Monthly Archives: August 2011

Soojhi Halwa (Semolina Sweet)

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Soojhi halwa is a pakistani delicacy which is widely served with pooris (fried bread) and parathas in breakfast. This is a popular dish of Lahore and people over there are crazy about it on weekends and other holidays. It is also very popular during the Month of Ramadan as it is very energetic, filling and nutritious but if you are on diet please dont eat it, it is very fattening, but trying this lavish dish once a month does not make any difference…… Enjoy!

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ingredients:

FOR HALWA

  • 1 cup soojhi/ semolina
  • Few slices of coconut (thin slices)
  • 6 – 8 sultanas (kishmish)
  • 1 cup desi ghee

FOR SHEERA/ SUGAR SYRUP

  • Few strands of saffron
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups of water
  • 4 – 5 green cardamom

FOR GARNISHING

  • Few almonds, pistachios and sliced coconut

Procedure:

-Melt ghee and fry sultanas until they are puffed and dark in colour. (do not burn them).

-Add semolina/ soojhi and stir fry it until the soojhi is dark in colour. Do not left it unattended because soojhi get black very quickly.

-Now strain and ad sheera (sugar syrup) to it and mix well.

-When halwa is of rite consistency dish it out and garnish with some slivered almonds and other nuts.

-Serve hot with pooris, parathas or as a sweet dish.

Sabzi Keema

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This is my own invention…….. I love this dish because of its aromatic flavors and because it is low in fat and easy to cook. A very healthy start in the Month of Ramadan ….

Ayesha's kitchen

Ingredients:

  • ½ kg chicken keema
  • 1 big potato diced
  • ½ cauli flower sliced
  • 1 tbspn kasuri methi
  • 1 tspn ginger garlic paste
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tomatoes diced
  • 1 tspn garam masala
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tspn red chilli powder
  • ½ tspn cumin seeds
  • ½ turmeric powder
  • ½ cup coriander
  • 2 green chilllies sliced

Procedure:

-Heat oil and fry ginger garlic paste in it for 2 minutes on medium flame.

-Add chicken mince and fry until it is white.

-Now add all the other ingredients and cook it covered on low heat for 20 – 25 minutes.

-Serve hot with rotis.

Fish Fry

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This recipe is the best way to consume fish in Ramadan when you need protein to re boost your energy. Its healthy even if you are on diet, fish is rich in omega 3 and good fats…….

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ingredients:

  • 1 kg snapper with skin/ rohu (fillets)
  • ½ cup lemon juice
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ tspn black pepper
  • 1 tspn red chilli powder
  • 1 tbspn ginger garlic paste
  • 1 tbspn soy sauce
  • 1 tbspn vinegar
  • 1 tbson mint – coriander chutney
  • 1 tbspn green chilli paste
  • 1 cup besan (gram flour)
  • Oil for deep frying
  • Some water

Procedure:

-Wash and pat dry the fish fillets and add everything given in the ingredients list except oil. Add a little bit of water if the mixture is too dry.

-Mix well and refrigerate for 12 hours.

-Heat oil to 180 degrees Celsius or medium temperature and fry them until they are brown and crisp.

-Serve hot with tomato ketchup or tartar sauce.

Chicken Pakora

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Chicken pakora is my mum’s delicacy, she is a wonderful cook and this is a wonderful recipe invented by her for the Month of Ramadan. In our family, all women have some specialties for Ramadan, like my Aunt makes the best Vegetable Pakoras, My grandma makes the best Fruit chaat, I am best at everything and my mum is Chicken pakora guru……. so here is one of the delicacies of my family…… its easy and quick and you can impress your friends and family in just 45 minutes with this wonderful and new recipe…….. but plzzzz dont tell anyone that I am leaking out my family secrets……… LOL………..enjoy!

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ingredients:

  • 1 chicken breast boiled
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ tspn paprika
  • 1 tspn black pepper
  • 2 tbspns corn flour
  • 1 ½ cup flour
  • 1 tspn baking powder
  • Salt to taste
  • ¼ cup chopped scallions
  • ¼ cup chopped green chilllies
  • Some water to make the batter
  • Oil for deep frying

Procedure:

-Mash the chicken breast with a fork.

-Mix all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and add mashed chicken.

-Now gradually add water to make a lump free normal consistency batter. Add spring onion/scallion and green chilllies.

-Mix well.

-Keep it aside for 20 – 30 minutes.

-You can add grated cottage cheese/ grated ricotta cheese or mushrooms to it if you want to.

-Heat oil to 180 degrees Celsius.

-Add spoon full of batter and fry. Make sure you leave some distance between the pakoras.

-When they are crispy brown, take them out on an absorbent paper and serve hot with cheese sauce or chilli garlic sauce.

Beef Lasagna

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Simple Beef Lasagne is a lovely recipe, do try this if you are Italian food lover …

Ingredients:

BEEF SAUCE/BOLOGNA SAUCE:

  • 2 cans of diced tomatoes
  • ½ tspn oregano, thyme, rosemary and crushed black pepper
  • Some salt
  • 1 tspn paprika
  • 4 tbspns olive oil
  • 2 tbspns chopped onions
  • 4 tbspns chopped capsicum
  • 1 tbspn chopped zucchini
  • 250 gms beef mince

BECHAMEL SAUCE:

  • 1 ½ cup whole milk
  • 1 scoop of butter
  • 1 tbspn plain flour
  • Some salt and pepper

FOR LASAGNE

  • 10 lasagne sheets
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 2 Tomato Slices

Procedure:

-Heat oil and add mincemeat. Stir fry for 15 minutes on low heat.

-Meanwhile in a  sauce add diced tomatoes and all other ingredients and let it cook on low heat for 10 minutes or until its like a chunky tomato sauce.

-Add the sauce in fried mincemeat and mix. Remove from heat.

-Boil milk and Heat some butter in a saucepan. Add flour and mix well. Now add boiling hot milk with constant whisking. Stir until it become thick. Remove from heat.

-Boil lasagne sheets and drain access water.

-Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

-In a Pyrex baking tray scoop some béchamel sauce on its base and spread.

-Now spread a layer of boiled lasagne pasta and then some béchamel and mincemeat sauce. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese and then cover it with the other boiled pasta and repeat the process again until the ingredients are finished.

-At the end top it with some cheese and tomatoes and bake on 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes.

-Serve.

Outcome:

Tasty and easy beef lasagne is ready to serve.

Ayesha's Kitchen

Tips:

-Add boiling hot milk in butter and flour when making béchamel sauce.

-Boil lasagne sheets 2 at a time so that they don’t stick to each other.

Servings:

This will serve 3 – 4 persons easily.

Mixed Vegetable Pakoras

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Mixed vegetable pakora is my own recipe. Its a very easy and less time consuming recipe…..

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cup besan (gram flour)
  • 1 tspn baking powder
  • ½ cup sliced aubergine/ eggplant
  • 1 green chilli sliced
  • ¼ cup chopped green coriander
  • 4 button mushrooms sliced
  • 1 potato thinly sliced
  • ½ cup paneer (small cubes)
  • Little spinach leaved chopped
  • ¼ cup sliced capsicum
  • ¼ cup chopped cauliflower
  • 1 tbspn coriander mint chutney
  • Some salt
  • 1 ½ tspn red chilli powder
  • ½ tspn turmeric
  • 1 tbspn dry coriander
  • 1 tspn cumin seeds
  • 1 tbspn fenugreek leaves
  • 1 onion sliced
  • Oil for deep frying
  • Some water for batter (around ½ – ¾ cup)

Procedure:

-Sift besan and baking powder.

-Slice all vegetables and put them in a mixing bowl.

-Add all spices and sifted besan.

-Add all spices and mix well all the dry ingredients with vegetables.

-Gradually add water and mix with your hands.

-Make a lump free mixture with vegetables.

-Keep aside for 30 minutes.

-Heat oil and add spoon full of batter in it. Keep them away from each other.

-When they are brown, take them out on an absorbent paper and serve hot with tamarind sauce and mint coriander chutney.

Outcome:

Tasty mixed vegetable pakoras are ready to serve.

Serving:

Serves 6.