Chicken Malai Kabab

Last year, I had an American couple come over for Christmas dinner. As they were very sensitive to spices, I had to be careful about choosing milder recipes. I used a recipe for chicken malai kabab and omitted the green chillies. They turned out to be a hit, and my guests even took the leftovers home. This was one of the sides to the main course - rack of lamb.
This year, I made this again with the green chillies on the day after Christmas, as it was just the two of us. Looks like this is going to be a regular recipe for the holidays.

Ingredients:

Four pieces chicken breast

1st marination:
Ginger chopped - 1 tsp.
Garlic chopped - 1 tsp.
Malt vinegar - 1 tbsp.
Salt to taste

2nd marination:
Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Cream cheese - 1/2 cup
Heavy cream - 1tbsp.
Egg - 1 no.
Coriander sticks - 2 tbsp., chopped
Green chillies - 1 tbsp., chopped
Green cardomom powder - 1/2 tsp.
White pepper powder - 1/2 tsp.
Cheddar cheese grated - 2 tbsp.
Chat masala - 1 tsp.
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp.

Olive oil for basting

Method:

Cut chicken breast in thin slices 2”x 2”x1/2
Marinate chicken breast in salt, ginger, garlic and malt vinegar. (If you don't have malt vinegar, that's ok - use a little lemon juice)
Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

In a bowl add yogurt, cream cheese, and egg. Mix gently and add coriander, green chilies, cardamom powder and white pepper. Place marination to the side.

Remove the chicken and mix gently with the saved marination and add the cheddar cheese. Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or leave it overnight.

Place chicken on a tray in the oven for 350 degrees for 15 minutes and turn over while cooking.
Remove and place on a plate. Sprinkle with chat masala and lemon juice.
Serve with favorite greens and mint chutney.

Note: You can also grill them. Skewer the chicken and grill for 6 minutes. Baste with olive oil and cook until the chicken is crispy.

You can also serve this with jeera rice. I also like to wrap this up in a pita with some chopped cucumber, parsley, hummus and mint chutney.

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Herb marinated Rack of Lamb

This was the main course for last year's Christmas. I served one rack of lamb among 4 people. We had several other dishes too. It was my first time grilling a rack of lamb, and yes I was nervous about serving it to guests. So I timed it exactly as mentioned in the recipe and it turned out medium (light pink center). I wasn't really able to enjoy the dinner because I was hosting too. So I decided to try it again this Christmas. Maybe this one's going to become a traditional Christmas meal for us? Time will tell..

Ingredients:

1 lamb rack (about 8 to 9 ribs)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled and crushed
6 parsley sprigs, chopped
2 (4-inch) rosemary sprigs, crushed
6 thyme sprigs, crushed
4 rosemary sprigs, for garnish
Freshly ground black pepper
Coarse Sea salt

Method:

Clean the rib bones well by scraping off meat and sinew with a small sharp knife. Cut the racks in 1/2 so that each has four ribs. Mix together the olive oil, crushed garlic, chopped parsley, crushed rosemary and thyme sprigs in a large bowl. Add the lamb and coat well. Grind some coarse black pepper over all. Wrap well and marinate the racks overnight. (I used a ziplock bag for this. Dump all the ingredients, close and shake it to coat well. Leave it in the fridge overnight.)

The next day remove the lamb from the marinade and scrape off as many herbs as possible. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the lamb well with salt; no additional pepper should be necessary, and sear fat side down until golden, about 7 minutes.

Turn over so that the fat side is up and roast in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Let the rack rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

To serve, cut each lamb rack into 4 equal pieces, 2 bones per chop and serve on individual plates or a platter with the accompaniments of your choice.

Notes:
1. Rack of lamb is simple to prepare and quite elegant for a proper dinner party. Racks have become so popular and expensive in the U.S. that chefs have turned to overseas sources to supply their restaurants at a much cheaper price. There are many New Zealand producers selling lamb with no added hormones or antibiotics. I buy a rack that's produced in Australia. The herb marinade for the rack really perfumes the meat if it is done a day or two ahead of time. The same marinade can be used for many other cuts as well. It is best to remove as many of the herbs and garlic before roasting as they will burn and create off flavors.
2. This year I added another 3 minutes to the oven time so the center wasn't pink (almost well done, but still juicy).
3. This maybe gross for some people. While searing the meat on the saute pan, you will notice some blood oozing out of the bones. I usually take a clean paper towel and press against those areas to absorb and remove the blood. I did this again when I got it out of the oven. Here's a comparison of the bloody and not so bloody rack:

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Chickpea feta burger

I wouldn't call it a veggie burger because it contains eggs. It is a delicious and healthy option on a hot summer day. I served this with a nice dill tahini sauce.

Ingredients for chickpea feta burger:

200 grams chick peas soaked and boiled with salt
100 grams feta cheese crumbled
2 eggs
1 grated carrot
6 red pearl onions
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp oil

Ingredients for dill tahini sauce:

1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup dill minced
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic
1tsp lemon juice
Dash of salt

To assemble:

Hamburger buns
Baby spinach leaves
Tomato slices
Iceberg lettuce leaves

Method fpr sauce:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Method for burgers:

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook pearl onions and garlic for 2 minutes or until soft. Transfer to a food processor. Add chickpeas, carrots feta and eggs and process until combined. Transfer to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the bread crumbs and mix until combined. Divide mixture into golf ball portions. Shape each portion into a patty.

heat the remaining oil on a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook the patties for 4 minutes each side or until brown and cooked through.
Toast the hamburger buns for 2 minutes each side or until lightly toasted.
Divide half the bun cut side up among serving plates. Spread with a little tahini sauce. Top with a lettuce, spinach, tomato and chickpea patty and other half of bun.

Assembled Burgers:

Dill Tahini Sauce:

Burger mix:

Grilling the burgers:

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Seekh Kabab

Seekh kababs are my favorite variety of kababs. Grilled on skewers also known as seekh, until juicy and succulent, they're just mouth watering.
The seekh is a round metal skewer, however I used bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water (to prevent them from burning when grilling).
You can use any kind of ground meat for this - beef, lamb or chicken. But it should not be too lean, or it will become too dry. So make sure it has some amount of fat in it. They will melt into juices when its cooking, and the excess will drip down.
This weekend, our neighbor took us to a meat packing company at Sussex, NJ. I bought a pound of ground sirloin (beef). It looked so beautiful, that I decided to try out seekh kababs for the first time.
Since I don't have an outdoor grill yet, I broiled it in the oven. They need to be cooked at the highest temperatures possible. Traditionally, seekh kebabs are grilled in a tandoor (clay oven), that has temperatures as high as 800°F. As ovens cannot be this hot, crank it up to the highest possible.
Another thing to note is that the final mixture should not be too moist, or it will not hold onto the skewers. So make sure you absorb most of the moisture from the ground meat in some kitchen towels.
This recipe was inspired by vahchef.

Ingredients:

Ground beef - 1 lb (500 gm)
Red onion - 1/2 medium
Garlic - 4 cloves
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Green chilli - 1 or 2
Grated cheese - a handful (optional)
Parsley or Cilantro - small bunch, about 10 sprigs
Mint leaves - a handful
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp or to taste
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Egg - 1
Lemon juice - from half a lemon
Salt to taste
Bread crumbs - optional (see note)
Bamboo skewers, soaked in water - 10

Method:

Preheat oven to the highest temperature or on broil.
Chop onion, garlic ginger and green chilli finely. Or run it through a food processor. Collect it in a mixing bowl. Add grated cheese, finely chopped parsley or cilantro (or use small amounts of both), finely chopped mint leaves, red chilli powder, garam masla and coriander powder and mix it. Add ground meat and thoroughly mix everything together by hand. This is so therapeutic, trust me! Sprinkle enough salt, squeeze lemon juice, and break an egg into this mixture. Continue kneading this mixture.
Note: If you feel that the mixture is too moist, add bread crumbs or chickpea flour (besan) to this. It will help making the mixture more dry.
Let the mixture marinate for about 15 mins. If you want, you can prepare this in advance and allow it to marinate overnight.
Take a lemon sized ball of the mixture.

Push it through a skewer.

Using your fingers, work it along the length of the skewer to form a long kebab.

Place these skewers across a rectangular cake pan, or on a baking sheet.

Place it on the top rack of the oven, and cook until done, around 12-15 mins. You can also grill these beauties on an outdoor grill.
Serve with lime wedges and coriander-mint chutney mixed with yoghurt.

Or serve over a bed of cumin rice.

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Chicken Shawarma

Chicken Shawarma is the most loved and craved for snack that we get in Saudi Arabia. Brands like Yamal Asham and Mama Nourra have become so famous, they've become large chains. Maccoys for some reason seems to operate from the same old shop, though still so popular. The shawarmas that you get in Riyadh are the Lebanese style. When I went to Riyadh this time, I got a bottle of shawarma spice.

Its just a spice mix and its contents are as follows:

• Turmeric
• Red Chilly
• Coriander
• Black Pepper
• Cloves
• Cardamom
• Nutmeg
• Ginger
• Cumin
• Cinnamon

 Credit: Lebanese Recipes

Ingredients:

For Chicken Shawarma:

• 1/2 kilo chicken thighs or breasts, skin removed, bones removed and pounded to even thickness
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Shawarma spice
• 1 tablespoon allspice toasted and ground
• 1 tablespoon coriander seed toasted and ground
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped summer savory - I did not use this
• 1 onion, grated
• Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper

For Assembly:

• 6 thick pitas or Khubz
• 1 large tomato, thinly sliced
• 6 leaves Boston lettuce/Iceberg Lettuce
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley (optional)
• Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• Cucumber and Carrot Pickle
• French Fries
• Garlic Sauce (Thoom) / Garlic Tahini Sauce / Hummous

Method:

Chicken:
Combine the lime juice, olive oil, spices, garlic, summer savory and grated onion in a medium bowl.
Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat.
Cover with plastic and marinate in the refrigerator for four hours.
Preheat the barbecue on medium.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off any excess.
Skewer the thighs on a long metal skewer, stacking them flat on top of each other.
Season the chicken thighs and put them on the grill.
Cover and cook the chicken, turning the skewer every few minutes for even cooking, 25 to 30 minutes or until charred on the outside and chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Note: I did not use any skewers. I just heated a frying pan and placed the chicken pieces on it to grill on each side. You may drizzle a little olive oil over it to avoid it from sticking to the pan.

Assembly:
Spread garlic sauce or hummous on pita/khubz.
Slice chicken off the skewer in thin shavings and serve it wrapped in pita bread along with the tomato slices, lettuce, french fries and pickles. You can also add chopped parsley to it.

Note: I used home-made french fries as they felt more authentic. Just peeled a potato and ran it through the french fries blade of my food processor, and deep fried them. Drain on tissue towels. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over it.

The Authentic Saudi shawarma contains:

• Khubz
• Chicken
• Cucumber pickle
• Garlic Thoom
• French Fries

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Better-Than-Pita Grill Bread

Khubz is the Arabic bread known as pita in other parts of the world.
Usually this is made in the traditional wood burning oven. It can also be made in the modern oven.
Since I dont have either, I tried this lovely grilled bread from Epicurious

Credit: Epicurious

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fast-acting yeast from 1 (1/4-oz) package such as Fleischmann's Rapid Rise yeast
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon warm water (105-115°F)
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon beaten egg

Special equipment: a lightly oiled ridged grill pan, cast-iron skillet, or griddle

Method:

Whisk together flour (2 cups), sugar, salt, and yeast in a bowl until combined. Whisk together water, oil, and egg in another bowl until combined well, then stir into flour mixture until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead, working in just enough additional flour to keep dough from sticking, about 2 minutes (dough will not be smooth). Form dough into a ball and put in an oiled bowl, turning to coat, then let rest in bowl, uncovered, in a warm draft-free place 10 minutes.
Note: I required almost 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup oil to get a dough. To be safe and to get the required consistency, first add 1/4 cup each and then add little by little as you go.



Cut dough into 10 pieces and form each into a ball. Working with 1 piece at a time, flatten balls, then roll out into 6-inch rounds (less than 1/8 inch thick) on lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin.



Mine of course turned in shapes other than rounds. To ensure that you get a pocket in the middle, fold it in half as shown below, and roll out again.



Preheat grill pan or skillet over moderately high heat just until smoking, then reduce heat to moderate and grill bread rounds, 1 at a time, turning once, until marks appear and bread is cooked through, about 2 minutes. It will puff up on the hot pan and deflate once taken off the pan. Keep breads warm, wrapped in a cloth napkin.



Cooks' notes: If you have a 2-burner grill pan, you can grill 2 bread rounds at a time.
Bread can be made 1 day ahead and cooled completely, then kept in an airtight container at room temperature. Reheat bread, loosely wrapped in foil, in a 350°F oven until heated through.

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Pizza Parotta - My Twist of Taste

These days I see a lot of emphasis on fusion food. I was never really into it as I prefer trying to get the authentic tastes. But I sometimes wonder how someone would even think of fusing this and that together. Some are interesting, some not, some even pure genius!
So how did I venture into this area of fusion food? As they say, necessity is the mother of all inventions. I was working at home coz I was not feeling too well, and did not have much work. But to my utter disappointment, my clients felt that today was the perfect day to report tons of issues, and I get assigned more work than I usually handle. Grr... there goes all my plans to relax at home, exploring various recipes and trying out new stuff. I started to feel hungry and wondered I had in the refrigerator. I had a packet of Kerala Parottas. But what do I eat with it? Most of the veggie ingredients were Italian stuff left over from my pasta recipes. So I imagined... what if I use the ingredients like a pizza topping but the base be used as a kerala parotta? Its like those thin crust pizzas, except that this crust is thin and flaky. yum! and oh it was yum!! Mine was totally simple and quick but you can add any of your favourite pizza toppings.

Ingredients:

Kerala parotta: 1
Salsa: 2 tbsp.
Black Olives: 4 sliced
Basil Leaves: 2 or 3
Mozzarella cheese: as required
Oregano: to garnish
Garlic bread seasoning: to garnish

Method:

Spread the salsa on the parotta. Arrange sliced olives and broken up basil leaves on top. Sprinkle grated mozzarella all over. Take a frying pan with a lid. Place it on a stove on low heat. Place the parotta on the frying pan. Sprinkle oregano and garlic bread seasoning. Cover the lid and allow the pizza to cook on low heat. Wait till all the cheese melts and take it off the pan. Slice them and serve immediately!



You can add sauteed baby corn, capsicum and minced garlic in a little olive oil. You can also add cold cuts like sliced sausages, bacon or pepperoni. Onions, sun-dried tomatoes, the list can go on...

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Chocolate Pancakes

Made these delicious pancakes for breakfast today. I was all out on sugar, so compensated with sweet cocoa powder (by Cadury's) and brown sugar, and it was fabulous!
I put in all the powders together in a bowl, then added a cup of milk and whisked it a bit. Broke an egg into the bowl and whisked it again. Added melted butter and then started to make the pancakes. Simple!
I will be posting its pictures soon as I have finally bought a DSLR camera.. photographs undergoing post-production processing now.. oh yeah! gonna learn all the details about photography too!

Credit: http://www.versagrain.com/chocolate-pancakes.html
These chocolate pancakes are beautiful, fluffy and decadent! We have more delicious chocolate pancake recipes at the bottom of this page. Plus suggestions on how to make this recipe whole grain without compromising flavor. Try it! And tell us what you think at the bottom of this page.

Ingredients:

(Makes 10)
Time: 20 minutes

1 cup milk, warm
1 egg, at room temperature
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour(see suggestions)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips (optional)

Suggested Toppings
Fresh bananas, strawberries, whip cream, powdered sugar

Method:

In a small bowl, whisk together milk, egg, and butter.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix thoroughly. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the egg mixture. Stir just until moistened (lumps are okay).
Heat a lightly greased griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Pour about 1/4 cup pancake batter for each pancake. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of each pancake. Cook 2-3 minutes per side or until cooked through. Serve warm with your favorite topping.
Follow this recipe then experiment with your own ingredients, using our tips and techniques, to create pancakes just for you!



Suggestions (for you) by substituting the all purpose flour for a whole grain flour. Whole wheat flour is an obvious substitute. Worried about compromising flavor and texture? Don't be! There are many types of whole wheat flours that are sweeter and lighter. Hard white wheat flour creates similar results as all white but is much better for you. There are other choices, too, like kamut flour, spelt flour, oat flour, and teff flour. These are all healthier alternatives. So explore...discover...and ENJOY!

Make this chocolate pancakes recipe even better
(for you) by substituting the all purpose flour for a whole grain flour. Whole wheat flour is an obvious substitute. Worried about compromising flavor and texture? Don't be! There are many types of whole wheat flours that are sweeter and lighter. Hard white wheat flour creates similar results as all white but is much better for you. There are other choices, too, like kamut flour, spelt flour, oat flour, and teff flour. These are all healthier alternatives. So explore...discover...and ENJOY!

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