Feast after a fast

1 kg mutton (big pieces)

1 kg basmati rice

¼ litre oil

4 tbsp hung curd

¼ kg tomato (nicely chopped)

1 tbsp garlic paste

1 tbsp ginger paste

1.5 tsp red chili powder

2 slit green chilies

A handful of chopped coriander leaves

A handful of mint leaves

6 cloves

2-inch cinnamon stick

5 cardamoms

1 tbsp garam masala

A couple saffron strands

Salt to taste

Marinate the mutton in the curd, salt, and chopped tomatoes for about ½ an hour. And separately, soak the basmati rice in cold water for about ½ an hour. In a large pan, add oil and heat. While the oil is hot, add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, slit green chilies, and mint leaves. Add the chopped onion and sauté till they turn slightly golden brown. Then add coriander leaves, ginger and garlic paste, and red chili powder.

Add the marinated mutton to the mixture and fry well. Add ½ a glass of water to a cooker keep the pressure in the cooker only to 2 whistles and then add the mutton to it. Then make the gravy thicker by cooking it on a slow fire. Add some water to a vessel, along with some salt, and let it boil. When the water is boiling, add the rice that has been soaking in cold water, strained. When the rice is half cooked, drain all the water and add the rice to mutton mixture, which is already prepared.

Add some of the saffron strands soaked in a bit of milk, to the rice and leave it for dum, on a very slow fire. Wait till the rice becomes soft, then turn the gas off, and let it sit for a couple minutes before serving. Serve hot with some raita.

3 cups full fat milk

¼ cup fine semiya

1/8 cup sugar

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp rose water

a small pinch of cardamom powder

3 tbsp finely chopped dates

1 tbsp raisins

¼ cup finely chopped cashews, badams and pistachios.

Boil milk in a pan until it shrinks to almost half in volume. Meanwhile chop the dry fruits and nuts. Soak dates in warm milk and set aside. Heat butter in a pan and add the nuts and raisins, fry till slightly browned and crispy. Set aside.

In the same pan add vermicelli and roast till golden brown. Then add half of the milk and let the vermicelli get cooked. Once the vermicelli turns soft add sugar, cardamom powder, give a quick stir.

Add remaining milk and let it boil in low flame. Once it is thick add the roasted nuts, dates, rose water give a stir and cook for two minutes then switch off.