Beef Curry

Beef is always my favorite - be it curry or grilled or fry or whatever. This recipe is my wife's and she got it from her Mom (who she got it from her Mom (who got it from Mom (... and so on ...))). In short it's a family secret... hehehe…

It's yummy and flavorful... try it for yourself.

Serves: 4
Spice level: Mild

Preparation time: 35 Mins.
Cook time (incl. Prep. time):  1 Hr.

Ingredients:

1. Beef - 1 Lb. (cleaned and cut to small cubes)
2. Veg. Oil - 4 Tbsp.
3. Fennel Seed - 1/4 Tsp.
4. Fenugreek Seed - 1/4 Tsp.
5. Red Onion - 1 (Large, thinly sliced)
6. Salt to taste
7. Green Chilli - 3 (split lengthwise)
8. Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 Tbsp.
9. Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tsp.
10. Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp.
11. Coriander Powder - 1 1/2 Tbsp.
12. Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 Tsp.
13. Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 Tsp.
14. Tomato - 2 (chopped)
15. Water - 1 1/2 Cups
16. Coriander Leaves - 1/2 Cup (chopped)

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a medium sized pressure cooker. Add fennel seeds and fenugreek seeds and cook for 1 min. or until nicely fried.
2. Add onions along with salt and sauté till the onion are translucent.
3. Add green chillies and ginger garlic paste to the cooker and sauté for couple more mins.
4. Add all the powders (chilli, turmeric, garam masala, pepper and coriander powder) and cook until it's cooked and raw smell vanishes (about 2 mins.).
5. Add tomatoes and sauté till its cooked and the oil separates.
6. Add beef to the cooker and mix well. Add water to the cooker (just enough to cover the beef) and cook it for about 20-25 mins. until the meat is soft.
7. Remove the cooker off the burner and open it carefully after letting all the pressure off.
8. Mix in the coriander leaves and serve with roti or rice.

Chicken Fajitas

"A fajita is a term found in Tex-Mex cuisine commonly referring to any grilled meat usually served as a taco on a flour or corn tortilla." -- Wikipedia.

I used to have fajitas before I became a hardcore "Halal"-ian. It's been a while since I have been craving for fajitas and luckily i found this recipe. I didn't expect it to be half-way close to the restaurant quality. But, surprisingly the flavors were spot-on.

Try it out...

Serves: 2
Spice level: Mild

Preparation time: 15 Mins.
Cook time (incl. Prep. time):  2 Hrs. 20 Mins.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken Breast - 1 Lb. (sliced to 1 inch across the grain)
2. Olive Oil - 1 1/2 Tbsp.
3. Honey - 1 1/2 Tbsp.
4. Vinegar - 1/2 Tbsp.
5. Garlic - 2 Cloves (crushed)
6. Dried Oregano - 1 Tsp.
7. Red Chilli Flakes - 1 Tsp.
8. Red Bell Peppers - 1 (seeded and cut into 1 inch strips)
9. Black Pepper Powder - 1 Tsp.
10. Salt to taste
11. Roti or Tortilla or Pita bread

Preparation:

1. Mix oil, honey, garlic, oregano, chilli flakes, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl.
2. Add chicken, toss it well in the marinade and keep in the refrigerator for about 2 hrs.
3. Heat a frying pan (preferably a grill pan) and fry the chicken pieces. Note that we are deliberately frying without any oil. This is to get the char on the chicken to increase the flavor. Fry for about 15 minutes or until the chicken pieces are cooked completely.
4. Get the chicken pieces off the pan onto a serving plate.
5. Fry the bell peppers in the same pan for about 4 mins. flipping it occasionally.
6. Add the fried bell peppers onto the serving plate and serve it with Roti or Tortilla or Pita bread.

Chicken Wrap

This one is for the "forced cooks"...

Saw this recipe on a cookbook and looked interesting and really simple. Moreover I was tired and as usual hungry. Salad doesn't appear anywhere on my menu but somehow there was enough lettuce and cucumber in the fridge to make the wrap. The wrap tastes awesome, but real cool part is the grapes. The sweetness of the grapes in between bites is such a nice feeling... Try it out...

Serves: 2
Spice level: Mild

Preparation time: 15 Mins.
Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 40 Mins.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken Breast - 1 Lb. (diced)
2. Yogurt - 2/3 Cups
3. Whole Grain Mustard - 1/2 Tsp. (or crushed whole mustard)
4. Iceberg Lettuce - 5 oz. (finely shredded)
5. Cucumber - 1 (medium size, thinly sliced)
6. Black Seedless Grapes - 1/2 Cup (halved)
7. Black Pepper Powder - 1 Tsp.
8. Salt to taste
9. Water - 3 Cups
10. Roti or Tortilla or Pita bread to wrap

Preparation:

1. Cook the chicken cubes in a microwave for about 20 mins. with salt and enough water.
2. To a mixing bowl add yogurt, mustard, salt and pepper and mix well.
3. Add chicken to the bowl a toss it well so that it’s evenly coated with the yogurt mix. Keep it aside.
4. Mix lettuce, cucumber and grapes to make a salad.
5. Make cone using the bread or roti and fill the bottom half with the salad and the later with the chicken mix. Repeat the same with other bread and serve it fresh.

Mutton Kabsa

"Kabsa is a family of rice dishes that are served mostly in Saudi Arabia - where it is commonly regarded as a national dish. In places like Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iraq and Kuwait the dish is popularly known as machbus" - Wikipedia 

All said, my wife got this recipe from her Mom and it delicious and flavorful. Try it out with Raita (yogurt salad) and enjoi...

Serves: 4

Spice level: Medium

Preparation time: 1 Hr. 10 Mins.

Cook time (incl. Prep. time):  2 Hrs.

Ingredients:

To Cook Mutton:

1. Coconut Milk - 1/4 Cup (Thick)

2. Cashew Nut - 10 (soaked in water for 4 hrs.)

3. Mutton: 1 Lb. (400 grms., Medium sized cubes)

4. Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tsp.

5. Salt - to taste

6. Garam Masala - 1 Pinch

7. Black Pepper Powder - 1 Pinch

7. Water - 1 cup

To Cook Rice:

8. Ghee - 1 Tbsp.

9. Basmati Rice - 2 cups

10. Ginger - 1 Tsp. (chopped)

11. Garlic - 1 Tsp. (chopped)

12. Salt - to taste

13. Water - 3 3/4 cups

To Make the Gravy:

14. Veg. Oil (2 Tbsp.)

15. Cloves - 4

16. Cinnamon sticks - 2 (1 inch pieces)

18. Cardamom - 4

19. Onion - 1 (thin slices)

20. Green Chillies - 2

21. Ginger - 1 inch piece (chopped)

22. Garlic - 5 Cloves (chopped)

23. Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 1 Tsp.

24. Turmeric - 1/4 tsp.

25. Garam Masala Powder - 1 pinch

26. Tomato - 2 (chopped)

27. Yogurt - 2 Tbsp.

28. Lime Juice - Squeezed from half lime

29. Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup (chopped)

30. Mint Leaves - 1/4 cup (chopped)

31. Salt to taste

32. Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup (chopped)

33. Mint Leaves - 1/4 cup (chopped)

Preparation:

1. In a grinder, add coconut milk and cashew nut to make a thick creamy paste.

2. In a pressure cooker add mutton, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, salt and garam masala along with water just enough to cover the meat. Cook the meat for about 20 mins. till the meat is soft and tender and until all water is evaporated.

3. Remove the pressure cooker off the stove, add the cashew-coconut paste and mix well until the mutton pieces and evenly coated with the creamy paste. Set aside.

4. Meanwhile, in another large vessel boil 3 3/4 cup water with ghee, ginger, garlic and salt. Add rice to the pan once the water reaches hard boil. Cook for 20-25 mins. or until all the water is evaporated. Keep it aside.

5. Heat oil in a sauce pan and add Cloves, cinnamon and cardamom and sauté for 1 min.

6. Add onions and green chillies with a pinch of salt and sauté till the onions are transparent. Add ginger and garlic and cook it for 2 mins.

7. Add Chilli powder, Turmeric powder and a pinch of garam masala powder and cook till the raw smell of the powders vanishes.

8. Add tomatoes and sauté for 2 more mins. Mix in yogurt, lime juice, coriander leaves and mint leaves and cook for 2 more mins covered.

9. Remove the pan off the stove and add this masala into the pressure cooker with mutton.

10. Layer the cooked rice on top of the masala, sprinkle with chopped coriander and mint leaves and close the lid with the weights on.

11. Hard boil water in a large vessel and get it off the stove.

12. Place the closed pressure cooked with mutton and rice into the vessel with boiled water and leave it there for about 20 mins.

13. Remove the pressure cooker, empty the Kabsa onto a serving bowl and serve it warm.

Shahi Mutton Curry

 My wife's friend Sheji Shakeer contributed this recipe and image. On the lighter side, she wants us to get back to UAE and as all of my dear friends know that there's no better incentive than great food... hehe...  just kidding.

Seriously it's a great dish, try it out...

Serves: 4

Spice level: Medium

Preparation time: 1 Hr. 10 Mins.

Cook time (incl. Prep. time):  2 Hrs.

Ingredients:

1. Mutton - 1 1/2 Lbs. (cleaned and strained)

2. Red Onion - 3 (medium sized, thinly sliced)

3. Almonds - 1 Oz.

4. Garlic - 4 cloves

5. Coriander Seeds - 1 oz.

6. Red Chilli Powder - 1 Tsp.

7. Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 Tsp.

8. Salt - to taste

9. Saffron - 1 pinch (soaked in water)

10. Plain Yogurt - 3/4 Cups

11. Fresh Cream - 3/4 Cups

12. Veg. Oil - 1/2 Cup

Preparation:

1. Blend the coriander seeds, 1 onion, almonds and garlic together. Marinade the mutton in this mixture for about 2 hours.

2. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker and fry the remaining onions. Get the fried onions off the pan using a fork and set aside.

3. Add the mutton to the oil and fry until the liquid dries up.

4. Add 3/4 cups of hot water and pressure cook the mutton for 20 minutes with the lid on or until the mutton is about three-fourth cooked.

5. Reduce the heat and let the pressure completely off through the nozzle. Carefully open the lid and add salt and pepper. Cook it for some more time on medium-high flame to dry off the liquid

6. Add the beaten yogurt and sauté until the oil separates. Grind the fried onion and add it to the cooker.

7. Beat the cream for about 5 minutes or until it is to a thick consistency.

8. Add the soaked saffron and mix it with the cooked mutton.

9. Pre-heat the oven to 250 degrees F.

10. Add the garam masala to the mutton and bake at 250 degrees F for 30 mins.

11. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve warm with chapathi/bread or rice.

Cantaloupe - Ginger - Lemon Smoothie

Saw a recipe for melon-ginger spritzer and modified it to get this. To my surprise it was yummy and my 3 year old Aisha enjoyed it a lot.

Check it out.

Makes: 2 Cups (12 oz. each)
Spice level: --

Preparation time: 20 Min.
Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 30 Min.

Ingredients:

1. Cantaloupe - 1/2 (seeded and cubed - about 4 cups)
2. Ginger - 3 Inch (chopped)
3. Water - 1/2 cup
4. Sugar - 1/2 cup
5. Lime Juice - Squeezed from 1/2 lime
6. Ice Cubes - 4

Preparation:

1. In a small sauce pan boil water with sugar and ginger for about 10 mins. Remove the ginger pieces and set aside the syrup.
2. Blend cantaloupe, lime juice and sugar syrup for 3 mins.
3. Add ice cubes and blend for another min. and we are done. Serve chilled.

Potato Egg Roll

Someone had the brains and patience to re-invent the traditional "bonda" (another popular Malabar snack) into a more complex and crispy snack. Do try it out... enjoi...

Makes: 10

Spice level: Medium

Preparation time: 30 Min.

Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 50 Mins.

Ingredients:

1. Potato - 4 (large, peeled and cubed)

2. Red Onion - 1 (large, chopped)

3. Green Chilli - 2

4. Eggs - 3 (hard boiled and quarter length wise)

5. Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 Tbsp.

6. Coriander Leaves - 1/4 Cup

7. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Tsp.

8. Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 Tsp.

9. Salt - to taste

10. Oil - 4 Tsp.

11. Water - 2 cups

12. Egg whites - from 2 eggs

13. Vermicelli - 2 cups (fried, broken to small pieces)

14. Oil - to fry

Preparation:

1. Boil the potatoes with water and a pinch of salt for about 15 mins. until its completely cooked and mashable. Get the potatoes off the stove, strain it, mash it and set it aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan and sauté chopped onions and green chilli till the onions are translucent.

3. Add ginger garlic paste and cook for couple more minutes

4. Add turmeric powder, black pepper powder, chopped coriander leaves and salt and sauté for one more minute and set it aside.

5. Take a medium sized potato ball and roll in the onion mix and egg as shown in the picture below:

6. Get the egg whites in a large bowl and the vermicelli in a flat plate.

7. Dip the potato roll in egg white and get it coated evenly. Transfer it to the vermicelli plate and roll it to coat evenly with the vermicelli.

8. Heat oil in a frying pan and deep fry the roll to golden brown. Serve it warm.