MIXCALCULATIONS

ADDIOS US...HALO LAND OF QUEEN!!!

2009-10-05T11:01:00.003-05:00

I have a news to share with all my blogger buddies and readers that we have moved from US to UK. My husband has taken a role at Aberdeen, UK. So, from now onwards I will be blogging from the land of Queen.

EID MUBARAK!!!

2009-09-20T14:56:00.006-05:00

A very prosperous and blessed Eid to all Muslims around the world. In US we are observing Ed today.

Eid-ul-fitr marks the beginning of new Islamic month and the end of a month long fast.
An alm for Ramadan (2 kilograms of a basic foodstuff like wheat, barley, dates, raisins, or its cash equivalents) is mandatory on every Muslim who is able to pay. It is typically collected at the mosque. This is distributed to needy local Muslims prior to the start of the Eid prayer. It can be given at any time during the month of Ramadan and is often given early, so the recipient can use it for Eid purchases.
This day Muslims wear new clothes and observe special eid prayers.
Start the day with a short breakfast of dates as sunnah (as a sign of end of fast).
People visit friends and relatives and greet each other by saying "Eid Mubarak to you".
Children gets "Eidi"(in form of money) from their elders.
Like any other festival, food is an important part, special sweets like sheer khurma is also associated with Eid.

SOFTY AND TASTY: PANEER PAKORA

2009-09-17T11:12:00.009-05:00

Pakora or fritters can be turned into so much fun by adding so many different things and they are easy to make too. Onion, potato pakora (fritters) are the basic ones which every house in India and Pakistan enjoy once in a while specially in the rainy season, and they are a part of iftar too. I am always looking for new varieties or how to improve the old ones with some alterations. I had a packet of cottage cheese sitting in my fridge and I was in no mood of making any curry or tikka out of it, instead I wanted to try out something which I have not laid my hand onto and then something struck my mind, why not paneer pakora. I have seen many blogger friends posting about it but I wanted to do something else, but what??

I opened up my fridge and pantry and stared at the boxes and jars and packets of whatever laid in there and raced my mind, how to make my paneer pakoras different yet tasty?? Not getting any clue, I closed them and started making batter for pakoras, then came the turn of cheese to be cut down and now the picture was clear. I rushed to my fridge again and yahhoooo!! I had enough red chilli sauce and imli chutney in respective bottles to use. So I cut the paneer and sandwiched them having a mixture of both chutneys with chaat masala powder in between, wrapped in besan (gram flour batter) and fried . In no time these creamy softy were ready and not only my husband liked this new variety but also my daughter enjoyed it.

So here goes my version....

INGREDIENTS

BATTER OF GRAM FLOUR

1 PACKET COTTAGE CHEESE

RED CHILLI SAUCE

IMLI CHUTNEY

CHAAT MASALA POWDER TO TASTE

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1. Make the batter of gram flour (besan) as per directions from here.

2.Now cut the paneer(cottage cheese) into small chunks of 1/2 in thickness.

3.In a small bowl mix red chilli sauce, imli chutney (1:1 ratio or alter the ratio according to ur likings), add chaat masala powder and mix well.

4. Now take a plate and place half of them on it, apply the sauce you have just prepared and sandwich them with another piece, this way do all the pieces.

5.Roll them carefully in the batter and deep fry on medium heat till golden brown.

6.Serve hot with your favourite chutney or sauce.

***Lets continue celebrating last few days of Ramadan at Joy from fasting to feasting- season ii

IRRESISTIBLE: FRUIT CHAAT

2009-09-15T14:00:00.002-05:00

Fruits come in mind as a powerhouse of energy, they are rich in vitamin, colourful and can not be resisted. Every age group can enjoy fruits. They can be consumed in any form, juices, shakes, smoothies, fruit salad, in custard, thus there are unlimited ways of having them. I sometimes wonder how many different types of fruits are bestowed upon us by nature, each having unique appearance and taste.

For iftar, I make sure that we tend to eat healthy, nutritious to make up for the entire day so that ample energy is retained in the system to get us going. Fruit chaat is one way to enjoy the many fruits, all spiced up, giving them a whole new height and us the opportunity to entertain our tastebuds in each and every spoon.

Any combination of fruit can be used. I too experiment with different combos and apart from banana and apple which are standard ones, and available throughout year and around the globe, other fruits accompany them pretty well. May it be peach, grapes, papaya, melon, pineapple, pomegranate, pear or kiwi fruit, each one imparts its characteristic taste and enhances the flavour.

Talking about kiwi, I heard a lot about this fruit, but never got a chance to have it in Pakistan so the very first time I had it was last year only and now when we shop for fruits, kiwi instantly finds its way in my grocery cart.

INGREDIENTS

1 BANANA

1 APPLE

3 STRAWBERRIES

1 PEACH

5-7 GRAPES (BLACK AND GREEN)

1 KIWI

1 TSP OR TO TASTE CHAAT MASALA

1/2 TSP BLACK PEPPER POWDER

1 TBSP LEMON JUICE

2 TSP SUGAR

STEPS OF PREPARATIONS

1.Wash and cut each fruit one by one in small chunks, cut grapes into halves and always cut apple and banana at the end because they tend to change colour quickly.

2.Now add chaat masala, sugar, lemon juice and black pepper powder, toss and mix so that everything coats the fruits well.

3.Keep it in fridge and serve chilled.

This fruit chaat is also going to be a part of 2 ongoing events:

Joy from fasting to feasting
AFAM: kiwi fruit by PJ of seduce your tastebuds, concept of Maheswari

POTATO FRITTERS

2009-09-13T18:00:00.003-05:00

Potato is one such veggie which is loved and consumed all over world, by people of various age groups, can be made alone in many different ways or incorporated with other food groups.

The potato contains vitamins (vitamin C and vitamin B6) and trace amonuts of Thiamine, Riboflavin, folate, Zinc, Potassium, Calcium. The fiber content of a potato with skin (2 g) is equivalent to that of many whole grain breads, pastas and cereals. The potato is rich in Carbohydrates (essentially starch).

NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS:

Protect against colon cancer
Improves glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity
Lowers plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations
Increases satiety
Possibly even reduces fat storage

Starch in potatoes depends much on preparation methods. Cooking and then cooling potatoes significantly increased resistant starch. For example, cooked potato starch contains about 7% resistant starch, which increases to about 13% upon cooling.

I made these poato fritters (alu key pakoray) for iftar.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 CUP GRAM FLOUR (BESAN)

2 POTATOES

1 TSP CUMIN SEEDS

SALT TO TASTE

1 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER

1/2 TSP TURMERIC POWDER

1/2 CUMIN POWDER

1 TSP CORIANDER POWDER

1/2 TSP CHAAT MASALA

1/2 TSP GARAM MASALA POWDER

HANDFUL OF FINELY CHOPPED CORIANDER LEAVES

PINCH OF HEENG

OIL FOR DEEP FRYING

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.In a bowl put all the ingredients from gram flour to heeng and adding water to it slowly, mix with spoon till you get a lump free mixture.

2.Wash, peel and cut potato in to half. Then cut it into small wedges and put into gram flour mixture, coat evenly.

3.Heat oil for deep frying and drop each pakora in hot oil one by one and fry on medium low heat till turn golden brown.

4.Serve hot with chutney of your choice.

I am sending this to Lubna and yasmeen for their joint venture of Joy from fasting to feasting-season II !!!

MISSION MADE POSSIBLE: COOKING VEGETARIAN FOR GUESTS!!!

2009-09-10T12:00:00.008-05:00

In a place, where both of us are living far far away from our loved ones, it is almost necessary to have some good friends to spend time with. As I am a stay-at-home mom so I got less opportunity to interact and meet with people, let alone being friendly. But, my husband has a very good social circle, some old friends from School, office colleagues etc and we love having them and their families at our place. We like having guests, they are blessings and have you ever heard this famous verse in urdu,

Shukr kar razzaq ka, buddil na ho mehmaan sey,
khata hay woh rizq apna , terey dastarkhwan sey!!!

Last month we invited one of his office colleague with his family, who were visiting from San Antonio over for a dinner. I usually make a rice dish, 2 meat dishes and a vegetable dish with some salad, chutney and raita, but our friends are vegetarian so I had to think of all vegetarian dishes, I started googling and blog hopping and finally decided the menu which was quite simple....

NOTE:

The credit of photography goes to my husband who took bird's eyeview kindaa shot..he forgot to take snaps of each dish separately but no problem picassa hai naaa!! I cropped out photos and here they are, ENJOY!!!

MENU

Main course

Zeera rice
Malai kofta

Side Dish

Channa Daal

Corn-potato Sabzi

Accompaniments

Raita

Salad

Green chutney

Dessert

ice-cream

and Tea

I am sending this spread to Rak's kitchen for her lovely event.

ZEERA RICE

INGREDIENTS

2 TSP CUMIN SEEDS

1/2 CUP ONION (FINELY CHOPPED)

2 CINNAMON STICKS

5-6 CLOVES

7-8 BLACK PEPPERCORNS

2 BAY LEAVES

4 CARDAMOM

2 CUPS RICE

SALT TO TASTE

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Heat oil in a pot, add all the whole spices, once they start to splutter, add onions and fry till golden brown.

2.Now add rice and salt, mix well and then add almost double the volume water and cook covered till all the water dries up.

3.Fluff the rice with a fork, place the pot on a griddle or tawa at low heat for 10 minutes.

4.Serve hot.

MALAI KOFTA

Inspired by Sia's malai kofta

INGREDIENTS

FOR KOFTAS:

1 CUPS PANEER (GRATED)

1/2 CUP GREEN BEANS

1 LARGE CARROT

2 POTATOES (BOILED AND MASHED)

1 MEDIUM ONION (FINELY CHOPPED)

2 GREEN CHILLI (MINCED)

1 TBSP CORIANDER LEAVES

3 GREEN CHILLI (MINCED)

4-5 TBSP CORN FLOUR

11/2 TSP GARAM MASALA

6-8 ALMONDS (CHOPPED)

SALT TO TASTE

1 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER

Oil (TO DEEP FRY)

FOR GRAVY

2 ONIONS

1 INCH GINGER

3-4 GARLIC CLOVES

1 CINNAMON STICK

1 TSP CUMIN SEEDS

A PINCH OF ASAFOETIDA(HEENG)

3 CLOVES

3 GREEN CARDAMOMS

4-5 LARGE TOMATOES, PUREED

1 TBSP ALMOND

¼-1/2 CUP FREASH CREAM

1-2 TSP GARAM MASALA

1/2 TSP SUGAR

SALT TO TASTE

½ TSP TURMERIC

½-1 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER

1 TBSP DRIED FENUGREEK LEAVES (KASURI METHI)

STEPS OF PREPARATION

FOR KOFTA

1.Mix grated paneer and mashed potatoes, onions, coriander leaves and chillies. The mixture should be free of limps.

2.Boil green beans and carrot and corn in water. Grate carrot and mash finely chop green beans.

3.Add it to potato-paneer mixture along with corn.

4.Now add salt, garam masala, red chilli powder, cashews and corn flour to the vegetable-paneer mixture and mix well with hands. The consistency of whole mixture should be similar to that of chapati dough and you should be able to make lemon sized balls without breaking them.

5.Heat oil for deep frying and on medium-low heat, deep fry them in batches of 3-4 balls at time. If the koftas start to break, add 1-2 tbsp of corn flour to the mixture, mix them well and make small lemon sized balls.

6.Fry them till they turn golden brown and crisp and place them in a bowl lined with kitchen towel to absorb excess oil.

FOR GRAVY

1.Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and heeng.

2.Make a paste of (onion,peeled and quartered, ginger, peeled, cloves, garlic, cinnamon stick, clovesand green cardamoms and cashews) and add it to the pan when cumin seeds start to splutter.

3.Stir it continuously for 10 minutes till the paste turns golden brown and the raw smell of onion disappears. The paste should be cooked through otherwise the end result would be bitter.

4.Add kasuri methi, salt and sugar, saute for a minute or two.

5.Now add tomato puree and stir well. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes.

6.Then add garam masala, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt to taste and mix well. Bring this whole gravy to boil, about 5 minutes.

7.Mix in fresh cream and ½-1 cup of water (adjust the thickness of gravy and seasoning accordingly and let it cook for few more minutes.

8.Add coriander leaves and just before serving add koftas, and serve.

CHANNA DAL

INGREDIENTS

1 CUP CHANNA DAL

SALT TO TASTE

1 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER

1 TSP TURMERIC POWDER

5-6 BLACK PEPPERCORNS

1 BAY LEAF

3-4 CLOVES

2 CINNAMON STICKS

FOR TEMPERING

1 SMALL ONION (CHOPPED)

2 GREEN CHILLI

1/2 TSP CUMIN SEEDS

1 TSP GINGER/GARLIC PASTE

1 ROMA TOMATO (CHOPPED)

CORIANDER LEAVES

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Boil channa dal with all the spices and water. (I pressure-cooked till 3 whistles)

2.Now in a pan, add cumin seeds, splutter add onion and fry till golden brown.

3.Add whole green chilli, tomato, ginger/garlic paste, fry till oil separates. (if u want to add water, add it now to avoid burning.

4.Pour this tempering over dal, add coriander leaves, mix everything and cook till the tempering and dal looks well blended. (10 minutes atleast)

CORN-POTATO SABZI

INGREDIENTS

2 POTATOES (BOILED AND CUT IN TO SMALL CHUNKS)

1 CUP SWEET CORN KERNELS (MICROWAVED)

SALT TO TASTE

1/2 BUNCH MINT LEAVE1 TOMATO (CHOPPED)

1/2 TSP MUSTARD SEEDS

HANDFUL OF CHOPPED CORIANDER LEAVES

1 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER

1 TSP GARAM MASALA

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, allow to crackle.

2.Add corn, potatoes, saute, add tomato and all spices, mint leaves and mix it well, till all spices coat it properly.

3.Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

RAITA

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 CUPS YOGURT

SALT TO TASTE

1 TSP CUMIN SEEDS

5-6 BLACK PEPPERCORNS

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Dry roast cumin seeds and black peppercorn on a tawa or pan.

2.Let it cool, grind it coarsely.(I grounded it with the help of mortar and pestle)

3.Whisk yogurt, add salt, grounded cumin and black peppercorn, mix well, add water (according to the required thickness) and serve chilled.

GREEN CHUTNEY

I blogged about it here.

GO HEALTHY: STIR-FRIED VEGETABLE

2009-09-08T12:00:00.003-05:00

INGREDIENTS

1/2 CUP KIDNEY BEANS

1 CARROT (CUT IN SMALL STRIPS)

1 SMALL WHITE ONION (FINELY SLICED)

1/2 CUP SWEETCORN KERNELS

1/2 CUP GREEN BELL PEPPERS (CUT IN LONG STRIPS)

2 TBSP SOYA SAUCE

1 TBSP HOT CHILLI SAUCE

SALT TO TASTE

1 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER

1/2 TSP TURMERIC

1-2 TBSP OIL

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Wash and soak kidney beans overnight and then boil with salt the next day, drain water and keep aside.

2.Take oil in a wide mouth pot, or a big pan, when hot, add onion.

3.Add vegetable one by one and stir fry till start turning soft. Be careful do not overcook, they should be soft and crunchy at the same time.

4.Add kidney beans at the last as they are already cooked.

5.Now it is time to add spices and sauces, while adding salt be careful as soya sauce also contains salt.

6.Give everything a quick stir, flame should be medium-low.

7.Serve hot, make a wrap or enjoy with steaming hot rice.

NOTE:

Sending this over to Sia for her MLLA 15 event, started by Susan.

IS IT BLACK OR DARK BROWN: FRIED BLACK CHICKPEAS

2009-09-03T22:00:00.002-05:00

I made black chickpeas for Iftar today, the colour of dish is more towards dark brown, but no worries as I am a capricorn and this dish is perfect entry for a monthly event FIC: Zodiac Signs by Ashwini of Ashwini's Spicy Cuisine an event started by sunshinemom of tongue ticklers, and also to Joy From Fasting To Feasting by Lubna of Yummy Food and Yasmeen of Health Nut.

How can I forget to send it over to Sia for her event MLLA 15th helping , originated from here.

INGREDIENTS

HALF CUP BLACK CHICKPEAS

1 SMALL ONION (COARSELY CHOPPED)

1 GREEN CHILLI (MINCED)

SALT TO TASTE

1/4 TSP BLACK PEPPER

1 TBSP OIL

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Wash and soak black chickpeas in enough water overnight.

2.Heat oil in a pan, add onion and green chilli.

3.Fry onion till golden brown, then add black chickpeas, salt and black pepper.

4.Cover and fry on low heat till fried, it took me 10-15 minutes.

MINCED MEAT STUFFED PASTRY: SAMOSAS

2009-09-02T22:10:00.008-05:00

BEFORE FRYING

In our home four things beside dates and a drink are a must for Iftar, these are white or black chickpeas chaat, fruit chaat, any fried item and dahi baray. The fried items consumed by us during Ramadan for iftari are Pakoray (potato, eggplant, onion, chilli, egg, tomato, or spinach), samosay, rolls, choora, fried spicy potatoes etc.

I never tried to make samosa by myself, rather helped my mom in making a filling or help her in stuffing, because I always thought that I would ruin it. But, this time I dared to go for it and luckily it turned out great, thanks to my lucky stars...:(

I made the dough for samosa and stuffed it with keema filling, you can use chicken instead of beef. Here goes my very first recipe for this Ramadan. Hope all of you would like it.

INGREDIENTS

FOR STUFFING:

400 GM MINCED MEAT
2 TBSP OIL
1 1/2 MEDIUM ONION (FINELY CHOPPED)
4 CLOVES GARLIC
1.5 CM GINGER GRATED
1 TSP GARAM MASALA
1/2 TSP TURMERIC POWDER
2 TSP CORIANDER POWDER
1 1/2 TSP CUMIN POWDER
1 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER
1/2 TSP SALT
125 ML WARM WATER
2 GREEN CHILLIES
HANDFUL OF CORIANDER LEAVES, CHOPPED

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Heat oil in a pan, add onion and fry till golden brown.

2.Add garlic and ginger, fry for a minute.

3.Now add minced meat and fry till it turn brownish.

4.Then add all the spices (except garam masala), mix well, add water and green chilli, cover and cook until it is dried and cooked through.

5.Sprinkle garam masala and coriander leaves, cool it.

FOR DOUGH:

1 1/2 CUP FLOUR
1/4 TSP SALT
1 TSP CARAWAY SEEDS (AJWAIN)
1/2 TSP ONION SEEDS (KALONJI)
4 TBSP GHEE
5 TBSP WATER

STEPS OF PREPARATION:

1.Sift together flour and salt, add caraway seeds and onion seeds.

2.Now add ghee 1 tbsp at a time and mix with hands well so that when all the ghee is added, flour will not remain dried but be like crumbs form.

3.Slowly and gradually, add water, mix and knead well till it become pliable and soft.

4.Gather everything and form a ball and put in a sandwich bag for 30 minutes.

5.After 30 minutes, take out divide the dough into 12 small balls and then roll a ball with a roller in a small circular disc.

6.Cut it from center with a knife into two semi circles.

7. Take one semi circle, fold the two ends, join in the center with the help of egg wash it will form a cone-shape now.

8.Stuff with 1 tbsp of filling and join the open ends with the help of egg wash.

9.Make all the samosas this way and deep fry till golden and serve hot with a chutney or dip of your choice.

AFTER FRYING

NOTE:

This is my entry to an event Joy From Fasting To Feasting by Dearest Lubna of Yummy Food.

TIME SAVING: QUICK POTATO SABZI!!

2009-09-04T22:09:00.004-05:00

If you are in a hurry then believe me this is a quick fix, can be prepared in matter of few minutes and tastes awesome. I was not sure what to serve for dinner tonight as we had chicken yesterday so I wanted to keep it light today. When I asked my hubby, he suggested this recipe, so following his directions I cooked it and it turned out great.

INGREDIENTS

2 POTATOES

1/2 MEDIUM ONION

1/4 TSP ONION SEEDS

1/4 TSP MUSTARD SEEDS

1/4 TSP CUMIN SEEDS

SALT TO TASTE

1/2 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER

1/2 TSP TURMERIC POWDER

1 GREEN CHILLI (MINCED)

1/4 TSP CUMIN POWDER

1/4 TSP CORIANDER POWDER

HANDFUL OF CORIANDER LEAVES

1 TBSP OIL

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Heat oil in a pan, add all seeds and wait till splutter.

2.Add finely chopped onion and green chilli and fry for few minutes till onion turns soft.

3.Now add potato, saute and then add remaining spices, mix well and cover to cook till done.

4.Add chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

PERFECTION CAN NOT BE IMPROVED:BHUNA GOSHT

2009-09-03T12:00:00.002-05:00

In all non-veg dishes, I like mutton very much. Not only I love eating it but also enjoy making it many different ways. Bhuna gosht is a typical Pakistani dish and goes well with roti or naan.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 LB MUTTON

1 MEDIUM ONION (SLICED THINLY)

4-5 BLACK PEPPERCORNS

3-4 GREEN CARDAMOM

2 CINNAMON STICKS

4-5 CLOVES

1 TSP GINGER/GARLIC PASTE

3 TBSP MUSTARD OIL

SALT TO TASTE

1 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER

1 TSP TURMERIC POWDER

2 TSP CORIANDER POWDER

2 GREEN CHILLI

HANDFUL OF CORIANDER LEAVES

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Heat oil in a pot, add whole spices, fry for a minute, add onion.

2.Fry till golden brown, add ginger/garlic paste and all spices.

3.Fry well, add mutton, chopped green chilli fry till it changes colour, add 1 cup water, cover and cook for 1 hour or until it is cooked and oil starts separating.

4.Garnish with coriander leaves.

UPDATE!!!

2009-08-31T21:55:00.005-05:00

I am back!!! Some unexpected travel came up and we were off to east coast for a week, came back just a day ago. I did not get enough time to update my status, I thought that I would do that once I get internet access but unfortunately the wireless at our relative's place where we stayed was not working and there I was missing blogging and blog hopping pretty badly. I tried to catch up with the blogs update on google reader through my husband's IPhone but somehow was unable to post anything on my blog.

Well, it was a tiring week and we covered many cities in a very short span of time. We flew to Detroit, MI on Aug 22nd and after spending 2 days there went to buffalo, NY by road (4 hrs drive), briefly stopped at a friend's place in Akron, Ohio (3 hrs drive) on the way. We stayed in buffalo overnight, left for Grove city next day to meet some more friends (3 hrs drive) and finally to Erie, PA (1 1/2 hr drive) where we stayed at a close friend's place and started back for Detroit very next day (4 hrs drive).

We got opportunity to meet some old friends of my husband and enjoyed their warm welcome. "A" was overwhelmed with change of places and faces. Everytime we entered someone's home she started crying and took some time to settle down.

I will resume blogging from tomorrow inshallah. Stay tuned, till then take good care of yourselves and keep visiting.

RAMADAN KAREEM!!! MONTH OF BLESSINGS

2009-08-22T12:00:00.003-05:00

A very happy and prosperous Ramadan Mubarak to all the muslims around the world!!!

Ramadan is the 9th month of Islamic calendar(also known as hijri calendar) and like other hijri months sighting of moon marks the beginning. We fast whole month, every day before sunrise till sunset. The food which we eat to start fasting is called seher and the food which we eat to break fast is called iftar. Besides 5 times prayer, another prayer called taraveeh is offered every night after isha prayers in which whole quran is recited. It comprises of 20 rikats and is offered daily from the night of ramadan moon sighting till the night before eid moon sighting.

I will be posting some seher and iftar recipes this month to celebrate Ramadan.

http://www.123greetings.com/events/ramadan/wishes/wishes18.html

AWARDS, AWARDS AND MORE AWARDS!!!

2009-08-21T12:25:00.001-05:00

The rules are:

Put the logo on your blog or post.
Nominate at least 7 blogsLet them know that they have received this Scrumptious award by commenting on their blog.
Share the love and link to this post and to the person you received your award from.

Inspire you
Encourage You
May give Fabulous information
A great read has Scrumptious recipes
Any other reasons you can think of that make them Scrumptious!

I already did the tagging part here.

I have got some more awards this time from Shama of easy2cook...thank you very much Shama of remebering me and pasing me these lovely awards.

I am spreading the recognition which one blogger can give to other through these lovely awards to my following fantastic blogger friends,

Tulip of Amader Rasona

Divya Vikram of Dil Se

Priti of Indian khana

Bergamot of Cooking Escapades

Tea of Tea and cookies

Mansi of Twist to the taste

EGGLESS FAT FREE BANANA CAKE: TASTE AND CREATE

2009-08-20T16:04:00.010-05:00

I made eggless fat free banana cake for taste and create event started by Nicole of for the love of food and hosted this month by min of The bad girl's kitchen. I was paired for the very first time with a fabulous blogger, who in the very short span of time has given the blog world the beautiful creations most of which are her original recipes. Yes, I am talking about Parita of Parita's world. I am very happy that the cake turned out great and my husband who is a picky eater liked the taste.

I did quite a few changes to the original recipe, following are the changes:

used yogurt

no vanilla essence

no baking soda

used pineapple juice

This recipe is definitely a keeper and next time I want to incorporate eggs in the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

2 OVER RIPEN BIG BANANAS

2 CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR

2 TSP BAKING POWDER

3/4 CUP BROWN SUGAR

3/4 CUP YOGURT

1 TSP PINEAPPLE JUICE

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Preheat oven to 350 F, and grease a rectangular baking tin.

2.Blend together banana, brown sugar, pineapple juice and yogurt till smooth.

3.Sift together flour and baking powder and add 1 tbsp at a time and beat, till all become mixed properly.

4.Pour the batter in a greased baking tin and bake for 40-45 minutes.

5.Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick or knife, if comes out clean then take it out of the oven.

6.Cool for 10 minutes and cut into slices.

MIXED VEGETABLE SOUP: COLD, COLD GO AWAY!!!

2009-08-19T14:11:00.001-05:00

AAAAAAAAAACHHHUUUUUU.....SNIFF..SNIFF....itchy,red, watery eyes, runny nose, headache, fever......these are some classic signs and symptoms when one gets a pretty bad cold...I caught cold past week and it was getting worse and I was not able to do my daily chores, was afraid of kissing and hugging my li'l angel in fear that she would get it too, didnt want to treat it with antibiotics which I hate (although I am a pharmacist..hehehe) so what to do????

I wanted something hot and healthy at the same time to fight with the nasty cold.... So, I went over to my refrigerator in high hopes to find something suitable and once I looked at some wilting spring onions, few green beans, asparagus, I wanted to use all of them. My grey matter instantly gave me a hint...something hot and warm, something warm and hot....and there I was all set to make this lovely, warming, veggie soup.....

I threw any and all vegetables I had on hand, mixed with spices and oh yeah it came out amazingly superbbb!!!...A thumbs up from hubby who happen to like soups and my cold, it was gone,history... :)

Ok, no more ranting, I am unveiling the secret formula, go ahead,

A STEAMING HOT BOWL OF SOUP IS WAITING FOR U:):):)

This is going to be a part of an event "original recipe" by Lore of culinarty.

INGREDIENTS

1 ONION (SLICED)

1/2 CUP GREEN BEANS (WASHED AND CUT INTO PIECES)

1 ASPARAGUS

1 CARROT

1 TOMATO (SLICED)

HANDFUL OF SPRING ONIONS

1 EGG (WELL-BEATEN)

1/2 CUP GREEN BELL PEPPER (CUBED)

HANDFUL OF CILANTRO

1 TSP CUMIN SEEDS

2 CINNAMON STICKS

3 CLOVES GARLIC (GRATED)

1 INCH PIECE OF GINGER (GRATED)

SALT TO TASTE

1/2 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER

1/2 TSP CUMIN POWDER

1/2 TSP GARAM MASALA

5-6 BLACK PEPPERCORNS

1TBSP SOYA SAUCE

1-2 TBSP CORNFLOUR+ 1/2 CUP WATER

2 CUPS WATER

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pot, add cumin seeds, black peppercorns and cinnamon sticks, once splutter add onion and saute till translucent and soft.

2.Add garlic, ginger, fry for a minute then add tomato, beans, carrot, asparagus, bell peppers, spring onion and saute for a few minute.

3.Add all spices, soya sauce, give it a quick stir and add water.

4.Once water is reduced a bit, veggies become soft and tender, add egg, stir, cover and cook on low heat till egg seems cooked, add cilantro.

5.Make a smooth paste of cornflour with 1/2 cup water and add to the soup, stirring frequently and it thickens the soup, adjust salt and consistency of soup to your liking and ENJOY!!!

A HIT COMBO :ALU CHANNA TARKARI

2009-08-17T13:40:00.009-05:00

This is a quick breakfast dish, I usually boil potatoes and chick peas in advance to make this dish. Chickpeas goes well with potatoes and turn out quite yummy.

It is going to be a part of some ongoing food events in blog world,

I am sending this dish to MLLA fame girl Susan here.
The WYF:breakfast event here.
'Side dish for chapathi' : brainchild of Viki here.

INGREDIENTS

2 MEDIUM POTATOES

1 CUP CHICKPEAS

1/4 TSP MUSTARD SEEDS

1/4 TSP CORIANDER SEEDS

1/2 TSP CUMIN SEEDS

1/4 TSP NIGELLA SEEDS

1/4 TSP FENNEL SEEDS

1/4 TSP FENUGREEK SEEDS

SALT TO TASTE

1/4 TSP BLACK PEPPER

1 TSP TURMERIC POWDER

1 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER

2 GREEN CHILLI

HAND FUL GREEN CORIANDER LEAVES/ CILANTRO

2 TBSP OIL

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Boil chickpeas with salt till tender. (I usually pressure cook them)

2.Cut and wash potatoes into quarters and then boil in water till tender. do not over boil, otherwise it will become mushy.

3.Heat oil in a pan, add all the whole spices (cumin, nigella, fennel, mustard, coriander, fenugreek) and fry till start to sizzle.

4.Add chickpeas, potato, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, and half cup water and cook and stir at the same time, mashing potato with the back of spoon so that gravy becomes thick.

5.Once done add salt and black pepper, mix well.

6.Garnish with cilantro and green chilli and serve hot.

7.I usually serve them with puris/ kachoris, or roti.

LIFE IS COLOURFUL...MATAR PULAO IS COLOURFUL

2009-06-28T15:21:00.015-05:00

Life is God's beautiful gift and we just get one chance to live it....treasure it, enjoy it...adopt some hobby, be it is cooking or baking, painting or writing, it brings pleasure and self-satisfaction. A picture is incomplete without a frame, embellish picture of life with some hobby, life will become even more meaningful. Donot waste precious moments of life, cherish them because they never will return.Life has many shades of colour, colours of love, sorrow, joy, success, failure...we are surrounded by colours, they are every where.

Like wise, our food also contains many colours. It is true that colours affect our mood, both mentally and phsically without our even realizing it. Colours and appeal of various foods is closely related. The eyes are the first place that needs to be convinced before eating. Imagine life without colours, AWFUL..huh??? I found something here, some interesting facts about colours and their effect on human behaviour.

I make matar pulao quite often, but this time did not forget to click a pic of it as it looked so inviting to me, green colour of peas and white coloured rice present such an eye soothing combination to me and finally I have decided to send it to Kamalika who is hosting this month's wonderful FIC :Delectable Combinations, started by sunshinemom.

This is also going to be a part of an event by Chaitra at Aathidhyam

INGREDIENTS

1 CUP RICE

HALF CUP FROZEN GREEN PEAS

1 MEDIUM ONION (SLICED FINELY)

2 CINNAMON STICKS

3-4 GREEN CARDAMOMS

5-6 CLOVES

6-8 BLACK PEPPERCORNS

2 BAYLEAVES

1 TSP CUMIN SEEDS

SALT TO TASTE

WATER

3 TBSP VEGETABLE OIL

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Heat oil,add onion and fry till golden brown.

2.Remove witha slotted spoon and put whole spices in the same oil and saute for a few minutes.

3.Add green peas and fry for a couple of minutes.

4.Add rice, mix and cover it with enough water (approx 2 cups), close the lid and switch the flame to high.

5.When water dries and rice is done, switch the flame to low, keep it over a tava, still covered for 5-10 minutes.

6.Before serving sprinkle fried onions over it.

ARHAR OR TOOR DAAL

2009-06-27T15:13:00.036-05:00

"Will you make toor daal for me today?" asked my hubby one fine afternoon, when we were in a grocery store to get some basic pantry items.

"Sure,why not", I replied back ... but actually had no clue about toor daal.. ( even tried to recall the names of daals, I happened to eat so far ), but after having a glance at the packet he was carrying in his hand, I soon found out that the daal he was talking about was actually arhar daal ( name commonly used in Pakistani households)

I love having variety of daals, with roti or rice or just as it is.For making toor daal I usually follow my mom's simple recipe.

This recipe is my entry to the first ever event I am going to take part...Yes, you guessed it right, I am sending this to apu who is hosting :"MY LEGUME LOVE AFFAIR TWELFTH HELPING" originally started by Susan here.

INGREDIENTS

HALF CUP TOOR DAAL
SALT TO TASTE
1/4 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER
1/4 TSP TURMERIC POWDER
1 TSP GARLIC PASTE

FOR TEMPERING

2 TBSP OIL
HALF MEDIUM ONION ( CHOPPED COARSELY )
1TSP CUMIN SEEDS
2 GREEN CHILLI

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Wash daal thoroughly with water three times and then place it in a pressure cooker.

2.Add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garlic paste and enough water to cover the daal.

3.Place the lid of cooker and wait for three whistles, once done keep aside.

4.Heat oil in a pan, add all the ingredients for tempering and fry till onion turns light golden brown.

5.Immediately pour over daal, stir and serve hot.

I am also sending it to Shanthi who is hosting lovely winter recipes

A BOWL OF CREAMY MANGO

2009-07-07T21:40:00.006-05:00

SHAISTA'S CREAMY MANGO

Our daughter A's birthday is round the corner, she is turning one on July 29th 2009. We still can't believe that its already been a full one year of fun and laughter. It seems only yesterday when our little angel came in this world full of hustle bustle. Parenthood opened us to a whole new world~ a world which revolves around a tiny little being who needs endless care and love.

Coming back to the milestone birthday, we had been planning for almost a month, I finally managed to send the invitations today. It took me well over two weeks to finalize the e-invite, from selection of a background design and main image to appropriate wordings and suitable colours to go in the invite. We have booked a banquet hall in a nearby Pakistani restaurant, so we donot have to worry about the decoration and catering.

Besides placing an order for a birthday cake, there are other things to take care of. I have never been to a birthday party here in US, but came to know that party favours are being distributed among kids attending the party, to take home with them. I am still checking out different sites to make a list of those inexpensive things which can be given out.

So, if anyone of you have any idea of what kind of things can be given away and what activities/games should be included, do leave me a line.

CREAMY MANGO

This recipe came into existence couple of days back when I was feeling a bit lazy to make myself a breakfast.I ran out of cereal which I keep for such days, but as I saw these fully riped mangoes I knew what I am gonna do with them. Mango is one such fruit which I am ready to eat anytime in any form.

I am sending this creamy delight to sweet Srivalli who is hosting MANGO MELA and to wonderful Divya for her event..... and also here started by Ramki of one page cookbook.

I also want to thank apu of annarassa for including my entry in her MLLA12 roundup and for the welcome note she wrote.

INGREDIENTS

1 MANGO

2 TBSP HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM

1 TSP SUGAR

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Whip cream and sugar in a bowl with fork.

2.Cut mango in pieces of whatever size u like and add in the cream.

3.Mix well and serve chilled.

GRILL IT UP:STEAKS

2009-07-06T14:21:00.003-05:00

A smile gives red colour to your cheeks,
pink colour to your nose,
silver colour to your eyes,
So keep smiling and become a GOLA GANDA

Have you ever tried gola ganda (made by an assortment of colourful syrups poured over crushed ice)???? ...I am sure most of you must have ...but my question is, Have you ever tried gola ganda at 1:00 AM after a hearty dinner??? what? a gola ganda??? No, never...Well, we had it. It was our first time to watch july 4th fire works in houston with a couple of friends. We had late lunch so we decided to have dinner after fire works. Once fire works were over, and we ate dinner it was already 12:00 AM. Hubby dear started craving for some gola ganda so we headed towards other end of the city with our friends who had been there before. Aga juice is a well established juice shop in Houston (a famous chain in karachi, Pakistan) which serves fresh fruit juices, gola ganda, falooda, kulfi etc at a reasonable price.The juice shop remains open till midnight daily. It is a must go place if you are in the vicinity. Houston is truly a food paradise where one can find a variety of Indian and Pakistani restaurant serving deli~ci~ous food...

STEAKS
Now lets get back to cooking, we finally grilled steak yesterday and it came out pretty good ('T' did all the grilling, good job)...We never had steak in our entire life, yet to find a decent halal steak house in houston.So, we decided to give it a try. I looked for the perfect marinade to give the steak a spicy touch, once I got idea from various sites and some books on grilling, I went ahead and made my own marinade which is a combination of wet paste and dry seasoning. Go ahead and indulge...

INGREDIENTS FOR MARINADE

(a) CHILLI-PARSLEY PASTE:

1/2 CUP OLIVE OIL
1/4 TH CUP PARSLEY (CHOPPED)
3 THAI GREEN CHILLI
2-3 TBSP LEMON JUICE
1 TBSP FRESH MINCED GARLIC
SALT TO TASTE
1 TBSP FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

(b) DRY SPICE RUB:

1/4 CUP CORIANDER SEEDS
2 TBSP CUMIN SEEDS
2 TBSP FENNEL SEEDS
3 WHOLE RED CHILLIES
2 TBSP SALT
1 TBSP GROUND GINGER
1 TBSP GROUND TURMERIC
1 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER
1/2 TSP CHAAT MASALA

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Combine the ingredients for the paste,blend well and apply generously on the steaks.

2.Dry ground all ingredients of rub and sprinkle evenly on the steaks.

3.Keep the steaks covered in the fridge for atleast 2 hours.

4.Build a fire in the grill. When coals are all ignited, the flames have died down, you are ready to grill.

5.Put the steaks on the hottest area of grill and sear them well (8 minutes per side).

6.Move the steak to the cooler part of grill and cook slowly till well done.

7. Check for doneness by making small cut in the thickest part of one steak to be sure.

8. Serve hot with the tomato relish and red onion and naan.

SPICY FARE:CHILLI PAKORA

2009-07-03T16:00:00.009-05:00

Pakora is a fried snack, popular both in India and Pakistan. In Pakistan one can find hawkers selling variety of pakoras on footpaths, railway stations, shopping centres and other public places. Pakoras are an essential part of iftar(time to break the fast) during the holy month of Ramadan (Islamic month of fasting). I can not think of iftar without some hot, spicy pakoras. According to some survey in Pakistan, pakora was rated the most popular food item in the Ramadan. Many people also associate this heavenly snack with rain. But for me pakoras are always welcome any time of a year...:):):)

Pakoras can be of many types; onion pakora, palak (spinach) pakora, baigan (egg plant) pakora, potato pakora, chilli pakora etc...Yesterday, when I opened my fridge to get some milk to make tea for my husband, I saw jalapeno peppers lying in a corner of vegetable section waiting for me to turn it into a fiery treat!! I eagerly picked them and within no time these hotties were ready to tickle our taste buds...

CHILLI PAKORA

1 CUP CHICK PEA FLOUR (BESAN)
4-5 JALAPENO PEPPERS
1 TBSP GARLIC/GINGER PASTE
SALT TO TASTE
1/2 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER
1/2 TSP TURMERIC POWDER
1/2 TSP CUMIN POWDER
1/2 TSP CORIANDER POWDER
1/2 TSP CHAAT MASALA
1/2 TSP GARAM MASALA
1 TSP AJWAIN SEEDS
1 TSP CUMIN SEEDS
A HANDFUL OF CORIANDER LEAVES
A HANDFUL OF DILL LEAVES

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Wash and cut jalapeno peppers into half lengthwise and remove the seeds, do not remove the stalk.

2.Place all the ingredients except jalapeno in a bowl and add sufficient water to make a thick paste.

3.Heat oil in a deep-frying pan or wok, place a few jalapenos in the batter, coat evenly and drop one by one in the hot oil.

4.Take them out with a slotted spoon on a plate lined with paper towel and serve hot with chutney or dip of your choice.

5.I usually serve pakora with green chutney or tomato ketchup.

I am sending this recipe here , an event by Shanthi.

SOME THOUGHTS TO SHARE AND STEAMING HOT KADHI!!!1

2009-07-01T11:50:00.008-05:00

We entered for a giveaway in a nearby mall a couple of months ago..(well, actually my husband did, I was not interested as I do not consider myself lucky enough to win in any kind of lucky draw)...and even tried to drag him out of it.....:):):):) .But, he insisted on filling out that small piece of paper asking for name and related basic contact information and dropped in a box kept their solely for collecting the participant's info. We eventually forgot about it until one day I recieved a call from one of their representatives, informing that my husband was one of the winner, asking us to visit a resort 30 minutes drive from our house. She told us that there were various prizes (Cash, free shopping spree, cruise, vacation somewhere in US and a car) and we were a gauaranteed winner of any one of the prize.My husband asked me not to get too much excited, as our chances of getting the most sought after prize that was a car were quite slim, but he was hopeful of getting the lowest prize money.

When we reached there, a representative greeted us and escorted us to a big hall. He took our basic info, asked us about our mutual interests and activities, places we visited so far, places we wanna visit in next 10 years, hotels we stayed in, cost of vacation..blah, blah, blah......After that he introduced us to this phenomena in which one can become owner of a condo at some resort, where multiple parties holds right to use the property and each party gets a fixed time in a year to use the property. It took him almost an hour and nothing about the prize so far. In short, he showed us some shabby looking cabins and lodges and insisted on getting the ownership. When he failed to get our interest going he went to get his manager who started all over again.By that time we were so exhausted and tired that we did not even had energy to stop him. When we did not show our interest to him either, another person came and asked us what was wrong with us and he was so mean and rude, somehow we got rid of him. Then, we were asked to go to another building to get our prize, where a lady gave us a stack of cards from which we had to select and scratch a card. After that she asked us to match the numbers on the card with the numbers on a papers. None of the numbers matched but as promised we were given a prize to spend vacation somewhere in USA ..(now lying somewhere as it has too many catches....)

MORAL OF THE STORY: These Americans definitely know their business.they know how to get money out of our pockets.

KADHI

Now coming back to the cooking, I am very fond of this bihari style kadhi, it is very close to the punjabi kadhi. The only difference I figured out between this one and a punjabi kadhi is the onion paste which enhances its flavour and texture. I never imagined a kadhi without a pakora in it but my husband likes plain kadhi with pakora on the side so I served it that way. I bring to you this delicacy straight from my kitchen stove, try this out, I am sure you will ask for more.....:D

INGREDIENTS FOR KADHI

1 CUP YOGURT

2-3 TBSP CHICK PEA FLOUR(BESAN)

1 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER

1 TSP TURMERIC POWDER

SALT TO TASTE

FOR PASTE

1 MEDIUM ONION

2 GREEN CHILLI

3-4 CLOVES GARLIC

Grind onion, green chilli and cloves with 1-2 tbsp water.

FOR TEMPERING

7-8 ROUND WHOLE RED CHILLIES

1 TSP CUMIN SEEDS

7-8 CURRY LEAVES

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Beat yogurt with fork until it becomes smooth and pour it in a large pot.

2.Dissolve besan in water to get thin consistency and it should be lump free.

3.Then add salt, red chilli, turmeric and onion paste.

4.Add 3-4 cups of water and leave it uncovered on medium flame, stirring occassionally.

5.After first boil, lower the flame and cook for atleast an hour.

6.When it is almost done,heat oil in a pan, add red chilli, cumin seeds and curry leaves and fry till aroma comes.

7. Immediately pour it into the kadhi.Garnish with coriander leaves

INGREDIENTS FOR PAKORAY

2 CUPS CHICK PEA FLOUR(BESAN)

1-2 SMALL GREEN CHILLI

SALT TO TASTE

1 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER

1 TSP TURMERIC POWDER

1 TSP CORIANDER POWDER

1 SMALL ONIONS(SLICED FINELY)

1/2 TSP GARAM MASALA

1 TSP CHAAT MASALA

1 1/2 TSP AJWAIN SEEDS

1 TBSP CUMIN SEEDS

HANDFUL OF CORIANDER LEAVES(CHOPPED FINELY)

OIL FOR DEEP FRYING

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Place all the ingredients in a bowl except onion and by slowly adding water and stirring at the same time obtain the consistency which should not be too thick or too thin.

2.Add onions and mix well then start dropping them one by one with the kelp of a spoon in hot oil.

3.Deep fry well till they turn golden brown and take out with a slotted spoon on a plate lined with paper towel.

4.Serve with kadhi and rice.

I am sending it to shanthi here.

INSPIRATIONAL DELICACY: MUTTON COOKED WITH SPINACH AND FENUGREEK

2009-07-13T12:37:00.014-05:00

I first tasted pancakes on my way back from NJ at detroit metro airport, a year and a half back. I instantly fell in love with these fluffy, round delights. Whenever, the commercial of pancake is aired, I start craving for it. It has been a couple of months since we had pancake so, we decided to go for a breakfast this saturday. Unfortunately, when we reached our nearest IHOP, the restaurant was full with people, it was already 10:30 and the wait time was about 45 minutes. My husband had to go somewhere at 11:00, so we settled for some homemade dal paratha (luckily I had some left over dal in my refrigerator to quickly roll out a paratha).

We wanted to give it another try on following sunday and thanks to our lucky stars, we were seated in less than 20 minutes. Plain buttermilk pancakes is my fav one, but I always wanted to try other flavours too, for a change. After going through menu several times, I ordered strawberry-banana pancake. Well, after having it what can I say, if you love pancakes than its worth trying....

Lets get back to cooking now, I made lamb with spinach and fenugreek yesterday. The recipe is taken from Madhur Jaffrey's cookbook, a reknowned Indian author. The only change I made is that I added turmeric powder and fenugreek leaves. This dish can also be made with beef.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 CUP OIL

1/4 TSP BLACK PEPPERCORNS

6-7 CLOVES

2 CINNAMON STICKS

2 BAY LEAVES

6 CARDAMOM PODS

1 MEDIUM ONION ( FINELY CHOPPED)

6-8 CLOVES GARLIC (PEELED, FINELY CHOPPED)

1 INCH GINGER (FRESHLY GRATED)

2 TSP CUMIN POWDER

2 TSP CORIANDER POWDER

1 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER

SALT TO TASTE (I USED 1 1/2 TSP)

1/2 CUP YOGURT, WELL BEATEN

1/4 TSP GARAM MASALA

HALF BUNCH SPINACH (COARSELY CHOPPED

HALF BUNCH FENUGREEK LEAVES (COARSELY CHOPPED)

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Heat oil in a large pot, when hot, put in pepper corns, bay leaves, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, Stir for a few seconds.

2.Add onion, garlic and ginger, stir and fry until onion develop brown specks.

3.Now add the meat, cumin, coriander, turmeric , red chilli powder and 1 tsp salt.Fry for a minute.

4.Add 1 Tbsp of yogurt, stir and fry for a minute. Add another Tbsp of yogurt, stir and fry for another minute. Keep doing this until all the yogurt has been incorporated and meat has a brownish look.

5.Add spinach, fenugreek leaves and remaining salt and stir to mix. Keep stirring till spinach and fenugreek wilts completely.

6.Cover and simmer on low heat for 1 hour or until the meat is done.

7.When it is done, sprinkle garamm masala and the dish is ready to be served.

SIMPLY EXOTIC: FISH CURRY

2009-07-11T12:47:00.022-05:00

MACCHLI JAL KI RANI HAY

JEEVAN US KA PAANI HAY

HAATH LAGAO DAR JATI HAY

BAHAR NIKALO MAR JATI HAY

PAKA KAY KHALO TASTY HAY

This is the one of the famous rhymes from my childhood days, though last line is the creative addition of my MIL and I totally agree with her. There is even one more rhyme related to fish which my younger brother used to sing when he was in school. It goes like this,

MACCHLI KA BACCHA,

ANDAY SEY NIKLA,

ABBU NEY PAKDA,

AMMI NEY PAKAYA,

HUM SAB NEY MILKAR KHAYA,

BADA MAZA AYA,

BADA MAZA AYA

I never happen to cook fish at my parent's house but used to enjoy it whenever my mom made it. When she visited me last year from Pakistan, I made it a point to learn this yummy, scrummy dish from her. Now, I can proudly say, that I can cook some exotic fish curry in no time. This dish can be made using any fish, but if you can get some desi fish like rohu or hilsa then the outcome would be even more yum-yum. Dried fenugreek leaves impart a unique flavour to this dish (yes, this is unusual, brain child of my mom). Now,what are you waiting for, recipe is right after the pics, try it out and do not forget to tell me how it turned out...:D

INGREDIENTS

1 LB ROHU FISH

1 ONION

1 TOMATO

1 TSP FENUGREEK SEEDS

2 TSP GINGER/GARLIC PASTE

SALT TO TASTE

1 TSP TURMERIC POWDER

1 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER

2 TSP CORIANDER POWDER

HANDFUL QASURI METHI (DRIED FENUGREEK LEAVES)

HANDFUL DILL LEAVES AND CORIANDER LEAVES(FOR GARNISH)

1/2 CUP MUSTARD OIL

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Clean the fish remove any scales, wash, rub some turmeric powder, salt and 1 tsp lemon juice and leave for 30 minutes minimum. This is the best way to get rid of bad odour.

2.Heat oil in a pot, add fenugreek seeds, fry till it starts changing colour.

3.Add half sliced onion and when it starts turning golden brown, add half tomato finely chopped.

4.Fry for a couple of minutes then add tomato-onion paste and all spices.

5.When oil starts separating add 1 cup water.

6.Let it boil, then add fish pieces one by one, cook covered on medium low flame.

7.After 15 minutes, turn carefully each piece and add qasuri methi at this point.

8.When oil separates, switch off flame and garnish with dill leaves, coriander leaves and whole green chilli.

9.I usually serve hot with matar pulao or zeera rice.

I am sending this to appyayan for her event spotlight:fish.