Thursday, May 15, 2008

Yakhni Pulao?

I know my pulao was not yakhni. I have never made that.

Does anyone have a recipe for yakhni pulao?

Yummy Chicken Pulao

I heart chicken pulao that I get at my friend's pakistani homes, especially Amina Chief with her very spicy, very flavorful, absolutely dreamy pulao. Yesterday I decided to try my hand at it and found a good recipe online that I made several adjustments to. The end result was delicious!

I'm posting the recipe with my adjustments here:

Chicken Pulao

3 cups rice
1 cup natural, low fat yogurt
1 whole chicken
1 large tomato, diced
2 medium onions, sliced fine
2 potatoes, diced into 1 inch pieces
2-4 green chillies, chopped roughly
chili powder to taste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 star anise
2 tsp whole cumin
2 inches cinnamon
2 large bay leaves
3/4 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 cardamom pods
1 inch ginger and 4 garlic cloves, pureed
3 tbsp sunflower oil
Salt to taste
Handful chopped cilantro
Handful chopped mint
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In a large pot, bring the oil to heat over a high flame. When it is hot, add the whole spices.

As they sizzle up in seconds add the onions and fry for five minutes until golden brown.

Then add the ginger and garlic and fry for another five minutes until the whole mixture goes a darker shade of brown. Add the turmeric, chili powder (optional), the chillies and the chicken.

Stir vigorously for five minutes until the chicken is brown all over. Now, add the yogurt and leave the chicken to cook on a high flame, stirring regularly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. If it does, add a little water.

When chicken is halfway cooked, add potatoes and tomatoes.

After 10 minutes, stir in the rice and fry for a minute or so.

Add about 4.5 cups to cook the rice.
(Very important: If the yogurt has let out a lot of water, then adjust how much water you add here; you don't want to end up with too much liquid or mushy rice.)

Once you have done this, don’t stir the rice because it will get all mushy.
Turn heat down, cover and cook until rice is cooked through. Take a peek to make sure there is enough water once or twice.

When the water dries up and the rice is cooked, the pulao is ready.

Add cilantro and mint and serve with raita.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Flourless Chocolate Cake


I was home alone on Sunday so I spent the time doing laundry and catching up on cooking shows (I think I'm showing my age), including Everyday Food and Everyday Baking on PBS. I don't bake very much (not at all is more accurate) but I love watching people bake because they make it look so easy, and it's probably easier than cooking. This recipe was in an episode on Sunday and I'm itching to try it. I might make it for my in-laws who are visiting next weekend. I'm posting it here for anyone who is interested - it looked mighty delicious!



Flourless Chocolate Cake from Everyday Baking on PBS

Serves 8 Prep time: 30 minutes Total time: 1 hour plus cooling time


Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1/4 cup sifted unsweetened best quality cocoa powder, plus more for pan
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
5 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
sweetened whipped cream for serving


To make:


1. Preheat the oven to 375. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan; line bottom with a parchment round. Butter parchment and dust all over with cocoa powder shaking out excess; set aside.

2. In a medium heatproof bowl set over, not in, a pan of simmering water, melt chocolate and butter; cool to room temperature.

3. Using an electric mixer on high, beat eggs, sugar, and salt until light and foamy, about 2 minutes.

4. Gently fold ¼ of egg mixture into cooled chocolate mixture to lighten the chocolate. Then gently fold chocolate mixture into remaining egg mixture until marbled. Fold in cocoa powder. Spoon into prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until center still feels soft (a toothpick inserted comes out moist) and top has a thin crust.

5. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Run a metal spatula around the sides of pan and invert; remove parchment. Invert again so cake is right side up. Serve with whipped cream. (Berries or ice cream are other optional toppings.)


Friday, May 9, 2008

Fast Beef Chili

This is a recipe I tried some time ago from the Test Kitchen files, but I never got around to posting it. I find that having a basic recipe for chili is useful and I take advantage of its versatility to make it out of whatever I can find in my kitchen. I also serve it with rice because I'm a rice person, but you could serve it with sour cream and cheese on a baked potato, in a wrap or on slices of bread.

Fast All-American beef chili from America's Test Kitchen

1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed
2-3 tsp minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 tsp sugar
salt and ground black pepper
2 tbsp veg oil
1 onion minced
3 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
3 garlic cloves
1 1/2 lbs 85 % lean ground beef

1. pulse tomatoes and their juice in food processor until slightly chunky, about 5 pulses.
2. bring tomatoes, beans, chipoltle chile, sugar and 1/2 tsp salt to boil, covered, in large saucepan. reduce to simmer and continue to cook until needed in step 5.
3. heat oil in large dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. add onion, chili powder, cumin and 1/4 tsp salt and cook until softened, about 5 min. stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 sec.
4. increase heat to medium high and add beef. cook, breaking up beef with spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 min.
5. stir in tomato-bean mixture, scraping up any browned bits. bring to simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Grilled Peanut Chicken

This peanut butter theme is completely unintentional :) I just came across this recipe and it sounded like a quick way to make chicken for a sandwich. I used the grilled chicken to fill half pita pockets along with romaine lettuce, sliced red onion, tomato slices, chopped cilantro and a drizzle of ranch or other creamy dressing.

Grilled Peanut Chicken

2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp curry powder
dash of chilli powder
2 chicken breast halves (~ 1 lb)

1. Coat grill with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat grill to medium.
2. In small bowl, stir together all ingredients except chicken.
3. Slice each chicken breast in half, to create 4 total filets.
4. Place filets on grill without crowding and brush with peanut butter mixture.
5. Grill for 6 minutes, turn and brush with more mixture, and grill for 6 more minutes until chicken is no longer pink or internal temperature is 165 degrees. (On a foreman grill, grill for 7-8 minutes depending on thickness of filet.)

Serves 4.

PB and ..... M?


One thing I absolutely cannot get enough of - I would choose it over ice cream, cake, or any of my other favorite sweets - is medjool dates stuffed with peanut butter. I discovered it in college courtesy of an old friend and I'm just recently re-discovering it. If any of you have never tried it, you're really missing something. Unless of course you hate peanut butter, in which case it's probably not a mistake that you haven't tried it :)

It takes a second to make - just cut open one side of a juicy medjool, discard the seed, and fill with peanut butter. Eat... mmmmmmmmmmmm... and repeat :) Try to control yourself, these are rich ones!
Welcome to my blog! This is space for my random acts of cookery, mostly the successful ones. :)