The heart of India indeed, from a physical perspective, as well as the fact that the state of Madhya Pradesh embodies everything that is India - a true microcosm and melting pot of language, culture, cuisine, art and history! The girls said "Mom, that's true of so many states in India... tell us something new..." So I scouted through the limited knowledge of trivia I have, and I thought this tidbit may pique their interest: the fact that Rudyard Kipling was inspired by the forests of Kanha National Park, in Madhya Pradesh OBVIOUSLY, to write Jungle Book... I had their attention!
Besides being at the geographic center of this incredible country, the state is home to the world renowned historic sites of the Khajurao temples and the Stupa at Sanchi... many a historical documentary, a commercial movie, books and the like have built the narrative around these temples.
These ancient and one of a kind temples in the world are adorned with intricate erotic and sensuous carvings. The sculptures on the walls and pillars of the Khajurao temples showcase the open, progressive and artistic heritage of the time... needless to say, these monuments are an epitome of architectural marvel and elegance.
Commissioned in 2nd century BCE by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka, the Great Stupa at Sanchi is one of the oldest stone structures in India built over the relics of Buddha. The town of Sanchi is central to many Buddhist Stupas, all within a few miles of it.
And lastly (though I'm certain there's gazillions more to talk about!), the state is also home to one of the oldest cave collections in India, where some of the rock shelters were inhabited more than 100,000 years ago. Bhimbetka site has the oldest known rock art in Indian sub-continent, dating back more than 30,000 years.
Madhya Pradesh is home to a large number of ethnic groups and tribes namely Gond, Bhil, Bagia, Korku, Bhadia, Malto, Kaul, Dhar and many more. As per the 2011 census, the tribals (adivasi) form nearly a fifth of the state's population. And with the adivasi comes these gorgeous pieces of artwork, where no two paintings or work products are alike...
And finally the cuisine. Just as everything else, their cuisine is a medley of flavors and foods that further highlight how this state is indeed the heart of India. Our menu as an ode to Madhya Pradesh went something like this:
For starters, we made Poha (rice flakes steam cooked with aromatic herbs and spices) and Seekh Kababs (soft and succulent lamb mince, arranged on skewers, and seasoned with various spices for an enhanced subtle flavor)
Followed by Bafla Bati (a steamed savory sweet wheat based dough ball, served with oodles of ghee and a side of lentils), Bhutte ka kees (a delicious, easy and quick street food from Indore, Bhutte ka Kees is corn cooked with spices and simmered in milk), and Bhopali Gosht Korma (a recipe from a Nawabi culture, serving up succulent pieces of goat meat doused in a rich and spicy gravy and seasoned with whole spices)
And wrapping it up with Mawa Bati (a mouth watering version of gulab jamun, loaded with sweetened milk solids, raisins and nuts)
Poha
What you'll need:
2 cups medium poha (flattened rice); 1 tsp salt; 11/2 tsp sugar; water to rinse the poha
2 tblsp oil; 1 tsp mustard seeds; 2 green chillies, finely chopped; 1 sprig curry leaves, coarsely chopped; 1 tsp turmeric pd
Juice of 1/2 lemon; 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped; 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, shelled
In a bowl, pour water to cover the poha, and rinse the poha in the bowl with your fingers, and then drain the water out. Add in the salt and sugar in the rinsed poha, mix it and set it aside. Fluff it up every 5 minutes, just so you don’t end up with slushy, gooey poha… you may want to leave it on the side for a total of about 15 minutes.
Heat the oil in a pan, and add in the mustard seeds. Once these start sputtering, add in the green chillies, and then the turmeric in a couple minutes. Next, add in the curry leaves and the poha and fold the tempered spices in with the poha - let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Finally, take it off the heat, fold in the peanuts and cilantro, and drizzle the lemon juice on top. Serve this healthy snack/brekker item/evening tea item/any time of the day dish warm!!
Seekh Kabab
What you'll need:
1lb Minced lamb
2 medium onions, cubed; 7-8 garlic cloves; 1” piece of ginger; 4 green chillies, finely chopped
2 tblsp melted butter; 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp red chilli pd; 1 tsp red chilli flakes; 11/2 tsp coriander pd; 1 tsp cumin pd; 1 tsp dried mint leaves
You’re going to be shocked when you see how easy this is - I know I was for sure! First, we’ll make a coarse ground paste with the onions, ginger and garlic - you can run the mix of these three in a blender and once these are coarsely ground, remove from the blender, while making sure you squeeze out as much of the moisture out before adding to the lamb mince. Add in the green chillies, the melted butter, fresh cilantro and all the spices, and mix well with your hands, kneading the meat gently as you mix the spices in. Cover the lamb mince mix with cling foil, and refrigerate for a couple hours.
Next you want to skewer the mince in the shape of the seekh kababs… you can turn the oven on and set it to a temperature of 400F. Set the skewered meat on the tray (make sure the kababs don’t touch the bottom of the tray - you should have enough leeway to roll the kababs over during the 35-40 minutes it’ll take to bake them. Alternately, you could also grill these over hot coals, or on a traditional grill, and remember to roll them over every now and then so that they cook evenly through on all sides. Serve with thinly sliced onions and lemon wedges... piping hot of course!
Bhutte ka Kees
What you'll need:
4 corn-on-the-cobs; 1 cup milk; 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut; 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tblsp butter; 2 green chillies, finely chopped; 1 tblsp finely grated ginger
A pinch of asafoetida pd; 1/2 tsp cumin seeds; 1/2 tsp mustard seeds; 1/4 tsp red chilli pd; 1/4 tsp turmeric pd; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Grate the corn to get the finely grated corn. Add the butter to a heated pan, and add in the asafoetida pd, cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Once these start cracking, add in the ginger and green chillies, and then the turmeric pd and stir for a minute or two. Now add in the corn, and keep stirring for about 5-6 minutes. Next, add in the red chilli pd, sugar and the milk and mix well so that the corn is well blended with the milk. Once the milk starts to boil, cover the pan and let it cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring it every few minutes so it doesn't get burnt at the bottom. Add in the salt, cover the pan and cook for an additional 5 minutes. The bhutte ka kees is ready... drizzle the fresh lemon juice, cilantro and coconut as garnish, and serve hot!
Daal Bafla Bati
What you'll need:
2 cups wheat flour; 1/2 cup semolina; 1/3 cup yogurt; 2 tblsp ghee (clarified butter); 3/4 cup warm water
1 tsp cumin seeds; 1/2 tsp carom seeds; 1/3 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp baking soda
Water for boiling the bafla bati
Additional ghee for shallow frying the bafla bati
Bafla Bati: A Madhya Pradesh (from Indore) preparation, similar in concept to the Daal Bati Choorma of Rajasthan or Litti Chokha of Bihar
Make dough with the flour, semolina, yogurt and ghee, and mix in the cumin seeds, carom seeds, salt and baking pd, kneading to a medium soft dough with the warm water. Cover the dough and set aside for about 25 minutes.
Pour about a liter of water into a deep pot, and put the water to boil while you get the batis ready. Divide the dough into about 10-12 balls (you can make fewer if you'd like for smaller sized batis). Take each ball, roll it into a smooth round shape, and then press gently to shape it into a thick-ish disc. Repeat the process for all the dough balls. Once the water has started boiling, gently lower each bati into the boiling water, cover the pan, and let the batis cook for about 20 minutes in the boiling water. Carefully take the batis out of the water, making sure you drain the water completely.
Next, heat a tblsp of ghee in a flat plan, and add in a few of the batis into the pan, set it to medium heat, and let the batis fry in the pan until they're evenly browned and flaky on each side. Continue this process until all the bafla batis are done. Serve with your favorite daal (yellow lentils) - I chose a mix of moong and masoor... be generous to yourself and the family, and add on a spoon of ghee on the warm bati as you serve it with the daal!
Bhopali Gosht Korma
What you'll need:
1/2 cup mustard oil (I know, I know... seems like waaaay too much, but its mustard oil, and you won't regret it!)
3-4 bay leaves; 11/2 tsp salt; 2 medium onions, thinly sliced; 1" ginger, juliennes; 6-7 cloves garlic, sliced
11/2 lb goat meat, cut into medium sized pieces (bone in)
3 tsp coriander seeds; 2 tsp cumin seeds; 1 tsp anise seeds; 1 large cardamom; 1" cinnamon stick; 1/2 cup water - run these ingredients through a spice grinder to get a thick paste
1/2 tsp cumin pd; 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli; 1 tsp coriander pd; 1 tsp turmeric pd; 1 tsp garam masala; 3 tblsp yogurt
Heat the mustard oil in a deep pan, add in the bay leaves and the sliced onions, and saute for 3-4 minutes, until the onions stat turning a light shade of brown. Add in the ginger, garlic, salt and the goat meat pieces, and roast for about 30 minutes, covered, while making sure you stir the mix well every now and then.
Next add in the spice paste, along with the dry spices and yogurt, mix well with the meat mix in the pan, cover and cook on medium heat for another 25-30 minutes. Remember to keep stirring regularly so that the spices/gravy doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. You can add about a cup of water to the meat, and let it cook for another 30-35 minutes, until the meat is fully cooked.
Note: Alternately, you could speed up the cooking process by cooking the meat under pressure - in this case, the meat will likely need to be cooked for about 30-35 minutes under pressure, once you've added in all the spices. DO NOT add any water when cooking under pressure!
Serve hot with steamed white rice, or with any roti or naan
Mawa Bati
What you'll need:
1/4 cup all purpose flour; 3 tblsp milk pd; 3 tblsp arrowroot flour; 2 cups hariyali khoya (milk solids)
Ghee for deep frying
For the filling: 1/2 cup hariyali khoya (milk solids); 1/2 tsp cardamom pd; 1/4 cup each of finely chopped pistachios, cashew nuts, almonds and raisins
For the syrup: 3 cups sugar; 11/2 cups water; few strands of saffron; 2 tsp milk
Lets start with making the dough for the bati... for this, mix the flour(s) with the milk pd and khoya and knead into a soft dough... ideally you shouldn't need to use any water for the dough, but if you HAVE to, pls use milk, and sparingly! In a separate bowl, mix all the ingredients for the stuffing and keep aside.
Make about 1" spherical balls with the dough, press the center of the ball and place a spoonful of the stuffing in the center... then carefully cover the center with the sides of the flattened ball, making sure that the stuffing is neatly tucked away in the center of the bati (ball). Prepare these stuffed batis with the remaining dough.
In the meantime, heat ghee in a small frying pan. In parallel, you can make the sugar syrup by heating the sugar with the water. Once the sugar has dissolved, add in the milk - this is only added to remove any sugar impurities that would typically rise to the top of the syrup surface... you can skim this off with a spoon. Then add in the saffron strands, and turn the heat off - your sugar syrup is ready to take on the mawa batis as they come out of the frying pan, golden brown in color! So back to the heated ghee - gently add in 3-4 batis into the heated ghee at a time, and turn them over constantly so they get cooked and lightly browned evenly on all sides. Drain the oil, and lower them into the sugar syrup.
Serve with a garnish of the extra dried fruits from the stuffing mixture.... a befitting end to a fantastic meal for my girls, from the heart of India!
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