By Shyam Rani Kilam and S. S.

Kaul Kilam

Meat Dishes
Neni Qaliya (gosht ka qaliya)
Ingredients
Meat ~ 1 kg. Suet and Fatty portions of Intestines (cut into pieces) ~ 100 gm. Milk ~ 1 cup Curd ~ 1 cup Green or Dry Ginger (2 pieces) (adrak)~ 10 gm. Aniseed (whole) (saunf) ~ 1 tbsp. Brown Cardamoms (badi elaichi) ~ 2 Chili Powder (kuti lal mirch) ~ 4 tbsp. Turmeric (haldi) ~ 2 tbsp. Aniseed Powder (saunf powder) ~ 2 tsps. Dry Ginger Powder (soonth powder) ~ 1 tsp. Garam Masala ~ 1 tsp. Green Cardamoms (hari elaichi) ~ 10 Cloves (lavang) ~ 3 Caraway Seeds (shia jeera) ~ tsp. Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 2 pinches Mustard Oil ~ cup Cumin Seeds (jeera) ~ 1 tsp. Salt to taste ~ 2 tsps.

Directions
In a tinned brass or copper patila of about three to four litres capacity, pour a litre of water and put in it the Meat, along with the Suet and Fatty Intestine pieces. Add adrak pieces, after crushing these a little by pounding. Also add 2 tea spoons each of haldi and akha saunf, along with kuti lal mirch, crushed badi elaichi, Salt and a pinch of hing. Stir well and put the patila, after covering it with a lid, on medium heat to boil slowly for half an hour. Remove the vessel from the fire, and by straining through a colander or a strainer or a coarse cloth, collect the entire stalk in a bowl. Sort out all the semi-cooked Meat pieces from the strained mass and discard all the boiled adrak pieces, saunf, badi elaichi, bone pieces etc. Wash the vessel and pour in it the stalk. Add the Milk and Curd, after thoroughly churning these together along with saunf powder, remaining haldi and soonth powder. Bring it to boil again, while the contents of the patila are constantly being stirred by a wooden ladle, so that the curd and milk do not crack, and separate from the stalk.

When homogeneously blended gravy is formed, add the sorted and half cooked Meat and Suet pieces. Occasionally stir the contents gently. Let it simmer on low heat. Meanwhile in a kadhai, heat the Mustard Oil, till the foam disappears, and after removing the pan from the fire, let the oil cool a bit. Add a pinch of hing, lavang and jeera. Stir till the lavang, jeera and the hing gets fried but not charred. This imparts an aroma to the oil. Add this oil along with fried spices to the Meat, while it is simmering. Stir with a ladle and let cook on low heat, till the Meat is tender. Now add garam masala and shia jeera, and a bit crushed hari elaichi. Stir and remove the patila from the fire for serving the Dish. Sometimes Saffron (keasr), some blanched Almond Kernels (badam) and a tablespoon of ghee, are also added, while the Meat is simmering. Then this Dish is called Dara Shahi Qaliya. The quantity of hari elaichi added, is also increased in that case.

Neni Rogan Josh (gosht ka rogan josh)

Ingredients
Meat ~ 1 kg. Mustard Oil ~ 1 cup Curd ~ 1 cup Cloves (lavang) ~ 5 Salt to taste ~ 2 tsps. Sugar ~ 1 tsp. Chili Powder (kuti lal mirch) ~ 3 tbsp. Turmeric (haldi) ~ tsp. Dry Ginger Powder (soonth powder) ~ 2 tsps. Aniseed Powder (saunf powder) ~ 2 tsps. Cumin Seeds (jeera) ~ 1 tsp. Garam Masala ~ 1 tsp. Ghee ~ 1 tsp. Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 1 pinch

Directions
Take a heavy round bottomed patila of tinned brass or copper, of about 3 litres capacity. Pour the Mustard Oil in it and heat it on moderate flame. Meanwhile anoint the Meat pieces with the Curd nicely, so that all pieces get evenly covered by it. When the foam disappears from the oil, add the Meat pieces covered with Curd, and also any surplus Curd. Go on turning the Meat by means of a wooden/copper ladle, after adding the lavang, jeera, Salt and a pinch of hing. When the liquid coming out of both the Meat and the Curd dries up, and the Meat begins to get fried in the oil, continue turning it till Meat pieces turn golden-brown. Now add cup of water, the kuti lal mirch, haldi and the Sugar. Go on turning the Meat till it acquires a brownish red colour and almost all water evaporates. Be careful that the Meat pieces do not stick to the bottom of the patila and get charred. Add again 2 cups of water, soonth powder and suanf powder. Stir and mix well and let simmer on low heat, till the Meat becomes tender and the gravy is red, thick and oily. Now add the pure ghee and garam masala. Cook for a further 23 minutes. Rogan Josh is ready for serving.

Machh (gosht ke kofte)

Ingredients
PART A Mince Meat ~ 1 kg. Ghee / Mustard Oil ~ 1 tbsp. Dry Ginger Powder (soonth powder) ~ 1 tsp. Aniseed Powder (saunf powder) ~ 1 tsp Salt to taste ~ 1 tsps. Chili Powder (kuti lal mirch) ~ 1 tbsp. Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 1 pinch Curd ~ 1 tbsp. Garam Masala ~ 1 tsp. Extra Oil for greasing hands. PART B Mustard Oil ~ cup Cloves (lavang) ~ 3 Cumin Seeds (jeera) ~ 1 tsp. Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 1 pinch Chili Powder (kuti lal mirch) ~ 2 tbsp. Turmeric (haldi) ~ 1 tsp. Curd ~ cup Sugar ~ 1 tsp. Dry Ginger Powder (soonth powder) ~ 1 tsp. Aniseed Powder (saunf powder) ~ 2 tsps. Salt to taste ~ 1 tsps. Garam Masala ~ 1 tsp. Ghee ~ 1 tbsp.

Directions
PART A For Making Granular machh, mix and knead all the ingredients mentioned above in Ingredients PART A, with the Minced Meat. Divide into 30 to 40 portions, each about the size of a small egg. After anointing a little oil on the right hand palm and the front of its fingers, take each portion of the Minced Meat into the hand, one by one, and form 3 long cylindrical koftas with ovoid ends.

Take a patila /kadhai of about 2 litres capacity. Now, the ingredients mentioned in PART B are used. Pour the oil in the patila /kadhai, and heat it till the froth disappears and the oil begins to smoke. Remove the cooking vessel from the fire for a minute or two, to lower a little the temperature of the oil. Add lavang, jeera, and hing. Stir well. Then again, while stirring, add kuti lal mirch, haldi and a cup of water. Again place the patila /kadhai on the stove and resume heating on medium flame. Go on stirring with a wooden/copper ladle till oil acquires a reddish brown colour and begins to separate. Add the well beaten Curd, and continue stirring till the Curd also gets a little fried and all blends into thick reddish brown sauce. Now add litre of water, soonth powder, saunf powder and Salt. Stir and mix well. Place all the koftas one by one, gently in the vessel and let the whole boil slowly for 15-25 minutes, till most of the water disappears and the gravy thickens and oil begins to separate again. Add pure ghee and the garam masala and mix it, by lifting the pot with a cloth or tongs and shaking it gently so that koftas do not split. Machh is now ready to be served. Sometimes an extra pinch, each of ground badi elaichi and dalchini, are also added at the end for additional aroma and flavour.

Neni Yakhean (gosht ki yakhni)

Ingredients
PART A Meat Chunks ~ 1 kg. Aniseed (whole) (saunf) ~ 2 tsp. Shredded Green Ginger (adrak) ~ 15 gms. Salt to taste ~ 2 tsps. Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 1 pinch

PART B Mustard Oil ~ cup Cloves (lavang) ~ 5 Cumin Seeds (jeera) ~ 1 tsp. Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 1 pinch Curd ~ kg. Milk ~ 1 cup Sugar ~ 1 tsp. Dry Ginger Powder (soonth powder) ~ 1 tsp. Aniseed Powder (saunf powder) ~ 2 tsps. Garam Masala ~ 1 tsp. Caraway Seeds (shia jeera) ~ tsp. Green Cardamoms (hari elaichi) ~ 10 Black Peppercorns (kali mirch) ~ 2 tsps. Brown Cardamoms seeds (badi elaichi dana) ~ 1 tsp. Ghee ~ 1 tbsp.

Directions
From ingredients of PART B, in a bowl, mix and churn together, with a churning stick the Curd, Milk, Sugar, soonth powder and saunf powder. Keep it aside. Also, pound the kali mirch and badi elaichi dana into a coarse powder, and keep ready for use. Take a tinned copper or brass patila of about 3 litres capacity. Put in it the Meat and add a litre of water, the saunf, shredded adrak, Salt and hing. Place the patila on the stove and let it boil on a medium flame for hour or so till the Meat become somewhat tender.

Remove the patila from fire and let it cool a bit. Strain through a colander or a cloth, collecting the stalk in a separate bowl. Sort out the Meat pieces, discarding the boiled saunf, adrak and bone pieces etc. Add the stalk to the churned Curd, Milk, soonth and saunf mixture and again mix it well with a ladle. After cleaning the patila, used for boiling the Meat, pour the Mustard oil in it and heat it till the froth disappears and the oil begins to smoke a little. Remove the patila from the heat for a few minutes, to let the temperature of the oil come down a bit. Add lavang, jeera and a pinch of hing and stir with a wooden/copper ladle, till the lavang and jeera fry a bit, but do not get burnt.. Now add the mixture of Curd and Stalk etc., and resume heating the patila, while continuing to stir the contents so that the Curd does not crack and separate. Bring to a boil. When Curd, stalk etc. blend nicely, add the boiled Meat pieces. Let boil for a little while stirring the contents with a ladle now and then. Now let the Meat etc. simmer on low heat, till the gravy thickens, oil begins to show and the Meat gets soft. Now, add the garam masala , pounded badi elaichi dana and kali mirch, shia jeera and the hari elaichi after crushing these a little . Pure ghee, if desired, may also be added. After stirring gently and boiling for a minute, serve hot.

Shyaem (shyami)
Ingredients
PART A Minced Meat ~ 1 kg. Ghee ~ 1 tbsp. Dry Ginger Powder (soonth powder) ~ 1 tsp. Aniseed Powder (saunf powder) ~ 1 tsp. Salt to taste ~ 1 tsps. Garam Masala ~ 1 tsp. Curd ~ 1 tbsp. Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 1 pinch PART B Mustard Oil ~ cup Cloves (lavang) ~ 3 Cumin Seeds (jeera) ~ 1 tsp. Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 1 pinch Curd ~ kg. Milk ~ 1 cup Dry Ginger Powder (soonth powder) ~ 1 tsp. Aniseed Powder (saunf powder) ~ 2 tsps. Garam Masala ~ 1 tsp. Caraway Seeds (shia jeera) ~ tsp. Black Peppercorns powder (kali mirch powder) ~ 1 tsp. Brown Cardamoms powder (badi elaichi powder) ~ 1 tsp. Cinnamon powder (dalchini powder) ~ 1 tsp. Ghee ~ 1 tbsp. Sugar ~ tsp. Salt to taste

Directions
In a basin mix nicely, by hand, all the ingredients of PART A. Then by means of a Wooden Pestle and a Stone Mortar, pound it into fine homogenous mass. If the Mortar is not big enough, pound small portions at a time, and then mix and pound the whole together. This facilitates the process.

Now divide this Mince into four to eight portions, according to the desired size of shyami slices. With oiled hands mould each portion into a compact cylindrical shaped sausage of about 1.5'' to 2'' diameter, and put these aside in a plate. In a bowl of about a litre capacity, mix and churn together, with a churning stick the Curd, Milk, soonth powder, saunf powder, Salt and Sugar, out of the PART B of ingredients, and put aside. Take a tinned copper or brass patila of about 2 litres capacity. Pour 2 cups of water in it and bring it to boil on a stove. Gently put the prepared Minced Meat cylindrical pieces, one by one, and side by side in the patila and allow these to boil for about 15 minutes, till these turn stiff and get somewhat cooked. Remove the patila from the heat, and take out the pieces by a perforated ladle to let these get cooled in a plate. Keep the stalk in a separate bowl to cool down. Cut the cooled cylindrical pieces, into " thick round slices, by a sharp bread knife, and keep aside in the plate. Add the Soup to the Curd mixture (from PART B) and mix nicely by a ladle. After wiping the inside of the patila, pour into it the Mustard oil and heat it on a medium flame. When froth disappears and oil begins to smoke a little, remove the patila from the fire for a few minutes to let the oil cool a bit. Add lavang, jeera and a pinch of hing. Stir, Add the Curd and Stalk mixture, and resume heating the patila, while stirring the contents constantly, so that the Curd does not crack and separate. After boiling for a few minutes, the contents blend into homogenous gravy. Add the Minced Meat Slices to the boiling gravy, to get cooked for 10 minutes on low heat. Shake the patila, or stir gently with a wooden ladle, now and then. Now let simmer for half an hour or so till the gravy thickens and the oil begins to separate. Then, add the remaining ingredients of PART B, i.e., garam masala, shia jeera, crushed hari elaichi dana, kali mirch powder, badi elaichi powder and dalchini powder, along with ghee. Mix with the ladle, or by holding the rim of the patila with a cloth and shaking it gently. The Shyaem is ready for serving.

Kabargah Ta Tabaq Maz (kabargah ya tabaq maz)

Ingredients
Mutton Ribs with fatty layer and skin intact ~ 1 kg. Ghee ~ 200 gms. Curd ~ 1 cup Chili Powder (kuti lal mirch) ~ 3 tbsp. Dry Ginger Powder (soonth powder) ~ 1 tsp. Aniseed Powder (saunf powder) ~ 1 tsp. Turmeric (haldi) ~ 1 tsp. Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 1 pinch Garam Masala ~ 1 tsp. Salt to taste ~ 2 tsps. Milk ~ cup Cloves (lavang) ~ 2

Directions
In a patila, of about 3 litres capacity, pour litre of water, and Milk. Add haldi, soonth powder and saunf powder along with lavang, salt and the hing. Stir and place the Meat pieces in the patila, and boil on a medium flame. After hour or so, when the Meat becomes tender, and almost all water gets absorbed and evaporated, remove the patila from the stove and let it cool down to some extent. In a bowl, add to the Curd, kuti lal mirch, garam masala, and Salt, and make a batter of these by beating with a spoon, or by means of a hand churner. Take out the cooked Meat pieces from the little gravy left, which, after straining, can be used for some soup or mixed with the above batter. Keep aside the Meat pieces. Heat the ghee, in a kadhai, on slow fire and deep fry the Meat pieces on by one, after dipping each in the prepared batter. Fried brown, these Kabargah pieces are ready to be served piping hot. Tabaq Maz varies from Kabargah, because of its last process of cooking. Instead of deep trying in ghee, as in case of Kabargah, in this case, the cooked and battered pieces of cooked Meat are placed in baked clay plates, called tabaqs or tabchi in kashmiri, after smearing ghee inside the plates. Covering, each plate with another tabaq, the rims are sealed with kneaded wheat flour dough. These tabaqs are then placed on a slow fire of live charcoals or smokeless burning cowdung cakes to that the Meat pieces get sauted, in an hour or so, to a deep brown colour. Some live coals are also placed on the top of these tabaqs. This slow steam cooking of Meat getting grilled in earthenware plates, imparts a special flavour and aroma to the food. Remember that this dish should always be served steaming hot.

Vegetarian Dishes
Choek Vangan (khate baingan)
Ingredients
Brinjals (long ones cut across the length into 48 peices) ~ kg. Mustard Oil ~ 1 cup Tamarind pulp (imli paste) ~ 100 gms. Sugar ~ 2 tsps. Cumin seeds (jeera) ~ tsp. Cloves (lavang) ~ 2 Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 1 pinch Chili Powder (kuti lal mirch) ~ 2 tbsp. Turmeric (haldi) ~ 1 tsp. Dry Ginger Powder (soonth powder) ~ tsp. Aniseed Powder (saunf powder) ~ tsp. Garam Masala ~ tsp. Salt to taste ~ 2 tsps.

Directions
In a steel kadhai, on medium heat, deep fry the Brinjal Slices, turning these often with a perforated ladle (jharna), so that these fry uniformly on all sides, to a golden brown colour. Take these out with the help of the perforated ladle, draining all oil. After removing the kadhai, for a minute or two, from the stove; in order to bring down the temperature of the oil a bit, add jeera, lavang and hing. Stir with a broad brass spatula (palta), while adding the kuti lal mirch and haldi, along with a tablespoon of water. Resume heating while stirring the Oil and the Spices till oil takes colour and begins to separate. Add a cup of water and the imli paste, Sugar, Salt and saunf powder and soonth powder. Mix with the spatula, and add the fried Brinjal Slices. Let boil for 15 to 20 minutes, turning the Brinjal Slices frequently with the spatula. When the gravy thickens and oil begins to separate, add garam masala and mix it with the spatula. Serve hot.

Dama Oluv (alu dum)

Ingredients
Round potatoes of uniform medium size ~ 1 kg. Mustard Oil ~ 1 cup Cumin seeds (jeera) ~ 1 tsp. Cloves (lavang) ~ 3 Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 1 pinch Chili Powder (kuti lal mirch) ~ 2 tbsp. Turmeric (haldi) ~ tsp. Dry Ginger Powder (soonth powder) ~ 1 tsp. Aniseed Powder (saunf powder) ~ 1 tsp. Salt to taste ~ 2 tsps. Curd ~ cup Garam Masala ~ tsp. Mixed cardamom (hari elaichi), cinnamon (dalchini) and black pepper (kali mirch) powder ~ 1 tsp.

Directions
Boil the Potatoes, in their jackets, in enough water to immerse these wholly, for 10 to 15 minutes, till these are done, and their skin can be peeled off easily. Then, cool the boiled Potatoes in cold water, and peel these by using thumb and the fore finger nails. Prick through the peeled Potatoes on all sides, with a sharpened match stick or a thin twig. In a kadhai, deep fry the peeled and pricked Potatoes, in the Mustard oil, on medium heat, turning these frequently with a perforated ladle (jharna) till these are uniformly fried to a golden yellow colour and lose almost all moisture and become light. Take out of the oil with the perforated ladle, draining all oil, and keep aside. Remove the kadhai from the stove. Transfer the left over oil to a steel patila, of about 2 litres capacity. Add lavang, jeera and hing, to the still hot oil. Stir with a ladle, and resume heating, while adding kuti lal mirch and haldi, along with a tablespoon of water. Stir again with a ladle, till oil takes colour of lal mirch and haldi and begins to separate. Now add, well beaten Curd to which a little water has been added, along with saunf powder and soonth powder. Continue stirring till the Curd and Spices blend together, with the oil.

Then, add the fried Potatoes, and turn these with a broad steel spatula (palta), so that the spiced sauce covers these all over, and the Potatoes get soaked in it. Add enough water to immerse the Potatoes wholly, and cook on low heat, for half an hour after covering the patila with a lid. When the Spiced Gravy and oil, soaks to the very core of the Potatoes, and these turn brown, also the gravy thickens, and oil begins to separate, add garam masala, and the mixture of hari elaichi, dalchini and kali mirch powders. Turn gently with the spatula to let the Spices get mixed. Dama Oluv is ready.

Chamani Qaliya (paneer ka qaliya)

Ingredients
paneer (sliced in inch cubes)~ 1 kg. Milk ~ 1 cup Sliced Green Ginger (adrak) ~ 10 gms. Aniseeds (saunf) ~ 10 gms. Salt to taste ~ 2 tsps. Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 1 pinch Turmeric (haldi) ~ 2 tsps. Curd ~ 1 cup Aniseed Powder (saunf powder) ~ 2 tsp. Dry Ginger Powder (soonth powder) ~ 1 tsp. Mustard Oil ~ 1 tsp. Cumin seeds (jeera) ~ 1 tsp. Cloves (lavang) ~ 3 Caraway seeds (shia jeera) ~ tsp. Garam Masala ~ 1 tsp. Green Cardamom (hari elaichi) ~ 6 Mixed cardamom (hari elaichi), cinnamon (dalchini) and black pepper (kali mirch) powder ~ tsp.

Directions
In a kadhai, deep fry, on medium heat, the diced paneer in the Mustard oil, till it turns golden yellow and the edges of the pieces fry a little brown. While frying, keep on turning the diced Cheese with a perforated ladle (jharna), so that it is fried uniformly. Take out the fried Cheese, after draining the oil by means of the perforated ladle. Remove the kadhai from the stove. Now, in a copper bottom patila, of about 3 litres capacity, boil for half an hour, the fried paneer, in a litre of water, after adding to it, the cup of Milk, adrak, saunf, haldi, Salt and half a pinch of hing. Strain the stalk through a colander or a cloth, and keep it in a bowl. Sort out the paneer pieces and keep in another bowl, and throw away the boiled adrak, saunf and other sediments; left in the colander or the cloth.

To the strained stalk, add the Curd, saunf powder and soonth powder, after mixing these with a spoon, or churning with a small churning stick into a homogenous sauce. Pour this into the patila or an earthenware vessel, after washing its inside. Resume heating it, and keep on stirring with a wooden ladle, so that the Curd does not crack and separate, till it comes to a boil. Add the boiled paneer pieces, and let boil for another 20 minutes. Meanwhile alter straining the oil left over from frying of the paneer, to remove any sediments, heat it again in the kadhai, and add to it lavang, jeera, and the remaining half pinch of hing. Stir till the jeera and lavang get a little fried, but not charred, and add this oil along with the Spices to the boiling Cheese. Stir and let boil for five minutes more. Add shia jeera, somewhat crushed hari elaichi, the and also the garam masala. Mix gently with the wooden ladle, and let the pot, after covering it with a lid, simmer on very low heat for another 10 minutes. Chamani Qaliya is ready. Serve it piping hot.

Nadeir Yakhean (kamal ke jadhki yakhni)

Ingredients
Lotus Roots (about 1inch diameter) ~ 1 kg. Mustard Oil ~ 1 cup Curd ~ 1 kg. Milk ~ 1 cup Cloves (lavang) ~ 3 Cumin Seeds (jeera) ~ 1 tsp. Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 1 pinch Aniseed Powder (saunf powder) ~ 2 tsp. Dry Ginger Powder (soonth powder) ~ 1 tsp. Black Peppercorns powder (kali mirch powder) ~ 1 tsp. Black cardamom powder (badi elaichi powder) ~ tsp. Cinnamon powder (dalchini powder) ~ tsp. Caraway Seeds (shia jeera) ~ tsp. Garam Masala ~ 1 tsp. Salt to taste ~ 2 tsps. Sugar ~ tsp. Green Cardamoms (hari elaichi) ~ few

Directions
Take a tinned copper or brass patila of about 3 litres capacity, boil for half an hour, the prepared Lotus Root pieces, in enough water to keep these immersed wholly during boiling. To save time, only 5 to 10 minutes of pressure cooking is enough. Take out with a perforated ladle or strain through a colander, the boiled pieces, and retain the stalk in a steel bowl, and let it cool. Add to the stalk the Curd, Milk, saunf powder and soonth powder, Sugar and Salt, and blend the ingredients, by churning with a small churn stick, to a sauce. Now, in the cooking vessel, heat the oil on a medium flame, till foam disappears. Add the lavang, jeera and hing. Stir with a wooden/copper ladle, and add immediately the prepared Sauce. Continue stirring with the steel ladle, so that Curd does not crack, till the Sauce comes to a boil.

Add boiled Lotus Root pieces, and let these cook on a low heat, for another 15 to 20 minutes, turning these now and then with the ladle. When the curdgravy thickens, add shia jeera and badi elaichi, dalchini and kali mirch powders,, along with the garam masala. Mix the Spices by stirring with the ladle. A few crushed hari elaichi may be added. Nadier Yakhean is ready for serving.

Veth Chaman (paneer ke pakaye tukade)

Ingredients
Paneer (cubed 3 2 pieces) ~ 1 kg. Mustard Oil ~ 1 cup Cloves (lavang) ~ 5 Cumin Seeds (jeera) ~ 1 tsp. Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 1 pinch Chili Powder (kuti lal mirch) ~ 2 tbsp. Turmeric (haldi) ~ 2 tsps. Curd ~ 1 cup Milk ~ cup Dry Ginger Powder (soonth powder) ~ 1 tsp. Aniseed Powder (saunf powder) ~ 2 tsp. Mixed coriander seeds (dhania) and cumin seeds (jeera) powder ~ 1 tsp. Mixed cardamom (hari elaichi), cinnamon (dalchini) and black pepper (kali mirch) powder ~ 1 tsp. Garam Masala ~ 1 tsp. Salt to taste ~ 2 tsps.

Directions
In an iron, steel or brass kadhai, deep fry, on medium heat, the paneer pieces, to a golden light brown colour. Turn the pieces frequently with a perforated ladle (jharna), so that these fry uniformly on all sides, and do not get charred on any side. Take the pieces out of the kadhai by means of the perforated ladle, after draining all oil. Keep these in a plate. Remove the kadhai from the heat for a while. Meanwhile in a tinned brass or copper patila, of about 2 liters capacity, boil half a cup of water after adding the Milk, 1 tsp of haldi, half a pinch of hing and the Salt. Add the fried pieces of' paner, and let these cook for half an hour, on medium heat. To the oil, left over in the kadhai add lavang, jeera and the remaining half pinch of hing, and resume heating on low flame. Stir with a wooden ladle, and add kuti lal mirch and the remaining 1 tsp. of haldi, along with a tablespoon of water. Stir till oil takes colour. Add well beaten or churned Curd, and go on stirring for a minute so that Curd blends with the oil etc.

Add this sauce to the boiling paneer in the paila. Add also soonth powder, saunf powder and dhania - jeera powder. Stir again with the ladle and let the pot simmer for half an hour more on slow heat. Meanwhile stir frequently, so that no caking takes place at the bottom of the pot. When gravy thickens, and the oil begins to separate, add mixed badi elaichi, dalchini and kali mirch powders, along with the garam masala. Turn gently with a broad spatula. Veth Chaman is ready for serving.

Razmah Goagji (sukhe rajma aur shalgam)

Ingredients
Turnips (shalgam) ~ 2 kg. Dry beans (sukhe rajma) ~ 250 gms. Mustard Oil ~ 2 tbsps. Chili Powder (kuti lal mirch) ~ 2 tbsps. Cloves (lavang) ~ 2 Cumin Seeds (jeera) ~ tsp. Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 1 pinch Salt to taste ~ 1 tsp. Vari masala ~ 10 gms.

Directions
Wash and soak the rajma for about 12 hours in a litre of water. Dice and cube the shalgam into medium sized pieces. Heat the oil, till the foam settles, in the body of a pressure cooker. Add lavang, jeera and hing, Stir and then add the soaked rajma, along with the water in which these were soaked. Boil under full pressure for 15 minutes. Remove the cooker from heat and let it cool till the pressure comes to normal. Then remove lid. Add the dressed shalgam pieces after washing; also add the kuti lal mirch and the Salt. Close the lid and again pressure cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Open the lid, add crushed vari masala and mix gently with a ladle, and serve hot after transferring to a Bowl.

Hak (karam ka saag)

Ingredients
Hak (well rinsed) ~ 1 kg. Mustard Oil ~ cup Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 1 pinch Cloves (lavang) ~ 4 Whole kashmiri red chilies (sukhi lal mirch) ~ 6 Salt to taste ~ 1 tsp. Vari masala ~ 20 gms.

Directions
Heat the oil in the patila till its foam disappears. Add lavang and the pinch of hing. Stir with a ladle, and add immediately 2 cups of water, and then the Salt and the crushed sukhi lal mirch. When the water and spices etc., boil, add the hak leaves, and turn with the ladle till these become limp, and get immersed in the gravy. Cook for half an hour, and when leaves become tender and then add the vari masala after crushing it and serve, preferably hot. The hak, cooked by the above method is called Chhata Hak. No frying in oil is done. Cabbage leaves, Turnips, Spinach and many other Vegetables are also prepared in this manner. Hak is also cooked as above, after boiling in plain water first. It is then called Siva Hak. If after boiling, and straining the water, it is pounded, and then cooked as above, it is, in that case, called Daga Hak.

Hak Ta Vangan (karam ka saag aur baingan)

Ingredients
Hak (well rinsed) ~ 1 kg. Brinjal (baingan) (cut length wise into 1 thick slices)~ kg. Mustard Oil ~ cup Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 1 pinch Cloves (lavang) ~ 4 Whole kashmiri red chilies (sukhi lal mirch) ~ 6 Salt to taste ~ 1 tsp. Vari masala ~ 20 gms.

Directions
Fry the baingan slices in cup oil. Take these out by a perforated ladle, draining all oil. Keep aside. Then start cooking hak as in the previous recipe. When it is limp, add the fried baingan slices and finish cooking as given previously.

Nadier Palak (kamal ke jadh aur palak)

Ingredients
Lotus Roots (about 1inch diameter, cut into thick slices) ~ 250 gms. Spinach (palak) ~ 1 kg. Mustard Oil ~ 1 cup Cumin Seeds (jeera) ~ 1 tsp. Cloves (lavang) ~ 3 Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 1 pinch Chili Powder (kuti lal mirch) ~ 1 tbsp. Turmeric (haldi) ~ 1 tsp. Dry Ginger Powder (soonth powder) ~ tsp. Aniseed Powder (saunf powder) ~ tsp. Curd ~ cup Garam Masala ~ tsp. Green chilies (hari mirchi) (vertically slit) ~ 4 Green coriander (dhania patte) (chopped) ~ few springs

Directions
In a iron kadhai, fry in oil, the Lotus Root slices for a few minutes, frequently fuming these with a perforated ladle. Take out with the same ladle after draining all oil, and keep aside in a bowl. Add jeera, lavang and hing to the Oil, after removing the kadhai from the stove for a minute or two, to cool the oil a bit. Stir, and add haldi and the kuti lal mirchi, along with a tablespoon of water. Stir again till oil takes colour, and then add shredded palak, and go on turning with a wooden ladle. After the palak leaves become limp, get cooked for a few minutes in the oil, and the water comes out of the leaves, add the fried Lotus Root pieces, beaten Curd, soonth powder and saunf powder, and continue turning with the ladle, till the Curd and Spices blend with the Vegetables and almost all water evaporates. When the palak begins to get fried, is almost done along with Lotus Roots, and the oil begins to separate, add a cup of water and stir. Let cook for another 10 minutes or so, till the water soaks into the palak and the Lotus Roots. Turn twice or thrice in the meanwhile, so that no caking, at the bottom, takes place. When oil again begins to show, add garam masala. Stir and transfer to a serving bowl, and garnish with the hari mirchi and dhania patte. Serve hot.

Muji Chetein (muli ka raita)

Ingredients
Radishes (muli) (without leaves) (grated) ~ kg. Curd ~ 1 cup Chili Powder (kuti lal mirch) ~ tbsp. Salt to taste ~ tsp. Sugar ~ tsp. Caraway Seeds (shia jeera) ~ to taste Green Chilies (hari mirchi) ~ 3

Directions
With a spoon mix the grated muli with the Curd, kuti lal mirch, Salt, Sugar and shia jeera, in a ceramic/earthen service bowl, and garnish with washed and finely chopped hari mirchi. Muji Chetein is best served chilled.

Fish Dishes
Ranith Gada (kashmiri tariqe se pakayi macchi)
Ingredients
Fish (river water fish) (properly cut) ~ 2 kgs. Mustard Oil ~ 2 cup Chili Powder (kuti lal mirch) ~ 2 tbsps. Turmeric (haldi) ~ 2 tsps. Dry Ginger Powder (soonth powder) ~ 2 tsps. Aniseed Powder (saunf powder) ~ 2 tsps. Cloves (lavang) ~ 3 Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 1 pinch Garam Masala ~ 1 tsp. Cumin Seeds (jeera) ~ 1 tsp. Caraway Seeds (shia jeera) ~ tsp. Salt to taste ~ 1 tsp.

Directions
Deep fry in oil the dressed fish pieces including the heads, in a kadhai, till these are uniformly brown and stiff. Take out the fully fried pieces from the kadhai, with the perforated ladle, after draining all oil. Keep aside in a plate. Now in an earthenware cooking pot (leij), or a tinned brass or copper patila of about 3 litres capacity or more, pour a litre of water, and add the Spices i.e. kuti lal mirch, haldi, soonth powder, saunf powder, lavang and hing and also the oil left over, after frying of fish pieces. Stir the masala oil and water, by a ladle and bring the cooking pot to a boil. Add the fried fish pieces to the boiling gravy. Let cook, on medium heat, for half an hour or more, till the gravy thickens and oil begins to show. Add garam masala, and cook for a few minutes more. The curry is served hot usually with plain boiled rice. Tamarind pulp (imli paste) & Prunes (bade sukhe kismis) are also added sometimes, in addition to masala, to impart a pleasant tart taste to the Curry. Sometimes dried or fresh apricots are also added, additionally in the masala.

Hogada Ta Hak (sukhi macchi aur karam saag)

Ingredients
Dried Fish (river water fish) (hogada) (suitably cut) ~ 250 gms. Hak (karam saag) ~ 125 gms. Mustard Oil ~ cup Chili Powder (kuti lal mirch) ~ 1 tbsp. Salt to taste ~ tsp. Turmeric (haldi) ~ tsp. Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 1 pinch Vari masala/garam masala ~ tsp.

Directions
In a kadhai or patila, heat oil on medium flame, and when foam disappears, add half a litre of water, the Salt, haldi, kuti lal mirch and hing. Bring to boil and add prepared Dried Fish (hogada) pieces and sorted hak leaves. Turn and stir with a ladle and cook for half an hour, to soften the Fish and the hak. Then add crushed vari masala/garam masala. Serve with Plain Cooked Rice.

Staple and Cereal Dishes

Tahaer (kesari bhaat)
Directions
The process of cooking is same as in the case of Plain Cooked Rice (bhaat). While starting to boil the rice a teaspoon of haldi is added to each kilogram of the rice and the added water, and then stirred well. This makes the rice yellow. When it is transferred to a basin for serving, about 4 tablespoons of thoroughly boiled mustard oil, or heated ghee, and a tablespoon of salt, are mixed (per kilogram of rice) with Tahaer, and it is ready for serving.

Khechier (khichidi)
Ingredients
Rice ~ 1 kg. Green Gram (hara chana) ~ 250 gms. Mustard Oil ~ 1 cup Chili Powder (kuti lal mirch) ~ 1 tbsps. Turmeric (haldi) ~ 1 tsp. Dry Ginger Powder (soonth powder) ~ 1 tsp. Aniseed Powder (saunf powder) ~ 1 tsp. Caraway Seeds (shia jeera) ~ 1 tsp. Asafoetida Powder (hing) ~ 1 pinch Slit Green Chilies (hari mirchi) ~ 3 Garam Masala ~ tsp. Salt to taste ~ 2 tsps.

Directions
Soak the Rice and the Green Gram (mixed together) in about 2.5 litres of water taken in a degchi for about 2 to 3 hours prior to cooking. Add all the remaining Ingredients from Mustard Oil to Salt to the soaked Rice and Green Gram along with the water in which these were kept soaking. Mix well by stirring with a ladle. Let boil on a full flame. Occasionally stir the contents, so that no caking takes place at the bottom of the patila, and the Rice and Green Gram cook uniformly. When almost all water gets absorbed, and the grains get almost done to the core, cover the patila with a fitting lid. Reduce the heat so that the Rice and Gram are now steam cooked slowly, and get puffed. If the bottom of the patila is not thick it is advisable to place a Griddle (tava) between the flame and the bottom of the cooking pot, to avoid caking, and also for slow steam cooking. Place also a weight on the lid to stop the free escape of Steam. This helps in proper steam cooking. The grains should not stick to each other and yet should be soft and well cooked. Subject to the availability, one can add a few slit hari mirchi along with the Spices. The above quantity is sufficient to serve about 10 persons. Always serve hot.

Girda (naan)
Ingredients
maida ~ kg. Sifted atta ~ kg. ghee~ 2 tbsps. Fine sugar (pisi chini) ~ 2 tbsps. Salt to taste ~ 1 tsp. Curd ~ 1 tbsp. Poppy Seeds (khaskhas) ~ 1 tsp. Nigella Seeds (kalonji) ~ 1tsp. Soda bicarbonate ~ 1 tsp.

Directions
Knead the dough with maida and water, and place it to stand for about two hours to ferment. To the sifted atta add the ghee, Sugar and Salt. Rub in the ghee etc. with hand evenly. Now add this to the fermented maida dough and knead the whole, adding as much water as required to make it into an elastic mass, which does not stick to fingers, or the basin in which it is kneaded, and it is fit for rolling into rounds of naans. Now, add Soda-bicarbonate to this dough and knead again. This will make the dough to rise and become spongy. Make about 30 balls out of this dough. On a bread board spread, by hand, each ball into a naan shaped bread i.e., a flat round or an oval shaped bread, with a thicker rim, and of about 4" to 6" in diameter. Smear, and rub over a little Curd on the surface inside the rim, and sprinkle evenly a pinch of khaskhas and kalonji on it. Press, with four finger tips, this centre surface to make four or five rows of small depressions. Bake in an oven or a tandoor. In case no oven or tandoor is available, bake on an ordinary Griddle (tava) on medium heat, covering the naan with a domed lid of a pan etc. so that it rises and gets partially baked in a couple of minutes. Now, to make the surface brown, bake the upper surface of this partly-baked naan, on a gas flame or on a Charcoal fire.

Roth (roth)
Ingredients
Wheat Flour (atta) ~ kg. Powdered White Sugar (pisi chini) ~ 350 gms. ghee ~ 200 gms. Black Cardamom Seeds (badi elaichi dana) ~ 1 teaspoon Poppy Seeds (khaskhasa) ~ 1 teaspoon Full cream milk ~ litre

Directions
Mix Sugar and badi elaichi dana, with the flour and rub in 2 to 3 table spoons of ghee into it by hand. Then, knead it with the milk and enough water to make it in to semi-stiff elastic dough, which does not stick to the hands, or the basin in which the flour is kneaded. Keep aside covered by a wet cloth. From the sweetened and condimentkneaded dough, take big chunks and roll into balls between the palms. Now roll out, each ball on a Bread Board (chakla) by a Rolling Pin (belan) into flat rounds of about thickness and about 6" diameter. In a kadhai, deep fry one round at a time in ghee. When after turning once or twice by means of a perforated ladle, each gets uniformly fried to a golden brown colour, and becomes a bit stiff, take out of the kadhai, after draining all ghee and transfer to a flat basin. Sprinkle a pinch of khaskhasa on one side of each rotha. Seeds stick because of the ghee which gets congealed on cooling. Let cool and the rotha is ready. Sometimes, instead of frying, rotha are baked on a griddle (tava). In that case more ghee is rubbed in the flour before kneading it.

Laed (laddu)
Ingredients
Wheat Flour (atta) ~ kg. Powdered White Sugar (pisi chini) ~ 350 gms. ghee ~ 200 gms. Black Cardamom Seeds (badi elaichi dana) ~ 1 teaspoon Poppy Seeds (khaskhasa) ~ 1 teaspoon Full cream milk ~ litre

Directions
Mix Sugar and badi elaichi dana, with the flour and rub in 2 to 3 table spoons of ghee into it by hand. Then, knead it with the milk and enough water to make it in to semi-stiff elastic dough, which does not stick to the hands, or the basin in which the flour is kneaded. Keep aside covered by a wet cloth. Take a small quantity of the dough at a time, and roll it into a rope between palms, greased with a little ghee. Coil it on a finger, take it off and then, between palms, roll into a small ball of the size of a marble or somewhat bigger. After preparing these small balls out of the whole dough deep fry these in ghee, on moderate heat, to a golden brown colour. These are generally prepared from a small quantity of flour, up to a kg. The coiled small round scones cool down to delicious cookies, called Laed in kashmiri.

Sweet Dishes and Beverages

Modur Polav (basmati chawal ka mitha pulav)
Ingredients
Basmati rice ~ kg. Sugar ~ kg. ghee~ 250 gms. Almond (badam) (blanched)~ 25 gms. Raisins (kismis) (washed)~ 25 gms. Dry Dates (khajoor) (soaked in warm water and shred) ~ 50 gms. Dry Coconut (kopra) (cut into inch long shavings) ~ 50 gms. Shelled Musk Melon Seeds (cheele kharbuja ke dane) (washed) ~ 25 gms. Black Cardamom (badi elaichi dana) (coarsely ground) ~ 25 gms. Black Pepper Corns (kali mirch) (coarsely ground) ~ 10 gms. Cinnamon (dalchini) ~ 5 gms. Green Cardamom (hari elaichi) ~ 5 gms. Cassia Leaves (chakvad ke patte) ~ 6 Cloves (lavang) ~ 2 Green Ginger (adrak) (grated) ~ 20 gms. Sugar Candy Crystals (khadi shakkar) ~ 25 gms. Kewra essence ~ 5 drops Saffron (kesar) ~ a pinch Salt to taste ~ tsp.

Directions
Wash and soak the basamati rice in litre of water for about 2 hours prior to cooking. Mix all ingredients from sugar to kali mirch in a bowl and keep. In a thick bottomed patila, of about 3 litres and with a fitting lid, boil the basamati rice in the very water in which it was kept soaking, till it is almost cooked and all water is absorbed. Stir gently once or twice while boiling, so that the Rice cooks uniformly. Remove patila from the stove. Meanwhile in a Pan, put the Sugar and add a little more than litre water, and the prepared Condiments, along with the dalchini pieces and chakvad ke patte. Add also the kesar. Stir, and boil on a low flame till Sugar gets dissolved, and the Condiments also cook a little in the Syrup.

Now transfer the somewhat cooked Rice to a basin, and add the Condiment Syrup, along with the hari elaichi, after crushing these a bit. Add ghee, after heating it in a pan and adding the two lavang. Now, with a broad flat spatula (palta), gently mix the Rice, and the Condiment Syrup along with the ghee and chakvad ke patte etc., and transfer all the things back to the patila. Cover its mouth with the fitting lid. Put a 'rope' of kneaded wheat flour dough, between the rims of the patila and the lid, and press it, to make the vessel almost air tight. Resume heating the patila, on a very low heat, and put a weight on the lid, so that the kneaded flour packing sets as a gasket to stop the steam from escaping easily. After 20 to 30 minutes of slow steam cooking remove the weight and the lid, and see that the Rice is done to the very core, and all its grains, are separate and become somewhat translucent. The very special aroma will denote that the Polav is ready. Sometimes a little more heating, after sprinkling of little water, may be necessary, if the Rice is not done properly. Just before serving, the kewra Essence and khadi shakkar are mixed with the Pulav. Serve piping hot.

Khir (kheer)
Ingredients
White Rice ~ 150 gms. Milk ~ 1 litre Fresh khoya (mixed with a cup of milk) ~ 200 gms. Sugar ~ kg. Almond (badam) (blanched) ~ 25 gms. Raisins (kismis) (washed) ~ 25 gms. Dry Dates (khajoor) (soaked in warm water and shred) ~ 50 gms. Dry Coconut (kopra) (cut into inch long shavings) ~ 50 gms. Shelled Musk Melon Seeds (cheele kharbuja ke dane) (washed) ~ 10 gms. Black Cardamom (badi elaichi) (coarsely ground) ~ 3 Green Cardamom (hari elaichi) (coarsely ground) ~ 5 Black Pepper Corns (kali mirch) (coarsely ground) ~ 10 gms. Cinnamon (dalchini) ~ 5 gms. Kewra essence ~ 5 drops Cashew Nuts (kaju) (split in two halves) ~ 5 Pistachios (pista) (cut into shavings) ~ 5 Saffron (kesar) ~ a pinch

Directions
Clean and wash Rice in waters, and soak it in litre of water for 2 hours before cooking. After reserving in separate bowls, for garnishing, about of kismis, kaju and badam, and all the hari elaichi granules, mix the remaining split badam, kaju and kismis along with kopra shavings. Keep these aside in a bowl. Pour Milk in the body of a pressure cooker, and bring it to a boil. Add the soaked Rice after draining all water. Stir and close the lid. After maximum pressure is developed, reduce heat and cook under pressure for 15 minutes. Remove cooker from heat and allow the pressure to subside, and then open lid and add Sugar, and resume heating, while stirring with an inverted ladle, so that the soft cooked Rice and Milk etc. mix nicely, and at the same time it does not adhere to the bottom and cake. Add the mixed split badam, kaju, kismis, kopra shavings and khajoor, while continuing to stir with the inverted ladle. Cook for 10 minutes in all after the heating was resumed. Now go on adding, while stirring with the ladle, the khoya (mixed with milk), to the boiling pudding and let cook for another 5 minutes, till a homogeneous Khir is ready.

Remove the cooker from the stove and add the kewra essence and badi elaichi granules and stir again. Transfer the Khir to a Service Bowl, and garnish with prepared badam, pista, kaju, and kismis, kept apart for this purpose. Sprinkle the granules of hari elaichi along with the kesar stigmas, after moistening these a little. Generally Khir is served hot during winter and cold in summer.

Firun (firni)
Ingredients
White Rice ~ 125 gms. Milk ~ 1 litre Sugar ~ 250 gms. Silver Leaf (varak) ~ 23 Saffron (kesar) ~ a pinch

Directions
Soak Rice for 12 hours or so, in a litre of water; drain all water, and let all outer moisture dry up by spreading the soaked Rice for 10 or 15 minutes, on a dry cloth. Then, crush the soaked softened rice into a meal, grinding by means of a sil batta. Keep the meal aside in a plate. In a patila, pour the Milk and bring it to a boil. Add the Rice Meal and go on stirring with a ladle, till it is cooked into a thick pasty homogeneous pudding. Add Sugar, stir and cook for another 5 minutes. Pour into small baked clay plates/cups (taek or piyala). These impart a special aroma to the Firun. Decorate each bowl or plate or cup, with a piece of varak in the middle of the top and spread two or three wet, stigmas of kesar around the leaf. Serve as it is.

Shufta (panjiri)
Ingredients
Paneer (cut in cubes) ~ 125 gms. Sugar ~ 250 gms. Sweet kernels of Apricots (jaiphala) (powdered) ~ 25 gms. Big Raisins (munaqqas) (washed) ~ 25 gms. Dry Apricots ~ 50 gms. Dry Dates (khajoor) (soaked in warm water and shred) ~ 50 gms. Dry Coconut (kopra) (cut into inch long shavings) ~ 25 gms. ghee~ 50 gms. Black Cardamom (badi elaichi) (coarsely ground) ~ tsp. Cinnamon Powder (dalchini powder) ~ tsp. Dry Ginger Powder (soonth powder) ~ tsp. Black Pepper Corns (kali mirch) (coarsely ground) ~ tsp. Salt to taste ~ tsp.

Directions
Soak all the dry fruits in warm water a few hours prior to cooking. Deep fry in a steel kadhai on slow fire, the diced paneer, while turning it with a perforated ladle, so that pieces fry golden brown, evenly without getting charred. Add a cup of water, the Sugar and all the soaked Dry Fruits, along with the water in which these were soaked, and go on turning with a broad steel spatula. After about 15 minutes of boiling the Dry Fruit soften, and the syrup thickens to a jelly like consistency. Then, add Spices and Salt. Turn again with the spatula. Shufta is ready for serving.

Shier Chaey (namkeen chai)

Ingredients
Pahari green tea leaves ~ 2tsps. Soda Bicarbonate ~ a generous pinch Salt to taste ~ 1tsp. Milk ~ litre Fresh Cream (malai) ~ 250 gms. Green Cardamom (hari elaichi) ~ 6 Almond (badam) ~ 6 Poppy Seeds (khaskhas) ~ 1 tsp. Aniseeds (saunf) ~ 1 tsp. Black Pepper Corns (kali mirch) (coarsely ground) ~ 2 Cinnamon (dalchini) ~ 2 pieces Dry Ginger (soonth) ~ 2 pieces

Directions
In a tinned, copper or brass patila, of about 3 litre capacity, boil on medium heat, litre of water to which 2 teaspoons of pahari green tea leaves, and a generous pinch Soda Bicarbonate have been added. When, after about 15 minutes, the infusion boils down, to 1/3 of its original volume, to a concentrated reddish liquor, add about a litre of water, and the Milk. The Tea will now be of peach colour, the colour it is desired to be. Add the soonth piece after crushing it a bit, the dalchni bark chips, the spices and crushed badam, along with malay. Stir after boiling for a few minutes more, strain and the Shier Chay is ready. It used to be served in Bronze Cups by Pundits or handle less porcelain Bowls, (chin pyala) by Muslims.

Muslim Dishes from Kashmir

Goashtaba and Rista Mince Preparation
Ingredients
Minced Boneless Mutton (on wooden peg) (kheema boti) ~ 1 kg. Ghee ~ 250 gms. Dry Ginger Powder (soonth powder) ~ 1tsp. Aniseed Powder (saunf powder) ~ 1tsp. Black Cardamom Seeds (badi elaichi dana) (crushed) ~ 1tsp. Garam masala ~ 2 tsp. Salt to taste ~ 1 tsp. Arrowroot Powder (paniphal) ~ 1 tsp.

Directions
Mix the ghee and kheema boti together well. Make a paste of paniphal, soonth powder, badi elaichi dana, saunf powder, garam masala and Salt with a little water, and knead it into the kheema boti. Again, pound the mass on a stone/ wooden peg, to convert it into a homogeneous dough like mass. This prepared kheema, is then pressed by hands and rolled between palms, into compact balls of 2" to 3" diameter, for making Goashtaba, or rolled into smaller, a little flattened balls, for making Rista

Onion and Shallots Emulsion

Ingredients
Onions ~ 1kg. Shallots (pran in kashmiri) ~ 1 kg. Mustard Oil ~ kg. Ghee ~ 100 gms.

Directions
Peel and cut off the hairy roots and green tops of Onions and Shallots. Chop these, lengthwise, into uniform pieces. In a kadhai, heat the oil till foam disappears, and then add ghee. Deep fry the chopped Onions and Shallots on medium heat, turning these regularly by means of a perforated ladle (jharna). When these turn golden-brown and become crisp, strain oil, etc., thoroughly thorough a colander, or a strainer. This oil can be used for cooking, or for future frying of Onions and Shallots. Grind these fried Onions and Shallots in a Stone Mortar by means of a Wooden Pestle (havan dasta). Then, while adding enough hot water slowly, continue grinding till it turns into a Milky Emulsion, which is now ready for use in various Dishes as a seasoning. Sometimes garlic in according proportion can also be added in.