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Weekend on WOW

WhatsApp Image 2021 03 26 at 12.00.56 PM

How to Make Bun Kabab: Weekend on Wow

by Nosheen Babar March 27, 2021

written by Nosheen Babar

A bun kabab is nothing more than a simple potato and lentil patty, coated in egg and shallow fried. The patty is then topped with two chutneys, some sliced onions, and squeezed between a soft, sweet bun.

Many variations of the original creation exist today as there’s a street stall on virtually every corner of the country. Each vendor has his own secret recipe for the patty and the chutneys.

Some use a meat patty, some use one chutney, some two. There’s an assortment of toppings, from onions to cucumbers and at times tomatoes. Some coat the patty in egg and some fry the egg separately and top the patty with it.

I hope you try and like my version of the famous street food!

The Bun Kabab Slider Recipe

Boiling the Lentils

The best lentil to use for the bun kabab is chana dal (split chickpea). Since it has a firm texture it keeps the kabab from breaking. It’s important not to overcook the lentils too much as the patties won’t form properly if you do. For best results, soak the lentils overnight and then cook for a short period. The soaking softens them and ensures that they will cook quicker.

Cook the onions, ginger, garlic, and lentils together with just a little bit of water. As soon as the mixture reaches a boil, cover the saucepan with foil and reduce the flame to its lowest setting. The rest of the cooking will take place via steaming, as this helps retain maximum flavor.

Preparing the Kabab Mixture

Since the potatoes and lentils are different inconsistencies, they need to be separately prepped. The potatoes must be boiled, peeled, and mashed by hand as using the food processor makes them too pasty. The lentils are boiled as instructed above and then added to a food processor along with the onions, garlic, ginger, and spices and pureed.

The potatoes and lentils are then mixed by hand and formed into the patties, ready to be fried!

Frying the Patties

Some versions of bun kabab have a separately fried patty and a thin omelet on top. I coat my kabab in hand-beaten eggs to give them a slightly crispy coating and to prevent them from falling apart. Any residual egg (as seen in the picture below) is added to the buns along with the patties. I find that this is less labor-intensive than cooking the two separately.

The Best Buns

Authentic street style bun kebabs are made with very soft and slightly sweet buns. I use potato buns as they have the exact same taste and texture as the ones I remember from back home.

Once the patties are almost done, I place the buns face down on the frying pan as shown below. Toasting them this way makes them taste amazing as the residual grease in the pan gives them a buttered flavor. The buns are ready to be assembled once they turn light brown and crispy on the inside.

Assembling the Bun Kabab Sliders

I chose to make my bun kababs into sliders, but you can just as easily opt to make full-sized ones. For the chutneys, I used my green coconut chutney and my sugar-free imli tamarind chutney. Just smear some of each type directly on the buns, place the fried kabab, some onions and you’re ready to eat!

I don’t like to add cucumbers or tomatoes to mine as I feel they get a little soggy this way but feel free to choose your own toppings.

INGREDIENTS

1cup chana dal (Split Chickpeas)
½cup chopped onion
1tbsp crushed ginger
1tbsp minced garlic
1cup water
3potatoes (1.5 Cups Mashed)
2tsp red chili powder
1tsp coriander powder
2tsp salt
2tsp amchur powder (dried mango powder)
1tsp chat masala (Optional)
2eggs
½cup cooking oil
1onion sliced
½cup green coconut chutney
½cup sugar-free tamarind chutney
24slider buns

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak the lentils overnight
2. Dice the onion
3. Strain the soaked lentils and add them to a saucepan with the onions, ginger, garlic, and 1 cup water and bring to a boil

5. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover the saucepan with foil and steam the lentils for 10 minutes so they cook through

6. Once done, place the lentils in your food processor, with the red chili powder, coriander powder, salt, amchur, and chat masala (if using) and pulse till mashed

7. Boil 3 potatoes, peel, and mash

8. Mix the lentil mixture with the potatoes and shape it into patties

9. Beat the two eggs in a shallow dish

10. Heat the oil in a large wide frying pan and dip the patties in the egg mixture and shallow fry till light brown on each side

11. Slice the buns and place them on the pan to heat

12. Assemble the bun kebabs with the patties, two chutneys, sliced onions, and whatever else you chose to add.

About Nosheen: She graduated from Southeastern University and completed her high school at Karachi Grammar School. She later worked at Bank of America and ANZ Grindlays Bank. She has also served voluntarily for several boards, including Treasurer of an Elementary School Board, Second Vice President of an Elementary School Board, Treasurer of a Middle School Board, and On the board of a Non-Profit (O.S.E.F-Ocean Springs Education Foundation)

For more interesting recipes from Nosheen, watch this space.

March 27, 2021 0 comment

WhatsApp Image 2021 03 19 at 12.16.35 PM

Food

How to Make Mutton Biryani: Weekend on Wow

by Nosheen Babar March 19, 2021

written by Nosheen Babar

Biryani is so popular in Pakistan many consider it the country’s national food. Based on many accounts, Mumtaz Mahal, the wife of emperor Shah Jahan first created the famous rice and meat dish for the purpose of nourishing army soldiers.

Today there are supposedly 30 versions of Biryani in existence, and new ones continue to be created. Take one bite of any one of these, and you’ll what all the hype is about.

Cooking Biryani is not for the faint of heart. It’s a complex dish that requires some serious cooking skills. That’s not to say that it’s impossible after all, so many people cook it. It just takes a little practice, some perseverance, and perhaps a few bad attempts before you become a pro at it.

INGREDIENTS

Biryani Masala Powder Recipe

1tsp coriander
1tsp white cumin
1tsp black cumin
1tsp fennel
8pieces green cardamom
4pieces black cardamom
10whole cloves
½inch cinnamon stick
10whole peppercorns
4pieces mace
½piece nutmeg
4pieces star anise
10whole dry red chillies
4whole bay leaf
2tsp salt (adjust to taste)
2tsp red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
½tsp turmeric

Biryani Korma

½ cup cooking oil (SEE NOTES)
2inches piece ginger
2tbsp garlic paste
2lbs goat meat (SEE NOTES)
2onions
4tomatoes
½cup yoghurt
2green chillies
½tsp salt
½tsp red chilli powder
¼cup aloo Bukhara (dried golden sour prunes)
2potatoes

Rice

4cups Sella rice (SEE NOTES)
2tbsp cooking oil
2tsp salt (SEE NOTES)
4whole cloves
½inch cinnamon stick
1whole bay leaf
4whole peppercorns
½tsp black cumin

Biryani Dum

¼cup milk
5strands saffron
1tbsp kewra water
½tsp rose water (optional)
1tsp yellow food colouring
1lemon
2green chillies
¼cup mint (optional)
¼cup cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

Biryani Masala Powder

heat a non-stick frying pan and dry roast all of the whole spices (SEE NOTES)
grind the roasted spices to a fine powder
mix in the salt, red chilli powder, and turmeric to the roasted mixture

Biryani Korma

grind half of the garlic, ginger, and green chillies and mix with ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp red chilli powder
marinate the goat meet with this mixture and set aside in the fridge for 2 hours (SEE NOTES)
once the meat has marinated for 2 hours, set it on the counter to come to room temperature while you prep the rest of the ingredients (SEE NOTES)
quarter and steam the tomatoes in ½ cup water, mash, and cool to room temperature (SEE NOTES)
beat the yoghurt slightly and add to this mixture, and set aside
slice the onions very thin
grind the remaining garlic and ginger
slice your chillies or leave them whole depending on their size
soak the aloo bukhara in 1 cup of water to soften it a little bit
peel, slice and quarter the potatoes and soak in water (SEE NOTES)
heat the 1 cup oil
add the onions and start frying
once the onions are a rich brown colour, add the ginger and garlic and saute for 3-5 minutes
add the marinated meat in small batches and start frying (SEE NOTES)
once the meat is a nice light brown, add the spices and roast for a few minutes, followed by the tomato/yoghurt mixture
roast well for 5-10 minutes, add the aloo bukhara with the 1 cup water, cover, and cook on medium till the meat is 80% cooked
uncover, add the green chillies, potatoes, and 1 cup water, cook on medium till the potatoes are 80% cooked and the oil separates (SEE NOTES)
set the meat aside and start prepping to cook your rice

Rice

soak the rice in about 3 times the water for 4 hours minimum (SEE NOTES)
heat water in a large pot, adding the salt and oil to it (SEE NOTES)
take all the whole spices and tie them up in a piece of cheesecloth to make a small pouch and add to the water
once the water reaches a boil, add the rice to it and cook about 10 minutes, till the rice is about 80% cooked(SEE NOTES)

Biryani Dum

soak the saffron in the milk for about 20-30 minutes(SEE NOTES)
chop the cilantro and the mint (if using)
slice lemons into thin slices
slice the green chillies if they are on the larger side; if they are small ones, leave them whole
once the rice is cooked, strain it, remove the spice pouch and start the layering
add ½ of the HOT korma as the first layer (SEE NOTES)
add ½ the rice, completely covering the korma
add the remaining korma, distributing evenly over the rice
add the remaining rice
drizzle the saffron-infused milk, kewra water, and if using rose water on the rice
lay the lemons, green chillies, cilantro, and mint (if using)in an even layer on top
cover with foil, making sure there are no gaps so the steam can stay in
cover your pot and reduce the flame to the lowest setting (SEE NOTES)
after 20 minutes, uncover carefully (the steam can burn)
plate in a manner that there is some mixing of the layers (SEE NOTE)

Here is a step by step guide:

For a more detailed version of this recipe, visit untoldrecipesbynosheen.com, and while you’re there, try the raita and kachumber recipe to serve with your Biryani.

For more interesting recipes from Nosheen, watch this space.

March 19, 2021 0 comment

Food

How to Make a Roast Goat Leg: Weekend on Wow

by Nosheen Babar March 12, 2021

written by Nosheen Babar

Roast goat leg or “Sikandri Raan”, named after Alexander the Great is a popular dish for celebrations in Southeast Asia. A centuries-old cooking method called Dumpukht is the traditional way of cooking goat meat. “Dum” means slow cooking and “Pukht” meaning the cooking process.

CHOOSING YOUR MEAT

One of the key steps to a good goat leg roast is your choice of cut. As I’ve mentioned in a few other recipes on my blog, for example, my Nihari, buying the right meat is the key element in a slow-cooker recipe.

PREPARING THE MARINADE

Marinating the meat properly to ensure that it is adequately seasoned and tenderized is a vital part of cooking this recipe. You can see in the picture above that I’ve made a few slanted cuts in the leg. This allows the marinade to really seep in well and flavor the meat.

SEARING THE ROAST

Now that your meat is well marinated, you must sear it in very hot oil to seal in the juices. You need a good bit of oil for this to be done properly but can discard the excess amount later.
I use about 2 cups of oil in order to have a thin layer on the entire bottom of my pot. Once the oil is well-heated remove 1 Raan (I was cooking 2 here) at a time and place it in the fat.

Let it sizzle for a good 5-10 minutes and then flip carefully. After the second side is done remove the meat from the pot and repeat with the other goat leg. The pictures below illustrate what the meat should look like once seared.

SLOW COOKING THE MEAT

Once the meat is seared you can remove the excess oil and add the goat back to the pot. Fill the pot with the remaining marinade and water till halfway full. Seal tightly with foil and cover with a lid, cooking on high for about 10 minutes. At this point, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3 hours before checking on the meat.
After the 3 hour mark insert a knife in the meat to gauge how well cooked it is. I usually need to cook mine for another hour at least but do so uncovered so as to dry some of the liquid. If you still have too much liquid, remove the meat as shown below. You want the meat to fall off the bone but not become mushy, so this allows you to dry the liquid and add the meat back later.

At this point, I peel and cut some potatoes into quarters and cook them in this marinade. This gives them all that flavor from the yogurt and spices, making for a very flavorful side. Once the potatoes are done, I remove them from the pot and continue to thicken the liquid. I use the thick gravy as a drizzle on my meat and potatoes once I plate them to prevent the roast from getting dry.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbsp Ginger Crushed
• 2 Tbsp Garlic Minced
• 4 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 Whole Onion Sliced
• 2 Cups Yogurt Full Fat
• 1 Small Can Tomato Paste
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 2 tsp Red Chili Powder
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
• 2 tsp Cumin
• 2 tsp Coriander
• 4 tsp Salt
• 4 tsp Green Chilies Serrano
• 2 pieces Mace
• 2-inch Cinamon Stick
• 2 pieces Star Anise
• 5 pieces Cardamom
• 2 tsp Fennel
• 4 whole Bay Leaves
• 1 Cup Cilantro
• 2 Cups Cooking Oil
• 12 Cups Water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Slice and fry the onion till it’s dark brown and remove from the oil.
2. Temper the Mace, Cinnamon, Star Anise, Cardamom, Fennel, and Bay Leaves and then grind.
3. Add all of the ingredients except the oil and water to a food processor and blend well.
4. Rub generously into the meat to get it into all the nooks and crannies and refrigerate overnight.

5. Remove the meat from the fridge for an hour before cooking so that it is at room temperature before you cook it.
6. Sear the meat well on both sides and then add the remaining marinade and water

7. Cover tightly with foil and cook on medium heat for 3-4 hours till meat is tender.

For more recipes like this follow me on untoldrecipesbynosheen.com

For more interesting recipes from Nosheen, watch this space.

March 12, 2021 0 comment

Food

How to Make Mazedar Haleem: Weekend on Wow

by Nosheen Babar February 27, 2021

written by Nosheen Babar

The original Arabic version of Haleem was called Harees and first made its debut in the Indian Subcontinent during Humayun’s reign. The dish was his favorite post-morning prayer meal and was often part of the Mughal menu.

This porridge of meat and lentils made a resurgence during the rule of the Nizams in the early 19th century. By the time of the 7th Nizam, the dish had gained more widespread popularity in the State of Hyderabad, and the recipe and name evolved to what we know today as Haleem.

High in Calories and comprised of slow-digesting ingredients, it is a favorite meal to open the fast with during the month of Ramadan. I usually like to cook my Haleem in one large pot over a simmering stove. For an extended period of time. Although I have tried cooking it in a slow cooker and, more recently, the much raved about Instant Pot, I will honestly say that I prefer my stovetop method, hands down.

This is the version of the recipe I’m sharing here today. However, I sometimes resort to using one shortcut, which can be found on https://untoldrecipesbynosheen.com/2020/10/12/mazedar-beef-haleem/

INGREDIENTS

Spice Blend (For 2 Pounds of Meat)

• 10 whole dry red chillies
• 1 tbsp whole coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp whole white cumin seeds
• 2 pods black cardamom
• 4 pods green cardamom
• 5 cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 whole nutmeg
• 4 mace flowers
• 3 tbsp salt
• 3 tbsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp white pepper powder

Lentil Mix (For 2 Pounds of Meat)

• 1 ½ cups Haleem wheat (pounded wheat)
• ½ cup chana daal (bengal gram)
• ¼ cup split urad daal (maash daal)
• ¼ cup masoor daal (red lentils)
• ¼ cup moong daal (yellow lentils)
• ¼ cup pearl barley

Stew Ingredients

• 2 lbs. beef cubes
• 1 cup cooking oil
• 2 tbsp garlic paste
• prepped spice blend
• lentil mix
• 12 cups water
• 1 onion

Garnish

• 4 green chillies
• 1-inch ginger
• 2 lemons
• ½ cup cilantro
• ½ crispy fried onion (optional)
• chaat masala powder (optional)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Spice Blend

1. dry roast all the whole spices in a preheated frying pan for 2-3 minutes
2. grind them all to a fine powder in a spice grinder
3. mix with the other powdered spices
4. use immediately or store in an airtight container

Lentil Mix

1. measure all the lentils into a large bowl
2. rinse thoroughly and soak overnight in 9 cups of water (12 hours)

Stew

1. Heat the cooking oil
2. sauté the garlic paste for 2 minutes
3. add the beef and sauté till light brown
4. rinse and drain the lentils and add them to the meat along with the spice blend and 12 cups of water and bring to a boil
5. lower the heat to medium and slow cook for 2 hours till the meat is tender (SEE NOTE)
6. after 2 hours, remove the meat along with 2 cups of the lentils and grind in a food processor (SEE NOTE)
7. add back to the lentils in the pot and continue cooking for 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot (SEE NOTE)
8. after 2 hours, thinly slice and fry the onion to a dark brown and temper the Haleem with the onion and oil
9. continue cooking for 20-30 minutes

Garnish

1. finely chop the cilantro and green chillies
2. thinly slice the ginger
3. quarter the lemon
4. serve the hot Haleem with the garnishing and naan

NOTES:

• After about one hour, the lentils will expand, and the mixture will become a little sticky and gelatinous. At this point, you need to stir the pot at 15-minute intervals to scrape the bottom. If you feel the mixture is too thick, add a little more water but boil it first. Adding room temperature water will stop the cooking process, and it will take you longer to get the desired results.
• A few pulses of the food processor are enough. You want to break down the meat but not completely grind it.
• Once you add the meat and lentils back to the pot and continue cooking, you will need to adjust the salt and chillies. Since the lentils expand so much and you need to keep adding more water, the balance of the spices is often thrown off and needs to be adjusted.

For more recipes like this, go to https://untoldrecipesbynosheen.com/

For more interesting recipes from Nosheen, watch this space

February 27, 2021 0 comment

Food

How to Make Thai Chilli Chicken Wings: Weekend on Wow

by Nosheen Babar February 5, 2021

written by Nosheen Babar

Chicken Wings are a relatively new culinary creation, having been invented as recently as 1964 by the Bellisimo family, who owned and operated “Anchor Bar” in Buffalo, New York. Today this classic is now one of the top menu choices at restaurants internationally and more and more eateries are specializing in serving this famous classic in increasingly creative ways.

This recipe is a fusion of an American classic with a homemade traditional Thai Sauce. A few substitutions are given below in case some of the ingredients are unavailable in the country where you live.

For a more detailed version of this recipe or if you have any questions and need to contact the author of the recipe go to untoldrecipesbynosheen.com

INGREDIENTS

Chicken Wings

4Lb Chicken Wings
2Sticks Celery (optional)
1Whole Onion
10Cloves Garlic
8Cups Water
1Tbsp Salt
¼Cup Franks Hot Sauce (or any spicy sauce such as tabasco)
1Tbsp Baking Powder

Thai Chili Sauce

¼Cup Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
¼Cup Sambal Oelek Sauce (Substitute: ¼ cup vinegar and 2 whole red chilies puree)
¼Cup Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
2Tbsp Lime Juice
2Tbsp Soy Sauce
2Tbsp Rice Vinegar (substitute: Apple Cider Vinegar)
¼Cup Brown Sugar
1Tbsp Garlic
1Tbsp Ginger
1Tbsp Lemongrass(optional)
2Tbsp Dark Sesame Oil
4Tbsp Butter

Garnish

1-2Tbsp Chili Flakes
¼Cup Green Onions
1Tbsp Sesame Seeds
2Tbsp Peanuts

INSTRUCTIONS

Chicken Wings

If you get whole wings that need to be cut, remove the tip and discard, separating the remaining piece into the drumette and the wingette (I personally get precut wings to save time)
Put the 8 Cups of Water in your pot along with the whole peeled onion, celery sticks, salt, and garlic, and bring to a boil
Once the water is boiling vigorously add the prepped chicken and the Franks Hot Sauce and boil on medium heat for 8 minutes
Remove the wings using a slotted spoon, taking care to drain all liquid and lay flat on your cookie sheet rack to dry for about 10-15 minutes
Preheat the oven to 425° while waiting for wings to dry
Once the oven is ready dry off any residual water with a paper towel and toss the wings in the baking powder
bake for 30-45 minutes, depending on your oven, flipping them halfway through (prepare your sauce while the wings are cooking)
Remove from the oven and toss in the prepared sauce

Thai Chili Sauce

Grind, crush or grate your garlic, ginger, and lemongrass
Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Simmer for 5-10 minutes to get a well-blended consistency
Cover and set aside till it’s time to toss the wings

Garnish

Chop the peanuts (I use raw peanuts for this)
Finely chop the green onions
Once the wings are out of the oven and tossed in the sauce plate them and add all of the prepped garnish ingredients to the wings and serve.

TIPS:

You can do some prep work ahead of time if catering to a large group. Boil your chicken wings and make your sauce the day before. Then bake and toss the day of.
Make a little extra sauce and save it for later. If you have any leftovers, reheat the wings at 350 degrees for 10 minutes and toss in the sauce you saved. They’ll be good as new!
The sauce tastes great as a glaze on Baked Salmon or Chicken! Double it up and get a second meal out of it!

For more interesting recipes from Nosheen, watch this space.

February 5, 2021 0 comment

Food

How to Make Prawn Karahi: Weekend on Wow

by Amna Hamid January 30, 2021

written by Amna Hamid

Whether you call it Prawn Masala or Prawn Karahi, it still tastes DELICIOUSLY AWESOME! This recipe uses the most easily available eastern spices at home, a tomato-yoghurt based gravy and some plump prawns. It is garnished like the regular chicken karahi; lots of whole green chillies, julienne cut ginger and some cilantro.

I was once more of a Dynamite Prawns kinda girl but this karahi has changed that part of me! If you’re an ‘ONLY fried fish’ or a ‘fried seafood only’ kinda person, trust me, you need to give this a shot!

Plunge into my cookbook right away!

Prawn Karahi

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 160

Ingredients:

500 grams cleaned, deveined and tail removed, medium or large prawns

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

5 small green chillies, sliced finely

3 big green chillies, slit open vertically

1 small onion

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp ghee or butter

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp of garam masala powder

1/4 cup of water

2 tbsp beaten yoghurt

4 tomatoes, chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

Sliced ginger and chopped coriander for garnishing

Instructions:

In a bowl, toss the prawns with 1/2 tsp of salt and turmeric powder. Grill these prawns in butter at high flame for 1 minute and set aside in a bowl.

In a wok or frying pan, add 1 tbsp of ghee/butter and add the onion, garlic and small green chillies. Fry them until they turn golden brown.

Add in the chopped tomatoes along with salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder.

Mix and cover the wok/pan with a lid and reduce the flame to low. Allow the tomatoes to soften up. It’ll take about 15 mins.

When the tomatoes have softened up to form a uniform curry base, add the whole green chillies, yoghurt and garam masala powder. Cook this masala for 5 mins.

Throw in the prawns and cover the wok. Cook for 4 mins max.

Turn off the flame, sprinkle some chopped coriander, ginger strips and some more green chillies.

Serve piping hot with naan or chapati.

Lick your lips and remember me!

Tips & Tricks:

Prawns cook very quickly and can easily go from just perfect to overdone in a matter of seconds.
You can select any size of prawns or shrimps.
You can use a blender if the tomatoes don’t soften up properly.
You can use canned tomatoes if you don’t want to use whole ones.
The sign of a properly cooked gravy is that the oil separates from the gravy and comes on top.
You can use oil instead of ghee or butter if you prefer.
If your gravy turns out too spicy for you, add another 2 tbsp of yoghurt and 1/2 tsp of brown sugar. That should balance out the spice.
If your dish is ready and you still want it to be spicier, add some crushed red chilli pepper on top.
If your prawns weren’t frozen before, you can freeze this gravy. Re-freezing prawns isn’t a good idea.

See you next week!

January 30, 2021 0 comment

Food Lifestyle

How to Make Winter Milkshake: Weekend on Wow

by Amna Hamid January 15, 2021

written by Amna Hamid

Being gluten-free and purely vegan, this dry fruits milkshake is a healthy beverage as well as a great energy booster for anyone who feels weak due to the severely cold weather. It is very rich in calories, proteins, iron, and calcium, helps beat insomnia, prevents constipation, and even aids in overcoming nutritional deficiencies.

This milkshake is also very filling so you might want to skip a meal after having it. I used soy milk instead of regular milk because it offers a culinary diversity, a creamy texture, and a flattering nutritional profile which includes essential omega-3 fatty acids and flavonoids that exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective properties. You can use regular milk or almond milk too.

Plunge into my cookbook right away!

Dry Fruits Milkshake

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2

Calories: 650

Ingredients:

¼ cup unsalted almonds

¼ cup unsalted pistachios

¼ cup unsalted cashews

¼ cup plain raisins

8 dates, chopped

3 dried figs, chopped

a pinch of saffron

2.5 cups milk

sugar/jaggery, as/if required

Instructions:

Preparation

Soak the figs in hot water for 30 minutes or in regular water for 2 to 3 hours. You can also soak the dates if they are hard. Once they have softened, chop them.

Rinse the remaining dry fruits except for saffron.

Making the Milkshake

Add all the dry fruits to a blender. Add ½ cup milk and blend to a semi-fine or fine paste.

Then add the remaining 2 cups of milk. Now add the sugar or jaggery if you want. Blend well again. Stir and pour in glasses.

Garnish with the saffron and serve immediately or chilled.

Voila!

Tips & Tricks:

I used all my favorite dry fruits like almonds, pistachios, cashews, raisins, dates, dried figs, and a pinch of saffron in this milkshake. You can exclude any dry fruit you dislike or don’t have or increase/decrease its quantity as per your liking.
You can even garnish the milkshake with chopped dry fruits if you like.
If you have soft, dried figs and dates then no need to soak them.
You can also soak the remaining dry fruits if you want.

See you next week!

📧 amnahdigital@gmail.com

About the author: Amna Hamid is a Digital Marketing Strategist at Amreli Steels. Her food blog Gobble wobble will be featured weekly on the weekend on the WOW360 segment with a new and exciting recipe! Being an ardent foodie since childhood, Amna always wanted to have her own space on food and everything that revolves around it. (amnahdigital@gmail.com)

Stay tuned for more interesting articles and updates!

January 15, 2021 0 comment

Food Lifestyle

How to Make Butter Chicken: Weekend on Wow

by Amna Hamid January 9, 2021

written by Amna Hamid

Butter Chicken is not only impeccable but also flavour packed, rich and creamy! It annoys me when butter chicken is too sweet or too oily or just doesn’t have a punch of flavour that makes you want to dive into the sauce so, with practice, I’ve learnt perfection!

Plunge into my cookbook right away!

Butter Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 590

Ingredients:

1kg Chicken Thighs

1 tablespoon Oil

For the Marination

1/2 cup Hung Curd or Greek Yogurt

1 tablespoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder 1 tablespoon Coriander Powder

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1 1/2 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste

1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder

1 teaspoon Salt

For the Gravy

1 tablespoon Oil

1 tablespoon Butter

1 inch Cinnamon Stick

2 Green Cardamom Pods

3 Cloves

5 Kashmiri Red Chillies

6 Garlic Cloves

1 Onion, roughly chopped

8 Tomatoes, roughly chopped

1/4 cup Cashew Nuts

1/2 teaspoon Chilli Powder

2 tablespoons Ketchup

1 tablespoons Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

Salt to taste

4 tablespoons Fresh Cream

Instructions:

Start by mixing all the marination ingredients and adding the chicken to it. Mix well, cover and set aside for 30 minutes while you make the gravy.

For the gravy, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a pan. Add the cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, whole red chilies and garlic. Saute for a minute or so till fragrant. Add onions and saute on high heat for 2-3 minutes till pink and translucent. Add the tomatoes and cashews. Mix once, reduce the flame to a simmer and cover and cook for 10-15 minutes till the tomatoes start breaking down and becoming slightly pulpy.

Switch off the flame. Transfer to a blender and blend till smooth. The trick to blending hot foods is to cover the lid with a thick towel and pulsing instead of blending at one go. This ensures that the lid doesn’t explode.

In another pan, heat a tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken pieces and sear them on each side for 2-3 minutes on high heat, till there’s a char on them. Remove them from the pan and set aside.

Transfer the puree back to the pan, add chilli powder, ketchup, salt and 1/4 cup water. Bring this to a boil. Reduce the flame to low and cover and cook for 20-25 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in the kasuri methi and fresh cream.

To smoke the chicken, place a small steel bowl (please don’t use plastic) in the middle of the butter chicken while it’s still in the pan. Heat a piece of charcoal or lump coal on an open flame till red hot and then place it in the bowl. Pour a teaspoon of oil or ghee over it and as soon as it starts smoking, cover the pan with a lid. Smoke for 3-4 minutes. Remove the bowl and serve immediately with naan or rice.

Tada!

Tips & Tricks:

I recommend using either skinless bone-in chicken or boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe because you can cut the meat into bite sized pieces and they stay juicy right to the end.
A quick yogurt marination for this butter chicken ensures that the flavour seeps in and adds to the juiciness.
Use cooked chicken tikka or tandoori chicken and skip the whole process of marinating and pan frying the chicken.
Add cashews with the tomatoes which softens and makes them easy to blend later.
If you don’t have cashews, feel free to substitute with blanched almonds (almonds soaked in water and skin taken off).
An essential ingredient in butter chicken is kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves.
Do smoke the dish right at the end with a piece of charcoal or lump coal.
This recipe makes lots of sauce so you can always reserve some for later. Use the same makhani gravy to add tofu, cottage cheese, cauliflower etc.
You can substitute Kashmiri chilli powder with 1/2 tbsp paprika + 1/2 tbsp cayenne.
I use homemade garam masala but you can substitute it with any store bought garam masala. Please note that garam masala is different from curry powder.
I feel that a really mild sweetness in butter chicken is actually nice and it balances the sourness from the tomatoes but feel free to reduce or increase the amount of ketchup based on your taste buds.

See you next week!

📧 amnahdigital@gmail.com

About the author : Amna Hamid is a Digital Marketing Strategist at Amreli Steels. Her food blog Gobble wobble will be featured weekly on the weekend on WOW360 segment with a new and exciting recipe! Being an ardent foodie since childhood, Amna always wanted to have her own space on food and everything that revolves around it. (amnahdigital@gmail.com)

Stay tuned for more interesting articles and updates!

January 9, 2021 0 comment

Food Lifestyle

Weekend on WOW: How to Make Lahori Fried Fish: Instructions & Tips

by Amna Hamid January 1, 2021

written by Amna Hamid

Welcome back foodaholics!

Remember those deep-fried, aromatic, and crispy fish fingers sold on the streets of Lahore? Though they are now widely available all over Pakistan, I thought why not to share this fantastic recipe with my fans?!

Strips of fish coated in a batter made of gram flour and some authentic South Asian spices and then deep-fried in hot oil till crunchy, cold winter nights call for such perfectly warming tidbits.

As soon as this fish is out of the oil, it is sprinkled with chaat masala (a tangy South Asian spice mix) to spruce it up. The fish fingers can be served alongside any kind of Pakistani chutney or even tartar sauce. Light and crispy from the outside and flavourful and spicy from the inside, Lahori Fried Fish not only makes an incredibly delicious appetizer but also as a main course by combining it with some Pakistani Roghni Naan (Fluffy Flatbread).

Plunge into my cookbook right away!

Lahori Fried Fish

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 20

Calories: 255/serving

Ingredients:

500g fish fillets (boneless red snapper or catfish cut in 2 cm strips)

chaat masala for sprinkling

vegetable oil for frying

Batter:

1/2 cup gram flour

1/4 cup cornflour

2 tbsp rice flour

3 tbsp yogurt

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp salt

1 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

1 tsp carom seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds (roasted and crushed)

1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves

a pinch of orange food color (optional)

Instructions:

Pat the fish fillets dry with a paper towel.

In a big bowl, mix together all the batter ingredients with a whisk. Make a smooth, thick batter.

To the bowl, add the fish and coat it well with the batter. Keep aside for 15 minutes. Don’t leave the fish for too long or it will get way too soft.

Heat oil for deep frying in a big pot. On medium heat, drop the fish fingers in batches. Don’t overcrowd. Flip over so that they are equally golden on both sides. When they are half-way cooked and the coating has stuck to the fish, remove to a paper towel.

Let cool for 15-20 mins while you fry the remaining batch.

Then re-fry the fish fillets for extra crispiness till they are cooked through and are golden brown.

Sprinkle chaat masala as soon as they are out and enjoy them with your favorite chutney, nan, and French fries.

Stay safe!

Tips & Tricks:

Double-frying makes the fish fingers extra crispy! If you want to keep it light, you can fry once till they are fully cooked or even shallow fry.
Any white boneless fish will work for this recipe.
Fish should be cleaned and washed.
Dry roast gram flour for a couple of minutes over medium flame in a clean, oil-free tawa/frying pan. This dry roasting will add a pleasant aroma to the gram flour.
After coating the fish with the seasoned batter, refrigerate for at least an hour. This will help the flavors to penetrate well and the the batter will get rested.
Use neutral and flavorless oil for frying. Like corn oil, canola oil. Do not fry in ghee and do not use olive oil for frying either.
A heavy bottom wok works best for deep frying.
Make sure there is an an ample amount of oil in the wok throughout frying to keep fish pieces completely immersed. It is deep-frying after all.
Bring the oil to the right temperature before adding fish and maintain the temperature throughout frying.
Place each piece of fish carefully in hot oil to make sure the batter isn’t slipping off the fish.
Let one side get perfectly golden brown before flipping otherwise the batter will come off.
Do not crowd the wok. Fry 3-4 pieces at a time, depending on the size of fish pieces and the size of the wok.
To keep the coating crisp, put it in a wire basket once fried. Kitchen towels or tissues will make the coating soggy.

See you next week!

📧 amnahdigital@gmail.com

Stay tuned for more interesting articles and updates!

January 1, 2021 0 comment

Food Lifestyle

Weekend on WOW: How to Make Kashmiri Tea: Recipe

by Amna Hamid January 1, 2021

written by Amna Hamid

Welcome back foodaholics!

A pretty pink in color, Kashmiri Tea is a Pakistani hot beverage. It has a rich, creamy, and sweet taste. A kehwa (tea base) is first prepared with Kashmiri or Green Tea leaves and whole spices like star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and green cardamoms. Then the kehwa is boiled with milk and sugar to make the tea.

Kashmiri Chai originates from the valley of Kashmir which has this exclusive variety of tea leaves. Also known as noon (salt) chai or gulabi (pink) chai, this tea unlike others, is very fragrant and creamy. Traditionally, it was prepared with salt only but over the years people have started adding sugar, giving it a richer taste.

The key to getting that beautiful rosy hue lies in the reaction of baking soda with tea leaves and the beating of the ‘kehwa’. The more air you incorporate into the ‘kehwa’ the pinker your tea will get. No food color has been used in the making of this recipe.

Plunge into my cookbook right away!

Kashmiri Chai

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 2

Calories: 115/serving

Ingredients:

Kehwa:

4 cups cold water

3 tbsp Kashmiri tea leaves

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/3 tsp salt

1-star anise

1.5-inch piece of cinnamon

3 cloves

5 green cardamoms

2 cups ice-cold water

Milk Tea:

1 cup milk

1 cup kehwa

1-2 tbsp sugar (optional)

crushed almonds & pistachios for garnishing

Instructions:

In a large saucepan, add water along with the tea, star anise, cinnamon, cloves and green cardamoms. Bring everything to a boil.

Then add baking soda and salt. Lower the heat slightly and keep cooking till the water is reduced to half the initial amount which is 2 cups according to this recipe.

When the water is reduced, add ice-cold water along with some ice cubes from a height. Then aerate the mixture by using a ladle or another mug and pour around a cup of this tea from a height and keep doing that for the next 10 mins. It translates to ‘phaintna’ in Urdu which means to beat vigorously.

After 10 mins, you will see deep red bubbles on the surface of the tea. Turn off the heat and strain the liquid. This ‘kehwa’ can be stored in the fridge for around 2 weeks.

For preparing the milk tea, bring the milk to a boil in a saucepan. Add the sugar and pour some of the kehwa. You can adjust the kehwa and milk ratio according to your liking. Bring the mixture to a boil and turn off the heat. Cover the pan and give ‘dum’ for 2-3 mins. Pour into mugs and add garnish with some crushed almonds and pistachios.

Happy sipping!

Tips & Tricks:

The kehwa prepared in this recipe makes around 5-6 cups of Kashmiri Chai. The leftover kehwa can be stored in the fridge for 2 weeks.
Begin by adding cold water to the pan. It has to be cold from the refrigerator.
After one boil, add baking soda (NOT baking powder).

See you next week!

📧 amnahdigital@gmail.com

Stay tuned for more interesting articles and updates!

January 1, 2021 0 comment

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