Super delicious and easy chicken bake

We had this when visiting Hasans in California. We ate so much this time, Rudaba aunty made so many things. I would categorize this as a bachelor recipe(easy to make, fast, simple, delicious).

Ingredients:
garlic paste, (use fresh garlic and ginger for best flavor)
ginger paste,
salt,
red chilli
black pepper powder,
yoghurt 2-3 tbsp,
garam masala (optional)
oil for baking
lemon juice at the end

Marinate the chicken pieces in the above ingredients except oil and lemon juice. Cut deep slits in the chicken pieces, and using your fingers, press the marinade inside the pieces. Doing this results in flavor throughout the chicken.

Marinate for 12-24 hours. Before baking, drizzle oil over it. Bake (leave a foil over the chicken for sometime, then remove it) then at the end broil.

Before serving drizzle lemon juice on it. Serve with peas pilaf (or any kind of pilaf) and salad.

September 29, 2006 | No Comments »

Corn on the side

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Do you have a bag of frozen sweet corn lying in your freezer? Well, get it out and microwave it with some butter, salt and black pepper. Mix and done!

Firdaus did this as a side dish once. I love it!! It is delicious, healthy and kids love it.

(if you have canned corn, then it takes even less time 1-2 mins for microwaving)

September 28, 2006 | No Comments »

i love san francisco!

We are in SFO now, for Yasir’s conference. It is so beautiful.

Though there are tons of places to eat fish and chips or clam chowder, me and Yasir being from India, are not so fond of it, so we went to this indian restaurant recommended by Rudaba Aunty. It is called ‘Chutney’, an indian restaurant on 511 Jones St. The food was great, we ordered chicken tikka masala and chicken boti kebabs. Yumm Yumm Yumm And the price is economical for great indian food in a big city! For me and Yasir the total was less than $15. And mind you, I have a big appetite.

We went to the Fisherman’s wharf in the evening and there were not too many people, since it was getting darker and colder. We being from Ohio, ofcourse dont mind the cold, but there was peace and quiet which was so relaxing.

Today we plan to go to China town. Heard that place is crazy! :) Cant wait to see it.

September 20, 2006 | No Comments »

Cauliflower snack with yoghurt sauce

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Yumm Yumm, perfect when its raining outside, and something to bite on with your evening tea!

This is Hacer’s recipe. (Her younger daughter, Nilufer goes to school now, she is a big girl)

Give this recipe a try; is so simple!

Ingredients:
Cauliflower, florets seperated
1 egg,
2 tbsp all purpose flour (maida)
salt as per taste (approx 1 tsp)

Yoghurt sauce: yoghurt, salt, garlic (mint for garnishing)

Boil the cauliflower florets, till they soften. Then drain out the water. Keep aside. Beat one egg with the flour and salt. When the cauliflower has cooled down, add it to the egg mixture. Mix with a fork. Dont smoosh it down completely into a paste.

Then heat a frying pan, put some oil. When it gets heated, using a tablespoon, drop the cauliflower mixture into the oil to form little patties. Pat it down to get your desired shape.

Flip it over, and cook the other side. It should get golden red.

Serve hot with the yoghurt sauce on the side.

oops: I dont know the name for this recipe in turkish, next time I talk to Hacer, I will ask her.

September 18, 2006 | No Comments »

My favorite Knife!

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Dont you just drool over the tools chefs use on shows, the gleaming silver, the magical machines, that make your life easier, aah!

Well, I have just one tool in my kitchen that I cannot live with!!!

Fixwell Kitchen knife; Made in Germany. I bought mine from India.

I tried to google it for getting the url of their company. And this is the site I found Hansa-germany.com. I am pretty sure this is the company.

Well, I am not sure as to how popular this brand is in US, but my mother in India, has been using it for the past 30 years. I think she has just a couple of the same knives in her drawer. It cuts anything from tomato, to bread to meat. And the edge never goes dull!!! And the best part, is the cost, I think in India, it costs approx a dollar per knife!

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Lahmacun

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looks good huh?

its easy to make this, you need to make 2 parts, make the dough for the bread, and then the spread mix made with minced meat.

The pictures are taken at Fadime’s house, and I will ask her for her recipe some time.
This recipe which will follow is by Leyla.

Ingredients:
For the dough: flour, salt, water

For the mixture:
lamb/goat/beef ground meat
fresh chopped green peppers
fresh chopped parsley
turkish red hot pepper sauce (available in turkish/arabic stores)
tomatoes chopped
onion chopped
salt
oil

I do not have the exact measurements: but you can start with your meat, then sprinkle stuff over it and then mix, and then add more as needed.

Preheat oven/ pan on which you plan to make these. Roll out the dough about 8 inches to make a tortilla(roti). Spread the mixture over it. Set it on the baking tray or your pan. Let it cook for about 5 minutes, until you see bubbles rise in the tortilla.
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To serve, spread some salad in the center, roll it and serve with pickles.

September 16, 2006 | No Comments »

One tall Mocha Frappuccino Please

Today I asked one of our friends for his recommendation on a nice cup of coffee, he told me Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks. I asked him to describe it, and asked me back “You havent had Mocha Frappuccino as yet!!!!!!!!!!”

I got interested, and thought let me give it a try to see what he was making such a big deal about it!

The smallest size (they call it tall, dont know why, it is not even logical, it is their smallest size) and $3.5 for this size.

I waited for a couple of minutes, and guess what it tasted like!!!! In India, we make cold coffee (from instant coffee). Thats it, Mocha Frappuccino is nothing but a small glass of cold coffee blended with a little chocolate syrup, topped with a whipped cream!

So do you want to see how we make Mocha Frappuccinos a.k.a Cold Coffee in India?

Ingredients:
1 cup cold milk, (whole milk being the best choice, but non fat milk will also work as well)
1 tsp instant coffee
1 tsp or more sugar
1-2 tsp chocolate syrup (like Hershey’s)
whipped cream (using a can, will give you your desired style/from a box, just put a dollop over the coffee at the end)

In a blender, combine the first four ingredients listed. Blend it. :D Pour it in a nice fancy tall glass, then finally top it with whipped cream. Put in a fancy straw and serve chilled!

Howwzat?????

Note: you can sprinkle cinnamon powder/cocoa powder over the whipped cream.

September 15, 2006 | No Comments »

Cool Food Blogs I like

Some of the blogs I like I list on the right side of the page. If you can read turkish, then check this site http://www.portakalagaci.com/. Few recipes have been translated by them in english here

September 14, 2006 | No Comments »

Fried Fish (Salmon/Tilapia)

salmon fried

Picture 1: Salmon

We did this last week at Firdaus’s house. She marinated the fish for me, and I fried it a day later. We used Tilapia fillets. But salmon would work just as great!

Ingredients:
Fish (Tilapia (shown in picture 3), salmon (shown in picture 1))
salt (namak),
red chilli (mirchi) powder,
turmeric (haldi),
garlic powder (use fresh ground garlic is you have it)
ginger (optional)
1/2 onion paste (use a blender, or grate it) (approx for 6 fillets, we need 1/2 onion; so do the math for your quantity)
garam masala (ground roasted cumin, red cardomom (badi elaichi), black pepper, cinnamon stick, cloves)

Method:

Sprinkle the spices and seasoning over the fish, and finally the onion and garlic. Rub it in the fish gently.
Leave overnite for marination.

marinated tilapia fish

picture 2: marinated fish
For frying use a shallow frying pan, pour some oil. When it heats up, fry the fish directly in it or I use rice flour(my mom says it absorbs less oil). I lift a piece and then pat it down gently in the flour on both sides.

Fried Tilapia

Picture 3: Tilapia Fish

Ta-da! Done. :) Enjoy hot with rice and daal. Or just plain.

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Summer Clearances….Go shoppin’!!

Love shoppin, its the best time to buy summer stuff, all the summer stuff is on clearance now. Practically every store has awesome deals, for babies, kids and adults to house ware. There is sale on everything!!!

September 13, 2006 | No Comments »
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