Zaiqa

Time flew away very fast and here I am, back in Toronto. Its good to be back home. My trip to India was filled with laughter, fun and frolic. I got to spend some very memorable moments along with my loved ones alhamdulillah whom I have been missing and yearning to meet since long. It took me a little while to get back to my routine, unpack and settle down, hence the reason for my disappearance from the blogosphere.

Crisp cool air and vibrant fall colors welcomed me as I landed here in Toronto. Since then, I had been craving something warm, comforting and that which will make me feel close to my Ammi yet again. Just a few days before I was leaving Hyderabad, Ammi had served a delicious Chawal ka Meetha. Ghee, saffron strands, reduced milk and dry fruits and nuts are the key ingredients that impart a unique flavor to this rice dessert. Oh, I had thoroughly enjoyed it, and I hope you all will also like this dainty rice dessert.

Chawal Ka Meetha – Sweet Rice

Ingredients:

Fragrant long grain Basmati rice – 1 1/2 cups
Ghee – 1 or 2 tbsp
Milk – 3 cups
Sugar – 1 cup
Saffron strands – 1 tsp
Mixed Dry fruits and Nuts: Coconut – cut into small pieces, or desiccated coconut; Almonds – slivered or roughly chopped; Cashew nuts; Raisins; Pine nuts; Chironji nuts; Pistachios- slivered or roughly chopped : 1/4 cup

Method:

1. Wash the rice in 2-3 changes of water. Drain thoroughly. In a saucepan, add surplus water and cook rice until it is 3/4th done. Drain and spread on a tray to cool.
2. Boil milk in a saucepan for 15 minutes until it has reduced slightly. Remove from heat and keep aside.
3. In an another saucepan, add sugar and saffron and pour in 1/2 cup water. Let it cook until the sugar has dissolved completely. Remove from heat and keep aside.
4. In a wide saucepan, add ghee and fry the dry fruits and nuts until they are golden brown. Pour in the sugar syrup and reduced milk. Add the partially cooked rice and mix gently. Let it cook on high heat for a few minutes. Once the water has been reduced, simmer, cover with a lid and let it cook until the rice is done.

Enjoy the meetha warm or chilled, depends on your fancy. I love it when served at room temperature or just slightly warm.

Luv,
Mona

My Ramadan this year in Hyderabad along with my parents and loved ones was indeed delightful alhamdulillah. I witnessed the typical Hyderabadi Ramadan fervor. By afternoon almost all restaurants would gear up to prepare the day’s Haleem. The pounding of this delectable dal and wheat mixture starts and by Iftaar time, the streets would be full of stalls set up selling all kinds of fresh fruits, to a range of freshly deep fried snacks and what not. By the night, all mosques would be filled with Allah ke banday coming from far and near to pray and beg Allah for mercy and blessings.

At an Iftaar party

Streets brimming with fruit vendors selling all sorts of fresh seasonal fruits

The Haleem fervor in Hyderabad during Ramadan

As promised, its time for me to present the roundup of all the entries sent for the Hyderabadi Ramadan Food Festival 2010~Season II.

This year, sadly non-bloggers have not come forward and participated in the event. My purpose of hosting these events on my blog is to be able to provide a platform for non-bloggers to share their recipes with the world. However my fellow food bloggers have sent some delicious contributions. Do go through them and try the delicacies.

1. Yasmeen, the healthnut of the food blogosphere has shared some healthy and hearty recipes for Ramadan:

A Wholesome Iftar Dinner : Vegetable Brown Rice Pulov, Baked chicken in Tandoori Masala and Almond Tropical Lassi

Water melon Spritzer

Barley Pomegranate Tabbouleh

Dal Soup

2. Anjum has shared with us all the amazing Hyderabadi delicacy, Pathar Ka gosht, where traditionally thin slices of meat are cooked on a heated slab of stone until perfection.

She has however shared with us her recipe where one can cook this delight in our own kitchens using the standard pressure cooker.

3. Muneeba contributed her favorite Hyderabadi dish, Tala Hua Gosht, which she says she has grown up eating.

4. Khaddy, a new blogger on the block has shared with us all the following Ramadan delicacies:

Dahi Vada

Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani

Fiery Tomato Chutney

5. Syeda has to to share with us her recipe for Shaami Kabab.

According to me Shaami Kabab is a necessity that almost every Hyderabadi woman prepares and stocks up before Ramadan commences.

6. Akheela made Beef pickle, a perfect accompaniment to tickle your taste buds at meals.

7. Jyothi, has contributed the following recipes which are perfect sides to meals both at Seher and Iftaar.

Keema Matar Curry

Mutton and Drumstick Curry

Palak and Chana Dal Curry

8. Tazaika has come forward with a bunch of some very enticing Ramadan savories:

Hawaiian Salad

Haleemy Soup

Chickpea Salad

Haleem

Sabudana Wada

Nargisi Kabab

9. Humaira tempts us with Tahari, a meat and tomato one dish meal which she says is simple to cook, filling and her childhood favorite.

Apart from these, you can also go through the last years roundup for a range of recipes that you can try out at Iftaar and Seher. You can go through the Recipe Index on my blog for more choices.

I thank all the participants for their contributions and If I have missed out any of the entries, please let me know.

Luv,
Mona

Wishing all my dear readers, a very blessed Eid-Ul-Fitr.

Cheers,
Mona

My Ammi gets a months stock of fresh chicken from a local farm nearby. So getting access to fresh chicken liver and gizzards is pretty easy, as the butchers here do not discard or remove and keep these organs to sell separately. Back in Toronto, I had to pre-order and buy organs separately always.

For all those of you who have tasted chicken liver and gizzards before, I am sure you will love this recipe. As for the first timers, I suggest you give this recipe a try, you will absolutely relish this spicy dish.

Murgh ki Kaleji – Spicy Sauteed Chicken Liver and Gizzard

Chicken liver and gizzard are rich in vitamins and iron. They are also high in cholesterol, as are most of the organ meats. Hence this is only a once in a while indulgence.

The following is my fathers recipe, I absolutely enjoy the dish when he prepares it.

Murgh ki Kaleji – Spicy Sauteed Chicken Liver and Gizzard

Ingredients:

Canola oil – 3 tbsp
Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
Salt – to taste
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Fresh Chicken Livers (called as Kaleji in Urdu language) – 6 Livers, washed and chopped into bite size pieces
Fresh Chicken Gizzards (called as Sangdana in Urdu language) – 6 Gizzards, washed and chopped into bite size pieces
For Garnish:
Slit fresh small green chillies
Finely chopped cilantro

Method:

In a pan at high heat, pour in 1 cup fresh cool water. Add oil, red chilli powder, salt, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste and the chopped livers and gizzards. Let it come to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Keep stirring frequently. Cook until the water dries up and oil starts to leave. Garnish and serve immediately along with warm parathas.

Ramadan has almost come to an end with less than a week to go.
What did you prepare for Iftaar today?
The Hyderabadi Ramadan Food Festival is on, so rush your entries to me as soon as possible.
To go through more details about the event, click here.

Contest:
Here a chance to win a Williams Sonoma Gift Card. From August 14 for a month, Food Network Canada would like to share the love with fellow foodies and cooking enthusiasts by giving you all a chance to win a $250 William Sonoma Gift Card or 1 of 4 prize packages from foodnetwork.ca
Here’s the link to the contest. Try your luck!
All the best.

Luv,
Mona

One green leafy vegetable that I missed dearly once I had to leave Hyderabad was Ambaday ki bhaji (in Urdu Language) or Hibiscus Cannabinus, also called as Gongura in Telugu. This sour tasting red stemmed leafy vegetable is an Andhra specialty.

Ambaday ki bhaji

Brimming with good nutrients these leaves are good for health. Rich in protein and low in calories, Kenaf leaves have anti bacterial properties and are abundant in iron, calcium, phosphorus, lutein and Vitamin C. The tender leaves can also be used as salad greens.

The leaves are plucked washed and used in cooking, stems discarded. Pairing it along with dal in the current recipe helps reduce the sour taste of these leaves.

Ambada Dal – Sour greens with Bengal Gram
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Ambaday ki bhaji/Fresh Kenaf leaves – about 4 cups, tightly packed
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tspGreen chillies – 3, chopped
Salt – to taste
Fresh curry leaves – 2 sprigs
Chana dal – 1 cup
For Baghaar:
Canola oil – 2 1/2 tbsp
Dried red chillies – 2
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Fresh Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Garlic pods – 2, finely sliced

Ambada Dal – Sour greens with Bengal Gram

Method:

1. Wash and soak the dal in surplus fresh cool water for 4-6 hours. Drain and rinse the dal. Now pressure cook the dal in a little water until soft but not mushy. Transfer the cooked dal to a bowl and keep aside.
2. In the same pressure cooker, add the kenaf leaves, red chilli powder, green chillies, turmeric  powder, salt, curry leaves and just a little bit of water. Pressure cook until the leaves are wilted and then using a dal ghotni or in a mortar and pestle, mash them up thoroughly. Add half the amount of the cooked chana dal and mash it along until smooth. Now add the remaining dal and gently mix. Transfer to a serving bowl.
3. In a small frying pan, prepare the baghaar. Add oil and as soon as it warms up, throw in sliced garlic pods. As soon as it begins to turn into a light red color, add curry leaves, cumin seeds and dried red chillies. Once the spices pop, remove from heat and pour it hot and hissing over the above prepared ambada dal in the serving bowl. Enjoy as a side dish along with meals.

Finally I have been able to spot out two stores that sell this green leafy vegetable in Toronto. Here are the addresses of the stores:
Patel’s Cash and Carry – 416-439-9393
Rexdale grocery store – 416-749-2060
Normally Ambaday ki bhaji or Gongura is available during the months of July to October in Toronto. But they can get it from India and other parts of US.
If you are aware of any more stores that sell it, please let me know.

Luv,
Mona