goodfeature

A ROYAL INDIAN MEAL P L A N A N D FASHION O N LOCATION

A Taste
For
(REDEFINED!)
Motia Pulao, Palak aur Anjeer ke Kofte, Sago Mahi and more;.. Trv these unique interpretations of your regular party specials and bring in a ilavourful N

MURGH QORMA Fragrant and rich, this qorma might require a littlf more effort, but it won't be wasted^s your guests will definitely go for a second helping

Insfead of Butter Chicken...

iTJl sji J
11 i j i itSjiiMjj^iSKBBi

11 y r l i * l s j i w

ttl it* F h I H l*i

mm,-

Instead of VegelaBle Pulao...

SAGO MAHI This one is about a mix of textures... Crunchy, chatpata sago leads into delicious, butter-soft fish. Heaven!

Instead of Fish

MAWA PANEER Stuffed, batter fried and garnished with flaked almonds dipped in kesar extract... This regal dish elevates the humble paneer to a new level

Instead of Paneer-do-Pyaza...

goodfeature
ANJEER AUR KHAJOOR Kl KULFI An all-time favourite, kulfi can also be teamed up and savoured with anjeer and khajoor. Banish the boring kesar kulfi and do more

V:

Instead of Icecream...

CHOCOLATE DECADENCE

sinful choco mousse, cooked ust right looks good and works as a sweet end to meals from J| any part of the world

Instead of Chocolate Cake...

(For the recipes turn to the Good Food section)

goodfood

Dinner Menu f
(See visuals on page 96)

Sago Mahi
Preparation time: 20 minutes Marination time: 1 hour Cooking time: 15 minutes Serves: 2 5 0 0 g m river sole, cut into fillets For the marination Salt, to taste Juice of half a lemon 1tsp green chilli paste Grated jaiphal (nutmeg), a pinch 'Atsp yellow chilli powder Itbsp flour T/itsp cornflour To coat lOOgm sabudana (sago) 5 0 g m white breadcrumbs Oil, for frying 1. Mix all the marination ingredients and apply on the fish. Set aside for an hour. 2. Soak the sabudana in w a t e r for 10 minutes, strain, cover w i t h w e t muslin cloth and keep for 15 minutes. Then mix with the breadcrumbs. 3. Coat the fish with this mixture. 4. Heat oil in a kadhai and deep fry the fish until g o l d e n b r o w n over m e d i u m flame. Serve hot and crisp, w i t h mint chutney and lemon wedges. Note: Substitute the fish with paneer for a vegetarian option.
Each serving: 529 Calories, 2 5 g m protein, 49.9gm carbohydrate, 25.5gm total fat ( I g m saturated), 1.3gm fiber, 81mg 6 8 0 m g sodium cholesterol,

2 green chillies, chopped Itsp lemon juice Itbsp chopped fresh dhania (coriander) leaves Itsp chopped ginger 2tbsp bhuna khoya Oil, for frying For the gravy 2 medium onions, boiled and made into a paste 3tbsp cashewnut paste 3tbsp b r o w n onion paste* '/ 2 tsp haldi Salt, to taste Itsp yellow chilli powder Itsp garam masala 3tbsp desi ghee

1. Mix all the ingredients for the kofte and shape into rounds. 2. Mix all the ingredients for the stuffing. Shape the kofte into katori's and fill with the stuffing. "Close" kofte properly. 3. Heat oil in a kadhai and deep fry kofte until light brown on medium heat. 4. To m a k e t h e curry, heat ghee in a heavy b o t t o m pan, add the pastes and cook. A d d salt, haldi and chilli powder. 5. Once t h e g r a v y is cooked, strain it. Cook for another 5 minutes and add the garam masala. 6. Pour the gravy over the golden brown kofte. Serve it hot. You can garnish with chopped dhania.
Each serving: 282.5 Calories, 7gm protein, 63.7gm carbohydrate, 25.4gm total fat (16.4gm saturated), 10.6gm fiber, 25.4mg cholesterol, 164.1mg sodium

Palak aur Anjeer ke Kofte

Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 4 0 minutes Serves: 2-3 For the kofte lOOgm blanched, chopped spinach 5 0 g m finely mashed paneer Salt, to taste 'Atsp red chilli powder '/ 2 tsp jeera powder 1 '/jtbsp cornflour For the stuffing 4 0 g m dried figs (anjeer), soaked and chopped

T h e recipes have local ingredients which are accessible, and are f o u n d in every Indian home. The ingredients have been used in an innovative manner w h i c h adds a uniqueness t o t h e dish in terms of preparation, taste and texture. W h e n served t o guests at h o m e it provides a m e m o r a b l e dining experience,' - Executive Chef Rajkamal Chopra, W e l c o m H o t e l , New Delhi (All the recipes have been taken f r o m the ITC-WelcomGroup Culinary Archive)

Mawa Paneer
Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 3 0 minutes Serves: 2 2 5 0 g m paneer For the gravy 5tbsp boiled almond, ground t o a paste 25 boiled cashew nuts, ground to a paste 3tbsp brown onion paste 2 laung (cloves) 2 elaichi (green cardamom) 1 dalchini (cinnamon) Itsp dhania (coriander) powder

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GOOD HOUSEKEEPING JANUARY 2011

2 tejpatta (bay leaf) 15ml desi ghee Itsp ginger-garlic paste 2 0 m l curd (dahi) Itsp red chilli p o w d e r Itsp garam masala p o w d e r For the stuffing 2tbsp chironji

Some more

' ' stuffed Parwal - Choose tender ^ using homemade oaneer ^nlyoucanmixinaH^cream. choose and soak your dais, Mixed Dal haldi and salt over slow cook With ghee,, na.a. - - cook. fire, stir o f t e n - d o not pres u* Marinate meat for an hour Dahi Gosht - r*ian" . av(tr, 0 3 0 f fried o n . 10 H i t ee, e a tag hghee, a a ana jaiw! . t a dry red chilly and jaipnai P w tto m a :a, d r V rre dry e < whole spices (try e p t i who)b a d i e l a i c h O a n d p u t in the ut n t n and baai . F r y a teaspoon Pry a tea without the mai paste, add mar' marinade of gaflic-ginger i and cook over medium flame.

lOOgm grated khoya Itsp c h o p p e d ginger 1 green chilli, c h o p p e d I t b s p c h o p p e d fresh dhania (coriander) leaves Salt, t o taste Kesar (saffron), a few strands For the batter 3tbsp flour 2tbsp cornflour 'Atsp lemon juice 6 t b s p water Oil, for frying For the garnish Slivered almonds, d i p p e d in kesar and covered w i t h silver vark i t <
1

Each serving: 8 2 0 Calories, 2 8 . 4 g m protein, 60.1grm carbohydrate, 5 0 . 9 g m total fat (9.3gm saturated), 3 . 9 g m fiber, 3 6 . 5 m g cholesterol, 5 9 8 . 5 m g sodium

Murgh Qorma
Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 4 0 minutes Serves: 2 5 0 0 g m chicken (with bone, w i t h o u t skin, cut t o preference) 2 laung (cloves) 2-3 elaichi (green cardamom) 2-3 tejpatta (bayleaf) 1 javitri (mace) 2tbsp desi ghee 2tbsp ginger-garlic paste 3 t b s p b r o w n onion paste* 4 t b s p almonds, soaked and made into a paste 4 t b s p dahi (curd) Salt, t o taste Itsp kashmiri mirch p o w d e r Itsp garam masala p o w d e r 'Atsp each javitri (mace) and elaichi (green c a r d a m o m ) p o w d e r Kesar (saffron), a few strands 1. Heat ghee in a pan, add whole spices and saute the chicken in it. 2. A d d all the pastes and the dahi. Stir a n d a d d t h e salt, m i r c h p o w d e r a n d enough water t o cover the chicken. Cook covered over a medium flame. 3. Once the chicken is c o o k e d and the gravy is thick, add garam masala, javitri and elaichi p o w d e r s a n d a f e w kesar

powders.

\ ; '
!

, 1 1 i i

H sauce Coat fish pieces Fish in Mustard a aside, i u . w i shallow try, w ' Sn " unw m u i r d , make a paste and Soak yellow mus ^ ^ ^ ^ c g s h e w n u t sieve. paste. Heat must*
brown

"crackle" whole c h m y > ac

= hit of dalchini powder n " a bit o i u , a w hile, ac mustard paste, fry a in the. i if required, and cook the fish, add salt on low flame.

mustard, reu

, iKe . put

1. Slice the paneer into pieces of A inch thickness. 2. Mix all the ingredients for t h e stuffing and stuff it between t w o layers of paneer. 3. Mix the b a t t e r ingredients t o make a smooth batter. Coat each paneer sandwich w i t h batter. 4. Heat oil and deep fry until light brown. Cut into triangles, 5. Heat ghee in a pan and add the whole spices, ginger-garlic paste and dhania powder and cook for a minute. 6. A d d all the pastes, dahi, salt, and chilli powder. Cook gravy until the oil rises on top, strain t o get a s m o o t h consistency. Cook for 5 minutes more, add g a r a m masala p o w d e r . Pour g r a v y o v e r paneer, g a r n i s h with the almonds.

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GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

JANUARY 2 0 1 1

' S l i c e o n e m e d i u m o n i o n , fry in a p a n w i t h a little oil until b r o w n a n d t h e n g r i n d i n t o a p a s t e .

strands. Serve hot, garnished w i t h slit green chillies.

Each serving: 502 Calories, 59.9gm protein, 12.3gm carbohydrate, 28.9gm total fat (9.9gm saturated), 3.5gm fiber, 192mg cholesterol, 316mg sodium

Motia Pulao
Preparation time: 4 0 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour Serves: 2 2 5 0 g m basmati rice, parboiled 1 small carrot, diced 2-3 green beans, diced Itbsp green peas 3tbsp mashed paneer Itbsp flour Itbsp spinach puree Itbsp beetroot puree Kesar (saffron), a few strands 2tbsp desi ghee 1 medium onion, sliced Salt, to taste 'Atsp yellow chilli powder 3tbsp curd 'Atsp javitri (mace) and elaichi (green cardamom) powder 'Atsp shahi jeera (black cumin) '/ 2 tbsp chopped pudina (mint) Itsp julienned ginger 1 slit green chilli 1. Mix the flour with the paneer. Divide into four parts. 2. Soak the kesar strands in a little warm water to extract its colour. 3. Mix the beetroot into one part of the paneer, the spinach into the second and the kesar into the third. Let the f o u r t h part remain white. Shape each part into little "pearls". 4 . Shallow f r y the pearls in a pan until golden brown. 5. Saute the onion in ghee until brown, add all the vegetables. 6. A d d salt, dahi and jeera. Then add water to cover the vegetables. 7. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the rice over the vegetables in a heavy bottom pan. A d d the pudina, chilli, garam masala, javitri and elaichi powders. 8. Seal the vessel with atta and cook on dum until the rice is cooked. 9. Before serving the pulao, mix in the paneer pearls carefully. Note: A non-veg variation: Wash, clean

Chocolate Mousse
and de-vein prawns. Marinate with salt, pepper, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice and m u s t a r d paste. A d d the p r a w n in place of the vegetables and c o n t i n u e recipe as is. You can also use chicken mince. Mix it with the ingredients for the marinade (same as the prawn) and shape into small balls. Fry t h e m until c o o k e d and golden brown. Mix in with the pulao before serving.
Each serving: 511.5 Calories, 19.4gm protein, 9 9 . 4 g m carbohydrate, 2.3gm total fat ( 0 . 5 g m saturated), 3.7gm fiber, Omg 265.5mg sodium cholesterol,

mixture and leave it to cool. Fold in the whipped cream. Incorporate well. Leave to set in the refrigerator. 5. Garnish w i t h fresh strawberries and serve cold.
Each serving: 545.25 Calories, 16.2gm protein, 55.5gm carbohydrate, 29.2gm total fat (14.67gm saturated), 0 . 8 g m fiber, 2 9 0 . 7 m g cholesterol, 270.5mg sodium

Anjeer aur Khajoor Kulfi

Preparation time: 15 minutes + time t o set Cooking time: 1 hour Serves: 2 1 litre milk lOOgm sugar 3 0 g m dried anjeer (figs) 3 0 g m khajoor (dates) 1. Soak the anjeer and khajoor in w a r m water for 10 minutes. 2. Reduce the milk on low heat to onethird of its quantity. 3. Then add the sugar, chopped anjeer and khajoor. Mix well and cook for about 5 minutes. 4. Pour this mixture into kulfi moulds and allow to set in the freezer. 5. Serve this kulfi with some falooda on the side.
Each serving: 483.5 Calories, 17.1gm protein, 9 5 . 4 g m carbohydrate, 5 g m total fat (3.2gm saturated), 2.7gm fiber, 2 5 m g cholesterol, 221.5mg sodium

Chocolate Mousse
Preparation Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Serves: 2 2'/ 2 egg yolks 5 0 g m sugar lOgm gelatin lOOgm melted chocolate 5 0 g m double cream 125gm w h i p p e d cream 6tbsp cold water 1. Beat the eggs and sugar together, raise it t o incorporate air. 2. Dissolve the gelatin in cold water, leave it on a double boiler till it melts. 3. Bring the double cream t o a boil o n low heat stirring continuously, take off heat a n d a d d t h e m e l t e d c h o c o l a t e . N o w mix thoroughly. 4 . A d d the egg mixture to the chocolate

136 GOOD H O U S E K E E P I N G JANUARY 2011

Quick Quiz
"HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTEST" QUIZ
How high is your "good hostess'quotient? Answer "yes" or "no"
1. You always make lists ofeverything as you plan your party - guests, the shopping, the menu and things to do, by cut-off dates. Yes QNO 2. You invite your guests at the last minute, often on the same day. Yes QNO 3. The meal is the most important thing and it is essential to have a large variety of items to have a successful party. Yes No 4. No need to introduce people to each other they'll mix and get to know each other anyway. Yes QNO 5 . You need to be in and out of the kitchen a lot to supervise the service. Yes No 6. You feel that you should also enjoy yourself at your own party. J Yes ONo 7. A couple of hours before your party begils, you gather your staff together and brief t h e * on each of their jobs and responsibilities. Yes QNO \ 8. It doesn't really matter what time the main meal is served, as long as everyone is having a good time. Yes QNo 9. A good host/hostess must insist that their guests eat and drink more. Yes J Xo 10. It is important to call guests the next day to thank them for their lovely gifts and flowers. Yes QNO

THE RIGHT & THE WRONG

1. Yes. Absolutely essential for being much more organised and saving so much energy. 2. No. It's insulting to your invitee to feel he/she was invited because someone d r o p p e d out. 3. No. Too much f o o d is confusing in terms of choices and tastes. The table should look "bountiful". 4. No. It takes t h e m much longer to w a r m up others if you haven't got the conversation flowing. Your job is to make them comfortable with each other quickly, and then leave them to it. 5. No. If you look and feel stressed out, your stress transfers itself to your guests, making them feel guilty and uncomfortable. 6. Yes. Absolutely. Your party is for you to have fun too. Delegate more... leave t h e m to it and relax! 7. Yes. They are human too, and have a long evening/afternoon of running around to do. Make sure they know where to stack the soiled dishes and glasses. 8. No. Serve the f o o d at the planned time... if it gets t o o late, people tend to get drunk, and snack t o o much - therefore not enjoy the meal. Some have to c o m m u t e long distances. 9. No. Accept their declining graciously. You'll save a lot of wastage on their plates. 10. Yes. A n d thank them for taking the time out to attend your party.

More then 7 right GREAT HOSTESS

People love to a t t e n d your parties. Keep it up!

More than 5 right GOOD HOSTESS

You are d o i n g things right, but it is the minor touches that count.

More then 3 right AVERAGE HOSTESS

There is still some way t o b e c o m e a g o o d housekeeper.

goodreads

At

, pun"

How to judge
Expand or start your recipe book collection and become a cook - maybe even a g o u r m e t one! Nishat Fatima tells you how to pick right
My mother o w n e d Betty Crocker's

a cookbook

Picture Cookbook, a big hardbound book that towered over the other puny paperbacks on our bookshelves. It was probably vintage by the time I got my hands on it in the early 1990s, but inside was a whole new world: Pictures of foods I had never imagined, but that looked so delicious I knew I could spend years eating them. Even better, there were instructions to actually make them!

It was the age of the internet, and millions of recipes lurked in the virtual world just waiting for me. I searched. I saved. I printed. But I also turned to Betty. My obsessions were pancakes and apple pie, and she gave me the world's easiest recipe for pancakes; it took all of 15 minutes and they tasted like they'd been made by a professional. I turned to the internet for an easy apple pie recipe, and let's just say things were not so smooth... So it is to dear

Betty that I attribute all my parameters for buying cookbooks. For me, cookbooks must be written by chefs/cooks who are well reputed; aesthetically appealing; hardbound preferably, and there have to be some drool-worthy pictures. Price and usefulness are secondary. But buying cookbooks is a very personal matter. And here's the amazing thing - there's a cookbook out there that matches the needs of my foodie friend as well as the

one who got married recently and has entered the kitchen for the first time. And everybody in between. How do you buy a book then? We get you the answers from people in the know.

The Pragmatic
Hyderabad-based mother of a oneyear-old, homemaker Sneha Suzan Kurien, studied hotel management. She buys cookbooks on a three-point system: the ingredients, the procedure and the cook. 'The ingredients should be available without a lot of searching. The procedure and the measurements should be easy to follow. And I should of course, be familiar with the cook,' she explains. For instance, though she loves Jamie Oliver, she won't buy his books because he hates iceberg lettuce, and that's the only sort she finds in the stores, which means that a whole lot of his recipes are completely useless to her. Pictures are not priority. 'The book I studied from had no pictures at all, but every recipe in it is excellent.' Shonali Matthai did abaking course in the US and is mother to an eightyear-old son. She loves to try out new things and swap recipes. Ingredients that should be easily, locally available,

is what she also looks for in a cookbook. T h e ingredients should not be very expensive either. Ricotta cheese is all very good once in a while, but not in every recipe. The steps shouldn't be too long. If I see anything that goes over a page and a half, I put that book down. And it should not be too extravagant ^1,000 is my upper limit.'

Questions for the Novice

I . A r e all t h e i n g r e d i e n t s n e e d e d easily available?
2

HOW m a n y of t h e r e c i p e s inside will y o u actually cook?

Does it have u n i q u e r e c i p e s or is ttlust a r e p a c k a g e d v e r s i o n of t h e greatest hits you can f i n d in other books you own?
4.

The Novice
Pooja Khera had not stepped into a kitchen till she got married. She and her husband moved to Chennai soon after the wedding, and both worked. So they spent the first few months of their marriage on a diet of home delivery. But the pizzas started to pall after a while, the dip in interest coincided with that of their bank balance. They hired a cook but she knew nothing of north Indian food. 'We had to start from the absolute basics,' says Pooja. 'Rotis, rice, dal, sabzi. I found that a lot of cookbooks would have one or two basic

Doesit fit your b u d g e t - n o t ^ i n its price but also in the prices

of t h e i n g r e d i e n t s used?

5 w h a t ' s the a v e r a g e t i m e the

Recipe takes? If you're cook,ng morning tonight,youcan' afford

t o l a b o u r o v e r o n e i t e m f o r hours.

recipes and then more "dinner" ones.' She finally honed in on Tarla Dalai. 'She didn't have too many ingredients in her dishes, so I was always well stocked for them, or I would stop on my way home from work and buy them.

^kiock

it* *>

Questions for
the Pragmatic
H o w m a n y i n g r e d i e n t s are

cliilicdt

required, and will you have to

Stock u p y o u r k i t c h e n t o t h e b r i m in o r d e r t o m a k e t h e m ? 2. Is t h e a v e r a g e p r e p a r a t i o n t i m e 3 0 m i n u t e s or less? 3 is e a c h s t e p as w e l l as t h e

'terminology well explained-or

will y o u have t o l o o k it up? 4
D oes

it match y o u r level of

cooking knowledge?

5 DO you have the various tools the

r e c i p e s s p e c i f y ? A b a k i n g b o o k is w o r t h l e s s if y o u d o n ' t have an oven, b l e n d e r a n d c a k e tins.

goodreads
Her explanations were easy, and the food turned out well 90 percent of the time.' She bought the basic pocketsized books to begin with 'because I didn't want to waste money on things that may or may not be good.' Documentary filmmaker Supreeti Guha, based in Delhi, swears by Nita Mehta, finding her "simple to follow", and also turns to Sanjeev Kapoor once in awhile. 'The maid makes the basics, I make the "exotics": pesto, muffins, salads, and bakes. I identify the cuisine I'd like to attempt and then go out and buy a book that has the most recipes I'd make.' Money, she says, is not an issue since these are indulgences. publisher in London who had it and begged and pleaded with a friend who lived there to buy it!'

The Professional
Ritu Dalmia is as popular as Diva, her restaurant in New Delhi. The chef also turned cookbook author with Italian Khana in 2008. She calls her love of cookbooks an addiction. But it's also a professional tool. She buys books for 'all the boys in the restaurant' and, for a large part, for herself. 'I'm always looking for books on regional food. The size of the book is important - it shouldn't be the pocketbook size; nor should it be too bulky. They are not weights to build up my biceps. Nice pictures help too.' Apart from the physicality and the aesthetics of the book, she looks at the length of the recipe and the tone of the writer. 'If a recipe is three-pages long, I'm not buying it. Similarly, the author shouldn't be trying to give too much gyaan. I like an easy flow of writing, a chatty book that's like a conversation between the writer and the reader that gets you to go and make the dish.' She also confesses to owning everything by Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Oliver. She will buy anything from the River Cafe people (Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers) and from Faith Willinger. Her favourite cookbook is The Heart of Sicily by Anna Tasca Lanza.

The Passionate
Rumi Mukherjee Narayan, a former food blogger, owns at least 200 cookbooks. But they aren't just recipe books - they are books about food. 'I buy them not just for the recipes but also for the person's life, the culture of a place...' For her, the story is as vital as the recipes. She reels off the names of some that have made an impression - The Silver Spoon ('It's the most important Italian cookbook; newlywed women there get it as part of their dowry'), Pot on the Fire by John Thorne with Matt Lewis Thorne, The Language of Baklava: A Memoir by Diana Abu-Janber, How to Roast a Lamb by Michael Psilakis, The

'Hike an easy flow of writing, a chatty book that's like a conversation. My favourite cookbook is The Heart of Sicily by Anna Tasca Lanza.'
Ritu Dalmia

Questions for the Passionate

it didn't have recipes, w o u l d y o u r e a d it?
2

, s it g o i n g t o o p e n u p a n e w w o r l d

for you? Or give you insight ,nto

one you already know?

3. W h a t s o r t of reviews has it g o t ?

4. Does it tell you what the chefs are

c o o k i n g at h o m e ?

Calcutta Cookbook by M i n a k s h i Dasgupta, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan, The Settler's Handbook by Yasmin AlibhaiBrown. The latter, she explains, moved from Uganda to the UK and says in the book that, 'Feeling settled is not to do with putting down roots. You take a pot and you create a feast that tastes and smells like home.' British chef Jamie Oliver also features because 'he's fun and gives you recipes with context.' She recounts the story of a book she bought called Breadwinners by Lesley Hewitt Bruck. 'My father-in-law had bought it from a stall on College Street in Kolkata and gave it to my mother-inlaw. It was a lovely book but she didn't want to part with it. So I thought I would get it online, except that it was out of print. I finally found one obscure

iSSKItttUU^ Questions for the Professional

1 Does the book look good? is It
aesthetically satisfying?
2.

W i l l it lie flat o n the t a b l e w h e n y o u get around t o cook.ng?

3. Is t h e c h e f s o m e o n e y o u a d m i r e ? 4 . W i l l it s h a p e your t a s t e s a n d those of others? 5. D o e s it reveal a c h e f s m e t h o d s ?

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GOOD H O U S E K E E P I N G JANUARY 2011