RAG Demo

Tag: Hard to make

  • Hyderabadi Haleem

    Haleem came to Hyderabad from Arab soldiers in the Nizam's army and is now the defining food of Ramzan in the city, so famous that it carries a Geographical Indication tag. Through the fasting month, eateries cook it overnight in huge brick bhattis, the meat and grain stirred and pounded for hours with long wooden ghotnis.

    It is thick, sticky and smooth, with the meat fully broken into strands that bind with the wheat and lentils. The flavour is meaty and gently spiced, lifted at the table with ghee, fried onions, mint, ginger juliennes and lemon. It is eaten at iftar to break the fast, as a rich, filling meal.

    At a glance

    RegionTelangana
    CuisineHyderabadi
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time180 minutes
    Total time210 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientsmutton / broken wheat / lentils / ghee / fried onions

    Ingredients

    For the grains

    • 1 cup broken wheat (dalia) or whole wheat, soaked 4 hours
    • 2 tbsp chana dal
    • 2 tbsp toor dal
    • 1 tbsp urad dal
    • 1 tbsp moong dal
    • 2 tbsp barley (optional)
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp salt

    For the meat

    • 750 g boneless mutton, plus a few bones for flavour
    • 1 cup curd
    • 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 2 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 2 tsp garam masala
    • 6 green chillies, crushed
    • 1/2 cup chopped mint
    • 1/2 cup chopped coriander
    • 1 cup fried onions
    • 1/4 cup ghee
    • 1.5 tsp salt
    • 4 cups water

    For topping

    • 1/4 cup ghee
    • 1 cup fried onions
    • 1 inch ginger, julienned
    • mint and coriander leaves
    • lemon wedges
    • cashews fried in ghee (optional)

    Method

    1. Pressure cook the soaked wheat, dals and barley with turmeric, salt and 5 cups water for 8-10 whistles until completely soft. Blend or mash to a smooth paste.
    2. In a large heavy pot, heat the ghee and add the mutton, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric and green chillies. Fry on high heat for 5 minutes.
    3. Add curd, garam masala, salt, half the mint and coriander, the fried onions and 4 cups water. Pressure cook for 6-8 whistles, or simmer covered for 1.5 hours, until the mutton falls apart.
    4. Remove the bones. Shred the meat with two forks, or pulse briefly in a blender with its stock, until it is in fine strands.
    5. Combine the meat and its stock with the wheat-lentil paste in the heavy pot. Cook on low heat for 40-60 minutes, stirring and beating vigorously with a wooden masher every few minutes, until the mixture is thick, stretchy and smooth and the meat is completely amalgamated. Add hot water if it gets too stiff.
    6. Stir in the remaining mint and coriander. The haleem should be thick but spoonable, with ghee glistening on top.
    7. To serve, ladle into bowls, pour hot ghee over each and top with fried onions, ginger, mint, coriander and cashews, with lemon on the side.

    Tips

    • The long, patient beating is what gives haleem its silky, elastic texture; do not skip it.
    • Use a mix of bone-in and boneless mutton for better flavour.
    • Haleem thickens as it cools; loosen leftovers with hot water while reheating.

    Serve with

    Lemon wedges and extra fried onions; Hyderabadis often add a spoon of shorba.

  • Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani

    Hyderabadi biryani grew out of the kitchens of the Nizams, and its most prized form is the kachchi style, where raw marinated meat and par-boiled rice are layered and cooked together under a seal. The meat cooks in the steam of the rice while the rice absorbs the juices of the meat. Getting both done at once is the test of a biryani cook.

    The finished biryani has long, separate grains of basmati in white, yellow and saffron-orange, with tender chicken that is spiced, tangy from curd and lemon, and fragrant with mint, fried onions and kewra. It is the dish of every Hyderabadi wedding and Eid, and of countless Sunday lunches. Every family guards its own ratio of rice to meat and its own garam masala blend.

    At a glance

    RegionTelangana
    CuisineHyderabadi
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseRice
    Prep time40 minutes
    Cook time60 minutes
    Total time100 minutes
    Serves5
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientschicken / basmati rice / curd / fried onions / saffron

    Ingredients

    For the marinade

    • 1 kg chicken, large bone-in pieces
    • 1 cup thick curd
    • 1.5 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 2 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1.5 tsp garam masala
    • 1/2 tsp shahi jeera, crushed
    • 4 green chillies, slit
    • 1/2 cup chopped mint
    • 1/2 cup chopped coriander
    • 1 cup birista (fried onions from 3 large onions)
    • 3 tbsp lemon juice
    • 3 tbsp ghee
    • 2 tbsp oil from frying the onions
    • 1.5 tsp salt

    For the rice

    • 3 cups aged basmati rice, soaked 30 minutes
    • 12 cups water
    • 2 tbsp salt
    • 4 green cardamoms, 4 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon, 2 bay leaves
    • 1 tsp shahi jeera
    • 1 tbsp oil

    For layering

    • a large pinch of saffron in 1/4 cup warm milk
    • 3 tbsp ghee
    • 2 tbsp chopped mint
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 1/2 cup birista
    • 1 tsp kewra water
    • atta dough for sealing

    Method

    1. Mix all the marinade ingredients into the chicken in the heavy, wide pot you will cook the biryani in. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
    2. Bring 12 cups of water to a rolling boil with the salt, whole spices, shahi jeera and oil. The water should taste distinctly salty.
    3. Add the drained rice. Boil on high heat and start checking at 4 minutes: when the grains are about 70 percent cooked, they break when pressed but still have a firm core, scoop out a third of the rice with a slotted spoon and spread it over the chicken.
    4. Boil the remaining rice for another minute and layer half of it over the first layer. Cook the rest another minute until about 85 percent done and spread it on top. Drain well, so very little water goes into the pot.
    5. Drizzle the saffron milk, ghee and kewra water over the rice and scatter mint, coriander and the remaining birista.
    6. Seal the lid with a rope of atta dough, or cover tightly with foil and then the lid.
    7. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes until you hear the marinade sizzle and steam starts to build. Then place the pot on a hot iron tawa and cook on low heat for 35-40 minutes.
    8. Switch off and rest for 10 minutes. Open the seal and serve by scooping from the side so each portion has chicken from the bottom and rice from all layers.

    Tips

    • Use a heavy pot and a tawa underneath during dum to prevent the chicken from burning.
    • Large chicken pieces with bone hold up to the long dum without drying out.
    • Aged basmati gives long, separate grains; new-crop rice breaks.

    Serve with

    Mirchi ka salan and onion-cucumber raita (burani).

  • Mysore Pak

    Mysore pak was created in the kitchens of the Mysore palace during the reign of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV. The palace cook Kakasura Madappa is credited with it, and his family went on to run a well-known sweet shop in the city. Pak or paka refers to the sugar syrup, and the sweet is made from just three ingredients: gram flour, sugar and ghee.

    There are two styles. The traditional one is firm, porous and slightly crumbly with a honeycomb texture, while the soft version made popular by Chennai sweet shops is dense and melts in the mouth. This recipe makes a soft-porous version, golden with a deeper colour at the base, rich with the flavour of roasted besan and ghee.

    At a glance

    RegionKarnataka
    CuisineKannada
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time35 minutes
    Serves12
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsbesan / ghee / sugar

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup besan (gram flour), sifted
    • 1.5 cups sugar
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 1.5 cups ghee, kept hot on a separate burner
    • 1/4 tsp cardamom powder (optional)

    Method

    1. Grease a 7-inch square tin or tray with ghee and keep it ready near the stove.
    2. Mix the sifted besan with 1/2 cup of the warm ghee to a smooth, lump-free, flowing paste.
    3. In a heavy kadai, dissolve the sugar in the water on medium heat and boil until it reaches one-string consistency, about 5-6 minutes. A drop pressed between finger and thumb should form a single thread.
    4. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the besan-ghee paste to the syrup, whisking constantly so no lumps form.
    5. Now add the hot ghee, 2-3 tablespoons at a time, stirring continuously. Each time the mixture absorbs the ghee and bubbles, add more.
    6. Keep cooking and stirring for 8-12 minutes. The mixture will froth up, turn porous and lighter in texture, and begin to leave the sides of the pan with ghee oozing out.
    7. When it reaches this stage and smells of roasted besan, immediately pour it into the greased tin. Do not spread or press it.
    8. Let it cool for 5 minutes, then cut into squares while still warm. Allow to cool completely before removing the pieces.

    Tips

    • The ghee must be hot when added; cold ghee will not make the mixture porous.
    • Remove from the heat as soon as it froths and leaves the sides; a few seconds more makes it hard and crumbly.
    • Cutting while warm gives clean edges; once fully set it breaks unevenly.

    Serve with

    Served on its own as a festive sweet or after a meal, with filter coffee.

  • Kerala Parotta

    Porotta, as it is usually spelt in Kerala, is the bread of the state's roadside thattukadas and hotels, eaten at any hour with beef fry, chicken curry or egg roast. It is thought to have arrived via Sri Lankan and Tamil migrant cooks and has since become a Kerala icon, so popular that its nutrition has been debated in public for years.

    A good parotta has dozens of thin, flaky layers that pull apart easily, crisp at the edges and soft inside. The secret is a soft, well-rested dough, plenty of oil, and stretching the dough until it is almost transparent before pleating and coiling it. After cooking, the parottas are stacked and clapped between the palms to loosen the layers.

    At a glance

    RegionKerala
    CuisineKerala
    DietEggetarian
    CourseBread
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time60 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientsmaida / egg / milk / oil

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups maida (all-purpose flour)
    • 1 egg
    • 1 tbsp sugar
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 cup milk
    • about 1/2 cup water
    • 2 tbsp oil for the dough
    • 1/2 cup oil for oiling and stretching
    • ghee or oil for cooking

    Method

    1. Mix the maida, sugar and salt. Add the egg, milk and 2 tbsp oil, then add water gradually and knead for 10 minutes into a very soft, smooth, elastic dough, softer than chapati dough.
    2. Coat the dough with oil, cover and rest for at least 2 hours, or up to 4 hours. Resting is what lets it stretch thin.
    3. Divide into 8 balls, coat each in oil and rest covered for another 30 minutes.
    4. On an oiled counter, flatten a ball and roll or press it out as thin as possible. Lift and stretch it with your hands, or toss it, until it is translucent and paper thin. Small tears are fine.
    5. Drizzle a little oil over the sheet. Gather it from one edge into loose pleats, like a fan, forming a long rope. Coil the rope into a spiral and tuck the end underneath. Repeat for all, and rest the coils for 10 minutes.
    6. Gently press each coil into a disc about 15 cm across, using your fingers rather than a rolling pin so the layers stay intact.
    7. Cook on a hot tawa on medium heat for 1.5-2 minutes per side, drizzling ghee or oil, until golden brown spots appear on both sides and the parotta is cooked through.
    8. Stack 2-3 hot parottas, and clap them firmly between your palms from the sides a few times to open up the layers. Serve hot.

    Tips

    • A soft dough and a long rest are non-negotiable; stiff dough tears and will not layer.
    • For an egg-free version replace the egg with 2 tbsp curd and a little extra milk.
    • Cooked parottas freeze well; reheat on a tawa and clap again.

    Serve with

    Beef fry, Kerala chicken curry, egg roast or vegetable kurma.

  • Malabar Chicken Biryani

    The biryani of the Malabar coast, especially from Thalassery and Kozhikode, is quite different from the biryanis of the north and of Hyderabad. It uses jeerakasala or kaima rice, a short, fragrant grain, and much less chilli. The influence of Arab traders and the Mappila Muslim community shows in its generous use of ghee, fennel and fried cashews and raisins.

    The chicken masala is cooked separately with plenty of onions, tomatoes, green chillies and ginger-garlic, and the rice is cooked in ghee and stock. The two are layered and sealed on dum. The result is aromatic and gently spiced, rich with ghee, with sweetness from fried onions. It is the dish of weddings and Eid in Malabar.

    At a glance

    RegionKerala
    CuisineMalabar
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseRice
    Prep time40 minutes
    Cook time75 minutes
    Total time115 minutes
    Serves5
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientschicken / kaima rice / ghee / onion / curd

    Ingredients

    For the chicken masala

    • 1 kg chicken, biryani cut
    • 4 tbsp ghee or oil
    • 4 large onions, thinly sliced
    • 8 green chillies, crushed
    • 2 inch ginger and 12 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste
    • 2 tomatoes, chopped
    • 1/2 cup curd
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1.5 tsp garam masala
    • 1/2 cup chopped coriander and mint
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • 1.5 tsp salt

    For the rice

    • 3 cups kaima / jeerakasala rice, washed and drained 20 minutes
    • 3 tbsp ghee
    • 1 inch cinnamon, 4 cloves, 4 cardamoms
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 small onion, sliced
    • 4.5 cups boiling water
    • 1.5 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp lemon juice

    For garnish

    • 3 tbsp ghee
    • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
    • 15 cashews
    • 2 tbsp raisins
    • 1/4 cup chopped coriander and mint
    • pinch of saffron in 2 tbsp milk (optional)

    Method

    1. For garnish, heat 3 tbsp ghee and fry the sliced onion on medium heat for 10-12 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Remove. Fry cashews and raisins in the same ghee, remove, and keep the ghee.
    2. For the masala, heat ghee in a heavy pan and fry the 4 onions on medium heat for 10 minutes until soft and light golden. Add the crushed green chillies and ginger-garlic and saute 3 minutes.
    3. Add tomatoes, turmeric, chilli powder and salt and cook until the tomatoes melt. Add the chicken and toss on high heat for 5 minutes.
    4. Stir in curd, garam masala and half the coriander and mint. Cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes, without adding water, until the chicken is tender and the masala is thick. Add lemon juice.
    5. For the rice, heat 3 tbsp ghee in a large pot. Fry the whole spices, bay leaf and onion for 2 minutes. Add the drained rice and fry gently for 2-3 minutes until the grains turn opaque.
    6. Pour in the boiling water, salt and lemon juice. Cook covered on low heat for 10-12 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is just cooked with separate grains.
    7. To layer, spread half the rice over the chicken masala in its pot (or layer in a separate pot: masala, rice, garnish, rice). Sprinkle half the fried onions, cashews, raisins, herbs and a spoon of the reserved ghee. Top with the remaining rice and garnish, and drizzle saffron milk.
    8. Seal the lid with dough or foil, place the pot on a hot tawa and cook on the lowest heat for 20 minutes. Rest 10 minutes before opening and mix gently from the side while serving.

    Tips

    • Kaima rice is essential for the Malabar taste and texture; basmati makes a different dish.
    • The masala is cooked in the juices of chicken, curd and onions alone; adding water makes it soggy.
    • Fry the garnish onions thin and slow so they turn crisp, not bitter.

    Serve with

    Coconut and date chutney, raita with onion and cucumber, pappadam and lime pickle.