And much much more of course. Actually way much more, but there's only so many characters I was allowed as part of the title limitations for this journal entry, so I stuck with the two that were top of mind for me.
The first image that comes to mind when I think of the land of the Nizams, ironically, is the Nandi bull.... don't ask me why, but it is. Followed closely by visions of hyderabadi biryani (I am not partial to the choice of protein in the biryani, just the thought of inhaling the biryani in, as if there was no tomorrow - pure joy!!)... we'll get to the food in a bit. For the sake of my girls, I started explaining the significance of Nandi, the symbolic gate-keeper of Shiva's abode on Kailash Parbat (Kailash mountain), with traces back to the Indus Valley civilization of being revered as a deity of sorts, right up there with Lord Shiva himself, and worshipped as a symbol of happiness, joy and contentment. The state of Andhra Pradesh has one of the largest statues of this haloed bull, and when I first visited Hyderabad, i was smitten with miniature statues of Nandi that were available for tourists like me to take a part of Andhra home with them - in clay, bronze, brass, bronze-brass mix embellished with stones, granite... you name it, and the version was there!
And then there are the Nizams... you see, Andhra has historically been what one could call the melting pot, where the north meets the south (of India), where the east (of India) pours some of their cuisine and culture into the mix, and where there was a fair influx of the remnants of the Mughal empire, after their collapse and demise of Aurangzeb. So the cuisine is quite a fabulous mix of mouth watering indulgences from both sides of the house, sorry state... and actually not even both, almost like from all corners of the house!
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the town of Tirupati, home to the famous Venkateswara Temple, one of the most visited temples in the world (I think it may have made it to the Guiness Book of World Records as well)... where devotees and believers go to offer their prayers, ask for blessings, and the like. I'm not particularly religious myself, so I'll leave it at that, but I needed the girls to know about Tirupati, coz it comes up often times as THE place to visit to get blessed when you start a new venture - marriage, business, before a sickness, after being cured, to share your good fortune, to ask for help to get out of trouble, etc. etc. etc. So now, apparently I have to take them to visit Tirupati, which is fine since its on my list of bucket-list places to see. I grudgingly agreed, pretending that I'm doing this just for them (while secretly enjoying the fact that there was some healthy mother-daughter mind-moulding in the works that reached its successful conclusion!).
LONG POST WARNING!!
Now the food... I may have favored the Nizams in putting the menu together, but I figured we'd touch upon more of the vegetarian delights from the south of the Vindhyas as I cover more of the states in that region, so it should work out in the end. Here's what we had for dinner on Sunday:
Grilled Chicken Kababs (soft, succulent boneless pieces of chicken, marinated in creamy yogurt and a medley of Indian spices);
Pathar ka Gosht (Pathar=stone, Gosht=lamb, so this is marinated lamb, grilled on stone and served with rings of onions on the side - I took the easy way out and made this in the oven; also may have had something to do with the fact that I don't have a stone-fire-oven at home!) with Bakarkhani (a delightful flatbread, with a crusty exterior and a soft interior, popular in most regions where there was any muslim influence on the cuisine); Chicken Biryani with Mirchi ka Salan; (a great accompaniment to biryani - green peppers doused in a spicy, tangy coconut gravy) Bagara Baigan (baby aubergines, roasted and simmered in a coconut and peanut based gravy) and Bendakaya Kura (crispy fried okra, sauted with onions and spices) as vegetarian sides; and Khatti Daal (a rich, flavorful lentils based curry, tempered with curry leaves and cumin, briefly roasted in ghee) and Cucumber Raita as accompaniments
And the phenomenal, to-die-for, Double ka Meetha ("double roti" in hindi is a euphemism for bread kids! Double ka Meetha is a Mughlai bread pudding, fit for royalty - need I say more??) for dessert
From top left to right, row by row: Chicken Kababs, Chicken Biryani, Bendakaya Kura, Bagara Baigan, Bakarkhani, Pathar ka Gosht, Bakarkhani, Khatti Daal, Raita, Double ka Meetha
Grilled Chicken Kababs
What you'll need:
250g of boneless, skinless chicken, cubed
For the marinade: 3 tblsp thick, hung yogurt; 2 tblsp sesame oil; 1 1/2 tblsp fresh lemon juice; 3/4 tsp garam masala (you could use tandoori chicken masala as an alternate); 1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste; 1 tsp red chilli pd; 1 1/2 tsp salt
1 large red onion, cubed and layers separated; 1 large capsicum, cubed as well and deseeded
Wooden skewers; PAM spray
To begin, make sure that the chicken is free of any excess moisture, so you can pat it dry with a clean paper towel. Just to make assurance double sure. Mix all the marinade ingredients together, whisk to a smooth creamy mixture so all the spices and pastes are nicely blended together. I made the girls do the whisking... they wanted to feel like they were contributing, so I said, FINE - Whisk away! Then drop in the chicken cubes, and gently fold them in, so the marinade coats all sides of each piece... leave in the fridge overnight, or for at least 4 hours so the spices and lemon do their thing and become part of the chicken.
Soak the wooden skewers in a tray of water for about an hour before you're ready to grill the chicken. Heat the oven to 465F for at least 15 minutes... and in the meantime, arrange the chicken, capsicum and onions on the skewers, alternating in whatever pattern takes your fancy. Put the skewers on a tray (preferably elevated so the chicken isn't touching the bottom of the tray), and grill for approx 20 minutes in the middle of the oven. Turn the skewers over, spray some PAM on to the pieces if you think it's needed, and grill on the top rack for an additional 10-12 minutes. These melt-in-your-mouth chicken kababs are ready to be had with mint or coriander chutney on the side, and a drizzle of fresh lemon juice for a tangy finish!
Pathar ka Gosht
What you'll need:
2 lbs goat meat, shoulder, cut into 1" cubes
For the marinade, 1 tblsp ginger garlic paste; 1/4 tblsp turmeric pd; 1 tblsp garam masala; 1 tblsp black pepper; 1 tblsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed; 2 tblsp ghee (or 4 tblsp oil); 1 tblsp red chilli pd; 2 tblsp meat tenderizer; 1 tblsp green chilli paste; 2 tblsp salt
First marinate the goat meat pieces in ginger garlic paste, the meat tenderizer, green chilli paste and lemon juice for about an hour. Then you can add in the all the remaining ingredients and marinate for an additional 4-5 hours... the meat tenderizer and lemon juice breaks down the meat to help with better absorption of spices that you add in later. While historically, the meat would have been cooked on a stone pit over a fire, we'll make do with our modern ovens and hope the outcome is just as brilliant (it really is!)... so make at 350F for an hour, and then saute in a pan until most of the water has dried off... I prefer leaving some of the gravy in, but this is typically served as a dry meat, paired with Bakarkhani or any other bread you'd like. I am a strong proponent of Bakarkhani in this case :). Serve with a side of thinly sliced onions, spiced up with lemon juice and red chilli pd for just that extra zing!
Bakarkhaani (the must have nawab's bread!)
What you'll need:
2 1/2 tsp sugar; 1 tblsp active dry yeast; 3/4 cup milk
2 cups all purpose flour; 1/2 tsp baking pd; 1 tsp salt
12-14 raisins; 10 almonds, sliced; 1 tblsp kalonji (black cumin/nigella); 1 tsp kewra water; 4 tblsp melted ghee
Warm the milk, add the sugar and yeast and mix gently. Set this aside for about 10 minutes to let the yeast activate. Mix the flour, baking pd and salt uniformly, and add to the yeast mixture so you can knead this to a sticky but smooth dough. Let the dough rest and rise for about 30 minutes. Now add in the remaining ingredients, and knead into a smooth dough, and let it rest for another 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 465F for about 15 minutes, and in the meantime, divide the dough into 1.5" diameter balls, and roll out into oval shapes... you can poke the flat bread with a fork in a few places before putting these in the oven to bake (this was done in a tandoor in the days of yore...). Bake for 15 minutes and enjoy this hot with the Pathar ka Gosht.
Chicken Biryani
What you'll need:
3 tblsp mustard oil; 500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in 2" pieces
For the marinade, 1/2 cup yogurt; 2 tblsp ginger garlic paste; 3 tblsp lemon juice; 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped; 2 tsp salt; 2 tsp tandoori chicken masala; 1 tsp coriander pd
2 large red onions, thinly sliced and fried to a crisp
1/4 cup sliced almonds, fried; a few strands of saffron
2 tblsp ghee; 2 bay leaves; 4 cloves; 3 cardamoms; 1" cinnamon stick; 1 tsp salt;
1 1/2 cups basmati rice, soaked for about an hour
I'm going to go with the no-fuss biryani... while some may mock me for passing this off as Hyderabadi biryani, I will say that it comes pretty close. And is about 3.5 times easier... there's no science to the decimal added to the easiness factor - that was just to make my point!
Start with heating the mustard oil, and once its hot, add in the chicken and the ingredients for the marinade (you can marinate the chicken if you'd like for 30 minutes, but when I'm in a hurry, I don't even bother with that), and cook on medium heat (covered) until the chicken is half cooked, and the water from the marinade has dried up - this should take about 20-25 minutes. In parallel, in a separate pot, heat the ghee, and add in the whole spices, sauteing these until they start giving out the aroma. Now add in the basmati rice - drain the water that the rice was soaked in - and add in 3 cups of water. Let the rice cook half way through... this is when the shenanigans begin. Of assembling the biryani in layers. In a third pot (sorry, but this may require some clean-up!), lay out a third of the rice, layer on some of the cooked chicken, add in some of the fried onions and almonds, then rice and so on. You should get about 3 layers of everything in. Top the biryani with the remainder of the fried onions, almonds and saffron, and let the assembled biryani cook until all the water from the rice has been absorbed, and the rice is fully cooked. You have yourselves, the most awesome of all rice preparations, a no-fuss chicken biryani!
Mirchi ka Salan
What you'll need:
2 tblsp peanuts; 1 1/2 tsp sesame seeds; 1 tblsp dessicated coconut
2 tblsp oil; 1 onion, thinly sliced; 1 tsp ginger garlic paste; 2 tblsp water
6 green peppers, deseeded
1 tsp oil; 1/2 tsp mustard seeds; 1/2 tsp cumin seeds; 1 sprig curry leaves
2 tblsp tamarind paste; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp turmeric pd; 1/2 tsp garam masala; 1/2 tsp chilli pd
Dry roast the peanuts until they start turning golden, then add in the sesame seeds and the coconut and roast for about 1-2 minutes. Take this off the heat, and let this mix cool before you grind this to a thick paste in a blender. Next, heat the 2 tblsp oil, and saute the onions until they turn transluscent; then add in the ginger garlic paste and cook for a couple more minutes with a bit of water to make the second part of the gravy. Finally, roast the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves in a little oil until they start crackling, add in the 2 parts of the gravy you made already, and whisk to a smooth mix. Cook, covered, for about 5 minutes before adding in the remaining spices and the green peppers. Let the peppers cook in the salan (gravy) for about 10 minutes on low heat. Serve hot as a yummy side with the chicken biryani!
Bagara Baigan
What you'll need:
6-7 baby eggplants, sliced two ways, but kept intact near the stem part of these; 1 tsp salt; 1 cup canola oil for gently frying the baby eggplants
4 tsp peanuts; 1 tblsp coriander seeds; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds; 2 whole dry red chillies; 1 tsp pepper corn; 2 tsp sesame seeds; 2 tblsp dry grated coconut (quite a potent mix of spices, this!)
4 tblsp oil; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1 sprig curry leaves; 2 red onions, finely chopped; 2 tblsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp salt; 1 tsp red chilli pd; 1/2 tsp turmeric pd; 1 tsp coriander pd
Soak the eggplants (cut two ways) in a liter of water with the tsp of salt for about 20 minutes. While the eggplants are chilling in the water, dry roast that potent mix of spices for about 5 minutes till they're lightly browned - cool and grind them to a paste with a cup of water. Remove the eggplants from the water, pat them dry with a paper towel, heat up the oil and fry these on medium heat till the skin crinkles all around... you'll see a hint of brown on the otherwise dark purple skin creep in - they would be soft and tender at this time! Remove the eggplants from the pan, and add in the 4 tblsp oil to the same pan - note that if there is sufficient oil remaining, you don't need to use this additional oil... while this is a rather oily dish, its yummy to boot, and a little less oil won't do it much harm, so suit this to your liking the way you'd prefer. Add in the cumin seeds, curry leaves and wait for these to crackle before adding in the onions, you know, the usual drill! Once the onions have turned a golden brown, add in the ginger garlic paste and the remaining dry spices and roast for 3-4 minutes until the smell of fresh garlic has disappeared. Now add in the potent spice paste you'd made earlier, blend well in the pan, and gently lower in the eggplants. Cook for 7-8 minutes, covered, on medium heat until the gravy has percolated through the eggplant cuts... and now its ready to be served hot, garnished with fresh coriander if you'd like!
Bendakaya Kura
What you'll need:
4 tblsp oil; 3 dry red chillies, whole; 1/2 tsp mustard seeds; 1 sprig curry leaves
2 red onions, finely sliced; 1 lb okra
1 tsp coriander pd; 1 tsp cumin pd; 2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp jaggery; 1 tblsp tamarind paste
Wash and dry the okra, then cut into 1" pieces. Heat the oil, and add in the dry red chillies, mustard seeds and curry leaves and after a quick minute, add in the chopped onions saute until they start browning. Now add in the okra and the remaining spices (except the tamarind paste) and turn up the heat - you want to let the okra become nice and crisp to a brunchy feel, but make sure it doesn't start sticking to the base of the pan. You'll need to monitor it closely (an alternative easy path is to air fry the okra at 390F for about 8 minutes - this cuts the cooking time down by nearly 15-20 minutes!). Finally, top it off with the tamarind, and simmer until the okra is fully cooked.
Khatti Daal
What you'll need:
1 cup toor daal; 3.5 cups water
1 tsp salt; 1 tsp turmeric; 1/2 tsp red chilli pd; 1 tsp coriander pd; 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
2 tblsp ghee; 1 sprig curry leaves; 3 whole red chillies; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1/2 tsp asafoetida pd
Pressure cook the lentils with the water and spices (salt, turmeric, coriander pd and chilli pd) on high for 8 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. In a little pot, heat the ghee, then add in the asafoetida pd and cumin seeds, and once they start crackling, add in the whole red chillies and curry leaves. Saute for literally 2 minutes and pour over the hot lentils to get your khatti daal! Easy or what!
Double ka Meetha
What you'll need:
10 slices of white sandwich bread, cut diagonally into isosceles triangles); 2 cups ghee
For the Rabri (a creamy concoction of thickened milk, flavored with cardamom and saffron), 1 liter whole milk; 3 tblsp sugar; a few strands of saffron
For the Chashni (sugar syrup), 1 cup sugar; 1 cup water; 1/4 tsp cardamom pd
Nuts and such, including sliced almonds and raisins, fried in a tblsp of ghee
This is a very rich dessert, so drop your health fetishes at the kitchen door when you venture in to make this :). Start with deep frying the bread triangles in the ghee on medium heat... the bread can start to get burnt/dark brown REALLY fast - literally in 25-30 seconds, so keep your eyes on the prize, and turn these over quickly (carefully though - you don't want to splatter the hot ghee around in any tearing hurry). You want these lightly browned and crisp to the touch. In a separate thick based pot, for the rabri bring the milk to a boil and then add in the sugar and saffron, and keep cooking on low to medium heat until the volume has reduced to nearly half - you'll need to stir this fairly frequently to avoid the milk from getting burnt and stuck to the base. Next, for the chashni, stir in the sugar with the water in a small pot, and after the initial stir let the sugar syrup be - you don't want to keep stirring, else the sugar may crystallize.
The last bit is the assembly. In an oven safe dish, arrange the bread pieces in a single layer. Pour the chashni all over evenly, and then the rabri, also as evenly as possible. Top it off with the nuts and raisins. Bake in the oven at 350F for approx 25 minutes and voila - this piece of heaven is ready to be consumed! Perhaps after a wee bit of cooling, or best, at room temperature!
From kababs to biryanis to meetha, the Hyderabadis have it all... we ate and savored and viewed pictures and talked over a long evening... time well spent, our mind and our tummies feeling a bit fuller than from the time we started chatting about the Nizams of Hyderabad... Until next Sunday, to good times and good chatting!
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