I have long cooked my curries in cast iron cookware but  I bought a Ninja slow cooker for making bone broth as my previous slow cooker seemed to boil everything,  even when on low.
The ninja has a sear function and I thought I would give it a go to brown onions and meat then turn it onto slow cooker and compare how the curries turned out.
I tried an often cooked Madhur Jaffrey Rogan Josh made with shin of beef, and a traditional north Indian korma with mutton, no cream or nuts, which is one of our regular recipes.
There is no comparison. Neither of those cooked in the ninja came out with any great depth of flavour. They seemed a bit wishy washy in comparison to our usual dishes.
I cooked another mutton korma today and the depth of flavour between the two was very noticeable.
Whether it is because I am unfamiliar with cooking in the ninja may be the reason, but a long slow cook in a Le Creuset pan returned a much better result.

I've been catching up on the Food Network's Secret of the Curry Kitchen with Asma Khan.
Interesting how she cooks the Dishes in her Darjeeling Express restaurant in London.

The dishes are cooked in bulk in a home style way instead of using base sauces etc.

Some of the dishes are on the food network web site and I already have my eye on the duck leg bhuna as well as the Railway Curry.

I also fancied the Kosha Mangso. The recipe for this wasn't on the website but Maunika Gowardhan has one on her site which I intend to try on Bank Holiday Monday. Only difference is I am using goat instead of lamb that is in the recipe. I've just pulled a kilo out of the freezer.

https://foodnetwork.co.uk/search?q=Secrets%20of%20the%20curry%20kitchen

Edit, I've also been dropping off at night to Radio Leicester's Mission Curry podcast. Some interesting guests for a low budget offering.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0h5tqf2?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

I'm currently staying away from home on business, and the company have put me up in one of the cheaper chains with breakfast and evening meal included.
One of the dishes on the limited menu is described as a butter chicken dish, with rice and a popodum.

The waitress was Indian so I asked what the dish was like, did the sauce come out of a jar etc, etc, etc.

Putting on her corporate face she told me it was a nice dish and I would enjoy it. I explained that I cooked traditional Indian dishes at home, made my own masala's and was proud of my prowess with the food of the continent.

She bent down and whispered in my ear "don't eat it, it's horrible". Enough said!

I trawl through many many Indian food blogs, mostly those with recipes I can try out at home. I will also look at recipes on these blogs to see what subtle and not so subtle changes they each provide for one given dish, Rogan Josh, Achari chicken etc. I then like to play around with these subtleties to see what best suits my palate.
One blog I follow that has no recipes on the site is the Good Korma blog https://goodkorma.com/
It is part travelogue, part book review and a lot of good stories and interviews with some of the leading lights in the U.K. Indian food trade, including Will Bowlby, Vivek Singh and Asma Khan.
The author's dedication/obsession with Indian food is unique. And as I write it is still being updated with contributions from March 2025. Unlike a lot of blogs that remain online for years after their last instalment.
Give it a look, there is plenty to read on the subject of Indian food, but beware...no recipes!

I cooked the Dishoom Dhal Makhani tonight, but instead of bubbling for hours on the stove I made it in the slow cooker.
The wife had a generous portion poured over a jacket potato with some petit pois to accompany.
I'm currently on an elemental diet, doctors orders, so could only watch with envy as she savoured every mouthful whilst I drank my prescription "milk shake".

Slow cooker dishoom dhal recipe was from here https://www.happyveggiekitchen.com/dishoom-dal-in-the-slow-cooker/

I'm looking to make a hybrid roast dinner with curry flavours.
The roasted spatchcock chicken and potatoes will be Indian spiced.
I intend to make a quick stock from the discarded spine and wing tips from the chicken with the usual onion, carrot and celery which I can then add spices, or a homemade paste, to pour into the roasting tray to make a type of "Chicken Curry Bisto Gravy " to pour over the final dish.
Everything I have looked at on the web takes me to a base curry sauce, or a chip shop curry sauce; not quite what I'm looking for.
Has anyone ever come across something similar?

Diwali 2024 is upon us. I was wondering if anyone was planning the festival to do anything special.

I won't be cooking until the weekend but am planning a chicken dish and a goat dish.
Not sure which yet.

In the formative curry eating days of my youth it was always my preferred starter in a British Indian Restaurant, being dry, salty and fishy...it appealed. Like marmite you either loved it or hated it.

Then the EU banned its importation following a food poisoning scare and the producers back in India couldn't meet the strict EU processing rules. Now it is back in force and I see it in most of the Indian grocers that I frequent.

I have recently been considering adding some to flavour ghee or oil at the beginning of the cooking process, similar to the way some dissolve anchovies in oil at the start of a ragu, or similar; a process I often use to add that extra Umami.

I have trawled the web and can find no previous reference to using BD in this way and wondered whether anyone else has come across the process?

I Know BD can be made into a pickle
https://www.hildastouchofspice.com/2012/07/dried-bombay-duck-chilli-fry-sukha-bombil.html
where it is partially rehydrated and then fried, but I was specifically thinking of it as a tempering, possibly ground up to a fine powder.

We have a curryfest planned for Saturday 10th August.
I am planning on trying some new dishes rather than stick to my usual tried and tested repertoire so have pored over the Dishoom cookbook.
I thought I would trial some of the planned dishes so did the tikkas for their Chicken Ruby, and the murgh malai.
Got them cooking on the BBQ whilst dinner was in the oven. We trialled a couple of pieces and they were worth doing; I reckon both will go down well at the Curryfest.
The lighter colour is the murgh malai.

As someone who prefers traditional curries as opposed to BIR, I wondered what you guys thought of the recipes on the Royal Curry Club website.
https://royalcurryclub.co.uk/restaurant-curries/

Are any of these on a par with what you guys turn out on a regular basis?

Did any of them originate from here? This site has been going so long that it wouldn't surprise me if recipes have been harvested from here.

I stumbled across the site when looking for a traditional mirchwangan korma. A couple of brave hearts at work want to try one.

https://www.ft.com/content/2165379e-b4b2-11e5-8358-9a82b43f6b2f#slide0

A 2016 article from the FT on the problems facing the Indian restaurant industry. Overheads up and profit down.
Couple of interesting facts in the article, including the largest seller of curries was (in 2016) Wetherspoons, and one restauranteur claiming the curries from M&S are superior to most curry houses.
We very rarely buy an Indian take away now, I tend to make the more traditional curries and what we don't eat immediately goes into the freezer. We will then pull out two or three curries and have them for dinner later on.
For dinner tonight we have a lamb kofta curry and a green chicken curry defrosting in the fridge. A dahl and some stir fried spinach should make for a good meal.
T63

Nothing new to you guys here searching for the Holy Grail of BIR Curries, but Dean Edward's gives his view in this artice


https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/this-is-the-surprising-secret-behind-making-an-authentic-indian-curry-at-home_uk_66696aa2e4b01bc0ceedda58/

What a base gravy is, and how to prepare it

Chef Dean Edwards, a self-proclaimed "CEO of Fakeaway Recipes" and previous contestant on Masterchef, posted on his TikTok to explain the importance of a base gravy and how to prepare it.
Edwards said: "Restaurants use a base gravy, which adds an incredible amount of flavour."
According to Edwards, this is the starting point in Indian restaurants and the key to making your curries at home taste more authentic and flavourful,

The ingredients are:
50g ghee or oil
5 large onions sliced
4 carrots peeled and diced
1 large red pepper deseeded and diced
2 tbsp. garlic and ginger paste
1 heaped tbsp. garam masala
1 heaped tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. paprika
1 x 400g tin plum tomatoes
1 tbsp. tomato puree
It takes around an hour all in to prepare but it makes 5 portions, which can be refrigerated for three days or a massive four weeks in the freezer.
This base gravy is a foundation to build any curry on and the full recipe can be found on the Dean Edwards website.

This is my version of a great Madhur Jaffrey dish from her "Curry Easy" cookbook.
The Queen of spice uses a mix of paprika and cayenne to get the colour and heat into the recipe, I found two tablespoons of Kashmiri chilli powder gives the right result for us. Madhur also uses 4 cups (or a litre) of water in the dish, I find this is way too much and I end up boiling it down to reduce to our preferred consistency, I always use home made bone broth in my recipes in place of water; it provides additional depth of flavour. Also MJ calls for 1.5 teaspoons of salt, this can be too much so I add 1 teaspoon at the start and season to taste at the end.

Rajasthani Red Meat

Ingredients
4 tablespoons ghee
Two 3-inch cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
10 cardamom pods, bruised
1 large red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 teaspoons very finely grated peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1kg stewing lamb, preferably from the shoulder, trimmed of fat and sinew
1 teaspoons salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons Kashmiri chilli powder
500ml stock or water (I use bone broth, homemade)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

Method
Put the ghee into a large, heavy pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and cardamom. Let the spices sizzle for a few seconds.

Put in the onions. Stir and fry until they turn a reddish brown. Add the ginger, garlic, and coriander. Stir for a minute.

Add the lamb, salt, and Kashmiri chilli. Stir the lamb around for 3–4 minutes. Now add the stock or water and bring to a boil.

Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer about 60 minutes or until the meat is tender. Add more stock/water if required.

Once the meat is soft, taste for seasoning and sprinkle the coriander over the top before serving.

Aktar on line are offering a nice Tandoori box deal for the bank holiday weekend at £80. I toyed with ordering one for the BBQ but you have to get in early to reserve one and then if the weather is bad it spoils it.

So if I find the time I may try and replicate the dishes for when the family are round...weather permitting.

https://aktarathome.co.uk/order-online/?mc_cid=adbc4dc01f&mc_eid=57ed0f0860#

THE MENU

Enjoy a selection of Aktar's signature Tandoori style marinated meats; perfect for a family BBQ this summer.

AFGHANI LAMB (D)
Wiltshire lamb cutlets in a sweet date & sultana marinade, spiced with toasted black cumin, green and black cardamom

MAAS KE SOOLEY
Fillets of beef marinated in raw papaya, garlic, smoked ghee, Kashmiri chilli, black cardamom & nutmeg

ADRAKI MURGH (D)
Cotswold white drumsticks marinated in Kashmiri chilli, fresh and dry ginger, toasted cumin & coriander

TULSI MURGH (D)
Chicken thigh in an herby marinade of fresh basil, coriander, fenugreek & green chilli

ACHARI MURGH (D)
Chicken wings marinated in yoghurt, North indian pickling spices, Kashmiri chilli & garam masala


SERVED WITH

SAMOSAS (G)(V)
16 large Punjabi Potato & Pea Samosas

NAAN (G)(V)
Unleavened flatbread cooked in a tandoor

CHUTNEY (D)(V)
Mint raitha

I saw this article on Apple News and thought it may be of interest to some of those here. Indian with no chilli or potatoes? Makes you think.

Since it opened in 2015, Nirmal's has been trying to expand what Seattleites imagine when they think of "Indian food." Every two months the Pioneer Square restaurant rotates its menu to highlight a different Indian state, and in that process owner Oliver Bangera winds up doing a fair amount of research into not just the composition of dishes, but the history behind them. For instance, the Kashmiri dish rogan josh has no onion or garlic because it was served to the king of Kashmir, who as a Kashmiri Brahman did not eat onion or garlic, Bangera says. So much of Indian cuisine contains lineages like that, stretching back through the country's millennia-long history.

On Monday, March 18, Nirmal's will make its first attempt at excavating some of that history with Pangat, a dinner that features dishes that would have been eaten 1,000 years ago, or at least the restaurant's best attempt at replicating them.

To achieve this, Bangera worked with culinary historian Andrea Gutiérrez, a professor at the University of Austin, who spent hours translating recipes in Sanskrit and other old languages into recipes Nirmal's team could use. Sometimes, Bangera says, this meant turning something that was more like a "description of a dish" into a recipe; it also meant converting whatever units of measurement the 11th-century chefs were using into the metric system.

Bangera tells Eater Seattle that he wasn't sure if the dining public would share his interest in history, but the response was overwhelming — 100 tickets to Pangat sold out in a day, prompting Nirmal's to release 20 more tickets, which also got snapped up. "I was floored," the owner says.

Diners will be encountering an unfamiliar version of Indian food, one that predates contact with the Americas and therefore doesn't have a lot of ingredients that are now central to the cuisine. "One thousand years ago we did not have chilies in India. And we didn't have potatoes in India. We didn't have tomatoes in India. No cauliflower, no cabbage, no carrots, no peas, no peanuts. No cashew nuts," Bangera says. "None of those existed 1,000 years ago [in India]. Imagine Indian food without chiles!" Samosas, which today are often filled with vegetables like potatoes and peas, "were strictly a meat dish" in the 11th century, he says.

"There's this illusion today that so much Indian food is vegetarian," Gutiérrez tells Eater Seattle. In fact, a lot of the food at the time was marinated in yogurt and fried in ghee; because of this, Pangat will not be able to accomadate vegans. There will be a lot of vegetables used for this meal, however, like eggplant, pumpkin, unripe mango, and unripe jackfruit, all of which are native to India. Cumin, coriander, and long pepper — fruitier than its cousin black pepper — will provide spice.

Gutiérrez says that in India, it's relatively common for high-end restaurants to do "popular renditions" of historical dishes. "But nobody who prepares that stuff is actually a historian," she says. "They're just kind of making it up as they go along." It's not possible to completely replicate the food that would have been eaten 1,000 years ago, especially on an entirely different continent where the vegetables will inevitably taste different, but Nirmal's is making a good-faith effort, she says.

Bangera plans to continue putting on events that highlight historical dishes. He'd love to do a "palace dinner" based on what would have been eaten by Indian royalty, or a dinner focusing on what soldiers on military campaigns would have eaten, or what an Ayurvedic diet would have looked like in the 11th century. Nirmal's will also reproduce this dinner when Gutiérrez's book comes out in a couple of years.
"The goal is not to stop here but to keep exploring," Bangera says.

By Harry Cheadle | March 5, 2024 3:43 pm

This guy knowingly ate a curry with nuts in despite having a nut allergy. He had previously tolerated the nuts but apparently died after one mouthful.

Sad that this guy passed away but I am pleased the restaurant is not facing prosecution as they correctly advised the dish was prepared with nuts.

I wonder how may dishes in a restaurant could inadvertently contain nuts and have a similar result


https://metro.co.uk/2024/03/07/man-27-died-eating-a-single-mouthful-takeaway-chicken-curry-20423864/amp/

Seeing the renewed interest in the Chicken Bhuna thread (Let's talk curry) I thought I would add a couple of recipes I have used at home. The first is adapted from a Times of India recipe. This is the sort of quick after work curry I would make for me and the wife having done most of the cooking a day or two before and then just reheating and adding the final touches before serving.

The second recipe is a bit more involved and comes from Swasthi's recipes
https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/
This has more depth of flavour and I would usually make this as part of a curry fest for friends and family.

Chicken Bhuna adapted from a recipe at Times of India

Ingredients
1 kilogram bone in skinless chicken pieces, excess fat removed. (I use thighs)
Fine sea salt
Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vinegar (I use white wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon turmeric
2 tablespoon ginger paste
2 tablespoon garlic paste
4 tablespoon ghee
1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
4 large red onions finely chopped
4 medium tomatoes, puréed 

1/2 tablespoon ground Kashmiri chilli powder

1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 tablespoon amchoor (ground dried mango)
8 tablespoons thick natural yoghurt.
1/2 tablespoon garam masala 

A handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped

2 tablespoon fresh cream

Method
Prepare the marinade. Place chicken pieces into a bowl and add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, vinegar, 1/2 tbsp turmeric, half the ginger paste and half of the garlic paste. Coat the chicken and marinate for as long as possible in the fridge – at least an hour or preferably overnight.

Remove the chicken from the fridge one hour before starting to cook.



Put ghee in a pot over medium heat. When hot and shimmering add the cumin seeds and let them splutter for a few seconds. Add the finely chopped onions and sauté them for 5 minutes. Once the onions are translucent, add the remaining ginger and garlic pastes. Mix well and sauté for a few more minutes until the raw aroma is cooked out.



Add the puréed tomatoes to the pot, along with the remaining turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder and amchoor. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste and stir, bring to a simmer then cover and allow it to cook for five minutes. Remove the lid, stir then allow it to simmer uncovered until the ghee separates.


Now put in 1 tablespoon of the yogurt and stir for about 30 seconds until yogurt is well blended. Add the remaining yogurt, a tablespoon at a time in the same way. Once all the yoghurt is mixed in continue to stir for another 3-4 minutes.



Add the marinated chicken pieces to the pan and and mix to coat them well. Cook for 5 minutes over a high heat stirring occasionally to prevent the sauce from sticking. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 30 - 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water as required to obtain the desired consistency, but consider that Bhuna chicken should invariably be served in a thick sauce.



Once the chicken is cooked stir in the garam masala and  garnish with chopped coriander leaves and swirls of fresh cream. Check the seasoning and serve immediately.

Chicken Bhuna Masala from Swasthi's Recipes

Ingredients
1 kg chicken breast or boneless thighs, cubed
1 tablespoon ghee
2 dried red chillies
1 bay leaf
2 black cardamoms
4 green cardamoms
4 cloves
2 inch stick of cinnamon

Ground Spice Mix
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Kashmiri Red chilli powder
2 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground fennel

Marinade
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Bhuna Masala
4 tablespoons oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 to 2 green chillies, slit
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 medium tomato deseeded and chopped or one small tin
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
8 tablespoons greek yoghurt
1½ tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves, crushed
Handful finely chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Method
Mix together all the ground spices – red chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, cumin, black pepper & fennel.
Place chicken in a lidded container. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt,  ½ tablespoon of ginger garlic paste and half of the mixed ground spices. Pour over the lemon juice, mix to combine then cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.

Remove the chicken from the fridge one hour before starting to cook.

Heat oil in a wok or pan over medium heat.
Add onions and green chillies. Sauté for 6 to 7 minutes and then reduce heat to medium low until onions turn golden brown but not burnt.
Add ginger garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell has gone.
Stir in the remaining half of the ground spices and continue to sauté until the smell of the raw spices has gone.

Stir in the tomatoes and salt. Cook until the mix reduces and the oil starts to form around the edge. Now put in 1 tablespoon of the yogurt and stir and fry for about 30 seconds until yogurt is well blended. Add the remaining yogurt, a tablespoon at a time in the same way. Stir and fry for another 3-4 minutes until the yoghurt cooks down and the masala starts to thicken.

As the masala cooks, in another pan, heat 1 tablespoon ghee. Add the red chilies and let them fry for 30 to 40 seconds.

Add all the remaining whole spices – bay leaf, cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon stick, sauté until the cardamoms and cloves swell and the spices release their aroma.

Add the chicken and all the marinade ingredients and fry on a medium high heat for 2 to 3 mins and then reduce the heat for a further 3 minutes until the chicken has coloured. 

Add the chicken and 2 tablespoons of the chopped coriander leaves to the masala and continue to sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.

Cover and cook on a low heat, until the chicken is fully cooked through, add a splash of hot water if the masala starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, pouring it in at the side and not over the chicken.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle in the crushed kasuri methi and mix well, then garnish with the remaining chopped coriander leaves.

I have cooked this now on several occasions for a number of people, and it goes down very well each time. Not overly hot but a fine balance. I use goat and marinade for at least a couple of days and cook until nice and soft. I use cast iron pans when cooking curries so I can take this off the heat with the lid on and it will keep warm for a long time.

North Indian Mutton or Lamb Korma Recipe from Times of India.

This lamb korma is made in the North Indian style using ingredients like onions, yogurt, ghee and spices that yield a rich and delicious dish. Golden onions also known as fried onions or brown onions along with yogurt form the base of this mutton korma.

For Marination
500 grams mutton or lamb (or goat in my house)
1 cup yoghurt
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste fresh
½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon red chilli powder (use as needed)
1 tablespoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 green chilli slit

Whole Spices (or use 1½ tsp garam masala)
4 to 6 cloves
2 inch cinnamon piece
6 green cardamoms
2 small black cardamoms
½ teaspoon lightly crushed black pepper

Other ingredients
3 medium onions thinly sliced or use 1 cup supermarket pre-fried onions
3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter or oil)
2 cups hot water Use more if needed

Optional (for authentic flavours)
1 strand mace
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg (jaiphal powder, refer notes)
1 teaspoon kewra water (or ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder)

Instructions

Marination for mutton korma

Wash the mutton well and drain the water. Put it in a a bowl for marination. Next add all the spices – coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric and the whole spices – cinnamon, cardamoms, black cardamoms, pepper and cloves (or 1½Garam Masala)

Add ginger garlic paste, green chilli, salt and yogurt.
Mix all of these and cover it.

Marinade for at least 2 hours or, preferably, overnight in the fridge.
The marinade works as a tenderiser. So the longer the lamb meat is allowed to rest the more tender it turns.

How to make lamb korma

Heat ghee or oil in a wide heavy bottom pan or pot.
Separate the layers of onions and slide them to the hot oil or ghee.
Fry them until deep golden stirring often. The onions must be uniformly browned without burning. This may take about 8 to 10 mins.

Cool these completely and pulse them coarsely in a blender. Do not over blend as they begin to release a lot of oil. If your grinder is unable to grind, you may add 2 tbsps of water or yogurt to help grind. Set this aside.

To the same pan, add the lamb marinade and mix it. Begin to sauté on a medium heat for about 10 mins.

Yogurt and lamb lets out lot of moisture. Cover and let the mutton cook in this for 30 mins. After 30 minutes of cooking the mutton, add the crushed fried brown onions.

Pour 2 cups hot water and mix well. Cook covered until mutton turns slightly tender stirring occasionally. This may take about 1 hour or more.

Add mace and nutmeg at this stage (optional). Continue to cook until the mutton falls off the bone easily. Optional – Add kewra water at this stage. Mix and turn off.

Allow lamb korma to rest at least for a hour to absorb the flavours. Serve with naan, roti, paratha, rice, biryani or pulao.

I am on a new mission to find the best Irani Berry Biryani. The dish appeared on the Rick Stein series when he visited the famous Parsi Britannia Restaurant in Bombay/Mumbai, it is where the recipe originated, but the proprietor would not share the recipe ...it's secret.

The first recipe I am going to try is the one from the Bawi bride website. She has a little discourse on the origins of the recipe and makes comments on the berries that should be used. The traditional recipe calls for zereshk berries which are quite sour and provide a different flavour from the recommended alternatives such as cranberries which add sweetness to the finished dish.
I will be making the curry for the biryani in a le Creuset cast iron casserole instead of the pressure cooker suggested in the recipe. I will also be finishing the constructed biryani in the oven and not on the stove top. I will let you know how I get on with this recipe but I will also be trying the Brittania Berry Biryani from the Dishoom Cookbook as well as the one from the Parsi: From Persia to Bombay, by Farokh Talati.

Irani Berry Pulao
https://bawibride.com/irani-berry-pulao/

Ingredients

For Kebabs
250 gram mutton mince
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
0.5 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
0.5 tsp garam masala powder
1 onion finely chopped
2 tsp salt
2 eggs
6 slices bread, small size
0.5 bunch of coriander
0.5 bunch of mint
Oil for deep frying

Pulao Gravy
1 large onion finely chopped
3 tomatoes, boiled and pureed
4 tbsp oil
1 inch cinnamon stick
3 cloves
2 tbsp Bombay Biryani Masala (Shaan)
1 tsp Parsi dhana-jeera powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
500 gram boneless mutton
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp green chilli and cumin paste
Salt to taste

For Pulao
100 gram fried onions
100 gram zereshk/barberry berries
500 gram basmati rice
0.5 tsp saffron
2 tsp warm milk
Method

For the Kebabs
Soak the bread slices in some water and then drain out the moisture.
Mix all the kebab ingredients together along with the bread slices and let the mixture marinate for an hour
Form small coin sized kebabs and deep fry until they are golden brown

For the Mutton Masala
Marinate the mutton in the ginger garlic and cumin-chilli-garlic paste along with some salt. Set aside for a few hours or preferably in the fridge overnight.
In a pressure cooker heat up the oil. Add in the onions and fry until they go soft. Now add in the cinnamon stick, cloves, salt and all the dry spices and mix well.
Once the aroma of the spices comes, add in the tomato puree as well as the mutton pieces. Mix everything well and just add a little bit of water to ensure the meat doesn't stick (about a cup).
Seal the cooker and cook for 3 whistles and about 20 minutes on slow. Wait for the pressure to release by itself.
If required, dry off any extra moisture from the mutton - you want to end up with a thick chunky gravy.

For the rice
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add in the rice and cook until it is 3/4 done. Strain out the water.
Dry roast the saffron in a separate small pan and add it to the warm milk - stir to get a fragrant light yellow colour. Add this to the rice and lightly toss.

Assembling the Pulao
In a vessel that is more wide than deep, add some oil at the bottom and some of the mutton gravy only.
Top this with rice, then adding mutton, kebabs, fried onions and the zereshk berries.
Repeat this to form at least two layers and top the last layer of rice with more berries as well as finely chopped coriander.
Seal the vessel with foil and then the lid and place the vessel on a hot tava. Allow the rice to cook for a further 15 - 20 mins on medium heat until it is completely done.

I had a go at Swasthi's chicken 65 last night.
https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/chicken-65-recipe-no-egg-restaurant-style-chicken-recipes/

I used the egg option but having no fresh curry leaves I left them out of the garnish.
I fried the chicken off in batches in my ridiculously small deep fat fryer, keeping the batches hot in the oven. This resulted in the batter become soft and I lost some when stir frying with the final tempering.

Result. Tasty chicken but a lot of faff. If I did it again I would dig out my much larger deep fat fryer.