Publishers : Orient Longman Ltd.
Distributors : niru_gupta@hotmail.com

Uttar Pradesh, best known as simply U. P. is one of the largest states in India. Most people who live in U.P. are either Hindus who are vegetarian, (some do not eat even garlic and onion) or Muslims who prepare the most delicious meat dishes.

The recipes I have put together in this book have been collected form different homes. The cuisine of U.P. can be categorised as:

• Vegetarian without onions and garlic

• Vegetarian with onions and garlic

• Rich Mughlai non-vegetarian food - rich in spices as well as fat.

Vegetarian

Bharwan Tinda - Round gourd stuffed with masala and cooked whole.

1. Wash the round gourd and wipe dry (if left wet, they become slimy and difficult to handle when scraped or cut). Snip off both ends, and scrape off thick skin if any. In season the vegetable is so tender that your may not need to scrape at all.

2. Make slit (for the filling) like a plus sign from one end, to almost the other end, taking care not to separate the pieces.

3. Stuff the masala filling in to the slits in the gourds, as tightly as you can.

4. Heat ghee in a heavy-based kadahi and add the round gourds into it. Add leftover masala if any and stir-fry over high heat till they look glossy. Lower heat and cook covered, till tender. It takes about an hour during which you should check on it a few times, and sprinkle some water if vegetable sticks to the kadahi. Serve hot, garnished with mint leaves.

Note : One cup (100gms) sliced onions, fried and
          crushed, can be mixed with the masala.

Non-vegetarian

Boti Kabab - Cubes of mutton or lamb marinated in light spices and grilled or barbecued.

1. Pierce the pieces of meat with a fork or skewer. Mix in all the ingredients except the roasted gram and marinate for 6 hours or even better, overnight.

2. Mix the powdered gram and skewer the meat pieces. Bake in a pre-heated oven over a drip-tray, for 15-20 minutes. Then lower the temperature and bake for another 10 minutes or till tender. Alternatively, the pieces can be grilled on a barbecue. This gives it a better flavour.

3. Serve garnished with the onions and the lemon wedges. A green chutney is good accompanied.

Breads

Roomali Roti - A large thin roti served folded like a handkerchief or roomal

1. Mix the wheat flour and refined together, and knead into a soft, sticky, dough (quite wet); cover and set aside for 2-3 hours.

2. Shape the dough into small walnut-sized rounds.

3. Place the shallow griddle up side down over the stove, and heat it. While waiting for the griddle to get hot, roll out the roti. This takes a lot of practice, because the roti should be almost translucent. The dough is so sticky and soft, that you must frequently dust it with flour.

4. When it is rolled out, keeping the heat on high, place the roti over the griddle, and leave for 10-12 seconds, or until small bubbles start appearing over the surface, and the under side is light brown. Turn over at once, and cool till the other side is a speckled brown too. Remove from griddle, fold it into quarters, and serve

Desserts and Sweets

Petha - A speciality of Agra, made from white pumpkin/ash gourd

1. Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds and the soft, fibrous portion. Cut into large, thick slices. Prick well with a fork, all over.

2. Dissolve 1 tsp of chemical lime in enough water and wash well. Cut into cubes of about 3 cms / 1½ in (or shape as desired). Make lime water solution with the remaining teaspoon of chemical lime. Soak the pumpkin pieces once more in the freshly made lime water for 2 hours.

3. Drain pieces and wash thoroughly, squeezing out water and rinsing again so that no trace of lime remains. Boil enough water to take in the pumpkin pieces, add the pieces to it, and cook till soft and transparent.

4. Meanwhile, fill 3 cups of water and the sugar in a pan; place over low heat, stirring till sugar dissolves. Bring to boil.

5. Add the milk and water mixture and continue boiling over high heat, without stirring. Skim off any scum that collects on the sides of the pan. Cook till syrup thickens a bit (about 10 minutes). A finger dipped in slightly cold syrup should form a coating in it for a few seconds.

6. Take syrup off stove and cool for a minimum of half an hour. Strain through a fine nylon sieve or muslin cloth.

7. Add the lemon juice and the cardamoms and cook till it reaches 'one thread' consistency - a drop pressed between the thumb and forefinger should form a thick thread when thumb and finger are separated. Skim off any foam that may collect along the sides of the pan.

8. Keep the syrup warm. When the pumpkin pieces are cooked, drain with a slotted spoon and transfer into the syrup. Simmer for a couple of minutes, take off stove, add the rose water and mix well.

9. Cool and serve.

Note : Keeps for a couple of months in an air-tight container in a refrigerator.