MENU VI - III Semester BHM, Food and Beverage Production Practicals on 30th & 31st July 2007

PUNJABI CUISINE
Punjabi people are robust people with robust appetites and their food is like the Punjabis themselves, simple, sizeable and hearty with no unnecessary frills or exotic accompaniments. The Punjabi tandoori cooking is celebrated as one of the most popular cuisines throughout the world. Huge earthen ovens are half buried in the ground and heated with a coal fire lit below it. Marinated meat, chicken, fish, paneer, rotis and naans of many types are cooked in this novel oven and the results are absolutely scrumptious!

Punjab has imbibed some aspects of its cuisine from external influences. Connoisseurs of the cuisine say that the gravy component of Punjabi cuisine came from the Mughals. The most popular example is the murg makhani. It served the state well to combine this influence in its cooking since it had a lot of pure ghee and butter. Murg makhani also provided a balance to tandoori chicken, which was dry because it was charcoal cooked. Nans and parathas, rotis made of maize flour are typical Punjabi breads. Of course, over the years the roti has been modified to add more variety, so there is the rumali roti, the naan and the laccha parathas, all cooked in the tandoor.

Winter, in Punjab, brings in the season of the famous makki ki roti(maize flour bread) and sarson ka saag(mustard leaf gravy). No meal is complete without a serving of lassi( sweet or salted drink made with curd) or fresh curd and white butter which is consumed in large quantities. The other popular dishes, which belong exclusively to Punjab, are ma ki dal, rajma (kidney beans) and stuffed parathas.
In a vastly diverse country like India, every region has something typical to offer whether it is in clothes or in food or in its music, dance and art.
Punjab, the land of milk and honey, boasts of a robust climate where the agricultural revolution has reaped rich dividends. The land of plenty has a cuisine, which caters to the characteristic needs of the people.
Punjabi cuisine is not subtle in its flavor. There are no intricate marinades or exotic sauces but it has full-bodied masalas (spices) cooked with liberal amount of desi ghee (clarified butter) always served with a liberal helping of butter or cream. Milk and its products are an essential part of every day cookery, curd and buttermilk are also an essential concomitant with every Punjabi meal.
A predominantly wheat eating people, the Punjabis cook rice only on special occasions. It’s never eaten plain or steamed, for steamed rice implies that somebody is sick. Rice is eaten always with a Bagar (flavoring) of cumin or fried onions with Rajma or Kadhi, Rajma with rice or rice with Kadhi is eaten or holidays or on festive days. In winter rice is cooked with Gur or with peas called matarwale chawal or as a delicacy called Rao Ki Kheer which is rice cooked on very slow fire for hours together with sugar cane juice.
In Punjab itself, there are differences in flavors and style. For example, people around Amritsar prefer well-fried stuffed paraunthas and milk sweets. The people of Doaba region eat more of them; in the Malwa region Bajra (ground maize) khitchadi (kedgeree) is a delicacy. There are a course certain dishes, which are part and parcel of Punjab, and their very mention conjures up the rich flavor of the state. Mah ki Dal, Sarson Ka Saag and Makkee Ki Roti, meat curry like Roghan Josh and stuffed paraunthas can be found in no other state except Punjab. The food is suitable for these who burn up a lot of calories while working in the fields and tilling their small acres. For the urban folk, however, eating even one dish is enough because life in the cities is so sedentary. The main masala in a Punjabi dish consists of onion, garlic, ginger and a lot of tomatoes fried in pure ghee
An average day’s meal would generally comprise :
BREAKFAST
Stuffed Alloo Mattar (potatoes and peas) Paraunthas and a glass of butter milk.
LUNCH
Sarson Ka Saag and Makki Ki Roti with onion Chutney.
DINNER
Mah Ki Dal, Bhunna Gosht, Tandoori Roti and Dahi Raita.
The food of Punjab is meant for the strong-hearted. It is rich in flavours and has a liberal dose of ghee (clarified butter) and spices. Punjab has an abundance of milk and therefore milk products are an important part of daily diet. No meal is complete without large glassfuls of butter milk or lassi (yoghurt drink). The people of this region are largely wheat eaters and have developed variations of breads including the stuffed aloo paratha (potato bread) and the makke ki roti (maize bread). Vegetarian delights such as sarson saag (mustard leaf curry), rajma-chawal (kidney beans with steamed rice) and Kadhi (gram flour and yoghurt curry) are the most popular Punjabi dishes. Punjabis have also created a combination of the northwest frontier cuisine and Mughlai recipes to present rich poultry and mutton dishes. The ubiquitous ‘tandoori chicken’ is a great favourite!
Punjabi cuisine can be non-vegetarian or completely vegetarian. The level of spices can vary from minimal to very prevalent. One of the main features of Punjabi cuisine is its diverse range of dishes. Home cooked and restaurant Punjabi cuisine can vary significantly, with restaurant style using large amounts of clarified butter, known locally as desi ghee, with liberal amounts of butter and cream with home cooked concentrating on mainly upon wheat masalas (spice) flavourings. Though wheat varieties form their staple food, Punjabis do cook rice on special occasions. During winter a delicacy, Rao Ki Kheer, is cooked using rice. Rice is cooked for a long time in sugar cane juice.
Within the state itself, there are different preferences. People in the area of Amritsar prefer stuffed parathas and milk products. In fact, the area is well known for quality of its milk products. There are certain dishes which are exclusive to Punjab, such as Maha Di Dal and Saron Da Saag (Sarson Ka Saag).saag is especially hard work to make, as it's made out of the mustard plant, (the top half - seeds - are made into mustard, and the bottom half is what saag is made of) you have to grind it (ghoat) and do a lot of other things to it before its made!
The food is tailor-made for the Punjabi lifestyle in which most of the rural folk burn up a lot of calories while working in the fields. The main masala in a Punjabi dish consists of onion, garlic and ginger.
Hallmarks of Punjabi food
Pulse, bean and / or lentil preparations:
• Dal makhani (ma di dal)
• Dal maharani
• Dal amritsari
• Lobiya (black eyed bean)
• Rajmah( Red kidney bean)
• Punjabi pindi chholey(Whole Bengal gram)
• Punj ratani dal (mixtures of 5 lentils) etc...
These are generally soaked overnight or for at least 8 hours and gently simmered on the embers of a tandoor (A clay oven of the shape of a horizontally sliced pot) along with ginger, garlic and a few other garam masala (whole spices like cardamom, cinnamon, mace, and bay leaf).
These are then combined with a tangy masala base which could include tomato or dried mango (aam choor powder) or even pomegranate seeds (anar dana). The character typical to the bean or whole lentil preparation is that the shape is retained intact, but the gentlest pressure would make it into a paste.
Dollops of cream and butter provide for the rich finishing touch. Garnishing is usually with shredded coriander leaves and juliennes of ginger.
Bread preparations
The Punjabi breads are generally flat breads; only a few varieties are raised breads. The breads may be made of different types of flour and can be made in various ways:
1. Baked in the tandoor like naan, tandoori roti, kulcha, lachha paratha
2. Dry baked on the tava (Indian griddle) like phulka or chappati, jowar ki roti, baajre ki roti and the very famous makke ki roti (these are also smeared with ghee or white butter)
3. Shallow fried like paratha, aloo or mooli paratha
4. Deep fried like puri and bhatoora
5. Missi Roti of Punjab is delicious
The tandoor also allows for tasty chicken and meat preparations including seekh kebab, tandoori chicken, reshmi tikka and malai tikka. Patiala Shahi murgh and murgh makhani are among the famous Punjabi dishes.
This is a northern state of India which carries its culture with pride and pomp, with wonderfully bright turbans worn by the gents and equally bright salwar kameezes worn by ladies. The richness of their clothes is reflected in the richness of their jewellery, hospitality, food and festivities. Punjab ! The name is synonymous with luscious gravies, vegetables rich with creamy and aromatic spices. The sweets are lavishly garnished with chopped and slivered and sliced spices, while gravies are made rich by the use of ghee and cream. Their breads like naans, parathas, etc. are soft, buttery and melt in the mouth. Many people abroad identify Indian cuisine with Punjabi food. For them, eating indian food means eating naans, gravied vegetables, curries and pulaos.




MENU
Lassi Patiala
Aloo Tikki / Tamarind Chutney
Dal Makhni
Sarson ka saag / Makki ki Roti
Matar Paneer
Baingan da bhurta
Lauki da raita
Jeera Pulao
Murgh Makhanwala
Gajerala

Lassi Patiala


Ingredients
Fresh curds chilled 4 litres
Sugar 400 g
Powdered cardamom 20 g
Saffron 1 g
Crushed ice 1 kg
Hot milk 1 litre
Method
• Soak saffron in 1 tsp. and rub till dissolved.
• Mix sugar in curds till well dissolved.
• Just before serving combine all ingredients.
• Whip well with a hand or electric beater.
• The lassi is ready when it is light and frothy.
• Serve well chilled.
Aloo tikki
Ingredients:
• Potatoes boiled and grated 3 kg
• White bread 2 loaves
• Green chillies finely chopped 100 g
• Ginger grated 100 g
• Chopped fresh coriander 1 big bunch
• Garam Masala 50 g
• Chaat masala (optional) 20 g
• Roasted cumin powdered 20 g
• Lemon juice 50 ml
• Oil for shallow frying
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Boil potatoes and cool them before grating them.
• Add the rest of the ingredients except the ghee and mix well.
• Flatten them and shape into cutlets or round burger shaped patties and flatten them a bit.
• Heat little oil on a griddle and add 3 to 4 tikkis at a time and let them cook on slow fire till a crisp golden color crust is formed on both the sides.
• Remove on absorbent paper and serve with tamarind chutney.

Tip: Aloo Tikki can be served in a number of ways and one way is to drizzle some green chutney over the tikkis or just plain tamarind chutney and the other is to pour some beaten curd and tamarind chutney with a sprinkling of coriander leaves.

Tamarind chutney
Ingredients:
• Tamarind 200g
• Jaggery 100 g
• Sugar 50 g
• Chilli powder 25 g
• Black pepper powder 15 g
• Roasted cumin powder 25 g
• Cloves 10 g
• Warm water 1 litre
• Vegetable oil 50 ml
• Salt to taste
Method:
• Remove the seeds from tamarind and soak it in water for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Heat oil in a pan and add cloves. Fry for about 30 seconds.
• After half an hour, take out the pulp from the tamarind and add jaggery, sugar, red chilli powder, black pepper powder, roasted cumin powder, cloves and salt.
• Cook the tamarind mixture for 15 minutes on medium. Remove from the gas and let it cool.
• On cooling, blend the contents in a blender (optional)
• Strain and cook until it becomes thick.
Mint chutney
Ingredients:
• Coriander leaves 1 big bunch
• Mint leaves 1 small bunch
• Green chillies 50 g
• Lemon Juice 50 ml (approx)
• Onion 100 g
• Tomato. 100 g
• Ginger 50 g
• Garlic 50 g
• Sugar 50 g
• Salt as per taste
Method:
• Chop the coriander and mint leaves coarsely.
• Put all ingredients in a small blender.
• Blend till smooth or coarse and serve with aloo tikki. if required.
Dal makhani
Ingredients:
• Black urad dal 1 kg
• Rajmah 200 g
• Red chilli Powder 100 g
• Oil 100 g
• Butter 250 g
• Cumin seeds 50 g
• Chopped onion 250 g
• Chopped ginger 100 g
• Chopped garlic 100 g
• Chopped tomatoes 500 g
• Garam masala 50 g
• Fresh cream (malai) 250 g
• Salt to taste
Method:
• Wash and soak black gram dal and rajmah overnight
• Cook the soaked dal and rajmah with salt
• In a thick bottom pan heat oil and butter. Season cumin seeds. Add chopped onions and sauté until golden brown. When it is done, add chopped ginger, garlic and tomatoes. Sauté till tomatoes are well mashed and oil separates. Add red chilli powder, boiled dal and rajmah and mix well.
• Add garam masala powder to the dal makhani and simmer for 15 minutes. Add fresh cream and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Serve hot with naan or parathas.
Sarson ka Saag
Ingredients
Sarson greens 8 bunches
Spinach 8 bunches
Onion grated ½ kg
Ginger & garlic grated 100 gm
Green chillies 50 g
Lemon juice 100 ml
Salt to taste
Ghee 200 g
Oil 100 ml
Garam masala 50 ml
Maize or wheat flour 100 g
Method
• Chop both greens, wash, drain.
• Heat oil, add both greens, green chillies, stir.
• Add ginger, garlic, stir.
• Add few pinches salt, 1 cup water.
• Pressure cook till done. (2 whistles).
• Mash well.
• Heat ghee in a pan, add onion, saute till brown,
• Add all other ingredients, stir well and cook till oil separates.
• Serve hot with makki ki roti, or paratha.
Makki ki Roti
Ingredients
Maize flour 2 kg
Plain flour 250 g
Oil 250 ml
Salt to taste
Water to knead
Method
• Mix maize flour, oil and salt.
• Knead in a soft pliable dough, adding very little water at a time.
• When the dough is very smooth and soft, bread a lump.
• Shape into a ball, flatten and pat with palm, to make a thin roti.
• Use dry plainflour to help. Or roll with a rolling pin.
• Take care to dust with flour and lift and turn to avoid sticking.
• Place on a heavy iron or earthen griddle and roast till crisp.
• Repeat on both sides. Repeat for all rotis.
• Cover and line with napkins to keep warm.
• Drizzle with ghee or butter if desired.
• Serve hot with sarson ka saag and slice of onion and lime.

Baingan da bhurta
Ingredients
Brinjals large 2 kg
Onions 1 kg
Tomato finely chopped ½ kg
Ginger & garlic grated 100 g
Green chillies 25 g
Cumin seeds 30 g
Red chilli powder 30 g
Dhania powder 30 g
Turmeric powder 10 g
Punjabi garam masala powder 15 g
Salt to taste
Lemon juice 100 ml
Ghee 50 g
Oil 100 g
Method
• Apply oil and grill the brinjals with stems over fire, to burn skin.
• When skin blackens, hold under running water.
• Gently scrub off skin. Mash brinjals and keep it aside
• Heat oil in a heavy kadai. Add cumin seeds, ginger garlic and stirfry for a minute.
• Add onions, chopped green chillies, all dry masalas, except red chilli powder, stir for a minute more. Add tomatoes, brinjals, salt, lemon juice and stir.
• Simmer for five minutes. Take in serving bowl.
• Just before serving, heat ghee in a small pan.
• Hold pan over bowl, add chilli powder, and pour immediately over bhartha.
• Do not allow the chilli powder to burn.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves
Serve hot with tandoori roti, paratha, etc
Paneer matar
Ingredients:
• Paneer 1 kg
• Green peas ½ kg
• Onion ½ kg
• Ginger-garlic paste 150 g
• Yogurt 250 g
• Red chilli powder 100 g
• Coriander powder 150 g
• Cumin powder 15 g
• Tomatoes ½ kg
• Cashew nut paste 200 g
• Garam masala 50 g
• Khoya 200 g
• Cream 250 g
• Green chillies 50 g
• Coriander leaves 1 big bunch
• Saffron (optional) 1 g
• Oil 200 ml
• Salt to taste
Method:
• Make puree out of tomato in a blender.
• Boil the onions in water for few minutes, strain and puree.
• Heat oil in a pan, add ginger-garlic paste stir for few minutes, then add boiled onion paste. Stir for few minutes and add red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and cumin powder. Stir and add tomato puree and salt.
• Cook till oil leaves the masala, add yogurt, cashew paste beaten to a smooth texture and stir.
• Cook for 10-12 minutes till the oil leaves the masala. Add little water, green peas and saffron. Cook till green peas are tender.
• Cut the fresh paneer into cubes and fry in oil till golden. Dip in cold and turmeric water.
• Squeeze the paneer and add to the gravy.
• Lastly add the cream, grated khoya and serve hot garnished with fresh coriander leaves and slit green chillies.
Jeera pulao
Ingredients:
• Saffron 1 g
• Basmati rice 4 kg
• Ghee ½ kg
• Bay leaves 10 g
• Cumin seeds 100 g
• Green peas 1 kg
• Green chillies 50 g
• Cashews 200 g
• Raisins 100 g
Method:
• Soak the saffron in little warm milk for an hour.
• Wash the basmati rice and allow soaking for about a half hour. Drain.
• Heat oil to medium high heat, add cumin seeds, whole garam masala, bayleaves, slit green chillies, ginger garlic paste and mint leaves and sauté' till they turn golden brown and then add the drained rice, saute for about five minutes and then add the twice the amount of hot water and cook till done. (When rice is about 1/2 to 3/4 cooked, mix in the saffron milk, nuts, raisins and peas)
• To serve, remove rice to serving dish and fluff with large fork and spoon. Most of the rice grains should be separate. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves
Note: If not using saffron be sure to add about 1 tbsp lemon juice to the soaking rice to maintain the white colour. Also, use vegetable oil in place of ghee.
Lauki ka raita
Ingredients:
• Bottle gourd 4 kg
• Yoghurt 2 litres
• Cumin seeds (roasted) 30 g
• Black salt 10 g
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves 1 big bunch
Method:
• Peel, grate and soak bottle gourd in hot water for 5 minutes
• Squeeze out every drop of water and pour the beaten yoghurt over it.
• Temper with cumin seeds, add the salt and black salt and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve it chilled
Murgh Makhanwalla

Ingredients
Marinade
Chicken 7 kg
Chilli powder 200 g
Lemon juice 100 g
Yogurt (hung curd) 2 litres
Ginger & garlic paste 250 g
Cumin powder 100 g
Garam masala powder 150 g
Kasoori methi (dried) 100 g
Tandoori color 10 g
Mustard oil 200 ml
Salt to taste


Method
•
Skin, wash and clean the chicken. Make incisions with a sharp knife on breast and leg pieces.
• Apply a little of kashmiri red chilli powder, lemon juice and salt to the chicken and keep it aside for half an hour.
• Remove whey of yogurt by hanging it in a muslin cloth for 6 – 8 hours
• Mix kashmiri red chilli powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, garam masala, crushed dried kasoori methi leaves and cumin powder and mustard oil to the yogurt.
• Apply this marinade onto the chicken pieces and refrigerate for approximately four hours.
• Put the chicken onto the skewers and cook in a moderately hot tandoor or a pre-heated oven (200 degrees Celsius) for ten to twelve minutes or until almost done.
• Baste it with butter and cook for another four minutes.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE GRAVY
• Butter ½ kg
• Onion 1 kg
• Garam masala 50 g
• Ginger&garlic paste 100 g
• Green chillies 50 g
• Tomatoes 2 kg
• Chili powder 100 g
• Cashew nuts 250 g
• Dried fenugreek leaves 50 g
• Heavy cream 250 g
• Salt to taste
METHOD
• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in. boiled onion paste, ginger, garlic paste, green chile slits. Saute until brown, then stir in tomato puree, chili powder, salt, garam masala and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low simmer, add fenugreek leaves and add the cashew nut paste, boil for few minutes
• Add the tandoored chicken into the gravy and continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink inside. Stir in fresh cream and serve hot with naan or tandoori roti
.
Gajeralla
Ingredients:
• Juicy orange carrots 5 kg
• Milk 5 litres
• Sugar 2 kg
• Cardamom powder 15 g
• Saffron 1 g
• Ghee 500 g
• Khoya 1 kg
• Almonds, pista 200 g
• Cashews and raisins 200 g
Method:
• Peel and grate carrots
• Put milk and carrots in a heavy saucepan. Boil till thick, stirring occasionally. Once it starts thickening, stir continuously.
• Add sugar and cook further till thickens.
• Add ghee, cardamom powder and saffron.
• Stir on low heat till the mixture collects in a soft ball or the ghee oozes out and sprinkle grated khoya.
• Serve hot, decorated with chopped almonds or pista