Daleem (Haleem)

Daleem (Haleem)

Arabic: دلیم‎‎, Urdu: دلیم‎, Persian: حلیم

Wonderfully yummy and spicy Daleem recipe by Flavour Essence! 

Daleem is a stew composed of meat, lentils and pounded wheat made into a thick paste. It is originally an Arabic dish which is very popular in Middle East, Central Asia and Indian Subcontinent.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 500 grams boneless meat cubes (beef / mutton / chicken)
• 1/2 cup wheat
• 2 tbsp barley
• 2 tbsp white lentil
• 2 tbsp gram lentil
• 1.5 tbsp yellow lentil
• 1.5 tbsp red lentil
• 1.5 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 2 tbsp red chili powder
• Salt, to taste
• 2 large pinches nutmeg & mace powder (jaifal javitri)
• ½ tsp black pepper powder
• ½ tsp white cumin powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ cup oil
• 3 medium onions, fine julienned
• Fine chopped green chilies, ginger, lemon wedges & chaat masala for serving

Method:

• Soak all the grains for 3-4 hours or overnight if you have time.
• Cook soaked grains on low-medium heat till tender.
• Fry onions, stirring constantly till uniformly golden brown.
• Separate half of the fried onions for garnishing and serving later on.
• In the pot with remaining onions, add ginger garlic paste and stir.
• Add boneless meat cubes and all the spices.
• Cook and stir-fry well for five minutes.
• Add plenty water (3-4) glasses and cook half covered till meat is very tender.
• Now separately start mashing meat and grains in their own pots till well mashed like paste as desired.
• Now add meat in grains pot, and mix and mash till well combined.
• Serve with Naan and condiments (crispy fried onions, fine chopped green chilies, ginger, lemon wedges & chaat masala).

Happy Cooking & Bon Appétit!

Chicken Tikka with Tamarind Chutney, Mint Raita & Puri Paratha

Chicken Tikka

with Tamarind Chutney, Mint Raita & Puri Paratha

Ingredients:

• 3-4 chicken quarters
• 3-4 tbsp oil for drizzling
• Marinade:
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
• 1/2 tsp white pepper powder
• Juice of 2 large lemons
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder / paprika (this chili powder is very mild in taste but impart a vibrant red colour to any dish)
• 1/2 tsp chaat masala powder
• Salt, to taste
• A pinch or two of orange food color
• 2 tbsp oil

Method:

• Pre-heat oven at 180'C.
• Make diagonal slits on chicken quarters.
• Combine all marinade ingredients and coat the chicken pieces well in this marinade using your hand.
• Leave for 2-3 hours so that meat is infused with spices.
• Arrange chicken pieces on an oiled rack over a baking tray.

• Drizzle with oil.
• Bake in pre-heated oven for 40-45 minutes. (Flip the side after 30 minutes during baking if using leg quarter.)

~ Serve. 

Spicy Mint & Tamarind Chutney

Ingredients:

• A handful of mint leaves
• A handful of parsley / coriander
• 4-5 green chilies
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbsp red chili flakes
• Salt, to taste
• 2-3 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1/4 cup water

Method:

• Mix all ingredients together and blend until smooth.

Mint Raita:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup yogurt
• A handful of mint leaves
• A handful of parsley / coriander
• 4-5 green chilies
• 1 garlic clove
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tbsp water

Method:

• Mix all ingredients together and blend until smooth.

Special Puri Paratha:

My puri paratha recipe with step-by-step pics:

http://flavour-essence.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/special-puri-paratha.html

Chicken & Corn Soup

Chicken & Corn Soup

Winter is almost here and that means its Soup time! So here's this comforting, warming and delicious 'Chicken & Corn Soup' recipe by Flavour-Essence!

Serve it with prawn crackers or garlic / cheese bread and you can make your soup a complete meal.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups water
•  ½ chicken breast fillet
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 1.5 tablespoon corn-flour
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) water
• 2 tablespoons creamed corn
• 2 tablespoon corn kernels, rinsed, drained
• ½ egg, whisked
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 spring onion, green part finely chopped
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

• Place water, chicken and chicken stock cube in a large saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Transfer chicken to a bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Finely shred.
• Add the soy sauce and ginger to the chicken stock.
• Make corn-flour slurry by combining corn-flour and water in a small bowl.
• Gradually stir the corn-flour mixture into the chicken stock.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until soup thickens slightly.
• Add shredded chicken, creamed corn and corn and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes or until its boiling.
• Gradually pour in whisked egg into the soup, stirring constantly.
• Cook for 2 minutes or until white ribbons swirl though the soup.
• Add the sesame oil, black pepper and half the green shallot and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper if required.
• Ladle the soup among serving bowls and sprinkle with the remaining green shallot.

Serve hot.

Chicken Handi

Chicken Handi

Recipe of traditional restaurant style delicious and aromatic 'Chicken Handi'.

Its called 'Handi' because it is cooked in a vessel called 'Handi' which is made up of clay / terracotta or sometimes metal. But it can be cooked in any kind of pan and for authentic look, usually served in a Handi.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 700 grams boneless chicken cubes
• 2 Tomatoes, chopped
• 3-4 green chilies, julliened
• ½ cup oil
• 1.5 tsp red chili powder
• 3 cloves of garlic, fine chopped
• 1 tbsp coarsely chopped coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp coarsely chopped cumin
• An inch piece of ginger, julienned
• 1 onion, julienned and fried golden brown
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp ground fenugreek seeds / methi dana
• 1 tsp garam masala  
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 4 tbsp fresh cream
• Salt to taste
• a handful of chopped coriander

Method:

• Heat oil in a wok (or handi).
• Sauté garlic till tender.
• Add tomatoes and fried onion and stir-fry.
• Add salt, red chili powder, turmeric and mix well.
• Add Chicken and stir-fry till chicken turns white.
• Cover and cook till meat is tender.
• Now add coarsely ground coriander and cumin and yogurt.
• Stir-fry for few minutes.
• Add green chilies, ginger, garam masala and fenugreek powder. Stir-fry.
• Add in little water if it’s too thick and heat up a bit.
• Stir in fresh cream and mix well till handi is heated through.
• garnish with julienned ginger and chopped coriander.
• Serve hot with naan and salad.

~ Enjoy! 

Kadhi Pakora

Kadhi Pakora

Kadhi Pakora is a classic Pakistani-Indian gram-flour curry with fried gram-flour & onion pakoras. It’s everyone’s all-time favourite comfort food, served with boiled / steamed rice or naans.

Recipe

Ingredients:

For Pakoras:

• 1 cup sieved gram flour
• 1 fine chopped onion
• 2 tbsp fine chopped coriander / parsley
• 1 tbsp yogurt
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• Water, as required

For Kadhi Sauce:

• 2 tbsp gram flour
• 1 cup sour yogurt (if yogurt is not sour enough, add 1tbsp lemon juice)
• 1.5 tsp or to taste red chili powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tbsp turmeric powder
• Salt, to taste
• Water, as required

Other ingredients:

• 1 tbsp oil
• Few curry leaves
• 4-5 dried red chilies whole
• 1 tsp white cumin (zeera) whole
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi dana) whole
• Chopped coriander
• 1tbsp oil
• 1 tsp black / yellow mustard seeds

Method:

• Combine all pakora ingredients in some water till you get a thick paste.
• Set aside for 15 minutes.
• Fry small pakoras in hot oil and set aside.
• Combine all kadhi sauce ingredient together and whisk well adding water till you get a semi-thick slurry.
• In a pan, heat oil and sauté curry leaves, dry red chilies, methi dana and zeera till fragrant.
• Add kadhi sauce and stir until gram-flour smell goes away.
• Add water till sauce is thinned and bring to a rolling boil while constantly stirring.
• After one boil, lower the flame and cover and cook until few more boils.
• Turn the flame off and add fried pakoras and coriander.
• Mix and cover the pan so that pakoras get soaked and soften.
• In a small sauté pan, heat 1tbsp oil and crackle mustard seeds.
• Pour over kadhi served in a bowl.
• Serve with boiled / steamed white rice or naan bread.

~ Enjoy!

Spicy Jalfrezi Pasta

Spicy Jalfrezi Pasta

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 300 gms chicken cubes
• Salt, to taste
• ¼ tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp ginger powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp white pepper powder
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ large onion, cubed
• 2-3 green chilies, fine chopped
• 1-2 green / red / yellow capsicums, cubed
• 2 medium tomatoes, cubed
• A handful of fresh chopped coriander leaves
• 2-3t tbsp oil
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• ½ cup tomato puree + tomato sauce
• Boiled pasta – serving quantity for 2-3

Method:

• Marinate chicken for 30 minutes in all the ground / powdered spices and ½ of the ground garam masala.
• Heat oil in a wok and sauté garlic till it softens.
• Add marinated chicken cubes and fry till cooked through.
• Add tomato puree and red chili flakes and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.
• Add green chilies and all the vegetables and stir-fry for a couple of minutes.
• Mix in boiled pasta and toss till well combined.
• Just before you dish it up, sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves.

¬ Bon Appétit!

Szechuan-Style Hot & Sour Chicken Soup

Szechuan-Style Hot & Sour Chicken Soup 

Adaptation of the classic Chinese version of Szechaun-style Hot & Sour Chicken Soup, a comfort and warming food for cold autumn and winter evenings.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 175 gm chicken strips (boneless)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice / white vinegar
• 2 tbsp water (for corn flour slurry)
• 2 tsp corn flour
• 2 cups water (for chicken stock)
• 1 chicken cube
• 1/2 cup chopped cabbage, carrots & spring onions
• 1/2 tsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)
• 1 tsp red chili flakes
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp red hot chili sauce
• 1/2 tsp fine chopped garlic & ginger
• 1 egg, beaten
• a dash of ground black pepper

Method:

• In a bowl coat chicken strips with sesame oil.
• In a second bowl, comine vinegar, 2tbsp water and corn flour to make a slurry.
• In a saucepan, combine the chicken stock cube, water, cabbage, carrot, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, crushed chilies and sesame oil coated chicken and bring to a boil on medium heat.
• Returning to the saucepan, increase the flame to medium-high until its boiling again.
• Now drizzle in the egg while stirring slowly to create long strands of egg.
• Stir in the corn flour slurry.
• Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and the stock has thickened slightly, about 3 minutes.
• Serve garnished with spring onions and parsley.

~ Enjoy!