Roasted bell pepper hummus

I love  hummus and it's an absolute craze even if there are no sides to go with it we drool just by finger licking gypsies! . Hummus is just perfect dip and have it along with any veggie sticks like  cucumber celery or carrot sticks as my son loves it. Once a while I buy the cans or just have it cooked from homemade boiled chick peas.  There are times when I run out of extras and I apply some hummus on breads . I
Love the flavours of fresh ones cooked basically from.jome and then there is no longer need for a canned one for life. That's how good the homemade hummus can be … During these times, the “innovated” hummus comes into play, like this one with red bell pepper.

Here is another one for you using chickpeas and red bell pepper . These red capsicum has a nature of so juicy flavour to it. I picked up a small pack since it I cook mostly with fornpastats and additions for sandwich The first thing I made with it was this hummus. It looks so similar to the original hummus, just that it is slightly more peach colour because of the color of the red capsicum. That's tell change we find there was some thining of the liquid to be done . I also found it a little thicker, so add more liquid to loosen it up. Off to the recipe…

Ingredients

2 whole red bell pepper / capsicum

1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup  tahini, see  recipe

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil, and extra for garnish 

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Salt to taste

Method
Roast the peppers.
Remove pepper core  , cut into large pieces.
Arrange pepper pieces, skin-side up, on a baking sheet.
Bake them for 5 to 10 minutes on a tray and cool . 
Gently remove  the charred skin.

You can reserve the skin for garnish too. 

Make hummus

In mixing jar,  combine tahini ,lemon juice and grind for 1 minute, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then grind again

It helps the whole thing to be creamy too.

Next Add in  olive oil, minced garlic,  1/2 a teaspoon salt to  the fluffy  tahini  lemon mix.
Grind again  for 30 seconds.

Add half of the chickpeas  and repeat the process.

Now Add the roasted peppers and continue to geind again .

Add water if needed only.

The whole thing will be creamy 

Add salt to taste  garnish with pepper soup ns and green chopped parsly if needed..

Add olive on tops and make a dip.

.

Read More

Majboos recipe/ Arabic recipe

It's cold and showers are non stop in our region. I am loving the rains and early  mornings just don't want to get out of bed. My kids have started there regular classes. All three in three different schools for the first time in life and I am all messed up. All leave at the same time. And pushing them out of the house is the toughest part. Girls are always punctual .. zehna is all set while it ticks just 10 minutes before her bus time. She uses the local transport and so she is always out right on time. But the boys are giving me a really tough time . I am exhausted by the time they all leave and the house is quiet. House comes to a stand still ...that's self time for me if I am on leave from workplace .
Today I am sharing a recipe. It's a novelle recipe from Arabic cuisine. Majboos is famous in the Arab world..we have so many variations but this one is my favourite. I have tried soo many and this turned out well for me .
We don't always make it but we love to have to when everyones tired of the usual Biryani.
Try it out ...hope it turns good for u.
Oh by the way .. it is super easy.. the Arabs have a quick way for everything...I guess.

Ingredients

• 2½ cups long grain rice (any brand will do.)
• 4 chicken breasts , diced
• 1 teaspoon Garam masala mix .( 1 clove,2 cardamoms,1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 3 pepper pods)
• 2 onions , finely chopped
•  1/2 teaspoon garlic paste
• 2 slices dried  lemon
• 2 large tomato , peeled and seeded
• 11/2 teaspoon ginger paste
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• A pinch saffron , infused in warm water
• 10 pods cardamom , crushed
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon Arabic Masala.
• 1/2 cup diced potatoes
• 1/2 cup diced carrots.
• ½ bunch cilantro , chopped
• 4 tablespoons pine nuts , roasted
• Olive oil
• 2 cups boiling water
• Salt
• Pepper

For the raita

• 1 cup plain  yogurt
• 1 cucumber , peeled
• 2 pods pepper crushed.
• A few mint leaves

Method

Chicken Majboos

• In a little olive oil over medium heat,
• Add the whole garam masala and add the onions. Stir fry till slightly brown. Add the ginger and garlic pastes. Stir well.
• Add the chopped potatoes and carrots.
• Add all  masalas powders./Arabic
• Add the chicken , saffron, preserved lemon, tomato. Cook till done.
• Add salt and pepper.
• Stir regularly for 3 minutes, then add boiling water.
• Finally, add the rice and mix well.
• Sprinkle cilantro and pine nuts and serve.

For the raita

• Mix all ingredients and chill before serving.

Read More

Grilled Baba Ganoush/ Arabic cuisine

This baba ganoush is a bit different from its reknown own version. I'm hooked by the ones we get in the malls at the food counter. As friday nights is arabic day for us. We don’t mash the ingredients until smooth, we mash it roughly with a fork. Sometimes we even leave it as it is and call it Roasted Eggplant Salad,or my mom calls it kanju! But whatever, it is  almost with the same ingredients.   We either have it with lavash or pita bread or as a side dish with nothing alongside.

Previously i posted my first starter recipe and that was mini cheese bites .If you are looking for a starter recipes ,look no further, these flavorful dips are filled with a smoky eggplant spread, also with a cute name called baba ganoush.

Its the burning that's involved in this recipe which gives authenticity to the recipe ,in which  the eggplants are cooked directly on an open flame to infuse them with a smoky flavor and the red ,yellow,  green  bell peppers are chopped finely and mixed along. 

This recipe takes some time to prepare but all the steps are very easy and the baba ganoush and bell peppers can be made ahead of time.

Ingredients

2 large eggplants
3 tablespoon thahina (sesame paste)
2 garlic cloves
1 yellow capsicum
1 red capsicum
2 green capsicum
Juice of one lime.
3 tablespoons oilive oil.
Chopped parsley for garnish ( optional)

Method

1.Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
2.Prick the eggplants randomly in a few places using a fork .
3.Roast them till chared on all sides. I personally prefer stove top roasted by placing it on a grill..though it can be  messy
4.When the eggplants get tender enough, take them out. The duration of roasting might differ depending on the type of eggplant you are using. So check yours after 40 minutes using a knife or fork. If a knife can easily be inserted, it’s soft enough and ready to be removed from oven.
5. Mash the eggplants roughly . I love to have few chunk pieces in my Ganoush. 
6. Now add all the chopped  garlic cloves. capsicum , thahina, lime juice along with smashed eggplants eggplants . Finally add the olive oil and mix well.
7. Garnish with parsley and serve .

Read More

Chicken mandi

How fast time flies and its just like we had a get together yesterday!which we actually enjoyed last sunday . I didnt feel like cooking today and every time this feeling seeps in me ... i land up in the kitchen making an elaborate and a quick meal for all. Aj wanted fish and i wanted to make chicken mandi !. A recipe i wanted to make for ages . We always order for it . So why bother cook at home . But after settling back home .i craved for this recipe . And it all happened one night .My uncle happened to visit india and he said he got new recipe for mandi .

My uncle who is also a great cook in the kitchen delivered us a casserole filled with mandi . And i was all wow for it. ! It tasted perfect . We usually want lots of masala for our biryani but mandi rice is full of flavour that we can just enjoy it as it is.

Ingredients

For the marination
 1 kilo chicken
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
3 tablespoon chicken masala
1/2 teaspoon  turmeric powder
2 tablespoon curd
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 tablespoon pepper powder
Salt to taste

For the masala

1 kilo ripe tomato , skinned off and paste.
4 big onions
5 green chillie slit
1 teaspoon ginger garlic crushed
1 cup corriander leaves
1 teaspoon mint
A handful curry leaves

For rice 

4 cups rice wash and drain.
Whole garam masala 2 each . ( cardamom , cloves, cinnamon bay leaf )
1/4 cup  oil and ghee

Method 

Soak the washed rice . Marinate the chicken for an hour with the ingredients mentioned above.
Shallow fry the chicken in oil . Cover and cook till done . You can roast a little. Keep aside.
Heat the ghee and oil .
Add the whole garam masala  and ginger garlic paste.  Saute till raw smell disappears.
Add the onions. Saute till wilted.
Add the tomato paste .. i got 3 cups.
Boil and add 5 cups water .
Add the rice  and salt . Boil .
Now add the green chillies . I added 10 green chilies . For the extra spice .
Cover and cook till done . Keep a check on the rice to cook evenly.
Once done add the herbs and place roasted chicken on top .
 Steam for another 5 minutes .
The flavours of the chicken masala and the oil , it was roasted in ,melts through  the rice .
Have it hot .

Read More

Chicken shawarma

Pita / arabic bread filled with a thin layer of any spread like hummus ,/thahini /garlic paste or even mayo flavored or not  and shavings of meat or chicken accompanied with tomatoes and onions  is a shawarma .

Here i have made with tandoored chicken and rest is as just as mentioned above. 

I have added french fried potatoes . And this is homemade too . Again this is a dinner option just like i said with my last post Chemeen eladda . Why have i not added this recipe for a long time 🤔. This is a complete meal and my kids love this and who doesn't.? I practically grew up eating shawarma...having said that in my days shawarma was one of the most sort out meal for dinner. We would go cycling and a near by bakery had one of the best shawarma sandwiches in the city . It is a Labanese outlet . And the heating one was too filling for the tummy and in those it was just 3 dhs ! We had to take a token and wait ( while we cycle around )and me being a plum pudding would have 2 .  But that's not the case now. They cost around 9 dhs and the filling is not that enough...but we rate it the best still ...😊.

Ingredients 

To marinade 

• 2 tablespoon butter 
• 500 gms chicken, cubed
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Salt to taste
• 1/4  tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste 

For filling 

• 1 sliced onion
• 1 chopped tomato
• 5 pita breads, small
• 3 tbsp hummus 
• French fries as required. 
• 3 tbsp chopped parsley leaves 
• Chopped lettuce leaves, as required

Method 

• Mix ingredients for marinade in a bowl. Add the chicken cubes  and toss to coat well. Set aside for 15 minutes 
• Add butter  in a frying pan and add the chicken along with the marination. Cook till done.
• Slit the pita bread and spread one tbsp of hummus  on each sides . 
• Sprinkle some parsley  leaves onions and tomatoes.  
• Add the french fries.
• Divide the chicken mixture into five  and spread onto the pitas. Add the lettuce leaves .
• Roll them tight and serve immediately with some salted Labanese pickle!

Note 

1. You can replace parsley with corriander leaves but parsley enhances the Labanese shawarmas much better. 
2. Serve warm and immediately. 
3. I had pickled carrots along with these. 

Read More

COLESLAW

This is the inside recipe that i got from the KFC itself.Actaually its all in kls.but i have reduced it to cups size.
INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
1 carrot chopped, very  small
1 onion chopped small
1 heaped tsp of white pepper
1 tsp of sugar
mayo 4 tbsp
just mix eveything up and chill before use.

Read More