Dhai Badday (Tempura in Yogurt Sauce with Chat Masala (Species)

Sunday, December 21, 2008 12:28 PM

Recipe by Hadeel Ingredients:

For the pakora's 2 cups Besan Half teaspoon of baking soda Half teaspoon of salt or as per the taste 1 teaspoon red chili powder (or to taste) 1 teaspoon of cumin powder(Toast the cumin seeds by placing them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir the seeds constantly being very careful not to let them scorch. When they are a few shades darker than the untoasted seeds, they are ready. Grind the toasted seeds and place it in a air tight jar) Oil for deep frying For yogurt sauce 2 cups of yogurt 2 heap tablespoon of sugar half teaspoon of salt or to taste chaat masala to taste(if you don't have chaat masala ask ammi for the recipe or do let me know I'll mail it to you) half teaspoon cumin powder

Cooking instructions:
1. Add spices to Besan and make a paste using water. Mix well and leave for 30 minutes. (the paste should not be running or too thick) 2. Then in a frying pan add Oil. Heat it for some seconds and with the help of a spoon, drop the spoon full of paste into the pan and deep fry till light brown. (Do not over heat the oil otherwise the pakora's will burn from the outside and remain uncooked in the middle).

3. Separately in a large bowl, take some cold water and add the pakora's to the cold water immediately after removing from oil. Dip the pakora's in water so they get wet from every side and let them soak for a minute or two so they can absorb a little water to become soft. 4. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl mix in the yogurt, sugar, salt ,cumin powder and Chaat Masala and blend well.
5. Now remove a few pakora's at a time with bare hand and lightly squeeze them to drain any excess water (do not squeeze too hard or they will break). Place soft pakora's in a serving dish. Add the yogurt on top of the pakora's by coating each of them.

6. Finally add chaat masala and a pinch of red chili powder on top of the dahi barey and serve chilled.

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Chickpeas Chaat
Monday, December 22, 2008 2:45 PM

Recipe by Honey Ingredients: 1 Can of Chickpeas 2 Tablespoon Oil 1/2 Teaspoon - Salt to taste 1 Teaspoon Cumin 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric 1 Teaspoon Chili Power 4 Dried Chilies (crushed) 3 Tablespoon Ketchup 3/4 Teaspoon Black Mustard Seeds For Garnish: Red Onion (Thinly sliced) Tomato (Chopped in pieces) Mint (Chopped) Cilantro (Chopped) Green Chilies (Chopped)

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Cooking Instructions: Add Oil and fry cumin until aromatic and slightly darker Add Chickpeas and mustard seed - fry for 1 minute Add salt, turmeric, chili powder and crushed chilies - fry for 1 minute with the spices Add ketchup, stir, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes Transfer to a cool plate and add the ingredients for garnish Mix well and serve

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Black pepper and yogurt baked beef (Dum ka Ghost)

Monday, January 19, 2009 6:47 PM

Original recipe enhanced/modified by Faraz

Ingredients:
8-10 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 lb Beef (Shoulder cut - chuck roast with fat) - Cut into large (2-3 inch) cubes 3 medium yellow onion - finely chopped lengthwise 8-10 Garlic cloves - smashed and finely chopped 1 inch Ginger stick - peeled and finely chopped (You can use 1/2 teaspoon of Ginger paste or powder as substitute) 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper (use it generously if an option) 1 tablespoon Paprika 2 teaspoon Salt 1 tablespoon Black pepper (fresh and coarsely ground) 1 1/4 cup plain Yogurt (beaten)

Cooking instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees 2. Heat the oil into wide flameproof and oven safe large pot 3. When hot, put in all the meat cubes in single layer and fry/brown the meat on all sides - (put the meat aside into a bowl or deep plate when thoroughly browned - preserve the oil). This step will seal the juices into the meat. 4. Add onion and garlic to the same pot - fry over medium heat until it has browned (approx. 10 minutes) 5. Add the meat to the pot and mix with the garlic/onion mixtures (make sure you add all the juices that accumulated with the meat to the pot) 6. Add ginger, cayenne, paprika, salt and black pepper 7. Stir the mixture on medium high heat for 1-2 minutes 8. Add yogurt to the pot and bring to simmer 9. Cover tightly - First with the aluminum foil and then with the lid. The idea is to keep all the steam inside and slow cook the meat. 10. Put the pot into the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hour @ 350 degrees. The pot should be placed in the center of the oven. 11. The meat should be cooked and tender by now - if not, then add 1/2 cup water and bake for another 30 minutes or until the meat is tender. 12. Stir the meat and garnish with cilantro & mint before serving
This dish can be served with Pulloas , rice cooked in chicken broth and vegetables or plain nan/roti

The dish should not have any liquid sauce when cooking is completed. The sauce should be thick and it should cling to the meat. Serve with onion salad

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Onion Relish / Salad

Wednesday, November 12, 2008 9:51 PM

Recipe by Faraz

Ingredients:
1 medium/large sweet onion (sliced thinly & lengthwise) 1/2 red onion (sliced thinly & lengthwise) 1 tomato (sliced) 3-4 reddish (chopped) 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro (coarsely chopped) 1 tablespoon fresh mint 1 Serrano or jalapeo pepper (deseeded/core removed and chopped) - (OPTIONAL) 1 teaspoon kosher salt to taste 1 teaspoon coarsely crushed black pepper 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Cooking Instructions:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Combine all the fresh ingredients in a medium size bowl Sprinkle salt and pepper over the fresh ingredients Add lemon juice Toss the mixture lightly using two forks allowing all the ingredients to mix together Taste and add lemon or salt as needed Refrigerate and serve cold

Tips for adding verity to the onion relish / salad: Carrots, parsley, chives and green onions can be added to the fresh ingredients Teaspoon of toasted ground cumin can be added to add a smoky flavor Paprika and/or cayenne pepper can be added to the add spiciness and color

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Afghani Karahi Gosht

Monday, April 06, 2009 7:28 PM

Recipe by Faraz - This recipe is simple yet authentic with true Afghani taste of Karahi Gosht!

Ingredients:
1 lb Beef, lamb or chicken 3 cups of water 5-6 Garlic cloves - smashed and finely chopped 2 teaspoon ginger paste or 1 inch fresh ginger (peeled and finely chopped) 2 tablespoon oil 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon coriander seeds (toasted & coarsely ground) Salt to taste 2 tablespoon tomato paste 3-4 Tomato's (diced and juices reserved) 6-8 Green chili pepper
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon cilantro (roughly chopped)

Cooking Instructions:
1. Add beef, lamb or chicken, garlic and ginger to the wok - fry the combination until all juices are absorbed and the meat (beef or lamb) is browned (this will seal the juices) 2. Add water and cover - cook on medium heat until the meat is tenderized and less then half a cup of liquid is remaining in the wok 3. Add oil, cayenne pepper, black pepper, coriander and salt to the mixture/wok and cook for 3 -4 minutes on high heat - stirring often 4. Add tomato paste and the diced tomato's to the wok 5. Stir and cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes, pressing the tomatoes to release the juices - mix well 6. Add green chili peppers 7. Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat stirring often until the all the water is absorbed and all the ingredients are blended well 8. Sprinkle the lemon juice, garnish with cilantro and serve!

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Desi Dali Chicken

Monday, April 06, 2009 7:28 PM

Recipe by Faraz - I was inspired to create this recipe after eating a dish at popular Chinese/Asian restaurants called PF Changs here in US. The dish is called "Dali Chicken" - it reminded me of a dish that my mom cooked with potatoes & cumin when I was a kid. I decided to recreate the dish at home with a desi twist and making the sauce little extra saucy - the results were amazing! So, here is the recipe for the "Desi Dali Chicken" - I'd love to hear your feedback! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon oil 6-8 dried red chili peppers 1 1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/2 red onion (thinly sliced) 1-2 serrano or green chili pepper (thinly sliced) 2-4 Garlic cloves - smashed and finely chopped 1/2 inch fresh ginger (peeled and finely chopped)

1 teaspoon ground cumin (roasted and ground) 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon coriander 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 teaspoon tomato paste 1 tomato (diced and juices reserved)
2 boneless chicken breast - cut into 1-2 inches cubes 1 large potato - thin circular slices 1 can (396g) chicken stock Salt to taste 1 tablespoon cilantro (roughly chopped) Mint for garnish

Cooking Instructions:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Add oil and heat Add cumin seeds and fry for 1 min until slightly brown Add red dried chili peppers and fry for 1 min until dark Add onion and green chili's peppers - cook until onion is transparent and slightly brown Add garlic and ginger - stir fry for 1 minute Add ground cumin, turmeric, coriander, cayenne pepper, tomato paste, salt and the tomato's - stir fry for 2-3 minutes on high heat Add chicken and mix thoroughly - stir frying for 3-4 minutes Add potato and the chicken stock - mix and bring to boil Cover & cook on medium heat for 20 mins or until the chicken & potatoes are cooked (cook uncovered to reduce the sauce if needed) Garnish with cilantro and mint Serve with white rice - bon a appetite!

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Hyderabadi Khaati Daal (Lentils)

Tuesday, July 07, 2009 1:29 PM

Recipe by Faraz

Ingredients:
For Daal: 1/3 cup Masoor daal 5-6 cups of water (utilize the same measure cup used to measure the daal) 1/2 onion (chopped) 1 tablespoon garlic paste 1 teaspoon ginger paste 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground cumin Salt to taste 2-3 inch piece of tamarind/imli (soaked in 1 cup of warm water for 30 mins or more - squeeze the tamarind in the water and reserve the liquid/juice)

For Tarka: Vegetable Oil for frying the Tarka 2 tablespoon cumin seeds (zeera) 7-10 dried peppers 7-10 whole garlic (slice the big pieces from the center)

Cooking Instructions:
1. Wash the daal thoroughly 2. Add masoor daal, water, onion, garlic paste, ginger paste, turmeric, ground coriander & ground cumin to the pot - cook for 45 mins or until the daal is tender (see tips) 3. Transfer daal to blender or large food processor - pulse to mix and dissolve daal to liquid. Once liquefied, transfer back to the pot 4. Add tamarind liquid to the daal through a strainer making sure that only the liquid if added and not the solid pieces of the tamarind. 5. Cook on medium heat for 10-15 mins - do not boil. 6. Add salt to the daal and stir 7. Separately, add oil to the frying pan for tarka and heat 8. Add cumin, dried peppers & whole garlic and fry until brown - make sure not to burn the garlic, peppers and cumin 9. Remove daal from the heat 10. Add the tarka to the daal and immediately cover to seal the smoky flavor. Make sure that the daal is hot and the oil is hot - this creates the sizzling splash which in turn creates the smoky flavor. 11. Serve with white rice, lamb chops and onion salad

TIPS: Add additional water to the daal while cooking to maintain consistency (thick or thin), however, do not add more then 1/2 cup of water at any given time. Maintain the consistency to your liking and according adjust the water to make the daal thick or thin. Increase the heat if too thin by accident. The 5-6 glass give you medium consistency. Adjust tamarind to personal taste (add more or reduce as needed) The true Hydrabadi Khaati daal is typically medium thin in consistency and Khaati in taste!

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Faraz's Desi Grilled Lamb Chops

Saturday, July 11, 2009 3:13 PM

Recipe by Faraz

Ingredients:
10-12 Lamb Chops, each about 3/4 inch thick - trimmed for excess fat For Marinade: 1/4 cup olive oil (you can substitute vegetable oil - I use olive because it's healthy) 3-4 tablespoon fresh lime juice 2 tablespoon garlic paste 1 tablespoon ginger paste 1 tablespoon coriander 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon red chili powder 1 teaspoon garam masala Salt to taste

Cooking Instructions:
1. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to make a paste 2. Arrange chops in a large bowl that can be covered 3. Add the marinade to the lamb chops making sure the lamb chops are well covered in the marinade (cover the bowl and toss to ensure the marinade & lamb chops mix well) 4. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours 5. Remove chops from the refrigerator 30-40 minutes before grilling or broiling Grilling Method: a. Clean the grill grates and make sure it is oiled or spray with PAM for non-stick b. Grill the chops over direct high heat for 10-12 mins or until nicely marked/charred on both sides c. Remove chops from the grill and let it stand for 5-6 minutes before serving Broil Method a. Spray PAM or non-stick to grated oven pan b. Arrange the lamb chops on the oven pan c. Broil on high heat for 7-8 minutes on each side or until nicely charred/browned 6. Garnish with cilantro, mint, onion rings, lime and serve!
Use meat tenderizer or add the ground skin of raw papaya to the lamb if available Do not over cook the lamb Grilling is the best method of cooking for this recipe

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Lamb Chops served with Khaati Dal, Onion Relish and Rice:

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