February to mid March is usually a time of frantic activity among the Hindu communities in India as the period is usually packed with marriages. The fact that no marriages are allowed in Chaitra, the next month in the Hindu calendar, adds to the sense of urgency.

Since marriages can only take place on certain auspicious dates, it often happens that a family is invited to two or more weddings on a single day during this month. And in today’s cosmopolitan world, one can easily taste a steamed banana leaf-wrapped fish paturi from Bengal, a navratan korma from North India and South Indian payasam on the same night at three different venues.

Nauratan Korma

This is a must for all North Indian marriages and with the markets inundated with fresh vegetables these days and the prices becoming somewhat normal, this is a delightful, if somewhat elaborate dish to make. Nauratan literally means nine gems and traditionally that number of vegetables and nuts are used to make this dish.

Ingredients
2 cups peas, boiled
1 large carrot, chopped and boiled
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup yogurt
1/4 cup cream
3 tbsp butter
1 sweet lime, cut into small pieces
1 small apple, finely chopped
1 banana, finely chopped
2 slices of pineapple, finely chopped
12 cashew nuts
20 raisins
1 tbsp coriander chopped
1 tbsp ghee
salt to taste

For the dry masala
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp cardamoms

For the wet masala
1 onion
1/4 cup shredded coconut
3 green chillies

Method
Grind the dry and wet masala separately. Fry the cashew nuts in ghee and keep aside. Add the butter to ghee. When it foams, add the wet masala and fry for around two minutes before adding the dry masala. Add the salt, carrots and peas to the masala. Whisk the yogurt and cream together and add to the frying masala. Bring the heat down to medium-low. When the gravy thickens a bit add the chopped fruit, cashews and raisins and boil till the gravy is thick and the fat separates.
Garnish with coriander and serve hot with naan or roti.

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Dum Murg

This Hyderabadi speciality is a favourite of chefs who say it is immensely popular in big weddings. While five star hotels and restaurants usually use boneless chicken, we have used chicken on the bone.

Ingredients

1kg chicken
1 ½ cups yogurt
1 ½ tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 ½ tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp white pepper powder
Salt to taste
80 gm cashew nuts
100 gm desiccated coconut
40 gm almonds
40 gm chironji (dried melon seeds, also called charoli in some regions)
¼ tsp saffron
1 ½ tsp lime juice
100 ml oil
4 cardamom pods
100 gm onions, sliced and browned
75 gm mint leaves
100 gm coriander leaves, chopped

Method
Marinate the chicken in ginger-garlic paste, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, white pepper powder and yogurt for about one hour. Meanwhile dry roast almonds, desiccated coconut, chironji and cashewnuts and grind to a fine paste. Add this to the chicken once the hour is up and mix well.
Heat oil, add chicken and cook on low heat till it starts simmering. Once the chicken is half cooked, seal the lid with dough and put on dum. Put some hot coals on top if available. Cook on very low heat for 30-45 minutes.
Once done, remove lid and add the saffron, cardamom seeds and lime juice.
Garnish with coriander leaves, mint leaves and browned onions.