JOIN USI started my career as an apprentice with Ustad Azeez Handi in Lucknow at the age of 16. I learnt everything I needed to know during that time before I moved to New Delhi for work.
In a restaurant there, a guest tasted my food and offered me a job in Kathmandu. I worked there for eight years with the experience making me the man I am today. A few years later, I joined Hotel Royal Orchid.
One of the things I’ve realised as a chef is that experimentation is limitless. You will never run out of ideas because there is always something new that you can try.
I specialise in making various masalas and ‘naan’. With my flair for experimentation, the ‘kebabs’, ‘naan’ and curries that I
prepare have their own twist.
I find pleasure in combining the various spices available and creating a brand new one. I guess I find an interest in doing this because I am from Lucknow and the place is famous for its spices.
One of the signature masalas that I have prepared is called ‘Navratan masala’ which consists of more than 50 spices.
Similarly, the ‘garam masala’ that I have made is not the one we usually buy from stores. It smells divine and can be used to make ‘biryani’ and ‘kebab’.
The recipe that I’m sharing today is one of my signature dishes. It might seem like a regular ‘naan’ but it’s nothing like the ones you’ve tasted before. I’ve added ajwain to it which is is good for digestion. The way the flour is mixed gives the bread a fluffier format and allows one to store it for upto a week.
I was inspired to make this when I was working in Kathmandu. The guests would often ask me to prepare something different that wouldn’t get spoilt so easily. So I took a couple of days to perfect the recipe and it’s been a crowd-puller since then. The addition of condensed milk is what makes this quite soft to eat. The bread can be served with a curry of your choice.
Ajwaini naan
Ingredients:
* Plain flour, 300 gm
* Milk, 50 to 80 gm
* Sugar, 2 gm
* Salt
* Egg, 1 beaten
* Ajwain seeds, 1 tbsp
* Cardamom, 5, powdered
Method
* Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, cardamom, then add egg and milk, and bring together. The dough should be quite wet.
* Knead the dough for 10 minutes until it is soft and not sticky. If required, use a few teaspoons of whole wheat flour to aid kneading.
* Cover and let it rest for one to two hours.
* Then gently knead for 30 seconds.
* Roll each dough portion into a ball using the palm of your hands.
* Roll each bread into a teardrop shape using rolling platform or board.
* Sprinkle ajwain on one side of the naan, BBQ for one to two minutes.
* Take off the heat and serve hot.
(As told to Anila Kurian)