RAG Demo

Tag: Mughlai

  • Malai Kulfi

    Kulfi dates to the Mughal era, when milk thickened with sugar and nuts was packed into metal cones and frozen in pots of ice and saltpetre brought down from the Himalayas. Lucknow, Delhi and Agra still have old kulfi shops, and in summer the kulfiwala with his red cloth-covered matka is a fixture of North Indian evenings.

    Unlike ice cream, kulfi is never churned or whipped. Milk is reduced for a long time until it is thick and slightly caramelised, giving a dense, chewy texture and a deep cooked-milk flavour. Cardamom, saffron and pistachio are classic, and malai kulfi celebrates the cream itself with little else added.

    It is served on a stick, sliced into rounds on a leaf plate, or with falooda and rose syrup. Making it at home takes patience at the stove but no special equipment. The secret is patience: slowly reduced milk gives the dense, caramelised texture that sets kulfi apart. Clay matkas give the most traditional look and a faint earthy aroma, but small steel cups or even paper cups work perfectly well.

    At a glance

    RegionUttar Pradesh
    CuisineMughlai
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time75 minutes
    Total time90 minutes
    Serves8
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsfull-cream milk / sugar / cardamom / saffron / pistachio

    Ingredients

    • 1.5 litres full-cream milk
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
    • A generous pinch of saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
    • 2 tbsp pistachios, finely chopped
    • 1 tbsp almonds, finely chopped
    • 1/4 cup khoya, crumbled (optional, for richness)

    Method

    1. Pour the milk into a wide, heavy-bottomed kadai and bring to a boil on medium-high, stirring.
    2. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring every few minutes and scraping the sides and bottom. Pull the malai that forms on top and on the sides back into the milk.
    3. Continue for 60 to 70 minutes until the milk reduces to about one-third (500 ml), turns pale cream in colour and coats the back of a spoon thickly.
    4. Add sugar and khoya and cook 5 to 7 more minutes until dissolved and the mixture thickens again.
    5. Stir in cardamom, saffron milk, pistachios and almonds. Switch off and cool completely, stirring now and then so no skin forms.
    6. Pour into kulfi moulds, small clay matkas or steel cups. Cover with foil and freeze 8 hours or overnight.
    7. To unmould, roll the mould between your palms or dip it briefly in warm water, then slide the kulfi out. Slice or serve on sticks.

    Tips

    • A wide pan reduces milk faster; a heavy base prevents scorching.
    • For a quicker version, add a tin of condensed milk to 1 litre milk and reduce for 25 minutes.
    • Kulfi keeps for 2 weeks in the freezer, well covered.

    Serve with

    On its own, or with falooda and rose syrup.

  • Chicken Changezi

    Chicken changezi is a dish of Old Delhi's Mughlai eateries around Jama Masjid and Matia Mahal. The name nods to Changez Khan, but the dish is a modern restaurant creation, a cousin of butter chicken with a heavier hand of browned onions, cashews and cream. Places like Karim's and the smaller dhabas of the area made it a late-night favourite.

    The chicken is marinated and grilled or fried until charred, then finished in a thick, buttery gravy that is richer and spicier than makhani. Fried onions and cashews give body and sweetness, tomatoes add tang, and green chillies, garam masala and a whisper of kewra provide the Old Delhi character.

    It is eaten with rumali roti, khamiri roti or naan, usually as part of a meat-heavy feast. A small portion is plenty; this is not an everyday curry. It reheats well, and the flavours deepen overnight, so it can be made a day ahead for a party. The charred chicken is the key, so do not skip the searing step. A squeeze of lemon and a few rings of raw onion on the side cut through the richness.

    At a glance

    RegionDelhi
    CuisineMughlai
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time50 minutes
    Total time80 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientschicken / cashew / cream / onion / tomato

    Ingredients

    For the chicken

    • 800 g bone-in chicken, curry cut
    • 1/2 cup hung curd
    • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1 tsp garam masala
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp oil

    For the gravy

    • 3 tbsp oil
    • 2 tbsp butter
    • 2 large onions, sliced
    • 20 cashews
    • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 3 tomatoes, pureed
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tsp garam masala
    • 3 green chillies, slit
    • 1/3 cup cream
    • 1/2 tsp kewra water
    • Salt to taste
    • Chopped coriander

    Method

    1. Marinate the chicken with curd, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, garam masala, lemon and salt for at least 2 hours.
    2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy pan or tawa on high. Sear the chicken in batches, 4 to 5 minutes per side, until charred in places. Set aside. (Or grill at 230 C for 20 minutes.)
    3. In a pan, heat 3 tbsp oil and fry the onions on medium for 12 minutes until golden. Add cashews for the last 2 minutes. Cool and grind to a smooth paste with a little water.
    4. Heat butter in a heavy pot on medium. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook 1 minute, then the tomato puree with chilli powder, coriander, turmeric and salt. Cook 8 minutes until thick.
    5. Add the onion-cashew paste and cook on low, stirring, for 6 to 8 minutes until the gravy turns glossy and fat separates.
    6. Add 1 cup hot water and the seared chicken. Cover and simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
    7. Add green chillies, garam masala and cream, simmer 3 minutes, then sprinkle kewra and coriander.

    Tips

    • Charring the chicken first gives the dish its smoky Old Delhi flavour.
    • Stir the onion-cashew paste constantly; it catches easily.
    • For extra richness, finish with a tablespoon of butter just before serving.

    Serve with

    Rumali roti, khamiri roti or butter naan.

  • Nihari

    Nihari comes from the Arabic word nahar, meaning morning, and in Old Delhi it was traditionally eaten after the dawn prayer. The dish is said to have been cooked in the Mughal kitchens of the late eighteenth century, and the shops around Jama Masjid and Ballimaran still cook it overnight in sealed degs and sell out within hours of opening.

    Bone-in shanks and marrow bones simmer for many hours in a broth spiced with a dedicated nihari masala of fennel, dried ginger, long pepper, mace and nutmeg. Roasted wheat flour thickens it into a silky, glossy gravy, and a slick of spiced ghee floats on top. The meat should fall off the bone at a touch.

    It is eaten with khamiri roti or kulcha, garnished at the table with julienned ginger, green chillies, coriander, fried onions and lemon. In homes it is a weekend or Eid breakfast, often cooked the night before. The bone marrow is a prized part, sucked out straight from the bone. It is very rich, so most people eat it slowly, with long breaks for tea.

    At a glance

    RegionDelhi
    CuisineMughlai
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time240 minutes
    Total time260 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientsmutton shanks / atta / ghee / nihari masala

    Ingredients

    For the nihari masala

    • 1 tbsp saunf (fennel)
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 tsp black peppercorns
    • 2 pippali (long pepper)
    • 4 cloves
    • 2 black cardamom
    • 4 green cardamom
    • 1 inch cinnamon
    • 1 blade mace
    • 1/4 nutmeg
    • 1 tsp sonth (dry ginger) powder

    For the nihari

    • 1 kg mutton shanks (nalli) and bone-in pieces
    • 2 marrow bones (optional)
    • 1/2 cup ghee
    • 2 large onions, thinly sliced
    • 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 2 tsp salt
    • 8 cups hot water
    • 1/3 cup whole wheat atta mixed with 1 cup water

    To garnish

    • 2 inch ginger, julienned
    • 4 green chillies, sliced
    • Chopped coriander
    • Fried onions
    • Lemon wedges

    Method

    1. Dry-roast the whole spices for the nihari masala on low for 2 minutes until fragrant. Cool and grind fine with the sonth.
    2. Heat ghee in a large heavy pot on medium. Fry the onions for 12 to 15 minutes until deep golden. Lift out half and keep for garnish.
    3. Add the mutton and marrow bones and sear on medium-high for 8 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry 2 minutes.
    4. Add chilli powders, coriander, turmeric, salt and 2 tbsp of the nihari masala. Stir-fry 3 minutes, adding a splash of water if the spices stick.
    5. Pour in the hot water and bring to a boil. Cover tightly (seal the lid with dough if you like) and cook on the lowest heat for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the meat comes away from the bone easily.
    6. Meanwhile, dry-roast the atta in a small pan on low for 5 minutes until it smells nutty and turns light brown, then whisk it into 1 cup water until smooth.
    7. Skim off some of the fat from the top of the pot and reserve it. Stir the atta mixture into the nihari and simmer, stirring, for 20 to 25 minutes until silky and thick.
    8. Heat the reserved fat with 1 tsp chilli powder and 1 tsp nihari masala and pour over the top before serving. Garnish at the table.

    Tips

    • Shanks give the gelatinous body nihari is known for; boneless meat will not.
    • A pressure cooker cuts the cooking to about 50 minutes, but the slow-cooked version is noticeably silkier.
    • Nihari reheats well; it thickens on cooling, so loosen with hot water.

    Serve with

    Khamiri roti or kulcha, with ginger, green chillies, fried onions and lemon.

  • Malai Kofta

    Malai kofta is a vegetarian take on the meat koftas of Mughlai cooking, developed in the kitchens of Awadh and later popularised by North Indian restaurants. The name refers to cream, both in the gravy and, in many old recipes, in the kofta mixture itself, which makes the dumplings exceptionally soft.

    The koftas are made from grated paneer and boiled potato, bound with a little cornflour and stuffed with chopped cashews and raisins before being fried golden. They should be crisp outside and soft enough inside to break with a spoon. The gravy is a mild, silky blend of tomatoes, onions and cashews, finished with cream and a touch of sugar.

    It is a special-occasion dish for weddings, Diwali and dinner parties. To keep the koftas from turning soggy, the gravy is poured over them just before serving rather than simmered together. The koftas can be fried a day ahead and the gravy kept in the fridge, so the final assembly takes only minutes. Serve it with plain naan or a light peas pulao, since the dish itself is already very rich.

    At a glance

    RegionUttar Pradesh
    CuisineMughlai
    DietVegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time40 minutes
    Total time70 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientspaneer / potato / cashew / cream / tomato

    Ingredients

    For the koftas

    • 200 g paneer, finely grated
    • 2 medium potatoes, boiled, cooled and grated
    • 2 tbsp cornflour, plus extra for coating
    • 1 green chilli, finely chopped
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/4 tsp garam masala
    • 1 tbsp chopped cashews
    • 1 tbsp raisins
    • Oil for deep frying

    For the gravy

    • 2 tbsp butter
    • 1 tbsp oil
    • 1 bay leaf, 3 green cardamom, 3 cloves
    • 1 large onion, chopped
    • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 3 tomatoes, chopped
    • 15 cashews, soaked
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/2 tsp garam masala
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 1/2 tsp kasuri methi
    • 1/4 cup fresh cream
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Mix paneer, potato, cornflour, green chilli, salt and garam masala and knead lightly into a smooth, crack-free dough. Divide into 12 portions.
    2. Flatten each portion, place a few pieces of cashew and a raisin in the centre, close and roll into a smooth ball or oval. Roll lightly in cornflour.
    3. Heat oil to medium-hot, about 170 C. Fry one test kofta first; if it breaks, add a little more cornflour to the mixture. Fry 3 to 4 at a time, turning gently, for 3 to 4 minutes until evenly golden. Drain on paper.
    4. For the gravy, heat butter and oil on medium, add the whole spices, then onion. Cook 4 minutes until soft and translucent.
    5. Add ginger-garlic paste for a minute, then tomatoes, cashews and a splash of water. Cover and cook 10 minutes until very soft. Cool and blend smooth, then strain.
    6. Return the puree to the pan with chilli powder, coriander powder, salt and 3/4 cup water. Simmer 10 minutes on low until creamy and glossy.
    7. Add sugar, garam masala and crushed kasuri methi, then stir in the cream and heat through.
    8. Arrange the koftas in a serving dish and pour the hot gravy over just before serving. Garnish with a swirl of cream.

    Tips

    • Squeeze excess moisture from the paneer and use potatoes boiled a few hours ahead; wet mixture causes koftas to split in oil.
    • Do not overcrowd the kadai – the oil temperature drops and koftas absorb oil.
    • Koftas can be fried up to a day ahead and reheated in a warm oven.

    Serve with

    Butter naan, kulcha or peas pulao.

  • Shahi Paneer

    Shahi means royal, and shahi paneer belongs to the Mughlai tradition of Awadh and Delhi, where court cooks favoured rich, nut-thickened gravies perfumed with cardamom, mace and flower waters. The vegetarian version became a staple of North Indian weddings, where it often sits beside dal makhani on the buffet. It still holds a place of honour on festive menus.

    Compared with paneer butter masala, it is paler, nuttier and more aromatic. Onions are boiled or gently cooked without browning, blended with cashews and melon seeds, then simmered with curd, cream and whole spices. The taste is mild, slightly sweet and creamy, with a floral finish from kewra or rose water and a pinch of saffron.

    It is a celebration dish for Diwali dinners, family functions and guests, served with naan, sheermal or a fragrant pulao. A small portion goes a long way because it is rich. Because the gravy is mild and nutty, it also balances a spicier dish such as kadai paneer or chole on the same table. The onion-cashew paste can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated, leaving only a short simmer before serving.

    At a glance

    RegionUttar Pradesh
    CuisineMughlai
    DietVegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time35 minutes
    Total time55 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientspaneer / cashew / onion / curd / cream

    Ingredients

    For the white paste

    • 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
    • 15 cashews
    • 1 tbsp magaz (melon seeds), optional
    • 2 green chillies
    • 1 inch ginger
    • 4 garlic cloves
    • 1 cup water

    For the gravy

    • 300 g paneer, cubed
    • 3 tbsp ghee
    • 1 bay leaf, 4 green cardamom, 4 cloves, 1 small cinnamon stick
    • 1/2 cup thick curd, whisked
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/4 tsp green cardamom powder
    • A pinch of mace powder
    • A pinch of saffron soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk
    • 1/4 cup fresh cream
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 3 to 4 drops kewra water
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Simmer onions, cashews, melon seeds, green chillies, ginger and garlic in 1 cup water for 10 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. Cool and blend to a fine, smooth paste.
    2. Heat ghee in a heavy pan on medium-low. Add bay leaf, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and let them sizzle for 30 seconds.
    3. Add the onion-cashew paste and cook on low, stirring constantly, for 8 to 10 minutes until it thickens and ghee starts to separate. Do not let it brown.
    4. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the whisked curd, so it does not split. Return to low heat and cook 4 to 5 minutes.
    5. Add chilli powder, coriander powder, salt and sugar with 1/2 cup water. Simmer 5 minutes.
    6. Add the paneer, saffron milk, cardamom and mace powders. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
    7. Stir in the cream and kewra water, heat through without boiling, and serve garnished with a few slivered almonds or pistachios.

    Tips

    • Keep the heat low throughout; browning the onion paste turns the gravy beige and changes the flavour.
    • Whisk the curd until completely smooth and add it off the heat to prevent curdling.
    • Kewra is strong – a few drops is plenty.

    Serve with

    Butter naan, sheermal or saffron pulao.