Eid-al-Adha is finally here, so gear up to feast on the usual suspects with a twist. California walnuts can be easily incorporated in all the Eid delicacies in toasted, caramelized or candied forms. This healthy nut loaded with vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants, adds a unique flavour and taste to the delicacies apart from increasing their nutritive value.
Chef Sabyasachi Gorai shares the recipes for two such lip-smacking Eid recipes.
California Walnut Kebab
Ingredients: 20 California walnut halves | 1 cup powdered California walnuts | 2 tbsp oil |100 gm grated paneer (cottage cheese) | 2 medium grated carrots | Salt to taste | 1½ tsp ginger paste | 1½ tsp garlic paste | 2 medium potatoes boiled, peeled and mashed | 2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves | 1 tbsp crushed green chilli | 1 tsp chaat masala | 1 tsp roasted cumin powder | 1 tsp garam masala powder | ¼ cup gram flour (bean) | ½ cup breadcrumbs
Method
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan. Add California walnuts, carrots and salt and sauté until extra moisture dries up.
To this add garlic paste, ginger paste and sauté for ½ min. Turn off the flame and add potatoes and coriander leaves to the California walnuts mixture. Transfer it into a grinder and mix till well blended.
Add green chilli, chaat masala, roasted cumin powder, garam masala powder and grind again.
Transfer the mixture into a bowl and let the mixture cool completely.
Now roast gram flour in another non-stick pan for 2-3 minutes. Add it to the California walnut mixture in the bowl.
To the mixture, add California walnut powder and breadcrumbs and mix everything well. Keep the bowl in a refrigerator for about 15 minutes. Divide the mixture into equal portions.
Grease your palms and shape each portion into finger-size sausages. Heat a little oil in a non-stick pan and cook the kebabs, turning the sides a few times, till they are evenly cooked all around.
Serve hot garnished with chopped California walnuts.
California Walnut Gosht
Ingredients: 500 gm mutton (lamb) | 4 tbsp oil | 2 large onion, thinly sliced | 2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced | 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste | 3 slit green chillies | 2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder | 2 tbsp coriander powder | 2 tsp garam masala powder | Salt to taste | 3/4 cup fresh coconut grated | Water as needed | ½ cup California walnuts whole | ½ cup California walnuts chopped | Chopped coriander leaves
Method
Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add onions and cook until golden.
Once the onion is nice and brown, add ginger garlic paste and sauté for a minute or so.
Add tomatoes and green chillies. Cook this till tomatoes turn mushy.
Add all the spice powders along with salt and chopped California walnuts. Mix well with the masala. The masala should be thick and almost like a paste.
Now add mutton and toss well with the masala.
Keep tossing till the masala coats the mutton pieces well and gets a little dark brown in colour.
Now add one cup of water. Cover and pressure cook for 4 whistles, simmer the pan for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the steam go all by itself.
While the mutton is cooking, dry roast the coconut in a dry pan till it is golden brown. Transfer it to a blender and blend it into a fine puree.
Once the mutton is cooked, add the coconut paste in it and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes till oil separates on top.
Garnish with whole walnuts. Add coriander leaves and turn off the heat.
Serve with rice or anything you like!