MANGO SOUFFLE

Here I am with my favourite summer fruit  MANGO! Just loves mangoes! I think it is one the fruit which taste amazing on its own, you don't have to cook it or add it in chaat with other fruits to enhance it flavours ,its is good on its own. Isn't it! Apart from whip cream and Ice-cream, which sure are flavour enhancer in this case but still There is no match for Mangoes, it sure are 'King of all fruits'. There are different varieties of mangoes available in market these day like chaonsa, anwar rathore.... 
Now taking advantage of this fresh summer fruit i made this 'MANGO SOUFFLÉ'. Original recipe is by Shireen Anwar, but the inspiration is my dear friend Asifa Rafiq. Here is the recipe

RECIPE

• 1 tin evaporated milk (chilled)
• 1 packet mango jelly
• 1 cup mango juice
• 1 tbsp gelatine powder (OR 1 tsp Agar Agar powder)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup mango puree
• 4 Tbsp caster sugar
• 1/2 cup cream

FOR DECORATION

• 1/2 cup cream + 1 tbsp icing sugar, whipped for decoration
• 1 packet mango jelly, make it as per packet's instruction and set, for decoration (OPTIONAL)

METHOD

1. Soak 1 tbsp gelatine with 1/4 cup of water.
2. In another saucepan cook mango juice, mango jelly and soaked gelatine on medium-low flame until dissolved. Keep aside.
3. Blend together evaporated milk, sugar and mango puree, while blending pour in mango jelly gelatine mixture and blend till well combined. Add cream and blend for a final time.
4. Pour in glasses/bowl.
5. Decorate with mango jelly cubes, fresh mango slices or whipped cream.

* You can also make it without fresh mangoes using mango pulp/puree instead.

* You can also make it with other fruits like pineapple, pomegranate etc, just use the same flavoured jelly and juice accordingly.

Enjoy!

Fareeha Furhan.

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

This is one of my family favourite dessert. I usually serve it with vanilla ice-cream and amazing toffee sauce! We all love it! So here is my recipe,

Recipe by:Simon Hopkinson

Ingredients

For the sponge

• 175g/6oz dates, chopped
• 1 rounded tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 50g/2oz salted butter
• pinch salt
• 75g/2½oz demerara sugar
• 75g/2½oz molasses sugar
• 2 free-range eggs
• 175g/6oz self-raising flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• butter, for greasing

For the sticky toffee topping

• 250ml/9fl oz double cream
• 80g/3oz butter
• 80g/3oz molasses sugar

For the extra sauce

• 300ml/10fl oz whipping cream
• 50g/2oz molasses sugar
• 50g/2oz salted butter
• double cream, to serve
  
  
  
  

  Method

  
  
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
  2. Pour 275ml/10fl oz boiling water into a large mixing bowl and add the dates. Stir and set aside until lukewarm. Meanwhile, measure out all the other ingredients for the sponge. Add them to the dates and water and mix together until well combined.
  3. Blend the date mixture in a food processor until nearly smooth, but with a few specks of date still visible. Generously butter a baking dish on all surfaces and pour in the sponge batter. Bake for 40 minutes, or until just firm to the touch.
  4. Preheat the grill to medium.
  5. Meanwhile, make both the topping and the extra sauce by heating the ingredients gently in separate pans, whisking regularly, until they briefly boil. Pour the topping over the cooked pudding.
  6. Place the sticky toffee pudding under a moderate grill until bubbling.
  7. To serve, spoon the pudding into individual bowls and pour around the extra sauce.
     
     
     
     
     
     Enjoy!
     
     
     Fareeha Furhan.

CHERRY CAKE

I love to consume fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits in cooking up family meals and baking desserts/cakes. It gives me diversity and a new look and new flavours to the same old things.

If you ever had BLUEBERRY CUPCAKES/MUFFINS, and are really fond of them, then you have to have this cake. I love blueberry cupcakes myself, and find out that this recipe is really close to them. This cake is SUPER MOIST, and the addition of almond meals gives it an amazing hint. We are all familiar with the magic of BALCK FOREST CAKE( which also requires cherries as a major ingredients), every bakery is filled up with lots and lots of these. But this particular cake is different from black forest cake in the sense that it doesn't require any icing to make it moist. It is moist in itself because of the addition of fresh chopped cherries. Here is the recipe

Recipe courtesy: Joy of baking

RECIPE

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (113 grams) 
• 3/4 pound (350 grams) fresh sweet cherries, divided
• 1 cup (130 grams) all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (55 grams) ground almonds (or almond meal)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
•  3/4 cup granulated white sugar (150 grams) (I used fine granulated)
• 1tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4tsp pure almond extract(optional)(I added it)
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) milk

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C.
2. Grease a 9' baking pan and line the bottom with a parchment paper. 
3. In a small sauce, melt the butter. Remove from flame and let it comes to room temperature.
4. Rinse, dry, and pit all the cherries.
5. Then take about 14 cherries (about 1/3), cut them in half, and set them aside (place on a sheet of paper towel, cut side down) to be placed on the top of the cake during baking. 
6. To the rest of the cherries, cut into quarters (to be folded into the cake batter).
7. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, and salt. 
8. Beat the eggs and sugar until thick and light coloured (about 3-5 minutes).
9. Beat in the vanilla extract and almond extract.
10. Then fold in, with a rubber spatula or wire whisk, the melted and cooled butter and milk just until incorporated. 
11. Next, fold in the flour mixture just until moistened.
12. Gently fold in the quartered cherries.
13. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth out the surface.
14. Bake for 15 minutes then remove from oven.
15. Quickly arrange the remaining cherries, cut side down, on the top of the cake. 
16. Bake for another 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean.
17. Cool for 10-15mins
18. Enjoy warm with a cup of tea/coffee or serve cold with dollop of cream/Ice cream and seasonal fruits for a pleasing dessert.

*If you find the cake over browning, cover it with a piece of aluminium foil.

Fareeha Furhan.

ENGLISH STYLE ROASTED CHICKEN LEGS

My family adores English cuisine, majorly because they have spend an enormous part of their lives living up there. Whether it is classic pies, fullfilling english breakfasts or all time hit fish and chips, they just love it. I find out that this cuisine is really simple, with just appropriate seasonings, less use of oil and healthy addition of lots of colourful and vibrant vegetables, makes it healthy choice and a good alternate to routinely desi varieties.
Now, coming over to recipe, I find it really simple, quick and perfectly seasoned. I have been making it for years, particularly on special occasion like Eid and huge family gatherings. Everyone who has tasted it has appreciated the flavours. So here you go

RECIPE

• Chicken Legs(whole & with skin) 1kg 
• Salt
• Red Chilli Flakes 1Tbsp
• Olive Oil 4Tbsp
• Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice 1/2cup
• Potatoes 6(washed and cut into 4 pieces)

METHOD

1. Prick chicken legs with fork all over.
2. Mix together the seasonings.
3. Add chicken legs and rest overnight.
4. Now arrange it in a baking dish with potatoes.
5. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C for 40mins, turning once after 20mins.

*You can also make mash potatoes instead of roast potatoes.

*You can also serve whatever vegetables are available to you like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, courgette, green beans, brussels sprouts. Just steam these and serve.

FOR GRAVY

1. I used BISTO gravy granules, just prepare it according to packet instruction.

*If you don't find the gravy granules, skip it, but it taste better with gravy.

MOTI PULAO

Moti pulao is one of my family favourite. It is that sort of pulao which has small yet tasty meat ball similar to the size of pearl. It can be consumed on it own, but in my family we love to have it with Palak ghost( spinach gravy with meat) or occasionally with dahi bondi raita( yogurt with tender gram flour fritters). Although I have posted it before, but I am reposting it here with slight changes( you can see my previous post here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=161129723980760&set=a.293785874048477.66664.140018502758549&type=3&theater)

RECIPE

FOR MEAT PEARLS

INGREDIENTS:

• Mince meat(lamb) 500g 
• Onion 1 
• Ginger garlic paste 1Tbsp
• Salt 
• Red chilli powder 1tsp (or less as per taste)
• Turmeric powder 1/2tsp
• Cumin seeds 1/2tsp
• Coriander powder 1tsp
• Chickpeas flour 2Tbsp
• Fresh coriander leaves 1Tbsp
• Green chillies 2 small chop
• All spice powder 1/2tsp

METHOD

1. Blend the meat twice in a chopper to make it fine.
2. Chop onion.
3. Mix it in the meat, add all the rest and mix well.
4. Shape it into small pearl size balls. Put aside.
5. You can freeze it at this stage or proceed further.

FOR RICE

INGREDIENTS:

• Rice 750g
• Oil 1/2cup
• Ginger garlic paste 1tsp
• Salt
• Red chilli powder 1/2tsp
• Coriander powder 1tsp
• Tomatoes 2 
• Green chillies 2
• Onion 1 large or 2 medium sliced
• All spice powder 1tsp
• Stock/Water

METHOD

1. Soak rice for 1hour.
2. Take a deep and wide pan. Add in oil and brown the sliced onions.
3. Add in ginger garlic paste and the prepared meat ball. Don't spoon in too much at this stage, just shake and rotate the pan. Add in tomatoes and green chillis, cook for some time, add some water and let it cook until the meat balls are cooked thoroughly. 
4. Add all the rest of the spices and stock. When it comes to boil add in the rice. Now be sure the level of water should be 1 inch higher than the level of rice.
5. When the water has evaporated, put a lid on and put it on Dum for 10-15mins.

Enjoy!

Fareeha Furhan.

FRUIT CHAT

Fruit chat is prepared in every household during the month of Ramadan almost on daily basis. It is so nourishing and filled with health benefits that it is must have item on Iftaar table. There are many ways to prepare it, the one I am writing down here is easiest and most consumed one in my family.

RECIPE

• 1 apple
• 1 peach
• 3/4 cups of grapes
• 1 mango
• 3-4 bananas
• 1 guava
• 3 apricots
• 1 pomegranate
• 1/4 cup almonds
• 4 dates
• 1/4 cup sultanas/raisins
• 1 orange

1. Wash, peel and slice the fruits in a mixing bowl.
2. Add almond in a bowl and add as much water to cover it completely, micro it for few mins. Remove it, peel it and slice it.
3. Soak raisin/sultanas in water for some time, drain and put aside.
4. Wash and slice dates.
5. Now mix sliced almond, raisins and dates in the sliced fruits.
6. Pour the prepared solution(recipe below) over it.

* You can use all or less fruits depending on the availability. I sometime added papaya and boiled chickpeas too and it taste great. I mean with chat all you have to enjoy is the taste of different fruits in it.

• 1 cup water
• 1Tbsp tang
• 1Tbsp sugar/ sugar syrup
• 1/2tsp black salt
• 1tsp Chat masala
• 1-2 lemon juice

1. Mix everything together and pour it over the sliced fruits.
2. Serve chill.

Enjoy!

Fareeha Furhan.

MANGO TANGO

A chilled refreshing and energising drink to enjoy during hot and humid summer days. I love to open my fast with this yummy and zesty treat. Made out of fresh mango cubes and mango nectar. You can also add few mint leaves as per your choice, it will give a beautiful kick to the finished drink.

RECIPE

• Mangos 3 medium or 2 large (peeled and diced)
• Mango nectar 250ml
• Ice cubes 2cups
• Honey 1Tbsp(optional)

Blend everything together and serve chill.

CHICKEN ON FIRE

First of all pardon me for the messier picture :( , actually the fast was due to open and I took it in rush. Flavour was exceptional :) , so thought to share it here. 

Tender, succulent and moist chicken strips sewed onto wooden skewer. Easy to prepare and healthy too (requires less oil or no oil), just mix everything together and let it stand for good couple of hour (resting it overnight is preferable as it helps the chicken absorb better flavours), grill these and serve it with your favourite dipping sauce.

RECIPE

• Chicken Breast Fillet 2 (cut into thin strips)
• Fish sauce 2Tbsp
• Salt/Pepper to taste
• Ginger Garlic Paste 1&1/2tsp
• Oil 2Tbsp
• Egg 1
• Flour 2Tbsp
• Chilli sauce 2Tbsp
• Soya sauce 2Tbsp
• Brown sugar 1Tbsp
• Crush chillies 1Tbsp
• Juice of half a lemon
• Wooden sticks/skewers

1. Marinate chicken strips with all above mentioned ingredients for at least two hours.
2. Soak the wooden sticks in water for half an hour, this will prevent them from burning while grilling.
3. Put the marinated chicken into skewers.
4. Heat the skillet with a little oil and grill these chicken skewers.
5. Serve hot with sauce.

Recipe courtesy: Zarnak

Enjoy!

Fareeha Furhan.

CHICKEN AND SWEETCORN MAYO ROLLS WITH BAKED WINGS AND POTATO WEDGES

Recently my family has the pleasure to consume these mayo rolls(made by me off course), and the enchanting fact is that, they approves it to be one of the good food I offer them lately. 
I have been a busy bee these days mainly because of kids ( as they are off from school and need more attention than usual), then visiting mum and helping her out in her routinely chores, plus you know Ramadan has started that means more busy schedule then normally with more emphasis on Ibadaat instead of spending more time in kitchen. But I think there is some sort of germ in me which makes me jump into Kitchen and get started... :)
Now coming to recipe notes. I personally love this mayo rolls and mostly stick to this same filling again and again. The filling I used were chicken and sweetcorn, but you can use whatever you prefer. I love to serve these rolls with hot wings(not in the picture although) and potatoes wedges, complete meal in itself. The portion was really fulfilling and satisfying. WORTH THE EFFORT! 
Here is the recipe

RECIPE

FOR FILLING

• Boneless Chicken 500g
• Red Chilli powder 1tsp
• Salt to taste
• All spice powder 1/2tsp
• Vinegar 2tbsp
• Cooking Oil 2-3tbsp
• Black Pepper 1/2tsp

1. Marinate Chicken pieces with all above mentioned ingredients for at least 2hrs.
2. Take a wok and heat 1tbsp of oil in it, add the marinated chicken pieces and cook for 3mins on high flame.
3. Add some water and cook further on medium flame until well done.
4. Add this cooked chicken pieces in a mixing bowl.
5. Add all the three ingredients(written underneath) to the mixing bowl and toss it all together. Use this to fill in the pancakes.

• Mayonnaise 1cup
• Mustard paste 1tsp
• Sweet corn 1 large tin (around 1 glass)

For stuffing

Put one serving spoon full of mixture right in the middle of pancake and just roll it.Arrange all in a baking dish and cover it with 1 cup cheddar cheese and bake at 180Ć(pre-heated) for 7-10 mins or until cheese get melted.

FOR PANCAKES

• Plain flour 2cups
• Eggs 2
• Milk 1cup
• Salt a pinch

1. Sieve flour.
2. Crack in eggs.
3. Add salt.
4. Make a smooth batter using milk. Add more water if required.
5. Spray oil onto a non stick pan, and heat it onto a medium-low flame.
6. Pour batter into the middle of the pan and rotate it anticlockwise.  
7. Let it slightly cook on low flame from one side,and then turn over.
8. Remove and put aside, repeat with the rest and keep it covered with a damp tea towel until required.

POTATOES WEDGES

• Potatoes 4-5 
• Plain flour 1/2 cup
• Bread crumbs 1/2 cup
• Salt 
• Freshly ground black pepper 3/4tsp
• Mixed herbs 1/2tsp
• Olive Oil as required

1. Cut potatoes into wedges.
2. Par-boil these wedges. Drain and put aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, add flour, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and mix herbs. 
4. Toss in potatoes.
5. Grease a baking tray and arrange these wedges. Pour olive oil on top of the wedges.
6. Bake it in a pre-heated oven for 40-45 mins at 180Ć.

CHICKEN WINGS

• Chicken wings (with skin) 500g
• Red Chilli powder 1tsp
• Salt to taste
• All spice powder 1/2tsp
• Vinegar 2tbsp
• Cooking Oil 2-3tbsp
• Black Pepper 1/2tsp

1. Marinate Chicken wings with all above mentioned ingredients for at least 4hrs.
2. Add 2tbsp oil in a wok and heat it, throw in the marinated chicken wings and cook for 3 mins.
3. Arrange these in a baking dish and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180Ć for 20-25 mins

DIPPING SAUCE

• Mayonnaise 1cup
• Red chilli flakes 1/2tsp
• Garlic (minced) 1 small clove
• Vinegar 1 and 1/2tsp
• Sugar 2tsp

Mix all above and serve.