Shadab

Talking about food is easy - sitting around with friends having a steaming cup of chai discussing succulence of meat in murgh dum biryani or the flakiness of the crust of the samosas served. Writing about it especially when it is on virtual front where there is a chance that people are going to read it - well that is a whole different kettle of fish. But I am going to give it a try.

Shadab is an institution in Hyderabad. Situated in the midst of the Old city, near the monument of Charminar it is the epitome of Hyderabadi nizam cuisine. Decadent, generous and appetizingly aromatic - those are the words that come to mind when I think of the food served. The service has echoes of the old world charm and anytime you go it is absolutely packed to the brim.
The decor leaves much to be said - the maroon golden drapes and brown tablecloth does not speak of elegance but on a hot day it is refreshingly cool inside with all those thick drapes. There is also the very cheesy gold lined grandfather's clock at the landing of the stairs you take to go into the restaurant.The smell of fried onions wafts around the room deceptive in its power to tease the senses.
The starters has to be kebabs - you don't really think of anything else. The waiter flits around listing the 'good' food that you can order. Then the orders come flying out - tandoori kebab, kalmi kebab, reshmi kebab and apparently pahadi kebab. The wait is a little long but it is worth it.

The tandoori kebab is the best of the lot. Beautifully red and charred served on a bed of coleslaw and mint chutney the meat is tender and nicely roasted. The spice hints at the back of your mouth. Pahadi kebab would be my personal choice. Marinated and basted in green chutney this dish has become my new favorite to eat. The crowd is noisy - among talking aunties and uncles there are bawls and wails of kids dictated to sit still - however the minute you start eating you forget the noise. Cliche but I am not exaggerating.

Biryani followed these succulent appetizers. Since we were there and pretty hungry we splurged on the three varieties offered - chicken, mutton and prawn. I am a very fussy eater and [please don't kill me] do not like seafood or fish. But I have it on very good authority that the prawn biryani is very delicious - in fact for my fish loving friends that was the dish of the day. Biryani can become very dry or oily very easily. It has to be just right for one to enjoy it properly. Like in Paradise[another institution on Hyderabadi cuisine] the biryani edges on dry or for that matter Superstar which veers into inconsistency of too spicy or not at all. The one served here gets it just right.

The meat marinated is juicy and moist, the rice is coated with spice. This is served with mirch ka salan and raita though honestly in my opinion you do not need it. The quantities are very generous - there is plenty to go around - in fact a little too much.

You would think that after consuming such huge massive proportions that there would be no room for dessert but the falooda and qurbani ka meetha here is famous all over India - with good reason. The qurbani was a little too sweet for my taste. However the falooda made with passion fruit - you cant just stop drinking it even after you are full to the brim.
If you want authentic hyderabadi dum biryani try this place out. The place is always packed so go early around twelve to get good booths and take the opinion of your server seriously. He wasn't wrong on any choice of food we made. Go on an empty stomach though. You cannot enjoy the food otherwise.

Things to try: Murgh dum biryani, Prawn biryani, pahadi kebab, falooda
Address: 21, High Court Road, Charminar
Rating: 3.5/5

Weekday Egg Chowmein

Weekdays are the perfect settings for killing of culinary inspiration. Chores, classes all come together to give procrastination the upper hand. Maybe next day, you think, hunting up for the take out menu. Trust me that first day I will go for the menu and gorge myself on chicken biryani and succulent malai kebabs. But the next weekday in a bid for healthy lifestyle[and a pretense of jogging] I will do a supermarket run to hunt up veggies from the supermarket and make myself Chowmein.
Rumor has it that the Chinese came over to India through Calcutta and adapted the Chinese cuisine to suit the Indian needs. It filtered down from the restaurants and into the local street hawkers who combined have changed the tastes and menus of what their food is supposed to be. I mean manchurian anyone. Deep fried balls of minced vegetables smothered in cornflour,soy and vinegar thickened gravy they are probably an insult to the sweet and sours and mu shus but oh so incredibly tasty.
The chowmein comprises of the barest of ingredients and best to have on nights when work is breathing down your neck and you need to have something to inspire you.

The egg noodles recipe is the easiest recipe that you can make it record time. Use a mandoline to make slicing the veggies easier. Even without it it takes maximum ten minutes to make through it. I like it just with scrambled eggs and lots of vegetables. But you can marinate some chicken in soy and red chili sauce and some chinese seasonings and fry it before the rest.
Ingredients:
1 packet egg noodles
1 medium onion
1 inch ginger
3 cloves garlic
1 capsicum
2 medium carrots
3 strands french beans
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp red chili sauce
2 tbsp vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs
1 ltrs water
4 tbsp oil
The recipe proceeds in five easy steps
First slice all the vegetables into long slices. Mince garlic and ginger. Then dunk the noodles into water with a tbsp of salt and oil. Cook for five minutes. Drain and run through cold water. Toss with 2 tbsp oil to avoid clumping. This step is important. Trust me you wont like the result.

Heat oil. Saute ginger and garlic. As they release their aromas add onions. Cook till onions are golden brown. Add all the veggies. As they start to wilt around ten minutes later add the sauces and seasonings.

 Make a hole at the center of the veggies. Whisk eggs and add. Scramble and then fold in with the veggies.

Add the noodles and fold in. If necessary adjust soy and vinegar. Fold in till noodles are completely coated.

 Have a large helping of it while hunched over the laptop and researching stats. It does make a huge difference. Enjoy!

Luxurious Delights

As I made my way back from class my mind was on the bare essentials - the aromatics on which the curry base is build: onions, ginger, garlic and chillies and making a nice masala out of it. After all I had to celebrate publishing my first post and joining the ranks of bloggers. That is when the mind started playing tussle - do I go the simple route or do I celebrate? It wasn't really a difficult choice. The idea of making Paneer Butter Masala was really appealing.
Luxurious in Indian cuisine is certainly embodied by this dish. Marinated chunks of paneer fried and then mixed in a rich, creamy gravy - eaten hot with rotis, naan or pulao it brings to mind special occasions celebrated in posh restaurants with family where you would be dressed to indulge and all the thought of nutrition goes out of the window. Of course making it is an entirely different story. Intense minutes were spent researching the internet followed by rifling through the pages of cookbooks on hand. Forgot the cashew so had to go back and buy again. Then was called to attend a birthday party of a dear friend. So by the time the cooking was done we all gathered together for a midnight meal. But it was delicious and not at all bad for a first timer.
The recipe I have listed here is a mellow version with less oil and minus cream[as I do care about diet and stuff but by all means go all out and celebrate if you feel like it].

For the spice paste:

1 medium onion
6 cloves of garlic
1 inch ginger
1 stick cinnamon
1 dried red chilly
4 cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 bay leaf
4 tbsp water
Chop onion and ginger coarsely. Crumble the dried red chilly, bay leaf and cinnamon. Blend all the ingredients together till smooth.
For the cashew paste:
7 cashew nuts
1 tbsp of milk
2 tbsp of water
Blend all the ingredients together.
For the paneer marinade:
1 block of paneer cut to bite size squares
1 tbsp red chilly powder
1 tsp turmeric
Marinade the paneer cubes in the spice powders and leave it for a couple of minutes.
And finally for the curry:
3 tbsp oil
the spice paste prepared above
3 tbsp tomato puree
3 tbsp yoghurt
salt to taste
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp garam masala powder
salt to taste
cashew paste prepared above
1 tbsp milk
2 tbsp water
Butter and coriander sprig for garnish
Heat oil. Fry the marinated cubes of paneer. Remove.
Sizzle a bay leaf. Add the spice paste and fry for five minutes. Stir in the tomato puree and mix in with the paste. Cook stirring continuously for ten minutes till the raw smell leaves. Remove from heat and stir in the yoghurt. Stir. Add in the salt and the red chilly and coriander powder.
Mix in the cashew paste, garam masala and the milk. Fold into the curry to achieve a creamy consistency with no lumps. This will take about fifteen more minutes. Add in the paneer cubes and the water if the curry is dry at this point. Simmer for five more minutes.
Serve with a dollop of butter and a sprig of coriander along with naan or roti and a bottle of Coco-Cola.

Beginnings

Vibrant colors, deep earthy aromas, the sheer generosity of food and spirit that leaves you wanting for more. In Indian cuisine one finds a mezze of various flavors and colors - spicy, creamy, smooth and crunchy combined with rich reds, greens contrasting with white come together in a medley of complex tasting notes.
And now that I have got the PhDiness out of my system I shall move on.
Indian food always has the memory of food slow cooked and lovingly prepared by mom and grandmom, of recipes handed down from generations to generations, of comfort and intense longing. I mean pickles has become the synonym for the diaspora desperate to catch the whiff of the home they have left behind[And she cant seem to get it out from her system].

So its my turn to embrace that tradition of long calls back home, of noting down recipes on post-its and recreating food that smells of home or most of the time at least. The time was right - it was the end of the month of kartik which meant balijatra back home and waking up early to go sail boats. And those times for me are best celebrated with an old fashioned Matar Curry and Rice. A staple in Oriya cuisine and a personal favorite it could not have been a better introduction for a simple curry lunch and the blog.

Ingredients:
1 cup dried yellow peas
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
1 slitted green chilly
1 small tomato
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala
a pinch of amchur powder
salt to taste
3 cups water

Soak dried peas with 2 cups of water and leave it for around 6 hours or overnight. Pour into a pressure cooker along with salt and turmeric. Add water if necessary. Cook for 3 whistles or until slightly hard on the outside but giving way to smoothness once you bite into it. Keep it aside.

Chop coarsely ginger and garlic. Blend with 2 tbsp of water.

Heat oil. Add a slice of onion - if it sizzles then the oil is hot enough. Add the sliced onions. Fry till brown. Add the blended ginger-garlic paste. Stir for five minutes. Add the slitted chilly and press into the paste. If you dislike too much heat deseed the chilly and add. Fry the paste for 10 more minutes.

Add in a tbsp of water to prevent sticking.

Sprinkle all the powders except the garam masala. Add salt to taste. Cook for 5 minutes. 

Add the peas along with the water. Stir in the garam masala. Simmer till the aromas are released for about 15 minutes. 

Serve hot with plain steamed rice.