15 Min

GF

NF

Nigella Steak

The prophet Muhammad has been credited with saying, “Black granules are the cure for everything except death,” and it is fair to say that he was referring to nigella. Often scattered on top of breads in the Middle East as a form of blessing, the “blessed seed,” aka kalonji seeds, they are often mistaken for black sesame seeds for their similar appearance but have little else in common with sesame. They have a distinctive warm, smoky, and nutty flavor.

One day while poring over an old book on spices, I learned that nigella was a popular medieval spice in Roman culture. Knowing the Romans ate a lot of meat, I raced home, toasted a few seeds, and ground them. I added them to a marinade for meat, and their nutty, smoky flavor deepened to a state nothing short of miraculous. Ever since, we always include nigella in meat marinades, sometimes as a frontal note, other times as a background flavor.

Share this recipe

Cook Time

15 Minutes + marination time

Serves

2

Directions

Step 1

Make a masala by mixing the ground nigella, amchur, black pepper, yogurt, ground cloves, and sea salt. Mix in a few tablespoons of melted ghee or olive oil.

Step 2

Rub the masala onto the rib eye and marinate for a few hours or overnight. Sear or grill the steak.

Notes & Variations

This makes enough masala for two servings of steak.
This masala can also be used as a marinade to preserve the meat.

Ingredients

14-ounce aged rib eye steak

1 tablespoon ground nigella (kalonji)

1 tablespoon amchur (dried mango powder)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon yogurt

Pinch of ground cloves

½ teaspoon sea salt

A few tablespoons of melted ghee or olive oil

Step 1

Make a masala by mixing the ground nigella, amchur, black pepper, yogurt, ground cloves, and sea salt. Mix in a few tablespoons of melted ghee or olive oil.

Step 2

Rub the masala onto the rib eye and marinate for a few hours or overnight. Sear or grill the steak.

14-ounce aged rib eye steak

1 tablespoon ground nigella (kalonji)

1 tablespoon amchur (dried mango powder)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon yogurt

Pinch of ground cloves

½ teaspoon sea salt

A few tablespoons of melted ghee or olive oil

Notes & Variations

This makes enough masala for two servings of steak.
This masala can also be used as a marinade to preserve the meat.

Tags:

15 Min

Tags:

15 Min

KALONJI ON EVERYTHING.

Check out two more recipes that feature kalonji below - enjoy!

Just can't get enough?

Roasted Wild Salmon with Kalonji

Smoked Eggplant with Kalonji

35 Min

45 Lamb Burger

45 or nearly 50% of the mixture is vegetables and this not only makes the burger less ‘meaty’ and the vegetables add so much flavor. In this hot weather, outside grilling is the way to go so give it a try…you may never go back to making burgers without added vegetables!

15 Min

DF

GF

Bangla-inspired Steak

For millennia, India had been a secular country that openly welcomed people of all religions. During the end of the British reign and the Partition of 1947 that followed, Bangladesh became the prominently Muslim country and the Hindu Bengalis remained in India. Therefore, beef is freely eaten in Bangladesh and this steak is inspired by the spices native to Bengal. Prepared with mustard oil and a smattering of spices and garlic, it can be cooked medium or medium rare – enjoy it with Aloo Poshto.

40 Min

NF

Bheja Masala on Toast

Organ meats have much more flavor than the muscle that most of us are used to eating. The best part about brains is that they have no odor and almost taste like a tremendously flavorful scrambled egg.

240 Min

GF

NF

Bone Marrow Roast

Marrow, be it goat, lamb or beef not only has tremendous flavor but it also imparts flavor on everything it touches. In this recipe, the onions, garlic cloves, potatoes and peppers take on fragrant meaty flavors with bits and pieces of marrow scented with cardamom and cinnamon.

Curry Masala Beef

Curry masala, essentially curry powder, is best in long-stewing curries and beef, or any other dark meat works well with it.

80 Min

Fatayer

From the Persian sambusak, a crisp filled baked pastry and the precursor to the samosa, to the Lebanese sfeeha, open faced square meat pies, there exists a whole family of savory snacks worth getting to know. My current favorite is the fatayer, a triangular baked pastry usually stuffed with cheese, feta, spinach or meat that is easy and fun to make.

60 Min

GF

NF

Galouti Kebabs

A noteworthy Nawab during late-seventeen hundreds was Asaf-ud-Daula, a man known for his generosity and a notorious obsession for royal edifices and rich cuisine, particularly kebabs. During his reign, Lucknow reached the epitome of architecture with beautiful palaces, roads, and gardens. He commissioned the building of his court, the Imambara with excruciating details, where the largest arched roof built from brick and limestone, without a single beam, still stands today. An entire team of cooks was commanded to create daily changing aromatic stews, breads, and kebabs. These are the decades when Persian and Indian cooks came together to create Mughlai cuisine, still beloved in India. Legend has it that due to his overindulgences, early in his forties, the Nawab lost almost all his teeth and the ability to chew food, yet his love for kebabs did not wane. Anxious to please their beloved leader, the cooks, using papaya to tenderize the meat, concocted a kebab so soft that it required no chewing and would literally melt in his mouth. The Galouti (means melt-in-your-mouth) kebab was born and has remained a popular kebab in India ever since. The Nawab led a short but glorious well-lived life and is buried in his beloved Imambara.

60 Min

GF

NF

Garbanzo Mushroom Meat Curry

The curry takes the flavors of meat be it lamb, beef, chicken or turkey and multiplies it with the rest of the ingredients. Use it to spoon over toast, tortillas, rotis or over rice.

50 Min

DF

GF

NF

Goa Pork Stew

Goan Catholic cuisine has a distinct Portuguese flavor because of the addition of chilis, which the Portuguese introduced to India.

DF

GF

NF

Overnight

Goat Paya Stew

In Pakistani cuisine, ‘paya’ (goat or beef feet) are used in a soupy curry that is scooped up with a naan or a roti. There are endless variations to this so here is more of a rough guide on how to use the paya.

120 Min

NF

Haleem on Toast

Just like most dishes in India, there are dozens of variations on haleem, some are made with goat, some with beef, different kinds of lentils or grains but here is a recipe that reminds me of the haleem my two older brothers would sneak into the house at night for late night treats.

100 Min

GF

Kacchi Lamb Biryani

Even for biryani lovers, the kacchi (meaning raw) biryani of Bangladesh is a road less travelled. Biryanis in India are usually made by separately cooking the rice, meat masala, perhaps vegetables and bringing them all together at the end. In this style of biryani making, the Banglas cook the marinated meat and rice together and then finish it with fried onions. It infuses even more flavor into the rice. The pungent mustard oil is one of the most essential components of Bengali cuisine and here it shows up in the lamb marinade.

60 Min

GF

NF

Keema with Spinach

Keema, in Hindi, means ground meat cooked with spices. Could be a dry or saucy dish. Keema is not considered a lesser cut of beef in India since most butchers grind the meat to order.

25 Min

DF

GF

Kerala Beef Stir Fry

The Syrian Christian population in South India is known for its fiery beef and pork dishes using fresh coconut and lots of peppers.

90 Min

GF

NF

Kitchen Soup

Every restaurant — and perhaps every home — should have a “kitchen soup” recipe that allows lots of flexibility, creativity and, of course, bold flavors. So skip the preservative-filled bouillon or canned stock and make a simple from-scratch soup like ours.

50 Min

GF

Laal Maas

Laal maas simply means ‘red meat curry’ and can be made with beef, lamb, or goat.

60 Min

GF

NF

Lamb Bean Stew

This curry is like an Indian chili…use almost any bean in this recipe.

120 Min

GF

NF

Lamb Garbanzo Stew

This is a perfect make ahead stew — tastes even better the next day! Lamb may be replaced with beef or venison. It is delicious when served with rice or crusty warm slices of bread.

45 Min

GF

NF

Lamb Kofta Curry

Kofta refers to a multitude of ground lamb preparations with fragrant, savory coconut milk based sauce. There are also vegetarian varieties of kofta that are made from potatoes, paneer, or banana.

90 Min

GF

NF

Lamb Kofta with Green Beans

Like in most ancient cultures, eating meat was rare, celebratory and considered a delicacy. These meatballs are so delicious that you will not even realize that half the meat has been replaced with mushrooms.

75 Min

GF

NF

Lamb Roghan Josh

Roghan Josh is one of the more celebrated dishes of the artful cuisine from the northern province of Kashmiri on the border of Pakistan – often served during a ‘wazwan’ (an elaborate wedding ceremony) when lots of rich stews and roasts are served simultaneously.

180 Min

Lamb Shank Roghan Josh

The stew is aromatic, slightly hot and spicy – if wanting milder flavors, cut back on chili powder and warm spices at the end.

60 Min

GF

NF

Lentil Kofta Curry

What makes this recipe special is how little meat is used to create maximum flavor. Just a few ounces of meat tossed with cooked lentils, spices and seasonings make the flavor of the meat stretch.

70 Min

GF

NF

Mushroom Meatball Stew

As we start to anticipate and invite cooler temperatures, this may be the perfect stew to start off a new season.

120 MIN

GF

Persian Rice Ring

This Persian rice ring is a showstopper, and though the recipe is complicated and lengthy, it’s not hard to make.

60 Min

GF

NF

Roasted Carrots with Black Bean Lamb Masala

Like these carrots roasted with sesame seeds — they are nice on their own but delicious with black beans cooked with a bit of lamb and spices.

240 Min

GF

NF

Roasted Wild Venison

Marinate it in a medieval spice — kalonji — that adds a subtly smoky flavor to roasted meats. Kalonji pairs beautifully with warm aromatic spices such as cinnamon and cardamom, which in turn create a delicious marinade for slow-cooked meats.

60 Min

GF

Saffron Lamb Kofta with Apricots

Kashmir, considered the most beautiful region of India, has a long history or conquerors and emperors, who shaped the cuisine. It is a place where luxury abounded and this shows in the abundance of meat dishes, nuts like walnuts that are native, delicious apricots and more. It is also where saffron is cultivated and used heavily in the cuisine. These delicate, creamy meatballs are inspired by the cuisine of Kashmir ~ the dried apricots used here are also called Alu Bukhara but feel free to substitute a different apricot.

75 Min

GF

NF

Sayel Goat Chops

Sayel is a Sindhi word meaning rustic, usually a one pot dish using chopped onions with meats or vegetables or both. Even though we start with a lot of onions, they dissolve with the juices of the goat chops and end up a delicious sauce to spoon over rice or scoop up with bread.

20 Min

GF

NF

Sesame Crusted Lamb Leg with Artichoke Fenugreek Sauce

Be sure to get a good cut of the lamb leg or else it may end up tough. And make sure the pieces are cut against the grain.

115 Min

GF

Shikampuri Kebab

Usually made with lamb meat, these highly seasoned kebabs are usually fried in butter, however, in this recipe, they are baked in the oven and are just as delicious and not quite as heavy.

175 Min

GF

Sindhi Lamb Biryani

Just like most foods in India, every community, region and family have their own interpretation for it. This is a style of biryani my mother preferred but since goat was the go-to red meat, we had goat biryani.

30 Min

DF

GF

NF

Syrian Beef Stir Fry

The Syrian Christian population in South India is known for its fiery beef and pork dishes using fresh coconut and lots of peppers.

70 Min

GF

Wild Venison Meatball Stew

Venison meat tends to be super lean and deeply flavorful. Adding vegetables to a meat stew of any kind is a wonderful way to add more vegetables into your diet – here we added local purple hull snap peas but anything from asparagus to green beans would make a good option.

35 Min

45 Lamb Burger

15 Min

DF

GF

Bangla-inspired Steak

40 Min

NF

Bheja Masala on Toast

240 Min

GF

NF

Bone Marrow Roast

Curry Masala Beef

Curry masala, essentially curry powder, is best in long-stewing curries and beef, or any other dark meat works well with it.

Drinks

Drinks

Hot Drinks

Cold Drinks

Cocktails

Condiments

Condiments

Raita

Chutneys

Pickles

Masala

Grains

Grains

Buckwheat

Khichri

Millet

Noodles

Quinoa

Rice

Whole Grains

Dough

Dough

Roti

Paratha

Naan

Bread

Crackers

Pizza

Batter

Batter

Dosas

Pancakes

Crepes

Savory Baked

Savory Baked

Biscuits

Bread Pudding

Soups

Soups

Light Soup

Creamy Soup

Dal Soup

Stews

Cold Soup

Snacks

Snacks

Chaat

Spreads

Fried Snacks

Nosh

Legumes

Legumes

Dal

Beans

Salads

Salads

Veg Salads

Non-Veg Salads

Land & Sea

Land & Sea

Eggs

Birds

Meat

Fish

Shellfish

Paneer

Paneer

Paneer

Vegetables

Vegetables

Sabzi

Potatoes

Mushrooms

Eggplants

Cauliflower

Squashes

Root Vegetables

Vegetable Curries

Green Vegetables

Okra