Cooking can be quite a challenge for the uninitiated and inexperienced. And when it comes to the vast sea of ingredients associated with Indian food, the task becomes even more daunting. With this in mind, the Institute of Hotel Management in Hyderabad recently hosted a cooking show for a couple of students from SIPA — Columbia University.
Chef Pal, from the popular Sarvi Bakers and Restaurant, demonstrated the cooking techniques of a few Hyderabadi dishes, made in Nizami style. So if you’re ready to take the culinary plunge, here are two recipes from the event.
Murg e laziz
Ingredients
- ½ kg chicken
- ½ julienned ginger
- 300 gm chopped onion
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 2 tsp cashew nut paste
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tsp curd
- 5 to 6 green cardamoms
- Saffron
- 1 tsp paste of green chillies
- 2 bay leaves
- Fresh cream
Method:
Fry the chopped onion (save a little onions for later) and ginger until golden in colour, and then grind into a paste. Heat some ghee in a heavy-bottom vessel and fry the coriander powder for 25 seconds. Then, add the bay leaves and ginger-garlic paste and fry for 3-4 minutes. Then, add in the cashew nut paste, curd, dry ginger powder, green cardamom and saffron.
Next, put in the chicken pieces and cook with the lid on until all the moisture evaporates and the chicken becomes soft and tender. Remove the cover and add the green chilli paste, leftover onions, saffron, and let it simmer for around 5 five minutes. Finish with fresh cream.
Subzi Panchratani
Ingredients
- 2 carrots (diced)
- 5 French beans (diced)
- 4 baby corn (diced)
- 1 red capsicum (diced)
- 1 yellow capsicum cumin seeds
- Broccoli (diced)
- 1 big onion (finely sliced)
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 6 pods of garlic
- Ginger julienned
- Oil, butter
- Dry masala (pinch of turmeric powder, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp cumin seed powder)
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 2 green chillies finely chopped
- Fresh mint leaves
- Salt to taste
Method:
Heat a pan with oil, add the cumin seeds and let them crackle. Next, add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Now, add the chopped onions and sauté until they turn soft and translucent. Pour 2.5 cups of water and bring to a boil.
Add all the diced vegetables, mix well and allow them to cook for 5 to 6 minutes. When the vegetables are partially cooked, add the chopped tomatoes and mix well. Next, put in the chillies and julienned ginger. Add the dry masalas (red chilli powder, cumin seed powder, garam masala powder, and turmeric powder). Cover and cook until the vegetables are done. Add salt to taste. Finish with fresh butter and mint.
