Light Fruit Cake

Pin It

Light Fruit Cake ... Light & buttery fruit cake, filled with candied fruits & nuts.

Today's post is my last post of the year. Thank you for your encouragement & support throughout 2011. It really means a lot to me. I hope that you'll continue to support me in the new year :)

Warmest Christmas wishes to you all and a very HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Wishing you all a new year full of happiness, joy & laughter. May each day of the New Year bring sweet surprises for all of us. Hope to see you all in 2012 :)

Tutti-frutti Cookies

Pin It

Tutti-frutti Cookies ... Cookies made with butter, sugar, egg, all-purpose flour with addition of candied fruits. Just make a log, chill & coat with coconut. These cookies are very light & tender. Enjoy these colorful & tasty cookies!

Cookie Cutter Chocolates

Pin It

Cookie Cutter Chocolates ... Enjoy these little chocolate treats. The cookie cutters are filled with melted chocolate and topped with sprinkles or nuts. For a homemade Christmas gift,  use Christmas cookie cutters; place them in clear gift bag & tie with ribbons. Simple, easy & cute!

Black Chickpeas Chaat ( Kalay Chanay Ki Chaat )

Pin It

Black Chickpeas Chaat ( Kalay Chanay Ki Chaat ) is a popular snack. Easy to make, delicious & healthy!

Black Chickpeas Chaat 

*************************

Serves : 4

Ingredients :

• 250 gm.  black chickpeas ( kala chana )
• 1/2 cup tamarind pulp ( or according to taste )
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 large onion, finely diced

Coconut Cake & Awards

Pin It

Coconut Cake ... Delicious & soft coconut cake,  perfect to enjoy at tea-time!

Coconut Cake 

***************

Serves : 6

Ingredients :

• 115 gm.  all purpose flour
• 2 tsp.  baking powder
• 30 gm.  ( 4 tbsp. )  desiccated coconut, plus extra for sprinkling

Chicken Karahi 2

Pin It

Chicken Karahi ... A traditional Pakistani curry; chicken cooked with tomatoes, yogurt and spices. This recipe is completely different from the Chicken Karahi I posted earlier!

Chicken Karahi

*****************

Serves : 3 - 4 

Ingredients :

• 1/2 kg. chicken, cut into medium pieces
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp.  ginger & garlic paste
• 2 to 3 green chilies, finely chopped 

Rainbow Lamingtons for 1st Blogoversary & 100th Post

Pin It

Today marks two milestones, my 1st Blogoversary & 100th post. Can't believe a year has passed! This blog was started exactly a year ago, just to keep record of all my tried & tested recipes. It has become my passion now and I really enjoy it. In this blogging journey, I have met so many kind blogging friends who who have always been encouraging me through their lovely comments. I enjoy reading every single one. Thank you all for being so supportive! Hope you will continue your support :)

To celebrate my blogoversary & my 100th post, I wanted to make something sweet & special. These lamingtons are my all-time favorite. The cake itself is quite soft & moist. After dipping in syrup, they would be more moist and melt in your mouth. And with the coconut, they tastes like a piece of heaven. So here goes the recipe:

Achari Aaloo or Pickled Potato Curry

Pin It

 Achari Aaloo or Pickled Potato Curry ... A tangy potato dish cooked with spices & mango pickle. Chanay ka Salan, Sooji ka halwa, Aloo ki Sabzi & Poori is a very popular Sunday brunch in Pakistan.

Achari Aaloo or Pickled Potato Curry
******************************************

Serves : 4

Ingredients :

• 250 gms. potatoes
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds
• 1/4 tsp. nigella seeds ( kalonji )
• 3 - 4 curry leaves
• 1/4 tsp. anise seeds ( saunf ), crushed
• 1/4 tsp. coriander seeds, crushed
• 1/4 tsp. carom seeds ( ajwaiin )
  

Butter Cake

Pin It

Butter Cake ... Using basic ingredients butter, sugar, eggs, flour and baking powder to make a  lighter & fluffier cake.

Butter Cake
*************

Serves : 6 - 8

Ingredients :

• 6 oz. ( 3/ 4 cup ) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 6 oz. ( 3/ 4 cup ) sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla essence
• 6 oz. ( 1 1/2 cup ) all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tbs. milk

Spicy Mutton Chops

Pin It

Spicy Mutton Chops ... Mutton chops marinated with yogurt & spices, and cooked till tender.

Spicy Mutton Chops

**********************

Serves : 4

Ingredients : 

Marinade :

• 1 kg. mutton chops
• 1 cup plain yogurt

Eid al-Adha Mubarak & Sheer Khurma

Pin It

Eid al-Adha or "Festival of Sacrifice" is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Hazrat Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Hazrat Isma'il as an act of obedience to Allah, before Allah intervened to provide him with a sheep— to sacrifice instead. On this day, those Muslims who can afford, sacrifice their best domestic animals as a symbol of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his only son. The meat from the sacrificed animal is divided into three parts. The family retains one third of the share; another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbors; and the other third is given to the poor and needy. ( Source )


Sheer Khurma is a traditional Muslim festive breakfast & Eid's special dessert, prepared in South Asian countries especially Pakistan. It is served on the morning of Eid day in the family after the Eid prayer as breakfast, and throughout the day to all the visiting guests. It is a sweet vermicelli soup. Sheer Khurma was originally a Mughal-Afghan dish, imported to Mughal-India. Sheer means sweetened milk and khurma is made from dried dates. ( Source )

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pin It

Chocolate Chip Cookie ... a drop cookie that originated in the United States and features chocolate chips as its distinguishing ingredient. The traditional recipe combines a dough composed of butter and both brown and white sugar with semi-sweet chocolate chips. Variations include recipes with other types of chocolate or additional ingredients, such as nuts or oatmeal.

Bread Rolls

Pin It

Bread Rolls ... Deep-fried bread rolls stuffed with a delicious chicken & vegetables filling. You can use your favorite filling, too!

Bread Rolls

*************

* Serves : 6 - 8

Ingredients :

For Filling :

• 1 cup peeled and grated carrot
• 1 cup chopped spring onions, green part only
• 1 cup finely shredded cabbage
• 1 cup boiled and shredded chicken

Arvi Fry ( Fried Colocasia ) and Liebster Blog Award

Pin It

Arvi Fry ( Fried Colocasia ) ... Colocasia slices fried with onion & green chillies, simple & easy side dish with mild spices.

Arvi Fry ( Fried Colocasia )

******************************

* Serves : 6- 8

Ingredients :

• 1 kg. Arvi / Colocasia
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp. white cumin seeds
• 1/8 tsp. nigella seeds ( kalonji )
• 1/8 tsp. carom seeds ( ajwaiin )

Karela Curry ( Bitter-gourd Curry)

Pin It

Karela Curry ( Bitter-gourd Curry)  ... Deep fried bitter-gourd slices cooked with onions, tomatoes & spices.

Karela Curry ( Bitter-gourd Curry)
***************************************

* Serves : 6 - 8


Ingredients :

• 1 kg. bitter-gourds ( Karelay ) 
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds ( methi dana )
• 1/4 tsp. carom seeds (ajwaain )
• 1/4 tsp. nigella seeds ( kalonji )
• 350 gm. onions, thinly sliced

Mango Ice Cream & 7 Links Challenge

Pin It

I have been down with fever since last few days. So, here is a recipe which has been sitting in my drafts for quite some time. Mango ice cream ... made with a cooked custard mixture, mango puree and cream.

Mango Ice Cream
********************

*  Makes : About 1 liter

Ingredients :

• 500 ml. milk
• 1/2 cup sugar

Namak Paray (Crunchy Salty Crackers)

Pin It

Namak Paray (Crunchy Salty Crackers) ... are one of the very popular tea-time snacks. These are thin strips, made from a salty pastry / dough and deep fried in oil till golden & crisp. Simple & easy to make, but totally addictive!

Mango Jam Roll Cake or Swiss Roll

Pin It

Hello friends! I'm back home after a month long break. Thank you so much to all of you for taking time out to visit my blog and for your lovely comments :)

Coming back to the recipe, a Swiss roll or jelly roll is a type of sponge cake roll. The thin cake is made of eggs, flour and sugar and baked in a very shallow rectangular baking tray, called a sheet pan. The cake is removed from the pan and spread with jam or butter-cream, rolled up, and served in circular slices. ( Source : Wikipedia )

Simple, quick and easy to make! The slices of the roll can be served warm, cold or at room temperature with whipped cream. Or enjoy it plain with a cup of tea or coffee!

Eid Greetings & Firni ( Rice flour & Milk Pudding )

Pin It

Eid-ul-Fitr is a festival that marks the end of the Holy month of Ramadan. This joyous day is celebrated to give thanks for the blessings of Ramadan. Muslims attend the congregational Eid prayer service which is held in the morning. They wear new clothing, cook delicious food and invite friends and neighbors to celebrate with them. Fasting during Ramadan inspires sympathy for the hungry and needy, and encourages Muslims to donate generously to the poor.

Traditionally, Sheer Khurma ( Milk with Dates) is prepared by Muslims on Eid ul-Fitr in South Asian countries especially Pakistan & India. This special dish is served on the morning of Eid day in the family after the Eid prayer as breakfast, and throughout the day to all the visiting guests.

I'll post its recipe on next Eid Insha-Allah ( I'm still away on vacation, this is a scheduled post ), but here is the recipe of Firni which is also prepared on Eid.

Firni ( Rice flour & Milk Pudding ) is one of the most popular Pakistani dessert after Kheer ( Milk & Rice Dessert ). In Firni, ground rice is used instead of whole rice grain. Its texture is smooth & silky. The addition of khoya makes it more rich & delicious :)

Triple Layer Sandwich & Saying Good-bye

" If I leave here tomorrow, will you still remember me? "

Sandwiches are two or more slices of bread, with fillings between them. They can be made in many different ways and are very popular food item. So, enjoy these easy, delicious & refreshing sandwiches!

Happy Independence Day & Iced Sugar Cookies

Happy Pakistan Independence Day!

May Allah bless our nation, may all our dreams come true, may our nation shine bright

Today & always!

Long Live Pakistan!

A sugar cookie is a cookie made from butter, sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla and baking powder or baking soda. Sugar cookies can be made by hand or rolled and cut into shapes. They can be decorated with Icing, frosting, colored sugar or sprinkles. Easy to make & perfect to decorate!

Palak kay Pakoray ( Spinach Fritters)

Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar that takes place every year. During this month, Muslims around the world fast from dawn to sunset. They wake up early, before the sunrise to have their meal ( called Suhur, Sehri in Urdu ). It consists of the same meal eaten everyday like meat curries, kababs, vegetables dishes or omelet with paratha / chapati; followed by tea to end the meal. After Sehri, morning prayers are offered and the holy Quran is read. Then starts the routine life, time to go for work or study.

When the sun sets, the fast ends. At fast-breaking meal ( known as Iftar ), Muslims break their fast together with their family. In Pakistan, Muslims break their fasts with dates, tea/ drinks, snacks ( samosas or pakoras ) & chaats or dahi bhalay. Then evening prayers are offered & after this, the main meal is served.

For my family, Iftar is not complete without pakoras. It is the most popular Iftar item among Pakistanis. Who doesn't like crispy and crunchy pakoras. Serve them as snacks or appetizers. It is made by adding spinach, onion & potato in a batter of gram flour and then deep-frying them. Although the word deep fried does not sound healthy, but at least the addition of Spinach makes them  healthy. Few dates, a glass of Sharbat Rooh Afza & these delicious pakoras ... that's what I like to have at Iftar :)

Fruit & Cream: A Creamy Fruit Dessert

Fruit & Cream ... A Creamy Fruit Dessert. An easy & yummy summer dessert; made with cream, sugar & fruits. Mango & cream combination is always a hit in my home ... Here, I have used mango, peach & banana.You can use your favorite fruits like pineapple, melon, apples, grapes, berries, etc. or even the canned fruits. Also you can add some chopped nuts, jelly cubes or whatever you like to make it more colorful & delicious. So, enjoy this yummy & rich dessert with the healthiness of fruits :)

Ramadan Kareem:Kharay Masaly Ka Gosht or Stew & Award

Kharay Masaly Ka Gosht or Stew ... A quick and easy stew recipe, meat cooked with onions, tomatoes & whole spices. I have previously shared my family recipe for Stew here using onions & yoghurt. My aunt makes an excellent stew with tomatoes. I was looking for the recipe when I came across this recipe made in a Pakistani food show, tried it & it turned out great. It was quite spicy for us, so I made some changes to reduce the heat. Here's the recipe:

Rolled Coconut Cookies

Rolled Coconut Cookies ... These cookies are great for coconut lovers. Simple basic ingredients & easy to make; just make balls, roll in coconut and bake :)

Mango Cake Balls

Pin It

Mango Cake Balls ... Made from fresh or leftover cake, jam & nuts. These are perfect for any occasion. Very easy, quick & tasty treat for any unexpected guests or great to serve in parties or just for yourself when you are craving something sweet :)

Bhari Bhindi ( Tangy Stuffed Okra )

Bhari Bhindi ( Tangy Stuffed Okra ) ... This is a delicious side dish, okra stuffed with raw mango & spices and then cooked. Enjoy it with chapati / roti or paratha. It sounds like a lot of effort to stuff each okra , but the end result is totally worth it.

Mango Jam & A New Look

Mango Jam ... Homemade mango jam recipe with mangoes, sugar, and lemon. A delicious fruit spread for the bread. Summer brings many sweet things and Mango " The king of the fruits" is the sweetest of all. As mangoes are in season & are plentiful in the market, it is just the time for making jams.

Mixed Vegetables Curry

Mixed Vegetables Curry ... Vegetables cooked in a tomato based curry. You can use any vegetables of your choice.

Condensed Milk Cookies

Condensed Milk Cookies ... Another easy and quick to make recipe. This is an egg-less recipe, here condensed milk acts as the binding agent. This gives them a wonderful texture & an amazingly delicious taste. Perfect cookies for your teatime! This recipe was shared by a cooking friend Liezel. The original recipe calls for cookie press, but I used the cut-out method. They were slightly sweet ... but absolutely delicious!

Karahi Muthi Kabab ( Fried Kababs with Onion & Tomato )

Karahi Muthi Kabab ( Fried Kababs with Onion & Tomato ) ... Kababs made with a blend of ground / minced meat, onion, green chillies, mint, and spices. First, they are marinated, then shallow-fried and lastly cooked with onion, tomato & spices.

Almond Cake

Almond cake ... Light, moist and delicious. Very easy to make, one of our favorite cake. This is my 75th post, slowly moving towards the 100 post mark. Just noticed that I have finally reached 100 followers today, so glad to see that. You're all precious to me. Thank you so much for your support.

Masalay Wali Bhindi ( Curried Okra )

Masalay Wali Bhindi ( Curried Okra ) ... Okra / Lady finger / Bhindi cooked in a tomato based gravy. You can make it like this or you an also add meat to it. 

Sharbat-e-Falsa (Grewia Juice)

Sharbat or Sherbet  is a popular Middle Eastern and South Asian drink that is prepared from fruits or flower petals. It is sweet and served chilled. It can be served in concentrate form and eaten with a spoon or diluted with water to create the drink. Rose, Sandalwood, Lemon, Orange, Pineapple, Mango & Falsa sharbats are very common in Pakistan.

Sesame Cookies and more Awards

Sesame Cookies ... These cookies are simple, buttery & delicious. They are flavorful but not too sweet. Goes well with coffee or tea!

Sesame Cookies are the most popular cookies in my house. My brother is addicted to sesame cookies and he always asks me to make them. So far, I've tried at least 4 other recipes. This particular recipe is his new favorite :)

Wholesome Rice ( Macaroni Chicken Veggies Fried Rice )

Wholesome Rice ( Macaroni Chicken Veggies Fried Rice ) ... Healthy rice dish, full of veggies, chicken & macaroni. You can also try this with different vegetables of your choice. Get creative & enjoy!

Sooji ka Halwa ( Semolina Halva ) & Awards

Sooji ka Halwa ( Semolina Halva ) ... The word 'Halva' comes from the Arabic word 'Halwa' ; meaning sweet or candy. Semolina Halva is made from semolina, ghee and sugar, garnished with dried fruits and nuts. It is an easy & quick dessert.'Halwa Puri Cholay' is Pakistani Traditional Breakfast. It is also prepared on special Islamic occasions; sometimes served with Naan. Enjoy it with Puris, Naan or just with a spoon :)

 

Pakistani Mutton Stew

 Pakistani Mutton Stew ... A popular, delicious & mouth-watering Pakistani dish of Mutton cooked with onions, yoghurt & whole spices.

Methi Daal / White Lentils with Fenugreek leaves

Methi Daal .... Mash Ki Daal ( White Lentils ) & Methi ( Fenugreek leaves ) cooked in a tomato based curry.

Re-posting for Event Participation

I am re-posting the following recipes for the event 'Drive me nuts' by Anamika of Taste Junction.

Crunchy Sesame Cookies 2

Crunchy Sesame Cookies ... Delicious, crisp and crunchy sesame seed cookies made with cooking oil, flour, sugar, egg and sesame seeds. I've posted this recipe earlier, but this time made few changes. They were a big hit & I'm asked to bake them quite often :)

Kabuli Chanay ka Salan ( White Chickpeas Curry )

Pin It

Kabuli Chanay ka Salan ( White Chickpeas Curry ) ... Chanay ka Salan, Sooji ka halwa & Poori is a very popular Sunday brunch in Pakistan. For making the Channa Masala, the chickpeas are soaked overnight and cooked in a thick spicy curry with onion, tomato & spices. Enjoy this delicious dish with Poori, Naan or Chapati!

Crispy Potato Sticks

Pin It

Crispy Potato Sticks ... Very thin strips of potatoes deep-fried in hot oil till golden & crispy. Enjoy right away or store them once they are cooled. A quick & easy snack .... you won't be able to stop eating these :)