Jaipuri Mewa Pulao

Jaipuri Mewa Pulao

By Chef Shantanu Gupte

From India Unlimited

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Method: Easy

Course: Mithai

Type: Rajasthani

Key Ingredients:

Sweet rice preparation enriched with saffron and dried fruits

Ingredients

Almonds 4 to 5
Pistachios 4 to 5
Chironji/charoli 1 tbsp
Rice, cooked ½ cup
Ghee 1 tbsp
Milk 200 ml
Sugar ½ cup
Saffron, mixed with milk a few strands
Fresh cream 3 tbsps
Silver warq for garnishing
Nutmeg powder to sprinkle
Green cardamom powder to sprinkle

Methods

Heat ghee in a deep non-stick pan, add rice to it and saute.
Add milk, sugar and saffron mixed with milk and mix well.
Keep aside a few almonds, pistachios and charoli for garnish and add the rest to the rice and mix.
Cover and cook till all the milk is absorbed. Don’t stir too much as it may break the rice grains.
Add cream and mix well.
Transfer onto a serving plate and garnish with silver warq. Sprinkle nutmeg powder, green cardamom powder and reserve dried fruits and serve hot.

Beetroot Pachdi

Beetroot Pachdi

By Chef Shantanu Gupte

By India Unlimited

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Method: Easy

Course: Mithai

Type: Rajasthani

Key Ingredients:

Beetroots
Scraped coconut

A refreshing side dish, it is flavourful and tasty too

Ingredients

Beetroots, peeled and grated 1 cup
Ginger, chopped 1 tsp
Green chilli 1
Dried red chillies 2
Cumin seeds ½ tsp
Mustard seeds ½ tsp
Curry leaves 4 to 5
Turmeric powder ½ tsp
Fresh coconut, scraped 1½ tbsps
Coconut oil 1½ tbsps
Yogurt 3 tbsps
Salt to taste

Methods

Heat a non-stick pan, add beetroot and a little water and cook for some time.
Put ginger, green chilli, red chillies, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric powder, coconut and a little water in a mixer jar and grind to a paste.
Add this paste to beetroot. Rinse the mixer jar with a little water and add it to the beetroot mixture and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Heat coconut oil in a small non-stick pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves and saute till the seeds splutter. Add this tempering to the beetroot pachdi and mix well.
Transfer into a bowl, add yogurt and salt and mix well. Serve.

Cherupayar Payasam

Cherupayar Payasam

By Chef Shantanu Gupte

By India Unlimited

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 35 minutes

Method: Easy

Course: Mithai

Type: Rajasthani

Key Ingredients:

Split skinless green gram (dhuli moong dal)
Coconut milk
Jaggery

A must in the Onam menu, this is a dal payasam which the locals of Kerala love

Ingredients

Split skinless green grams (dhuli moong dal) 1 cup
Coconut milk 1 cup
Jaggery (gur), grated 3 tbsps
Ghee 2 tbsps
Green cardamom powder ½ tsp
Dried ginger powder (soonth) ½ tsp
Dried coconut, grated 1 tbsp
Cashewnuts 8
Coconut cream to drizzle

Methods

Melt jaggery in a non-stick pan with little bit of water.
Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a cooker and add split green gram and saute till it becomes golden brown.
Add 2 cups water, cover the cooker and cook under pressure till 3 whistles are given out.
Open the lid when the pressure reduces completely. Add jaggery syrup, cardamom powder and dried ginger powder and mix well. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add coconut milk and mix. Cook till it just comes to a boil. Switch off the heat.
Heat remaining ghee in a small non-stick pan, add dried coconut and cashewnuts and saute till they are golden. Put half of this mixture into the cooker and mix and cook till the payasam is semi-thick.
Transfer it into a serving bowl and garnish with sautéed coconut and cashewnuts and drizzle coconut cream.

Chicken Farcha

Chicken Farcha

By Chef Shantanu Gupte

By India Unlimited

Prep: 2 hours

Cook: 30 minutes

Method: Easy

Course: Mithai

Type: Rajasthani

Key Ingredients:

Chicken drumsticks
Eggs
Breadcrumbs

A popular Parsi deep-fried chicken drumsticks

Ingredients

Chicken drumsticks 7 to 8
Red chilli paste 2 tbsps + 1 tsp
Browned onion paste 2 tbsps
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder 1 pinch
Ginger paste 1 tsp
Garlic paste 1 tsp
Coriander powder 2 tsps
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Oil 3 tbsps + for deep frying
Lemon juice 1 tbsp
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 2 tsps
Breadcrumbs 1 cup
Eggs 2

Methods

Make some incisions on the chicken drumsticks and put them in a bowl. Add 2 tbsps red chilli paste, 1 tbsp browned onion paste, salt, black pepper powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, 1½ tbsp oil and lemon juice and mix till all the drumsticks are well coated. Keep the bowl in the refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours.
Heat remaining oil in a deep non-stick pan, add remaining browned onion paste and remaining red chilli paste and saute till fragrant.
Add the marinated chicken drumsticks and a little water and mix well. Cover and cook till the gravy becomes thick, and the chicken is cooked.
Add some coriander leaves and turn off the gas.
Heat sufficient oil in a kadai.
Take breadcrumbs in a bowl and roll chicken drumsticks in it till they are well coated.
Take eggs in another bowl, add a little salt and whisk well. Dip the chicken drumsticks in whisked egg and deep fry till golden. Drain on absorbent paper.
Serve hot along with the gravy if any left.

Goshtaba

Goshtaba

By Chef Shantanu Gupte

By India Unlimited

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Method: Moderate

Course: Mithai

Type: Rajasthani

Key Ingredients:

Mutton mince (keema)

A popular Kashmiri mutton dish

Ingredients

Mutton mince (keema) 250 gms
Egg white 1
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder 1 tsp + to sprinkle
Black cardamom seeds ½ tsp
Mustard oi 1 tsp
Ghee 1½ tbsps
Browned onion paste 2 tbsps
Cumin seeds ½ tsp
Black pepper powder 1 tsp
Fennel powder 1 tsp
Cinnamon powder 1 tsp
Cloves, crushed ½ tsp
Black cardamom powder ½ tsp
Green cardamom powder ½ tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) powder 1 tsp
Yogurt, whisked 2 tbsps
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 2
tsps

Methods

Take mutton keema in a bowl and add egg white, salt, red chilli powder, black cardamom seeds and mustard oil and mix properly.
Heat some ghee in a non-stick pan and add browned onion paste and cumin seeds and saute till fragrant. Add a little water and mix well.
Put black pepper powder, fennel powder, cinnamon powder, crushed cloves, black cardamom powder, green cardamom powder, coriander powder and dried fenugreek leaves powder on a muslin cloth, bring the edges together and tie it up like a potli. Dip this potli in the gravy.
Divide the mutton keema mixture into small equal portions and shape them into balls. Add them to the gravy and cook for 10-15 minutes on low heat.
Take out the muslin cloth potli and squeeze to extract the flavour and add to the gravy. Add salt and whisked yogurt and mix well.
Transfer into a serving bowl, garnish with coriander leaves and red chilli powder and serve hot.

Irachi Ishtew

Irachi Ishtew

By Chef Shantanu Gupte

By India Unlimited

Prep: 25 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Method: Easy

Course: Mithai

Type: Rajasthani

Key Ingredients:

Boneless chicken
Coconut milk

Famous Kerala speciality – the combination of appam and ishtew is just too irresistible

Ingredients

Boneless chicken, cut into medium cubes 250 gms
Coconut oil 2 tbsps
Green cardamoms 6
Cloves 7 to 8
Black peppercorns 12 to 15
Star anise 3
Cinnamon 2 one-inch sticks one-inch sticks
Bay leaves 3
Fennel seeds 1 tsp
Medium onions, sliced 1½
Ginger, sliced 1 inch
Garlic cloves, sliced 4 to 5
Green chillies, chopped 3
Curry leaves 8 to 10
Salt to taste
Carrots, peeled and diced ¾ cup
Thin coconut milk 1 cup
Thick coconut milk ½ cup
Potatoes, peeled, cubed and deep fried 1 cup
Garam masala powder ½ tsp
Cumin powder ½ tsp
Dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) 1 tsp
Coconut cream 1 tbsp

Methods

Heat coconut oil in a deep non-stick pan and add green cardamom, cloves, black pepper corns, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaf, fennel seeds, onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies, curry leaves and salt and saute till fragrant.
Add carrot and chicken pieces and mix. Add water and thin extract of coconut milk and cook it for 10 to 12 minutes.
Once the chicken is cooked, add potato cubes and mix.
Mix together thick coconut milk, garam masala powder, cumin powder, salt and dried fenugreek leaves, add to the pan and mix well.
Add coconut cream and mix well. Transfer into a serving bowl and serve hot with appams.