Eid being one of the most widely celebrated festivals for Muslims all round the world, is the final day of Ramzan. We share a few exquisite Mughlai dishes for you to savour this festive occasion.
I was hardly six years old when I tasted Mughlai cuisine for the first time.
And the impression it left on me was, well, I would say much more than what Maggi leaves on a six year old. As a kid I would wait as much for Eid to come as I used to for Diwali or Holi, the reason being those extraordinary dishes which I would get to relish just once a year.
Our neighbour used to invite us home for Eid dinner and serve lip smacking dishes, which I can still explain the taste of.
Eid being one of the most widely celebrated festivals for Muslims all round the world, is the final day of Ramzan. The crescent shaped moon brings along a number of exquisite dishes as the festive menu brims with heartening delights, the famous ones being sheer kurma and sewai.
We share a few exquisite Mughlai dishes for you to savour this festive occasion.
MURG SEEKH KABAB
A special delight from the Mughal era, seekh kababs as name suggest is a mixture of minced meat hooked onto a seekh (skewer) cooked on a burning coal blocks.
Ingredients:
Minced chicken-200 grams
Sesame seeds and poppy seeds- ½ tsp each
Cashew nuts and almonds- 6-7 finely grounded
Green chillies- 2 thinly chopped
Ginger garlic paste- 3 tsp
Chilli powder and turmeric powder – ½ tsp each
Coriander powder- 1 to 1 ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Procedure:
Finely grind sesame seeds, poppy seeds, cashew nuts and almonds, add all the spices and salt to make a thick paste. In a bowl mix the minced chicken pieces with the paste and keep it aside for thirty minutes. In a non stick pan, heat oil sufficient to shallow fry the chicken pieces. Now make small balls of the chicken and insert a skewer uniformly through the holes. Keep the skewer on an open flame or microwave for about twenty minutes, till the pieces turn golden brown in colour. Savour the succulent starter with coriander or mint dip.
MUGHLAI CHICKEN PULAO
Ingredients
Chicken – 1, cleaned and cut normally
Ghee- 2 tbsp
Onion- 4
Whipped yogurt- 2 cups
Boiled rice- ½ kg
Saffron- ½ kg
Ginger garlic paste- 2 tsp
Bay leaves- 4
Cloves and cardamoms- 6
Cinnamon- 1”
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder- ¼ tsp
Salt to taste
Procedure
Mix ginger garlic paste with chilli powder, turmeric and coriander powder to make a fine paste. Heat ghee in a saucepan and fry 2 onions till they turn golden brown. Next, add a portion of the whole spices to the pan and sauté. To the pan, add the chicken with 2 cups of hot water, on a low flame and cover it for a while. While the chicken pieces get tender, beat curd with saffron and add to the chicken. Add rest of the onions to the mixture and cook it covered for ten minutes. Remove the cover and keeping a low flame add the boiled rice to the pan. As you’d want the rice morsels to remain long and fresh, do not stir the mixture too much after you’ve added the rice. One round the vessel would be good enough. Serve hot with boondi raita and gravy.
KESAI PHIRNI
Though the traditional way of sharing happiness and thanking the almighty is via sheer kurma or sewai, we take a sweet twist and head for a Mughlai dessert for the day.
Ingredients
Saffron- few strands
Milk- 1 litre
Basmati rice soaked in water- 50 grams
(Optional) Green cardamom powder- ½ tsp
Pistachios chopped- 8 to 10
Procedure
In a saucepan, boil the milk up to the brim. On a low flame, grind the soaked rice using your fingers before you put it in the milk. When half cooked, add sugar, saffron strands and cardamom powder. Simmer till the consistency of your choice is obtained. Top with pistachios and serve cool.
Known for its richness and exotic flavour, Mughal food always consists of spices, dried fruits, saffron and nuts. What better way to celebrate a holy occasion than in splendour and style.
#EidMubarak to all of you.
