From Nani and Ma, with love

Fatema Agarkar preps in her kitchen to make baked sweet corn palak chicken, her go-to comfort meal. It’s her mother’s recipe that unmissingly evokes nostalgia during the festive season. Pic/Shadab Khan

Growing up in a Bohra household, educationist Fatema Agarkar has the fondest memories of Ramzan. Especially on the 23rd night of Qadr (according to the Islamic calendar), when the entire family stayed up, marking a night of special prayer and remembrance of Allah. "My mom would be doling out instructions for last-minute preparations, which was quite an elaborate affair," says Agarkar, who grew up in Cuffe Parade and spent her holidays at her nani's house in Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh and her father's family home in Surat. "New clothes would be bought for everyone to wear during Ramzan. Among siblings and cousins, we'd have a competition to see who would receive the most covers (money in envelopes handed by elders called eidi)," she recalls.

Days were spent fasting, praying and celebrating iftaris at home with extended friends and family. "Mom experimented with food, and there would be so much sharing of sweet and savoury dishes. That was a time when our elders shared stories of a simpler time," says Agarkar, adding that the culmination at the end of the month with Eid celebrations is carrying forward the tradition of love, forgiveness and thanksgiving for all that is and praying for the well-being of those around us.

Agarkar grew up indulging in her nani's Memuna Neemuchwala's minced lamb kebabs. Neemuch, a city of Malwa has a rich food heritage. "While making kebabs, Nani spoke about their haveli in Neemuch and Mum carried those tales with her to retell during our growing up days. These stories made the kebabs special!"

Another recipe she inherited from her mother, Abeda Ghadially, is the palak and sweetcorn chicken. "Baked to perfection, this one was a quick recipe that made those long studying nights worthwhile, and the hunger pangs disappeared with an instant smile. It was my exam stress buster, and I almost made it a superstition. My mum came from Neemuch, and my dad from Surat. Both these regions combine the best for any food lover - from pork to malpuvas, from kachoris to Ratlam sev, from pakwans to rotis made in clay pots, mutton nihari to kebabs," says Fatema, who takes the food legacy of her family ahead with these two dishes.

Lamb kebabs

INGREDIENTS
400 gm fresh minced lamb
Salt to taste
1 1/2 tsp jeera powder
2 to 3 tsp chillies
2 to 3 tsp pudina leaves
2 onions, ground to paste
2 eggs
Ginger and garlic are optional
Oil to fry

METHOD
Marinate the minced meat and beat it thoroughly using a kneading dough wooden spoon. Add salt, chilies, pudina, onion paste, and eggs and mix well. Set aside for at least two hours. Bring the oil in the wok to a boil and add lumps of ball-shaped pieces. Deep fry or shallow fry a round pattice for a healthier option. Serve with green chutney, hot and sour sauce, sliced onions with a lemon squeeze over it for taste and some mint leaves.

Baked sweet corn palak chicken

INGREDIENTS
400 gm chicken
1 bunch spinach leaves
3 green chillies
1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 cream-style corn tin
1 cup grated cheese

FOR WHITE SAUCE
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
A few green chillies
A pinch of pepper powder
1 cup milk or soup/water when chicken is boiled
Sliced capsicum, hot and sour sauce and grated cheese to garnish

METHOD
For the white sauce, melt butter in a pan, add flour and mix. Add milk and stir continuously until it reaches a semi-thick consistency. Marinate the chicken with ginger garlic paste for 30 minutes. Wash the spinach and steam. Add green chillies and blitz. In a pan, boil the spinach paste with ginger garlic paste. In a baking dish, grease butter and add a layer of the spinach paste. Add the marinated chicken and add a layer of sweet corn. Generously drizzle white sauce and grate dollops of cheese. Garnish with capsicum and hot and sour sauce. Bake at 200 C for 15 minutes. Serve with buttered, toasted garlic bread.