Tinday ("round melon" or "round gourd" ) Aalo (potato) Ka Salan (curry)

SOOJI (simolina) AND POWDER MILK HALWA

Ingredients:

1 cup sooji (simolina)

1 cup sugar

1 cup Powdered milk

1 cup melted ghee

1 cup fresh milk

1/2 cup desiccated coconut (pissa hwa khushk khopra)

5-6 illaichi (Cardamom)

nuts of choice ( my kids don't like nuts in halwa)

Method:

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.heat ghee in skillet and add illaichi (Cardamom). add the dry ingredients and mix continuously for about 15-20 minutes until desired brown color is obtained. Add the milk and stir nicely until the ghee is separated. now add the nuts and mix again. Remove from heat, bring it to a dish and garnish with coconut and nuts if required.

Credit: Syeda Kishwer Jaffery.

Moist Koftas Curry

Recipe:

❣️ For kofta  ❣️

Beef mince 1/2 kg

Onion 1 medium 

Garlic 5-6 cloves

Ginger 1 inch piece 

Green chillies 2 medium 

Fresh coriander 3 Tbsp

White zeera 1 tsp ( bhuna hua na ho )

Salt 1 tsp

Red chilli flakes 1 tsp

Degi laal mirch 1/2 tsp

Garam masala 1/2 tsp

Lightly dry roasted rice flour 3 Tbsp ( I measure 3 Tbsp rice. Wash and pat dry, grind and then dry roast it )

Yogurt 1 Tbsp

Egg 1

Chop onion, garlic, ginger, green chilli, fresh coriander and zeera in a chopper. Then add mince to the chopper along with all the spices and rice flour except yogurt and egg. Once done take it out into a bowl and mix in yogurt and egg. Knead the mince so everything is well combined. A great tip is to have good amount of moisture in your kofta mix. The softer your mince mix is the softer your koftas will be. Give at least 30 mts resting time to the mince for it to soak in all the flavours. Grease your hands with oil and make smooth balls to the size of your liking . Now heat some oil in a non stick pan and fry the meat balls on medium to high flame just moving the pan occasionally to achieve even colour.

❣️ For Gravy ❣️

Onion - 1 big or 2 medium 

Ginger/ garlic 1 Tbsp

Tomatoes 2 medium 

Yogurt 1/3 cup

Green illaichi 2-3

Cloves 3

Salt as required 

Degi laal mirch 1 tsp

Haldi 1/4 tsp

Bhuna kuta dhania and zeera 1 tsp each 

Oil 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup if you like more roghan

Fry onion till light golden. Then add garlic ginger and cook till aromatic. Now add in all the spices and tomatoes with a splash of water. Bhoonofy till the oil comes out. Now blend this masala along with the yogurt into a fine paste. Heat some ghee or butter in the pan and add cardamom and cloves . When they began to sizzle then add the paste and koftas. Now add water and cover the pan Nd let the koftas cook in the gravy for about 10 mts till the oil comes on top. Add few green chillies, fresh coriander leaves and sprinkle some garam masala and bhuna kuta zeera and immediately cover the lid to let the flavours infuse. Tender and yummy koftas are ready  😊 Enjoy  🌺

❣️Chilli garlic rice  ❣️

Rice 1.5 cup ( soaked)

Garlic 1 Tbsp chopped

Red chilli fresh 2 ( if not available then add 1 tsp red chilli flakes)

Chicken cube 2

Whit zeera 1 tsp

Crushed black pepper and mint leaves for dum.

Oil 1/2 cup

Butter 1 Tbsp to put on dum

Sauté garlic , chilli and zeera till aromatic and then toss in crushed chicken cubes. Fry a little and then add pre soaked and drained rice. Gently stir to combine well and then add water. Taste the salt at this stage as cubes are very salty. If you need to add more then add. Level of water should be just above an inch of rice. Cook till all the water is absorbed . Now sprinkle crushed black pepper and mint leaves and put it on dum for about 10 mts. Yummy fragrant rice is ready. Enjoy  🤗 🌺

Tips:

1. Ladies I never measure water whilst cooking rice. For me 1 inch water level above rice technique always delivers perfect results but you can use your own method  😍

2. Pls do not fry koftas on low heat or they will release water and become hard. This is very important .

3. Frying koftas on high heat will seal the juices resulting in tender koftas. Only fry them for a minute or two to get a golden colour.

4. I like to fry koftas before adding to the gravy as they add more taste to it.

5. Pls adjust spices to your liking.

6. A great tip is to have good amount of moisture in your kofta mix. Dry mixture will result in hard meatballs.

7. Give at least 30 minutes resting time to the mince before making koftas . This will help mince to absorb all the flavours and marination will result in tender koftas.

8. Make sure there are no cracks in meat balls. A great tip is to chop mince finely and also grease your hands with oil while making balls.

9. Plz do not wash mince as it will be hard to drain off excess water which will make the mince too soft to handle and hard to bind the meatballs.

SHAMS CHAAT

Recipe:

For chick peas:

Soak 2 cups of chick peas (smaller ones) in water with 1 tsp of baking soda overnight.

Drain off the water, add fresh water and 2 tsp of salt and boil the chick peas. 

When half done add 1 tsp of baking soda and 1 cup of orange lentil (the special ingredient). 

Cook till lentil is completely dissolved and chickpeas are soft and there is some thick gravy left.

For chutney (sauce):

Soak 1 pao (250gms) of imli (Tamarind) in a cup of water and remove seeds. 

Grind with 1 tsp of salt, 1 cup of coriander and 1 cup of mint leaves. 

Add a tsp of red chilli powder.

For masala aalo (potatoes with spices):

Boil 1/2 kilo of potatoes and cut in cubes. 

Now in 2 tablespoon oil, add 2 tablespoon of red chilli paste (talhar mirch and garlic paste 2:1).

Add 2 tablespoon of imli (Tamarind) paste and 1 1/2 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of red chilli crushed. Cook on low heat with 1/2 cup water till potatoes are nicely done (takes around 5-10 minutes). 

Now give a tarka (shot) of curry leaves in 2 table spoon oil.

Yogurt:

In 1 cup yogurt add 1 tsp of sugar and 1/2 tsp of salt and whisk. 

Add 1/4 cup (2-3 tablespoon) water to get a runny yet thick consistency.

Chaat procedure(per serving):

In half a cup of cooked chick peas (should be hot), add 2 tablespoon of yogurt and imli (Tamarind)chatney (sauce) each, add onions and tomatoes (chopped). Now add masala aalo  (spiced potatoes) on side and garnish aalo (potatoes) with coriander leaves. Add papri (nimco waali or any papri you like). Squeeze half a lemon and sprinkle chaat masala (spices specific to this dish) on top. Serve hot and DONOT MIX before eating (thats the tag line of shams chaat for all those who have tried it!

 Note: This is papri

Beef Chilli With Egg Fried Rice

Recipe:

Beef fillet cut in julienne size: half kg

For marination:

Worcester sauce: 2 tb sp.

Soya sauce          : 2 tb sp.

Sugar                   : half teaspoon.

Salt                      : according to taste.

Black pepper       : 2 tb sp.

Marinate beef with all ingredients overnight.

In a wok, put one tb sp oil and the marinated beef. 

Cook until water dries up and beef is tender. 

Once its done take out the beef from the oil. 

In the same oil saute some chopped garlic, then add capsicum, green chilies and green onions, fry for some time then add Worcester, soya sauce, chilli garlic sauce, vinegar and black pepper. 

Now add the beef also.

Fry until the gravy is reduced and the oil comes up. So check the taste if salt is required then add otherwise the salt is adjusted with the sauces. I do everything with my estimate.

Egg fried rice:

Put some oil in a pot then add eggs beaten with pinch of zarde ka rung (yellow food color) and keep stirring, then add capsicum, cabbage, green onion, knorr cube, salt, black pepper and soya sauce.

Mix well then add boiled rice, and put them on dum (steam).