Afghani Dill Rice...my way!!

Afghani Dill Rice…a facebook query, a browse through some old pictures and here is a post that was supposed to happen a couple of years back but finally sees the light of the day today…this one is for you SD…enjoy!! J We normally eat this with a simple grilled fish but this should work with any mild flavoured curry or a hearty dal like Chana dal

Afghani Dill Rice

Ingredients:

• Basmati or any Long Grain Rice, 2 cups
• Fresh Dill leaves, pick out the tender leaves and discard the thick stems, wash well in running water and squeeze out the water, finely chop the leaves, 4 tbsp (If using dry, no more than ½ tbsp for every cup of rice) *refer to notes
• Onion, finely sliced, 1 medium (optional)
• Green chilies, finely 1-2 (optional)
• Garlic, finely grated/pounded, 1 clove (optional)
• Salt, to taste
• Oil or melted butter, 1 tbsp + 2-3 tbsp
• Water, to cook the rice + 2-3 tbsp for bottom layer + 2-3 tbsp for top layer  *refer to notes
• Fresh lemon juice, to taste (optional)

Instructions:

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a small pan and fry the green chilies and onions till onions start caramelising and just start to change colour. Switch off the heat and keep aside.

Wash the rice till water runs clear. Soak in cold water for about 20-30 minutes. Drain well.

Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil ( about 8 cups of water) and add the rice. Let it cook for about 6 minutes till about 80 percent done (just like you would for making a Biryani; there should be enough bite left in the rice so that the rice don’t go mushy when we steam cook later)

Drain the rice in a colander.

Once the rice is slightly cool enough to handle, add the onion and green chilies mix, dill leaves and grated garlic to the rice. Mix well with a light hand so that the dill leaves are mixed well in the rice but the rice grains don’t break. Taste the rice for salt and add more if needed.

Remove about 1 cup of cooked rice mix and add in the oil and water to it. Mix well so that the rice gets coated completely with the oil and water

Take a non stick pot and spread the oiled rice at the bottom of the pot in a thick layer.

Scoop the rest of the rice out of the colander and form a volcano shaped mound in the middle of the pot.

Make 3-4 holes in the rice mound with the back of a spatula to release the steam – 1 in the centre and 2-3 on the side.

Sprinkle 2-3 tbsp water on top of the rice.

Cover the pot with a tea towel and place the pot lid tightly over the top of the towel. (The tea towel will absorb the steam and the rice won’t turn mushy)

Turn on the heat to lowest and let the rice steam for about 25-30 minutes. Switch of the heat and let the rice rest for at least 5-10 minutes before serving.

The oil and water in the bottom layer will help form a nice golden crust to the rice. You can either break up the crust to mix it in completely with the rice or scoop out the crust part later and top up every serving with it. I normally break it up and mix it in – it may be considered sacrilege by most but it helps avoids huge drama on the table about who gets more crust!! J ( and with this I remember why this post/picture took this long to make to the blog – I had plans to post this to show the complete crust…oh well L )

Sprinkle lemon juice over the rice right before serving.

Notes:

• The amount of dill I use is drastically less than the authentic version. I don’t go beyond 2-3 tbsp for every cup of rice used as against the authentic ¾ to 1 cup of dill against every cup of rice. (It is very strong herb and a little goes a veryyyyyy long way – more so if you are new to using it)

• The reduced amount of dill is also the reason why you see dill being mixed in with the rice right after par boiling the rice instead of layering it in the rice in the pot the authentic way – one layer of rice, sprinkle of dill leaves, layer of rice, and sprinkle of dill leaves and so on and so forth.

• The onion and green chilies are again something I started using to adapt to our taste.

• Garlic and lemon juice – optional and varies from family to family (or restaurant to restaurant!)

• You could use saffron water instead of regular water to steam cook the rice. I quite like the colour of rice as is. If using saffron, take about 2 pinches of saffron, crush it slightly and soak it in ¼ of hot water for about 20 minutes before using.

• I normally use my non stick karahi/wok as the bottom surface is just wide enough to form a half inch thick layer of rice at the base for the quantity of rice I normally cook and deep enough to form the mound with the balance rice.

• It may take you a couple of tries to figure out how much time you need for steaming to get that perfect crunchy crust at the bottom depending on your stove, your pan and the amount of rice. It is crucial to use a non-stick pan and you must must switch off the heat before the smell of burnt rice starts emanating from the pot!! J

• Switching of the heat and discovering no crunchy crust at the bottoms or a barely there crust is not the end of the world - the rice will still taste delicious!! J

• And last but not the least – do remember and I mean it ABSOLUTELY do remember to sneakily tuck away a few pieces of the crust in the kitchen before serving!! J

P.S. way too many smileys in this post...err, I am blaming the new year!! JJJJJ

Za’atar and Lemon Roast Chicken...lazy weekends!!

Za’atar and Lemon Roast Chicken...for busy weekends and lazy weekdays...a recipe which is full of flavour and zero on the effort…and a dish which looks prettier uncooked in my kitchen (read:hands!!) J…I am not a fan of readymade spice mixes but this is one of those pantry staples…recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson

Za’atar and Lemon Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

• Chicken, I used bone in thighs with skin on, 5 (around 150 grams each)
• Garlic, 1 whole pod, separated but left unpeeled
• Za’atar Spice Mix, 2 tbsp (a middle Eastern spice mix available at all major supermarkets.Typically a mix of Sumac, toasted sesame seeds, dried thyme, dried marjoram and salt.) 
• Lemon juice, from 1 large lemon
• Lemon zest, from 1 large lemon
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• Red Chili flakes, to taste (optional, I used about ¼ tsp)
• Olive Oil, 2 tbsp

Instructions:

Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, pepper and red chili flakes in a large flat oven roasting dish. (I marinate in the same dish that I would be baking in later)

Pat dry the chicken and pierce the chicken pieces a few times with a pairing knife or a fork (when using chicken with skin, I do this on the underside of the thighs so that skin remains intact.)

Add the chicken to the roasting dish and rub the spice mix all over the chicken pieces. Cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours to overnight. (I have grilled immediately, baked immediately as well and in this instance marinated it for an hour– works well whichever way!)

When ready to cook, get the chicken back to room temperate and sprinkle salt all over the chicken (if making immediately, add the salt in the rub mix)

Spread the garlic cloves all around the dish.

Bake skin side up in a preheated oven at 210C for 45 to 50 minutes.

Serve with simple salad (citrus or mustard dressing), crusty bread or couscous.

Falafel...made my way!!

Falafel...of course it is falafel and of course it needs to be deep fried…well, noooo!!!...not if you are obsessive over left over oil and end up frying more and more stuff just so that you can finish all that oil in the pan...and definitely not if you want a hassle free life…soooo, out came my non stick Paniyaram pan/ Appapatram / Dutch Poffertjes Pan/ Danish Æbleskive pan (yes, the same pan I had used for Daler Bora/Red Lentil Fritters)…the only thing you need to take care of is to cook at low flame...do I need to mention that this way uses much less oil?...about 3 tsp for the entire batch J

Falafel

Ingredients:

• Chickpeas, 1cup
• Onion, 1 medium
• Garlic, 2-3 cloves
• Parsley, finely chopped, ¼  cup ( you can use a mix of coriander and parsley or just coriander as well)
• Roasted cumin powder, ½ tsp (simply dry roast/toast the cumin seeds and grind them to use or skip and increase the quantity of regular cumin powder)
• Cumin powder, ½ tsp
• Coriander powder, ½ tsp (optional)
• Red chili powder, ¼ tsp (optional but gives a nice kick! I have added green chilies as well at times with the mix, but that’s just me J)
• Pepper powder, ¼ tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Lemon juice, 2 tbsp
• Olive oil, 1 tbsp
• Maida/ Regular Flour, 2 tbsp
• Oil, for frying

Instructions:

Wash and soak the chickpeas overnight/8-10 hours in cold water. They will double up in size as they soak, so ensure the bowl you use is big enough and there is ample water for soaking.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas well.  

Put the chickpeas into a food processor with the garlic and pulse till you get coarse bread crumbs consistency. Please be careful while doing this and don’t let the chickpeas form into a paste like consistency as then your falafel will have no texture.

And texture is the reason why I separately grate the onion (squeeze out the juice) and finely chop the parsley by hand instead of dumping everything together in the food processor.

Once done, mix everything together in a big mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate the mix for a couple of hours to let the flavors develop.

Heat the Paniyaram pan on low heat and add a spoonful of the paste into each indent.

Once the falafels start pulling away from the side, add a few drops of oil on the sides of each one. When one side is crisp golden brown and top is set, turn the other side and cook till the other side is also crisp brown

If you are deep frying these: with slightly wet hands, shape into balls in the size you prefer. Test one first to ensure that they don’t break apart. If they do, add a little more flour to the mix. Test again, if it still falls apart, you can add an egg. (see see see, told you my method was so much more hassle free  didn’t I !! J ). Fry on medium heat till golden brown on both sides.

Serve with Hummus and Tzatziki as a snack or stuff in pita pockets with add-ons of your choice

Hummus and Tzatziki recipes are already on the blog here: Hummus recipe  and Tzatziki recipe (I skipped on topping up the hummus with extra olive oil this time and we still loved it J )

Potato and Zucchini pancakes with Feta Cheese served with Tzatziki...Weekday Blues!!

Potato and Zucchini pancakes with Feta Cheese…and let’s not forget Tzatziki…perfect for a weekend brunch or combine with a light salad for a perfect meal to chase away those weekday blues…yes, unlike normal people who just have to deal with Monday Blues, I, the drama queen, choose to extend them forever and call them Weekday Blues

Potato and Zucchini pancakes with Feta Cheese served with Tzatziki

 Ingredients:

For the Pancakes:

• Potatoes, 250 gm
• Zucchini/Courgette, 250 gm
• Fresh Mint or Dill, finely chopped, 2 tbsp (optional)
• Onions, 1 small
• Spring Onions/ Scallions, only green portion finely chopped, 4
• Feta cheese, crumbled, ½ cup
• Maida/Regular all purpose flour, 2 heaped tbsp
• Egg, 1 large
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• Red chili flakes, to taste (optional)
• Oil, for shallow frying

For Tzatziki:

• English/Seedless Cucumber, 1 medium size or use regular cucumber and discard the seeds
• Greek Yogurt, ¾ cup or you can hang normal yogurt for a couple of hours in a muslin cloth and then use that instead, just ensure that it is not too sour
• Fresh dill or mint, finely chopped, 1 tbsp OR Dried dill or mint, ½ tsp
• Garlic, minced, 1-2 cloves
• Lemon juice, 1 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• Olive oil, 1-2 tbsp (I always skip)

Instructions:

               

Tzatziki:

We need to chill our Tzatziki so start on that first.

Wash, dry and top and tail the cucumber. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the cucumber. Squeeze out the water completely.

Mix the grated cucumber with rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning and keep in the refrigerator while you get on with the rest of the recipe.

Pancakes:

Wash, dry and finely chop the green onions. Add to a large mixing bowl.

Crumble the feta cheese and add to the mixing bowl.

If using mint or dill, chop up and add to the mixing bowl.

Using the large holes of a box grater,

• Onion: (peel), grate, squeeze out the water/juice completely and add the pulp to the mixing bowl.
• Zucchini: (Wash, top and tail), grate, squeeze out the water/juice completely and add the pulp to the mixing bowl.
• Potatoes: (wash, peel), grate, squeeze out the water/juice completely and add the pulp to the mixing bowl.

Add in lightly whisked egg, salt, pepper, chili flakes, sprinkle flour over the top and mix everything well together with a fork. Don’t overwork the batter.

Heat 3-4 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. The base of the entire skillet should be covered by about 1/8 inch of oil layer so adjust the oil quantity according to the skillet size you are using.

Test the oil by adding a small spoon of the mix to the skillet – if the mix sizzles and bubbles immediately the oil is ready.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of the mix into the skillet for each pancake and flatten lightly with a spatula. (I used a cookie cutter ring to shape this time). 

The thinner you make them the crisper they are – so  about ½” thick if you want them crispy on the outside and gooey inside and ¼” thick if you want them really crispy. 

Fry until golden brown and cooked through about 3-4 minutes per side.Drain on paper towels.

Serve hot with tzatziki.

You can make these in the oven as well: 
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Brush baking sheet liberally with oil. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes.  Scoop heaping tablespoons of the mix onto the baking sheet for each pancake and flatten with a spatula you would need to this quickly so that that the baking sheet remains hot. Bake until the pancakes are golden brown on the bottom, about 12-15 minutes. Flip the pancakes and bake until they are brown on the other side, about 8-10 minutes.

               

Notes:

• I hate throwing away the water/juice from the veggies (yes, I am my mom after allJ), so I squeeze the water out by taking small handfuls of the grated veggies and squeezing them over a bowl. Once done, I repeat the squeezing bit again to get them really dry. The onion juice goes into the marinade for chicken/meat, I drink up the zucchini and cucumber juice and the potato juice goes on my face to remove the blemishes that old age is bringing in every day. You can do that whole spread out on a kitchen towel and then wringing over the sink bit – but it will not give you that “I am such a good housewife” feel J

• Keep the peel on the cucumber and zucchini but leaving the peel on or off the potatoes is totally up to you.

• Keep the grating order as written – potatoes last or else don’t blame me if your batter changes colour to a dark dirty brown!

• Using dill or mint is optional but it gives a nice flavor dimension, so would suggest that you try using them at least once. I didn’t this time round as I couldn’t find dill and hubz hates mint. Needless to say if you do decide to add either one of them, add the same thing in the tzatziki as well.

• You can add chopped up spinach instead of zucchini in the pancakes – yummmmm

• Go easy on the salt first as feta is salty – taste and adjust. And please don’t go easy on the pepper!

• If you don’t want to use Feta or don’t have it, you can either skip it or use crumbled or grated Paneer/Indian cottage cheese instead.

Saffron rice...kuch peela ho jaye!!

Saffron rice...hubz was working from home yesterday and after a breakfast and then lunch of sandwiches with cold coffee, I had to peel myself away from my books, laptop, t.v. and drag myself into the kitchen...with my kitchen help away, this required the least amount of washing, chopping and slogging over the stove...

Saffron Rice

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice, 1 cup
• Water or chicken stock or vegetable stock,  2 cups
• Saffron threads, a pinch * refer to Notes below
• Ghee or Butter, 2 tbsp
• Star Anise, 1
• Green cardamom, 2-3
• Coves, 3-4
• Cinnamon, 1 “
• Onions, finely sliced, 1 cup
• Salt, to taste
• Sugar, ½ - 1 tsp * refer to Notes below
• Almonds or Cashews, toasted, a handful * refer to Notes below
• Fresh parsley, 1-2 tbsp * refer to Notes below

Instructions:

Wash the rice till water runs clear. Soak for half an hour in enough water to cover the rice. Drain the water from the rice and keep aside.

Soak the saffron strands in 2-3 tbsp of warm water.

Put water/stock to boil in a pan.

In a separate heavy bottomed pan, add ghee/melt butter over low heat and add all the whole spices. 

After about 30 seconds, add in the onions, salt and sugar. Cook the onions till they go soft a pale golden colour. 

Add in the rice and fry, stirring constantly but gently, till the ghee coats the rice and rice turn translucent. 

Add in the boiling water and saffron infused water. Check for salt and let the water return to boil.

Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat. 

Remove the lid, and sprinkle half of the cashews/almonds over the rice but do not mix in. 

Place lid loosely over the pot and let stand for a further 10-15 minutes. 

Fluff rice with a fork and serve sprinkled with balance cashews/almonds and parsley.

Notes:

• Ideally use flaked almonds. I don’t like almonds and I find it easier to pick out whole almonds and pass them on to hubz.

• Sugar with onions helps with caramelizing, but you can skip it if there are dietary restrictions.

• If you can’t find flat leaf parsley, skip it but please don’t add coriander.

• If you don’t have saffron, you can add ¼ tsp turmeric.

• AND if you are replacing saffron with turmeric and eliminating sugar and nuts – pls. add ½ tsp cumin powder, ½ tsp coriander powder and a clove of minced garlic before adding the rice. Don’t forget to rename the dish to Yellow Masala Rice and garnishing with coriander. J

I served Saffron rice with Chicken Kebabs and the meal more than made up for the sandwiches earlier in the day...you can serve it with any veg or non veg curry or kebabs of your choice

Pita Burgers...small on size, not taste!!

Saw these Mini Pita breads in the store yesterday…although a fry cry from the homemade pitas, thought these would be perfect as Pita Burgers for friends dropping in for brunch today…here it goes…

Pita Burgers

Ingredients:

For the patties:

• Minced Meat ( Mutton/Goat, Lamb or Beef; If using Cicken or Turkey, do refer to notes below), 500 gm
• Onion, Grated, 1 medium
• Fresh Coriander or Fresh Parsley, finely chopped, 2-3 tbsp
• Plain Yogurt/Dahi, 1-2 tbsp
• Cumin powder, 1 tsp
• Coriander powder, 1 tbsp
• Black pepper powder, ½ - 1 tsp
• Paprika, 1 tsp (optional)
• Garlic, paste, 2 tsp
• Ginger paste, 1 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 tsp

• Oil or Oil spray for frying/baking

Assembling:

• Tomatoes
• Mini Pita Breads, store bought
• Hummus and/or Tzatziki

Instructions:

Take a large glass bowl and add the meat, onion, fresh coriander, yogurt, cumin powder, coriander powder, black pepper, paprika, garlic, ginger and oil. Don't add salt at this stage.

Mix everything thoroughly with a spoon and cover the bowl with cling film. Mix with a light hand - overworking the mince will end up toughening the meat. 

Let the mix marinate in the refrigerator for an hour or so (or overnight).

When ready to make, add salt and lightly stir it well.

With wet hands or an ice-cream scoop or a large spoon, portion the chilled mix and shape into equal size patties. 

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with oil or cooking spray. 

Add patties to the pan and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side or until done to your liking. You can alternatively grill or bake these in the oven.

Toast the pita breads lightly and slice them in half to separate. 

Top with a thick tomato slice and the meat patties and load it up with Hummus and/or Tzatziki

Notes:

• I used lamb meat. If using chicken or turkey mince and cooking over gas/stovetop/grill, add a couple of tablespoons of couscous or fresh breadcrumbs to the mix so that the patties don’t break.

• It is best not to use lean mince as the fat helps to bind the burgers and keep them moist.

• Do check for seasoning before shaping into patties - pinch a little meat and cook on a skillet or microwave to do a taste check. 

• If you are unsure about the binding of the mix, make one burger first. If it doesn't hold up, add a whisked egg to the meat mix, 

Hummus...this or that...no right or wrong!!

While hubby is more interested in the things served with Hummus, I can finish bowls and bowls of Hummus as is (can?? Hah!! HAVE!!)…served as dip or sandwich spread, I can have it anytime in unmentionable quantities…

This was perfect with Pita Burgers 

Hummus

Ingredients:

• Dry Chick peas, 1 cup soaked overnight and cooked, 1 cup
• Tahini/ Sesame seed paste, 2 tbsp
• Garlic cloves, 2
• Lime juice, 1 large, about 3 tbsp juice
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Roasted Cumin powder, ½ tsp (optional)

Topping:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Paprika or Roasted Cumin powder or Sumac or Zatar (I used Paprika)
• Pine nuts or cooked chick peas or Fresh Parsley (I used Pine nuts)

Instructions:

Wash and soak chickpeas overnight in water.  Drain and wash. Cook in salted water until soft and mushy.

Drain and keep aside. Don’t discard the water the chickpeas were boiled in.

While the chickpeas are still warm, spoon them into a blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend into a smooth paste.  Add a few tablespoons of the water saved earlier from boiling chickpeas and blend again.

Remember that hummus tends to become thicker as it cools, so add water keeping this in mind.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Transfer hummus to a serving bowl and add topping of your choice.

Notes:

• No need to panic if you don’t have bottled Tahini and certainly no need to buy specially for making hummus (more so if you make it only occasionally) Just lightly toast 2 tbsp sesame seeds – not to color them but just to warm them up. Blend with about 1 tbsp vegetable oil in the blender to a smooth fine paste before adding rest of the ingredients of the hummus.

• Don’t like Tahini? Don’t have sesame seeds? It’s ok, you can easily skip it and still call it hummus!!  You can add some peanuts or almonds or pine nuts if you want.  Just do want you want – IMO there is no right or wrong