The Must Have from a North Indian Dhaba Menu

Butter Chicken

Ingredients:
    * 1 kg boneless chicken skin removed
    * Juice of 1 lime
    * Salt to taste
    * 1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to suit your taste)
    * 1 cup fresh yoghurt (must not be sour)
    * 2 tsps garam masala
    * 2 tsps coriander powder
    * 1 tsp cumin powder
    * 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    * 8-10 peppercorns
    * 6 cloves
    * 1" stick of cinnamon
    * Seeds from 3-4 pods of cardamom
    * 2 bay leaves
    * 8-10 almonds
    * 2 onions chopped
    * 2 tsps garlic paste
    * 1 tsp ginger paste
    * 1/2 litre chicken stock
    * 3 tbsps vegetable/canola/snflower cooking oil
    * 3 tbsps butter
    * Salt to taste
    * Coriander leaves to garnish

Preparation:
    * Mix the chicken, lime juice, salt and red chilli powder in a bowl and allow to marinate for 1 hour.
    * Roast the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves and almonds till they darken slightly and then grind into a coarse powder.
    * Mix the yoghurt, whole spice powder and all the other spices together and add them to the chicken. Allow to marinate for another hour.
    * Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions. Fry till golden brown and then add the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for a minute.
    * Add only the chicken from the chicken-spice mix and fry till sealed (chicken will turn opaque).
    * Now add the chicken stock and remaining part of the mix to the chicken.
    * Cook till the chicken is done and the gravy is reduced to half its original volume.
    * Melt the butter and pour it over the chicken.
    * Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with naans and Kaali Daal.
    * For an authentic and traditional cooked-over-the-coals flavour: Heat a briquette of coal till red hot and when the dish is done, put the coal in the pan and cover immediately. Remove just before serving.

Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients:
    * 1 (3-pound) chicken, cut into serving pieces, skinned and trimmed of all visible fat
    * 1/2 cup plain yogurt
    * 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or malt vinegar
    * 1 tablespoon minced garlic
    * 1 tablespoon peeled and grated or crushed ginger root
    * 1 tablespoon ground cumin
    * 1 teaspoon ground coriander
    * 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    * 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
    * 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
    * 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
    * 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
    * Vegetable oil, for brushing
    * Fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish
    * Slices of cucumber, red (Spanish) onion, tomato and lemon, for garnish

Preparation:
    * Prick the flesh of the chicken all over with a fork. Then, using a sharp knife, cut slashes in the flesh to allow the marinade to penetrate. Place the chicken in a nonreactive large, shallow dish.
    * In a nonreactive bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice or vinegar, garlic, ginger, cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, cardamom, cloves, black pepper and salt.
    * Stir until well-mixed, then pour the mixture over the chicken and rub it into the flesh, turning the chicken several times. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. (Do not marinate for longer than 2 days.) Remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking.
    * The chicken may be grilled or roasted. If using a charcoal grill, prepare a fire for direct-heat cooking. Position the grill rack 5 inches from the fire. Allow the coals to burn until white ash covers them and the heat is moderate.
    * Remove the chicken from the marinade, pressing lightly to extract excess marinade, and brush with oil. Place the chicken pieces on a well-oiled grill rack and; grill, covered, with the vents open, turning 3 or 4 times, 45 minutes or until the juices run clear when a piece is pierced near the bone with a knife.
    * If roasting, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan, brush with oil, and cook, turning once, 25 to 30 minutes until the juices run clear when a piece is pierced near the bone with a knife.
    * Serve with sprigs of cilantro and slices of cucumber, red onion, tomato, and lemon.

Chhole Bhature

Ingredients:
    * 2 cans of chickpeas (400 gm each)
    * 2 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
    * 2 bay leaves
    * 5-6 cloves
    * 3-4 green cardamoms
    * 5-6 peppercorns
    * 3 large onions sliced
    * 2 large tomatoes chopped
    * 2 tbsps garlic paste
    * 1 tbsps ginger paste
    * 2 tsps coriander powder
    * 1 tsp cumin powder
    * 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
    * 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    * 2 tsps garam masala
    * 1"piece of ginger julliened
    * 2 tbsps fresh coriander leaves chopped fine

Preparation:
    * Grind 2 onions, the tomatoes, ginger, garlic together into a smooth paste.
    * Heat the oil in a deep, thick-bottomed pan on a medium flame.
    * Add the bay leaves, cloves, cardamom and peppercorns and fry for 1/2 a minute.
    * Add the remaining sliced onion and fry till light golden. Add the onion-tomato paste and fry till the oil begins to separate from the paste.
    * Add the dry spices - cumin, coriander, red chilli, tumeric and garam masala powders. Fry for 5 minutes.
    * Drain the water in the can from the chickpeas and rinse them well under running water. Add the chickpeas to the masala. Mix well.
    * Add salt to taste and water to make gravy (about 1 1/2 cups).
    * Simmer and cook covered for 10 minutes.
    * Use a flat spoon to mash some of the chickpeas coarsely. Mix well.
    * Garnish with juliennes of ginger and finely chopped fresh coriander leaves.
    * Serve piping hot with pooris/bhatooras.

Palak Paneer

Ingredients:
    * 500 gms Paneer (Click here to make your own Paneer)
    * 2 medium-sized bunches of fresh spinach
    * 1/2 bunch fresh fenugreek leaves
    * 4 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
    * 1 large onion chopped fine
    * 1 large tomato diced
    * 2 tsps garlic paste
    * 1 tsp ginger paste
    * 2 tsps coriander powder
    * 1 tsp cumin powder
    * 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    * 1 tsp garam masala powder
    * Salt to taste
    * 1 tbsp of butter to garnish

Preparation:
    * Cut the paneer into 1" cubes. Heat 2 tbsps of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and stir-fry the paneer till golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Keep aside.
    * Add 2 tbsps of oil to the same pan and fry the onions in it till soft.
    * Add the ginger and garlic pastes and fry for a minute.
    * Add the spinach, fenugreek leaves, tomato, coriander, cumin, turmeric and garam masala powders and mix well. Add salt to taste and mix well.
    * Cook till the spinach and fenugreek leaves are soft and like pulp. Mash well into a rough paste. If you prefer, you can also blend this paste in the food processor to get a smoother consistency.
    * Add the previously fried paneer cubes to this gravy and mix to coat the pieces.
    * Garnish with butter and serve hot with Chapatis (Indian flatbread), parathas (pan-fried Indian flatbread)

Mutter Paneer

Ingredients:
    * 500 gms paneer cubed
    * 200 gms shelled peas
    * 2 large onions
    * 3 medium tomatoes
    * 1 tbsp ginger paste
    * 2 tbsps garlic paste
    * 2 tsps coriander powder
    * 1 tsp cumin powder
    * 2 tsps garam masala
    * 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    * 2 green chillies chopped fine
    * 6 tbsps of oil
    * 1 1/2 cups water
    * Salt to taste
    * 3 tbsps thickened/ double/ heavy cream
    * Coriander leaves chopped fine to garnish

Preparation:
    * Grind onions into a fine paste in a food processor. Keep aside.
    * Next grind tomatoes into fine paste and keep aside.
    * Heat 2-3 tbsps of oil in a pan and gently stir-fry the cubes of paneer till golden. Remove onto a paper towel and keep aside.
    * In the same vessel heat 2-3 tbsps of oil and add the onion paste. Fry till it turns light brown.
    * Add tomato paste, ginger and garlic paste and fry for another 2 minutes.
    * Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric and garam masala powders, green chillies and fry, stirring continuously till the oil begins to separate from the masala (spice mixture).
    * Add the peas to the masala and fry for 2-3 minutes.
    * Then add the paneer, water and salt, reduce flame to a simmer and cook till the gravy thickens.
    * When the gravy is as thick as you would like, turn off the flame and stir in the cream.
    * Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.
    * Mutter paneer tastes great with parathas, naans and even jeera rice.

Rajma (red kidney bean curry)

Ingredients:
    * 2 cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed under running water
    * 2 tbsps vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil
    * 1 tsp cumin seeds
    * 2 medium-sized onions chopped fine
    * 2"piece of ginger jullinned
    * 6 cloves of garlic minced
    * 2 large tomatoes chopped into 1" cubes
    * 2 fresh green chillies chopped fine
    * 2 tsps coriander powder
    * 1 tsp cumin powder
    * 1 tsp garam masala
    * 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    * Salt to taste
    * A pinch of asafetida
    * Chopped coriander to garnish

Preparation:
    * Heat the oil in a deep pan and add the cumin seeds. When they stop sizzling, add the onion and fry till soft.
    * Add the ginger and garlic and fry for 2 minutes.
    * Add the green chillies, tomatoes, coriander, cumin, turmeric and garam masala powders and fry till the oil separates from the masala.
    * Add the red kidney beans, 4 cups of warm water, asafetida, salt to taste and cook till beans are very soft (aproximately 10 minutes).
    * Mash some of the beans roughly (this thickens the gravy).
    * Garnish with corainder and serve piping hot with plain boiled rice and Kachumbar salad and a pickle of your choice. 

Dal Makhani

Ingredients:
    * 200 g - black urad dal
    * 50 g - rajma
    * 4 - medium sized tomatoes (made into a puree)
    * 3 - medium sized onions (finely chopped)
    * 11/2 tbsp - crushed ginger
    * 3 - green chillies (finely chopped)
    * ¼ tsp - turmeric powder
    * 2 sticks - cinnamon
    * 1 - black cardamom (peeled)
    * 5 - green cardamoms (peeled)
    * 2 tsp - red chilli powder
    * 1 tsp - cumin seed powder
    * 2 tbsp - fresh cream/ malai
    * finely chopped coriander leaves (to garnish)
    * sufficient water to boil the dal
    * 1 tsp - garlic paste
    * 2 - bay leaves
    * 5 tbsp - ghee
    * 4 - cloves

Preparation:
    * Wash, soak the dal and rajma in sufficient water for 8 hours.
    * Pressure cook the dal and rajma in sufficient water along with salt, turmeric powder, cloves, bay leaves, cardamoms, cinnamon, 1 tbsp ginger and 1 tbsp ghee.
    * Pressure cook first on a high flame.
    * Simmer for 30 minutes or cook till the dal is done.
    * Lightly heat the remaining ghee in a kadai.
    * Add onions and green chillies.
    * Saute on a low flame till the onions turn pink.
    * Add the tomato puree, 1/2 tbsp crushed ginger, garlic paste and little salt. Saute for few minutes.
    * Add red chilli powder and cumin seed powder.
    * Saute on a low flame till oil separates.
    * Add the onion tomato mixture to the dal. Mix well.
    * Cook on a low flame for 15 to 20 minutes till the masalas and the dal are well blended.
    * Garnish with fresh cream or malai and coriander leaves.
    * Serve hot with hot phulkas, steamed rice and onion rings.

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