Murg Dum Handi Chicken cooked in its own juices with cardamom & mace Serves 4 Ingredients 2 boned chickens 150g  butter or oil 250g plain yoghurt 50g ginger 50g garlic paste 50g ground coriander 100g fried onion salt to taste ¼ tsp mace 3-4 pods black cardamom 2-3 drops kewra essence 10g red chilli powder 5-6 cloves 3-4 pods green cardamom 2 inch cinnamon stick 1 litre chicken stock pinch saffron few drops rose water ½ tsp ground cardamom enough plain dough to seal pan fresh coriander leaves for garnish Method Preparation Make a brown stock with the chicken bones. Make a ginger and garlic paste. Make a fine paste of the fried onions. Wrap the cloves, green cardamom pods, black cardamom pods and cinnamon stick in a clean muslin cloth and secure tightly to make a bouquet garni. Cooking Heat the oil in a medium-sized, oven-proof pan with a lid and add the bouquet garni and the ginger and garlic paste. Beat the yoghurt well and add to the pan. Cook for a few minutes until the mixture come to a boil, stirring continuously. Add red chilli powder, ground coriander and salt to taste. Dice the chicken into 2 inch cubes and put into the pan. Sauté the chicken well, before adding the chicken stock, brown onion paste, kewra essence and rose water. Bring back to the boil and then allow to simmer. Sprinkle the chicken mixture with saffron, mace and ground cardamom. Remove the bouquet garni and seal the lid to the cooking pan with the dough. Place the pan in a pre-heated oven at 300ºF for approximately 20 minutes. Garnish with the fresh coriander leaves and serve. Mirch Baingan Ka Salan Baby aubergine and green chillies cooked with tamarind, coconut, sesame seed and nuts Serves 4 Ingredients 750g baby aubergines 150g snub nosed green chillies 1 large onion ½ tsp red fenugreek seeds 50g fried cashew nuts 25g peanuts 40g plain yoghurt 25g coconut powder 120ml vegetable oil 15g sesame seeds 1 tsp red chilli powder 10g ginger 10g garlic 25g tamarind pulp 5g turmeric 30g tomato paste 1 tsp mustard seeds 2 sprigs curry leaves salt to taste enough dough to seal pan Method Preparation Slit the baby aubergines and green chillies. Soak the fenugreek seeds in a bowl of water until soft, and then drain well. Make a fine paste of the ginger and garlic. Finley slice the onion, add the cashew nuts, peanuts, yoghurt, sesame seeds and coconut powder, and grind to a fine paste. Cooking Heat approximately 100ml oil in a medium-sized, oven-proof, lidded pan. Add the fenugreek seeds and heat in the oil until the seeds begin to crackle. Add the ginger and garlic paste and the turmeric. Stir briefly and then add the paste made of onion, cashew nuts, peanuts, yoghurt, sesame seeds and coconut powder. Cook for about 10 minutes until the masala begins to release oil, and then add the red chilli powder, tamarind pulp and tomato paste. After 2-3 minutes, add the baby aubergines and chillies to the masala together with some water to adjust the consistency. Bring to the boil and then allow the mixture to simmer. In a clean pan, fry the mustard seeds and the curry leaves in the remaining 20ml of oil for a few seconds. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and flavoured oil to the masala mixture and seal the cooking pan with dough. Place the pan in a medium oven or on a hot plate for 10 -15 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve. Lucknow Murg Biryani Chicken and basmati rice simmered with aromatic spices Serves 4 Ingredients 1 kg rice 2 x 3lb chicken 1 large onion 200g ghee (clarified butter) 25g ginger 25g garlic 100g yoghurt 1 tsp chilli powder 7-8 cloves 6-8 green cardamom 2 blades mace 2 x 2½ sticks cinnamon 1 tsp kewra essence 3 bay leaves ½ pt cream 1g saffron salt to taste enough dough to seal the pan. Method Preparation Soak the rice for a minimum of 30 minutes. Cut the chicken into small pieces and wash. Finely slice the onion. Make a fine paste of the ginger and garlic. Beat the yoghurt finely. Soak saffron in ½ cup of hot water. Cooking 1)    Heat the clarified butter in an oven-proof, lidded, pan. Add 4 cloves, 1 blade of mace, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves and three or four cardamom pods. Fry until the spices begin to crackle. Add finely sliced onions and fry until golden brown. Add the ginger and garlic paste and cook for a few seconds. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and sear them in order to seal in their juices. Add the yoghurt, red chilli powder and ½ tsp of kewra essence. Let the mixture simmer on a low heat. 2)    While the chicken is cooking, fill a saucepan with water and add 4 cloves, 1 blade of mace, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves and three or four cardamom pods. Bring the water to the boil, and add the rice. Cook the rice until it is parboiled, and the drain. 3)    In the same lagan (pan) as the simmering chicken, add half the parboiled rice. Pour the half cup of water containing the saffron onto the rice, together with some clarified butter, cream and kewra essence. Add the rest of the rice, with more clarified butter and cream. Cover the pan with a damp cloth. Seal the lid of the pan with dough, and place in a pre-heated, medium oven for 20 minutes. Open lid and serve hot, garnished with coriander and accompanied with a raita or korma.