When you want to pamper the empress in you, there is nothing better than indulging in something royal. Devour the pleasures of extravagance, brought to you straight from the kitchens of the royalty, Executive Chef Sanjay Mamgain of vits hotel, Mumbai, presents an elaborate five-course meal, layered in regal flavours.
Dahi Ke Kebab
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Portion size: Serves 4
Ingredients
· curd, fresh and thick, 1 kg
· roasted chana powder, 115 g
· red chillies, powdered for masala, 6 g
· cloves, powdered, 20 nos.
· cardamoms, powdered, 3 g
· cinnamon powder, 10 g
· peppercorns, powdered, 3 g
· cashew nuts, broken into half, 10–12 nos.
· onions, thinly and evenly sliced, 60 g
· red chillies, powdered for kebab, 6 g
· garlic, ground for masala, 12 g
· ghee, 120 g
· milk, 60 ml
· salt, for the masala, 6 g
Method
- Put the curd in a muslin cloth and hang it for 3–4 hours until the whey drains off completely.
- The hung curd should finally weigh 250–275 g.
- Add the roasted chana powder, salt, red chillies and half of the cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon and peppercorns to the curd and mix it well.
- Divide the batter into 18–20 equal portions to make kebabs.
- Flatten the kebabs, wetting your hands with a little water, to give them a smooth and even shape. Pierce half a cashew at the centre of each kebab.
- Heat ghee on a tawa or a frying pan and shallow fry the kebabs (but ensure that the heat is low).
- Fry one or two kebabs at a time, to a light golden colour. Keep them aside.
- In the same ghee, fry the sliced onions to a golden brown. Remove them from the pan, grind them and keep aside.
- Once again, in the same ghee, add salt, red chillies, garlic, ground onions and the remaining half of the powdered spices, and roast well.
- Gently mix the kebabs into the masala.
- Sprinkle milk on top, remove from the heat and serve at once.
Alu Laajawab
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Portion size: Serves 6
Ingredients
· potatoes, large, 1 kg
· mustard oil, for frying, 300 ml
· salt to taste
· red chilli powder, 6 g
· coriander seeds, 6 g
· cumin seeds, 6 g
· sesame seeds, roasted and ground dry, 25 g
· amchur powder, 5 g
· chana masala, 5 g
· lemon juice, 1 tsp
· mustard oil, for masala, 50 g
· hing powder, a pinch
· fresh coriander, chopped, 10 g
Method
- Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them lengthwise into large wedges.
- Heat the mustard oil in a wok and fry the potato wedges on medium heat, until they are golden brown in colour and crisp in texture. Remove from heat, and allow it to cool.
- In the same oil, add salt, red chilli powder, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds and amchur powder. Stir well and add in the potatoes. Mix well.
- To the above, add the chana masala, lemon juice, mustard oil and hing powder. Mix freshly chopped coriander leaves to it. Serve hot.
Note: This dish can be preserved for 4–5 days.
Gobi Moussalam
Preparation time: 30 min
Cooking time: 1 hour
Portion size: Serves: 4-5
Ingredients
· whole cauliflower, medium-sized (without their side stem), 1
· turmeric powder, ½ tsp
· oil, 2 tsp
· onion, sliced, 2 nos.
· green chillies, 2 nos.
· ginger, chopped, 25 g
· garlic, peeled and chopped, 15 g
· cumin seeds, 10 g
· whole coriander seeds, 1 tsp
· cloves, 1 tsp
· Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tsp
· tomatoes, chopped, 2 nos.
· cashew nuts, 50 g
· garam masala, 1 tsp
· kasuri methi, 1 tsp
· coriander leaves, chopped, 15 g
· paneer, grated, 20 g
· salt, to taste
Method
- Fill a pan with water. Add salt and turmeric to it and boil for 5–7 minutes.
- Reduce the heat and simmer cauliflower as a whole in the water for 5–6 minutes.
- Remove the cauliflower and strain the water.
- Now, heat oil in a pan, sauté the onion slices, green chillies and ginger, and cook until the onions become soft.
- Then, add the garlic, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, salt and Kashmiri red chilli powder. Sauté the above for two minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and cook for another 6–7 minutes or till the tomatoes become soft.
- Add the soaked cashews and a cup of water and salt. Take the above off the pan and blend it all in a mixer.
- After blending, put it back on the pan and let it cook for another 12–15 minutes.
- Add the garam masala and kasuri methi and sauté on low heat; add water to adjust consistency.
- Preheat an oven to 380 degrees C; place the blanched cauliflower in the oven, on a tray.
- Pour the blended mixture all over the cauliflower and bake it for 25 minutes.
- Remove the baked cauliflower from the oven and place it on a serving dish.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and grated paneer and serve.
Dal Be Aab
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Portion size: Serves 3
Ingredients
· split green beans (moong dal), de-skinned, 400 g
· salt to taste
· turmeric powder, 5 g
· red chilli powder, 5 g
· ghee, 150 g
· cumin seeds, 6 g
· onions, thinly and evenlysliced, 130 g
· green chillies chopped, 5 nos.
· ginger, julienned, 12 g
· garam masala, 10 g
· tomatoes, diced, 150 g
· coriander powder, 20 g
· cardamom seeds powder, 3 g
· lemon juice, 50 ml
· ginger-garlic paste, 7 g
· fresh coriander leaves, chopped, 10 g
· butter, 30 g
· water, 1.5 lt
Method
- Wash and soak the split green beans in water for 8–10 hours.
- Drain out the water completely just before cooking.
- Boil the moong dal in water after adding salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder to it. Once boiled, keep it aside.
- Heat ghee in a pan, add the cumin seeds and sauté on low heat.
- When the seeds crackle, add the sliced onions, green chillies and ginger juliennes and sauté till they turn light brown.
- Add the boiled dal and stir it for 7–9 minutes on low heat.
- Add garam masala, tomatoes, coriander powder, cardamom powder, lemon juice and ginger-garlic paste to it. Roast on low heat.
- Top it with fresh coriander leaves and butter. Serve hot.
Murgh Mumtaz Mahal
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Portion size: Serves 4
Ingredients
· chicken, 900 g
· ghee, 150 g
· onion, thinly sliced, 60 g
· ginger, scraped and shredded, 15 g
· khoya, 40 g
· red chilli powder, 6 g
· coriander powder, 6 g
· cumin seeds, whole, 4 g
· curd, 120 g
· garam masala, 1 tsp
· cashew nuts, broken, 50 g
· cardamoms, powdered, 5 g
· kewda water, a few drops
· lime juice, 15 ml
· saffron, diluted in warm water, 1 g
· salt, to taste
Method
- Soak the cashew nuts in water for 20 minutes and grind them in the mixer to prepare a paste. Keep aside.
- De-skin the chicken and cut it into 10–12 pieces. Prick the pieces well with a fork.
- Heat ghee in a pan and fry the onions to a golden brown. Remove from the pan, crush them and keep aside.
- Similarly, shallow fry the ginger juliennes to a golden brown. Again, remove from the pan, crush and keep aside.
- In the same ghee, add the chicken pieces along with khoya, red chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin seeds.
- Add cashew paste and roast it for 7–9 minutes on low heat. Add enough water to cook the chicken.
- When half cooked, add salt and curd. Then, add the garam masala.
- When the chicken becomes tender and very little liquid remains in the pan, add all the remaining ingredients.
- Put it on dum (slow fire) until the liquid dries up completely and only the ghee remains.
- Add fried onions and ginger juliennes on top, and serve hot.
Sewain Ki Biryani
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 2 hours
Portion size: Serves 4
Ingredients
· keema (mutton mince), 500 g
· ghee for mutton mince, 60 g
· onions, thinly sliced, 60 g
· salt, 3 g
· curd, 60 g
· coriander powder, 6 g
· ginger, scraped and ground, 6 g
· garam masala powder, 5 g
· aniseed powder, 10 g
· kewda water, 3–5 drops
· saffron (diluted in warm water), 1 g
· fresh/frozen green peas, 115 g
· ghee for peas, 50 g
· salt for peas, 3 g
· sugar for peas, 10 g
· vermicelli (sewain), 40 g
· cream, 120 g
· salt, 10 g
· milk, 500 ml
· ghee for vermicelli, 70 g
Method
- In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat the ghee, and fry the sliced onions to a golden brown.
- Add minced meat and salt and stir.
- Cover it with a lid and cook until the meat juices dry up. Add water and cook again.
- When it becomes tender and the water dries up completely, add kewda water and saffron to it. Keep it aside in a separate pan.
- Take another pan and cook the peas in it, along with the ghee.
- Add salt and sugar with a little water so that it dries up by the time the peas are tender.
- Spread the peas over the meat. Then, spread half of the vermicelli evenly over the peas.
- Add cream; then, spread the remaining vermicelli.
- Add salt to the milk and heat it well. Sprinkle milk over the vermicelli.
- Place this pan over a tawa onslow heat, and simmer it for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat the ghee separately and sprinkle it evenly all over the vermicelli.
- Stir it gently to blend the meat and the vermicelli evenly.
- Reduce the heat to a minimum and keep it on for another 20–25 minutes.
- Garnish with tomato slices, fresh green coriander sprigs and fried brown onions, and serve hot.
Khichdi Shahjehani
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 2 hours
Portion size: Serves 8
Ingredients
For the mutton
· keema, minced, 750 g
· ghee, 175 g
· salt, 18 g
· red chillies, powdered, 9 g
· onions, ground, 30 g
· ginger, scraped and ground, 18 g
· garlic, ground, 12 g
· curd, 175 g
· coriander powder, 18 g
· cumin powder, 3 g
· cardamom powder, 5 g
· garam masala powder, 6 g
· fresh mint leaves, chopped, 10 g
For the rice
· ghee, 175 g
· onions, thinly and evenly sliced, 50 g
· onions, ground, 30 g
· ginger, scraped and ground, 18 g
· garlic, ground, 12 g
· basmati rice, 900 g
· split green beans, without skin, 250 g
· milk, 180 ml
· salt, to taste
For the garnish
· fresh green coriander, 10 g
· ghee, 30 g
Method
- Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan and add the minced meat along with salt, red chillies, onions, ginger, garlic and curd.
- Roast well until it turns brown. Add water; then, cover and cook the mutton for 20 minutes.
- When the mutton becomes tender and very little water remains in the pan, add coriander powder, cumin powder, cardamom powder, garam masala powder and mint leaves to it.
- Put it on dum until the water dries up completely.
- For the rice, heat ghee in a separate pan and fry the sliced onions to a golden brown. Remove and keep aside.
- In the same ghee, add ground onions, ginger and garlic, and fry until light brown. Add the basmati rice and split green beans, and fry until light brown, stirring it constantly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add water and salt. Cover and cook on medium heat.
- When the rice is half-cooked, place some hot ash and live charcoals on the top of the lid. Simmer till three-fourth done and the liquid dries up completely.
- Spread the rice over the meat evenly and add milk to it. Spread the fried onions on top of the rice.
- Place it on dum for 30 minutes.
- Before serving, stir it gently to blend the meat and rice evenly.
- Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and a pinch of ghee and serve.
Hare Chane Ka Halwa
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Portion size: Serves 4–5
Ingredients
· fresh green grams, 500 g
· wheat flour, 50 g
· cardamom powder, 2 g
· sugar, 150 g
· ghee, 150 g
· milk, 500 ml
For the garnish
· khoya, 30 g, grated
· almonds, sliced or grated, 7–9 nos.
Method
- Boil the green grams in about two cups of water. When tender, dry up the water and grind the grams very finely.
- In a wok, heat the ghee. Add the wheat flour and fry it to a golden colour.
- Then, add the ground gram paste and fry on low heat, stirring it regularly.
- When the batter stops sticking to the bottom of the wok, add milk to it and stir.
- When the milk dries up, add sugar and stir it constantly on low heat.
- When the batter turns thick and the oil starts leaving the sides of the wok, turn off the heat.
- Garnish with grated khoya and almond slices. Serve hot.
From the kitchen of Executive Chef Sanjay Mamgain
Get the taste at Poolside Restaurant, VITS Hotel, Andheri-Kurla Road, Andheri (E), Mumbai 400059.
Ph: 022-61517555
Photographs: Vinod Krishnan
