Awadhi cuisine, which is native to the city of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, has found many fans because of its delectable flavours and elaborate recipes. Mention Kebabs, Biryani, Curries, Roomali Roti and you will find many takers not just in India but abroad as well. Recently, Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan organised the The Magic of Awadhi Food Festival which had their executive chef, Sathish Reddy, along with chef Yunus Khan from Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre, recreating some heavenly culinary delights for the guests. Here, they share a few recipes:
Makai Badam aur Akhrot ki Tikki
Ingredients
• Corn kernels... 1 ½ cups
• Almonds (boiled and ground)... 20
• Walnut halves (blanched, peeled and ground).. .16
• Lotus roots (chopped).. .200 gm
• Olive oil/ rice bran oil.. .3 tbsp
• Caraway seeds.. .3 tsp
• Red chilli powder... 1 tsp
• Black pepper powder.. .1 tsp
• Fennel powder... 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder. ..1tsp
• Chaat masala... 1 tsp
• Skimmed milk cottage cheese (grated).. .100 gm
• Low-fat processed cheese (grated).. .1/4 cup
• Lemon juice.. .1 tbsp
• Ginger (chopped).. .1 inch
• Fresh coriander (chopped).. .2 tbsp
• Raisins (chopped).. .50 gm
• Salt to taste
Method
• Clear and scrape the lotus roots. Grate and boil until soft. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Grind to a paste. Set aside.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick kadai, add the caraway seeds and sauté till fragrant. Add the corn, almond and lotus root paste, and sauté till the mixture dries up.
• Add chili powder, pepper powder, fennel powder, garam masala powder and chaat masala and mix well. Add paneer and salt, and mix well. Cook till the mixture thickens and leaves the sides of the kadai.
• Remove from heat and add the processed cheese, lemon juice, ginger and fresh coriander. Set aside to cool.
• Divide the cooled mixture into 20 equal balls. Stuff the balls with walnuts and raisins and shape them into tikkis.
• Shallow fry the tikkis on a non-stick frying pan using the remaining oil, into two batches. Drain on an absorbent paper.
• Serve hot with green chutney.
Awadhi Seekh
Ingredients
• French beans... 100 gm
• Cauliflower.. . 200 gm
• Potato... 1
• Paneer... 50 gm
• Green peas... 50 gm
• Spinach.. . 100 gm
• Roasted chana powder... 20 gm
• Ginger... 1 inch piece
• Green chillies... 2
• Fresh coriander leaves.. . a few sprigs
• Fresh mint leaves... 10-12
• Salt to taste
• Coriander-cumin powder.. . 1 tsp
• Awadhi spices.. . 10 gm
• Dry mango powder (amchur).. . 1/2 tsp
• Walnut.. . 50 gm
• Ghee as required
• Cumin. .. 10 gm
Method
• Take a tawa, put ghee and heat it up. Add cumin seeds, let it crackle. Now put roughly cut cauliflower, beans, peas, mint, coriander and sauté for sometime.
• Put Awadhi spices and dhaniya, cumin and amchur powder, and salt, and stir well.
• Allow it to cool. Add grated paneer and blanched palak purée to the mixture and mix well and make a dry smooth mixture.
• Put the mixture on skewer and coat it with crushed walnut and cook it at 160°C. ST
