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Stick to the standards

Ever faced the problem of not getting the same results from your tested recipes? The problem lies in inconsistent standards

Consistency matters Biryani is one dish where if you don’t stick to one method and ingredients, results go awry easily

Let’s take a look at these factors:

Equipment: A lot depends on the equipment you use in the kitchen. If you have got good results by using one particular type of equipment then use the same equipment every time you cook that recipe. Otherwise, the result is bound to change. You will surely notice the difference between dal cooked on a charcoal fire and one cooked on a gas burner.

Ingredients: The biggest cause of inconsistency in your food. You need to standardise your ingredients. Use good branded products only, of the same specifications. If you use red chilly powder of different brands every time then it is very likely you will get a different taste in food every time. So try your best to stick to one brand. Different brands of rice will give you different texture of pulao every time.

The method of cooking: To get consistent results, make sure you use the same method of cooking every time. This means not only the sequence of adding ingredients but also the timing of adding them, their quantity and their quality as well. Cooking time and the temperature applied to a dish are also very much a part of the recipe.

So standardise these three factors and your will find your guests gorging on your food for being consistently good. Now time for a recipe to to try out at home this weekend.

Ingredients

1 kg mutton or lamb

2 cups basmati rice
1 tbsp whole garam masala
2 cups yogurt
2 cups sliced onions
5 tbsp ghee or oil
2 green chillies
2 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp garlic paste
2 cups chopped tomatoes
Salt to taste
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp garam masala powder
A generous pinch of saffron
1/2 cup warm milk
1 two-inch piece ginger
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
50 gms butter
For Garnishing

Fried sliced onions

Method

Clean the meat and cut it into one-and-a-half inch pieces. Pick, clean and wash the rice. Soak the rice in water. Soak saffron in warm milk and keep aside.

Marinade the meat pieces with yogurt, salt, turmeric powder and one tablespoon each of ginger and garlic pastes and keep aside for four hours in the refrigerator. Cook rice in salted boiling water along with whole garam masala till the rice is almost cooked. Heat ghee or oil in a thick-bottomed pan. Add the sliced onion and the chopped green chillies. Cook till the onion is light golden brown. Add the remaining ginger and garlic pastes and mix well. Add the marinated meat and cook on high flame for seven to eight minutes. Now, add coriander powder, cumin powder and red chilli powder. Mix thoroughly. Stir in three cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook covered till the meat pieces are almost cooked.

Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, one teaspoon garam masala powder and the chopped fresh coriander leaves. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Ensure that the cooked meat does not have too runny a gravy. If that is the case, cook on high flame to reduce the water content.

Arrange half the quantity of the cooked meat in an oven proof dish and spread half the quantity of cooked rice on top of the meat. Sprinkle a little garam masala powder, half amount each of ginger juliennes, saffron dissolved in warm milk and mint leaves. Dot the rice with half the quantity of butter. Place a layer of the remaining meat on top of the rice, followed by cooked rice and repeat the earlier process with the remaining quantities of the ginger juliennes, saffron milk, garam masala powder, mint leaves and butter. Cover it with aluminium foil and cook in a pre-heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve garnished with fried sliced onions and mixed vegetable raita.

(The author is Executive Chef, Crowne Plaza.

He can be emailed at chefrk@crowneplazadelhi.com)

RAKESH KUMAR

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