Zaiqa

Qageena (also called Qagina) is an onion+egg preperation enjoyed along with parathas, or along with Khichdi and Qimah for breakfasts. Below is my Ammi’s version of this delicious curry. Onions are pressure cooked along with seasonings and a little water until meltingly soft, then cooked until oil leaves. Lastly, eggs are poached in the spicy onion mixture until done and served warm immediately.

Ande ka Qageena – Onions With Egg Curry

Ingredients:

Yellow Onions – 3, large, sliced
Eggs – 2, large
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Salt – 1 1/2 tsp
Canola Oil – 3 tbsp
Water – 1 cup
Green chiliies – chopped (optional)

Hyderabadi Qageena

Method:

1. Heat a pressure cooker and pour oil into it. Add onions, salt and chilli powder and mix. You can also add a few teaspoons of chopped green chillies if you want it hot and spicy. Add a cup of water to it pressure cook for 15 – 20 minutes so that the onions become very soft and almost melting. If the onions have not become very soft, add a little more water if needed, and pressure cook it again for 5-10 minutes.
2. Once the onions have become soft, then let it cook till most of the water dries up and it starts leaving oil, and keep stirring, so that it forms into a silky mixture. Later, reduce the heat to medium low, and make two wells in it. Crack open the eggs and pour them into their individual wells in the onion mixture. Cover the lid for 3-5 minutes until the eggs have cooked well. Do not stir after you add eggs. Serve the prepared qagina garnished with finely chopped cilantro immediately while still warm. Enjoy the dish.

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.

I enjoy this sauce with paratha and masoor dal/split red lentil curry. Yummy. You can also have this dipping sauce along with pakoras or bhajiyas.

Ingredients:-

Green chillies – 30, small sized
Garlic powder – 1 tbsp
Sugar – 3 1/2 tsp
Salt – 3 tbsp
Vinegar – 4 tbsp
Soy Sauce – 1 tbsp

Method:-

• Combine all the ingredients and grind them into a fine paste.
• Remove into a small bowl and add Soy Sauce to it.
• Mix the paste well and pour it in a sterlised bottle. Store refrigerated for upto 1 month.

Luv,
Mona

Serves : 4-5
Preparation time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Chicken-small boneless cubes – 1 kg
Canola Oil – 1 tbsp
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Bay leaf – 1
Cinnamon – 2, 1-inch sticks
Cloves – 3
Green Cardamoms – 4
Yellow Onions-grated – 1 cup
Ginger-Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
Salt – to taste
Almond paste – 100gms
Heavy/Light Cream – 120 ml
Green chillies – 6
Mint leaves – 2 tbsp

Method:

• Heat the oil and ghee in a pan. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms and saute over medium heat until they begin to cracle.
• Add the onions and saute for a few minutes. Add ginger and garlic pastes, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt and almond paste and cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until the oil seperates from the mixture.
• Add the chicken, stir and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
• Add the cream, slit green chillies, mace powder and vetivier.
• Sprinkle with fresh mint leaves, cover and seal lid tightly either with aluminium foil or with dough. Let the chicken simmer for 5-6 minutes on a very low heat.
• Garnish with coriander and chopped whole red chillies (optional) and serve hot accompanied with Laccha Parantha.

Suggested Accompaniments: Basmati Rice/Naan.

Luv,
Mona