Salad Salad

My story of learning cooking

As long as I can remember my life has revolved around my close netted family and good eating habits... Growing up in Karachi, Pakistan with a luxury to have servants around me in fact I was spoiled with the best the culinary world had to offer anybody. From unmatched paratha, to the tastiest kebabs, kofts and Biryanis, my amma (nanny) was an excellent cook. Her daily routine was to start preparing for the cooking as for a big family of our, making omelets, poori halwa or just preparing for the lunch. She was very quick in cooking. In Urdu we called it Jat paat.Her bottles of different hand grinded masala on a stone called “sil bata” and her secret to make most tasty Dal with freshly grinded masala like ginger &garlic sometime even she use to grind the red chilies and needless to say, the best cooking on the planet.. And of course, my days of laziness but from a young age my mother make me do needlework and share cooking tips from my nanny so the combination of two expert ladies  left me in a world of creativity.

I still remember coming home in the afternoon after school to my mom's loving company, her  telling us the stories or sometime reading out to us the books. She was very fond of reading and to buy a new book is her weakness still I remembered  the days we use to go for shopping to Brohi Bazaar and the only book shop attracted to my mother was called Kitab Ghar(book house).we use to spend hours looking for new books.

My cooking dilemma started here when I got married and own a new house with additional responsibilities to entertain guests at my new house. This is face by me as a big blow but lucky I had the luxury to join many prestigious cookery institutions before and after marriage and o'cause amma was there to help me out with big lunches & dinners. I had started experimenting in my kitchen new recipes sometime conquered and sometime  failed my testing was never ending process but it was fun and learning new dishes to cook was a  very nice experience .

So cooks, who are new to this wonderful experience and those who wish to explore unchartered territories will often find the right recipe for that special occasion. Sharing good food is one of life’s simple pleasures and I hope you enjoy using this blog as much as I loved putting it together.

Here I will add my family favorite’s dishes. I dedicate this blog to my beloved parents (late) and my nanny,Amma (late), who had always encouraged me in getting the best possible education and have been patient in my process of learning cooking and arts & crafts. Further thanks to all my cooking teachers who have been kind to share with me their knowledge and skills.  special thanks to Mrs. Ahmed for teaching me how to cook & do food presentation. So I can cook healthy food for my family and friends and today i am sharing with you.

Enjoy healthy food !

Healthy Food

very veggie

Very veggie

No cooking required in this recipe try it .It’s nice and easy and best part stay for long time.

2cans of peas

2cans of cut green beans

1can green lima bean

8oz can of water chestnut

I bunch of spring onion (green part only)

1cup celery

One bell pepper (green) chopped

Marinate mixture

1cup apple cider vinegar

1cup vegetable oil

11/2cup water

2cloves garlic finely chopped

1tablespoon dill (if you like the smell) opt

3/4cup sugar

Dissolve the sugar with vinegar and other ingredients.

Open the can and drain the veggie water .mix all veggies in a container and add the marinate mixture and

keep in fridge for overnight.

Chicken Razaala with rice

Razala Chicken stew

Razala Chicken stew served with boiled rice or pea rice

2.5pound chicken boneless or one chicken cut into pieces

1stick of butter

3-4mdium to large size onion cut into thin rings

3 teaspoon  of Paprika powder or Red chili powder

3tsp of ginger paste

1tsp salt or maybe 1.5tsp

Put the chicken in a bowl and add spices and rub with spoon let stand for a few minutes the add 3tbsp of sour cream or yogurt prefer sour cream mix the sour cream with chicken. If the bigger chicken then marinate for 15minutes more.

Butter is all heated up in a cooking pan (do add few drops of oil to the butter so it doesn’t burnt) add chicken and onions .stir fry a little. Do it don’t burn but once the chicken and onion release their water put it on medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes with lid on until cooked. Stir it occasionally add one or half green chili for the flavoring or aroma. After cooking for 15minuted add 1/2tsp of sugar to it. Put on slow flame and after 30 minutes remove the lid, increase the heat a bit to evaporate the excess water .ones that done .Razala is served with Boiled or Pea rice.
this is very simple dish but has a flavor and aroma.
enjoy!

Preparation of spices and paste:

General notes for beginners

Preparation of spices and paste:

   Dry spices: coriander, cumin , poppy seeds and  red chilies are generally roasted and powered.

   Ginger and garlic paste: removing the skin and then grinding them to a fine paste together or separately prepare this paste. Water should not be used. Dehydrated flakes of ginger and garlic paste may also be made. Drop teaspoons of the paste on a clean piece of cloth and leaves in the sun. When quite dried, bottle and perverse. When required soak these flakes in a little warm water. Each flake will be equivalent of teaspoonful of fresh paste.

   Papaya paste: this is used to tenderize meat. Grind a piece of raw green papaya to a fine paste and use as directed. Other tenderizers are baking soda. Meat tenderizers commercial prepared are also available but always use them with great care as too much will spoil your dish.

 Garam Masala usually consist of following ingredients

2-tablespoon cumin seeds

1tablespoon peppercorns

16cloves

4cardamoms

Powdered finely and stored in an airtight jar till required.

   Tamarind puree or pulp

100 gm tamarind

1cup hot water

A pinch of salt

Soak the tamarind in hot water for 30 minutes. Add salt .mix well then squeeze and strain. For tamarind water, use twice the amount of water.

 Coconut milk this is used to impart mild creamy taste to curies.

Mix 2 cups of grated coconut with 2cups of hot water. Leave it to cool, and then squeeze out the milk.

If fresh coconut is not available .use packed flaked preserved coconut and squeeze out the milk in theameway                                                                                                                             

     

About Pakistani Food

Cookery in Pakistan has always had a regional character, with each of the four provinces offering special dishes. In the Punjab, for example, the Mughlai' cuisine using tandoor ovens with elaborate preparations is important. In Baluchistan, cooks use the Sajji method of barbecuing whole lambs and stick bread in a deep pit. In Sindh a lot of seafood is used. Bunda pala(fish) is a well known delicacy of Sind. The fish is cleaned and stuffed with a paste made from a variety of spices and herbs, including red pepper, garlic, ginger, and dried pomegranate seeds. It is then wrapped in cloth and is buried three feet deep in hot sand under the sun. There it stays baking for four to five hours from late morning to early afternoon. Cooking in the Northwest Frontier Province is involves the heavy use of lamb and B.B.Q method of cooking or cooking an open big skillet called Karhai. Pakistani cuisine is rich with sauces. A variety of spices such as chili powder, curry, ginger, garlic, coriander, paprika, and cinnamon, peppercorn, cloves are important spices used in Pakistani cuisine.
A wide range of chutneys (a relish usually made of fruits, spices, and herbs), pickles, and preserves that accompany meats and vegetables give Pakistani cuisine its distinct flavor.
We use lot of Healthy Spices, Vegetables and Whole Wheat and Rice in our Cuisine here the details:
Spices
Pakistani food is actually very easy to cook and extremely nutritious too, especially when spices and oils are kept to a minimum. The spices such as turmeric, cloves, cumin seeds and ginger are commonly used. These spices are known for their anti-inflammatory and general all-round health benefits.
Vegetables
Pakistani uses lot of vegetables in curries and as cook separately called “Sabzi” and used for lunch or dinner .Every day lady of the house buy from street vendor as they bring and sell fresh veggies. Onions, cauliflowers, eggplant, garlic, green peas and beans, spinach and tomatoes are just some of the vegetables that regularly used in meal preparation. All curry making is started by frying onion and then adding the meat or vegetables and garnish with green chilies and coriander
Bread
The healthiest aspect of Pakistani food is the “roti” – a kind of pancake made with whole wheat, by making dough with water and then rolled into a round shape with a rolling pin and cooked over direct heat. Roti is serves with different varieties of curries and achar (pickle) – Whole wheat is extremely good for the metabolism, keeps up energy levels.
Nan is another kind of bread cooked in oven.
Chapattis is flat bread made from wheat and is a staple at most meals.
Puri is fried bread, a little small and the beauty of this bread that it puff up while frying.
Grains
Lentils, Pakistani favorite products, are whole grains that are rich in fiber, contain iron for energy, and are extremely tasty. They are easy to prepare, absorb flavors from the various herbs and spices that are added to them and can serve as main dish, itself when eaten with a roti or plain rice. Dal is made from lentils. There are several varieties of lentils—red, brown, and green.
Dairy products
Another Pakistani cooking staple is yoghurt. The mostly curries are thickened with yoghurt and also make yoghurt sauce (raita). Using yoghurt in cooking adds a few dairy servings to a meal that is otherwise absent in it. This is a great way to include calcium in the diet.
Lasi is a drink, we make with Yoghurt Serve during meal or after the meal. It’s milk from which curds and butterfat have been removed. This popular drink can be enjoyed sweet or salty. Pakistanis usually drink Lasi sweet for breakfast or salty for lunch or dinner.
Ghee is clarified butter which is used in place of vegetable oil but now people are more health problem now use olive oil .but mostly soya bean oil are used in most house.
Milk is used in Chai (tea) it is a very popular drink. It is usually boiled with milk, sugar, tea leaves and sometime adds nutmeg
Milk shake added banana or mango to milk plus a bit of sugar.
Drinks
Drinks are important for Pakistani because of the hot and humidity. In the summer Juice from sugarcane are popular and that is freshly crushed in front of you by street vendor using a specially made hand machine. Another refreshing summer drink is nimbu paani, or "fresh lime." It is made of crushed ice, salt, sugar, soda water, and lime juice.

Fruits
Pakistan offers many fresh fruits that are most plentiful in the summer and autumn months. Mangoes, papayas, bananas, watermelon, apricots, and apples are some examples. Chiku have the taste of a date and the texture of a kiwi fruit. Many Pakistanis eat their fruit (especially watermelon) with a light dusting of salt to offset the sweetness or tartness. Since there are lot of seasonal fruits like apples, peaches, Mango, oranges, watermelon, and yellow melon, grapes and many more, they are eaten after meals or preparing different type of desserts or mixing fruits together then adding some spices called chat masala, sprinkle with lime or orange juice and eaten raw as snack.
Fruit drinks, squeezed from pomegranates, apples, melons, and mangoes, and called Sharbat, are an important part of the Pakistani cuisine.
Eggs
Eggs are usually used in the breakfast by making omelet added by onion, green chilies cilantro and tomatoes or making different puddings, cakes or added in kebab used as binding agent.
Meat
Beef, Goat, Lamb and chicken and seafood are used .every household buy fresh available meat daily.
Nuts
Nuts are used by sprinkle on top of few curries and desserts.
Rice
Rice is cooked into different style like zeera rice, pea’s pilou and biryani.

So in short Pakistani food is low fat with taste and plenty of beneficial herbs and spices make a good flavored meal also the use of whole grains, lentils rich in fiber and iron, lean skinned meat, and a healthy dose of vegetables and fruit.
Snacks
Samosas are deep-fried pastries filled with potatoes, chickpeas, or other vegetables and are a popular snack. Other snacks are bun kebab (meat pastries sandwich between a bun and roasted on an open skillet. and Pakoras (deep-fried vegetables in gram flour mixture).Chickpeas mixed with spices and chutney
Mealtime Customs
Nihari
Nihari derives its name from the Urdu word Nihar, which means "morning." A Nihari breakfast in Pakistan can be very filling it’s a stewed beef cooked overnight with chilies and spices, also flour is added to thicken it and on top sprinkle cilantro ,green chilies and ginger finely sliced and served with hot Nan (bread).
Halim
A mixture of dals (lentils), whole wheat, spices and spices .this cooked on slow heat for hours and become into a mixture. This is served as main dish sprinkle on top with chat masala and green cilantro. This is very filling dish full of protein.



Desserts
Pakistanis enjoy many desserts such as kheer (rice pudding) or kulfi (pistachio ice cream). Jalebi, which are deep-fried orange "pretzels" made with flour, yogurt, and sugar, and Barfi, made from dried milk solids or Shahi Turka, a dessert of sliced bread, milk, cream, sugar and saffron.
B.B.Q
Chicken tandoori, a dish in which chicken is cooked at low temperatures in special ovens called TANDOORS, and murgh musallum’ means whole chicken in which the whole chickens are roasted with special spices and ingredients.
Chicken Tikka
Chicken marinated in herbs and spices and grilled on charcoal.
Sweets (Mitahi)
Sweets are important for celebration especially for happy occasion or to celebrate happy events is a popular Pakistani tradition. Where sweets are exchanged as friendly gesture .Pakistani loves to live in community and care for the family is a must and show their love by exchanging sweets and flowers.
Some sweet which are very popular are Carrot Halwa, Walnut Halwa.

Pakistani cooking

Important techniques used in Pakistani cooking are:

   Bhunao: is a combination  of  light stewing, sautéing and stir frying in this process the cooking is done in medium to high heat, adding small quantities of liquid i.e. water or yoghurt, this is done to prevent the ingredients from sticking, which also makes it necessary to stir constantly. The initial cooking is done in the ingredients own juices. This process would not only extract the flavor of each of the ingredient and spices but also make sure that they do not get burnt or remain raw. The process is complete only when the fat leaves the masala of the sides. This process is required in most of the recipes and Bhunao is not a complete process in itself but a part of process that helps to prepare a dish.

Dum: literally means steam. It’s given when the meat has become quite tender and the dish is almost ready. The advantage of giving dum is that the vapors cannot escape and the dish has all the flavors and aroma.

  Tarhka or Baghar: hot oil has an extraordinary ability to extract and retain the aroma, essence and the flavor of all spices and herbs. This process is done at the beginning of the cooking a dish or after the cooking process. Some special features of Baghar

 

v  No water is added in the process.

v  The ghee or oil is brought to the smoking point and then the heat is reduced.

v  The ingredients are added in rapid succession, rarely together

v  The cracking of the spices or a change in color indicates that the process is complete.

v  The prepared Tarhka or Baghar is poured sizzling hot over the dish. Except when a dish has require pre-tempering.

Dhuan lagana means to give smoke to dry meat. This process is usually done at the end of cooking. This requires charcoal, ghee. Onion peel and dry  spice (usually cloves).

Here is the detail procedure:

v  Put glowing charcoal on onion peel or in a small bowl and place this in the center of the handi or casserole and arrange the cooked meat around it.

v  Drop the dry spice over the charcoal and pour a little ghee (clarified butter).

v  Quickly cover the handi or casseroles with a lid as the smoke permeate the meat.

v   This process takes about five to ten minutes.

Barbecue or roasting: in Pakistan roasting is usually done in a tandoor, fired by charcoal, which acts as a catalyst to impart a flavor that is unique. In this process the juices of the meat drips on the charcoal, which sizzles and sends up the billows of smoke. This type of cooking require pre marinate process for the meat or chicken.

Frying

Frying is the method of cooking food in a hot fat; it requires constant and careful attention. It is unsuitable for tough meats or slices. If there are bubble in the fat that means there is water in the fat and that must be left to dry.

Methods of frying

v  Shallow frying: put the fat to cover the surface of the pan so it prevent it from burning. Food is needs turning constantly shake e.g. pancake, kebab, fish and egg.

v  Sauté means toes and turn. For this very small amount of fats added to the pan just enough to be absorbed by the food, which is tossed lightly in it e.g. soup, stew and sauce.

v  Deep-frying: for this strong pan is required, as the strong heat will make holes in the pan. A frying basket is best for frying food for this method .the fat should be half filled in the pan. There are many advantage of basket frying: 1.more economical. 2.It can be used repeatedly for different dishes except the fat leftover after frying fish.( there is a little tip to clear the smell of fish by heating oil with ajwain and stain it )3.food is evenly cooked by this method4.it is less likely to become greasy as strain properly4.always strain the fat after use.

v  Steaming is the method of cooking food on steam of boiling water as no water touches the food. It is most digest able method of cooking therefore suitable for invalids. There are many methods to steam the food: 1. Steamer 2.between two plates on boiling water 3.standing a basin in water with water half way up to the basin filled. Rules for steaming are to have 1.boiling water before starting to boil.2. Keep it boiling until the food is removed.3. Refill it with boiling water if necessary. 4. Choose a saucepan with tight fitting to prevent escape of steam.  5 cover the food with greaseproof paper to prevent steam setting on it.

Advantages of steaming: 1. little risk of over cooking the food.

2. No food valve is lost in water3.has better flavour.4.lighter and more nourishing.

Grilling

Grilling is the method of cooking food from direct heat and fire or griller. Food in small thin pieces with good quality and juicy must be used in grilling.

Rules of grilling

*surface exposed first to fire i.e. heat is harden the outside and seal in the juices. The heat is then reduced and food is allowed to cook through.

*Turn repeatedly.

*use two spoon not fork or knife for turning.

*do not puncture the juices flavor will escape.

There are many advantage of grilling

1.It is a quick method of cooking.

2. Only best quality of food is used

3. No cooking medium (heavy seasoning) is used, therefore the flavour of food is excellent.

4 Very little preparation is needed.

5 Grilled food is appetizing and attractive in appearance

Grilling Time:

1 a piece of chop one inch thick takes 10 minutes

2. A beef sausage takes 10 minutes

3a sheep kidney takes 5 to 10 minutes

4. A tomatoes take 5minutes

5. a fish (small) will take 2 to 8 minutes

Roasting:

Roasting is the method of cooking food before hot fire. Cook at high temperature for about 10 minutes to harden the outside and to seal in the juices then cook by gentle fire evenly and gradually. This will improve flavor large size chicken will take twenty minutes to roast.

    Baking

Baking is the method of cooking food in a hot oven i. e. cake, pudding, small poultry, bread etc

Cooking made easy by Kausar Iqbal

Cooking is a wonderful way of leaving behind all of life’s worries; creating magical new creations and entertaining those closest to us can be an utmost fulfilling sensation. Cooking is an art and this I had come to know when I got married and started entertaining guests at home. Post-marriage, I had the luxury to join many prestigious cookery institutions and afforded a great deal of time into refining every new recipe that I learnt. Through the years, I haven’t stopped pursuing cooking or learning; every new dish still brings me a great deal of satisfaction and approaching this with enthusiasm and zest only strengthens my love.

Encouraged by family and friends, I eventually decided to put all of my experiences of cooking & décor into book form and have enjoyed my time reliving the long journey though the years of memories. In my humble attempt to make your tables beautiful and cuisines delicious, I have included quick, easy dishes and also ventured into some rather elaborate ones.

What to cook is a dilemma faced by countless housewives; it is the hostess who loves to entertain and bring versatility to her meals who will benefit most from this blog. Also, cooks who are new to this wonderful experience and those who wish to explore unchartered territories will often find the right recipe for that special occasion. Sharing good food is one of life’s simple pleasures and I hope you enjoy using this blog as much as I loved putting it together.