Zaiqa

Baghara Khana (or Baghara Chawal), is an another simple and nourishing dish that reminds me of that happier era, when I was a kid. Food that reminds me of my childhood and my hometown definitely makes me immensely nostalgic every time.

Baghara Khana along with Aloo Gobi Matar ~ was my yesterday’s lunch

Fragrant long grained basmati rice is cooked along with caramelized onion and exotic whole spices that give a delicate flavor and a wonderful aroma that will fill your house, and welcome your loved ones with open arms and a sense of home where warmth and comfort abounds. Always serve Baghara khana warm, along with the accompaniments of your choice.

To prepare Baghara Khana, use rice and water in the ratio of 1:2, i.e., for 1 cup rice, use two cups of water. Save a little amount of the water to add later on after the rice is about 3/4th cooked as described below.

Baghara Chawal/Khana
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Long grained White Basmati Rice – 1 cup (I prefer the brands ‘Daawat’ or ‘India Gate’ or ‘Lal Qila’)
Canola Oil – 1 tsp
Ghee – 2 tsp
Onion – 1, small, finely sliced
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tsp
Fresh Cilantro/Kothmir – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Fresh Mint/Pudina – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Green cardamom/Elaichi – 2
Cinnamon/Dalchini – 2 inch stick
Dry bay leaf – 1, medium sized
Caraway seeds/Shahzeera – 1/2 tsp
Water – 2 cups
Salt – 1 tsp

Method:

1. Wash the rice in two changes of water and soak it in surplus cool water for 30 minutes.
2. In a saucepan at medium high heat, pour oil and ghee and as soon as it warms up, add the sliced onion and stir fry until the onion is nicely browned up. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry it along for a minute. Add the chopped herbs, green cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and caraway seeds. Fry them for a minute more. Add 1 2/3 cup of water and salt. Cover with a lid and increase the heat to high. Let it come to a boil.
3. Meanwhile drain the soaked rice and keep ready.
4. Add the drained rice to the boiling water in saucepan and mix well. Let it come to a boil once. Lower the heat to simmer and cover with a lid. After 3 minutes using a spoon, mix the rice well, lower the heat to minimum and and cover it back again and let cook for a furthur 3 minutes. Open the lid, pour in the remaining 1/3 cup water and gently mix well. Cover and let cook until the rice is tender. Close the heat and leave the saucepan on the hot stove for about 15 more minutes to finish cooking on Dum. Serve warm.

My house smells like a potpourri every time after I prepare Baghare Chawal due to all those aromatic spices.

Note: You can also add chopped green chillies and a few whole cloves along with the other spices while frying the onions. I do not prefer to add them. Also for a special touch, garnish the cooked rice while serving with a few toasted whole cashew nuts.

Suggested Accompaniments: Baghara khana is enjoyed along with Dalcha or Baghare baingan or Mirchi ka Salan or Sem ki phalli gosht or Qimah or Qorma for a delicious Hyderabadi meal.

***

This Summer, I had planted a few tomato seeds (first time with tomatoes) and voila, I had plenty of fresh tomatoes from my lil tomato garden in the backyard. Here are a few snaps:

Tomato Variety: Moneymaker

tomato budss under the warm early spring sunshine

tiny tomatoes and blooms in early summer

after a shower
I love the fuzzy stems and the unique strong scent of tomato foliage

on a warm sunny evening

ripening on the vine

For the curry below I had used the garden ripe tomatoes from my plants. With the commenced autumn chill in the air, I do not think the plants will live much longer. To freeze tomatoes, just cut out the tough part of the core, put the whole tomatoes on a baking sheet and into the freezer. After they’ve frozen, transfer them to a plastic zipper bag and put them back into the freezer. When you want to use them, you can easily peel them if you allow them to thaw until they’re just barely soft on the outside. Then just rub off the skins. Or you can run warm tap water over them and peel them immediately. Use them in recipes for any cooked dish. Inshallah the next season, I plan/wish to grow the heirloom ribbed or beefsteak tomatoes and even more veggies. Have a look at the beautiful heirloom tomatoes here, I am sure even you all will be smitten by their beauty. Need to stock up the seeds soon for the gardening season.
For those of you interested, this book has loads of information on heirloom tomatoes and how to plant them.

Aloo Gobi Matar – Potato Cauliflower and Peas in one pot

Ingredients:

Canola Oil – 1 1/2 tbsp
Onion – 1, large, finely sliced
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Fresh Curry leaves – 6
Dry red chillies – 3, each broken into two
Salt – 2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Cauliflower – 1 medium head, cut into florets, washed and drained
White Potatoes – 3, peeled and cut into quarters
Tomatoes – 2, medium sized, chopped
Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
Frozen organic peas/Matar – 3/4 cup
Fresh Cilantro – 2 tbsp, finely chopped

Aloo Gobi Matar along with toasted Afghani Roti, and home-made Lemon pickle ~ todays lunch

Method:

Heat oil in a wide saucepan at medium high heat and as soon as it is warm, pour in oil. Add the sliced onion and stir fry until the onion are just lightly browned. Add the baghaar ingredients~cumin seeds, curry leaves and dry red chillies. Also add salt and turmeric powder. Mix well. Add the cauliflower florets and potato quarters and mix well. Spread the vegetables so that they are in a single layer in the pan. Sear the vegetables for about two minutes. Keep stirring them occasionally. Add the chopped tomatoes, half cup of warm water and red chilli powder. Mix well and cover the lid. Let cook until the vegetables are tender and have absorbed most of the liquid. Keep stirring occasionally. Add the frozen peas and cover the lid for 2 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve warm.

‘Aloo Gobi Matar – Potato, Cauliflower and Peas’ in one pot goes to Andera’s Grow Your Own event.

Luv,
Mona

The first Ashra of Ramadan has passed away الحمد لله. May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) accept all our dua’s inshallah. Todays dinner after our 14th roza features Ivy Gourd curry, Khatti dal and Dum ka Murgh along with Afghani Roti and Khushka.

Ivy Gourd~(Coccinia indica, C. grandis) (other names in various languages-Scarlet fruited gourd, Little gourd, Donda, Kandori, Tindora, Gherkin, Kova, etc) is an Indian vegetable, grown on aggresively climbing vines, and a very good source of Calcium, Fibre and Iron.

Fortunately this vegetable is available here at my place at most of the Indian stores, priced a bit higher though, but nonetheless and I am very happy for that reason. This humble vegetabe is one of my favorites and it makes its presence on my dinner table whenever its cravings defeat me.

Ivy Gourd – chopped and whole

Ivy Gourds in dry tomato-onion gravy

Ingredients:

Ivy Gourd – 2 pounds, topped, tailed, and chopped as shown
Onion – 1, large, finely sliced
Tomato – 2. medium sized, finely chopped
Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
Salt – to taste
Canola oil – 1 tbsp

Ivy gourd curry served along with Flat bread~Paratha

Method:

Heat oil in a pressure cooker at medium high heat. As soon as it warms up, add onion and stir fry until soft. Add chopped tomato, red chilli powder and salt. Also add in the chopped Ivy gourd and 1 cup water, and pressure cook for 10 minutes, until the Ivy Gourd is soft. Let cook uncovered until most of the moisture has been evaporated. Keep stirring occassionally and gently. Serve along with Parathas .

***

Dum ka Murgh – Slow cooked Chicken in Aromatic sauce

Ingredients:

Chicken, with bone – 1.3 kg, cut into pieces
Yogurt – 1/2 cup
Almonds, ground – 1/4 cup
Garam masala powder – 2 tsp
Saffron strands, lightly crushed – 1/4 tsp
Onion – 4, large, finely chopped
Tomato puree – 2 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp
Red chili powder – 1 tbsp
Salt – 2 tsp
Lemon juice – 4 tbsp
Cilantro – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Mint leaves -1 tbsp, finely chopped
Ghee – 1/3 cup
Cinnamon stick – 1 inch stick
Cloves – 2
Green Cardamom – 2
Black Peppercorns – 4
Bay leaf – 1, dried

Dum ka Murgh

Method:

1. In a frying pan at medium high heat, pour ghee and as soon as it warms up add the sliced onions. Fry them stirring it frequently until golden brown in color. Remove the fried onions using a slotted spoon onto a paper towel lined platter. Reserve the leftover ghee.
2. In a mixing bowl, add yogurt, almond paste, garam masala, saffron, salt, fried onions, ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder, lemon juice, tomato puree and cilantro and mint leaves to the chicken. Mix it all well. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let the chicken marinate in the aromatic paste for about 2 hours in the refrigerator.
3. Take the mixing bowl out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. In a large saucepan at medium high heat, pour the leftover ghee and as soon as it warms up add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, bay leaf, peppercorns and cloves. Saute for a few seconds and add the chicken mixture into it. Spread the chicken in a single layer and mix well. Cover the lid and cook on simmer for 20 minutes. Later, gently give a good stir and again cover and let cook for a further 15 minutes until oil leaves. Garnish with fried onions and serve with sliced onion rings and lemon wedges.

Suggested Accompaniments: Afghani Roti/Naan/Parathas or Plain Rice and Khatti Dal.

Luv,
Mona

Simple dals like the old-time Tamatar Dal always reminds of home, my childhood and comforts a vexed being. Thin soup like consistency of pureed flavored dals with a delicious tempering of spices is a staple in my house, used to wet rice and enjoyed along with a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian dry dish on the side.

Indian tomatoes are naturally sour unlike the tomatoes available here, that are slightly sweetish in taste. The sourness of the tomatoes imparts a delicious flavor to the dal.

A baghaar of aromatic healing spices in a little amount of ghee adds a delightful flavor to the dal. You could also use vegetable or canola oil instead.

Tamatar Dal – Tomato Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

Tuvar Dal/Yellow lentils – 1 cup
Water
Large Red Tomato – 4, roughly chopped
Small Green chillies – 4, finely chopped
Red Chilli powder – 2 tsp
Salt
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Ghee – 2 tsp
Curry leaves – 10 fresh leaves
Cilantro/Kothmir – 3 tbsp, finely chopped
Mint – 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds/Zeera – 1 tbsp
Dried Red chillies- 3
Garlic pods/Lahsun – 2, each sliced into two if the pods are very large

Tamatar ki Dal

Method:

1. Wash and drain the dal. Add the drained dal in a saucepan and pour in about three cups of water. Add 1 tsp salt, green chillies, chopped tomatoes and bring it a boil. Lower the heat to medium, half cover the lid and let cook until the dal is soft and mushy. Add more water if needed.
2. At this stage, you can pour the dal contents into a blender and blend until pureed. This is entirely optional, only if you prefer a smooth consistency. Or you can just mash up the cooked dal using a ‘Dal Ghotni’. Pour it back into the same saucepan, and add red chilli powder, 2 tsp salt and turmeric. Mix well and add 2 glasses of water. Let cook on medium heat uncovered for 10-15 minutes, until you achieve a just slightly thick soup like consistency. Remove from heat. Add chopped cilantro and mint leaves.
3. Pour ghee into a pan at medium high heat. As soon as it gets warm, add the garlic pods, stir fry until the garlic pods are lightly reddish brown in color. Quickly mix in cumin seeds, dried red chillies and curry leaves. Remove the pan from heat. This is the baghaar or the tempering. Add the contents of the pan into the dal and mix well. Serve.

Suggested Accompaniments: Khushka and any vegetarian or non-vegetarian dish.

This delicious dal is my entry to the event ‘Delicious Dals from India’ being hosted by Suma at her blog Veggie Platter.

Luv,
Mona

Karela~Bittergourd, a not very favorite vegetable of kids as well as most adults, is full of medicinal properties. People, who have a liking and an acquired taste for bittergourd are doing themselves a great favor. Its peel, seeds and flesh, every part of this vegetable is laden with health benefits. This vegetable has remedial properties for illnesses such as Diabetes, Asthama, Hypertension, GI disorders, Urinary disorders, HIV/AIDS, and many other ailments by lowering blood sugar levels, helping the liver function better, and has a wonderful healing effect on blood. The smaller the size of the vegatable, the more nutritous it is.

Bittergourd ~ Karela

Fortunately, my family enjoys bittergourd, and I am always delighted to get this humble vegetable home whenever they appear in the market here. Today I prepared these two dishes for our meal and we all enjoyed it.

Usually, I shallow fry bittergourd chips, but today I tried them in a healthier way, Indira inspired, and they were perfectly good.

Bitter-Gourd/Karela Chips

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd/Karela – 2, medium sized, yound and tender
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Ghee – 1 tsp

Bittergourd cut into thin chips

Bittergourd chips

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°C.
2.Wash the bittergourd well in several changes of water. Pat dry with paper towel.
3. Using a mandoline or hand slicer, slice the bittergourd into thin chips. There is no need to peel the skin.
4. In a mixing bowl, add the bittergourd and the rest of the ingredients. Gently toss the bowl to mix well.
5. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil. Place the raw bittrgourd chips in a single layer on the baking sheet and place it in the middle rack in the preheated oven for 10 mins at 350°C. Later, turn the setting on broil for 3-5 minutes. Keep a close eye, and remove the baking sheet as soon as the chips are done. Serve immediately.

Suggested Accompaniments: Bittergourd chips can be enjoyed on the side along with any of your meals.

***

I love to cook Bittergourd along with Qimah. Bittergourd when cooked with minced meat brings out the flavor of the meat and and in turn its bitterness is amazingly neutralized by it.

Qimah bhare Karelay – Bitter-Gourd stuffed with Minced meat

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd – 4, medium sized, young and tender
Canola oil – 2 tbsp
Yellow Onion – 1, medium sized
Ginger-garlic paste – 2 tsp
Minced lamb/Sheep/Veal meat~Qaaeema – 1 pound
Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
Salt – to taste
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Roasted Cumin seed powder – 1/2 tsp
Roasted Coriander seed powder – 1 tsp
Coconut cream – 1 tbsp
Canned Tomato paste – 3 tbsp
Tamarind concentrate – 1 tbsp
Chopped cilantro and mint – to garnish

Bittergourd, lightly scraped, stuffed and tied close with twine

Method:

1. Wash and pat dry the bittergourd. Lightly scrape the skin using a knife (I scraped it for even searing). Cut off just the tips of the bittergourd with your kitchen shears.
2. With the tip of a knife, carefully open the bitter gourd to form into a boat shape, and remove the seeds from inside without tearing/damaging the bittergourd. Chop the bittergourd seeds roughly and keep the seeds and bittergourd aside in individual bowls.
3. In a pan at medium high heat, pour 1 tbsp oil and as soon as it warms up, add sliced onions and stir fry until golden brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and stir fry for a few seconds. Add the washed minced meat. Mix well and add the red chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Let cook uncovered until the meat is browned and the moisture has dried up. Keep stirring the meat every once in a while. Remove from heat once done.
4. Stuff the bittergourd with the prepared Qimaha and tie to close the bittergourds using a kitchen twine.
5. In a pan at medum high heat, pour remaining oil and as soon as it warms up, add the stuffed tied bittergourd. Stir fry them until lightly seared on all sides. Remove the bittergourds into a platter using a strainer and keep aside.
6. Add the left over prepared qimah into the same pan, and add the chopped bittergourd seeds, cumin and coriander powders, tomato paste, coconut cream and tamarind concentrate. Mix well and pour in 1 1/2 cup water. Close the lid and let it come to a boil. Lower the meat to medium and add the stuffed bittergourd. Close the lid and let cook for 10 minutes. Later, gently give a good stir and again close the lid and let cook for 10 minutes, until the qimah is fairly dry and the bittergourd is well cooked.
7. To serve, discard the kitchen twine and cut each bittergourd into two using a knife. Garnish with chopped cilantro and mint and serve immediately.

Qimah bhare Karelay – Bitter-Gourd stuffed with Minced meat

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy Qimah bhare Karelay along with Khatti dal and a dry vegetable curry on the side for a delicious meal.

Luv,
Mona

I was missing home, my Ammi’s hand made food, dearly.

Ammi makes the best Kheer-Poori in this whole world. When I was near her, with her, I never really realised the importance of her nearness, her closeness, her presence in my daily life. Now that I am so far away, I miss her and her embrace. Ammi, I miss you! But I am thankfull to my Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) that todays technology allows me to call and speak to her anytime I wish alhamdulillah. May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) bless everybody’s parents with the best of health and give them the ajr, Ameen.

Kheer-Puri is a combinatin that most poeple from India and Pakistan must be familiar with. A combination that can make any person living away from his or her hometown nostalgic and bring back a rush of good old memories, just like it happened to me.

Today I am sharing with you all the recipe for Puran Poori and Chobay ke Poori, which are similar to the stuffed sweet pastries, empanadas.
Puran is a paste made of mashed Chana dal cooked in ghee, sugar and nuts. The same paste can also be used to prepare flat diamond shaped Laoz, and it is also used as a stuffing in flat bread to prepare Mitthi Roti. Today I am using Puran to prepare Puran Poori, which are stuffed pastries, similar to empanadas, but with a sweet stuffing.
Similarly, I stuff the pastries with an another sweet stuffing, called as Choba, or a mixture of shredded coconut, dry fruits and nuts and some sugar.

Chobay ke Puri – Sweet Empanadas stuffed with a Coconut and dry fruit and nut mixture

Ingredients:

For the filling:-

Ghee – 1 tbsp
Dry Desiccated Coconut – 3/4 cup
Finely sliced Pista – 1/4 cup
Finely sliced peeled almonds – 1/4 cup
Raisins/Kishmish – 1/4 cup
Sugar – 1/4 cup

For the Dough:-

Wheat Flour (Durum Atta)  – 2 cups (usually maida/all-purpose flour is used)
Water – 1 cup
Salt – 1/4 tsp
Ghee – 1 tbsp

Method:
1. In a bowl, combine the sliced pistachios, almonds, dessicated coconut and the raisins.
2. Heat a heavy bottomed non-stick kadai at medium heat, pour ghee and as soon as it gets warm, add the above mixture. Stir continously and roast for a minute or two until you start getting an aroma and it is quite lightly toasted. Do not let the coconut turn into a dark brown color or get burnt, keep a close eye. Remove from heat and immediately add the sugar and mix well (you can also add a little bit of grated khoa at this stage for added richness). Keep aside to cool. This mixture is called as Choba.

Choba ~ Coconut+Raisins+Pistachio+Almond+Sugar mixture

3. In a food processor, add the flour, ghee and salt. Process for a few seconds. Add the water and process to form a soft dough. You can also form the dough on a work surface using your hands. Remove the dough onto a platform and knead it add using some extra flour or water, whatever is needed, until a soft pliable dough is formed. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and keep aside for 30 minutes.
4. Pour cool water into a cup and keep ready.

The filling~choba, on a side of the dough disc, notice the edges have been moistened for sealing

Stuffed Pastry

5. Lightly flour the work surface. Roll out the dough until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into circles that ae about 12 cm in diameter, use a bowl as a guide if you wish. Collect the scraps, knead for a few seconds to form a ball and roll out again later, until then cover and keep aside. Dip your fingers into the cup with cool water, and wet the outer edge of the dough circles. Put about 2 tablespoons of the cooled toasted Choba mixture in a side, leaving room around the edges for sealing, and fold over the other half of dough over the filling to form a half circle. Do not over fill or else, the dough might tear. Use a pizza wheel to trim away the corners and make a nice half moon shape. Press the wet edges firmly to seal and crimp to form a pattern. Keep all the prepared stuffed pastries covered under a cloth on the work surface until all are done.

Stuffed Pastry with edges crimped

Puran Puri ~ Fried Stuffed Pastries

6. Once all the stuffed pastries are ready, heat oil in a kadai or wok to deep dry. Once the oil is hot, gently lower a few of them and deep fry both sides until lightly brown. Do not over crowd the kadai. Remove them using a slotted spoon. Do not pile them up onto a platter. Keep them uncovered in a single layer on a kitchen towel until all are done.

Puran Puri – Sweet Empanadas stuffed with Chickpea and nut mixture

Ingredients:

For the filling:-

Bengal gram/Chana Dal – 1/2 cup
Ghee – 1 tbsp
Sugar – 1/4 cup + 4 tbsp
Finely Powdered Green Cardamom seeds – 1/4 tsp
Finely sliced Pistachios/Pista – 1 tbsp
Finely sliced Almonds/Badaam – 1 tbsp

For the Dough:-

Wheat Flour (Durum flour) – 2 cups
Water – 1 cup
Salt – 1/4 tsp
Ghee – 1 tbsp

Method:
1. Wash and drain the dal. Pressure cook the dal in a little water until the dal is soft. Once done, cook the dal until there is very little water left. Remove it from heat. Once it is lukewarm, blend the dal in a blender until smoothly pureed keep aside.

Puran ~ Sweet Chickpea mixture

2. Pour ghee in a saucepan at medium heat and as it melts, add the pureed dal and cook uncovered for 3 minutes. Add the sugar and cook for 5 minutes, stirring continously. Add the sliced pistachios and almonds, cardamom seed powder and mix well. Remove from heat when the mixture is fairly dry and starts leaving sides. Let it cool down. This mixture is called as the Puran.
3. In a food processor, add the flour, ghee and salt. Process for a few seconds. Add the water and form a soft dough. Remove the dough onto your platform and knead it add using some extra flour or water, whatever is needed, until a soft pliable dough is formed. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and keep aside for 30 minutes.
4. Pour cool water into a cup and keep ready.

The filling~puran, on a side of the dough disc, notice the edges have been moistened for sealing

Pooriyaan – Stuffed Pastries

5. Lightly flour the work surface. Roll out the dough until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into circles that ae about 12 cm in diameter, use a bowl as a guide if you wish. Collect the scraps, knead for a few seconds to form a ball and roll out again later, until then cover and keep aside. Dip your fingers into the cup with cool water, and wet the outer edge of the dough circles. Put about 2 tablespoons of the cooled Puran mixture in a side, leaving room around the edges for sealing, and fold over the other half of dough over the filling to form a half circle. Do not over fill or else, the dough might tear. Use a pizza wheel to trim away the corners and make a nice half moon shape. Press the wet edges firmly to seal and crimp to form a pattern. Keep all the prepared stuffed pastries covered under a cloth on the work surface until all are done.

Puran Puri ~ Fried Stuffed Pastries

6. Once all the stuffed pastries are ready, heat oil in a kadai or wok to deep dry. Once the oil is hot, gently lower a few of them and deep fry both sides until lightly brown. Do not over crowd the kadai. Remove them using a slotted spoon. Do not pile them up onto a platter. Keep them uncovered in a single layer on a kitchen towel until all are done.

We enjoy both Chobay ki Poori and Puran Poori along with Chawal ki Kheer. Dip the deep-fried stuffed pastries in the rice pudding and enjoy.

Kheer Puri – Rice Pudding and Stuffed Pastries

Reminder: Send me your Ramadan delicacies before the deadline. For more information refer to The Hyderabadi Ramadan Food Festival.

Luv,
Mona