NIZAMI DELICACY ON A SILVER PLATTER
.[a gift of love]
Mirchi ka Salan
If one has lived long enough in
Chennai, one knows that food of any kind;statewide, heritage or international
is available. Its pot puree of the most exciting, delicious flavors, mouthwatering
and truly exposing the language of food, past, present and global. Talking
about heritage food, most dishes of India, have an interesting story behind it
and how the ingredients came together to create, a tantalizing mouthwateringdish.
Recipes carefully handed down from generation to generation, have been tried
and tested to establish some of the greatest recipes, formulating food, which
could only belong to the gods.
One of my close friendsis Bharathi, living in Chennai,
running an original hyderabadi,private dining experience, called NIZAMS PLATTER
.Eating at her place and listening to her grandfather’s food stories, one gets,
transported back in time. The story ,he narrated, was so interesting , about
the origin of Hyderabad and the dish, that I had to share it ,with you all.
The
story goes that, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, a ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty,
was the founder of Hyderabad City. In the year 1591 he laid the foundation
of a new city which he called Bhagyanagar after his beloved queen 'Bhagmati'.
Bhagmati embraced Islam and took the name Hyder Mahal and consequently
Bhagynagar was renamed Hyderabad after her.After ascending the throne,
Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah defied all traditions, married Bhagmati, and
made her his queen. He re-christened her Hyder Mahal, and named the city
Hyderabad in honor of her.
Legend
has it that her cooking was as famous as her dance and she would make special
saffron rice and Mirchi ka Salan for the prince. He was much younger than her
and yet after ascending the throne, he fought for love and married her,
building the city of Hyderabad and introducing in all royal kitchens the Nizami
food which included Mirchi ka salan. , an original recipe of Chichlam
,whereBhagmati came from.
The
land of the Nizams- Hyderabad, located in the Deccan part of India, is a
symbiotic melting pot of many historical influences and kingly inspirations
that are embodied in the city and as much seem to reflect in its rich cuisine
and culture
Promoting the native cuisine, along with their
own,Hyderabadi cuisine had become a princely legacy of the Nizams of Hyderabad,
as it began to furtherdevelop on from there. It is an amalgamation of Mughal, Turkish
and Arabic, along with the influence of the native Telugu and Marathwada
cuisines. The cuisine comprises a broad repertoire of rice, wheat and meat
dishes and the skilled use of various spices, imported herbs and natural edibles.
Most dishes have original recipes and Mirchi Ka Salan is one such dish, a
gastronomical gift from Bhagirathi to her Prince and now a famous Hyderabadi
dish.
Hyderabadi
dinner also known as Dastarkhan are usually of five course meal; Aghaz
(Soup], Mezban (appetizers]Waqfa (Sorbet]Mashgool Dastarkhwan
(Main course] and Zauq-e-shahi (dessert].[s a roster of dishes
that tend to be rich, aromatic and tilting a bit on the spicy side of the palate.
The cuisine exemplifies a rich confluence of many different impressions that
date back to over 400-years old. So while one might say that the Biryani’s are
reminiscent of Nizami culinary heritage, the Mirchi ka Salan is thought to be a
gift from the kitchens of Chichlam.An accompaniment which is, usually eaten
with, the biryani.MirchiKaSalan, quite like no other in the country,isdistinct,
fiery, aromatic and utterly irresistible. The chili pepper is cooked in a
peanut and coconut spicy curry.
NIZAMI
MIRCHI KA SALAN.
Ingredients:
Cuisine:
heritage- SOUTH INDIAN—HYDERABADI.
Serves:
4
Preparation
time ----30 min.
Cooking
time --------25 min.
Ingredients
- Green chilies :
250 g[the big ones]
- Cumin seeds: 2½ tsp.
- Curry leaves : ¼
cup dried.
- Curry
leaves; 1tsp. fresh ones.
- Mustard seeds: ½
tsp.
- Nigella seeds: ⅓tsp.
- Fenugreek seeds:
⅛ tsp.
Spice
mix / Masala dry
- Poppy seeds : 1 tbsp.
- White Sesame
Seeds :2tbsp.
- Groundnuts /
peanuts : ½ cup
- Freshly scraped
Coconut : ¾ cup
- Dry roasted
Coriander seed : 1 tsp.
- Cumin seeds: 1½
tsp
- Dried and
crushed curry leaves : 1 tsp.
The
Gravy Masala.
- Vegetable oil :
5tbsp.[groundnut oil would be the original taste].
- Red Onions – 2,
large,
- Ginger garlic
paste:2 tsp.[grind 6 cloves of garlic and 2 inch piece of ginger together.
Always use fresh ginger-garlic paste.
- Turmeric powder–
½ tsp.
- Cilantro /
coriander leaves – 3 tbsp., finely chopped
- Thick tamarind
pulp – 3 tbsp.
- Fresh cream –1
tbsp. [optional]
- Salt to taste
METHOD.
1. Wash the large, green
chilies, leave the stalk intact and pat them dry.
2. Slit down the middle
to top and discard the seeds with the help of a spoon. These tiny seeds of chilies
are real cause of the spiciness. Some add the seeds while grinding the masala.
3. Heat a tawa or
griddle and dry roast the scraped coconut, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, peanuts,
coriander seeds and cumin seeds, all separately.
4. While this is going
on, heat another pan and in a little oil, roast the sliced onions till they
turn brown. Add a pinch of salt to quicken the process of browning.
5. Grind the roasted
coconut, sesame, poppy seeds, peanuts, coriander seeds and cumin seeds all
separately in a small masala grinder / mixer. Keep it aside.
6. Grind the roasted
onions , to a fine and smooth puree.
7. Grind the ginger and
garlic.
8. Now heat some oil in
a pan up to smoking hot and add the chilies carefully. As soon as the chilies
come in contact with hot oil, blister will form on its surface.
9. Lightly toss the chilies
in hot oil and with the help of a slotted spoon, take them out and drain on a
tissue paper.
10.
To the same oil add the spices meant
for tempering and let them splutter for few seconds.
11.
Add the pureed onion and mix it well,
so that the roasted onion can absorb the flavor of spices.
12.
Fry for some time on a low heat and add
next the ginger garlic paste. Let it fry for couple of minute.
13.
Next add the coconut paste, freshly
ground sesame powder, poppy-seed powder, and peanut and stir fry for few more
minutes until the oil separates out.
14.
Add the red chili powder, turmeric
powder and a pinch of salt. Stir fry it for few more minute until the rawness
of peanut and coconut disappear.
15.
Add the cumin, dried curry leaves and
coriander powder and mix well.
16.
Add around 3 cups of water and the
diluted tamarind pulp. Mix thoroughly, gently add the tossed green chilies to it
stir it and cover, simmer it for 20 minutes till done.
17.
At the end chilies should be soft,
intact and well absorbed in the creamy masala gravy.
18.
Add the fresh cream, 40 seconds and
then switch it off.
19.
Serve the hot mirchi ka salan with
Hyderabadi biryani, the best accompaniment it can get.
20.
Nevertheless it tastes good with
steamed rice or plain roti / paratha.
21.
Kitchen tip for the day ----use lime
juice to erase strong flavours in the vessels while cleaning or before using
dish washer. Fresh lemon removes all strong smells , especially egg /fish
smell.
Chef Ramaashankeraiyer
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