RAG Demo

Tag: Make ahead

  • Shami Kebab

    Shami kebabs are found across North India and Pakistan, but Lucknow and Hyderabad claim them most strongly. Unlike galouti, they are made from boneless meat boiled with chana dal and whole spices, then ground together. The dal binds the mixture and gives the kebabs their characteristic soft, slightly grainy texture.

    A well-made shami is crisp on the outside and tender within, with a filling of chopped onion, mint and green chilli that adds freshness and crunch. The spicing is warm rather than hot: cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black pepper and dried red chillies cooked into the meat itself. An egg helps the kebabs hold together in the pan.

    They are made in large batches before Eid and Ramzan iftars, frozen and fried as needed. Shamis are also served at tea time, tucked into bread rolls, or as part of a dinner spread with paratha and chutney. A tray of frozen shamis means a hot snack is always minutes away when guests drop by.

    At a glance

    RegionUttar Pradesh
    CuisineAwadhi
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseSnack
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time50 minutes
    Total time80 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsboneless mutton / chana dal / egg / onion / mint

    Ingredients

    For cooking

    • 500 g boneless mutton, cut into small pieces
    • 1/3 cup chana dal, soaked 1 hour
    • 1 onion, sliced
    • 1 1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 6 dried red chillies
    • 1 tsp black peppercorns
    • 4 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom
    • 6 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf
    • 1 tsp shahi jeera
    • 1 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2 cups water

    For binding and stuffing

    • 1 egg
    • 1/2 tsp garam masala
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped
    • 2 tbsp chopped mint
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 1 tsp lemon juice

    To fry

    • Oil or ghee for shallow frying
    • 1 beaten egg for dipping (optional)

    Method

    1. Put mutton, drained chana dal, sliced onion, ginger-garlic paste, whole spices, salt and water in a pressure cooker. Cook 5 to 6 whistles until the mutton is very soft and the dal is mushy.
    2. Open and cook uncovered on medium heat, stirring, until all the liquid evaporates and the mixture is completely dry, 8 to 10 minutes. This step is crucial; any moisture makes the kebabs break.
    3. Cool, remove the bay leaf and cinnamon, and grind the mixture to a fine, smooth dough without water.
    4. Add the egg and garam masala and knead well. Mix the chopped onion, mint, coriander, green chillies and lemon juice separately for the stuffing.
    5. Take a lemon-sized ball, flatten it, place a teaspoon of stuffing in the centre, close and flatten into a 6 cm patty. Repeat.
    6. Heat a little oil on a tawa on medium. Dip each kebab in beaten egg if using, and shallow fry 2 to 3 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp.
    7. Drain on paper and serve hot.

    Tips

    • If the mixture feels soft, add a tablespoon of roasted besan or breadcrumbs.
    • Shaped kebabs freeze well for 2 months – freeze on a tray, then bag them, and fry from frozen on low heat.
    • Grind in short bursts so the motor does not heat the mixture and make it pasty.

    Serve with

    Mint-coriander chutney, onion rings and lemon, or tucked into a paratha.

  • Prawn Balchao

    Balchao is a Goan preparation of prawns or fish in a fiery, sweet-sour paste of red chillies, garlic, spices and vinegar. It is thought to have come to Goa from Macau, where balichao was a fermented shrimp sauce, and Goan cooks transformed it into a pickle-like curry. Prawn balchao is made by Catholic families for Christmas and festive meals.

    The flavour is intense: tangy from vinegar, hot from red chillies, sweet from sugar or jaggery and deeply savoury from the prawns. The gravy is thick and clings to the prawns. Because of the vinegar, balchao keeps for weeks in the refrigerator, and many families make it in large batches to last through the monsoon.

    A small spoon of balchao is served with rice and dal or eaten with pao. It also makes a good accompaniment to drinks. It is a popular gift for Goans living abroad. Fish and dried prawn versions are made the same way, and some families prepare balchao with pork too.

    At a glance

    RegionGoa
    CuisineGoan
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time60 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsprawns / red chillies / vinegar / garlic

    Ingredients

    For the prawns

    • 500 g small prawns, cleaned and deveined
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric

    For the balchao paste

    • 15 dried Kashmiri chillies
    • 5 dried spicy chillies
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 tsp black peppercorns
    • 6 cloves
    • 1 inch cinnamon
    • 15 garlic cloves
    • 2 inch ginger
    • 1/2 cup coconut or palm vinegar

    For cooking

    • 1/2 cup oil
    • 2 onions, finely chopped
    • 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
    • 2 tbsp sugar or jaggery
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Rub the prawns with salt and turmeric and set aside for 15 minutes. Pat dry.
    2. Soak the chillies in the vinegar for 30 minutes and grind with the remaining paste ingredients to a smooth paste.
    3. Heat 2 tbsp oil and fry the prawns on high for 2-3 minutes until pink. Remove.
    4. Heat the remaining oil on medium and cook the onions for 10-12 minutes until deep golden. Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until they break down.
    5. Add the balchao paste and fry for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens and oil separates.
    6. Add sugar and salt, then the prawns. Cook on low for 5-6 minutes until the prawns are coated and the gravy is thick.
    7. Cool completely and store in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator. Rest for at least a day before eating.

    Tips

    • Fry the prawns lightly first to remove moisture; this helps the balchao keep longer.
    • Use a clean, dry spoon when serving to prevent spoilage.
    • Increase the oil if you want to store it for longer.

    Serve with

    Steamed rice and dal, or Goan pao.

  • Sorpotel

    Sorpotel is a rich, spicy Goan pork dish made for Christmas, weddings and feasts. It came from Portuguese sarapatel, a stew of offal, and Goan cooks made it their own with local chillies, spices and toddy vinegar. Traditional sorpotel uses pork meat, fat and liver, and sometimes heart and blood, boiled, diced small and cooked in a vinegar masala.

    The flavour is deeply savoury, tangy and spicy, with a rich, slightly gamey depth from the liver. The gravy is thick, dark red and coats every small piece of meat. Like vindaloo, sorpotel is cooked ahead, and families reheat it daily for several days, which concentrates the flavour. The texture is soft and rich.

    It is served with sannas, the soft steamed rice cakes of Goa, or with pao. A plate of sorpotel and sannas is the centrepiece of many Goan Christmas lunches. Many Goans believe sorpotel is best on the third day, and families plan their festive cooking around that. It also freezes well for later meals.

    At a glance

    RegionGoa
    CuisineGoan
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time40 minutes
    Cook time90 minutes
    Total time130 minutes
    Serves8
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientspork / pork liver / kashmiri chillies / vinegar

    Ingredients

    For boiling

    • 1 kg pork with fat (shoulder or belly)
    • 250 g pork liver
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • Water to cover

    For the masala

    • 20 dried Kashmiri chillies
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 tsp black peppercorns
    • 8 cloves
    • 2 inch cinnamon
    • 1 tsp turmeric
    • 20 garlic cloves
    • 2 inch ginger
    • 3/4 cup coconut or palm vinegar

    For cooking

    • 3 tbsp oil or pork fat
    • 3 onions, finely chopped
    • 4 green chillies, slit
    • 1 tbsp sugar
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Put the pork and liver in a pot with salt, turmeric and water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20-25 minutes until just cooked.
    2. Remove the meat, cool and dice into very small, 1/2 inch cubes. Keep the stock.
    3. Soak the chillies in the vinegar for 30 minutes and grind with the other masala ingredients to a smooth paste.
    4. Heat oil in a heavy pot on medium. Fry the diced pork fat pieces first for 5 minutes to render fat, then add the onions and green chillies and cook for 10 minutes until golden.
    5. Add the masala paste and fry for 8-10 minutes until it darkens and oil separates.
    6. Add the diced meat and liver and fry for 5 minutes. Pour in 2 cups of the reserved stock and add sugar and salt.
    7. Simmer on low for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gravy is thick and the meat is tender. Cool and refrigerate.
    8. Reheat once a day for 2-3 days before serving, adding a splash of vinegar or stock if it gets too thick.

    Tips

    • Dice the meat very small; this is characteristic of sorpotel.
    • Reheating daily is traditional and essential for the best flavour.
    • Keep the stock; it adds depth to the gravy.

    Serve with

    Sannas or Goan pao.

  • Qubani ka Meetha

    Qubani ka meetha is a classic Hyderabadi dessert made from dried apricots, which reached the Deccan from Afghanistan and Central Asia. It is a must at Hyderabadi weddings, where it is served as the final sweet course, often next to double ka meetha. The small, hard, light-brown dried apricots with their stones are essential to the true taste.

    The apricots are soaked, stoned and cooked slowly with sugar until they break down into a thick, glossy, amber-brown compote with some pieces still whole. It tastes deep, tangy-sweet and slightly caramel. It is served warm or chilled, topped with cream, malai or custard, and the cracked kernels from the stones are sometimes used as garnish.

    At a glance

    RegionTelangana
    CuisineHyderabadi
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time35 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsdried apricots / sugar / cream / almonds

    Ingredients

    • 250 g dried Hyderabadi apricots (qubani), with stones
    • 4 cups water for soaking
    • 1/2 cup sugar, adjust to taste
    • 1 tsp lemon juice
    • 1/2 cup fresh cream or thick malai
    • 10 almonds, blanched and sliced

    Method

    1. Wash the apricots well and soak them in 4 cups water overnight, or for at least 8 hours, until plump and soft.
    2. Remove the stones by squeezing each apricot gently; keep the soaking water. Crack a few stones and remove the kernels for garnish if you like.
    3. Put the apricots and the soaking water in a heavy pan and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium-low heat for 15 minutes until very soft.
    4. Mash about half the apricots with a spoon, leaving the rest in pieces.
    5. Add the sugar and cook on low heat for another 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens to a jammy consistency and turns glossy and deep amber.
    6. Stir in the lemon juice and switch off. It will thicken more as it cools.
    7. Serve warm or chilled in small bowls, topped with cream or malai and sliced almonds or the apricot kernels.

    Tips

    • Use the small Hyderabadi or Afghani dried apricots with stones; Turkish apricots give a different, brighter flavour.
    • Taste before adding all the sugar, since apricot sweetness varies.
    • Vanilla custard is a popular alternative topping at weddings.

    Serve with

    Fresh cream, malai, vanilla ice cream or custard.

  • Puliyodarai

    Puliyodarai, also called puli sadam or tamarind rice, is the most famous prasadam of Vaishnava temples in Tamil Nadu, and Iyengar families have kept the recipe as a point of pride. The heart of it is pulikachal, a tamarind paste cooked slowly in gingelly oil until thick and dark. Made in bulk, the paste keeps for weeks and turns leftover rice into a meal in minutes.

    The flavour is sour, spicy and slightly sweet, with a nutty depth from roasted sesame and fenugreek. Good puliyodarai is glossy and well coated, each grain brown and separate. It tastes better a few hours after mixing, which is why it is the standard food for train journeys and pilgrimages.

    At a glance

    RegionTamil Nadu
    CuisineIyengar
    DietVegan
    CourseRice
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time35 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / tamarind / sesame seeds / peanuts / gingelly oil

    Ingredients

    For the spice powder

    • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
    • 1 tsp chana dal
    • 1 tsp urad dal
    • 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
    • 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
    • 4 dry red chillies
    • 1 tbsp white sesame seeds

    For the pulikachal

    • large lemon-sized ball of tamarind (about 60 g), soaked in 1.5 cups hot water
    • 1/3 cup gingelly oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1 tbsp chana dal
    • 1 tsp urad dal
    • 3 tbsp raw peanuts
    • 3 dry red chillies, broken
    • 2 sprigs curry leaves
    • 1/2 tsp asafoetida
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1.5 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp grated jaggery

    For the rice

    • 4 cups cooked rice (from 1.25 cups raw), cooled
    • 1 tbsp gingelly oil

    Method

    1. Dry roast the coriander, chana dal, urad dal, fenugreek, pepper and red chillies on low heat for 4-5 minutes until golden and fragrant. Add sesame in the last minute and roast until it pops. Cool and grind to a fine powder.
    2. Extract about 1.5 cups of thick tamarind extract and strain.
    3. Heat the gingelly oil in a heavy kadai on medium heat. Fry the peanuts for 2 minutes until crunchy, then add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
    4. Add chana dal, urad dal and red chillies and fry until the dals are golden. Add curry leaves and asafoetida.
    5. Pour in the tamarind extract with turmeric and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low-medium heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring now and then, until it reduces to a thick paste and oil separates at the edges.
    6. Stir in jaggery and 3 tbsp of the spice powder and cook for 2 more minutes. This is the pulikachal.
    7. Spread the cooled rice in a wide bowl, drizzle with 1 tbsp gingelly oil and add about 4-5 tbsp of pulikachal and 1 tbsp more spice powder.
    8. Mix gently with your fingers or a flat spoon until every grain is coated. Taste and adjust. Rest for at least an hour before serving.

    Tips

    • Leftover pulikachal keeps in a clean dry jar in the fridge for a month, provided it is covered with oil.
    • Cooking the rice slightly firm with a few drops of oil keeps the grains separate.
    • Do not hurry the reduction; undercooked pulikachal tastes raw and sharp.

    Serve with

    Appalam, vadam and a cup of curd or curd rice.