Mahikhalya rice and khaddi daal

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MahiKhalya

WOW….haven’t been on here for ages, I was feeling as if like every other project I get into…. It comes to a complete and sad stop without me even realizing. Today’s get up and just do it kind of attitude was inspired by my cousin Mudassir who just had to have the recipe for MAHIKHALYA.  I think I said it right I hope. Who knows?  Mahi supposedly means fish and Khalya I guess means curry I guess.  It’s a very popular Hyderabadi dish. It is meant to be a fish curry but us Hyderabadi‘s… well, are red meat lovers and we will do anything to add goat, lamb and or beef to anything because, it just tastes better.  There is no white meat in the world that can replace the flavors of the RED MEAT.  In a Hyderabad household you must have a meat dish and one khatta dish.  If the meat dish is the khatta dish than we can have a phikka dish to compliment.  You can’t just make one item with rice or roti and get away with it.  Each curry has to have a complimentary dish or the meal is not complete.  As for veggies, well there are served mostly like a tax we eat it because our body requires it.  If we become daring and make one dish purely vegetarian, we must have a meat dish to compensate regardless along with something khatta or phikka to compliment it.  We add meat in our veggie dishes and we cook those green suckers till they resemble the color of the meat itself so we can fool ourselves into eating the green things.   All kidding aside this dish is a very special dish, I love it, but I love it with the meat.  Today I’ll be cooking it with fish because my English raised husband prefers the white fish.  So I guess I’ll make him happy today for once.  But I’ll give you the yummier meat version as well.

Mahikhalya

2 lbs of meat or fish

1 tsp of red chili powder or more per taste

½ tsp of turmeric

2 tsp salt and a bit more to taste

2 tsp of ginger garlic paste

Golf ball size of tamarind

¼ cup of cumin seeds (whole)

½ cup of dry coconut

2 tbsp of coriander seeds

1 pinch of kalonji seeds

2 onions (medium but on the large size)

2 or 3 green chilies

A few stems of curry leaves

Cilantro

Oil

Roast the cumin, coriander in a pan

 Roast coconut in a pan.

As you can see the coconut is brown not burned do not leave it even for a second

Grind the seeds in a coffee grinder

Then grind the coconut in the grinder to almost consistency of paste

Chop up the onions and brown them, I have chopped these onions very betuka (a word my mom would say in horror if she was standing next to me)

But you know what it’s all going to be browned and pulverized so who cares

In a blender pulverize the onions along with the ground seeds and coconut

In a small bowl soak the tamarind in warm water than squeeze out the pulp

Until the water is almost clear

Add the tamarind pulp into the blender and blend until umm blended...yah

Ok so here are the major points to remember, the crucial elements of cooking the curry with fish or meat.

For the meat curry,

You cook the meat with salt, red chili, turmeric and ginger garlic paste until cooked.

Then you add in the above ingredients and cook for at least 25 minutes on low heat.

For fish curry

You pulverize all the ingredients add in the salt, chili, turmeric, ginger garlic paste, curry leaves and green chili and cook for at least 20 minutes. 

Add in the fish than stir very well (because after this stirring there is no more stirring or you will end up with fish soup curry )
and cook for another 10 minutes and turn off stove

Transfer the curry into a pretty dish and sprinkle with some chopped cilantro and a stem of curry leaves.

Enjoy with Khaddi daal and rice.

Cholay Recipe

I have taken a very long break, but i m still busy as you cant even imagine.  I will be back soon when the kids are off to school, but until than enjoy the recipe below. 
so here it is online for everyone to see this will be my ramadan gift to all who want to feed their families something delicious during this blessed month
all i ask is your duas
2 Garbanzo cans(average size)
2 medium onions
2 medium tomatoes
1 medium potato
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chilli
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp corriander powder
1 tsp garlic paste or powder (ummm what no ginger? you ask.  YUP no ginger)
1/8 tsp turmeric (optional)
1 cup tamarind juice ( you need to buy the tamarind and squeeze the juice out) or if you must  use  the nasty tamarind black paste (which i personally despise )(1 tsp)
curry leaves lots of it (if you need curry leaves ask your local hyderabadi aunty she will have a plant for sure)
1 Lime cut into quarters
whole bunch of cilantro chopped
green chillies as many as you like
BAGAR:
3 tblsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seed
1/4 tsp corriander
2 dried red chillis
few specks of kalonji (if you dont know what it is just skip it)


step one
prepare bagar(which means infusing the oil) with all the ones above

then add one of the medium onions, cook until transparent
chop potato and add it in and just cook for a minute, if you coat the potatoes in hot oil it wont be too starchy (USEFUL TIP FOR USING POTATOES IN ANY CURRY RECIPE(your welcome) then add one of the tomatoes chopped, garbanzo beans rinsed, spices and tamarind juice
cook until it looks like the cholay consistency, potatoes should be done by then, add curry leaves stir and turn the stove off
remove the cholay into a dish while still hot garnish with cilantro,green chillis chopped, onion finely chopped and lime
make sure it looks pretty
enjoy

(if you put shaan chaat masala in the cooking process a little curry leaf will fall off and die)
You may use the chaat masala to sprinkle on top when you are eating.

Its been so long i forgot i had to cook

So, after a long and exciting break, i have decided to use my mind and do another blog. I have been so busy going to parties and eating and eating and more eating that i totally forgot about myslef.  My goodness i totally gained about 15 pounds and i cant stop eating. In that process i developed a total loss of my cooking skills.  I cannot think of any recipes... its like some sort of food amnesia, just eat dont create type of thing.
As, i sat here staring at the screen i decided to dig deep inside my brain to search for a very good recipe. Than i got an email from one of my good foody friend that she would like me to put some recipes that the whole family can enjoy and some good healthy recipes for the upcoming month ramadan.  I am devising a plan for that but i do need some time to develop a good meal plan for the 30 days, which this year we will have a very long period of fasting and a very short window of  eating...so Im thinking healthy, light and filling.

How about some  kabobs

1lb of ground meat
1tsp salt
1/2 onion finely finely chopped in a food process or
1/2 tsp chilli or ground black pepper
1/2 tsp of garam masala (see older recipes)
2 tblsp of dried parsley
1tsp dried mint
1 tsp garlic ginger paste


mix al ingredients together

shape into kabobs
grill on the bbq 10 minutes each side

enjoy with anything !

below is a recipe for a cheesecake

 simple easy peasy cheesy cheesecake recipe. (i got this off the philadelphia cream cheese box a long time ago and its a no fail recipe) Do try the variations and have fun with it.

What you need is 2 cups of finely ground graham crakers
1/4 cup butter
mixed well and press into a pie pan (if it crumbles add a bit more butter)

8 oz cream cheese (softened)
8 oz condensed milk
8 oz sour cream
mix well with stand mixer or hand mixer until smooth
pour into the crust

place in oven at 400 for 20 minutes remove from oven cool than refrigerate for atlease 4 hours

Top cheesecake with fresh berries or mangoes or peaches or any good fruit. To get a good glaze melt some good raspberry or strawberry jam (seedless) and brush on top

you can make several variations of toppings such as peanutbutter (slighty melted drizzle on top than drizzle with melted chocolate than drizzle with melted caramel and top with chopped peanuts . 
also try this
2 tblsp of butter melt in a pan add 2 tblsp of brown sugar a pinch of salt than when sugar is melting add sliced green apples toss than add 1 tsp of cinnamon. cool than top the cheesecake
use the above recipe with pears with nutmeg add some pecans, peaches even bananas (bananas foster )

the topping recipe above can be used to tope cakes, pancakes, crepes etc

go crazy make your own version of cheesecake and enjoy the process

you can make a mocha cheesecake by adding 1/4 cup of expresso or dissolve a 2tblsp of coffee crystals into 1/4 cup of hot water and add into the cheesecake mixture.

You can make a swirl cheesecake by melting any kind of jam or jelly .  After pouring the cheesecake mixture into the pie crust than plopping a few jelly or jam than swirling them into the pie.

Good luck and have fun with it.  This is an extremely easy recipe and a lot of fun to work with. 

Somethings Fishy ? how cliche

Teach a person to fish, he will hand it to you to cook it while he goes and takes a nap, teach him how  to cook and he will make you fish curry.  Does that even make sense?, who knows.  Subject of the day after returning back from a very busy 2 weeks.  Fish. Everyone should eat fish at least twice a week.  We meat eaters including myself have to make an effort to love fish but made right we foodies will jump at it. Fish is so versatile you can practically do anything to it. Quick meals done right and downright healthy. You can bake it, Fry it Grill it and currify it J.  The one great thing about fish is when you cook it in curry it still retains its nutrients which is awesome.  The Awesomeness of all awesome foods.  Check out the great benefits or just ignore it by scrolling down to the recipes.

Protein

• Fish is a very good source of protein. Our bodies are not equipped to store protein; therefore consuming fish daily helps you fulfill your daily requirement.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

• Fish is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Our bodies don't manufacture this nutrient which helps protect against heart disease.

Low Fat

• Fish is a great staple of a low fat diet. The majority of fish contain low levels of saturated fats.

B Vitamins

• Fish contains B vitamins, which help to reduce stress, anxiety and depression. The B vitamins help your memory and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Vitamin A

• Vitamin A, which is found in fish, helps the body tissue mend and provides the mechanics for cell growth. Some other common ailments Vitamin A helps ward off are arthritis, acne and bronchitis.

Calcium

• Fish also contains calcium, which helps to maintain strong bones and teeth.

What kind of fish do you like? It all depends on how you cook it and prepare. It also depends on the textures. 

The texture can help you decide the proper techniques of cooking it.  When you are grilling fish, it would not be a good idea to grill the fragile fish as they will fall apart.  The more delicate fish you can grill but with the skin on or on a plank or a pan.  Most people buy specialty cedar planks to grill them on. Turn them and they will fall apart.  What fish would you choose for what type of cooking is purely up to you.  Depending on the flavors the darker the color the more intense the flavor and the whiter flesh fish tend to be more delicate and light. As for marinating; the lighter the fish the less marination is needed.  The more dense fish may dry out during the cooking process so a good oil marinate for 30 minutes or longer may result in a good buttery juicer cooked fish.  Tuna (yes it’s an actual fish that doesn’t come in a can and don’t even get me started on why it’s called the chicken of the sea.) I have had it in a few restaurants but I just did not like it in any which way and form. I guess the good old school days of having it from a can with loads of mayo just sets in to your taste buds and rejects any other form or version of that particular fish. But Tuna is very healthy for you so make your self a good grilled tuna steak slice and and serve it on a nice arugula mango and candied pecan salad with good goat cheese. But you can do that salad with any dense grilled fish. I prefer the salmon.

Digressing:

Basic ingredients for a good baked fish

Salt, Pepper, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic

If you are using fish like salmon (pink fleshed fish) they are better off with butter as it compliments the fish much more than oil.

Butter is always better!

The alternative options for baked fish: coat with crushed or finely chopped parsley, dill .

Add a kick with some chilli powder coriander powder and cumin powder.

If you want a nice glaze on these while baking I would recommend concoctions of mustard olive oil and parsley. 

You can try pesto mixed with mayonnaise tomatoes and garlic with olive oil

Buy a good teriyaki sauce always yummy.  Make your own concoctions with peanut butter soy sauce some good ginger and olive oil salt and pepper to taste. Thai it (lol)

There are also  great toppers or crust you can make for baked fish.  All you need is bread crumbs(panko my favorite), you can make your own bread crumbs by getting two slices of bread and tossing it in a food processor until it crumbs up into well,  bread crumbs. Coconut is always good,   (served with good mango salsa: get some good almost ripe mangos cilantro, green chilis, and green onions and or yellow onions. Dress with olive oil and lemon juice some salt a pinch of sugar and pepper) The white fish go real well with the coconut and mango salsa. Ok digressing focus soooooo. Back to baking with crust…….

Basically you take the above ingredients in a bowl, add some olive oil or butter salt and garlic (opt) and mix it up and just sprinkle on time.  You can add to it crushed chilies, parsley, cheese sundried tomatoes olives basil etc.

Bake at 400 for 8 minutes per inch of thickness, if you have a good amount of crust bake for an extra 10 to 15 minutes depending of the ingredients piled on.

Grilling  is pretty basic.  There is the typical American style with salt and pepper and garlic.  You want to make it desi, well just add on some chili powder some coriander and cumin powder some ginger. When marinating the denser fish just add lots of Olive oil and soy sauce with ginger garlic and spices such coriander powder, chili powder and cumin powder. Sometime you can marinate the more dense fish like mahi mahi in Oil and soy sauce and garlic and salt than before grilling.  Throw it in some crushed black pepper. Make a good pepper crusted mahi mahi

Curry Fish:

Basic curry recipe

I make a few curry fish recipes depending on the time I have. The quick one I make is a basic onions,  spices and tomatoes.

Quick fish:

1 lb of fish

1 onion

2 tomatoes

1 tsp salt

½ tsp chili

1 tsp garlic

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp coriander powder (optional)

Optional variation: add in 3 tbslp of coconut milk to make it creamier and richer.

Sauté onion until slightly brown, add in tomatoes and rest ingredients cook for at least 15 minutes stirring occasionally.  Add in fish and cook until done. Do not violently stir the pot while the fish is in there (not a good idea). Resist your inner desiness to Bhoon the fish. Nothing tstes nastier than overcooked fish.

A more fancier fish recipe with a lot more ingredients and would be better with the more firmer fishes such as mahi mahi, tuna, salmon, trout etc and cod(I don’t like cod only because it is completely bland, no smell and no flavor…its better off fried like in fish and chips).

Anyways

2 lbs good flavorful fish like trout, salmon, mahi mahi and maybe tuna

2 medium onions chopped

2 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp turmeric

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

6 tablespoon cumin powder roasted and ground

4 tablespoon coconut powder roasted and ground

A few kalonji seeds a pinch 7 or 8 seeds

A pinch of methi (fenugreek) seeds

Tamarind pulp (don’t buy the concentrated version its gross)

Curry leaves

3 whole green chilis

cilantro

In a good size wide pot pour in 3 tbsp oil toss in the kalonji seeds and methi seeds.  Toss in onions and cook until brown. In a grinder ground the coconut powder and cumin powder until it turns into a paste.  In another blender add in the cooled sautéed onions the paste mixture the rest of the ingredients except the tamarind and blend until ummm blended.  Pour it back into the pot with 2 tblsp oil. If the mixture is too thick add some water and blend again. Cook in pan until the curry is thick and when the spoons sweeps through the bottom of the pan it leaves a clear trail.  Add the watery tamarind pulp into the mixture and cook until the consistency of the curry resembles a thick soup not dense. If it becomes too thick than add more water or tamarind pulp juice. Gently add in the fish and cook on low medium heat covered for a good 20 minutes.  Add in some coriander leaves curry leaves and 3 whole green chilies and turn off stove. It would also be a good enhancement if you brown the more thicker denser fish in another pan like sort of sear it..than gently just place into the curry.  Instead of stirring the pot after you add the fish just simply pick up the pot with the handle andd jsut gently swirl the pot around to move the curry around.

Always always taste for salt.  Some fish are very sweet and you may want to add a little bit more salt to balance you can also add a little bit of fish sauce for the more lighter sweeter fish like cod and orange roughy.

Enjoy with good rice and dal

Or just naan

GUESS WHAT: you can use the same ingredients to make seafood curry, just add shrimps, crabs lobster or you can make them all individually as well. When you make it with all the seafood just add in a cup of coconut milk.

BBQ chicken

Its been a while since i last wrote. Extremely busy, kids school coming to an end, friends having way too many parties, kids graduating, husbands graduating, birthdays, akikas, community events and for no reason lunch days.  Talk about stay at home mom no longer being called that.  How about stay in van mom that's more like it.  My family has been complaining that i make way too much desi foods and everything is super spicy and so decided that may be i should make some good bbq chicken.So Isra says:   "mama no please you always put too much spices and it gets all dry and sometimes we have the chicken at other peoples homes and its red and spicy. Can you please not make it please". Sheesh talk about trauma.  So, i had to conjure up something, i went on the Internet and did a little research.  All i found was vinegar, chicken seasoning and garlic. Or vinegar and tandoori masala, or chicken tikka masala or chiken bhun masala (what the heck is that)?
So, basically even when i went to those independent blog spaces i read you need vinegar and some sort of spice mix.  Why is that i wonder.  I am totally against spice mixes i just cant get myself to get them, i have tried and tested them but they are too salty or too "flavorful" cant describe  it like eating a bag of flavored chips. I dont know so yeah  i decided to experiment. Common ingredient being vinegar ( must be to tenderize the meat) salt,garlic,  (one cannot conjure up a concoction without it). No chili but maybe a little bit black pepper....

10 pieces of chicken (legs, thighs, breast pieces)
1 cup of vinegar
1/2 cup of oil
2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1 tsp of turmeric
2 tsp of black pepper powder
1 tsp cardamon powder
3 tsp of garam masala -
(1 cinnamon stick, 1 tsp of cumin seeds, 1 tsp corriander seeds,1/4 tsp black cumin, 1 tsp of black pepper, a few cardamom pods 5-6, cloves 3-4: roast them on a hot pan and grind them in a coffee grinder)
1/4 cup of dried mint
4 tsp of garlic powder
(i know the rule is not too many spices but please no spices no flavor and besides most of the ingredients burn off into the bbq anyways)

marinade the chicken for at least an hour or preferably overnight)

brush the grill with oil than place the pieces on the grill turning it only when its half way done so you get the cool grill marks on the chicken ;)

Remove the chicken when it is done.  The chicken has to be juicy and not dry.


Here is the chicken and the spices i threw on and yes that is a knife, its a very real family practice of ours that instead of scoring each individual piece of chicken, we violently stab all the pieces at once several times.  Its strangely therapeutic. Ive seen my sister in law do it and she scares me sometimes (lol). However she does make the best bbq chicken marinade might i add.




Here it is all mixed up

So, sorry i couldnt take the picture of the finished product, it was mercilessly devoured by my family.



Options

• You can eat with potatoes, by itself, rice whatever.  Tonight i just removed the chicken off the bone than i added some good BBQ sauce and some mayonnaise.  Mixed it up and put in a hamburger bun. 
• You can also add sumac on it before serving
• Brush it with some good BBQ sauce before removing it from the grill 
• Make BBQ pizza by getting some good pizza bread spread some BBQ sauce add chicken and some good cheese melt it and eat it. (maybe add mushrooms, bell pepper onions go crazy its your pizza)
• Get some romaine lettuce chop it fine, add some grilled corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, chopped red onions and BBQ chicken with BBQ sauce. Than dress it with good ranch dressing. BBQ chicken salad!!!

Hope this was to your liking. Please enjoy and use good manners.

Kadhahi gosht

As per requested by  one of my bachelor cousins I have decided to do one more indigestion causing dish that we  all love and order at the Indian restaurant.  I guess after you serve this dish you can always pass around a small dish of Tums as after dinner mints.  They have mint flavored Tums too.  Kadahi Gosht is a very popular dish, it is of course made in a karahi (which is a type of Wok) and is usually served in those cute little woks with a very round bottom. I know I should be posting more healthy dishes but I do what I can to help the ones in need.  Plus I do enjoy making these recipes because after all it’s all about the flavors the food and the enjoyment of it all.  I as many of my friends follow the moderation diet where we eat well but only in moderation. 

Kadahi Gosht

1lb lamb meat 

1 ½ tsp salt (or to your desire)

1 tsp red chili powder (again you can add more)

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp garam masala

¼ tsp fennel seed or 1 star anise

1 tblsp methi or fenugreek leaves

2 onions chopped fine 

3 tblsp yogurt

2 large tomatoes

1 bell pepper

Marinate the meat in all the spices

In a wok (or if you don’t have a wok don’t panic you can use a pot)

Add in oil then onions, sauté them until they are brown.  Add in the tomatoes and the marinated meat.  Add in the fennel seeds or 1 star anise.  Add in ¼ cup water, cover and cook until meat is tender about half hour or you can do it in a pressure cooker.  Then after the meat is tender you can transfer it into a wok or pot.   The curry should start getting some color and it should have thick gravy.  If it looks too watery then you should set the wok on high heat and try to evaporate out the water dont leave the stove no matter what, unless the house is on fire or if someone is having a severe medical emergency.  Try real hard not to overcook the meat or it will just turn into kadahi mush.  I prefer to make this dish without the pressure cooker as I can control the consistency and keep the meat in its form.  if you are not cooking in a pressure cooker and the meat is not yet done and the water has completely evaporated feel free to add in another 1/4 cup of water and cover and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes on low heat... So, after the meat is tender and the gravy looks like gravy and the oil seems to have separated itself from the gravy like on top, then I add in the bell pepper chopped about ¼ inch .  I also add in 2 sliced green chilies and a bunch of chopped cilantro for garnish. Stir fry on medium high for  1 minute turn off the stove and cover and keep it covered until it’s time to eat.  Enjoy with naan or rice. To prevent from getting heartburn you can also serve your guests some yogurt lassi.  All you need is a blender 1/2 cup of ice, 1 cup of yogurt and a bit of sugar to taste or honey  blend it well and drink it up; all the live cultures and bacteria from the yogurt will keep your stomach at ease. :). some people like to make the lassi unsweetened and add salt instead but to me thats just not gonna happen.. You can add a few slices of mango , some studies show that mango might help with acid reflux so who knows, maybe thats why people in india enjoy such amazingly delicious spiced up foods and not end up getting heartburn their entire lifetime.  They eat mangoes!!!! Happy Eating.

Butter chicken

As I was on spring break I received a few phone calls on how to cook Indian foods.  Indian recipes for curries and rice and stuff. So I have decided to post some very simple everyday curries that people can make every day.  Healthy alternatives to your typical Indian restaurants meals and for those who are already Indian and may not know a few basics, you will realize that the stuff you eat at “dawats” or parties is not everyday food, You are not required to have 2 inches of oil, You don’t have to have those whole spices floating around, you don’t cook the onions for half hour until they turn brown and stink up your house you hair and give you acne ….and you don’t have to cook it for hours.  I will post one recipe a day to make it simple, and help you progress into an awesome amazing Indian somewhat Hyderabadi cook.

Basic ingredients shopping list: (Indian store would be perfect)

Salt

Chili powder

Turmeric powder

Cumin seeds

Black cumin seeds

Coriander seeds

Garlic and ginger paste

Cinnamon sticks

Cardamom

Whole black pepper

Whole red chili dried or red chili flakes

Onions, yogurt and Tomatoes are a must have for an Indian cook.

Cilantro, mint and green chilies would be good to have around

*did you know that chicken tikka masala is not even an authentic Indian dish.   Ironically  Britain’s true national dish. How what when who?  You ask? Well.  A British walks into an Indian restaurant (true story) and orders chicken, he gets small pieces of grilled chicken marinated Indian style.  Heis not satisfied (go figure) so  he demands the dish needs more curry so the chef takes in the chicken opens up a can of Campbell soup and adds in a dollop of yogurt and a few more spices and VOILA!  An official dish has been born.  Even though it’s been how you say ummm illegitimately been conceived by the idea of the ever so delicious Punjabi dish Butter chicken. The concept is the same but a quick thinking chef created the most important, most consumed Indian curry dish on the planet.  So, who would have thunk it!!!

Seriously?  I love chicken tikka masala and I refuse to even cook this dish...Why? well because when I go to an Indian restaurant I would like to try something that is authentically a restaurant dish like the waldorf salad or that horrid red velvet cake not somethin that is homemade.  I can do homemade all by myself. 

Butter Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs boneless chicken, cut into 1-inch cubes
juice of 1 lemon
salt and red chili powder, to taste
1 cup yogurt
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp garlic
1 1/2 tbs tandoori masala
3 tbs butter
2 cardamoms
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
4 medium ripe tomatoes, blended
1 tbs tomato paste

½ cup cashews toasted and grinded into a paste in a food processor or a coffee grinder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbs dried fenugreek (methi) leaves (the secret ingredient muahahahha)
16 oz thick cream
extra butter or coriander to garnish

Method:

Marinate the chicken cubes in lemon juice, salt, chili powder, yogurt, ginger, garlic and tandoori powder for at least half an hour. Overnight is best. Preheat the oven to the highest grill setting. Place the chicken on a baking tray closest to the grill and grill for at least 10 minutes on each side or until cooked. Allow the chicken to cook until it JUST starts to char. Or BBQ it!

To prepare the gravy, heat and melt the butter. Add to it the cardamoms, cinnamon sticks and cloves. Stir fry for a minute before adding the cashew paste tomatoes and tomato paste, Let this simmer on low to medium heat, half covered, for about 15-20 minutes. You will notice the gravy thicken and the oil will form a film on top. If the gravy is too thick, you can add a small amount of water. Add the rest of the ingredients (cream and fenugreek) as well as the grilled chicken and simmer for another 15 minutes. Garnish with butter or coriander.

Enjoy with rice or Naan

This dish is only recommended for people who do not have high cholesterol, who run at least 5 miles a day and enjoy dancing to bhangra music at least 3 times a day for at least 20 minutes.  Or for people who enjoy their foods in moderation.

A poem

Good Friends

I show distress and you say to be strong

I beg for help and you say to be patient

I lose my hope you say I have lost faith

I break down and you say I am weak

I am disheartened and you say I am selfish

I am falling apart and you walk away

And so I disappear and you wish you were there.

"Whosoever relieves from a believer some grief pertaining to this world,
 Allah will relieve from him some grief pertaining to the Hereafter." (Muslim)

by my daughter isra

Chicken pot pie Easy as pie

Beautiful day today, as I was driving in beautiful sunny California I just wanted to stop the car and run in the rolling hills alongside the freeway.   That scene from “sound of music” comes to mind.  Then I just thank god for all his favors that he has placed before us.  Then, I realized that my life is like one of those independent films.  You know what I mean ,you see multiple shots of the main character observing the most peculiar of things.   First the shots of nature the trees that sway in the gentle wind and the leaves sparkle reflecting the afternoon sun, you notice that the most ordinary people are looking quite extraordinary doing things in a typical manner of absolute satisfaction, just simply displeased by everyday  routine.  It was a busy day indeed, I literally had 2 and half hours at home to cook. So needed something fast and quick. My youngest suggested chicken POT PIE mom.  Are you out of your mind, well not really if I have all the ingredients handy.  All I need is

2 ready made PIE SHELLS

1 can of mushroom soup condensed not with garlic

1 pound chicken breast

1tsp salt

Pepper and or red chilli powder

Garlic (you can also add garlic ginger paste it will do no harm but just enhance the flavor)

Carrots

Frozen or fresh peas I prefer frozen since I have no time to remove peas from their pods, do they even sell those any more?

*sometimes I use left over grilled chicken pieces or roasted chicken pieces even if they are currified.  As long as they are not floating in curry you can use it.
1 egg beaten to brush on the dough before baking and for a nice pretty sheen. 

The optional ingredient is mushrooms which I happen to have in my fridge.

Now I can technically make it from scratch but that would be silly of me, I mean old grandmas in their day actually sat their kneading dough to make roti and pie crust.  Than the stand mixer came out and took over her job.  No wonder they are bitter some of them.  Now they sell ready made ones in the market, we young ones are lucky. I can make the pot pie stuffing from scratch too by making chicken broth than adding flour and spices and stuff but sorry ive tried it it’s a bit boring and and i have to work real hard to enhance the  flavors and texture and yumminess.  

I saute the chicken with the spices in 2 tlbsp oil, than i lower the heat and cook for fifteen minutes until it is cooked

I addd in sauted mushrooms


Add in carrots and peas and saute those on high heat

Than i add in 1 can of mushroom soup and 1/4 cup water
from scratch people :  i would add chicken stock, flour, spices
and cream.


Slightly thaw out the shells


pour in the cooled mixture

Roll out the other shell and just plop it on top of the pie, if you have time than you can gently plop it on to the shell and make pretty designs.  I dont have time for that so i just plop.  Do make slits on top of the shell for the steam to come out. Brush it with beaten egg evenly

Place the pie into the oven 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes.  If the sides of your pie crust look like they are  burning you may want to cover it with foil but you dont have to.


This is what it looks like when you just plop the top onto the pie. 


TIP:
The crust should be firm but should crumble when you put it in your mouth.. It should not be doughy and it should not coat your mouth with butter.  Doughy because you didn't bake it long enough (the outer crust is actually a good indication for the doneness, so if a part of it looks like its burning its fine it tells you the the inside crust is done.  If It coats your mouth with butter than that means that the crust was too soft and the fat was melting, if it looks like the dough is too soft than just put  the pie in the freezer for 5 minutes than place the pie in the oven immediately. 

To make perfect pastry you must make sure the crust is cold and the butter is not sweating out of the dough.  If it does do that you must place the pastry back into the freezer than place it in the oven while it is cold. 

Pesto

Ok, havent been on here for a while, Its as if the universe it trying to tell me, whats wrong with you? didint you get the hint there is no way in hell you are allowed to do anything for yourself that is all about you. All of a sudden everyone in my family has a need and must be fulfilled as soon as i frikking pick up the frikkin laptop.  Why don't i do this while they are out? Hmm well, if i had a maid, cook and chauffeur i would soo totally do this.  So last night was fish night so i made fish curry. The night before i was pissed off and didn't wanna cook so i made Sandwiches.  They were really good actually.  All i did was i got my handy dandy electric griddle out and placed 6 slices of bread on it with a tiny layer of butter while on the griddle i slather on some pesto, a few slices of fresh mozzarella, a few slices of tomatoes some salt and pepper. Than i get another 6 slices and i spread a layer of pesto and place it on top of the others. I turn the sandwich over and brown the other side.  Very simple and yummy.  This is exactly what we order at Panera Bread with a side order of chips or apple for like 7 bucks each!!!. If i wanna order the Mediterranean, they jsut add in slice of bell peppers from a jar and few artichokes from a jar and 2 olives and instead of mozarella they add in feta.  Seriously atleast the tomato is fresh. Nevertheless i really like it. So, i chose to make it at happen also add in a small slices of saute mushrooms.  Pesto is really easy to make it, however it is important to know that it is a bit expensive and it needs to be consumed within two weeks.  But it tastes really yummy.  Pesto can be made in many many various way.  The common pesto is primarily made with pine nuts, garlic and basil.  There is options to make it with different types of nuts and herbs.  You can make a cilantro and almond pesto to coat fish before baking. You can make a walnut and mint  pesto to coat lamb before roasting.  All you need is a food processor and the stuff below.

Basic Basil Pesto
 large bunch of basil, leaves only, washed and dried
3 medium cloves of garlic
one small handful of raw pine nuts
roughly 3/4 cup Parmesan, loosely packed and FRESHLY GRATED (optional)
red chilli flakes (optional)
2/3 cup of extra virgin oil. Divided in half


Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the optional cheese.

Its good to have pesto around for quick meals. You can always coat fishh or chicken with pesto and ranch dressing than coat it with panko bread and shallow fry. You can add in 2 tblsp of pesto into alfredo sauce or marinara sauce. For appetizers just open a pouch of cream cheese lay in on a nice serving dish and pour the pesto on top than serve with crakers. You can make yummy tea sandwich with cream cheese mixed with pesto slice some super thinly sliced cucmbers. OR tomatoes or both or both with alfalfa sprouts or all with sliced kalamata olives. Go Crazy

Thats all for now Serve these great foods pretty with sincerity and good intentions will be sent your way with lots of DUA and prayers.

GArLiQue Chicken

So, today is sunday havent been on the post for a while.  Been busy, did something extremely productive this weekend. Cleaned the garage. I am hoping that this time we will be able to keep it clean. .... Check back in 3 months.  My hubs and I will once again be blaming each other for the disorganization and clutter in the garage and ultimately coming to a conclusion that it was "your kids who messed it up" and thats that.  Well, i mean thats life if we got everything done and had everything that we wanted than there wont be a reason to desire.  Desire is what makes our life more interesting. I dont know where that came from. I am a true definition of a scatter brain. My thoughts run away from me sometimes and meet up with other thoughts.  No wonder i understoood the movie "Inception" the first time i saw it. 
So, today to treat myself and the family i decided i should make Garlic Chicken desi style.  Apparently this is a brazilian dish but i had to "desify" (desify basically means to make any thing non desi (indian ) into desi.  My dad showed me this recipe a long time ago. Someone at his work gave it to him so he made it for us once. 

All you need is :
1 whole chicken cut up into pieces 10 or 12
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 lemon juiced
bunch mint
1/4c cilantro
3 green chillies
2 cups of whole garlic cloves (yes thats right i said it .Its called garlic chicken for a reason)
1 tsp garam masala (homemade not the weird yellow colored one you get at the store)
OR
use
 5 whole cloves,
6 black peppers,
a few cumin seeds,
 5 cardomoms
1 cinnamon stick maybe 1 1/2 inches
 (you can put them all in a small tea infuser so it doesnt come up in your mouth when you eat)  or you can just toss it on a hot pan roast it lightly and just grind it in a coffee grinder.  No coffee grinder? How about a mortar pestal. Not that either huh? How about you go outside find two flat rocks, wash it really well sanitize it for 30 minutes in water with bleach wash it again and grind the pieces between the two rocks.  Yeah thats what people did in India.


Procedure:
In a bowl add in chicken salt, pepper, garam masala and lemon juice set aside
pour in 2 tblsp oil in a skillet or pot
*if you don't have garam masala than drop in the dried whole garam masala seeds into the hot oil
quickly add in garlic than saute only for a minute slightly yellowish brownishy, dont let it turn brown all the way it will turn bitter.
Toss in the chicken and green chillis than saute it on high heat until the chicken is well coated with the oil.
Add in 1/4 cup water bring it to a boil
lower the heat to low medium close the lid and let it cook for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally maybe every ten minutes. After the first ten minutes you might want to taste it to check for salt and pepper. Add as needed
After 30 minutes the garlic should turn into mush and if not than stir it a bit and it should turn into mush
When the chicken is done and the garlic turns into a gravy like mush.  The oil should also be seperated away from the gravy. Turn off the stove
Add in the mint and corriander.

Enjoy it with really yummy warm Naan,  Or good french bread or Rice and Daal or make a burrito or eat it with paratha.

Enjoy and Remember to makegood intentions before and during the time you cook.  Good intentions make for good outcomes. :)

Simple fast and efficient

I made spaghetti today. Super fast super simple and great way to hide not so desirable vegetables. I dont know about other people but when i make "western" type foods i have to tweak it a bit to make it a bit more flavorful. Forgive me if i am being rude but dude american food is bland.  Easy peasey ingredients and lemon squeezy timing  cuz i had a lot of driving today.
First i get a large pot of water and turn the stove on. Than i stare at it until it comes to a rolling boil. NOT
While the water is on the stove i take out my thawed meat and i brown it with
1 tblsp oil
1 small onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chilli powder (or however much you please)
1 tsp garlic
1tsp ginger
After its browned i add in 1 jar of classico sauce (preferable the red one) it comes in lots of different flavors so pick what you like.  I bring int to a boil give it a quick stir and leave it to simmer
While my sauce is simmering i notice my water has come to a rolling boil. I throw in the pasta (spaghetti or fettucini, angel hair even that noodle one umm penne?)
so than i stare at it for about 8 to 10 mintues until its al dente i quickly strain it and place it back in the pot add in some olive oil to prevent it from sticking I also squeeze in some lemon juice for yumminess.
(I never add the sauce until it is time to serve, However if i would have made the penne one i would add in the sauce than toss it in a oven proof dish cover it with cheese and melt it in the oven.  Its yummy and fancy too.)
My sauce should be done by now, the flavors have been incorporated. While its still simmering i chiffonadde a handful of spinach. Chiffonade you ask? Yes chiffonade basically it means to arrange the leaves in a stack, roll them up cigar-style, and slice the roll as thinly as you can. Toss the spinach in and turn off the stove than stir it well.  I go off to pick up my kids and lo and behold my daughters vegetarian friend comes over, i cant keep her sitting on the couch while my hungry kids devour a bowl full of spaghetti.  Thank God i didnt add in the sauce.  I quickly had to think. I quickly took out a few sundried tomatoes slices from my fridge and chopped them up real fine, a handful of spinach and chiffonaded that : /, some olives,  few leaves of basil and some extra virgin olive oil.  Toss in some yummy cheese and she got a really yummy pasta dish.  Phew if she liked mushrooms i totally would have sauted and tossed those in as well.
OMG its time for Ellen.  She is so funny.

major bloggers block

Experiencing major bloggers block. I really really dont have anything to write about, I mean i do have a lot to say, its all jumbled inside of my head. The synapse that connects my creativity to the jumbled words aint connecting.  If that even makes any sense.  I mean talk about sense, there is so much senselessness going around in the world. I wish i can just turn off the TV and facebook and sit in a little corner inside my closet. Infact msot of us get most of our world news from facebook. Especially people like me who have friends literally all over the world. I wonder if all this technology is even good for us.  What happened to the good ol days when we were just stressed and depressed about our families and jobs. Now we got to think about other people too sheesh.  For people like me who care about everyone and their mama its really really stressful. We pray that we can just develop some mutant gene where we can just fly around fixing things with our super powers.
Well, thats all for now once my bloggers block clears up i shall return with something more informative.
I miss Peter Jennings.

What makes you think that you are so damn important.

Sorry, couldnt blog yesterday. Super busy, left house at 8 to volunteer for art class for my daughters class. They made sculptures fun times indeed. Than went to another class, after class i got an invitation from my friend for chai and chat.  Tempting...I havent  chai and chatted with her for months. However,  before i accepted the offer i had to think like a responsible mom and housewife...i thought about the many tasks that can be accomplished if i miss this chai and chat.  Like dishes, laundry, vacuuming ( man i really need to vacuum).   Shoot, I need to cook too for my family, i have this really important lecture that i need to attend in the evening and i wont have enough time to cook anything if i go for my chai and chat. Than, i quickly contemplated on what i would cook. Something easy that my husband can handle serving and tasty so my kids wont take too long too finish. Oh yes, i can make pasta with chicken. Easy peesy. All i need to do is marinate chicken with montreal steak seasoning or just salt, pepper, garlic and whatever i have in my spice cabinet, and grill or quickly saute in pan. Boil some pasta preferably bow tie or penne or that twirly one rigatoni i dont know who cares. Quickly saute mushrooms, and oh yes that asparagus i bought from the farmers market which was a result of a very long and informative discussion on facebook on how to cook asparagus. I guess i can use peas, or green beans or even spinach anything green really, just to make sure we got the greens covered.  I chop up the asparagus and saute that too, got some sundried tomatoes and artichoke hearts in the fridge, toss those in with the asparagus than toss in the cooked mushrooms and some good old jar of alfredo sauce ( I like classico brand and thats all ill use). Wait do i even have a jar? I guess i can make  the sauce. Its easy really:
1/4 cup butter

1 cup heavy cream

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

melt butter on medium, add in the cream simmer for  5 minutes toss in the rest of the ingredients and that's it really.

But i am totally hoping i have a jar. I hate chopping parsley!

So when the sauce is simmering I  add in the chicken bring to a nice boil simmer for like 10 minutes and let the flavors combine. I can do all that while the pasta boils. After, pasta cooks, add in some olive oil to prevent it from sticking. I can just ask shak (my husband) to simply add in the sauce before serving. (If I add it in too early than the ever moisture sucking pasta will suck the sauce dry and they ll be stuck with cheesy non saucy pasta with asparagus, mushrooms and sundried tomatoes. No biggie i can so do that, I can even do that after the kids come home from school, it will be done in less than 30 minutes. Now back to my friends offer..So, i snapped out of my contemplation and i saw my friends face waiting for an answer.  I thought to myself..."screw it all" I'm going for chai and chat. All those things will be there for me tomorrow but spending time with my friend is priceless, its so not cliche. Me needs some my time too you know i am important. Besides i came home beaming with positive happy vibes, than after school one of my kids had  to go to her friends house for a very important school project, than the friends mom offered her to stay for dinner, the other offspring  came along with me to the lecture at the university i was going to in the evening.  My  husband  calls and says dont cook just for two people, he will take my son out for dinner. Good positive energy emits good outcomes.

I need to learn to be a bit more selfish, giving myself importance is a new thing for me. I have been completely exhausting myself of all my resources.  I need to revitalize so i dont end up hating what i am doing. I need to step back fuel up than get back into the race. I mean in this day age we are all like those race cars in a nascar race.  If we dont make a quick pit stop to fuel up and tune up. We will most likely BURN UP.

I firmly believe in the power of good intentions, if you make good sincere intentions with pure thoughts, God will absolutely definitely will help you accomplish it.  So far so good, i pray my intentions dont go astray and my sincerity stays firm to its purity.

Whats for dinner!!!!

Today, while i was sitting here wondering what to write, i got a reminder from my youngest child that i have to cook dinner. Seriously!  Everyday cooking in my house is very healthy.  I believe in the moderation diet, Eat everything but enjoy it in moderation,  use caution when you use your spices salts and fats.  So, today i made something extremely simple, it took me literally 30 minutes start to finish. I know genius right but no its not genius its efficient.  I made steamed rice, daal(lentil curry) and lightly spiced pan fried tilapia. It was light and yum.I got these tilapia loins the other day from Costco.  I took 6 out and submerged them in some warm water.
Rice:
 2 1/2 cup of basmatic rice, clean and rinse add water and cook it however you cook rice.
Than i get 1 cup of red lentils wash and rinse than add  2 cups of water.  Add spices
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chilli or whatever you desire
1 tsp garlic and ginger paste
1 tomato
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 lime juice
boil until the lentils are soft if the lentils are not cooked than add a bit more water and cook until completely soupy, add 2 green chillis , a little bit chopped cilantro and some curry leaves if you have any.  I didn't have any so no curry leaf in my daal..... than tarka it (tarka means to add hot infused oil into a curry)
basically you get a few tbsp oil in a very small pan, add a bit of cumin seeds, mustard seeds some dried chillies and heat it than you directly tarka the hot oil into the lentils soup.
(by the way: give me daal and rice any day and ill be happy, its the ultimate comfort food)

Fish
I remove the fish from the water and i add
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of chilli powder
2 tsp of cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic
massage the fish with the dry ingredients add 1/2 cup of flour and toss it so each loin (LOL) is covered with flour.
I get a large pan add a good amount of oil so the fish is submerged half way in.
I heat the oil slowly drop the fish into the hot oil and fry them until they are browned on both sides

You must remember the oil must be pretty hot or if it is even a little bit cooler the fish will become unbelievably oily.  The moment the food starts cooling the oil will start sticking so remove it quickly and place it on mesh or one of those racks so the oil drips off immediately. I obviously did not have that problem, i simply removed it from the pan to the platter without any excess oil stuck to my fish..... years of experience ofcourse.

Even though the above recipe looks like it has a lot of spices it really doesnt because when frying,  most of the spices float away into the oil so you are left with a very mild spiced fish.

happy eating!!!!

Just whining

So, after all those days i begin once again at the very beginning.  I mean i have been really irrtiated lately.  I mean what is a housewife to do with her time.  I mean i cant really afford to eat bon bons and watch soap operas.  I mean think of my very own bun bun and imagine the soap opera i will be going through shedding the excess filling out of my thighs. "So why are you so bored, i mean you have all day when we are gone, why dont you read" my husband says while i am seething with anger inside with a giant smile on my face. "why dont you start a blog or paint something or how about redecorate" my good friends and family members who work, go to school and have a life suggest.  "I wish i was in your position, the things i would be doing like taking long baths, watching jerry springer and watch whatever plays on tv these days".   Seriously i have absolutely no frikkin idea what is on tv these days.  I have just moved into our new house almost a year ago with a very fancy tub and i havent even used it once.  I dont even know if my tap works, what do i do with my time while my kids and hubby are away?  Before, when my kids were younger, i would be driving them around town to entertain them so they dont climb up the walls with boredom. Playdates were fun for mommy and child. Parks, libraries, malls or whereever the LA parents magazine suggest i go to entertain my very energetic child.  Now that they are older and have no time for me or  go to the park, library or mall  i am still finding myself driving around town aimlessly. But what housewife doesnt, sometimes i wonder if women go back to work just for this reason.  But than again the poor working women, they still end up coming to all soccer practices, basketball scrimmages and after school dances, programs etc. They do errands at lunch time, grocery after work and cook dinner. I  wonder how they do it;  why am i even complaining? Oh yes i am not complaining i am just bored out of my mind!!!!

lets start at the very beginning

"Let's start at the very beginning
A very good place to start
When you read you begin with A-B-C"
The sound of music the all time favorites of anyone who has ever lived in America or anywhere in the world in fact. The first lyrics are so to the point. "When you read you begin with A-B-C" and "when you sing you begin with Do-Re-Mi".  The essentials of all beginnings of learning.  For cooking the essential of all essentials is salt the grain that brings everything together. Without salt there is no essence; as if all the effort given into a dish was pointless, a life lived with no reason.  The most commonly used is table salt, which has an additive called iodine, helps it from clumpin up and can also help from getting thyroid disease. Apparently i didnt have enough of it in my lifetime.  There is the kosher salt, which a lot of chefs prefer that has absolutely no additives.  There is the dreaded sea salt which infact is not dreaded at all, its very good and great for adding on home made fries, nuts or whatever you want to fry. It is very light and soft in flavor. There is the black salt (kala namak) often used in India, very strong and well, black in color.  There is pickling salt, grey salt, and ofcourse rock salt, used to make ice cream.  How do i know all this info on salt? I read on the internet, believe it or not, if you look into the right websites you find good useful information.  I got this info from food.com. 
So, the reason for this blog is two things.  First reason, is to occupy my time with something productive and Second, Its a blog for my friends who are gastronomically challenged.  They cant seem to fathom that cooking is clearly not rocket science.  I mean rocket science is a whole profession it requires that you have some interest in rockets and the science that goes in it.  You need to have the intellectual capabilities of understanding the this and thats of all things rockets science. Cooking only requires  your tongue, your eyes, nose, well all your five senses.  I never believe in hiding recipes or keeping secrets recipes i mean seriously why would anyone do such a thing. Its quite silly really, in this day and age i can find a whole bunch of grandma and aunt whoevers recipes that are most often exactly the same.  I am going to be posting mostly my recipes that i have tried and created on my own plus some recipes that i have tried and tested and eaten and enjoyed. I have been cooking since i was 13 years old, actually really really started cooking when i  was 20 years old like you know not jello or hamburger helper stuff or tea. I noticed that through out my life that whenever i cooked sometihng even as simple as scrambled eggs; if done with enough love and happiness it becomes amazing.  Scrambled eggs without love is just eggs that look like ground turkey. So, start your day off with good intentions, do what you do eveyday with good intentions.  Start with pure sincerity and end with complete satisfaction. Say, whatever i will place on the table will be there to nourish the body and revive the soul.