Agra Fort and Kebab Secrets

Everyone is usually blown away by the Taj Mahal and its love story, even though it's more morbid than romantic since it's a mausoleum where the Emperor and his beautiful Empress are buried. Shah Jahan is remembered more for this legacy than the terror he inflicted as a Mughal Emperor, transforming the empire into a military machine and demanding more revenue from the peasantry. However, the arts — music, crafts, architecture — did flourish under his rule.

I was more awed by the Agra Fort for its sheer history: it was the seat of the Mughal Empire for over two hundred years from the mid-1500s. Six Mughal Emperors ruled from there — Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb — with each one adding his distinctive mark to the architecture of the fort.

Formidable entrance

Built mostly in red sandstone, the fort was said to have over 500 buildings built in the design of Bengali and Gujarati (Hindu) architecture; some of these were destroyed by Shah Jahan to make room for his white marble palace, others were pillaged and reduced to rubble by the British when they rode in. There were winter palaces and summer palaces that were built strategically to harness the warmth of the sun and the cool of the red sandstone.

Winter palace

My mind was close to exploding as I marveled at the intricate designs on the walls, the long corridors lined by arches, the use of water to cool rooms and startling use of hidden yet open vents for ventilation.

White corridors lined by arches

We waited our turn to sit on Akbar's seat in the Deewan-e-Khas, where he held private audiences with his ministers and advisors.

Seat of the Emperor, with the Taj Mahal in the distance

There wasn't as much of a rush for Birbal's seat, which was right across from the Emperor's. The photo ops were greater across the courtyard and that suited us just fine as we are fans of Birbal and his logical mind. The green lawns in the quadrangle behind Birbal's seat used to be the Emperor's private fishing pond.

Birbal sat here; and so did we!

The Mughals brought with them their love of the arts and fine cuisine. Mughlai cuisine can be traced to its roots in Persia and central Asia, with abundant use of dried fruits and nuts, aromatics and mild spices. It blended well with the local and regional flavors, leading to its current avatar from creamily lavish to very spicy. For me, that means diving into biryanis and kebabs.

I make all sorts of kebabs — these Persian-inspired lamb kebabs are a huge hit — but I've never been able to get my marinade to cling to the meat in a tight embrace. Neither butter nor thick cream ever managed to give me the texture that I found on Mughlai kebabs, especially the ones I gorged on in Agra. Until I found my answer in my copy of J. Inder Singh Kalra's Prashad, Cooking with Indian Masters: besan! It gives the marinade a silky texture and ensures an even coating on the skewered meat, that doesn't drip off as soon as heat is factored into the equation.

Chicken Tikka Hara Bhara

Succulent kebabs

• 1.5 lb chicken tenderloins
• 1/4 cup yogurt
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 12-15 mint leaves
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 2 tsp grated garlic
• 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground mace
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp besan (gram flour)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• salt to taste
• 1-2 tbsp melted butter for basting

a luscious thick marinade

skewered

1. Blend together yogurt, cilantro, mint, ginger, garlic, black pepper, cumin, mace, cardamom, chilli powder, turmeric powder and lemon juice.
2. Stir in besan, making sure there are no lumps. Add oil and salt. This is your marinade. Taste it to make sure it is a little salty and tangy.
3. Wash and pat dry chicken tenderloins. Cut each tenderloin into 4 bite size pieces.
4. Add the chicken to the marinade and refrigerate for about 2-3 hours.
5. Pre-heat your oven to 350F.
6. Skewer the marinated chicken pieces about an inch apart and place them on a tray to collect any drippings.
7. Roast for 8-10 minutes, basting at least twice with melted butter. I prefer to roast them for about 5-6 minutes and then broil them on high for another 5-6 minutes. If you like charred edges, roast a minute or two longer under the broiler, keeping a close watch.
8. Take the tikkas off the hot skewers and serve immediately.

Succulent kebabs

Notes:

• I use 1/2 cup yogurt and keep half the marinade aside for a quick stove-top chicken with onions and tomatoes, a few days later. Or I make more tikkas. I end up using most of the marinade this way.
• Do not skimp on basting with butter as that seals in the juices, giving you very succulent kebabs. 
• I don't char mine as much as I prefer them to be tender and cooked just right, rather than over-cooked.
• These work well at summer cookouts, roasted on charcoal grills. I'm looking forward to doing that this summer! The cookbook suggests roasting them for about 8-10 minutes, basting once, if cooked on a charcoal grill.
• If you don't have metal skewers, buy wooden skewers and make sure you soak them in water for a good half hour or so before using.
• This is a twist on the regular chicken tikka where cilantro and mint add the hara or green ingredients to the kebab. 
• These tikkas are great as hors d'oevres with a cocktail or three.