This Pineapple Kachumbar Salad is a great condiment with kebabs, samosas, fried chicken, biryani or any main entrée. …
Banana Halwa Cake
This recipe is my own creation. But I was kind of inspired by chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s Banana Halwa recipe. The name itself made me imagine a yummy taste, but when I read the recipe it made me feel heavy. It is no doubt a delicious recipe made with rich ingredients (like khoya, ghee, cashew nuts, sugar etc), but I wanted to make it light and less sweet, so I could cater to my kids’ taste. I thought the natural sweetness of the bananas combined with the condensed milk will be good enough. To give it some texture I used edible gum and instead of cashew nuts I used almonds. I couldn’t imagine how it would turn out but at the end, nothing went wrong as everything pulled together and the banana halwa cake evolved on its own. Everybody loved it!
Ingredients:
4 ripe bananas
1 can condensed milk
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 tbs edible gum
1/2 cup almonds
1 tsp vanilla essence
For the icing:
1/4 cup vanilla cream
Blue poppy seeds and almonds for garnish
Instructions:
1. Mash the bananas with a fork and set aside. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a non-stick sauce pan on medium heat. Fry the edible gum in the butter till it swells. Drain, remove and set aside. Next add the almonds to the sauce pan and fry them lightly in the left over butter. Remove. When cool, grind together finely and set them aside.
2. Add the remaining butter to the sauce pan and roast the white flour until it lets out an aroma and the raw smell is gone.
3. Add the ground almond and gum mixture to the roasted flour in the pan and mix till well combined so there are no lumps. Fold in one can of condensed milk followed by mashed bananas and vanilla essence. Combine everything well. Cook this mixture on medium heat while stirring continuously till it starts leaving the sides.
4.Butter a cake pan, dust it with flour. Pour the cooked mixture in the cake pan and then bake in the preheated oven at 350ºF for 10 – 12 minutes or till a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
5. Remove and let it cool. Spread vanilla cream icing on top, then sprinkle some blue poppy seeds and chopped almonds. Cut into desired shapes and enjoy with tea or coffee.
Recipe
Banana Halwa Cake
This is a delicious recipe where the key ingredient is banana. It is first prepared like a halwa then baked like a cake and therefore its name.
Equipment
- Small cast iron wok
Ingredients
- 4 nos ripe bananas
- 1 can condensed milk
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tbs edible gum
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
For the icing:
- 1/4 cup vanilla cream
- Blue poppy seeds and almonds for garnish
Instructions
- Mash the bananas with a fork and set aside. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a non-stick sauce pan on medium heat. Fry the edible gum in the butter till it swells. Drain, remove and set aside. Next add the almonds to the sauce pan and fry them lightly in the left over butter. Remove. When cool, grind together finely and set them aside.
- Add the remaining butter to the sauce pan and roast the white flour until it lets out an aroma and the raw smell is gone.
- Add the ground almond and gum mixture to the roasted flour in the pan and mix till well combined so there are no lumps. Fold in one can of condensed milk followed by mashed bananas and vanilla essence. Combine everything well. Cook this mixture on medium heat while stirring continuously till it starts leaving the sides.
- 4.Butter a cake pan, dust it with flour. Pour the cooked mixture in the cake pan and then bake in the preheated oven at 350ºF for 10 - 12 minutes or till a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove and let it cool. Spread vanilla cream icing on top, then sprinkle some blue poppy seeds and chopped almonds. Cut into desired shapes and enjoy with tea or coffee.
Crunchy fried banana
zafrani falooda
Layered Samosa Puffs (Warqhi Samosas)
These layered samosa puffs called the Warqhi Samosas are a traditional snack amongst the South Indian Muslim community in India. They are crunchy as well as flaky like puff pastry and are so enjoyable as a snack. They are not made from puff pastry dough but the same dough for samosas. Their technique of making and frying is different from the regular samosas. They are layered and shaped like puffs and after frying them on low heat they become crunchy like samosas and flaky like a puff pastry. There is a special technique of frying them by flapping the oil over the folds on low heat in a gently fashion. This opens up the layers which slowly turn crunchy and flaky. These can also be baked with good results.
Here’s the recipe.
Ingredients for the dough:
4 cups white flour – 4 cups
1/4 cup + 2 tbs vegetable oil
1/4 cup + 2 tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
Water as needed
Chicken filling Ingredients:
1 lb chicken mince
2 medium size onions
1tsp ginger garlic paste
2- 4 small green Chillies
1 cup cilantro
2 Cloves
1/2 an inch dark cinnamon bark
2 green cardamoms
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tbs ghee
2 – 3 cup vegetable oil for deep frying
Instructions:
1. Make the chicken mince using a mincer using clean and dry chicken breast cut into cubes. Keep the mince aside.
2. Chop the small onion (1/2 cup). Heat 2 tbs vegetable oil in a pan Add whole cinnamon bark, cloves and green cardamoms followed by the chopped onion. Fry till golden brown.
3. Add ginger garlic paste, Kitchen king masala, chopped green chillies and turmeric. Mix and cook well.
4. Add sliced onions chopped green chillies (optional) and cilantro, close the lid. Do not stir or mix.
5. Once the meat is cooked, remove and allow it to cool.
6. Remove all the whole spices (cloves, cinnamon & cardamoms) that were added as you don’t want to bite into them when you are eating the samosa puffs. They are only added for flavouring the dish.
For the dough:
7. Take 4 cups of flour, add salt and baking powder. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and process it in a food processor. Add water little by little through the tube and pulse it again and again till it forms into a soft and pliable dough. It should not stick to your hands. Pulse it more and when it starts to spin it is time to remove it. Cover with a moist tea towel and set aside.
8. Roll the dough on a pastry board to a 1cm thickness
9. Cut into strips 3″ x 3″. Brush with ghee or vegetable oil and dust with flour.
10. Pile the strips one on top of the other – the dry side on top of the greasy side.
11. Cut into squares. Take each piled square piece and roll on each side to a slightly bigger square neither too thick nor too thin.
12. Add the filling in the centre. Brush the two sides of the square with flour paste (flour mixed with water to form a spreadable paste or you can use beaten egg white). Flip the other two sides on the sticky sides to form a triangle as shown in the picture above and press on the sides a little away from the edge. This helps in making the edges flaky on frying.
13. Fry them in moderately hot oil by gently pushing the oil towards the edges in a rowing motion so that the edges open up a bit and look flaky. Turn over and fry till they turn crispy and golden brown. Drain them on paper towels. The Samosa puffs are now ready.
14. Alternatively you could bake them in an oven preheated at 350° F for 25 – 30 minutes till they are golden and crispy as in the picture above.
15. Serve them hot with chutney or ketchup. Mint chutney, tamarind chutney and chilli garlic sauce are good accompaniments.
Notes:
You can make fillings of your choice such as chicken filling, shrimp mushroom filling, lamb/beef filling, potato paneer filling or potato peas filling.
You can omit the green chillies if you don’t want it spicy or just use one. But they give a good flavour to the filling. Slitting them and removing the seeds also lessens the heat)
Drain the samosa puffs very well before placing them on paper towels to prevent them from becoming oily.
You have to be very careful when splashing oil on the samosa edges while deep frying. Splash on the side away from you.
Recipe
Layered Samosa Puffs (Warqhi Samosas)
A traditional snack very popular among the muslim community in South India.
Ingredients
Ingredients for the dough:
- White flour - 4 cups
- Vegetable oil - 1/4 cup + 2 tbs
- Baking powder - 1/2 a tsp
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Water as needed
Chicken Filling Ingredients:
- 1 lb chicken mince
- 2 medium size onions
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 2- 4 Green Chillies small
- 1 cup cilantro
- 2 Cloves
- 1/2 inch cinnamon stick (cassia)
- 2 green Cardamoms
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 2 tbs vegetable oil
- 2 - 3 cups vegetable oil for deep frying the samosas.
Instructions
- Instructions:
- Make the chicken mince using a mincer using clean and dry chicken breast cut into cubes. Keep the mince aside.
- Chop the small onion (1/2 cup). Heat 2 tbs vegetable oil in a pan Add whole cinnamon bark, cloves and green cardamoms followed by the chopped onion. Fry till golden brown.
- Add ginger garlic paste, Kitchen king masala, chopped green chillies and turmeric. Mix and cook well.
- Add sliced onions chopped green chillies (optional) and cilantro, close the lid. Do not stir or mix.
- Once the meat is cooked, remove and allow it to cool.
- Remove all the whole spices (cloves, cinnamon & cardamoms) that were added as you don't want to bite into them when you are eating the samosa puffs. They are only added for flavouring the dish.
- For the dough:
- Take 4 cups of flour, add salt and baking powder. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and process it in a food processor. Add water little by little through the tube and pulse it again and again till it forms into a soft and pliable dough. It should not stick to your hands. Pulse it more and when it starts to spin it is time to remove it. Cover with a moist tea towel and set aside.
- Roll the dough on a pastry board to a 1cm thickness
- Cut into strips 3" x 3". Brush with vegetable oil and dust with flour.
- Pile the strips one on top of the other - the dry side on top of the greasy side.
- Cut into squares. Take each piled square piece and roll on each side to a slightly bigger square neither too thick nor too thin. Add the filling in the centre. Brush the two sides of the square with flour paste (flour mixed with water to form a spreadable paste or you can use beaten egg white). Flip the other two sides on the sticky sides to form a triangle and press on the sides a little away from the edge. This helps in making the edges flaky on frying.
- Fry them in moderately hot oil by gently pushing the oil towards the edges in a rowing motion so that the edges open up a bit and look flaky. Turn over and fry till they turn crispy and golden brown. Drain them on paper towels. The Samosa puffs are now ready.
- Alternatively you could bake them in an oven preheated at 350° F for 25 - 30 minutes till they are golden and crispy.
- Serve them hot with chutney or ketchup. Mint chutney, tamarind chutney and chilli garlic sauce are good accompaniments.
Notes
Notes:
You can make fillings of your choice such as chicken filling, shrimp mushroom filling, lamb/beef filling, potato paneer filling or potato peas filling. You can omit the green chillies if you don't want it spicy or just use one. But they give a good flavour to the filling. Slitting them and removing the seeds also lessens the heat) Drain the samosa puffs very well before placing them on paper towels to prevent them from becoming oily. You have to be very careful when splashing oil on the samosa edges while deep frying. Splash on the side away from you.
You can make fillings of your choice such as chicken filling, shrimp mushroom filling, lamb/beef filling, potato paneer filling or potato peas filling. You can omit the green chillies if you don't want it spicy or just use one. But they give a good flavour to the filling. Slitting them and removing the seeds also lessens the heat) Drain the samosa puffs very well before placing them on paper towels to prevent them from becoming oily. You have to be very careful when splashing oil on the samosa edges while deep frying. Splash on the side away from you.
Cranberry sun-dried tomato chutney
Ingredients:
1 pack of fresh cranberries
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
10 thai red chillies (pricked)
10 pricked green chillies (optional)
4 dried red chillies (optional)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tbs cumin seeds
1/2 tbs fenugreek seeds
1tbs red chilly powder
juice of one big lemon
6-8 garlic cloves peeled
2 crushed garlic cloves unpeeled
1 cup vinegar
1 tsp mustard seeds – 1tspn
1/2 tbs Kosher Salt or as required.
Instructions:
1. Wash and drain the cranberries and keep aside.
2. In a bowl mix together sun-dried tomatoes, peeled garlic cloves, thai red chillies and half the vinegar.
3. Dry roast separately the cumin and fenugreek seeds. When they cool down grind them and set aside.
4. Heat 1 cup of oil in a sauce pan. Add mustard seeds and when they crackle add the dried red chillies followed by the 2 crushed unpeeled garlic cloves and pricked green chillies (if left unpricked they burst when put in the hot oil). Then immediately add the cranberries, ground cumin-fenugreek powder and red chilly powder. The whole process has to be done very quickly and carefully without letting any of the ingredients burn.
5. Add to this, the sun-dried tomato mixture from the bowl followed by the remaining 1/2 a cup vinegar, salt, brown sugar and lemon juice. Give it a good stir and remove from pan.
6. Let it cool down, then fill it in a glass/ceramic jar. The cranberry sun-dried tomato chutney is now ready to enjoy.
Recipe
Cranberry sun-dried tomato chutney
Ingredients
- 1 pack of fresh cranberries
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 10 thai red chillies pricked
- 10 pricked green chillies optional
- 4 dried red chillies optional
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tbs cumin seeds
- 1/2 tbs fenugreek seeds
- 1 tbs red chilly powder
- juice of one big lemon
- 6-8 garlic cloves peeled
- 2 crushed garlic cloves unpeeled
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1 tsp mustard seeds – 1tspn
- 1/2 tbs Kosher Salt or as required.
Instructions
- Wash and drain the cranberries and keep aside.
- In a bowl mix together sun-dried tomatoes, peeled garlic cloves, thai red chillies and half the vinegar.
- Dry roast separately the cumin and fenugreek seeds. When they cool down grind them and set aside.
- Heat 1 cup of oil in a sauce pan. Add mustard seeds and when they crackle add the dried red chillies followed by the 2 crushed unpeeled garlic cloves and pricked green chillies (if left unpricked they burst when put in the hot oil). Then immediately add the cranberries, ground cumin-fenugreek powder and red chilly powder. The whole process has to be done very quickly and carefully without letting any of the ingredients burn.
- Add to this, the sun-dried tomato mixture from the bowl followed by the remaining 1/2 a cup vinegar, salt, brown sugar and lemon juice. Give it a good stir and remove from pan.
- Let it cool down, then fill it in a glass/ceramic jar. The cranberry sun-dried tomato chutney is now ready to enjoy.
My Koobideh
My Koobideh call for no fat, absolutely no fat at all. Yet when I made them nobody could tell the difference! They were just as juicy as any other koubideh and everybody just enjoyed them asking for seconds and thirds.
I always wanted to make koobideh but without fat and each time I tried they turned out so dry and tasteless that it felt like eating a piece of cardboard. I got fed up and stopped trying altogether.
It so happened that after making kibbeh there was so much extra lean finely ground beef left over and I had to use it all up (I never refreeze any food after partially or completely defrosting it). While I was just speculating on how I could make juicy kebabs with it, what I should add – eggs and cornstarch or mushrooms, etc, etc, my eyes fell on the almond butter bottle in the shelf and lo and behold my juicy koobideh were born!
What can be a better substitute to fat other than almond butter? It not only gives a better taste but is a much better healthy choice as well. “Almond butter is not only a good source of protein but is packed with monounsaturated fats, which are good for the heart, and also helps to control blood sugar”.
Some people might argue that the fat burns off when you grill them so why take the unnecessary expensive alternative of using almond butter. The fact is that the fat does not entirely burn off. When the kebabs cool down you can still see a film of fat sticking to them. And this fat can clog your arteries and give you a heart attack.
Here’s the recipe!
Ingredients:
1 kg Finely ground extra lean beef (no skin and 0% fat)
1 tbs Garlic paste
1 tsp Black pepper ground
2 tbs Fried onions (either store bought or home made)
2 tsp Seven spices
1 tsp All spice
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Salt as per taste)
1/2 cup Fresh Parsley (chopped)
1/2 cup Almond butter –
1 tbs Vegetable oil (optional)
1-2 tbs Water
4-6 Flat metal skewers
Method:
1. Grind together fried onions, garlic paste and fresh parsley along with all the spices and 1 tblspn of water. Add this paste to the ground beef.
2. Add the 1/2 a cup of almond butter with the almond oil to the beef. Keep kneading it like dough till it stops sticking and starts leaving the sides of the container. If it is too sticky and dry add just 1/2 – 1tbs of water. The more you knead the lighter the kebab texture. The kebab dough should be moist and airy and should not stick to your hands. Knead well and leave to marinate in the fridge for an hour or two.
3. Do not add any extra vegetable oil if the almond butter is runny and if you can see the almond oil covering the top of the almond butter.
4. Brush the skewers with oil as this makes it easier to slide off the kebab when it is done. With clean wet hands take a golf size ball of the prepared ground beef and wrap it around the skewer till it holds together. Shape it into a nice, long, smooth and round sausage then with your index and middle finger mimicking scissors pinch both ends of the kebab alongside to form ridges.
5. Repeat the steps for all of them. Leave enough room on either side of the skewers so as to rest them on the grill.
6. Set your oven to broil on high (or 550 degrees fahrenheit).
7. Take an old cookie sheet and cover it with tin foil. Place the skewers on the cookie sheet. Then place it under the grill in the top position of the oven.
8. Broil for 3-4 mins on each side. Do not over cook as they would harden. When you see them turning golden brown turn over and cook for another 3- 4 mins till they are done. Keep some tin foil ready. Remove them from the oven. Slide them off with the help of salad tongs into the tin foil and wrap them up immediately. This helps in retaining the moisture and heat till you serve them. You have to be very careful and use oven gloves while handling the skewers as they are very hot.
9. Serve them hot with persian or afghani rice and yoghurt mint chutney which you can make by adding 1 – 2 tsp dried mint leaves, 1/2 and inch chopped ginger, salt and pepper to 1/2 a cup yoghurt.
10. You may also grill some vegetables (tomatoes, green, red peppers, onions etc) in a skewer to eat with the kebabs. Serve them hot on a bed of sliced onions and mint chutney with persian or afghani rice. Enjoy the koobideh and eat your way to health.
Crispy Onion Samosa Chaat
The Fresh Gourmet crispy onions from Costco are amazing. Their crunch and flavour gave a new dimension to the samosa chaat I made today. Unlike other fried onions we buy from Indian stores these are neither oily nor salty. I would say you could not only use them in some of your dishes but also eat them as a snack. I served my chaat with pomegranate seeds strewn on top, also some hickory sticks which made it even more tantalizing! Above all it takes only 5 – 10 mins to make this chaat.
Ingredients:
2 samosas
1 cup yoghurt
1/4 cup onion chopped
1 small green chilli chopped
1/2 tsp ginger chopped
1/2 tsp Chaat masala powder
1/4 cup fresh gourmet crispy onions
1 tbs green chutney
1 tbs tamarina chutney
A few hickory sticks (optional)
Salt to taste
Fresh cilantro chopped
Fresh pomegranate arils
Instructions:
1. Pick up all the above ingredients as shown in the picture and make your chaat in no time. So quick and easy to make, so yummy to eat!
2. Whisk 3/4 cup of yoghurt in a bowl. Add chopped onions, green chillies, ginger and a little cilantro, salt and chaat masala powder. Mix everything well.
2. Break the samosas into bite size pieces and spread them in a layer over the yoghurt mixture.
3. Drop 1 tbs each of the tamarina and green chutneys over the samosas as shown in the picture.
4. Spread the remaining yoghurt over the chutneys and sprinkle some chaat masala powder. Add some Hickory sticks if you want more crunch and flavour.
5. Layer the top generously with the Fresh Gourmet crispy onions. Add some Hickory sticks if you want more crunch and flavour.
6. Decorate with fresh pomegranate seeds and chopped cilantro. Enjoy your tongue tingling and mouth watering Chaat.
Recipe
Crispy Onion Samosa Chaat
Ingredients
- 2 samosas
- 1 cup yoghurt
- 1/4 cup onion chopped
- 1 small green chilli chopped
- 1/2 tsp ginger chopped
- 1/2 tsp Chaat masala powder
- 1/4 cup fresh gourmet crispy onions
- 1 tbs green chutney
- 1 tbs tamarina chutney
- A few hickory sticks optional
- Salt to taste
- Fresh cilantro chopped
- Fresh pomegranate arils
Instructions
- Whisk 3/4 cup of yoghurt in a bowl. Add chopped onions, green chillies, ginger and a little cilantro, salt and chaat masala powder. Mix everything well.
- Break the samosas into bite size pieces and spread them in a layer over the yoghurt mixture.
- Drop 1 tbs each of the tamarina sauce and green chutneys over the samosas as shown in the picture.
- Spread the remaining yoghurt over the chutneys and sprinkle some chaat masala powder.
- Layer the top generously with the Fresh Gourmet crispy onions. Add some Hickory sticks if you want more crunch and flavour.
- Decorate with fresh pomegranate seeds and chopped cilantro. Enjoy your tongue tingling and mouth watering chaat!
Cheesy scalloped potatoes
I usually made scalloped potatoes in the traditional style which I found quite bland. So I gave a twist to the recipe by using caramelized onions and cheese in between the potato layers as well as at the top. It turned golden brown in the oven and the dish looked not only appealing but also very tasty. The caramelized onion enhanced the flavour and it was so yummy.
Ingredients:
Potatoes – 6 medium size
Onions – 2 big ones
Brown sugar – 2 tspns
Milk – 1 cup
Butter – 2 tblspns
Olive oil – 2 tblspns
Dried chives – 1 tspn
Dried parsley – 1 tspn
Cheddar cheese – 1/4 cup
Mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup
Black pepper ground- 1 tspn
Method:
1. Boil the potatoes, peel, cut into slices and set aside.
2. Melt 1 tblspn of butter with 1 tblspn of olive oil in a pan.
3. Caramelize the onion slices by adding a little brown sugar. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. In the same pan add the remaining one tablespoon each butter and olive oil.
5. Stir in flour followed by milk and make a smooth white sauce.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Take a baking dish, grease the bottom and sides with butter. Put the caramelized onions at the bottom.
8. Spread the boiled potato slices in a layer over the onions.
9.Sprinkle some dried chives, dried parsley, salt and black pepper followed by grated cheddar cheese.
10. Spread one more layer of the boiled potato slices followed by the same herbs and spices.
11. Now pour in the hot white sauce over the potatoes and top with grated mozzarella cheese.
12. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 mins until it turns golden brown on top. Serve hot with beef ribs or chicken roast and salad. Enjoy!
Spicy Indian Sushi
Who says Sushi can be made with only uncooked sea-food or raw vegetables? My little parcels of joy can change the way we eat indian food. I feel I am down with Sushi mania now and I suppose my daughter who is Sushi crazy has already infected me!! I enjoy eating all kinds of Sushi except the ones with the soft shell crab coz the whole crab is stuffed with its shell which I find unappetizing to my palate.
I always craved for some spicy Sushi and being a fond lover of Indian food I longed to indianize the Sushi. My daughter’s crazy culinary adventures dragged her away from Indian food altogether and she was beginning to develop a hatred for indian cuisine which really hurt me. Last week I packed the indian sushi stuffed with the fried chilly shrimp for her lunch expecting her to throw it away (usually she never touched the shrimp if I made them in indian style). But I was shocked with disbelief when she told me that it was delicious and that she not only ate it but enjoyed it too.
These sushi rolls stuffed with cooked spicy chilli shrimp are no doubt little parcels of joy that make you craving for more.
Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
2 cups Sushi Rice boiled / steamed
1 Pack Sea weed
20 Jumbo Black Tiger Shrimp or any other variety but uncooked
1 tsp Kashmiri Red chilly powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
1 cup Shredded coconut
1/2 cup Cashew nuts
2 tsp MTR chutney masala
2 tbs Vegetable oil
Salt as per taste
Wasabi, pickled ginger, soy sauce with ginger and green chillies or frank’s red hot sauce etc as condiments.
Sushi mat, Cutting board, Cling wrap for preparation.
Instructions:
1.Peel, wash, devein and clean the shrimp.
2. Add salt, turmeric, red chilly powder and ginger garlic paste to the shrimp, mix well.
3. Fry them in a tbs of vegetable oil in a skillet or wok on both the sides and set aside.
4. Roast the shredded unsweetened coconut in a non stick pan. Add ground roasted cashews. mix well and let it cool down.
5. Spread the Sushi mat on a cutting board. Put a sheet of plastic wrap of the same size on the sushi mat. (You may also cover the sushi mat with plastic wrap on both the sides if you want).
6. Take a scoop of the boiled sticky sushi rice and with wet hands spread it on the saran wrap. Press it with your hands into a thin smooth layer.
7. Now put the sea weed on the rice layer. This is for inside out sushi. For the regular sushi the rice is spread on the sea weed.
8. Cut the masala shrimp into small pieces. Add them in a horizontal line on one side on the sea weed a little away from the edge from your side as shown in the picture.
9. Roll the free edge to envelop the shrimp filling with both the hands tightly. The mat helps you roll easily. As you are rolling with the help of the mat, take care to keep peeling off the plastic wrap from the rice. You don’t need to do this if you have wrapped the mat with the plastic wrap on both the sides. Complete till the end as shown in the picture.
11. Cut into sushi rolls with a clean wet knife and serve with pickled ginger, wasabi sauce and soy sauce. Enjoy!
Notes:
You can use different fillings for different flavours. I used eggplant filling, avocado mango filling for vegetarian sushis.
For traditional plain rice sushi, mix the rice with a tbs of rice vinegar and sugar. For extra flavour soak a little piece of the sea weed in the white vinegar for sometime, then remove it before adding the vinegar to the rice.
In Japanese “Su” means vinegar and “Shi” means rice. So Sushi is not complete without any vinegar in it.
Recipe
Spicy Indian Sushi
These sushi rolls stuffed with cooked spicy chilli shrimp are no doubt little parcels of joy that make you craving for more.
Equipment
- Sushi Mat, Plastic Wrap and Clean Knife.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Sushi Rice boiled / steamed
- 1 pack Sea weed
- 20 Jumbo Black Tiger Shrimp or any other variety but uncooked
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Red chilly powder
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
- 1 cup Shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup Cashew nuts
- 2 tsp MTR chutney masala
- 2 tbs Vegetable oil
- Salt as per taste
- Wasabi
- soy sauce with ginger
- green chillies
- frank's red hot sauce etc as condiments.
- pickled ginger
Instructions
- Peel, wash, devein and clean the shrimp.
- Add salt, turmeric, red chilly powder and ginger garlic paste to the shrimp, mix well.
- Fry them in a tbs of vegetable oil in a skillet or wok on both the sides and set aside.
- Roast the shredded unsweetened coconut in a non stick pan. Add ground roasted cashews. mix well and let it cool down.
- Spread the Sushi mat on a cutting board. Put a sheet of plastic wrap of the same size on the sushi mat. (You may also cover the sushi mat with plastic wrap on both the sides if you want).
- Take a scoop of the boiled sticky sushi rice and with wet hands spread it on the saran wrap. Press it with your hands into a thin smooth layer.
- Now put the sea weed on the rice layer. This is for inside out sushi. For the regular sushi the rice is spread on the sea weed.
- Cut the masala shrimp into small pieces. Add them in a horizontal line on one side on the sea weed a little away from the edge from your side as shown in the picture.
- Roll the free edge to envelop the shrimp filling with both the hands tightly. The mat helps you roll easily. As you are rolling with the help of the mat, take care to keep peeling off the plastic wrap from the rice. You don't need to do this if you have wrapped the mat with the plastic wrap on both the sides. Complete till the end as shown in the picture.
- Cut into sushi rolls with a clean wet knife and serve with pickled ginger, wasabi sauce and soy sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
You can use different fillings for different flavours. I used eggplant filling, avocado mango filling for vegetarian sushis.
For traditional plain rice sushi, mix the rice with a tbs of rice vinegar and sugar. For extra flavour soak a little piece of the sea weed in the white vinegar for sometime, then remove it before adding the vinegar to the rice.
In Japanese "Su" means vinegar and "Shi" means rice. So Sushi is not complete without any vinegar in it.
Smoked White Chicken
I have been looking for a good brand of garam masala powder for so long and only last week this new Zafrani Shaan garam masala attracted my attention and when I checked the ingredients, I knew this is it!
I am not a fan of Shaan spices at all and I hate them all except for one or two as they are all the same. But this one has just the garam masala spices and not cumin or coriander or anything else like other brands, plus it has saffron too.
I used it today in the marinade for smoked white chicken. The garam masala enhanced the taste and the smoky flavour in the chicken was awsome. Everybody just loved it. In fact they were all duped into believing that I barbequed the chicken when I didn’t.Here’s the recipe.
Ingredients:
Chicken – one whole
Garlic paste – 1 tblspn
Dhania (coriander) powder – 1 tspn
White Chilly powder – 1 tspn
Shaan’s Zafrani garam masala – 2 tspns
Yoghurt – 1/2 cup
Salt – 1/2 tspn
Lemon juice or red wine vinegar- 1 tblspn
Olive oil – 1 tblspn
Whipping cream – partially skimmed – 1-2 tblspns
Method:
1.Clean, wash and drain the chicken. Rub lemon juice or red wine vinegar (I used red wine vinegar this time) and leave for 15 mins.
2. For the marinade mix together garlic paste, dhania powder, white chilly powder, salt and shaan’s zafrani garam masala with the yoghurt. Add salt and olive oil.
3. Rub the chicken pieces with the marinade and set aside for a couple of hrs.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
5. Put the chicken in a roaster pan and cook in the oven for 40 mins.
6. After 40 mins brush the chicken generously with the whipping cream and leave for 10 more mins.
7. Now light up a coal placed in a tin foil shaped like a tiny bowl, drop a blob of ghee or butter on the burning coal and immediately keep it in the center of the roasting pan on top of the chicken.
8. Turn off the oven. Cover the roaster pan with the lid and place it in the hot oven for another 10 mins.
9. The smoked creamy white chicken is now ready. Serve hot with rumali rotis (these rotis are as thin as a ladies handkerchief and so the name) green yoghurt chutney & some cucumber or radish etc.
10. For the green chutney, blend together two stalks of mint, a handful of coriander, 1 inch piece of ginger, 1 green chilly, salt to taste and 1 tblspn of yoghurt. When everything is well blended add more (1/2 cup) yoghurt to it. The chutney is ready.
11. The rumali rotis as seen in the picture above are home made. You can try them at home if you have a gas stove. Check out their recipe on www.vahrehvah.com. He shows you how to make them on a flat skillet but I love to be traditional so I make mine on an inverted cast iron wok on the gas stove.
12. Enjoy the smoked white chicken with rice, rotis, parantas, dal and raitas of your choice.
Chicken Maqluba
“Maqluba” is a traditional Iraqi, Palestinian, Syrian and Jordanian dish that dates back to the 13th century and has been found in the collection of recipes called Kitab-al-Tabikh since that time. Most people also think of it as the national dish of Palestine.
It is made with lamb or chicken with vegetables and rice. It is basically a comforting one pot dish of meat, vegetables and rice all layered and cooked together. Then the pot is flipped over on to the the serving platter upside down to display the Maqluba which looks like a layered cake! Therefore the name ‘Maqluba” which means “upside down”.
When I made it for the first time I followed a recipe from You tube which I just tweaked a bit by using Italian rice instead of Falak basmati Italian rice has that firm texture and ” nutty flavour which I thought would go well with the Maqluba and it did. Then the during my later trials, I tried to make it healthier by roasting all the vegetables in the oven instead of frying them. This way it not only saved my time but the vegetables looked evenly browned and looked more appealing in the Maqluba.
Another key feature was flavouring the chicken with garlic crushed with cardamoms, caramelizing the onions and also adding dried lemons to the broth. These are tips I followed after watching various authentic Saudi recipes on Maqluba. With all these slight changes to the recipe, it finally turned into a delicious dish full of flavour.
Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken without the breast
2 fairly large potatoes
One medium size egg plant
2 cups cauliflower florets
2 fairly large onions
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt as required
1/4 cup olive oil
2 – 4 tbs for brushing the vegetables & roasting the chicken
2 cups Italian rice
1 tsp whole all spice
1 x 2″ stick cinnamon
Spices for the chicken:
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp seven spice
4-6 cloves garlic
6 green cardamoms
Spices for the rice:
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1/2 tsp seven spice
1tsp turmeric
Method:
1. De-skin the chicken and cut into pieces at the joints, clean, wash, drain and keep aside. It is better to use only the red meat with the bones such as the thighs, drumsticks and wings. The breast pieces turn a bit dry for the Maqluba so you can use them for some other dish.
2. Slice the egg plants and potatoes separately. Cut the cauliflower into medium size florets. Soak the potato slices and cauliflower florets in a bowl of cold salted water and leave for 15 minutes. Rub the egg plants with a little salt and keep them aside. The egg plants sweat a little on rubbing salt. Press them gently to drain the water and wipe with paper towels. This way they don’t absorb oil when roasting or frying.
3. Line two baking sheets (one for potato slices & cauliflower and the other for eggplant slices) with parchment paper or Silpad. Brush the drained and dried potato, egg plant and cauliflower pieces with olive oil and arrange them on the baking sheets separately.
4. Preheat oven to 375°F convection roast and roast them for 10 – 15 minutes. The potato & cauliflower take longer to roast than the egg plant.
5. Mix together all the chicken spices and use this dry rub to marinate the chicken. But first rub the chicken with salt and lemon juice.
6. Heat the olive oil in a big pot on medium flame. First add the whole all spice and cinnamon sticks to the pot then throw in the sliced onions. Fry them till lightly brown and caramelized. Meanwhile roast the marinated chicken pieces in a non stick pan in a tbs of olive oil by quickly turning them over so they get roasted well all over.
7. Crush the garlic with the green cardamoms in a mortar and pestle to a coarse paste and toss it in the pot and sauté with the caramelized onions. As you get the whiff of the aroma from the caramelized onions, garlic and cardamom, toss in the roasted chicken pieces. Turn over and sauté well.
8. Add 4-6 cups of water and let the chicken cook on low flame for 30 mins. Reserve the stock which should be reduced to at least 2 cups. Remove the chicken pieces, rub with olive oil and quickly brown them on convection roast at 400°F for 5 – 10 minutes. Set aside.
9. Soak 2 cups of Italian rice after rinsing it 3 or 4 times till the water runs clear. Drain the water from the soaked rice, then add the rice spices to it, mix gently till all the rice gets coloured. set aside
10. Boil at least 4 litres of water in a large pot. When it comes to a rolling boil add the soaked spiced rice and cook till 50% done. Switch off and drain.
7. Take a round bottomed cylindrical pot which is oven safe for layering. This is the most important step.
8. Spread a layer of the roasted chicken pieces along with the egg plant and potato slices at the bottom of the pot. Alternate some potato and egg plant slices around the sides of the pot by stacking them together side by side. Then arrange some cauliflower florets here and there to fill up gaps and use up all the chicken and vegetables by layering them around the sides of the pot and on top of each other.
9. Now top the chicken and vegetables with the cooked rice and pour the reserved 2 cups of stock on the sides of the pot and on top of the rice.
10. Close the pot with the lid and place it in an oven preheated at 350°F for 25 minutes.
11. When done remove the pot from the oven and let it rest on the counter for 5 minutes. Keep a round serving platter ready.
12. Put your oven gloves on (thick insulated ones).Open the pot lid slowly using oven gloves and keep aside. Close the pot with the serving platter, then lift the pot holding the pot handles and the platter with both the hands and then invert it upside down quickly on a table or counter top. Remember it is very hot so you have to do it very carefully and tactfully balancing it really well. Otherwise ask someone to help you.
13. Let this rest for 2 mins. Take a serving spoon and tap the roaster’s overturned bottom and all the sides slowly to release the Maqluba from sticking to it.
14. Lift the pot up slowly to display the Maqluba and its roasted chicken and vegetable layers now at the top. It is a dish beautiful to behold and delicious to eat. There is aroma in the air and many hungry stomachs to feed. Serve hot with yoghurt and salad on the side. Enjoy!
Recipe
CHICKEN MAQLUBA
"Maqluba" is a traditional Iraqi, Palestinian, Syrian and Jordanian dish that dates back to the 13th century and has been found in the collection of recipes called Kitab-al-Tabikh (as given in Wikipedia)since that time. Most people also think of it as the national dish of Palestine.
It is made with lamb or chicken with vegetables and rice. It is basically a comforting one pot dish of meat, vegetables and rice all layered and cooked together. Then the pot is flipped over on to the the serving platter upside down to display the Maqluba which looks like a layered cake! Therefore the name 'Maqluba" which means "upside down".
Equipment
- A non stick skillet, an oven safe pot and oven safe gloves.
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 1 whole chicken without the breast
- 2 fairly large potatoes
- One medium size egg plant
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 2 fairly large onions
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- salt as required
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 - 4 tbs for brushing the vegetables & roasting the chicken
- 2 cups Italian rice
- 1 tsp whole all spice
- 1 x 2" stick cinnamon
- Spices for the chicken:
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp seven spice
- 4-6 cloves garlic
- 6 green cardamoms
- Spices for the rice:
- 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
- 1/2 tsp seven spice
- 1 tsp turmeric
Instructions
- De-skin the chicken and cut into pieces at the joints, clean, wash, drain and keep aside. It is better to use only the red meat with the bones such as the thighs, drumsticks and wings. The breast pieces turn a bit dry for the Maqluba so you can use them for some other dish.
- Slice the egg plants and potatoes separately. Cut the cauliflower into medium size florets. Soak the potato slices and cauliflower florets in a bowl of cold salted water and leave for 15 minutes. Rub the egg plants with a little salt and keep them aside. The egg plants sweat a little on rubbing salt. Press them gently to drain the water and wipe with paper towels. This way they don't absorb oil when roasting or frying.
- Line two baking sheets (one for potato slices & cauliflower and the other for eggplant slices) with parchment paper or Silpad. Brush the drained and dried potato, egg plant and cauliflower pieces with olive oil and arrange them on the baking sheets separately.
- Preheat oven to 375°F convection roast and roast them for 10 - 15 minutes. The potato & cauliflower take longer to roast than the egg plant.
- Mix together all the chicken spices and use this dry rub to marinate the chicken. But first rub the chicken with salt and lemon juice.
- Heat the olive oil in a big pot on medium flame. First add the whole all spice and cinnamon sticks to the pot then throw in the sliced onions. Fry them till lightly brown and caramelized. Meanwhile roast the marinated chicken pieces in a non stick pan in a tbs of olive oil by quickly turning them over so they get roasted well all over.
- Crush the garlic with the green cardamoms in a mortar and pestle to a coarse paste and toss it in the pot and sauté with the caramelized onions. As you get the whiff of the aroma from the caramelized onions, garlic and cardamom, toss in the roasted chicken pieces. Turn over and sauté well.
- Add 4-6 cups of water and let the chicken cook on low flame for 30 mins. Reserve the stock which should be reduced to at least 2 cups. Remove the chicken pieces, rub with olive oil and quickly brown them on convection roast at 400°F for 5 - 10 minutes. Set aside.
- Soak 2 cups of Italian rice after rinsing it 3 or 4 times till the water runs clear. Drain the water from the soaked rice, then add the rice spices to it, mix gently till all the rice gets coloured. set aside
- Boil at least 4 litres of water in a large pot. When it comes to a rolling boil add the soaked spiced rice and cook till 50% done. Switch off and drain.
- Take a round bottomed cylindrical pot which is oven safe for layering. This is the most important step.
- Spread a layer of the roasted chicken pieces along with the egg plant and potato slices at the bottom of the pot. Alternate some potato and egg plant slices around the sides of the pot by stacking them together side by side. Then arrange some cauliflower florets here and there to fill up gaps and use up all the chicken and vegetables by layering them around the sides of the pot and on top of each other.
- Now top the chicken and vegetables with the cooked rice and pour the reserved 2 cups of stock on the sides of the pot and on top of the rice.
- Close the pot with the lid and place it in an oven preheated at 350°F for 25 minutes.
- When done remove the pot from the oven and let it rest on the counter for 5 minutes. Keep a round serving platter ready.
- Put your oven gloves on (thick insulated ones).Open the pot lid slowly using oven gloves and keep aside. Close the pot with the serving platter, then lift the pot holding the pot handles and the platter with both the hands and then invert it upside down quickly on a table or counter top. Remember it is very hot so you have to do it very carefully and tactfully balancing it really well. Otherwise ask someone to help you.
- Let this rest for 2 mins. Take a serving spoon and tap the roaster's overturned bottom and all the sides slowly to release the Maqluba from sticking to it.
- Lift the pot up slowly to display the Maqluba and its roasted chicken and vegetable layers now at the top. It is a dish beautiful to behold and delicious to eat. There is aroma in the air and many hungry stomachs to feed. Serve hot with yoghurt and salad on the side. Enjoy!
Creamy Mushrooms
This is another quick recipe which is ready in no time and is very flavourful and light. The white mushrooms coated with flour and sautéed in olive oil gives a creamy texture to this dish.
Ingredients:
White button mushrooms (whole) – small size 1 box (1/2 lb)
Garlic – 1 big clove
Thai red chilly- 1
Fresh parsley chopped – 1 tbs
Olive oil – 2 tbs
Chopped onions – 2 tbs
Flour – 2 tbs
Soup stock – 1/2 cube (chicken or vegetable)
Method:
1. Clean, wash and dry the mushrooms with a paper towel. Dust the mushrooms with white flour.
2. Heat a tbs of olive oil in a non-stick pan.
3. Lightly fry the mushrooms coated with flour till they moisten a bit. Do not add any salt yet. Remove and set aside. Add another tbs of olive oil to the pan and fry the chopped onions till golden brown.
4.Add chopped garlic followed by 1 tbs flour. Stir fry on medium heat till it changes colour. Add a little water, salt, pepper & chopped parsley. Mix well and let it simmer for 2 minutes.
5. Add the fried mushrooms Turn over and cook till the mixture thickens and the mushrooms are done.- hardly takes 2 minutes. Sprinkle some black pepper on top. Serve hot and enjoy!
5. Add the fried mushrooms Turn over and cook till the mixture thickens and the mushrooms are done.- hardly takes 2 minutes. Sprinkle some black pepper on top. Serve hot and enjoy!
Quick Creamy Chicken
I made this chicken for my son’s lunch this morning. I was pressed for time and I could think of nothing better than this considering his canadian taste buds. I packed this with some cooked pasta.
Here’s the recipe!
Ingredients:
Chicken breast – 1 whole cut into bite size pieces.
Corn Flour – 2 tblspns
Salt to taste
Garlic cloves – 2 medium grated
Thyme- 1/4 tspn
Philadelphia cream cheese – 2 tblspns.
Black pepper – a pinch
Olive oil – 2 tblspns
White button mushrooms – a few
Method:
1. Clean, wash and cut the chicken breast into bite size pieces. Drain, wipe with paper towels and toss the pieces in corn flour after rubbing them with salt.
2. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan, add the coated chicken pieces and lightly fry them till they turn opaque. Do not brown them.
3. Slice the mushrooms and add them to the pan. Stir and toss them with the chicken pieces till they soften a bit. Add 1/2 – 1 cup of water, give it a stir and cook for 2 mins gently on medium heat. Now add the grated garlic and thyme followed by whipped philly cheese and a dash of black pepper. (Beat the philly cheese with a tblspn of milk or water to avoid lumps. Give it a good stir till it thickens a bit. If it is too runny add 1/2 a tspn corn flour mixed with water.
4. Remove from the stove and serve with rice or pasta. Enjoy!