Haleem : Ramadan Special

Haleem is a popular Asian and Middle-Eastern food. It has been around for centuries. The origin of haleem is not definite, It is said to be originated in Iran and Afghanistan region. This Persian dish was introduced to India during Akbar period.  Haleem is a Muslim dish and spread throughout the Muslim world. It is a star of Arabian, Turkish, Persian, Pakistani, Bengali and Indian cuisine and is considered to be the dish of holy months of Ramadan and Muharram of Muslim Hijri calendar. Haleem is made of meat (preferably beef or mutton), grains (wheat, barley and rice), lentils and ghee. All the ingredients are traditionaly cooked together for 5 to 6 hours and mashed up well. 

The garnishing and accompaniments are as important as the dish itself. For garnishing, caramelized onions, chopped fresh cilantro, peppermint, hot green chili peppers and Garam Masala are used.

Ingredients -

Mutton boneless - 1/2 kg
Bengal gram ( channa dal) - 1/2 cup
Green gram split ( Moong dal) - 1/2 cup
Black gram skinned (Urad dhuli) - 1/2 cup
Broken Wheat ( dalia) - 1 cup
Barley broken (jau) - 3 tbsp
Curd (dahi) - 2-3 tbsp
Onion, Chopped n deep fried - 3 med size
Garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Ginger paste - 1 tbsp
Green chilli minced - 2 
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Fenugrek seed crushed 1/4 tsp
Caraway seeds crushed - 1/2 tsp
Peppercorns crushed - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Clarified butter ( pure ghee) - 1/2 cup
Mint leaves - a handful (chop half of it)
Milk - 1/2 cup
Water / mutton stock - 2-3 glass

Method - 

1. Soak all the daal, dalia and barley overnight.
2. Marinate mutton in dahi and 1/2 tsp of salt 
    and keep for an hour.
3. Take a pressure cooker, drain and put the soaked
    daals, dalia and jau in it with  2 glass of water/stock.
4. Add garlic-ginger paste, green chilli, turmeric,
    marinated mutton, salt and bring it to a full 
    pressure let it be there for 10 minutes on a 
    low heat before putting it off.  
5. Open the lid and  put it on heat, add all the
    left dry masala (coriander to pepper), the 
    chopped mint leaves, half of the fried onions
    and stir it well. Add more hot water if it has 
    dried. Let it cook on a slow flame for half
    an hour, stirring it continuously.
6. Take out the mutton pieces and blend the
    daal mixture with a hand blender, all the
    daal should blend well.
7. Put the mutton pieces back again, melt and 
    add ghee with milk.
8. Serve it hot with the remaining fried onions, 
    lemon wedges and mint leaves . 

Peanut Butter N Jam Puffs

Ingredients -

Bread - 8 pieces
Mixed fruit jam - 4-5 tbsp
Peanut butter - 5-6 tbsp
All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
Semolina (Suji) - 3 tbsp
Milk - 1 cup
Sugar granulated - 2 tbsp
Chocolate sauce - 3 tbsp
Oil - to fry

Method -

1. In a bowl mix all purpose flour and semolina 
    with milk and make a batter.
2. Take two breads and spread jam over one 
     bread and peanut butter on the other,
     Sandwich the both and cut it in two pieces.
3. Prepare the remaining breads in the same manner.
4. Heat a karahi with oil in it, dip the cut pieces
    in the batter, two at a time and deep fry it in the oil.
5. Take it out on a paper napkin, to soak the extra oil.
6. Take a serving plate arrange the puffs on it, 
     sprinkle the sugar and the sauce over it.
7. serve it with whipped cream n ENJOY the
     hot peanut butter  n jam puffs.

                                       Apply jam n peanut butter

                                                 Dip in the batter

                         Deep fry n serve it with whip cream

Pancakes with Berries n Honey

Ingredients-


All purpose flour - 1 cup
wheat flour - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Egg- 1
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp
Blueberries - 2 tbsp
Raspberries - 2 tbsp
Honey - 4-5 tbsp
Chocolate sauce - 4-5 tbsp (optional)
Butter - for frying

Method -

1. Take a big bowl and sift both the flours in it.
2. Add sugar, cinnamon and milk into it, beat it so 
    that no lumps are formed. If needed a little milk 
    could be added, the batter should be of dropping 
    consistency.
3. Add the egg and mix all nicely.
4. Heat a  non stick tawa and spread a little butter on
     it, make pan cakes by pouring a ladleful of the 
     batter into the hot tawa and spreading it evenly.
5. Cook till done on both the sides. Make all repeating
     the same process.
6. Take a serving plate, spread the pancake on it, 
     Pour honey or chocolate sauce over it and place
     the berries on top n there u go..........
     Njoy the tasty pancakes!!!

Murg Mussallam : Eid Special

Ingredients -

Chicken - 1 whole cleaned and washed
Onions - 2 med size ( ground coarsely)
Garlic peeled - 1 whole
Ginger - 1 inch
Tomato chopped - 1 big size
Cashew paste - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - a pinch 
Oil - 6-7 tbsp + for frying
Ghee - 2-3 tbsp

For marinate -

Garlic minced - 5-6
Ginger minced- 1 inch
Curd - 4 tbsp
red chilli powder  - 1 tsp
garam masala powder - 1 tsp
salt - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp

Masala to roast and grind -
 (ground masala paste)

Cumin - 1 tbsp
Cloves - 6-7
Peppercorns - 1 tsp
Black cardamom - 2
Green cardamom - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Nutmeg - a small piece

 roast it lightly and grind it to a fine masala paste 
 with one whole garlic and 1 inch ginger listed above.

For the filling - 

Rice parboiled - long grain 1 cup
Peas - 1/2 cup boiled
Potato boiled and cut in cubes - 1 med size
Egg boiled, fried and cut in cubes - 1
Cashews - 8-10
Raisins - 2 tbsp (soaked in little water)
Onion - 1 small chopped
Green chilli minced - 2
coriander powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Chicken liver  chopped - available in the chicken


Method - 

1. Take the chicken and prick it with a fork, marinate 
     it nicely with the masala listed for marination all 
     over and inside the cavity. keep it for 3-4 hours.
2. Take a karahi and put ghee in it, fry onions until 
     brown.
3. Add 1 tsp of the ground masala paste, all the dry
     masala powder listed for filling, green chilli, salt
     and fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add the liver, peas and potato and fry it for few 
    minutes on a low flame,  add rice, cashews, raisins,
     boiled egg and mix all. Keep the filling for later use.
5. Take a big karahi and heat oil in it, put chicken and 
    fry nicely on both the sides until golden brown.
6. Take it out and keep it on a plate, let it cool and fill
     it up nicely with the stuffing, Stitch it with the help 
     of a big needle so the stuffing does not come out.
7. Take out extra oil from the karahi, put ground onion
      in it and fry it until it is brown, add the Cashew paste 
      and fry for a while.
8. Add all the ground masala paste, dry masala, salt
    and tomato and keep frying it sprinkling some water.
   The leftover marinate masala  could also be used 
    instead of water.  
9. Add 1 cup warm water and let it boil, add the chicken
    carefully in the karahi, baste it with the masala, cover
    and let it cook on a low flame until its done. If the 
    water is all dry, 1/2 cup of warm water could be
     added for gravy.
10. Take a ovenproof serving dish and grease it lightly, 
      put the chicken in it with all the gravy.
11. Put it inside a pre heated oven and let it there
       for few minutes until the upper layer turns 
       beautiful golden brown.
12. Garnish it with coriander leaves, boiled and 
       baked potatoes and serve it with naan, 
       paratha or tandoori roti.

    
    
   

Chicken Latpata Lazzatdar

Ingredients -

Chicken - 1/2 kg
Onions chopped finely - 3 med size
Tomato - 1 small
Garlic peeled - 1 whole small
Ginger - 1 inch
Green chilli - 1 optional
Potato - 1 big cut in 4 pieces ( optional)
Cumin - 1 tsp
black peppercorn - 1/3 tsp
Cloves - 4-5
Black cardamom - 1
Green cardamom - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Nutmeg - a small piece
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 5-6 tbsp
Bay leaf - 2
Salt  - to taste ( take care, the marinate also has salt in it )

 For marinate -

Garlic paste - 1 tsp 
Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp
Curd - 2 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp

Method -
1. Marinate the chicken mixing everything listed for
     marination and keep it for 3-4 hours.
2. Dry roast the cumin, peppercorn, cloves, black
     and green cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg on a
     tawa for 2-3 minutes on a low flame. Just warm it 
     so the grinding is easy.
3.  Grind it to a fine powder, Grind the ginger, garlic 
     and green chilli also to a paste.
4. Take a karahi and heat oil in it. Put bay leaf into it.
5. Add the onions into it and fry it until golden brown.
6. Add the ginger-garlic paste and stir fry  it for a minute,
    add the cut potato as well.
7. Add the ground masala with all the dry masala,
     tomato, salt and keep frying it until all are brown
     and u can smell the aroma of fried masala.
8. Add the chicken with the marinate and mix all 
    for a moment.
9.  Sprinkle little water and keep frying it for 5 minutes.
10. Add little warm water and cover it and cook until the
      chicken and potato both are tender and done.
11. Take off the lid and fry till all the water is evaporated.
12. Serve it with Naan, Paratha, Tandoori Roti.