Fish Kofta Curry - A Mughlai Touch

Along with the recipe of Fish kofta Curry, today I am sharing few facts of Mughlai cuisine.

1. Mughlai cuisine is the fusion of Persian and existing north Indian cuisine. 
2. Mughal were Moslems and didn't eat Pork. Hindus didn't eat Beef. So both beef and pork were avoided in Mughal cooking. Fowls, sheep and goat, and venison were the main meat dishes. 
3. For elegance, silver and gold edible foils were used to decorate foods. The gold and silver ones were used to make dinner-ware. 
4. Chinese porcelain was used for beverages. The Durbar became a complete community dinning affair. 
5. The Turkic and Afgan during Mughal Sultanate period introduced underground Tandoor (oven) to make Naan (flattened bread). Other items introduced later are Keema, Kebab, Yogurt, Paneer. 
6. During Akbar period, the royal kitchen had become a laboratory of Mughal Culinary. 
7. Tenure of Jahangir and Shahjahan were the golden period in the evolution of Mughlai Cuisine. 
8. Portable Tandoor was developed during Shahjahan's period. 
9. During Shahjahan's period Portugese introduce new agricultural products to India such as Maize, Potato, Tomato, Papaya, Pineapples, Cashew, Chili pepper etc. Finally these products got integrated to Mughlai Cuisine. 
10. After Aurangzeb's tenure, new centre of ruling power emerged. The centre included Hyderabad, Lucknow, Lahore. 

Ingredients to cook Fish Kofta Curry:

Katla Fish – 6 pieces (medium size)

Egg – 1

Onion Paste – 3/4 cup 
Onion - 1/4 cup (finly chopped)

Green Chili – 5-6

Ginger + Garlic paste - 1 tbsp.  

Mustard Oil – 3 tbsp.

Cumin Seed – 1 tsp

Garam Masala – 1 tsp.

Coriander Powder – 1 tsp.

Red Chili Powder – 1 tsp.

Bay leaf – 1 (big size)

Cloves – 4-5

Cardamom – 2-3

Tomato – 1 (medium size, I made paste from tomato in mixer grinder.)

Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp

Green Coriander for garnishing (Finely chopped)

Salt to taste
Water 

Process to  cook Fish Kofta Curry

1. Wash the fish pieces under running water.
2. Spread little turmeric and salt over the fish. Rub them very well. Keep it aside for 10-15 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a deep-bottom frying pan. Once the oil is hot, fry the fishes. But DON’T DEEP-FRY THEM.
4. Take out the fried fishes from the oil and set aside for cooling down.
5. After 10-15 minutes, you have to remove bones from the fish pieces. It takes much time. It is a low-effort but high pay-off task. Make sure that there is not a single tiny pin bones inside the fish pieces.
6. Now add finely chopped Onion, half portion of ingredients such as Ginger+Garlic Paste, Cumin Powder, Coriander powder, Lemon Juice and chopped green chili to the fish. Mix and mash it well.
7. Break the egg on top of mashed fish. Mix well again. Set aside for 10 minutes.
8. Now make small balls from the mixture. Keep the balls aside.
9. Heat the same oil which you used to fry the fishes. Fry these balls. You just need to fry them till golden brown as shown in the image. DEEP-FRYING IS NOT REQUIRED. Set these half-done Fish Kofta aside.

[If you don’t want to fry the fish balls in oil, you can put them in the micro-oven for 10 minutes.]

10. In the same pan, add little more mustard oil. Heat the oil. Add cumin seed, bay leaf, cardamom, cloves. It will crackle in few seconds.
11. Add onion paste. Stir gently and let it be cooked till slightly brown.
12. Add tomato Puree and stir well. Cook it till you feel the raw smell of tomato goes away.
13. Now add rest portion of the ingredients like Ginger+Garlic paste, Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder and Green Chili. Stir well.
14. Add Turmeric Powder, Red Chili Powder and Garam Masala and mix well with the boiling curry. 
15. Add little water as per your requirement for gravy. Let it be boiled.
16. Check the seasoning and adjust according to your taste. I added salt at this stage. Because after marination, I didn’t add salt.
17. Now reduce the heat. Place the fried Kofta in the curry one by one. Stir once. Turn off the heat after 5-7 minutes.
18. Sprinkle little Lemon juice over the Kofta Curry. Cover the pan with a lid. Let them inside the pan for 10 minutes, so the Kofta can absorb little gravy. 

You can serve it with Steamed Rice. 

Makki Atte ki Kadhi Pakode (Cornmeal Fritter in Yogurt based Sauce)

Ingredients for Makki Atte ki Kadhi Pakode: (For 2 persons)

A. For pakode:

Makki Atta- 1 cup
Onion-1 cup (finely chopped)
Green chili- 3-4 or more as per your taste (finely chopped)
Cumin Powder- 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda- a pinch
Water to knead the cornmeal
Salt as per your taste
Oil for frying the fritters

B. For Kadhi (Yogurt Sauce):

Yogurt- 1.5 cup
Gram Flour- 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
Ginger Paste: 1/2 tbsp
Water- 1 cup or more as per your need

C. For Tempering: 

Black Mustard Seed- Little less than 1/2 tsp 
Fenugreek Seed- Little less than 1/2 tsp 
Dried Red Chili- 2
Curry Leaves - 4-5 (I used curry leaves powder)
White Oil 

Process to cook Makki Atte ki Kadhi Pakode:

Making Pakode:

1. Combine all the ingredients mentioned in list A (except oil). Now knead it to make a thick dough. 
2. Make small size balls from the dough. Keep the balls aside for 10 minutes. 
3. Meanwhile heat oil in a deep bottomed frying pan. Fry those balls in batches. Set them aside. 

Making Yogurt Sauce:

1. Take Yogurt in a mixing bowl. Add Ginger paste, Gram Flour, Turmeric Powder. Mix well. Add water little by little. Mix well to make a smooth and running batter. 

Tampering and making Kadhi Pakode:

1. Heat oil in the pan. Once oil is hot, add Mustard Seeds and Curry leaves (or powder). Wait till it crackles. Add Dried Red Chili, then Fenugreek Seeds. 
2. Reduce the heat. Pour the batter to the hot oil. And stir well. Wait till it starts boiling. Keep stirring occasionally. 
3. Add the fried balls to the Yogurt Sauce. Cook for few minutes,
4. Turn off the heat. Set Kadhi Pakode inside pan as the fritter would take time to soak the sauce. 
5. Transfer the Kadhi Pakode in a serving bowl. 

Serve your Makki Atte Ki Kadhi Pakode with Steamed Rice or Roti.  

Dahi Bhalla (Dahi Vada)

Ingredients to cook Dahi Bhalla: 

A. For Bhalla: 
Urad Dal - 1 cup (For 10 Vadas)
Asafoetida (Hing) - a pinch
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp (crushed)
Ginger + Green Chili Paste - 2 tsp
Salt
Oil to fry

B. For assembling Dahi Bhalla:

Yogurt - 3 cups
Water - 1/2 cup
Sugar 
Salt
Date-Tamarind Chutney
Green Chutney

D. To sprinkle

Roasted Cumin
Red Chili Powder
Black Salt
Black Pepper Powder
Chat Masala
Sev or Boondi (I used Sev)

Process to cook Dahi Bhalla: 

1. Soak Urad Dal in water over night or at least 6-7 hours. 
2. Drain the water. 
3. Place it in mixer grinder bowl to make a smooth paste. Add water to make the paste. Remember, you need a thick paste, the consistency of the paste should be like cake batter, not like running water. 
4. Add crushed cumin seeds, Ginger + Chili Paste, and Salt. 
5. Beat well until the paste becomes fluffy and airy. Beat it for 4-5 minutes continuously. Set aside. 
6. Take oil in a deep bottom frying pan. Heat the oil.
7. Put few dollops of paste on hot oil. Reduce the hear.
8. Fry till it gets golden brown colour. Take out the dumpling from the oil and set them in a paper lined plate or bowl. Fry rest of the dollop this way in different batches.
9. Now prepare the salt syrup. Take water in a sauce pan. Add little salt to water. Heat the water. You don't need to boil it. Lukewarm water is required.
10. Dip the dumpling into warm salt syrup.

This dumpling is known as Bhalle. Leave them as it is. You have to take it just before serving. 

11. Now assemble Dahi, Chutney and other garnishing spices.
12. Take Dahi in bowl and add little water, sugar and salt. Whisk well.
13. Take out Red Chutney and Green Chutney from Refrigerator.
14. Squeeze excess water from the Bhalle. Arrange them on a serving plate.
15. Pour 1 ladle of Dahi on top of Bhalle. Make sure Dahi coats all the Bhalle very well.
16. Spread 2 Tbsp of Red Chutney over Dahi. Now spread Green Chutney.
17. Sprinkle Roasted Cumin Powder and Red Chili Powder, Black Salt, Pepper Powder and then Sev. 

Egg Chicken Bharta with delectable flavour

Ingredients to cook Egg Chicken Bharta (for 2 persons):

A. To boil chicken pieces

Boneless Chicken – 200 grams (I took 4-5 big size boneless pieces)

Ginger + garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Grated Onion – 1 tbsp

Bay leaf – 1 (small size)

Black peppercorn – 4-5

Cinnamon – 1 inch stick

Salt

Water

B. To make gravy

Hard-boiled eggs – 2

Home-made Tandoori Masala – 1

Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp

Tomato Paste – 1 ½ tbsp.

Yoghurt – 2 tbsp

Bay leaf – 1-2 leaf

Cinnamon – 1 inch stick * 3

Cardamom – 3-4

Cloves  - 4-5

Red Chili Powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Milk / Fresh Cream – ½ cup (I always use Milk)

Kasturi Methi leaves – ½ tbsp.

Salt

Suger

Kewra Water - 2-3 drops

C. Garnishing

Butter – 1 tbsp

Garam Masala Powder – 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves (Finely chopped) - 1 tbsp

Process to cook Egg Chicken Bharta:

1. Wash the chicken pieces well. Cut them into small small pieces. I cut them vertically and each small piece was very thin and max 1 inch long.

2. Take water in a pan.  Heat the water. Meanwhile add the ingredients mentioned in the list A. Make sure the heat is in high flame.

3. When water starts boiling, reduce the heat. You will find white coloured foamy stuff on the upper surface of the water. It is called “scum”. Take this out with a ladle and keep it in a bowl. We shall use it later. 

4. Turn off the heat. Take out the chicken pieces from the water and set aside for cooling down.

Don’t throw away the water (it is called broth). We will use it in making gravy. 

5. Heat oil or ghee in a deep bottom frying pan. Once it is hot, add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Cook till they releases strong aroma.

6. Add onion and cook till it becomes soft and golden brown in colour.

7. Add ginger+garlic paste and stir well for 2 minutes.

8. Add tomato paste and mix well. Let it be boiled for few minutes.

9. Add Tandoori masala, then, turmeric powder, red chili powder. Mix well.

10. Reduce the heat as you are going to add Yoghurt now. Before that you need to add little sugar and salt to the Yoghurt. Beat well. There should not be any lump in the Yoghurt. Pour it into the mixture which you are cooking in the pan. Mix well. Cook till the oil separates from the spices.

11. Now add the chicken pieces with little salt and little water (if required – max 2 tbsp). Mix well.

12. After that you have to add the scum and broth. Let it be boiled in medium heat. If you need more gravy, you can add water at this stage. 

13. Meanwhile peel the eggs and separate the yolk from the white part of the egg.

14. Mash the yolk and add to the chicken. Don’t worry, white part of the egg will be used later. Make sure that the yolk mixes well with the chicken.

15. Cover the pan with a lid. Cook for 4-5 minutes in medium heat. Keep stirring occasionally.

16. Now cut the white part of the egg into small pieces, same way you did with chicken pieces. Add them to the boiling curry. Stir well. Check the seasoning at this stage.

17. Add few drops of Kewra water to the curry. Mix well.

18. Reduce the flame. Now add milk or fresh cream and Kasturi methi leaves. Mix well again. Turn off the heat. 

18. Your Egg Chicken Bharta is almost ready. Now prepare the garnishing part. 

19. Now melt butter in a sauce pan. Add garam masala powder. Mix well.

20. Add this butter mix immediately to the Bharta and cover the pan. You don’t need to mix. Leave it as it is for 10 minutes.

21. After 10 minutes, transfer the Bharta to a bowl. Spread some chopped coriander leaves on top.

You can serve it with hot nun, chapatti or rumali roti. 

Handpicked leg pieces from Bhuna Murg

Things You need to cook Bhuna Murg: (For 4 persons)

For marinade:

8 chicken pieces (I used only leg pieces, skinned)

Lime Juice (2 tbsp)

Turmeric powder (1 tbsp)

Red chili powder (1 tbsp)

Salt (2 tsp)

Yogurt (4 tbsp)

Finely chopped onion (1 medium size)

Mustard Oil (1 tbsp)

For gravy:

Mustard oil - 3-4 tbsp (If you wish, you can add more.)

Green cardamom  + cloves + cinnamon - 3 of each

Bay leaves - 1

Thinly sliced onion - 2 cups 

Garlic-ginger paste - 2 tbsp

Tomato paste - 1 (medium size)

Turmeric Powder, red chili powder, coriander powder - 1 tbsp of each

Water

Lemon Juice made of - 1 piece 

Process to make Bhuna Murg:

1. Wash the chicken pieces well and keep it aside for pat-drying. 
2. Now you have to marinade the pieces using salt, few drops of lemon juice, turmeric powder and red chili powder. 
3. Remember, you have to keep the pieces in a stain-less steel bow (yes, because non-reactive pot should be used for lemon based marinade).
4. Toss and rub the chicken pieces. Set the bowl in refrigerator for 30 minutes. 
5. Meanwhile you chop the onion. Mix it with yogurt and oil. 
6. Take out the chicken bowl from the refrigerator and mix onion+yogurt+oil with chicken. Allow it to marinate again for 1 hour.
7. Crush the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and peppercorn. Keep them aside. 
8. After 1 hour, take out the chicken bowl from the refrigerator. 
9. Now you have to shake off the marinade from the chicken pieces. 
10. Keep the marinade in a different bowl. 
11. Heat oil in a deep-bottom frying pan. 
12. Add chicken pieces and cook from both sides. Keep cooking until you see the pieces get slightly brown color. It would take approx 5-7 minutes. Take out the chicken pieces from the pan and keep them in a different bowl. 
13. Place the same pan on the oven. Don't add oil now. Allow it to heat up.
14. Add peppercorn, bay leaf, clove, cinnamon, cardamom. Let them sizzle. Add the marinade which you have kept in a different bowl..no? Add little sugar. Stir till the onion marinade becomes soft. 
15. Add ginger+garlic paste, turmeric powder and red chili powder, salt. Stir well for few minutes. Don't add water at this stage. 
16. Now add chicken pieces and cook for approximately 10 minutes by stirring occasionally. At this stage you have to add coriander powder. Stir till the chicken pieces are half cooked. Check if the raw smell of spices goes away.
17. Do you see the oil bubble rising up from the boiling curry? If yes, it indicates that the oil is separating from the spices. 
18. Now add water, slit green chili. Cover the pan with a lid. Let it be boiled for few minutes. Don't over-boil the chicken, else the pieces would fall of the bones. 
19. Once done, drizzle some lemon juice on the top. 
20. Remember, you should uncover the pan just before serving it. If you uncover the pan right after cooking, the chicken pieces would dry out. And you would not get that thin oily gravy which you see in the image above.  

Your Bhuna Murg is ready. You can serve it with hot rice, roti, nun or puri. 

Arvi ka Bharta

Ingredients I used:

250 gram of Arvi
2 tsbp of gram flour
3 tbsp of white oil
1/2 tsp of Ajwain
1 medium size onion (chopped)
2 green chili (chopped)
2 medium size Tomato (chopped)
2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp of garlic paste
1/2 tsp of ginger paste
2 cloves
2 green cardamom
2 tsp Butter
1 tsp Honey (Optional)
Kasturi Methi
Salt
Lemon Juice
Garam Masala

Method I followed:

1. Peel the arvi and cut into halves. Place all the arvi pieces in a pressure cooker and add some water to boil them up to one whistle. 
2. Remove the pressure cooker from the fire. Take out all the arvi pieces from the water.  Set aside for cooking down. 
3. After 5-7 minutes mash the arvi well.Sprinkle some salt, chili powder and gram flour on mashed arvi. 
4. Now get ready to prepare masala for Bharta. Take tomato, 1 cup of water in skillet and let it be boiled. Add ginger-garlic paste, green chili, red chili powder, clove and cardamom to tomato mixture. keep stir frequently. Once you find sauce consistency of tomato mixture, add butter, honey, salt and kasturi methi. Stir again. 
5. Keep it aside for cooling down. 
6. Now blend the tomato texture in mixer. 
7. heat little oil in the same skillet and add ajwain. Shift the mashed arvi to the skillet and saute in medium heat. 
8. Add tomato mixture to arvi and keep stir until it becomes thick. 
9. Sprinkle lemon juice over the arvi and stirring once again. 
10. Your Arvi ka Bharta is ready. Serve immediately with hot rice.  

For other Arvi recipes click here. 

Besan Burfi

Ingredients:

2 cups of gram flour (besan)

1 cup of curd

1 tsp of green chilli paste, ginger paste, lemon juice

½ tsp of turmeric powder

Pinch of asafoetida

Oil

Salt to taste

Method:

Take gram flour and curd in a bowl and add water. Mix them well to make smooth batter. Thick consistency should be there in the batter.

Add salt and keep it aside for 3-4 hours. You can cover it with a lid.

After 3-4 hours, add ginger, chilli paste and turmeric powder to the batter and mix it well.

Now take little oil, lemon juice and asafoetida in a bowl and mix it well. Add it to the batter and again mix the batter well.

Take a baking pan/dish and grease it well and pour the batter into it.

Take water in pressure cooker and keep it ready on gas.

Steam the baking pan/dish for 10/12 minutes.

Now remove from the heat. Let it cool down for sometimes. And cut it into big cubes.

Balushahi

Ingredients:

2 cups of all purpose flour (Maida)

1.5 tbsp of ghee

1.5 tbsp salt

Pinch of baking soda

1.5 cup of water to make dough and sugar syrup

2 cups of sugar for making sugar syrup and coating

Oil to fry

Method:

1. Take flour, baking soda, salt and ghee in a bowl. Mix them well to make soft dough. Add water while making the dough. Keep it aside for 1 hour at least.
2. After 1 hour make 7/8 round balls with this dough. Put any of your fingers to make a dent inside the each ball.
3. Heat oil in deep bottom pan and deep fry both the sides of each ball. Flip them carefully while frying. You can fry 3-4 balls at a time. Remove all fried balls from oil and keep aside.
4. Now make sugar syrup. Take 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a deep bottomed aluminum pot. Boil them till you find the sugar got dissolves in the water. It would take approximately 10 minutes. Keep all deep fried balls in the sugar syrup for 10/15 minutes. After that keep those balls (balushahi) aside. Your balushahi is made now.
5. If you want to make them sugar coated, you need to reserve the sugar syrup.
6. Take 3-4 tsbp. of sugar syrup in a pan and add 1 tbsp sugar to it. Boil and stir frequently till syrup thickens. Otherwise you can put your 2-3 fingers in hot syrup to check the thickness of the syrup. You will find a string appeared between your fingers.
7. Put balushahis in this sugar syrup one by one and gently stir for 10 minutes. Keep all balushahis aside over night or at least 6-7 hours. Next morning you will find bring sugar coating appeared on balushahis.

Uraad Daal Khasta Kachori

Ingredients: 

For the Kachori:

250 grams refined flour (Maida)

2 tbsp of Semolina (Sooji)

1 tsp of salt

White oil to fry and to mix with refined flour

For stuffing inside the kachori:

½ cup of white urad daal(white)

2 tbsp of fennel seeds (Crushed) and chilli powder

2 pc green chillies

1 tsp ginger

½ tsp of each powder (garam masala powder, asafoetida, coriander powder, baking soda)

White oil to fry

Method:

1. Wash Uraad Daal well and soak it for 4 hours. Then drain the water.
2. Take refined flour, semolina, salt, 2 tbsp white oil in bowl and mix them well with water. Make soft dough. Keep it aside for few minutes.
3. Grind soaked uraad daal, fennel seeds, chopped green chillis and ginger in grinder. Take it in a bowl and add red chilli powder, coriander powder, 1 tsp oil and mix well. Now add asafetida to the mixture.
4. Take a small lemon size ball of the dough and flatten it. Now stuff 2 tsp of Uraad daal mixture in it and seal the edges of the flattened dough. Roll it to make a thick kachori.
5. Now heat the oil in a deep bottom wok. Turn down the flame to medium and add kachori to it one by one. Start flipping the kachori very often, almost every few seconds. Make sure that karchori has been cooked well from both the side. If you find the color of Kachori became brown and crispy, make sure that your kachori ready and puffed completely. Then take it out of the wok. Repeat this process for frying all Kachoris.

Know about tips to make your kachori puffy. 

Dahi Arbi / Colacosia with white Curd / Doi Kochu

Ingredients:

250 grams Arbi / Kochu / Colacosia

1.5tsp refined flour (Maida)

1 cup Curd

1 glass of water (approx.)

1tsp Ajwain / Carom Seeds

2 pcs of Cardamom pods, whole cloves and cinnamon sticks

1.5 tsp ginger

1tsp turmeric powder

2 pcs green chillis

Salt to taste

2 tbs Lemon Juice

Method:

1. Take curd in a bowl and add flour into it. Then mix them well so that it does not get curdled.
2. Wash the Arvi and pressure cook them for 2/3 whistles. Peel off the skin.
3. If you find the arbi is still not soft, cut them into few roundels and fry those roundels in oil till those get golden in color.
4. Heat oil in a pan and add carom seed, Cardamom pods, whole cloves and cinnamon sticks. Then add ginger and green chillies. Then immediately pour in water.
5. Once the water starts boiling, add curd mixture and keep stirring.
6. Then add arvi roundels and keep stirring to avoid curdling.
7. Now add some amount of lemon juice to it. You can also add coriander leaves.
8. Serve hot with rice.