samosa

Samosa is a traditional Indian/Pakistani snack. It is basically a potato filled snack, although it can be filled with other vegetables or meat. However, if you are going traditional, it is the spicy potato filling. The hero is the pastry here, has to be beautifully crispy.

It is dee-lee-cious

They are made into triangular shapes and deep fried to a gorgeous golden color.

resting :)

Samosa

carom seeds - 1/2 tsp
salt - 1/2 tsp
butter melted - 1/2 c
plain flour - 3 c

- mix all the ingredients well
- add enough lukewarm water to make a dough-not too soft
- cover and let sit for 15-20 min

potato filling

Potato filling

boiled potatoes - 3 med
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
carom seeds - 1/2 tsp
coriander seeds crushed - 1 tsp
pomegranate powder - 1 tsp
chili flakes - 1 tsp
salt - 1 tsp

- mash potatoes- leave some chunks and don't over mash
- mix in all the spices
- make ping pong ball size rounds

roll out into oval shape and cut from the middle

bring the two corners together into a cone shape and secure with water

fill in with the potato filling and close in the ends

heat up enough oil and deep fry till golden

They go very well with chat, which I will hopefully share the recipe in the near future :):)

Sesame twists

As you know I bought a pack of ready-made puff pastry the other day for almond and fig tart. I only used a couple of sheets and I'm still left with a few. I don't like to store things and plus my freezer was overly crowded. So i had to make something of it.

This is a no-brainer. really simple, really quick. I used sesame seeds but you can use a whole range of variations. For the seasoning, I kept it simple and used just salt but again you can season with pepper or garlic or chili or whatever you like.

Also, next time I make it, I will make a sweeter version of it. Probably sugar with a hint of cinnamon or cardamom and poppy seeds and.... I can go on about this and come with heaps of different flavors. It's simple yet the result is outstandingly delicious and crispy.


Sesame twists

puff pastry sheets
sesame seeds
salt

- sprinkle heaps of sesame seeds on the puff pastry and sprinkle a bit of salt, with a rolling pin slightly press down the sesame seeds.
- cut strips and twist each strips and bake on high until golden

Authentic chicken biryani

As you probably know by now, I am not really into cooking that much. I eat whatever my mum cooks and don't really pay much attention as to what she cooks and how she cooks it.

In saying that, it doesn't mean that I am totally ignorant about anything to do with cooking. Its just that I really don't like it as much because I don't get to play around with it and have as much fun as to when I bake. However, I do thoroughly enjoy trying out new recipes from different countries all over the world. This type of cooking I love and can cook tirelessly for hours and still enjoy every bit of it.

This authentic chicken biryani recipe was given to me by my good friend at work. She is from Pakistan and this biryani as the name says it is an authentic Pakistani biryani. It is packed full of flavors with different spices. And speaking of spices, this dish has plenty of spice. So feel free to adjust the spices (in particular the chili powder and garam masala) according to your taste.



Chicken Biryani

For the Masala
Basmati rice - 2 1/2
Chicken - 1 medium size cut into pieces
oil - 1/3 c
onion - 3 medium
garlic - 1 tbs paste
ginger - 1tbs paste
yogurt - 1 1/2 c
Kewra water - 2tbs (can be found in Indian stores)
cloves - 10
black cardamoms - 2
cinnamon - 2 small sticks
whole black pepper - 1tsp
cumin seeds - 1tsp
green cardamoms - 10
mint - handful
green chillies - 6
prunes - 5-6
salt - to taste
red chili powder - to taste
coriander powder - 1tsp
lemon - 1

For the Rice
cumin seeds - 1/2tsp
cloves - 10
salt - 1 1/2 tbs

- Boil the rice along with the cloves and salt in enough water until they are done 3/4 way through and drain the water
- meanwhile, slice the onions and fry in the oil till they are brown, take half of it out onto a paper towel to dry the excess oil
- on the other hand while the onions are browning up, process the green cardamoms into powder and set aside.
- process the black cardamoms, cinnamon, black pepper and cumin into powder (garam masala).
- in the remaining onion, add the chicken, ginger garlic paste, salt, red chili powder, coriander and the garam masala
- cover and cook till the chicken is cooked
- while the chicken is cooking, cut the lemon into slices, chop the mint and the green chillies
- crush the remaining fried onions with your hand and add it to the yogurt and mix well
- when the chicken is cooked, add the yogurt mix and cook till the oil is separated and turn off the heat, add kewra water and the prunes
- in a rice cooker (a pot will do equally fine) add half the rice, top it with the chicken mix and then the green chillies, mint, lemon and powdered green cardamom
- top with the remaining rice and add a few drops of orange color to make it even more vibrant
- cover and cook on very low heat for 10-15 min


This dish is an absolute treat. Yes, it is a lot to take in and it takes a lot of planning and a heck of a lot of time, but hey, you can not ignore the end result. It is spicy and it is delicious.

I can have this even for breakfast!! No kidding, its yummy.

WARNING!! it is quite spicy, if you can't take the heat you might want to cut down on the chili powder and the garam masala. :)

wholemeal sesame cheese puffs

These wholemeal puffs are very light and ymmuliciousss...
This recipe makes about 30. depending on the size.

Ingredients-

4 TBS wholemeal self-raising flour ( plain can be used)
pinch of salt
pinch of paprika (garlic powder can be used or any other variations)
80g butter cubed
4 TBS tasty cheese
sesame to coat the puffs


Method -

Rub the butter with the flour till they are blended well together, and no big chunks of butter is left.
Add the salt, paprika, and cheese and bring everything together into a ball.
Now make small balls, roughly the size of marbles or you can make it bigger.
Drop the balls in a bowl sesame seeds and coat well. (tooth pick can be used to roll it well and pick it up easily)
place it on a greased and lined oven tray. make sure to keep space between as the balls will spread slightly.
Bake for 10-15 minutes on 180c, depending on your oven.
When they are lightly golden, they are done.

Notes - make sure you wait till they are cooled before munching on them. They can be hard to resist.