Everyday Menu Planning - Meat Dishes (Chicken, Mutton & Beef)

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Meat Dishes 
(Includes Everyday Curry's, Mincemeat/Qeema Dishes, Kofta/Meatballs,  BBQ items, Special Party Dishes & Continental)

Below is a PDF document detailing different kinds of meat dishes that you can make regularly as well as for parties at your home - some of the recipes are already available on the blog (linked below) and the rest I will keep on adding as and when I get time. Please feel free to contribute any recipes & dishes that I have missed and are made at your house! :)

Desi - Pakistani
Ginger Chicken, Pakistani Style

Chicken Kofta Curry 

Chicken with French Fries & Peas - Dryish Chicken gravy with potatoes & peas, can be served with bread/roti or rice

Chicken Makhni - Butter Chicken

International/Continental

Lasagne - Chicken & Mushroom lasagne with Bechamel Sauce

Chicken Rendang

Shawarma Chicken Wraps

Chicken Paprika Straganoff

Chicken Burger with Grilled Potatoes

Sweet & Sour Chicken

Sesame Noodle Salad with Shredded Chicken

Chicken Quesadilla's

Grilled Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce

Chicken Chilli Dry

Chicken & Rice with White Sauce - Halal Food Cart Style

Chicken Pot Pie

Ginger Wrapped Chicken with Rice

Chicken Chowmein

Twister Chicken - Popcorn Fried Chicken served in a Tortilla Wrap

Singaporean Rice

Hot & Spicy Zinger-Like Chicken - Fried Chicken

Homemade Pizza - Chicken, Garlic Mushrooms and other Vegetables as topping

Everyday Menu Planning - Vegetarian Dishes

Vegetables 
(Includes Desi Pakistani Style Vegetables, Desi + Continental Style Vegetables and Continental Vegetables)

Below is a PDF document detailing different kinds of vegetable dishes that you can make regularly at your home - some of the recipes are already available on the blog (linked below) and the rest I will keep on adding as and when I get time. Please feel free to contribute any recipes & dishes that I have missed and are made at your house! :)

Vegetarian Recipes on My Blog: 

Roasted Tomato Garlic Soup

Leafy Green Salad with Apples & Tomatoes

Green Salad with Fruits & Nuts

Home-Made Paneer

Palak Paneer

Tomato Chutney & Loki Raita

Eggplant Burani

Spiced Rice

Mezze: Hummus, Baba Ganoush & Falafel

Grilled Potatoes

Baked Potato

Garlic Mashed Potatoes 

Potato Gratin 

China Kitchen - Gourmet Chinese in Karachi

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I have been wanting to try China Kitchen ever since I found out that they had scallion pancakes on their menu. I remember trying them out for the first time at Tao in New York and I just fell in love with the dish. Simply put, they are similar to our lache kay parathay with sesame oil and scallions (green onions) as the filling served with a ginger dipping sauce. Simplicity personified but oh so delicious!

I finally got to go to China Kitchen last week and the food was AMAZING! It brought back memories of proper Chinese food that I have had abroad and loved because every dish has a unique taste instead of tasting exactly the same!

China Kitchen

Interior & Ambiance:
The first thing that you see when you enter the restaurant is the beautiful courtyard with life size Chinese statues and artifacts. The inside of the restaurant is just as tastefully decorated with Chinese artwork hanging from the walls, oriental style pottery strategically placed around the restaurant and the beautiful red wooden doors.

China Kitchen - The typical Chinese Round Table

Food:
What we ordered or actually I ordered (it was my birthday and I was so excited that my friends just gave me the menu) was the following:

1. Hot & Sour Soup in Chicken
2. Scallion Pancakes
3. Chengdu Chicken
4. Chicken with Chilli & Black Bean Sauce
5. Black Beef Pepper Steak with Ginger & Spring Onions
6. Deep fried Red Snapper with House Special Salsa
7. Singapore Noodles
8. Steamed Rice

The moment the soup arrived, I knew that this was the real deal and we were going to be having some pretty amazing food - this was no red ketchup version but a proper smoky full flavored broth with the proper H&S soup ingredients - bean curd, black mushrooms & bean sprouts along with chicken of course!
From the main courses, the Red Snapper was my favourite dish of the day - delicately cooked snapper in a salsa sauce that surprisingly incorporated apples was both a delight for the eyes and the taste buds. For a person who rarely eats beef, considering I ate two helpings of the beef steak with ginger & spring onions is an indication of how good it was. The Chengdu chicken made with hot bean paste came with a spice warning, and while delicious in its simplicity is not for the faint hearted. Our second chicken entree was the classic chicken in black bean sauce with a delicious salty distinct smooth sauce. The wok-fried Singapore noodles with stir-fried vermicelli were good but a bit neglected considering the uniqueness of the rest of the entrees. 
Unfortunately the thing that I was craving (the aforementioned scallion pancakes) did not measure up to the ones I had abroad - the ones here were just a little bit oily and not as flaky but the rest of the food, especially the hot & sour soup more than made up for it.

China Kitchen - Chicken with Chilli & Black Bean Sauce

China Kitchen - Hot & Sour Soup

China Kitchen - Scallion Pancakes

China Kitchen - Chengdu Chicken

China Kitchen - Red Snapper with House Salsa

China Kitchen - Singapore Noodles

Service:
From start to finish the service was excellent. The waiters were attentive but not annoying. It did take some time for the main course to arrive after the soup & appetizer round but we were enjoying the ambiance & company so much that it wasn't  a concern. The best part was that the waiter knew the menu and guided us properly when I asked him for suggestions on what to order.

Overall Verdict:
China Kitchen stands apart from the other Chinese eateries/delivery places in town as it offers gourmet Chinese cuisine with items on the menu that I have yet to see anywhere else. The prices are a bit high but worth it considering the superior quality & taste along with the fine dining experience. 

Ranking:
Food: 9/10
Price: 8/10
(On average should cost Rs. 1000-1100/head or more depending on the variety of food ordered)
Ambiance: 8.5/10
Service: 8.5/10 

Restaurant Details:
Address: 73/5, Swiss Cottages, Clifton Block 4, Karachi, Pakistan-75500
Phone: +922135860184 , +923332209169
Email chinakitchenpk@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chinakitchenkarachi/info

Ginger Chicken Pakistani Style

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It's a simple day and it calls for a simple recipe. This Ginger Chicken, Pakistani style is probably one of the easiest recipes I know. All it requires is the standard Pakistani cooking arsenal of onions, tomatoes & masalas stirred & cooked together. But what creates the delicious medley of flavors in the dish is the finely julienned ginger added right at the end with a heaping handful of fresh fragrant coriander.

Ginger Chicken Pakistani Style

Ginger Chicken Pakistani Style
Serves 6 people

Ingredients:
3 tbsp oil

1 tsp finely minced/grated ginger or 1 tsp ginger paste
1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp garlic paste

3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric (haldi)
2 tsp coriander powder (sukha dhania powder)
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 tsp red chilli pepper
1/2 kg chicken, divided into 8 pieces. Alternatively, you can also use boneless chicken, cut into 2 inch pieces.

2 tbsp tomato ketchup or 1 tbsp tomato puree/paste
2 inch knob of ginger, finely julienned (keep extra for garnish)
1 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped (leaves & stalks both)

Method:

1. Heat oil in large pan on medium high heat.

2. Once oil is hot, add freshly grated ginger/ginger paste and garlic paste and saute for 1 minute till the flavor comes out.

3. Add onions and saute till light golden (about 5-7 minutes). Keep stirring so that the onions don't burn.

4. Add chopped tomatoes along with the rest of masalas (turmeric, coriander powder, salt & chilli powder). Keep stirring till the tomatoes thicken and becomes a jam-like consistency.

5. Add the chicken along with 1/2 cup to 1 cup water and let it cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes then turn it on low-medium till chicken is tender. It will take approx. 15-20 minutes for boneless chicken, whereas chicken with bone will take about 30-40 minutes. Once the chicken is ready, you should see the masala oil on top of the tomato gravy. 

6. Approximately 5 minutes before the chicken is done, add tomato ketchup/tomato puree.

7. Add about 90% of the julienned ginger on top of the dish, and let it cook for a minute then take it off heat.

8. Garnish with fresh coriander and the remaining sliced ginger. 

9. Serve with naan/chapati or fresh steamed basmati rice.