The Jeelani Diaries at Vivanta by Taj, Begumpet

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My earliest food memory is a time when I dreamt day and night of the luxurious food served in the expansive Hyderabadi Nizami kitchens in their good old days. I was just then finished reading a book on Hyderabad + its rich heritage & history and as a foodie by heart, I was most fascinated about their grand feasts, flair for food and intricately prepared dishes with such complex flavors. The cuisine by itself is meat-centric with various kinds of rustic haleems and kheemas with their khansamas (royal cooks) treated with high regard, often accompanying the Nizams themselves to far away places. Lest you think why so much talk about Nizami food today, let me tell you that today's post is about an exquisite event "The Jeelani Diaries" I attended at Vivanta by Taj, Begumpet and the end of the post has details on how you can experience the same while you are in the city. 

Black and White Photography: Roadside Bhajias

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"Food is our common ground, a universal experience." ~ James Beard

..and street food in particular has its own charm. It acts as a tiny window to understand and get a taste of local favorites. Here is a vendor making hot mirchi bhajias (fritters), perfect for the rainy weather we are experiencing in Hyderabad. Here for my mother's version of the recipe. Don't forget to cut some onions on the side and sprinkle some chaat masala on the top!

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4 days left for two special anniversary giveaways open for readers through out the world. Click here for more details .

Previously posted in Black and White Photography series:

Bread and Wine
Stone Mortar and Pestle
Noodles
Chocolate Magic

Wholegrain Goodness 

Plump Pomegranates

Mezze

Freshly Baked Bread

Snapple  

Booze

Eggs

Let's Dine

Pizza

Breakfast Today #sketch #foodart

Bread Basket

Rosemary

Custard Apples - In Season

until next time,

A Trip to Leela Palace, Bangalore and {Recipe} Prune-Almond Phirni

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True to its name, "The Leela Palace" is palatial hotel & resort depicting our rich heritage of kings and queens who ruled India in the past. Rated as one of 500 World's Best hotels, it is still to-date favorite  destination hotel for many. Numerous conferences happen here on a daily basis and we were invited for an exclusive event "The Perfect Nutrition for Women of All Ages" organized by International Prune Association in association with Jade magazine and The Leela Palace itself.

I grabbed this opportunity with utmost excitement and was thrilled to experience the grandeur that Leela Palace had to offer.

The Leela Palace, Bangalore

The Interiors

We learnt a lot about how good the Prunes are in this event. When I was in California, I ate prunes on a regular basis as a snack and was pleasantly surprised to know that even in Bangalore, these are very easily available in many super markets. I made some Prune-Almond Phirni for you all today. If you just want to jump tothe recipe, scroll down to the end of the post. :-).

Smiling staff warmly greet you as soon as you enter the premises and the magnificent upholstery in the lobby area will catch your eye instantly. there are flowers, flowers and more flowers every where and you wouldn't even think for a second that this hotel is located at the very heart of the buzzing Bangalore city.

The corridors are filled with huge paintings of young Indian princes and kings.

It has an impressive lobby decorated with many rare Indian artworks.

After the informative conference, we all gathered for lunch at "The Dining Room", where things were literally served on a silver platter.

With plenty of sunshine streaming through the huge windows, it was one pleasant day to enjoy good food, good conversations and meet new people.

Here is what was served in our Leela Palace lunch.

Platter of fruit and prunes. We gobbled up so many that we lost count. ;-)

Lemongrass soup which was so refreshing and a best start for any meal.

Sago Payasam.

Ever heard of Prune Biryani? It tasted delicious.

Dal Tadka with aromatic spices.

Baby Potato Dum Aloo. Super yummy and its taste still lingers in my mouth.

the very traditional - Tindora with Coconut

Chocolate Magic, the dessert.

the entire dessert platter

Prune-Badam Phirni (Almond Rice Pudding with Prunes)

My grandparents live in Old city, Hyderabad. With many muslim friends around, Phirni (or Firni as its called) was something which we had almost in every household especially during festival time of Eid. It tastes rich, creamy and delicious. Today, I have made Phirni with Almond paste and cooked Prunes. Never expected this to be better than the original version. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

5-6 pitted Prunes (which are nothing but dried plums)
1/4 cup Almonds
1 tbsp Rice
1.5 cups Milk
1/4 cup Sugar
3 tbsp slivered almonds
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
hot water

Preparation:

For Prunes:

Soak them in hot water to soften for at least an hour. In the same soaking liquid, cook prunes on a medium-high heat, bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until they become plump. With back of a spoon, mash them and keep aside to cool.

For Pudding:

1. In hot water, soak almonds for 15 minutes. Peel and keep aside.

2. Soak rice in hot water again for atleast 1 hour.

3. Grind almonds and rice together into a very paste. Add little water if needed.

4. Heat milk in a wide pan and bring it to a rolling boil. On low heat, add almond-rice paste, while stirring constantly so that there are no lumps. Continue to stir for next 15-20 mins, when it starts to thicken and you can no longer feel the taste of raw rice.

5. Add sugar, sliced almonds and cardamom powder. Cook until sugar is completely dissolved. Finally add about 1-2 tbsp or more of prune liquid into phirni. Mix well and set it aside for not more than 5 minutes. Transfer the phirni into a bowl and refrigerate it for 1 hour.

Note: If you wish to, you can mix the entire prune mixture to phirni, more or less based on the level sweetness you prefer.

Assembly: In a glass, put a layer of prune mixture at the very bottom and them pour phirni over it. Garnish with sliced almonds. Serve it chilled.

It is an universally known fact that - "Prunes cure constipation" and just 1 cup has 12g of dietary fiber. In addition to that, these are a great source of  Vitamins K and A, niacin, riboflavin and Vitamin B-6. A recent article dated Aug 22nd 2011, states Prunes could help prevent fractures and help post-menopausal women protect themselves from osteoporosis.These are a perfect as a fruit snack but limit these to 5-6 per day due to its laxative properties.

Leaving you all for now with some beautiful rose petals and hope you all have a lovely weekend ahead.

until next time,
Siri

Hyderabadi Bagara Baingan, demystified

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My mouth is watering at the very mention of this dish. Juicy, tender baby eggplants stuffed & dunked in a rich nutty-onion-ey gravy. What not to love in this very-popular-hyderabadi-dish. The only down-side is - its preparation and cooking time. But, for that too I have a trick for you. This recipe is a bit different than others. It makes use of a masala powder which can be ground ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Whenever you want to have some of this rich, decadent dish - pop out the masala powder, add some fried onions, turmeric & salt. Stuff the mixture into the eggplants and once they are cooked, sprinkle the rest (with some water) over them. 

D.O.N.E. 

Yes, it is as simple as that. Feel free to adjust the ingredients used for the masala powder - but the ones that are a must are - peanuts, sesame seeds & coconut.

It was late in the night and I was too tired to even click any pictures. Hence there are no step-by-step pictures this time. and You know what, I have a feeling there is no need of them. Have a look at the recipe & you will know why. - Just gather all the ingredients and jump right in.


If you are a hyderabadi like me, hope this dish will bring you back some of your memories from - back home. :-)

Hyderabadi Bagara Baingan

Save this recipe for those special parties where you are determined to get some Umph's and Wow's from your friends. (or) even better - treat yourself and/or your family with this decadent dish, especially when you want to buy something expensive. I am sure, after tasting this, anybody would say 'Yes' to anything you ask for. ;-)

Simplified & Adapted from my mommy's recipe. Mom, you are THE best.


Step 1 - Dry roast each of the following ingredients separately and cool them on a shallow plate. Then grind them into a fine powder (in a coffee grinder, if you have one like I did). 


1/4 cup peanuts***
2 tbsp sesame seeds***
2 tsp poppy seeds**
1 tsp coriander seeds**
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp dried coconut*** (if using frozen shredded coconut, plan to use the whole thing in one-go. It not good for refrigeration.)
1 inch cinnamon stick**
5-6 black cloves
1 tsp black peppercorns


The ones which have 3 stars (***) are a must-haves & with 2 stars (**) are good-to-have ingredients.

Store this powder in an air tight container & refrigerate. It will stay good for several weeks. Remember to use dried coconut if you want to use it later.

Now that we have our masala powder ready to go, the process is much more simple than you think.

Step 2. Wash and pat dry about 10 tender baby eggplants. Don't make slits as of now.

Step 3. Heat a tsp of oil and add 2 cups of finely chopped onions & little salt. Saute for about 8 mins on medium-low flame until golden brown. Add 1 tsp of ginger-garlic paste. Cook for 2 more mins. Remove from heat and cool down a bit.

Step 4. In a mixing bowl, add the fried onions, about 6-7 tbsp of the above masala powder, little salt, 2 tsp of tamarind pulp, 1/2 tsp of turmeric. Mix well.

Step 5. Slit the eggplants into fours. keep the stem in tact. Stuff half of the above onion-masala mixture.

Step 6. Heat a tsp of oil in a wide, shallow pan and add these stuffed eggplants. Make sure the pan is wide-enough to fit all of the eggplants in one single layer. Rotate and shake the pan occasionally so that the eggplants cook evenly, until tender - on medium flame. Cover. Let it take as long as it takes for the eggplants to cook completely. It took me about 15-20 mins. 

Step 7. Turn the flame to LOW and add the rest of the masala paste with 1.5 cups of water. Check for salt one last time. Donot use any spatula, just shake so that the eggplants are coated well. Cook on low heat until the oil start to separate at the edges. 

Ready to serve for anything - from biryani to rotis. :-)

Patience is virtue for this recipe to come out well and trust me, the end result is worth waiting for. I am sure my friends at work who got to taste it can vouch for that ;-).

Off this goes to Healing Foods: Eggplant, originally started by me & this month graciously guest hosted by dear Kavita. Hurry in your entries by Jan 31st and have a chance to win one of the two giveaways. :-)

As I said before, there are many variations of the same recipe. and the difference is mainly in the ingredients for the masala powder, in Step 1. See how Nags has prepared the same recipe, in her own ishtyle. :-)

take care and until next time,
Siri

..goodbye 2009..with spicy Mirchi Ka Salan

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2009 is done..and so is the fun-filled recipe marathon we all participated from Dec 25th to Dec 31st 2009.. a unique & delicious way to bid adieu to our beloved 2009..(Thanks Nupur for organizing such an awesome pot-luck party)....:)

..I still have the malware problem in my laptop... so I will be quick & concise today....will leave you here..with a spicy curry.. a famous hyderbadi dish - 'Mirchi Ka Salan'...:) Enjoy!!

Mirchi Ka Salan (Peppers in Peanut gravy)

Ingredients:

6 (anaheim) mexican peppers (or any long peppers will do)
1 tsp oil
2 tsp amchur powder

For Salan:

1/4 cup peanuts
3 tbsp cup sesame seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1/2 cup onions, chopped
5-6 dried red chillies
3-4 tbsp shredded coconut
5-6 tbsp tamarind juice
salt- to taste
water - as per consistency

1/8 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp chilli powder (optional)
2 tbsp oil

Preparation:

1. Slit the peppers and remove the seeds. the anaheim peppers, I used were very long..so I cut them into half. Soak them in warm water for couple of minutes and wipe them dry. Pat a little oil on the outer sides on the peppers & rub some amchur powder in the insides..:)

2. Heat a tsp of oil in a pan and sear the peppers into a light charred skin color. Keep aside.

3. In a separate pan, roast peanuts. remove their skin. then roast sesame seeds, cumin seeds and dried red chillies.
Heat little oil and saute the onions for 3-4 minutes until lightly caramelized.

4. Grind together - roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, cumin seeds, caramelized onions, shredded coconut with tamarind juice and water for a paste light consistency.

5. Heat a tbsp of oil and add the salan paste to it. Season with salt, turmeric and chilli powder. Stir in the seared peppers, cover & cook for about 15-20 mins on medium-low heat, stirring couple of times in-between until the sauce thickens. Serve with rice (or) rotis..:)

...more Mirchi Ka Salan: @ Mahanandi ; @ Ruchikacooks ; @ Vindu

Wishing you all a very Happy and Joyous 2010. May all your dreams come true and God Bless us all!!

Chao,
Siri

Hyderabadi Double ka Meetha ( Bread Pudding with Nuts and Raisins)

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[Updated] Click here for an updated version of this delectable Hyderabadi favorite. 

'S' is a true "Connoisseur of Desserts". When I asked him, whats your favorite dessert? He immediately said 'Double Ka Meetha'. Indeed, this is a Hyderabadi classic dessert and our personal favorite too !! Off this goes to Hima's WYF - Dessert event.


Hyderabad is known for its strong Moghalai influence to hot n spicy coastal Andhra dishes. and not to forget the well known ubiquitous Irani Hotels of Old Hyderabad, serving thousands of cups of tea everyday.
Talking of Hyderabadi desserts, one first gets reminded of our well-known Double-ka-Meetha (a bread and raisin pudding), Qubani-ka-meetha (stewed apricot dessert), Ande-ka-Piyosi (made with eggs, mild, almonds and purified butter), Badam-ki-jhab and Dil-e-Firdaus ( a rich, milk-based sweet) just to mention a few! Wow, the utter mention of these names take me back to my childhood days...:)
So, to relive those moments, I decided to make Double-ka-Meetha last weekend, which came out.. yummy and soft...:D


Ingredients:

White bread - 6 slices
Milk -1 1/2 cups
Sugar - 1 cup
Water -1/4cup (for sugar syrup)
Heavy Cream - 1/2 cup
Butter/Ghee - 2 tbsp
Raisins - 2 tbsp
Peacons - 2 tbsp
Cardamom -1/4 tsp

Preparation:

1. Roast the bread slices (edges cut off if desired) in butter until they turn brown on both sides. Arrange them in a baking pan or any flat pan.
2. Mix sugar and water in a sauce pan. Heat and make sugar syrup out of it.
3. Boil milk with cardamom powder for few minutes. Keep aside.
4. Now, roast the raisins and peacons in butter and sprinkle over the bread slices.
5. Then pour sugar syrup, heavy cream and milk evenly over bread slices.
6. Serve it chilled or hot... Its just irresistible until the last morsel...:))

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