Step by Step Preparation of Balti or Kadahi Chicken Drumsticks

After the spicy South Indian-styled Red Snapper fish curry, I thought of preparing a Chicken curry since my hubby isn't much of a fish-lover unlike me. So last evening keeping that in my mind I took out few Chicken drumsticks which were there in the refrigerator's freezer and cooked a Peshawari Balti or Kadahi Chicken Drumsticks slightly different from the Peshawari Balti/Kadahi Gosht/Mutton preparation.

Since the mercury level is already soaring high these days, I opted for the original Balti or Kadahi cooking this time wherein the drumsticks are fried and cooked along with the spices and vegetables without marination. Also, I have added in the bell peppers to make it a colorful dish.

Following is the step by step preparation of the Balti or Kadahi Chicken Drumsticks.

Ingredients

6 pieces or 540 g Chicken Drumsticks
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Bay/Tejpatta leaves
1 tsp whole Shahjeera or Cumin/Jeera
4 Green Cardamom/Chhoti Elaichi
2 Black Cardamom/Badi Elaichi
1 inch Cinnamon stick/Dalchini
5-6 Black Peppercorns
1 Mace/Jaipatri
4-5 whole Clove/Laung
3 medium size Onions finely chopped
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tsp Kashmiri Chilly Powder
2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1 heaped Tbsp Coriander/Dhania Powder
1 tsp Cumin/Jeera Powder
2 tsp Garlic Paste
2 tsp Ginger Paste
3 Tbsp hung and beaten Curd/Dahi
Salt to taste
2 medium size Tomatoes cut into cubes
1/2 Yellow Bell Pepper cut into cubes
1 small Capsicum/Green Bell Pepper cut into cubes
6-7 slit Green Chillies for the gravy
1 tsp Sugar
Fresh Coriander leaves, finely chopped for garnishing
3 slit Green Chillies for garnishing

Method

1. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed kadahi or wok and add in the whole spices (bay leaves, shahjeera or jeera, green cardamoms, black cardamoms, black peppercorns, mace, cloves and cinnamon sticks). Let them splutter for a minute.

2. Add the sliced onions and saute on a medium flame till the onions turn translucent.

3. Add garlic paste, ginger paste, turmeric powder, Kashmiri chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, salt and saute for few minutes.

4. Add in the chicken drumsticks one by one and stir fry on a low flame for about 5 mins.

5. Add in the beaten curd and mix slowly. Cover and cook on a low flame till the chicken is tender.

6. Now time to add in the tomatoes, bell peppers, slit green chillies and sugar. Mix slowly and cook on low flame uncovered for 5 mins or till the vegetables are cooked. (Avoid over-cooking to retain the color of the vegetables)

7. Time for some garnishing before serving. So remove the cooked Balti or Kadahi Chicken drumsticks one by one in a serving bowl and garnish with the chopped coriander leaves and green chillies, Serve hot with roti, naan or steamed rice.

Step by Step Recipe for Peshawari Balti or Kadahi Gosht/Mutton

Posting my recipes after a long gap. So thought of starting with this not so recent Mutton preparation. Whenever I try a recipe I always love to research a bit about the origin of the recipe. So henceforth my recipes will come with a little bit of information regarding the place of origin and the story behind its origin. Hope that will help those of you who are curious to learn a bit about the recipe story like me. 

As the name goes the origin of this recipe goes to a place called Landi Kotal, a rustic and traditional city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. The recipe traveled to Punjab and the rest of the world slowly. The cooking is done in a heavy-bottomed Wok-like pot or locally called Balti as such the name goes by Balti Gosht. 

The meat is cooked with all the spices and vegetables without any marination, instead I tried cooking it by marinating with some of the condiments and then cooking with the rest of them and vegetables. A slightly sweet gravy preparation on the spicier side, it goes excellent when served with naan, roti or even steamed rice.

Without further delay, let us check out the step by step recipe for Peshawari Balti or Kadahi Gosht.

Ingredients for the Marinade

500 g Mutton

2 tsp Ginger paste

2 tsp Garlic paste

1/2 tsp Red Chilly Powder

3 Tbsp hung and beaten Curd/Yogurt/Dahi

1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi Powder

1 tsp Cumin/Jeera Powder

1 Tbsp Mustard Oil

Method

Apply the ingredients and marinade the mutton pieces for about 5 to 6 hours.

Ingredients for the Gravy

3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

2 Bay leaves/Tejpatta

1 tsp whole Shahjeera/Cumin/Jeera

4 Green Cardamom/Chhoti Elaichi

2 Black Cardamom/Badi Elaichi

1 inc Cinnamon stick/Dalchini

5 Black Peppercorns/Kali Mirch

1 Mace/Jaipatri/Javitri

4-5 whole Cloves/Lavang/Laung

2 medium-sized finely sliced Onions

2 tsp Kashmiri Chilly Powder

1 tsp Red Chilly Powder

2 tsp Garam Masala Powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

1 Tbsp Coriander/Dhania Powder heaped

Salt to Taste

4 medium-sized Tomato blanched and pureed (I did not blanch the tomatoes as I wanted a tangy gravy)

2 tsp Sugar

1/3 cup chopped Fresh Coriander leaves for garnishing

3-4 slit Green Chillies for garnishing

1 Tbsp of Fresh Cream for garnishing(optional)

Method

1. In a heavy-bottomed wok or kadahi heat the oil and let splutter the whole spices (Bay leaves, Cumin seeds, Green Cardamom, Black Cardamom, Cinnamon, Black Peppercorns, Clove) for 1 minute.

2. Now add in the sliced onions and fry them on a medium flame till golden brown. Keep sauteing to avoid over-frying the onions.

3. Now add in the powder spices (Kashmiri Chilly Powder, Red Chilly Powder, Garam Masala Powder, Turmeric Powder, Coriander Powder).

4. After adding in the spices add in the marinated mutton pieces one by one, saute and cook on a low flame till the meat gets tender. 

5. Add in the tomato puree, sugar and cook until the oil starts to separate. You can add water in small portions to avoid burning the gravy. Stir regularly.

6. Once cooked and the oil floats on the top of the gravy, remove it from the stove. Garnish with fresh cream, chopped coriander leaves and green chillies. Serve hot with roti, naan or steamed rice.

Tip: If you want you can substitute Red Chilly Powder with fresh Green Chillies.

Instead of Tomato Puree you can cut the tomatoes into large cubes and add in the preparation.

Mughlai Dish-Mutton Biryani Recipe

Preparation/Cooking Time:2 hours 30 mins

Serving: 4

Ingredients for the Gravy:

1 kg pre-boiled Mutton with bones (pressure cooked and boiled till tender and soft, 7 whistles)
4-5 Medium-sized Potatoes, peeled, washed and cut into large cubes
400 gms Curd or Dahi
6 Large Onions, peeled, washed and cut into thin slices
3 Medium-sized Onions sliced and caramelized
6-7 Garlic Flakes, peeled,washed and grounded to a paste using a pestle and mortar or else a grinder.
1 tsp Shahjeera or Jeera (Cumin seeds) whole
3 pieces of Mace (Javitri or Jaipatri)
4-5 Cloves or Lavang (whole)
1/2 tsp of whole Peppercorn (Black Pepper or Kali Mirch)
2"Dalchini (Cinnamon) piece
2-3 Bay Leaves (Tejpatta)
4-5 Green Cardamom (Chhoti Elaichi)
4 Black Cardamom or Badi Elaichi (whole)
1 1/2 tsp Turmeric or Haldi Powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilly Powder (you can add more if you are spicy food lover)
1 tbsp Garam Masala Powder
2 cups of Vegetable oil (1 1/2 cup for the gravy)
Few strands of Kesar or Saffron
1/2 cup warm milk
Salt to Taste
A handful of chopped mint or pudina leaves for garnishing

Ingredients for the Rice:

1/2 kg Basmati or Aroma Rice, cleaned, washed, soaked in water and kept aside 1/2 an hour ago
(Note: The quantity of Rice should always be half the quantity of the Mutton)
7-8 cups of Water
4 Star Anise or Chakra phool(whole)
3-4 Green Cardamom(whole)
2" piece of Cinnamon or Dalchini

Method to Prepare the Rice:

In a pan bring 7 to 8 cups of water to a boil. When the water starts boiling put the spices into it.Add in the rice and cook approx. for 5 mins. Run it through a sieve and spread it on a plate and keep aside.

Method to Prepare the Caramelized Onions:

In a hot fry pan put 1/2 cup of vegetable oil and the medium-sized onion slices. Fry till the onions are caramelized (bit darker than golden brown only). Remove it in a bowl and keep it aside.

Preparation for the Gravy:

1. Heat the remaining 1 1/2 cups of the oil in a non-stick deep frying pan or kadhai.
2. Put the jeera, whole spices (bay leaves, peppercorn, cloves, mace, cinnamon, green and black cardamom) and stir fry them using a flat wooden spatula for 2 mins on a medium flame.
3. Put the onions slices (6 large onions slices) immediately into the frying pan and stir fry them till golden brown. Keep stirring frequently to avoid burning the onions.
4. Add the garlic paste and salt and stir fry for 3 mins.
5. Now add turmeric, powder, red chilly powder and garam masala powder and stir fry the onions for 3-4 mins.
6. Add the curd and fry the spices for another 10 mins.
7. Now add the mutton pieces one by one into the gravy and stir well.
8. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for another 10 mins on low flame.
9. Add the fried caramelized onions into the gravy and stir it and let it cook for another 5 mins. 
10. Separately add the saffron strands into the warm milk and keep aside.
11. Now add the rice and spread it evenly all over the gravy with the wooden spatula. Or,you can arrange the rice and mutton layer-wise. In a separate deep-bottomed pot or pan place and spread half of the rice evenly, then top it with the gravy and spread the remaining half over the gravy.
12. Pour the milk all over the rice.
13. Cook on a low flame for another 10 mins approx.(this time put a flat girdle or tawa beneath the pan to avoid burning the rice or gravy).
14. Garnish with the chopped mint leaves.

Note: I don't make use of ghee as it will be heavier for the stomach. Also you can garnish your Mutton Biryani with fried cashew-nuts and raisins (kismis) along with the mint leaves before serving. You can prepare Chicken and Vegetable Biryani in the same process.

Mutton Biryani ready to be served hot with green salads or raita.

Enjoy the meal and get back with your experience of this wonderful easy recipe.
Till then Bon Appetit!