Nasuha Blog

With the summers comes the stone fruits and I get obsessed with cooking and baking with them. This obsession is not irrational as you just get a few days to enjoy these and then have to wait for an entire year for them to come back. So please bear with the upcoming recipes which will be featuring a lot of stone fruits :)
Made this not so common combination a few days back and it was loved by all in the family. The sweet and tangy plums gives a characteristic flavor to the gravy which goes very well with the spicy mutton. This recipe need both dried plums and fresh plums but if fresh plums are not available, you can add a few teaspoons of lemon juice.The thing that you should always keep in mind while cooking with plums is to add them at the end of cooking. If they are added in between, they make the gravy a bit bitter. Here is how I made this curry.

This recipe goes to the Kitchen Aid Contest organised by IFBM, the first f it's kind, food Blogger's meet that is happening in Bangalore.


All you need is

Oil - 3 tbsp and for frying onions
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Onion - 2 cups ( Finely chopped )
Cloves - 2-3
Black cardamom - 2
Cinnamon stick - 2 inch piece
Black peppercorns - 4-5
Mutton - 500 g
Yogurt - 1\4 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Kashmiri red chili powder - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1\2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1\2 tsp
Salt to taste
Dried plums - 100 g ( I used Del Monte's California prunes )
Fresh plum - 1 ( cut into thick wedges )
Fresh coriander for garnishing


Method of preparation

Coarsely puree the dried plums using a chopped.
Heat 3-4 cups of oil in a heavy bottom pan.
When the oil is hot, add the onion.
Fry the onion till they are golden brown.
Keep stirring in between for uniform browning of onions.
Drain the browned onion on a tissue lined plate.
Transfer the remaining oil in a vessel and keep for future use.
Add 3 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp ghee in a pressure pan.
Add cloves, black cardamom, cinnamon and peppercorn.
Fry for 20 seconds.
Add mutton and fry on high heat till slightly browned. ( approx 5 minutes )
Mix yogurt, ginger garlic paste, fried onions, kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and salt in a bowl.
Add it in the pressure pan.
Add a cup of water and pressure cook till mutton is done.
Let the pressure pan cool completely.
Open the pan and add the fresh plum wedges and coarsely chopped dried plums.
Adjust the water and let it come to a boil.
Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Switch off the heat.
Garnish with fresh coriander.
Serve hot with rice or Naan.

Naan is one the most popular Indian breads other than Roti or Phulka. It goes very well with rich and creamy Indian curries and is one of the most ordered Breads in any Indian Restaurant. Earlier, when Kitchen was an alien place for me, I used to think that Naan could only be made in restaurants and there is no way you can recreate the same soft chewy texture at home. But after venturing in cooking at home and experimenting a lot, I have come up with a fabulous Naan recipe which has never failed me. So this time I used the same recipe for the dough and stuffed it with some spiced Mutton Mince and Voila, Delicious Keema Naan were ready in my Kitchen and were no less than the ones served in any fancy Restaurants. The best part about this recipe is that the Naan are made on a stove top using a griddle or tava and no fancy equipment or ingredients are required to make these. Here is how to make these superb Keema Naan at home.


All you need is

For the dough

Maida \ All purpose flour - 4 cups
Baking soda - 1\2 tsp
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1\2 tsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Yogurt - 1\4 cup
Milk to knead the dough
Oil - 1 tbsp
Butter or ghee to spread on naan

For the filling

Oil - 2 tbsp
Onion - 1 up
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Mutton mince \ Keema - 600 g
Tomato puree - 1\4 cup
Coriander powder - 4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Green chili - 2 ( chopped )
Fresh coriander - 2 tbsp ( chopped )



Method of preparation

For the dough

Mix maida, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar and yogurt in a bowl.
Add milk and knead a soft dough.
Oil a bowl and transfer the dough in the oiled bowl.
Cover the bowl and keep in a warm place for 1 hour.

For the filling

Heat oil in a pan.
Add onion and fry till translucent.
Add ginger and garlic paste and fry for a few minutes till raw smell is gone.
Add keema and fry for 2-3 minutes on high heat.
Add tomato puree and cook for a minute.
Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder and salt to taste and fry for a minute.
Add a cup of water and cover and cook till the keema is done.
Remove the cover and cook the keema till all the water is evaporated.
Remove the pan from heat and keep it tilted so that all the extra oil is collected on one side of the pan.
Let the keema cool completely before filling it in the naan.

Assembly

Heat a griddle.
Divide the dough into 15-16 balls.
Dust the balls with maida and roll to make a 4-5 inch circle.
Keep a tbsp of filling in the center.
Bring the ends together.
Roll and flatten a bit.
Dust with flour and very gently roll to flatten the naan.
Heat a griddle.
Apply water on the top surface of the naan.
Keep the naan on the griddle with the water side down.
The naan will stick to the griddle because of water applied.
Now turn the griddle upside down over the flame.
Cook till brown spots appear on the naan.
Turn the griddle and cook the naan for 20-30 seconds.
Remove using a tong.
Apply butter or ghee if desired.
Serve hot.
You can make these naans and store in a hot box a few hours prior to eating.

This recipe can be halved or doubled easily.
You can use a mix of all purpose flour and wheat flour to make your naan a little healthier. The texture will be little different though.

Dhuwan dahi gosht is a mutton preparation where mutton is cooked in a spicy onion and yogurt based gravy and is then infused with the smoke released from a burning piece of charcoal. The charcoal is drizzled with kewra essence and ghee, which releases a very fragrant smoke. The subtle flavor of this smoke gives the gravy a very distinct flavor. Here is the recipe.


All you need is

Mutton - 600 g
Oil - 6 tbsp
Cloves - 3-4
Black peppercorns - 5-6
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch piece
Black cardamom - 2
Dry red chili - 3-4
Onion - 2 cups ( Thinly sliced )
Ginger - 1 inch piece ( pounded )
Garlic - 6-8 cloves ( pounded )
Yogurt - 1 cup
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1\2 tsp
Kashmiri red chili powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1\2 tsp
A piece of coal
Kewra eassence - 4-5 drops
Ghee - 1 tsp



Method of preparation

Heat oil in a pressure pan.
When the oil is hot, add cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon, black cardamom and dry red chilies.
Fry for 20 seconds.
Add onion and fry till pinkish.
Add ginger and garlic and fry till they turn golden brown.
Add mutton and cook on high heat for 3-4  minutes.
Mix yogurt with coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder and garam masala powder.
Add the yogurt in the mutton.
Add 1\2 cup water.
Cover the lid of the pressure pan and cook till the mutton is done.
For me it took one whistle on high heat and then 10 minutes on low heat.
Meanwhile heat the piece of coal on the gas till it turns red.
When the mutton is done, open the lid when the pressure is released on it own.
Do not release the pressure yourself as it will lead to discoloration of the gravy.
Keep a piece of aluminium foil on top of the mutton.
Keep the piece of coal on the foil.
Pour kewra essence and ghee on the coal and immediately cover the lid of the pan.
Let the smoke penetrate the gravy .
Open the pan after 10-12 minutes.
Remove the coal and aluminium foil and give the mutton a stir.
You can reheat before serving if you want.
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Serve hot with Naan or rice.

Bathua is a green that is available especially during the winter season. It's very healthy and rich in minerals and vitamins and can be incorporated in out diet in various ways. This bathue ka raita is easy to make and is very refreshing and delicious. Here is the recipe.


All you need is

Bathua leaves - 2 cups
Yogurt - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Black salt - 1\2 tsp
Roasted cumin powder - 1\4 tsp
Red chili powder - 1\4 tsp


Method of preparation

Pick the leaves and discard the stems from the bunch of bathua.
Heat water in a pan and when it comes to a boil, add the leaves.
Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Strain.
Grind the leaves in a grinder to make a smooth paste.
Whisk the yogurt till smooth.
Add the bathua puree, salt, black salt, roasted cumin powder and red chili powder.
Add little milk if you want the raita thinner.

Notes - You can also add a green chili while grinding the bathua.
You can give a tadka of cumin seeds and heeng to the raita if you want to make it little different. Just heat a tsp of ghee in a pan. When the ghee is hot, add 1\2 tsp cumin seeds and a pinch of heeng. Pour this tadka over the prepared raita.