Ramzaan Nombu Kanji: (Arcot Muslim Style)

Minced Meat Soup. Rice-Lentils-Meat Soup. Rice Soup. Kheema Ka Shorba. Chaawal-Gosh Ka Shorba.

It is usually prepared during ramzaan month. During 40 days fasting. It is rich in protein. Generally it is cooked by Muslims, during fasting month......but its nothing wrong if u like to try this recipe. I love to make this for my Mommy. She likes it very much and always bugs me to prepare it. It slightly varies from biriyani here....though most of the ingredients are same. Ofcourse there are too many variations in preparing this. This particular one......is something strong and hot! I use to do fasting with my friends there at Vellore, when I was a little girl. Then have this kanji in the evening along with them....it would be so comforting after whole day of fasting. Fasting is 'no joke' here.....its one of the tuffest fast, I ever know. One wont even swallow their saliva or even attempt to drink water. Fasting is actually scientifically good, its like giving rest to your viseral organs. So.....at the end of the day, closing it by having 'rich dates and nuts is too good. There is no explanation for this moment. I use to get this feel.....as though I accomplished something great!!! Never hold any stigma to try this recipe......coz if you dont, just your religious reasons,....its like you are missing something Great!

The ingredients like 'fenugreek' and 'split lentils' and 'minced goat's meat'....are cool in nature. It blends well with hot spices and make a good combo. So......dont hold any inhibitions while adding too many spices in this 'kanji/Soup'. One can actually add all the spices in a muslin cloth and tie it really well.......and add it to the food/while frying.....just the way you usually do. Once after done with cooking, remove the small spicy-baggie you dropped. In this way.....you can actually enjoy the flavor without having any trouble in biting the spice.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice 200 gms
Split green gram 200 gms (moong dal without skin/pasi paruppu in Tamil/Split lentils)
Fenugreek seeds 3 spoon
Minced meat/Mutton keema 200 gms/chicken 200 gms (its good to use goat's minced meat here or lambs if you dont find it)
Mint 3 twigs
Coriander leaves 1 handful
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 large
Lemon juice 1 spoon
Curd 1 cup
Green chilies 5-6
Ginger-garlic paste 2 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Salt to taste
Oil /ghee/clarified butter- 1 cup
Cinamon1-2
Cloves 3
Bay leaves 1-2
Cardamom pods 3
Marathi mokku 1-2
Saffron color (Optional)

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl marinate minced meet/mutton keema/chicken with salt, chili powder, 1 spoon ginger garlic paste, lemon juice and curd.

2. In a large pressure cooker, add ghee and wait till its smoky hot. Add spices to it one by one...cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, Marathi mokku, bay leaves and fenugreek seeds. Or tie all the spices ina small muslim cloth/baggie except fenugreek seeds. Drop this muslin bag while frying....instead of adding spices as such.(so that you can remove your spices after cooking)

3. When they are almost fried add slitted green chilies and allow it to crack.

4. Now add thinly sliced onions and fry them till golden brown.

5. Add remaining ginger-garlic paste and fry for a while....till its raw smell goes away.

6. Now add finely chopped mint, coriander leaves, tomato chunks. Fry them until they lose their water content and oil shows up on top.

7. Add minced meat/keema and toss it for a while till meat turns pale. Then add rice plus moong Dal/split lentils.

8. Add salt as required to rice and Dal/lentils. Then add excess of water and pressure cook it over medium heat.

9. Once the kanji/soup is ready garnish it with coriander leaves.

10. If you did had the spices in muslin cloth.....remove it, before serving.