MUGHLAI RECIPES

Mughlai cuisine is something that came from the kitchens of the Mugal emperors. They were know for their lavish lifestyle and also cuisine. Mughlai cuisine is today widely followed in Delhi and Punjab.
Mughlai cuisine is said to be very rich as it consists more of cream and milk. Mughlai recipes are rich and heavily laden with fat, carbohydrates and proteins. They also use cashew-nut paste or almond paste along with a generous amount of ghee.
Hence mughlai recipes are said to be one of the richest among the world cuisines. Mughlai recipes have a distinct aroma that is quite captivating.

MUGHLAI KICHIDI

Prep Time

Cook Time

Serves

20 mins

Ingredients

Rice

1 cup

Green gram

1/2 cup

Onion chopped

Green chilis

Ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp

Curry leaves

few

Cashew nuts

10-12

Shah jeera

1/2 tbsp

Cloves and cardamom 1"

3 each

Cinnamon sticks

Bay leaf

Clarified butter

2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method

Wash and soak rice and green gram together
Make a powder of the dry spices, except bay leaf. Make a coarse paste of onion, chilies, ginger and garlic. Keep aside.
Heat ghee in a pan and add the onion paste and bay leaf. Fry till golden brown. Add the spices powder, curry leaves and mix.
To this, add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the soaked rice and green gram. Add the salt and cook till done.
Garnish with cashew nuts fried in butter.

MUGHLAI ALU RECIPE

Ingredients

Potatoes peeled and cubed

3 cups

Cashewnut soaked in1/4 cup water

4 tbsp

Chopped ginger

1 tbsp

Chopped garlic

1 tbsp

Black cumin seed

1/2 tbsp

Bay leaf

Chopped onion

Turmeric

Garam masala

1/4 tbsp

Chopped corainder leaves

2 tbsp

Yogurt beaten

1/4 cup

Milk

1/4 cup

Oil for frying

Method

Fry the potatoes to a deep golden brown and keep aside.
Grind cashewnuts, ginger and garlic to a paste in a grinder. Keep this paste aside.
Heat some of the oil in a heavy bottomed pan.
Add black cumin and bay leaf. Wait for 30 seconds till cumin seeds stop spluttering.
Add onions and cook on low flame till onions turn soft but do not let them turn brown.
Add turmeric and garam masala. Stir to mix well. Add the paste prepared earlier. Cook for 1 minute.
Add yogurt and stir fry till water evaporates.
Cook till it dries. Add milk and about 1/2 cup of water to the gravy.
Boil and simmer for 2 -3 minutes.
Add the fried potatoes and chopped coriander to the garvy and simmer on low flame.
Cook on low flame till the gravy thickens and coats all the potatoes. Serve hot with nan or paranthas.

BAINGAN KA BHARTA RECIPE

Ingredients

Eggplant
roasted in the oven on a pan until the insides are soft and the eggplant skin is charred

1 large

Oil

2-3 tbsp

Ginger finely chopped

1 tbsp

Onion finely chopped

Tomatoes finely chopped

Lime juice

1/2

Salt to taste

Cumin powder

1 tbsp

Red chilli powder

1/2 tbsp

Corainder powder

1 tbsp

Garam masala

1 tbsp

Corainder leaves for granishing

2 tbsp

Method

Remove the charred skin. Sweating helps to remove the skin easily. Mash the eggplant into a pulp.
In a wok or heavy skillet, heat oil. Add the onions, and cook until they become brown.
Add the chopped ginger, coriander, cumin and red chilli powders.
Add the tomatoes and fry till oil leaves the sides of the pan.
Add the eggplant pulp, lime juice and salt to taste. Stir.
Cover and cook on low heat.
Garnish with garam masala and coriander leaves.
Serve with any indian bread.

SEEKH KEBABS RECIPE

Ingredients

Finely minced lamb or beef

2 lbs

Chopped onion

1 small

Garlic cloves chopped

Ginger chopped

1 inch

Red chilli, ground clove, cinnamon and cumin powders

1 tbsp

Corainder powder, garam masala

2 tbsp

Fresh green chillis chopped

Lemon juice

2 tbsp

Gram flour

1 tbsp

Cilantro chopped

2 tbsp

Mint leaves chopped

2 tbsp

White bread

3 slices

Salt

2 tbsp

Egg lightly beaten

1 large

Oil for grilling and greazsing the skewers

1/4 c

Method

In a food processor, process the bread into bread crumbs.
Add all the remaining ingredients (except the oil) to the food processor and process the mixture into a thick paste.
Taste (if you can!) and adjust the salt. Keep the mixture in the fridge, overnight.
Grease the skewer.
Take some mixture in your hand and using your palm and fingers, press the mixture on the skewer, to form a sausage shaped kebab, about 5 inches long.
Similarly, make more kebabs along the length of the skewer. Work fast, as the meat tends to fall off.
Grill for about 20 minutes or until cooked, brushing with oil and rotating the skewers frequently.

CHICKEN HARIYALI OR PALAK GOSHT RECIPE - SPINACH CHICKEN CURRY

Ingredients

Chicken, boneless/skinless, cut into chunks

1 lb

Tomato chopped

Onion minced

Crushed black pepper

1/2 tbsp

Grind to paste 1

Cilantro/corainder leaves

1/2 cup

Green chilies

1-2

Onion chopped

1/2

Garlic cloves

3-4

Ginger

Whisk together

Turmeric powder

1/2 tbsp

Plain yogurt

1/2 cup

Grind to paste 2

Spinach boiled

1 bunch

Cashews

8-10

White poppy seeds

1 tbsp

Corainder seeds

1 tbsp

Tempering

Oil or ghee

1 tbsp

Cloves

Cinnamon

Salt to taste

Kasoori methi crushed

1/2 tbsp

Garam masala

1/2 tbsp

Method

Grind paste 1 . Mix with yogurt & turmeric powder.
Marinate the chicken. Cover. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours.Clean spinach.
Wash it several times in running water. Add 1/2 cup water. Bring to boil.
As the spinach wilts, switch off the gas. Let it cool down a little.
Grind to a smooth paste along with cashews, poppy seeds, coriander seeds.
Heat oil in a pressure pan/cooker or handi. Add all cloves and cinnamon. As the spices leave a wonderful aroma, add onion.
Saute till golden brown.
Add marinated chicken along with yogurt. Saute for 5 minutes.
Add crushed black pepper.Now add spinach paste, tomato and 1/2 cup water.
Add salt to taste.
Pressure cook till 3-4 whistles.Let the pressure drop completely.
Open the lid. Let it simmer.
Add crushed kasoori methi and garam masala.
For a restaurant taste add 1/4 cup of heavy cream.