Indira Gandhi chicken

Seema Mashi's husband worked in Allahabad (PTI-press trust of india-journalist). Branch manager of the company-Delhi, Jaipur, Dhaka. When lived in Allahabad, worked by Indira Gandhi's husband (Firoz Gandhi) brother's wife (PTI was next to their flat). Famous people used to go stay there. Seema Mashi used to be friends with Firoz Gandhi's brother's wife. Seema was very interested in cooking so she used to go over to their house and ask what they were eating and learn cooking.

Recipes-in the notebook

1. Biryani:
Pathar mangsho (payer mangsho-less bones)-wash and put in saucepan with salt, put enough water to cover, then cover it.
 Adda batta, anise seed powder, onion batta (equal amounts)-put in cheesecloth and tie it, then put in saucepan.
Then heat saucepan on high, then simmer until done. then turn off, squeeze water from cheesecloth (naakra) into saucepan, and throw spices away.

Rice: put butter on saucepan, pan fry the rice with garam masala, then add water from the mangsho saucepan, then heat covered. When done, add one layer of rice, one layer of mangsho, one layer of rice, one layer of mangsho, etc...until done.


2. Pathar mangsho roll
Pound the long tendon of pathar mangsho (paye) until tender, then marinate with adda and onion for 1-2 hours. When done marinating, take out and roll each piece one by one and tie with a string. Do this for each piece. In a saucepan, put ghee, adda, piyage, fry,. Then add rolls, fry those. Then add water (not very much), salt and pepper and heat on high until mangsho is done.

All recipes have ghee, not too much spice or oil, and NO holudh. Very healthy. Parsi family so cooking has influence from them. 

Goat stew

Ma's maternal uncle's wife used to make this goat stew a lot. Ma used to go to uncle's house in the summer and aunt used to make the goat stew a lot in the evenings. It was fun to go there because it was relaxing. Aunt used to love Ma. She had blood cancer in 1994ish, then died 1 year later.

Mami used to dress sophisticated saris, always lipstick teep, lipstick and a little bit of shidhur, thick LONG braid, tall, very pretty. Mami was good at knitting, baking (pastries, cake-British/American recipes), loved to host parties/get togethers (esp since Mama used to work at GE). She also loved to paint (batik-originally Indonesian). Mami taught her two daughters how to do a lot of art and baking, cooking.

Mama always loved to keep a flower garden - full of dahlias (I still remember). Used to live in Dover Lane by Gariahat.

BUtter/oil (1 tbsp), jeera phoron, garam masala - on oil. Add garlic and onion, when translucent, add meat and water, when slightly brown, then add water, adda batta, salt, tiny bit of sugar, 1 large hatta full of vinegar (tahale tak mishti hoy), then cover pot and boil on high, then let simmer (~1.5 hours).