Festivals call for celebrations and what better way to do it than indulge in delicacies from all around the world.
Festivals call for celebrations and what better way to do it than indulge in delicacies from all around the world. This Eid we bring you some mouth-watering recipes from some kind and loving people to help you spread the wholesome magic on your platter. So put on the apron, make this occasion a special one for your family and let go of the lockdown blues.
After all, it’s Eid! – Srivalli
Inspired by his grandmother, Saad Farooqui started cooking at the age of 19. A doting father to a 2-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son, Saad keeps experimenting with his cooking skills. “I love to eat good food, so I keep trying something or the other,” he says. From continental to Indo-Chinese to authentic Hyderabadi dishes, Saad loves to make it all. Speaking about his food habits, he adds, “I love seasonal food. I do eat greens and fruits. However, when it comes to occasional cooking, I am into Desi Khana. I love my food to be rich and tasty, loaded with ghee and masala.” With all his festive spirit and lots of love, Saad shares the special Hyderabadi Haleem recipe with us.
Hyderabadi Haleem
| Ingredients mutton broken wheat (dalia) ginger paste garlic paste urad dal chana dal red chilli powder turmeric yoghurt onion cashews garam masala powder peppercorns cinnamon stick ghee coriander leaves mint green chillis oil |
Qty 1 kg 3 cups 2 tsp 2 tsp 1 cup 1 cup 1tsp ¼ tsp 2 cups 1 cup ½ cup 1 tsp ½ tsp 1 inch ½ cup 1 cup ½ cup 6 as required |
Instructions
1. To prepare this delicacy, wash and soak the broken wheat or dalia for half an hour. Trim the mutton (boneless) of any excess fat.
2. To the mutton, add 1/2 tbsp of ginger and garlic paste, half a tsp of salt, red chilli powder, half a tsp of garam masala powder and a pinch of turmeric powder. Pressure-cook the mix for 8-10 min (or until four whistles) and simmer for another 15-20 mins. Shred and keep aside.
3. Boil the cracked wheat along with urad and chana dal with a tbsp of ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, 2-3 green chillies, and peppercorns in 8-10 cups of water until it has cooked completely and the water is absorbed. Blend this mix for a few seconds.
4. Heat the oil in another container, add whole spices, cooked and shredded lamb, remaining green chillies, half a cup fresh coriander and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add yoghurt and sauté for another 10- 15 minutes. Add three cups of water and bring to a boil.
5. To this, add the blended wheat and mix well while adding a little ghee as you go. Let it simmer and cook slowly for at least half an hour.
6. Serve hot, garnished with fried onions, cashew nuts, lemon wedges and fresh coriander!
Fashion designer Asmita Marwa is taking over Instagram through her page asmitamarwa, with some mouth-watering food straight from her kitchen. From refreshing drinks to homegrown salad, Chinese to Lebanese, Asmita prefers her food easy and healthy. “I like my food layered with flavours – fresh, light and complex is the key,” she adds. The designer favours basic Indian food for lunch, followed by a not-so-spicy dinner. Besides the taste, Asmita likes dressing the food and counts it as an important aspect. Well, her recipes say it all!
Apple Crumble with sea salt
|
Ingredients maida |
Qty 200 g |
Instructions
1. Stew the apples in a saucepan with a little water, lemon juice, zest and sugar. Cook until the liquid is absorbed and the apples are done but don’t overcook. They need to hold their shape and have a bite to them.
2. Put them into a wide rimmed baking pan and keep aside until you make the crumble.
3. Cut the butter into 1-inch cubes and mix it into the flour, rubbing your fingertips and creating a mixture resembling breadcrumbs.
4. Add the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and mix it into the crumble.
5. Layer this over the stewed apples and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees celsius for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.
6. Sprinkle some sea salt and serve warm with vanilla ice cream or vanilla cream.
Chicken Jujeh Kabab
|
Ingredients boneless chicken leg and thigh cut |
Qty
500 grams |
Instructions
1. Marinate overnight or preferably for 24 hours.
2. Arrange on skewers with onions.
3. Grill in the oven at 220 degrees Celcius for 20 to 25 minutes basting it with the marinade and butter.
4. Flip it over once or twice.
5. Serve with saffron-infused butter rice (add all the juices of the grilled kabab to it) and tzatziki (grate squeezed cucumber, add to thick beaten yoghurt with a little cream, garlic, fresh dill and salt)
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“This lockdown has brought us all together,” says Bobby Kandhari as she talks about her family time. “We are making the most of the situation and trying out different cuisines at home. Moreover, it is kind of a bonding exercise for us. While my younger son Vihaan and I cook, Armaan the elder one makes the most amazing cocktails,” she adds. Keeping the summer and festive season in mind Bobby shares with us the recipes for Mango Milkshake, made by her, and Chicken Biryani which Vihaan tried his hand at for the very first time.
Apple Crumble with sea salt
|
Ingredients fresh mango (cubed) |
Qty 1/2 |
Instructions
1. Blend all the above ingredients in a blender; pour into a nice tall glass.
2. Garnish with a chunk of mango and enjoy chilled!
3. You can add some honey if you want it sweeter and you’re good to go!
Chicken Biryani
|
Ingredients For marinade: |
Qty
½ kg rice ½ kg |
Instructions
1. Marinate the chicken in the marinade ingredients and refrigerate, preferably overnight if possible.
2. Soak the rice in water for about 15 minutes.
3. Cook the rice until it is about 70% done. Remove in a colander and keep aside.
4. In a heavy bottom pan, add the ghee and the other dry spices and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Then add the marinated chicken and cook on high heat for about 2-3 minutes until the oil is on the sides.
6. Then reduce the flame, cover with a lid and let it cook for about 15-20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
7. Remove from heat. Now add the rice on top of the chicken. Garnish with fried onions, mint leaves and saffron strains.
8. Drizzle one teaspoon of ghee on top of the rice along with the garnish.
9. Now place the biryani on a tawa on a slow flame for about 15 minutes.
10. Serve hot alongside kuchumber raita or curry of your choice.
Owner of home décor store Mulberry, the multidisciplined Anu Asar also takes food orders for small parties and get-togethers. “As food at our home has always been appreciated, I have started to take orders. To me this is more of a passion and a hobby,” states Anu. She further adds, “most of the times I cook by instinct and many a times its comfort food like quiche, lasagna, roast chicken, Hyderabadi biryani, etc.” Right from her kitchen, Anu shares with us the recipes for Roast Chicken and Tuna Pasta!
Roast Chicken
|
Ingredients whole chicken with skin |
Qty 1 |
Instructions
1. Wash the chicken thoroughly and pat it dry.
2. Gently insert the garlic pods under the skin of the chicken.
3. Rub the chicken with olive oil and the salt and pepper seasoning.
4. Prick the lemons with a fork.
5. Place the lemons, rosemary and thyme in the cavity of the chicken.
6. Tie the legs with twine.
7. Place the chicken in a roasting pan.
8. Cut the carrots, onions and potatoes and place them around the chicken.
9. Preheat the oven to 200 C and place the chicken in the oven for about 45 minutes.
10. The skin should be crisp, and the chicken should be nice and juicy.
11. Serve hot!
Chicken Jujeh Kabab
|
Ingredients tuna flakes |
Qty 1 can |
Instructions
1. Boil and drain the pasta and allow it to cool down completely
2. Finely chop the celery stalk and the spring onions
3. In a bowl mix the tuna flakes, mayonnaise and lemon juice, add the pasta, spring onions and celery – mix and refrigerate
4. Garnish with celery leaves
5. Serve chilled!
“Cooking is like therapy for me. I enjoy it a lot,” says Dr Sidra Farooqui, as she speaks to us. Along with her daughter Nabiha, Sidra has a pleasant time experimenting something new every day. “We make a lot of cakes. While I bake the cake, Nabiha loves to do the icing and decoration.” Sharing one of her favourite cooking memories, Nabiha says, “My mom used to teach me how to make cookies when I was a kid. Carving out the cookie in the middle and filling it with jam was something I used to love!” With a combination of little spice and little sugar, Sidra shares her homemade Biryani and Chocolate Cake recipe.
Chocolate Cake
|
Ingredients For Cake: |
Qty
4 2 |
Instructions
1. Beat the eggs and sugar well, until creamy.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa and the baking powder; fold it into the creamy mixture.
3. Pour the mixture into a well-greased tin and bake it for 15-20 minutes.
4. For the boiled icing mix half a cup of water and sugar and make a thick sugar syrup.
5. Beat the egg yolks gradually, add the hot syrup and continue to beat.6. Beat continuously and further add cocoa, butter and vanilla.
7. Slice the cake, spread half of the icing in the middle, place the second layer of the cake, spread the rest of the icing. Decorate as per your preference or serve as is.
Chicken Biryani
|
Ingredients mutton |
Qty 1kg |
Instructions
1. Finely chop the onions and deep-fry them to make then crispy, spread it on a plate and set it aside.
2. Wash and drain the meat.
3. In a bowl mix together curd, red chill powder, ginger garlic paste, salt, turmeric powder, 1/2 of the shazeera, cinnamon, cardamom and clove and 2-3 tbsp of oil.
4. Keeping aside 2-3 tbsp of the fried onions, crush the rest of the onions with your hands and mix it into the curd mixture with the mutton. Pressure cook this mixture, after one whistle, simmer the flame and keep on it for 15mins.
5. Open the pressure cooker check if the meat is tender and add some green chillies, coriander, mint and saffron. Cook it until the gravy dries a little bit.
6. Wash and soak the rice for half an hour.
7. In a utensil, take enough water to cook the rice. To the water add salt, the remaining garam masala, some of the fried onions, green chillis, coriander and mint.
8. Bring it to a boil then add the soaked rice. Cook until it’s 3/4 cooked then drain the rice completely.
9. At the base of the utensil, add 2-3 tbsp of ghee. Then put half of the rice in the utensil, put the cooked mutton on the rice and then the remaining rice on top of the mutton.
10. Lastly, dress the biryani with the remaining fried onions, green chillies, coriander, mint and 2-3 tbsp of ghee, a pinch of saffron soaked in a cup of milk and the juice of 2 lemons.
11. Cover the utensil with a lid and put it on the stove on low flame, till steam begins to appear from all sides.
12. Mix the rice and the mutton just before serving.
Spending their quality time together and making the most of the lockdown, the couple and proud owners of ‘Ghanasingh Be True’, Krishaa and Gautam Ghanasingh are engaging themselves with activities such as yoga, meditation, reading, cooking, baking, and much more! While her husband likes to cook, Krishaa prefers baking. Calling it their favourite dish, the couple shared with us their recipes for Chicken-a-la-Makhani with a side of Whole Wheat Garlic Naan, and healthy dessert-Mango Chia Pudding.
Mango Chia Pudding
|
Ingredients coconut milk |
Qty 200 ml |
Instructions
1. Mix coconut milk, yoghurt, chia seeds, honey, and vanilla extract in a bowl.
2. Keep aside for 30 mins.
3. Mix once again and then refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
4. Pour the mixture in a serving dessert glass/bowl
5. Top it with chopped mangoes
6. Repeat the layer of the mixture again,
7. Garnish with mint leaves and coconut flakes.
8. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.
Chicken-a-la-Makhani with Whole Wheat Garlic Naan
|
Ingredients For chicken kabab: |
Qty
½ kg 3-4 |
Instructions
For chicken kabab:
1. Take the bo neless chicken and cut it into medium-thick piecesand place it in a bowl.
2. Put the hung curd, garlic paste, ginger paste, black pepper and garam masala into a bowl.
3. Grind the soaked almonds and cashew nuts to make a thick liquid. Add the liquid to the bowl.
4. Squeeze 1/2 lemon into the bowl. Add a pinch of salt. Finally add the malai into the bowl and mix the entire bowl so that the pieces of chicken are coated well. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
5. Cut the red/green capsicum and onion into equal squares. Remove the bowl and add the chicken, capsicum, onions in alternate style in each stick. Make sure there is sufficient space between each piece in the stick so that each piece is cooked well.
6. Take a non-stick pan and put 1 1/2 cube butter/2 tbsp olive oil. Place the stick in the pan once the oil gets heated.
7. Keep rotating till the meat is cooked. Brush it with oil/butter for the perfect taste!
For Makhani jus:
8. Heat oil in a pan, add onions and tomatoes. Saute well.
9. Add the thinly sliced garlic, grated ginger, cashew nuts, daalchini, curry leaves. Saute.
10. Add chilli powder, turmeric, lemon juice and water. Saute well till the tomatoes become soft.
11. Remove the daalchini and curry leaves.
12. Take the sauce and grind it till it becomes a thin, refined gravy.
13. Once done, place it back in the pan and keep stirring it until it starts boiling.
14. Add malai and mix well to get the creamy structure.
For Whole Wheat Garlic Naan:
15. Take a bowl and add flour, baking powder, baking soda, curd, sugar and salt. Mix well and knead the dough. Add oil in intervals.
16. Cover and keep it aside for 10-15 minutes.
17. Meanwhile, grate cloves.
18. Take the dough, make small balls out of it and flatten into an oval shape.
19. Sprinkle grated garlic, fennel seeds and coriander.
20. Roll the rolling pin on this to avoid the fennel seeds/ coriander/garlic from getting embedded inside.
21. Apply water on the smoother side to make it moist.
22. After 5-6 minutes, flip to the other side.
23. Once done, apply butter on both sides.
24. Place the chicken kebab sticks in a plate and pour the makhani jus on top. Serve hot with whole-wheat garlic naan!
“I have a family who loves to eat, that’s where my cooking inspiration comes from,” says Nikhat Yasmeen while sharing her Hyderabadi Cutlet recipe with us. “I have tried my hand at 50-60 dishes up until now since the lockdown; they (family) want something special every day (laughs)!” she adds. The mother of an 11-year-old is fond of authentic Hyderabadi food and cherishes her family time. “Well, I miss being with my entire family; we are all stuck in different places right now. Every year during Ramzan, we would all (Nikhat’s joint family) sit together for Iftar and have a great time,” she sighs. Nikhat loves the festive season and hopes to make it as special for us with her recipe.
Hyderabadi Cutlet
|
Ingredients For filling |
Qty
250 gm |
Instructions
1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker, and add all the ingredients except lemon and coriander along with kheema and cook it for two whistles.
2. Dry out any excess water on high flame. Sprinkle coriander and lemon juice.
3. For potato coating, boil the potatoes, peel and mash them.
4. Add salt, pepper and blended paste of mint, coriander and green chillies.
5. Roll small balls out of mashed potato, flatten it on your palm, put about 2 tsp of the filling in the centre and pull the sides of the potato together to form a ball. Press it to form a round patty.
6. Roll it in egg whites and shallow fry on high flame. Serve when done!
A mother to two sons Namita Kanodia is currently enjoying her time at home with her family. Having taken a break from work, she now gets to spend more time with her two daughters-in-law. Namita began learning how to cook around the age of 10. As a school kid, she would occasionally join her mother in the kitchen to make biscuits, pickles, cakes and more. Namita now likes to cook all kinds of dishes.
Daal Pakwan
|
Ingredients For Pakwan |
Qty
1 cup 1 cup |
Instructions
1. Mix all the ingredients to form the dough – not too hard, not too soft.
2. Make small balls and roll it into 4 inches length, prick with a fork and deep fry in medium flame until it’s crispy.
3. Take a cooker and add ghee. Once hot, add cumin seeds, ginger, tej papa, curry pata, asafoetida.
4. Roast for a few seconds then add daal. Then add rest of the ingredients.
5. Lastly, add water. Keep it until the first whistle. Let it remain in the cooker until the steam escapes.
6. Garnish with coriander. Serve it along with hot Suji Halwa!
Tikka Mattar
|
Ingredients For Tikka |
Qty
1 cup 2cups |
Instructions
1. Add water slowly while mixing all the ingredients until the dough is nicely bound and tight.
2. Take roti-tawa. Roll the dough into small balls and flatten it. Prick softly with a fork several times.
3. Then bake on a mid flame with ghee until its brown. Ghee can never be enough!
4. Take a pan and add ghee
5. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida, curry patta, green chilli and mattar. Then add all the remaining ingredients.
6. Add some water and cover the lid till it’s cooked.
7. Tikka Mattar to be served with cut green chilli pickle and sweet mango pickle.
Safa Farooqui is a full-time coordinator at a charity clinic foundation who has shared a Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Balsamic Glaze recipe with us. Making the best out of the lockdown period Safa is trying her hand at cooking. She is quite into Indian masala food and prefers cooking on her own. “I cook things that interest me. Food that tastes good, is something new totry and is also easy to make,” she said.
Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Balsamic Glaze
|
Ingredients chicken breasts |
Instructions
1. Take your chicken breast and make a pocket in it.
2. Add the spinach, tomato slices and mozzarella cheese inside the pocket. Secure it with toothpicks.
3. Season both sides of the chicken breast with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
4. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
5. Heat olive oil in a pan and add the chicken breasts. Sear each side for four minutes.
6. Bake it in the oven for 15 minutes.
7. For the balsamic glaze, add a cup of balsamic vinegar with half a cup of honey in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Wait until it is reduced to half (10-15 minutes).
8. Serve the chicken breast with the balsamic glaze and a side of mashed potatoes.
Taking his family legacy forward, Ankit Sondhi takes pleasure in cooking. This qualified chef has been in the business for 12 years now. To beat the lockdown blues, Ankit and his family are spending some quality time together in their kitchen. Along with wife Ritika and mother Namita, Ankit is having a great time cooking good food. “We are a family of five who cook like there is no tomorrow and share it on our Whatsapp family group,” says Ankit. The chef brings us the recipes of Spaghetti Aglio e olio and Prawns Recheado Fry. Speaking about the latter, he adds, “I learnt this dish when I was running my restaurant in Goa back in 2016. It is a local delicacy, and it took many attempts to perfect it.”
Prawns Recheado Fry
|
Ingredients fresh prawns (peeled and de-veined) |
Qty 250-300 gm |
Instructions
1. Soak all the spices, ginger, garlic, tamarind pulp and Kashmiri chillies in vinegar. Add sugar, salt and turmeric powder. Mix and marinate for 35-40 mins.
2. Grind the mixture until soft and smooth. Add more vinegar if required but make sure the paste is thick, so add vinegar accordingly.
3. If the masala paste were thin, then it would not stick to the prawns. Coat the masala on the prawns. Marinate them for 30 mins.
4. Heat oil, until warm.
5. Mix flour together. Spread it on a dish.
6. Coat the marinated prawns gently with the dry mixture and place it gently on the heated pan. Fry until golden brown from both sides. Do not add all at once— fry in batches.
7. Repeat the same with the rest of prawns.
8. Serve Prawns Recheado hot as a side dish or with salad, lime wedges.
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with a Dash of Home – Made Tomato Concasse
|
Ingredients spaghetti |
Qty 150 g |
Instructions
1. Boil the spaghetti with salt and olive oil added to the water. Make sure its al dente.
2. In a pan take olive oil, and garlic & sauté mushrooms.
3. Add tomato puree. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add basil leaves and season with salt & pepper.
5. Add spaghetti, toss well and ensure not to break it. Season it well with oregano, chilli flakes as per your palate.
6. Finally, add parmesan cheese and cook for roughly a minute. Your dish is ready to eat!
6. Coat the marinated prawns gently with the dry mixture and place it gently on the heated pan. Fry until golden brown from both sides. Do not add all at once— fry in batches.
7. Repeat the same with the rest of prawns.
8. Serve Prawns Recheado hot as a side dish or with salad, lime wedges.
From taking care of her 5-year-old to managing her online work from home, Esha Hindocha never fails to take some time out to put her cooking skills to use. The fashion and lifestyle blogger is also a selfprofessed a foodie. From Italian to Chinese and North Indian to South Indian, Esha enjoys cooking it all. “I love cooking, and it’s therapeutic for me. I don’t like compromising on my food, but at the same time keeping the health aspect in mind is also important. So, I try to balance it out with something that tastes good and is nutritious as well”, says Esha. Check out her easy to follow recipes.
Nutty Fruity Chocolaty Oats Porridge
|
Ingredients rolled oats |
Qty ½ cup |
Instructions
1. Cook oats in milk, add cardamom powder, jaggery powder and leave it overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Next morning, add milk to adjust consistency.
3. In a glass, add the oats porridge, top it off with favourite fruits and nuts. I have used apples, bananas, almonds and walnuts.
4. Decorate with chocolate sauce and serve chilled!
Methi Chaman Hariyali with Triangle Paratha
|
Ingredients For Methi Chaman |
Qty For Methi Chaman 1 cup |
Instructions
1. Blanch onions, spinach and fenugreek leaves together with cashews.
2. Drain the water and blitz to a smooth paste along with the green chillies.
3. In a saucepan, take oil and sprinkle cumin seeds. Sauté ginger garlic paste until the pungent smell goes away and then add the paste. Cool until oil starts separating.
4. Add salt and garam masala. The gravy is ready. You can add the paneer right before serving and garnish with coriander leaves.
5. Knead smooth dough and let it rest for 10 mins.
6. Take ball size dough and roll into a thick flat circle. Apply ghee on one side and sprinkle some flour, fold into half to make a semi-circle. Again, apply ghee on half of it and sprinkle flour, fold to make a triangle.
7. Roll in the same shape and cook on tawa on both sides using some oil until nicely cooked.
These recipes come from the birthplace of the famous Hyderabadi biryani: the Nizam’s kitchen! A part of the Nizam family, the mother-daughter duo Sakina Khan and Anjum Khan love cooking and experimenting with something new every day. While the mother prefers perfection in flavours, the daughter wants the food to be instagrammable. Speaking about their quality time in the kitchen, Sakina says, “sometimes I couldn’t figure out the difference between masalas, and my mum would lose her chill (laughs).” She adds, “but it’s the result that counts and with a little guidance from her, the dish turns out just the way we want it to be.” Well, here’s the duo’s Eid Special Sheer Khurma and Teekha Murgh.
Teekha Murgh
|
Ingredients mustard oil |
Qty 75 ml |
Instructions
1. Take a pan and heat mustard oil in it. Cut the chicken leg into cubes.
2. Add onion seeds and fennel seeds. Once they release flavour, add chopped garlic. Saute for a while.
3. Add the chopped onion, tomato, ginger and green chillies. Stir-fry until the onion turns brownish.
4. Meanwhile, fry curry leaves and crush them.
5. Add the boneless chicken cubes, tomato paste and stir for a while.
6. Add the other dry spices and mix well.
7. Cook on a low flame, with a lid on top for about 10 minutes.
8. Add the crushed curry leaves and mix well.
9. Serve the dish garnished with fresh coriander and mint.
Hyderabadi Sheer Khurma
|
Ingredients finely crushed vermicelli |
Qty 150 gms |
Instructions
1. ermicelli (roomali semiyan) until golden brown. Add the ghee and fry till it turns dark brown.
2. Boil the milk in a large pan and then add the roasted vermicelli.
3. Boil further for two more minutes.
4. Add sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Switch off the flame.
5. Garnish with the almond, raisins, dry dates, poppy seeds, cashew or any other nuts of your choice before serving it hot or cold as per your preference.
