Kebabs

Okay, I know we said that the Aglio e Olio is one of the easiest dishes you will ever make right? Right? Well, we lied. Kebabs are actually much much easier to make. We’re a lazy lot; I’m sure you already noticed that; however, we still love good food. This dish is something out of a working student’s fairy tale, especially in Ramadan. For many, that time of year is a time not only to reflect and worship, but to also savor delicious delights. For us, a very easy finger food is Kebabs. There are many different ways of preparing a “kebab” and essentially with some ground meat, a palate of spices and an oven/frying pan, you could really make any concoction of your choice. If you are a fan of spicy Indian food, you will love these particular Kebabs especially since they cook really quickly and they taste amazing! You could opt to bake them in the oven for less fat intake, but we all know how we love the obese inducing stuff right? 

What You'll Need:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 tbsp. garlic paste
• 1 tbsp. ginger paste
• 4 green chilies chopped finely (or to taste)
• 1 medium onion grated
• 3 tbsp. fresh tamarind pulp (optional)
• 1 tbsp. lemon/lime juice
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper (or to taste)
• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• Salt (to taste)
• Handful of coriander finely chopped
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• Vegetable oil for frying

Procedure:

• In a mixing bowl, add the chilies, onion, chopped coriander, ginger, garlic, tamarind pulp, garam masala, turmeric, red chili, black pepper, coriander powder and salt to the ground beef. Mix well.
• Add the breadcrumbs and incorporate. Make sure the ground beef is not wet (the breadcrumbs act like glue.) Add more breadcrumbs until mixture is firm.
• Add oil to a deep frying pan on high heat. When oil is hot, take a little bit of the mixture and fry for a minute. Remove and taste to make sure that the salt/spices are adequate. Adjust spices if need be.
• Shape the mixture into tiny sausage shapes as seen in the picture below.
• Deep fry the Kebabs for 6 minutes total. After 3 minutes, flip the Kebabs so that they cook evenly.
• Remove the Kebabs with a slotted spoon and place on a colander or a plate lined with paper towel to remove any excess oil.
• Serve with green chutney, tamarind chutney and/or lemon wedges.

Aglio e Olio

Or as Farha likes to call it, ugly-o-ugliolio. This recipe is an Italian remix to an ordinary simple pasta dish. After reading Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat Love Pray" and watching the horrific movie that had us dozing off in 20 minute intervals, the only thing that kept us consistently awake was the part where Gilbert goes to Italy. The food looked so incredibly INCREDIBLE; for lack of better words. Anywho, this pasta dish is the simplest but one of the most delicious dishes you'll ever have, trust me, I promise. The beauty about it is that you can eat it with almost any accompaniment. We had ours with Lamb Chops, a simple romaine/olive salad and Tomato Bruschetta. You could have it alongside Thai salt/pepper shrimp or el solo. This recipe was inspired by Mary Kay Culpepper's "Cooking Light Italian" and Chef John's "Food Wishes."
PS: For those who have been put off by the movie, do read the book "Eat Love Pray"; it is sappy, girly and ridiculously awesome.

What You'll Need:

• 6 quarts water
• 1lb. Vermicelli Pasta
• 2 tsp. Salt (for Pasta)
• Salt/Pepper to taste
• A head of garlic (10 cloves) thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1 cup White Mushrooms roughly sliced

Procedure:

• Bring the water to a boil plus 2 tsp of salt in a large pot. Add the pasta and cook until it is al dente or to your liking (about 8 minutes.) Drain pasta and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. 
• Over medium heat, put the oil in a large non-stick pan and saute garlic and mushrooms for about 2 minutes, or until garlic is light golden. Make sure that the heat is not on high as you want to infuse the garlic into the oil rather than just frying it.
• To the pan, add the reserved pasta water and salt/pepper to taste.
• Add the cooked pasta into a deep serving dish and pour the garlic sauce onto it. 
• Add the red pepper flakes, Parmesan cheese and parsley into the pasta mixture and toss. 
• Serve immediately.

Butter Chicken

This dish was introduced to us by a Bangladeshi friend whose family owned a restaurant in Canada where we used to reside. Of course having a healthy appetite for UNhealthy foods, we the Khan sisters savored every last bit of this deliciously dangerous dish. Our glorious cheeks can attest to that. Served alongside Naan bread or plain long-grain rice, this dish makes chocolate jealous...or not. The level of heat can be varied to your taste of course.The accompaniments of this dish (rice and naan) will be up on this blog soon. 

WARNING: May cause bloating, unwanted love handles and a fear of weight scales. Jenny Craig awaits.

What You'll Need:

• 1lb boneless chicken breast cut into 1 inch cubes
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/2 a stick of unsalted butter
• 1/2 a cup of heavy cream
• 1 large onion sliced finely
• 1/4 cup roasted cashew nuts
• 1 tbsp. each of garlic and ginger paste
• 3 whole green chilies
• 10 oz can of crushed tomatoes (or 3 medium fresh tomatoes chopped coarsely)
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 2 tsp. coriander powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. ketchup
• Salt to taste
• Cilantro to garnish

Procedure:

• Pat dry the chicken to remove excess water.
• In a mixing bowl, add the ginger, garlic, 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1tsp. coriander powder, salt to the chicken and mix to coat.
• In a large wok shallow fry the chicken mixture on med-high till about 80% done.
• Remove the chicken and keep aside any excess water from the wok.
• Fry the cumin seeds in hot oil for about 8 seconds and then saute the onions till translucent.
• Add the other 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. coriander powder, the green chilies, cashew nuts and 2 tbsp. of the excess water from the chicken to prevent the spices from burning. Cook for half a minute.
• Add the tomatoes; cover and let cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Once the tomatoes are soft, turn the heat off and let it cool. This is important, you don't want to burn your pretty faces.
• Transfer the COOLED sauce into a blender and puree till smooth.
• In your wok, add the butter, any left over water from the chicken and the puree. 
• Let simmer for a minute.
• Add water if the sauce is too thick.
• Add salt to taste, the sugar, the ketchup, the heavy cream and mix well.
• Finally, add the chicken, garam masala and mix well.
• Garnish with cilantro