White Qorma/Rezala

Chicken Rezala/White Qorma is a traditional East Indian dish especially prepared for special occasions. Chunks of chicken cooked in a creamy white yogurt gravy with incredible flavors. White Qorma is brilliant fragrant, subtle, light, delicate chicken pieces cooked in cashew nut, poppy seeds and yogurt based gravy flavored with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and dry red chilies. This dish originated in Bengal and is influenced from Mughlai cuisine, rich in taste and flavors.

Rezala/White Qorma

Rezala/White Qorma has its influence from the Mughlai cuisine. Generally made with mutton- (fatty pieces, ribs or chops) with bones (often seena pieces used) cooked in a very fragrant mild white sauce of medium thin consistency; contrasted with some whole dry red chilies floating on top. The dish is highly rich, full of flavors, enticing to the taste buds and the secret of a successful Rezala/white qorma is the use of homemade sweet yogurt that nicely compliments the dish giving a nice sweet taste. Though Rezala/white qorma is synonymous with mutton, some also prepare it with chicken. A perfect chicken rezala would have flavor some gravy with juicy tender chicken pieces which would make your taste buds lingering with a burst of tang.

The Awadhi traditional recipe of Rezala has amazing medley of flavours from the fusion of ghee with curd, garam masala and kewara water. There are various ways of making a Rezala having a number of components mixed together that includes chicken cut into pieces, yogurt, onion paste, ginger and garlic paste, green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, pepper corn, green chilli, ghee, raisins, salt and sugar. Chicken Rezala is usually served hot alongside with naan, paratha, tandoori roti or rice.

Chicken Rezala with its exceptional flavor is absolutely divine with not-so-thick off-white gravy having a delicate sweetness in the dish using a little sugar and a faint tanginess from the usage of yogurt. Overall it’s a lip-smacking preparation that tastes incredible after a nice blend of spices with pastes of cashew nuts and poppy seeds. Relish your chicken rezala with biryani, pulaos or roomali roti.
and the story about Rezala/white qorma is ....

A mild aromatic korma, this is basically a Muslim court dish, a blend of Moghlai and Nawabi cuisine. The Moghul Emperor Shahjehan, builder of the Taj Mahal monument, used to have all-white banquets on full-moon nights at the Agra Fort. The terrace of the fort was bedecked with white carpets and cushions and white flowers, the guests dressed in white, and all the dishes served were white in color. The white korma was later perfected at the tables of the gourmet Nawabs of Oudh in Lucknow. The Royal House of Jaipur, connected by marriage to the Moghuls, also served all-white banquets on the night of Sharad Poornima, the September full moon, as late as the 1960s.

So here is my own recipe of Rezala or white qorma 

Ingredients

White Paste:

 1½ teaspoons poppy seeds

1 cup yogurt

4 tbs blanched almonds

4 tbs  cashew nuts

other

1/2 cup  clarified butter

2 onions, chopped

2 teaspoons finely paste garlic

1 kg of mix pi of chicken 

6 red whole chilies, 

4 green cardamoms

2 ts of white pepper 

1/2 ts of black pepper

     salt   according to your taste 

2 clove

 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder 

1/4 teaspoon mace powder

 Directions:

1. Soak the poppy seeds ,almonds and cashew nuts in  cup of water for 1 hour. Then drain the extra water and grind into a fine paste.

2.Heat the ghee or clarified butter in a large pot and add finely chopped onions and frying for few mins or until they lightly colored.

3. Add garlic paste and frying, now add Chicken and frying it as well .

4. Take whole red chilies and cut into 2 pieces with the help of scissor and separate the seeds and grind them finely, it is about 2 ts grind  seeds powder.

5.Now add grind seeds powder ,salt, cloves, white pepper,black pepper and green cardamoms into the pan and cooked for some mins, add some water and cooked until chicken tender.

6. Add white paste ,nut meg and mace powder mix in yogurt and pour into the pan and cook on low flame.

7.Wait for 10 mins or until you can see the butter above on gravy, switch off the flame , dish is ready kewera and saffron is optional if you wants, Serve hot with Naans 

Chicken Nihari

The word Nihar originated from the Arabic word "Nahar" (Arabic: نهار‎‎) which means "day" as it was typically served after sunrise Fajr prayers.

What is the origin of Nihari, Nihari either originated in Old Delhi (Jama Masjid and Daryaganj areas) in the late 18th century during the last throes of the Mughal Empire or in the royal kitchens of Awadh, in modern day Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. The Nawab ate Nihari early in the morning after Fajr prayers and then took a long nap before going to Zhuhr (afternoon Muslim prayers). Later on, it became popular among the labor class as a regular breakfast item.

Another story reveals that Nihari was cooked overnight in large volume to be served to the labourers. Whenever there were massive constructions involved and the kings served meals free to labour and also paid them. In some instances kings did not want to offer coins / currencies, they in turn offered free meals and accommodations to the labourers. Since the work had to be started in the morning, it was cooked in an earthern pot, sometimes even buried and served in the morning to ensure the supply of energetic labour force.

Alternative origins puts roots in the Muslim Nawab kitchens, having achieved fame via the storied royal kitchens of Lucknow.

Nihari developed with the overall cuisine of south Asian Muslims. It has been an old popular delicacy in parts of Bangladesh, particularly Dhaka and Chittagong. People cooked it for one whole night and they got it in the early morning at sunrise. It is a popular dish and is regarded as the national dish of Pakistan. The dish is known for its spiciness and taste. It was originally more of a delicacy with myriad variations on spiciness and texture.

Nihari is a traditional dish of Muslims of Delhi, Bhopal and Lucknow. After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, many Urdu speaking Muslims from northern India migrated to Karachi and other cities in the eastern wing (now in Bangladesh), and established restaurants. In Karachi, Nihari became a roaring success and soon all over Pakistan. Now Nihari is available in Pakistani restaurants around the world. Nihari is considered to be the National Dish of Pakistan .

So here is my Nihari Recipe in chicken, real recipe is in Beef or Mutton 

Ingredients:

Chicken 1 whole in 4 pieces

fresh garlic paste 3 tbs

oil 1 cup

Chili powder 3 tbs

Coriander 5 tbs

Salt according to you taste

Nihari Masala:

All spice powder fresh 1 tbs

Sonf 3 tbs (powder)

Kachri 1 tsp

kachri powder

Dried ginger 3 pi

jaifal 2 pi 

wheat flour/lal aata 1cup

For Baghaar  (Tarka/Tadka)

onion 1 large finely slice/lachay

oil for taar 
red chilli powder 3 ts / according to your taste 

For Garnish

green chilies

corriender leaves
lemon wedges 
garam masala

Cooking Directions:

1>Heat oil in a pan and fry garlic.

2>Add   red chili, salt, coriander powder, whole spice powder and cook on medium heat.

3>Add meat and stir fry, then add water.

4>Now add nihari masala  in pan.

5>Cover with the lid and cook on low heat.

6>When meat is tender.

7>In little water mix whole wheat flour (laal aata).

8>Add it to the gravy and cook for more 5 minutes.

9> Heat oil and add fine chopped onion and fry till golden and add 1tbs of red chili powder frying for      few second and add into nihari

10>Add  whole spice powder.

11>Garnish with green coriander ,ginger, chopped green chili,lemon and tasty nihari is ready.

12>Serve hot with naan.

next day in breakfast .....

Vanilla Cake with Lemon Frosting

Eid Day Activity by my Bhanji's Esha and Zaakiya

Eid Cake decoration

Ingredients for Cake 

1½ c. sifted cake flour.
1½ tsp. baking powder.
¼ tsp. salt.
½ c. unsalted butter.
1 c. sugar.
2 large eggs.
½ tsp. vanilla extract.
½ c. whole milk.

Cooking Directions:

For Cake :

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8-inch cake pan with butter and dust with all-purpose flour. Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
Beat in the butter one heaping 1/4 teaspoonful at a time, using an electric mixer set on low speed, until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Beat in the sugar a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture resembles fine damp sand. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and milk, and beat on medium-high, just until blended. Do not overbeat.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean — 30 to 35 minutes. Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

To make frosting:

In large bowl, beat confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest until smooth. Beat in milk, and increase speed and continue to beat until light and fluffy.

For Decorations:

Sprinkles
bunties
chocolate sandwiches