Muza'aafar with Nuts and Khoya...

It's time for Eid-ul-Fitr goodies and i thought to share this classy reicpe which was always  my darling sweet Mom's speciality

Another delicate and a very rich sweet dish which she used to make very often. I remember I had so many tries to have my hands set on this That’s why I say it’s delicate : ) This was a must on Eid, but also when we had guests Mom used to make it in no time.
It’s fluffy, its ultra tasty and it’s simply deliciousssss : )

150 gr vermicelli (sewiaan)
2 big spoons Ghee( clarified butter)
5-6 green cardamom seeds
½ cup sugar
½ glass water
¾ cup grated, Almond/pistachios/fresh coconut stripes
6-7 saffron threads

Khoya:

1 cup Nido milk powder
2-3 tsp sugar

Make big crumbs mixing the Nido powder with spoon wise water,
it shouldn’t be sticky, just that u can part uneven small pieces of it.
Fry them very fast in hot ghee or oil,
only FEW SECONDS
they will puff up as u fry them take them out and lay on a kitchen paper.
I have no specific time to tell its just according to your eye feeling.... get me??


Heat Ghee, throw in cardamom seeds to splutter.
Fry the vermicelli light brown.
Sprinkle few drops of water over it to make it a bit soft.
The reason why i do this is, that while fryingthey start to get very crispy so to avoid that and to keep them soft the few drops of water makes it perfect :)

Make the sugar syrup in a saucepan with 2-3 threads of saffron.
Just give one to two boils.
Pour the syrup over the fried vermicelli and mix thoroughly.
Spread the grated/crushed nuts all over and the rest saffron threads.
Spreads the khoya over all don’t mix!! Cover the lid.
Put it on a low heat they will become fluffy in the steam..

ATTENTION: don’t use a stainless steel pot or pan, as the vermicelli sticks very soon and will become crusty!!! And we want it to be soft and fluffy!!!

Creamy and Delicious Dates

A real pleasure to have in Iftaar. Make then today and i'm sure you'll make them daily :)

I crushed the almonds with skin, filled in the dates and covered with a thick layer of thick cream. Chill before Iftaar. Unbeatabe in taste!!!

Note that soft and juicy dates are best for this, the hard ones won't give you this taste of " melt in mouth" :)

Enjoy the Creamy Treat!!!!!!

**Namkeen Boondiyaan**

Boondiyaan are drops made with the normal chickpea flour, they are dropped through a sieve with thick holes in it. A very hearty tea time snack and very favorite specially in Ramadhan. The salty taste is a delight after the days fast :)

I remember as Mama dear used to make these always as a side dish whenever she cooked any Daal : ) We ate it after the lunch with so much chutney on it and did …ccccc..cccccc and ate even more : )

There are so many memories attached to this one dish, living in Kuwait we didn’t get all those typical big small sieves for this purpose, of course we did have the ones to drain rice water, or wash Vegetable but the specific to take out boondiyaan was missing.

So what dear Abbajan did, he took an old frying pan which had may be served us quite good and was in his retirement age lol; and drilled so lovely even holes all around, We as kids were so excited to see the end result and kept pointing and showing him… here too and here too … I’m not sure if we still have it somewhere…I so wish those days come back….

Anyway so Mama used to make in big bulks and she had those big jars which we call “Martabaan” where she filled it, and we used to eat them as a dry snack coz the simple besan tasted so good and really so yummy : )
Sorry the story was so alive that I got carried away… so back to the recipe…

I also make and preserve in tin boxes, they stay good and soft, you just soak them before you need them…So simple
I actually never measure as after some time one only knows how to make them but I have measured it so you can have an idea : )

2 cups besan (chickpea flour)
½ cup soda water(Fizzy or gassy water)
½ cup or may be more or less water
1tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp chaat masala
¼ tsp cumin powder

*just mix all dry ingredients and mix with the liquids
*take care, it should not be very runny nor too thick
*mix and leave it to set, as the soda water brings air in it and it becomes very fluffly, and as you fry them you feel the soft structure yet crispy
*now pour with a deep spoon in any borad sieve with big holes and just press it thru , the drops will fall in the hot oil and get cooked very soon
*if you have no such sieve you can use a normal slotted spoon
*after frying just put them in a sieve, let cool and then save in any tin box or glass jar

Here I have made 1 bowl:
1 cup boondiyaan
1 bowl hot water
300gram yogurt
1 large boiled potato (fine cubes)
1 red onion (fine sliced)
3-4 green chilies
Salt to taste
½ tsp chaat masala
¼ tsp roasted cumin powder
1tbs sugar
Some pepper from mill

*soak bonndiyaan in hot water for 2-3 minutes
*drain out on a slotted spoon, just pressed very slightly and put them directly in the yogurt
*let it rest 15 minutes so they absorb yogurt
*serve with Imli Chutney a must!!!
I also make papurri with it as it is yummy crunchy but had no time so dint make:/ you can sprinkle Chewra on it makes crunchy noises : )

Spicy, juicy XL Chappli Kababs/Mincemeat Patties

Chapplis are famous beef patties belonging to Peshawar Pakistan and also Afghanistan. They are originally made with really greasy fat meat and many use extra fat to make them juicy and soft. The scrambled eggs gives it a classic touch. It's a good rich meal and eaten very heartily :)

Many ways and styles to make them, all different taste and spices:) But the main out put is the same "They are adorable and yummmyz"

700 Gram minced meat
3 eggs (scrambled)
2 large onion crushed
2pring onions fine chopped
½ bunch fresh coriander
1tbs fresh crushed garlic
1ts fresh grated ginger
2tbs oil
1-2 small seedless cubed tomato

Puree of 2 Tomatoes

1tsp Salt
1tsp Red chili flakes
½ tsp Garam masala
1tspWhite roasted zeera powde
1 ½ tbs crushed coriander seeds
2 pinches baking powder
1tsp rice flour (grind plain rice till very fine)

-beat the 3 eggs and make a soft scrambled egg and let aside
-Mix all ingredients into the minced meat, with all the spices and knead well with hands.
-This will be a bit softer and will seem loose because of tomatoes but it is good as we have to spread it later
-now add in the scrambled eggs and mix all gently
-Make a bit thick sized kababs and place them in the fryin pan and then spread more with your fingers, and fry them on a slight high heat.
-Don’t keep pricking them while frying as all the juices will release and they may become hard
-They will shrink while frying so try making them your palm size.
-sprinkle fresh lemon juice before u serve
-Serve with salad and chutney!!!

Cheesy Soft Naan

These Naans are my Fam’s favorite, I don’t make them too often due to so much cheese in it (figure and health conscious : )
They are so soft and can be kept in the fridge 2-3 days wrapped in a cling. Just warm them up in a toaster NOT MICRO!!! It is as fresh as the first day!!
I don’t use ghee while frying as I add it in the dough..

You need:
Soft Yeast Dough
250 gram grated cheese (I used Gouda)
Oil to spray

Dough:
150 gram plain flour
5 gram dry yeast (around ¾ tsp)
¾ tsp salt or to taste
½ tsp sugar
3-4 tbs ghee (clarified butter)
 1 cup luke warm milk ( can be less or a bit more so pour slowly not all at a time!)

Prepare the dough before hand and let it rest at least 1 ¼ hour!

*mix the ghee, sugar and yeast in the luke warm milk and let froth for 15 minutes
*add the flour and make soft dough, not too sticky, add more flour if you feel it’s sticky
*make balls (peeray), keep covered another 15 minutes then roll out

A step by step demo to make it easy for you all:)

1) Roll out the dough
2) Fill with 3-4 tsp grated cheese
3) Close and make a ball (peera) again
4) You will see the whole is spread over all, just roll gently
5) Fr yin a non stick frying pan. This is important so the cheese doesn’t stick as it melts!
6) As the naan starts to cook spray some oil and sprinkle more cheese on the top
7) You will see it fluffs up, means one side is being cooked so tune over
8) Just let it fry for few seconds then pat with a flat spoon very gently so the cheese sticks well on the top and gets the lovely gold color
9) There you have your extreme delicious and soft Cheesy Naans ready!! : )

Serve with Achaarr (lemon or chili pickle) I had Raita, and green chutney with it.
Tastes very good simply without anything too as it is very soft and cheezzzy : )

The Love of my Life..... :)

I thought before my beloved Organic chilli pepper plant bids farewell, i'll save it here for ever and ever :) My dearest Friend Susanne bought two of them, one for each... and we planned to take care of them and see who's plant grows the most.. Fortunately we both had such rich fruits on it :) The main attraction in my room and a daily delight for my eyes I love love love Chillies since i have learnt to eat  lol... In fact i think i inherited it from my Mom sweet Mom :)

Now as they have given me more than enough chillies, i have dried the last of them and use them for my Daal (lentil) tempering, and Susanne the Gem she is gathered her's too and i have a tin full of them for the rest of the months till we buy one again ...

Is'nt it Gorgeous :)

Scrumptious Spicy Chicken Karahi :)

Karahi is made in many different ways, but one thing is common its the „Karahi“ : ) Some things taste good only if made in the karahi or Wok : )

I have found this easiest yet the yummiest way to make mines, its cooked very fast with the best results ever!!!

This is how i make this karahi :

 1 kg chicken
4-5 large tomatoes (cubed)
½ tsp kalonji (Nigella Sativa)
½ tsp mustard seeds (Raaii danay)
5-6 tbs fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup oil
3-4 pods of garlic (fresh grated)
1” fresh ginger (julienne cut)
Fresh coriander chopped

                                                                                                                             

 Heat oil in a heavy non stick karahi/Wok
•Sprinkle the mustard seeds and immediately the kalonji
•Don’t let it burn just for seconds and add the chicken
•Sprinkle the lemon juice and stir chicken
•Lemon juice protects the meat to stick and break!
•Fry the chicken till light brown and add the grated garlic
•This kills any rest smell in the meat and gives a nice aroma
•Now add the tomatoes and mix all well
•The tomatoes leave water so stir all without the lid
•Now pour the spices mixed oil and mix all thoroughly
•Don’t add any water, the spice and tomato will make the gravy
•This whole process takes around 20 minutes
•The chicken is done very quickly in fact in the steam : )
•As you see nice thick gravy, remove from the stove

•Sprinkle with chopped coriander and ginger*
•Sprinkle garam masala/cumin powder as you dish out*

Prepare the spices:
2-3 tbs oil in a small bowl
Mix all spices in it!
1 tsp salt or to taste
¾ tsp red chili flakes
½ fennels (saunf)
¾ tsp level turmeric (haldi)
¼ tsp Garam masala and cumin powder to sprinkle in the end

*I don’t add these two spices(Garam masala/Cumin powder) in the preps as they make the gravy turn dark and the beautiful fresh color is faded : )

Enjoy the karahai with naan or home made Chapatti!