Classic cooking of Avadh

Lucknow is known for its rich culture & tradition and famously for its rich cuisine. Its is said the people who once taste Awadhi/ luckhnavi food remember it for years to come and if you are one of those fortunate ones who managed to savor the cuisine of want to be one (fortunate ones ), you may consider trying at home. If you are thinking how, refer to the Book:

CLASSIC COOKING OF AVADH
by Jiggs Kalra

About the Book
The Indian kitchen flourished like never before and nowhere did it prosper more than in Avadh. Other cities have epicures and gourmets, but about the city of Lucknow it can be said without exaggeration that it is a city of gourmets.

The Lucknavi dastarkhwaan is a variable kaleidoscope of dishes and ingredients assembled from the kitchens of the city's communities and professions. Be they Muslim or Hindu, Shia or Sunni, Kayastha, Khatri, Brahmin, European or Anglo-Indian, pen pusher, shopkeeper, perfumer, hakeem or zamindar. Here two great cusines, one innovative and the other traditional have become classic art forms. This book showcases a great tradition.

Which is your favorite Awadhi/ Luckhnavi food?

I love their Lazeez Lauki and their Gobi Mussallam.

Lucknawi cuisine is one of my favorites. I always make it a point to visit any Awadhi Food festival in the city.

Can anyone share the recipe for Nargisi Kofta. Yummm..

Happy Posting!

Sonia

Hi,
Thanks for requesting my favorite recipe. This is how I prepare Nargisi Kofta. Let me know if anyone has tried making it at home.

Nargisi Kofta

Ingredients:
4 Eggs (boiled)
300 gms Chicken (minced)
100 gms Besan
6 Green chillies
tsp Ginger garlic paste
1 tsp Coriander (chopped)
1 Onion (chopped)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
200 gms Cream
100 ml Milk
75 gms Cashew nuts
2 tsp Pepper powder
3 tsp Onion paste
2 Cinnamons
4 Cloves
4 Cardamoms
Oil for frying
4 tbsp Ghee
Salt to taste

How to make Nargisi Kofta:
• Add green chillies, grated ginger, chopped coriander, onion, cumin seeds and salt to the Besan.
• Add minced chicken and mix it well.
• Prepare dough for this mixture by adding water.
• Make balls from this mixture.
• Flatten the balls and put egg in the centre.
• Heat the oil and fry these balls.
• Kofta is ready.

• Heat the ghee in a pan.
• Add cinnamons, cardamoms, ginger garlic paste, onion paste and tomato puree.
• Stir it well and fry for 5 minutes.
• Now add pepper powder and turmeric powder.
• Fry till oil is separated.
• Mix cream, milk and water.
• Heat the mixture over low heat for 20 minutes.
• Gravy for kofta is ready.
• Add koftas in gravy.
• Cook for 20 minutes.
• Nargisi Kofta is ready

Cut the Kofta into half and serve.

Fantastic Recipe!!!
Do you know why Awadhi recipes are world-class and very truly the taste of India?

Here's a Fact file on Awadhi Cooking:
One of the distinctive features of Awadhi food is the Dum Pukht process of Cooking. The process involves sealing ingredients in large pot called handi which is placed over slow fire, allowing the ingredients to cook in their own juices.

Thanks for sharing the wonderful recipe of Nargisi Kofta. Its also my all time favorite amongst Luckhnavi cuisine. My other favorite being Yakhni Pulav. Would love to try it at home if you can share the recipe.

Can you suggest any dessert from the Awadhi cuisine.

Yummy...Nargisi Kofta was delicious dear..Thanks I had something wonderful to cook for the special Saturday dinner. I can't just tell you ..it was divine.
More recipes..more..more..more................



Thanks Again.
Queenie

Originally Posted by poonamsinha

Thanks for sharing the wonderful recipe of Nargisi Kofta. Its also my all time favorite amongst Luckhnavi cuisine. My other favorite being Yakhni Pulav. Would love to try it at home if you can share the recipe.

Can you suggest any dessert from the Awadhi cuisine.

Hi Poonam,
This is for you
Truly a royal dessert, as its name suggests, Shahi Tukra is a rich bread pudding with dry fruits, flavored with cardamom. It's simple to make and a great dessert for times when you're in a hurry.
Ingredients:

• 1 litre full-cream milk
• 1 can (400gm) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 6-8 slices of raisin toast/bread
• 1/2 cup raisins/sultanas
• Ghee to deep fry the bread
• Blanched almond slivers to garnish

Preparation:

• Mix the milk and condensed milk in a thick-bottomed pan and boil till it reduces to half its original volume. Stir frequently to prevent from burning the milk. When it is done add the cardamom, mix well and remove from the fire.
• Cut the crusts off from the slices of bread/raisin toast and quarter the slices.
• Heat the ghee on a medium flame. Deep fry the pieces of bread in it till they are crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels.
• In the same ghee, sauté the raisins till they puff up. Remove from the ghee and drain well on paper towels.
• Put a layer of bread pieces at the bottom of a flat serving dish and top with the thickened milk mixture. Keep adding layers of bread and the milk mixture alternating as you go, till all the bread and milk mixture is used up.
• Garnish the dish with the raisins and almond slivers, chill for an hour and serve.

Hope you like it :)
Toolika

Hello Everybody, Here's sharing with you a very authentic Awadhi sweet dish. Let me know if you had success in making it. All the best!

Gulkand Peda

Ingredients
1/2 kg Soft khoya
• 2 Cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
• 1 tsp Semi crushed cardamom seeds
• 1 tsp Slivered pista
• 2 tbsp Gulkand (a mixture with rose extract)
• 6-8 Almonds, slivered

How to make Gulkand Peda:
• Place a heavy pan on low flame and put gulkand into it.
• Stir gently and make soft lump.
• Take off from the flame and leave it aside to cool.
• Grate khoya.
• Add powdered sugar and mix it well.
• Put the mixture in a large & non-sticky pan and heat it on high flame for few minutes.
• Now heat it on low flame, stirring continuously.
• Remove from the fire when it turns thick.
• Add cardamom powder and mix well.
• Allow to cool the mixture and keep turning occasionally.
• Take a small portion of this mixture on your palm and flatten it.
• Place a very small amount of gulkand mixture in the center.
• Now roll gently so that gulkand gets covered by the mixture and press the roll slightly like a biscuit.
• Repeat the procedure to make more rolls.
• Decorate the rolls with slivered pista, almonds and cardamom seeds.

Thank you toolika for posting the recipe of Shahi Tukda. Coincidently I had already tried that as it was posted in the Delhi & NCR forum - The Taste of Delhi. Anyways its just FANTASTIC. Looking forward to some lip smacking Awadhi dishes from you.