A feast for Eid

Next week we celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid-ul-Fitr. Tradition dictates sweets are the spotlight for this celebration coupled with a delicious eastern-inspired meal.

Sawine is the choice of sweet and is served at breakfast and as a dessert after the meal. Toasted vermicelli noodles boiled and served in sweet, spiced milk, garnished with toasted chopped almonds and raisins, is hard to refuse. Other popular sweets are our sugar-crusted goolab jamon and rasgullas.

Authentic Indian foods, redolent with aromatic and exotic spices and sensuous curries that arrest your senses, are simply addictive and worthy of celebrations such as this.

So next week try a new menu, stir up some authentic Indian dishes in your kitchen and enjoy a feast for all of your senses. Eid Mubarak!

Rogan josh

2-inch piece of ginger

8 cloves garlic

½ cup water

10 tbs veg oil

2 lbs boneless lamb (shoulder ) in 1-inch cubes

10 cardamom pods

6 cloves

10 peppercorns

1-inch stick cinnamon

2 medium onions, chopped

1 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp ground cumin

4 tsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1¼ tsp salt

6 tbs yoghurt, plain

½ tsp garam masala

Puree ginger and garlic with 2 tbs water to a smooth paste. Heat ½ the oil in a large heavy pot on medium heat and brown meat cubes, remove, add a little more oil and add cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, and cinnamon, when brown and fragrant add onions, cook until onions turn brown about 5 minutes.

Add the ginger garlic paste, cook for 30 seconds.

Add coriander, cumin, paprika, cayenne and salt. Stir well for about 30 seconds, then add the meat cubes with the juices.

Add 1 tbs yoghurt stir and fry until yoghurt is well blended, add the rest of the yoghurt this way. Cook for another 4 mins.

Add about ½ cup water, stir, cover and simmer for one hour adding more water if necessary. When tender, remove lid and cook until a thick gravy is formed.Spoon off fat if there is any, add garam masala and serve.

Serves 6

Ochro in Indian spices

12 large ochro, about 8 inches cut diagonally in ½

2 tbs vegetable oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbs chopped garlic

1 onion, chopped

1 tbs ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp curry powder

½ tsp chili powder

2 tomatoes, chopped or 2 tinned

1 tsp salt

Heat oil in a deep sauté pan, add cumin seeds cook until they sizzle and pop.

Add onion and garlic, cook until onions are slightly browned at the edges.

Stir in coriander, cumin, curry and chili powder, cook for a few minutes more.

Add the tomatoes and stir.

Now add the ochro, cook until tender, add about ¼ cup of water and cover.

Cook for about 10 minutes, remove lid, raise the heat and let any excess liquid evaporate.

Serve with roti or rice.

Serves 4

Naan

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp dried yeast

½ tsp salt

⅔ cup warm water (105-115F)

1 tbs vegetable oil

2 tbs plain yoghurt

2 tsp kalongi seed (black onion seed), optional

2 tbs melted butter

Place flour, sugar, dried yeast and salt into a large bowl.

Combine the water, oil and yoghurt, add to flour.

Mix well to form a ball of dough.

Knead for about 10 mins or more until dough is satiny and smooth.

Cover and let rest for one hour until doubled in volume.

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Preheat oven to highest temperature. Preheat grill.

Heat your baking trays in the oven.

Punch down the dough and divide into 6 equal pieces.

Roll the piece of dough into a tear-shaped naan, 10 inches in length and 5 inches in width.

Slap the naan onto the heated baking tray and place in oven for about 3 minutes, until puffed.

Remove from oven and place it under the grill for 30 seconds, remove and keep warm in a towel. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with seeds if using.

Repeat for other naans.

Makes 6

Vegetable biryani

2 cups basmati rice, washed and soaked in water for 20 minutes, drained

1 tsp saffron threads, toasted and steeped in one cup warm water

3 onions, peeled

4 cloves garlic

1-inch piece ginger, chopped

2 tbs blanched and slivered almonds

3 tbs water

2 tbs cashew nuts

3 tbs raisins

4 to 6 tbs vegetable oil

1½ lbs mixed veg, carrots, cauliflower, potato etc

1 cup yoghurt

6 cloves

½ tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp cardamom seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

2-inch cinnamon stick

1⁄6 nutmeg

Pinch cayenne

Thinly slice 2 onions, set aside.

Place one onion into a food pro or blender; add garlic, ginger and 2 tbs almonds.

And water, process to a paste.

Meanwhile heat some oil in a frying pan, fry cashews until golden, remove then fry raisins until they begin to pop, remove for garnish.

Now add some more oil and fry onion slices until dark brown and crisp, this will take a while.

Now, heat 2 tbs oil in a large sauté pan, or shallow pan, add garlic and ginger paste, stir and fry until medium brown in colour.

Add vegetables to pan and stir and combine, add yoghurt and some salt stir and fry.

Place cloves, peppercorns, cardamom seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne into a spice mill, process to a fine powder.

Now add all this to the vegetables, add the rice and stir to coat well with spices.

Add 1 cup water with saffron threads and 1¼ cup additional water.

Simmer for 15 minutes.

Check and fluff, stir in onions, and decorate with raisins and cashews.

Serves 8

Butter chicken

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts cut into cubes

2 tsp garam masala

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tbs grated ginger

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbs white vinegar

¼ cup tomato paste

½ cup plain yoghurt

4 ozs butter

1 large onion, minced

6 cardamom pods, bruised

1 tsp salt

3 tsp paprika

½ cup cream

Combine chicken with ginger, garlic, coriander, chilli powder, vinegar, tomato paste and yoghurt. Refrigerate overnight.

Heat butter in sauté pan, add onion, cinnamon, cardamom cook until onion is slightly browned.

Add chicken and stir and fry for a few minutes.

Add salt, paprika and stir well. cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, of you need to add a little water.

Chicken should have a thick sauce, stir in cream heat for a few mins, serve hot with basmati rice or roti.

Serves 4 to 6

Sawine

2 tbs unsalted butter

4 ozs vermicelli sawine

2 cups water

1 cinnamon stick

1½ cups evaporated milk

½ cup condensed milk

1 cup regular milk

½ cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp crushed cardamom pods

raisins and toasted almonds to garnish

Melt butter in a large frying pan, break the vermicelli and add to pan, turn frequently until the vermicelli is quite brown, remove.

Bring water to a boil add sugar and cinnamon stick, add vermicelli and cook until tender about 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile in a heavy saucepan place all the milk, add the spices and bring to a boil.

Combine sawine with milk and serve garnished with almonds and raisins.

Serves 6 to 8

Halwah

1 lb unsalted butter

1 lb all-purpose flour

2 cups water

2 cups sugar

½ cup raisins

⅓ cup each cherries and almonds, chopped

1 tbs cinnamon

½ tbs cardamom seeds

Melt butter in a large sauté pan, meanwhile, sift flour.

Boil sugar in water for about 10 minutes until melted, keep on simmer.

When butter is melted stir in flour and cook on medium heat until butter is a rich brown colour.

Now add the syrup and stir, turn off heat and stir mixture until it becomes fluffy and soft in texture.

Add spices and fruits and nuts, add a pinch of salt.

Remove to a dish to cool.

Serves 10