The Glorious Month of Ramadan and Food!

Ramadan is just around the corner. It is a special month of the year for over one billion Muslims throughout the world. It is a time for inner reflection, devotion to ALLAH, and self-control.


The third "pillar" or religious obligation of Islam, fasting has many special benefits. Among these, the most important is that it is a means of learning self-control. Due to the lack of preoccupation with the satisfaction of bodily appetites during the daylight hours of fasting, a measure of ascendancy is given to one's spiritual nature, which becomes a means of coming closer to ALLAH. Ramadan is also a time of intensive worship, reading of the Qur'an, giving charity, purifying one's behavior, and doing good deeds.


As a secondary goal, fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and developing sympathy for the less fortunate, and learning to thankfulness and appreciation for all of God's bounties. Fasting is also beneficial to the health and provides a break in the cycle of rigid habits or overindulgence.


I'm no dietitian, but since a lot of female friends have asked me to recommend some meal plan for Ramadan. I had to Google a lot for an amazing one. Below is the suggested frame of eating right during Ramadan by Rujuta Diwekar (Kareena Kapoor's dietitian). Over indulging in the evening or Iftaar will not just dilute your concentration during prayers later but also leave you feeling gassy, bloated and constipated the next morning. And as Rujuta says, "The meal plan is more India specific and is rooted in eating local and fresh so please feel free to include your local delicacies even if you don’t see them in this plan."

I hope this may help some of you. 
Do remember me and my family in your prayers. :)

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

My friends have been asking me for some quick & easy recipes. This Grilled Cheese Sandwich is VERY easy for working men/women or those who live alone. A perfect recipe for a quick breakfast OR sehri,  midnight snack, serve it with evening tea or hi-tea parties, and whatnot? 

You can also do SO many variations with this recipe. Like,  add sliced mushrooms on the cheese, or leftover shredded chicken, or freshly cut tomatoes, pepperoni, fried omelette, and the list goes on. Do share if you come up with some new variation. 

All you need is just few basic ingredients for this recipe:

Bread slices 2

Shredded mozzarella/cheddar cheese 2-3 tbsp heaped, OR Cheese slice 1

Salt a pinch

Black pepper a pinch

Butter (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat grill pan or tawa. 
2. Generously spread butter on one side of the bread slices. 
3. Put shredded cheese or cheese slice on the bread slice.
4. Sprinkle salt & black pepper, place another slice on it. 
5. Grill each side of the sandwich for 3 minutes until golden browned; continue grilling until cheese is melted.
6. Make as many as you want! :D

Sindhi Biryani

I've got various recipes of Biryani. And on a friend's request I'm gonna upload some more Biryani recipes in coming days Insha'Allah. Rather than the regular Biryani, Sindhi Biryani is more spicy and tasty. A very famous rice dish to be served as a complete meal. This recipe is a delicious and mouthwatering choice. Enjoy this right away and enrich your taste buds. 


Ingredients:

Chicken 1 of weight 1.5 kg, cut into 14-16 pieces
Rice ½ kg
Whole black pepper 7-8
Tez pata 1 (bay leaf)
Bari elaichi 2-3
Cinnamon 3 sticks

Dried aloo bukhara or Plum (soaked in water for 15-20 minutes)

Onion sliced 4-5 medium
Tomatoes sliced 4 medium
Ginger paste 1 tsp heaped
Garlic paste 1 tsp heaped
Green chili paste 1 tsp heaped
Potatoes 3 medium cut into 2 pieces or 3 if using large potatoes
Salt 2 tsp
Red chili powder 2 tsp
Garam masala powder 1 tsp
Green chilies whole 6-7
Mint leaves ¼ bunch 
Coriander leaves ¼ bunch
Yogurt 1 cup (beaten)
Milk ¼ cup
Yellow food color ¼ tsp
Oil 1 cup
Kewra water 1 tsp

Method:  

1. Fill the pan with water. Add the whole garam masala in it. Let it boil. Add soaked rice, 4 tsp salt in boiling water and let it boil until rice is ¾ cooked. 
2. Drain the water and keep rice aside.
3. Heat oil in another pan, fry sliced onion until golden brown, then add ginger and garlic paste. Stir. Add potatoes, saute for 5 min. 
4. Add the chicken in the same pan, and bhuno well on high flame, keep stirring. When chicken changes the color, add sliced tomatoes, salt, red chili powder, green chili paste, soaked aloo bukhara, and 1 cup of water.

5. Cover and let it cook on low flame for 15-20 minutes until the chicken and potatoes are done.  

6. Now add beaten yogurt, and garam masala powder, leave on slow flame to cook for a while until the curry leaves oil on top. 

7. Add mint leaves, green chilies and coriander leaves, mix well. Mix yellow food color in the milk, add kewra.

 8. Now layer boiled rice on the top of prepared chicken curry, top it with milk mixed with color and kewra, drizzle ¼ cup of oil on the top, put it on dum for 10-12 minutes on medium high flame for first 2 minutes, then on low flame. 

9. Serve hot with raita.

Note: A lot of people like to add coriander/mint leaves on top of the rice, my family don't like it that way so I had to mix it in the curry. You can put it on the top if you want, before giving dum to Biryani. 

Serves: 5-6

Chicken Shashlik with Gravy

Ingredients:

Chicken boneless ½ kg
Salt 1 tsp
Red chili powder 1 tsp
Garlic paste 1 tsp
Mustard powder 1 tsp
Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp
Soy sauce 1 tbsp
Ketchup 4 tbsp
Chili garlic sauce 1 tbsp


Shashlik sticks as required (washed and dried)
Onion 1 cut in cubes
Tomatoes 2 remove seeds and cut in cubes
Capsicum 1 large remove seeds and cut in cubes
BBQ Sauce ¼ cup
Oil 2 tbsp for frying


Method: 

1. In a bowl add chicken cubes, and all the ingredients except vegetables and BBQ sauce. Let it marinate for 1-2 hour at least. 
2. Now sew marinated chicken and vegetables on shashlik sticks. 
3. Heat oil in a frying pan and put skewers, brush BBQ sauce on it, change side, brush the sauce again on all Shashliks. 
4. Fry for 8-10 minutes on medium low flame until the chicken is cooked. Don't overcook. 

* You can also bake these at 180° degree celcius for approx 15 minutes. Brush BBQ sauce on skewers before baking, turn side after 8 minutes, brush the sauce again and bake. Remove it, put on absorbent paper, keep aside. 


Ingredients for Gravy:

Chicken 1 breast piece cut into tiny cubes (optional)
Garam masala powder ¼ tsp
Garlic paste ½ tsp
Salt ¼ tsp
Soy sauce 1 tbsp
Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp
Mustard powder ½ tsp
Tomato paste 2 tbsp
Water ¼ cup
Chili sauce ½ tsp
Ketchup ¼ cup
Capsicum 1 cut into tiny cubes


Method:

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil, add garlic paste, chicken cubes, fry until cooked, add all the season mentioned in under Ingredients for Gravy. 
2. Let it cook on medium high flame until the consistency of gravy gets thick. 
3. Add capsicum cubes, turn of the flame. 
4. Pour the gravy over cooked Shashlik sticks, serve with plain boiled rice. 
5. Enjoy!! 

Singaporean Rice

It is a lengthy recipe but very easy to make if you prepare everything in advanced. Singaporean rice, an excellent blend of rice, vegetables, chicken, and noodles all in one platter. If you want to impress or entertain your guests with something. This is a dish to be served. Try this delicious recipe and give me your feedback. 


Ingredients:

Boiled rice ½ kg (soak rice for half an hour, boil with 1 tbsp salt, 1 tsp black zeera till ¾ done)
Boiled spaghetti ½ packet

Cabbage cut into cubes 1 cup

Tomatoes seedless cut into cubes 1

Capsicum cut into cubes 1

Carrot cut into cubes ½ cup

Onion cut into cubes 1 cup

Oil 1 cup

For Garnish:


Green chilies slit from the center 5-6

Garlic finely chopped 3 tbsp 

1. Heat 1 cup oil in a pan, now add slit green chilies, fry for 2-3 minutes, keep aside.
2. Now add crushed garlic in the same oil and fry till golden brown in color. 
3. Take it out on kitchen paper towel.

Ingredients for Chicken:

Boneless Chicken ½ kg (cut into cubes)

Egg 1

Salt ½ tsp

Black pepper ½ tsp 

Baking powder ½ tsp

All-purpose flour (maida) 1 tbsp

Cornflour 1 tbsp

Ginger cut into julienne 3 tbsp

Method:

1. Mix the above ingredients in a clean bowl except ginger, whisk the batter well, mix chicken in the batter, fry in the same oil we used for garnishing till golden brown in color. 
2. Take it out, keep aside. 
3. Add ginger julienne in the same oil, add fried chicken, add 2 tbsp ketchup, soy sauce 1 tsp, pinch of red color. Mix well. Chicken is ready.
4. Fry cabbage, capsicum, carrot, onion and tomatoes in the same oil for 2-3 minutes only on high flame with a pinch of salt, black pepper, 1 tsp of chili sauce, and 1 tsp of soy sauce. 

For the sauce:

Mayonnaise ¼ cup

Cream ½ cup

Pounded red chili flakes 1 tsp

Salt ¼ tsp

Black pepper ¼ tsp

Tomato ketchup 3 tbsp

Red color a pinch

Mix all the ingredients in a clean bowl. The sauce is ready. 

Assemble the dish before serving:

1. Add a layer of boiled rice in your serving dish, then add noodles, a thick layer of the sauce, fried vegetables and fried chicken. 
2. Garnish with fried crushed garlic and green chilies on the top. 
3. Serve immediately. 

Cookies & Cream Milkshake

Cookies & Cream Milkshake (This image has been google-d)

Beat the heat of summer with this delicious milkshake. I saw the recipe on Shireen Anwar's show and loved it. Tried it the next day but couldn't take a picture as my camera's battery was dead, and nobody could resist this delicious shake. Hence, that is why I've google'd the image for my blog post first time. It's very easy, try it and let me know your feedback.

Ingredients:

Milk 1 cup

Crushed ice 3/4 cup
Chocolate Ice cream 4 scoops
Oreo cookies 6
Vanilla essence 1/2 tsp (optional) 


Method:
Blend all the above ingredients together. Serve immediately.


Yield: 3 small glasses. 

Coffee Flan

Updating my blog today after what seems like ages. I wanted to give my blog a whole new look after this long break, so changed the template. Hope you will like it. Beginning to blog again with a dessert today. As they say, "Kuch meetha ho jaye?" ;)


This easy recipe is a variation on the classic Spanish Vanilla Custard called "Flan" in Spanish. Coffee gives this flan a beautiful rich texture, making it a perfect dessert to enjoy in summers. A new way to consume coffee besides Cold Coffee. This recipe was shared by a friend. I'll post the recipe and the video link too. It's a must, must, must try dessert! 

For caramel:

Caster sugar 150 grams
Water 4 tbsp


For Flan:
Sweetened condensed milk 400 ml. (I used 3/4 cup, you can add according to your taste)
Milk 1 cup
Cream 8 oz (I used 1 packet of Olpers)
Cinnamon stick 1
Cardamom pods 2 
Instant coffee 2 tbsp dissolved in a tbsp of water
Eggs 5 (room temperature)
Vanilla essence 1 tsp




Method:
Preheat oven to 160C / 315F / Gas mark 2.5

For Caramel: 

1. Put Sugar in hot pan on medium high heat add water.
2. Allow mixture to slowly turn into brown in color, it takes a few minutes, stir occassionaly with a wooden spoon.
3. As soon as it begins to caramelize keep stirring. When it is golden brown remove from heat. 
4. Pour the caramel to your flan dish or in your individual small cups.

For Flan: 

1. Add milk and cream to the warm saucepan on medium high heat, add condensed milk, vanilla essence, dissolved coffee, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, stir till well combined. 
2. Allow it to come to a boil, then remove from heat. Let it steep for a few minutes to infuse flavours.
3. Now in a separate bowl briefly whisk the eggs, and slowly add small amount of coffee sauce to the whisked eggs, and keep whisking, add remaining sauce and mix it well.
4. When well combined, strain the coffee sauce through sieve into a clean bowl.
5. Now take a big baking pan or a deep roaster pan put a kitchen towel in it and your flan dish. Now pour coffee sauce over your caramel.
6. Now fill the deep pan with hot water about a third full this is called a "Bain Marie" (cooking in a water bath) this prevents overheating or burning...put tray in the oven...and bake for 15-20 mins...or until set. (gently shake flan dish to check they have set) remove from oven.
7. Allow it to cool completely on room temperature, then refrigerate for few hours. 
8. Serve chilled. You can also serve it with whipped cream.

Do give a try to this recipe and give me your feedback about both the recipe and new template of my blog. 


If you are a visual learner: Check out this video - How To Make Coffee Flan