EID MUBARAK!!!

Today we are celebrating Eid-ul-fitr in UK and most parts of world.  Eid marks the end of holy month of Ramadan. Though the celebrations for Eid start way too early with the start of Ramadan but it takes full swing near end and Chaand raat (the night before Eid) festive mood can be seen with girls putting on Henna on their hands,preparations for the Eid delicacies like sheer khurma, last minute shopping etc. The day of eid starts with special eid prayers, and it is a "sunnah" (the way our Holy prophet P.B.U.H used to do it) to consume dates before going for prayers.  


Eid is also called by many as MEETHI EID (SWEET EID) as it is associated with consumption of sweets. Muslims of different parts of world have their own traditions and customs as far as cooking is concerned. In Pakistan, Sewiyan (Vermicelli) and Sheer khurma are those sweet dishes which are associated with Eid and are being served to guests.


I also prepared this yum delicacy at home. It is quite easy to make, takes no time to prepare.

INGREDIENTS:


VERMICELLI                    150 GM
CLARIFIED BUTTER/GHEE  2-3 TBSP
CLOVES                          2-4
GREEN CARDAMOM SEEDS 3-4
SUGAR                            HALF CUP
WATER                           3/4TH CUP
RAISINS/KISHMISH           OPTIONAL


STEPS OF PREPARATION:


1. Take out vermicelli in a plate and break the large strands into smaller ones.          


2. Now take a pan/pot, add ghee, add green cardamom and cloves.


3. Fry for a minute, add vermicelli, keep stirring, fry till it turns golden, take care flame is not too high otherwise vermicelli get burnt.


4. When it is fried, add warmwater and sugar, keep stirring, till it gets dried.


5. Sprinkle raisins or any nut of your choice, mix everything and serve. 

   

CHANNA CHAAT AND 50TH POST

Although I started this blog of mine in 2009 and it was going at a good pace too but other important aspects of life took over and I had to eventually stop blogging. Now, it seems like everything is in place so I have decided to start blogging again and the holy month of Ramadan is the best time to get a fresh start. 


For Iftar (time to breakfast)  few delicacies are a must have at Iftar table in every household in Pakistan. Channa chaat is one such item which one will surely find in everyone's Iftar menu. Here comes my version of this spicy, tangy snack which is going to be a part of Iftar party at Lubna's Yummy food for her Ramadan event and Iftar nights  hosted by jabeen.


CHANNA CHAAT :

INGREDIENTS:

WHITE CHICKPEAS/KABLI CHANNA    1 CUP BOILED

SMALL RED ONION FINELY SLICED     HALF                            

GREEN CHILLI FINELY CHOPPED        1 SMALL

TOMATO FINELY SLICED                   1 SMALL

LEMON JUICE                                   2 TSP

TAMARIND PASTE/IMLI                      2 TBSP

CHAAT MASALA                                TO TASTE

CORIANDER LEAVES                          FOR GARNISH

STEPS OF PREPARATION:


1. Wash and soak Chick peas in enough water overnight.


2. Next day pressure cook chicpeas/channa with salt and enough water. Alternatively boil in any pot till chickpeas soften.


3. Strain and take out in a bowl, combine all the above ingredients.


4. Let it sit for a while so that chickpeas/channa gets all the flavours of imli, lemon, chaat masala.


5.Enjoy having yummy chaat at home.

BACK TO BLOGGING!!

I am too glad to announce that I will be blogging again. I took a long break from blogging to complete my studies and now I am all set to continue this tasty journey of mine in culinary world.

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

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!!!

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.

UPDATE!!!

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.

JASHN-E-AZADI MUBARAK: HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

14 th August 2009 marks the 62nd year of independence of my beloved homeland Pakistan. May Allah bless my country and keep it free from all evils. Happy independence day to my fellow Pakistanis.

After coming to US, I realized that very few people know about Pakistan and those who know something about Pakistan, they want to get more knowledge. So if you fall in any of the above category, you are most welcome to read today's post. I have gathered the basic and must-know things about Pakistan here.

PAKISTAN

The official name of Pakistan is The Islamic Republic of Pakistan and it came into being on 14 th August. It was founded by Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. It shares its border with Afghanistan and Iran in the west, with India in the east and with China in far northeast and Arabian sea lies in the South. Pakistan comprises of 4 provinces namely:

• Sindh (Karachi is the capital city, other major cities are Hyderabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Thatta)


• Punjab (Lahore is the capital city, other major cities are Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot)


• Balochistan (Quetta is the capital city, other major cities are Sibi, Zhob, Gwadar)


• North-West Frontier Province, commonly known as NWFP (Peshawar is the capital city, other major cities are Abbottabad, Mardan, Swat)

Following territories are included in Pakistan:

• Islamabad capital territory


• Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA)


• Azad Kashmir


• Northern Areas (FANA)

We are proud of our national anthem , which was written by Hafeez Jalindhri

PAKISTAN NATIONAL ANTHEM

LANGUAGES IN PAKISTAN

Pakistan is a multilingual country, more than 60 languages being spoken. Urdu is the national language of Pakistan, English is the official language.

Other major languages are:

Punjabi, Sindhi, Seraiki, Pashto, Balochi, Hindko, Kalasha, Gujarati, Memoni etc.

FACTS AND FIGURES

• Pakistan comprises a total area of 803,940 km² of which 3.1% is covered with water.


• It is the 6th most populous country in the world, having a population of 180,808,000.


• Currency is Pakistani rupee (PKR)


• It is the second largest muslim country after Indonesia.


• It is a memeber of SAARC, OIC, ECO, United Nations, WTO.


• It was declared 7th nuclear state on 28th May 1998.


• The northern and western highlands of Pakistan contain the towering Karakoram and Pamir mountain ranges, which incorporate some of the world's highest peaks, including K2 and Nanga Parbat.


• The national sport is hockey, but cricket is more popular.

SEASONS IN PAKISTAN

My beautiful country is gifted with all the four seasons:

• a cool, dry winter from December through February


• a hot, dry spring from March through May


• the summer rainy season, or southwest monsoon period, from June through September


• the retreating monsoon period of October and November.

The onset and duration of these seasons vary somewhat according to location.

Below is the clip of a popular song by a famous Pakistani band Vital signs,

DIL DIL PAKISTAN

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

• Karachi, the largest metropolitan city of Pakistan, it is a coastal city so beaches are major attractions, namely paradise point, hawksbay, sea view etc. Quaid-e-Azam's tomb is situated in Karachi. Bin qasim park is a beautiful park in Karachi.


• Lahore, second largest city, is considered a historic city as it has many examples of mughal architecture like, Lahore fort, Badshahi mosque, Shalimar Gardens and Jahangir's tomb. Minar-e- pakistan, Allam Iqbal's tomb are also in Lahore. The country's largest railway station is here. For food lovers, food street is a must-go place.


• If you are interested in ancient civilizations, then you should visit ruins of Taxilla, Harappa and Moen-jo-daro.


• Himalayan hill-stations, attract those interested in field and winter sports.


• The northern parts of Pakistan are the site of several historical fortresses, towers and other architecture including the Hunza and Chitral valleys.


• Faisal mosque is largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia, and 6th largest in the world ( can accomodate 300,000 worshippers at a time) is situated in the capital city Islamabad.


• Shahjahan mosque in thatta was built by mughal emperor Shahjehan and it can accomodate 20,000 worshippers at a time. It has 101 domes and there is no need of loud speaker or microphone, because it was designed in such a way that Imam's voice can reach every corner of the mosque.


• Multan is considered as a city of saints, many beautiful mosques are there.


• Lake saiful malook is located at northern end of Kaghan valley.

I found this clip on you tube which I want to share with all of you,

I MISS MY BEAUTIFUL PAKISTAN.

Pakistan zindabad!!!

SOMEONE SWEET HAS TURNED ONE, ONE, ONE!!!

♥ IT'S BEEN A VERY EXCITING YEAR,

FULL OF JOY, LOVE AND FUN

FIRST TEETH, FIRST GIGGLE,

SOMEONE SWEET IS TURNING ONE

WE CAN'T BELIEVE THAT IT'S BEEN A WHOLE YEAR,

OUR LI'L ANGEL'S BIRTHDAY IS ALREADY HERE!!!

My darling, my cutie-pie, my bundle of joy, the most precious gift from God has hit the big ONE......yaayyyyyyy!!!♥!!!

Time has passed so quickly, It seems only yesterday when she made a debut in this big big world, a cute little angel sent for us to love unconditionally. I can not forget the very first time I saw her, held her, kissed her, hugged her with a sense of joy and responsibility. I remember crying so hard at how happy I was, that moment will forever be the best day of my life. Being a mother means so much, It is the best gift I could have ever asked for.

If wishes were like heaven's stars, I would shower them on you!
҉

Her first year in this world is filled with so many wonderful developmental milestones, she grew so fast. It looks like that one day she passed a smile, the next day mastered sitting alone and then there you go, strode away with much ease. Her personality is taking shape, likes and dislikes towards things are more obvious now. She is becoming more comfortable with her surrounding and has even started to try out different words, for instance aawuu for alu (potato), mum mum for water,bub bub for sponge bob etc etc and the list goes on...... :)

A wish for my baby:

It’s your 1st birthday my dearest, adorable little baby and it is as much a celebration for me as it is for you, may be more,and I wish for you the best of birthdays,the best one ever.May each birthday be better than the last.Most of all, I hope you will always be as happy as you have made me.Every minute Allah bless you, every hour Allah protects you.....May all the best things in life come your way dear!!! (AMEEN).......Love you always!!!!

Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,

Smiles awake when you rise.

(~ Thomas Dekker)

BANANA TALK

Yesterday, my post was about banana-apple shake, and when I was checking my mails in the morning today, this email caught my attention...and I am realy happy to share this with all of you...

Dears..........
This is interesting.........After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again....

Never put banana in the refrigerator!!!

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.
Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.
But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit.

It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:

According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS:

Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.


Anemia:

High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure:

This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power:

200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation:

High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:

One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn:

Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness:

Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites:

Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves:

Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work?

Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers:

The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control:

Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):

Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking & Tobacco Use:

Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium (K) and magnesium (Ma) found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress:

Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes:

According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine, 'eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts:

Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

PS:
Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time!

Shine your shoes: Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth.......

Shine your face: Mix banana with honey and a bit of lemon juice, make paste, apply on your face (beware of skin allergy- so make a test doze first), keep for half an hour every day before sun-rise and wash out... and Your face will shine like fresh banana....

Amazing fruit, really the banana, bringing consolation to the whole humanity........and rather cheap.....So get going...Wishing you sound health...