Indian Recipes

        GHEE/CLARIFIED BUTTER

    1 lb/ 450g        Unsalted Butter

  1. Heat the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Let it simmer for
     15-20 minutes until all the white residue turns golden and
     settles at the bottom.
  2. Remove from the heat, strain and cool.
  3. Pour into an airtight bottle and store in a cool place.


	Barrah Kebab

      Yield: 6 servings

     21 lb Lamb shoulder chops          1/2    Inch cube ginger roo
    1/2 ts Ground nugget                       -peeled and chopped
    1/2 ts Ground black pepper          2/3 c  Thick set plain yogurt
    1/2 ts Ground cinnamon              1/2 ts Salt or to taste
    1/2 ts Cayenne or chili powder        1 tb Cooking oil
    1/2 ts Turmeric                       1 ts Ground cumin
      2    Garlic cloves, peeled          1 tb Sesame seeds
      2 tb Onions, chopped coarse

  Trim off excess fat from chops and flatten each chop with a meat
  malle a rolling pin.  Wipe clean with a damp cloth.

  Put all ingredients except chops, oil, cumin and seeds, into a
  blender food processor and puree.  Put chops into a large bowl and
  pour the blended ingredients over them.  Using your fingers, rub the
  marinade w into each chop.  Cover the container with plastic wrap
  and leave to marinate at least 8 hours or overnight.

  Preheat oven to 425 F.  Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil, this
  w help reflect heat and keep your roasting pan clean.  Arrange the
  chops the roasting pan in a single layer ( reserve the remaining
  marinade) a cook in the center of the oven for 10 minutes - turning
  the chops over once.  Reduce heat to 400 F.

  Mix the remaining marinade with the oil and cumin.  Brush the chops
  with this and sprinkle half the seeds on top.  Return the pan to the
  upper of the oven for 10 minutes.  turn the chops over and brush
  this side w the remaining marinade mixture and sprinkle the rest of
  the seeds as before.  Cook for 10 to 15 minutes.

  Serving Ideas:

  Serve on chop per person as an appetizer with plenty of raw onion
  rings, sprinkled with lemon juice, wedges of cucumber and cr lettuce
  leaves, pr as a main dish with Plain Boiled Rice and Mixed Vegetable
  Curry.


       CLASSIC TANDOORI MURGHI (BARBECUED TANDOORI CHICKEN)
                        [For 6 persons]

  INGREDIENTS:

      3 very young broiling chickens (about 2 to 2-1/4 pounds each)
  2-1/2 teaspoons unseasoned natural meat tenderizer
    1/3 cup lemon juice

  FOR MARINADE:

      2 large cloves garlic
      1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger root
      1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin seeds
    1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
    1/2 teaspoon red pepper
      1 teaspoon tandoori coloring, or 1 tablespoon paprika
    1/3 cup plain yogurt
        Usli ghee or light vegetable oil for basting

  1. Cut the wings off the chickens.  Remove the neck bone carefully.
     Place the chickens on a cutting board and quarter them neatly.
     Then pull away the skin, using kitchen towels for a better grip
     if necessary.  (Reserve the wings, neck, and skin for the
     stockpot.) Prick the chicken all over with fork or a thin skewer.
     Make diagonal slashes, + inch deep, 1 inch apart on the meat.
     Put the meat in a large bowl.

  2. Add meat tenderizer and lemon juice to the chicken, and rub them
     into the slashes and all over for 2 minutes.  Cover and marinate
     for + hour.

  3. Put all the ingredients of the marinade into the container of an
     electric blender or food processor, and blend until reduced to a
     smooth sauce.  (Alternatively, garlic and ginger may be crushed
     to a paste and blended with the remaining ingredients.)

  4. Pour this marinade over the chicken pieces and mix, turning and
     tossing, to coat all the pieces well.  (A note of caution: Since
     certain brands of Tandoori coloring tend to stain the fingers, it
     is advisable either to use a fork to turn the chicken pieces in
     the marinade or use a pastry brush to spread it over the
     chicken.)  Cover and marinate for 4 hours at room temperature, or
     refrigerate overnight, turning several times. Chicken should not
     remain in the marinade for more than 2 days, because the marinade
     contains a meat tenderizer which, with prolonged marinating,
     alters the texture of the chicken meat to very soft and doughy.

  5. Take the chicken from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before
     cooking to bring it to room temperature.  The chicken is now
     ready to be either roasted in the oven or broiled over an
     electric or charcoal grill.

  TO ROAST IN THE OVEN:

  Start heating the oven to 500-550 degrees.  Take the chickens out of
  the marinade.  Brush them with the ghee or vegetable oil, and place
  them on an extra-large shallow roasting pan, preferably on a wire
  rack.  Set the pan in the middle level of the oven, and roast for 25
  to 30 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through.  There is no
  need to baste while the chicken pieces are roasting, because the
  enclosed environment keeps the chickens from drying excessively.

  TO BROIL INDOORS:

  Preheat the broiler.  Brush the grill with a little oil to prevent
  the meat's sticking.  Place the chicken pieces, slashed side up, on
  the grill, and brush the slashed side with ghee or vegetable oil.
  Cook 2 to 3 inches away from the heat for 20 minutes.  Turn and cook
  the other side for another 10 minutes, or until the chicken pieces
  are cooked through.  Brush often with ghee or vegetable oil during
  cooking.

  TO GRILL OUTDOORS:

  Fire the coal well in advance (about 1-1/2 hours before you are
  ready to begin cooking), so that a white ash forms over the surface
  of the coal.  This is when the coal is at its hottest. Place the
  grill at least 5 inches away from the heat, and rub generously with
  oil.  Place the chicken pieces, slashed side up, over the grill and
  brush them with ghee or vegetable oil. Let chicken cook without
  turning for 10 minutes.  Turn, baste the other side, and cook for 10
  minutes.  Continue to cook, turning and basting the chicken every 10
  minutes, until it is done.  The cooking time for broiling and
  grilling usually varies widely.  Much depends upon the intensity of
  the heat and its distance from the chicken.  The point to remember
  is that the chicken pieces have been marinating in a very strong
  tenderizing solution for two days and therefore will cook much
  faster than standard broiled or barbecued chicken.

  Serve the chicken immediately, lightly brushed with ghee or oil.

  NOTES:

  1. When the chicken is cooked in a tandoor, or outdoors, the
     question of pan drippings does not arise.  When it is roasted in
     the oven, however, you will get pan juices. Traditionally it is
     not used, even for basting.  You can save it, however, and use it
     to moisten leftover chicken meats, which tends to taste dry when
     cold.  You can serve this as a snack, rolled like a taco, in
     Indian bread with roasted onions.

  2. Since there are variations in commercial tandoori coloring, the
     cooked chicken will range from yellowish orange to deep reddish
     orange in color.  If you use paprika instead, the chicken will
     have a redder tone.  And if the chicken is grilled, especially
     over charcoal, the color will be more intense.

  3. Tandoori chicken must be served immediately after cooking.
     Because of its dryish texture, it does not taste as good cold,
     especially after refrigeration and reheating.



     MANGO MILK SHAKE (INDIAN)

  INGREDIENTS:

 - Squeezed mangoes or mango pulp (available in International/Indian
   stores) -- 1/4 of total quantity desired (read tips below)
 - Milk (preferably not Skimmed) -- 1/2 of total quantity desired
 - Vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt  -- 1/4 of total quantity
   desired
 - Cardamom  -- about 1 piece per cup

  EQUIPMENT:

   Blender

  PREPARATION:

  Peel the Cardamom and powder the grains; throw away the peels.
  Alternatively you can use half a spoon of readily available powdered
  Cardamom.

  Add ice cream/frozen yogurt, milk, and mango pulp to the blender and
  blend them for about 2 minutes.

  Add Cardamom to the milk shake and blend it again for a few seconds.
  Refrigerate the milk shake and serve with or without ice.

  PREPARATION TIME:

  If you have all the ingredients ready, this will take less than 5
  minutes.

  EXPERT TIPS:

  Whether you are using ice cream or frozen yogurt, make sure to use
  the one without flavor.  Vanilla is recommended because it is very
  close to being a generic flavor.

  Some people like the milk shake to be thick and some like it watery.
  Control the consistency by varying the amount of ice cream/frozen
  yogurt.

  Likewise, the quantity of mango pulp that goes into the shake
  depends on individual tastes.

  So, experiment by preparing a small quantity first.


      TRADITIONAL MASALA DOSA (SOUTH INDIAN)

  TRADITIONAL RECIPE:

      3 cups rice (not basmati!), soaked overnight, room temp. water.
      1 cup urad dal (a specific type of lentils avail. at Indian
        grocery stores--- no substitution; other dals will not work
        like this)

        Soaked separately overnight --- room temp. water

  Traditionally, stone grinders (huge mortars) and rolling pestles are
  used to grind the rice and the urad dal and motorized versions of
  those are now available at Indian electronic stores in D.C.  A mixie
  or a blender cuts the grains into fine pieces, but does not "mash"
  them like the stone grinders do. So there is a good deal of
  difference taste when you use a blender.  But still, it is not bad
  at all if you make sure that you grind the rice really fine. Cover
  the rice with water just 1/2 "above the rice line in the blender.

  Grind till Smooth.

  Grind the dal separately, with water that barely covers it. Grind a
  long time (be patient!), stirring once in a while and grinding
  again. When the dal is ground very well, and small air bubbles
  appear once you stop running the blender, it is enough. Add more
  water if necessary.

  But this should be very thick.

  MIx the rice and the urad dal pastes, with 1/2 tsp salt.
  Add one tablespoon beaten yogurt, and mix well.
  Keep covered to let it ferment fro at least 5 to 8 hrs or more.
  (Keep it close to a heater or in any warm place).

  Once it has risen, stir briefly, and keep it in the fridge.

  You have the batter now.

  Grease a griddle with plain sesame oil or peanut oil if you care
  about max. flavor; if not use vegetable. oil. The heat should be medium or
  slightly higher.  When hot (a few drops of water will sizzle gently
  and disappear), using a metal ladle, pour one ladleful over the
  griddle; with quick and even and gentle strokes, spread the batter
  out with the ladle as if you are drawing concentric circles on the
  batter. Do it either clockwise OR anticlockwise else you get lumps.
  It takes a few tries believe me, and some of us who are trained well
  in this mess up occasionally. drizzle oil around edges, and on top.
  Once the bottom is cooked, turn it over, and cook the top. Be
  careful when using your spatula (metal preferred) to take it out to
  flip it.

  This can be served with chilli-dal-spice powder and oil or ghee,
  coconut chutney, cilantro or mint chutney, onion chutney, or red
  garlic chutney, and/or sambar. (If you want their recipes, email
  me) This is standard breakfast or supper fare for us, growing up in
  the south.

  Else, as in your restaurant, make a filling as follows:

  1. Take 2 large boiled potatoes, peel and mash coarsely.
  2. Thinly slice one large red onion, 2 cloves of garlic (optional)
     and 3 or 4 green chillies.
  3. Grate a 1" piece of ginger.
  4. Cut up a tomato if you want.
  5. Take a sprig of curry leaves and chop them coarsely.
  6. Heat some veg. oil, add some fennel seeds, and cummin seeds (1/2
     tsp. each)
  7. Add 1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds.
  8. When they crackle, add the green chillies, ginger, garlic (if
     used), and onions and fry them with a little salt for a while
     till onions are transparent. Add curry leaves.
  9. Next add 1/2 packet of frozen peas, tomatoes (if you choose), and
     fry for 5 minutes.
 10. Add the potatoes, and more salt if desired. stir well till
     blended
 11. Add some chopped cilantro if you want.

  When making the dosai, spread the batter out as mentioned earlier,
  drizzle oil, and keep the skillet  or griddle covered (any cover
  will do as long as the dosai area is covered; just be sure the cover
  does not touch the dosai). In less than a minute, the dosai will be
  cooked with oil on the bottom, and its top will be cooked by the
  steam that is generated when you cover it. The color is now not the
  white of the batter but kinda dull; you'll know)

  Turn the heat down, place the cooled filling across the center
  along the diagonal, and fold both sides overlapping over it to
  form a cylindrical shape. Increase the heat slightly, drizzle more
  oil, and cook both sides till golden.

  Else, place the filling in the center, and fold from three sides,
  forming a triangle, overlapping and covering the filling.

  Cook as above.

  IF YOU HAVE LEFT OVER BATTER & REALLY FERMENTED, MAKE "OOTHAPPAM":

  Chop some onions, green chillies, and cilantro really well, mix with
  salt.

  Soon as you spread out the pancake, sprinkle the chopped stuff on
  top.

  Drizzle oil on top, flip it over carefully when the bottom is
  cooked, and cook the other side. Serve with coconut chutney.

  If you are into a health-diet, do not drizzle oil over and around
  pancake. Just grease the griddle lightly with a paper towel; in this
  case, cook just one side of the dosai on the greased surface,
  covering the dosai to let the steam cook the top. This dosa is very
  soft and tasty.

  Back home, we add some fenugreek seeds to the urad dal, soak and
  grind them together for a superior texture, flavor, and color.

  Hope that helps! I have babbled too much, but really, it is very
  easy to make once you have the batter.]

SOME INDIAN RECIPES

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