Sumptuous Iftaar

It is that time of the year when hoards of people line up to get their fill of succulent kebabs, khichdas and fragrant phirnis. But those who would like to celebrate the festival with friends and family at home, chef Mukhtar Qureshi of Ummrao, Courtyard By Marriott,has a few tips and tricks up his sleeve. He advises, “Hyderabadi kachche gosht ki dum biryani can be rustled up easily at home. Just add garam masala, elachi powder, dahi and fried onions to rice and marinated mutton and slow-cook it.Make sure to marinate the mutton for an hour and half. And if guests come calling, make Chicken Kebab Pasanday by mixing garam masala, rose water, cardamom powder, roasted chana powder, black pepper and green chillies with chicken. Shallow fry it and your dish will be ready in minutes.” For this year’s Eid festivities, the chef has taken inspiration from Hyderabad, Lucknow and the iconic Mohammed Ali road’s Bohri Mohalla, famous for its Boti kebab.

“Halim, the famous delicacy of Hyderabad and Lucknow, is a non-vegetarian dish but we have made a vegetarian version by adding jackfruit,” shares the chef.

Bhopali Dum Gosht Biryani

Ingredients:

• 20gms Basmati Rice
• 15gms Ghee
• 25ml Oil Bagara
• 60gms Onion julienne
• 12gms Ginger garlic paste
• 250gms Mutton curry cut
• 5gms Yellow chilly powder
• 5gms Red chilly powder
• 5ml Rose water
• 5ml Kewra water
• 100gms Curd
• 5gms Green Chilly slit
• 15 Ginger Julienne
• 5 Mint leaves
• 10gms Salt
• 15ml Cream
• 0.005 Saffron
• Green 5 Cardamon 5
• Bayleaf 5

Method:

1. Heat oil and ghee in a pan.
2. To the pan add onion and cook till it turns golden brown
3. Add ginger garlic paste to the onions
4. To this pan of spices add mutton curry cut
5. In another pan bring the water to boil and season it with salt and spices. To the boiling water add rice and cook till 70 per cent is done. Then strain.
6. Now, add this rice over the mutton and cook it on dum for half and hour.

Aloo Bukhara Kofta Curry

Ingredients:

• 200gms Paneer
• 60gms Aloo Bukhara
• 25ml Oil Mustard
• 30gms Ghee
• 100gms Onion
• 100 pieces Bottle gourd
• 100 pieces Tomato
• 100 pieces Pumpkin
• 5 pieces Ginger
• 10 cloves Garlic
• 60gms Curd
• 50ml Cream
• 5gms each Green Cardamon, Cinnamon and bay leaf
• 5gms Kastoori Methi
• 10gms Coriander powder
• 5gms Yellow chilly Powder
• 5gms Red Chilly Powder
• 5gms Blackpepper
• 5gms Caraway Seeds
• 10gms Garam Masala
• Chandi Varq for garnish

Method:

1. Slice the vegetables and mix well with salt, oil, red chilly powder and yellow chilly powder. For 15 minutes bake the vegetables at 180degree.
2. Make a puree of the baked vegetables and strain.
3. In a lagan (a copper pan) heat oil and ghee. Add caraway seeds, ginger, garlic paste coriander powder, red chilly powder and turmeric.
4. To the spices add the pureed paste of vegetables and stir till it thickens.
5. Once thickened add curd and cook till it leaves oil
6. Add garam masala, salt and water as per the thickness requirement. Let it cook till it is done
7. Finish it with cream and strain.

For Kofta

1. Grate paneer and add salt and green cardamom powder to it.
2. Stuff with chopped aloo bukhara, almond and pistachio flakes.
3. Make roundels of it and deep fry in the oil till golden brown.
4. Add it to the curry and garnish with silver varq, pista flakes and cream.

Kathal Ka Halim

Ingredients:

• 500gms Kathal
• 25gms Lapsi (Broken Wheat)
• 25gms Couscous
• 25gms Ghee
• 25gms White Butter
• 1no Potli Spice
• 50gms Onion
• 10gms Salt
• 50ml Cream
• 50gms Carrot
• 50gms Beans
• 0.005 Saffron
• 15gms Pine Nuts
• 20gms Cashewnut
• 10gms Brown Onion
• 5gms Ginger
• 1 Lemon

Method:

1. Heat oil and ghee in a pan, and cook onions in it till translucent.
2. Then add lapsi and Couscous to the pan
3. After add water along with cut vegetables and potli spices. Cook it on a slow flame for approximately five hours stirring every 15 minutes.
4. Once cooked, finish it with ghee and garnish with mint, fried onion, nuts and lime wedges.