Kanda, Papayta, nu Dahi ma Gos.

Kanda, Papayta, nu Dahi ma Gos | Meat in Yoghurt Stew

This dish was a favourite of my mother Shireen.  It is quite delicious when done right. The yoghurt must not be sour; it should be incorporated well and not curdle. The gravy has a thick consistency. The meat and potatoes must be really tender. The flavour is delightful and soul-warming. It is served with either fresh warm rotli or fresh crusty bread to mop up the gravy. It may just be that this dish is exclusive to the ancient Parsi cuisine.

Serves 6

3 tbsp oil

450 g/ 1 lb onions -very finely chopped
1 kg/ 2.2 lb bone-in lamb, goat, or mutton
1 kg/ 2.2 lb baby potatoes
500 g/ 1.1 lb pearl onions or shallots

1 cinnamon stick
6 cloves
12 black peppercorn
2 cardamom pods
2 tsp fresh garlic-crushed
2 tsp fresh ginger-crushed

1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp chilli powder

1 ½ tsp cumin powder
325 g/ 12 oz plain natural yoghurt-room temperature

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and fry the finely chopped onions. Add all the spices and sauté them for a minute. Add the meat and let it brown for a few minutes.

Add about 4 cups of water, bring it to a boil, cover and lower the heat. Continue cooking for an hour or until the meat is very tender. The remaining gravy should be thick and about 2 cups total.

Prepare the potatoes and onions. Boil the potatoes, rinse out the water, and peel them. Keep it aside. Repeat this with the onions or shallots. (Onions take only 5 minutes; do not overcook). Heat the remaining oil and shallow fry until golden brown. Drain them on kitchen paper. Season lightly while still warm.

Add the yoghurt, potatoes and onions to the meat and gravy. Mix well and cook for about 15 minutes on a low simmer. 
Serve immediately with warm rotlis or fresh crusty bread.

 

Tips


The yoghurt must be full-fat plain natural yoghurt with an addition of salt and sugar. The yoghurt will separate if added to boiling hot gravy. Let it cool down to tepid before adding Bringing it back to the heat before serving can curdle it but leaving the pot open and keeping the heat low will avoid doing that. Tempering the yoghurt will also prevent it from curdling. Temper the yoghurt by spoonfuls with the hot gravy, then fold the tempered yoghurt into the remaining gravy.

The pieces of meat should be equal. The time it takes to cook the pieces will be dependent on the size of the pieces.

You don't have to boil or peel the potatoes if you do not wish to. Give them a rinse in boiling water and then pan fry them. Since they will not be cooked, add a tbsp of water once they are golden brown, cover the pan and lower the heat. This will steam cook the potatoes until they are soft. Give them 10 minutes to cook through. Give them 10 minutes to cook through.

Small shallots and red onions are often available in the frozen section of most supermarkets. This will save you time peeling the onions, which can be tedious.

My published cookbooks are available for sale through myself and on amazon.

The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders is a 3 award winning book. It has been self published in July 2019 and will be going into its second print in 2022. 

The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine was published in 2016 by Austin Macauley and continues to be available through amazon book depot book depository and from the publishers.

Seekh Kebab

Seekh Kebabs

Seekh kebabs are indigenous to Pakistan's northern half, extending into northern India as well. Originally, the meat was ground on a stone with another stone, much like the mortar and pestle or a masala no pathar (spice-stone), until it was completely macerated to a fine pulp, using water, ghee or butter, milk or cream to help it along, so the final product is soft. Once cooked, it should almost melt in the mouth, in spite of it being a meat dish.

 

Besides the method of preparing the meat, the result is just as dependent on the cooking method. Tandoors and open fires are the best options. While the aromas of the coal enhance the taste, the high temperature and quick cooking time help caramelise the outside of the kebabs to perfection.

 

The metal skewer itself emits enough heat within the kebab to cook the meat while keeping it soft and pinkish. The blazing heat from the outside is meant to crisp and caramelise just the outer kebab, forming almost a "skin" to keep the kebab together. The true art of a good seekh kebab is how well one manages to skewer it on the seekh; the thinner you can keep the kebab, the faster it will cook, and the softer and moister the end result.

 

There are plenty of types of kebabs that can be described as the old traditional food of the Persians, Indians, Pakistanis, Afghanis, Turks, and the Middle East regions of the world. The kebab, commonly prepared and mainly considered a timeless street food, continues to be just as popular to date. From food trucks to cafes, fine dining and hotel restaurants, everyone seems to have it on their menu. The choice of herbs and spices as well as the shape and size mainly define the 'type' of kebab it is. Kebabs can be made up of any kind of meat; chicken, vegetables, and even paneer or cottage cheese. While the meat kebab can be either minced or cut into pieces as a whole, the vegetable and paneer kebabs are generally cubed and threaded on skewers.

One can only imagine the magical flavour of an outdoor bbq pit fueled with wonderful charcoal.
 Simply delectable.

Makes 50 kebabs

In a food processor blend until smooth

2 large onions

2 1/2 tsp salt

1 packed cup fresh coriander leaves

10 leaves of fresh mint 

Now add until a smooth pulp

1 generous tsp of garam masala

6 green chillies

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 1/2 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp tamarind paste

1 tsp jaggery

1 tbsp ghee or clarified butter

3 tbsp cream

8 tbsp bread crumbs

2 eggs

2 generous tsp garlic paste

2 tsp ginger paste

2 kg /4.4 lb minced ground meat

This particular kebab is named after the tool used for their preparation—the skewer or "seekh". 

Transfer to a working bowl and chill for a few hours, or until chilled.

Mix it well and divide it into 50 equal parts. Wet your hands and skewer it up.

Taking a wooden spoon with a rounded drum stick like handle, working around the'stick' can be your skewer. Preparing this one at a time, remove the kebab from the spoon onto the tray lined with parchment. Keep it chilled until ready to cook.

 

 

To start off, make your griddle or skillet screaming hot. Add a spoon of canola oil or ghee. Place each kebab carefully, ensuring they are not touching the next one. Cook it over a high heat. Turn it after a minute, being very gentle. It will cook very quickly. Cover and reduce heat once both sides are nicely browned. Cook for another 3 minutes. Eat it with warm naan, a fresh salad made up of sliced onions, tomatoes, and a date and tamarind chutney, green coconut chutney, and a squeeze of lemon. Do not overcook them as they will get harder by the minute.

Tips

The length of the kebab can vary, this recipe is for fifty of about 18cm/ 7-inch long.

Chill the kebab mixture before trying to skewer it. This helps it stick easier. 

Keep it as thin as possible; the thinner they are, the faster they will cook, leaving the meat moist and deliciously soft-'moo-ly-em' is the word which describes it best!

If you have skewers, you can leave the kebabs on to chill and use them later on a grill or bbq.

Use the fresh coriander with the young, soft stalks which are flavourful.

Using medium to lean mince generally is the best. However, using completely lean mince can make the kebabs dry, especially if you use them in a hot tandoor or barbecue grill.

The end result: caramelised from the outside and creamy-soft from the inside.

My published cookbooks are available for sale through myself and on Amazon.

The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders is a 3 award winning book. It has been self published in July 2019 and will be going into its second print in 2022. 

The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine was published in 2016 by Austin Macauley and continues to be available through amazon book depot book depository and from the publishers.

Photograph courtesy  Yashaan Mavalvala and Jehangir Khan

Readers Comments

Khursheed Olpadwala‎Parsis Exchange Recipes (PER)

April 22 

Seekh kebabs ready for girls night tonight👠👠🎉Thank you Niloufer Mavalvala for the recipe....😙

Only change was I baked them in the oven at 425 F Chaalo time to party☺☺

Chimi churri Latin

Chimichurri

Chimichurri is the Latin equivalent of the pesto. It has flavour and lots of texture. The variations are many. The base is of  fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro and corriander leaves, the fresh garlic gives it the punch and the red and green chillies makes it spicy. Pulse it to keep it finely chopped and not macerated. Add a spoon of olive oil to bring it all together and always salt it. One may add vinegar or left over wine to increase the acidity.

Striploin marinated with Chimi Churri

Pulse together in a food processor
1 red chillie
1 green chillie
2 tbsps flat leaf parsely
2 tbsps flat leaf corriander/cilantro leafs
1/4 tsp salt
2 cloves of garlic
add
2 tsps olive oil and give it a quick pulse to mix
optionally
1 sprig of fresh mint
1 tsp red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper 4 steaks and marinate them with half of the chimichurri.
Leave over night.

Remove until it comes back to room temperature.
Heat a skillet until very hot add a drop of oil to grease the pan and add two steaks at a time.
Brown on both sides and remove and keep aside. This will take only 2 minutes each. The steak is medium rare. Now slice each steak into thick strips. Throw them all back into the hot skillet on the sides and quickly turn them around. This will take 30 seconds on each side.
Throw in the rest of the chimchurri marinade for just a minute or less to heat through and remove into serving plates immediately. 

Serve this with a bean salad, coleslaw, caramelised onions with red and green peppers. Potato wedges or a simple green salad.

Tips
Use your favourite cut of meat. I used striploin. T-bone steaks are good for this too.
The chillies do not have to be hot. You can use the larger variety which are sweeter rather than hotter. It is all about the flavours you enjoy.

Prepare the chimi churri and freeze the remaining for another time.
Use the left over meat in a stir fry or a salad.
Sliced thinly the left over meat makes a delicious sandwich. 

For recipes, history and origins of Parsi Food read more in my cookbook The Art of Parsi Cuisine; revivine and ancient cuisine.






Photo courtesy Smita B M