There's rarely any foodie who has visited Delhi, and doesn’t wish to or hasn’t tried Dahi Ke Bhalle, chaats, or the lip-smacking kebab fare sold at the outlets dotting the area around Jama Masjid. Chef Lokaman Khan, who grew up in the bylanes of Purani (Old) Delhi — Chandi Chowk to be more precise — loves to rustle up the timeless savouries and sweets that the locality is famous for.
The 32-year-old chef, who recently joined The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat, has tried to recreate those dishes, the aroma of which pervades the air of the Old Delhi gullies at the ongoing Dawaat-e-Delhi festival at the property’s all-day diner, The Seasonal Tastes. The fare has an eclectic variety of veg and non-veg offerings from chaats and kebabs to kulchas, chole bhature and biryani — all with the distinct taste of Delhi. The soft-spoken chef shared recipes for his two favourite dishes — Chicken Changezi and Shahi Tukda, exclusively for Indulge readers.
CHICKEN CHANGEZI
Ingredients:
2 tbsp curd | 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste | 1 tbsp coriander powder | 3/4 tsp cumin powder | Salt to taste | 1/2 tsp turmeric powder | 1/2 tsp kasuri methi | 1-1/12 tsp Kashmiri mirch powder | 2 tbsp cooking oil | 750 gms chicken For the gravy: 4 tbsp cooking oil | 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger | 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic | 1 cup homemade tomato purée | 2 onions, chopped and roasted till soft and made into a paste | Red chilli powder to taste | 2 tbsp fresh cream
Method:
● Pat the chicken dry after cleaning, and prick it with a fork, to let the marinade reach deep.
● Marinate the chicken with dahi, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt, turmeric powder, kasuri methi, Kashmiri red chilli powder and keep it aside for 3-4 hours.
● Then cook the chicken for 30-40 minutes.
● Burn a small piece of charcoal over a direct flame.
● Place the chicken on a plate and place a small bowl in the middle. Put the blazing charcoal on it and pour some ghee. Cover the plate and wait till the chicken gets a smoky flavour.
● For the gravy, heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan.
● Add ginger and garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or till the raw smell disappears.
● Add the tomato purée and masala gravy of onions. Cook till it releases oil.
● Add salt, red chilli powder and the cooked chicken.
● Cook for 5-7 minutes more to let the chicken absorb the gravy.
● Then pour the fresh cream and mix it.
● Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with Khameri naans or Jeera rice.
SHAHI TUKDA
Ingredients:
200 gm or 4 heaped tbsp of ghee (clarified butter) | 7 slices of bread | 5 cups of milk | 1 cup of sugar | half cup of thick or fresh cream | 1 tbsp green cardamom powder | A pinch of dried saffron strands
Method:
● Remove the crusts from the bread slices and cut each slice into four triangles.
● In a large non-stick frying pan, add about 1 tbsp of ghee over a medium flame. Add as many bread triangles as you can fit into the pan. Toss and turn the bread slices to make sure they are coated with ghee on all sides. Add more ghee if needed, and fry till they turn golden brown.
● In another bowl, cook milk for 10 minutes and add the bread and cook for two minutes on each side. Put them in the serving plate.
● Add cream to the leftover milk and cook for another two minutes, then put off the flame and stir for yet another couple of minutes. Spread this over the bread pieces and sprinkle pistachios and almond slivers. Serve hot or cold.