Kathal ki Dum Biryani!!

Do you struggle with the word Biryani? Do you think that you need to buy the ready made Biryani Masala to make a proper biryani? For me both these answers are a straight No. Read on if you wanna join my club.

Kachche Kathal ki Biryani

Almost 400 gms of cut and cleaned Echor / Kachcha Kathal / unripe Jack fruit. Boil it in water along with some salt and turmeric, till its 50 % done. Using a pressure cooker may not be a good idea.

7 onions chopped and fried till brown

About 300 gms good long grain rice, soaked for 1 hour

Masala For the Rice

2 tbsp Oil

A nice mix of whole Garam Masala-

·       1 star Anise

·       1 cinnamon Stick

·       2 to 3 cloves

·       3 to 4 Green cardamom

·       ½ black cardamom

·       2 big leaves of tez patta (bay leaf)

·       1 tsp of Shah jeera

A lot of water and salt to taste.

Masala for the Jackfruit

2 heaped tbsp curd

3 tbsp oil

All the Whole Garam masala as mentioned up for the rice preparation.

3 tbsp Ginger and garlic paste

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp Coriander powder

½ tsp Cumin powder

½ tsp Chilly powder

A few shakes of freshly grated nutmeg and cinnamon separately.

2 big pinches of cashew nuts and 2 more of raisins

A big handful each of chopped mint and coriander leaves

3 slit green chillies, or to taste

For Assembling

2 tbsp ghee                                                                    

2 steel containers with lid

1 small pinch of real kesar and warm milk

Procedure-

During biryani making, its best to keep all ingredients out and handy. Also this same process could be used for any other Dum cooked Meat or veggie biryani.

First in a kettle boil a litre of water.

Get a big sauce pot and put it on heat. We would make the whole spice tadka for the rice first, before proceeding for other stuff.

Pour in a few tbsp of oil. Once it heats up, drop in all the whole spices; and on low flame cook till it is fragrant.

Carefully pour in the hot water on the tadka and salt it generously. Add some more cold water and bring it up to a rolling boil before adding the soaked rice. Cook the soaked rice on a rolling boil for 5 to 7 minutes. It should be about 50 to 60 percent done. Drain it out on a plate and let it air dry. I mostly just take my spider ladle and drain out the rice from the starchy water onto a bowl. Then I quickly topple it out on a flat plate and let the rice air dry for a few minutes. Repeat with the remaining rice. The second batch of rice should be kept to air dry on a separate plate.

So by now, you have fried onion kept in one corner . Rice half cooked and air drying in another.

Lets start making the jackfruit masal now.

In a wok/kadhai heat some oil. Once hot, temper in the whole spices along with a sole red chilly. Wait for it to get fragrant.

Add in the cashew nuts and raisins and fry them lightly in this flavour ful oil on low to medim heat.

Now beat the curd with all the dry masala powder, and set it aside.

Now one after another, we would add different elements to the wok and get it frying.

·       The first to go would be a big pinch of fried onion along with the ginger garlic paste. Fry till we get rid of the raw smell of ginger and garlic.

·       The next would be the curd mix along with all dry spices. Cook it till oil separates out of the masala.

·       Now would be perfect to add 2 big pinches each of mint and coriander. Add in the green chilies too for an added kick. 

·       Adjust salt and sugar and this stage. And, add in our already cooked jackfruit to pan fry in the masala and absorb its flavour.

Taste again for salt and sugar, and adjust accordingly. 2 big pinches of sugar was good enough for me. you can even omit sugar, but I highly recommend adding it to lessen the tang of homemade curd.

Now its time for the assembly.

·       You have the jack fruit prepared.

·       You have onions fried.

·       You have half cooked rice

·       You have chopped coriander and mint ready.

·       This would be the right time to create the saffron mix. Just warm up a few tbsp of milk in microwave and drop in a few strands of kesar on to it. Let it bloom and get flavourful.

Now all you need is to set up a steaming station- gas or electric. 

Generously put ghee on the steel containers you choose to steam the biryani in. Put a thin layer of the most uncooked rice of the lot you have made earlier, in the bottom of the pan. Top it all with jackfruit masala. Now an even layer of onions needs to be followed with an even layer of chopped herbs. Top it all with rice once again.

This is where you need to be creative. Get a proper layer of fried onion on top. Now another generous sprinkle of herbs. Now get that saffron milk and spoon it all over the while rice. 

Close the lid, and let it steam for 30 minutes.

And when you open that lid once done, you will be transported to another world it self. Biryani is a soul food, which is made and perfected with love. Make it to believe it.

Cheers!!

Have You Heard of Anaaj??

Have you heard of Anaaj? I am guessing the answer would be a simple yes! Anyone who understands, Hindi- India's national language would know that it simply translates into 'grains.' A lesser number of people would be able to join the dots to know that it is something I am concerned with, for now. A few would know of what it means and what it doesn't for me. But only a select handful would know what triggered and got the concept started. Today's agenda is to let those hands open up so that I have a little more than handful of people who should become a part of my journey through the neat kiosks of Anaaj.

Daliya Aur Daal ki Bhuni Khichri!!

It all started with a walk down the famed Park Street. It was a rainy day in Kolkata, and I saw an array of stalls on the street selling food of unimaginable variety. There was Biryani, noodles, Chaat, tandoori and what not, but in every lane I turned; I saw a couple of humble carts carrying big aluminium vessels, full of 'Khichri' a dish made with rice, lentils and vegetables. At first, I did think why anyone would want to buy khichri and eat it on the streets, but in came the lunch crowd; and sure as hell there were many who stood by the stall devouring this simple dish. I asked one of them- jhola bearing, bespectacled gentleman- eating the dish as to why does he feel the need of buying a simple dish like khichri, which can easily be ignored. His answer was real, ‘it’s cheap, fills me up and is wonderful for my tummy; then why shouldn’t I?’And he is right. If you look closely, you will know that it is a very balanced meal full of nutrition to fuel your day with energy. It’s light on stomach and takes care of tummy conscious bongs in a way that compares to the gentle caress of our favourite thammi (granny). Cut to North India, where the revered Bhaskor Banerjee of the Piku fame created unimaginable jokes on everything digestion related. And here I stand today, as the madhatter who dared to sell khichri in her corporate based QSR concept- Anaaj- Pulses & Grains.

The First Customers!!!

Anaaj- Pulses & Grains is a concept based quick serving restaurant (QSR) that I intend to build as a chain. Launched on December 4^th, we are 2 kiosks strong; and we intend to soar up and high with many more concepts and kiosks in the coming months. The ‘Pulses & Grains’ concept is conceptualised keeping in mind the needs of a corporate world, where we sell food for the need, as opposed to food for the want. Now you can and should ask what is this want and need? Well, for that I made this poster-

It’s simply the fact that you might indulge in everything sinful and calorific for days, but at the end of the third day, your body and mind will seek the comfort of a home-styled light Indian meal. After all, it’s human to go back to the comfort of the food you have grown up eating, over anything else. So I am the mad-hatter who sells khichri in North India. And it’s no simple feat. Starting from teaching my hard core north Indian Chefs to cook the perfect Bhuni khichri to letting the cynical customers know the value of a light Indian meal; it wasn’t an easy path. But well, who exactly wants their lives to be a bed of roses. A few challenges here or there is what makes life colourful.

Balancing the dieting!!

I took the challenge heads on. In my first kiosk, I stood selling food for a month, interacting with customers, understanding their need to get it incorporated in my menu. I discussed each and every interaction with my staff to understand all that they can do over the wishes of our patrons. We started with a few things, and then with valuable inputs from everyone connected to the name of Anaaj, expanded it to an expansive menu of over 50 items. Today, each and every dish is something I am proud of. All dishes are carefully recipe developed, keeping in mind the articulation of my kitchen staff. Today Anaaj family is 12 members strong. And all of these 12 members are finally proud of the fact that we are the only Indian Restaurant which serves curries with a layer of love instead, of a layer of artery clogging, demonic oil. We recently launched #AnaajCurries, and trust me if you had our Chicken Angara, you would know how a gravy can be made magical with minimal use of oil, but maximum use of flavour. I have things like Palak Khichri in my menu, directly inspired by my stay in Mumbai. I have Dum cooked Biryani in my menu, with a taste of Hyderabad in it. And I also experiment with the North Indian staple- parantha (flat Indian bread, stuffed and roasted) filling it up with unusual things like Sattu or Chicken or a mix of roasted veggies which I call- Sub Subz ka parantha. I have experimented with things like Dalia- broken wheat on the menu. I intend to get out many more such forgotten grains or recipes which are extremely healthy, but forgotten completely in the mad rush of this generational life.

Chicken Chawala without a layer of floating oil!!

I am developing another concept now. All I want to say is wait for it to hit the market as it would also be super interesting, and very healthy. This time, it would be a bit more celebratory and a little less mundane. At this stage all I want to say is that we are here, and we are here to stay!  Cheers!!  

Alu Angara!!