Chicken Tikka Masala and Indian Rice.

Hello everybody.
Back to cold and gloomy weather, plan was to plant and arrange the garden today but clouds and eastern crisp wind aren’t encouraging at all.

Lunch was chicken tikka masala, same recipe is always make, but this time I did Indian rice on the side, though one ingredient is missing ‘ mustard seeds ‘ and original recipe contains cumin seeds not powder, but result was superb, light and aromatic and goes well with the chicken.
Ingredients and method :
* 2 cups rice ( I used basmati)
* cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks.

*1 tsp salt.
* small chopped onion.
* 2 cloves garlic.
* ghee or oil.
* 1 tsp mustard seeds.
* 1 tsp cumin seeds.
* 1 tsp turmeric powder.
* 1 tsp chili flakes.

* boil washed rice with lots of water and the cardamom pods and cinnamon till it’s done.

* when done pour in sieve and wash, remove pods and sticks.
* in the same pan heat oil then sauté mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric and chili till seeds start to pop.
* add onions and garlic and saute till done.
* add the rice and mix all well then leave for few minutes to heat all over.

* serve with tikka or kebabs.

 

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wpid-wp-1426868145969.jpeg end result !

 

 

 

 

Kebab with Tomatoes ( كباب هندي)

Hello everybody.

Had to go  to Irbid this morning so I needed to cook something quick, after giving the boys two options kofta or spinach they agreed on the first, I even cooked the onions and tomatoes last night to save time.

Early this morning I added ketchup, mustard and  to kofta, made them finger shaped,sautéed them in some oil then added them the the sauce, I even cooked the rice in case I was caught up in time which is exactly what happened.

Ingredients and method:

Ingredients and method:
* kofta meat ( ready from butcher)
* onions.
* garlic.
* tomatoes.
* green peppers.
* 1 can chopped tomatoes
* 1 spoon ketchup and mustard.

* mix kofta with ketchup and mustard.
* form it to small kebabs finger shaped.
* coat them with flour then keep in fridge for a while.
* heat some olive add the kebabs till brownish from all sides.
* add chopped onions, garlic, peppers sautee with meat till tender.
* add 2 peeled chopped  tomatoes and the can.
* leave to simmer for 30-40 minutes. Or you can put it the oven if you like.
* serve with rice.

 

wpid-wp-1424015764832.jpeg  I added some potato slices today as a change.

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wpid-wp-1424015783402.jpeg a real comfort food in this weather.

Double Meat Pasta.( معكرونه بالسجق والدجاج)

Hello everybody.

Grocery shopping today, had to think of something quick to make  cause boys were hungry and I had no time so I bought stuff for this recipe my cousin made yesterday , it was absolutely delicious, so from now on it’s Manal’s Pasta.

This dish is suitable for meat lovers cause it contains both beef sausages and chicken with lots of garlic,a rich tasty combination.Of course you can use one kind alone up to you but both together are very homogeneous <3

 

Ingredients and method:

* 1 cup chopped sausages.

* 2 pieces chopped chicken breasts.

* 4-5 cloves of garlic.

* 1 bunch finely chopped fresh coriander.

* 1 pack or bottle pasta sauce.

* 1 pack (500 ml) fresh cream.

* pasta of any shape.

* salt,pepper and chili powder.

* grated Mozzarella cheese.

 

* saute sausages in olive oil till tender and brown in color.

* add chicken, salt,pepper and chili and saute alongside till almost done.

* add garlic and saute with them.

* add salt,pepper,chili and some garlic powder if you want a stronger garlicky taste.

* add the tomato sauce over all meat mix.

* add the cream,stir and mix till bubbly.

* add the boiled pasta and mix well.

* cover and leave to simmer for 15 minutes.

* add cheese on top and roast in the oven till golden.

 

Thank you dear Manal for the easy solution,I’m sure many housewives will consider this one frequently.

 

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DSC_0396  cream tomato meat mixture.

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20150117_143216  Hot spicy sharp tasting result:)

 

 

Shakshuka.

Hello everybody.

Invited to breakfast this morning so I wanted to cook something as quick as possible, this simple rich dish was the rescue recipe, my husband saw and wrote it down  long time ago in Fatafeat cooking channel. Though the original recipe on the net usually doesn’t contain sausages like this one so you can do it with or without. Very tasty and good for a Friday brunch by the way.

Anyway breakfast was at a nice place in Taj Mall called Majnoon Qahwa, though service is slow as always in MOST Amman restaurants but food was really good and all in all atmosphere is cozy and nice,most important thing is that smoking area is completely separated so no Argileh smoke to suffocate you !

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And they do have excellent Yemeni coffee,really strong and aromatic.

 

Ingredients and method of Sahkshuka:

* 1 large thinly sliced onion.

* 4 cloves of garlic ( used my new mortar to crush them)

* 1 can or 5 big diced tomatoes.

* some fresh sausages (optional).

* chili powder,salt and pepper.

* some chopped parsley (optional)

* 4-5 eggs.

* olive oil.

* saute onions and garlic in hot olive oil till tender.

* chop sausages and add  them.

* add the tomatoes,salt,pepper and chili then leave to simmer till done.

* crack the eggs on top and cover .

* leave over low heat till eggs are done the way you like them.

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20141229_092149 my new kitchen tool,stone mortar from IKEA.

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20141229_144410  yummy Shakshuka.

 

Zaid Cooking / Shawerma.

Hello everybody.

Went to parent’s meeting all morning,last one to attend, hurray :), good results and comments this time thank God.

Went back home with no idea what to cook,my son suggested shawerma and since he’s home and free he did the cooking, I only supervised and did some cheese rolls in thin bread (shark)

To the chicken he added garlic powder,oregano, chili and smoked spices then sautéed them and wrapped all in a sandwich with garlic mayonnaise mix and pickles. He roasted the sandwiches after that.

Lunch was served with French fries and a salad,thank you my handsome young man, wish you best of luck always.

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Cheese rolls.

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Crunchy Baked Wedges.

Hello everybody.
How’s your weekend so far? Weather turned crispy cold and dusty not enjoyable for an outing right?
Lunch was cheese burgers and crunchy spiced wedges,you cut potatoes with skin into wedges and mix well with pesto sauce,chili,rosemary, oregano,breadcrumbs,sun dried tomatoes,salt ,pepper and olive oil then bake uncovered till done and crispy. Salad was beetroot and lettuce topped with feta cheese and vinaigrette.

Upon kids request I baked more peanut butter chocolate cookies cause I only left some for them yesterday. Love this recipe very easy and quick.

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How to do Makdous (stuffed pickled eggplants,مقدوس)

Hello everybody.

Makdous are oil cured small eggplants,which are a major breakfast,appetizer dish in most of Middle Eastern Mediterranean countries specially in Syria,Lebanon,Palestine and Jordan.

It’s usually done at this time of year and kept in big jars to be eaten during Winter.I remember when we were kids both my grandmas used to make lots and lots of big glass jars filled with makdous,labaneh balls and olives for  Winter time storage (مونه الشتاء)cause at those times vegetables and fruits were seasonal and usually you can’t find lots of options and varieties in stores like these days.

One can’t find exact ingredients for doing it,they usually did it randomly by experience but I found this old one in my book I’m sure it’s good.

Ingredients and method:

* 3 kg of small eggplants.

* 7-9 tablespoons salt ( better to use local salt not processed ملح بلدي

* 1 cup crushed walnuts.

* 1 tablespoon chili powder.

* crushed garlic (as much as you like)

* boil eggplants in hot water till color change and they become tender but not too soft.

* drain then add a bit of salt into each eggplant to as to let all excess water goes out.

* leave to drain till no more water comes out.

* mix walnuts,garlic,chili and salt together then stuff each eggplant with it.

* leave downwards in a sieve till no water comes out at all.

* arrange in a glassware and add olive oil to cover completely.

* store till done which is usually 10-14 days.

* Can be stored in a cool dry place for months.

Enjoy 🙂

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Tomato Thyme Pastries.

Hello everybody.

End of a long holiday,rearranging Eid sweets and Arabic coffee stuff,back to cooking and kitchen work.

lunch was fava beans with rice,didn’t make much cause only me and my youngest son like it,so I made some pastries the old fashion way, dough is simple flour (whole grain and white),yeast,oil, salt then added some sesame seeds and black seeds (قزحه).

Filling was green thyme leaves,finely chopped onion rubbed with salt and pepper,finely chopped fresh tomatoes and sun dried tomatoes, salt,pepper and chili powder and a good amount of olive oil.

Make the dough into balls then spread them,fill and close as triangles,I filled the extra dough with cheese and turkey.

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Kebabs and Appetizers.

Hello everybody.

Woke up late today with no idea what to cook,after searching through the previous posts decided to make homemade Kebabs and the usual salads and appetizers I make with them.

I made roasted tomatoes with chili and garlic ,yogurt with mint and oregano, avocado dip,french fries and a green salad.

I also made some  vegetable kebabs,really yummy !!

Dessert was assorted fruits,fresh pineapple,cactus fruits and many more .

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Sfeeha ( meat on a dough).

Hello everybody.

Upon my Uncle Abu Rashed’s recommendation, I ordered a good amount of Sfeeha today for lunch and to freeze the rest for Ramadan,can be useful as a side dish on the table.

Well after this successful trial I do recommend this place also,Al-Basha butcher and bakery,really tasty, we brought two kinds,with tomatoes and yogurt mix.both really delicious.

Sfeeha or meat on a dough is a very famous kind of pastry in many Middle Eastern countries as well as Turkey and many other places,recipes or mixtures may vary between them but basically it’s a very thin dough with minced meat mixed with either tomatoes and chili or yogurt ,of course many other flavors may be added like tahini or pomegranate sauce,this depends on restaurant or kind you like.

Today’s Sfeeha was great,place called Al Basha,gardens strt,tel 06 5680535.

Enjoy 🙂

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