Back with a Bang!

Back with a Bang!.

Back with a Bang!

I have been doing a lot lately. Visited Karachi for 2 weeks and had the time of my life with my mom and sister. Explored quite a few eateries, did a makeup course, had some tender moments with my little sister, sang with her and my uncle, recited poetry and wore some beautiful dresses. I also added 2 best friends to my ever-growing circle. The most exciting thing that I did, however, was an impulsive photography excursion in Karachi. It wasn't totally impulsive though but it wasn't planned to the nth degree either. I'd joined a ladies group on facebook and quite a few turned out to have photography as a hobby or profession. It was decided we'd capture Karachi together when I get there. Considering the security situation (Karachi in Muharram!) and the fact that it was an xx-chromosome-only event, we pulled it off and we pulled it off really well! I will share the pictures with you but for now I'm waiting and hoping for them to get published.

Then I got to spend 2 weeks in London with my newborn niece! From naming her to the celebrations to cooking to photographing her; cherished every single moment.

Reunited with Zaf after 4 weeks and that in itself was a time to celebrate. Today I've cooked something he loves. Hoping to give him a surprise.

This is my mom's recipe but I've tweaked the curry a little bit. She cooked this the day after my wedding and my in-laws became a fan of her cooking instantly!
You need to choose a wide-based pan for this (preferable nonstick or hard anodized). It should be big enough to accommodate the meatballs without squishing them together. You should be able to swirl the pan to roll the meatballs around.

DAM KE KOFTE / STEAMED MEATBALL CURRY

INGREDIENTS

KOFTE / MEATBALLS

• Boneless beef- 500 gm


• Onion- 200 gm or 1 large onion


• Garlic- 4 cloves


• Ginger- 1" piece


• Salt- to taste


• Yoghurt- 2 tbsp


• Garam masala powder- 1/2 tsp


• Finger chillies- 3


• Fresh coriander leaves- less than a handful

CURRY

• Onion- 1 large


• Oil- 4 tbsp


• Green Bullet chilli- 1


• Ginger garlic paste- 2 tbsp


• Yoghurt- 4 tbsp


• Cumin seeds- 1 tsp


• Finger chilli- 1


• Fresh coriander- a handful


• Garam masala powder- 1/2 tsp

GARNISH

• Chopped fresh coriander- less than a handful


• Julienned ginger- 1 tbsp


• Green Bullet chilli- 1

Put all the ingredients for the meatballs in a food processor and mince together.

This is what it should look like.

Now take come water in a bowl, wet your palms and roll the minced meat into spherical balls (smaller than a tennis ball). They should look smooth.



I have an obsession with freshly pounded ginger garlic paste. I think it makes a huge difference.



Now take the yoghurt, fresh coriander, finger chillies and cumin seeds from the ingredients listed under CURRY and blend them together in a blender. 

Heat the oil and throw in a bullet chilli and some ginger (steal from those chopped for garnishing). This imparts a nice flavour to the oil and happens to be my personal touch.



Tip in the onions and be patient stirring them around. Nothing worse than burnt onions in a curry.



Fry till golden. I usually keep a saucepan full of water being heated on a low flame next to my curry hob so as to use it to prevent the curry/sauce from burning. At this stage I put in some water.

Now add the ginger garlic paste and keep stirring on a high flame. Add water if the sauce starts sticking to the pan. After about 10 minutes tip in the yoghurt blended with cumin, fresh coriander and green chillies and keep stirring. Use water intermittently. This is what you'll get. 

Now add about 1/2 a cup of water and tip in the meatballs carefully. At this stage fish out the bullet chilli that you added initially.

Keep the flame high till you see the sauce bubbling. Now turn the flame down to the lowest and cover the pan. Leave the meatballs to simmer for 20-25 minutes. Keep checking to make sure it doesn't stick the base and start swirling the pan intermittently after about 10 minutes. If you do it too early, the meatballs might crumble.

After 20 minutes, take the lid off and turn the flame high. Swirl the pan around ever so often until the sauce is reduced to it's original quantity (after you added yoghurt). Turn the flame down, sprinkle the garam masala, fresh coriander, halved or torn bullet chilli and ginger and leave to simmer for 2 minutes until the oil shows on the surface.

Serve with chapati or boiled basmati rice. Even better, serve with flaky crispy parathas and send a prayer my way!

Please take a few moments to tell me how it turned out, in here. I'd really appreciate it!

Let it Stew in it's Own Juices

Sorry for the hiatus but I was 'down and out'. Caught up on reading in the meantime.

I love slow-cooking. I love how different flavours marry each other over time in the process, like a happy couple that endures each others' ways and slowly starts losing their individual personalities and become one. Stop it right there Fatima!

Stewing meat is one of the easiest way to do curries. I simply throw in the whole ingredients, get the flame going on low and pick up a book with a hot latte. You give it time and patience, you get the mouthwatering results in the end. Funny how these philosophies make their way into meagre tasks of daily life and actually are true. Sorry friends but I just can't stop wandering into pondering about life.

This recipe is a mixture of my mom's (ammi) and her sister's (my appi) recipes. There are a lot of variations of stew found throughout Karachi alone. Some do it with tomatoes, some with yoghurt and some with both. Some like to use partially crushed coriander seeds. Some use onion chunks. Some like beef, others swear by mutton. Also it has many names. Some call it 'Khare masale ka gosht' which means meat with whole spices, for others it's 'Kutey masale ka gosht' or meat with partially crushed spices. Some simply call it stew; the urdu pronunciation makes it sound like 'istu' which I find really amusing.

The equal ratio of onion to meat in this curry gives it a slightly sweet flavour. The colour of the finished dish should be a hue of gold. No fresh coriander to be sprinkled if you want to keep it authentic.

It is almost impossible to find goat meat in Manchester but I've developed a taste for lamb meat and hence that's my substitute.

LAMB STEW

INGREDIENTS

• Lamb meat (bone-in)- 500gm


• Thickly sliced onions- 500gm


• Beaten yoghurt- 2.5 cups


• Cloves- 4


• Black peppercorns- 12


• Cinnamon stick- 1


• Black cardamom- 1


• Bay leaf- 1


• Cumin seeds- 1 tsp


• Whole dried red button chillies- 6


• Coarsely chopped/crushed ginger- 1.5 tsp


• Coarsely chopped/crushed garlic- 1.5 tsp


• Oil- 4 tbsp


• Salt- to taste


• Ginger julienne-cut- 1 tbsp

Heat the oil and fry onion till gold. This step takes time. If the onions turn too dark, the colour of the finished dish will suffer. Some people don't bother with this step. They simply throw the onions in with all the rest and forget all about it. You could try it both ways and see which one you like better.

Once the onions are a desired colour, add the whole spices, ginger, garlic, yoghurt and meat. Mix well and 'leave to stew in it's own juices.'

After about 40 minutes I turned the flame to high and stirred it around quickly for a few minutes.

It took a total of 45 minutes and the succulence was to die for. Garnish with ginger. You can see green chilli as I love it but if you want to keep it original, skip it. Eat it the next day and it tastes even better.  Serve with boiled rice, chapati or naan.

The other types of stews popular in Pakistan are 'Nihari', 'Paaye' and 'Haleem'. Simple when it comes to ingredients but the flavours are simply amazing. Will write about them one day :).

Pakistani Twist on Fried Rice

I remember some really tough times we have been through as a family. Both financial and emotional crises that we had to go through. This was when we moved from UAE to Pakistan with absolutely nothing. There was so much pressure on my mother to feed the family and keep everyone happy. She would stay up all night to make 'shami kababs' for the canteen she was working in with my father. They would leave the house at 6 am sharp to set up their little stall in one of the colleges in Karachi. My mother would take my baby sister with her and take care of her as well as work. She would cook before leaving so that we could eat after coming back from our schools. My father who'd worked at prestigious posts in BCCI and BCCE would feel no shame in selling 'bun-kababs' to young college boys. I can do absolutely nothing to return to them what they did for us.

During those times, we could not afford to have meat. That's when my mother reverted back to her mother's meatless recipes. She used to tell me that they as children had gone through even harder times. They would eat anything and everything their mother (my nanna) would cook for them and happily so. We were not that happy about it then but now I think it would've been easier if we would have smiled about just having them with us.

My mother is very proud about the fact that her children are successful and did not choose the wrong path. I, on the other hand, have accumulated a lot of remorse and some beautiful memories.

This is one of my nanna's and ammi's recipe. I simply treasure it.

TALEY HUE CHAAWAL (Fried Rice in Urdu)

INGREDIENTS

• Cooked Basmati rice- 2 cups


• Oil- 2 tbsp


• Thinly sliced onions- 2 cups


• Dried red chillies- 4


• Green chilli- 1


• Chopped fresh coriander/dhanya- 1 tbsp


• Turmeric powder/Haldi- 1 tsp


• Salt- to taste

Heat oil and then add the dried red chillies, half of the green chilli and onions. Keep stirring on medium-high heat until the onions turn golden colour. Try not to burn the onion. I did since I was craving these rice.

Now add the turmeric powder and salt. Stir quickly and add a tbsp of water.

Now tip in the cooked rice and mix vigorously. Turn the heat down and sprinkle fresh coriander and the other half of the green chilli. You can add a few drops on lemon juice at this stage too.

My mother says the more onion you put in, the better it tastes. The sweetness of fried onions with the hot peppers makes this rice dish extra-ordinary. This is the ratio I came up with. Go ahead and experiment more!

I had it with red chilli and garlic chutney and achaar (pickle). This will taste great with raita too. From now onwards, save all that leftover rice and turn it into a delicious lunch dish.

May God bless our parents and their resilience in the face of adversity!

The Flora and Flora of Earth

My mum loves vegetarian food. She would have daal (lentils), chawal (rice) and achaar (pickle) over a meat curry anyday. And the way she savours such food is a sight to watch. She would close her eyes and feel the taste and go 'waah!' (wow). When my sister-in-law came to our family after getting married to my brother, we discovered she had the same problem ;).

I like to have meat. I never used to understand how my mum and my bhabhi (sister-in-law) enjoy meatless recipes. I learnt slowly. I think once you really start taking interest in all the ingredients and the process of cooking, you become more open-minded and adventurous. Different flavours grow on you. Atleast this is what happened to me and now I can't wait to go back to Pakistan and spend all the time with my mum, mother-in-law and all my aunts learning their safely-kept recipes of different chutneys and achaars and raitas. Things that never caught my attention when I had easy access to them. The mere philosophy of life!

Just yesterday my friends came over for dinner. This is the first time I gave this recipe a try. Not sure if mum does it the same way. This is from my friend Humaira in Boston with some changes.

It's the tastiest combination of yoghurt and eggplant I've ever had. This is supposed to be served as a condiment but if you're on a diet, have it as a main dish. It was a superhit last night!

BAINGAN KA RAITA 

INGREDIENTS

• Thinly sliced Eggplant- 1


• Cumin powder- 2 tsp


• Salt- to taste


• Vegetable oil- 3tbsp


• Greek yoghurt- 2cups


• Garam masala- 1/2 tsp


• Chaat masala- 1/2 tsp (This is a very tangy spice mix that you can find in Pakistani/Indian shops)


• Dried red chillies- 5


• Curry leaves- 6 (Fresh leaves impart far better flavour and aroma)


• Whole cumin- 1tsp


• Sliced garlic- 2 cloves


• Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp


• Green chilli (Halved)- 1

Beat the yoghurt with chaat masala, garam masala and salt. Keep aside. Now heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan and saute the eggplant slices with salt and cumin powder until slightly golden to light brown and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper. You can grill them instead if you want. Now add the eggplant slices to the yoghurt mix.

Heat the rest of the oil and add the whole cumin. Once it crackles, throw in the garlic, red chillies, red chilli powder and curry leaves. Once fragrant, pour over the yoghurt mix. Garnish with green chillies. Serve and hear them rave!

 

 

 

Precious

There was a guy in his 20s affected by Cerebral Palsy, wheelchair-bound and had come in to us with severe pneumonia. His heart was beating faster and faster, his temperature falling and the oxygen in his blood creeping down slowly. You could tell that things would only get worse from here. I could foresee him struggling to breathe very soon. We started stepping up to the plate. I took it upon myself to start the hardest part of my job. Trying to break bad news. That too, to a mother.

She was one of the most calm and collected people I'd ever seen. Trying to understand the situation and possibly denying the seriousness at the same time. She'd nod to what I'd say to her and then look at her son longingly. Things happened at quite a fast pace then. I had to say,"We have to make a decision now." And then.....I heard the most heart-wrenching 'Mera bacha' (My baby) from this woman struggling to put on a brave face all this time. She clutched him, lay with him on the gurney and started wailing, 'Mera bacha'....

I have to say, I have experienced this multiple times. Every time, my heart sinks and I have to struggle to hold my tears back. Outside was lying this boy's chair that he'd sat in all his life. It was brought in to make him feel comfortable. I was having nightmares thinking that this woman is now going to have to get used to seeing this chair empty. How painful can life get? How hard it is to let go...

How lucky we are to get a chance to hold someone's hand in such delicate times....

May he enjoy the pleasures of heaven. May she smile at the thought...

I Fall in Love too Easily

Just recently I had 'Sesame Prawn skewers' at Tampopo in the Trafford Centre Manchester. There was this flavour that I could not recognize. Tangy, zingy, citrus, sour....it was exciting! Mixed with it was some ginger and toasted sesame seeds. I fell in love instantly!

A few weeks after, I decided to raid Chinatown in Manchester. It was high time. I wanted authenticity in my kitchen.

I started off with Ken Hom's recipes. I have about 5 of his most famous books. My first experiment was with beef. For a hardcore Pakistani like myself, stir-fried beef is tricky business. We despise the rubbery consistency of partially-cooked beef. For us it is undercooked and inedible. I had to think about adding a Pakistani twist to Ken Hom's creation so I got me thinking cap on!

FRAGRANT STIR-FRIED BEEF WITH PEPPERS

INGREDIENTS

• Beef steak (pasande)- 500 gm


• Fresh lemon grass- 2 stalks (cut into 2 inch pieces and crush)


• Red and green capsicum/ Bell pepper- 1/2 each


• Peanut/groundnut oli- 3 tbsp


• Finely chopped ginger- 1 tbsp


• Thinly sliced shallots- 100gm


• Thinly sliced garlic cloves- 3


• Light soy sauce- 1 tbsp


• Salt- to taste


• Freshly ground black pepper- 1/2 tsp


• Sugar- 1 tsp


• Sesame oil- 2 tsp

MARINADE

• Light soy sauce- 2tbsp


• Sesame oil- 2tsp


• Cornstarch/cornflour- 2 tsp


• Meat tenderizer- 1 tbsp

Cut the beef into thin strips about 2 inches long. Marinate in the above for 1 hour. Adding the tenderizer is the Pakistani twist to this recipe. It works!

Now heat the wok and add peanut oil. When smoking hot, add the beef without the marinade. Fry on high heat until it browns. I add an extra step at this stage. I turn down the flame and simmer the beef on

low heat for 15 minutes. This is how it gets really juicy and tender. Take the beef out.

Make sure to thinly slice the garlic, shallots and ginger. Lemon grass should be crushed to release the flavour.

Add the lemon grass, garlic, ginger and shallots to the wok. Stir-fry for a few seconds before adding the bell peppers.

Time to add some colour to the dish now. Add the peppers, soy sauce, salt, black pepper and sugar and continue to stir-fry.

Add the beef now, give it a quick mix and spoon in the sesame oil. Toss to coat evenly and then dish out. I served it with sticky rice. And then I tasted it and that tangy flavour was right there! Aah lemon grass! How did, how could I not know?!

Ignorance is no bliss.