Zaiqa

This Ramadan I am addicted to my sisters handmade chicken samosas.

Murgh Samosa – Chicken Samosa

Seriously they are the best I have even eaten. And they are super simple to make. You can make ahead the chicken filling which gets ready quicky and just before iftaar, use the samosa wraps, fill them all up and deep fry.

Murgh Samosa – Chicken Samosa

Ingredients:

Chicken Breast Meat – Minced – 2 lbs
Red Chilli Powder – 2 tsp
Salt – to taste
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Juice of 2 lemons
Cilantro and Mint – finely chopped, 3 tbsp
Egg white from one large egg
Frozen Samosa wraps
Canola oil to deep fry

Method:
1. In a pan, add oil and as soon as it is warm, add the chicken mince, red hilli powder, salt, turmeric powder and giniger garlic paste. Mix it all together, cover, and keep stirring once in a while and let it cook until the chicken is done, about 20 minutes.  Add lemon juice, ciantro and mint and garam masala and mix. Keep aside, and let it cool. You can even freeze it for future use in small portions. Just thaw for a few hours before you plan to make the samosas.
2. Thaw the frozen samosa wraps according to instructions. Brush some water on both sides of the wraps to make it pliable. Form a cone by making triangular folds as you till you have only fold left. In the cone section, spoon the filling. Seal the final flap using water and flour paste to seal the edges. Watch out for open corners and seal using the flour paste. Repeat for all wraps.
3. In a large pan, heat oil on high. Reduce the flame to medium when the oil is hot.
4. In a bowl, add the egg white and just lightly whip it using a fork. Dip each samosa into the egg white and drop it into the hot oil. Repeat using all samosas. Using a slotted spoon remove the samosa from oil into a mesh strainer once they are golden brown on all sides. Enjoy the samosa along with your favorite chutney or as is.

Note: You can also bake the samosas instead of deep frying them. Just lightly coat them all with a little bit of oil, and bake them for 10-12 mins at 350°F until golden brown. You can also skip them step of dipping them in egg white if you prefer so.

This recipe is my contribution to my very own Hyderabadi Ramadan Food Festival 2012 (Season IV) that I hosting on my blog, and also to the Joy From Fasting ToFeasting – V that Lubna is hosting on her blog.

Luv,
Mona

Every year come spring and summer, we ritually grill meats almost every other weekend. Its like celebrating this beautiful season. I had bought a weber charcoal grill almost 4 years back and it still serves us well. I love that smoked charcoal flavor in meats. The only drawback while charcoal grilling is the time it takes to burn the charcoal and to keep the burning charcoal alive. But that is not my department, my hubby tends to all those factors and my job is to only marinate and pre-prepare the meats.

The last weekend we charcoal grilled t-bone steaks and they were so damn delicious!

My recipe is simple. Semi-homemade!  We enjoyed the steaks along with a potato salad and a bean salad and a few garlic roasted breads.

Charcoal Grilled T-Bone Steaks

Ingredients:

T-Bone Steaks – 4
Amchur powder – 2 tsp
Red Chilli powder – 1 tbsp
Salt – 2 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste – 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala powder – 1 tbsp
Cumin/Zeera powder – 2 tsp
Coriander/Dhaniya powder – 2 tsp
BBQ Sauce – your favorite (I used ‘Kraft Original BBQ Sauce’)
Canola Oil – for brushing

Method:

1. Marinate the steaks with all the ingredients except the bbq sauce overnight.
2. Let the steaks stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat a charcoal grill to medium-high, and set up direct and indirect heat zones. Rub the marinated steaks lightly with oil. Sear on all sides over direct heat until you can see grill maeks, about 5 minutes per side.
3. Transfer the steaks to indirect heat, and brush them with your favorite BBQ sauce on both sides. Grill covered, turning and brushing with sauce occasionally, 30-40 minutes. (Grilling time will vary depending on thickness of steaks) Remove the steaks from grill. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Luv,
Mona

I am a big fan of kababs, be it sheekh kabab or tikka kabab or kofta kabab. I cannot resist them. I also love to cook kababs for potlucks, get togethers and parties. My guests are often served kababs as appetizers.

The fact that I like perhaps the most about kababs is that you can play with the ingredients and make your own flavor combinations. There is no limit to it. This time I added sundried tomatoes to kababs and the subtle tangy taste they imparted was wonderful. I also discovered an easy trick to make melt in mouth kababs, longer marination time! It works wonders, try it for yourself.

SunDried Tomatoes Galouti Kabab – Melt in mouth Kababs

Ingredients:

Lean Veal minced meat – 2 lbs
Onion – 2, small, finely chopped
Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Cumin powder – 1/2 tsp
Amchur powder – 1 tsp
Sun dried tomatoes in oil – 2, chopped fine
Garam masala powder – 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Add all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix it all thoroughly using your hands. Cover the bowl using aluminium foil and let marinate in the refrigerator for two nights.
2. Take lime size balls from the meat mixture and roll them into smooth balls. Flatten the balls into a small patty shapes and arrange on a aluminium foil lined and lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet.
3. Broil/grill them for 10-15 minutes per side and they are done. Serve as appetizer or along with Naan and Pulao as meal.

Luv,
Mona

One dish meals are a savior. In today’s revved up life, they are a time, fuel saver, and cleanup is a breeze. Tahari is one such balanced and nutritious one pot family meal that is very often cooked in Hyderabadi homes.

Aloo aur Gosht ki Tahari – Spiced Basmati Rice with Potatoes and Lamb meat

Tahari might be called as a cousin of Biryani. During the process of Biryani preperation, the meat and rice are layered and then cooked on dum (slow heat) in one pot. Whereas in Tahari, once the meat is cooked, water is poured to the meat and then rice is added and cooked along. There is no layering process in Tahari as in Biryani. The ration of water:rice has be perfect for a well cooked Tahari, or else you end up with a mushy mess.

There are two kinds of Tahari: 1. Minced meat+Rice Tahari; 2. Lamb meat with bones+Rice Tahari. Today I am writing about the latter one. The previous kind I have already blogged a while earlier. Adding tomatoes to Tahari is optional. I have always seen both my Ammi and my Mother in law add tomatoes to Tahari, but there are some that do not suggest it. I prefer to add tomatoes as it gives a nice flavor to the dish that I love. However you can avoid adding tomatoes if you want.

Aloo aur Gosht ki Tahari – Spiced Basmati Rice with Potatoes and Lamb meat

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 3 cups
Canola oil – 1/2 cup
Onions – 2 cups, sliced
Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp
Salt – 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Mint leaves – 1/2 cup, loosely packed, finely chopped
Cilantro – 1/2 cup, loosely packed, finely chopped
Red chilli powder – 2 tbsp
Tomatoes – 2, large, diced
Potatoes – 2, large, quartered
Yogurt – 1 cup, lightly whisked
Lamb meat with bones – 650 gms
Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
Juice of a Lime

Method:

1. In a vessel, add rice and wash it in 2-3 changes of fresh cool water. Then, soak it in surplus fresh cool water for about 30 minutes while you prepare the following meat preparation.
2. In a pressure cooker at medium high heat pour in oil and as soon as it warms up, add the sliced onions. Stir fry them until they are golden brown in color. Add ginger garlic paste and fry along for a minute. Add red chilli powder, salt, chopped tomatoes, chopped mint and cilantro and turmeric powder and mix well. Cook for 2-5 minutes until the tomatoes are mushy. Add the lightly whisked yogurt and keep stirring for a minute. Add the quartered potatoes and mix. Let cook covered until the potatoes are tender (test using a fork) and oil has separated. Add the lamb meat with bones and mix well. Cook until the meat is no longer pink. Cover with the lid and pressure cook until the meat is tender. Open the lid and add garam masala powder and lime juice. Let the mixture cook until oil separates. Now pour in about 4 cups of water, close the lid, increase the heat and let it come to a boil.
3. Drain the soaking rice and keep it ready.
4. As soon as the meat mixture begins to boil, add the drained rice and gently mix. Let it come to a boil again. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and cover with a lid. Let it cook till very little water remains. Keep checking it every now and then, and give a gentle stir everytime. Add a few splashes of water if you feel you need more water for the rice to cook. Once the water is mostly dried up, close the heat, but leave the saucepan on the hot stove so that a nice steam forms. Let the dish rest for 15-30 minutes. Serve warm along with a pickle or papad.

Note: You can even lightly fry the quartered potatoes before you add to the dish. I prefer not to.

Luv,
Mona

Easy to cook and full of flavor, lamb chops are one of my favorite meats to prepare whenever I am hosting a party. Even kids love to nibble them, and adults will not be able to resist.

I prefer rib lamb chops for this recipe, and you can even bake them in the oven or grill them outdoors during summer instead of cooking on stovetop. Serve them along with a chutney, or raita and a salad on the side.

Lamb Chops

Ingredients:

Lamb Chops – around 2 kg
Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp
Salt – 2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder – 1 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice – 3 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste – 1 1/2 tbsp
Canola Oil

Method:

1. Trim off any excess fat, wash the chops well, drain and pat dry. Slash the meaty side of the chops 2 or 3 times with a knife. In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients except the chops and oil and mix well. Add the chops and rub the spice paste into the chops well. Cover with a lid and let marinate overnight.
2. The next day bring it to room temperature before you start cooking. In a wide thick bottomed non-stick frying pan at medium high heat, pour 2 tbsp oil and as soon as it warms up, add the chops in a single layer and let them sear well. Once they are browned, turn them so that they brown on the side as well. Once nicely browned, add a cup of water and cover the pan with a tight lid. Lower the heat to simmer and let cook until the meat is tender. Once the meat is tender, increase the heat, uncover the pan and cook until the water evaporates. Serve warm.

This is my second contribution to the Hyderabadi Bakr Eid Food Festival that I am hosting this month on my blog. Click on the link or the logo for more details. The logo for the event is:

Remember that the event is on and you can all send in your entries to me before December 31, 2010.

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And now for what you all have been waiting for. Thank you all for participating in the giveaway. The lucky winner of the Tetley Tea giveaway is Maryam. Congratulations Maryam, I hope you enjoy the gift basket of goodies.

Luv,
Mona