Tag Archives: Indian

Kashmiri Chai (Pink Tea)

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Kashmiri Chai (Pink Tea) is a lovely, smooth and silky hot beverage that is usually served in Pakistan on any happy occasion after meals. Do try this and make your day …

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ayesha’s Kitchen

Ingredients:

  • 2 ½ cups water
  • 4 cups milk
  • A pinch of saffron strands
  • 2 tbspns jasmine tea leaves
  • 1 big cardamom
  • 1 big piece of cinnamon
  • 2 cloves
  • 3 almonds
  • 4 green cardamoms crushed
  • Some salt
  • Sugar to taste
  • 1 small very small drop of pink food colour (OPTIONAL)

FOR GARNISH

  • Crushed or slivered almond
  • Crushed or slivered pistachios
  • Some mixed dried fruits

Procedure:

-In a saucepan, add all the ingredients given above except milk and for garnish and bring to a boil.

-Boil well for 10 minutes.

-Add milk and boil again.

-Strain this mixture and pour it into 4 cups.

-Place some mixed dried fruits on the saucer and garnish the tea with some crushed pistachios and almonds.

Tips:

-Use full cream milk for best results.

-Avoid using salted or roasted pistachios and almonds.

-Add a very little drop of pink food colour only if desired.

Servings:

This will serve 4 persons easily.

Tadka Chaawal (Tempered Rice) (Pakistani Style)

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Tadka Chaawal (Tempered Rice) are very tasty and can be served with any thing, any curry or any daal, give it a try and make your day special …

Ingredients:

  • 1 small onion thinly sliced
  • 2 big cardamoms
  • 2 – 4 pcs. Cinnamon
  • 1 dried red chilli whole
  • 4 – 6 black peppercorns
  • 1 tspn cumin seeds
  • 1 tbspn ghee
  • 4 tbspns olive oil
  • 1 ¼ cup rice
  • 2 ½ cups water
  • Some salt (to taste)
  • 4 cloves

Procedure:

-Soak rice for 8 minutes. Drain water and keep aside.

-Heat oil and ghee in a thick bottomed deep pan and fry whole garam masala and onion slices. When they are golden brown add water and let it come to a boil.

-Add soaked rice and salt and let them simmer.

-When very less amount of water remains cover it and cook on very low heat for 10 minutes.

-Stir and scoop. Serve hot with daal or Punjabi kadhi.

Outcome:

Tasty and versatile tempered rice are ready to serve.

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ayesha's Kitchen

Tips:

-Soak rice in very less amount of water for 7 – 8 minutes. Not more than that.

-Add ghee for tasty and pleasant tempering.

Servings:

This will serve 4 persons easily.

Chicken Biryani

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Chicken Biryani is one of the famous dishes of South Asia, whenever you visit any South Asian restaurant, this is the main rice dish. However the original recipe of biryani is very mild but this is the South Asian Version …

Ingredients:

  • 1 chicken 16 pieces
  • 6 tbspns of vinegar/ yogurt
  • 2 cups basmati rice
  • 1 medium sized onion sliced
  • 2 tomatoes chopped
  • 2 green chillies julienne
  • 1 recipe homemade biryani masala (1 packet of market bought biryani masala)
  • Few drops of yellow food colour
  • Few drops of kewra (OPTIONAL)
  • ¼ cup oil

WHOLE GARAM MASALA

  • A big cardamom
  • Few cloves
  • 1 tspn cumin seeds
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 curry leaves
  • A pinch of kasoori methi*

Procedure:

-Marinade chicken in vinegar or yogurt and half of the biryani masala for 20 minutes.

-Heat oil and add whole garam masala into it. When cumin seeds begin to splatter add onions and stir fry them until they are golden brown. Add chopped tomatoes and mix.

-Now add rest half of the biryani masala and cook on low heat add chicken and then water. Cover it and let it simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and some gravy remains.

-Boil rice according to the procedure.

-In a thick bottomed vessel spread a layer of rice and then of chicken and then again of rice. Add few drops of yellow food colour and kewra essence, top it with some green chillies and cook it covered on low heat for 2 minutes.

-Mix and serve.

Outcome:

Tasty chicken biryani is ready to serve.

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ayesha's Kitchen Ayesha's Kitchen

Ayesha's kitchen

Tips:

-You can make your own biryani masala by clicking this link or you can use market bought biryani masala.

-See tips for biryani rice on tips page.

Servings:

This will serve 4 persons easily.

Gujrati Dhokla

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Gujrati Dhokla is a vegetarian Gujrati dish which is quite Famous in India and is easily available in all of the Indian restaurant …

Ingredients:

  • 350gms Gram flour
  • 1 cup yogurt (Stirred)
  • 1 tsp Green Chilies (paste)
  • 1 tspn Ginger (paste)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 Lemon juice
  • ½ tspn turmeric powder
  • 1 tbspn Oil

FOR TAMPERING

  • Few Curry leaves
  • 1 tspn Mustard Seeds
  • 2 tspn Oil
  • Some Coriander leaves (chopped)
  • 4 green chilies (vertically slit)

Procedure:

-In a bowl add gram flour (besan), yogurt and water.

-Mix well and make a smooth batter. The batter should be of thick consistency.

-Add salt and set aside for 4 hours covered with a lid.

-Take the ginger and green chili paste and add to the batter. Also add turmeric powder and mix well.

-Keep the steamer or cooker ready on gas.

-Grease a baking dish (it should fit in the steamer or cooker).

-Now in small bowl take baking soda, 1tspn oil and lemon juice and mix well.

-Add this to the batter and mix well.

-Pour the batter into the greased pan and steam for 10-12 minutes or till done.

-Cool for some time and cut into big cubes.

-Heat little oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds and curry leaves allow to splutter. Remove and pour it over dhoklas.

-Garnish the besan dhokla with coriander and slited green chilies.

-Serve with coriander chutney.

Outcome:

Tatsy Gujrati Dhokla is ready to be served with chutneys and everything.

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ayesha's Kitchen

Tips:

-Cook well.

Servings:

This will serve 4 persons.

Prawn Biryani

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Prawn Biryani (Jheenga Biryani) is ultimate don’t you think so???

Ingredients:

  • 1 kg prawns peeled and cooked*
  • 2 cups rice
  • 2 cardamom pods
  • 2 big cardamoms
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick
  • ½ onions chopped
  • 1 tomato chopped
  • 1 red chilli chopped
  • Some salt
  • Some red chilli powder (OPTIONAL)
  • ¼ tspn turmeric powder
  • ½ tspn coriander powder
  • ½ tspn cumin powder
  • A pinch of cumin seeds
  • 1 curry leaf
  • 2 black peppercorns
  • 2 tbspns Fresh coriander chopped
  • Few drops of yellow Food colour
  • ½ cup water

Procedure:

-Soak rice in water.

-Heat oil and add cardamom stuff, cinnamon, cumin seeds and curry leaf. When they begin to splatter add onion along with some salt and Fry until they lose their stiffness. Now add prawns and stir Fry them.

-Let them cook in their own water. When this mixture begins to dry add chopped tomato and other spices and herbs and mix. Add water whenever required.

-When prawns are nicely cooked remove From heat.

-Boil nearly a litre or 2 of water. Add soaked rice and when they are 90 % cooked drain them.

-In a thick bottomed pan,take half of the boiled rice a make layer then place a layer of cooked prawns and then again a layer of rice. At the end add very Few drops of yellow Food colour and cover the pan.

-Cook it For 5 – 10 minutes on very low heat. Make sure they do not stick to the bottom of utensil.

-Now dish them and serve hot with a sprig of Fresh green coriander.

Outcome:

Tasty and lovely, odourless prawn Biryani or Jheenga* Biryani is ready to be served.

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ayesha’s Kitchen

Tips:

-See “Tips” page For Rice Tips.

-Make sure your prawns are nicely cooked.

-You can adjust seasoning according to your taste.

-Peeled and cooked prawns are of pink colour and they are easily available Frozen in market.

Servings:

This will serve 4 persons easily.

*Refer to “Glossary” Page

Aalu Pakoras

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Aalu Pakoras are lovely and one of the Famous street Foods of South Asia, do try them and let me know your remarks …

Ingredients:

  • 2 potatoes sliced thinly
  • 2 cups gram Flour
  • ¾ cup water
  • Some salt
  • Some red chilli powder
  • ½ tspn turmeric powder
  • 1 tbspn cracked dry coriander
  • ½ tspn cumin seeds
  • ½ onion sliced
  • 2 green chillies sliced
  • Oil For Frying

Procedure:

-Combine all the ingredients except oil in a bowl and make Fine mixture.

-Keep aside For 20 – 30 minutes and heat oil.

-Take 1 tbspn of this mixture and deep Fry

-Take out on an absorbent paper and serve immediately.

Outcome:

Tasty aalu pakore are ready to be served.

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ayesha's Kitchen

Tips:

-Avoid lumps and do not make thin mixture.

-Adjust salt and pepper according to your will.

Servings:

This will serve 3 -4 persons easily.