Delhi author-chef Sadaf Hussain on the lesser-known iftar foods found in India

An intensely informative conversation with Delhibased author and chef Sadaf Hussain steers to longforgotten simple Ramzan foods He had been ladling in lesserknown offerings from regional community kitchens such as gooler kebab rajma aur kela kebab do goshta biryani and our very favourite benami kheer made with wait for itmdashgarlicmdashat Masala Bay in Taj Lands End earlier this monthBack home in the capital after a long day of fasting Hussain looks forward to kheema or egg bhurjifilled samosas and pakoras phulkis as they are called in the North ldquoChana dal pakoras deep fried to golden brownhellip I can easily polish off 10 to 12 in one gordquo he says ldquoThen a glass of Roohafza with milk and Irsquom happy Some days I dilute it with water and a dash of lemon Kebabs are an alltime favourite Everything about them is so specialmdashthe flavour coming together of spices and textures They are so simple to make and yet so complex because of the intricacy of the recipesrdquoSadaf HussainHussainrsquos favourite is the Bihari boti kebab because ldquoItrsquos spicy itrsquos rustic has the bite of a boti and a distinct meltinthemouth texture but quite unlike the galouti kebab Pasanda a prime cut of meat is used in the recipe No one uses the cut these daysmdashitrsquos all about the boti chunks The other sharp taste comes from the use of sattu instead of besan as a binder and that of desiccated coconut and poppy seeds Fun factmdashitrsquos not called Bihari kebab in Bihar just kebabrdquoThe recipe shared here is an heirloom one made by the chefrsquos mother and nani and it brings back memories of Bakri Eid when the makeshift sigdi was brought to the aangan of his ancestral home and eight to 10 kg of marinated meat was charred on coal ldquoWersquod eat it fresh off the skewersrdquo he reminisces ldquocarefully scraping the tender droppings off the coal The house would be filled with smoke and all of us would sit next to the sigdi with pyaz and nimbu and have the kebabs without roti or naanmdashpure indulgencerdquoYoursquoll find the best kebabs in Gaya Sasaram Patna at Sabzibagh bazar in particularJamshedpur and Ranchi ldquoIrsquove had it in Delhi but it was made with botirdquo he says ldquoThe flavour was similar but the texture was disappointingmdashit wasnrsquot made from pasandardquo he addsBihari boti kebabGaram masala12 dried red chillies10 green cardamoms6 large black cardamoms2 star anise2 cloves2 tbsp whole coriander seeds2 tbsp cumin seeds4 tsp whole black peppercorns2 tsp kebabchini2 tsp fennel1 tsp mace12 tsp nutmeg2 tsp poppy seedsFor the kebabs112 kg chunks of lamb thinly sliced and pounded pasanda or parcha34 cup curd34 cup finely grated raw papaya with skin34 cup fried onions34 cup mustard oil4 tsp ginger freshly grated4 tsp garlic chopped4 tsp Bihari kebab garam masala above2 tsp red chilli powder or as per taste112 tsp cumin powder roasted1 tsp nutmeg powder1 tsp cinnamon powder34 tbsp sattu50 gm dried desiccated coconutSalt to tasteMethodIn a hot pan dry roast all the whole spices then add desiccated coconut Roast till aromatic Grind to a fine powder the garam masala is ready In a clean bowl add all the other ingredients oil and four teaspoons of garam masala Mix to a smooth paste and massage it properly onto the meat Let the meat marinate for at least 1012 hours Skewer the meat grill on an open flame brushing with ghee at regular intervals till the kebabs are cooked If you donrsquot have a barbeque grill the kebabs on a normal pan Serve with wedges of lemon onion slices and green chutneyChef Sohail Karimi breaks his fast with dates chilled water and cold watermelon wedges followed by golden crispy onion pakodas dipped in spicy tangy green coriander and mint chutney Then itrsquos time for mutton hareesmdasha nutritious dish made with wheat and proteinmdashwith crispy tandoori roti washed down with a honeydew melon and dates juiceSohail KarimiTopped with clarified butter or ghee and garnished with crispy golden fried onion and a wedge of lemon wedge harees is what Karimirsquos Ramzan and Eid dreams are made of It is considered the mother dish of the Levant region haleem and khichda are different versions of it The Chaush community of Hyderabad is credited with bringing this along with other culinary jewels from their ancestral seat in the Hadramaut region of YemenSouth ArabialdquoHarees is a complete meal by itselfrdquo says the executive chef of Radisson Blu Resort and Spa in Karjat ldquoA mixture of dried broken wheat kernels meat and spices it is traditionally slowcooked on a stove then placed in a brick oven or cooking pit for several more hours until the mixture turns soft It is handblended using a wooden beater ghotni to get a puddinglike texture The credit for a wellprepared harees goes to the person who has beaten the mixturerdquo Herersquos the chefrsquos grandmotherrsquos recipeShahi hareesIngredientsBase400 gm broken wheat 4 tbsp oats 2 tbsp yellow moong dal 2 tbsp urad dal 4 tbsp barley 2 tbsp toor dal 10 almonds 10 cashew nutsWash and soak for a minimum of six hours and drainSpecial garam masala50 gm shah jeera 50 gm green cardamon50 gm clove 50 gm cinnamon stickDry roast and grind to a fine powderFor the meat600 gm mutton leg raan 100 gm mutton fat200 gm ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp green chilli paste180 gm curd1 tsp white pepper powder 1 tsp red chilli powder 12 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp special garam masala 1 tsp lemon juiceSalt to tasteOther ingredients5 cloves30 gm shah jeera 10 black peppercorns1inch cinnamon stick3 green cardamoms 300 gm ghee 200 gm for cooking 100 gm for garnish3 tbsp chopped mint leaves3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves100 gm onion fried till golden Lemon juice or powder of dry black lemonMethodCut the mutton leg into large chunks Wash the meat and fats and strain to remove excess water Massage with masala and marinate for a few minutes Heat 200 gm of ghee in a heavybottomed pot and add whole spices Once they begging to crackle slip in the marinated chunks of mutton and fat Sauteacute on high flame for 10 to 12 minutes and add enough water to cover the meat and let simmer When it comes to a boil lower the flame cover the pot and cook it till the meat leaves the bones Then extract the bones and add the soaked lentils and nuts mixture to the pot Now comes the chopped coriander and mint leaves golden fried onion and salt Cook till lentils are mushy Turn off the flame and whip the mixture till the meat and lentils are mixed and pound to get a puddinglike texture Pour into wide bowls and garnish with ghee goldenfried onions chopped mint leaves and lemon wedgesPunebased Kashmiri chef Zahoor Mirrsquos favourite Ramzan food is seekh kebab which he loves to chase with nimbu pani with babribyol basil seeds for instant energy The holy month reminds him of the lesserknown dishes of wazwan a Kashmiri multicourse meal served at weddings such as gogji rajma mutton alubukhara korma waaz heddar palak rista mashe kebab mutton badam korma and lahabi kebab many of which are served at his Baner restaurant ChinarmdashWith Love From KashmirldquoBeing away from homerdquo he says ldquoI crave rista and gushtaba made by a waaza chef on a wood fire That taste cannot be replicated by even the greatest chef in the world My mouth waters just at the thought of the fragrance of spices lingering in the air against the backdrop of the snowcapped mountains of my village Boniyar Then therersquos our gucchi pulao made with morel mushrooms an expensive delicacy with an umami and earthy flavourrdquo He adds that his heart also ache for dishes such as shab deg a lost winter recipe cooked overnight with turnips mutton and Kashmiri spicesGucchi pulao12 cup basmati rice25 gm dried gucchi morel mushroom60 gm anar seeds1inch cinnamon stick56 cloves56 cardamom12 bay leaves1 onion sliced100 gm mozzarella cheese100 gm ghee12 tsp jeeraHandful of cashew nuts optionalMethodWash and soak basmati rice for 30 minutes Soak morel mushrooms to clean and rehydrate them and wash them until the water runs clean Mix grated mozzarella cheese and anar seeds and sprinkle some salt Stuff morel with this and stir fry them in ghee for about 30 seconds Keep aside In the same ghee fry onions cinnamon elaichi cloves jeera and bay leaf Once onions are translucent add rice and the water it was soaked in with salt When itrsquos 80 per cent done add the stirfried morels Check to season and cook till rice is completely cooked Garnish with cashews anar dana and fresh coriander Serve hot with raitaZaheer Mir Babu Abdulla and Iti MisraCulinary consultant Iti Mishrarsquos iftar memories are made of unusual dishes she has had at her friendsrsquo homes in Kolkata and Surat ldquoBonda is a popular iftar item in Suratrdquo says Misra adding ldquoBoiled whole channa dal and minced meat seasoned with coriander green chillies and spices are combined and shaped into ball hence bonda dipped into a flour batter whipped with baking soda and deepfried So you have a crisp and fluffy casing with the channa dal and keema Then therersquos lukma very fine minced meat almost like a paste mixed with spices and herbs mint parsley and coriander packed into pastry squares sealed and friedrdquo Itrsquos a version of the samosa but in small squares with a kebablike fillingrdquoldquoAnother favourite is version of Bunny Chowrdquo she says ldquothat Irsquove had at a family friendrsquos home who has connections with South Africa In this version small loaves of bread like paos are scooped out and filled with spicy curried meat or chicken The lid is closed and the small loaves are dipped in egg and deepfried Itrsquos a filled French toast of sorts In addition the Bengalis also do kachori and alur dom during this timerdquoLuqmaOf southern celebrations Chef Babu Abdullah Executive Chef The Gateway Calicut tells us of muthari sherbet made from ragi extract palm sugar coconut milk and green cardamom He tasted this unique cooler at a food festival conducted by Ummi Abdulla the doyen of Moplah cuisine from northern Kerala Pal vazhakkai a unique recipe from the region combines nendran banana sago pearls and coconut milk and is flavoured with a hint of freshly ground green cardamom ldquoThough the original recipe uses only the first and second extracts of coconut milk a variation of pal vazhakka using an equal amount of reduced milk is quite popularrdquo says AbdullahOther dish that he speaks fondly of is unnakaya made of Kerala plantains grated coconut cardamom powder cashew nuts and red raisins ldquoUnnakaya translates to Unnam and kaya or cotton pods in the local dialectrdquo he explains ldquoThe dish gets its name from the shape of cotton pods Traditionally the filling contains sweetened scrambled eggs flavoured with cardamom and enriched with desi ghee cashew nuts and red sultana Here is a more popular vegetarian versionUnnakayaIngredients400 gm nendran bananas underripe1 cup grated coconut1 tbsp cashew nuts broken1 tbsp red raisins1 tbsp sugar1 tbsp ghee12 tsp cardamom powderRefined sunflower oil to deep fryMethodSteam the bananas until well cooked Remove the skin and mash well Set aside Heat ghee in a nonstick pan and fry the cashew nut and raisins until golden Switch off the gas and add grated coconut sugar and cardamom powder Mix well to combine Divide the mashed banana into nine equalsized balls Make a dent in the middle of each and stuff it with a tablespoon of the filling Close the well and shape balls into three to fourinch long oblongs like a cotton pod Deep fry until golden brown Serve hot