Ayesha's Kitchen

Ingredients:

FOR ZARDA

• ½ cup ghee
• 4 cloves
• Few strands of saffron/ few drops of yellow food colour
• 4 glass water
• 1 cup sugar/ sugar to taste
• 2 big cardamoms
• 2 small cardamoms
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 glass basmati rice (rinsed and soaked at least for 20 minutes)

FOR MEWA AND TOPPING:

• 1 cup peeled almonds (the best way to peel almonds without hassle is, take a microwave safe bowl and put some almonds in it, add sufficient water and microwave for about 5 minutes. Strain and discard the water. Soak them for 5 more minutes in cold water. Now you can easily peel almonds by pressing them between your index finger and thumb)
• ½ cup pistachios
• ½ cup sliced coconut
• 1 cup small rasbharis (chhoti cham cham)(available of South Asian Mithai shops)
• ¼ cup kalakand (cut into small cubes)
• ½ cup petha (sliced)
• ½ cup ghee
• ½ cup sultanas
• 2 cardamoms
• ¼ cup orange peel (sliced thin)

Procedure:

-First we will prepare zarda rice.

-Heat oil and add garam masala. When it begins to splatter add rice and stir for about 5 seconds. Add water and sugar. Let it boil and set.

-When rice is cooked and tender, remove from flame.

-For mewa, heat ghee and fry peeled almonds, pistachios, cardamom and sultanas for 1 minute. Now add coconut and orange peel, stir and remove it from the flame.

-Add it on the top of the zarda rice and mix.

-Take it out in a plate and garnish with rasbharis, petha and kalakand. Serve hot.

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ingredients:

MASALA

• Salt to taste
• 1 tbspn red chilli powder
• A pinch of red chilli flakes
• 1 tspn turmeric
• 1 tbspn Ayesha’s Kitchen Special garam masala
• 2 black cardamoms
• Bay leaf
• 1 tspn cumin seeds
• 4 cloves
• 4 peppercorns
• 2 pieces of cinnamon
• 2 small cardamoms

FOR QORMA

• 1 chicken skinless, cut into 12 pieces
• 1 cup oil
• 3 onions sliced
• 2 green chillies
• 1 ½ cup yogurt
• 2 cups of water
• 1 tbspn ginger garlic (crushed)
• 2 tbspns coriander to garnish (if desired)
• A handful of peeled almonds (the best way to peel almonds is, take a microwave proof deep bowl, put some almonds in it, add sufficient water and microwave for 5 minutes. Strain and discard hot water and add cold water to the bowl, now press them between you index finger and thumb and the peel will get off easily)

Procedure:

-Heat oil and fry onion in it. When the onion slices are red take them out, keeping the oil in the vessel.

-Now in that hot oil add all the spices and ginger garlic paste. Stir. Now add chicken pieces and fry until they are white and then add 2 cups of water and green chillies.

-Bring it to a boil. Meanwhile, mix yogurt and fried onions. Use fork to mix them and try to crush onion in yogurt.

-Add this paste to the boiling water. Mix well and cook covered on medium heat for about 10 – 15 minutes.

-Add ¾ th of the almonds by keeping ¼ th portion aside for garnishing.

-Mix and dish it out in a deep dish. Garnish with some coriander and almonds. Serve hot with home made chapattis.

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 1 glass basmati rice (rinsed and soaked)
• 2 glasses of water
• ¼ cup ghee
• 2 – 4 cloves
• 2 pieces of cinnamon
• 2 large cardamoms
• 1 small cardamom
• Sliced dry coconut
• ½ cup peeled almonds
• ½ cup pistachios
• ¼ cup sultana
• Sugar 6-8 tbspns
• 2 tbspns orange peel (thinly sliced)
• A pinch of yellow food colour

Procedure:

-Melt ghee and add cardamoms, sultanas, cloves, cinnamon, coconut, almonds and pistachios. Stir fry until the sultanas start popping up.

-Add water and sugar.

-Bring it to a boil.

-Add soaked rice, orange peel and yellow food colour. Mix well.

-Cook on high heat until the rice begins to boil in sweet water and very less water is left.

-Now cook covered on low heat until the rice is fully boiled and no water is left. (soak rice for atleast 15 minutes, otherwise you will have to add some more water)

-Zarda is ready.

-Serve hot.

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 4 onions (chopped in a food processor)
• 10 potatoes (cut into flat tyres, thick)
• Salt to taste
• 1 tspn red chilli powder
• 1 tbspn methi leaves
• 1 tspn chaat masala
• 1 tspn garam masala
• ½ tspn turmeric powder
• ½ tspn coriander powder
• A pinch of cumin seeds
• 4 tomatoes (chopped)
• 1 big green chilli (sliced)
• 4 tbspns chopped fresh coriander
• 1 cup oil
• 1 tbspn ginger garlic paste
• 2 tbspn yogurt

Procedure:

-Heat oil and fry chopped onion with ginger and garlic paste.

-Add tomatoes and all the spices. Mix well and add yogurt. Mix again.

-Add potatoes and cook covered on low heat until the potatoes are tender.

-Garnish with some coriander and green chilli and serve hot with roti and raita.

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 1 cup basmati rice (rinsed and soaked in water)
• Water for boiling rice
• 1 ½ litre. Milk
• 1 cup water
• 6 – 8 tbspns raw sugar/ sugar
• 8 small green cardamoms (crushed)
• ½ cup almonds (slivered)
• ½ cup pistachios (slivered)
• 2 – 4 chaandi ke warq

Procedure:

-Boil water and add rice. Strain and discard the water and keep the boiled rice aside.

-Boil milk and add crushed cardamom, rice, sugar and half of the almonds and pistachios.

-Cook covered on low heat for about 2 – 3 hours. Use non-stick pan.

-When the rice is mixed with milk and it gives a pinkish orangish colour, it means your kheer is ready.

-Dish is out and refrigerate for about 6 hours. Garnish with some chaandi ka warq, almonds and pistachios. Serve.

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken (1.5 kg)(skinless, cut into 12 pcs.)
• 2.5 glass Basmati rice
• 1 cup oil
• 4 onions (sliced)
• 1 tspn ginger paste
• 1 tspn garlic paste
• 2 tbspns yogurt
• 4 tomatoes (processed in a food processor (grinder))
• 2 green chillies (processed with tomatoes)

FOR YAKHNI (STOCK)

• 5.5 glass water
• 2-4 cinnamon pieces
• 2-4 black cardamom
• 2-4 small cardamom
• 4-8 cloves
• 8 peppercorns
• Maze and nutmeg (whole)
• Bay leaf
• 1 tbspn ginger paste
• 1 tbspn garlic paste
• 2 tbspns dry coriander seeds
• 2 tbspns cumin seeds

FOR MASALA

• Salt to taste
• 1 tspn Chinese salt (chicken powder)
• 1 tbspn red chilli powder
• 1 tspn black pepper
• 4 cloves
• 1 black cardamom
• A piece of cinnamon
• ½ tspn turmeric
• 1 tbspn garam masala
• 1 tspn coriander powder
• 1 tspn methi leaves

Procedure:

-Rinse and soak basmati rice.

-Put all the ingredients given for stock and boil.

-Meanwhile, in a large vessel heat oil and brown onion along with garlic and ginger paste, then add chicken and fry until its white. Blend tomatoes and green chillies in a food processor and add this puree to the chicken.

-Stir. Add the ingredients given for masala. Mix well and add yogurt.

-Cook on low heat for 10 minutes.

-Strain the stock and discard the residue. Add the stock in the chicken. Bring it to a boil.

-Strain the soaked rice, discard the water and add the rice into the stock and chicken mix.

-Cook on medium heat until the rice begins to boil and very less water is left. Cover the vessel and let it cook for another 10 minutes on low heat.

-Chicken Pulao is ready. Serve hot with dhaniya pudina chutney and fresh salad or Shaami Kabab.

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken skinless karahi cut
• 2 tbspns green chilli paste
• 2 tbspns ginger paste
• 12 tbspns yogurt
• 1 cup oil
• ½ cup water
• 2 lemons squeezed
• 4 tbspns coriander
• 2 green chilllies sliced
• 1 large onion (fried and crushed)

MASALA

• Salt to taste
• 1 tbspn coriander powder
• 1 tspn white pepper
• ½ tspn red chilli powder
• 2 black peppercorns
• 2 cloves
• 1 big cardamom
• 1 tspn cracked black pepper
• 2 tspns fresh Ayesha’s Kitchen Special garam masala

Procedure:

-In a mixing bowl, combine chicken, Masala ingredients, fried onion, chilli paste, ginger paste, 5 tbspns yogurt and water. Mix and keep aside for 30 minutes.

-Heat oil and add the marinated chicken. Cook covered for 15 minutes on low heat.

-Take off the lid and simmer it of high heat with constant stirring by adding rest of the yogurt in intervals.

-Take it out in a dish, drizzle some lemon juice and garnish with green chilllies and coriander. Serve hot with Midri Khameeri roti, raita and salad.

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ingredients:

FOR MARINATION:

• 3 chicken breasts (single pieces, skinless and boneless)
• Salt
• Cracked black pepper
• 2 tbspns soy sauce

FOR WHITE SAUCE

• 2 tbspns olive oil
• 100 gms butter
• 100 gms flour
• ½ litre milk
• ¼ cup water

FOR AL A KIEV

• 2 carrots (peeled)
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• ½ cup sliced green olives
• ½ cup water
• ½ tspn red chilli flakes
• Some salt and pepper to season

Procedure:

-Cut chicken breasts into thin slices and in a mixing bowl marinade it for 30 minutes.

-For white sauce, mix milk and water and keep it aside. Melt some butter in a sauce pan and add flour. Cook the flour for 2 minutes with constant stirring and gradually add the milk with constant stirring. Avoid lumps.

-Now you will notice that the sauce is getting thick. Remove from heat and keep it aside.

-Now in a separate pan, heat 2 tbspns of olive oil and fry the marinated chicken strips. Add carrots when the chicken changes its colour. Add ½ cup of water and cook it covered until the carrots get tender.

-Add chilli flakes and mushrooms. Cook for about 2 minutes on medium heat. Introduce the white sauce to the chicken and mix well. Add olives and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

-Garnish with some left over carrot and olives and serve hot with French bread.

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 160 gms vermicelli (Bareek Sevayyan)
• 4 tbspns sugar
• 4 tbspns raw sugar (Shakkar/ gur)
• 2 ltrs. Milk
• 1 cup raw khoya (unsweetened Barfi/ Kalakand) (Easily available at South Asian Mithai shops)
• 1 tbspn cardamom seeds (crushed)
• ¼ cup almonds (slivered) (for garnishing)
• 2 tbspns crushed pistachios (for garnishing)
• Chaandi ka warq (Edible silver foil)

Procedure:

-Boil 1 litre milk and add cardamom seeds. Add vermicelli and mix well. Now add khoya and sugar. Mix well. Now when you notice that the mixture is getting thick, add rest of the milk and let it cook on medium heat until you get the desired consistency.

-Take it out in a bowl. Garnish with some pistachios, almonds and chandi ka warq. Serve hot ot refrigerate for at least 6 hrs for serving it as dessert.

Ayesha's Kitchen

Ingredients:

• Oil 1 cup
• 1 whole Chicken 16 pcs, skinless / 500 gms Mutton
• 3 glass basmati rice (soaked in water for 15 minutes)
• 4 tomatoes chopped
• ¼ cup vinegar
• 2 cups unsweetened yogurt
• 6 small potatoes (peeled and cut into half)
• 6 medium sized onions (sliced)
• 1 tbspn ginger paste
• 1 tbspn garlic paste
• 8 dried plums (available at South Asian grocery stores)

FOR GARNISH

• 1 onion sliced (fried)
• 4 tbspns mint leaves (chopped)
• 2 lemon sliced
• 2 green chillies (Sliced)

FOR GARAM MASALA

• 2 big cardamoms
• 2 small cardamoms
• 4 cloves
• 1 tspn cumin seeds
• 4 black peppercorns

FOR SPICE MASALA

• Salt to taste
• 2 tbspns red chilli powder
• 2 tbspns dhaniya powder (coriander powder)
• 1 tbspn cumin powder
• 1 tspn meat tenderizer
• 1 tbspn turmeric
• 1 tspn fennel seeds
• 2 dried chillies
• Few drops of kewra flavor
• (Grind them together in spice blender)

Procedure:

-In a deep mixing bowl, mix yogurt and blended spices. Add dried plums, vinegar and meat. Marinade for around 90 minutes.

-Heat oil and fry whole garam masala and ginger garlic paste for 2 minutes. Add onion and fry until they are golden brown.

-Now add marinated chicken and fry for around 10 minutes.

-Add tomatoes and potatoes. Cook until the potatoes are tender and tomatoes are mixed with the masala.

-Remove from heat.

-Boil rice according to biryani method and make layers of meat masala and boiled rice.

-Top it with garnish material and cook covered on low heat for 5 minutes.

-Mix and serve hot with raita and salad.

Outcome:

Tasty Sindhi Biryani is ready to serve.