Life 'n' Such

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Tehsin for bringing me a box of Shan’s Haleem masala!
We loved it. It is so easy to make Haleem with this.

You could follow the recipe on the box, but I did it a bit differently. My recipe takes less than 2 and half hours. The recipe on the box takes about 4-6 hours!

Ingredients:

boneless Chicken/meat pieces 2 lbs (or 3/4 kg)
1 packet Haleem Shan Masala (It contains, 2 packets inside the box; one is the spice mix, and the other is the lentil/grain/pulses mix)
Ghee / Oil for cooking about 2 cups
1 1/2 cup fried onions
hot water for soaking the grains/lentils

Method:

First soak the lentils/grains packet in hot water for an 1 or 2 hours (if you dont have a pressure cooker, then soak overnight). Fry the chicken/meat pieces in ghee/oil for a few minutes. Add half the packet of the Spice mix, little water, pressure cook for 4-5 whistles, or if you dont have a pressure cooker, then cook covered till the meat is tender.

After this, pressure cook the lentils/grains mixed with the remaining spice mix, and lots of water; for about 5-6 whistles (if soaked for 1-2 hours).

Finally, using a food processor, first grind the chicken/meat till it appears to look like shredded. Then put this in a big pot. Now do the same to the lentil/grain mixture, to get a slight crushed feel. Mix this in the same big pot.

Add fried onions to this, and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

While serving, Tehsin suggested to put a layer of hot ghee on top of the haleem.

This tastes best with tandoori rotis or pita bread.

9 Comments | In: Appetizer/Snack, Food, Indian, Kashmiri, Other, Recipes | | #

It was just me, Asiye, Nilgun and her daughter Elif yesterday (hence my post title reads: 3 & 1/2 .

Having lots of good tea, and delicious food, we were all very hungry, and the food was so great, we actually managed to eat up most of the food.

I know, you want to know what we ate, hmm.. we had un helwa (flour halwa), potato salad, sesame cookies, and the toast with chicken sausage, cheese and eggs topping.

(Click on the above names, for their recipes.)

P.S. Dear friends back in Turkey, we were thinking and talking about you all the time. We miss you!

2 Comments | In: Food, Recipes | | #

Nilgun and Asiye make this; and I think all the other Turkish friends make it too for breakfast. It is so so simple. Aye, I wish I had this recipe earlier!! I had to eat Top Ramen and Maggi noodles during my first few years while in University here in US.

Ingredients:

about 5 English Muffins (split open) or 6 regular bread slices,
3 eggs,
lots of mozarella cheese,
Chicken/Meat sausage cut in slices,
salt, red pepper, black pepper, mint/parsley

Method:

What do you think, you do next? Well, just mix all the above ingredients in a small bowl (except the muffins/bread) and spread it on each muffin/bread. That’s it! Toss it in the oven, broil it till the eggs are all done (and cheese is melted in, and the sausages are browned up a bit).
Serve hot!

Tell me if you like this. And if you make any variation to this, share it with us for sure.

No Comments | In: Appetizer/Snack, Food, Other, Recipes, Turkish | | #