tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26571862301888959012024-02-08T18:43:34.174+03:00Rare AromasWhere the belly rules the mind !!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-22707775895976781802011-01-30T19:56:00.003+03:002011-05-06T14:49:32.245+03:00Spicy Chana ChaatHonestly speaking , I envy all the bloggers who update regularly .They must have great time management skills.I,on the other hand seem to have none .I had no idea being a blogger would be this demanding as its not about just typing recipes , one has to be a food stylist , photographer and a witty writer (which is of course the most difficult part for yours truly ).But the truth is that despite all these hurdles,blogging is very addictive not only that it also gives you a real high when your humble efforts are being appreciated by people . So dear readers ! please bear with me , I will Inshallah try my best to update the blog as regularly as I could afford .<br />
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Moving on to today’s post , as far as I remember , chana chaat and sheer are the two must have dishes on Eid at the Naseeb’s. I grew up in an amazing and loving Pakistani neighbourhood and I remember how kids from the neighbourhood look forward to savour chana chaat every year on Eid at our place. All of us have grown up now but as we were talking the other day I discovered that Mani , sadaf ,and Usman Arif like me still miss the old days , togetherness , the Eid fun and of course the chana chaat.<br />
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Its no Eid but I am posting the recipe to rekindle all those sweet memories and for all the chana chaat lovers out like me .I hope you will also enjoy this supper healthy and supper yummy chaat like we do .<br />
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<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_6zB1UOYLRJo/TUWTZNHYIgI/AAAAAAAAALs/VuayKbAid_k/s1600-h/Chana%20Chaat%5B19%5D.jpg"><img alt="Chana Chaat" border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_6zB1UOYLRJo/TUWTfvw89QI/AAAAAAAAALw/3oyfRr6GrvI/Chana%20Chaat_thumb%5B17%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Chana Chaat" width="640" /></a><br />
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<br />
<b>What you need :</b><br />
<ul><li>kala chana (Bangal gram) : 1/2 kg ( boiled) </li>
<li>Onion : 1 ( chopped) </li>
<li>Tomato : 1 ( chopped) </li>
<li>GG paste : 1/2 tsp </li>
<li>Red Chili powder : 1 tsp ( up to your tolerance level ) </li>
<li>Salt : 1 tsp ( up to your taste) </li>
<li>Chaat Masala : 1 tsp </li>
<li>Turmeric : 1/4 tsp </li>
<li>Coriander Powder : 1/2 tsp </li>
<li>Cumin powder : 1/2 tsp </li>
<li>Lemon juice : 1 tablespoon ( up to taste) </li>
<li>Oil : 1/4 cup </li>
</ul><b>How to :</b><br />
<ol><li>Heat oil in a wide non stick pan . </li>
<li>Add chopped onions and fry till they become translucent. </li>
<li>Add GG paste , fry a little and then throw in the tomatoes and all the dry masala powders. Cook till the water starts to dry up . </li>
<li>Now add the boiled chana and cook on slow flame till they are nicely coated with the masala and the oil starts oozing out. ( this should take about 10 –15 minutes while stirring in between ) </li>
<li>Splash in the lemon juice ,mix and serve garnished with coriander leaves. </li>
</ol><b>Notes :</b><br />
<ul><li>Soak the chana in ample water overnight .The next morning boil or pressure cook them to the tenderness you prefer. </li>
<li>You can use tamarind pulp instead of lemon juice to further perk up the chaat. </li>
<li>You can omit the onions and tomatoes and just kind of fry the chana with the dry masala powders only and add finely chopped onions , tomato ( cucumber if you like) and boiled potato cubes like normal chaats before serving. </li>
</ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-81358827544167617332010-11-27T12:59:00.003+03:002010-11-27T13:10:26.826+03:00Everyday PastaGone are the days when daal chawal used to be the “ comfort food “ , now Pasta is the ultimate comfort food of all.Leaving a few “ peculiar ones” pasta seems to be the darling of every household for all the right reasons.It is Quick to make,very versatile and the best crowd pleaser ever.<br />
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Although pasta is Italian , it could easily be adopted by almost any cuisine . A little bit of mix and matching , a dash of creativity , right balance of spices and you have a perfect bowl of pasta ready to gobble.<br />
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I am posting one the quickest and yummiest way of making pasta . I call it everyday pasta because of the simplicity of the ingredients that go into it. Enjoy !<br />
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<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_6zB1UOYLRJo/TPDWPqQY_cI/AAAAAAAAALI/bb-aCCD1HYg/s1600-h/Everyday%20Pasta%20-%202%5B20%5D.jpg"><img alt="Everyday Pasta - 2" border="0" height="480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_6zB1UOYLRJo/TPDWVupjOdI/AAAAAAAAALQ/kNGd0HSaBYY/Everyday%20Pasta%20-%202_thumb%5B18%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px none; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Everyday Pasta - 2" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>What You Need :</u></span></b><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Pasta :1 pk ( boiled and drained)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: medium;">Sausages : 1 pk (12 franks – cut into pieces) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: medium;">Chicken cubes : I pk ( 2 cubes)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: medium;">Mix vegetables : 2 cups ( frozen )</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: medium;">Soya Sauce : 1 tbsp ( up to taste )</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: medium;">Salt : 1/2 tsp </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: medium;">oil : 1/4 cup </span></li>
</ul><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><u>How To :</u></b></span><br />
<ol><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Heat oil in a wide non stick pan.Add in chicken cubes , mix vegetables ,salt and cut up franks.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: medium;">Fry till the franks and vegetables cook through.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: medium;">Add boiled pasta , throw in the soya sauce and mix well.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: medium;">Close the lid and let cook on a very slow flame for about 15 minutes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: medium;">Everyday pasta is ready . Serve and enjoy<b>.</b></span></li>
</ol><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><u></u></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_6zB1UOYLRJo/TPDWe0-oNFI/AAAAAAAAALU/si1FzpV3laU/s1600-h/Everyday%20Pasta%5B15%5D.jpg"><img alt="Everyday Pasta" border="0" height="480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_6zB1UOYLRJo/TPDWlSvIG1I/AAAAAAAAALY/55frFzCaDo8/Everyday%20Pasta_thumb%5B13%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px none; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Everyday Pasta" width="640" /></a></u></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>Notes :</u></span></b><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Instead of sausages you can use chicken.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: medium;">Frozen vegetables can be replaced by fresh vegetables. Use carrots,capsicums,Potato,corn,peas and beans.Basically anything you have at hand.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: medium;">In case of using fresh vegetables , add a little water to the pot to cook them tender before adding in the pasta.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: medium;">I usually boil franks in water before adding to the pot but its totally optional.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: medium;">Go easy on salt because the chicken cubes and soya sauce both are salted.Keep checking before adding these up to your taste.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: medium;">For more exotic taste sprinkle a little cheese on top before serving.</span></li>
</ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-22413563794583611502010-10-25T20:48:00.000+03:002010-10-25T20:48:44.972+03:00Karahi ChickenIn India and Pakistan some of the dishes are cooked and served in a ‘karahi’ (also spelled karai, kadai, kadahi or kadhai). For those who do not know a karahi is a circular, deep, bowled dish and is similar in shape to a wok.It is usually made of cast iron but stainless steel, copper and non-stick versions are also available. <br />
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Karahi chicken is a popular dish all across Pakistan . Whether you dine in an upscale fancy restaurant or visit a road side vendor, this chicken dish is always on the menu.Karahi chicken is the only dish ( I know of ) that has countless versions .Basically it’s a tomato based clingy gravy dish but it is cooked in a number of ways with slightly different taste according to the ingredients added other than tomatoes.<br />
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I am sharing my version of karahi chicken that is easy , quick , robust , tangy and off course spicy .With its exotic aromas of fresh ginger,freshly ground whole black pepper , red chilies , coriander and bountiful of tomatoes …this is one dish sure to tingle your taste buds !!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_6zB1UOYLRJo/TMW8BypRYvI/AAAAAAAAAKY/yf030zlRS3A/s1600-h/Karahi%20chicken%20-2%5B48%5D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Karahi chicken -2" border="0" height="480" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_6zB1UOYLRJo/TMW8KbdeAxI/AAAAAAAAAKc/HBM0tg5Xsdw/Karahi%20chicken%20-2_thumb%5B46%5D.jpg?imgmax=960" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Karahi chicken -2" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<b>What you need :</b><br />
<ul><li>Chicken : 12oo gms ( skinned ,cut and washed ) </li>
<li>Onion : 2 – 3 ( medium , finely chopped ) </li>
<li>GG paste : 1 tbsp </li>
<li>Tomatoes : 500 gms ( chopped ) </li>
<li>Turmeric : 1/2 tsp </li>
<li>Chili powder : 1/2 tsp ( up to your tolerance level ) </li>
<li>salt : 1.5 tsp ( up to taste) </li>
<li>Garam Masala : 1/2 tsp </li>
<li>Oil : 1/2 cup </li>
</ul><b>Karahi Masala : </b><br />
<ul><li>Whole Coriander : 2 tbsp </li>
<li>Whole Black pepper : 3/4 tbsp </li>
<li>Dried Red chili : 6-7 </li>
<li>Whole Cumin : 3/4 tbsp </li>
</ul>Crush or pound all the ingredients using mortal / pastel . <br />
<br />
<b>Garnish : </b><br />
<ul><li>Ginger : 1 inch piece ( chopped finely ) </li>
<li>Fresh coriander : 2 tbsp ( chopped) </li>
</ul><br />
<b>How To :</b><br />
<ol><li>Heat oil in a wide pan . Add onions and fry till they are lightly browned. </li>
<li>Add in the GG paste and fry a little . </li>
<li>Throw in the chicken and fry till its no longer pink . </li>
<li>Add in salt , turmeric , chili and garam masala , stir and cook for 2 minutes . </li>
<li>Add the chopped tomatoes and cook (stirring in-between|) till most of the water ( tomato water ) dries out and the oil starts to ooze out a bit. </li>
<li>Now add in your karahi masala , mix in and adjust seasoning . </li>
<li>Reduce flame to very low , cover the pot and let gently simmer for about 10 minutes . </li>
<li>Karahi chicken is ready . Garnish with Ginger and coriander. </li>
<li>Serve with naan , chapati or boiled rice . </li>
</ol><b>Note :</b><br />
<ul><li>Instead of chicken you can use boiled mutton/lamb . </li>
<li>Vegans can try this with paneer(cottage cheese)/tofu/gobi(cauliflower). </li>
</ul><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_6zB1UOYLRJo/TMW8SVKB-6I/AAAAAAAAAKg/jaVjEMiFOqQ/s1600-h/Karahi%20chicken%20-1%5B10%5D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Karahi chicken -1" border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_6zB1UOYLRJo/TMW8aCD6mZI/AAAAAAAAAKk/-IHzAR0bnts/Karahi%20chicken%20-1_thumb%5B8%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Karahi chicken -1" width="640" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-80227755908837908112010-10-22T02:46:00.002+03:002010-10-22T02:56:01.156+03:00A personal note about aromas !<span style="font-size: large;">Until I was 23, my sole cooking experience was boiling a few eggs and that too under the “watchful eyes” of my father. Being the only child has severe side effects (along with the perks) and one of them is my parents never considered me big enough to do something as “dangerous” as cooking. Remaining blissfully clueless about all things culinary, my “cooking affair” started after seeing my sister in law cooking lip-smacking dishes. Its then I realized good food make people happy and I decided that I should do that too. Seeing my passion, enthusiasm and determination, to my surprise my parents supported me in all possible ways (best of all being the “guinea pig “for the dishes I made)….. So after overcoming countless culinary hurdles and blunders … here I am today, with <u>Rare Aromas</u> in front of you.Successful experiments in cooking are known as recipes. Rare Aromas is the collection of all these experiments of mine, that have proved to do one thing very well <b>“MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY “</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I never thought I would ever own a cooking blog .My friends “inspired” me to have one. They keep asking the same recipe over and over again because they keep losing it. I was really fed up of writing\ telling the same recipe so I thought a blog would be my savior, and I was right. I no longer have to re-write the requested recipe :). Rare aromas is my very own personal “electronic recipe journal “for my friends, family and all of you wonderful people out there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I am no chef neither I want to be .I am just the girl next door who strongly believes that anyone can cook and that too with confidence. All you need is just a bit of motivation and a pinch of inspiration. Rare aromas is my part of inspiring and motivating others and is all about everyday Pakistani cooking with some “international bites “.You won’t find any “funky” recipes here , it’s just my humble efforts to simplify everyday food my way. I have tried to make recipes as easy and confusion free as possible but still if you have any questions regarding any of the recipes then “buzz” me; I am just a click away.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Go ahead! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Enjoy and spread “ aromas” of happiness , that’s what life is meant for.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Happy Cooking !!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sadia Naseeb</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>P.S:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"> I would like to extend my immense gratitude to “Lubna Kareem , Mona Hsn and Sia for guiding me so lovingly about blogging .Thank you ladies,without your kind guidance I would have lost in the blogging world.</span> </b></span><br />
<b></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-85952633237039872602010-04-10T15:47:00.004+03:002010-04-10T16:44:20.406+03:00Mix Vegetable Curry ala JameelaEver since I have started blogging ,I feel that I have developed some kind of hunting qualities :D as I continuously hunt for good recipes to share with my blog readers be it on TV, magazine , in a dinner party ,at friend’s home .. the quest is always on .<br />
My friend Jamila ,brought this mix vegetable curry the other day .. it was like a rainbow of veggies.. every imaginable vegetable was there .I was really spectacle of the taste but one bite into the dish and wow .. my mouth burst with rainbow of flavors .. tangy , mildly spicy and so very yummy .. by the second bite .. I knew that my quest has been ended .. so here it is Mix vegetables the way my friend Jamila makes .Try it and i am so very sure that you will like it too.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4507548492/" title="mix veg -3 by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2020/4507548492_6c11439486_o.jpg" width="700" height="525" alt="mix veg -3" /></a><br />
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<b>What You Need :</b><br />
<div style="color: #cc0000;"><u>Vegetables:</u></div><ul><li>Potatoes : 200 gms </li>
<li>Carrots : 200 gms </li>
<li>Capsicum : 200gm </li>
<li>Egg plant : 200 gm </li>
<li>Zucchini : 200gm </li>
<li>cauliflower : 200 gm </li>
<li>Onion : 150 gms </li>
<li>Tomato : 150 gms </li>
</ul><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4507548434/" title="mix veg -1 by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4507548434_b4b7b61e7c_o.jpg" width="700" height="525" alt="mix veg -1" /></a><br />
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Wash,peel ,slice ,dice or cube all the vegetables and deep fry them till they lose their crispness and get a bit tender.Put them in a sieve and let the oil drip(drain). ( see the picture above )<br />
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<div style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: small;">Masala :</span></div><ul><li>Water : 1 glass </li>
<li>Chicken Cube : 2 </li>
<li>Tomato ketchup : 1/2 cup </li>
<li>Salt: 1/2 tsp ( as per taste) </li>
<li>Chili Powder : 1/2 tsp ( as per taste) </li>
<li>Whole Coriander : 1 tbsp ( crushed) </li>
<li>National Sabzi Masala : 1 tbsp ( optional) </li>
</ul><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4507548332/" title="mix veg -2 by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2764/4507548332_89e5860a1b_o.jpg" width="700" height="525" alt="mix veg -2" /></a><br />
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<b>How To :</b><br />
<ol><li>Boil water in a wide pan ,add in 2 chicken cubes ,1/2 cup ketchup and let simmer till the cube dissolved in water. ( pic 1a & 1b) </li>
<li>Add in the fried vegetables , salt , chili and sabzi masala (if using ). ( pic - 2) </li>
<li>Mix in gently and let cook on medium flame till the veggies become tender and well coated with the masala and the oil starts to ooze out. ( pic - 3) </li>
<li>Mix vegetable is ready . Serve with fresh tandoori bread, lassi or cold drink of your choice and a generous helping of butter ! ( pic –4 ) </li>
</ol><b>Notes: </b><br />
<ul><li>Sabzi masala is optional but I do recommend it for extra tastes and aroma . </li>
</ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-80902350871578883352010-03-06T19:21:00.024+03:002010-03-07T09:28:45.408+03:00Ras MalaiIf you ask me to name three desi dessert that will never fail to please people of all ages, my answer will be kulfi , kheer and Rasmalai.Rasmalai...a delicious and perfect end to any feast be it weddings or dinners.Rich in texture and flavor,traditionally Rasmalai is made with Paneer ( cottage cheese ),but to make the process easier with out compromising the taste it can be made easily at home by using milk powder instead of paneer. Despite being really yummy , the other thing I love about Rasmalai is that the whole process takes just 30 minutes from start to finish ( excluding the chilling time of course).Rich , classy , crowd pleaser and quick to make …Rasmalai is no doubt the darling dessert of housewives.<br />
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I have made Rasmalai countless times using the recipe i am posting today but honestly to date I am always unsure of the end result.The reason is Rasmalai is a tricky dessert.So for the first time cooks I want to say one thing , follow my recipe as it is I am sure it will turn out perfect,but <b>do not</b> dishearten if it does not , keep trying ..You will get it. just keep in mind Rasmalai is unpredictable ..even now after making countless Rasmalais ,sometimes I mess up too.In that case just put every thing in a blender , blend a little and freeze in kulfi moulds .. really yummy kulfi is ready .. its a win win either way :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4410612567/" title="ras malai - 1 by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="ras malai - 1" height="525" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4410612567_d8c70d1cd9_o.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
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<br />
<b>What you need :</b><br />
<br />
<div style="color: #cc0000;"><i><u>For the ras ( milk):</u></i></div><ul><li>Fresh Milk : 1 liter </li>
<li>Evaporated Milk : 1 can ( I used rainbow) </li>
<li>Sugar : 1/2 cup ( up to taste) </li>
<li>Green Cardamom : 3 </li>
<li>Kewra Essence : 2 drops ( optional ) </li>
</ul><div style="color: #cc0000;"><i><u>For the milk balls :</u></i></div><ul><li>Milk powder ( full fat) : 1 cup ( 200 gms) </li>
<li>Egg ( well beaten ) : 1 large </li>
<li>Baking Powder : 3/4 tsp </li>
<li>Butter ( melted) : 2 Tbsp </li>
</ul><br />
<ol><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4411376808/" title="Ras Malai - page by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="Ras Malai - page" height="525" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4063/4411376808_f7d69bccd2_o.jpg" width="700" /></a> <b>How To :</b>
<li>Pour milk into a pan ,add evaporated milk ,sugar ,cardamom and kewra essence ,mix and put on gentle heat to boil. ( pic - 1 ) </li>
<li>Add baking powder to the milk powder and mix .Add well beaten egg and melted butter into this. ( pic - 2) </li>
<li>Knead this out till you get a soft and smooth dough. ( pic - 3 ) </li>
<li>Make marble size balls out of this dough.( pic - 4 ).I usually make 12 balls from 1 cup of milk ...like my Rasmalai a bit bigger than the usual size. </li>
<li>Check the milk, If it hasn’t boil yet than crank up the heat and let it boil. After a boil reduce to a gentle simmer on medium heat. </li>
<li>Gently put all you milk balls into the simmering milk.( pic - 5 ) </li>
<li>Wait till the milk fully covers the balls ( pic - 6 ) and at this point cover the pan , reduce the heat to the lowest possible and let the balls cook for 4- 5 minutes. </li>
<li>5 minutes latter , remove the lid .you will see the balls are puffing up ( pic - 7 ).Turn over the balls gently with a spoon and cover the pan again and let cook for another 5 minutes. </li>
<li>Perfectly puffed up Rasmalai is ready . ( pic - 8 ) </li>
<li>Serve chilled garnished with pistachios. </li>
</ol><b>Notes:</b><br />
<ol></ol><ul><li>Use a wide bottom pan preferably non stick to make Rasmalai as it need room to expand. </li>
<li>Evaporated milk is added to make the milk thick.If you do not have evaporated milk .. then take 1.5 liter milk instead of 1 liter and simmer it till it reduce to 1 liter. </li>
<li>The egg must be at room temperature before adding into the milk powder. </li>
<li>You can use any oil you please instead of butter though butter adds richness to the Rasmalai. </li>
<li>Do not over knead the dough. As soon as it get smooth and soft stop kneading it any further. </li>
<li>If the dough sticks to your hand. Grease your hand with little oil. </li>
<li>Grease the plate with oil onto which you are going to keep the balls . </li>
<li>To get the fluffiest balls .. the trick is that the heat or fire should be the lowest possible ..and the pan should be covered tightly to let the steam form..this steam will make the balls puffy and light. </li>
</ul><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4410609577/" title="Ras Malai-1 by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="Ras Malai-1" height="525" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4410609577_f85bdd4f87_o.jpg" width="700" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-29887686681292882042010-02-22T18:54:00.021+03:002010-03-13T00:58:46.940+03:00Mouti Matter PulaoLast Friday some unexpected guests knocked at our door ( yes .. it still happens) and since it was about to be the dinner time my mother told me to cook something for dinner.This was the perfect time and situation to <u>PANIC</u> but a quick peek into the freezer made me not to.So with the help of the pressure cooker,pre - made koftas, pre - made curry sauce and a chicken I was able to cook a nice dinner in one and a half hour flat.Our guests enjoyed Mouti Matter Pulao,Namkeen Gosht,Chicken Curry and Sabot Mash ki daal along with Shammi Tikya , salad and raita .. Mission Accomplished :)<br />
<br />
I am sharing Mouti Matter Pulao with you using the <b><a href="http://rarearomas.blogspot.com/2010/01/koftay.html" style="color: red;" target="_blank">Koftay</a></b> I made earlier.Its Kind of a kofta Pulao but since the size of the koftas are smaller than the usual like beads or pearls hence the name Mouti Matter Pulao.( I love how the name turns a simple dish so exotic and interesting that you just want to eat it , don’t you ?)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4379511440/" title="Mouti Matter Pulao by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="Mouti Matter Pulao" height="550" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4379511440_d26e6e59ce_o.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>What you Need:</b><br />
<br />
<ul><li>Rice : 3 cups ( wash and soak for half hour) </li>
<li>Onions: 2 medium ( finely chopped) </li>
<li>Sabot Garam Masala: 1 tsp ( use 5 cloves, 7 pepper corns,3 green cardamom,1 inch piece of cinnamon and 1 black cardamom) </li>
<li>GG paste : 1 tbsp </li>
<li>Green chilies: 2 - 3 ( up to taste) </li>
<li>Yogurt : 1/2 cup </li>
<li>Peas: 1 cup </li>
<li>Pre - made Koftas balls : 1.5 cups </li>
<li>Salt : 1.5 tsp ( up to taste ) </li>
<li>Oil : 1 cup </li>
<li>Water or stock : 6 cups </li>
</ul><b>How To :</b><br />
<br />
<ol><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4378760365/" title="Mouti Matter Page by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="Mouti Matter Page" height="550" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/4378760365_91f4a5262d_o.jpg" width="700" /></a>
<li>Heat oil in a pan add sabot garam masala, let cook for 2 minutes. </li>
<li>Add onions and GG paste and sauté to a pleasant caramel or golden brown colour. ( pic 1a & 1b ) </li>
<li>Add in yogurt,salt,peas,green chilies and koftas,sauté till the oil floats on top.( Pic 2a & 2b) </li>
<li>Add water or stock and let boil. ( pic - 3 ) </li>
<li>After a boil ,throw in the soaked rice (after draining ),Mix in once and let cook on medium flame. ( pic - 4 ) </li>
<li>When the water starts to dry up ( pic - 5 ), and you can see water holes in the rice ( pic - 6),turn down the flame to the lowest possible ,cover the pan and let cook till the water completely dries out.( it might take around 5 to 10 minutes depending on the heat and amount of water left to dry out on dam) </li>
<li>Mouti Matter Pulao is ready to be served. ( pic - 7) </li>
</ol>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-19240914903861094742010-02-12T03:16:00.003+03:002010-02-12T03:32:54.985+03:00Moong Daal Palak<i>Spinach ( palak) is not only supper rich in iron ( remember Popeye eating palak and getting extra strong ),but supper versatile too.There are a large number of recipes to enjoy palak from creamy soup to yummy combos with veggies,daals ,meat and chicken.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Although thanks to freezers palak is available year round now but fresh palak taste absolute divine despite the fact that weeding,cleaning,washing ,chopping and boiling palak is quite a task.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Since winter is the best time to enjoy the freshest palak here is Moong daal palak which is one of the many yummy ways you can have this iron rich and healthy vegetable as the two perfectly compliment each other.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4349409283/" title="moong Daal Palak by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="moong Daal Palak" height="550" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4349409283_18ae889ee1_o.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>What You Need:</b><br />
<ul><li><b></b>Moong Daal : 1 cup ( wash and soak in water for at least an hour) </li>
</ul><ul><li>Palak : 2 cups ( boiled) </li>
</ul><ul><li>Onion : 1 medium ( chopped finely) </li>
</ul><ul><li>Tomato: 2 small ( chopped finely) </li>
</ul><ul><li>Salt: 1 tsp ( up to taste) </li>
</ul><ul><li>Red Chili: 1 tsp ( up to your tolerance level) </li>
</ul><ul><li>Turmeric : 1/4 tsp </li>
</ul><ul><li>GG paste: 1 tbsp </li>
</ul><ul><li>Water: 1.5 cup ( more if you want it a bit mushy) </li>
</ul><ul><li>Oil: 1/2 cup</li>
</ul><br />
<b>How To:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4350156088/" title="Moong daal page - 1 by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="Moong daal page - 1" height="550" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4350156088_82123e2e30_o.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
<br />
<ol></ol><ul><li>Heat oil in a pan and sauté onions till golden brown. ( pic - 1 ) </li>
<li>Add in GG paste along with all the dry masala,cook for a minute. ( pic - 2 ) </li>
<li>Throw in tomatoes and cook till they turn mushy and you end up with a clingy gravy with the oil floating. ( pic - 3a and 3b ) </li>
<li>Add in the boiled palak ( pic - 4 )and sauté till the water dries out. ( pic - 5 ) </li>
<li>Finally add soaked daal and two cups of water.Mix well and let the water boil. ( pic - 6) </li>
<li>As soon as the water start boiling ,lower the heat to medium ,cover and let cook till the water dries out.At this point the daal should be tender enough to eat and you should be able to see the oil oozing around. ( pic - 7 ) </li>
<li>Moong Daal palak is ready. </li>
<li>Serve with plain boiled rice or buttered chapatti , a simple onion – tomato salad and raita. Enjoy!</li>
</ul><ol><ol></ol><b>Notes: </b>
<ol><li>We like our Moong daal palak a bit mushy as you can see from the picture.. if you like it that way just increase the amount of water say 2 cups instead of 1.5.</li>
</ol></ol>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-39470394140417344952010-01-29T00:21:00.010+03:002013-04-09T14:51:15.541+03:00Koftay<i>Koftas are seasoned mince meat shaped into small balls that taste equally good cooked,baked,fried or grilled.What I love about Koftas is that they are very versatile and can be made in many different ways by using a little bit of creativity and imagination. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Using your imagination and creativity to prepare a wonderful meal using koftas is a breeze if you have koftas ready to be used instead of starting from the scratch.I am not against the ready made koftas available in the market but personally prefer homemade koftas which can be prepared in advance,kept frozen to use whenever you need them and definitely a zillion times better than the store bought ones.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Today I am posting the recipe of making and freezing koftas my way to enjoy a hassle free meal later (using them )with out compromising the taste.</i><br />
<br />
<b>What you need:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Minced Meat : 1 Kg </li>
<li>Raw Papaya paste : 1 Tbsp </li>
<li>GG paste : 1 tbsp <br />
</li>
<li>Salt : 1 tsp ( up to taste) </li>
<li>Red Chili : 1 Tsp ( up to your tolerance level) </li>
<li>Turmeric : 1/4 tsp </li>
<li>Coriander Powder : 1 tsp </li>
<li>Cumin Powder : 1/2 tsp </li>
<li>Garam Masala Powder : 1/2 tsp </li>
</ul>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4311707757/" title="koftay by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="koftay" height="525" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4311707757_feac764eeb_o.jpg" width="710" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>How to :</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Add all the ingredients listed above into the minced meat and mix well.Let rest for an hour. ( pic - 1 ) </li>
<li>After an hour make balls out of the minced meat.( pic - 2 ) </li>
<li>Boil water in a pan and drop the balls gently into the pan and let boil briskly for about 2 - 3 minutes. ( pic - 3 ) </li>
<li>Fish out the balls out of the water and keep aside. ( pic - 4 ).Repeat until all balls are boiled. </li>
<li>Reserve the water ( in which the balls have been boiled) . ( pic - 5 ) </li>
<li>Your koftas are ready to be frozen. ( pic - 6 ) </li>
<li>To freeze put the balls in a plastic container along with some of the reserved boiled water ,cover and keep in the freezer.To use simply defrost or heat through in a microwave and the koftas are ready to be used. </li>
</ol>
<b>Notes:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Omit papaya if you do not have it , though I totally recommend it for softer koftas. </li>
<li>The boiled meatballs can be fried before using (after defrosting) if you prefer. </li>
<li>The size of the balls depends on you. For using koftas in pulao and biryani I make smaller balls ( as in pic – 6 ) and for karahi and curry the standard size is the best. </li>
<li>The water ( in which the koftas have been boiled) is excellent to make gravy because of the flavors it has absorbed from the koftas. </li>
</ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-58691839188540037872010-01-23T19:17:00.008+03:002010-02-05T04:09:21.906+03:00Desi Tomato Sauce<i>Our local newspaper once did a people - on - the - street interview of favourite kitchen aromas,and tomato sauce ranked three among the top choices and I couldn't agree more.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Bottled sauce doesn’t fill the air with molecules of savoury stewing or its smell doesn’t signal that a satisfying meal is coming … Only homemade sauce can do this and even the best brands can’t compare in terms of taste.</i><br />
<br />
<i>The recipe I am posting today is so easy that even kitchen novices can cook it.It is a bit different than the normal tomato sauce because it has been tempered with desi masalas .. which I personally believe make the plain bland sauce more flavourful, intense and interesting.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4297783266/" title="Tomato sauce -1 by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="Tomato sauce -1" height="525" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2726/4297783266_6f3ddc3534_o.jpg" width="710" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>What you need :</b><br />
<ul><li>Tomatoes : 1.5 kg ( chopped ) </li>
<li>curry leaf : 5 – 6 </li>
<li>Whole cumin ( sabot Zeera ): 1 tbsp </li>
<li>Mustard Seeds ( rai ) : 1 tbsp </li>
<li>Garlic : 6 - 7 bulbs </li>
<li>Whole red chili : 6 - 7 ( up to your tolerance level ) </li>
<li>Salt : 1 tbsp ( up to taste ) </li>
<li>Turmeric : 1/2 tsp </li>
<li>Coriander Pwd : 1 tbsp </li>
<li>Tamarind Pulp : 2 Tbsp ( up to taste) </li>
<li>Green Chili : 5 - 6 ( chopped finely – up to taste) </li>
<li>Red food colour : 1 -2 drops ( optional )<br />
</li>
<li>Oil : 1/2 cup </li>
</ul><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4297039243/" title="Tomato sauce page by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="Tomato sauce page" height="525" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4297039243_a353a85a00_o.jpg" width="710" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>How To :</b><br />
<ol><li>Heat oil in a pan. Add Curry leaves and let sizzle for a minute or two.( pic - 2 ) </li>
<li>Add in Mustard seeds and Whole cumin ( pic - 3 ) , after a minute throw in the garlic ( pic - 4 ) and let sizzle for a minute. </li>
<li>Add in the chopped tomatoes (pic - 1 ), whole red chilies , salt, turmeric and coriander powder. ( pic - 5 ) </li>
<li>Crank up the heat and let it simmer for about 40 - 45 minutes ( pic - 6 ) or till it reduces to almost one third. </li>
<li>Puree the cooked sauce in a blender or with hand blender ( pic – 7 ) , add chopped green chilies ( pic - 8 ) and simmer on gentle heat till the sauce oozes out the oil.( pic - 9 ) </li>
<li>Adjust seasoning . </li>
<li>Desi Tomato Sauce is ready to be served ! </li>
</ol><br />
<b>Notes :</b><br />
<ul><li>You will get around 2 - 2.5 cups of sauce out of 1.5 kg tomatoes. </li>
<li>The boiling time of the sauce depends on the quality of pan and heat so cook accordingly. </li>
<li>Keep stirring in between to avoid sticking or burning. </li>
<li>Do not puree the sauce if you like the chunkier taste. </li>
<li>This Sauce is multi – purpose and very versatile. You can use it for making pasta, as a sandwich filling , as a dip with French bread or crackers , as chatni with plain rice , khichri or even pulao, as pizza sauce , spread on toast , sprinkle some cheese and bake for a quick pizza, use it in karahi gravies to add flavor .Use your creativity to make more interesting combinations because the possibilities with this sauce are endless. </li>
</ul><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4297038243/" title="Tomato Sauce by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="Tomato Sauce" height="525" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2686/4297038243_784314264f_o.jpg" width="710" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-19702027631929358362010-01-19T11:01:00.009+03:002010-02-05T04:10:53.077+03:00Muqaish Daal<i>I am a meat lover by default and because of this I am not much of a daal person but when it comes to Muqaish Daal … I just cant resist it.Its simply that wicked !!</i><br />
<br />
<i>One of my friend asked me about the name .No,it has nothing to do with music. Muqaish (a.k.a Kamdani) is a kind of embroidery where shiny silver flat metal strip is used to place stipples or dots on varying distance resembling the effect of twinkling stars in the sky. Since this daal is cooked in a way that you end up with pearly white separate grains like stipples…hence the name “ Muqaish Daal ”.</i><br />
<i>This daal is another express meal … ready in thirty minutes flat from start to finish.Did I mention this daal is so tasty that even the hard core meat lovers ( like me ) wont be able to pass it.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4286700471/" title="Muquaish daal by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="Muquaish daal" height="525" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2708/4286700471_342b6af4a3_o.jpg" width="710" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>What you need :</b><br />
<ul><li>Urad ( Mash) daal : 1 cup (washed and soaked in water for an hour)</li>
<li>Water : 1/2 cup</li>
<li>Milk : 1/2 cup</li>
<li>Salt : 1 tsp ( up to taste )</li>
<li>Clove : 2 </li>
<li>Black cardamom : 1</li>
<li>Whole black pepper : 5</li>
<li>Cinnamon : 2 small pieces</li>
</ul><span style="color: maroon;">Tempering ( tadka or baghar ) :</span><br />
<ul><li>Onion : 1 medium ( sliced finely )</li>
<li>Whole red chili : 5 - 6 </li>
<li>Ginger : 2 inch piece ( cut into fine stripes)</li>
<li>garlic : 5 - 8 bulbs ( sliced finely )</li>
<li>Whole cumin : 1 tsp</li>
<li>Green coriander : 3 tbsp ( finely chopped )</li>
<li>Oil : 1/2 cup <br />
</li>
</ul><b>How to :</b><br />
<ol><li>Drain the soaked daal.</li>
<li>Mix water,milk and salt. Add in the whole Gram masala.</li>
<li>In a non stick pan … add daal and the milk + water mixture.</li>
<li>Let boil once on high heat and then cover the pan and let cook on medium to gentle heat till the liquid dries up and the daal is tender but not mushy. </li>
<li>Heat oil in another pan. Put sliced onions and whole red chilies and let sizzle for 2 minutes . When the onions begin to get soft and kind of transparent add Green Coriander,Ginger and Garlic.</li>
<li>When you see the onions are about to be golden brown add Whole cumin and let sizzle for a minute.</li>
<li>Pour the Tadka ( along with oil ) onto the cooked daal.</li>
<li>Let cook for two minutes to infuse the tadka .</li>
<li>Muqaish Daal is ready .</li>
<li>Serve with Nan or roti .</li>
</ol><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4286851977/" title="page-2 by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="page-2" height="525" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4286851977_0c32e00458_o.jpg" width="710" /></a><br />
<br />
<ol></ol><b>Notes :</b><br />
<ul><li>You can use also only water ( instead of half water and half milk) for boiling the daal.<br />
</li>
<li>The water ratio depends on the quantity of daal. Both should be equal. 1 cup daal =1 cup water,2 cups daal = 2 cups water etc.</li>
<li>In the end the daal should be thoroughly cooked and tender but not mushy and each grain should be separate ( it wont be Muqaish daal otherwise ). This depends on the pan and the quality of heat so you have to workout on that.</li>
<li>There will be a white scum on top while boiling , its normal just leave it like that.It will vanish by the end.</li>
<li>A dab of butter on top of daal while serving will make it more delicious.</li>
</ul><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4287476364/" title="Daal plate by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="Daal plate" height="525" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4287476364_5a98875872_o.jpg" width="710" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-53649783310686587562010-01-16T16:38:00.008+03:002010-02-05T04:12:03.015+03:00Chatpatay Aloo<i>If Mango is the king of fruits then to me potato is the king of vegetables.Potato is undoubtedly the most loved vegetable on earth.The reason is its versatility.The humble potato can be cooked into countless yumlicious dishes.Fried,boiled,roasted,baked,creamed,buttered or mashed ..it always tingle your taste buds.Despite being delicious Potato is an excellent source of carbohydrates, the body's best energy source.Potato is fat free, cholesterol free, sodium free and saturated fat free. It is high in Vitamin C and potassium and is a great source of Vitamin B6 and dietary fiber.Tasty and full of important nutrients …. no wonder Potato is the darling of all !!</i><br />
<br />
<i>The chatpatay Aloo I am posting today are not only tasty but also hassle free .Don’t you just love when all you have to do is throw all the ingredients in the pot,cover let cook for about 30 minutes and voila ! dinner is ready … chatpatay Aloo is that type of dish.. In my home we usually eat this with pori or parathas in breakfast or just plain as chat but it tastes equally good with roti or Naan as well.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4278139271/" title="chatpatay Aloo by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="chatpatay Aloo" height="525" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4032/4278139271_77b44b50ba_o.jpg" width="710" /></a><br />
<br />
<b> What you need :</b><br />
<ul><li>Potatoes : 250 gms ( peeled and sliced uniformly) </li>
<li>Onion : 1 medium ( finally chopped) </li>
<li>Tomato : 1 medium ( chopped ) </li>
<li>Green chili : 3 - 4 ( finely chopped – up to your tolerance level) </li>
<li>Turmeric : 1/4 tsp </li>
<li>Salt : 3/4 to 1 tsp ( up to taste) </li>
<li>Tamarind pulp : 1 tbsp </li>
<li>Curry leaf : 3 – 4 </li>
<li>oil : 1/2 cup </li>
</ul><br />
<b>How to :</b><br />
<ol><li>Heat oil in a non stick pan … add curry leaf and let sizzle for a minute. </li>
<li>Throw in all the ingredients ( potatoes.tomato,onion,chili,turmeric,salt and tamarind pulp).stir to mix well. </li>
<li>Cover the pan and let cook for about 25 to 30 minutes on gentle heat till the potatoes are done. </li>
<li>Adjust seasoning . </li>
<li>Chatpatay Aloo are ready to serve .</li>
</ol><br />
<b>Notes :</b><br />
<ul><li>You can use juice of one lemon instead of tamarind pulp.Use tamarind or lemon juice as per your taste. </li>
<li>Omit curry leaf if you don’t have any at hand . </li>
<li>Do not add any water because potatoes will be done in the water released by tomato and onion. </li>
<li>These aloo make excellent sandwich filling . </li>
<li>For Bahraini readers ..since the tamarind is ready salted here .. Go easy on salt .. check the seasoning after adding the Imli Pulp to avoid saltiness. <br />
</li>
</ul><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4278139469/" title="chatpatay Aloo by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="chatpatay Aloo" height="525" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4278139469_df7bb083f4_o.jpg" width="710" /></a><br />
<br />
<ul></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-30189748286304570912010-01-12T12:38:00.007+03:002010-02-05T04:13:18.749+03:00Achari Gobhi<i>I personally believe that achar ( pickle ) can perk up any bland dish and for that reason it is a staple food in almost every household.Nothing can beat the combo of a ladle or two of daal on a hot steamy plate of rice with achar , and simple tomato onion salad …ahh pure bliss !!</i><br />
<br />
<i>There are several varieties of achar available but that was not enough for the achar lovers like me so they mix and match recipes using achari masala to satisfy their ‘ achari tooth “.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Achari gobhi is one of the many ways you can use achari Masala to get the familiar achari taste.All I can say about achari gobhi is that it is not only supper yummy but supper easy and fast to cook dish that is a regular in our home. </i><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>What you need :</b><br />
<ul><li>Phol Gobhi ( cauliflower ) : 1 kg ( cut into medium size florets)</li>
<li>Achari Masala : 1 tbsp</li>
<li>salt : 1 tsp ( up to taste)</li>
<li>Red chili : 1 tsp ( up to your tolerance level )</li>
<li>Turmeric : 1/4 tsp </li>
<li>Lemon juice : 2 tbsp ( juice of one lemon is enough ) <br />
</li>
<li>Oil : 1/2 cup</li>
<li>Water : 1 glass</li>
</ul><br />
<div style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Achari Masala :</b><br />
</div><ul><li>kalounji ( carway seed) : 1/2 tsp</li>
<li>Sabout zeera ( whole cumin ) : 1/2 tsp</li>
<li>Saunf (Aniseed) : 1/2 tsp</li>
<li>Rai ( Mustard seed ) : 1/2 tsp</li>
<li>Meethi dana ( Fenugreek whole) : 1/2 tsp <br />
</li>
</ul><br />
Mix all the above listed whole masals. It will make around a tablespoon or so . This is the standard masala used for pickling in Pakistan.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4258141533/" title="Achari Ghobhi by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="Achari Ghobhi" height="525" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4258141533_95ce521024_o.jpg" width="710" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>How To :</b><br />
<ol><li>Heat oil in a wide bottom pan .</li>
<li>Add the Achari masala ( pic – 1 ) and let it sizzle for a minute. You will definitely smell the familiar achari aroma at this point. ( pic – 2 )</li>
<li>Throw in the Phol gobhi and sauté for a minute. ( pic – 3 )</li>
<li>Add in the salt ,chili and turmeric powders and continue sautéing for another minute coating the gobhi well with the masala. ( pic – 4 )</li>
<li>Pour in the glass of water and lemon juice, stir once lightly and then cover and cook on medium heat till the water dries up and you end up with tender achari masala coated gobhi florets. ( pic - 5 )</li>
<li>Achari Gobhi is ready ( pic – 6 ) . Serve with buttered roti or naan.</li>
</ol><br />
<ol></ol><b>Notes :</b><br />
<ul><li>Since there is just salt and chili as masala .. keep checking the seasoning and adjust it accordingly to avoid a bland outcome.</li>
<li>A glass of water is enough for cooked through gobhi ..but that also depends on the heat and pan you are using so work out that to avoid mushy gobhi.</li>
<li>Do not stir the gobhi after adding water because doing so will break the florets and in that case you may end with achari qeema :)</li>
<li>Go easy on Meethi Dana ..sometime it turns bitter.To avoid this instead of 1/2 tsp take 1/4 tsp of Meethi Dana. <br />
</li>
</ul><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4258899016/" title="Achari Ghobhi by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="Achari Ghobhi" height="525" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2789/4258899016_410fdce671_o.jpg" width="710" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-73643398658582475942010-01-07T11:53:00.004+03:002010-02-05T04:08:10.138+03:00Everyday Chicken<i>Its hard to confess but the truth is that I have been bitten by the “Blogging Bug” for sure. A few months back my shopping interest was all girlish bags ,shoes , make up ,perfumes and stuff but the day I entered into the blogging world that has changed. To my surprise ( and the rest ) now my shopping mainly consists of what I say “blog appropriate” crockery .</i><br />
<br />
<i>My friends are so fed up with this that they even wont let me go to the crockery section if they are with me but I cant help to sneak :).This craze of mine is so obvious that recently I went shopping with my Abbo Jee and to my surprise he came to me with a bowl which was on display and he thought I might like it for my Blog appropriate crockery collection.I really liked the lovely black bowl and he bought it for me. </i><br />
<br />
<i>For the “official inauguration” of the black bowl I cooked simple everyday Chicken curry ( my abbo jee’s fav ) which i am sharing with you.</i><br />
<br />
<b>What you Need:</b><br />
<ul><li>Chicken : 12oo gms ( cut into curry pieces)</li>
<li>Onions : 2 medium ( Sliced finely )</li>
<li>Tomatoes : 2 medium ( chopped finely )</li>
<li>Yogurt : 1/2 cup </li>
<li>GG paste : 1 tbsp</li>
<li>Salt : 1 tsp ( up to taste )</li>
<li>Red chili : 1 tsp ( up to your tolerance level )</li>
<li>Turmeric : 1/4 tsp</li>
<li>Coriander powder : 1 tsp</li>
<li>Cumin powder : 1/2 tsp </li>
<li>Garam Masala Powder : 1/2 tsp </li>
<li>Fresh green chili : 2 – 3 </li>
<li>Oil : 1/2 cup</li>
<li>Hot water : 3 glasses ( depends how much gravy or shorva you prefer)</li>
</ul><b>How to :</b><br />
<ol><li>Mix in the salt,chili,coriander,turmeric,cumin and garam masala powder into to the yogurt , mix well and keep aside.</li>
<li>Heat oil and fry chicken pieces till they are light brown .Take out the chicken and keep aside.</li>
<li>In the same oil fry sliced onions till golden brown. Add GG paste and sauté for a minute.</li>
<li>Throw in the chopped tomatoes ,sauté till they become mushy .</li>
<li>Now put the yogurt + masala mix and the onion tomato mixture from the pan in a blender and blend into a smooth paste . Return to the pan and continue cook on medium flame till it is no longer raw and you can see the oil floating .</li>
<li>Now its fried chicken’s turn to join the rest in the pan.Sauté chicken along the masala paste till the chicken is thoroughly cooked . At this stage you should have nicely brown chicken with clingy masala paste.</li>
<li>Add in 3 glasses of hot water and fresh green chili , let it boil on high heat once and then reduce flame, cover and let it simmer gently for about 2o minutes.</li>
<li>Everyday chicken is ready .. serve.</li>
</ol><b>Notes:</b><br />
<ul><li>Add a teaspoon of vinegar to a pan full of water and keep cut chicken in it for 20 minutes to get rid of the raw chicken smell.Throw the water and wash chicken before use.</li>
<li>This is the basic chicken shorva curry .You can build many combinations from it. Add vegetables like potato, okra,lauki , cauliflower with water if you do not want plain chicken shorva or you can add spinach ,fenugreek to make palak chicken etc.</li>
<li>Always use hot water for the gravy or shorva instead of cold water for a smooth gravy.</li>
</ul><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4252646493/" title="everyday chicken by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="everyday chicken" height="525" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2705/4252646493_8bc106dd0f_o.jpg" width="710" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-53812543039458715622010-01-04T05:11:00.011+03:002010-02-05T04:16:04.645+03:00Aloo Maythi<i>Come winter and once a month the weekend activities change into this at Naseeb’s household.. </i><br />
<ol><li><i>Visit to the local Central Market early in the morning.</i></li>
<li><i>Coming home with bundles and bags full of all kind of greens found on earth. ( spinach , Fresh fenugreek , Mustard greens etc.)</i></li>
<li><i>Picking , weeding and cleaning the greens bought .</i></li>
<li><i>Cutting the greens .</i></li>
<li><i>Boiling , and freezing the cut greens .</i></li>
</ol><i>Since we are only three people ( me , mom and dad ) ..cutting greens is a family affair …</i><br />
<i>My Abbo jee picks the greens after weeding .. makes little bundles of them … My mom and I cut them the finest possible .. then the greens go into the washing session … (the longest and the most tiresome stage ) till they are absolutely dirt and sand free… in the end comes the boiling and freezing part done by yours truly.This whole process takes almost a day ( depends how much greens you have bought ) .. but it gives you many hassle free cooking days later where you can <u>“ mix and match ”</u> the greens with your choice of vegetable,meat or daal .</i><br />
<br />
<i>Sounds easy .. not really if you have quality controller like my mom .I better not say any thing further .. hope you can imagine the rest :)</i><br />
<br />
<i>Here is the first green encounter of this winter .</i><br />
<br />
<b>What you need :</b><br />
<ul><li>Aloo ( potatoes ) : 500 gms ( peeled and quartered )</li>
<li>Maythi ( fenugreek leaves ) : 250 gms ( boiled ) </li>
<li>Onions : 2 medium ( chopped finely )</li>
<li>Tomatoes : 2 medium ( chopped finely )</li>
<li>GG paste : 1 tbsp</li>
<li>salt : 1 tsp ( up to taste )</li>
<li>Red chili : 1 tsp ( up to your tolerance level )</li>
<li>Turmeric : 1/4 tsp</li>
<li>Oil : 1/2 cup </li>
</ul><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4183705385/" title="aloo meethi -pg by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="aloo meethi -pg" height="525" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2529/4183705385_43ca4af7cb_o.jpg" width="710" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>How to :</b><br />
<ol><li>Heat oil and sauté onions till light brown. ( pic – 2 )</li>
<li>Add in the dry masala and GG paste . ( pic - 3 )</li>
<li>After sautéing for about two minutes .. throw in chopped tomatoes. ( pic – 4 ) and cook till you get a smooth masala paste .( pic – 5 ) </li>
<li>Add Maythi and cook for about five minutes. ( pic – 6 )</li>
<li>Lastly add in Potatoes ( pic – 7) . Stir , cover and let cook on medium flame till potatoes get tender and oil floats on top. ( pic – 8 )</li>
<li>Aloo Maythi is ready . Serve with chapatti or Parathas and raita.<br />
</li>
</ol><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4184467186/" title="Aloo Meethi by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="Aloo Meethi" height="525" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2601/4184467186_09e4fc75bb_o.jpg" width="710" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>Notes :</b><br />
<br />
<ul><li>If you want to use fresh maythi ..the quantity should be 1 kg ... as maythi shrinks a lot after boiling and one kg will aprox. make 250 gms ( more or less ) of boiled maythi.</li>
<li>Defrost the frozem maythi on counter Top for about 2 hours or use the defrost option in the microwave.</li>
<li>Aloo Maythi makes an excellent breakfast with fresh Parathas or poories .<br />
</li>
</ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-21313734970802997212009-12-17T06:08:00.010+03:002010-02-05T04:04:37.511+03:00No Fuss Biryani<i>I have yet to meet someone who dislikes biryani .It is by far the most famous and loved one pot wonder of layered meat,spices and rice.I usually hesitate making biryani because to me its seems too big of a project that needs patience , time and off course expertise. Me being Hyderabadi from maternal side , have no idea to make biryani that takes less then 2 days from start to finish ( this includes marinating the meat a day ahead and the next day cooking qourma , boiling rice , layering , garnishing and finally giving the dum ). I will confess though that all this hard work seems to pay off the moment I open the dum and the house fills with the insanely delicious aroma of biryani … not to mention the praising and applaud from the loved ones and the satisfaction that comes along the task being well done makes it worth all the efforts.</i><br />
<i>Last Friday , my friends gathered to have a one dish party and decided to make biryani . I was kind of wondering how on earth we can make biryani in one day from scratch . We all got together as planned and started making biryani. It took us almost 3 hours from start to finish and to my surprise the end result was a yumlicious biryani, though not the usual taste of a hyderabadi biryani but honestly it tasted really wicked with salad , raita , ice cold Pepsi ..and the company of good friends.</i><br />
<i>I am posting the recipe here rightly naming it no fuss biryani :)</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4182586150/" title="Bb by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="Bb" height="525" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2676/4182586150_0c9eee5e54_o.jpg" width="710" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>What you need :</b><br />
<br />
<div style="color: #990000;">For the rice :<br />
</div><ul><li>Rice : One Kg ( washed and soaked for an hour ) </li>
<li>oil : 2 Tb spoon </li>
<li>Salt : 3 Tb spoon ( up to taste ) </li>
<li>Whole Garam Masala: 1 Tb spoon </li>
<li>Vinegar : 1 Tb spoon </li>
</ul><div style="color: #990000;">For the meat Qourma ( gravy ):<br />
</div><ul><li>Chicken : 2 kg </li>
<li>Onions : 5 Medium ( chopped finely) </li>
<li>Tomatoes : 5 medium ( chopped Finely) </li>
<li>Green chili : 3 –5 ( chopped finely ) </li>
<li>GG paste : 1 Tb spoon </li>
<li>National Biryani Masala : 1 packet </li>
<li>salt : 1 tspoon ( up to taste) </li>
<li>Red chili powder : 1 tspoon ( up to your tolerance level) </li>
<li>Coriander Powder : 1 tspoon </li>
<li>oil : 1 cup </li>
</ul><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4182587306/" title="biryani by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="biryani" height="525" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2768/4182587306_2220cda207_o.jpg" width="710" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>How to do it :</b><br />
<br />
<div style="color: #990000;">For the rice :<br />
</div><ol><li>Boil rice with all the ingredients till three fourth done. Drain and keep aside. ( pic - 6 ) </li>
</ol><div style="color: #990000;">For the qourma :<br />
</div><ol><li>Wash chicken , keep in strainer to let the water drip. ( pic - 1 ) </li>
<li>Heat oil .. add in onions and green chilies and fry till onions are light brown. ( pic - 2 ) </li>
<li>Add in the GG paste. cook for a minute. </li>
<li>Throw in the chicken and cook till its no longer raw and turns white. ( pic - 3 ) </li>
<li>Add in all the masalas ( National biryani masala , salt ,chili and coriander powder).Cook for almost 5 – 10 minutes . ( pic - 4 ) </li>
<li>Toss in chopped tomatoes and continue cooking till all the water dries up and you end up with thoroughly cooked chicken and a clingy gravy. ( pic – 5 ) </li>
<li>Layer half of the rice at the bottom of the pan , sprinkle in the food colour ( pic - 7 ) </li>
<li>Spoon in all the chicken gravy and spread out evenly . ( pic - 8 ) </li>
<li>Finish off with another layer of rice .. topping with food colour and remaining masala if any . ( pic - 9 ) </li>
<li>Put the lid tightly and put on dum on the stove for about 30 – 35 minutes. </li>
<li>Gently mix in the rice and meat .. serve with salad and raita. </li>
</ol><b>Notes :</b><br />
<ul><li>Adding vinegar while boiling rice will result in more whiter rice. </li>
<li>Adding oil prevents the rice from sticking together . </li>
<li>Since its a no fuss biryani , we didn’t bother about the garnish much , but for more aromatic biryani add fried onions, green coriander and mint in between the layers and in the end along with the food colour. </li>
<li>Follow the same recipe for mutton biryani but keep in mind that the gravy will take longer to cook . </li>
</ul><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4182584192/" title="B by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="B" height="525" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2577/4182584192_e321c766d7_o.jpg" width="710" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-4433306875175942702009-12-14T09:12:00.008+03:002010-02-05T04:17:05.181+03:00Light Masala Okra<i>Bright green okra, pronounced OH-kruh, also known as Lady’s finger is a slender, ridged and tapered pod.It comes in varying shades of green, (there is also a new red variety).</i><br />
<i>Okra is a good source of dietary fiber, and is fat-free.It also provides a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A and B plus contains magnesium, potassium and calcium. Okra is slimy ,slippery and sticky - it is supposed to be that way. okra fans like me especially love this vegetable's slippery culinary personality. </i><br />
<i>Here is one of the countless tasty ways of preparing okra which is a favourite in my home.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4181799683/" title="okra -1 by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4181799683_9d65eba4c4_o.jpg" width="710" height="525" alt="okra -1" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>What you need:</b><br />
<ul><li>Okra : 500 gms </li>
<li>Onion : 2 small or 1 big ( finely chopped )</li>
<li>Tomato: 1 ( big - finely chopped)</li>
<li>Green chili : 5 ( the big sweet ones – cut into 1 inch pieces)</li>
<li>GG paste : 1 tablespoon</li>
<li>Salt : 1/2 tea spoon ( or up to taste)</li>
<li>Red chili : 1/2 tea spoon ( or up to taste)</li>
<li>Turmeric ( haldi ): 3/4 teaspoon</li>
<li>Oil : 1/2 cup</li>
</ul><b>How to do it :</b><br />
<ol><li>Wash and cut okra into 1 inch pieces.</li>
<li>Heat oil in a pan .Add in chopped onions and cook till they are light golden brown .</li>
<li>Add GG paste, salt , chili and turmeric.</li>
<li>Stir for a minute and then add in the chopped tomato.cook till tomato gets soft and oil starts to ooze out.</li>
<li>Now add okra and green chili , stir for a minute … cover the pan , lower the flame and cook on gentle heat till okra is no longer raw (for about 20 minutes or so ..depends on your pan and stove so keep checking in between because over cooked okra does not look or taste good )</li>
<li>Light Masala Okra is ready … Serve with Lightly buttered roti,naan or paratha.<br />
</li>
</ol><b>Notes :</b><br />
<ul><li>Most people do not eat okra because of its sliminess .. To address that I cut okra into desired pieces and keep it in the fridge (covered by cling film) 24 hours before cooking.Doing so greatly reduces the sliminess of okra.</li>
<li>If you can not find long green chilies … then use 2 –3 capsicums instead.</li>
<li>Okra is usually available year round with a peak season during the summer months but it can be kept frozen for up to 12 months.I do my grocery shopping every fortnight .. and sometimes cut Okra into medium size pieces and freeze it in zip – lock bag to use later ( if I am not planning to use it right away).To use I defrost Okra on counter top for about two hours.Freezing okra also reduces the sliminess . <br />
</li>
</ul><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4181799683/" title="okra -1 by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4181799683_9d65eba4c4_o.jpg" width="900" height="600" alt="okra -1" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-13201751994454883752009-12-09T18:47:00.021+03:002010-02-05T04:18:15.833+03:00Aloo Kay Parathay<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">I live in Bahrain which is a small island in Arabian gulf , famous for its almost killing summer and scorching heat among other things . Rain is something that people of Bahrain are not so lucky to have.Last year went dry without a single drop of rain , but this year we are fortunate enough to have this blessing . The whole past week weather was pleasantly cold with occasional drizzling ... the pitter patter of rain drops and the cold breeze was enough excuse for the heat struck people to come out and celebrate this lovely weather.</span></i><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Instead of going out One of my friend arranged a get together at her place to enjoy the weather the desi style by making Aloo kay parathay,watching movies and listening music. when friends are together , nothing matters more than their company , but what makes this even more fun and exciting is to cook something together from scratch and then have it when everybody is dead tired .. The aloo kay parathay i am posting today are the result of the combined efforts of my friend Jamila , Arooj and off course yours truly .we had a lot of fun making these ( and eating too :) ..</i><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Here is a suggestion for all of you guys …. call your friends , and try cooking something together. I am more than hopeful that you will also enjoy as much as we did.. </i><br />
</div><br />
<b>What you will need :</b><b> </b><br />
<ul><li><span style="color: #990000;">Dough</span> : 500 gms ( take equal amounts of all purpose flour and regular chapatti dough.Mix in half teaspoon of salt and enough water till it resembles like crumbs. knead this to get a smooth dough ball ) </li>
<li><span style="color: #990000;">Potato Stuffing</span> : 1 kg ( boil potatoes , peel and mash . Mix in the spices (salt,red chili ,coriander powder ) , 1/2 cup finely chopped onions , 2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander , 1 tsp finely chopped green chilies , juice of one lemon ) </li>
<li>oil : 1 cup ( for frying ) </li>
</ul><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4181825791/" title="step by step parathas by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2753/4181825791_7831295edc_o.jpg" width="710" height="525" alt="step by step parathas" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>How you will do it :</b><br />
<ol><li>Make tennis size balls out of the dough . ( pic –2 ) </li>
<li>Roll out two small dough balls to about 3" diameter Chapatti. ( pic – 3 ) </li>
<li>Evenly spread about 2 - 3 Tablespoons of filling on one chapatti leaving about ¼" space around the outer edge.( pic – 4 ) </li>
<li>Put the first Chapatti on top of the filling. Press the center to let air out. Then press the left out areas to seal the filling. </li>
<li>With a rolling pin roll out Paratha to about 6" to 7" diameter. This helps the filling to actually stick to the dough.( pic –5 ) </li>
<li>Heat the griddle (Tawa). </li>
<li>Cook the rolled out Paratha over griddle for about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Lift the corner of the Paratha with Turner ( chimta ). The underside should have a few brown spots.( pic – 6 ) </li>
<li>Turn it over and cook another 45 seconds to 1 minute. Baste the top (cooked surface) with oil . ( pic – 7 ) </li>
<li>Turn it over, cook the basted surface another 45 seconds to 1 minute. Baste the top (cooked surface) with oil . </li>
<li>Repeat the same process with the rest of the dough balls. <br />
</li>
<li>Aloo kay parathas are ready ( pic – 8 ) . Serve with dips of your choice and enjoy . </li>
</ol><b>Notes :</b><br />
<ul><li>Heating tawa is very important for making good parathas.If it is under heated , the dough will stick to it and in case of over heated tawa the dough will burnt without being cooked thoroughly .To avoid this I usually put a test bread on the Tawa. If the bread sticks to griddle, you need to increase heat. If the bread gets brown spots too quick, it is too hot. It should develop brown spots on the underside in about 30 - 40 seconds. </li>
<li>You can use any stuffing you like ( minced meat , vegetables , daal or even leftover curries ). </li>
<li>A glass of cold drink or lassi will make the parathas more tastier. </li>
</ul><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4182583220/" title="Alloy Kay parathay by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2720/4182583220_eeb8e0e88b_o.jpg" width="710" height="525" alt="Alloy Kay parathay" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-65914137550583873792009-12-02T18:14:00.014+03:002010-02-05T04:19:04.288+03:00Gajar Ka HalwaCome winter and the one thing that pops in mind is off course nothing else than the carrot halwa, one of the few desserts loved by all.Though gajar halwa is a winter favourite but i like to make it throughout the year ,served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream in summer and with a dollop of cream in the winter .I personally think that a sumptuous meal is always incomplete without desserts like kulfi,kheer and gajer halwa.My mother makes heavenly gajer ka halwa and i am sharing her recipe here .<br />
<br />
<b>What you will need :</b><br />
<ol><li>Carrots : 2 kg ( peel and cut top and bottoms off ) </li>
<li>Evaporated milk ( Rainbow ) : 2 cans </li>
<li>Sugar : 3 cups ( or up to taste) </li>
<li>Milk powder : 6 cups </li>
<li>unsweetened khoya : 1 cup </li>
<li>oil : 2 cups </li>
<li>kewra Essence : 2 drops ( omit if you don't like the smell) </li>
<li>pistachio and almonds : 5 tbsp each ( chopped ) </li>
</ol><b>How to :</b><br />
<ul><li>Grate the peeled carrots.Put the grated carrots and evaporated milk in a nonstick pan and let cook on gentle heat till the milk evaporates and the carrots become soft and mushy. </li>
<li>Add in the sugar, milk powder , kewra essence and oil and cook stirring constantly till the oil oozes out and the halwa starts to leave the side of the pan and no longer sticky. </li>
<li>Now add the unsweetened khoya chunks and mix gently . </li>
<li>Let the halwa cook on a very slow flame for about 10 minutes. </li>
<li>Mix in the chopped nuts . </li>
<li>Serve warm or cold. </li>
</ul><b>Notes :</b><br />
<ol><li>For the smoothest and melt in the mouth halwa , the secret is continuous stirring. </li>
<li>The halwa is best eaten fresh but because of high sugar and fat it freezes well too. You can freeze it up to a month . when needed defrost for an hour on counter top and then heat thoroughly in microwave before serving. </li>
<li>You can omit unsweetened khoya if you don’t have it , but it gives a nice grainy or crunchy taste against the smoothness of the halwa.</li>
<li>Use bright red Pakistani carrots that gives the halwa its unique jeweled colour. </li>
</ol><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4182559320/" title="Gajer Hlaw by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2558/4182559320_cd77846ed6_o.jpg" width="710" height="525" alt="Gajer Hlaw" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-4034880274635369722009-09-16T09:15:00.005+03:002010-11-06T00:14:04.926+03:00Fried Onions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/5149018665/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Fried Onions by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="Fried Onions" height="480" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/5149018665_afa3b5f811.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
cooking is an art … but when it comes to fried onions …. its a super art !!! You may have read or heard of frying onions till they are golden brown …. sounds easy ..beware its not .. i my self “perfected” this after burning and ruining lots of onions and countless failed attempts.. now that i know how to perfectly brown the onions i thought i should share this with all of the confused souls out like me … so here it goes:<br />
<ul><li>Take 2 - 3 kilograms of onions ( onions tend to loose a lot of water and shrink while frying and since its very time consuming process..i prefer to fry a big batch and recommend you to do so). </li>
<li>peel the onions and and slice them ,now slicing the onions especially for frying is another art.The rule for for crisp fried onions is…. “ the thinner , the better “ but the secret is consistency ..whatever thickness or should i say thinness you prefer ..all of the sliced onions should be of the same thinness or thickness .... The reason is that when you fry the onions the thin ones will fry and get burnt while the thick ones will be still raw and pale white .. and that's believe me a culinary disaster ….so make sure the sliced onions are wafer thin and of the same size ..you can achieve this by using slicer or any appliance that could do the slicing. </li>
<li>Now that the slicing has been done its time to fry the onions ..Take a large nonstick pan or any heavy bottom pan and add oil ( be generous with the oil , for crisp fried onions .. the onions should be fully submerged in oil) </li>
<li>Heat the oil and add all the onions at once … keep stirring and fry them on high heat till they turn translucent and soft. </li>
<li>Now reduce flame to low and continue frying them till they start to get a very pleasant reddish brown color or famously known as golden brown.Watch the onions like a hawk at this point and keep stirring all the time since they tend to burn or over fried very easily..and that would ruin whatever dish you are planning to make… </li>
<li>Take out the fried onions with a slotted spoon from the oil , spread them on a paper towel and let them cool . </li>
<li>Congratulations … You have mastered the fine art of frying the onions .. <br />
</li>
</ul><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Notes : </b></span><br />
<ul><li>These fried onions can be used for biryani , qourma, mirchi ka salaan or wherever you need the crisp brown onions. </li>
<li>Since most of the salaans or curries require fried onion paste .. you can wet grind these fried onions to a paste . i usually freeze the grounded paste into cubes and use accordingly. </li>
<li>You can also freeze the whole fried onions as it is in zip lock bags and use it to garnish daal, haleem , biryani etc . for that just defrost the frozen fried onions for about 20 minutes or so. </li>
<li>Ladies again whenever you decide to fry onions .. fry them in a large quantity and freeze them .. believe me it will make cooking your favorite dish a breeze without compromising the taste. </li>
<li>Since the fried onions leave a brownish residue in the oil … filter the oil and use it as you normally do for everyday cooking .. its even better because this oil will add a nice aroma to your curry that comes from onions being fried in it. </li>
</ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-73658847042535894072009-09-01T04:40:00.009+03:002009-12-04T00:26:41.041+03:00Khajour ka Halwa<div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">This halwa is my Abbo Jee’s favorite because it combines two of his fav snacks : bhunay chanay and dates .</span><br />
</div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">The art of making a smooth halwa is not a secret ,so for the smoothest halwa all you need is just“ Elbow Power”.Continuous stirring while cooking the halwa results in the silky texture that melts in your mouth .Apart from the almost killing stirring making halwa is a breeze.so the word of caution : do not try this at home unless you have extra arms to assist in stirring </span><br />
</div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">This date halwa is very delicious and tasty so enjoy one or two squares at time unless you need extra energy ( which by the way you will be after stirring and stirring for hours )…. </span><br />
</div><b>what you need :</b><br />
<ul><li>Dates : 500 grams ( weigh after pitting them) </li>
<li>Milk ( fresh ) : one cup </li>
<li>Kewra Essence : 2 – 3 drops (optional) </li>
<li>Cardamom Powder : 1/2 teaspoon </li>
<li>Gram flour ( baysen ) : 2.5 cups </li>
<li>Sugar : 1/2 cup (optional) </li>
<li>Oil : 3/4 - 1 cup </li>
<li>Walnuts : 6 tbsp (chopped) </li>
<li>Almonds : 6 tbsp (chopped) </li>
<li>Pistachio : 6 tbsp (chopped) </li>
</ul><b>How to do it :</b><br />
<ol><li>Add kewra essence and cardamom powder in the milk. </li>
<li>Warm milk in a nonstick pan . to this add the pitted dates and cook till it becomes soft and mushy. </li>
<li>Let this cool a bit and then blend it to a smooth paste and keep aside. </li>
<li>In another nonstick pan , heat the oil . </li>
<li>Add baysen and roast stirring continuously till baysen turns light brown and gives of a nutty aroma. </li>
<li>To this roasted baysen add the blended dates paste and cook on medium flame for five minutes . Sugar test at this stage , add half cup sugar now if its not sweet enough for you. </li>
<li>Turn the heat to low and cook the halwa continuously stirring till it starts to leave the sides of the pan , no longer sticky and you can see the oil oozing out of it. </li>
<li>Add in half of the chopped dry fruits now and mix well. </li>
<li>Turn off the heat .. stir few times to let the steam escape. </li>
<li>Transfer the halwa to a lightly greased mould of your choice ( preferably a stainless steel thali ).Smooth it out with the back of a spoon . </li>
<li>Let it stand for ten minutes then cut out the diamonds .Sprinkle the rest of the chopped nuts on them. </li>
<li>Serve at room temperature or cold with a generous dollop of cream. </li>
<li>Enjoy. </li>
</ol><b>Notes :</b><br />
<ul><li>You can use vanilla essence instead of Kewra. </li>
<li>Use whole cardamom instead of powdered if you don't like the taste. </li>
<li>Use 2 cans of Rainbow milk instead of fresh milk for more richer taste. </li>
<li>Do not let the halwa unattended even for a minute .. it burns pretty fast. </li>
<li>As i have said earlier for the smoothest halwa ..do not stop stirring for a second because you don't want to end up with burnt halwa. </li>
</ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-56161072516784349342009-08-23T04:25:00.033+03:002010-02-05T04:20:06.113+03:00Baigan Ka Bharta<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4181816925/" title="14 by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2492/4181816925_82b06e5378_o.jpg" width="710" height="525" alt="14" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">What you will need:</span> <br />
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Brinjal : 500 grams ( half kg ) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">onions : 2 medium ( chopped finely ) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Tomato : 250 grams ( chopped finely) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Red Chili powder : 1 tsp ( or up to taste ) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Salt : 1 tsp ( or up to taste ) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Tamarind pulp : 1 tbsp ( or up to taste ) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Ginger + garlic paste : 1 tbsp </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Green Bell pepper : 1 ( diced ) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Spring Onions : 1/2 cup ( chopped finely ) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Oil : 1/2 cup </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Green Coriander : 2 tbsp ( chopped finely )</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span></li>
</ul><div style="font-weight: bold;">How to do it :<br />
</div><ol><li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Wash brinjals and fire roast them directly until they are slightly charred and become soft and mushy. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Remove the skin and stem of brinjals .. and mash the pulp..keep aside. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Heat oil add onions and fry till light golden brown. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Add ginger garlic paste and fry a little.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Add tomatoes along with all the spices.Let it cook until almost all the water evaporates . </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Now add brinjal and tamarind pulp and let it cook till oil starts to ooze out. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Add spring onion and green pepper at this point. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Close the lid and let it cook on slow flame till the pepper gets tender. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Check seasonings , sprinkle with green coriander and serve with hot Nan or chapatti. </span></li>
</ol><div style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Notes :</span><br />
</div><ul><li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Fire roasting will impart the BBQ flavor which makes this bharta extra tasty. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Instead of tamarind pulp you can add lemon juice . </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">To make the dish more colorful and appealing you can use red or yellow bell pepper instead of green. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Butter Nan or chapatti for more taste. </span></li>
</ul><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4182585138/" title="Baigan Bharta -2 by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2618/4182585138_b3a71db7fc_o.jpg" width="710" height="525" alt="Baigan Bharta -2" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-83648144760509086232009-08-07T00:28:00.022+03:002010-02-05T04:21:03.816+03:00Chicken Shami Kabab<i>This recipe is given to my by friend Jamila Javaid .This is her mother’s recipe. I tasted these Kababs first time at her home.They were really good. I asked for the recipe and Jamila was kind enough to pass me the recipe.Thank You Jamila.. :) </i><br />
<i>These kababs are great as a snack on their own with chutney or dips of your choice. They also taste super good in a burger.Make the burger with all the other must have stuff ( mayo,lettuce,cucumber,tomato,cheese,onions and pickles) but replace the regular burger Pattie with this Shami tikkya. One extra yummy Desi burger is ready .Serve with chilled Pepsi,Tangy raita and crispy French fries…<br />
<br />
</i><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4181815575/" title="11 by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="11" height="525" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2611/4181815575_5e6c1f6e41_o.jpg" width="710" /></a><br />
<i><b><i><u>What you will need:</u></i></b></i><br />
<br />
<i> </i><br />
<ul><i> </i>
<li><i><i>Chicken : One 1200 gm ( skinned and cut into curry pieces)</i> </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i><i>Chana Daal : 1 cup – 250 gms ( wash the daal and soak it in sweet water for 3 hours)</i> </i></li>
<i> </i></ul><i> </i><br />
<i><b><i>A – Kabab Masala :</i></b></i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<ul><i> </i>
<li><i><i>Onion : 2 medium ( peeled and quartered)</i> </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i><i>Garlic : 5 – 7 bulbs ( peeled)</i> </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i><i>Ginger : 2 inch piece ( peeled and quartered)</i> </i></li>
<i> </i></ul><i> </i><br />
<i><i>(Put these three ingredients in a blender and blend into a smooth paste.)</i></i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<ul><i> </i>
<li><i><i>Red Chilies ( whole) : 5 </i></i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i><i>Black Peppers ( whole) : ½ tsp</i> </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i><i>Clove ( whole) : ½ tsp</i> </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i><i>Cardamom black : 2 pieces</i> </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i><i>Cinnamon ( whole) : 2 small sticks</i> </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i><i>Salt : 2 tsp ( or up to taste)</i> </i></li>
<i> </i></ul><i> </i><br />
<i><b><i>B – Hara Masala :</i></b></i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<ul><i> </i>
<li><i><i>Fresh Cilantro : 1 bunch</i> </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i><i>Fresh Mint : 1 bunch</i> </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i><i>Green chilies : 8 ( up to taste)</i> </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i><i>Onions : 3 medium ( peeled and quartered)</i> </i></li>
<i> </i></ul><i> </i><br />
<i><i>Put all the above in the chopper and chop finely. Keep aside.</i></i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<i><b><i>C – Taste Enhancers:</i></b></i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<ul><i> </i>
<li><i><i>Coriander powder : ½ tsp</i> </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i><i>Cardamom powder : ½ tsp</i> </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i><i>Garam Masala : 1 tsp</i> </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i><i>Tamarind pulp : 1 ½ tbsp ( you can use lemon juice too …up to taste)</i> </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i><i>Egg : 1 ( well beaten)</i> </i></li>
<i> </i></ul><i> </i><br />
<i><b><i><u>How you will make it:</u></i></b></i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<ol><i> </i>
<li><i>Put the Chicken and soaked Chana daal (with water it was soaked in) in a pan. </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i>Add all the ingredients of <u>Kabab Masala – A</u> into it. </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i>Add about 2 cups of sweet water into it and boil gently on a medium heat until the water evaporates. By this time the chicken and daal will be tender to form a mushy paste. If not then add ½ cup of water again and cook till both are done. </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i>Let the mixture cool enough to handle. Discard the whole Masala and debone the chicken. </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i>Grind this mixture into a smooth paste. </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i>Add <u>Hara Masala – B</u> into it and mix. </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i>Now add the <u>Taste Enhancers – C</u> and mix with your hands. </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i>Shape into Shami Tikkyas and Freeze them. </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i>When you want to fry them, take out from the freezer, dip in well beaten egg and shallow fry on medium heat till cooked through. </i></li>
<i> </i>
<li><i>Serve with dips of your choice. Enjoy. </i></li>
<i> </i></ol><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4182581934/" title="9 by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img alt="9" height="525" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2559/4182581934_cde9c3c79e_o.jpg" width="710" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-21692017757795280392009-07-22T18:55:00.009+03:002009-08-31T12:38:45.837+03:00Semolina Cake<p>This cake is kind of a cross between the famous <u>Arabic Baboosa</u> and the humble <u>Soojee Halwa</u>…..Since this is the baked version …I personally prefer this one instead of basboosa and soojee halwa as its more healthy and figure friendly :)</p> <p> </p> <h2></h2> <p><strong>What you will need:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Eggs : 4</li><li>oil : 1 cup</li><li>sugar : 1 cup</li><li>vanilla essence : 1 tsp</li><li>Nestle cream ( original ) : 2 tins</li><li>Coconut Powder : 1 cup</li><li>Semolina ( soojee ) : 1 cup</li><li>Milk Powder : 1 cup</li><li>Baking powder : 2 tsp</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">How to do it :</span><br /><br /><ol><li>Beat oil and eggs together,now add sugar and cream and beat till smooth.lastly add 1 tsp vanilla essence and blend in.</li><li>To this smooth mixture add coconut powder , soojee , milk powder and baking powder one after another.</li><li>Whisk in all these till you get a smooth and creamy mixture.</li><li>Pour this into a baking pan and bake for about 35 - 40 minutes on 180 centigrade or till set.</li><li>Take out from the oven ...let it cool for about 15 minutes.</li><li>Take out from the pan.Cut diamonds and sprinkle almonds and pistachio.<br /></li><li>Serve warm or chilled..tastes equally good either way.<br /></li></ol><span style="font-weight: bold;">Notes:</span><br /><ul><li>You can use kewra essence instead of vanilla to give more authentic paki flavor.</li><li>Instead of baking pan u can bake this in aluminum foil tins available in the market for ease of use.</li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657186230188895901.post-35361948406639987912009-07-10T22:03:00.017+03:002010-02-05T04:22:09.558+03:00Hari ( green ) Chatnee<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4182580692/" title="7 by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2653/4182580692_71442f8d6b_o.jpg" width="710" height="525" alt="7" /></a><br />
<br />
<ul><li>Fresh Cilantro : 1 bunch<br />
</li>
<li>Fresh Mint : 1 bunch</li>
<li>Green Chillies : 5 ( up to taste )</li>
<li>Tomato : 2 medium ( quartered )</li>
<li>Tamarind Juice : 2 tablespoon ( up to taste )</li>
<li>Salt : 1 teaspoon ( up to taste )</li>
</ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">How to do it :</span><br />
<ol><li>Clean and wash the cilantro.<br />
</li>
<li>Pick the mint leaves.<br />
</li>
<li>Remove stems from the chillies..<br />
</li>
<li>Put all the above ingredients in the blender and blend to a smooth mixture.</li>
<li>Adjust seasoning.</li>
<li>The green chatnee is ready.</li>
<li>Serve with snacks for extra tangy taste.</li>
</ol><span style="font-weight: bold;">Notes :</span><br />
<ul><li>This Chatnee will keep fresh for at least 5 days in the fridge, but since its super easy to make,i would suggest to make a small batch at a time because the fresh chatnee tastes quite mean :)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45555797@N06/4182576228/" title="10 by Rare Aromas, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2549/4182576228_0ab65544e0_o.jpg" width="710" height="525" alt="10" /></a><br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3