Hyderabadi Mirchi Ka Salan

Talk about Hyderabad’s cuisine, and Hyderbadi Mirchi Ka Salan is sure to become a topic of interest there. Its hot, its spicy, it has gravy, its tangy.. Ah! Yumm!! You will keep on savoring it.

Green Chillies – Hari Mirch

I have used spicy medium thick green chillies for this curry, which are the usual kind preferred. If you do not like this curry too hot and spicy, you can get the chilli according to your taste buds. You can use chillies ranging from the Serrano, Shishito, Jalapenos, Capsicums, Poblano, New Mexican Green, Guero, Chilaca, Anaheim, California Chillies, etc. There are a whole lot of choices depending of the chillies being mild or hot. The chilies preferred for this curry are not very hot, and should have smooth skin, not wrinkly, and should be medium thick, straight and long, and should be fresh. Dried chillies are not used in this curry.

Hyderabadi Mirchi Ka Salan - Green Chillies in Sesame Seeds Sauce

The procedure to prepare Baghare Baingan is also almost the same as this curry. Also, you can also add fish (Red snapper, Haddock, Cod..) fillets to the gravy to make it a fish curry. There is no difference, except for the fact that in Baghare Baingan, brinjals are used., in fish curry, fish fillets are used., and in this curry, the green chillies are used. I will even post the recipe for Baghare Baingan and Fish curry in the coming days sometime. They are all equally yummy too.

Hyderabadi Mirchi Ka Salan - Green Chillies in a Tangy-Sesame Seeds Sauce

Ingredients:

Green chillies (thick and long) - 10, washed, slit, (seeds removed, if you dont want the curry to be too hot)
Khus Khus/Poppy seeds – 1/2 tsp
Till/Sesame Seeds – 2 tsp
Dhania/Corinader seeds – 1 tsp
Zeera/Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Groundnuts/Moong Phalli - 1/8 cup
Tamarind concentrate – 1 tbsp (or as per taste)
Coconut milk – 1/3 cup
Yellow Onions – 5, medium, sliced thick
Canola/Vegetable/Sunflower Oil – 3/4 cup
Salt – 2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder – 1 1/3 tsp
Turmeric – 1/3 tsp
Karyapaak/Curry leaves (fresh) - 8
Cumin seeds/Zeera – 1/3 tsp
Dried Red chilli – 2
Kalaunji/Nigella seeds - 1/3 tsp
Kothmir/Cilantro - chopped, for garnishing

Method:

1.  Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large non stick pan and add the green chillies and a little pinch of salt (to retain the green colour of the chillies). Wear an oven mitt in your hand, step back, and carefully stir fry the chillies for three minutes. With a slotted spoon, drain and remove the green chillies into a plate.
2. In the same pan with some oil in it, add Khus Khus, Sesame Seeds, Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds, Peanuts, and stir fry it on medium heat for 3-4 minutes again. Remove into a blender container. Let it cool.
3. Now again in the same pan add onions, and stir fry them. Do not add any oil. Let the onions caramelize on themselves. Keep giving them a stir every two minutes. Once the are golden brown, remove them into the same blender container in which the roasted spices were kept. Let it all cool down.
4. Add tamarind paste and coconut milk to the blender container contents. Blend the mixture once cooled adding a few drops of water if needed to aid in the blending, and make it into a smooth paste. It should not be coarse. and do not make the mixture too watery adding more water. It should be thick enough.
5. Now in the same pan at medium heat, add the remaining oil, and throw in the Dried red chillies, Kalaunji, Cumin seeds and Curry leaves. Once they splutter, pour some of the mixture into the pan, and immediately cover the pan with a lid for a minute. Lower the heat. This is done for the mixture to absorb all the flavour from the Baghaar (tempering).
6. Add the remaining mixture and mix it well. Cover the lid again for two to three minutes.
7. Now add the salt, red chilli powder, turmeric, and mix well. Stir fry it for a few minutes till till it leaves oil.
8. Now add the earlier fried green chillies and mix it, so that the mixture goes into the slit of the green chillies. Be gentle in stirring.
9. Pour about two to three cups of water to the mixture until you get the desired consistency. The traditional method is to keep the curry only a little bit watery. Do not add too much water. It should have a pasty, not too thick, not too watery consistency.
10. Let it cook covered for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and Serve.

Suggested Accompaniments: Basmati Chawal/Plain Long White Rice, Murgh Biryani/Fragrant Rice-Chicken Casserole, Gosht Ki Biryani/Fragrant Mutton-Rice Casserole, Naan/Indian Flat Bread.

Enjoy !

( I am posting this recipe again as due to some problem this post of mine was deleted! )

Luv,
Mona

Sheekh Kewab Series~I

Kawabs are one of the most delicious non-vegetarian dishes invented by someone sometime. I heard and read at a site that the first kawabs were invented during the war times, when the animal was slaughtered, cut into pieces, and pierced by the only things they had along, sword (!) and roasted it over fire. We in the modern world continue to do so, but in a more decent way, we have replaced swords with skewers. ‘Sheekh’ means a ‘skewer’, and ‘Sheekh Kawabs’ are the ‘Kawabs grilled/roasted on Skewers’.

Sheekh Kababs – Minced meat Kebabs

Kawabs are vegetables, or meat pieces or ground meat with spices wrapped around the skewers and grilled or roasted over fire, charcoal, or in our oven grill. They are very easy to prepare too. Marinate them with the required ingredients, and later you just have to grill them for less than 45 minutes time. There is no long process to it. Kababs can be Vegetarian, Non-Vegetarian or both. They are a delicacy.

In this recipe I am using both minced chicken as well as minced lamb. The taste comes out very well. My Mother-In-Law usually prepares this type of kawabs. I learnt this procedure from her but modified it my way. An another version of Sheekh Kabab is posted here.

It is very important that after you wash the minced meat, the water from it has all been drained out completely, or else the shape doesnt come out very well. And while mixing the minced meat with the other ingredients, its important that you use your hand, your best tool to mix it all up, and pulverise the mixture with your palm. You can marinate it for 2-6 hours in the refrigerator. Bring the whole marinated mixture to room temperature before you start grilling it. 

Sheekh Kawabs – Minced meat Kebabs (I)

Ingredients:

Minced Chicken – 350 gms
Minced Lamb – 200 gms
Onions – 3, large, finely sliced
Dry Roasted Black Cumin powder – 3/4 tsp
Dry Roasted Sesame seeds powder – 3/4 tsp
Dry roasted Khus Khus powder – 3/4 tsp
Nigells seed/Kalaunji powder – 3/4 tsp
Dry Roasted Coriander seeds powder – 1 tsp
Dry Roasted Groundnut powder – 1 1/2 tbsp
Green chilli – 6, cut and grinded to paste
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Raw papaya paste – 2 tbsp
Salt – 2 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric – 1/2 tsp
Eggs – 2, lightly beaten
Ginger Garlic Paste – 2 tsp
Cilantro/Kothmir – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Plain Parsley leaves – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Canola Oil – to baste the kababs, and to deep fry the onions.

Method:

-Wash the meat and drain it well till all the water has been removed completely and the meat is dry. This is important or else the shape does not come out very well.
-Fry the Onions in oil oil they are crisp and brown in colour. Remove them once they are done from the oil onto a paper towel.
-In a bowl, mix all the ingredients, with your hands till they nicely mixed. Mash the mixture till pulverised with your palms. Later wash your hands very well with an antiseptic soap.
-Let the mixture marinate for 2 to 6 hours.
-Bring it to room temperature, and divide the mixture into 8 balls. Shape each one into a long cylinder.
-Dip your skewer into oil and insert it into the cylinders just to make a big hole in each one. Remove the skewer and continue doing it with all the shaped cylinders.
-If using your oven grill – Take a baking tray and line it with aluminium foil, place the holed cylinders on the tray and baste them with oil.
-Grill it at low heat, 15 minutes, per side. Grill them till they are nicely done on both sides.

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy the kawabs along with ’Kaddu ka Dalcha’, or ‘Khatti Dal’ and ‘Baghara Chawal’ aka Zeera rice, or simply along with a chutney as a finger food.

Luv,
Mona

Pasinde

Ah! The long weekend has gone by and I still wanted more of it. Weekends just fly away, dont you all also think so? But i enjoyed the long weekend with a day trip to the CNE, I had been to that place for the first time and enjoyed every bit of it! I had also made some traditional dishes for the long weekend and we all enjoyed good food at home. I buy ready made food from outside very less. I usually prepare food in my house, pack it and take it with us to picnics. When we can make delicious food at home, why to waste money from outside ?!

Today I am sharing with you all my recipe of ‘Pasinde’, a dry meat curry with spices, french beans and potatoes. The correct procedure is to prepare this curry using thinly sliced meat. But I was not able to get it from the butcher and instead prepared it using the usual cubed meat pieces. Pasinde is one of the most liked dishes by the Hyderabadi Muslims mostly. My family loves it. We have it with Paratha or Rice and Khatti Dal. Pasinde is nutritious and delicious side dish for a meal. And it is simple to prepare too. Here goes the recipe:

Pasinde - Meat Cooked with Spices, French Beans and Potatoes

Ingredients:

• Boneless Lean Meat – 500 gms
• Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
• Ginger-Garlic Paste – 1 1/2 tsp
• Yogurt – 4 tbsp
• Salt – 1 1/2 tsp
• Red Chili Powder – 1 tsp
• Green Beans – 1/2 cup,
• Potatoes – 1/2 cup, peeled and cubed
• Canola Oil – 4 tbsp
• Yellow Onion – 2
• Black Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
• Garam Masala – 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
• Khus Khus – 1 tsp
• Chironji – 1 tsp
• Cilantro – 1 tbsp
• Mint leaves – 1 tbsp

Pasinde - Meat Cooked with Spices, French Beans and Potatoes

Method:

• Marinate the meat with Turmeric, Ginger Garlic paste, Yogurt, Salt and Red chilli powder for atleast 3-4 hours in the refrigerator.
• Meanwhile, in pan with little oil, stir-fry the french beans, and the cubed potatoes. Remove and reserve in a bowl.
• After the marination time of the meat, bring it to room temperature and, now, lets start preparing the curry.
• Pour oil into a heavy bottom pan at medium heat.
• Fry the sliced onions till they are brown and crisp.
• Add the marinated mutton and let it cook for 10 minutes. Keep stirring it occasionally so that it doesnt get stuck to the bottom of the pan.
• Now add a glass of water to it and mix well. Simmer the heat and let it cook till the meat is soft. You can also pressure cook and tenderize the meat.
• Add black pepper, garam masala, coriander powder, Khus Khus, Chironji and stir well to mix.
• Add the stir fried potatoes and french beans to the mixture and combine well.
• Cook the mixture at medium heat till the potatoes are soft and the whole mixture is dry.
• Add coriander and mint leaves to the mixture. Serve hot

Suggested Accompaniments: We usually have this curry along with Parathas or Basmati Chawal and Khatti dal for a meal.

Luv,
Mona