Eid-ul-Adha Special :Cherry Tomatoes and Minced Lamb(Kheema Tamatar)

Happy Eid-ul-Adha!!

Any meat dish is the center of table during this Holiday.A recap of some classic I had shared in past :
Lamb Biryani
Hyderabadi Kachchi Lamb Biryani
Kheema Vegetable Sevia
Kofta Pulao
Low fat Kofta Curry
Lamb Kabouli
Green Kababs(Shami Kabab style)
Spinach Lamb
Hyderabadi Haleem
Mint Lamb Chops
Mutton Dopyaza(Lamb Onions)
Tomato Bredie

Eid special this year is Cherry Tomatoes and Minced Lamb(Kheema Tamatar),a juicy spicy side dish that would leave any meat-lover asking for more.I know meat is the attraction of this recipe,but what makes it even more special is the garden fresh Cherry tomatoes.I had a whopping good cherry tomato harvest from the vegetable patch,almost 3 pounds!.I love to snack on them or just add on any entree or side dish towards the end of cooking process,for a juicy tangy touch to the recipe.


Recipe : Cherry Tomatoes and Minced Lamb(Kheema Tamatar)
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 pound Minced lamb\veal\Beef\goat(99.9% lean)
1/2 pound Cherry tomatoes
Handful of herbs(Fenugreek\Methi or cilantro or Mint)
1 small onion ,finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon hot chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon each of Garam Masala and Coriander Powder.
Whole spices 2 Cloves ,2 cardamom,1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon Extra virgin Olive oil or canola oil
3/4 teaspoon Salt

Method
Marinate the minced meat ,mix with all the spice besides the whole spices,greens and oil and set aside for about 15 minutes.
Heat oil in pressure cooker or a saucepan.Add the chopped onions,whole spices and saute until golden brown. Add the marinated meat ,chopped herbs,season with salt and stir until meat has no lumps. Add 1/2 cup of water and cover. Let cook for about 10-15 minutes in a pressure cooker or 30-40 minutes in a saucepan.Uncover and add the tomatoes,and cook just until tomatoes are slightly tender about 3-4 minutes.Garnish with more fresh herbs,serve with brown rice or whole grain flat bread(paratha\roti)


This is my entry for Mona's Bakrid Event

Eggless Mango Chocolate Cake,Eid Delicacy 2

I don't dislike eggs ,but its good to experiment without them every once in a while to create a lighter calorie baked goodies.Also,for those with egg allergies(like my mom ) and on restricted diets this(and the previous) eggless bake wouldn't be a let down.


Talk about the star ingredient in the cake - the mangoes.The mango puree not just replaces the eggs but also adds to the sweetness of the cake.The fresh mango slices in every bite would make the cake a true mango indulgence.And of course the chocolaty touch with 100% cocoa powder cannot be substituted with any other ingredient.


Recipe Eggless Mango Chocolate Cake
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup 100% cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder(alum free)
1/3 cup agave nectar or 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup mango puree unsweetened
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup reduced fat milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 ripe mangoes,sliced lengthwise


Method
Preheat oven to 350ºF and adjust oven rack to middle .Lightly grease and line a 8x8 inch round pan with parchment paper.Arrange in the pan,the fresh mango sliced in a flower pattern.
Sift all the dry ingredients in large mixing bowl,also mix in the chocolate chips.In another mixing bowl whisk together oil,milk,mango puree,vanilla and sugar.

Now combine wet and dry mixtures. Pour in the prepared cake pan and set in the oven for 30-35 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool cake for 30 minutes and flip on to a plate.Peel off the parchment,slice and serve.Can be refrigerated for a week.



Hard to believe the cherished month of Ramadan is ending soon.Eid marks the celebration of recharged faith.Sweet delicacies of all kinds adorn the eid feasts,the cake would be such a pleasant addition.


Farewell to Ramadan and mangoes......

Eid Mubarak !

Vegan Almond Coconut Cookies , Eid Delicacy 1

The sumptuous Sheerkhorma and Saffron Sevia are definitely the classic delicacies served on the big holiday of Eid,but I also love to compliment the Eid feast with some adorable baked goodies.



These nutty cookies are ridiculously simple to bake and quite a treat on the special day.Did I mention these are also incredibly nutritious ?


Recipe : Vegan Almond Coconut Cookies with Dark Chocolate Drizzle
yields about a dozen cookies
Ingredients
1 cup fine shred coconut
1 cup fine ground raw almonds
2 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/4 cup Agave nectar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon virgin pressed coconut oil
1/2 cup good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method
In a large mixing bowl combine the coconut,almonds ,salt and flour.In another smaller bowl mix in the sugar,honey and melted coconut oil.Stir in the honey mixture in to the coconut mixture,combine well.
Preheat Oven to 350F.
Take a tablespoon of mixture,roll and slightly flatten the balls, lay on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.Bake for 10-12 minutes,until lightly crisp on top.Let cool before drizzling the chocolate over.

Melt the chocolate in microwave,stir every 10 seconds until completely melted,add about a tablespoon of soy or almond milk and keep stirring to make the mixture smooth and glossy .

Using a spoon ,drizzle the chocolate all over the cookies.Can serve immediately.Or to store let cool completely,can be kept in refrigerator for over a week.

Eid Mubarak!...Saffron Sevia

Eid Mubarak to all the viewers celebrating Eid-ul-fitr.


The Eid special dessert Saffron Sevia(Vermicelli) with dry fruit and nuts.

Thanks to Aysegul,Aysha,Faiza Ali,Fitri,Humaira,Jin Hooi,Mallugirl,Mama Fami,Mona,Muneeba,My Comfort Food Network,Nasrin,Priya,Rahin,Rekha,Saraswathi,Shabs,Shaista,Shifa,Sheerin,Umm Salihah,Zainab and Meedo and Zerin for joining in the Joy from Fasting to Feasting.Find the latest updates compiled by Lubna here.

The Day of Feasting:Eid

The Holiday of Eid(meaning festivity in Arabic) holds the best memories of fun n frolic for me. Eid is the time of reconciliation,joy and thanksgiving.Its a celebration of unity ,twice every year,one at the end of month long fasting in Ramadan and the other at the end of the sacred pilgrimage of Hajj.Growing up in the bustling city of Hyderabad South India,also known as the land of Nawabs(governors of mughalai empire),I adored the ecstatic ambiance of Eid every year.As a child it was the most awaited jubilant time of the year, we got our best clothes stitched for the occasion ,after the morning Eid prayers ,visited friends and family,slurping the warm sweet nutty sheerkhorma,embracing each other with warmest eid hugs and the most exciting moment of the day was the Eidi(gift as money) from elders.
The lavish feast on Eid is got to be the food lovers best part of the day.As the day progresses ,the inviting aroma of spicy foods fills the air making us voracious for the most appetizing meal of the year and the indulgence in sweet delicacies would leave us pretty much satisfied with sugar until next Eid.
The hyderabadi cuisine is haven of spicy dishes strongly influenced by Persian and Mughalai cuisine. The meaty Haleem and Biryani , prepared with many variations and known with different names from South Asia to Middle east,are the most crowding please recipes of the Eid feast.Here is the Eid feast menu with the array of enticing majestic flavorsome dishes sure to leave the guests stuffed up with contentment.


Appetizer
Hummus with Whole wheat pita chips

Starters
Salad Olviye .
Sesame Dinner rolls with Chicken Shorba

Main course
Haleem
Lamb Biryani

Side Dish
Mirchi Ka Salan

Dessert
Double ka meeta
Sheerkhorma

Drink
Pomegranate Juice

The key to making a satisfying stress free meal for a feast without spending major part of the festive day in the kitchen is to prepare a game plan.
Game Plan
4 days ahead
Make sure you shopped for all the spices and other ingredients needed .
3 days Ahead
Make the hummus and pita chips
2 days ahead
Make the dessert Double Ka Meeta ,Mirchi Ka Salan,Marinate meat for Haleem and chicken shorba
1 day ahead
Make the Chicken Shorba and Haleem ,marinate the meat for the biryani
Night before the feast
Make the SheerKhorma,Cook the meat gravy needed for the biryani
On the day of feast
Make the dinner rolls,Salad and the biryani

To make the feast as healthy as possible,I cooked with the healthiest olive oil ,enhanced flavors with fresh herbs and home made ground spices, bought Organic ingredients were ever possible,used meat low in fat,cut down the saturated fats in the desserts.


Appetizer
Hummus with Whole wheat pita chips
Hummus is creamy yummy is apt as a nutritious appetizer for any party.
The recipe .



Soup and Salad
Salad Olviye

When my buddy Zee gave me her favorite salad recipe,it was my instant choice for eid dinner.Salad Olviye/Olvieh is a hearty persian salad that's protein rich and usually served cold . Its original recipe was created by a French cook living in Russia and it is referred to as Olivier Salad in Russia.Even though it is referred to as a salad it can be consumed as a wholesome meal.
Ingredients

1 big russet potato boiled,peeled and finely chopped
2 hard boiled eggs ,finely chopped
1 medium sized chicken breast
1 dill pickle ,chopped
1/4 cup par-boiled fresh green peas/canned peas
2 medium sized boiled and chopped carrots
1 medium sized onion diced
1 cup fat free mayonnaise
2 tbsp vinegar/fresh lime juice
Salt and black pepper
2 tablespoon Olive oil

Preparation:
- Boil the chicken along with onion, a little bit of salt, pepper, 1 tbsp fresh lime juice and a glass of water.
- Simmer till done, cool and shred.
- In a big mixing bowl toss in all the ingredients; chicken, potatoes, eggs, pickle, peas, carrots, mayo, vinegar/lime juice, salt and pepper.
- Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning.
- garnish with fresh tomatoes, herbs, peas or pomegranates.

Sesame Dinner rolls
Sesame dinner rolls are ideal for dunking in the spicy chicken shorba .

Ingredients
2 1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1 envelope rapid rise yeast
1/2 tablespoon salt
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoon Olive oil
2 tablespoon Sesame seeds for topping
2 tablespoon milk for brushing.

Method
Combine flour with yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl.Heat milk until its warm and pour in the bowl of dry ingredient along with the Olive oil.Knead the dough until smooth and silky.Grease the bowl with some oil on the sides and cover the bowl and let rise in a warm place until double its size.punch the air out and transfer on the flour work surface.
Make walnut size balls off the dough and form them in to small rounds,place on a greased or lined baking sheet.The balls of dough should be 1/4 inch apart .Cover and let rise again for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425F,while they rise.When the buns have puffed up,brush them with some milk and sprinkle them with sesame seeds.Bake them for about 15 minutes until lightly brown on top.

Chicken Shorba

The spicy chicken shorba is the perfect warming start of the meal.
Ingredients you'll need are
1 lb Free-range skinless chicken,fat trimmed
1/2 cup fresh herbs cilantro and mint, chopped
2 medium onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chilly powder
2 cloves garlic
1/2 inch ginger root or 3/4 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon garam masala powder(ground cumin,coriander,cloves and cinnamon mix)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

To make the Shorba
Trim any excess white fat from chicken pieces. Freeze the chicken for an hour before trimming that way fat cuts off easily. Clean meat by running it through cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Mix 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and keep aside for few minutes.This helps kill any bacteria on meat.
Heat a skillet on medium high flame. Add Olive oil ,chopped onions and cumin seeds. Saute until lightly brown ,for about 8-10 minutes and add the minced garlic and ginger . Now add the chicken ,turmeric ,garam masala ,salt and chilly powder.Saute for a minute on high flame,then add 2 cups of water. Cover and simmer for an hour on medium-low flame or in a slow cooker for 5-6 hours,until chicken is tender and falls off the bones,serve warm with rice or Flat breads.

Main Course
Haleem

Delectable Haleem is originally a Persian recipe and is commonly prepared during Ramadan.The recipe.

Lamb Biryani

Hyderabadi Biryani is my ultimate recipe for a flavorful rice. The bite of protein,the aroma of spices,the tang from lime,sweetness of onions and touch of herbs make this biryani a top favorite of my family and guests in any daawat(party).
The recipe.

Side Dish
Mirchi Ka Salan

This spicy Chillies curry is never missed in any local party in Hyderabad,one can always make it milder with mildest chillies.The recipe.


Dessert
Double ka meeta (Rich bread dessert)

The richness of this dessert has made it a prominent dessert of the authentic Hyderabadi cuisine.The recipe.


SheerKhorma

Sheerkhorma is a luscious dessert prepared on Eid,made with roasted thin vermicelli in milk garnished with loads of dry fruits,traditionally slurped after the morning Eid prayers.The recipe.

Eid Mubarak! ,Kofta(meat and vegetable) Pulao

Eid-ul-adha mubarak to all the viewers celebrating Eid!


The festive meat and vegetable kofta pulao recipe. I'll let the pictures do the talking as I'm off for Eid celebration:)
Ingredients
For Pulao
4cups long grain Basmati rice
1 medium onion,finely sliced
1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
Pinch of saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoon of lukewarm milk
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon chilly powder
2 green chillies
2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup mint leaves and cilantro chopped
1 teaspoon salt
toasted almonds for garnish
Method
Wash rice and soak it for 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a saucepan on medium high flame. Add chopped onions and cumin seeds. saute for until lightly brown about 6-7 minutes and add ginger garlic paste. saute until aromatic about 2-3 minutes,stir in chilly powder. Drain the water from rice and mix in and cook until rice turns pearly about 2 minutes. Now add 4 cups of water,saffron milk and chopped mint and cilantro. Cover and cook until all water is dry about 20 minutes. Garnish with koftas ,fried onions,almonds on top.

Meat Kofta

The recipe is same as my green kababs,you can skip the spinach in the recipe and shape the kababs in to balls.


Vegetable Kofta

Ingredients
1 big potato
1/2 cup broccoli florets
3-4 baby carrots
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 green chillies ,finely sliced
1/2 teaspoon or more Chilly powder
1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and coriander powder.
2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro\coriander leaves
2 tablespoon Olive oil or Vegetable oil
11/2 tablespoon chick pea flour (besan) or 1/4 cup of bread crumbs

Method
Boil the vegetables,Potatoes separately. Peel and mash the potatoes.Squeeze out excess water from the boiled veggies and mix in the potatoes.The koftas may break if the veggies are watery.Mix in all the other ingredients except the oil.knead to form a smooth mixture.Shape in to walnut size balls.
Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat,add just few drop of oil and start roasting the koftas.Turn occasionally to cook all sides,add a teaspoon of oil after 2 minutes and cook some more while turning them around.Add another teaspoon of oil if needed,using lot of oil will break the koftas.When lightly brown on all sides koftas are ready to serve.

Saffron Dry Fruit Sevia(Vermicelli)

Saffron(derived from arabic word Zafaran), is the most expensive yet affordable spice, very little is sufficient to impart a golden aromatic flavor to any food. This rare spice grows widely in Mediterranean ,Iran and Kashmir in north India.Saffron is known not just for its unique flavor but also for its medicinal value.

Cultivating saffron is the most labor intensive work. The delicate purple saffron flower blooms for just 1 or 2 weeks in late autumn.The red stigma is delicately plucked , about 150 flowers yield just 1 gram of saffron.I bought my box of Spanish saffron for the exorbitant price of gold ,$7 for 2 grams(.07 ounce).Gifting a box of this exotic spice is a novel idea.


Lavish Saffron enhances Flavorful rice or curries or desserts with a hint of royalty and exotic flavor. A plain vermicelli gets an ambrosial make over with just a pinch of Saffron, sure to cheer up your guests.Reserve this high sugar dessert just for parties or festive occasions.I'm sending it to EC's WYF: Party foods event.

Ingredients
2 cups Thin Vermicelli,break in to smaller pieces(Available in Asian or Middle Eastern Stores)
3/4 cup Sugar
2 whole cardamoms
1/2 cup of any of your choicest dry fruits like Almonds,Cashews,dry dates,Pistachios and Raisins
3 tablespoon Ghee(Clarified Butter)
Big Pinch of saffron

Method
Blanch and roast the dry fruits
In pot of boiling water ,drop the dry fruits and simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain and peel the almonds and pistachios,remove the seeds from the dry dates. Slice the almonds,pistachios ,dry dates and halve the cashews.
Heat 2 table spoon of ghee in a kadai(deep pan) and saute each of the dry fruits separately in batches until nice and brown. And set aside for garnish.
Roast the Vermicelli
In large pan add a tablespoon of ghee and roast vermicelli until nice and brown,set aside.
Make the Syrup
In a medium saucepan prepare syrup by heating a cup of water,sugar ,cardamoms and saffron. Simmer until water is of thick syrup consistency.
Cook the Vermicelli
Add the roasted vermicelli in to syrup and cover . let cook on low heat until vermicelli is tender.Occasionally stir and add few drops of water if needed . When tender ,mix in the dry fruits and serve warm.