India: Fact Sheet
Taste Takes Off Northern India - Recipes and further Information.
We've come to the vibrant, dramatic North of India. To Rajasthan, land of desert kingdoms, fairytale palaces and India at its exotic and colourful best. We discover how the stark arid landscapes of the desert state have led to extraordinary forms of survival: enormous rock-hewn fortress towns, vibrantly coloured fabric worn to protect the local people form the sun and a hot and spicy cuisine derived from meagre resources. But first we stop at the gateway to Rajasthan the Muslim heart of India, Old Delhi. The Muslims arrived in the 16th century and made a lasting impact on the culture of India particularly its cuisine. They used liberal amounts of cream and ghee in their dishes; they added yoghurt raisins and spices and introduced elaborate rice dishes like biryanis and pulaos. Above all they increased the number of meat dishes in what a largely vegetarian Indian kitchen. India's Muslim food is the style of Indian food that has travelled the world and is often mistaken for the definitive Indian cuisine.
Spice of Life
Located in a lane off Chandni Chowk is Delhi's bustling wholesale
spice market. Gadodia Market is a very atmospheric part of
Old Delhi where things haven't changed much in the last hundred
years. Each day huge sacks of goods are brought here on long
narrow barrows heaved by wiry labourers. It's hectic in the
morning when literally hundreds of barrow boys jostle for
position. Other goods for sale include giant jars of
chutneys, pickles, nuts lentils, tea and soap.
Contact: Gadodia Spice Market
Khari Baoli
Old Delhi
Delhi Delicacies
For an authentic taste of Muslim cuisine a visit to Karim's in Old
Delhi is not to be missed. They've been serving patrons
exceptionally good Muslim food for almost a century now. The
current owners are 4th generation of the original founder Haji
Karimudden who opened Karims back in 1913. However the family
cooking tradition goes back much further. The family
ancestors worked in the kitchens of the last Mughal Emperor who was
dethroned in 1857 and the art of cooking royal food was handed
down. The name Karim's is one of the 99 names of Allah which
is apparently why the restaurant is still going strong 100 years
on.
Contact: Karims Restaurant
Jama Masjid
Old Delhi
Tel: 91 11 2326 4981
http://www.karimhoteldelhi.com/press.html
Oasis in the Desert
The fort of Deogarh (pron: dev-gar) was built in 1670 as a family
residence for one of the Maharaja of Udaipur's 16 fuedal
barons. Straight away the ruling family interacted with the
local village, hosting many festivities and feasts which were
performed within the fort precincts. In recent times the fort
was restored and transformed into a boutique hotel by the current
branch of the original ruling family. However, many of the
old traditions are still practiced and the fort sponsors the local
village and in return the villagers provide produce for the
hotel. Guests can tour the village and take part in the
preparation of traditional Rajasthani foods, such as paneer, ghee,
rotis and the most cherished regional specialty Daal served with
Bati and Churma.
Daal, Bati and Churma
In Rajasthan daal is traditionally urad lentils boiled in
water then cooked with garam masala, red chillies, cumin seeds,
salt, oil and fresh coriander. Bati are baked balls of
wholemeal flour with cinnamon and nutmeg. The balls are then
broken up, soaked in ghee and roasted in a fire or fried in ghee
until golden brown. Churma is made from gram flour and sugar
which is deep fried in ghee.
Contact: Deogarh Mahal
District Rajsamand 313331
Rajasthan
India
Tel: +91 2904 252777
Email:
info@deogarhmahal.com
www.deogarhmahal.com
PETA COOKS PAKORAS WITH FRESH MINT CHUTNEY
For the Pakoras
Chick pea flour
Red chilli,
Salt
Carom seeds,
Aniseed
Baking soda,
Fenugreek leaves
Coriander,
Cumin seeds (roasted and ground)
Amchur (dry mango powder)
Fillings
Sliced, eggplant, onion, potato, banana.
Mix all ingredients together and stir in a little water until you achieve a nice thick consistency and leave to rest. Dip each filling into the batter and deep fry until golden brown.
For the Mint Chutney
Fresh mint
Cumin
Salt
Chilli
Water
Dry mango powder
Place in all ingredients in a food processor and blend.
Udaipur
Our final stop is Udaipur which is considered the most picturesque
of all the cities in Rajasthan if not India. Its construction
around two man made lakes; the larger being Lake Pichola, means
Udaipur is often referred to Venice of the East. The city is
jumble of tangled streets full of superbly crafted fairytale
palaces, temples and havelies (traditional ornately decorated
residences).
The Vasudev Dudh Bhandar Milk Shop
Owner: Ravi Khaturia
On a corner in a busy street in Udaipur is a milk shop run by Ravi
Khaturia. Ravi's shop has been operating for over 50
years. Each day begins at around 7.00am with a delivery of
around 200 litres of milk from the local villages. Ravi has
about 10 workers who busy themselves for the rest of the day making
Paneer (Indian cottage cheese), milk based sweets and lassis those
delicious Indian yoghurt drinks. This milk shop is located
'in the shadow Surajpoles main temple in Udaipur.
Udaipur's City Palace
Towering above Lake Pichola is the imposing City Palace
complex. The City Palace is actually a collection of
buildings and palaces built by various Maharajas but it still
manages to retain a look of uniformity. Our destination
within the Palace complex is the magnificent Shiv Niwas
Palace. The Shiv Niwas is home to the 76th Maharaja of
Udaipur whose family came to power in 1326. The Maharaja
lives in one wing of the Palace and the remainder he converted into
one of India's most luxurious palace hotels.
In the royal kitchens of Rajasthan, preparation of food was raised to the level of an art form. Hundreds of cooks worked in the stately palaces and kept their recipes a closely guarded secret. It became a matter of great prestige to serve unusual dishes to guests and the royal cooks were urged to experiment. At the Shiv Niwas the chefs strive to maintain the old culinary traditions and meal here is considered one of Rajasthan's ultimate dining experiences.
SHAHI GOVIND GHATTA
200gms gram flour
200mls whipped yoghurt
2tbsp clarified butter
1/4 tsp crushed coriander seeds
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp crushed root ginger
1 clove garlic crushed
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
Pinch of turmeric
2 tbsp chopped cashew nuts
1 tbsp raisins
Pinch of cumin seeds
2 tbsp green coriander chopped for garnish.
Oil for frying
Salt to taste
Mix sifted gram flour with a little salt, crushed coriander seeds, fennel seeds, half of the powdered spices and then add water to make stiff dough. Divide the dough into twelve equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball shape, then flatten slightly and put some raisins and cashew nuts in the centre. Poach these gram patties in boiling water until light. Remove from the water, once cooled deep fry them until they're golden brown.
Heat the clarified butter in a pan, crackle cumin seeds, add the ginger and garlic until slightly brown. Meanwhile mix remaining ingredients except the coriander into the yoghurt and whip well. Add the yoghurt mixture to the prepared tempering of clarified butter and cook until the fat surfaces slightly on top of the curry. Add the deep fried patties (ghatta) to the curry and cook until thoroughly heated through. Garnish with coriander.
SAFED MAAS
200gms mutton or lamb
2 tbsp yoghurt
2 tbsp of cashew and almond paste
2tbsp clarified butter
1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
4 tbsp boiled onion paste
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
500mls milk
1 tbsp cream
2 tbsp green coriander
1 onion julienned
Chilli seed powder (optional)
In a pot mix 500mls of water with 400 mls of milk, bring to the boil then simmer for about 1 ý hours. Drain the liquid and keep the meat warm. Heat the clarified butter in a pan and crackle cinnamon, cumin seeds bay leaf and cardamom. Add onion paste, ginger, garlic and salt. Sauté for a few minutes before returning the meat to the pan. Add remaining milk, cashew-almond paste, yoghurt and cream (and chillie powder if required) then cook until meat is completely cooked through. Garnish with coriander.
Additional Information
Travel specialists Adventure World assisted the 'Taste' team with
their India arrangements. Adventure World is a niche travel
company with an in depth knowledge of less traditional tourist
destinations. For more information about their products and
tours contact Adventure World at:
Contact: Adventure World
PO Box 74008 Market Road
Auckland
Tel: +64 9 524 5118 or 0800 ADVENTURE (0800 238
3622)
Email:
discover@adventureworld.co.nz
Website: adventureworld.co.nz
