Kakori kebab

Food cooked in charcoal and wood fire has an unreserved allure universally that draws its roots since the ancient of days. Being the most primitive form of cooking since the stone age, when man discovered the wonder of creating fire from sparks by striking two stones together, it has been ingrained into the genes of humankind and forms a part of the DNA of the Food-logy of our being. Even today, after centuries of existence, evolution and technological advancement, coal and wood fire continue to serve mankind with both, the exquisite range of grilled and barbecued spreads and provision in the form of the cheapest cooking alternative for countless folks worldwide struggling to make ends meet.  

Amongst the endless list of techniques and recipes from the wood fire nothing perhaps is more illustrious, loved and accepted than the middle eastern range of  kebabs and grills.

The English phrase 'all dark clouds have a silver lining' and William Shakespeare's widely quoted line from the play 'As You Like It' (Act 2 Scene 1) "Sweet are the uses of Adversity" couldn't be more true than its significance with regard to the invention of the legendary Kakori Kebabs when the adversities of the old and toothless Nawab of Awadh made his khansamas grind their teeth in order to create the kebab that literally melts and evaporates like a wafer. 

My quest, in addition to the natural attraction towards charcoal grilled food, was to replicate the Kakori Kebabs that had blown away the imagination of my mind and left me spell bound with its dramatic melting texture and softness and the subtle exquisite flavours that translates into pampered royalty incensed with the most exuberant spices and the aromatic smell of the charcoal grill. After much attempts, and a recipe, I did manage to achieve something I would categorize the likes of Kakori Kebab. 

There are many steps in the process. The key in creating the Kakori Kebab is doing those small steps right. Choosing the meat is the most vital step as that determines the ultimate outcome of the kebab even if you have got the other steps right. 

Ingredients : Serves 4-5

• Minced Mutton (Goat) Meat - 500 gms (The meat should be chosen from the raan, or the leg, without any fat or ligaments. 
• Raw Papaya - 50 gms
• Kidney fat - 50 gms
• Salt to Taste 

(A) Kakori Masala (Roast and Make Powder)

• Green Cardamom 5 pcs
• Black Cardamom Seeds 1/2 teaspoon
• Cloves - 3 Nos
• Nutmeg - a Pinch
• Mace/Javatri - 1 Small Blade
• Shahi Jeera- 1/2 Teaspoon
• Rose Petal - 1/2 teaspoon
• Kebab Chini - 5 Nos
• White Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
• Kashmiri Mirch powder- 1/2 tablespoon
• Roasted Gram Powder - 3 tbsp

(B) Kakori Masala (Make Paste)

• Dessicated Coconut - 3 tbsp
• Khuskhus (Poppy Seeds) - 1 tsp
• Khoya - 1 tbsp
• Onions (to be sliced and fried) - 4 medium sized
• Cashew nuts - 1 tbsp
• Fresh Malai - 1 tbsp
• Saffron - a pinch
• Rosewater - 1 tablespoon
• Kewda Water - 1 Tablespoon

Process:

• Mince Meat and Fat thrice to a very fine consistency in  a grinder.
• Add papaya paste, salt and Kakori Powder (A), mix well
• Add Kakori Masala (B) along with Rose water, Kewda and Saffron.
• Mix thoroughly and keep for half an hour.
• Take a portion of the meat (about 100 gms) and put it on skewers and shape it like a seekh kebab (the skewer type should be fat square shaped since they hold the minced meat the best).
• Roast on charcoal grill. Be careful to turn the seekh constantly to avoid over grilling from a particular side. Alternatively preheat oven to 200 degree Celsius and grill kebab for 15-20 mins or till browned from all sides. Remember to oil the kebabs in between for better and uniform grilling.
• Remove Carefully from the skewer on a plate. 
• Serve with green chutney and sliced onions (although it was loved without any chutney)

(Recipe Credit: Gautam Mehrish : Corporate Executive Chef at Sun-n-Sand Hotels, Mumbai)

The same recipe when experimented with minced chicken was not exactly the 'melt-in-mouth' texture but was equally appreciated.

The same recipe experimented with chicken

Happy Kebab Dishing

Vishal

Daab Chingri/Prawns cooked in tender coconut

We at Kolkata Food Blogger's have started a new event where we are introducing one blogger per week by choosing a recipe from their blog and recreating it. The idea germinated in my head seeing a number of guest posts on the blogosphere. This event has made us dig deep into each other's blog and thus know more about each other's food journey. 
This week Jayati Saha is our featured blogger who blogs from Jayati and Tito's Food Journey
Jayati is working as a senior project manager in a corporate house and finds cooking as mode of enjoyment and therapy. She started her blog on her son's insistence and assistance and now is hooked onto the enjoyment of creating and sharing recipes on her blog. This event was especially an eye opener for me into her amazing world of food. She cooks from her heart and loves to do so for her beautiful family. It was really hard for me to move away from her list of delectable sweets and bakes. I purposely tried choosing a recipe that is not really my style. The hunt in doing so made me witness scores of amazing, simple and easy everyday recipes. I zeroed on the Daab Chingri as it was on my 'must try' list for some time. 
Daab chingri as the name suggests is an amazing Bengali dish where the prawns are cooked in a tender coconut using the water and the soft kernel of it. Otherwise a simple dish, the presentation quotient is sky high with it being served in a coconut shell. The sweetness of the tender coconut kernel and water used in the gravy lends this dish an amazing flavour. Served with hot boiled rice, this dish will win hearts instantly and earn many accolades. 

Ingredients : For 2-3 servings

• 1 tender young coconut with its water and pulp
• Prawns (deveined and cleaned) 10-15 
• 1 medium sized onion
• 5-6 garlic pods
• 1" piece ginger
• 1 green chilly
• 4-5 cashewnuts
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds, soaked in some water
• 1/2 tsp panchphoron
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 3 tbsp mustard oil 

Procedure:
Sprinkle salt and turmeric powder over prawns and keep aside for 1/2 hour.
Cut the coconut from top and preserve it to be used as a lid. Cut little from bottom too so that the coconut can be made to stand.

Vishal flaunting his knife skills

Drain the coconut water and reserve. Scoop out the soft kernel and keep aside.

Grind together onion, garlic, ginger, green chilly, poppy seeds and cashews to a fine paste and keep aside. 
Heat mustard oil in a deep pan/kadai and let it reach its burning point. Switch off the heat and allow to cool. 
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius.
Heat oil again and add panchphoron. As it splutters, add the ground paste. Let it cook on medium heat till the paste leaves oil on its sides.
Grind the coconut kernel that was obtained from the coconut and add to the pan.
Add sugar and salt. 
Add 1/2 of the coconut water and let it boil. 
Gently lower the prawns and allow to cook for a minute. 
(My gravy had gone too thin for my liking so I scooped the prawns and let the gravy thicken on high flame.)
Transfer the prawns and the gravy into the coconut shell.

Cover with the lid and seal with some atta dough.

Put the sealed coconut in the preheated oven and cook for 15-20 mins.
Alternately, you may cook in the pressure cooker by putting the sealed coconut shell in it and filling it with water reaching halfway. Close lid and cook for 3 whistles and then wait for the vapour to dissipate naturally.
Scoop out the prawns and enjoy with a bowl of hot boiled rice.

Happy Daab Chingri enjoying
Amrita

Hari bhari machi/Rui fish in coriander gravy-Know Your Kolkata Food Blogger-Kamalika Chakrabarty

Her sweet melodious voice over the phone was my first tryst with her. I had requested her to pick me up for our very first meet and got so busy baking a Surprise cake that I completely forgot telling her that Vishal had agreed upon leaving me. As a diligent and responsible person (that she is) she called me up to confirm. My cake took longer than expected and I had crossed the meeting time by an hour. I had butterflies in my stomach and was super excited to meet my fellow Kolkata Food bloggers. It was only with her efforts that our group was formed and this was our very first meet.
It gives me immense pleasure to introduce a very dear friend, a fellow food blogger, the creator and visionary of Kolkata Food Bloggers, Kamalika Chakrabarty on our blog.
Kamalika Chakrabarty blogs from Silence Sings. A passionate homemaker who runs a jewellery business, a cake/chocolate business, ardent food blogger, loving mother and a wife, she is  truly a superwoman who wishes there were more hours in a day.
It is with her efforts that Kolkata Food Bloggers Group was formed where food bloggers in Kolkata can connect and come together to share and enrich each other through their years of food blogging experience and have fun.
Kamalika's blog is truly a very pleasing one with her wonderful write ups and awesome photography skills. She strives hard to bring out amazing pictures every single time. From some lip smacking main/side dishes to delectable desserts, her blog has it all.
Today I chose to recreate her Dhone Pata Rui (Rui fish with coriander leaves) I had completely loved her idea of incorporating fish with coriander leaves and decided to achieve the dish with some personal changes. I incorporated a tried and tested Chicken Hara bhara recipe  from my Amma's kitchen and used the same gravy for fish. The fish looked lovely and tasted amazing with all the green coriander gravy. Thanks to Kamalika for the ingenious idea. 
Do check her original version of the dish and her lovely blog. 
You can also check her amazing range of Apparel, jewellery, customized cakes and chocolates here
and here

Ingredients : For 2 servings

• 300 gms fish (I used Rui fish, peti(abdomen))
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 green chillies
• 2 tsp poppy seeds(posto dana), soaked in some water
• 50 gms fresh coriander leaves
• salt to taste
• Mustard oil, to fry the fish +1 tbsp for the gravy
• 1 tsp cornflour

Procedure:
Wash the fish pieces and marinate with lime juice and salt. 
Roughly chop green chillies and coriander leaves and make a paste with the soaked poppy seeds. I used the traditional Sil-bata. You may do this in a grinder.
Take oil in a deep pan/kadai and heat till it reaches smoking point.
Switch off the heat and let the oil cool.
This helps remove the most pungent elements from the oil resulting in a smoother taste.
Heat the oil again and fry the fish pieces, preferably one at a time, on medium heat. Let one side cook well before turning for the other side to cook.
Drain on an absorbent paper and keep aside.
Remove excess oil, keeping 1 tbsp for the gravy.
Add ginger garlic paste and cook till it gives a nice aroma. Do not let it burn.
Add the green chilli-coriander-poppy seeds paste and mix well. 
Season the gravy with salt to taste.
Add the fried fish pieces, one by one and mix gently.
Dissolve cornflour in little water and pour in the pan. The gravy will thicken slightly and bind well to the fish.
Remove from heat as it might discolour the gravy.
Serve with plain boiled rice teamed with lime slices and a green chilly, if required.

Note :

• The gravy will thicken if kept for long. Reheat before serving by adding little water.
• This gravy goes well with chicken as well as vegetables. After adding ginger garlic paste,you can add chicken pieces and add half the green chilli-coriander-poppy seeds paste and let the chicken cook. As the chicken cooks, add the remaining half of the paste with diluted cornflour.
• Similarly, you can add parboiled and/or sauteed potatoes or other vegetables in this gravy.

Silence Sings

Happy Eating
Amrita