oct 14th '07 written update

Refined flour (maida) 4 cups

Salt to taste

Sugar 2 teaspoons

Soda bicarbonate teaspoon

Baking powder 1 teaspoon

Butter 2 tablespoons + to shallow fry

Yogurt 2 tablespoons

Egg 1

Milk 1 cup

Oil 2 tablespoons

Onion seeds (kalonji) 2 tablespoons

Dried dates (chuare), finely chopped 200 grams

Cottage cheese (paneer), grated 200 grams

Green chillies, chopped 2-3

Chaat masala 1 teaspoon

Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 1 tablespoon

1. Take refined flour in the container of the dough maker. Add salt, sugar, soda bicarbonate, baking powder and butter and start the machine. Add yogurt, egg, milk and continue to process the dough.

2. Mix dates and cottage cheese in a bowl. Add green chillies, chaat masala and coriander leaves and mix well.

3. Add oil to the dough and process till the dough is ready.

4. Take a portion of the dough, spread it on work top with finger tips. Place some stuffing in the centre and shape into a ball.

5. Take onion seeds in a plate and press the stuffed dough balls on it on one side only. Using your fingers pat each ball into a thin chapati.

6. Heat a tawa, place the chapati over it and roast. Apply a little butter and roast on both sides till lightly browned.

7. You can also cook it in a preheated oven at 250C. Place the chapatis on a greased tray and cook in the oven till lightly browned.

Mutton nalli 500 grams

Ghee 2 tablespoons

Nihari masala 2 tablespoons

Deep fried onions 1 cup

Salt to taste

Whole-wheat flour (atta) 2 tablespoons

Ginger, cut into thin strips 1 inch piece

1. Heat ghee in a deep pan, add mutton pieces and saut on high heat till well browned.

2. Add nihari masala and continue to saut for two minutes. Add half the fried onions and mix. Add two cups of water and salt and bring it to a boil. Cover and cook till the mutton is completely cooked.

3. Mix whole wheat flour in half a cup of water well so that there are no lumps.

4. Add the remaining fried onions to the mutton mixture. Add the wheat flour mixture and mix well. Cook till the gravy thickens.

5. Add ginger strips and cook till the mutton begins to leave the bones.

6. Serve hot.

Note : To make Nihari Masala, dry roast four tablespoons cumin seeds, four tablespoons fennel seeds, twelve to fifteen dry red chillies, two tablespoons cloves, five green cardamoms, three black cardamoms, twenty five to thirty black peppercorns, four to five tablespoons poppy seeds, two bay leaves, one blade mace, two tablespoons dry ginger powder, half tablespoon nutmeg powder and four to five one-inch cinnamon sticks till fragrant. Add four to five tablespoons roasted chana dal powder. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Grind to a fine powder. Sieve the mixture and store in the refrigerator in an airtight jar.

Basmati rice 1 cups

Saffron a generous pinch

Ghee 5 tablespoons

Cashewnuts, halved 20

Raisins (kishmish) 2 tablespoons

Sugar cup

Mawa/khoya, grated 3 tablespoons

Rose water tablespoon

Milk cup

1. Soak rice in four cups of water for one hour. Drain.

2. Heat two and a half cups of water in a deep pan. Add saffron and bring it to a boil. Add rice and let it come to a boil again. Reduce heat and let the rice cook till it is three fourths done. Divide it into three portions.

3. Heat two tablespoons ghee in a pan and saut cashewnuts and raisins till golden. Set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 175C.

5. Take a glass bowl. Spread a portion of rice. Sprinkle one-third of the sugar, one tablespoon ghee, one-third the grated mawa, one-third the fried nuts and a few drops of rose water. Repeat the layers twice.

6. Mix a few drops of rose water in one-fourth cup of milk and sprinkle on the top. Cover the bowl with double layers of aluminium foil.

7. Place the bowl in the preheated oven and cook for fifteen to twenty minutes. Take it out of the oven and let it stand for some time before removing the foil and serving.

Note : You can also cook it under dum. For this arrange the layers in a thick bottomed pan, cover the pan tightly and keep the pan on hot tawa to cook under dum for fifteen to twenty minutes on medium heat.