David's Kitchen, AKA Cooking with Cats: A mini banquet

So the the final part - here we will finish up the Sukhu bataka, the chicken "tikka", the Lila dhania baath and Phudino dai.

1. Its a messy job, and there are a couple of ways of doing this......but we need to cook and char the chicken. Start with threading the chicken onto the metal skewers (if using wooden ones, do remember to soak them for 30 mins in cold water before using - including weighing them down in the water so they aren't floating on the top!). You can do the chicken on a BBQ - preferably gas for temparature control - or rest the skewers across a grill pan with foil underneath and do under your grill. - either way, keep a good eye on them - you want a nice char on the chicken but it must be kept moist and just cooked too! I usually put one of the largest pieces of chicken at one end of a skewer so I can take it off and check the cooking without disturbing the rest of the pieces. Get the chicken cooked will, transfer to dish and off to the warming oven it goes!

2. Sukhu bataka - get the mise en place in hand -

The 'ol bowl of pre-prepared masala!
The rest of your potatoes - or a new batch if just doing this dish
1 1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds
asafoetida
salt, turmeric
ground coriander, ground cumin
fresh coriander

Again, this is really fast. Back with the heavy pan, 100ml sunflower oil into the pan and heat on high for 1 min. Reduce to medium heat, add mustard seeds and wait until they start to pop. When they do, reduce heat to low whilst carefully stirring in the potatoes and asafoetida. Add about 1tsp salt and the same of ground turmeric and stir in to coat all the potatoes - then bump the heat back up again to high, cover and cook for 2 mins, shaking the pan every so often to ensure the potatoes aren't sticking. Stir in another good tablespoon of the fabulous masala, along with about 1 tbsp ground coriander and 1 tsp ground cumin - cover the pan, reduce heat to minimum (moving to another ring if necessary) and cook for 2-3 mins - longer if your potatoes weren't fully cooked in the first place. Sprinkle with your chopped coriander and serve, or off it goes to the warming oven!

3. Time for excitement - it's the home stretch! - Lila Dhania Baath
I don't think I will ever make any other type of rice. If you achieve the same results I have with this recipe from Prashad, then perhaps you will feel the same way!! It works hot, warm and cold.
Get the (very small this time) mise en place in hand.....

350g Basmati rice - I like Tesco Finest at the moment - rinsed through in warm water about 5 times and drained.
50ml Sunflower oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp salt
The final tablespoon or so of your fabulous masala.....BUT.....you need to put it back in the mortar, add about 3 handfuls of fresh coriander and pound that into the existing masala to blend

Take reasonable sized saucepan, in goes the oil on medium - high heat for 1 minute and pop in the cumin seeds. Watch them - when they start to turn brown, go in with the rice, masala, salt and a litre of boiling water.
Keep the heat as is, and boil uncovered for 8 minutes, stirring through every so often.
Now - you might want some gloves for this bit......take a piece of kitchen foil, put over the rice and scrunch down on top of it, tucking in as you go. Reduce heat to low, put the lid on the pan also and continue to cook for another 8 mins.
Remove from heat and leave to rest, covered, for another 5 or so mins.
Remove lid and foil, and run a fork or spoon through the rice to loosen them up.
Serve straight away (although as said before, it's ok warm and cold!)