Life 'n' Such

We visited Buchh’s this weekend in Detroit. Congratulations to Falak bhabi who recently finished her Phd. She is my husband Yasir’s cousins wife. She has three amazing kids; Shaima (teen beauty), Ziad(the cookie monster) and Abdullah (the cutest boy, any more cuter, and he would have to be a girl)

Falak bhabi is an amazing person in and out. We love visiting the Buchh’s. Falak bhabi is an amazing cook. You should starve yourself first if you ever visit her.

She made firni for dessert. This is her recipe.

Ingredients:
7-8 tbsp rice flour
1 gallon milk (4-5 litres)
sugar as per taste (approx 2 bowls)
5-6 cardomom (elaichi)
optional: dessicated coconut, nuts, for garnishing

First boil the milk, and cardomoms in a heavy bottom pot. Keep stirring so the bottom doesnt burn. Once it is thickened (almost becomes 3/4) add the rice flour, and the sugar. Mix well. Boil till done. Pour into small serving bowls and refrigerate.

Serve cold and garnish with dessicated coconut or nuts.

Update: I just made the firni myself, after the first boil, I should have left it on medium-high. It took almost 2 hours for it reduce. But totally worth it, Yasir tasted it, he said, it was delicious! I will post pictures, when I garnish it just before serving.

Update: IMPORTANT change in the recipe.

Instead of putting the rice flour straight into the boiling milk, first make a paste of the rice flour with cold milk, and then stream it down slowly while stirring constantly in the hot milk. This way no lumps are formed.

(And this is generally how you would add any flour to hot liquids, first stir them in a little cold liquid. )

No Comments | In: Dessert, Food, Indian, Recipes | | #

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Alka wahini from Kolhapur (in India), makes the very best chinch (tamarind) gulaachi (gul means jaggery) aamti (like daal). As a kid I remember asking her to make this everytime I visited her. I love this aamti (kind of daal). I had the best times with her, I was in KG when she married my cousin brother Anil Dada (dada means big bro in marathi language). Since then, I love everything she cooks. I used to eat roasted peanuts with jaggery as a snack at her place. She used to set yoghurt in little stainless steel bowls. Good ol’ days.

Here is her recipe for this daal. She didnt give any proportion really, but just give it a shot a couple of times, and you will get it right.

Ingredients:
1 bowl Tuar daal (yellow colored pulses found in Indian stores)
Oil,
asafoetida (hing)
mustard seeds (raai)
cumin whole (jeera)
curry leaves (kadipatta)
dried red chilli peppers
turmeric (haldi)
red chilli powder (mirchi)
1 sp goda masala (a blend of spices)
jaggery (gud/guul)
tamarind concentrate (chinch)
salt
cilantro/ fresh corriander (dhania)

First pressure cook the daal with water. In a little pan, heat the 2-3 tbsp oil. Put the hing, raai, jeera, dried red peppers and kadipatta. Then add to this, haldi, mirchi, goda masala, gud and the tamarind concentrate. Put this in the daal. Add salt as per taste and garnish with cilantro.

Yumm Yumm, I shall make this tomorrow and then put up a picture.

1 Comment | In: Food, Indian, Recipes | | #

We watched the movie Hotel Rwanda yesterday. I had very disturbing dreams last night. What have we learned from movies like Hotel Rwanda, Syriana, Rang De Basanti etc? I learnt I am a hypocrite. I learnt, I am living in the United States, I have a small house, a nice car, eat good food, wear good clothes, letting small things like what new car should we get next, or what restaurant we should try out next, or how much more money will make me content, affect my life. I am ignoring what is happening around me. Its like I know whats happening in Kashmir, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, North Korea, South Korea, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Iraq, but I am impervious to all that. Why? Whats happened to me? Whats happened to all of us. Why should we be content with, ” Thank God, we are safe, hard luck for people there!” What if whats happening there, starts to happen here? Then what?

Why are smaller nations, letting the bigger nations divide them? Why the division? Why dont people realize, that sun is responsible for the color of people. Isnt that simple enough for people to understand. Why have we become blind to whats the bigger cause for these rifts?

How can I help! I want to help. I am passionate about food, but for me, food should bring people together, the nation together, the whole world together. Is this possible? Will you reading my blog, do something positive towards stopping this madness, the fighting, the wars, the killing of innocent people? Will you make your friends, family, your neighbors, anyone you meet, make them aware, that no matter what color of skin a person has, what religion he or she follows, that should not be a criteria, for living or killing.

I have to do something, I just did, I am just getting started, what are you going to do?

No Comments | In: Interesting stuff | | #

Mumbai, Israel-Lebanon….why? Recently my hair-dresser said, that we need to open our mouth and do something about whats happening rather than sit tight and shut up. Now are we doing anything abt this? And on top of this, now Tsunami. Really, what plans does the supreme one have for us?

Any thoughts?

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I visited Firdaus, Zahra and the new baby Maria yesterday, and Firdaus made this amazing biryani with shrimps and vegetables. I helped, by playing with the kids I saw how this biryani is made, and it is super easy, atleast it looks that way when Firdaus made it. And guess what, we didnt have to cut any onions! I can classify this as an instant biryani. It doesnt need to be marinated long, and it gets done in say about 1 and half hours.

It is delicious!!!!!!!!! Try it once, and you will see.

Ingredients:
1 cup vegetable mix (we used frozen package)
whole cumin,
cumin (jeera) powder,
fenugreek (methi) seeds,
mustard (raai) seeds,
bay leaves, (tej patta)
spices: 2 tsp turmeric (haldi), 2 tsp corriander (Dhania) powder, red chilli powder (mirch) as per taste, 1 tsp salt
5 small tomatoes chopped,
1 and half tsp garlic paste,
1 tsp ginger paste
oil for cooking (you need a good amount)

For shrimp marination: (atleast 10 mins)
Shrimps (atleast 2 and half cups)
1 tsp ginger,
1 tsp garlic,
1 tsp lemon juice,
1 sp oil,
1 tsp turmeric (haldi)
1-2 green hot peppers (mirch)
oil, whole cumin and cumin (jeera) powder for cooking

To make rice:
3 cups rice soaked atleast 1 hour (Do this first, before starting the other process)
1 tsp cumin whole,
few black peppers whole,
2 inch cinnamon stick
6-7 cloves
2 tsp salt
water for boiling rice

Red food color, and kewda essence

Method:
Start by making the curry. First pour oil in the pan, and let it heat. Add the jeera, methi, raai and the 1-2 bay leaves. After they start crackling, add the spice mix, and the tomatoes and ginger garlic paste. Mix well, cover and let cook for sometime. Add a little water, and cover and cook till tomatoes are done (they have to be melted). Add the veggies, and let it all cook together.

While this is cooking, marinate the shrimp with all the ingredients listed. After 10-15 mins later, in another pan, heat abt a tbsp of oil. Add the whole jeera and the powder. Then add the marinated shrimp. Fry this till all the water disappears.

Add the shrimps to the veg curry, and let it simmer for sometime. Abt 5-8 mins.

Now start making the rice. Use a big pan for this, in this same pan, we are going to make the layers of the biryani. Boil the water with all the ingredients listed. Then add the drained rice to this. Boil covered abt 6-8 mins, till the rice is almost done. Drain off the water. Let most of the rice remain at the bottom of the pan. Add the shrimp and veg curry to this. Then top with the remaining rice, sprinkle few pinches of red food color and about 8-10 drops of kewda essence.

Cover the pan. Let it sit on simmer for few mins, till the rice is done. Mix once, and again simmer covered for a while.

Done! I wish I could attach a sample of this biryani. It was simply great! I am not a shrimp lover, but this…oh I cant explain how great this was! Thanks Firdaus, Zahra and Maria.

Note: Jiggs Kalra, a connoisseur of Indian Food and more, says: “An ideal biryani will have two colours of rice: White and saffron.” and from the picture above we can all agree, that Firdaus did a terrific job.

No Comments | In: Food, Indian, Recipes | | #

My friend, she is from India, Firdaus, has two beautiful little daughters, Zhara and baby Marya. She makes excellent indian food, she being from North India, her specialty is north indian/mughlai kind of food.

I was talking on the phone, and she is going to make fish curry today. I asked her for the recipe, here it goes.

Ingredients:
Fish (tilapia, pomfret, etc)
spices: turmeric (haldi), red chilli powder (mirchi), corriander powder(dhania)
fenugreek seeds(methi)
garlic (chopped)
onion,
yoghurt,
salt
few tsp flour for frying fish,
oil for cooking
cilantro (fresh dhania) for garnish

First wash the fish with salt/vinegar. Now dust it lightly with haldi and flour. Shallow fry in oil. Keep aside. To make the curry (gravy), first blend the onion into a puree. Fry in the same pan, methi seeds and garlic. Then add the onion paste to this. Fry well. Add the yoghurt and spice mix to this. Add salt. Fry till done. Add the fish slowly in this, and let it simmer for few mins.
Garnish with cilantro.

Eat hot with steamed rice.

No Comments | In: Food, Indian, Recipes | | #

Animal Tracks
check this site out, there are fun pictures of animals from all over the world. There are some really cute pictures of baby animals.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6356101/?GT1=8307

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I just found this recipe by Komal the great, on our computer, I had saved it long back, and then made it once that time, it was just great!!! Her son Atharva is a real looker! I am going to soon post his picture on my blog.

I didnt add coconut as the recipe suggests, thats because I didnt have any that time.

Ingredients:
For 1 kg whole chicken,
few pieces of cinnamon stick,
1 tsp cloves,
1 tsp black pepper,
cilantro/ corriander leaves (dhania)- lots of it,
2 onions,
2 tomatoes,
green hot peppers, ( hari mirchi)
water, ghee/oil for cooking
salt as per taste

First grind the cinnamon stick, cloves, black pepper, green hot peppers, coconut, and cilantro with about 1/2 cup water. Heat the oil/ghee. Add the 2 onions chopped to this, then finally the tomatoes, fry well for sometime. Then add the ground paste to this and the chicken pieces. Add salt as per taste. Fry on medium high till you see oil seperated. Put water, get it to a boil, and then simmer and cook for sometime.

Serve hot with rice or pilaf.

1 Comment | In: Food, Indian, Recipes | | #

I am so bummed. I missed the $10 bag sale again at Gabriels. What is it? Well, Gabriels, our favorite store here, have side-walk sales, and they put lot of stuff outside at low prices. Then at the end of the sale, they have these huge bags, and then you can stuff in them all you can, and they only charge $10 for it!

It usually happens on sundays, around 11 a.m. Next time, I hope I dont miss it again. There will be one, towards the end of summer.

No Comments | In: Shopping, deals n such | | #

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You want to amaze people? Then make gul tatlisi (rose dessert), your guests are going to be impressed with your cooking skills!

This really looks like roses, and it is very very easy to make! Surprised huh? Well, why dont you give it a try and see for yourself?

This recipe is also by Fadime, she has the cutest little baby Orhan and two other older boys, Omar and Ahmet. They are all very well behaved boys. Fadime is from Turkey too. She says, she makes practical recipes, easy, fast and ofcourse great! Its hard to believe that, she makes amazing stuff all the time. But yesterday after I saw how she made this dessert, I have gained confidence. I can make this too!!

Ingredients: (makes almost 3- 9×13 inch trays)
1/2 cup margarine, (the cups we use for coffee, use the same cup for all the measurements)
1/2 cup oil,
1 cup yoghurt,
1 egg,
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder,
1 packet vanillin (1 tsp)
1 cup turkish semolina (irmik( its a little bit thicker than regular semolina) in turkish, and rava/suji in indian languages)
Flour (approx 3 cups)
walnut halves

Sugar Syrup:
4 cups sugar,
4 1/2 cups water,
lemon juice

First mix all the ingredients listed in the dough part, except the flour. After its mixed well, start adding the flour gradually to get a soft dough. Try pinching out a little piece and rolling it out. If its sticky, then add some more flour.

Start making the sugar syrup now, keep it for boiling on high about 15 mins, and then add 1 lemon juice and then keep it on medium for another 15 mins. After its done, keep it aside for cooling.

Now make about 4-5 parts of the dough, and then roll out one at a time. Sprinkle some flour on the rolling board. It should be pretty thin. Now use a cookie cutter or a glass with a thin rim, to cut out circles, about 2 1/2 -3 inches diameter as shown in the picture.

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Now finally, follow the steps shown in the picture below to make your roses.

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Bend the ends to make petals of the roses with your fingers.

Thats it, dont they look pretty?

Now arrange them in a tray and bake at 350 deg F. till golden red. You will get the aroma in your kitchen when its almost done.

Turn it off. Pull out the trays and let them cool a bit. Basically, either both syrup and roses should be warm or one cold and other hot (not boiling). So the syrup gets soaked in by the roses. Atleast wait for 6 hours before serving.

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4 Comments | In: Dessert, Food, Recipes, Turkish | | #