Ghee: A step above clarified butter

If you've never made ghee, you need to, and I'm not just talking about for Indian food.  Yes, you can buy it, but why?  Why!  Once you make this clarified butter on steroids, you'll always want some in your fridge.  Imagine clarified butter that can be used at any temperature that tastes and smells nutty......You can use it for anything, but I simply love to fry eggs in it.  YUM!  And, it's easy!

Ghee
Place one (or more) pound of good quality unsalted  butter in a heavy bottomed pot.  Turn the heat to medium low.  As the butter melts, you will find foam rising to the top.  Skim off as much of this foam from the top as possible and discard (these are the milk solids).  Some will fall to the bottom.  Leave them alone. Over the course of about 45 minutes to 1 hour, you will start to see that these solids on the bottom of the pot have turned golden brown and when you smell the butter, it will smell distinctly nutty.  Besides skimming, you need do nothing until this point.  At this point, strain the butter and put into a storage container with a tight fitting lid, such as a jar.  Enjoy on nearly anything!

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

SOFIYANI BIRYANI

Adapted from Royal Hyderabadi Cooking

by S. Kapoor & H.S. Sokhi

Serves 6-8

2 lbs.  chicken on bones cut into 2-3 inch pieces (cut through bones), skinned

1-1/2 cups Basmati Rice, rinsed & soaked

12 Green Cardamoms

12 Cloves

4 one-inch stick cinnamon

1 ½  Cup Yogurt , whisked

2 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 Tbs Almond Paste

1 Tbs Ginger paste

1-Tbs Garlic Paste

2 Tbs Grated Khoya/mawa (find this refrigerated or frozen in Indian Market)

4 Green chillies cut into thin strips

   Salt to taste

1 tsp lemon Juice

6 Tbs. ghee

1 Tbs ginger & garlic Paste

1 Cup Milk

I  tsp green cardamom powder

2 Tbs Cream

Directions

Put 6 cardamom, 6 cloves, 2 cinnamon sticks, the yogurt, almond paste, 1 Tablespoon Ginger paste & 1 Tablespoon garlic paste, Khoya, green chillies, salt, lemon juice and 2 Tbs of ghee in a large bowl. Mix well until well combined.  Add the chicken pieces.  Mix to coat the chicken.  Add onions and mix.  Let marinade at least 4 hours, up to 5. 

After marinading, add chicken marinade to a large, heavy bottomed pot. Cover and cook  over low heat till the chicken is just tender, stirring every 10 minutes. (if you want to be fancy, and are using chicken breasts in addition to chicken with bones, remove the breast meat after marinading, then add to pot ten minutes into cooking so as to not overcook the breast meat.) Do not overcook.

In a separate pan, add 5 cups of water, salt, remaining ginger & garlic paste, remaining green cardamoms,

remaining cloves and remaining cinnamons and bring to boil. Add the rice and milk and cook till rice is three-fourths done (still slightly firm, kind of like al dente pasta).  Strain rice, reserving 1 cup of milk mixture. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 Spread a layer of chicken in a heavy bottomed, oven-proof pan with a tight fitting lid. Layer half the rice over the chicken.

Sprinkle half the cardamoms powder eand spread half the cream over the rice. Repeat th layers. Drizzle the remaining ghee around the edges of th pan. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to make a hole in the center of the layers.  Pour in reserved milk mixture.  Cover tightly with foil then the lid and bake for 30 minutes until rice is done.  

Serve hot.

Biryani is accompanied with Churri, a relish made with yogurt containing chopped fresh coriander, mint, green chilies and salt.

Hyderabadi Garam Masala

This is an amazing spice blend.  Like any spice mix, they vary from family to family.  This is the one my family (or at least my father) uses.  You will need a digital scale to make this recipe. Store it in a jar and it will last for a year.

Hyderabadi Garam Masala

100 gm. Coriander seeds

25 gm. Black cardamom seeds, weighed after removing seeds from pods

20 gm. Green Cardamom seeds, weighed after removing seeds from pods

20 gm. Black peppercorns

20 gm. Cloves

20 gm. Cinnamon stick

15 gm. Bay leaves

10 gm. Cassia buds (I couldn't find this so added 10 extra grams of cinnamon)

10 gm. Mace

10 gm. nutmeg

 Directions:

Grate the nutmeg and mace.  Set aside.  Put other spices into a mortar and pestle and break up into alike sized pieces.  Toast until fragrant in a medium hot, heavy bottomed skillet, moving constantly.  Set aside to cool. Grind all spices except for mace and nutmeg in a coffee or spice grinder.  Combine all spices and store in airtight container.

Dahl Makhani: A rich, delicious lentil dish

Dal Makhani

Serves 10-12 as side dish, 8-10 as main dish with rice

1 cups black urad dal (black whole dahl)

1/2 cup rajma or red kidney deans


½ cup channa dahl

½ cup chick peas

1 green cardamom


1 teaspoon cumin seeds


2 green chillie pepper
s

3 tablespoons ghee


1/2 onion, chopped


3 cups Makhani Masala, recipe below

2 or more cups water from the drained beans

3/4 cup cream


salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine the two dahls.  Wash them and soak for at least 8 hours in cold water.  Combine the two beans together, wash and soak in cold water for at least 8 hours.  After soaking, drain, rinse, and cook the two batches separately in enough water to cover two times, until they are soft (times may vary between the two batches).  Keep in cooking water and set aside.

While the beans cook, make the makhani masala (or make in advance--recipe below).

Remove the cardamon seeds from the pods.  Place them in a hot heavy bottomed pan and toast them along with cumin seeds until they release their fragrance (should take just a few seconds).  Finely chop the green chillie peppers. 

In a deep, thick bottomed pot or dutch oven heat the ghee or oil. Add the cardamom, cumin seeds and the slit hot green chili peppers. After 30 seconds, add the onions, and cook them at medium heat until they are clear and soft. Add all of the drained beans (reserving liquid) and salt. Stir them together with the ghee or oil and the spices and cook for about 5 minutes at med-high heat.

Add in the Makhani Masala (recipe below). Stir everything together until the lentils/beans are well-coated with the sauce. Add water from the beans to make a soupy consistency.  Simmer the sauce at medium heat for about 20-40 minutes while stirring once in a while.  You want to cook this until the beans are slightly thickened.

Stir in the cream in the pot. Lower the heat. Cover, and cook for another 15 minutes.  Taste for salt and add as needed.

Makhani Masala/ (yields about 4 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup ginger paste


1/4 cup garlic paste


1 stick of cinnamon


4 black cardamom, seeds removed from pods

2 green cardamom, seeds removed from pods


1 tsp fenugreek or methi seeds


1 Tbsp kasoori/kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves


5-6  cups puréed fresh tomatoes (or 1 lg. (28 oz.) and one small can (14 oz.) whole tomatoes pureed in blender)


2 tsp red chili powder (optional)


1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder


Salt to taste


2 hot green peppers slit (optional)


1/4 cup melted butter or ghee

INSTRUCTIONS:

Crush the cinnamon and cardamom together (I used a coffee grinder), and set aside. Make a paste of the ginger and garlic (I use a food processor for this job).

Heat butter, ghee, or olive oil  & add cinnamon, cardamom and fenugreek seeds. Once the seeds start to sizzle, add ginger garlic paste, salt, chillie powder and stir and fry till ghee for 1 minute.

Add tomato purée, green chili, cinnamon powder and kasuri methi.

Cook/simmer and reduce the tomato sauce, till done or when the fat and the spice mix/masala leaves the sides of the pan and the oil separates. Make sure to half-cover the pan as the sauce will bubble and splatter.  Add heavy cream and milk. Boil/simmer for about 10 minutes.

Saag Paneer: Creamy greens with delicious fried cheese

Saag Paneer

Serves 12-15 as a side dish, 6-8 as a main dish

paneer made from 3 quarts whole milk, cut into ½ inch pieces (or you can buy paneer and cube it)

oil for frying cheese

2 lbs. spinach (not baby), washed, trimmed, and chopped

1/2 c. water

2 T. ghee (or olive oil, but really, use ghee)

2 green chiles (can use serranoes), seeded and finely chopped

1 1/2 inch piece ginger, ground to a paste

2 cloves garlic, ground to a paste

2 T. ground coriander

1 t. turmeric

2 t. ground cumin

1 t. ground fenugreek (or methi)

1/2 t. red pepper

2 lbs. other greens (mustard, beet, kale, swiss chard, etc.), stems removed and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 t. garam masala (see Hyderabadi garam masala recipe, or buy some at the Indian Market)

salt to taste

1/2 c. cream

Directions:

To make paneer, bring milk to a boil on medium heat in a heavy gage pan.  Once it begins to boil, add 2 T. white vinegar. The milk should immediately begin to separate. If it does not, add another tablespoon of vinegar.  Cook curds on low for 10 minutes, stirring very gently.  Pour liquid into 3 layers of cheesecloth in a colander.  Let drain for 10 minutes.  Gather sides of cheesecloth and let hang for 1 hour over a bowl.  Press cheese in cloth with a weight to remove more water for 1 hour.  Cut into cubes.  Shallow fry the cubes of cheese until they are lightly golden brown.  Do this on medium heat and turn as needed to fry on at least 2 sides.  Drain and set aside.

Cook spinach in water until slightly limp.  Cool and then puree in a blender.  Set aside.

Saute green chiles in ghee until softened.  Add garlic and ginger and sauté for another minute.  Add spices and cook an additional minute.  Add leftover greens and 1/2 cup water.  Cook until greens are soft, about 20 minutes.  Add the pureed spinach and fried paneer.  Cook for 10 minutes.  Add garam masala and taste for salt.

Raita: A cooling, simple yogurt relish

Raita
Makes 5 cups (enough for 20 people)

1 quart yogurt, drained through a coffee filter for 1 hour

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 English Cucumbers, finely chopped, lightly salted and drained for 1 hour

½  cup chopped cilantro

1 clove garlic, pasted

½ t. red pepper powder

Directions: after having drained the cucumbers, combine all ingredients and refrigerate.

Murchi Ka Saalan: A very hot and flavorful pepper curry

Mirchi ka Saalan

(Hot Pepper Curry: Hyderabadi Style)

(Adapted From: P. Karan:  Hyderabadi Cuisine)

Serve 10-12 as a side dish 

½ lb. long green chillies (can use serranoes) slit in half, seeds and stems removed

2 red peppers

2 green peppers

6 anaheim peppers

2 onions, medium (10-12 oz), cut into 4-6 pieces each

1” piece (about 1 Tablespoon) ginger

5-6 garlic cloves (about 2 Tablespoons) skinned removed

1 tbs coriander seeds

1 tsp Cumin seeds

3 tbs sesame seeds

¼ cup peanuts

1½ tsp white poppy seeds

2 tbs desiccated unsweetened coconut

¼ tsp fenugreek seeds

¼ tsp turmeric powder

I tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp jaggery (gur or natural cane sugar)

75 gm seedless tamarind or 3 tbs of Concentrated Cooking Tamarind (from Thailand)

6 curry leaves

1 cup oil

Salt to taste

Wash green chillies, cut in half and remove seeds and stems. Cut all peppers (after seeding) into 1-2 inch pieces.

     

Soak seedless tamarind pulp in one cup of warm water. Mash and sieve to get tamarind water. As an alternate use 3tbs of Concentrated Cooking Tamarind dissolved in ½ cup of warm water.

Roast the onions on a griddle till they soften and turn a pale golden brown (or place them in the broiler and broil until lightly charred on all sides).

Dry roast together over medium heat coriander seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts, poppy seeds, coconut and the fenugreek seeds till they darken lightly and start  emitting aroma.

Grind together the roasted onions and spices along with ginger, garlic, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, and jaggery into a fine paste. Mix with tamarind water.

Heat oil.  Fry all of the chillies in small batches until they have golden brown spots.  Remove to a colander to drain off excess oil.  

After all of the chilles have been fried, remove all oil except for 3 tablespoons (approximately).  Add curry leaves to the oil and after a few seconds add ground spices mixed in with tamarind water. Cook for 10 minutes and then add the fried green chillies. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add little water while cooking, in desired. Cook until the consistency of this dish is slightly on the thick side (about 20 minutes).

Serve this dish by spooning thick sauce over the peppers.

Moguli Chicken Curry (Moguli Murgh): A Graduation Feast

This weekend was graduation at the University.  Darren received his M.F.A. and his mother, two lovely sisters, and brother-in-law came to celebrate with him and proudly watch him walk across the stage. I was told his sister's liked Indian food, so I decided to make the chicken dish I grew up eating.  The benefit was two-fold for me.  I would get to eat a dish that would bring me back to my childhood table, which I am forever want to do, and, most importantly, I would have an excuse to engage my 81 year old father in a discussion about something other than his health.
Armed with his wisdom and years of memories, I set about making this delicious dish, only altering his recipe slightly.  One alteration I made was to use boneless chicken thighs rather than bone in, and the other was to add a small amount of red chile powder, to heat up the dish a bit, but not too much.  The Moguls were not fond of hot spice, and, as my father suggested, this heat was not available when recipes such as this were first made.
If you like Indian spices, but are afraid of the heat in Indian foods, this dish is for you.  It is relatively easy to make (if you can get the spices pre-made) and delicious.  I served this with basmati rice, saag paneer (spinach with cheese curds), tomato chutney, and naan.  This amount fed 6 with leftovers for two meals for 2, so I guess it would feed around 10.

Moguli Chicken Curry
3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in half
6 cloves garlic
1 T. ginger
1 t. tumeric
1 t. red chile powder (cayenne will work)
1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 t. saffron threads
1/4 c. milk
vegetable oil (for frying the onions)
2-3 large onions (about 4 cups), very thinly sliced (use a mandoline, if you have one)
3 T. ghee (clarified browned butter, or just oil) Ghee directions follow this recipe
1 T. hot garam masala
2 t. sweet garam masala
2 t. salt (kosher or 1 t. table)
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. sour cream (low fat is ok)
1 c. yogurt (low fat is ok)
2 T. cilantro, chopped

Directions
Several hours before you are ready to cook, put the garlic and ginger in a mini food processor along with the 1 T. vegetable oil, tumeric and red chile powder, and process into a paste (this can be done by hand too).   Rub the chicken with the paste and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.

While the chicken marinades, deal with the onions.  Cut the onions in half and slice paper thin.  Place them on a clean tea towel or paper towels and place another on top and press it down to remove some of the water from the onions.  Let the onions sit for 1 hour on the towels.  After this rest, heat a large, heavy bottomed dutch oven to medium heat.  Add 1/2 inch of oil and heat.  Add the onions and slowly brown the onions to a medium brown crisp, stirring every few minutes.  Some of the onions will still have some white.  Do not bring to a dark brown.  Using a slotted spoon, put the onions onto several layers of paper towel and spread them out.  They will crisp up as they cool.   Heat the milk in a glass measuring cup for 30 seconds in the microwave and add the saffron.  Let this steep while you do the next step.

After marinating, scrape as much of the paste off of the chicken as possible, reserving the marinade.  Remove the oil from the pan you made the onions in.  You can reuse this oil for any other dish, it will have a wonderful onion flavor.  Heat your heavy bottomed dutch oven and add the ghee.  When hot, add as much chicken as will fit in one layer.  Brown the chicken on both sides.  Remove the chicken and repeat with remaining chicken.  When done, add the leftover marinade and saute for 1 minute (do not let it brown-  you may need to lower the temperature).  Add the masalas and saute for another minute.  Add the saffron milk and use this to help you scrape the fond from the bottom of the pan.  Add the chicken, 1/2 of the onions, salt, and the chicken broth.  Bring this to a simmer.  Cover and simmer this until the chicken is very tender (30 minutes to an hour depending on how tender you want the chicken).

Whip together the sour cream and yogurt until very smooth.  Turn off the heat of the pan and add the sour cream mixture.  Mix well.  Return to heat on low and keep this on a low simmer for 15 minutes.  Serve with cilantro and the rest of the onions on top.  Enjoy!

Ghee
Place one pound of unsalted butter in a heavy bottomed small pot.  Turn the heat onto medium low.  As the butter melts, you'll see it will begin to foam.  Skim the foam off the top of the butter.  Continue to cook the butter, skimming as needed, until you see brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Turn off the heat and strain into a jar.  To store your ghee, cover tightly and place in the refrigerator.  This clarified butter will not burn at high temperatures as butter does, and has a delicious, nutty flavor.

Rich and Delicious: Saag and Dahl Makhani

In India, there is this lovely preparation called makahani, which refers to a butter based curry.  A curry is in essence, a dish made with a gravy, or sauce.

I worked on this recipe for a while.  My roommate Natasha gets her Dahl Makhani from the local Indian Restaurant, and I always love the taste of it, but it is so rich that when refrigerated, it becomes quite stiff, suggesting inordinate amounts of butter and cream.  But wow, it's delicious.  To make this curry, I adapted a recipe I found in 'The Art of Vegetarian Cooking'.  It's fairly straightforward but will require a special masala, or, spice blend.  For this dish, you need a makhani masala. I'm sure if you wanted to, you could make your own masala for this as there are recipes on line as well as in many Indian cookbooks.  You should be able to find this masala at any Indian market.  In the US, it comes in a small box.  I like the Shah brand.

I added the spinach (or saag) to this recipe for nutritional purposes and also for a textural balance and of course, for taste.  You can leave it out, but then bump up the amount of dahl you use to 3 1/2 cups.  This recipe makes a lot of dahl and will feed at least 10 people.  You can easily cut it in half, but it does freeze well. It has a lot of butter and cream, but I'm sure not as much as would be found in a restaurant, and you're probably not going to eat the whole pot in one day.  It's about balance....at least that's how I justify it to myself.  Eat well!


Dahl and Saag Makhani

3 cups of combined dried dahl (I like using kidney beans, chick peas and whole urad dahl) soaked overnight
4 T. Butter (or ghee)
3 onions, sliced thinly
2 T. Ginger, finely pasted
2 T. Garlic, finely pasted
½ cup makhani masala (you’ll need to purchase this at an Indian market)
1 can tomato paste (about 6 ounces)
2 c. water
1 lb. frozen spinach
1 ½ cups cream
4 T. Butter (or ghee)

Directions
Clean and soak the dahls for at least 8 hours (particularly if using chick peas).  Drain them, cover with at least 4 inches of water and cook them until done. I suggest you taste 5 beans.  If everyone is done, you're good.  If any are undercooked, keep cooking, adding water as necessary, but no salt at this point.

In a separate pot, cook onions in 4 T. butter until golden. Add ground ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add masala and cook 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add water and cooked dahl and simmer 1 hour or more if you want, adding more water as needed. Add defrosted and drained spinach and cook for 10 minutes.  Finish with the last amounts of butter and cream. Add salt as needed. Heat through. Serve with basmati rice and chapatis.


Enjoy!