ANN/THE DAILY STAR – If you’re seeking something beyond nasi kuning and satay for your Raya celebrations, these recipes will be a delightful change. Carefully selected, they hail from various corners of the globe – spanning Southeast Asia, the Middle East and beyond. Allow the delicate flavours to tantalise your taste buds as we share these international recipes with you.
BUKHARI RICE
Bukhari rice, renowned for its rich flavour and enticing aroma, is a beloved dish across Middle Eastern nations, notably in Saudi Arabia. While its name pays homage to the renowned city of Bukhara, the recipe we’re sharing actually traces its roots back to Afghanistan.
In this rendition, a distinctive Bukhari masala blend takes centre stage as the sole spice mix to infuse the rice with its delightful flavour.
Ingredients
– One kilogramme (kg) basmati rice
– One kg chicken
– Four tablespoon (tbsp) ghee
– Half cup sliced onions
– Five green chillies
– Three carrots, julienned
– One tbsp crushed garlic
– Two tbsp tomato paste
– Two tbsp tomato ketchup
– Four cardamoms
– Four cloves
– Two sticks of cinnamon
– Two dry lemons
– Four bay leaves
– Salt, to taste
For Bukhari masala
– One teaspoon (tsp) whole peppercorns
– Four cardamom pods
– One tsp cumin seeds
– Four cloves
– Three small pieces of cinnamon
For the garnish
– One tbsp ghee
– Three tbsp raisins
– Three tbsp blanched, sliced almonds
– One tbsp fried onions
For grill
– Two tbsp oil
Method
Wash and soak the basmati rice in enough water. Wash the chicken and drain water, keep aside. Blend all the Bukhari masala and make a powder. Heat ghee in a pan, add whole garam masala. Add sliced onions and sauté. Then add green chillies and chicken. Fry for 10 minutes.
Add tomato paste, tomato ketchup, Bukhari masala, dry lemon, salt and cook for another 10 minutes. The chicken will release water, so you don’t need to add any extra water. Cook the chicken until its cooked nice and tender. Remove the chicken on a plate and keep aside.
Add water to the remaining masala in the same pan and bring to a boil. Now, add soaked rice, carrots, green chillies, and salt. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Switch off the flame and leave it for later use. Heat another pan, and add oil to the grill. Add the cooked chicken, and fry until crisp on all the sides. Remove from heat and keep aside. Fry the sliced almonds and raisins.
In a serving dish, place cooked rice, add grilled chicken, and finally, garnish with fried raisins and almonds.
KUZU TANDIR (TURKISH ROASTED LAMB)
Kuzu tandir is the most famous lamb dish in Turkish cuisine. It’s lamb so fragrant and tender that it falls away from the bone and melts in your mouth like cotton candy. Kuzu tandir is a slow-cooked dish traditionally cooked in a clay, tandoor oven for long hours, until fork tender.
(This means a fork will glide through the lamb pieces easily.) Its name, tandir comes from the ancient technique of cooking meat in a special oven made from a pit in the soil.
Ingredients
– One leg of lamb with thigh
– Quarter cup olive oil
– Two tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
– One tbsp salt
– One tsp black pepper, freshly ground
– Four to five bay leaves
– One tbsp ginger paste
– One tbsp garlic paste
– One tbsp oregano
– Half cup hot water
Method
Wash and clean off excess fat from the lamb leg. Then, have the leg separated into three pieces at the joints. Preheat oven to 280 degrees Fahrenheit (°F). Place the lamb in a shallow metal oven roasting tray. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and spices. Pour the mixture over the lamb and rub the mixture all over the lamb properly. Add the bay leaves and oregano. Place the tray in the oven.
Let the lamb cook slowly at low temperature for about one and a half hours.
After 30 minutes, turn the pieces of lamb over. Repeat this process two more times during cooking. When one and a half hours have passed pour half cup of hot water over the meat, then close the roasting pan completely with aluminium foil. Turn up the oven temperature to 360°F and leave the meat to roast for at least an hour more.
After one hour, remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for five minutes. Remove the foil. Kuzu Tandir is ready to serve.
BEEF RENDANG
Beef rendang, a Malaysian curry, is considered by many as the king of all curries! Originally from Indonesia, but now more well known as a Malaysian speciality, beef rendang is an extravagantly rich and flavourful dish that takes time to prepare but is easy to cook.
Ingredients
For the spice paste
– 12 dried chillies
– One large onion, finely chopped
– Five cloves garlic, minced
– Three lemongrass stalks, white part only
– Two tbsp fresh, minced ginger
– Three tbsp oil
For the curry
– One kg chuck steak, beef cut into four centimetres (cm) cubes
– One tbsp oil
– One cinnamon stick
– Quarter tsp clove powder
– Three pieces of star anise
– Half tsp cardamom powder
– One lemongrass stick, the bottom half of the stick only
– 400 millilitres (ml) coconut milk
– Two tsp tamarind puree
– Four large lime leaves, very finely sliced
– One-third cup desiccated coconut (finely shredded coconut)
– One tbsp brown sugar
– Salt to taste
Method
Place spice paste ingredients in a food processor and whizz until fine. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large, heavy-based pot over high heat. Add the beef and fry until brown. Remove from pan and keep aside. Lower heat to medium-low.
Add spices paste and cook for two to three minutes until the water has reduced and the spices paste darkens. Add remaining curry ingredients and fried beef. Stir to combine. Put the lid on and leave it to simmer for one hour 15 minutes on low heat. Remove the lid and check the beef to see how tender it is. Turn up heat to medium and reduce the sauce for 10-15 minutes. Stirring now and then at first, then frequently towards the end or until the beef browns and the sauce coats the beef.
Remove from heat and serve.
HALLA KEBAB (EGYPTIAN BRAISED BEEF AND ONIONS)
Halla kebab is a signature Egyptian dish that makes an appearance at many celebrations. It consists of tender beef braised in a velvety sauce of caramelised onions.
The word kebab might make you think of charred, sizzling skewers of minced meat over a ranging fire spit, but Halla kebab is an iconic Egyptian dish of braised beef and onions.
Ingredients
– One kg boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into one-inch cubes
– Half kg onions
– One tbsp ginger-garlic paste
– Two tbsp ghee
– Two bay leaves
– Half tsp salt
– 125ml water
– Two tbsp fried onions
– One tbsp coriander leaves
– One tbsp seven spice mix powder (Coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamoms, and nutmeg)
– Freshly ground black pepper, as required
Method
Peel the onions. Then halve and slice them, but not too thin. Grind the seven-spice mix and keep it aside. Heat ghee in a Dutch oven or slow cooker and brown the beef all over for about three minutes on each side. Add the onions, ginger-garlic paste, cumin paste, bay leaves, and salt. Stir and bring to a simmer. Then reduce the heat, as we didn’t add any water. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, stir it, and add water. Add seven-spices mix and stir. Bring it back to a simmer, cover and cook for another 45 minutes, or until the beef is cooked and is fork tender. Check seasoning and sprinkle freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with fried onions and coriander leaves. Serve hot. – Salina Parvin
