Italian Chicken Pasta Salad

 This is another one of my favorite cold Pasta salad recipe, it’s super easy to make, and has the perfect blend of sweet, sour and savory. You can eat this flavorful and colorful its own, or serve it as a side dish. To make this salad more delicious, remember to keep it in the refrigerator for a day or two for the flavors to marinade. You can use any leftover roasted chicken you have or you can use boiled and cubed chicken, grilled chicken or bbq chicken, I used left over malai chicken tikka for this salad.

Ingredients:

1 packet spiral or bow tie pasta (500 gms)

400- 500 gm cooked chicken cubes

1-2 large green capsicum (thinly sliced)

3-4 tomatoes (deseeded and cut in thin strips)

1 large onion (finely sliced)

12-15 olives

½ cup SweetCorn

For dressing

2  tsp salt

½ tsp garlic powder

1 tsp white sugar

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp red chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried parsley

¼ tsp celery salt

¼ cup white vinegar

½ cup olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

Hand full of chopped fresh coriander

Method:

1) prepare the vegetables, cook the pasta in boiling water according to packet instruction, remove from heat, rinse with cold water, drain and set aside.

2) In a small bowl mix together all the spices. Take another small bowl add in the vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, 2 tbsp of water along with spice mix and whisk it nicely.

3) Take another bowl, add in the pasta along with chicken, veggies and chopped coriander. Pour the dressing over the pasta and mix everything well. You can taste the salad and adjust the seasoning just in case it needs more salt.

4)  It’s better if you make this ahead and keep it in the refrigerator for at least 10-12 hours before serving.

Turkish Yogurt Soup With Chicken

This simple but delicious yoghurt based soup also known as Yayla Corbasi, is one of the most popular soups in Turkey, flavored with dried mint and paprika flakes. Traditionally long grain white rice is used in the recipe, but in this recipe, I have used bulgur wheat instead. I first came across this recipe while watching a cooking show on T.V and it immediately intrigued me, so I decided to give it a try without giving a second thought. It so amazing how the mild, plain taste of yoghurt is magically transformed into something completely different, delicious with the addition of garlic and red pepper flakes infused butter. Hope you would also give it a try once.

Ingredients:

250 grams cooked chicken (cubed or shredded)

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup water

1/4 cup bulgur wheat (or you can use rice)

1 cup full-fat plain yogurt

1 egg

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons finely chopped mint (Or use dried mint)

Lemon wedges, for serving

Method:

1) Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the bulgur wheat, cover and cook over low heat until barely tender, about 15 minutes.

 2) Take medium sauce pan and bring the chicken stock to simmer.  Take a large pot, whisk together the yogurt, egg yolk, and flour, now slowly add the heated stock, whisking after each small addition to incorporate. Heat to a simmer.

3) Add in the bulgur wheat and chicken pieces. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm over low heat.

4) Melt the butter in a small frying pan. Add the garlic, paprika and cayenne and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls, swirl in the garlic paprika butter on top, sprinkle with mint and serve with lemon wedges.

Chocolate Ganache Brownies

Brownies are often classified as fudgy or cakey, my favourite brownie is thick, fudgy, chewy, chocolaty, and rich. This recipe is so easy to make and taste wonderful, I have frosted the brownies, if you are a chocolate lover you will love these ganache brownies…

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

2 cups white granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

1 ½ cup all purpose flour

 1cup unsweetened coco powder

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Ganache frosting:

½ cup cream

 1 cup chocolate (you can use chocolate chips, or any chocolate of your choice) 

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 180 C, Grease and flour a 9x13 baking dish.

2) Sieve the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder in a bowl, add in the salt and mix nicely.

In a large sauce pan melt the butter over low heat, combine the butter sugar and vanilla in large bowl, beat in the eggs one at t a time, mixing well after each addition, until thoroughly blended.

3) Now gradually stir in the flour mixture in to the egg mixture until well blended but do'nt over mix it, stir in the chocolate chips. Spread the mixture in to baking dish and bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes.

 4) It’s done when a toothpick inserted in the tallest part comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Do keep in mind we have added chocolate chips in it, if you hit one with the toothpick it will have melted chocolate on it, so poke a couple of spots to make sure you are not hitting the chocolate chips. Remember not to over bake the brownies.

 For Frosting:

While the brownies are baking you can make the ganache frosting for brownies.

 Add cream in to sauce pan and bring to boil over low heat, as soon as the bubbles starts to appear, take the pan off the stove,  add in the chocolate chips add whist until smooth.

Let it cool down until it gets slightly thick, Pour over brownies after brownies are cooled slightly. Let sit for about 1 hour, or in refrigerator until set, then cut and serve

Nan Khatai

Nan Khatai is a desi delicacy with a melt in mouth texture.  These shortbread biscuits are equally popular both in Pakistan and India. I have wanted to bake and share this recipe since long, finally today was that day and trust me it will give you the taste just like the ones bought form bakery.  Hope you will enjoy baking and eating these biscuits as much as I did!!!

Ingredients: 

1 & ½ cup (195 gm) all purpose flour

½ cup (60 gm) gram flour (baisan)

¼ tsp salt

1 cup (120 gm) icing sugar

1 cup (227 gm) ghee (clarified butter)

1 cup coarsely crushed roasted almonds

1 tsp green cardamom powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 & tsp baking powder

1 egg yolk

Method:

1) Melt the ghee in a pan, and then put it in the freezer for ½ an hour.

 2) In a bowl sift all purpose flour, gram flour, baking powered and baking soda so that there is no lump, mix it all nicely.

3) In a another bowl beat together the ghee, cardamom powder, salt and icing sugar until light and smooth (for 2-3 minutes)

3) Now gradually add in the flour mixture to the ghee mixtures and mix it, rubbing with your hands until incorporated.  Add in the crushed almonds and mix together.

4) Preheat oven to 180-190 C, place rack in centre of oven.

5) Make equal size balls out of dough and flatten slightly, beat the egg yolks and brush the dough balls.

 6) Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the top of the cookies t start to brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 3-5 minutes.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

Sweet & sour chicken is a classic Chinese recipe packed with chicken chunks, vegetables and pineapple.  It is among the most likes chinless recipes here in Pakistan.  It’s a awesome recipe to make during winters and believe me it would tastes a lot better than the one we get in restaurants.

Ingredients:

For chicken:

200 gm boneless chicken

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup cream

1/4 tsp  salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup milk or water

1/4 tsp black pepper powder

Oil for deep frying

For Sauce:

1 capsicum chopped in to squares

1 onion, cut in to squares

1 carrot peeled and sliced

2 slices pineapple chopped

1 tsp  garlic paste

1/4 tsp White Pepper powder

1 tsp red chili flakes

1/2 cup Tomato ketchup

2 tsp Soya sauce

1 tbsp Vinegar

Salt-according to taste

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 pineapple juice

Oil- 2-3 tbsp

Corn flour (about 2-3 tbsp mixed in water)

Method:

1) Mix all purpose flour, salt, cream, baking powder and milk (or water) in a mixing bowl. If the batter appears a little thick then you can add a little more milk Coat all the pieces of chicken with the batter and keep them for some time.

2) Heat oil in a skillet, once the oil is properly heated put the marinated chicken pieces in slowly one by one. The flame of the gas must be kept really slow so as to prevent the pieces from roasting. A high flame may cook the marinated chicken only from outside and the inner part may remain uncooked. The chicken must be cooked till it turns light brown in colour. Once the chicken is done take all the pieces out on a kitchen paper.

3) To prepare the sauce, heat a little oil in a pan and add garlic paste in it and fry it until it turns light brown. Add in the chopped onions, chopped capsicum and carrot slices, fry for 2 minutes

2) Next step includes adding tomato ketchup, white pepper powder, pineapple juice, Soya sauce, vinegar, red chili flacks and salt. This should be cooked properly on medium flame for around two or three minutes.

3) When you see little bubbles forming in the mixture then it is considered to be cooked properly. Next add the pieces of fried chicken,  pineapple pieces and stir the mixture properly with light hands to make sure that everything is properly coated.

4) Add a little corn starch mixed with some water and cook, (don't add it all at once, when the sauce starts to get thick turn off the flame. Serve plain boiled rice or garlic fired rice. 

Achari Chana Pulao

I am sure the name of this dish has already tickled your taste buds, a recipe of chana pulao with a twist. All desi people love achars as an accompaniment with paraths, dal chawala, pulaos, even achar gosht is a favourite of many people. So I tried making a variation of chana pulao by adding achar and it was a hit, hope you will enjoy making it and eating it too.

Ingredients:

500 gm rice (soaked for 30 minutes)

2 cups boiled chick peas (white)

2 potatoes (peeled and cubed)

 ¼ cup oil

2 medium onions thinly sliced

2 medium tomatoes finely chopped

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste (mixed in ¼ cups of water)

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

1 tsp black cumin seeds (shah zeera/kala zeera)

5-6 cloves

2 black cardamoms

1 inch piece of cinnamon

1 Bay leaf

¼ tsp turmeric powder

 ½ tsp red chili powder/crushed red chilies

Salt (to taste)

2 green chilies chopped

2 tbsp of your favourite achar (I have used mixed vegetable pickle)

Method:

1) Take a large pan and heat oil, (keeping in mind that the rice will double after cooking, plus chickpeas are also added so you will need to have enough space in the pan), add onion and fry till they get golden brown.

2) Add in the ginger garlic paste (be careful as the water we added in ginger garlic paste tend to splutter), fry it for a minute or two and add chopped tomatoes, cumin seeds, cardamom, black peppercorn, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, turmeric powder  and chili powder.  Fry for some time then add the chick peas and  cubed potatoes fry for 5 minutes. 

3) Now add 3 cups of water and salt, Let the water boil and taste the salt. You should be able to feel the saltiness. If it feels just right, it means you have too little. Remember that the rice will need some salt too, so let the salt be enough that you can taste it to be a bit more than you would want, but don’t add too much.

4) Once the water starts to boil add the rice (remember to drain the rice first).  Let this cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring every now and then, then reduce the heat to medium and keep cooking covered until the water is almost dried, giving it a stir every now and then to make sure all the rice is cooked evenly and perfectly. 

5) Once there is very little water left in the rice, reduce the heat to as low as possible, spread achar over the rice, sprinkle the chopped green chilies and cover the pan by using a tight lid, or take a kitchen towel and place it over the pan then place the lid on top of it. Cook on low heat till the water gets absorbed and rice done, for about 10-15 minutes. Switch off the flame and Serve hot with raita, kachomar salad. 

Chicken Paratha Roll

Chicken paratha rolls are among the favourite street food in Pakistan now days. Someone from my page asked me for the recipe of mayo garlic rolls some time back, so here it is, my apologies for posting this recipes so late. If you don’t want to go through to hassle of making parathas you can always use frozen parathas. Hope you will enjoy making it.

Ingredients:

For Chicken

500 gm boneless chicken (cut in small cubes)

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

2 tsp red Chili Powder

2-3 tbsp lemon Juice 

salt to taste

4 tbsp yogurt 

1 tsp garam masala   powder

1 tsp cumin seeds (crushed)

A pinch of tandoori food colour

2-3 tbsp oil 

Small piece of coal

For Parathas:

500 gm all purpose flour (maida)

2 tbsp ghee

Water to knead

For Assembling:

Garlic mayo or mint raita

Finely sliced cabbage

Sliced onions and tomatoes (you can your finely slices carrots in place on tomatoes too)

Method:

 1) Make a paste by combining all the ingredients. Rub this paste on all the chicken pieces, and let the chicken marinate for an hour.

2) Knead the dough and keep aside for 20-30 minutes.

3) Put the chicken pieces along with all the marinade in a pan, and let it cook on low-medium heat, turning once or twice until the chicken pieces get done. It will take 5-10 minutes to get ready. 

4) Put the coal over medium flame, wait until the coal is fully red and is covered by white ash. Put a small piece of aluminium foil in middle of the chicken pieces. Place the burned coal over it and put 2-3 drops of oil on it. Cover it at once with a tight fitting lid and put aside. Remove the coal after 5 minutes. You can also bake or grill the chicken.

5) Make medium sized balls out of dough and using a floured rolling pin, roll one of the pieces into a circle 8-9 inches wide and make parathas as you normally do

6) Now to assemble if you want to use mayonnaise just add 1/2 tsp garlic powder to ½ cup mayonnaise and mix well. Or you can use mint raita to spread on parathas . spread some salad over it. Place the chicken pieces in middle and roll the paratha. Repeat the same procedure with rest of the parathas and enjoy eating.