Pickles it is!

However you decide on plating the many types by PRAN Achar, this very element should prove to the rest of the world the very eloquence and finesse of our gastronomical mastery.

Achari Gosht

Achari Gosht is a wonderful Awadhi cuisine of Uttar Pradesh which is cooked with mutton bringing out pickled flavor or achari flavor into it. Different versions of achari Gosht recipe can be made but the key ingredients into making this dish would be onion seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds as these ingredients give the pickled flavour to the dish. Achari Gosht recipe is usually a dish commonly made in North India with the flavour of Indian pickles.

Ingredients

For marination

1kg beef, in pieces

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

2 tbsp thick yogurt

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 cup turmeric powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp PRAN Achar

For gravy

3 medium onions, chopped

1 inch ginger

4 tomatoes

2 green chillies

5 dry red chillies

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

3 tbsp mustard oil

Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Salt to taste

Method:

First, clean and wash meat pieces and leave it in a strainer for 15 minutes to drain out excess water. Now in a mixing bowl, take all the ingredients listed under marination category, mix all of them together, along with PRAN Achar, and leave it for at least 30 minutes. In a pan, dry roast red chillies, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds onion seeds for 4 to 5 minutes. Cool slightly and then grind coarsely with the help of pestle and mortar. Heat mustered oil in a thick bottomed pan, cool it and then heat it again. Now add onion and saute till brown. Add ground masala powder and saute it for one minute. Now add marinated meat, cook on high heat till meat pieces are well browned. At this stage, add tomatoes and cook this until it starts leaving oil. Then add two cups of water and cover the pan with lid. Lower down to medium heat and cook till the meat is properly cooked while stirring and checking the tenderness occasionally. Once it's cooked properly, switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves. Enjoy it with roti, naan or rice. Dip the roti in a bit of PRAN Achar for that extra tanginess.

Gulabari Kofta Biryani

Ingredients

2 tbsp rose water

Rose petals for garnishing

2 cup basmati rice, soaked

5 cloves

1 tsp black peppercorns

5 green cardamoms

1 inch cinnamon

2 tbsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp garam masala powder

3 tbsp ghee

2 medium onions, sliced

1 cup yoghurt, 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste

2 green chillies, chopped

2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves

PRAN Achar, as required

For Kofta

500g meat mince, beef or mutton

2 medium onions, chopped

2 green chillies, chopped

2 tbsp ginger, chopped

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

Salt to taste, 1 egg

Method

Place cloves, peppercorns, cardamoms, and cinnamon in a mortar and grind to a coarse powder. Take out half of the mixture from the mortar, and add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder and grind further till well mixed. Transfer the other half of the coarse powder in a grinder jar and grind into a fine powder, and set aside. Heat ghee on a non-stick pan. Add onion and half of the coarse spice powder. Mix well and sauté till onions turn brown. Remove the pan from heat and add yoghurt and mix well. Add ginger garlic paste, chopped green chillies, coriander, the remaining coarse spice powder and mix well; place the pan back on heat. To make koftas, combine meat mince, chopped onion, green chillies, chopped ginger, chopped coriander, salt, spice powder and egg in a blender jar and blend well. Transfer the mixture into a bowl. Divide the meat mince mixture into equal portions shaped into small balls and place the balls in the pan. Mix lightly and simmer for a few seconds till the koftas retain their shape. Add rice, stir gently and add 4 cups of water. Stir again, cover and cook for 20 minutes. When it is done, drizzle rose water and garnish with rose petals. Serve hot with PRAN Achar as a side dish. Achar goes tremendously well with biriyani.

Food prepared by Salina Parvin