Rajasthan’s Own Dish: Laal Maas

Rajasthan is famous for its great hospitality and good food. One can experience the Royal culture of Rajasthan through its various mouth-watering dishes spreading the heavenly aroma of spices. The various spices give unique flavour and fragrance to the food. The major spices used in almost all the Rajasthani food such as red chillies, pepper, cloves, mustard seeds, cardamoms, cinnamon sticks, cumin seeds and dried mango powder gives unforgettable taste which heightens your taste buds satisfying the hunger and soul. These spices also allow the prepared food to last long in the hot climatic conditions of Rajasthan. The spices also lend the required colour and texture to the gravies and curry used in many of the Rajasthani foods. Various Food spices Dealers and traders are available near Rajasthan that provides quality spices.

Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Jodhpur are some of the regions in the state that have their unique take on cooking. Adapting to what is locally available without compromising on the flavours in their food; using souring agents like mango powder in place of tomatoes and even asafoetida to replicate the flavours of onions and garlic. Mathania chillies are widely used in Rajasthani curries and grown locally in Jodhpur.

A famous Rajasthani non-vegetarian dish is Laal Maas which is fiercely hot and spicy. Laal Maas is a slow-cooked hunter style lamb dish with rustic flavours, chilli heat, cooked in whole spices. Kashmiri chillies that are of mathania variety in the sense that they lend a lovely colour, mild heat and also add depth to your curry. This lamb/mutton curry is served warm with chapattis or rice also with some cooling raita and salad on the side.

Don’t take it in another way. The word Laal means red and it is named so because of the colour it gets due to the use of red chillies in various forms. Also apart from the curry and gravies, the spices like chilli powder, mint, garlic, and turmeric are used in preparing various chutneys.

                                                                                          Laal Maas

And maas means meat of lamb or goat. This Laal Maas recipe is classic meat delicacy – the traditional Rajasthani Laal Maas! The special mutton curries in Rajasthan is known as Laal maas. It is in a league of its own! Actually, authentic laal maas is a mutton curry cooked with Rajasthani chillies in a yoghurt sauce. Laal maas is fiery, yet flavorful. It doesn’t require a ton of ingredients, but it will be surprised at how these ingredients work together and take your taste buds on a tour. Wonderful extra hot gravy with mouth-watering aroma for laal maas recipe can be made by using fine gravy masala of Gravy mixes manufacturer especially of Madhya Pradesh since it is the neighbouring state of Rajasthan. I guess laal maas is one of the most famous specialities of the Rajasthani cuisine. 

Healthy and Handy Chicken Roll

This happens very frequently when we are in hurry and feeling hungry at the same time. Quickly made dishes like Maggy or Indian poha are less healthy. A fitness freak or job doing person have to maintain their diet, by giving the body appropriate protein intake.

If you are not a vegan and take non-vegetarian food, chicken can be a good option. Protein intake doesn’t mean to take the whole chicken, doing its small pieces as cubes or chunks can also do the same job. 

Chicken Nuggets

Especially job doing people who are busy in their office place and unable to take small meals in between the day, they might try the “rolls” option. The roll is handy and can be quickly eaten without placing on a plate. And yes we are talking about veg. and non-veg. roll. Basically, the roll is a dish wrapped in a thin chapatti or paratha made with flour, filled with properly cooked vegetables and other food as per interest. The issue is it takes nearly 30-40 minutes to prepare a whole chicken roll. So it is better to prepare the stuffed items in prior, so when the roll is needed it can be made quickly. Spices used in the chicken roll can be taken from any food spices dealers and traders.

Today I am going to give a recipe on a chicken roll, which is my all-time favourite, filled with high protein vegetables and chicken pieces which supply good calorie to the body and can be taken any time, day or night.

Precisely, Benefits of a chicken roll can be summed as follows which can force you to try these rolls once 😋 :-

i)                    Gives a perfect blend of taste and nutrition.

ii)                   A good intake of chicken and vegetables.

iii)                 Leftover Chapattis/Paratha can be used in the diet.

iv)                 Handy and can be carried anywhere.

v)                  Takes less space while carrying.

      Ingredients for a chicken roll recipe:-

1. Boneless chicken cut into thick strips.
2. Ginger-garlic paste 1 tablespoon.
3. Spicy Masala ½ teaspoon + for sprinkling.
4. Fine powdered pepper ½ teaspoon.  
5. Salt+ powdered red chilli 1 tablespoon.
6. Wheat flour 1 tablespoon.
7. Oil 1 tablespoon + 8 teaspoons.
8. Chopped vegetables 1 small bowl.
9. Fresh small onion and coriander leave chopped 1 tablespoon.

Chicken Roll

Method:-

Step 1. Place chicken chunks in a bowl, add ginger-garlic paste, garam/chat masala, black salt, salt, red chilli powder and mix well. Set aside to marinate for ten to fifteen minutes.

Step 2. Heat one tablespoon oil in a non-stick pan, add fines chopped vegetables and marinated chicken pieces and mix well. Cook on high heat, sprinkling a little water from time to time to avoid burning, till the vegetables and chicken is fully done. Set it aside.

Step 3. For the wrap of this chicken stuff,  heat the roti on a pan by applying oil on both sides of roti till it gets crispy and well roasted.

Step 4. Place each roasted roti on a plate. Place some chicken and vegetable stuff and adding few freshly chopped onion and coriander leaves on it, sprinkle chaat masala and half tablespoon coriander leaves. Fold to make a roll.

Step 5. Wrap the roll in a thin paper or aluminium foil.

Note: You can also keep it as an egg roll by using fried egg pieces in place of chicken. In case of a mutton roll, substitute chicken with mutton pieces. Spices used by me in making this recipe is famous cooking spices in Indore.