Thursday 1 November 2012

Mona - a homesick Hyderabadi foodie muslimah


Today I came across this wonderful blog:

Zaiqa, Recipes and Reflections http://zaiqa.net/

The blog is run by a women named Mona who is a homesick Hyderabadi foodie muslimah. As a young girl, she became obsessed with collecting recipes, cooking and photography.

Check out her blog and her latest post during Ramadan. Her iftar menu is mouth-watering and authentic Hyderabadi!!!

Thank you Mona!!!


Posted on October 3rd, 2012 by Mona

Aloo aur Tamatoun kay Bhajiye

Cloudy weather and rains call for spicy deep fried snacks in my house. Back when I was in my parents house before marriage, my father’s request would almost always be Aloo ke bhajiye during the rainy season. I miss the monsoons in India. The fragrance of wet mud, the thunders, all I wanted to do was eat spicy bhajiyas along with chutney and a cup of hot chai of coffee during evening while sitting in the verandah. Pure bliss. Here in Toronto, I can enjoy rains while sitting at home only during the spring/summer season, when the air is heavy with the aroma of fresh grass and greenery.
Tamatoun ke bhajiye are my absolute favourite! No chutney or dipping sauce is needed along with these yummy fritters. They are delicious just as they are!
Aloo aur Tamatoun ke bhajiye – Potato and Tomato Fritters
Ingredients:
Firm Red Tomatoes or Potatoes – 5 to 6 (use a few of potatoes or tomatoes if you want them both)
Gram Flour/Besan – 1 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder – 1 1/2 tsp
Salt – to taste
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Carom seeds/Ajwain – 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds/Zeera – 1/4 tsp
Method:
For Tomato fritters:
1. Wash the tomatoes, and pat dry. Slice them into medium thick roundels and keep aside. For Potato fritters: Wash and peel the potatoes. Slice them into thin roundels and soak the roundels in a bowl of salted water. Keep aside.
2. Prepare Besan. In a bowl, add the besan, red chilli powder, salt, ajwain and turmeric powder and mix well. Add water, little by little and whisk until the batter is fairly thick and not runny. It should form thick coating around the tomatoes when they are dipped in the batter. Also, there should be no lumps in the batter. Keep aside.
3. Heat oil to deep fry in a kadai or a frying pan. Once the oil is hot, dip the tomato slices into the batter, cover it entirely with the batter, then deep fry. Make sure the tomato slices are completely covered with the batter before dropping it into the hot oil. Deep fry both sides for just a few minutes until golden brown on both sides. Remove into a wire mesh strainer and continue until all are done.
For Potato fritters:
1. Wash and peel the potatoes. Slice them into thin roundels and soak the roundels in a bowl of salted water. Keep aside.
2. Prepare Besan. In a bowl, add the besan, red chilli powder, salt, ajwain and turmeric powder and mix well. Add water, little by little and whisk until the batter is not too thick or too runny. It should form a coating around the potatoes when they are dipped in the batter. Also, there should be no lumps in the batter. Keep aside.
3. Heat oil to deep fry in a kadai or a frying pan. Once the oil is hot, dip the potato slices into the batter, cover it entirely with the batter, then deep fry. Deep fry both sides for just a few minutes until golden brown on both sides. Remove into a wire mesh strainer and continue until all are done.
Enjoy the bhajiye warm along with a cup of hot chai on the side.
I also have an exciting news to share with you all today! My online store – Omee’s Boutique – has been featured in the October 2012 issue of Sisters-Magazine! I am featured on page 92. Very excited about this!! My first International Feature!!!
And to celebrate that, I am offering free shipping on all orders over $30 in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)! Enjoy and take advantage of this limited time offer!
Luv,
Mona
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The Hyderabadi Ramadan Food Festival 2012~Season IV-Roundup

Posted on August 29th, 2012 by Mona ©copyrighted in Blog Events/Entries/Polls, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar | 4 Comments » 3,054 views
As promised, I present to you all the round-up of the Season IV of the ‘The Hyderabadi Ramadan Food Festival 2012′.
I thank all participants for their enthusiasm. Here is the list of entries:
Click on the recipe title to go through the recipe.
Amrita, author of Mittu Cooking Love, has shared with us her recipe for Easy Chicken Malai Kabab. Yumm, they look delicious!
She says:
“Its mild and very easy to make,it will be perfect for your Ramadan Menu
Amina, author of Amina Cereations has shared with us all some delicious Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani.
Amina says:
“Biryani is one of the most popular rice delicacies in India and abroad. No other dish has such an aura and demand throughout India. The rich texture and aroma of Biryani is enough to activate hunger pangs in the stomach.”.
Nakhat, author of Indian Culinary Delights has shared with us all her recipe for Falooda.
Nakhat says:
“Falooda is a traditional Persian cold dessert. It was brought to the Indian subcontinent during the Mughal period. Basil seeds (sabza/takmaria), tutti frutti, sugar, and ice cream can be add-ons for this dessert. ”
Wajiha, author of My Kitchen and Beyond, has shared with us all very delicious looking Kathi Rolls.
Wajiha says:
“Kathi rolls probably originated in Calcutta, but are hugely popular here in Bangalore as well. The most common fillings are chicken, paneer and egg. It can be modified as per one’s personal taste, I like egg in mine and since my hubby hates raw onion, I stir fry the onions before adding them. ”
Sadaf, author of My Culinary Aadventures has shared with us all Aloo Qeema Cutlets.
Sadaf says:
“I had sworn off fried foods during Ramadan but after ten days of fasting I couldn’t resist making this old favourite of mine for iftar. These cutlets can be frozen too. Alternately, you can make and freeze the minced meat filling (which can be used for samosas too) and simply boil the potatoes and stuff the cutlets when you have to serve them. “
Zareena, author of My Experiments with Food has shared with us all some delicious Pav Bhaji.
Zareena says:
“On the first day of fasting I prepared our favorite dish. I know this will be very heavy for an empty stomach to have, but since I cannot resist any chat dishes, I thought of making this on the first day for iftar. This is my first attempt in making pav bhaji and was successful and tasted just like what we get from stalls outside.”
And following are my entries to the event:
Murgh Samosa – Chicken Samosa
Dahi Baday – Chickpea Flour balls in Yogurt
I once again thank all participants. I hope you have all enjoyed the roundup. If in case I have missed anyone’s entries, please let me know. I will inshallah update it immediately.
Luv,
Mona
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Murgh Samosa – Chicken Samosa

Posted on August 17th, 2012 by Mona ©copyrighted in Canola Oil, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Egg/Anda, Eid/Ramadhan/Iftaar, Garam masala powder, Garlic/Lahsun, Ginger/Adrak, Hyderabadi special, Lemon/Nimbu, Minced Chicken Meat, Mint/Pudina (fresh), Poultry/Murgh, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Tamarind/Imli | 1 Comment » 2,688 views
This Ramadan I am addicted to my sisters handmade chicken samosas.
Murgh Samosa – Chicken Samosa
Seriously they are the best I have even eaten. And they are super simple to make. You can make ahead the chicken filling which gets ready quicky and just before iftaar, use the samosa wraps, fill them all up and deep fry.
Murgh Samosa – Chicken Samosa
Ingredients:
Chicken Breast Meat – Minced – 2 lbs
Red Chilli Powder – 2 tsp
Salt – to taste
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Juice of 2 lemons
Cilantro and Mint – finely chopped, 3 tbsp
Egg white from one large egg
Frozen Samosa wraps
Canola oil to deep fry
Method:
1. In a pan, add oil and as soon as it is warm, add the chicken mince, red hilli powder, salt, turmeric powder and giniger garlic paste. Mix it all together, cover, and keep stirring once in a while and let it cook until the chicken is done, about 20 minutes. Add lemon juice, ciantro and mint and garam masala and mix. Keep aside, and let it cool. You can even freeze it for future use in small portions. Just thaw for a few hours before you plan to make the samosas.
2. Thaw the frozen samosa wraps according to instructions. Brush some water on both sides of the wraps to make it pliable. Form a cone by making triangular folds as you till you have only fold left. In the cone section, spoon the filling. Seal the final flap using water and flour paste to seal the edges. Watch out for open corners and seal using the flour paste. Repeat for all wraps.
3. In a large pan, heat oil on high. Reduce the flame to medium when the oil is hot.
4. In a bowl, add the egg white and just lightly whip it using a fork. Dip each samosa into the egg white and drop it into the hot oil. Repeat using all samosas. Using a slotted spoon remove the samosa from oil into a mesh strainer once they are golden brown on all sides. Enjoy the samosa along with your favorite chutney or as is.
Note: You can also bake the samosas instead of deep frying them. Just lightly coat them all with a little bit of oil, and bake them for 10-12 mins at 350°F until golden brown. You can also skip them step of dipping them in egg white if you prefer so.
This recipe is my contribution to my very own Hyderabadi Ramadan Food Festival 2012 (Season IV) that I hosting on my blog, and also to the Joy From Fasting ToFeasting – V that Lubna is hosting on her blog.
Luv,
Mona
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Dahi Baday – Chickpea Flour Balls in Yogurt

Posted on July 25th, 2012 by Mona ©copyrighted in Canola Oil, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Dried Red Chillies, Gram Flour/Besan, Mustard seeds/Rai, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Turmeric/Haldi, Yogurt/Dahi | 15 Comments » 3,669 views
Perhaps one of my favourite Iftaar snacks, for two reasons mainly: awesome taste, and quick preperation time. Make a batter with chickpea flour, deep fry the balls, then add them to yogurt, add a baghaar, and you are done! Simple as that.
Dahi Baday are just a different version of Dahi Wade. Dahi Wade are made with Urad Dal and Dahi Badey are make with Chickpea flour.
If you love Dahi ki Kadi, you will definitely enjoy Dahi Badey.
Dahi Baday – Chickpea Flour Balls in Yogurt
Ingredients:
Chickpea Flour/Gram flour/Besan – 1 cup
Baking Soda – a pinch
Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
Salt – to taste
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Yogurt – 1 cup
Canola oil
Cilantro – 4 tbsp, finely chopped
For Baghaar/Tempering:
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Dried Red chillies – 2-3, each broken into pieces
Method:
1. In a bowl, add chickpea flour and pour in a little water to make a smooth batter. The batter should be thick and pourable in consistency but not thin. Add baking soda, red chilli powder, salt and turmeric powder to the batter and mix.
2. In a separate bowl ,whip yogurt with 1/2 cup of water until smooth. Season with salt and pour this yogurt mixture in a serving tray.
3. Heat oil to deep fry in a pan or kadai. (Never deep fry in a non stick pan). As soon as it is hot, drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil and deep fry them on both sides until they are nicely golden brown in colour. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towel. The baday are ready.
4. Drop them into yogurt mixture. Make sure that the baday are well coated with yoghurt.
5. Prepare tempering by heating the oil in a small pan and add the ingredients in the list. When the mustard seeds and dried red chillies splutter, pour the sizzling tempering over the baday in yogurt. Allow to soak for an hour after tempering. After an hour serve the baday on individual plates, garnish with chopped cilantro and sprinkle of chaat masala on each of the vada.
This recipe is my contribution to my very onw Hyderabadi Ramadan Food Festival 2012 (Season IV) that I hosting on my blog, and also to the Joy From Fasting ToFeasting – V that Lubna is hosting on her blog.
Luv,
Mona

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