Chicken Cheese Balls

Sharing another recipe that I tried this Ramazan and absolutely loved - Chicken Cheese Balls. I am a huge fan of the Jalapeno Cheese balls at Pizzo - they are filled with melted cheese which literally explodes in your mouth. Since I can't keep ordering from there all the time, this was my take on something similar. Turned out really good especially with the melted cheese inside. This is a recipe that I can see myself making in Ramadan (inshAllah the next one) & on Eid.

Chicken Cheese Balls

Chicken Cheese Balls

Adapted from Shireen Anwar's recipe 

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg chicken mince
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic paste
• 2 bread slices
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1/4 teaspoon red chilli flakes (optional - add based on the spice level you prefer)
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 6 green chillies, chopped
• 2 tablespoon coriander leaves
• 12 to 15 mozzarella cheese cubes (one cm in size) - approximately 150 grams of cheese
• Dry flour/maida to roll
• 1 egg, beaten with 1/2 tablespoon of water
• Bread crumbs as required to roll (I personally use Panko style crumbs, but you can use normal as well)

Method

1. Put mince with all the ingredients into a chopper or food processor, except flour, cheese, egg and crumbs. When chopping ingredients, don't add them all together into the processor as it sometimes gets clogged up. Keeping the chopper/food processor running, add ingredients through the feed tube so that they get mixed properly. 
2. Chop all the ingredients well. The mixture should be slightly chunky (like kofta/meatball mixture) and not pasty. 
3. Take mixture on hand, make a round flat disk, put the cheese cube in it and then roll it in a ball. Make all the balls first, keeping them on a tray/plate.
4. Once all the balls are made, roll them in dry flour/maida first, then dip in beaten egg + water mixture, and then finally in the breadcrumbs mixture.
5. Deep fry on medium heat till light golden. Since the chicken mixture is raw inside, make sure you don't cook on high heat otherwise the outside will brown but inside will be raw. 
6. The balls can be kept in the freezer and then fried when required. 

Peri Peri Chicken Sandwich with Cheese & Olives

Another experiment this Ramadan which Alhamdullilah turned out really well. I was planning to make grilled chicken & cheese subway style sandwiches using French bread but the store near my place was out of it. Since I really couldn't change recipes at that time, I decided to just buy multi-grain bread and proceed from there. I was expecting these to just taste like typical sandwiches but baking them in the oven instead of in the toaster oven individually just made them taste so amazing! Not only did the sandwiches stay crisp till dinner-time, but it also saved me the time of toasting them individually. I can so see myself using the same technique and experimenting with the fillings in the future.

The ingredient list is a bit long, but its simply grilled chicken, cheese & vegetables with mayo & butter as condiments. You can easily substitute leftover chicken if you don't have boneless chicken, or add other vegetables but do make sure you add the cheese. Having this sandwich without melted cheese will just not be the same! I made another version using Paneer & Sweet corn which I will post separately. 

Peri Peri Grilled Sandwich - the sandwich platter

Peri Peri Chicken Sandwich with Cheese & Olives 

Ingredients:

Serves 3-4 people (4 sandwiches)

• 8 slices bread (I used multi-grain bread for added texture/crunch)
• 3-4 tablespoon garlic butter (normal butter can be substituted)
• 1/2 tablespoon Garlic Paste/Finely Minced garlic 
• 3-4 tablespoon butter
• Peri Peri Grilled Chicken 
• 400 grams boneless chicken, cubed 
• 1 teaspoon vinegar 
• 2 tablespoon Peri Peri Sauce (Garlic flavored) - Substitute with the one you prefer
• 1 teaspoon salt  
• 1 teaspoon white pepper 
• 1 teaspoon paprika 
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder 
• 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes 
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• Peri Peri Mayo
• 4 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Peri Peri sauce (Garlic flavored)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes 
• 3-4 tablespoon sweet corn
• 200 grams shredded cheese (mozzarella or cheddar or mix of both)
• 3 tablespoon black olives
• 1-2 tablespoon Peri Peri Sauce (Garlic flavor) 

Other filling suggestions: Caramelized onions, sliced Jalapeno's, Sun-dried tomatoes, Deli Meat, Minced Chicken etc.

Peri Peri Grilled Chicken Sandwich - the filling on display

Directions:

For Garlic Butter:

1. Melt butter in small saucepan. Add garlic paste/finely minced garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes so that the raw flavor vanishes. Take out garlic butter in a small container and keep aside. 

For Peri Peri Grilled Chicken:

1. Marinate chicken with rest of ingredients and keep in fridge for about 30 minute. 
2. Using a pastry brush, brush about 1 tablespoon of oil on a grill pan, and add chicken.
3. Grill for about 10-15 minutes on each side, till the chicken is cooked & the water dries. 
4. Slice chicken into small chunks.  
5. This was actually quite a lot of chicken - I made about 3 sandwiches, used about 1/2 cup in Cheesy Potato Skins and I had about 1 cup of sliced chicken leftover that I used in white sauce pasta (recipe pending).

For Peri Peri Mayo Dip: 

1. Mix together mayonnaise, Peri Peri sauce, salt & red chilli flakes.
2. Taste & adjust if necessary.

Assembly:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
2. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil.
3. Spread garlic butter on the bottom slices of the bread. 
4. Put 4 bread slices on the foil with butter side down. Spread Peri mayo dip on the slices. 
5. Add grilled chicken then shredded cheese, then black olives. Top with a little bit of the garlic Peri Peri sauce. Top with bread slices.
6. Brush the top slice of the bread with garlic butter.
7. Bake in oven for about 10-15 minutes till toasted & cheese melts.Cut into triangles & serve with french fries or salad.

Peri Peri Grilled Chicken Sandwich - right out of the oven

Please 'like' me on Facebook to keep updated with new posts, tips & tricks, or to ask me any questions: Kay's House of Treats 

Cheesy Potato Skins

I decided to make potato skins today - I made them at 7:30 pm for Iftar and I am now typing the recipe at 1:49 am in the morning.  This is probably the first time I have typed out a recipe this quickly but I did not anticipate the amount of requests I would get for this recipe. 

Of course, the fact that I shared it on my own Facebook page, on other Facebook forums, Instagram & Twitter might have contributed to the amount of likes & "recipe please's" I got. But basically long story short, I am staying up tonight so I can finish this recipe in time for you to make it at Iftar tomorrow! 

Cheesy Potato Skins

Cheesy Potato Skins

Ingredients:

• 5 medium potatoes, washed & scrubbed
• Olive Oil
• Salt 
• Black Pepper 
• 1/2 cup grilled chicken, sliced into small chunks (any cooked/grilled chicken can be used as well as leftover chicken). The recipe I used is shared below out of which I used about 1/2 cup chicken for these potato skins
• 3-4 tablespoon sweet corn 
• 2-3 tablespoon green olives (I used green olives but black olives can also be used)
• 200-250 grams cheese, shredded (I used ~ 150 grams mozzarella + ~50 grams chilli cheese but you can use whatever mixture of cheese you prefer, as long as it melts)

Peri Mayo Dip - Mix together 4 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon Peri Peri sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes. 

Other Filling Suggestions: Sliced Jalapeno's, Sliced chicken sausages, Sauteed Peppers (Green, Red or Yellow), Pepperoni. 

Other Garnish Options: Sour Cream, Sliced Green Onions, Caramelized Onions, BBQ sauce.

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees centigrade.
2. Prick potatoes with a fork all around. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with aluminium foil. Brush the potatoes with olive oil, salt & black pepper. Bake for about 45 minutes - 1 hour till cooked through. Once you can easily pass a knife through the potatoes, they are done. 
3. Take the potatoes out of the oven, cut them in half and then set aside to cool. 
4. Take grilled chicken (sliced in chunks) & combine with sweet corn and green olives. Season with salt  (1 tsp) & white pepper (1 tsp) and mix it altogether. Set aside.
5. Take the potatoes & scoop out the insides leaving about 1/4 inch layer of potato. Make sure you do this very carefully because if you remove too much, they won't stand up on their own. However, if you don't take out enough flesh, then there won't be enough space for the topping. The leftover potato flesh can be used to make mashed potatoes. 
6. Stuff the potato skins with some of the chicken + corn mixture, then the shredded cheese. Top with just a little bit of the chicken + corn mixture so that it looks good. 
7. Turn the oven to 200 degrees and bake for about 10 minutes till the cheese is melted and the skins are crispy. 
8. Top with Peri Mayo dip.

Grilled Chicken:

Marinate 400 grams boneless chicken with 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon white pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic paste, 2 tablespoon Peri Peri sauce, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon red chilli pepper & 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes. 
Using a pastry brush, brush about 1 tablespoon of oil on a grill pan, and add chicken. Grill for about 10-15 minutes on each side, till the chicken is cooked & the water dries.
Slice chicken into small chunks. Use about 1/2 cup of cooked chicken for the potato skins and reserve the rest to use in some other recipe (pasta, sandwiches, etc).  

Please 'like' me on Facebook to keep updated with new posts, tips & tricks, or to ask me any questions: Kay's House of Treats 

Onion Rings

I have such a backlog of recipes & reviews to put up on this blog and I am just not getting the time to do it all. It's Ramadan and even though we technically have to work shorter hours, there's just so much to do - managing office work & house chores & taking out as much time as possible for prayers & spiritual reflection.

This time, I am just going to proceed with the recipe directly - no introductions :). More time for that after Eid inshAllah! 

Onion Rings

Crispy Fried Onion Rings

Adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/old-fashioned-onion-rings/

Ingredients

Makes 3-4 servings

• 2 large onions, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 - 1 1/4 cups flour/maida
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
• 1.5 tsp white pepper
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp red chilli flakes 
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup - 1 cup milk 
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs (I use panko-style bread crumbs as they absorb less oil & are crisper)
• salt for sprinkling in the end 
• oil for frying
• Chilli Mayo Dip (Recipe in the end)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a karhai/wok/deep pan once the onion rings preparation has been completed and you are ready to fry.
2. Separate the onion slices into rings, and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt & spices.
3. Dip the onion slices into the flour mixture until they are all coated; set aside. Whisk the egg and milk into the flour mixture using a fork or whisk. 
4. Spread the bread crumbs in a large plate or tray. 
5. Create an assembly line with one container holding the onion rings, the second containing the flour batter, with the breadcrumbs in a plate/tray. 
6. Dip the floured rings into the batter to coat, hold them up so that the batter can drip away. I was in a hurry so I just added all the onion rings to the batter, covered it with a big plate and then shook so that it can mix properly.
7. Place rings one at a time into the crumbs, and scoop the crumbs up over the ring to coat. Give it a hard tap as you remove it from the crumbs. The coating should cling very well. Repeat with remaining rings.
8. Deep fry the rings a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to paper towels to drain. 
9. Season with salt, and serve with Chilli Mayo dip.

Note: In order to avoid the dipping & coating mess, make the batter (flour + egg + milk) in ziplock bag. Once properly mixed, add the onion rings, close the bag and shake to coat properly. Add the bread crumbs in another ziplock and add the batter coated onion rings a few at a time shaking to coat again. 

Chilli Mayo Dip

Mix 4 tbsp mayonnaise, 2 tsp chilli garlic sauce, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Taste & adjust if required. Serve with onion rings, or french fries.

Please 'like' me on Facebook to keep updated with new posts, tips & tricks, or to ask me any questions: Kay's House of Treats 

Guacamole

I was just checking out my blog stats and I am done to about 20-40 pageviews a day from a considerably high number earlier. Just goes to show what happens if I don't update this blog on a regular basis (Ouch). 

But I am resolving to spend a bit more time on posting recipes since I have been receiving some amazing feedback on how much my recipes are being enjoyed by people! So just motivated to share more. Will probably start writing small introductions (I will try :p), and focus more on the recipe writing. 

Before I begin with the recipe, it is a sincere appeal to all readers who have tried avocados in their life & not liked them to give this recipe a try! Yes - avocados are bland & a little bit tasteless if you try them for the first time. But use them to make Guacamole and I can guarantee that at least the majority of you will be addicted converts! 

Guacamole Dip 

(Serve with Corn Chips/Tortilla Chips)

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado

1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste) 

1/2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice

1-2 Jalapeno peppers, finely chopped 

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1/2 ripe tomato, seeds & pulp removed, finely chopped 

1 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped) - reserve some for garnish

Tortilla Chips or Corn Chips for Serving 

Method:

1. Cut the avocado in half & remove the flesh. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh and put it in a small bowl. 

See this article on How to Cut and Peel an Avocado.

2. Using a fork, roughly mash the avocado. It should still be a little bit chunky so don't overdo it. Add lemon juice and salt. Add chopped onion, jalapeno peppers, coriander leaves, and tomatoes. Mix it all up.

3. Taste & adjust seasonings if necessary. If you like it hotter then add one more jalapeno pepper.

4. Cover with plastic wrap since avocados turn black very quickly. 

Note: When buying avocados, try to get when they are still firm and then put them in a brown paper bag to ripen. There are different ways to tell if an avocado is ripe depending from variety to variety, but the best method is through gently pressing the fruit.

• If the avocado is ripe, it will yield to a minimal amount of pressure.
• If the avocado feels soft/mushy, then it is overripe.
• If the avocado feels firm, it is still under ripe. 

Avocados in Karachi can be found at Agha's, Farids and Hyperstar. They are quite expensive, but the cheapest I have found so far are at Aghas (Rs. 185 for one)

Thai Sweet Chilli Wings

Thai Sweet Chilli Wings with Sesame Seeds

A few days ago I received a gift pack of sauces from the brand Chatkhaar with directions on featuring a recipe on my blog using one of the sauces.

I had actually tried a few of the Chatkhaar sauces before I received the gift pack. Initially they were were delivery only, however, once they started stocking at supermarkets, we got them from Imtiaz. The part that impressed me was that they created a line of gourmet sauces keeping the product and branding strategy completely different from the parent company "Naurus". The sauces themselves are a welcome change from the typical ones available in terms of variety, flavor profile and versatility of usage. Also, while the price point is higher than ketchup and chilli garlic, it is good value for money considering the quality & flavor of the sauces. 

Chatkhaar Piri Piri, Sweet Chilli Sauce & Arabian Garlic

The gift pack that I received contained what they considered to be their most popular sauces, the Piri Piri sauce, the Arabian Garlic Sauce & the Sweet Chilli Sauce. The concept behind the sauces is that each one of them represents a specific country, with the name of the sauce is written in local language on the packaging as well. Thus in the case of Sweet Chilli Sauce, the product name is also given in Thai.

The Piri Piri sauce is the classic spicy table sauce, ideal as a dipping for snacks but also good for marination. The Arabian Garlic Sauce is one of their milder sauces, and is great as an accompaniment to grilled chicken, added in a shawarma wrap, or even added in salads as a mild dressing. However, it was the Sweet Chilli Sauce that I personally found the best and featured in the recipe below. The sauce is sweet, but not overly sweet and has a major spice kick from red chilli flakes. Anyone reading this blog on a constant basis would know of my love for chilli flakes, and completely understand why this particular sauce appealed to me. I was switching between recipes, but the one recipe that instantly kicked was a typical Thai appetizer - Thai Sweet Chilli Wings. 

Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce

This is actually my first time making wings, and it all started with a mini-lesson in butchery on using the proper knife and how to get the skin off from my mother. But after I had managed to get that out of the way, I am glad that the recipe itself was a success. Instead of frying the wings which would make them more fattening, I decided to bake them in the oven ensuring that they were cooked perfectly with no raw chicken wing, and coated with that sweet & spicy sauce, the wings were a resounding success. The recipe can itself be easily adjusted to other cuts of chicken, like boneless chicken & even chicken drumsticks for a yummy appetizer. 

Disclaimer: PR samples sent by the company for review & trial. However, this has not affected my opinion regarding the product itself. 

Thai Sweet Chilli Wings

Ingredients:
1 kg Chicken Wings (tips trimmed and cut at the joint)
Chatkhaar Sweet Chilli Sauce - 200 grams (approx. 3/4th of the bottle)
Soya Sauce - 1 tbsp
Brown Sugar - 2 tbsp
Red Chilli Flakes - 1 tsp (can be removed or adjusted based on spice preference)
Salt - 2 tsp
Sesame Oil - 1/2 tbsp (can be removed if not available but added for more Asian flavor)
Toasted Sesame Seeds - 3 tsp (Toast Sesame seeds in a toaster oven for about 3-4 minutes till light brown)
Spring Onions - For garnish (optional)

Method:
Cut the chicken wings into three pieces - wings, drumettes and wing tips. Discard the wing tips or reserve them for making stock. I prefer skinless wings which is why I removed the skin from the wings. The best method is to to ask the butcher to clean & cut up the wings, however, if the wings are in one size, then it would be best to google up an instruction video on cutting wings for help. Keep the wings in a big bowl.

Take a medium sized bowl and add the Chatkhaar Sweet Chilli sauce, brown sugar, salt, red chilli flakes, sesame oil and mix well together. Add about 3/4th of the sweet chilli mixture to the chicken wings and mix well together making sure that all wings are coated properly. Leave to marinate for at least 20 minutes. 

Pre-heat the oven to 200 C for at least ten minutes before about to put the chicken wings inside. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil and then spread the chicken wings in a single layer on the baking sheet. I used one big baking sheet but two small baking sheets can be used as well. Do make sure that the baking sheet is properly lined since that will keep the mess to a minimum. Using a silicone pastry brush or a spoon, make sure that the chicken is properly covered with the remaining marinade. 

Bake for about 45 minutes, turning the chicken over with kitchen tongs after about 20 minutes to ensure that it is cooked on both sides. If using two baking sheets, it may take slightly more time to cook the chicken, and it is necessary to revove the baking sheet from top to bottom and vice versa to ensure heat is circulated properly. When turning the chicken over, the leftover marinade mixture can be used to coat the chicken. While the chicken is cooking, the juices of the chicken will release, and initially there will be a lot of water which will dry up into a sticky sauce by the time the chicken is cooked.

Topped with toasted sesame seeds 

Once the wings are baked, put them in a bowl and toss with the remaining 1/4th sweet chilli mixtture so that it is mixed properly. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds & spring onions.

Sweet & Spicy Thai Sweet Chilli Wings 

Availability: 
For Home Delivery, e-mail: info@chatkhaar.com; 
Phone: 021-32566314 for deliveries in KHI,LHR,ISB,RWP
For International Customers 
USA: 
New York Tristate Area: 718-607-8604
Houston and Dallas : 713-777-4999
CANADA:
Toronto: 416-358-578-66
Product Range: 
Mango Chutney, Mint Chutney, Plum Chutney, Shahi Chutney, Imli Chutney, Green Chilli Chutney, , Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce, Arabian Garlic Sauce, French Honey Mustard, Portuguese Piri Piri Sauce, 
Mixed Pickle, Olive Pickle, Green Chilli Pickle, Sweet Lime Pickle & Lasoora Pickle. 
http://www.chatkhaar.com

Kung Pao Chicken Wontons made Square

 This Ramazan I decided to try my hand at making Wontons. I had bookmarked this recipe a long time back from this Desi blog that I follow titled "Hunger & Haw Hai". The recipe itself was totally my style since it featured one of my favourite Chinese dishes as the basis of the filling.

Unfortunately, all my dreams of my wontons looking similar to the stunning photographs of the original recipe failed. The wonton sheets that I had gotten from a local bakery were not the right size when I cut them into smaller pieces, and it took me about 2-3 minutes to just be able to make that twisty wonton effect for just 1 wonton and I was worried about the size being too small so the filling would leak out. Looking at the clock, and the amount of wrappers in front of me, I was about to lose hope thinking that I was going to spend my entire afternoon twisting wonton wrappers. BUT, then I did a little bit of wrapping and folding, and I turned the wontons into small little parcels. So from Wontons, this recipe shifted to Kung Pao Chicken Parcels. 

Taste-wise, the wontons were delicious with the minced chicken & peanuts filling providing a welcome change from the usual Samosa's & Spring Roll filling. Looks-wise, the real wontons definitely looked prettier with the spring roll knot in a way just completing the package. But the square little parcels that I made looked quite nice too, and I am sure if anyone didn't know they were originally wontons, they could just as easily be called Kung Pao Chicken Parcels! 

The point is that sometimes we have to adapt and change our recipe a little here and there if something goes wrong, but as long as the ingredients are delicious, the end result will also be just as good :)! Have included the recipe for both wontons and parcels, so you can make whatever you want depending on the wrappers you have!

Kung Pao Chicken Wontons/Parcels 
Adapted from Hunger & Haw Hai

(makes about 30-35 wontons/parcels)

Ingredients
8 ounces (1/4 kg) minced chicken
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup salted peanuts, chopped (can be pulsed in a food processor as well)
2 tablespoons spring onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ginger paste
1/2 teaspoon ginger, finely sliced
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes (adjust to taste)
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
30 square wonton wrappers (the only wonton wrappers I could find find were huge square ones which I then cut into wonton size)
3-4 spring onions, cut into thin strips and wilted in boiling water
Vegetable oil, enough to come 4 inches up the side of a large pot

Method:

-For the wonton filling, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt, pepper, peanuts, spring onions, ginger, garlic, and dried chili flakes.

- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and water together.
- Brush a wonton wrappers with the egg-wash and place a 1/2 tablespoon of filling into the center of the wrapper. Brush the edges with more egg-wash.
For Wontons:
- Lift all four corners of the wonton wrapper and make a pouch. Squeeze together around the top of the filling to form it to remove all the air, sealing it into the middle of the wrapper.
- Tie with a strip of wilted spring onion.
For Parcels
-  Put a piece of wilted spring onion in on top of the filling (had to subsitute since I couldn't tie the ribbon). After brushing the egg wash around the filling (I find that a silicon pastry brush is the best for this job), divide the wrapper into thirds bring the left and the right side of the wrapper in the middle over the filling. Brush a little more egg wash on the right and left side of the now rectangular wrapper. Bring both ends together in the middle, making sure that the package is all sealed. Voila, square little parcels ready! 

- Heat the oil and fry the wontons/parcels in batches, until golden and crisp from both sides, approximately 2-3 minutes.

- Drain on paper towels.

- Serve hot with Chilli Sauce.

Croquettes

Have a backlog of recipes that I have been meaning to post and just not getting the time these days. Have just been occupied with work for the past few weeks, and with Ramazan here, its become more busy with the Sehri & Iftar preparations since my mother's not in town so I have to do the preps myself.  Then with the spare time that I have, I try my best to do as much Ibidat as possible. So yeah, its craziness on top of craziness, but am going to start posting some recipes as well as some reviews, starting with typical Ramazan snacks, and then some recipes that can be made for dinner with a light iftar.


Today its going to be one of my favourite Ramazan recipes - croquettes. My recipe combines mashed potatoes with chicken & capsicum along with instant noodles which makes it just that more yummy!. 

Croquettes (Chicken & Potato Balls)

Ingredients for Chicken
Chicken (Boneless) - 250 grams

Ginger - 1/2 inch

Garlic Cloves - 2

Soya Sauce - 1 tbsp

Vinegar - 1 tbsp

Black Pepper  - 1/2 tsp

White Pepper - 1/4 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp
Method to make Chicken

Marinate the chicken in the above mixture for about 30 minutes. Then heat some oil in a pan, and cook the chicken (add the remaining mixture as wel) for a few minute till its tender and the water has dried. Shred the chicken or pulse it in the food processer for a few seconds.

Ingredients for Croquettes
Potatoes - 500 grams (or 5 medium) - Potatoes need to be peeled, boiled and mashed

Capsicum - 2 (medium size) - finely chopped or this can also be pulsed in the food processer for a few seconds

1 pack instant 2 minute noodles (chicken flavor) - boiled and flavor packet added; the noodles should be broken while cooking so that its easy to mix into the croquettes mixture

Chilli Flakes - 1 tsp

Lemon Juice/Vinegar - 1 tbsp

Soya Sauce - 2 tbsp

Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp

White Pepper - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1.5 tsp

Flour - As needed (about 3/4 cup would be good)

Bread Crumbs/Panko Bread Crumbs preferably

(I personally use Panko bread crumbs instead of the normal bread crumbs as they coat better and absorb much less oil then the regular bread crumbs) - the style is easily available in Karachi and the bread crumbs will look like flakes instead of normal crumbs)

Egg - 2 (whisked with a fork and 3 tsp of water added and whisked as well)

Method

Cook the chicken separately. Boil & mash the potatoes. Then mix potatoes, chicken, capsicum & noodles together. Add chilli flakes, lemon juice/vinegar, soya sauce, black pepper & white pepper. Adjust the seasonings to taste and add more depending on personal preference.

Make balls out of the potato mixture, then dip in flour, then in the egg mixture, then in the bread crumbs mixture.

Heat oil in a wok/karhai and then deep fry the croquettes till golden brown.

These croquettes can easily be frozen and kept in the freezer for 2-3 months and fried as needed. The croquettes need to be kept in the freezer after the coating has been done, because that will protect the potato mixture.

 I am sending this recipe to "Ramadan Friendly Recipes" event hosted at "the halal foodie"

Mezze

 I absolutely love the Mezze platter served in middle eastern restaurants; a bit of this and a bit of that all combined together with toasted pita bread that can be had either as an appetizer or as a complete meal. The first time I had Falafel was in this middle eastern cafe in New York and it was in the form of a sandwich with hot crispy Falafel topped with a salad and drizzled with tzatizki sauce; its a delicious vegetarian meal and while I enjoy the platter, but to date, my favorite way of eating Falafel is still in the form of a sandwich with everything mixed together.

By definition, Mezze is not exactly a specific recipe or recipes but a style of eating with a bunch of small dishes served all at once. It can be served as appetizers before a meal, or as the main meal depending on the combination of dishes. Serving Mezze is actually great for a party or for a close family get together because the dishes can be made in advance and the best way to eat it is mixing it all up together as per your taste.

A Mezze meal usually includes Hummus (Chickpea Dip), Baba Ganoush (Eggplant Dip), Falafel, Olives, some sort of salad/yoghurt along with Pita bread, but can also include Dolma (Stuffed Grape Leaves), Fatayer (Stuffed Spinach Parcels), Kebabs, Feta Cheese and the list goes on.

I usually make Hummus & Pita Chips separately for parties as an appetizer, but when I make Falafel then I always make the accompaniments because it tastes best that way; that includes Hummus, Baba Ganoush, a basic Raita and serve it with store bought Olives & Pita Bread.

Hummus
Hummus is one of those really simple dishes that don't require a lot of exact ratios and I always add more or less according to taste; furthermore the taste can easily be changed by adding different ingredients like roasted garlic, chilli pepper, coriander; pesto sauce etc.

Ingredients:
1.5 cups dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight (or substitute canned chickpeas (drained) which you don't need to cook) (10 ounces)
2-2.5 lemons, juiced (3 ounces)
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
a big pinch of salt
4 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Paprika/Red Chilli Pepper - 1 tsp
Black & Green Olives - Garnish
Method:
1) Drain and boil the soaked chickpeas in fresh water for about 1 ½ hours, or until tender. Drain, but reserve the cooking liquid. Keep a few chick peas to garnish on top.
2) Puree the beans in a blender or a food processor adding the cooking water as needed until you have a smooth paste.
3) Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Adjust the seasonings to taste.
4) Make an indentation in the center and drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with red pepper.
5) Garnish with black and green olives & leftover chickpeas
6) Refrigerate for at least


Baba Ganoush (Dip made with Eggplant) 
Ingredients
Eggplant - 1 (Large) or 2 Medium;  Try to make sure it has less seeds
Yoghurt - 1/4 - 1/2 cup
Tahini Paste - 2 tbsp
Lemon Juice - 1.5 - 2 tbsp
Salt - To taste (1/2 tsp)
Garlic - 2 cloves (minced)
Olive Oil - Garnish
Cilantro - Garnish
Method
Roast the eggplant; this can be done on the stove or on the oven; the best way that I have found of doing this is washing the eggplant, and then pricking it with a fork then wrapping it in aluminium foil and putting it on the stove directly. Turn the eggplant every 5-10 minutes and it should cook in about 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the eggplant. They should be soft but charred from the outside and give off a smokey flavor; As an alternative you can also roast them in the oven, but that takes more time so I prefer this method.
Once the eggplant is cool enough to handle, scoop out all the flesh and put it in a bowl. If the eggplants were roasted correctly, the flesh should be easily scoopable. If you want to make the baba ganoush smooth, then add all the ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. However, I prefer a chunkier texture, so I add half the flesh and process it in a blender and then mash the rest of the flesh into the processed paste so it becomes more chunky. Alternatively, you can just mash it all up with a fork. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasonings if necessary.
Garnish with olive oil and chopped cilantro.

Falafel
Recipe adapted from Epicurious.comPrep Time: Overnight for dry beans and 1 hour to make Falafels
Ingredients
Chickpeas - 1 cup/7 ounces
Dried or Canned – if using dried, they must be soaked overnight and then drained. If using canned, they must be drained.
Onion - 1 large
Fresh parsley - 2 Tablespoons (Chopped) Can use dried, just a few pinches.
Cilantro - 2 Tablespoons (Chopped) Can use dried, just a few pinches.
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Red pepper - 1 teaspoon
Garlic cloves - 4 (Peeled & Chopped)
Cumin - 1 teaspoon
Baking powder - 1 teaspoon
All Purpose Flour -  4 Tablespoons
May need more flour
Oil for frying

Method: 
1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, and then drain. Or use canned chickpeas, drained.
Falafel made with soaked chickpeas is more coarse & more crunchy but that requires planning in advance; If canned chickpeas are used, they are much more softer, but at the same time, care needs to be taken while processing since it can become quite smooth and the batter will be too soft.
2. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed. If you don’t have a food processor, then mash this up as smooth as possible by hand. If mashing by hand, then chop the vegetables finely otherwise they won't mix together well.
3. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.
4. Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts.
5. Heat 3 inches of oil to 375ºF (190ºC) in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 6 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Cucumber Raita
Ingredients
2 cups yoghurt
1 cucumber (chopped)
1 tomato (chopped)
1/2 onion - chopped
Corriander - 1/4 cup (chopped)
Salt - To taste
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Garlic cloves - 1 (minced)
Method
Mix all the ingredients together. Adjust seasoning to taste; it should not be spicy like traditional raita, but its more like an accompaniment to the Falafels. Garnish with red chilli pepper on top.

Twister Chicken

Buoyed by the success of the Zinger Fried Chicken the other day, I decided to make a variation of the Zinger twister. My parents are away for the weekend which basically gave me free reign in the kitchen to be able to try out something new and different. There were a few adaptions that I made regarding the roll itself and the filling due to ingredients that I didn't have at home, such as using frozen paratha's instead of making tortilla's from scratch and omitting the lettuce. But otherwise, the meal was just fantastic. The chicken was really easy to make, it was flavorful and the first batch still remained crispy even after dinner had ended. I had leftovers the next day, and it still tasted great. 

Twister (Adapted from Shireen Anwer)

Ingredients

For Chicken + Marinade

Chicken breast (boneless) 4 - Used about 1/2 kg of boneless chicken cut into cubes 

Salt 1 tsp

Pepper ½ tsp

Paprika powder 1 tsp - Used Chilli Powder

Chili sauce 2 tbsp

Chili garlic sauce 1 tbsp

Corn crumbs 2 cups 

Self raising flour ½ cup

Ice berg lettuce sliced ½ cup

Tomato (cut into cubes)  1

For Sauce

Hot sauce 2 tbsp

Mayonnaise 2 tbsp

White vinegar 2 tbsp

Ingredients for batter

Flour 2 tbsp

Baking powder ½ tsp

Salt ½ tsp

White pepper ½ tsp

Paprika ½ tsp

Chili sauce 1 tbsp

Water to make batter

Ingredients for tortillas - Used Frozen Paratha's

Flour 2 cup

Salt ½ tsp

Baking powder ½ tsp

Oil 2 tbsp

Luke warm water as required

Method to make tortillas

1.In a bowl knead 2cups of flour, 1/2tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp oil with water to form a medium dough

2.Leave covered for 30 minutes, then make chapattis of a dinner size plate and cook both the sides on a griddle, cover and keep warm.

Method for batter

1.In a bowl mix together 2tbsp of flour,1/2 tsp of baking powder,1/2tsp salt, 1/2tsp white pepper,1/2 tsp paprika,1 tbsp chili sauce and water . Mix all the ingredients well until a batter of medium consistency is formed

Method for chicken

2. Combine corn crumbs and self raising flour. Cut boneless chicken fillet into 3 inch long strips, and marinate with salt, pepper, paprika, chili sauce, chili garlic sauce for 30 minutes, dip in batter roll in combined corn crumbs and self raising flour mixture, fry till crisp and golden.

To serve twister

3.Roll out the tortillas, top with fried chicken strips, tomato cubes, sliced lettuce, mayonnaise sauce and hot sauce.

4.Serve rolled in butter paper.

Mix Chaat

Chaat is a quintessential street food here in Pakistan, available in many different varieties from the basic mix chaat, dahi bara, sev puri with the introduction of new varieties like the Samosa chaat. Personally I am not a fan of eating chaat from outside because the vendors mix everything up and it all becomes spicy and soggy; the only chaat that I like so far is the Meethi chaat from Gazebo which has just the right blend of ingredients and spices. 

That's why I love making chaat at home; I can add whatever I like in the quantity that I prefer so it all turns out delicious in the end. Also, while making chaat at home might look very difficult, it's pretty simple and it's a great appetizer a one dish dinner or for a light lunch and everyone can make just their own plates. 

For Dahi Phulki

This time, I just decided to use store-bought dahi phulkiyaan (from Nimco) which I soaked in water for about 1-2 hours till they became soft, then strained them and added them to yoghurt. 

For the yoghurt in about 1.5 cups of yoghurt, I add about 3-4 tbsp of water, 1.5 tsp of salt, 1.5 tsp of red chilli powder, 2 tsp of roasted corriander powder and 1/2 tsp of garlic paste. However, I always taste and add more if required. If the yoghurt is a bit too tart, then I add milk also with the water. In the end, I garnish with just a pinch of roasted corriander powder & frcorriander leaves. 

For Chaana/Chick Peas

Heat about 2 tbsp of oil. Add 1 tsp of cumin seeds and saute for about 30 seconds till they start roasting. Then add about 1.5 - 2 cups of boiled chickpeas and saute. Add 1.5 tsp salt, about 1-2 tsp of chilli powder (depending on taste) and add 2 tbsp of lemon juice. Alternatively, you can also add imli/tamarind paste diluted in a bit of water. Saute for about 5-10 minutes till they become a bit roasted and crunchy.  

For Potatoes

Boil 3 medium sized potatoes in either water or in the microwave. Cut them into little cubes then add 2 tsp of salt, 2 tsp of red chilli powder, 1 tsp of roasted corriander powder, 1 tbsp of green chutney and 1 tbsp of tamarind/imli chutney. Mix it all up together.

Other Condiments 

Onions - Cubed

Tomatoes - Cubed

Papri 

Chaat Masala 

Red Chilli Powder

Corriander Powder

Tamarind/Imli Chutney

Green Chutney 

To Serve

Mix the dahi phulki, the chaana's, the potatoes and the other vegetables (tomatoes and onions) together. Then add chutney's and masala's based on preferences and mix it all up. Eat :).