Blog - Mamas Secret Recipes

Barbequed lamb chops

May 25, 2015 by Fouzia Husainy Leave a Comment

I had pickled garlic and figs at home and so I tried to use them in the marinade for the chops. It not only enhanced the barbecued flavour but also kicked it up a notch and was just so delicious!!We got so busy enjoying the chops that I forgot to take a few shots for my blog. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

Lamb chops – 6-8 pcs (1kg)

Marinade 1

Pickled garlic – 6 small size

Pickled red chillies – 4

Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Pepper – 1 tsp

Salt – 1/2 tspa

Vegetable oil – 2 tbs

Marinade 2

Pickled figs

Italian parsley

Garlic and red chillies pickled in vinegar

Method:

1. Clean, wash and dry the lamb chops with paper towels.

2. Grind together all the ingredients of marinade1 to a fine paste.

3. Rub the chops with salt. Then rub them well with the ground paste mixed with vegetable oil and leave to marinate for 3 – 4 hours.

4. Barbecue the marinated chops on a medium hot grill for a few mins on both the sides till they are golden brown.

5. Grind together all the ingredients of marinade 2 to a fine paste and brush this rub at the final stage of barbecuing the chops. Keep basting with oil from time to time.

6. Remove the chops quickly from the grill while they are still moist with the marinade.

7. Brush more if there’s any leftover marinade while they are still hot.

8. Sprinkle some chopped cilantro and serve them hot. Enjoy the delicious lamb chops.

Tips:

To pickle garlic, red chillies, figs etc just put them in a clean bottle and add salt, chilly powder (optional) and vinegar, then cover the mouth of the bottle with cling wrap and leave it in the sun for a few days till they are soft, juicy and tender.

Eggplant egg sandwich

May 23, 2015 by Fouzia Husainy Leave a Comment

A delectable boiled egg sandwich made with baked eggplant slices which are coated with egg and panko crumbs for a delightful crunch. Those of you who are not fond of eggplants are sure to like this one, coz you can hardly make out it is eggplant.

Ingredients:
1 Sicilian eggplant (sliced)
1 cup Panko crumbs
1 cup Corn flakes/ potato chips
2 tbs White flour
1 Egg (for egg wash)
1 tbs Milk
4 Hard Boiled eggs
2 tbs Olive oil
Mayonnaise
Tomato ketchup
Dijon Mustard

Method:

1. Cut the eggplant into 1/4″ slices, sprinkle with salt and keep them aside.

2. Whisk the egg with 1 tbs milk in a bowl. Put the flour, the panko crumbs and the crushed corn flakes separately in two other bowls

3. Slice the hard boiled eggs.

4. Take each eggplant slice, dust it with flour, then soak it in the egg wash, then coat it with the panko corn flake crumb mixture and keep it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle or spray the slices with olive oil.

5. Bake at 375 degrees fahrenheit for 10 mins or until golden brown. Set aside to cool. Another alternative is to fry the egg plant slices coated with crumbs on a non stick pan with a little olive oil.

6. Spread some mayonnaise and dijon mustard on one side of the 2 baked crispy egg plant rounds, place some boiled egg slices on the saucy side, sprinkle with salt and pepper, squirt some drops of ketchup then close it with the other eggplant slice with the saucy side down. Repeat with the other slices. You could add lettuce, tomatoes or dill pickles etc if you like. Cut them into halves and enjoy.

My French Omelette

May 3, 2015 by Fouzia Husainy Leave a Comment

I have been trying to perfect the art of making french omelette for so long. At last I did it! I tried and tried but finally I did succeed. It all requires tonnes of patience and diligent handling. Well it turned out just right – soft, silky and smooth.

I used king oyster mushrooms and liked the flavour. You could use any mushrooms – white button, brown cremini or enochi etc.

Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients:

Eggs- 1

Milk – 2 tbs

Salt to taste

Black Pepper- a pinch

Unsalted Butter – 1 tsp

Mushrooms chopped – 1 tsp

Mozzarella cheese grated – 1 tbs

Method:

1.Lightly fry the chopped mushrooms. Remove and keep aside. Grate the mozzarella cheese.

2. Set the non-stick frying pan on low medium heat which is really important as we don’t want a leathery texture.

3. Whisk the egg well with salt, pepper and milk till it froths.

4. Add a blob of butter to the pan and as soon as it melts pour in the egg mixture.

5. As the mixture begins to set, spread it around and swirl it lightly on top with a fork or chop sticks so that it resembles custard consistency.

6. Now add the mushrooms and cheese. Let the heat be on low or medium low only. Do not raise the heat.

7. Insert a spatula under the egg and slowly turn over and fold the edge on one side. Wait till it cooks a bit more taking care not to let it brown at all.
8. Fold over again on the exposed side, then turn over gently on the other side and slide it slowly onto the plate. Enjoy!

hotell London

Oats with poached egg

April 30, 2015 by Fouzia Husainy Leave a Comment

I got tired of eating oats with milk and sugar, so tried this indianized oats recipe which my mom used to make, gave a twist to it and enjoyed it so much! I added my own home made yoghurt (which had turned a little sour) along with fresh curry leaves and chopped cilantro. The Poached egg in the oats was just perfect, so lip smackingly yummy and really satisfying to have it in the morning as your first meal of the day. It was also a very nutritious and healthy breakfast.

Try this recipe.

Ingredients:
Quick cooking Oats – 1/4 cup (cooking time -1.5 mins)
Onion chopped – 1 tbs
Ginger garlic paste – 1/8 tsp (optional)
Green chilly deseeded (optional) – 1 very small
Curry leaves or mint (fresh) – 4 or 5
Cilantro (chopped) – 1 tsp
Yoghurt – 1 tbs (optional)
Egg – 1
Salt to taste
Water – 11/2 cups
Olive oil – 1 – 2 tsp

Method:
1.Put the olive oil in a sauce pan on medium heat.
2. Add the chopped onion, curry leaves and the green chilly. You may omit the green chilly if you don’t want it or add half of it. I added a very small one after removing the seeds just for the zing. It wasn’t hot for me.
3. Fry till the onions turn translucent. Add the ginger garlic paste – a little just for its flavor, then the whipped yoghurt. You can make it without the ginger garlic paste and yoghurt too and it still tastes good.
4. Now add the water and let it come to a boil.
5. Add the oats, salt and chopped cilantro and let it cook for 2 mins.
6. Break the egg first into a small bowl then slide it slowly into the sauce pan with the runny oats.
7. Simmer for 2 more mins till the egg is poached to your choice – half done, well done or runny. I like it with the center still runny but the sides slightly done. Add a tablespoon of some sour yoghurt and chopped curry leaves as a final touch and enjoy!

hotell London

Chilli Garlic Beef

April 23, 2015 by Fouzia Husainy Leave a Comment

This is a hot and spicy south asian style beef stir fry dish, spicy enough to tingle your taste buds, also crispy, chewy and so delicious!

Ingredients:

For the marinade:

1 lb beef

1 tsp garlic

Salt to taste

1 tsp ced chilli powder

1 tsp red chilli flakes

1 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp vinegar

1 tsp white flour

For the Red Sauce:

1 garlic clove minced (medium size)

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp brown sugar

4 tsp vinegar

2 tsp soya sauce

1 chopped green chillies (optional)

Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Clean, wash and cut the beef into strips. Drain with paper towels and set aside.

2. Mix together all the ingredients of the first marinade except the flour and rub the beef pieces with it nicely. Set aside for 1/2 an hour.

3. Dust the marinated beef pieces with flour and deep fry them in oil till crisp. Drain on paper towels.

4. Meanwhile prepare the red sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients together.

5. Now toss the fried beef pieces in the red sauce and enjoy.

For Chilli garlic beef in glazed red sauce:

Follow the steps from 1 to 3

4. Heat 1 tsp of vegetable oil. Combine all the sauce ingredients (except the red chilli flakes) with 1 tbs of ketchup and 1 tsp of hot chilli sauce (optional) and add to the sauce pan.

5. Dissolve 1 tsp of cornstarch in 1 tbs of water and add it to the red sauce to glaze it. Simmer till the sauce thickens a bit. If it becomes too thick add another tablespoon of water.

6. Toss in the fried beef. Sprinkle the red chilli flakes.

7. Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve hot with rice or noodles. You may also add thinly sliced red and green peppers to it.

Recipe

Chilli Garlic Beef

Author: Fouzia Husainy

This is a hot and spicy south asian style beef stir fry dish, spicy enough to tingle your taste buds, also crispy, chewy and so delicious!

Course Non Vegetarian

Cuisine Hakka Cuisine, South Asian Cuisine

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Marinade

Beef - 1lb
Garlic - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Brown sugar - 1 tsp
Vinegar - 2 tsp
White flour - 1 tsp

For the Red Sauce

1 clove Garlic (minced) medium size
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
1 tsp red chilli flakes
1 tsp Brown sugar
4 tsp Vinegar
2 tbs Soya sauce
1 Chopped green chillies optional
Salt to taste

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Instructions

Clean, wash and cut the beef into strips. Drain with paper towels and set aside.
Mix together all the ingredients of the first marinade except the flour and rub the beef pieces with it nicely. Set aside for 1/2 an hour.
Dust the marinated beef pieces with flour and deep fry them in oil till crisp. Drain on paper towels.
Meanwhile prepare the red sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients together.
Now toss the fried beef pieces in the red sauce and enjoy.

For the chilli garlic beef in glazed red sauce:

Follow the steps from 1 to 3
Heat 1 tsp of vegetable oil. Combine all the sauce ingredients (except for the red chilli flakes) with 1 tbs of ketchup and 1 tsp of hot chilli sauce (optional) and add to the sauce pan.
Dissolve 1 tsp of cornstarch in 1 tbs of water and add it to the red sauce to glaze it. Simmer till the sauce thickens a bit. If it becomes too thick add another tablespoon of water.
Toss in the fried beef. Sprinkle the red chilli flakes.
Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve hot with rice or noodles. You may also add thinly sliced red and green peppers to it.

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Madrasi Vegetable Biryani

April 22, 2015 by Fouzia Husainy Leave a Comment

There’s a wide variety of biryanis all over India with each region popularizing their own version which reflects their taste, culture and gastronomic history. No ceremony or festive event is complete without Biryani which is considered as the special dish even to this day. Watch the video below.

The pictures below show the vegetable biryani made at two different times with a slightly different technique. Adding the beetroot to the sauce colours all the vegetables and the rice as well, so it looks like beetroot colour all over. But if you layer the beetroot pieces on top of the rice it stands out like a jewel in the crown and makes the biryani more colourful and I prefer doing that. Also I feel a difference in flavour too though both are equally good. I have shown both the methods below with pictures.

Ingredients:
1 cup vegetable oil
10 cloves
10 green cardamoms
2 x 3″ cinnamon sticks
5 cups basmati rice
5 medium to large size onions
4 – 5 potatoes
1 1/2 cups peas
1large carrot
2 cups green beans
1 kohlarabi
1 Beetroot
2 cups cauliflower florets
4 large plum tomatoes
1/2 cup ginger garlic paste
1 cup yoghurt
a pinch of saffron
2 cups chopped cilantro
1/2 cup mint
10 green chillies
1 tsp fresh lemon/lime juice
Salt to taste
Instructions:
1. Peel, wash and cut potatoes into big chunks. Peel carrots, kohlarabi and beetroot, wash them and cut into thin dices and keep them aside separately. Cut beans each into 2 pieces. Separate cauliflower florets, wash, towel dry and keep aside.

2. Deep fry all the vegetables separately and lastly the beetroot to avoid colouring the oil. Do not fry the green peas.
3. Pre soak the basumati rice for half an hour after rinsing the rice at least 3 or 4 times or until the water runs clear. For golden sela rice, it has to be soaked for 2- 4 hours.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a pot. Add the whole spices – 10 cloves, 10 green cardamoms, and 2x 3″ cinnamon sticks. Peel, wash and slice 5 large onions and fry them on medium heat with the whole spices till they are golden brown.
5. Add ginger garlic paste, turmeric and red chilly powder followed by green chillies and tomatoes. Turn over and cook till they soften a bit. Add yoghurt, throw in a few mint leaves, fresh chopped cilantro and combine everything to get a thick smooth sauce like consistency.
6. Now add all the fried vegetables and green peas, sprinkle 1 tsp lemon juice, adjust the salt and mix all the vegetables with the sauce well.

7. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the basumati rice and 2 -3 tbs of salt. Cook for a few minutes till the grains are 70 % done. You can test this by picking a grain of rice and pressing it between your index finger and thumb to see how much it is cooked. If you see 3 white dots inside while it feels a little soft on the outside, it means it is time to stop cooking. After the first boil you should keep checking the rice from time to time by doing this test. The time taken to cook the rice differs with each variety. So you have to be very alert and careful as this is a crucial step which cannot be overlooked. Drain the rice in a colander.
8. Meanwhile transfer the vegetable sauce to the roaster and place it in the oven pre-heated at 375ºF. Dissolve a few strands of saffron in warm milk and keep it ready.

9. Layer the cooked rice over the sauce in the roaster. Top it with the reserved fried beetroot pieces, fresh mint and chopped cilantro. Add a pinch of edible orange food colouring on one side and mix it with a little rice then sprinkle the coloured rice over the white rice. Sprinkle saffron milk. Cover the roaster with its lid and steam in the oven for 10 mins.

10. When done switch off the oven, take the roaster out and leave it to rest on the counter for 5 minutes. By now you should be able to feel a whiff of the aroma in the air. Uncover the roaster lid slowly and gently mix the rice with a round or flat spatula by scooping the vegetables and sauce from the bottom and then layering over the rice. Combine everything well. We usually don’t mix the whole roaster at one go. There’s a specific technique of mixing the rice with the sauce which is to be followed to avoid breaking the rice and vegetables. That is why it is done very gently. We serve as we mix. After serving you could put back the roaster in the hot oven (but not switched on) till you serve again. This way the biryani remains hot till the end. Enjoy the vegetable biryani with onion yoghurt chutney.

Madrasi Vegetable Biryani

Tips:
1. It is very important to use good quality long grain basmathi rice which has been aged.

2. Adding the beetroot pieces along with the other vegetables to the sauce colours the rice and all the vegetables in it as seen in the picture below. If you want it coloured it is fine. But I prefer adding the beetroot pieces as a layer on top of the rice, which makes them stand out like a jewel in the crown.

3. See the picture of the biryani below in which the beetroot is mixed in the curry. It makes a lot of difference in appearance as well as flavour. The rice also absorbs the beetroot flavour from the curry. That is why I personally prefer to add the beetroot in the final step.

Recipe

Madrasi Vegetable Biryani

Author: Fouzia Husainy

There’s a wide variety of biryanis all over India with each region popularizing their own version which reflects their taste, culture and gastronomic history. No ceremony or festive event is complete with out Biryani which is considered as the special dish even to this day. This is a delicious preparation of traditional madrasi vegetable biryani made with no artificial flavourings or biryani spices.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian, south indian

Ingredients

1 cup vegetable oil
10 cloves
10 green cardamoms
2x3" cinnamon sticks
5 cups basumathi rice
5 onions medium - large
4-5 potatoes medium
1 1/2 cups green peas
1 large carrot
2 cups green beans
1 kohlarabi
1 beetroot
2 cups cauliflower florets
4 plum tomatoes large
1/2 cup ginger garlic paste
1 cup yoghurt
2 cups chopped cilantro
1/2 cup mint
10 green chillies small
1 tsp fresh lemon/lime juice
a pinch of saffron
salt as required

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Instructions

Peel, wash and cut potatoes into big chunks. Peel carrots, kohlarabi and beetroot, wash them and cut into thin dices and keep them aside separately. Cut beans each into 2 pieces. Separate cauliflower florets, wash, towel dry and keep aside.
Deep fry all the vegetables separately and lastly the beetroot to avoid colouring the oil. Do not fry the green peas.
Pre soak the basumati rice for half an hour after rinsing the rice at least 3 or 4 times or until the water runs clear. For golden sela rice, it has to be soaked for 2- 4 hours.
Heat the vegetable oil in a pot. Add the whole spices – 10 cloves, 10 green cardamoms, and 2x 3″ cinnamon sticks. Peel, wash and slice 5 large onions and fry them on medium heat with the whole spices till they are golden brown.
Add ginger garlic paste, turmeric and red chilly powder followed by green chillies and tomatoes. Turn over and cook till they soften a bit. Add yoghurt, throw in a few mint leaves, fresh chopped cilantro and combine everything to get a thick smooth sauce like consistency.
Now add all the fried vegetables and green peas, sprinkle 1 tsp lemon juice, adjust the salt and mix all the vegetables with the sauce well.
Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the basumati rice and 2 -3 tbs of salt. Cook for a few minutes till the grains are 70 % done. You can test this by picking a grain of rice and pressing it between your index finger and thumb to see how much it is cooked. If you see 3 white dots inside while it feels a little soft on the outside, it means it is time to stop cooking. After the first boil you should keep checking the rice from time to time by doing this test. The time taken to cook the rice differs with each variety. So you have to be very alert and careful as this is a crucial step which cannot be overlooked. Drain the rice in a colander.
Meanwhile transfer the vegetable sauce to the roaster and place it in the oven pre-heated at 375ºF. Dissolve a few strands of saffron in warm milk and keep it ready.
Layer the cooked rice over the sauce in the roaster. Top it with the reserved fried beetroot pieces, fresh mint and chopped cilantro. Add a pinch of edible orange food colouring on one side and mix it with a little rice then sprinkle the coloured rice over the white rice. Sprinkle saffron milk. Cover the roaster with its lid and steam in the oven for 10 mins.
When done switch off the oven, take the roaster out and leave it to rest on the counter for 5 minutes. By now you should be able to feel a whiff of the aroma in the air. Uncover the roaster lid slowly and gently mix the rice with a round or flat spatula by scooping the vegetables and sauce from the bottom and then layering over the rice. Combine everything well. We usually don’t mix the whole roaster at one go. There’s a specific technique of mixing the rice with the sauce which is to be followed to avoid breaking the rice and vegetables. That is why it is done very gently. We serve as we mix. After serving you could put back the roaster in the hot oven (but not switched on) till you serve again. This way the biryani remains hot till the end. Enjoy the vegetable biryani with onion yoghurt chutney.

Notes

It is very important to use good quality long grain aged basmathi rice
Adding the beetroot pieces along with the other vegetables to the sauce colours the rice and all the vegetables in it as seen in the picture below. If you want it coloured it is fine. But I prefer adding the beetroot pieces as a layer on top of the rice, which makes them stand out like a jewel in the crown.

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Trout Green Mango Curry

April 16, 2015 by Fouzia Husainy Leave a Comment

Trout green mango curry is a traditional south indian dish. The tanginess of the green mango imparts a great flavour to the trout – so delicious! As a child I always loved eating raw mangoes and also enjoyed them when cooked with fish or meat. Still cannot forget the taste of the fish curry with raw mangoes that my mom used to make for lunch in summer.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 lb trout or any other fish fillets
1 large green mango
1 large onion
2-3 small green chillies
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red hot chilli powder (deggi mirch)
1/4 cup coconut milk (Cha’s organic premium coconut milk)
1/4 cup cilantro
2 tbs vegetable oil
salt to taste

Instructions:
1. Clean wash and towel dry the trout or any other fish. Set aside.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan, fry the sliced onion to golden brown.
3. Add the ginger garlic paste, turmeric, red hot chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Stir and mix well.
4. Peel the green mango and cut into 4 quarters and add them to the onion masala.
5. Then immediately add the trout fillets too along with the green chillies. Turn over the fish pieces gently to mix with the masala. Cover and leave it to simmer on low flame till the mango becomes tender and the fish is cooked. Sprinkle a little water if the sauce is too thick.
6. Add the coconut milk, taste the sauce and adjust the salt. Let it thicken a bit on simmer. When you start getting the aroma, the fish is ready.
7. Garnish the trout curry with chopped cilantro and serve hot with boiled rice and enjoy!

Notes:
1. Lift the pot with padded mitts or gloves and give it a shake gently. Do not use the spatula to turn over the fish fillets as they’ll break and you’ll be left with a mush.
2. Cook the fish just till the mango turns soft, but not too soft as to become mushy.

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Roasted Red Bell Pepper Chicken Kofta Curry

March 25, 2015 by Fouzia Husainy 1 Comment

The sweetness of the red bell pepper in the chicken mince gives a new dimension to the dish.

Ingredients for the Koftas (meat balls)
1kg chicken breast cut into cubes
1 large onion chopped
4 garlic cloves chopped
1 big red bell pepper chopped
1 strand of cilantro
1-2 small green chillies
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tbs corn flour
1 tsp green cardamom powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp juice of lime/lemon
Salt as required

Ingredients for the curry:
1 large onion
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
4 green chillies
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil + 2 tbs for frying
Salt as required.
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
2 black cardamoms
1/2″ cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1 bay leaf
4 green cardamoms
2 tbs white poppy seeds
10 cashews

Yield: 15-20 Koftas

Instructions:
1. Roast the sweet red bell peppers either in the oven or on the stove till they soften and are charred and shrivelled. Set aside to cool.

2. Clean, rinse, towel dry the chicken breasts, cut into cubes and keep aside.

3. Finely chop the onions, the red pepper, cilantro, parsley, green chillies, garlic cloves and keep aside.

4. Grind equal portions of ginger and garlic and make ginger garlic paste. Grind together white poppy seeds and the cashews with a little warm water and set aside.

5. Rub the chicken cubes with salt, lemon juice and leave to marinate for 10 minutes. Then spice up the chicken with turmeric, cumin, fennel, black pepper, red chilli, green cardamom powders and corn flour. Mix well.

6. Peel the cooled roasted bell peppers, remove their seeds and cut into small bit sized pieces. Add them to the bowl with the marinated chicken.Add the chopped cilantro.

7. Mince everything well in a mincer or grinder using a medium mincing blade. Make round balls with the chicken mince.

8. Add 2 tbs of oil to a non stick sauce pan and shallow fry the chicken meat balls quickly, 2 or 3 at a time by turning and tossing them over. Remove them as soon as they turn opaque. No problem if they are still raw inside as they are going to cook in the curry. This way they remain soft. They would harden if you over cook them while frying. Set them aside to cool down.

9. Meanwhile in another sauce pan, caramelize the onions with the whole spices in the remaining oil to a nice golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste, turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Mix well then add chopped tomatoes and cook on low medium heat till they soften and blend in with the onion masala. All depends on how finely you slice the onions and how gently and slowly you caramelize on medium to low heat which helps them soften easily and blend in with the other ingredients to make a smooth sauce. It is this process of gentle cooking that enhances the taste of any dish.

10. Now add the white poppy seed and cashew paste to the curry sauce followed by chopped cilantro. Mix well and cook on simmer for 5 minutes.

11. Poke the fried and cooled meat balls lightly with a tooth pick and gently drop them in the curry. Sprinkle 1/2 a cup of water around the sides of the sauce pan, cover with a lid and leave them to simmer for 10 minutes. Keep checking from time to time by shaking the sauce pan gently or by moving the meat balls slowly with a wooden spoon so they don’t stick to the bottom. If the sauce becomes too thick sprinkle some more water and let them simmer on low for another 5 minutes.

12. Once the sauce has reached the desired consistency (neither too thick nor runny) and the oil rises to the top, switch off the stove. Garnish with some more chopped cilantro and serve hot with rice or chappatis. Enjoy!

Recipe

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Chicken Kofta Curry

Author: Fouzia Husainy

The sweetness of the red bell pepper in the chicken mince gives a new dimension to the dish.

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Koftas (meat balls)

1 kg chicken breast cut into cubes
1 large onion chopped
4 garlic cloves chopped
1 big red bell pepper chopped
1 strand of cilantro
1-2 small green chillies
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tbs corn flour
1 tsp green cardamom powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp juice of lime/lemon
Salt as required

Ingredients for the Curry

1 large onion
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
4 green chillies
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil + 2 tbs for frying
Salt as required.
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
2 black cardamoms
1/2 " cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1 bay leaf
4 green cardamoms
2 tbs white poppy seeds
10 cashews

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Instructions

Roast the sweet red bell peppers either in the oven or on the stove till they soften and are charred and shrivelled. Set aside to cool.
Clean, rinse, towel dry the chicken breasts, cut into cubes and keep aside.
Finely chop the onions, the red pepper, cilantro, parsley, green chillies, garlic cloves and keep aside.
Grind equal portions of ginger and garlic and make ginger garlic paste. Grind together white poppy seeds and the cashews with a little warm water and set aside.
Rub the chicken cubes with salt, lemon juice and leave to marinate for 10 minutes. Then spice up the chicken with turmeric, cumin, fennel, black pepper, red chilli, green cardamom powders and corn flour. Mix well.
Peel the cooled roasted bell peppers, remove their seeds and cut into small bit sized pieces. Add them to the bowl with the marinated chicken.Add the chopped cilantro.
Mince everything well in a mincer or grinder using a medium mincing blade. Make round balls with the chicken mince.
Add 2 tbs of oil to a non stick sauce pan and shallow fry the chicken meat balls quickly, 2 or 3 at a time by turning and tossing them over. Remove them as soon as they turn opaque. No problem if they are still raw inside as they are going to cook in the curry. This way they remain soft. They would harden if you over cook them while frying. Set them aside to cool down.
Meanwhile in another sauce pan, caramelize the onions with the whole spices in the remaining oil to a nice golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste, turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Mix well then add chopped tomatoes and cook on low medium heat till they soften and blend in with the onion masala. All depends on how finely you slice the onions and how gently and slowly you caramelize on medium to low heat which helps them soften easily and blend in with the other ingredients to make a smooth sauce. It is this process of gentle cooking that enhances the taste of any dish.
Now add the white poppy seed and cashew paste to the curry sauce followed by chopped cilantro. Mix well and cook on simmer for 5 minutes.
Poke the fried and cooled meat balls lightly with a tooth pick and gently drop them in the curry. Sprinkle 1/2 a cup of water around the sides of the sauce pan, cover with a lid and leave them to simmer for 10 minutes. Keep checking from time to time by shaking the sauce pan gently or by moving the meat balls slowly with a wooden spoon so they don't stick to the bottom. If the sauce becomes too thick sprinkle some more water and let them simmer on low for another 5 minutes.
Once the sauce has reached the desired consistency (neither too thick nor runny) and the oil rises to the top, switch off the stove. Garnish with some more chopped cilantro and serve hot with rice or chappatis. Enjoy!

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Tangy sweet bittergourd masala

March 4, 2015 by Fouzia Husainy Leave a Comment

Ingredients:

Bitter gourds – 4

Onions sliced – 1 large

Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves – a few

Dried red chilies – 1- 2 small

Chopped Ginger

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Cumin powder – 1/4 tsp

Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp

Lemon juice – 1 tsp

Brown sugar – 1/2 tsp

Vegetable oil – 2 tbs

Cilantro – 2 tbs

Method:

1. Scrape the bitter gourds lightly, cut them lengthwise into two halves, scoop out the contents and cut into thin juliennes and keep aside.

2. Heat the vegetable oil in a sauce pan, add the mustard seeds when they splutter add the dried whole red chillies, slit green chilies and curry leaves followed by the bitter gourd juliennes.

3. Add the dry masala – turmeric, cumin, coriander & garam masala powders. Mix well, sprinkle a little water, cover it with a lid and let it simmer on low flame for a few minutes, giving it a stir every one and then, till it is just tender.

4. Add the sliced onions and chopped coriander. Sprinkle some salt, lemon juice and lastly brown sugar, mix well, cover it with the lid and simmer for a few more minutes till the onions soften a bit. Remove from the stove, garnish with chopped coriander and serve with chappatis or rice.

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Lamb Suthriyan (Indian Pasta)

February 28, 2015 by Fouzia Husainy 2 Comments

Suthriyan is a delicacy enjoyed by the south indian muslim community in Chennai. It is a sumptuous one pot meal made with hand made pasta and meat cooked in a coconut and yogurt based sauce which is so delicious!

Suthriyan is a traditional indian muslim pasta dish mostly made with lamb/beef/veal or shrimp. Whenever I make it here in Canada, it brings back to me vivid memories of my past of how we enjoyed eating Lamb Suthriyan at our family get togethers and picnics, how we would all sit together around the pot of Suthriyan, heap up our plates and eat to our heart’s content till we wiped off the pot all clean. Oh, so delicious indeed were the lip smacking Suthriyan with the chunks of lamb melting in your mouth!

What are Suthriyan
Suthriyan are diamond shaped pasta hand made with wheat flour or maida especially among the south indian muslim community in Chennai, India.

How to make Suthriyan
Suthriyan (indian pasta) are made with white flour and are available in the stores in Chennai. There is another kind of suthriyan made with chappati flour (finely ground wheat flour) which are made at home by rolling out flat breads, cutting them into diamond shapes and then drying them on a piece of clean cloth spread on the table or in the sun. These are a bit chewy and not as soft as the white suthriyan which melt in the mouth.

How to cook Suthriyan
Suthriyan should be first cooked in boiling water and to which coconut milk is added after draining them before mixing in the gravy. This cooking technique not only enhances their flavour but also keeps them separate (does not make them stick together in clusters). If you add them directly to the gravy to cook them, they will not cook evenly and you will be left with some cooked and some half cooked ones. So it is sometimes better not to take short cuts.

How to choose the cut of lamb for making them
The cut of lamb that you choose is also important. It is preferable to add a few pieces of lamb breast along with the lamb shoulder with the bones for this recipe. The excessive fat on the top should be trimmed off leaving the thick wedge of edible fat (which is hard and doesn’t peel off) under which is the layer of soft meat on the bone and it should be cut into single short rib pieces. The soft and succulent shoulder pieces blend with the softness of the suthriyan pasta and melt in the mouth. The lamb breast is also soft and chewy and it adds more meaty flavour and taste. So delicious and yummy!

Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
1.5 kg lamb Shoulder Shoulder meat plus some pieces of lamb breast
1 kg Suthriyan (hand made indian pasta
1 cup vegetable oil
5 large 1lb thinly sliced onions
4 large 400gmtomatoes quartered
1/4 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup cilantro
6 whole green chillies
1/2 a fresh lemon
200 gm ginger garlic paste
1 cup yogurt 3.5% or home made from whole milk.
2 cans coconut milk “Aroy D Coconut milk” or extract milk from 1 fresh coconut.
2 litres of water for boiling suthriyan
10 cloves
10 green cardamoms
2 X 2″ cinnamon sticks
1 tsp turmeric powder –
1/2 tsp red chilly powder optional
Salt to taste.
1 small sliced onion for tempering
2 tsp ghee Clarified butter

Instructions
1. Remove the skin, trim the fat, clean and wash the lamb pieces well and set aside.

2. In a pot heat the vegetable oil, add the whole spices – cloves, cardamom and cinnamon sticks to the oil immediately followed by the sliced onions. Sauté them on medium heat.

3. When the onions turn golden brown add the ginger garlic paste, turmeric and red chilly powders.

4. Mix the spices then add the lamb pieces and roast them in the masala till they turn opaque and tighten a bit.
5. Now add the quartered tomatoes, whole green chillies, salt followed by thick whisked yoghurt, mint leaves and chopped cilantro. Mix well and pressure cook for 15 mins or cook on low medium heat on the stove top for 45mins – 1 hour till the lamb is soft and tender. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon after the lamb is cooked and let it simmer.

6. Add 1/2 a can of coconut milk (reserve the other half for later) and leave to simmer on low heat till the sauce thickens a bit and the oil comes to the top (another 10 minutes).

7. Meanwhile bring to boil 2 litres of water in a big pot. Add the Suthriyan slowly little by little while you keep stirring gently to keep them apart. Add 1 tbs of salt and 1 tbs of vegetable oil to the pot. Cook till just al dente. Switch off the stove. Drain the water not completely but retaining just one cup and then quickly add the the 2nd can of coconut milk.

8. Now add the cooked lamb with the sauce to the cooked Suthriyan. Simmer the pot on low while stirring gently from the bottom to mix well and to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

9. Add more chopped cilantro and the reserved 1/2 can of coconut milk, mix well and let it simmer for sometime. Adjust the consistency – simmer longer if too thin and if too thick add a little water. It thickens very fast so avoid cooking on high heat after adding the Suthriyan to the sauce.

10. The final seasoning is done with a tadka or tempering. Sizzle the sliced onion in hot ghee (clarified butter) till golden brown and pour it over the Suthriyan in the serving dish. Garnish with mint and cilantro. Serve hot with some mint chutney on the side. Enjoy!

Notes
1. The Suthriyan are also available at the chinese grocery stores. But they are all made of white flour (maida/all purpose flour). The home made ones are the best as they are made of wheat flour and not rolled so thin, so they have some texture and consistency which I love.
2. Be careful not to overcook them while boiling, remove from stove once they are al dente because they continue to cook as long as the pot is hot. So when they cool down and are warm enough to eat, they have the right texture.
3. Use pure coconut milk without any preservatives or guar gum. I use Aroy – D because it is pure coconut milk extract and water and absolutely no preservatives. You can also use any other brand but which has no preservatives. This is because it affects the flavour and taste and also not a healthy choice.

Recipe

Lamb Suthriyan ( Indian pasta )

Author: Fouzia Husainy

Suthriyan is a delicacy enjoyed by the south indian muslim community in Chennai. It is a sumptuous one pot meal made with hand made pasta and lamb cooked in a coconut and yogurt based sauce which is so delicious!

Course main meal

Cuisine South indian Cuisine

Ingredients

1.5 kg lamb Shoulder Shoulder meat plus some pieces of lamb breast
1 kg Suthriyan (hand made indian pasta
1 cup vegetable oil
5 large 1lb thinly sliced onions
4 large 400gmtomatoes quartered
1/4 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup cilantro
6 whole green chillies
1/2 a fresh lemon
200 gm ginger garlic paste
1 cup yogurt 3.5% or home made from whole milk.
2 cans coconut milk "Aroy D Coconut milk" or extract milk from 1 fresh coconut.
2 litres of water for boiling suthriyan
10 cloves
10 green cardamoms
2 X 2" cinnamon sticks
1 tsp turmeric powder -
1/2 tsp red chilli powder optional
Salt to taste.
1 small sliced onion for tempering
2 tsp ghee Clarified butter

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Instructions

Remove the skin, trim the fat, clean and wash the lamb pieces well and set aside.
In a pot heat the vegetable oil, add the whole spices - cloves, cardamom and cinnamon sticks to the oil immediately followed by the sliced onions. Sauté them on medium heat.
When the onions turn golden brown add the ginger garlic paste, turmeric and red chilli powders.
Mix the spices then add the lamb pieces and roast them in the masala till they turn opaque and harden a bit.
Now add the quartered tomatoes, whole green chillies, salt followed by thick whisked yoghurt, mint leaves and chopped cilantro. Mix well and pressure cook for 15 mins or cook on low medium heat for 45mins - 1 hour till the lamb is soft and tender. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon after the lamb is cooked and let it simmer.
Add 1/2 a can of coconut milk (reserve the other half for later) and leave to simmer on low heat till the sauce thickens a bit and the oil comes to the top (another 10 minutes).
Meanwhile bring to boil 2 litres of water in a big pot. Add the Suthriyan slowly little by little while you keep stirring gently to keep them apart. Add 1 tbs of salt and 1 tbs of vegetable oil to the pot. Cook till just al dente. Switch off the stove. Drain the water not completely but retaining just one cup and then quickly add the the 2nd can of coconut milk.
Now add the cooked lamb with the sauce to the cooked Suthriyan. Simmer the pot on low while stirring gently from the bottom to mix well and to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Add more chopped cilantro and the reserved 1/2 can of coconut milk, mix well and let it simmer for sometime. Adjust the consistency - simmer longer if too thin and if too thick add a little water. It thickens very fast so avoid cooking on high heat after adding the Suthriyan to the sauce.
The final seasoning is done with a tadka or tempering. Sizzle the sliced onion in hot ghee (clarified butter) till golden brown and pour it over the Suthriyan in the serving dish. Garnish with mint and cilantro. Serve hot with some mint chutney on the side. Enjoy!

Notes

Notes:

1. The Suthriyan are also available at the chinese grocery stores. But they are all made of white flour (maida/all purpose flour). The home made ones are the best as they are made of wheat flour and not rolled so thin, so they have some texture and consistency which I love.

2. Be careful not to overcook them while boiling, remove from stove once they are al dente because they continue to cook as long as the pot is hot. So when they cool down and are warm enough to eat, they have the right texture.

3. Use pure coconut milk without any preservatives or guar gum. I use Aroy - D because it is pure coconut milk extract and water and absolutely no preservatives. You can also use any other brand but which has no preservatives. This is because it affects the flavour and taste and also not a healthy choice.

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Sheekh Kebabs

November 9, 2014 by Fouzia Husainy Leave a Comment

Kebabs were not my specialty and I kept trying different recipes each time I made them but was never ever happy with the outcome.

The kind of flavour and taste that came to my mind did not in any way match the recipes I found. The rich taste of the ground meat should be in perfect harmony with the spice bland, the subtle flavour of the whole spices playing in the background with nothing overpowering anything. All the recipes I came across used raw eggs for binding. Of all the things I hate the smell of raw eggs in cooking. Kebabs actually don’t need any binding as long as the meat and fat ratio percentage is right. Then comes the technique of cooking which plays an important role in the taste, texture and flavour. I tried my best to incorporate everything. And at last they turned out exactly as I had imagined them. Thanks to the Almighty, these kebabs were so flavourful that I couldn’t believe that these were the best kebabs I ever made!

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:
Lean ground beef – 1 kg (80% beef + 20% fat)
Onions – 1 large sliced, 1 medium chopped.
Green chilies- 4-6 (deseeded)
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbs
Cloves – 6
Green Cardamoms – 6
Black Cardamom -1
Roasted cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon bark – 2 x 2 inch sticks
Veg oil – 3 – 4 tbs
Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Fresh mint leaves – 1/4 cup chopped
Fresh cilantro – 1/4 cup chopped

Instructions:
1. Rinse the ground beef under the tap in a strainer quickly and let the water drain.
2. Slice the large onion and deep fry till golden and crispy. Do not let them darken as they would taste like coal. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
3. When the onions cool down add the whole spices and grind them.
4. Chop the medium sized onion, green chilies, mint and cilantro separately.
5. Heat one tsp oil and add the ginger garlic paste, red chilly powder and turmeric. Stir a bit till the raw smell goes and remove. and finely chopped green chilies, chopped mint and cilantro to the hot pan. Keep aside.
6. Sprinkle 1 tsp salt on the ground beef, mix well. Add the ground brown onion mixture, fried masala, chopped onion, green chilies, mint and cilantro and mix everything well. Allow to marinate for at least a couple of hrs.
7. Oil the metal skewers. Take a small ball of the ground beef mixture and with clean wet hands shape it into a kebab on the flat metal skewers till it holds together. Repeat with the rest of the meat.
8. Grill them on a hot barbecue until just done. They should be soft tender and juicy. Do not over cook. Enjoy with yogurt mint chutney.

Recipe

Beef Sheekh Kebabs

Author: Fouzia Husainy

These kebabs were so flavourful that I couldn't believe that these were the best kebabs I ever made! Here's the recipe:

Course Appetizer, Main Dish, Non Vegetarian side dish

Cuisine Afghani Cuisine, indian cuisine, Pakistani Cuisine

Equipment

6 Metal Skewers

Ingredients

Ingredients:
Lean ground beef - 1 kg 80% beef + 20% fat
Onions - 1 large sliced 1 medium chopped.
Green chilies- 4-6 deseeded
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbs
Cloves - 6
Green Cardamoms - 6
Black Cardamom -1
Roasted cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon bark - 2 x 2 inch sticks
Veg oil - 3 - 4 tbs
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Fresh mint leaves - 1/4 cup chopped
Fresh cilantro - 1/4 cup chopped

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Instructions

Rinse the ground beef under the tap in a strainer quickly and let the water drain.
Slice the large onion and deep fry till golden and crispy. Do not let them darken as they would taste bitter. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
When the onions cool down add the whole spices and grind them.
Chop the medium sized onion, green chilies, mint and cilantro separately.
Heat one tsp oil and add the ginger garlic paste, red chilly powder and turmeric. Stir a bit till the raw smell goes and remove. and finely chopped green chilies, chopped mint and cilantro to the hot pan. Keep aside.
Sprinkle 1 tsp salt on the ground beef, mix well. Add the ground brown onion mixture, fried masala, chopped onion, green chilies, mint and cilantro and mix everything well. Allow to marinate for at least a couple of hrs.
Oil the metal skewers. Take a small ball of the ground beef mixture and with clean wet hands shape it into a kebab on the flat metal skewers till it holds together. Repeat with the rest of the meat.
Grill them on a hot barbecue until just done. They should be soft tender and juicy. Do not over cook. Enjoy with yogurt mint chutney.

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Bitter gourd masala

November 8, 2014 by Fouzia Husainy Leave a Comment

Ingredients:

Bitter gourds – 3 – 4 or 2 cups sliced

Onions sliced – 1 cup or 1 large

Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves – a few

Dried red chilies – 2 small

Green chilies – 2 small

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Cumin powder – 1/4 tsp

Red Chilly powder – 1/2 tsp (optional)

Lemon juice – 1 tsp

Brown sugar – 1/2 tsp

Vegetable oil – 2 tbs

Cilantro – 2 tbs

Method:

1. Scrape the bitter gourds lightly, wash and soak them in salt water for at least 1/2 an hour.

2. Rinse them again, scoop out the seeds and cut them into thin rings. Put them in a sauce pan with a little water and steam them till they change color and soften a bit. Remove and allow to cool.

3. In another sauce pan, heat the vegetable oil. When it fumes add the mustard seeds, dried whole red chilies, slit green chilies and curry leaves followed by the sliced onions.

4. Fry till the onions turn soft and lightly golden. Add the ginger garlic paste, turmeric and cumin. Add red chilly powder only if you want it spicy. I don’t like to add more heat to the dish as I feel the heat from the red and green chilies is good enough to enjoy it.

5. Add the steamed bitter gourd to the onion masala, turn over and mix gently. Sprinkle some salt and lemon juice and stir well to coat the bitter gourd with the masala.

6. Lastly add the brown sugar, sprinkle a little water, mix well again, garnish with some chopped cilantro and serve hot with chappatis or rice.

Tips

1. The bitter gourd is soaked in salty water to remove the bitterness. But it has to be rinsed well before slicing into pieces.

2. Do not throw away the juices left after steaming the bitter gourd. Add it to the masala with the gourd and it will dry up soon.

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