Basboosa 2

I am re-posting this recipe with minor changes for those who prefer a lighter texture (the other one being more dense).  Both variations are delicious!

Besides the fact that this dessert is delectable and super easy to make, I love how you don’t need to use any eggs!  For a flavor twist, you can add some lemon or orange juice in the boiling process of the syrup.

For the Syrup

What you will need:

2 c. water

2 c. sugar

5 cardamom pods

Method:

Boil all the above ingredients until the sugar has been dissolved.  Set aside to cool.

For the Basboosa

What you will need:

3 1/2 c. cream of wheat (sooji)

1 1/2 c. dessicated coconut

1 tsp baking powder

1 c. oil

3/4 c. sugar

1&1/4 c. milk/whipping cream and 1/4 c. yogurt

1 packet cream cheese, room temp.

1/4 c. sugar

Method:

In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.  Make a well in the center and add the oil and 1/2 of the milk/yogurt.  Mix well and add rest of the liquid a little at a time until a smooth paste has been formed.  The end result should not be liquid-y, rather it should be a smooth moist paste.  Place aside.  Cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Grease a 13 by 9 cake pan.  Spread half of the cream of wheat mixture evenly, pressing down to smooth.  Spread the cream cheese mixture on top.  Spread the rest of the cream of wheat mixture and press down to smooth*.  Cut into diamonds and place 1 almond in each diamond.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until inserted knife comes out clean.  Broil the top until it is light brown in color.  Remove from the oven and pour the cool syrup on top.  Let sit for at least 15 minutes so that the syrup can get absorbed.  Re-cut the pieces, place on a serving patter and enjoy!

* For ease in spreading the last layer, take some of the mixture, press it in between the palms of your hand and place on top of the cream cheese.  Repeat until all of the cream cheese has been covered and then press down to smooth.

Basboosa

Besides the fact that this dessert is delectable and super easy to make, I love how you don’t need to use any eggs!  For a flavor twist, you can add some lemon or orange juice in the boiling process of the syrup.

For the Syrup

What you will need:

2 c. water

2 c. sugar

5 cardamom pods

Method:

Boil all the above ingredients until the sugar has been dissolved.  Set aside to cool.

For the Basboosa

What you will need:

3 1/2 c. cream of wheat (sooji)

1 1/2 c. dessicated coconut

1 c. oil

3/4 c. sugar

1 c. yogurt and 1 – 1/2 c. milk

1 packet cream cheese, room temp.

1/4 c. sugar

Method:

In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.  Make a well in the center and add the oil and 1/2 of the milk/yogurt mixture.  Mix well and add rest of the liquid a little at a time until a smooth paste has been formed.  The end result should not be liquid-y, rather it should be a smooth moist paste.  Place aside.  Cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Grease a 13 by 9 cake pan.  Spread half of the cream of wheat mixture evenly, pressing down to smooth.  Spread the cream cheese mixture on top.  Spread the rest of the cream of wheat mixture and press down to smooth*.  Cut into diamonds and place 1 almond in each diamond.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until inserted knife comes out clean.  Broil the top until it is light brown in color.  Remove from the oven and pour the cool syrup on top.  Let sit for at least 15 minutes so that the syrup can get absorbed.  Re-cut the pieces, place on a serving patter and enjoy!

* For ease in spreading the last layer, take some of the mixture, press it in between the palms of your hand and place on top of the cream cheese.  Repeat until all of the cream cheese has been covered and then press down to smooth.

Daal (Lentil) Stuffed Paratha

A deliciously wholesome meal that can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner with a side of raita (yogurt condiment).

For the Dough

What you will need:

2 c. wheat flour

1 tsp salt, or to taste

1/4 c. oil

water as need

(approximately 3/4 to 1 c)

Method:

Sieve the flour and salt in a bowl.  Add the oil and mix together.  Add the water slowly while mixing and make a pliable dough.  The dough should be soft but not sticky.

For the Stuffing

What you will need:

1 c. moong (mung) daal

2 1/2 to 3 c. water

1 tsp salt, or as needed

a pinch of turmeric

1/2 tsp red chili powder, or to taste

3 tbsp oil

1 med. onion, very finely chopped

1/2 tsp. ginger, very finely chopped

1 tsp garlic powder or paste

1 tsp coriander powder

1 1/2 tsp cumin powder

1 1/2 tsp dry mango powder (can substitute pomegranate powder)

1/4 tsp black pepper powder

1 green chili, very finely chopped (de-seeded or with seed)

1/2 c. very finely chopped coriander leaves

juice of 1 lemon

Method:

Boil the daal, salt, turmeric and red chili powder until the water has evaporated.  The mixture should be moist, but not wet (you should not see any water at the bottom of the pot).  In a separate  pan, heat the oil and fry the onion and ginger until the onions are light brown in color.  Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds.   Add the rest of the ingredients except for the lemon and mix well.  Take off heat and add the lemon juice.  Set aside to cool.

To Assemble

Divide the dough into 15 to 17 portions and shape them into balls.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and place about 2 heaping tablespoons of the stuffing in the center.

Pick the sides up and pinch them together to form another ball.

Heat up a tava, or cast iron griddle (alternately, you can use a regular non-stick frying pan).  On a lightly floured surface, roll the stuffed dough out into a circle.  Place the rolled dough onto the pan and cook on med. high for 10 – 15 seconds.  Flip the paratha over and add 1-2 tsp oil onto the sides of the pan and the top of the paratha.  Rotate the paratha around until the bottom has light brown spots and flip the paratha another time.  Cook again until the other side also has light brown spots.  Take off heat.  Repeat until all the parathas are done.  Enjoy with a side of raita!

Bhuna Meat

What you will need:

1 1/2 pounds lamb or beef with bones, cubed

2 med. onions, thinly sliced

1 tbsp fresh garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped

3 green chili, whole or sliced

2 tsp cumin seeds, roasted and crushed

2 tsp coriander seeds, roasted and lightly crushed

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp red chili powder, or to taste

1/2 c. yogurt

2 med. tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp garam masala powder

water as needed

For garnishing:  chopped coriander and mint leaves, sliced small green chili, julienned ginger, and lemon.

Method:

In a non-stick pot, heat some oil and fry the onions until golden brown in color.  Add the ginger, garlic, and green chili and fry for a minute.  Add the meat and fry on med. heat for about 10 minutes; make sure to stir in between.  Add 1/4 c. water and continue frying for 5 minutes or until the water dries up; stir in between.  If using lamb, add 1/4 c. water again and fry for another 5 minutes; stir in between.  Add the yogurt and spices and stir well.  Add 1/2 c. water, cover and cook on low until meat is tender (about an hour); make sure to stir in between to prevent meat from sticking to the bottom and burning.  When the meat is tender, add the tomatoes, salt and garam masala powder and cook on high while continuously stirring until the tomatoes dissolve completely.  Turn heat off, add freshly squeezed lemon juice and garnish with coriander, mint, green chili and ginger.  Cover and let sit for a minute or so.  Serve with naan.

Fish Patties; Roll-ups

A quick, easy and versatile dish that can be tweaked according to your own taste.

What you will need:

3 tbsp olive oil

1 lb. fish fillet (I used flounder), thawed and well-drained

1 med. onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp garlic, finely minced

2 green chili, finely chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp red crushed pepper, or to taste

1/2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves, crushed (optional)

a pinch of turmeric

a dash of salt, to taste

handful of coriander (cilantro) leaves, well chopped

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 egg

1/4 c. breadcrumbs

Method:

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a large frying pan and add the onions, garlic and salt.  Fry until onions are light brown in color.  Add the green chili and cumin seeds and stir a few seconds.  Add the fish, turmeric, fenugreek, and red peppers.  Cover and cook on med. heat until the fish becomes tender.  When fish is tender, stir to break fish into small pieces and taste to adjust salt. Fry on high while continuously stirring until all the moisture evaporates.  Add the coriander leaves, stir for a few seconds.  Add the lemon juice, take off heat and let sit at least 5 minutes.  When the mixture cools down completely, squeeze out the excess liquid.  Make a well in the center of fish mixture, break an egg and whisk with a fork.  Mix the fish mixture and egg until they are well-incorporated.  Add the breadcrumbs and mix (if needed, increase breadcrumbs by a tablespoon or so).  Divide into 8 portions, shape into patties and shallow fry.

Serving Suggestion

Roll-ups

What you will need:

Fish patties

Tortilla/Paratha, warmed

Mayonnaise

Ketchup

Tomatoes, cut in half and sliced

Jalapenos*, chopped or sliced

*Soak sliced jalapenos in vinegar for a couple of hours or overnight.  You can store these in a jar for months at a time and use them for toppings, sandwiches, subs, pizzas and more.

Method:

Spread a tortilla/paratha on a platter.  Cut 1-2 kebobs in half and place down the center.  Top with mayonnaise, jalapenos, tomatoes, and ketchup.  Roll-up and serve.  Enjoy!

Mantu (Recipe courtesy of Aynur Abdurazik)

!Delicious! Butternut Squash, Meat, and Onion Mantu!

Mantu is a specialty dish found in various regions of Asia.  It is a very light, airy and moist delicacy of many variations. I had the pleasure of learning (from Sr. Aynur Abdurazik in person!) this specific type of mantu which is a specialty dish of Uyghurs.  I have also had meat and onion mantu made of yeast dough (my first introduction to this dish!) and it was also extremely good!  The other variations include:

“…[M]antu [made] with two types of dough: plain stiff dough and rised dough (dough that you make with yeast). Next, there are two main types of fillings: meat and onion, or meat and onion and vegetables of your choice. For vegetables, we use butternut squash, chinese cabbage, and chives when they are in season. We only use one type of these three vegetables at a time.  Finally, the cooking method also makes a difference in the final outcome. You either steam them directly as we did. Or you can fry the mantu that you made with rised dough first and then steam. This one is also very delicious. It takes extra time, but my children love them most” (Aynur Abdurazik).

If you are interested in viewing this recipe with step by step pictures, click on the tab ‘Main Course,’ and select ‘Mantu,’ or choose ‘Mantu’ under ‘Main Course’ from the right-side bar.  You will also find a diagram, an excellent visual aid, with the different types of Mantu.

For the dough

What you will need:

4 c. flour*

salt to taste

water as needed

Method:

Make a stiff dough with the above ingredients (if the dough is soft, you will have trouble later on).  Knead for 10 minutes, cover the dough and rest for at least half an hour.

*For best results, use Korean wheat flour.  The first time I tried making this on my own, I used regular all-purpose flour, and the results weren’t too great.  The type of flour used here was this:

For the filling

What you will need:

1 butternut squash, peeled and finely diced

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 pound lamb, chopped into very small pieces

3-5 red and green chili, de-seeded (optional) and finely chopped

1/2 c. olive oil

1/2 c. water

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Mix all of the ingredients together and keep aside.  In a steamer pot, boil some water in preparation for steaming.

To Assemble

Step 1.  Take a fourth of the dough and shape into a long “rope,” about 1 1/4″ in diameter.

Step 2.  Cut it into small portions, approximately 1/2″ thick.

Step 3.  Take one of the small dough “balls” in your hand and flatten into a round shape using the thumb and fingers.

Step 4.  Place it on a floured surface and roll it into paper thin round.

Step 5.  Place 1-2 heaping tablespoon of the filling in the center. Fold the dough over and pinch the sides together, starting from one end and pinch your way across to the other end.

Step 6.  Place on an oiled steamer rack.

Step 7.  Continue steps 3 to 7 until steamer rack is full.

Step 8.  Steam mantu on high for about 20 minutes.

Step 9.  When mantu is done, pour some cold water on top to prevent them from sticking to each other and breaking while taking them out.

Step 10.  Gently take mantu out one by one and place on a serving bowl.  Serve right away.  Enjoy!

Chicken Filled Pastry

 

For those of you who’ve been to South Asia, you may have seen in the bakeries a similar type of snack known as “chicken patties.”  They are deliciously decadent and will keep you wanting more, and that is why I decided to come up with something similar that would satiate my cravings…at least temporarily.  The puff pastry sheets used here were homemade.  There is an excellent instructional video on how to make Puff Pastry by vahchef on youtube (video at the end of post).

What you will need:

puff pastry sheet, cut into squares or rectangles of the desired size

1 pd. boneless chicken, minced or cut into very small pieces

1 bunch green onions, chopped (keep whites and greens separate)

3 green chili, whole

1 tbsp garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tbsp dry mango powder (amchur)

Method:

Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil.  Add the white part of the green onions and saute for a minute or so.  Add the garlic and green chili and continue frying for another minute.  Add the chicken and spices and fry until chicken is tender.  Add the green onions and fry for 15 seconds.  Take off heat and cool.  Place the cut sheet of pastry on a dry surface.  Put some of the filling in the center, fold sheet over and pinch sides.  Place on an un-greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 8-12 minutes (adjust heat and time according to your oven).  When the pastries turn light brown and crispy, take out of the oven.  Enjoy!

Puff Pastry Sheets

When I made the dough, I rolled the last roll a little thicker than shown in the video.

Also, for ease of use, I have converted the given measurements into cups as the following:

1 c. butter (of which 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp will be melted and used in dough)

1 3/4 c. + 2 tbsp flour

pinch of salt

few drops lime juice/vinegar

1/2 c. water

Here is the video: