How to Cook Indian (47 page)

2. Put the yogurt in a bowl, and add the chile powder and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Add 2 teaspoons water and whisk to make a smooth batter.

3. Place a nonstick wok over high heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, lower the heat to medium. Working in batches, dip the lamb ribs in the yogurt batter and slide into the hot oil. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

Kakori Kabab

Ground-lamb kebabs

There are several stories that surround the creation of these succulent kebabs. Centuries ago, the Nawab of Kakori (in the province of Awadh, which is modern-day Uttar Pradesh) had a mishap in which he lost his teeth (another story has it that the Nawab was simply getting on in age). He loved lamb and still wanted to eat it, so his cooks created this special soft version for him.

Makes 8.

1 quart (800 ml) plus 8 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 large red onion, sliced

1 teaspoon white poppy seeds

½ cup (75 grams) cashews

5 or 6 whole cloves

2 green cardamom pods

¼ blade mace

½ tablespoon untreated dried rose petals

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

7 ounce (200 grams) ground lamb

2 tablespoons ground lamb fat

¼ tablespoon grated
khoya/mawa
(unsweetened solid condensed milk; page 37)

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

½ tablespoon yellow chile powder (optional)

8 or 9 saffron threads

½ tablespoon fresh ginger paste (page 12)

½ tablespoon fresh garlic paste (page 12)

1 teaspoon table salt

1. Place a nonstick wok over high heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, add the onion and cook, stirring with a slotted spoon, until well browned. Remove with the slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

2. Soak the poppy seeds in 2 tablespoons hot water in a small bowl for 30 minutes. Transfer the poppy seeds and water to a spice grinder and grind to a paste.

3. Place a small nonstick sauté pan over medium heat, add the cashews, and dry-roast until lightly browned. Let cool, then transfer to a spice grinder and grind to a powder.

4. Return the pan to medium heat and add the cloves, cardamom, mace, rose petals, and nutmeg, and dry-roast for 1 minute. Transfer to a spice grinder and grind to a powder.

5. Add the lamb, lamb fat, fried onion, poppy seed paste, cashew powder, spice powder,
khoya,
white pepper, yellow chile powder (if using), saffron, ginger paste, and garlic paste. Add 2 or 3 ice cubes and process until the mixture is smooth.

6. Transfer to a bowl, add the salt, and stir. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.

7. Divide into 8 portions. Heat a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Cook for a couple of minutes on each side until the lamb is completely cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Use about 1 teaspoon of oil per kebab to aid in the cooking process.

8. Serve immediately.

Yellow chiles are plump and sweet and have a waxy appearance. They can grow to an unusually large size and they have a mild peppery flavor. As with other chiles, the thinner and smaller the chile, the hotter it will be. Yellow chiles are often used for
chaats
and other exotic North Indian dishes.

Kheema Potli

Spicy ground lamb in a pastry shaped like a money bag

Stuffed savories like samosas are popular and much appreciated for their unique style. We go one step further here and package ground lamb in a pastry that looks as if you are serving little money bags—a fun presentation of a crisp pastry with a delicious filling. I have seen people use little bits of onion greens to tie up the
potlis.
Serve with
pudina aur dhaniya chutney
(mint-and-cilantro chutney; page 22).

Makes 20 pieces.

For the pastry:

1 cup (120 grams)
maida
(refined flour) or pastry flour

2 tablespoons fine
rawa/suji
(semolina flour)

5 teaspoons ghee (page 37), melted

1 teaspoon table salt

1 quart (800 ml) vegetable oil

For the filling:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

10 ounces (300 grams) ground lamb

2-inch (5-cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

3 green chiles, stemmed and chopped

1 teaspoon red chile powder

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon table salt

¾ cup (185 grams) plain yogurt

1 teaspoon
garam masala
(spice mix; page 27)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. To make the dough: Place the
maida
in a bowl. Add the semolina, ghee, and salt, and mix. Add ¼ cup (50 ml) water, little by little, and knead into a stiff dough. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

2. To make the filling: Place a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the 2 tablespoons oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the cumin seeds. When they begin to change color, add the ground lamb and sauté for 5 minutes or until the lamb is half done.

3. Add the ginger, green chiles, red chile powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, and salt, and mix well. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the yogurt and stir. Increase the heat to high and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring continuously. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes or until the lamb is fully cooked and completely dry.

4. Add the
garam masala
and the cilantro, and mix well. Take the pan off the heat and allow the mixture to cool completely.

5. Divide the dough into 20 portions and shape into balls. Roll out a ball into a 3-inch-diameter (7½-cm-diameter) disk. Place a portion of the ground lamb mixture in the center. Sprinkle a little water between the edge of the disk and the filling. Gather the edges together in neat pleats and pinch the dough just above the filling to seal. Let the edges of the
potli
remain loose to imitate the shape of a money bag. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

6. Place a nonstick wok over high heat and add the 1 quart oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, reduce the heat to medium and gently slide in the
potlis,
a few at a time. Stir gently with a slotted spoon so that the
potlis
cook evenly. When they are golden brown, remove with the slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining
potlis
.

Lamb Pepper Fry

Boneless lamb with peppercorns

This is a traditional dish of the Syrian Christians of Kerala. They make it with beef, but this recipe uses lamb.

Serves 4.

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon oil

2 medium onions, peeled and sliced

4 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1-inch (2½-cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

20 whole black peppercorns

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

6 dried red chiles, stemmed and broken in half

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 star anise

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ cup (60 grams) grated fresh coconut (or frozen unsweetened coconut)

16 to 18 fresh curry leaves

1 pound (500 grams) boneless lamb, cut into 1-inch (2½-cm) pieces

1 teaspoon
garam masala
(spice mix; page 27)

1½ teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon red chile powder