Spicy Yellow Biryani

I was taught how to make this Pakistani dish by, ironically  a Kurdish woman in our community. I had made biryani before, but this was a different method, but the flavors were better than almost any biryani I have ever had.

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium tomato

2 jalapenos 

1 medium onion

1/2 cup of plain yogurt

1 tablespoon ginger/garlic paste

3 tablespoons of chopped cilantro

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

4 cloves

3 green cardamom

1 cinnamon stick

salt/pepper to taste

1 cup vegetable or corn oil

You begin by mixing the chicken, all the spices, the yogurt, the garlic/ginger paste, cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, tomato, and jalapenos. Make sure they are mixed thoroughly. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pot to medium heat. Add the chicken mixture. Let it cook for 15-20 minutes, until about half the liquid is gone. 

Meanwhile, boil 1 1/2 cups of basmati rice in a pot of boiling water for 7 minutes, until halfway soft. Strain in a strainer. Change the chicken pot heat to low. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and spread the half-cooked rice on top of the chicken mixture.

In a separate saucepan, add 1/3 cup of oil. Cut up an onion into thin strips, and fry the onion in the oil for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Pour the oil and onions on top of the rice thats on top of the chicken.

Cook on low for 20 minutes, until the rice is soft. When you plate, try to put the rice on the bottom and the chicken on the top, and mix to incorporate the rice and chicken sauce.

Get your own Kurdish sweets!

There are some really great cooks here in Columbus, and I had the privilege of watching them make some wonderful dishes awhile ago. This post will be solely on the sweets. Theres a woman here who makes them from home, and can cater her sweets. If you ever want any of these sweets, or other middle eastern sweets, you can shoot her an email and she will make you a custom batch. Any quantity (1 pound, 2 pounds) is accepted.

This famous dessert is called Luqma Qazey. It is a dough ball fried then drenched in homemade syrup. In Indian cuisine  there is a similar dessert called gulab jamun. These little things are addicting, you probably wont have just one or two, I highly recommend them!

She also made coconut half moon cookies, but I unfortunately lost the pictures. If you want these or any other desserts, comment on this post and I will put you in contact with the woman who makes them. Thanks!

Potato Pakora

You've probably had some sort of pakora if you are an Indian food fan. I love this fried vegetable appetizer, and this is my take on it.

1 Small russet potato
1 medium sweet potato
1 medium Onion
1 cup baby spinach cut into strips
1 medium carrot, cut into strips (optional)
1 1/4 cup besan (chickpea) flour
3/4 cup water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
oil for frying (I use corn oil)

Begin by peeling both potatoes, and cutting them lengthwise into they are the size of shredded carrots. Every piece should be about 2 inches long and very thin. Cut the onion and carrots the same way, into thin strips.

Add both the potatoes, onion, carrot, spinach, besan flour, curry powder, water, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Mix it all together.

Add about an inch of oil to a pot, and heat to medium high. Take a large spoon of the pakora mix, and add it to the oil carefully, making sure to level it in the pot so its all one thickness.

 Cook for about 2 or 3 minutes, until crispy and brown. Flip the pakora and fry on the other side for an addition to 2 minutes. Once golden brown all around, remove from oil and let it drain on paper towels.

Serve immediately with Indian chutney or hot sauce.

Marrakech Vegetable Curry

I came across this recipe when I was looking into Indian vegetable curries. This was a bit different, with the addition of some middle eastern staples like almonds and raisins, so I gave it shot. Safe to say its one of my families favorite dishes now, you dont even miss the meat! The different flavors and textures of the vegetables are very satisfying.

Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas
1 medium eggplant, cubed
2 small zucchini, cubed
1 large onion, diced
2 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 handful of baby spinach
2 tablespoons of sliced almonds
2 tablespoons of yellow raisins
juice of one orange
2 teaspoons of curry powder
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of garlic ginger paste
1 cup of water or chicken broth

Start by heating 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a dutch oven pot. Add the onion, and cook on medium for 5 minutes. Then add the eggplant and sweet potato, and cook another 10 minutes on medium heat. Add the zucchini, sprinkle all the vegetables with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and cook for another 5 minutes.

In a saucepan, Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and heat to medium. Add the garlic/ginger paste, salt and pepper to taste, and spices. Cook for 1 minute, until aromatic. 

Add the chicken broth or water, and orange juice.

Add the chickpeas to the vegetables, then add the sauce. Cover and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat. Check to make sure it still contains liquid. If it is looking dry, add 1/4 cup of water. After the 15 minutes, add the spinach, and cook another 5 minutes, until spinach is wilted. Turn off heat.

In a small frypan, add 1/2 tablespoon of oil, and heat to medium. Add the almonds and saute for 2-4 minutes, until golden. Add the raisins, and cook for 30 more seconds, until the raisins plump up. Add the almonds and raisins to the vegetables, and save some for garnish. Serve with white rice, and enjoy!

Apples in a Blanket

This is an extremely easy dessert recipe. I came across something similar somewhere on the internet, made it for a meeting, and got some great feedback, so you should try it!

Ingredients:
1 package of frozen/refrigerated pie crusts (should contain two crusts)
5 medium sized apples, peeled and cut into wedges
3 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
2 tablespoons of melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the pie crust, and run the roller over it a couple of times to flatten it a layer or two.

Sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixure on top until the pie crust is covered with it. One tablespoon should be enough, dont add too much.

 Once you have added the cinnamon/sugar, cut the pie crust into ten, one inch strips.

Take a piece of the pie crust, and roll it around an apple wedge. Repeat with remaining crust strips and apple wedges.

Place on a non-stick baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 15-25 minutes, until they are golden brown.

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

This pasta is a recipe I came up with one evening after craving pasta all day. I didn't want to go the typical marinara or Alfredo route, so I put stuff together, and this turned out to be one of the best pasta dishes I have ever made. 

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces

1 medium tomato, largely diced

1 small package of button mushrooms, sliced

4 stalks of green onion, diced

1/2 a pound of rotini pasta

2 teaspoons of cajun seasoning ( Add more if you like it more spicy, like I do)

3/4 cup of prepared Alfredo sauce

1/3 cup chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

Begin by combining the mushroom and green onion. Cook with a tablespoon of olive oil for two minutes on medium heat. Add the tomato, and cook for a minute more. Season the veggies with salt and veggies. Remove from heat. 

Cook pasta according to package directions. Once the pasta is al dente, remove from water and put in a strainer. Heat another tablespoon of olive oil, and add the chicken. Saute for 5 minutes, then add half the cajun seasoning. Cook for another 3 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium low. Add the alfredo sauce, 1/3 cup of chicken stock, vegetables, and the rest of the cajun seasoning. Stir it all together.

Add the pasta once the sauce has heated up, about 4 minutes. Mix it together, than plate and serve!

Banana, Strawberry, and Blueberry Smoothie

At one point this summer I got obsessed with smoothies, and started drinking one or two every day for breakfast and lunch. You can replace any of these fruits with other fruits you may like, just keep the measurements the same.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup of cut up bananas
1/3 cup of cut up strawberries
1/3 cup of blueberries
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of plain yogurt
2 tablespoons of milk
5/6 cubes of ice

Add the fruit to a blender, and blend for 10 seconds. Then add the honey, yogurt, milk, and ice. Blend on high for 30 seconds, until its very smooth. Transfer to a glass, and enjoy!