When I’m thinking about what to write for my posts my mind tends to jump around lots of topics before landing on the one that inspires me at that moment in time. There are so many different aspects to travel that I don’t feel able, or willing, to stick to just one type of post; my eclectic mind will always win! For me one of the main enjoyments of travel is trying new food and experiencing a country through its dishes. Our recent stays in Doha have opened up so many types of cuisine, each one representing a different part of the varied population that inhabits the country. It’s fantastic for a foodie like me to be able to try dishes I’d probably never see back home, so I will always give something different a try. A revelation for me has been Pakistani food which is absolutely delicious and offers alternative dishes to the usual curries that we’re familiar with. The first time I ate Pakistani food was in a restaurant called Zaoq which serves amazing dishes which I’d not come across before. One dish in particular was a revelation, Handi. It was so delicious that the next time we returned to Doha I had to go back to try it again; it was just as amazing the second time.
As anyone who knows me will testify, I love to cook. It’s probably my greatest pleasure and I can spend hours pottering around in the kitchen, sometimes following recipes but more often than not doing my own thing. Now having tried the chicken Handi at Zaoq I was determined to give it a go myself, after all how could I hold out until our next trip to Doha without it? I found an authentic recipe and set out to get the spices that I didn’t already have in my store cupboard; fenugreek leaves, mace and Kashmiri chilli powder, eventually discovering them all in the souq at the spice market.
Fenugreek leaves, Kashmiri chilli powder & mace
Once we got home I didn’t waste any time trying to make my new favourite curry. It took a lot of preparation, making pastes and getting all my spices together but oh boy was it worth it. Even though I say so myself it was the best curry I’ve ever made and, for the first time ever, was pretty similar to the dish I’d had at the restaurant. Next time I might try it with lamb as mutton is very popular in Pakistani cuisine and I’m sure it will taste just as good, if not better; of course you can also make it vegetarian if you want to. Here is the recipe I used, if you can get hold of the more unusual spices it’s well worth it. Here’s a recipe that uses store cupboard spices that are easy to get hold of if you haven’t got access to some of the ingredients in mine; Simple chicken Handi recipe. If you love curry give this a try, it’s awesome!
My chicken Handi
Chicken Handi Recipe (taken from Fas Kitchen)
Ingredients
• 1 chicken cleaned and cut into medium pieces
• 3 tbsp cashews or about 20 to 22 cashews
• 1/2 cup hot water for soaking the cashews or about 125 ml hot water
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 1 medium tomato finely chopped
• 3 to 4 medium garlic + 1/2 inch ginger crushed to a paste or 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp chopped coriander leaves/cilantro/hara dhaniya
• 1 tsp chopped mint leaves/pudina
• 1 cup water 250 ml
• 3 tbsp low fat cream 25% to 35% fat
• 1 tbsp curd/yogurt optional
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder/lal mirch powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder/haldi
• 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
• 1/2 to 3/4 tsp coriander powder/dhania powder
• 1/2 tsp kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves crushed
• a pinch of nutmeg powder or grated nutmeg
• 3 tbsp butter/oil
• salt as required
• sugar as required optional, you can add about 1/2 tsp of sugar or as per your taste
• 1 small to medium tej patta/indian bay leaf
• 2 cloves/lavang
• 1/2 inch cinnamon/dal chini
• 2 single strands of mace/jayitri
• 2 green cardamoms/hari elaichi/choti elaichi
Instructions
1 Soak cashews in half a cup of hot water for 30 minutes and grind them to a fine paste. Keep this aside.
2 Heat butter/oil in a handi or a pan. Add the whole spices – cinnamon, green cardamoms, mace, cloves and tej patta. Lightly fry the spices till it emanates a good aroma.
3 Add finely chopped onions and fry till golden brown in color.
4 Now add the ginger-garlic paste, chopped coriander and mint leaves. Stir and saute for a minute.
5 Next add the chicken and sautee the chicken till it is lightly brown in color.
6 Mix in the finely chopped tomatoes. and cook till the tomatoes soften, become pulpy and you see oil leaving the sides of the pan.
7 Now add in turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder. Give it a stir.
8 Next add the ground cashew paste and yogurt/curd. You can totally skip adding the yogurt, if you do not prefer it.
9 Keep stirring till oil/butter starts leaving the sides of the masala.
10 Now add the water and the slit green chilies. stir again and let the gravy begin to simmer. takes about 3 to 4 minutes on a low to medium flame. Now add the salt and sugar for a light sweet taste.
11 Grate a bit of nutmeg directly in the gravy. about a pinch of grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder. Then add crushed kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves and garam masala powder.
12 Lastly add cream, stir & switch off the flame.
13 Garnish with chopped coriander or mint leaves and serve chicken handi with tandoori rotis, naan, parathas or chapatis.
A couple of notes:
- Before making the nuts into a paste drain off all but around a tablespoon of the water
- To add extra umph add a couple of slit green or red chillies
Another Day Another Airport 