Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: December 2015

HOW TO COOK CHICKEN DO PYAZA (Also Spelt Pyaaza or Piaza)
Easy Recipe
By
VIKRAM KARVE

In these days of “Butter” Chicken “Kadhai” Chicken and “Handi” Chicken it is very rare to get an authentic Chicken “Do Piaza”.

Last evening, we decided to order food from a neighbourhood eatery called Mother’s Kitchen in Wakad Pune.

I was happy to find Chicken Do Piaza on the Menu.

To my pleasant surprise, it was quite a tasty Do Piaza (also spelt Do Pyaza or Do Pyaaza - but I will use the spelling DO PIAZA).

Eating this Do Piaza brought back nostalgic mouthwatering memories of the Do Piaza I used to cook for my friends many years ago during my navy days (my pure vegetarian wife would cook the veg food and I would cook the non-veg dish).

So, let me delve deep into my Foodie Writing Archives and pull out this piece on Do Piaza which I wrote more than 15 years ago and also features in my Foodie Adventures Book APPETITE FOR A STROLL

Happy Cooking and Happy Eating

CHICKEN (MUTTON) DO PIAZA MADE SIMPLE

An Easy Recipe for the ultimate Mughlai Dish

VIKRAM KARVE

From my Foodie Writing Archives:

One of my favourite Recipes – Chicken Do Piaza – my favourite Chicken Curry.

It is easy to cook and tastes delicious.

If you prefer mutton, then mutton do piaza can be cooked the same way.

Only thing, before you marinate mutton, rubbing a bit of raw papaya paste makes it a bit tender.

Sadly, very few restaurants in Pune feature Do Piaza on their menu, since most Indian Non-Veg Cuisine (in restaurants out here in Pune) is either Kolhapuri or Punjabi.

Even the minuscule few eateries that have Do Piaza on their menus, and serve this dish, do such a terrible job of cooking it – they almost “murder” this Mughlai Delicacy.

So it is best to cook this wonderful dish at home.

THE STORY OF DO PIAZA – Why This Dish is called “Do Piaza”

If you want a first impression of the authenticity of a “Mughlai” Restaurant – the first dish you must order and taste is a “Do Piaza” and it will give you an idea of the standard and authenticity of Mughlai Cuisine you can expect there.

Indeed the “Do Piaza” may be considered the culinary benchmark to judge and evaluate a Mughlai Restaurant.

And if Mutton or Chicken Do Piaza does not figure on the menu – you better order Chinese or Continental, or stick to the ubiquitous “Punjabi” Butter Chicken-Naan routine...!

“Do Piaza” means “two onions” or rather “double onions”.

Now how did this dish get its name?

Maybe it’s apocryphal – but legend has it that this delicious dish was invented by Mullah Do-Piaza, a renowned and celebrated cook at the Mughal Emperor Akbar’s court, who was one of the Navaratnas (nine jewels) at Akbar's Court.

It is said he could conjure up culinary delights using only two onions, and a Mughlai Dish cooked in that particular style is called a “Do Piaza”.

Water is not used at all when cooking a Do Piaza.

Onions (Piaz or Pyaaz) are used twice – hence the name “Do” (“Two”) Piaza, orPyaza, or Pyaaza – spell it whichever way you like.

The Urdu or Hindi word "Do" refers to the number 2 (Two).

So we have the first Piaza and the second Piaza – making it Do Piaza...!

Come Dear Reader and fellow Foodie.

Let us together cook a Chicken Do Piaza.

It takes time, but it’s easy.

RECIPE FOR CHICKEN DO PIAZA

THE FIRST PIAZA

First cut a generous number of onions into rings – yes – round separate onion rings.

The more the onions rings – the sweeter the gravy.

Now, in a large cooking vessel, put in the chicken pieces.

Add a liberal amount of curds and mix well with the chicken pieces.

Copiously layer the chicken-curd mixture with the onion rings.

Cover with a tight lid and set aside to marinate for at least an hour.

Remember, do not vigorously mix in the onion rings - just liberally layer the chicken-curd mélange with the onion rings.

After marinating the chicken-curd-onion ring mixture for an hour or more – place the vessel with the marinated chicken on a slow fire with the lid on.

Let the chicken cook slowly in its own juices and the juices released by the onion rings.

Cook on slow fire with lid covered till the onion rings are reduced to a pulp.

Soon the the liquid will almost dry up.

Shut the flame.

The first Piaza is ready.

Yes, this is the First “Piaza”!

THE SECOND PIAZA

In another pan – pour in and heat pure ghee.

When the ghee is hot put in sliced onions (the “second” piaza).

(Please Note – the first Piaza has Round Onions Rings and the second Piaza has Sliced Onions)

Fry the sliced onions till crisp brown.

Add finely chopped ginger and garlic, bay leaf, slit green chillies, cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns and fry for some time till the spices release their flavour.

Then add an adequate amount of chopped tomatoes.

Stir the gravy gently and fry on slow fire.

DO PIAZA (Adding the First Piaza to the Second Piaza)

When the ghee separates from the gravy – add the “First Piaza” which you have already cooked.

Yes – add the dry cooked chicken [cooked in curds and onion rings] from the first pot to the hot gravy simmering in the second pot.

Increase the flame.

Stir fry till well browned and the gravy becomes nice and thick.

I do not like to add garam masala, turmeric, red chilli powder, or any other spice powders – but if you like it – go ahead.

Add salt to taste and give a stir.

I always find it best to taste the gravy and add the minimal amount of salt as necessary almost at the end of the cooking process.

When the gravy is nicely browned and ready, garnish with fresh green coriander and take off the flame.

Remember, DO NOT ADD WATER AT ANY STAGE OF THE COOKING or you will ruin the dish.

A “Do Piaza” cooks in its own juices – both during the first “piaza” and second “piaza”.

EATING THE “DO PIAZA”

Place in a serving dish, squeeze a lemon, garnish with fresh green chopped coriander and your Chicken Do Piaza is ready to eat.

But first let’s “visually” savour the Do Piaza in our mind’s eye.

The good Do Piaza looks appetizing – nicely browned generous pieces of succulent chicken, in translucent juicy onion rings in scrumptious gravy.

It smells good too – heavenly mouth-watering aroma wafts towards you making you smack your lips and salivate in anticipation of the gastronomic treat that awaits you.

It tastes marvellous – absolutely delicious.

A Do Piaza is tasty – but not spicy hot like most Indian Curries.

A good Do Piaza is mild and flavoursome – and the unique sweet zest of onions is discernible.

As you savour a Do Piaza – the heavenly medley of flavours and fragrances synergizes inside you – and you feel a sense of supreme satisfaction.

You must eat this dish hot and fresh.

Relish the Chicken Do Piaza with hot chapatis, phulkas, naan, roti, kulcha or even a piece of soft fluffy bun, pav or fresh bread – and you will experience sheer bliss.

Happy Cooking and Happy Eating Chicken Do Piaza.

VIKRAM KARVE

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All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the story are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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Revised Version of My Article SIMPLE COOKING - CHICKEN DO PIAZA published in my book APPETITE FOR A STROLL (2008) and posted online in my Academic and Creative Writing Journal Blog on 25 Aug 2010 andPosted by me Vikram Karve at 8/25/2010 05:39:00 PM at url: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2010/08/chicken-do-piaza-simple-recipe-for.html

BAKING MADE SIMPLE FOR ENGINEERS, MATHEMATICIANS and TECHIES

¾ : 1 : 1 ½ (0.75 : 1.00 : 1.50)

Recipe for MATHEMATICAL FORMULA CAKE

VIKRAM KARVE

“ ¾ : 1 : 1 ½ ”

Hey, what’s that?

No, it’s not what you think – it’s not a secret code or some mathematical formula.

This mathematical ratio exemplifies the recipe for a simple cake – probably the first thing I learnt to cook.

It’s simple.

Take ¾ [three-fourth] Cup [vati or katori ] of fresh butter.

Cream the butter till fluffy with your hand.

[Instead of butter you can use Margarine or Dalda (Hydrogenated Oil) if you prefer]

Add 1 (one) cup of sugar and whisk vigorously till the sugar and butter blend smoothly.

Whip three eggs till they fluff up into peaks.

Fold the well beaten eggs into the butter-sugar batter mixture carefully.

Beat the mixture with your hand till the batter emulsifies nicely.

Sieve 1 ½ [one and a half] cups [vaties or katories] of maida (flour) with a teaspoon of baking powder and keep ready in a plate [thali].

In a glass pour a generous “tot” of full-bodied dark rum.

The darker and mellower the rum the better it is – as it will have more caramel which will impart an inimitable heavenly bitter-sweet flavour blended with the richly aromatic enveloping tang of molasses.

Now start adding, by the tablespoonful, the sieved maida (flour) to the butter-sugar-egg emulsified batter.

Gently fold in and smooth the flour into the batter with your fingers.

At the same time, alternately, from time to time add a few “drops” by the teaspoonful of the full-bodied dark rum to the batter.

You must taste the batter by licking your fingers from time to time, rolling on your tongue, sampling and tasting at every step, till you get the right creamy consistency and taste.

I love to mix in a wee bit of powdered spices like cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg or cloves.

(For fruit cake, get some raisins, orange rind, dried fruit pieces and petha and soak these in a glass of rum for a few hours till the fruit soak in the rum and then gently blend in the rum soaked fruit to the batter. This will prevent the fruit from sinking and will also release aromatic flavorful rum vapour into the cake while it bakes and make the cake rise up well)

You must ensure a proper dropping consistency of the batter by appropriately balancing the liquid rum and solid flour.

Innovate as per your mood and taste, and add a few drops of vanilla essence to remove what remains of that eggy taste.

Cream the batter with your hands till super smooth.

Now bake your cake in an oven at moderate temperature (180 Celsius) for around 30 to 40 minutes till done.

(Test with a clean dry knitting needle or small knife - poke the needle or knife into the cake and if the cake is done the needle or knife will come out dry).

The rum will guarantee that the cake does not flop and the hot spicy alcohol vapour escaping from the cake will perambulate within the oven will impart a tantalizing aroma and enticing fragrance to the cake.

This cake tastes best when eaten hot – as the blissful fresh spicy hot sensuous vapours overwhelm your olfactory and gustatory senses with their zesty fragrance and rich full-bodied flavour.

This is the first recipe I learnt from my mother when I was a small boy.

The “rum” innovation came a bit later.

I prefer to use stainless steel katories (vaties) but can use standard size cups if you want.

Don’t be too finicky about precise proportions.

Sample the batter and taste at every step and maintain dropping consistency of the mixture.

And, of course, trust the rum to do the rest!

If you prefer, try using brandy instead of rum for a different flavour.

I bake the cake in half an hour and it tastes heavenly.

Baking a cake is so simple, isn’t it?

Just remember the simple formula - “ ¾ : 1 : 1 ½ ”

For larger cakes just use multiples of this breathtakingly simple formula.

Happy Baking.

Do remember to tell us how your cake turned out and how yummy it tasted.

VIKRAM KARVE

Disclaimer:

Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Simple Indian Cooking : Chicken Do Piaza

HOW TO BAKE A CAKE : Recipe for MATHEMATICAL FORMULA CAKE