Enjoy Chicken Korma on Eid-ul-Fitr

Hey pals! What's up? Hope you enjoyed my sugar feast, Baklava for Id-ul-Fitr. Here I come with a special dinner recipe called Chicken Korma. Korma is a Muglai specialty. DYK it is AKA (also known as) qorma, kormaa, khorma or kurma. Meat braised in extra spicy sauce and mixed with yogurt, cream and nuts, makes the family dinner table really tempting with this exotic treat. The recipe can be best paired with Naan or Kashmiri Rice. There are many more recipes related to this special occasion like Mutton Biryani, which is definitely an ace and the one I have already shared with you. Other delights include:-

-Sevai Kheer (Dessert)

-Haleem

-Chicken Tikka

-Roasted Chicken with Cranberries Rice

-Lamb Bhuna (Roasted Lamb Curry)

-Reshmi Kebabs

So I guess you have a bundle of meaty and sweet treat which you can definitely try on this long weekend.

Chicken Korma

Ingredients:-

2 Onions,

3 Tomatoes,

2 Green Chilies,

2 teaspoons Salt,

1 kg diced Chicken,

5 Black Peppercorns,

2 tablespoons Yogurt,

2 tablespoons Cream,

1 teaspoon Lemon Juice,

2 teaspoons Garlic Paste,

2 Black Cardamom Pods,

2 teaspoons Ginger Paste,

1 teaspoon Garam Masala,

1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder,

1 tablespoons Mustard Oil,

2 teaspoons Almond Paste.

Preparation Method:-

1. Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pan. The heat must be medium high. Saute the sliced onions till they turn out to be golden brown.
2. Add ginger, garlic, chili, mixed spices, salt, cardamom, and peppercorns and mix well. Chop the tomatoes and add them to the mixture. Also add almond paste. You can add tomato paste as well.
3. Stir this mixture well for three minutes. Add the chicken and fry on high heat and coat the chicken mixture with the spices.
4. Reduce heat to low and cover. Let the chicken cook for 25 minutes. Add yogurt, lemon juice and chilies. Let cook on low heat for another 20 minutes.
5. Serve with Kashmiri Pulao or Naan!
   
   
   

Happy Eid-ul-Fitr!

Celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with Baklava

A much awaited Muslim festival is here. DYK that Eid is known by different names in different countries? It is known as Ramazan Bayram which means Ramadan Feast or Seker Bayram meaning Sugar Feast in Turkey. People chiefly enjoy the dessert called "Baklava", which is also our recipe for this auspicious occasion. Elder people are kissed on their right hand denoting special regards and respect for them. In  Philippines, which is basically a Christian country, Eid is considered as a national holiday and is known as Wakas ng Ramadan.

In Indonesia, Eid-ul-Fitr is called Idul Fitri or Lebaran. Muslims pay visit to the resting place of their dear ones and pray so that their souls can rest in peace. Muslims in Africa also celebrate Eid with great pomp and show, feasting throughout Ramazan with their family, friends and ofcourse delectable food such as Mutton Biryani. Now I'm hungry :P . Baklava is a popular dessert of  Middle East. It is basically a sweet and rich pastry made up of layers of filo. It is stuffed with chopped nuts. It is assembled or held together by honey or sugar syrup. So without any waste of time, let's start the sugar feast with a sugar dessert. Here we go!

Ingredients:-

¾ cup Water,

½ cup Honey,

2 sticks Butter,

1 cup granulated Sugar,

4 cups chopped Walnuts,

16 oz thawed Phyllo Dough,

2 tablespoons Lemon Juice,

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

For Garnishing:-

2 tablespoons chopped Walnuts for garnishing,

2 tablespoons chopped Pistachios for garnishing.

Preparation Method:-

1. Thaw baklava as per package instructions. This must be done overnight in the fridge. Place it on the kitchen slab for 1 hour before you start preparing the recipe.
2. Trim phyllo dough for fitting the baking dish. You can trim one stack at a time. Then cover it with a damp towel to keep it from drying out. Moist the bottom and sides with melted butter.
3. Prepare honey sauce now. In a saucepan, add ½ cup honey, 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and ¾ cup water. Bring it to boil over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally for 5 minutes. Let it cool.
4. For preparing Baklava:- Preheat oven to 325 D. F. Grind walnuts in a food processor till finely chopped. Take a bowl and add 4 cups walnuts and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
5. Place 10 phyllo sheets in baking pan one by one. Brush each sheet with butter. Keep phyllo covered with damp towel. Spread ⅕ of walnut mixture over phyllo dough.
6. Add 5 buttered sheets of phyllo, then layer of nuts. Then add rest 5 sheets. Brush the top with melted butter. Cut pastry into 1½ inches wide strips in rectangular shape. Bake at 325 D. F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
7. Remove from oven. Immediately add the cooled syrup uniformly over the hot baklava. Let baklava cool completely. Keep overnight as such so that syrup is fully absorbed.
8. Garnish with walnuts and pistachios. Serve!
   

Happy Eid-ul-Fitr!

Eid-ul- Fitr Recipes and Celebration

Ramadan is AKA Ramadhan or Ramazan. During Ramazan, Muslims go on strict fasting. They participate in pious activities such as peace making and donating. However, at the end of fasting period, Muslims throughout the world celebrate the festival called Eid-ul-Fitr. It is known as the Festival of Breaking the fast. And as I always add that any festival is incomplete without delicious food, I have highlighted the best of Traditional Muslim Food. Though Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated worldwide, different places have different blend of spices and flavors, let’s see how.

South Asia (Indian Subcontinent) - The flavors from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are blended together to produce three fabulous dishes on Eid. These are Haleem, Biryani and Sevai Kheer. 

Sevai Kheer - A fine dessert that is a must for Id-ul-Fitr is Sheer Kurma or Semiya Payasam or simply Sevai. It is made up of vermicelli, sugar, milk, condensed milk, clarified butter, almonds, cashew nuts, saffron strands and kewra essence (flower essence). I personally love this recipe. 

Haleem - Haleem is a popular recipe that is served widely on Indo-Pak celebrations especially on Eid. Grains like lentils and bulgur are blended and cooked slowly with meat. The bones are removed lately from the recipe. But the value of the recipe is doubled since it is cooked in goodness of bones, what a delightful affair! Chicken Haleem and Lamb Haleem are very popular in this region. 

Biryani - Biryani is a rice dish that originated from Persia. Hope you liked my post, “Love for Indian Meat recipes”. Biryani takes lot of time to make and more time spent implies the tastier fest, isn't it? Biryani is made up of beef, chicken or lamb and Asian spices, strongly dominate the delights.

Middle East - One of the most popular food eaten in Middle Eastern countries is meat skewers (any meat especially lamb and beef). These are locally called kabobs. Meat patties is equally famous food here. These are made of minced meat accompanied by strong flavor of mint and pepper. These are pan-fried or grilled. The roasted spices make an excellent coating when added onto meat. The smoky spices give the best flavors out here. 

 

USA - All-American Whole Roasted Chicken with Cranberries over Rice forms major dish here. Saffron Road Artisan Roasted Chicken Broth is used to cook the rice and add to the chicken while roasting. The sweet flavor rice and not too much spicy chicken, completely satisfies the taste buds. Since cranberries are grown in abundance in US, they add ultimate flavor to almost any food especially rice, on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.

Wish you a very Happy Eid-ul- Fitr!!