Lohri
Amidst the freezing cold weather, with the temperature wobbling between 0-5 degrees Celsius and the dense fog outside, everything seems stagnant in the northern part of India. However, below the apparently frozen surface, you would be amazed to find a palpable wave of activity going on. People, especially in the northern Indian states of Punjab, Haryana and parts of Himachal Pradesh, are busy making preparations for Lohri — the long-awaited bonfire festival — when they can come out of their homes and celebrate the harvesting of the Rabi (winter) crops and give in to relaxing and enjoying the traditional folk songs and dances.
SPECIALTY DISHES FROM PUNJAB
Lemon-Flavored Grilled Chicken
Nimboo Wala Murg Tikka
Serves 6
Punjabi roadside restaurants called dhabas serve authentic cuisine of the region. Surjit Da Dhaba is an all-time favorite, located on the highway near Jalandhar. I visited this dhaba many times before I got the secret recipe of their chicken tikka from the owner Surjit Singh.
Yogurt not only imparts a sour taste to the chicken, but also works as a tenderizer.
1 cup plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
Salt to taste
Juice of 2 lemons
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts,cut into 2-inch cubes
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Mix the yogurt, cumin powder, garam masala, coriander powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt, lemon juice and garlic in a bowl large enough to hold the chicken cubes. You can refrigerate this marinade up to 3 weeks.
Add the chicken and gently coat it with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat grill pan or an indoor electric grill to high.
Place chicken on hot grill and cook for 5 or 6 minutes on each side, until charred at edges and chicken meat is firm.
Garnish with lemon wedges and serve hot.
Ginger-Flavored Mustard Greens
Sarson Ka Saag
Serves 6
Punjab, a region covering Eastern Pakistan and Northern India, is bordered by five rivers, and has a long history and strong cultural heritage. A gifted land of agriculture and climate, it is the pride of the country.
The staple meal in this region, for generations has been Sarson Ka Saag and Makki De Roti. Even today, mere mention of this dish is enough to lure my relatives to come over for meals to my home.
10 ounces mustard greens, trimmed and finely chopped
10 ounces fresh spinach, stemmed and finely chopped
10 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 fresh hot green chili, cut crosswise into ½-inch rounds
Salt to taste
3 cups of water
4 tablespoons cornmeal flour
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Two 4-inch pieces of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
In a large, heavy-bottomed pan combine the mustard greens, spinach, garlic, chili, salt and 3 cups of water. Set over high heat and bring to boil. Cover, turn the heat to low and simmer gently until the stems of the mustard green leaves have turned buttery soft, 1 to 1½ hours.
Add the cornmeal flour, beating with a whisk, until the mixture is fairly smooth. The cornmeal flour will thicken the mixture.
Heat the oil with cumin seeds in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until cumin turn light brown, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add onions and ginger and cook, stirring often, until the onion is wilted and beginning to brown around the edges, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and stir until they have softened and begun to brown. Add the green mixture and cook, uncovered, over medium heat for another 5 minutes. Give it a stir and serve hot.
Flat Corn Bread
Makki Di Roti
Makes 12 rotis
The city of Beas, situated on the banks of the sacred river Beas, is home to the spiritual movements known as the Radhasoami Satsang which has a following of over two million people worldwide. One of the objectives of the movement is to run a Langar, which is an open kitchen which provides free meals. People eating in the Langar are served while seated on the floor, a tradition emphasizing the equality of all persons.
It was while volunteering at their kitchens during the grand Langar held during Baisakhi celebrations, that I learned to make Makki Di Roti the right way.
3 cups cornmeal flour, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
1¾ cup warm water
2 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter
Combine the cornmeal and salt in a large, shallow bowl. Gradually add warm water until it reaches the consistency of play dough. Mix water until it is completely incorporated in the flour. Cover and let the dough rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Now knead the dough vigorously on a clean, unfloured work surface until the dough is pliable.
Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and form into balls. Slightly flour the work surface and roll out the balls into disks, 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Continue to roll all of the dough into disks and stack them on a plate with pieces of plastic wrap between each roti.
Heat a griddle or frying pan over high heat and then reduce the heat to medium. Place the roti on the griddle or frying pan and let it cook until you see bubbles begin to form underneath the surface, about 1 minute. Turn it over and let it cook for about a minute. Turn it over again and cook for 30 seconds. The bread should have brown spots and be cooked through. If not, turn one more time. Slide it off the griddle and rub with butter.
Make all the breads this way, keeping them covered in aluminum foil until ready to eat.
Saffron-Flavored Milk Pudding
Kesari Rabdi
Serves 6
Just the taste of this rich and creamy dessert is reminiscent of my childhood days spent with the family at festival fairs where it was one of the main attractions for all. My favorite way of serving Rabdi is in small clay bowls, which impart a wonderful earthen aroma to it. The length of time required to prepare this dessert is justified by its unforgettable flavor. You can also add a topping of fresh fruits of your choice.
4 cups whipping cream
4 cups half-and-half
1 cup sugar, or to taste
10-12 cardamoms pods, coarsely ground
¼ teaspoon saffron strands, soaked in 2 tablespoons hot milk
10 blanched almonds, chopped into thin slivers
10 pistachios, ground in a spice grinder to a powder
Combine the whipping cream and half-and-half in a heavy bottom saucepan and bring it to boil. Then turn the heat down to low and cook until the milk is reduced to half, about 2 hours. Stir often and scrape the bottom of the pan every 20 minutes to prevent the cream from burning.
Scrape the sides of the pan from time to time to get the milk solids into the mixture.
Stir in the sugar and cardamom and cook until the color changes to light beige, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool at room temperature and stir in the saffron and milk mixture to it.
Serve it chilled in individual bowls, garnished with pistachios and almonds.
|