Hyderabadi Cuisine: 'Hyderabadi Dum Ki Raan'

By M H Ahssan

Hyderabadi cuisine – slightly sour, hot and richly endowed with nuts and assorted spices and cooked in asli ghee – has to be enjoyed to be believed. Sometimes simple aids like slow cooking and dum help produce rich flavours.

The wealthy and leisured aristocracy of the erstwhile Nizam State as well as the long peaceful years of their dominance, contributed largely to the development of and devotion to, the culinary art.

Mealtime in a Hyderabadi home was not just a routine but a ritual, a time for celebration. A meal was the grand finale of a concerted taste to the well out spread of the day. No guest could leave a Hyderabadi home without sharing a meal with the family.

Hyderabadi Dum Ki Raan (Lamb Meg Roast Spicy Gravy)
Hyderabadi Cuisine - Chicken Dishes - Poultry, especially chicken, is extremely versatile and lends itself equally to being a starter, a side dish or the main course. The tenderness of the white meat poses a challenge to chefs and the key to cooking it well, lies in the subtlety with which it is flavoured.

Ingredients:

* Leg of lamb - 2nos (1.5kg)

For the marinade :

* Chilli powder - 2tsp
* Salt - 2tbs
* Raw papaya paste - 2tbs
* Ginger paste - 20gm
* Garlic paste - 10gm
* Vinegar - 60ml

For the filling

* Minced chicken breast - 150gm
* Grated cheese - 50gm
* Cream - 75 ml
* Sliced pistachios - 12nos
* Chopped red bell pepper - 1no
* Chopped green chilli - 1no
* Coarsely ground black pepper - 1/2tsp
* Salt - to taste
* Chopped mint leaves - 1/2tsp

The braising :

* Red chilli powder- 11/2tsp
* Oil to baste
* Crushed green cardamom - 3nos
* Crushed cloves- 3nos
* Crushed black cardamom - 1no
* Crushed cinnamon- 1"piece
* Crushed star anise- 1no
* Rose petals - 6

For the cashew nut paste :

* Cashew nuts - 15gm
* Poppy seeds - 15gm
* Chironji seeds - 15gm
* Coriander seeds - 10gm

For the gravy :

* Ghee - 75gms
* Green cardamoms - 3nos
* Black cardamom - 1no
* Clove - 1no
* Cinnamon - 1"pieces
* Bay leaf - 1
* Ginger paste - 15gm
* Garlic paste - 10gm
* Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
* Yogurt - 1/2cup
* Fried onions - 125gms
* Clear lamb stock - 1litre
* Salt - to taste
* Chopped mint leaves - 1tbs
* Chopped coriander leaves - 1tbs
* Powdered pathar ka phool - 1/4tsp
* Powdered rose petal - 1/4tsp
* Crushed Saffron - few strands

Method of Preparation : Clean and remove the blade bone of the lamb leg (raan) and then, using a sharp knife, loosen the meat around the thighbone (without exposing the bone) and then make deep slits along the length. Wash and pat dry.

Marinade : Rub the lamb leg, inside and out, with chilli powder. Repeat the process with salt followed by raw papaya paste, garlic paste, ginger paste and finally with vinegar. Rub the ingredients one by one separately. Marinate for 11/2 hours.

Filling : Grind chicken mince with cheese followed by cream added intermittently until a thick paste is obtained. Replace it to a bowl and add the other ingredients for filling, mix well and divide it into 2 halves.

Open the slits of the lamb leg and stuff a portion of the filling in each leg. Bind each stuffed leg with a needle and string to retain the shape whilst cooking. Pour butter over the stuffed legs and prick with a needle.

Braising : Rub the lamb legs with red chilli powder and repeat the process with oil. Place the legs in a roasting tray, add the remaining ingredients for braising and enough water to cover the legs. Braise in a pre- heated oven (275°F) for 2 hours. Remove, discard the liquor and rub again with oil and keep aside.

Roast the ingredients for cashew nut paste separately on a medium hot pan. Grind it to a smooth paste by adding required water and keep aside.

Gravy : Heat ghee in a large pan and season with green and black cardamom, clove, cinnamon and bay leaf. Stir over medium heat until the green cardamom changes colour. Add ginger and garlic paste and sauté well until the moisture evaporates. Lower the heat and add the cashew nut paste kept aside and fry until oil separates. Then add chilli powder and stir for a few seconds.

Remove the pan from heat and stir in the yogurt. Return the pan to heat, add fried onions and stir until ghee separates. Add the marinated lamb legs and fry the meat well. Add lamb stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer till done.

Remove the leg from the gravy and pass the gravy through a fine mesh sieve into a separate saucepan. Return the gravy to heat, add the legs, salt, mint and coriander leaves. Bring it to a boil and add pathar phool powder and rose petal powder. Stir well. Add saffron, stir and simmer till the gravy is of ketchup consistency. Remove and adjust the seasoning.

Arrange the legs on a serving plate, pour on the gravy and serve.