Eat Like A Royal

India is not only culturally rich but also prosperous because of its exotic spices and splendid cuisine. Despite touring countries across the world and trying various cuisines, you can never get enough of the tropical flavours of MughLai and tandoor dishes. Renaissance Lucknow Hotel has curated The following delectable delicacies which are perfect to go with naan, kulcha or jeera rice. Happy eating, folks!

GolBoti Angara

Ingredients
• ½ kg mutton boneless
• 2 tbsp oil
• 5-6 medium onion chopped
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds (shahi jeera)
• 50 g resham patti chilli paste
• 3 g cinnamon powder
• 3 g star anise powder
• 2 tbsps ginger-garlic paste
• 5-6 curry leaves
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds
• Salt to taste
• Turmeric powder to taste
• Red chilli powder to taste
• 2 tbsps garam masala powder
• Fresh coriander leaves chopped for garnish

Method
• Heat 2 tbsps oil in a non-stick pan.
Add onions and saute till it gets brown in colour.
• Add mutton and saute it becomes golden.
• Add shahi jeera, curry leaves and mustard seeds and saute it.
• Add ginger-garlic paste, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, star anise powder and cinnamon powder and mix well. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or till the mutton gets cooked.
• Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves and roasted peanuts.

Singhade Mirch Ki Subzi

Ingredients
• 250 gms chestnut/singhara
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tsp mustard oil
• A pinch of asafoetida
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves chopped
• Jodhpuri mirch (big-size green chilli)
• Chilli flakes
• 2 large-sized onions chopped
• 2 large-sized tomatoes
• Lemon wedges

Method
• Wash and peel off singhara/chestnut.
• Take a pan and heat 2 tsps of mustard oil. Once it starts leaving the smoke switch off the gas for a few seconds so that you don’t burn the spices.
• Switch it on again after it cools down a bit.
• In a bowl, mix all the dry masala items except salt and garam masala.
• Put cumin seeds in the oil, let them crackle.
• Add the dry spices mix. Saute for a few seconds.
• Add onion and tomato, chestnut/singhara and saute it; after 7 minutes add water.
• Cover it for 15 minutes.
• Open the lid and garnish with chopped fresh coriander.

Murgh Korma

Ingredients
• Chicken cut into 8 pieces
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• Salt to taste
• 3 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp shahi jeera
• 150 g brown onions
• 2 tbsp poppy seeds (khuskhus/posto) soaked and ground
• 8-10 cashew nuts soaked and ground
• 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp red chilli powder
• 2 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 2-3 green chillies slit
• 2 tbsp mawa (khoya) grated
• Few sprigs of fresh coriander leaves chopped

Method
• Marinate chicken in ginger paste, garlic paste and salt and keep for half an hour. Heat the ghee in a kadai and add cumin seeds. When the seeds begin to change colour, add brown onion paste and sauté it.
• Add cashew nut paste, poppy seed paste, desiccated coconut, milk and sauté till fat separates. Add the chicken pieces, and stir well till masala coats the chicken. Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder and slit green chllies and stir well. Add two cups water and bring it to boil. Adjust salt. Cover and cook for fifteen to twenty minutes or till chicken is done. Lastly add khoya and half the cream and stir well.
• Serve hot, garnished with the remaining cream and chopped coriander leaves.

Tandoori Kukkad

Ingredients
For the marinade
• 1 cup plain yoghurt (either whole or skimmilk)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp whole spice
• 1 tsp fresh coarse ground black pepper
• ½ tbsp crushed coriander
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp finely minced garlic
• 1 tbsp Thai chilli paste with garlic (optional, but recommended!)
• 12 pieces chicken (6 pc drumsticks and 6 pc. boneless or bone-in thighs, 4 breast halves and 4 leg quarters, etc)
• 3 slices of raw onions, separated into rings, for a garnish
• 1⁄2 lemon, cut into slices, for garnish

Method
• In a small mixing bowl, stir together the yoghurt and lemon juice. Add the spices, minced garlic, and chilli paste, and whisk until you have a smooth, thick marinade.
• Put 6 pieces of the chicken in each of two zip-lock bags, and add 1/2 the marinade to each bag. Zip close and knead the bags until the chicken is well-coated with marinade. Open bags slightly, squeeze out most of the air, and zip close again. Refrigerate for 12-24 hours. If serving this for dinner, I usually make the marinade and soak the chicken the evening before.
• Turn the bags and knead the marinating chicken once or twice while it’s in the refrigerator.
• When you are ready to cook, take the chicken out of the refrigerator, line a large roasting pan with foil, lay a rack over the pan so air can circulate under the roasting chicken, and pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. If you have a convection bake or convection roast cycle, use that.
• Place the chicken pieces on the rack so they are not touching. Empty what is left of the marinade into a bowl or measuring cup and touch up any “empty” spots on the chicken pieces with the marinade.
• Once the oven is hot, put the pan with the chicken in the oven, and leave the door closed (no peeking!). Turn the chicken pieces once after 30 minutes of cooking time, then roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until slightly charred on the second side, but no more than 15 minutes for legs and thighs. If you are cooking breasts, poke one with a skewer to make sure the juices run clear.
• Now turn the owen off, and let the chicken rest in the closed oven for 20-30 minutes more (not critical, but no peeking!).
• Remove the chicken to a warm platter, garnish with the onion rings and a few squeezes of lemon, and enjoy!

Anari Prawns Masala

Ingredients
For Paste
• 3 onion
• 5 dry kashmiri red chillies
• 3 spicy dry red chilies of any type (optional)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ½ tbsp coriander seed (dhaniya)
• 1 tsp caraway seed (shahi jeera)
• 1 tsp cumin seed (jeera)
• 1 tsp fennel seed (saunf)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2-3 cloves
• 7-8 peppercorns
• 1 star anise
• 6 green cardamom
• 1 black cardamom
• 2 black cardamom
• 2 stone flower (dagdaphool)
• 1 tbsp poppy seed (khuskhus)

For Marination
• 300 g prawns de-veined and cleaned
• ½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tbsp vinegar or lime juice
• 1 tsp salt

For Masala
• 3 tbsps oil
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Few mint leaves
• 1 tsp raw mango powder (amchur)
• Anardana powder
• Fresh anar
• Salt as per taste

Method
• Marinate prawns with ginger-garlic paste, vinegar and salt for 10-15 mins.
• Boil onion and both varieties of red chillies in water for 5-7 mins. Allow to cool and peel off the onion skin and chop them.
• Take 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick vessel/pan and saute all the ingredients for the paste. Saute until they start leaving an aroma.
• Combine fried spices, boiled onion and red chilli paste in a grinder. Grind until all blend well and add a little water if required. The paste should be smooth and thick.
• Take the same nonstick pan and add rest of oil. Once oil is hot add the grounded paste.
• Cover the mixture and allow to cook on medium heat. Fry for 3-4 mins or until the paste starts leaving the edges of the pan.
• Add turmeric powder, the marinated prawns, salt and mint leaves.
• Mix all nicely and cook uncovered until the mixture gets dry and starts leaving oil around the edges. Sprinkle amchur and fresh anardana and mix nicely. Switch off the gas.
• Squeeze some lime juice and serve the prawns masala hot with rice or roti.