Maghaz Masala

Maghaz in Arabic language means ‘Brain’ in English, and ‘Bheja‘ in Urdu language. Maghaz masala is one of my favorite dishes only next to Nihari that I look forward to after every Qurbani. Eid-ul-Adha is a time when Muslims pray for forgiveness from God and pray for an increased strength in faith by refreshing the sprit of sacrifice for virtue and rectitude.

Just after the Qurbani on Eid-Ul-Adha, also called as Bakri Eid, muslims around the world, feast on red meat dishes, ranging from Biryanis, Nihari and many other kinds of its meat and organ meat preperations. Among them, Maghaz masala is one of the famous organ meat preperations, usually had as breakfast on Eid-ul-Adha after the Qurbani, which is easy to cook and most delicious. you will relish the excuisite and creamy flavor of the dish along with the sweet caramelized onions and spicy green chillies and fresh aromatic herbs. 

This dish is also called as Bheja fry in some places in Hyderabad.

Maghaz/Brain Masala:

Ingredients

• Sheep’s brain – 2
• Canola oil – 2 to 3 tbsp
• Yellow Onion – 1, large, finely sliced
• Ginger garlic paste – 1 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
• Green chillies – 4, finely chopped
• Salt – to taste
• Roasted coriander seeds powder – 1/2 tsp
• Cilantro – 2 tbsp, finely chopped
• Lemon juice – 2 to 3 tsp

Maghaz/Brain Masala

Method:

• Bring about a litre of water to boil. Close the heat and dip the whole brains into the hot water for about 2-3 minutes. Remove the brains from the water, and throw away the water. Wear gloves, carefully remove the membrane adhering to the brain and as many nerves as possible. You can also ask your butcher to do this. Once the brain is clean (it wont matter if a few nerves are till attached to the brain), cut it into bite size pieces. Keep aside. 
• Pour oil into a medium sized non-stick frying pan and as soon as it gets warm, add the sliced onions and fry them on a medium high, with a careful eye so thet you do not burn them, until they are golden brown in color.
• Lower the heat to medium low and add ginger-garlic paste, turmeric and red chilli powder. Stir fry till a nice aroma comes, for about a minute or so, then add the cubed brain pieces. Add about half cup of water, salt and green chillies for a slight zest to the dish. Mix it all gently with a rubber spatula. Cover the pan with a lid and let cook for around 5 minutes.
• Remove the lid, and add the coriander seed powder. Stir fry for a minute more, until no water is left and it is mostly dry and well cooked. Serve onto a platter and garnish with cilantro, and sprinkle with lemon juice. Enjoy it warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy Maghaz masala along with some warm parathas for a delicious breakfast.

Cheers,
Mona

Aloo Methi Gosht

The Haramasala walah (herb vendor) used to come by our house back in Hyderabad at around 10 a.m everyday. His loud, long and rhythemic shout..

“Kothmir, Pudina, Harimirch, Methi, Palak, Kulfa.. lelo”  (Buy fresh green herbs for cooking)

.. announcing whatever he carried on his bicycle that day, in small gunny bags to keep them fresh in the morning heat for his regular customers, used to bring me hurrying up to the gate.

I admit I miss these kind of venders here. They would have a boon in the kind of busy lives we are living. Imagine the kind of convenience they would have offered! You would atleast not have to worry for the supply for daily fresh fruits and green herbs in your diet. Aloo Methi Gosht reminds me of this Haramasala walah selling a range of fresh herbs and greens at my doorstep at a cut-price.

Aloo Methi Gosht – Potatoes,Meat and fresh Fenugreek leaves curry

The recipe is quite simple, and most loved in my family. Here it goes:

Aloo Methi Gosht – Potatoes, Meat and fresh Fenugreek leaves curry

Ingredients:

• Canola oil – 2 tbsp
• Red Onion – 1, large
• Meat – 250 gms
• Red chilli powder – 1 1/2 tsp
• Salt – 2 tsp
• Potatoes – 6, medium sized
• Tomato – 1, large
• Methi – 1 cup

Method:

• Add oil in the cooker. Once warm, add onions, meat and red chilli powder, salt. Let cook for about 5 mins on medium heat. Later, add water, close the lid and pressure cook until the meat is very tender.
• In the same pressure cooker with stock and meat, add tomatoes, diced potatoes and give it a stir. Pressure cook again for about 6-8 minutes or until the potatoes are just done.
• Add the chopped methi and let cook for about 5 more minutes.

Suggested Accompaniments: Tomato chutney and warm Rice or Rotis.

Luv,
Mona

RCI-Authentic Hyderabadi Cuisine Round-Up

The air again has a crispness to it and cold and the colors vibrant on the leaves of most of the trees. Fall is officially here and I am enjoying every bit of it.

Due to lack of time and hectic schedules, I was unable to present you with the round up of RCI event. I apologize for that. I feel very happy and lucky to have been given the chance by Lakshmi to host the RCI event on Authentic Hyderabadi Cuisine.

If you are ever invited by a traditional Hyderabadi household for a lunch or dinner or breakfast for a change, you should always expect a feast fit for a king awaiting you with a spread both delectable for the eyes and extremely delicious for the taste with such hospitability and love, you will remember for years together.

Dear friends, I am very delighted to present you the round up for RCI:Authentic Hyderabadi Cuisine. Enjoy the feast!

Entrees from Food-Bloggers:

Starters and Chutneys:

• Geeta of ‘Payt Pooja’ sends her Shami Kofta.
• Anjum of ‘Cheers to Easy Cooking’ sends her Haleem.
• Manasi of ‘Kiss the Cook’ sends her Lukhmi.
• PJ of ‘Seduce Your Tastebuds’ send her Kothimira Perugu Pachadi (Cilantro Curd Chutney).
• Manasi of ‘Kiss the Cook’ sends her Sheekh Kabab.
• Uma of ‘Essence of Andhra’ sends her Gongura Pachadi (Red Sorrel Leaves Chutney).
• Maninas of ‘Food Matters’ sends her Mint and Coriander Chutney.
• Manasi of ‘Kiss the Cook’ sends her Shikampuri Kabab

One-Dish Meals:

• Yasmeen of ‘Health Nut’ sends her Hyderabadi Lamb Biryani.
• Anjum of ‘Cheers to Easy Cooking’ sends her Kacche Gosht Ki Biryani.
• Zainab of ‘Arabic Bites’ sends her Chicken Biryani. 
• Usha of ‘My Spicy Kitchen’ sends her Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani. 
• Lubna of ‘A Hyderabadi Foodie’s Cookbook’ send her Kofta Pulao. 
• Maimoona of ‘Mammu’s Kitchen’ send her Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani.
• Ayesha of Ayesha’s Hyderabadi Recipes send her Vegetable Fried Rice.
• Lubna of ‘Yummy Food’ sends her Hyderabadi Haleem.
• Geetha of ‘The Fragrant Kitchen’ sends her Vegetable Dum Biryani.
• Pavani of ‘FoodLovers’ sends her Hyderabadi Dum Biryani.

Curries/Saalan:

• Maryam sends her Murgh/Chicken Korma.
• Mansi Desai of ‘Fun and Food’ sends her Hyderabadi Baghare Baingan.
• Aparna of ‘Sumi’s Weblog’ sends her Mirchi Ka Salan.
• Rashmi of ‘DelhiBelle’ sends her Baghare Baingan and Khatti Arbi.
• Syeda of ‘Indian Spices’ sends her Tamate Ka Masale Ka Salan.
• Sujatha of ‘Spicy Khazana’ sends her Hyderabadi Dalcha.
• Pallavi of ‘All Thingz Yummy’ sends her Hyderabadi Kheema.
• Nags of ‘Edible Garden’ sends her Mirchi Ka Salan.
• Priya Suresh of ‘Easy N Tasty Recipes’ sends her Hyderabadi Chicken 65.
• Maninas of ‘Food Matters’ sends her Murgh/Gosht Tamatar (Lamb/Chicken with tomatoes).
• Hima of ‘SnackORama’ sends her Baghare Baingan.
• Meera of ‘Enjoy Indian Food’ sends her Gongura Dal.
• Jayashree of ‘Experiments in Kailas Kitchen’ sends her Mirchi Ka Salan.

Desserts/Meetha

• Divz of ‘Welcome to the Yum World’ sends her Shahi Tukda. 
• Kate of ‘Applemint’ send her Shahi Tukda. 

Entrees from Non-food Bloggers:

• Sana sends her ‘Hyderabadi Marag’, which is a very important item as a starter in the menu at many modern Hyderabadi weddings.

She says:

Marag is actually an Arab dish which got assimilated into the Hyderabadi cuisine during the period of Arab rule in India . The Hyderabadis then made a few changes to it according to their own taste and hence came forth the “Hyderabadi Marag”. Its actually a very simple dish and gets prepared very easily. I usually set aside the meat which had bones and marrow attached to it, called ‘Adley ka Gosht’ to prepare this dish cause it really gets a good taste from such a meat.

Here goes her recipe:

Hyderabadi Marag:

Ingredients:

Meat with bones: 1 lb; Onion: 1 large finely chopped; Cashew nut: 2 tbs blanched; Spices: Cardamom, Cinnamon, Bay leaves, Cloves, Whole Black Peppercorns (according to spiciness one prefers; Salt: according to taste; Turmeric: 1/2 tsp; Crushed Small Green chilies: according to taste; Milk/Light cream: 1/2 cup; Oil for cooking; Ginger-Garlic paste: 1tbs; Juice of 1 lime; Cilantro for garnish

Method:

Take a little oil in the cooker add the crushed green chilies and the ginger-garlic paste and sauté’ it for a few seconds then add the spices, turmeric, salt and the meat and sauté it again for a few minutes till the meat is well covered with all the spices and browned on all sides. Add a little water to it and let it pressure cook till the meat is well done. In the mean time take the finely chopped onion in a pan at medium heat and add a little oil to it and let it get a little soft. Turn off the heat and let it cool down for sometime. Then take the blanched cashew nuts and onion in a grinder and grind it to a very fine paste. Take a vessel, pour a little oil in it and warm it, then add the onion-cashew nut paste to it and sauté till the raw smell of the onions is gone. Now add the meat along with its stock and let it cook for sometime till the oil starts coming on top. Now add the milk to it and again let it boil for a few more minutes till it is all well mixed . Take it off the heat add the lime juice and coriander and serve it hot with Naan or home made Parathas.

I hope you all have enjoyed going through all these recipes. If at all I have missed any of the entrees sent by any of you, please let me know about it. Also visit my Recipe Index for a variety of other Hyderabadi dishes from my blog. Cheers and Have a good weekend!

Love,
Mona

Bhindi Ka Khatta Salan

Bhendi, or Okra, is one of my favourite vegetables. It is available very easily in the markets, mostly frozen here at my place, and I keep getting it from the market very often to cook it for everyone in my home. But, you should always be careful while buying fresh Okra. I always like to buy baby okra as they are tender. Larger pods are tough and fibrous, so look for brightly colored pods smaller than 3 inches (9cm) long, with smooth, unblemished skin and firm texture. Refrigerate okra in a plastic bag for up to three days. Wash okra just before using it.

Bhindi – Okra

Khatta salan means ‘soured stew’. The sourness from the tomatoes, a slight heat from peppercorns and red chilli powder and the subtle sweetness from jaggery and onions along with the roasted spices impart an aromatic and delectable flavor to this okra stew. This same base is used in many other versions of the khatta shorba, which are Karele ka Khatta Shorba, Aloo-Gosht ka Khatta shorba , Arvi-Gosht ka khatta shorba etc.

When boiled, it gives off a viscous substance that can add smooth thickness to stews or soups. It can be a bit difficult to cook as it sometimes is very slimy ! In this recipe, the sourness from tamatoes and tamarind helps while cooking to get rid of the sliminess. It is an excellent sourse of Vitamin C, Folate, and Magnesium. Enjoy. 

Serves – 6-8 people

Bhindi Ka Khatta Salan – Okra in a Sweet and Sour Gravy

Ingredients:

• Canola Oil – 8 tbsp
• Dried Red chillies – 4, broken in half, and seeds shaken out
• Black peppercorns – 1/4 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds/Methi daana– 1/2 tsp
• Yellow Onion – 3, medium, sliced
• Ginger Garlic paste – 1tsp
• Tomato paste – 2 tbsp
• Dry Dessicated Coconut – 4 tbsp
• Mustard seeds/Rai – 1/4 tsp
• Okra/Bhendi – 300 gms, washed, dried and slantly cut in to long strips (approx 6 cm each) with top and bottom removed
• Tamarind concentrate – 1 1/2 tbsp
• Salt – 2 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
• Green Chilli paste – 1 tsp

Bhindi Ka Khatta Salan – Okra in a Sweet and Sour Gravy

Method:

• Heat 4 tbsp oil a non-stick heavy bottom frying pan and fry the sliced onions till lightly browned. Add the ginger garlic paste and green chilli paste and sauté it along for a minute. To it add the tomato paste and mix well. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Now add the dessicated cocunut and fry it along for about 8 minutes on medium heat till the whole mixture is brownish in colour. Remove from heat. Once cooled, grind the whole mixture adding a cup of water in a blender and reserve.
• Now in a kadhai/wok add another 2 tbsp of oil and stir fry the okra for a few minutes. Drain the okra and reserve.
• Wipe the frying pan with a paper towel and add remaining 2 tbsp of oil and add mustard seeds, peppercorns, and fenugreek seeds let them splutter. Then throw in the dried curry leaves and the dried red chillies. Immediately add the reserved onion paste and tamarind concentrate and stir well. Add 2-3 cups water (as per your wish, depending on the consistency you desire) and cover the lid. Let it cook on simmer till the oil has seperated. 
• Later add the fried okra and gently mix it in the gravy. Cover the lid and let it cook again for 5-8 minutes more. Serve hot.

Suggested Accompaniments: Naan / Afghani Roti / Basmati Chawal / Paratha

Luv,
Mona

Arvi aur Gosht Ka Khatta Salan

The day before yesterday, I had bought Taro root or Colocasia/Arvi from the market, it was fresh and looked attractive to me.

 

Weekends are usually grocery shopping days, and I love the sight of fruits and vegetables. The look of fresh vegetables gives a lot of pleasure to me. So, today I had decided to prepare this curry for my family and have it.

Arvi Ka Khatta Salan – Colocasia in a Tangy Curry 

Khatta salan means ‘soured stew’. The sourness from the tomatoes, a slight heat from peppercorns and red chilli powder and the subtle sweetness from jaggery and onions along with the roasted spices impart an aromatic and delectable flavor to this Taro stew. This same base is used in many other versions of the khatta shorba, which are Bhendi Ka Khatta, Karele ka khatta, Aloo-Gosht ka Khatta etc.

The consistency of this curry is liquidy and not thick. And as the name suggests, its a bit tangy. I love to have it with rice. Its simple and easy. Go ahead and try it out.

Arvi aur Gosht Ka Khatta Salan – Colocasia and Lamb meat in a Tangy Sauce

Ingredients:

• Colocasia/Taro root/Arvi – 500 gms, peeled, and cut into 1.5 cm cubes
• Lamb meat – 200 gms, cubed into bite size pieces
• Yellow Onions – 2, large
• Tomatoes – 1, large, diced finely
• Salt – 2 tsp
• Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
• Red chilli powder – 1 1/2 tsp
• Water – 2 glasses
• Tamarind concentrate – 2 tbsp
• Cilantro/Kothmir – 1 tbsp, chopped finely
• Oil – 5 tbsp

Method:

• In a pan on meaium heat, add 2 tbsp oil and fry the cubed colocasia till very light brown on all sides, remove into a bowl.
• Take a pressure cooker and put it on medium heat and add 3 tbsp oil to it.
• Add the onions. Cook and stir till translucent. Add meat and a cup of watr and sprinkle a little salt and close the lid. Let it pressure-cook till the meat is tender.
• Open the lid and add the diced tomatoes and stir to mix well. Also add turmeric, salt, red chilli powder, and mix well. Cook till the tomatoes have become very soft and pulpy.
• Add the fried colocasia and stir well.
• Now add the tamarind paste and water. Half cover the lid and let it cook on simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the colocasia have become soft. You can test it by piercing one cubed colocasia with a fork. It should be soft. If it isnt, let it simmer for a little more time.
• Garnish with coriander leaves. and serve hot.

Luv,
Mona