wok and deep-fry the potatoes on medium heat till golden brown. Drain the oil off the potatoes on an absorbent paper, and set aside.
- Whisk the yogurt with asafoetida, Kashmiri red chilli paste, green cardamom powder, clove powder, dry ginger powder and fennel powder.
- Heat the mustard oil in a pan. Stir in the yogurt mixture and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add the fried potatoes and cook till the potatoes absorb the gravy and the oil surfaces.
- Serve hot, garnished with roasted cumin powder and garam masala powder.
Pulihora
(A rice preparation from Tamil Nadu)
Ingredients
1½ cups rice
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp chana dal
1 tbsp urad dal
a fistful of peanuts
2 sprigs of curry leaves
2 green chillies
2 red chillies, broken
½ tsp ginger, finely chopped
a pinch of asafoetida
a pinch of turmeric powder
1 cup tamarind pulp
a small clump of jaggery, grated
powdered mustard or sesame seeds
salt to taste
Method
- Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add peanuts and chana dal and fry till golden brown.
- Sauté; add the curry leaves and green chillies and sauté again. Now, add the red chillies and ginger, and fry till the red chillies turn crisp.
- Now, add the asafoetida, turmeric powder, tamarind pulp, jaggery and some more salt.
- Take it off the heat, and add powdered mustard or sesame seeds to the rice and give a quick stir. However, remember not to let the mixture fry in the pan.
- Add the seasoning to the rice and mix well. Serve hot.
Patra Ni Machli
(A popular preparation at Parsi feasts)
Ingredients
1 pomfret, cleaned and sliced into steaks
4 tbsp lemon juice
1 fresh coconut, finely grated
3 green chillies
1 bunch coriander leaves
1 sprig mint leaves
2-inch ginger piece
3 garlic cloves
½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
1 large banana leaf (washed thoroughly, central spine removed and cut into six pieces)
1 tbsp vegetable/sunflower oil
Method
- To prepare the marinade, grind the coconut, green chillies, coriander and mint leaves, ginger and garlic, cumin seeds, turmeric powder and salt to a smooth paste. Use as little water as possible.
- Place the pomfret steaks in a large, flat tray. Drizzle lemon juice over them and sprinkle salt
to taste. Flip the pieces over the marinade to coat evenly. Set aside for 20 minutes. - Smear the banana leaves lightly with oil on the smooth side. Place one piece of fish in the centre of each leaf and wrap it into a neat parcel. Tie it with a twine or cotton string.
- Prepare the remaining leaves and cook them all in a steamer for 15–20 minutes.
- Serve the dish in the leaves, as it is, garnished with onion slices and mint chutney.
Tambda Rassa
(A spicy Kolhapuri mutton gravy curry)
Ingredients
200 g mutton
10 ml coconut oil
4 tsp dry shredded coconut
1 tbsp sesame seeds
½ tbsp cumin seeds
100 g peanuts
6 garlic cloves
1 inch ginger
4 cups water
4 dry red chillies
fresh coriander leaves, chopped, for garnish grated coconut, for garnish
Method
- Wash the mutton pieces and keep aside.
- Add coconut oil to a pan; add the shredded coconut, sesame seeds, cumin seeds, peanuts, garlic cloves, ginger and dry red chillies. Fry well and cool. Grind it into a paste.
- Now, add the paste to the pan and fry again; then, add water and mutton and cook for 30 minutes. Add more water, as required.
- Pour it out in a serving dish and garnish with fresh coriander leaves and grated coconut.
- Serve hot with rice or chapatis.
Executive Chef Kamlesh Rawat
GET THE TASTE AT: Grand Sarovar Premiere, Veer Savarkar Flyover, SV Road, Goregaon (W), Mumbai 400062; Ph: 022-42158000
