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Butter Chicken

2/28/2021

 

Butter Chicken

Ingredients
Boneless Chicken Chunks 2 Pounds
Lemon Juice 1/4th cup
White Vinegar 1/4 cup
Salt 2 Tsp
Butter Chicken Masala 2 packets
Red Food coloring 7 drops
Canola Oil 1/4 cup
Tomatoes 4 large
Plain whole milk Yogurt 1 cup
Butter 1 Stick
Cumin seeds 1 TBS
Black Seeds 1 TBS
​Ginger Garlic Paste 2 TBS
Whipping Cream 1/4 th cup

How to make it:
Marinate
  1. Wash and keep the chicken cubes in strainer till all the water drained out
  2. Pour lemon juice and vinegar. Mix well.
  3. Add salt and mix
  4. Add Butter chicken Masala and mix
  5. Add food coloring and mix well
  6. Keep in refrigerator for couple of hours
Bake it
  1. ​ Spread chicken on a greased pan and bake for at 400 for 20 minutes.
  2. Take it out and set aside
Stove Cooking
  1. Turn the stove on. Fill the pan with water, add tomatoes make sure enough water that all the tomatoes are covered. When water starts to boil, turn the stove off.. Let it cool
  2. transfer boiled tomatoes, 1/4 cup water( from the boiling water) and yogurt to make purée in a blender.
  3. Set the puree aside
NOW
  1. 1. Heat and melt butter in the pan on the stove at medium heat
  2. 2. Add cumin, black seeds and ginger garlic paste one by one
  3. 3. keep stirring and don’t let it burn.
  4. 4. Add purée slowly. Careful because it may splat so add slowly and keep mixing..
  5. 5. Now add cream and let it cook until curry started to thick.
  6. 6. Add 1TBS Butter chicken masala mix and 1-2 drops of red food coloring.
  7. 7. Now Add chicken to the curry. Cook for 20 minute on medium heat
  8. 8. When curry reached to its required form. neither too runny nor too runny.
  9. Cover and let it cool on the stove. Don’t lift the cover because this step will give good color and texture to the dish.
Sprinkle some cilantro and serve with rice or Garlic Naan from Trader Joe’s.

Mangoes,Green Chillies and Lime's Pickle AKA ACHAR

2/25/2021

 

Mangoes,Green Chillies and Lime's Pickle AKA ACHAR

Keep or discard seeds depending how spicy you want your pickle to be. More seed spicier it will be
IMovie for more details
Ingredients
12 Raw Green Mangoes
12 Green Chili Peppers
6 Lemon or limes
2-3 cups of Mustard Oil
 Seasoning Mixture
  1. 2 TBS Salt
  2. 2 TBS Red Mustard Seed
  3. 2 TBS Fenugreek seeds 
  4. 2 TBS Yellow Mustard seeds
  5. 2 TBS Ajwain
  6. 1 TBS Salt
  7. 2 TBS Black Seed
  8. 1 TBS Red Chili Powder
  9. ​2 TBS Fennel Seeds -
  10. 2 TBS Turmeric powder 
How to Make it
Day 1. Wash and completely dry all the vegetables
Day 2:
  • Cut all the vegetables, Un seed Mangoes and chilies (Optional)
  • Pour 2 TBS Salt and Mix well.
  • Place the vegetables in the sun for a day or 2
Day 3:
  • Keep vegetables in the sun for another Day. Note: vegetables should have started getting little dry
Day 4.
Prepare the Spice Mixture
  • Slightly roast  ingredients 1-4 in a shallow pan over the stove on medium heat. 
  • Let it cool and them grind them on a motar or use coffee grinder. Make sure they dont turn in powder form they should be corse in texture.
  • Add roasted seasonings and ingredients 5-10 to the veggies
  • Mix well everything well. If you want you can open chilie slits and fill them with the  seasoning mixture
  • Heat oil in a pan for 5 minutes on medium heat. DO not let oil burn.
  • set aside to cool
  • Now add oil to the pickle mixture and mix well
Day5:
  • Keep it in the sun
Day 6:
  • Keep in the sun
Day 7:
  • Keep in the sun.
  • Transfer pickle to the air tight container .As far all the veggies are dipped inside the oil, pickle is safe at room temp for a year long. If mustard oil is not enough to cover the vegetables them keep it refrigerated
***Enjoy with any meal but Punjabi Daal (Legumes) and Plain white rice makes the best combination.
Yes now you can tell I am addicted to Acahr making. I substitute limes to lemon and added carrots. I also sliced the green chillies instead of using whole. Little variations but ingredients and method stayed the same.

Punjabi Beef Steaks

2/7/2021

 

Pakistani Punjabi Beef Steaks

  Ingredients
  •   4 Pound beef cut in thin slices
  •   1 1/2 cup greek yogurt
  •   1 Lemon(Juice)
  •   !/2 cup Vinegar
  •   2 TBS Ginger Garlic Paste
  •   2 TBS Papaya paste
  •   Salt
  •   Red chilli pepper
  •   6 whole dried red pepper
  •   1tsp Corriander powder
  •   1 tsp Cumin Powder
  •   1 Tsp Katchari Powder or a meat tenderizer
  •   1 TBS National Bihari Kabab Masala(Optional)
  •   1/2 Cup Water to tenderize meat in pressure cooker
  •   1/4th cup Canola Oil 1/4
How to Make it:
  1. 1. Mix All the ingredients except the steaks in a shallow pan.
  2. 2. Add Beef steaks and marinate for 12 to 24 hours
 Three ways to make it

Pressure Cooker
  1. a. Transfer all the ingredients to a pressure cooker . Add 1/2 cup of water and pressure cook for 7 minutes. After opening the pressure cooker check the meat if its tender by pulling it apart with a fork. Does not need it to be very soft because it will break. Cook little more until all the water is evaporated. Now add canola oil. until all is mixed well.
  2. Garnish with cilantro and Serve with Mint Chutney and Tandoori Naan.
 Instant Pot
  1. Transfer everything to a Instant pot and follow directions for the beef slices.  When meat is tender and water evaporated add oil and cook for one minute until all the oil is mixed well
  2. Garnish with cilantro and Serve with Mint Chutney and Tandoori Naan.
Bake
  1. Preheat oven at 375
  2. Lay all the meat on a greased baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes depending on the thickness of the beef slices. Once beef is tender. Check by pulling apart with
  3. Garnish with cilantro and Serve with Mint Chutney and Tandoori Naan.

Clarified Butter with Creamy Greens and Corn Bread

1/6/2021

 

Ghee with Punjabi Saag and Makai kee Roti

Clarified Butter/Ghee

​Ingredients

  1. Unsalted Butter 4 sticks

How to make it?

  1. Melt butter in a shallow pan on medium heat
  2. Let it cook until white foam forms on the top
  3. Discard white foam with a spoon or spatula
  4. Let it cool little bit but not completely
  5.  Pour the warm  liquid into a air tight glass jar. If you still see some traces of white form, pass through strainer
  6. Keep it in the refrigerator or at room temperature as long you want
* Liquid will change into light yellow solid form
​*Air tight jar must have no traces of water

PunJabi Saag
Creamy Greens

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Punjabi Saag/Creamy Spinach Dish

Ingredient
4 cups of chopped spinach
2 cups of chopped mustard
2 cups of chopped brocolli
2 Jelepeno peppers 1 1/2 for step1 and 1/2 for step 3
1/2 red Onion
4 cloves of garlic
Salt and crushed red pepper
1 cup of whole milk for step 1 and 1/4 for step3
1 cup of water
1 Butter Stick

How to make it
Step 1
1. Mix all the ingredients in a  stove pan and cook on medium high until all the water and milk dries up but not to the extend that it starts to stick to the pan.
Let it cool.
Step 2
Transfer everything to the blender jar. Add 1/4 cup of milk to make the paste creamier.
 Step 3
In the same pan Melt of butter and add chopped jelepeno pepper.s As butter melt add the the blended spinach. Cover immediately and turn the stove off.
​Creamy Greens aka Punjabi saag is readu to be served with corn bread

Garlic Naan Served with Chappal Kabobs

1/6/2021

 
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Ingredients
All purpose unbleached flour 4 cups
Baking Soda 1/2 tsp
Warm Milk 1 cup
Warm water 1/4th cup
Yeast 11/2 Tbs
Greek yogurt 1/2 cup
Honey 2 Tbs
Toppings/garnish
Butter melted 1/4th cup
Fresh minced garlic 4 cloves
Cilantro 5 strands chopped OR
Sesame seeds 2 Tbs mixed with 1/4 cup melted butter
How to 
In a big glass bowl, mix yeast, water and honey together. Let it stand for 10 minutes. Add milk and yogurt. In a separate bowl mix baking soda and flour. Slowly add to the wet ingredients. Gather everything together till all the mixture bind in a form of a big ball. Add some more water slowly if needed. Cover the glass bowl with plastic wrap and put in a warm place  for an hour and a half, so the dough rise double the size.
Trick:  Sometime you cant find a warm place at home. on the top of the plastic wrao cover with a towel and have a space heater in the area where you will keep the bowl but dont let it to be too close to the bowl. Yeast works better when it finds a perfect warm temperature.
Mix toppings in a small bowl and keep it ready to use
Cooking Instructions
Once the dough is ready. Place it on a cutting board surface and cut into 12 equal parts Each in a size of a  tennis ball. Roll on a slightly dusted surface in a shape of an oval. brush both sides with a melted butter. 
Heat a skillet on a medium hot setting. once its hot place an oval dough on the skillet. Brush toppings on the top side. Cover the skillet with a lid and let it cook till you see the bubles are popping up high you can lift the cover and check the bottom iif its is evenly browned but not overly cooked. Turn the naan and cook for aditional two or two minutes with the cover. lift and see if its evenly cooked on the other side.
Enjoy with any kind of kabobs, curries, daals, and or green chutney and if you are like me i would love to have it with my morning tea.






TURKEY BRINING

12/3/2019

 
It's about time to set aside my Pakistani cooking soul and switch turkey seasoning to American brining. My Tandoori Turkey has no place on all American side dishes table. Wait that also mean i have to wear an ugly a sweater on thanksgiving? Anyhow I collected all the required seasoning and herbs thanks to Trader Joe's for making my life easy and my mom who had gave me this huge pot long time ago. This pot holds no matter what i cook in large scale Yes it didn't disappoint me this time either.  After giving a good rinse by taking all the unnecessary stuff out i was able to soak her in this heavenly American fluid. one more thing to share tha while rinsing this baby i kept on remembering my Bay gee(grandma) to who was once told if its in her will she will wash meat with soap and water:)
Ingredients
Apple Juice: 3 cups
Orange peel of two big oranges
Tri Color pepper corns: 3 Table spoons
Chopped Garlic Cloves: 6-7
Bay leafs: 4
Kosher Salt 1/2 cup
Dry Coriander: seeds 2 teaspoons
Black Cloves: 1 teaspoon
Brown Sugar: 1 cup
Fresh Rosemary:1/2 of a bunch 
Directions
Wash and clean out Turkey under running water i mean give her a good extra rinsing bath. Pat dry and placed in a clear X large bag(Clear trash bag will do the job)
Now add all brining ingredients in a pot and bring to boil. when it cools off pour over Turkey. Add some water if needed so it soak completely. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Turn her occasionally so seasoning reached to all sides.
Take the bird out of the bag and give her a good rinse under running water. This will help wash out all the unnecessary salt. Pat Dry. She is ready for the next stage!!!!

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    Chicken Corn Soup

    Chicken Soup

    Picture
    Ingredients
    1. Chicken Broth 6 Cups ( use 4 leg and thigh pieces and 1/2 chicken breast)
    2. Shredded Chicken 2 cups (strain from above)
    3. Garlic/ginger paste 1 Tbsp.
    4. Sesame oil 2 Tbsp.
    5. Salt 1.5 Tbsp.
    6. White or black pepper 1 Tbsp.
    7. White Vinegar 3 Tbsp.
    8. Soy sauce 1Tbsp. + more for garnish
    9. Corn starch 2 Tbsp.
    10. Egg whites 2
    11. Frozen corn 1 cup
    12. 4 Finely chopped Spring onions for garnish
    • Chopped Cilantro for garnish

    Method:
    • Sauté chicken in oil at medium heat with ginger garlic paste until color changes slightly (don’t let it get brown).
    • Add salt, pepper, vinegar and Soy sauce
    • Add 6 cups of water and boil until 4 cups remain . Use fork to ensure pieces are cooked through and no trace of blood remains.
    • Remove chicken from broth and shred. Set aside and discard bones.
    • In another pan saute corn in 1 Tbsp. of oil.
    • Add shredded chicken and mix well.
    • Pour chicken broth and allow it to boil.
    • Slowly stir in beaten egg whites, continuously stirring.
    • Mix cornstarch in equal amount of water to make a paste. Slowly add the paste to the soup, continuously stirring.
    • Allow the soup to cook until it reaches the desired thickness.
    • Add spring onions towards the end.
    • Garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with crackers, hot sauce ,soy sauce and white vinegar.
    Enjoy!

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