Zaiqa

There’s one thing about pasta that I like a lot. It can be made in a thousand different ways changing the flavours with every ingredient you wish to add to it. While preparing pasta you can experiment a lot, with whatever you like, and it gets ready instantly for a delicious heartful meal.

This recipe which I make is loved by everyone in my home. You can substitute meat in this recipe with the same amount of chicken breast pieces, or omit both and make it a vegetarian pasta dish.

Serves : 4

Colourful Pasta

Ingredients:

Lamb/Veal meat – 110 gms, cubed into bite size pieces
Fusilli Pasta – 400 gms
Ripe Tomatoes – 2, large, chopped finely
Canned Tomato paste – 1 cup
Carrots – 2, washed peeled and sliced
Red capsicum – 1, large
Green beans/Binees – 1 cup, washed and chopped
Canned Black beans – 1 cup, drained and gently washed
Salt – to taste
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Garam masala – 2 tsp
Yellow Onion – 1, small, sliced
Canola Oil – 4 1/2 tbsp
Parmesan Cheese – 1 cup, Grated (optional)
Black Olives – 1 cup, sliced and deseeded (optional)

Method:

• Put a pressure cooker on heat and add half a tablespoon of oil to it. Add the washed and cubed lean meat pieces and stir until no longer red. Pour a little water and pressure cook till it becomes soft. You can even use some left over meat. Just shred it into bite size pieces. Remove the meat with all its juices to a bowl once done.
• Take a pan and add two teaspoon oil to it. Fry the cut carrots, capsicum, french beans individually for 3-4 minutes each and remove in an another bowl.
• In a sauce pan, add the remaining oil and put it on heat. Add the sliced onions to it and let them turn translucent. Add the finely chopped tomatoes and cover the lid for a few minutes till the tomatoes have become soft. Add the tomato paste and stir to mix. Add salt, chilli powder, garam masala and turmeric and stir again. Now add the meat pieces with all its juices to the tomato mixture and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Meanwhile cook Fusilli according to instructions and reserve half cup of the water in which the Fusilli was cooked. Drain and keep aside.
• Add the drained pasta with its reserved water, the drained black bean and the sautéed vegetables to the tomato mixture. Reduce the heat to medium low and let it cook uncovered for 5 more minutes.
• Serve immediately into individual plates sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese and sliced olives on top.

Luv,
Mona

When I was in Saudi Arabia, I and my family loved the garlic sauce from THE famous chicken fast food restaurant named Al-Baik in Jeddah. I tried hard to find a recipe that is closest to the original garlic sauce that I had tasted in Saudi Arabia in this restaurant. After many efforts this the closest I could get to it.

This is one of my most favorite sauces which I especially enjoy along with Tandoori chicken.

(Note: This is not the original Al-Baik Garlic Sauce recipe)

Garlic Sauce – Lahsun Chutney

Ingredients:

Large potatoes – 2 (boiled, peeled and cut into pieces)
Garlic cloves – 6
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Egg yolk – 1
Olive oil – 3/4 cup
Lemon juice – 1/2 cup
Vinegar – 3 tbsp
White pepper – to taste

Method:

1. Grind garlic with salt in a grinder. Add potatoes to it and again grind it till smooth.
2. Beat the egg yolks and add to it. Add all the remaining ingredients and grind for a few minutes till mixed well and smooth in consistency.
5. Add a little bit of water and mix it well if it appears to be thick.
6. Pour into a sterilized bottle and store in the refrigerator.

Luv,
Mona

Jellies are translucent spreads made from strained fruit juice. I had learnt this process while studying Nutrition during my graduation in Hyderabad. We were taught to prepare few jams and jellies using local fruits and this jelly was one of them. Recreating it today in my kitchen brought back all those fun memories during that time of my life.

Banana Jelly

Jelly making a two-step process. First the juice is to be extracted, then strained. Then, the clear juice is cooked along with sugar and acid until the perfect jelly consistency is reached. Ripe bananas which have a naturally sweet taste are perfect for jelly preparation. Do prepare it and try at least once.

Banana Jelly

Ingredients:

Ripe Banana/Pake huwe Mauz – 6
Sugar – 2 cups
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Wash and peel the bananas. Cut them into small pieces.

2. Take a pressure cooker and add cut banana pieces into it. Add water just enough to cover the banana pieces and let it pressure cook for just a few minutes till the banana are very soft. Mash the banana mixture and sieve through a strainer so that no pulp fiber should come into the extract. Discard the residue.

3. Pour the obtained clear extract into a measuring glass, and add equal amounts of sugar to it. ( I adapted because the bananas that I used were very sweet. I added 2 cups of sugar for 2 1/2 cups of obtained clear extract)
4. Cook the extract again in a heavy bottom pan by stirring continuously till the consistency of a jelly is obtained. Make sure that you do not to over cook it, else it will crystallize and harden. Pour the jelly into sterilized glass jars and let it cool. Store in the refrigerator.

A wonderful marinade of yogurt and aromatic spices adds a delectable flavor to the tender boneless chicken pieces. Traditionally it is made on skewers in a tandoor (Indian clay oven), but today I have used my stove top grill pan which I had bought from Ikea. You can also grill them using either charcoal or gas grills.

Chicken Tikka Kawabs – Murgh Tikka

Serve these kawabs as finger food along with chutney.

Chicken Tikka Kawabs – Murgh Tikka
Serves : 4

Ingredients:

Marinade:

Yogurt – 1/2 cup
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Red Chili powder – 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala – 1/2 tsp
Ginger-Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Roasted Cumin seed powder – 1 tsp
Roasted Coriander seed powder – 1 tsp
Lemon Juice – 2 tbsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Ajwain seeds – 1 tsp
Boneless chicken –  500 gms, cut into bite size pieces
Cilantro – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Canola oil – to baste

Method:

1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except the last two. Add chicken pieces and toss well to cover. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

marinated boneless chicken pieces on bamboo skewers

Boneless chicken pieces on bamboo skewers being cooked in stove top grill pan

2. Thread 4-5 pieces of chicken onto each skewer and grill on medium heat, 350°F (177° C) on a grill rack placed on an aluminium foil lined baking tray; or at ‘4’ mark if using a Stove top grill pan for 6-8 minutes, turning frequently and basting with oil.
4. Once done, remove the chicken skewers from the pan and place in a platter. Cover and let rest for 2-3 minutes once off the heat. Remove the chicken from the skewers and serve on a bed of raw sliced onions with lemon wedges.

Luv,
Mona