Fish au gratin

Ingredients

Fish cubes ½kg

Garlic paste 1 tsp

Chinese salt 1 tsp

White pepper 1/4tsp

Salt to taste

Black pepper ½ tsp

Onion medium-sized

Capsicum medium-sized

Mushrooms ½ cup

Flour 2 tbsp

Milk ½ litre

Butter 3tbsp

Cheddar cheese 100g

Oil 3tbsp

Oregano ½ tsp

Method

Take a medium-sized onion, one capsicum and half-a-cup of mushrooms, cut into cubes. In a pan add three tablespoons oil; wait until oil warms and then add one teaspoon of garlic paste. Add half of the fish cubes, half teaspoon black pepper, one teaspoon Chinese salt. Add a pinch of white pepper and vegetables, cook for one to two minutes, and turn off the flame.

Take another pan, add three tablespoons butter, add two tablespoons of cake flour, mix together and stir well. Add half litre milk, stir in flour, add salt and turn off the flame.

Pour the fish mixture in an oven proof dish. Pour the white sauce, top with 100g grated cheddar cheese and half teaspoon oregano. Put that dish into the oven at 200 degrees for eight to 10 minutes; when the fish becomes golden brown, turn off the oven.

Nihari

Ingredients

Chicken ½kg

Oil 1 cup

Onion ½ kg

Fennel seeds 2 tbsp

Dry ginger 2

Ginger-garlic paste 2tbsp

Water ½ cup

Red chili powder 2tbsp

Water 2 jugs

Red flour 4 tbsp

Garam masala ½ tbsp

Method

Add oil, onion and meat to a pan. When the onions turn soft and disappear, add a loose pouch of fennel seeds and dry ginger. After a while, add some water in ginger-garlic paste. Add this watery ginger garlic into the pan. Let it cook for a few minutes, then add red chilli powder.

Add two jugs of water. As soon as the meat tenderises, add water to red flour and add this thick fluid to the pan. Stir in as the gravy starts to thicken.

Add garam masala before serving.

Qorma sabzi

Ingredients

Potatoes 2

Cauliflower half flower

Onion 2

Yoghurt 1 cup

Peas ½ cup

Ghee ½ cup

Kewra water 2 tbsp

Red chili powder 2 tbsp

Garam Masala As required

Salt To taste

Method

In a pan, add ghee and onion. As the onion turns golden, take one third of the onion out of the pan and crush it with hands. In the remaining onion, add yoghurt, red chilli powder, salt, kewra and garam masala. Cover the lid and let it cook.

In another pan, boil potatoes, cauliflower and peas. Add the boiled vegetables into the gravy.

In the end, add the crushed golden onion over gravy and serve.

Shimla pulao

Ingredients

Rice ½ kilo

Onions 2 medium

Capsicum 3-4

Green chillies 4-5

Ghee ½ kg

Garlic cloves 4-5

Fennel 1 tbsp

Whole corriander 1 tbsp

Cumin seed 1 tbsp

Piece of cloth

Salt to taste

Method

Take half a kilo rice and soak in water for half to one hour. Add half kilo ghee to a pan with garlic. Add four to five cloves when the garlic becomes golden. Add onions and four to five green chillies, one tablespoon of cumin and three to four capsicums (shimla mirch). Cook on medium heat.

Make a pouch of one tablespoon fennel and one tablespoon whole coriander. Put the pouch in the pan with one-and-a-half glass of water. When the water starts to boil, add rice and salt, cook for eight to 10 minutes. Rice will cook in 10-15 minutes and swell up with no water remaining. Carefully toss rice round the pot and let it steam for two to three minutes. Turn off the heat. There should be no rice sticking to the bottom ideally. Pulao is ready to serve.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, March 6th, 2016