Parsi Style Kharo Safed Papeto & Papeta Par Edu

Once again, two recipes in one post. Tum sab ka itna haq toh banta hai yaaro. 💖 This is a simple potato shaak/dish done the Bawa (Parsi way). If you have Parsi friends you are sure to know, we are a breed that throws eggs over almost any and every type of food. Be it tomatoes, potatoes, okra (ladyfingers), ripe bananas, ripe mangoes, ridge gourd and more. In this recipe, I showcase the humble potato shaak and elevate it to a high by ‘lovingly smothering’ it with eggs. ;-)

Ingredients:

6 large potatoes, quartered and then cut into thin slices
1 - 1½ teaspoon cumin seeds
3 large onions, sliced 
12-15 green chillies, finely chopped (adjust according to your spice tolerance)
20-22 cloves garlic, finely chopped (adjust according to your spice tolerance)
A large handful of coriander leaves, chopped
Salt, to taste
6-8 tablespoons oil
6 eggs
Coarsely ground black pepper

Method:

1. Heat oil in a wok, splutter cumin seeds.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Add green chillies, onions, garlic, and sauté until the edges of the onions begin to turn light brown.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Add the potatoes and toss them well in the onion mixture. Season the potatoes with salt.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Cover and cook on a very gentle flame till potatoes are cooked. Do give the potatoes a gentle mix, intermittently. Preferably use a spatula.
   
   
   
   
   
5. When done add coriander leaves and mix carefully (try not to mash the potatoes). Ensure the coriander gets evenly mixed with the potatoes.
   
   
   
   
   

Kharo Safed Papeto... done!

Now, to lovingly smother the potatoes with edas (eggs)… 😊

Papeta Par Edu

1. Empty out the cooked, piping hot potatoes in a non-stick pan and flatten them out evenly.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Break the eggs, carefully, over piping hot potatoes. Season the eggs with a bit of salt.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Cover and cook on a gentle heat.
4. When the eggs are semi-set, sprinkle some coarsely ground black pepper or a light sprinkling of dry, crushed coriander powder, or a few fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped.
5. Cover and cook till eggs are set to your liking (hard yolk or soft).
   
   
   
   
   

Chef Notes:

1. While I usually throw whole eggs over the potatoes, you can also separate the whites from the yolks, beat the whites quite stiff, add the yolks and beat again, pour the eggs over the potatoes, and cook on low flame till the eggs set. This sets like a soft mousse over the potatoes.
   
   
   
   
   
2. IMPORTANT: Ensure that the potatoes are piping hot when you add eggs over them. If you add eggs over cold potatoes, the yolks will remain on top and the eggs whites will seep in and settle below. It mars the look of the dish.  
3. The eggs in my photographs are soft set or sunny side ups. Feel free to cook the eggs to the consistency you prefer. 
4. Please use less oil if you are diet conscious, just don’t give me grief about the amount I used, 😈*evil grin*
   
   

   

   Boiled potatoes to be cut in the same way as raw potatoes

   
   
5. I usually cook this with raw potatoes, but at times, I have a few boiled ones in the fridge. When this dish is cooked with boiled potatoes, the cooking time reduces, but do cook the potatoes well on low flame (covered). This is to ensure the boiled potatoes absorb the flavour of the onions, green chilies, garlic, and seasonings. 
   
6. There are no powdered spices add to this dish which is why I suggest you use the correct number of chilies and garlic as these herbs lend the main flavour to the dish. You don’t want to be eating bland potatoes.
7. While THIS is the exact recipe for the original Kharo Safed Papeto, I sometimes cannot resist adding curry leaves, or mustard seeds, or a few coriander seeds to the potatoes; just to give the dish a change of scene. As for sprinkling chopped fresh coriander on top... my variations to that are, dry, coarsely crumbled coriander leaf powder, coarsely ground black peppercorns or a light sprinkle of chili powder.
8. I have cooked this dish many times and clicked it many times too, hence, the backgrounds, serving dishes, pans, in the photographs, may vary, but rest assured, they are all clicked by me.
9. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.
   
   
   
   
   

Some more photographs:

Eggless Gulab Jamun Cake

Okay, you’ve read the name of the recipe, and I need to tell you at the very onset; no Gulab Jamuns were harmed in making this cake… coz, none were used. *evil grin*

I have known apprehensive souls go ‘urgh' at the mention of this name. I sent them a piece of this cake, and they asked me for the recipe. Yup, that’s how good this cake turns out… every single time. I have baked this one so many times, I’ve actually lost count of how many cakes I’ve baked.

I saw this recipe on Saee Koranne – Khandekar’s Instagram profile and I just had to try it. I hadn’t baked a cake in over three decades, and not in a million years had I ever thought I’d restart my ‘cake’ journey with this eggless beaut. Best decision, ever!

The cake crumb is dense and moist, quite like a semolina mawa cake. The base and the sides get baked to deep shades of brown every time, resulting in a gorgeous lightly-chewy exterior. This cake does not have too much of a ‘rise’ so please do not fret about that. Just know it’ll turn out really well.

This recipe belongs to Saee. I haven’t changed the recipe at all. All I’ve done is convert the ingredients down to the last gram. Also, the bake time of her oven differed from mine. Other than that, I have made no changes at all. Follow the recipe to the T and you’ll bake a superb cake each and every time! Saee, heartfelt thanks for this gem!❤️

Ingredients (Dry):

1 cup / 100 grams Gulab Jamun Mix (I used Chitale brand)
½ cup / 80 grams fine semolina (Barik Rawa)
½ cup / 85 grams powdered sugar
1 teaspoon / 4 grams baking powder
2 teaspoons / 6 grams Everest Milk Masala
8 -10 strands of saffron, lightly crushed

Ingredients (Wet):

1 cup / 200 grams fresh yogurt / dahi (not sour, not sweet – just bland/pheeka) - smoothened
100 grams packet salted butter, melt and cool to room temperature
14 - 15 tablespoons milk
A little extra butter to grease and line the cake tin

Ingredients (Garnish - Optional):

10 almonds, sliced/slivered
10 pistachios, sliced/slivered

Method:

1. Grease with butter and line an 8-inch cake tin with parchment paper.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Preheat the oven to 150 deg Celsius.
3. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Add the smoothened dahi, milk, and mix.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Add the cool melted butter and mix the batter until the butter is well incorporated into the batter. 
   
   
   
   
   
6. This will give you a thickish batter.
   
   
   
   
7. Pour the batter into the cake tin.
8. Sprinkle the slivered nuts at the inner perimeter of the cake tin.
   
   
   
   
   
9. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 40 to 50 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
10. When done, bring out the cake and allow it to cool a bit.
    
    
    
    
    
11. Remove it from the cake tin and allow it to cool completely. Voila, done!
    
    
    

Chef Notes:

1. Preferably, procure the Chitale Gulab Jamun Mix. I’ve used that every single time and never had a problem with it. In case you don’t have access to it, of course, any Gulab Jamun Mix will work. Please note this Gulab Jamun Mix is in powder form. It is not a paste. Just clarifying. 
2. My oven takes about 40 – 45 minutes to bake this cake. The temperature setting of your oven may differ, so do keep a keen eye on your cake after the 30-to-35-minute mark.
3. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.
   
   Some more photographs:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Sumac - Zatar Roast Chicken (Done Two Ways)

This recipe is the perfect example of ‘Ugly-Delicious’.

I’d been itching to make this ever since a friend (Priyanka) had cooked this for a potluck, one that I’d been unable to attend. I troubled Priyanka with so many questions as I hate for a recipe to go wrong. Quite a many people say, people who cook by ‘andaz’ (without ingredient proportions), by instinct, are better cooks, I’m certainly not the type to cook ‘by andaz’. Give me perfect recipes and I will surely re-try them in my kitchen. I guess it’s Andaz Apna Apna!

The marinade gives the roast a dark muddy look, but, oh those flavours… they pop ever so gorgeously on the palate. I promise you, this one’s a keeper, guys!

I did not change much in the recipe shared by Pri. The one thing my Bawi genes forced me to incorporate, though, were potato roundels. This recipe is courtesy Priyanka Anand, the girl who ever so kindly, and patiently, answers my most ridiculous recipe queries. *sheepish grin* Priyanka, thank you, ESM! *evil grin, you know why*

Ingredients:

2 whole chicken legs
1 large onion, cut into thick semi-circles
2 large potatoes, scrub, retain skin and cut into half centimetre roundels
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 medium-sized garlic, finely minced (I used a garlic press)
½ - ¾ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 – 1½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (I used MDH Deghi Mirch powder)
2 teaspoons Zatar
3 teaspoons Arabic All-Spice
3 teaspoons Sumac
Salt to taste
Butter to baste while roasting

Method for Marination:

1. Cut deep gashes on the chicken legs.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Mix olive oil, minced garlic, turmeric powder, chili powder, Zatar, Arabian All-Spice, Sumac and salt.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Apply the marinade to the chicken legs, onions and potato roundels and keep aside, in the fridge, for at least an hour. (The chicken can be kept in the fridge for hours, or even overnight)

Method of Oven Roast:

1. Preheat the oven for 10-15 minutes at 180 degrees C.
2. Lay out the potato roundels at the bottom of the baking pan and set the marinated chicken on top of the potatoes. Spread the remaining potatoes and the onions around the chicken, in the baking pan. The extra marinade can be spooned onto the chicken if you prefer a spicier roast.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Slide the baking pan into the oven and bake at 180 degrees C for 45 minutes.
4. At the 45-minute mark, baste the chicken with butter, increase the oven setting to 200 degrees C and roast for 7 to 8 minutes more.
5. Bring out the chicken and allow to rest for a few minutes. Serve with gorgeously roasted potatoes and onions. (Scrape off the potatoes stuck to the bottom of the tray; those are the best bits - I served a lightly crisped Buttered-Zatar-sprinkled Garlic Bread with the roast chicken. You may, or may not, serve it with a bread of your choice)
   
   

   

   Ugly-Delicious, indeed!

Method for Air-Fryer:

1. Make a make-shift squarish pan with a double-layered aluminium foil to fit the air-fryer basket. The make-shift pan should be slightly smaller than the size of the air-fryer basket. All four ‘edge’ sides of the air-fryer basket need to be open so as to allow proper airflow.
2. Preheat the air-fryer for 3-4 minutes at the 200-degree setting.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Put the marinated chicken legs (underside facing up) in the make-shift pan and lower the pan into the air-fryer basket.
4. Air-fry for 12 minutes at 200 degrees.
5. At the 12-minute mark, flip both the chicken legs and continue air-frying for another 10 minutes.
   
   
   
   
   
6. At the 10-minute mark, baste the chicken legs with a wee bit of butter (optional, but of course, I did) and continue air-frying for 2 more minutes.
7. Remove the chicken from the air-fryer and serve it with onion rings and a wedge of lime. (I was a tad lazy hence no onion rings, I merely made do with a wedge of lime)
   
   
   
   
   

Chef Notes:

1. The Arabic spices mentioned in the recipe are all available on Amazon (some on Big Basket, too). Go buy them coz they will not go to waste. Why?? Coz once you make this roast; you’re going to want to make it time and again. This is my promise to you!!
2. The bake time will depend entirely on your oven – so please keep an eye on the roast and adjust the timing accordingly. I say this, as the bake time in my oven differed greatly from the bake time mentioned by Priyanka in her recipe.
3. At the time of this bake, I had run out of olive oil hence opted for the extra virgin version and it worked just as beautifully, so don’t let that stop you from baking these babies.
4. You may share the direct blog link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.

Some more photographs: