Zaiqa

Samosas are triangle shaped Indian pastries that are filled with meat or vegetables, or both. The filled pastries are generally deep-fat fried but can also be baked. These pastries are eaten as snacks or appetizers. I’m a BIG fan of Samosas. I and my hubby usually go and get potato stuffed samosas for us all from the Samosa King Embassy Restaurant here, but today I thought of preparing them at home, Hyderabadi style.

This non-veg version of Samosas are my favorite,, which I prepare occasionally at home. I will also post the recipe of Aloo/Potato Samosas very soon in the coming days. I remember the wonderful aromas of all kinds of snacks and appetizers and the fast foods… tempting us to stop by from the road side stalls on the way home from College back in India. My Mom also used to make these samosas in large quantities in the month of Ramadhan, when we all Muslims fast, and at occasions or celebrations. This is my Mom’s recipe, and here it goes:

Qimah Samosa – Spicy Ground Meat Samosas

Ingredients:

For the Dough
Wheat Flour (Durum Atta) – 1 cup + Extra flour while rolling the dough
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Canola oil – 2 1/2 tbsp (optional)
Warm Water – 1 cup
For the Filling
Canola Oil – 2tbsp
Yellow Onion – 1, chopped
Ginger-Garlic Paste – 1 1/2 tsp
Coriander seed/Dhaniya powder – 1 tsp
Cumin seed/Zeera Powder – 1 tsp
Tumeric/Haldi powder – 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli powder – 1/8 tsp
Garam Masala powder – 1/2 tsp
Minced Lean Lamb meat – 200 gms
Salt – 1 tsp
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
Mint leaves – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Green chilli – 2, small, finely chopped
Canola Oil for deep frying the Samosas.

Method:
For the Dough
1. Sift the flour and salt together in a bowl. Rub in oil and gradually add water.
2. Knead and mix the dough, preferebly 10 minutes, until it is soft and leaves the side of the bowl.
3. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and keep aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.
For the Filling
4. Pour oil in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat and fry the onion till it changes color. Add the ginger garlic paste and stir fry. Lower the heat and add the cumin, coriander, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and garam masala powder and mix well. Add the minced meat and stir it well, mashing it against the walls of the pan, with the spoon to prevent it from forming lumps. Add lemon juice, chopped mint leaves, green chilli and stir well. Cover and cook it until the mixture is dry. Remove from heat and let it cool.
5. Now, Lightly knead the rested dough. Divide into 8 balls and press each ball and cover with a plastic wrap.

The Dough Balls

6. Now roll out each ball, one by one, on a lightly floured work surface woth a rolling pin into approx 12 cm circles.
7. Cut each circle into semi circles and brush the edges with water.

Preparing Samosas

8. Put a generous teaspoon of the filling on one half of the semi circle and fold the free half over the filling to form a triangle.
9. Press the edges firmly to seal.
10. Fold until all the samosas are ready.

Prepared Samosas ready for frying

11. Heat oil in a wok or kadai or a deep, heavy bottomed sauce pan until it begins to sizzle.
12. Fry the Samosas, a few at a time, on medium heat, gently, until they are golden brown in colour.

Frying Samosas

13. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper. The Samosas are ready to be served.

To Bake the Samosa:
After step 10, place the samosas in a greased or non-stick baking tray. Bake in a pre-heated 220° C oven for 20 minutes or until light brown in color. Serve immediately

This recipe goes as a contribution to Hima for the event ‘Whats Your Favourite..’ she is holding. For this time, the theme is ‘Whats your favourite Snack’. I’m sure her inbox will soon be overflowing with lots of snacks. So, it will a snack party at Hima’s place in the month of September. Be sure to drop by at here place! Eagerly and impatiently waiting for the round up Hima.

These Samosas make great Snacks, or you also serve them as Appetizers. Enjoy.

Luv,
Mona

Listening and enjoying the song ‘Mere Zindagi me aaye ho..‘, from the Bollywood movie Armaan in my ipod, today I prepared this curry for dinner and am just waiting to have it. I love to listen to songs when I stay alone with my hubby gone for the work, while I do my house chores and the cooking.. Music helps me stay happy, I cling to it. I’m energized by it. I’m inspired by it. I can go on and on..

Spicy Curries are always yummy, no doubt in that. By spicy curries, I do not mean curries that are super hot to burn your mouth., what I really mean by spicy curries is masaaledaar salan, which are gravy based curries infused by a range of exotic Indian spices as the base. I am an ardent lover of spicy curries, and I am sure almost everyone in the whole world love spices and the beautiful flavours they add to a dish. This curry of Meaballs is one such and it is a favorite in my house. Its easier to prepare and extremely delicious along with Parathas or Naan to mop up the gravy.

Meatballs are called ‘Kofta‘ in Urdu. They are similar to Meatballs or Meat dumplings in the U.S. The other version of Kofte ka Salan, or meatball curry that I most usually prepare is Amchur-Harimirch Wale Kacche Gosht Ke Kofte, Meatballs in a hot and sour gravy

When I prepare meat balls I make them smaller in size, about 2 cm in diameter. The reason is, I believe, they get done perfectly. Many of my associates always make larger sized meatballs- approx 4 cm in diameter, and they are never well cooked, (remain raw, undone and undercooked in the centre). So, this trick that I learnt my MIL comes very handy to me.

I always prepare larger amounts of curries, portion and store them in the refrigerator for a later use. It saves lot of time.

This curry/Salan gets prepared in almost an hour time, and you can have it with Parathas or Naan, or Khushka/Plain Boiled Rice.

Mazedaar Methi Kofte – Meatballs in a gravy with Fenugreek leaves

To prepare Meat Balls –

Ingredients:

Ground Lamb/Goat/Veal Meat (or) Boneless Lamb/Goat/Veal Meat Bite-Size pieces – 250 gms
Green Chillies – 3, small, slit
Cilantro – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Mint leaves – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Salt – 1 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
Yellow Onion – 1, large, sliced
Canola Oil – 2 tbsp

Kacche Gosht Ke Kofte – Meatballs

Method:

-Pour oil into a pan at medium heat and add the sliced onions. Fry them till brown and crisp. Remove from oil, cool and reserve
-Now in a meat processor, add the fried onion slices, the slit green chillies, chopped coriander and mint leaves, salt, red chilli powder and the ground meat or cubed boneless meat pieces, whatever you are using and process till its all grinded into a smooth paste.

(Note:Make sure that the washed meat, whether you are using ground meat or meat pieces, is completely dry, or they will not hold shape later on)

-Now, take a little bit of meat paste at a time and slightly apply pressure and roll it between your palms untill soft, tight and round shaped. Arrange them on a plate.
-The meat balls are ready. Keep them aside.

TIP: To freeze meatballs ahead of time: You can prepare the meatballs and freeze them for future use.
Form meatballs, and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet in the freezer. Once the meatballs are hard and well frozen, transfer them to a resealable plastic bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw and cook them in the curry.

To Prepare The Gravy –

Ingredients:

Canola Oil – 5 tbsp
Yellow Onion – 4, large, finely chopped
Ginger Garlic paste – 1 1/2 tsp
Yogurt – 6 tbsp
Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
Salt – 1 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala – 1/2 tsp
Dry Roasted Cumin Seed powder – 1/2 tsp
Dry Roasted Coriander seed powder – 1/2 tsp
Dry Roasted Dessicated Coconut – 1 tsp
Dry Roasted Groundnut Powder – 1 tsp
Methi/Fenugreek Leaves – 100 gms, very finely chopped

Mazedaar Methi Kofte – Meatballs in a gravy with Fenugreek leaves

Method:

-In a heavy bottom sauce pan at medium heat, fry the ginger garlic paste and add onions in the oil till light brown in colour.
-Add yogurt to it and give it a good stir. Cook it well till it starts leaving oil.
-Meanwhile wash the Methi/Funugreek leaves well, only the leaves, not the stems or flowers, chop them up very finely and reserve.
-Add the dry ingredients, the red chilli powder, salt, garam masala, the dry roasted cumin seed powder, coriander seed powder, coconut powder, groundnut powder, and mix well.
-After 3-5 minutes, remove from heat, cool the mixture and grind it to a paste.
-Pour back the grinded mixture to the saucepan and add the very finely chopped Methi/Fenugreek leaves and let them cook till they are soft.
-Add three glases of water to it and bring it to a boil.
-As soon as it boils once, simmer and slowly drop the earlier prepared meat balls one by one into it. Now do not stir at all for about 10 minutes. Half cover the lid and let it cook undisturbed at the low heat.
-Later, slowly stir the gravy and let it cook for 7-8 minutes more. You can add more water or let it cook for some more time on medium heat so that the water dries up and you achieve the consistency.
-The curry is ready and serve it hot with Parathas preferably or along with Rice.

Luv,
Mona

This recipe is my contribution to the event – A fruit a month’ AFAM, which the lovely Sig, of Live to Eat, has hosted for this month with Lychee as the fruit of the month. Many people do not know what Lychee are. Lychee is a fruit, mostly grown in China, and known for its sweet tart flavour. This fruit has a rose coloured skin when young, but as it matures, it develops a hard and leathery rind, which is inedible. It comes off easily leaving behind the jelly like, pearly white flesh with a single inedible seed inside. They are available fresh or canned in most asian stores. Anyways, here’s my entry for the event :

Ingredients:

Marination Ingredients-

• Boneless Chicken Breast Pieces – 500 gms, cut into 2 cm cubes
• Salt – 2 tsp
• Black Pepper – 1 tsp
• Canola Oil – 1 tsp
• Sugar – 1/2 tsp

Gravy Ingredients-

• Gram Flour – 5 tbsp
• Canola Oil – 3 tbsp
• Red Capsicum – 1/2 of a large capsicum, chopped
• Green Capsicum – 1/2 of a large capsicum, chopped
• Ginger Garlic paste – 2tsp
• Yellow Onions – 1, finely chopped
• Canned Lychee in Syrup – 1 can, 565 gms
• Tomato paste – 3 tbsp
• Water – 2 tbsp
• Red Chilli flakes – 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder – 2 tsp

Chicken with Lychees

Method:

• Drain and reserve all the lychees and a cup of syrup individually in two bowls.
• Marinate the Chicken in the marination ingredients for preferably 30 minutes.
• Roll the chicken breast pieces in 4 tbsp gram flour and fry till golden brown. Make sure you do not fry them for too long as breast pieces toughen up too quickly.
• In a pan on medium heat, in a tbsp of oil, stir fry the red and green capsicum for about 7 minutes. Remove and keep aside.
• In the same pan add the remaining oil and fry the onions till light brown.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and fry it along.
• Add the reserved cup of lychee syrup to it and simmer covered for 5 minutes.
• Now add the tomato paste and the stir fried capsicum to it and mix well.
• Dilute the remaining one tbsp gram flour in a 2 tbsp water and pour this into the pan. Let it cook till the mixture begins to thicken up.
• Add the Chicken pieces and the drained lychees, chilli flakes and red chilli powder and give a good stir.
• Let it cook on simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
• Once ready, Serve it hot.

Luv,
Mona

My earlier version of Chicken Biryani was the traditional kind, but I learnt this version from my Mother in law and is very light and has lesser calories and gets prepared quite quickly when compared to any other type of Chicken Biryani’s. As this Express Cooking Event calls for a meal to get ready in less than 30 minutes, I have used left over cooked plain rice, you guys can always make it fresh if you do not have left over rice. Its a complete meal with Biryani, a dessert, and a juice, and is filling but light on stomach.

My Version of ‘Instant Light Chicken Biryani‘
Serves – 2

Ingredients:

Canola Oil – 1 tbsp
Chicken Breast – 200 gms, washed, and cut into 2 cms cubes
Salt – to taste
Red Chilli powder – 1 tsp
Yogurt – 1 tbsp
Tomato paste – 2 tsp (optional)
Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Garam Masala – 1 1/2 tsp
Dry roasted Cumin seed/Zeera powder – 1 tsp
Dry Roasted Coriander/Dhaniya seed powder – 1 tsp
Water – 1/2 cup
Lemon Juice – 2 or 3 tbsp ( as you like)
Saffron threads – a pinch, soaked in 1/4 cup warm milk
Cooked Plain White Rice – 3 cups
Crispy Fried Onions – 2 tbsp

Method: ( Target time to prepare the whole meal – 30 minutes )

1. Put a heavy bottom pan on medium heat, and pour oil into it.
2. Add the chicken pieces, salt and red chilli powder, and fry till golden brown on all sides. This takes probably 7 minutes. When the chicken cubes has been browned properly, adjust the heat to medium high add the yogurt, tomato paste (optional) and ginger-garlic paste and the three dry masalas and stir well. This will take about 5 minutes. Now add half cup water and lemon juice. Cover the lid of the pan for 2 minutes until the water dries up.
3. Now arrange the half of the rice in a microwave safe bowl in a layer, add the cooked chicken breast from the pan on top of the rice in a layer, again arrange the remaining rice layer on top. Sprinkle the fried onions on top and pour the milk with saffron threads evenly on top of rice. All this takes about 5 more minutes
5. Cover and microwave for 3 minutes. The Biryani is ready.
6. Serve the Biryani along with and a Juice and Ice Cream for a heartful meal for two ready in about in less than 30 minutes.

Tip: Adding salt to the water in which you cook rice is essential, or else the whole taste of Biryani turns upside down. One tip if you have forgotten to add salt to the water while boiling rice is – stir the required amount of salt in a little quantity of hot water, about half cup or a few tablespoons, and pour this on the biryani evenly. Warm the biryani in microwave and serve immediately.

Luv,
Mona

Bhendi, or Okra, is one of my favourite vegetables. It is available very easily in the markets, fresh as well as frozen. I keep buying it from the market very often to cook it for everyone in my home. But, you should always be careful while buying fresh Okra. I always like to buy tender baby okra. Larger pods are tough and fibrous, so look for brightly colored pods smaller than 3 inches (9cm) long, with smooth, unblemished skin and firm texture. Refrigerate okra in a plastic bag for up to three days. Wash okra just before using it.

Bhindi – Okra

Khatta Salan/Shorba means ‘soured stew’. The sourness from the tomatoes and tamarind, a slight heat from red chilli powder and the subtle sweetness from the roasted onions along with the roasted spices impart an aromatic and delectable flavor to this okra stew. This same base is used in many other versions of the khatta shorba, which are Karele ka Khatta Shorba, Aloo-Gosht ka Khatta shorba , Arvi-Gosht ka khatta shorba etc.

When boiled, okra gives off a viscous substance that can add smooth thickness to stews or soups. It can be a bit difficult to cook as it sometimes is very slimy. In this recipe, the sourness from tamatoes and tamarind helps while cooking to get rid of the sliminess. It is an excellent sourse of vitamin-C, folate, and magnesium.

Bhindi aur Gosht Ka Khatta Salan – Okra and Lamb meat Stew
Serves – 6-8 people

Ingredients:

Canola Oil – 8 tbsp
Yellow Onion – 3, large, sliced
Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Tomatoes – 5, large, diced
Curry leaves – 2 sprigs, fresh
Salt – 2 1/2 tsp
Roasted Cumin seed powder – 1/2 tsp
Roasted Cumin seed powder – 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder – 1 tbsp
Lamb meat with bones – 650 gms
Cilantro – 3 tbsp, finely chopped
Okra/Bhendi – 700 gms, washed, dried and cut into approx 5 cm pieces with top and bottom removed
Tamarind concentrate – 2 tbsp (or) Lemon/Lime juice – 2 tbsp

Bhindi aur Gosht Ka Khatta Salan – Okra and Lamb meat Stew

Method:

• Heat oil a pressure cooker and fry the sliced onions till lightly browned. Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté it along for a minute. Add curry leaves, red chilli powder, salt, cumin and coriander seed powder and turmeric powder. Mix well. To it add the diced tomatoes and cilantro and let cook cook for 3-5 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and the oil has separated. Add meat and cook along until no longer pink. Pour water to cover the meat and pressure cook until the meat is tender.
• Once done, add tamarind concentrate or lemon/lime juice and okra and 2-3 cups water (as per your wish, depending on the consistency you desire) to the stew. Stir well and cover the lid. Let it cook on simmer until the okra is cooked. Serve warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: Naan / Afghani Roti / Basmati Chawal / Paratha

Luv,
Mona