Name: Masaledar batair (Spicy stir-fried quails)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Pakistani
Ingredients: 2.5 cm/1-inch cinnamon stick; 3–4 tbsp corn or sunflower oil; 3–4 cloves; 1 large red onion, cut into rings; ½ tsp grated ginger; 1 garlic clove, crushed; 1 black cardamom pod; 1 bay leaf; 1 tsp cumin seeds; salt, to taste; 4 tomatoes, roughly chopped; ¼ tsp ground turmeric; fresh tender coriander (cilantro) with stems, chopped; 4 quails; ¾ tsp red chilli powder

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
40 min

Appears in

Summers Under the Tamarind Tree

By Sumayya Usmani

Published 2016

About

Pakistan has a rich game culture and ‘shirkar’ (hunting) is something enjoyed by many people in the northern areas of the country in particular. Deer, as well as partridge, quail and other small birds, are popular and are cooked simply and quickly. This is a quick and easy recipe for batair (quail) and can be cooked on an open fire or at home on the hob. The key with quail is to cook the sauce first and then quickly stir-fry the birds to avoid overcooking.