1,000 Indian Recipes (266 page)

4.
Add the water and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the meat is fork-tender, the sauce is thick and almost clinging to the pieces, and all the oil has separated to the sides, 10 to 15 minutes. (If the meat is not tender, add about
¹
⁄
₂
cup more water, cover the pan, and simmer on low heat until soft.) Spoon out all the excess oil, transfer to a serving dish, add the saffron-cream, and swirl lightly to mix, with parts of it visible as a garnish. Sprinkle the garam masala on top and serve.

Kashmiri Lamb Curry with Turnips

Shabdegh

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Shab
means night, and
degh
is short for
degchi
or pan, and this authentic dish, called
shabdegh
in Hindi, is supposed to be simmered all night in a pan over the dying embers of a coal-burning stove (
chulha
or
angeethi)
. Today, this translates to: for optimum flavor, this dish should be cooked long and slow over very low heat.

Along with the slow cooking and maturing of spicy flavors, it is turnips—whole baby turnips or quartered larger ones—that are the indispensable ingredient in this dish.

3 tablespoons melted ghee or vegetable oil

1 small onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced

2
¹
⁄
₂
pounds mixed lamb rib chops and boneless leg of lamb (
Buying Leg of Lamb
) or beef (rump, brisket, or sirloin), all visible fat trimmed, cut into 1
¹
⁄
₂
-inch pieces

1 large onion, finely chopped

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 teaspoon garam masala

¹
⁄
₂
to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons peeled minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon dried mango powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1
¹
⁄
₂
cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

3 to 4 cups water

1 pound baby turnips, trimmed and left whole or halved lengthwise

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon saffron mixed in 2 tablespoons milk

1.
Heat the ghee in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the sliced onion, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and reserve for garnish.

2.
To the pan add the lamb, chopped onion, asafoetida, garam masala, cayenne pepper, turmeric, and salt and cook, stirring, over low heat until the lamb is well-browned, about 25 minutes.

3.
Add the ginger, fennel seeds, coriander, mango powder, and sugar and stir another 7 to 10 minutes, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if the meat sticks to the pan. Add the yogurt, a few tablespoons at a time, stirring constantly and letting the first bit dry before adding more, until all of it is absorbed, about 30 minutes.

4.
Mix in the water, cover the pan, and simmer about 1
¹
⁄
₂
hours over low heat until the meat is fork-tender and the sauce is thick. Add the turnips during the last 20 to 30 minutes of cooking, to give them enough time to soften.

5.
When the turnips are soft, scatter the reserved fried onions, cilantro, and saffron milk on top. Cover and cook over low heat about 15 minutes to blend the flavors. Serve.

Flattened Lamb Strips in Fragrant Yogurt Curry

Dahi-Pasindae

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Pasindae
, or
pasandae
as they are often called, are strips of boneless mutton (goat) or lamb that are pounded with a meat mallet to break the fibers and flatten them to an even thickness. As a result, they present differently and cook much faster than the customary large pieces of meat. This recipe, from my friend Sunil Vora, is a Mughlai
piece de resistance
.

2 pounds boneless leg of lamb (
Buying Leg of Lamb
) or beef (rump, brisket, or sirloin), all visible fat trimmed

1
¹
⁄
₂
cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil

8 tablespoons peeled minced fresh ginger

2 (1-inch) sticks cinnamon

4 black cardamom pods, crushed lightly to break the skin

2 teaspoons ground fennel seeds

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida mixed in 2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garam masala

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1.
On a cutting board, cut the lamb into 4-by-2-inch strips, each about
¹
⁄
₄
-inch thick. Cover the strips with plastic wrap, then, with the flat side of the meat mallet, pound each strip until they are about 6-by 3-inches and an even
¹
⁄
₈
-inch thickness. Transfer to a large nonstick saucepan.

2.
In a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, ghee (or oil), ginger, cinnamon, cardamom pods, fennel seeds, and salt and add to the pan with the meat. Mix well, making sure all the pieces are well-coated with the mixture. Cover and allow to marinate at room temperature about 30 minutes, but not more than 1 hour. (If keeping for a longer period, refrigerate the meat.)

3.
Place the pan over high heat and cook, stirring, until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook until the juices evaporate and the meat is quite tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

4.
Add the asafoetida-water a little at a time, and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the meat is well-browned and very soft, 15 to 20 minutes.

5.
Add the coriander, cumin, and garam masala and stir about 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the black pepper on top, and serve.

Stuffed Rolled Lamb Strips in Spicy Cream Sauce

Bharvaan Pasindae Masalaedar

Makes 4 to 6 servings

For this dish, flattened lamb pieces
(pasindae)
serve as wrappers. They are filled with a spicy meat and hard-boiled egg mixture, then rolled and cooked in a fragrant yogurt sauce. For a silky smoothness in the stuffing, use cream as I do in this recipe, but, if you are watching your fat intake, use yogurt. Purists also call for cream in the sauce, but I don't think it's necessary.

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon
Kashmiri Garam Masala

¹
⁄
₄
cup heavy cream, or nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

¹
⁄
₄
cup chopped raw cashews

¹
⁄
₄
cup shelled chopped raw almonds

1 large clove fresh garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced

2 teaspoons ground dried pomegranate seeds

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon garam masala

2 large eggs

2 pounds boneless leg of lamb (
Buying Leg of Lamb
) or beef (rump, brisket, or sirloin), all visible fat trimmed

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1 cup water

2 teaspoons
dry-roasted
and coarsely ground cumin seeds

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¹
⁄
₄
cup grated cheddar cheese

1.
Prepare the Kashmiri garam masala. In a bowl, mix together the cream (or yogurt), cashews, almonds, garlic, ginger, cilantro, green chile pepper, pomegranate seeds, and garam masala and set aside at least 30 minutes to allow the nuts to soften.

2.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, place the eggs in water to cover by 2 inches and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan and simmer until hard-boiled, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool or plunge into cold water, shell them, then mash the eggs with a fork.

3.
Cut the lamb into 4-by-2-inch strips, each about
¹
⁄
₄
-inch thick. Cover the strips with plastic wrap, then, with the flat side of the meat mallet, pound each strip until they are about 6-by-3-inches and an even
¹
⁄
₈
-inch thickness. Trim the edges to make them into rectangles, then mince all trimmed meat (about
¹
⁄
₄
cup) in a food processor or chop finely with a knife.