Zaiqa

Kurkuray Chanay – Crunchy Chickpeas

Curled up in my cozy comforter and browsing through food blogs on this gloomy, rainy and cold autumnal evening, I satisfied my cravings for something crunchy with these very addictive tale huwe chanay along with a cup warm chai.
Pure Bliss!

Kurkure Chanay – Crunchy Chickpeas

Ingredients:

Dried White Chickpeas/Kabuli Chanay – 1 cup, washed and soaked in surplus cool water overnight
Canola oil
Red chilli powder – 1/4 tsp
Amchur powder – 2 pinch (or) MDH Chaat Masala powder – to taste
Salt – to taste
Curry leaves – 8-10, fresh

Method:

1. Drain the soaked chickpeas and transfer them to a pressure cooker. Add 1/2 cup water and a dash of salt and pressure cook until they are soft but not mushy. Boil away the remaining water, or if there is too much water left and the chickpeas are thoroughly done, drain the remaining water and use it while preparing dal. Let the boiled chickpeas cool down for 10-20 minutes. Once cooled, spread them out on a paper towel for about 10 minutes so that they dry up a little bit.
2. Pour Canola oil to deep fry in a kadai. Once hot, add the cooled boiled chickpeas and deep fry for 5-8 minutes at medium high heat until they are golden brown in color and crisp. Remove using a slotted spoon into a wire mesh strainer.
3. Pour 1 tsp Canola oil in a frying pan and add the curry leaves. As they crisp up, remove using a slotted spoon into a platter and crush them using your hands. In the same warm oil, add the red chilli powder and remove the pan from heat. Add the fried chickpeas into the pan, also add the amchur powder and salt. Toss to coat evenly. Serve them as a snack.

Alternatively, if you want to avoid deep frying, after step 1: add 1 tsp canola oil/olive oil and the boiled chickpeas, red chilli powder, salt, amchur power and curry leaves in a mixing bowl and toss well so they thoroughly get coated with the mixture. Now spread these masala coated chickpeas in an aluminium foil lined rimmed baking sheet and bake in 425°F pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes until they are nicely browned, keep a close eye and do not burn them. Once done, cool the baking sheet, crush the toasted curryleaves and enjoy the baked chickpeas.

Luv,
Mona

Cheddar Cauliflower (a variety of the Orange Cauliflower) is a very flavorful Canadian Cauliflower, with a sweet and mild taste, a bright yellowish orange color, and rich in beta-carotenes (about 25 times more than white cauliflower).

Gorgeous Cheddar Cauliflower

I had seen this eye-catching variety of cauliflower for the first time the last year. And since then been enjoying them in various ways. This week, I again bought a few and prepared a delicious bisque which I thoroughly relished as my breakfast along with a crusty bread.

Cheddar Cauliflower florets

Cheddar Cauliflower Bisque

Ingredients:

Organic Cheddar Cauliflower – 1 large head, approx 650 gms, cut into florets, keep the tender cauliflower greens aside in a bowl
Yellow Onion – 1, medium sized, sliced into thick rings
Garlic cloves – 4
Dry roasted Cumin seed powder – 1/2 tsp
Dry roasted Coriander seed powder – 1/2 tsp
Dried Bay leaf/Tej patta – 1, large, dried
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1/4 tsp
Kraft Light Singles, Cheddar cheese – 1 slice (halal)
2% Milk – 1 cup

Bright and nourishing ~ Cheddar Cauliflower Bisque

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400°C.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminium foil and place the cauliflower florets, onion rings, and garlic cloves on it. Drizzle with 2 tsp canola oil and bake/roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Shake the baking sheet once in between during the time.

roasted florets and onion + greens + chicken stock

3. Transfer the baking sheet onto racks and let cool until warmish. Add the contents of the baking sheet into a saucepan and add 700 ml of chicken stock. Throw in the cumin powder, coriander powder, salt, red chilli powder, bayleaf and cover the lid. Let cook on medium heat until the cauliflower is tender.
4. Remove and discard the bayleaf from the saucepan. Transfer the contents to a blender container and puree until smooth. You can also a liquidizer. (At this stage, you can strain it if you prefer a smooth consistency, I didn’t because I did not want to waste anything). Pour it back into the saucepan.
5. Add cheddar cheese and the milk and cook on medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve warm with a crusty bread.

Did you know there exists a beautiful Purple Cauliflower too?

This warming bisque goes to Health Nut Challenge 3, which Yasmeen of Healthnut is hosting on her wonderful blog. Do mail her your entries before January 2010.

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Note: Earlier this year, I had made a humble contribution of my recipe for ‘Qimah Dum‘ for ‘The BloggerAid – Changing the Face of Famine Cookbook‘.

Dum ka Qimah

This cookbook includes recipes by over 140 bloggers over 60 countries from worldwide. 100% of the proceeds for the cookbook target children and education through the World Food Programme called School Meals. Do get your copy soon to go through the recipes and support the great cause

Luv,
Mona

Perhaps one of the most simplest yet ambrosial meat preparations, made very often in Hyderabadi households, that I love to prepare for my family is Tala huwa Gosht, which means Sautéed meat. Simple seasonings, an aromatic baghaar, and lemon juice are the main flavoring ingredients.

Tala huwa Gosht – Sautéed meat in aromatic spices and herbs

Enjoy this delicious Hyderabadi meat preperation along with Tamatar ki dal, or Khatti dal and Baghara Chawal or plain Khushka.

Tala huwa Gosht – Sautéed meat in aromatic spices and herbs

Ingredients:

Boneless Veal/Mutton meat – 650 gms, washed and drained, cut into small bite size pieces
Sliced yellow onions – 100 gms
Water – 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Salt – 2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste – 2 tbsp
For Baghaar:

Canola oil – 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tbsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Cilantro – 1/4 cup, finely chopped, loosely packed
Mint leaves – 1/4 cup, finely chopped, loosely packed
Green chillies – 4, each cit into two, then slit into halves in the middle

Black papper powder – 1/2 tsp
Kawabchini – 1/2 tsp, dry roasted in a stovetop frying pan and cooled; once cooled, finely powdered
Lemon juice – 2 tbsp

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker, add the meat, onion, water, red chilli powder, salt, turmeric and ginger-garlic paste. Mix well. Cover and pressure cook for a few minutes until the meat is soft and tender. Make sure it not tough at all.
2. Meanwhile, in a kadai or wok at medium high heat, prepare Baghaar. Pour in oil and as soon as it warms up add the cumin seeds. As the seeds splutter, add the curry leaves, finely chopped cilantro and mint, slit green chillies and fry for just a few seconds and remove from heat. Keep aside.
3. Once the meat is done, let it cook uncovered until all of the liquid has been evaporated. Once almost dry, add it all to the baghaar in the kadai and mix well. Add black pepper power, kawabchini powder and lemon juice. Cook it for 5-10 minutes in the kadai at medium heat and serve immediately.

This recipe is also being featured in the HomeAway.co.uk Travel Cookbook.

Luv,
Mona

During my visit to the market for the weekly groceries today, I saw this huge pile of sweet potatoes that were so fresh with earth still on them and they were huge in sizes and I could not resist buying it. On the way back home, the only thing I was thinking about was that absolutely delicious Ratalu ki kheer my Ammi used to prepare for us during my childhood.

Sweet Potato

Kheer is Milk pudding, flavored with a hint of cardamom seed powder, or a few saffron threads and various fried nuts and dry fruits for a little crunch and aroma. Several kinds of vegetables and grains, which do not have a very strong flavor of their own are used to make kheer. Sweet potato, White potato, Opo squash(kaddu), Rice, Vermicelli, etc., which have an affinity to milk are preferred.

Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants, potassium, and an excellent source of dietary fiber and vitamin A and vitamin C. Vitamin A helps our bodies fight infections and lets us see better in the dark, promote healthy skin and hair. When I was a kid, I remember I and my siblings enjoyed boiled sweet potato cut into cubes and dipped in sugar. Those morsels were ultimately delicious and an occasional treat.

The subtle sweetness of this humble tuber~Sweet potato, also called as Ratalu in Urdu, is perfect for preparing a delicious kheer out of it. Today I tried to recreate my Ammi version of this dessert in my kitchen. الحمد لله it was good, and I enjoyed every bit of it.

Ratalu ki Kheer – Sweet Potato Milk Pudding (Low fat Version)

Ingredients:

Sweet Potato – 700 kg (I used orange fleshed sweet potato, you can also use white fleshed sweet potato for this dish)
Evaporated milk (2% partly skimmed) – 370 ml (I used Carnation brand)
Sugar – 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder – 1 big pinch (optional)
Toasted slivered/chopped nuts like pistachio and almonds – 1 tsp, for garnish

Ratalu ki Kheer – Sweet Potato Milk Pudding

Method:

1. There are two ways to cook a sweet potato.
Pressure cook them: In a pressure cooker add the sweet potato and pour in cool fresh water enough to cover the sweet potato and pressure cook until it is tender, approx 10-15 mins on medium heat. To check if it done, pierce the tuber with a knife, if the knife goes into it effortlessly, it is done, if not let cook for just a further few minutes. Once done, drain in a colander, let cool slightly, peel the skin while still warm.
Steam them: Slice ½” thick slices (peeled or not). Place in steam basket over a pot of water. Cover, turn heat to high, bringing water to boil, cook for 7 to 10 minutes. Fork test for completion, they should pierce easily and the skins will be very tender.
I pressure cooked them.

pressure cooked sweet potato, ready to be peeled

mashed sweet potato

2. Mash the sweet potato in a bowl and keep aside.
3. In a milk saucepan, pour in the evaporated milk and add sugar and bring it to a boil at medium heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer, add the mashed potato and using a heavy wooden spoon, mix it well, mashing it well in the milk so that there are no large lumps. Let cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the cardamom powder and remove from heat. Serve in small bowls and garnish with toasted nuts. You can also sprinkle a few fresh rose petals for a gorgeous look.

This low fat and creamy Sweet potato pudding goes to Meeta’s ‘Monthly Mingle‘. Sudeshna of ‘Cook like a Bong‘ is the guest host this month for this event with a theme of ‘Winter Fruits and Vegetables‘.

Luv,
Mona

Kawabchini ~ whole dried berries

Kawabchini in Urdu language (also referred to as Kababchini or Jungli Laung in Urdu language) or Dried Cubeb berries, is different than Allspice and Black Peppercorns. They are all distictively dissimilar to each other in their properties and appearances. Cubeb can be differentiated from other spices by its distinctive ‘tail’. They are dried unripe fruits of a member of the vine family, and mostly grown in the wild.

Kababchini is not a common spice and hence unknown to many people, yet if you search for it, it may be available in selected stores in North America and elsewhere. In Saudi Arab and India, this spice is quite easily available.

When buying Kawabchini, buy whole spice, and grind it to fine powder at home in only required amount needed while cooking. When dry roasted for a few seconds on a stove top pan and powdered, a pungent spicy-peppery aroma of this spice emanates (similar to that of cloves and black pepper). It is added in powdered form in very little quantities to mostly red meat preparations, like Dum ke Kawabs, Dum ka Qimah, Haleem, etc.

Luv,
Mona