Two city chefs share rare authentic recipes from their grandmothers’ kitchens that relive the perfect way to savour festive time with family
Gosht taal makhana
Every time we talk to chef Haseen Qureshi, he shares a new story, while referring to a page from the culinary history of undivided India. Hailing from a long line of rakabdars (royal chefs of Awadh who served erstwhile royalty), Qureshi, a chef at Taftoon Bar and Kitchen, is a gatekeeper of sorts for a 200-year-old legacy and has access to secret recipes passed down through generations in his family.
Ushering in Bakra Eid, he tells us, “We have had a long list of delicacies, painstakingly prepared by my ammi, badi ammi, aunts and sisters. The whiff of divine aromas would waft across our home. I used to be, and still am, a huge fan of the gosht nihari and the safed biryani. The nihari meat would fall off the shank like butter, and the fragrance of the biryani was mythical. It was a highlight for all our guests. I would keep eating till I was scolded and asked to stop.”
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Chef Mohammed Danish from Westin Mumbai Garden City
Qureshi tells us that a common misconception about making biryani is that it is an extensive and elaborate affair. “On the contrary, it was created as an optimum nutrition source for vast armies on the move. Just hand-pick quality ingredients like long-grain basmati rice, pre-plan and prep in advance [for example keep fried onions handy], settle on a good rice-to-meat ratio and you are sorted for a memorable meal, fit for royalty.”
For Chef Mohammed Danish, chef de cuisine at Kangan, The Westin Mumbai Garden City, Goregaon, there has been many a Bakra Eid spent outside of his family home in Lucknow. “When you start working, you can’t always go home for Eid. And so, I often remember those special days from my childhood, going to my grandmother’s house at Shahjahanpur, to be welcomed by her and an army of aunts, with long trays of kebabs, korma, and biryani. The taste of her kimami sevainya still lingers on my palate. Of all the kormas she made [and she did have a few variants], the gosht taal makhana is my favourite. I can sense her presence in the aromas of korma, simmering gently on the chulha,” he recalls.
Gosht taal makhana
Ingredients
>> 100 ml oil/ghee
>> 200 gms onion (sliced)
>> 500 gms mutton with bone
>> Half a bulb of garlic, minced
>> 1/2 tbsp minced ginger
>> 75 gms full-fat yoghurt
>> 1/4 cup cashews, ground into a fine paste with water
>> 2 black cardamoms
>> 8 green cardamoms
>> 7 cloves
>> 1 bay leaf
>> 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
>> 1 small-sized cinnamon stick
>> 1.5tsp coriander powder
>> 1/2 tsp cumin powder
>> 1 tsp deghi chilli
>> 50 gms taal makhana
>> Salt to taste
>> Kewra water, a few drops, as per preference
Method
Heat the oil/ghee in a deep pot or pan. Fry sliced onions on medium to evenly brown. Remove and rest on a paper towel to make them crisp. Add the mutton, spices, ginger and garlic to the same oil in the pan and fry over medium to high heat till the mutton changes colour. Add in the yoghurt and cashew paste, and fry until the oil separates. Add water, and bring everything to a boil. Cover and cook on low heat for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Crush the fried onions into a fine powder. Add to the gravy and cook for a further five to 10 minutes. Add in the kewra water and fried taal makhana. Garnish with julienne ginger, fresh coriander and makhana.
Safed gosht ki biryani
Safed gosht ki biryani is a family recipe of Chef Haseen Qureshi’s home which was prepared during festivals
Ingredients
>> 1/2 kg mutton
>> 2 to 3 tsp ginger-garlic paste
>> 1 tsp turmeric
>> 1 tsp chilli powder
>> 1/2 cup cashew nut paste
>> A pinch of garam masala
>> 4 to 5 tsp curd
>> 2 to 3 tsp salt
>> 3 tsp ghee
>> 2 to 3 tbsp oil
>> 2 to 3 cups milk
>> 1 cup fried onion
>> A pinch of saffron
Chef Haseen Qureshi
Method
Marinate the meat with ginger-garlic paste, turmeric and chilli powder. Then add cashew nut paste, garam masala, and whisked curd. Leave in the refrigerator for an hour. Then bring the meat to room temperature. Season with salt. Add some ghee and oil to the handi, transfer the marinated meat, stir and cook the meat for a few minutes. Cover with the lid and simmer for another half an hour. Parboil the rice and layer it with cooked mutton. Pour saffron-induced milk over it. Add a little salt, garam masala, fried onions and ghee over it. Cover the handi with the lid and weigh it down with something heavy. Keep the flame low and cook for about half an hour. Serve it hot.
Handy Hacks
>> Choose a thick bottom wide skillet.
>> Soak the rice before, and season/flavour it while boiling.
>> Marinate the meat (the longer the better).
Also check out
>> A festive spread
Treat yourself with festival specials kidney bean and mushroom galawat, almond flake and corn gallets, champarat gosht, raan-e-kandahar at this Andheri venue.
On: June 28 to July 5; 5 pm to 1.30 am (on weekdays) ; 12 pm to 4 pm and 7 pm to 1.30 am (on weekends)
At: Badmaash, B 12, Ghanshyam Chamber, Andheri West.
Call: 7400491473 (for reservations)
>> Traditionally yummy
Indulge in staple, traditional Eid dishes like mutton seekh kebab and meat Lahoriya available at the Juhu and Dadar outlets of this popular eatery.
On: June 29
At: Pritam Da Dhaba, Juhu & Dadar
Call: 24143311 (Dadar)
>> Balochi daawat
While this menu wasn’t specially curated for Eid, foodies will enjoy the fact that this week-long special offering coincides with the festival. Tuck into Dastarkhwan, a food fest inspired by the Baluchistan region with dishes like tawa barrah kebab, charga boti, mahe tikke, curated by Tiesta chef Rehman and his team. There is a special menu for vegetarians too.
On: June 29 to July 9
At: Tiara, Meluha, The Fern, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai.
Cost: Rs 1,500 for lunch , Rs 2,000 for dinner (excluding taxes)
Call: 9664465401 (for reservations)
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