While the request of recipe of Lazzat-e-Taam (or Lazzat-e-taum) from the readers of Sonzyskitchen.com put me in the lanes and bylanes of Lucknow, it reminds me of that journey which is worth its weight in gold.

It is actually a blend of several spices which is otherwise known as the “Awadhi garam masala” but more complex than the normal garam masala readily available in most part of the world. It is very difficult to obtain this spice-blend outside Lucknow and some of the culinary terms I came across while decoding the recipe of this blend were not known to me before. It consists of almost 25 exotic spices and common spices. While none of the spice maker in Lucknow would divulge the details of the contents and quantities of the ingredients, one book called “Dastarkhwan-e-Awadh” which mentions this spice remains out of print for most part of the year. Here we discuss some of the exotic spices which form part of this intriguing spice mix.

Some ingredients for the Lazzat-e-Taam (Avadhi garam masala) are Mitha ittr (sweet perfume), makhana (dried lotus root, we have already discussed the recipe of makhane ki kheer in the previous blogs) sonzyskitchen), and jarakush not so readily available

Jarakush or Zarakush is dried lemon grass. Quoting the gentleman who helped in the compilation of the book “Regarding Baobeer we are clueless now becuse the elderly khansama who told us about it is no more alive and the shop in Aminabad where it was supposed to be available was gutted in a fire few years back”.
Even after getting the recipe out of the book, it will require herculean effort to assemble all the ingredients contained therein. Some of the other ingredients would be as per one of my friends from Lucknowi culinary fraternity

Coriander seeds           200 grams
Sandalwood powder     25 gr
Vetiver root dried        35 gr
Bay leaf                        35 gr
Rose petals                  20 gr
Black cardamom          25 gr
Cassia buds                 30 gr
Cinnamon                    15 gr
Stone flower                30 gr
Fennel seeds                20 gr
Beetle Tree Root          35 gr
Mace                           25 gr
Camphor                     25 gr
Dry ginger                  15gm

After seeing the complication of the recipe, I also pursued the path of procuring the spice mix for our kitchen from Lucknow as some of the terms were too complicated to be decoded.

Best of Luck, Kuntal

Tags: lentil, bhatura, sambhar, dhokla, indian food, kulfi, handi, dosa, chicken, paneer

While travelling in the Rajasthan hinterland, I was asked one very good but common question” what does it take to make a very good Biryani at home”. I remember answering to one of the guest readers of www.sonzyskitchen.com blog on the art of making good Mughlai Biryani but at this point of time, it may require greater attention to details like demystifying the ingredients and its purpose, art of steaming in vapour characterized by the lavish use of aromatic agents which produces the delirious effect and leave people spellbound. One of the reader’s question on Lazzat-e-taam” is also pending for some time which I will enquire from the master craftsmen of Lucknowi cuisine as the spice blend is difficult to procure outside Lucknow.

At this stage I wish to concentrate my focus on the multi-dimensional culinary offerings of Rajasthan which I covered briefly in my previous writing. There some really prominent foods of the state which are making splash elsewhere with little realisation of its glorious past which often covered in the thick dust of memory. With evolution, food has also changed its character and people are more than willing to modify the taste, texture, flavour, spicing to suit the palette and at the same time undergoing the risk to become oblivious of the glorious chapters of the past.

This piece of writing will try to focus on the famous Rajputana cuisine or the royal food of Rajasthan against the recent backdrop of the disappearance of the princely kingdom from the map of India.
Some of the Mahrajas or Kings are still living that dream albeit in a new context. People do regard them still as the king but their form of doing administration has take a new hue which is mostly charitable in various fields like schools, colleges, hospitals, old age home, women’s welfare, rehabilitation, town development, so on and so forth.
They have also turned their palaces, a new smart business concept, into resorts and heritage hotels which not only take care of the high maintenance and upkeep but also hands them their share of profit as well.
They are, in fact, the torch bearers of their cuisine and the privileged few will have the opportunity to savour a delicacy from their home kitchen in the cosy comfort of their palatial dining hall.

So what do they actually cook in their home? I am not sure that they themselves indulge in the mundane cooking but anyhow the question is also intriguing as to what do they actually eat in their day to day life?

One thing is for sure if you happen to become guest to one of the Mharajas that the meal will be a grand display of their opulent past, sumptuous and fill you with an experience of a lifetime.

The Rajputana cuisine was primarily based on the utilisation of game birds and game animals but with the government ban on the shikars (killing) as they would be fondly remember from a memory recoup and slaughtering has taken this aspect out of a possible game feast. Campfire was quite common during their heydays where open barbeque of the game killed that day would invite all towards a communal dining fare with light entertainment of songs and dance.

I may not recreate one of the recipes here because describing those experiences will transcend the limit today but some of them will definitely follow in the coming days.

The other intriguing aspect or application, or I may simply call it the improvisation which developed as an effect of the need was Khad cooking which was merely a royal expression of life in the outdoors during their shikar (hunting) foray. These were simple cooking parties or night out but full of pomp and show to impress their masters. The protagonist himself would indulge in these pleasures casting aside their social etiquette of mega living and would eat heartily using their hands.

A khad is a deep pit dug near the main camp so that the roasting pervades the air around and arouses the taste buds while salivating the glands. The bottom of the pit is filled with coal or charcoal which is then surrounded by dried twigs, leaves and small branches. The coal will then be topped with dried cowdung shaped like a flat round cake. This is also known as upla in some parts of India.
The meat will be smothered with marinades and should preferably be kept for 4-6hrs. It will then be wrapped in giant rotis (Indian flatbread) made with whole wheat flour and secured with a strong thread.
This parcel will again be wrapped in juts sacks and tied again with thread which then resemble like a tight jute strewn parcel. This parcel is then put on live coal and cowdung and ghee (clarified butter) is poured on to the parcel containing the meat. Fire the entire coal set-up and cover he parcel with surrounding twigs, branches. etc.
This will cook for some time depending upon the size of the meat but a typical leg of lamb would take almost close to 2hrs to get cooked.

I am not sure whether some of you can do this at home but take part if opportunity beckons you some day. Enjoy until then and wait for the next topic where I cover a recipe from the royal kitchen.

Tags: balti, roti, palak, paneer, dhokla, naan, kebab, kulfi, tandoor, dal

One of the recent highlight of my trip to Jaipur was a dish made with three berries namely kair,
sangria and kumita. I am not sure whether five star hotels are the real place to have the original
experience as they are famous for developing their own version. Out of wild berries growing
freely in the Thar dessert, one of Marwari’s cuisine’s signature dish was born to be known all
around India as a culinary representative of Marwaris of Rajsthan.
Piquant and tangy, Kair-sangri-kumita is a simple vegetarian preparation and an experience of
Rajsthani cuisine is not replete without a curious bite of this otherwise mundane preparation.
Kair, sangria and kumita are actually wild berries which grow abundantly in Thar dessert region
and are there for easy picking. The scarcity of green vegetables and their high prices have
pushed these berries into day to day usage in the home kitchen of Rajsthan. Legend has it that
these berries were discovered long ago during a severe famine which struck the region. All
other natural vegetables and cattle died but Kair (small pods), Sangri and Kumita (long dried
beans) flourished uninhibited during the testing time. Their existence brought joyous
revelations and delightful reactions amongst the inhabitants who plucked all three and took
them to their home for cooking. Of these sangria is a very good source of protein, while the
other two provide the bulk in the preparation.
These three wild berries were put to test with some other ingredients in the absence of water
which came as premium during famine. As there was no water, villagers kept the berries to dry
and sourced out whatever they could lay their hand on at home from their kitchen shelves like
mustard oil, red mathania chilies, amchur (dried mango powder), salt and yogurt. A paste was
made with all the available ingredients and those three dried berries were marinated in them.
The same was stored for some day to allow the pickling flavor to develop; as a result a great
invention was born out of necessity which was consumed with bajre ki roti (millet bread).
Nowadays Kair, sangri are generally soaked overnight for their better utilization, boiled and
then fried in oil, to prepare a mouth-watering delicacy flavored with tints of dried dates, red
chillies, turmeric powder, shredded dried mango, salt, coriander and cumin seeds.These three
berries have survived the test of the time due to its long shelf life when converted to pickle and
continues to be prepared in this ostensibly simple and mundane ways, more so because much
help is available now during famines and floods. This is highly regarded, even today, as one of
the mainstays of Marwari cuisine of Rajsthan.
The modern day kitchen preparation also incorporates the fresh kair, sangri and kumita which is
soaked overnight and then simmered in yogurt based curry. These three ingredients are,
coincidentally, also a contributor to the very well know Rajsthani delicacy called “Panchkuta”
which also comprises of the other ingredients namely. Dried mathania chilies and whole dried
amchur. These are then fried with spices in little oil and served with local bread. They also do
not require refrigeration and keeps well.
KAIR, SANGRI, KUMITA KI SUBJI
¼ cup kair
¼ cup sangria
¼ cup kumita
3tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1tsp cumin seed
2 medium red onions, peeled and sliced thinly
3 cup full fat yogurt
2tbsp besan (chickpea flour)
3tbsp coriander seed
¼ tsp turmeric powder
Salt
For garnish
Chopped fresh coriander
Ginger julienne (matchstick size)
Method:
Soak the kair, sangria a nd kumita in a non-reactive bowl (stainless steel bowl, glass bowl etc.).
Wash, drain the dried berries and discard the water. Bring them to boil in a suitably large pan
for 5-7minutes until done but still retaining a slight crunch. Drain and keep aside.
In a kadhai (Indian wok) heat ghee and bring just to smoking point, add cumin and allow to
splatter, 10seconds. Next add onion and sauté for 5-7minutes until light golden. Add kair,
sangria and kumita and continue cooking until water from the berries is released. Remove from
heat and rest until yogurt gravy is ready.
In a bowl, stir together the yogurt and besan until smooth, bring to boil in a suitably large pan/
kadhai, reduce to simmer, add turmeric and season with salt.
Next, add the berry mixture to the yogurt mixture and continue simmering at slow heat until
the sauce thickens and coat the berries.
Garnish with chopped coriander and ginger julienne and serve with the local bread of your
choice.

Tags: naan, gosht, tandoori, curries, handi, dhokla, chicken, indian food, chana, tandoor

The story of lentil would not be complete without mention of the eponymous “Kichdi”, the Indian rice and lentil combinations. I am sure there will be as many recipes of this preparation as the number of home cooks which clearly means that people love this easy to digest and easy to prepare recipe.

The writings of 15^th century suggest its origin in India when there were also the recipes containing meat as is found in offerings during the prayers of Goddess Kali. One of the varieties containing prawns is also very popular in Western India. Kichdi is also the source of inspiration of popular variation called “Kedgerre” which contains haddock and boiled egg and is found all across UK. Kichdi of the summer season are less thick than that of winter which contains more vegetables also to provide richness to counter the extremely cold nights.

Kichdi – the regional variations

Though it is popular both in India and Pakistan and in some parts of the world, it is worthwhile to look at some of the popular variations found elsewhere in different Indian states. The one served in Bengal is accompanied with Chokha (Potato hash), Begun Bhaja (Aubergine fry), chutney, papad and pickle. The gruel itself contains the seasonal vegetables like cauliflower, potato, green peas, spinach, spring onion etc. which make the entire preparation full of nutrition and taste. While it is rich delicacy found in the region of West Bengal and even fit to be offered during all the important occasions including festivals, in other parts of India it reincarnate itself as the food of the invalids and sick. Rice and lentil are cooked together until completely amalgamated and mushy and seasoned to appear as a very bland and ordinary cousin of the rich and suave Bengali delicacy.

Kichdi on its own as a main course is a very good source of carbohydrate, protein and vitamins if prepared with vegetables and essential minerals and at the same time very easy to digest.

Bengali Kechudi

Preparation time: 30minutes

Cooking time: 30minutes

Serves- 4-6

Ingredients

Tags: curries, chana, tandoori, tandoor, kulfi, dosa, handi, vindaloo, palak, indian curry

The word “keoti” means a medley of lentils here and hope is a recipe of interest for the readers
of sonzyskitchen blog. One of the cousins of this lentil recipe is called Hyderabadi Saat Nizami
which is a blend of seven lentils and host of tempering. The difficulty of this lentil has forced me
to think of its inclusion in the recipe section but if some of you reading the sonzyskitchen blog
are really interested, I will definitely send it across.
With its typical Hyderabadi flavor and mix of four lentils, dal keoti is a complex blend of lentils
where they complement each other rather than standing out. You can chose the lentil as per
your convenience and personal preference but we do outline the followings in the recipe
below.
Ingredients
¼ cup arhar dal (yellow lentil)
¼ cup masoor dal (red lentil)
¼ cup moong lentil (moong lentil without skin)
½ cup chana dal (Bengal gram)
2 medium red onion, sliced
1tsp ginger-garlic paste
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp hot spice powder
2 fresh green chili, cut into four
2 tbsp lemon juice (dry mango powder as alternative)
2tbsp refined oil
Tempering
2 tbsp ghee
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 dry red chili
10-15 curry leaves
2-3 garlic, crushed
Method:
1. Soak the lentils separately for half an hour, boil chana dal for 10minutes or pressure
cook in enough water for 3-4minutes (2whistles).
2. Add rest of the lentils, add turmeric and salt and cook with enough water until tender.
Mash the lentil lightly.
3. Heat oil in a pan, sauté onions until light brown, 5-8minutes; add ginger-garlic paste and
sauté until raw aroma disappears. Next add lentil and some water if they are too thick.
4. Add hot spice powder and green chili and simmer for another 3-4minutes. Season with
salt and lemon juice and remove from heat.
5. For the tempering, heat ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, red chili,
curry leaves and garlic. When seeds start splattering and chili & garlic has become
aromatic, pour it onto the lentils and cover the container with a lid to trap the aroma
inside.
6. Serve hot with the Indian bread or rice of your choice.

Tags: chettinad, handi, chana, palak, gosht, idli, curries, roti, balti, dal

Time to acknowledge the importance of the “festival of light” in every Indian life and bask in the
glory of the festivities which also include the festival food. Divali is derived from the word
‘Dipavali’ meaning ‘a cluster of lights’. Rows and rows of small earthenware lamps are seen in
every home. Diwali is also known for fireworks which go on particularly for almost two to three
days and is especially very popular in kids and grown-ups.
Dipavali is a joyous celebration of the death of titan of hell, Narkasura at the hands of Lord
Krishna. This festivals like all other festivals and rituals, explains the inner personality of man
and his deliverance from his ignorance and ego to attainment of his supreme nature of Godrealisation.
Every man within him both positive and negative tendencies and to pull himself out
of the state of ignorance and ego, he has to employ his positive tendencies to direct his
attention to the higher Self.
Most of the culinary endeavors during this festival revolve around the myriad sweets which
form part of the symbolic transformation that brings about gaiety, joy, bliss and merry-making.
The sharing of sweets and food with friends and relatives next morning carries the new vision,
the vision of Divinity, the vision of Supreme self in one and all.
There are so many sweets which are shared during the occasion. I recount one of my favorites
called Lapsi which is a preparation of broken wheat and sugar. Broken wheat, in fact, is really
versatile as some of you can recollect its role in wheat porridge, haleem (Hyderabadi broken
wheat and ground lamb preparation). The broken wheat for this recipe is available in the
market and one can also obtain it in the home food processor.
Ingredients:
1 cup broken wheat (Dalia)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp green cardamom powder
1 tbsp chopped almond and pistachio
¼ cup full fat milk
5tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
Method:
In a pan, melt the sugar in milk, stir to dissolve equally.
In another pan, melt ghee and add broken wheat, stir from time to time and cook until wheat
takes on a golden hue and exudes nutty aroma.
Next add the sweet milk and bring to simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed and the grains
of wheat are soft and cooked. The good indication of this being ready would be the appearance
of ghee on the sides. Stir gently cardamom powder in the wheat pudding and garnish with
chopped almonds and pistachio.

Tags: kebab, balti, gosht, chana, naan, chettinad, dhokla, handi, lentil, desi

I am myself amazed to see the variety of preparation one would come across visiting different
states of India and also the different countries of the world. While we have seen few of the
lentil recipes in the previous blogs; this does not in any sense means that the lentil repertoire is
over. In some of the upcoming blogs the effort will be to continue to witness the various
application and nuances of lentil right from a standalone main course preparation to being an
important ingredient for a particular recipe. There will be few crossovers also between Indian
and Western preparations as some of the classical Western recipes are almost made in the
same way as their Indian counterpart except for little uniqueness.
The recipe that we have chosen for today is the savoury porridge of ground meat (one can
make with mutton, lamb or beef as the case may be) lentil and wheat. In some of the cases you
may come across some traditional recipes without the lentils; so do not be taken aback by the
various versions of Haleem as the idea is not to create confusion but enjoyment. Some of the
people have also developed the chicken and fish variety for people preferring the mild flavor
out of the dish.
This traditional porridge has its roots in Middle East but the one that we have included today is
the Hyderabadi (Southern state capital of Andhra Pradesh in India) variant which is a meal in
itself. During the month of Ramadan the aroma of this porridge will fill the lungs with the
craving of the same as most of the roadside eateries to popular restaurant will make their own
version to lure the customer on the occasion of Iftar, when the day long fasting comes to an
end and allows the people to break their fast.
Haleem (mutton, lentil and pounded wheat porridge)
Preparation time: 20-30minutes
Cooking time: 45-60minutes
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
½ cup broken wheat
½ kg mutton (alternately lamb or beef)
¼ cup masoor dal (split red lentil)
¼ cup chana dal (split Bengal gram)
4 medium red onion
1tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/3 tsp haldi (turmeric)powder
1tsp red chili powder
1/3 tsp garam masala (hot spice) powder (see the notes on e-book available with sonzyskitchen)
1/3 cup Ghee (clarified butter)
¼ cup cooking oil
2-3green chilies (optional), chopped
1 cup full fat yogurt
Salt to taste
few mint leaves
2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Method:
Soak the broken wheat overnight. Boil the wheat the following day until tender in a suitably large
pan, drain any extra water and cool the wheat down. Using a grinder, grind the moist wheat until
fine and set aside.
In a separate heavy bottom pan, heat oil and fry the onions until lightly caramelized. Remove half
the onion and keep aside for later use.
To the onion remaining in the pan, add ginger-garlic paste and fry for 2-3minutes until raw
aroma of the paste has disappeared. Add mutton, both the lentils, salt, chili powder and turmeric
and cook until the liquid released by lamb have almost evaporated.
In a bowl gently whisk the yogurt until smooth and add it to the mutton taking care to lower the
heat to avoid splitting the yogurt. Stir from time to time until oil starts floating on top. At this
stage add enough water to cover the mutton, cook until the meat is tender and most of the
water has been absorbed.
Remove the pan from the heat and cool down the mixture. Next, grind the mutton mixture until
fine.
Heat ghee in a suitably large heavy bottom pan, add the ground mutton and the wheat and cook
on medium heat for 8-10minutes until the specks of ghee start coming to the sides. Add hot
spice powder and lemon juice and stir to mix well. Check the seasoning and the consistency too,
the texture should be like a thick porridge.
Remove from heat and garnish with previously kept fried onion, chopped green chili and freshly
torn mint leaves. Serve hot.

Tags: indian curry, tandoor, dhokla, desi, tandoori, naan, kulfi, idli, sambhar, chicken

Just as the lentil series was threatening to take centre stage in the preceding blogs, I have
decided to change the topic a little just as to make a happy co-incidence with the election of US
president. The mood obviously is cheerful and optimistic and so wines will take the rightful
place during the celebrations centered on food and dining.
While some of the world cuisine goes very well with wine even to the extent of matching each
of the courses with appropriate grape variety and fizz. Same is not true of Indian food which we
are trying to investigate and explore today.
With the surge in economic activity and globalization of market, it is only a matter of time that
foreign businessmen and visitor will push the Indian dining experience towards acquiring a new
dimension in the form of pairing of Indian food with wine. One could very soon see the a bottle
of wine with the slightest excuse to go with popular Indian food like curries, kormas, biryanis
and tikkas. Some of the prominent Indian restaurant under the aegis of well known hotel
brands like Caridges, ITC and Hyatt have already started the initiative with guarded caution and
some other restaurants, within the hotel and standalone, would follow the suit to bring out the
culinary subtleties of food to complement the notes of wine.
Role of Sommelier
The surest way towards a better melody of curry and wine is to trust the knowledgeable
sommelier (the French term for wine waiter) but the overzealous waiter is equally bad. The
final decision is yours and your ability to afford the elixir of life. One should still be prepared to
question the selection of wine by the sommelier if all the notes are pointing to the same
direction without much informed choices. The idea is to develop the mutually complementing
symphony than the one overpowering other.
Most of the better Indian hotels and some of the up market Indian restaurants have tied up
with their foreign counterpart and arrange training and workshop for its staff to develop the
knowledge and skill. This is also a very good exercise in revenue maximization because of the
margin involved in wines and low labour cost implication in the long term. While the pairing is
still in the infancy in India, it is a common practice in western countries to plan the food around
wine, tapas like food being one of the examples.
Challenges of Pairing Indian food and wine
While it is easier to pair food with some of the cuisines of the world notable amongst them are
Italian, French, Mediterranean because it is a part of their day to day culture, it has always been
difficult to do so with most of the Asian cuisine as it was not a part of their culture. For example
drinking Sake is always very popular with Japanese cuisine. Indian food on other hand has never
been on the same side as that of their western counterparts.
The use of spices, the distractions of oil, the pungency, the inconsistency of recipes that one
wine working with the same food in one restaurant may not be the case with other restaurant.
Mushrooming of Indian restaurants all over the world with their own anglicized Indian recipes
has also not helped the cause. Exception to the rule will always be the delicate Indian
preparations the recipes of which are always guarded secrets of some select few in the India
kitchen.
The complementary notes:
While champagne will always be the natural choice to go with almost the endless variety of
food, the selection though will have to made between brut (dry) and sec (sweet).
Italian red wines like Chianti, Amarone, Barolo, or Barbaresco will go very well with chunkier
Indian food like lamb curry, tikkas and kormas. A good Riesling (white grape) from
Germany, France or Austria would do absolute justice to spicy and lemony food.
Some of the smarter people who do not wish to experience the pain of uncertainty of
choosing red or white would go with Rose wine (wine with the reddish tinge which renders a
pink hue to the liquid) to carry them through the entire meal experience.
Surprisingly the new world wines have charted the lesser known territories than their famed
old world counterparts. Young vintages work well with most of the food and if consuming
more than one wine during the meal experience, chose the lighter wines before full bodied
ones, dry wines before sweet one and lower alcohol wines before higher alcohol wines.
Always insist on tasting the wine before approving the entire bottle; for balance of flavour
work well when you know the spices and herbs and the floral notes of your wine.
We will try to explore more of it in the coming blogs with suggestions and alternatives. Unil
then just remember the popular Latin phrase “ In vino veritas” which means there lies the
truth in wine.

Tags: chana, handi, kebab, desi, roti, tikka masala, bhatura, curries, paneer, kulfi

While going through the length and breadth of India through our culinary journey, we come
across so many common and uncommon lentil preparations, some straightforward and some
very complex. Today we will explore the streets of Hyderabad to pick up some of the best local
but unusual dal recipes. Some of you might have experienced them in local restaurants but it
always remains a challenge to produce them in the home kitchen.
Khatti dal (sour lentil stew), is the typical Hyderabadi preparation soured with either tamarind
or raw mango.
Ingredients
1 ½ cup Arhar dal (yellow lentil)
2 plum tomato, chopped
1 medium ball of tamarind
1 small knob ginger, peeled and grated
2-3clovs of garlic, crushed
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp red chili powder
1 tsp coriander seeds, roasted and powdered
1-2 fresh green chili (cut into 2pieces each)
100 g fresh coriander leaves
salt
For tempering:
3 tablespoons ghee
½ teaspoons cumin seeds
10-15 fresh curry leaves
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
Method:
1. Soak tamarind in a cup of water for about 10minutes to hydrate the pulp and
remove the seed. Using the tip of your finger, force the seed out of the pulp. Discard
the seeds and pass the pulp through a strainer or muslin cloth to obtain the extract
of tamarind.
2. Wash the lentil, if using pressure cooker, cook the dal with 4 cup of water, tomato,
ginger, garlic and turmeric for 5-7 minutes (4-5whistles), allow the pressure to
escape completely before opening the lid, and remove the dal from cooker and
place in a serving container. If using a vessel to cook the dal, cook in a suitably large
container on medium heat for 20-25minutes until soft, checking in between to
ensure that they have cooked well.
3. Remove in a suitably large pan, add water if the lentil has become too thick to adjust
the consistency. Add salt, chili powder, green chili, coriander powder and tamarind
water, simmer on low heat for about 10minutes. By now most of the individual lentil
grains will give way to homogenous liquid. Season with salt.
4. For tempering, heat ghee in a small pan, add crushed garlic, cumin seeds, mustard
seeds and curry leaves. When they start splattering, pour the tempering
immediately on to the lentil, sprinkle chopped coriander on top and cover it with the
lid to trap the aroma inside.
5. Serve hot with the choice of bread or rice from Hyderabad.

Tags: karahi, chettinad, desi, kulfi, indian food, paneer, tandoor, dal, tikka masala, dhokla

I vividly remember my visit to Mata Vaishno Devi temple where the shop owner offered saffron
in loose quantity. Until then I always had seen or use it in 1gm plastic packet. This is the world’s
most expensive and ancient spice which is grown in Kashmir valley and parts of Spain and
Middle Eastern countries. It is actually a spice obtained from dried stigma of the flower of
saffron crocus.
Saffron is known by different names across the world but the most commonly known has its
origin from French where it was called as safran. Italian called it zaffrano, Spanish as azafran
and India as kesar. Much of the reason to its preciousness is attributed to the fact that the
flowers are available for just one to two weeks during the end of October. Each of the flowers
has three stigma and approximately 150 flowers are required to obtain 1gm of dried saffron
threads. The entire blossom is picked before sunrise or else they wilt under sun which is not
good for good quality saffron. The stigmas are then sun-dried and also at times roasted very
slowly over charcoal under controlled condition. One may come across several cultivar of
saffron across the world governed by their own country and local laws. Spanish varieties are
prized for their mellow qualities while Italian varieties are slightly more potent than Spanish,
while the most intense varieties tend to be Iranian in origin which produce around 90% of the
world production. Indian variety, though very high grade, have banned the export of high
quality saffron.
Saffron has bitter taste but used in small quantity for its coloring properties. The exposure of
dried threads to air renders the saffron dull and brittle and it loses its fragrance. Pure saffron is
believed to have the power to colour seventy thousand times its weight.
The culinary usage of saffron is found in savoury as well as sweet preparations in Iranian,
Arabic, Central Asian, European (Spanish, Italian and French), Indian, Turkish and Moroccan
cuisine. A few strand soaked either in lukewarm water or milk and added alongwith the liquid
can transform the entire dish to a gourmet’s delight. It imparts a fragrant richness and opulence
to milk and milk based desserts, rice and meat. Kashmiris often float few strands of saffron in
their tea filled samovar should any important guests come to their home. It is also offered
sprinkled over yogurt as a dowry of every Hindu bride. It is used in Italy for risotto, Bouillabaisse
in France, Paella in Spain and Cornish cake in England.
The cheaper alternative of original saffron is powdered saffron which is usually a very low grade
of saffron often highly adulterated and lack in flavor and aroma. Even though it provides
pleasing colour but it lacks in flavor and aroma and also lack the extra visual appeal of the
threads.
One of the prized usage of saffron is in the rice where every grain of rice is coated in the golden
yellow colour and richness.
Kesari rice (Saffron flavored rice)
1 cup 2yrs old basmati rice
15-20 almonds
2 ½ cups water
10 threads good quality saffron
1tbsp warm water
Pinch salt
1tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
Method:
Blanch the almond in boiling water for 15-20 seconds, drain and put them in cold water. After
the almond has cooled down, discard the water. Peel and slice into thin slivers. Toast until crisp.
Crush the saffron lightly with the back of the ladle. Place the saffron thread in a small bowl with
warm water and leave to infuse for 10minutes. This will allow the saffron to release its colour
and aroma to the water.
Bring 2 ½ cup of water to boil in a suitably large pan. Add salt and rice and give it a light stir with
a wooden spoon. Add saffron with its liquid and boil the rice uncovered over medium heat for
about 8-10minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Check for doneness and remove from
heat.
Add ghee (clarified butter) to the rice and cover lightly with a lid to prevent the aroma of the
ghee from escaping. This also ensures that the grains separate and the rice is not soggy.
Remove from the pan to a serving bowl and fluff using a fork. Serve garnished with toasted,
slivered almond along with the choice of your favourite vegetable or meat curry.

Tags: vindaloo, karahi, handi, dhokla, bhatura, kebab, balti, dosa, paneer, tandoori