karela masala
bitter melon curry
Bitter melon, known as karela in India, is a climbing vine with bitter leaves and green fruit. A key part of Indian cooking, it’s used to cut the fattiness in food as well as providing a contrast to richer flavors. It has Ayurvedic qualities that Indians believe are beneficial in dealing with diabetes and many infectious diseases, as well as having a positive effect on the metabolism. Every state has its own bitter melon recipe; this dish is from North India. The baby bitter melons are split then salted to remove some of the bitterness, then stuffed with spices and slowly roasted with ginger. This is probably our family’s favorite dish. It is an excellent blend of flavors and encompasses the five tastes: bitter from the bitter melon itself, sour from the dry mango powder “amchur,” spice from the red chili and turmeric, sweet from the jaggery, and salt for balance. The bitter melon is treated properly prior to cooking to cut down its inherent bitterness. The salt, amchur, and lime juice work to reduce the bitterness of the melon.
1 lb 5 oz (600 g) bitter melon
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
juice of 1 lime
vegetable or sunflower oil, for cooking
2 red onions, thinly sliced
½ cup (2¼ oz/60 g) chickpea flour (besan)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon asafetida (see glossary)
½ teaspoon red chili powder
4 small green chilies, chopped
2 teaspoons grated palm sugar (jaggery) or soft brown sugar
¼ teaspoon amchur (dry mango powder) (see glossary)
cilantro (coriander) leaves, to garnish
SERVES 6 AS PART OF A SHARED MEAL
Cut the bitter melon in half, remove the insides, and discard them. Cut the flesh into ½–¾ inch (1–2 cm) thick rounds and put them in a colander. Add ½ teaspoon of the turmeric, ½ teaspoon of salt, and the lime juice to the bitter melon. Leave in the colander over a plate, as the melon will release some water, for 20 minutes. (You can discard this water, but it is also used in India as a medicine to control diabetes.)
Fill a wok or heavy-based saucepan one-third full with oil, and heat to 355°F (180°C), or until a cube of bread turns golden brown in 15 seconds. Deep-fry half of the onion until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Set aside. These will be used to finish the dish.
Ensure the oil in the wok is still at 355°F. Roll the bitter melon in the chickpea flour and deep-fry for 3–4 minutes or until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Set aside.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, add the cumin seeds, and brown. Add the remaining uncooked onion and cook until brown. Add the asafetida, chili powder, green chili, and palm sugar and cook for 3 minutes, sprinkling with a little bit of water to prevent the mixture burning.
Add the bitter melon crisps and toss quickly. Sprinkle with the amchur and garnish with the cilantro leaves and fried onion.
chicken 65
This dish originated in a famous eatery in Chennai called Buhari. The true origin of the number “65” is highly debated. According to the most prevalent theory, it was the 65th item on a long menu, but another common anecdote is that the dish uses a chicken that has been raised for 65 days.
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1½ tablespoons red chili powder
juice of 1½ limes
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 lb 9 oz (700 g) skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
vegetable or sunflower oil, for deep-frying
20 curry leaves
finely shredded ginger, to garnish
green chutney (see page 210), to serve (optional)
SERVES 4 AS PART OF A SHARED MEAL
Combine the finely grated ginger, garlic, chili powder, lime juice, and eggs in a shallow dish. Add the chicken and mix well. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes. The longer you allow the chicken to marinate, the more the flavors will infuse into the chicken.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing any excess to drip off. Dust the chicken lightly with the flour.
Fill a wok or heavy-based saucepan one-third full with oil, and heat to 355°F (180°C) or until a cube of bread turns golden brown in 15 seconds. Deep-fry the chicken for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Put in a serving dish.
In the same oil, deep-fry the curry leaves until crispy—this will happen very quickly, about 20 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
Crush half of the fried curry leaves and scatter over the fried chicken. Garnish the chicken with the remaining fried curry leaves and the ginger, and serve with the chutney.
thengai erachi
beef chili coconut fry
This dish is from the Syrian Christian community in the South Indian state of Kerala. The coconut with fennel and the garam masala and pepper work well together. The beef is a robust enough meat to stand up to the strong spices. The cooking medium is coconut oil, which is found in abundance in this region of India. Keralan cuisine uses the coconut as well as a lot of spice, as the region has been a major spice trade center for centuries.
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground fennel
½ teaspoon garam masala (see page 125)
1 lb 5 oz (600 g) beef sirloin or rump steak, cut into finger-sized strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 curry leaves
½ cup (3½ fl oz/100 ml) coconut oil (see glossary)
4 dried red chilies
2-inch (5-cm) piece of cassia bark (see glossary)
1 large onion, sliced
6 garlic cloves, sliced
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
1½ teaspoons finely grated ginger
3 tablespoons coconut flakes or shredded coconut, toasted
SERVES 4–6 AS PART OF A SHARED MEAL
Combine the turmeric, coriander, cumin, fennel, and garam masala in a bowl. Add the beef and toss to coat in the spices. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over low heat, add the curry leaves, and fry until just crisp. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.
Heat 3 tablespoons of the coconut oil in a wok over medium heat, add the chilies and cassia bark, and cook for 1 minute. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the ginger and cook for 1 minute.
Heat the remaining coconut oil in a separate large frying pan over high heat and sear the beef, in two batches. This is to prevent the beef from releasing too much moisture.
Once all the beef is cooked, add it to the wok, with the coconut flakes and fried curry leaves. Mix quickly, season with salt, and serve.
kothu kari
stir-fried chopped lamb
Kothu in Tamil means “chopped.” The technique uses two cleavers—one in each hand—to chop the meat.
1 lb 5 oz (600 g) lamb shoulder
7 oz (200 g) lamb backstrap
7 tablespoons (3½ fl oz/100 ml) vegetable or sunflower oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
2 onions, chopped
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon ground fennel
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons red chili powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
juice of 1 lime
10 curry leaves
SERVES 4–6 AS PART OF A SHARED MEAL
Put both cuts of lamb on a chopping board and, using two cleavers, dice into ½–¾ inch (1–2 cm) cubes using a chopping action. The diced meat should be chopped, but not minced.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large wok over high heat, add the lamb in batches, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Remove from the wok and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in the wok, add the mustard seeds and let them crackle for about 20 seconds. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic and stir-fry for about 3 minutes or until lightly browned.
Return the lamb to the wok, then stir in the fennel, pepper, turmeric, chili powder, and coriander, and stir-fry until the meat is cooked. Drizzle over the lime juice, stir in the curry leaves, and serve.
chicken harra masala
coriander & mint chicken
A North Indian favorite, with the freshness of green herbs and background notes of spices. These make the dish very fresh, light, and crisp in taste. The “harra” refers to the color, meaning green. It’s best to cook the dish without a lid, which will help to retain the color.
vegetable or sunflower oil, for deep-frying
3 onions, thinly sliced
8 small green chilies
1 bunch mint, leaves picked
1 bunch cilantro (coriander), leaves picked
⅓ cup (1¾ oz/50 g) cashews
½ cup (4½ oz/130 g) plain thick yogurt, beaten
2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
2 lb 4 oz (1 kg) boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into 1½-inch (4-cm) pieces
1-inch (2.5-cm) piece of cinnamon stick
4 green cardamom pods
8 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
3 tablespoons ghee (see glossary)
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons half-and-half cream (18% fat)
cherry tomato quarters and ginger slices, to garnish
SERVES 6–8 AS PART OF A SHARED MEAL
Fill a wok or heavy-based saucepan one-third full with oil, and heat to 355°F (180°C) or until a cube of bread turns golden brown in 15 seconds. Deep-fry the onion until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Reserve some to garnish.
Grind the green chilies, mint leaves, coriander leaves, cashews, and remaining fried onion together in a food processor to make a smooth paste. This is your green masala.
Combine the yogurt, ginger, garlic, and green masala in a large bowl. Add the chicken and mix well to coat. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorns, and cumin and coriander seeds in a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. This is your powdered masala. Set aside.
Heat the ghee in a large frying pan over medium–high heat, add the chicken, and sear on all sides. Add the turmeric and 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) of water, and season with salt. Cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes.
When the chicken is almost cooked, add the powdered masala and cream, and simmer for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is smooth and rich. Ladle into a serving dish and garnish with the reserved fried onions, cherry tomato, and ginger.
rajastani laal maas
fiery goat curry
This is a very spicy dish from the deserts of Rajasthan. It’s marked by a striking red color from the chilies. A chili paste is made from soaked whole chilies, which gives it a very different taste from red chili powder. Also, ghee is used instead of oil to balance the heat of the chilies. This dish is unusual as it does not use ginger or tomato.
20 dried red chilies
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ cup (4½ oz/130 g) Greek-style yogurt
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons ground coriander
7 tablespoons (3½ oz/100 g) ghee (see glossary)
6 garlic cloves, sliced
6 green cardamom pods
3 black cardamom pods
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 lb 12 oz (1.25 kg) goat leg or shoulder shank, bone in, cubed (ask your butcher to do this for you)
SERVES 6 AS PART OF A SHARED MEAL
Soak the dried chilies in warm water for 20 minutes to soften. Drain and reserve 4 chilies for later. Process the remainder to a fine paste in a blender.
Heat a frying pan over high heat and dry-fry the cumin seeds for about 1 minute, shaking the pan regularly. Finely crush the seeds using a mortar and pestle.
Combine the yogurt with the turmeric, ground coriander, chili paste, and crushed cumin seeds in a bowl and set aside.
Heat the ghee in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium–high heat, add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Add the green and black cardamom pods and the reserved chilies, stir, then add the onion and cook for 6–8 minutes or until brown.
Add the goat and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring to coat in the onion. Add the yogurt mixture with 3 cups (26 fl oz/750 ml) of water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Check the seasoning and serve hot.
ponnusamy biryani
spiced rice with lamb
My addiction to biryani started from my catering college days in Madras when I discovered Ponnusamy Hotel. This small no-frills eatery now has a legendary status. It started in 1954 and serves one of the best biryanis in town. The rice used here is a special variety called seeraga samba, which has a beautiful bouquet that lends itself to a good biryani. There are a vast number of biryani recipes in India, varying from region to region and even from home to home—and each region boasts that their version is the greatest.
Biryani is derived from the Persian word biran, which means “fried before cooking.” There are primarily two ways to cook a biryani. The first style is a kachi (raw) biryani, where the meat and rice are sealed and slow-cooked in dum (together) for hours in a traditional pot called a lagan. This involves a lot of technique and is usually done by ustaads (master chefs), who have their chelas (apprentices or servants) to do all their prep and rice washing. The chelas are not allowed to open the biryani because the master believes if they do, they can break the grains. The ustaad would generally share his secret recipes with only his family or a select deputy. This biryani is a speciality of the city of Hyderabad. I was lucky enough to receive a demonstration from legendary chef Maqbul Miaji of Hyderabad.
Pukki (cooked) biryani is the less involved method where the meat and rice are par-cooked separately and then the rice is layered on the meat, and the whole pot is sealed and cooked together. I was amazed to see a biryani master in Lucknow making a pukki biryani for about a thousand people in ten huge lagans cooked over fires. His presicion and timing left me in awe.
This recipe is a simplified pukki biryani.
⅓ cup (2½ fl oz/80 ml) vegetable or sunflower oil
6 green cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
2 dried bay leaves
3 onions, sliced
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
2 lb 4 oz (1 kg) lamb leg, diced
2 lamb shanks, cut into 2-inch (5-cm) rounds (ask your butcher to do this)
⅓ cup (3¼ oz/95 g) plain thick yogurt, beaten
1 tomato, chopped
½ bunch cilantro (coriander), leaves roughly chopped and stalks reserved
¼ bunch mint, leaves roughly chopped
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder (see glossary)
1 teaspoon red chili powder
2½ cups (1 lb 2 oz/500 g) basmati rice
½ teaspoon garam masala
(see page 125)
5 saffron threads
3 tablespoons ghee, melted (see glossary)
7 tablespoons (3½ oz/100 g) butter, melted
3 tablespoons half-and-half cream (18% fat)
fried onions and fried green chilies, to garnish
SERVES 6–8 AS PART OF A SHARED MEAL
Heat the oil in a casserole dish over medium heat, add 4 of the cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cloves, and the bay leaves. Add the onion and cook for 6–8 minutes or until golden brown. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 2–3 minutes. Add the lamb, season with salt and cook, covered, for about 5 minutes or until the lamb starts to release its juices.
Stir in the yogurt and tomato. Add 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) of water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes. Add half of the cilantro leaves and one-third of the mint. Add the turmeric and both chili powders and cook for 15 minutes or until the lamb is half-cooked. Season well with salt.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/Gas 4).
Meanwhile, fill a saucepan with 8½ cups (70 fl oz/2 liters) of water, add the remaining cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and cloves, one-third of the remaining mint, and the cilantro stalks and bring to a boil. Add the rice, season with salt and par-boil, uncovered, over medium–high heat for about 10 minutes. Do not drain.
When the meat is half-cooked, use a slotted spoon to constantly scoop small quantities of the rice onto the lamb, putting the rice in the center of the meat—eventually you will have a mound of rice. Once all the rice has been added, flatten the mound slightly—not too much, as you don’t want the rice to get too soaked by the sauce. Do not stir the rice at any time from now on—this is very important. Add the garam masala, saffron, ghee, butter, cream, and the remaining mint and cilantro leaves. Cover the dish with a piece of parchment (a culinary “cartouche”), then cover with a tight-fitting lid. The biryani must not be cooked over heat from this stage on. Transfer to the oven and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove the biryani from the oven, but do not open it to check whether it is done. Let it rest for 5–10 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Garnish with the fried onions and green chilies to serve.
rava methi machi
semolina-crusted salmon
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 lb 5 oz (600 g) salmon fillets, skin on, cut into 2¾ oz–3½ oz (80–100 g) portions
½ cup (3¼ oz/95 g) coarse semolina
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (see glossary)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon red chili powder
3 tablespoons vegetable or sunflower oil
tamarind and ginger chutney
(see page 210), to serve
SERVES 6 AS PART OF A SHARED MEAL
Combine the lime juice, ginger, and garlic, brush the mixture all over the salmon and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
Combine the semolina, flour, fenugreek leaves, cumin, turmeric, and chili powder. Heavily coat the salmon in the flour mixture.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium–high heat, add the salmon skin-side down, and cook until the skin is crisp, then turn over and cook for another 2–3 minutes or until the fish is just cooked through—do not overcook the salmon; it should be pink and soft in the middle. Serve with the tamarind and ginger chutney.
aatukal karaikudi
lamb karaikuidi
3 tablespoons vegetable or sunflower oil
2 onions, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
5 dried red chilies
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
2 star anise
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
⅓ cup (3¼ oz/90 g) tomato paste (concentrated purée)
2 lb 4 oz (1 kg) diced lamb leg
12 curry leaves
parathas, to serve (see glossary)
SERVES 6–8 AS PART OF A SHARED MEAL
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the onion and coriander seeds, and cook for 6–8 minutes or until the onion is brown. Cool, then put into a spice grinder and blend to a smooth paste.
Heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the red chilies, fennel, star anise, ginger, and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the onion paste and stir to combine well with the spices, then add the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the lamb and 2 cups (17 fl oz/500 ml) of water, reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 30 minutes. This dish should not have a flowing gravy, so if the sauce is still thin after cooking, increase the heat to high and cook, uncovered, for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced to a thick consistency. Stir in the curry leaves and serve with the parathas.
karara bhindi
crispy okra
Okra are also called “ladies’ fingers” in India due to their curved shape. They are a rich source of dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins, and they are thought to enhance brain power. Prior to school exams okra is a prime vegetable that gets added to a lot of dishes—this is an ancient natural remedy that existed before such things as memory-boosting tablets came onto the market.
Okra is a naturally slimy vegetable that requires the right cooking technique, as shown in this recipe, to achieve the perfect texture and taste. These crispy snacks are an excellent accompaniment to a chilled beer on a summer afternoon. We serve this at Aki’s as a starter.
1 lb 2 oz (500 g) okra, cut into strips
½ teaspoon red chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
juice of 1 lime
vegetable or sunflower oil, for deep-frying
1 cup (4¼ oz/120 g) chickpea flour (besan)
½ cup (2¾ oz/80 g) rice flour
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
date and tamarind chutney (see page 108) or burrani raita (see page 211), to serve
SERVES 4 AS PART OF A SHARED MEAL
Lightly season the okra with the chili powder, turmeric, and lime juice. Do not marinate it for too long because the okra will leach its stickiness and make it very difficult to dust with the flour.
Fill a wok or large saucepan one-third full with oil, and heat to about 355°F (180°C), or until a cube of bread turns golden brown in 15 seconds. Combine the chickpea and rice flours, cumin seeds, ginger, and a little salt in a bowl. Dust the okra in the flour mixture. Deep-fry the okra, in batches, for 2–3 minutes or until golden brown and crisp, turning once to cook evenly. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Serve immediately with the chutney or raita.
shahi tukda
mughal bread & butter pudding
This is essentially a glorified bread and butter pudding from the royal Mughal kitchens. The origin of this dish is Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. In Urdu, shahi means “royal” and tukda means “bits,” and refers to how the royal cooks would use the plethora of breads left over from the emperor’s meals to prepare this dessert. This pudding is pure indulgence (and will ensure you need a couple of hours on the treadmill!). Traditionally, to showcase the richness of Mughlai cuisine, chandi warq (edible silver leaf) is used to decorate dishes. This is still made in the traditional manner where small pieces of silver are placed between two sheets of paper and hammered out until it is papery thin. The silver leaf is pure fancy and adds to the opulence of the dish.
8 saffron threads
6 teaspoons (1 fl oz/30 ml) rosewater
2 cups (17 fl oz/500 ml) milk
6 slices white bread, crusts removed
½ cup (4½ oz/125 g) ghee, melted (see glossary)
1 cup (7 oz/200 g) granulated sugar
honey, for drizzling
1 sheet edible silver leaf (optional)
vanilla bean ice cream, to serve (optional)
SERVES 6 AS A DESSERT
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/Gas 4).
Soak 3 saffron threads in 5 teaspoons (1 fl oz/25 ml) of the rosewater to make a saffron rosewater for serving. Set aside.
Put the milk in a heavy-based stainless-steel saucepan and bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Continue gently simmering, scraping the sides and base of the pan to ensure the milk doesn’t burn, until the milk has reduced to one-third. Set aside to cool. This is called the rabri.
Cut each slice of bread in half to make triangles, and toast in the oven for 10 minutes, then brush each side with the melted ghee, return to the oven, and toast for 15 minutes or until crisp and golden. Set aside.
Meanwhile, put the sugar in a saucepan with 1¾ cups (14 fl oz/400 ml) of water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes to make a syrup. Add the remaining saffron and the remaining teaspoon of rosewater. Remove from the heat.
Place the bread triangles in the hot sugar syrup and leave until well soaked.
To serve, arrange two bread triangles on each plate and pour over the rabri. Drizzle with the honey and the saffron rosewater. Using a knife, carefully remove a small piece of the silver leaf and put on each dish. Serve with a scoop of ice cream if desired.
