Cooking for friends: House party

This weekend I tried my hands at few dishes and timed the overall process. Wanted to check how much time it takes if you start everything on the same day ( no purchases done a day before). Turns out it takes almost half a day . Now I realise why professional chefs (can’t compare with their skill sets) start their day at 4 am.

Dishes tried this weekend were mutton ghee roast, variation of kakori kebabs, chicken wings in tequila based sauce , vegetable salad with minimal seasonings and variation of loaded deviled eggs. Let’s start cooking!!!

Mutton Ghee Roast: This is a variation to the chicken ghee roast where I used mutton. Overall ingredients and spices remain the same, of course cooking time increases as it’s a harder meat. I made a dry version of it for a starter, if you add more water then you can prepare a curry version.

Ingredients: Mutton ( boneless) - 800 gms; Dried kashmiri chillies - 10; Coriander seeds - 1 table spoon; Black peppercorns - 1 table spoon; Fennel seeds - 1 tea spoon; Cumin seeds - 2 tea spoon; Cinnamon - 1 piece ; Stan anise - 1 piece; Cloves - 6; Dried red chillies - 6; Gigner garlic paste - 1 table spoon; turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon; Ghee - 6 table spoons; Salt to taste; Lemon juice - 1 table spoon; Curry leaves to your prefernece

Steps:

i. Dry roast all the dry spies until the aroma gets unlocked. Once done ( 2-3 minutes) keep them aside to cool.

ii. Heat 3 table spoons of ghee in a pressure cooker. Once it melts add turmeric powder and mix well. Now add mutton pieces and sear well for 5 minutes.

iii. Now add salt and water to mutton ( just to cover all the pieces); pressure cook for 5 whistles and let the cooker depressurize naturally.

iv. While mutton is cooking take all the dry spices in a grinder ; add lemon juice, ginger garlic paste and some water . Grid to a small paste. You can also use tamarind paste instead of lemon juice.

v. Once the paste is done and mutton has cooked; separate the broth from the mutton . Heat a pan with remaining ghee and add the paste to it. Also add the mutton broth and salt if required. Stir the mixture and let it reduce. You will see ghee separating out form the mixture. Now is the time to add the mutton pieces.

vi. Mix the pieces well so that they get fully coated from all sides. Add salt if required and let the mixture heat on a medium flame for 5 minutes.

vii. Once done mix curry leaves and heat it for 2 more minutes.

Serve hot as an appetizer and enjoy!!!

Kakori Kebabs: These kebabs have their roots in a village in Uttar Pradesh (a state in India), Kakori. The fact that it’s now famous world-wide shows that boundaries are only for human beings 📷:) . As with most kebabs the preparation requires a lot of spices so let’s start with the ingredients.

Ingredients: Mutton mince - 800 gms; Green cardamoms - 20; Mace - 6; Cloves - 20; Nutmeg (small) - 4; Black peppercorns - 20; Black cardamom - 6; Raw papaya paste ( meat tenderizer; you can also use meat tenderizer but as it will have salt so ensure that you don’t overdo by adding extra later ) - 4 table spoon; Fried onions and yoghurt paste - 6 table spoons; Dried coconut ( desiccated and roasted) - 2 table spoons; Cashew nut and charoli paste - 6 table spoons ( you can also add poppy seeds but it’s not available in UAE so had to do without it); Red chilli powder - 2 tea spoon; turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon; Garam masala - 2 tea spoon; Onion paste - 2 table spoon ( 1 medium size onion); Rose water or Kewra water - 2 tea spoon; Roasted bengal gram ( for binding) - 6 table spoons; Saffron strands soaked in warm water/milk; Salt to taste; Ghee for braising and mixing in the paste - 3 table spoons

Steps:

i. Grind all the dry spices to a fine powder and keep it aside.

ii. Take the mutton mince and add raw papaya paste in it followed by the fried onion paste and mix well.

iii. Now add the cashew nut/charoli paste, coconut paste and onion paste. Mix well.

iv. Now add all the dry spices starting with turmeric ,garam masala, red chilli and then the blended powder of spices.

v. Now add the rose water, bengal gram , 1 table spoon of ghee and saffron water. Mix well.

vi. Massage the meat well ( 5 minutes) so that all the spices blend well with the mince and there are no bland spots. Add salt to taste while massaging the meat.

vii. Let the mince marinate for 3 hours. You can also smoke the meat here

viii. Once mutton mince has marinated well; pre-heat an oven to 200 degree celsius and line a baking tray with aluminium foil. Apply ghee on the foil with a brush.

ix. Take bamboo skewers and wrap the mutton mince around it. Place them in the baking tray and bake for 10-14 minutes. Apply ghee over them after every 5 minutes.

Serve them with a mint chutney and onion rings!!!

Chicken Wings in Tequila sauce: This is a variation of chicken that I have cooked with vodka and red wine earlier 📷:D. Pretty easy to make so let’s start...

Ingredients: Chicken wings - 1 kg; Ketchup - 1 cup; Chilli sauce - 1/2 cup; BBQ sauce - 1/4 cup;Tequila - 3/4 cup; Salt and crushed black pepper to taste.Dry rosemary/thyme as per preference.

Steps:

i. Mix all the ingredients in a flat pan.

ii. Add the chicken wings to it and make sure that they are coated well from all sides.

iii. Let the chicken marinate for 4-5 hours.Cover the pan with a cling wrap.

iv. Pre-heat oven to 200 degree celsius and bake the chicken wings for 10 minutes. Turn them around after 5 minutes.

Serve hot ( pour the leftover mixture left over them) and enjoy !!!

Vegetable Salad:It surely is the healthiest dish that I have ever made . Super easy to make so let’s start.

Ingredients: Butternut squash - 1 kg; Red bell pepper ( large) - 1; Brussels sprout - 500 gms; Baby spinach leaves - 400 gms; Dried rosemary/thyme as per preference; Salt and crushed black pepper to taste; Olive oil - 2 table spoons

Steps:

i. Cut butternut squash, red bell pepper and brussels sprout into small chunks.

ii. Add rosemary, thyme, salt and crushed black pepper.

iii. Add olive oil and mix them well.

iv. Pre-heat an oven to 200 degree celsius and bake the mixture for 45 minutes.

v. Spread baby spinach leaves in a flat bowl followed by the baked veggies.

Enjoy a healthy meal!!!

Loaded Deviled Eggs: This one is another easy party snack. But trust me it’s pretty heavy on calories .

Ingredients: Eggs ( hard boiled)- 15 ; sour cream - 200 gms; Grated Cheese ( prefer yellow as it goes well with the colour of egg yolk)- 150 gms; Green onion springs ( finely chopped) - 6; Salt to taste; Chaat masala to taste.

Steps:

i. Peal the eggs and cut them into half.

ii. Scoop out all the yolk in a bowl.

iii. Add all the ingredients into the yolk and mix well.

iv. Fill back into the yolk area.

Sprinkle chaat masala over them and enjoy!!!