SHARAD Dewan, Regional Director-Food Productions, The Park Hotels, who has been in the industry for more than 28 years now, has been impressing Kolkata’s gastronomes with state-of-the-art, innovative cooking, with each dish offering a happy confluence of health and taste.
“Ramzan food is very different from the regular food that we have. The concept of three-four meals a day is replaced by one or two meals that have to give what the body requires the most. For over 12 hours, the body is deprived of food and water, hence it has to be something that satiates your hunger and replenishes the body,” Chef Dewan says. A couple of elements need to be kept in mind during Ramzan. One, the body needs nutrients like protein, carbs, sugar, so the meal should contain all these vital ingredients. Second, foods that make you feel thirsty are best avoided. Finally, the food should be adapted according to a change in lifestyle. “We have tried to create something that satiates the body, and has the essence of Ramzan food as well. So, in the Wheat Biryani, we have replaced the rice with wheat that is a better carb. In fact, we can also cook six types of veg haleem, because not everyone can have red meat. Haleem can also be made with jackfruit and sprouts, both of which are high on protein. So, in the following recipes, we have given the dishes a very new twist while keeping traditional flavours and the ethos of the festival intact,” adds Chef Dewan.
Gosht Gehu Biryani
Rich in fibre and other nutrients, the Gosht Gehu Biryani is a healthy alternative to a traditional biryani. Take a break from the run-of-the-mill rice biryani and opt for this healthy and tasty variant. You can make it sans the mutton, if you want to avoid red meat.
INGREDIENTS
Mutton 500 gms | Wheat 200 gms | Onion sliced 400 gms | Green chilli
paste 1 tbps | Green chilli slits 2 pcs | Ginger strips 1 inch | Ginger garlic
paste 1 tbps | Sour curd 150 gms | Sugar to taste | Salt to taste | Chopped
mint leaves 100 gms | Chopped coriander leaves 100 gms | Lemon juice
2 nos | Cinnamon 2-inch stick | Clove 10 nos | Small cardamom 10 nos |
Black cardamom 3 nos | Bay leaves 5 nos | Garam masala powder 1 tbps |
Rose water 30 ml | Kewra water 40 ml | Meetha attar few drops | Saffron
1⁄2 gms | Milk 100 ml | Ghee 200 gms | Khoya grated 30 gms
METHOD
Wash and soak the wheat overnight. Drain the water, tie it in a damp cloth, and keep for a night to get the sprouts. Heat ghee in a vessel, fry the onions till golden brown, and keep aside. In the same ghee, add the cinnamon, cardamom, clove, bay leaves. Add the mutton pieces and sear well, then put green chilli and ginger garlic paste in, and sauté well. Beat the curd, add it and stir well. Adjust seasoning and add water if required. Cook the mutton till 3/4th done on a slow flame, and strain it, keeping the liquid separate. Boil the sprouted wheat in salted water. In a vessel, keep the mutton and top it up with a part of the garam masala powder, brown onions, slit green chillies, chopped coriander and mint leaves. Then add the boiled wheat, and again layer with the above toppings. Broil saffron and soak it in milk to get the saffron colour. On the top layer, put the melted ghee, lemon juice, saffron milk, rose water, kewra water and meetha attar. Add the grated khoya, chopped coriander and mint — seal the vessel, and slow cook for 30 min. When done, remove the seal and garnish with ginger strips and fried onions.
Tutti Fruity Kulfi
To beat the heat, get a bowlful of chilled Tutti Fruity Kulfi during Iftaar.
INGREDIENTS
Kulfi 2 nos | Rabri 50 gm | Faluda 50 gm | Chopped almonds 10 gm | Chopped
pistachio 10 gms | Chia seeds (soaked for 4 hrs) 3 gm | Ripe mango small
cubes 20 gms | Pineapple small dices 20 gm | Musk melon small cubes
20 gms | Banana small dices 20 gms | Papaya small dices
20 gm | Khus syrup as required | Rose syrup as required
METHOD
Take a chilled glass, fill it with a part of chopped fruits. Cut the kulfi into two and top it with rabri, falooda and the remaining fruits. Then sprinkle chopped nuts, khus, rose syrup and soaked chia seeds. Serve cold.