Shish Tawook

Shish Taauk/Tavuk is a traditional Arabic & Turkish shish kababs which is variedly consumed in Lebanese,Syrian,Egyptian & Iraqi cuisine.In Turkish shish means skewer & Tavuk means chicken.It is basically marinated chicken cubes which are(with or without vegetable) skewered & grilled,serve with rice & garlic sauce (toum).In Lebanon its served with hummus & tabbouleh salad.Its widely used in sandwiches,shawarma,pita bread wrap along with lettuce,tomato & pickle turnip & seasoned with garlic sauce.Its often served in a platter with vegetable & fries.

My recipe of Shish tawook is simple to prepare.You have all the ingredient in your pantry & its really a fancy meal to serve on weekends.I like to served it with Butter rice,Fresh Garden salad & Garlic sauce.So here is my recipe

For Chicken Marinade:

• Chicken breast 800g(cut into cubes)
• Coriander powder 1/4tsp
• Roasted cumin powder 1/4tsp
• Salt to taste
• Paprika 1tbsp
• yogurt 4tbsp
• Lemon juice 1/4cup
• Garlic 1/2tbsp(minced)
• Green chilly 4 (minced)(again for extra heat)
• Red chilly powder 1/4tsp(opt)(for a hint of extra spice)
• Tomato paste 2tsp(or tomato ketchup if unavailable)
• Papaya paste 1tbsp

1. Marinate the chicken pieces with all above & leave overnight in the fridge.

For vegetables:

• Red onions 2(cut into cubes/diced)
• Capsicum 2(cut into cubes/diced)
• Tomato 2(cut into cubes/diced)

Other Ingredients:

• Wooden skewers(to fill the veg & chicken)
• Oil for frying

1. Now take wooden skewers & fill it with a cube of capsicum followed by a cube of tomato then onion & chicken cube,again with onion,tomato & capsicum & chicken..fill the rest vise virsa..
2. When you have finished making all.Heat some oil in a frying pan & fry the Shisk tawook on high flame for couple of mins each & put aside.Now you can either grill it i the oven or on grill pan or electric grill.I used my electric grill,i cooked the skewers until tender to touch but still juicy.

For Rice:

• Basmati rice 3cups
• Turmeric a pinch
• Butter
• Oil 1tbsp
• Salt
• Vinegar 1tsp

1. Wash the rice under running water & soak it for 1hr.
2. Then boil it with some salt & vinegar until tender when still a bit firm when pressed.
3. In another pot add a good knob of butter & oil.
4. Add in the turmeric(just for colour),salt.
5. Throw in the boiled rice & stir until well mixed.
6. Cover for couple of mins.
7. Remove flame add some more butter about 1tbsp & mix again.
8. Serve with shish Tawook.

Toum(garlic sauce):

• Garlic 4cloves,minced
• Salt 1/4tsp
• Canola oil 1cup
• Lemon juice 3-4tbsp
• Egg white 1-2

1. In a blender blend egg white,salt & lemon juice.Slowly add the oil while the blender is still running.Stop when the mixture started to thicken.Add in garlic & start again to mix it.serve with shish tawook.

If you want the without egg version of toum to go with Shish tawook then there you go

Toum(without egg)

• Plain yogurt 1cup(thickened)
• Extra virgin Olive oil 1tbsp
• Garlic 1tsp(minced)
• Fresh mint leaves(minced) 1tsp
• Salt 1/4tsp

1. Whisk all & serve.

Salad:

• Cucumber
• Red onions
• Tomatoes
• Pickled onion
• Pickled carrots
• Fresh mint leaves

1. Cut all into bite size chunks & top it with the salad dressing.

For Salad Dressing:

• 3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1tbsp lemon juice
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper.

1. Mix all & pour over the salad.

Enjoy!
Fareeha Furhan.

Poori Chat

Light & crispy semolina shell filled with yogurt ,potatoes & sev,topped with sweet & spicy chutney.Delectable…

If you are a fan of Gol gappey/pani poori then you 'll definitely going to like this dish.Its time consuming though but worth the effort.Hey! NO NEED TO WORRY,there is a short cut too.

For Gol Gappey(crispy semolina shells):

• Semolina 3/4cup
• All purpose flour 1/4cup
• Water 1/2cup
• Oil for frying

1. Mix all & knead dough,cover with a damp tea towel & rest for 10 mins.
2. Meanwhile heat oil in a deep wok.
3. Cut the dough into pieces & roll flat.It should not be thick.
4. Cut using a round circular cutter(2 inches) & deep fry it in hot oil,using a slotted metal spoon gently pour the oil over the Poories until puffed up & golden.Extract & repeat with the rest & put aside.

For Poori Chat:

• Gol gappey 24
• Potatoes 2
• Whipped yogurt 1cup
• Sugar 2tbsp
• Salt 1/2tsp
• Chat Masala 1tsp
• Sev 1cup
• Fresh coriander 1/2cup
• Sweet tamarind date Chutney(recipe below)
• Spicy Chutney(recipe below)

1. Boil the potatoes,peel it & dice it.
2. Whip yogurt with salt,sugar & chat masala.
3. Press the top of Goll Gappa & fill in the diced potatoes,yogurt dressing,spicy chutney,sweet chutney,sev & some fresh coriander on top.

For Sweet chutney:

• Dates 1/2cup
• Sugar 1/4cup
• Tamarind pulp 1/2cup
• Salt 1/2tsp
• Crushed red pepper 1tsp

1. Soak dates in water for 1hr.Remove seeds & grind them with tamarind pulp.
2. Blend again to make it a smooth paste.
3. Pour into a pan & cook for 5mins.
4. Remove from flame,let it cool.
5. Serve.

Spicy Chatni:

• Fresh coriander leaves 1bunch
• Green chillies 6
• Cumin seeds 1tsp
• Salt 1/2tsp
• Lemon juice 1/4cup
• Garlic 2cloves

        Blend all.Serve

FOR A QUICKER VERSION:

You can buy the ready made Gol Gappey at the grocery stores & ready made green chilly sauce instead of spicy chutney & Imli ginger sauce instead of sweet sauce.So all you need is boil a potato & dice it,prepare the yogurt dressing,fill it in the Pooris & enjoy.Serve it to your friends,family & guests.

Enjoy!
Fareeha Furhan

Takka tak

Takka tak is one of the famous dish of Lahore.Almost all the Pakistani resturants have this dish on the menu.Its usually prepared live on a big hot griddle & mainly consists of  different organs of lamb i-e kidneys,Sweet breads,mince meat,heart,brain & chops etc.The skilful chef slices the meat with two sharp slicer composing a captivating rhythm comprising an alluring takka tai tone(so basically that how this dish has been called as Takka Tak),he then cooks the meat until it becomes homogeneous & aromatic,served with naan ,chutney & salad..mmm…

As a member of foodie family i often cook this dish at home for my family.You can add or leave any ingredients according to desire.I skip the brain & add more chops & mince meat in my recipe.So choose what you like & skip what you don't like..The recipe is simple & easy to prepare,all you need is

• Oil 1/4cup - 1/2cup
• Ginger (fine chopped) 2tbsp
• Garlic (fine chopped) 2tbsp
• Mince meat(Mutton) 750g
• Mutton Kidney 16
• Mutton Sweet Breads 12(opt)
• Salt to taste
• Red chilli powder 1tsp
• Termeric 3/4tsp
• Onion(chopped) 1cup that is about 4pcs
• Tomato(chopped) 3
• Mutton chops 10-12
• Yougart 1 cup
• Takka tak Masala 2tbsp(recipe below)
• Lemon juice 2tbsp

For Garnish:

• Ginger julien cut
• Chop green corriander
• Sliced green chillies
• Lemon juice
• Butter

1. Boil the Mutton kidneys & sweet bread with a 1tbsp of vinegar & few cloves of garlic until half done.Discard the water & chop the kiney & sweet breads.
2. Take a deep pot & cook the mince meat & chops till half done.
3. Now take a flat heavy griddle or deep wok & add in oil.add in the ginger garlic paste ,stir for a min or so then add in chopped kidneys & sweet breads.Add in salt,red chilli powder & turmeric ,stir for sometime then cook covered on low flame for 3mins.Add in chopped onions & cook further for few mins then throw in chopped tomatoes,keep stirring for couple of more mins.Finally add in the pre-cooked mince meat & chops,keep on stirring until smells good.At this stage add in the yogurt & takka tak masala ,cook covered on low flame until chops are tender when pricked & the oil floats on the edges.Remove from flame,add in lemon juice,knob of butter,Julien ginger,sliced coriander & sliced green chillies

Enjoy with naan & mint chutney .

Mint chutney:

• Mint leaves 1 bunch
• 2-3 green chillies
• 1cup yogart
• salt

Blend all & serve with takka tak.

Takka tak Masala:

• Aniseed(sauf) 2tbsp
• Cumin seed(zeera) 2tbsp
• Dry whole Corriander(sabat danya) 2tbsp
• Dry whole red chillies (sabat lal mirch) 10-12pcs
• Garam Masala 1tbsp
• Dry Fenugreek leaves 2tbsp

Dry roast all & grind.

Enjoy!

Fareeha Furhan.

Chicken Nuggets

Crispy outside ,Moist and tender inside ,succulent chicken nuggets is a true delight for all and an absolute favourite of kids.Its my little girl top pick too,although she is so fussy about what she eats but loves Chicken Nuggets and whenever ask for breakfast and lunch options she demands Chicken Nuggets.I always prepare a batch beforehand and freeze them,its convinient to use later for Breakfasts,kids lunch boxes , on lazy day lunch for kids with some peas or French fries and with evening tea.I mean its so versatile to use and handy to keep.

I come across this quick version  of making chicken nuggets few days earlier , when my poor lilttle angle  was not feeling well(she was running a temperature) and was insisstent to have nothing except chicken nuggets for breakfast and i ran out of stock.At first i though to go and bring the market ones , readily available these days but then come across the idea of preparing it myself at home,with safe and healthy products .I infact have a pretty good recipe for chicken nuggets but that obviously is time consuming.As Necessity is the mother of invention , i managed to make it in less than 30 mins( from scratch ) and it comes out well,she loved it and took the medine afterwards ,i sighed with relief.

As for the recipe all you need is

• Chicken breast 400g
• Salt & Pepper
• Oil 1tbsp
• Worchestershire sauce 1tbsp
• Thyme 1tsp
• Sugar 1/2tsp
• Garlic 2cloves(crushed)
• Ginger 1/4inch(crushed)
• Chicken powder 1/2tsp
• Egg 1
• Flour 1/2 cup
• Bread crumbs
• Oil  for frying

Wash & pat dry the chicken breast.Trim the extra meat.Now take a steak hammer & a plastic sheet & smack the breast with the hammer..

It 'll look like this ,flatten & well proportioned meat thoroughly.Prick it all over with sharp knife or with fork.

Now cut it into small chunks as much as you want the size of Nuggets to be.

Mix everything except egg ,flour & bread crumbs.

Mix well & rest it in the fridge for at least 1hr.I didn't rest it when made in hurry but its better to rest it for some time to help the flavour get into the meat.

Now for the coating ,you 'll need flour ,beaten egg & bread crumbs.

First coat the merinated pieces in flour.Tap & shake off the excess flour.

Then straight for an egg wash & into the bread crumbs.Coat well & shake off the excess.

Repeat with the rest.At this stage you can freeze them.For that take a freezable container & place the nuggets in layer using polythene sheets in between(to prevent them from sticking each other) & freeze until desire.

There is two ways of cooking them.You can fry them or bake them.I went to the fried option because it's a quicker one but those who are health conscious can also bake them.

Heat oil in a shallow pan on a low flame, add in the nuggets & cover it with the lids for 2mins.Remove lid & cook on medium flame until golden.Take out & drain well.

OR

Alternatively you can also fry these with 1tbsp olive oil on hot griddle until golden for a less fat free version.

& in no time your home_made crispy ,golden ,tender & juicy nuggets are ready.

Serve it with the dip of your choice.

• Chicken breast 400g
• Salt & Pepper
• Oil 1tbsp
• Worchestershire sauce 1tbsp
• Thyme 1tsp
• Sugar 1/2tsp
• Garlic 2cloves(crushed)
• Ginger 1/4inch(crushed)
• Chicken powder 1/2tsp
• Egg 1
• Flour 1/2 cup
• Bread crumbs
• Oil  for frying

1. Wash & pat dry the chicken breast.Trim the extra meat.Now take a steak hammer & a plastic sheet & smack the breast with the hammer using the plastic sheet in between the hammer & the breast..
2. Prick it all over with sharp knife or with fork.
3. Cut it into small chunks.
4. Mix everything except egg ,flour & bread crumbs & rest in the fridge for 1hr.
5. Coat the merinated pieces in flour & shake off the excess flour then in egg wash & bread crumbs.
6. Fry it on medium flame until golden.
7. Serve it with the dip of your choice.

Enjoy.

Fareeha Furhan.