Skinny Coleslaw

Coleslaw is a most widely known and a commonly made salad in the world and esp. in this region, everyone has their own recipe/method of making it. It won't be an exaggeration if I'd state that you'd find this continental salad in every 'distorted' way possible to suit the local taste buds! 

What exactly it is? Basically its a salad made with shredded cabbage and grated carrots dressed with a mayonnaise and vinegar dressing and seasonings. Some people do add more vegetables to it and sometimes I do too but we have given a different name to it locally and call it "Russian Salad" that I shall share the recipe of in my future posts, In Sha Allah (God Willing)

As a kid, I remember there was one Kebab place in Jeddah, K.S.A that made very nice Seekh Kebabs (Barbecued Skewered Kebabs) and over the weekends, my dad used to get Kebabs from that shop when he'd crave for some good Pakistani Kebabs and they served this Coleslaw with them which was dressed with mayonnaise and cream mixed together. We siblings used to be more interested in it as the spicy food didn't attract us and maybe for the spiciness of the kebabs, they paired this cooling salad with them which was a bit sweet too. My Mom then started making it at home by keeping this fact in view that how much we liked it. 

Over our vacations to Pakistan, there was one burger joint close to my Paternal Granddad's house,  which was famous for their 'Cream Salad' they served with all of their sandwiches and burgers and we were often treated with those because as kids, we really wanted all that stuff that we ate in Jeddah and those burgers were the only solace we got at the time and it was also able to lure us into to eating our dinner happily :) That salad was cream based Coleslaw which was nice but not something that we loved.
As I grew up and got more health conscious, I am always on the look out for the healthier and tastier alternatives of the classic sweet, tangy and fattening Coleslaw dressing. The idea I came up, after various experimentation, was to use one part light mayonnaise mixed with one part of thick curd, some apple cider vinegar, a touch of regular mustard and just a tiny bit of honey all mixed together and Voila, you got the best tasting Coleslaw ready in no time which is kind to your waistline too! Shall we read the steps in detail now?

Lets get some salad-making Unleashed today! :D

Coleslaw

Ingredients:

Cabbage: 1 small head (shredded)

Carrots: 2 large (grated)

Light Mayonnaise: 4 tbsp. 

Thick Curd/Greek Yogurt: 4 tbsp.

Mustard: 1 tsp.

Honey: 1 tsp.

Apple Cider Vinegar: 1 tsp.

Salt: 1/2 tsp.

Black Pepper Powder: 1/4 tsp.

Method:

1. Put both the shredded cabbage and grated carrots into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
2. In another small mixing bowl, put the mayonnaise, curd/yogurt, mustard, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper and mix everything together with the help of a whisk.
3. Add this dressing to the vegetables and toss everything well. 
4. Take out into a serving bowl and refrigerate till ready to serve.
5. Ideally make it 4-6 hours prior to serving and keep it refrigerated.
6. Serve chilled as an appetizer, main salad or as a side dish. Goes great with Pizza, Burgers and Sandwiches too. 

Serves 4-6  

Notes:

1. Light mayonnaise and yogurt can be replaced with the vegetarian/vegan version of them.
2. You can omit adding mayonnaise altogether and double the quantity of the Greek yogurt if you do not wish to add it for any reason. 
3. If you wish to make Coleslaw a day ahead, just prepare the vegetables and store them in an airtight box. Mix the ingredients for the dressing and store it in another airtight jar. Keep both refrigerated and just mix about 30 minutes before serving. Keep it refrigerated.  
4. Leftover salad can be stored in an airtight box and stays well up to a day if kept well in the fridge.
5. In the countries where the Coleslaw mix is easily available in the cold salad section of the stores, the fresh vegetables can be replaced with that.

That's all folks! :) The quantity of the ingredients can be always be adjusted according to your need and desire. I hope you enjoy making and eating it. Until next time, keep sharing the goodness of this greatest blessing, that has been bestowed in abundance upon us the lucky ones, with the less fortunate ones. Jazak'Allah Khair! (May Allah reward you) 

*Not be duplicated, rewritten or published without permission- Thank you!

Mango Salsa

Mango in a salad?! Well, honestly speaking, I couldn't think of it until I had it for myself and won't be exaggerating when I say that I really loved the sweet and sour flavors blended together in the form of a salad! When Mexicans can have it then why not us Pakistanis have it too with our very own Pakistani mangoes! Yeah baby, bring it on! :D  

On a more serious note, my late Dada Abu (paternal granddad) May his soul rest in peace, used to love eating sliced fresh mango with Roti (Pakistani flat bread) and when I saw that for the first time, of course being a kid it was something quite amusing and surprising for me and I thought that how can you eat fruit and that also with Roti?! As I grew older, I came to understand that you have to have your taste developed as you acquire taste for certain food in your adulthood. Just like I love eating bittergourd now but as a kid, it was too bitter for my taste buds just like any other kid but, I still have to try eating Mango with Roti yet ;)

I served it with our dinner

Two days ago, I thought to make something different for my taste buds by specially keeping in mind that I'm going to use mango as the key ingredient of that dish for my 'Mango Fiesta' theme and yet, this time it should be savory as I have already posted one dessert on my blog. The recipe of Mango & Coconut Frozen Yogurt can be found here. So, I decided to make a salad to be served with dinner and decided to make Mango Salsa. I had all the ingredients on hand except for the Jalapenos but I had some homemade pickled green chilies hence, thought to use them. In the Mexican Salsa they don't add mint but I had some fresh mint leaves lying in the fridge plus, I love the flavor of mint esp. in my salads so in goes that too. Mixed all the fresh vegetables, mangoes, lots of lemon juice and Voila! The final product was something that vanished within minutes and I was like one happy kid who got her favorite candy! Although in this case the happiness was cause of everyone liking what I served to them :D 

Salsa is served as an appetizer in Mexican cuisine but I served it as a salad with our dinner as it is similar to our very own Pakistani salad called Kachoomer (mixed cut up salad)

Amigas/Amigos, let's get some Mexicana Unleashed today! :D

Mango Salsa

Ingredients:

Mango: 1 large (peeled, sliced and cut into small cubes)

Onions: 1 medium sized (finely  chopped)

Cucumbers: 2 medium sized (chopped into small cubes)

Tomatoes: 2 medium sized (chopped into small cubes)

Bell Pepper: 1 medium sized (chopped into small cubes)

Pickled Green Chilies: 2 medium sized (finely chopped)

Fresh Coriander: 1/4 cup (chopped)

Fresh Mint: 1/4 cup (chopped)

Lemon: 1 medium sized

Salt: 1/4 tsp

Method:

1. Put the mango cubes and all of the cut up vegetables into a large mixing bowl.
2. Squeeze lemon juice over them and add the salt.
3. Mix everything together well. 
4. Take out into a serving bowl. Chill well before serving. 
5. Serve as an appetizer/starter with Tortillas, Corn Chips or fresh vegetable sticks or as a salad.

Serves 4-6

That's all folks! :) The spice level can always be adjusted according to your taste buds. I hope you enjoy making and eating it. Until next time, keep sharing the goodness of this greatest blessing, that has been bestowed in abundance upon us the lucky ones, with the less fortunate ones. Jazak'Allah Khair! (May Allah reward you) 

*Not be duplicated, rewritten or published without permission- Thank you!

Chicken & Cheese Stuffed Bread

Ramadan Kareem! to all the Muslims around the globe and Cook Unleashed's followers along with those who aren't Muslims and do not observe this month. Islam is the religion of peace and harmony and Ramadan (the Muslim month of fasting) came upon us as a message of patience, tolerance and universal brotherhood so greetings of this scared month to all :) May Allah accept our Ibadah (prayers), forgive our sins and transgressions and bestow His special blessings upon all of us. May Allah show and keep us all on the right path. Ameen Sum Ameen. Kindly remember everyone in your du'as (prayers) esp. all the Muslims who are suffering in different parts of the world. Jazak'Allah Khair! (May Allah reward you)

It was the 4th day of fasting here in this region while I was jotting down these line and my oh my, apart of all the excruciatingly hot days, its going well, Alhumdulilah (thanks to Allah) and The Greatest of all has been so kind to send down the shower and the day is milder and cooler today, All praises to Him. The thirst does bother you in the day but its nothing that unbearable besides, the purpose of this month is not only to train your body physically but to spiritually as well and that's the real essence of this month. After going without any food or liquid intake, for the sake of Allah, for as long as 21 hours in some places, the breaking of the fast time would arrive at sunset and we break our fast by eating and drinking from the amazing blessing Allah has bestowed upon us in the form of food! We are advised to share not only with our neighbors but esp. with the ones who cannot afford to have on their own thus, the message this month of peace gives is of harmony and sharing and caring. So those of you who didn't know what this month is about, I tried to explain it a little :)

Since Iftaar (breaking of the fast meal) is a kind of a celebration time for the Muslims therefore delicious and rich food mostly prepared in every household. The most common Iftaar snacks prepared in the South Asian countries specially Pakistan is fried and spicy hence, continuing that tradition, I have so far prepared the similar dishes like Pakoray, Aloo Pakoray, Dahi Bharay Chaat, Kalay Chanay kee Chaat and few others but we try to stay away from the fried food therefore, I baked my Mom's favorite Chicken & Cheese Stuffed Bread as well. The recipe of the scrumptious dishes I have mentioned above are already on my blog and today, I'll be sharing the stuffed bread :)

Italian Stromboli inspired bread

The type of stuffed bread I make  is basically inspired by the Italian Stromboli in which meat and cheese is stuffed in a turnover and then baked. My very first attempt at making it was quite similar to the Stromboli that I made in the Ramadan of 2013 and since then, it has become a regular part of our Iftaar menu, This bread is a complete meal in itself yet so light that you can have it at even Sahoor time (pre-dawn meal before fasting) My recipe is quite simple plus, I use whole-wheat flour to make it therefore its light on the stomach as well. I always make extra loaves so that we share them with our neighbors as well along with the other people of Allah :) I'm sure after trying out this recipe you'd like to do the same but I would love to know that what do you like to make for Iftaar and love sharing with your family, friends and the other fellow Muslims and believers :)

Shall we begin some baking for Iftaar with the religious fervor Unleashed today? Here we go! :D  

Chicken Stuffed Bread

Ingredients:

Whole-Wheat Flour: 2 1/2 + 1/2 cups (you can use all-purpose flour instead)

Yeast: 1/2 tbsp. (use according to the package instructions)

Salt: 1 tsp.

Sugar: 1 tsp.

Olive Oil: 2 Tbsp + 1 tbsp. 

Water: for kneading

Sesame Seeds: 1 tsp.

Nigella Seeds: 1 tsp.

For the stuffing:

Chicken: 1 cup (boiled and shredded)

Onion: 1 small sized (finely chopped)

Bell Pepper/Capsicum: 1 medium sized (finely chopped)

Cheese Slices: 2 (you can use shredded Mozzarella instead) 

Tomato Ketchup: 1/2 cup

Chicken Stock: 1/4 cup (reserved from boiling the chicken. Can use milk or plain water instead)

Salt: 1/2 tsp.

Black Pepper Powder: 1/2 tsp.

Oregano: 1/4 tsp.

Dried Basil: 1/4 tsp.

Rosemary: 1/4 tsp.

Butter: 1 tbsp.

Method:

1. follow the instructions on the package to activate the yeast if you are not using the instant yeast but the dry active one (I used dry active)
2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl (reserve the extra 1/2 cup of flour for dusting) 
3. Keep mixing with the help of an electric mixer and slowly add the liquids. Mix till it turns in to a dough. 
4. Remove the paddle and replace it with the hook attachment and knead the dough until it becomes elastic. 
5. If using hands then make a well in the middle of the mixed dry ingredients for the dough and slowly add the liquids in it. Mix with the help of a wooden spoon until a smooth dough is formed. Knead well with the help of your hands on a floured surface for a few mins. Add extra dry flour to prevent sticking.
6. Form the prepared dough into a ball and place it in to a greased bowl (use the remaining 1 tbsp. of oil) Cover with a damp tea-towel and place the bowl at some warm place to let it rise (can take up to 2 hours depending on the region/temperature)
7. For the filling, heat 1 tbsp. of butter in a cooking pan and add one chopped onion till little soft and translucent.
8. Now add the chopped bell pepper. Sauté for a few seconds and add a tbsp. of flour to it. Mix well.
9. Add 1 cup of the boiled and shredded chicken with 1/4 cup of its stock (or milk/water) and cook for a minute or two.
10. Season with salt, black pepper, oregano, dried basil, rosemary and give a good mix.
11. At this stage, the stuffing should be a bit sticky but not wet.
12. Turn off the heat and let it cool for a while
13. Take out the prepared dough, which have been fairly risen by now, on a floured surface, after punching out the air from it.
14. Roll it out in an oval shape to approx 12 inches long, 10 inches width and 1/2 inch in thickness.
15. Spread the ketchup in the middle of the rolled out dough by leaving approx 1 inch on the top and bottom and 3 inches of the dough plain on each side. (shown in the photo below)
16. Put the topping over the ketchup and the cheese slices cut into half on top of the it.
17. Now cut slanted strips of 1/2 inch thickness of the left out plain dough starting from the edges of the topping till the end of the dough (shown in the photo below)
18. Fold the top end of the dough over the topping and start overlapping the cut strips so that all the topping is covered but you can still see it through the folded strips.
19. Tuck in the bottom of the left out plain dough before the final overlapping.
20. Transfer the bread on to a greased baking tray and cover it with the damp tea-towel for 10-15 minutes to proof it again.
21. After the 2nd and final  proof, brush the prepared bread dough with a beaten egg and sprinkle the sesame seeds and/or nigella seeds on it.
22. Bake it in a preheated oven at 200 C/390 F/Gas Mark 6 for 20-25 mins or until the top of the bread turns golden and sounds hollow upon tapping.
23. Serve warm as a whole or cut in to slices. Enjoy.

Makes 1 loaf and serves 6 approx.

Note:

If you wish to make the bread like an Italian Stromboli, after the dough is ready, knead it well and roll it out on a flat surface, preferably into a square shape. Now place the toppings as instructed above. Join both the edges of the rolled dough together and seal it well. Now flip the prepared stuffed dough over and transfer on to the greased baking tray. Make some slanted slits on it with the help of a knife and follow the instructions above to bake it. 

That's all bakers! :) The spice level and the baking time can always be adjusted according to your taste buds and type of ovens. I hope you enjoy making and eating it. Until next time, keep sharing the goodness of this greatest blessing, that has been bestowed in abundance upon us the lucky ones, with the less fortunate ones.
Thank you and please this Ramadan do remember everyone esp. The Ummah-e-Muslimeen (Muslim Nation) in your Du'as/prayers including me :)

Jazak'Allah Khair! (May Allah reward you)

*Not be duplicated, rewritten or published without permission- Thank you!

  

     

Bread Kebabs

Bread Kebabs?! Yes, Kebabs made with bread that you can never tell are made with anything else and not meat! The vegetarians would definitely find them a unique and different recipe as well. 

How I came to know about this recipe? Well, I was visiting me youngest Khala (maternal aunt) living in another city and one day at teatime, along with other scrumptious munchies, she made these Kebabs too. While she was preparing to make these Kebabs in her kitchen, I stood there watching her while chatting and got astounded and intrigued at the same time that how they'd taste like. She did all the preps within a few minutes and started shaping and frying them in front of my very own eyes and I was like, wow! They look like a real thing and by the real thing I mean Kebabs made with meat (no offence meant to the non-meat eaters/vegetarians as we have one non-meat eater at our household too; my youngest sister) So, my Khala served these sizzling, spicy and hot Kebabs with Tomato Ketchup and just by taking one bite of an appetizing looking Kebab, I uttered "WOW" involuntarily! 

These Kebabs are easy and quick to prepare with the ingredients already at hand.

After coming back home, I prepared Bread Kebabs for my family on the same day and they all approved of them, esp. my dad who is a fussy eater; a Kebab fan and a connoisseur! Besides, the non-meat eater really enjoyed eating them so what more did I need to get motivated and to make these regularly?! :D I then made these Kebabs during last Ramadan as well and again received lots of appreciation. Thanks to my Khala for teaching me these and here I am forwarding this recipe to you all so that you too can make Bread Kebabs at home quite easily and enjoy eating them with your friends and family. This recipe is going to serve as a savior for the last minute visit of those unannounced guests also ;D 

Bread doesn't have to be fresh, you can use a day or two old bread as well plus, those left-over slices of bread can be happily incorporated into making these Kebabs that no one eats and those slices are normally the top and the end of the bread loaf. By the way, I do not understand that why people leave them out as I love eating those pieces, either they are of the bread, pound cake or rusks; I feel a delightful feeling upon finding those pieces esp. in the packet of rusks. I know, just innocent small happy moments for the child in me :D Getting back to the Kebabs, let me share with you that how easy-peasy it is to make them.

Let some innovative cooking gets unleashed today! :D

Bread Kebabs

Ingredients:

White/Brown Bread: 8 slices (ground into fine crumbs)

Onions: 1 medium sized (minced)

Cabbage: 1 cup (shredded)

Fresh Ginger: 1 tsp. (finely chopped or use 1/2 tsp of ginger powder instead)

Garlic Cloves: 1/2 tsp (finely chopped or use 1/4 tsp of garlic powder)

Green Chilies: 1,2 (finely chopped)

Fresh Cilantro/Coriander: 1/4 cup (chopped)

Fresh Mint Leaves: 1/4 cup (chopped)

Salt: 1 tsp.

Red Chili Powder: 1/2 tsp.

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp.

Coriander Powder: 1/4 tsp.

Garam Masala Powder: 1/4 tsp.

Dried Pomegranate Seeds Powder: 1/2 tsp.

Cumin Seeds: 1/4 tsp.

Coriander Seeds: 1/4 tsp.

Carom Seeds: 1/4 tsp.

Dried Fenugreek Leaves: 1/4 tsp. (optional)

Egg: 1 large (or use thin slurry made by dissolving 2 tbsp. of corn flour/starch in 1/4 cup of water)

Oil: for shallow frying.

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients in to a large mixing bowl except for the egg/slurry and oil.
2. Mix everything together and let it stand for a few minutes so that all the ingredients mixed together leaves out some moisture and it becomes easy to combine them.
3. Once everything is well combined and turns into a dough like texture, start shaping it into Kebabs by taking little dough in to your moistened hands. (The shape and size of Kebabs depends on your personal choice)
4. Prepare Kebabs and lay them on to a platter. At this stage you can cover them with a cling wrap and refrigerate them for later use. They can stay well up to two days if only well covered and refrigerated. The same way prepared dough can be saved for later use in the fridge.
5. Heat oil into a frying pan over medium flame.
6. Dip Kebabs in to the beaten egg or slurry, coat well and gently put into the hot oil to fry.
7. Fry all the Kebabs in the same way till they are golden brown.
8. Take out on an absorbent paper. Serve hot with any sauce of your choice but they go quite well with Thai Sweet Chili sauce. Enjoy.

Makes 16 approx

That's all foodies! :) The spice level can always be adjusted according to your taste buds. I hope you enjoy making and eating them. Until next time, keep sharing the goodness of this greatest blessing, that has been bestowed in abundance upon us the lucky ones, with the less fortunate ones.
Thank you and please this Ramadan do remember everyone esp. The Ummah-e-Muslimeen (Muslim Nation) in your Du'as/prayers including me :)

Jazak'Allah Khair! (May Allah reward you)

*Not be duplicated, rewritten or published without permission- Thank you! 

Homemade Spinach & Cheese Patties (from scratch)

Chicken Patties have always been a must on our Iftaar (breaking of the fast meal) table therefore, puff pastry packs were one of the main items on the Ramadan grocery shopping list. My Mom would always keep ready-made puff pastry in the freezer and would just fill it up with different fillings and shape them into either triangles or rectangles as they were already available in cut up squares, and freshly baked them just moments before the Iftaar time. The lovely aroma of the buttery, flaky pastry and the succulent savory or pleasant sweetness of the filling was enough to make us not stop on just one! My mom not only made chicken and beef mince patties but she also made, strawberry jam and dates & nuts filled patties. Another one of her filling creations was to make thick sugar syrup and then add lots of chopped nuts into it; it kind of turned into a mixed nuts jam and she filled the pastry with that and baked. You can then serve it dusted with some icing sugar. There you go, you got some different ideas plus a bonus recipe :D Those sweet and nutty patties are one of our most favorite type of sweet snacks :)

Just fill up with whatever filling you desire to

After moving back to the home-country, we came to know that the availability of the puff pastry is not that easy as it used to be back in the K.S.A besides, the ones available at some leading stores weren't up to the mark hence, we used to buy ready-to-eat patties from the bakeries but still, they were of no match to the ones we were used to making at home and loved eating. Last year during Ramadan, I assigned this task to myself of making puff pastry at home by using very simple ingredients and the effort turned out to be fruitful! Yes, you heard me right, successful attempt of making homemade puff pastry from scratch! You can simply prepare it at home but the process is a tad bit time consuming yet totally worth it! The filling I used was totally vegetarian and am going to share that with you but you are free to use any filling you want to. Once you start making puff pastry at home, the filling would become secondary as you'd be free to fill your homemade puff pastry with whatever you have on hand and enjoy freshly baked, hot out of the oven patties at home and will thank me always :D

Let's get some buttery aroma unleashed in your kitchens today! 

Homemade Spinach & Cheese Patties

Ingredients for Puff Pastry:

(For the Dough)

All Purpose Flour: 2 cups 

Unsalted Butter: 2 tbsp. 

Salt: 1 tsp.

Lemon Juice or White Vinegar: 2 tbsp.

Chilled Water: 1/2 cup 

Corn Flour/Corn Starch: for rolling the dough. 

(For the Butter Filling)

Unsalted Butter: 300 grams (at room temperature, not melted. Keep it out of the freezer an hour prior to starting the process)

All Purpose Flour: 2 tbsp. 

Lemon Juice or White Vinegar: 1 tsp.

Salt: 1 tsp

Ingredients for the Patties Filling:

Spinach: 1 cup (chopped)

Cottage Cheese: 1/2 cup (crumbled)

Onion: 1 small sized (chopped)

Oregano: 1/2 tsp.

Salt: 1/2 tsp.

Black Pepper Powder: 1/2 tsp.

Butter: 2 tbsp.

Egg or Milk: for brushing the tops of the patties.

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the dough in a large mixing bowl. Knead for a few minutes (you can use the food processor too for this step) Cover the dough with a cling wrap and refrigerate till used.
2. Grate or mash the butter with the help of a spoon, add all the remaining ingredients for the butter filling and mix gently. Keep aside.
3. Roll the prepared dough into a rectangular shape and roll it out as large as possible but not too thin. Use plenty of corn flour/starch to avoid stickiness.
4. Now put one part of the butter filling on 2/3 part of the rolled dough, leaving the 1/3 of the surface without any fat. Fold it into 3 folds, folding the empty side first. Wrap it with a grease-proof paper or with a plastic wrap and then with a damp tea towel. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
5. Take out the rolled and folded dough from the refrigerator and repeat the process of rolling it, spreading of the butter, folding and refrigerating (this step shall be done at least 3 times)
6. The final rolling and folding of the dough will be done without using any butter. Refrigerate the prepared pastry for at least 1 hour before using. This puff pastry can stay well in the freezer up till a month.
7. Prepare filling by heating butter in a cooking pot over medium flame.
8. Now saute onions in the butter till soft and translucent. Add chopped spinach and cook till wilted. 
9. Add all the seasonings and mix well. Turn off the heat.
10. Let the filling cool down a little before adding the cottage cheese. 
11. After adding the cheese, cool down the filling completely.
12. Take out the puff pastry and roll it out a bit so that you are able to cut around 8 equal sized square of the pastry.
13. Put some stuffing in the middle of each pastry square, fold and close them to shape as desired.
14. Seal the edges to secure the pastry well. You can do it with the help of a fork.
15. Now brush some beaten egg or milk on top of each prepared patties.
16. Bake in to a preheated oven for 20-25 min at 180C/350F/Gas-Mark 4.
17. Serve hot/warm with tomato ketchup or any sauce of your choice. Enjoy.

Makes 8

That's all bakers! :) The spice level and the baking time can always be adjusted according to your taste buds and type of ovens. I hope you enjoy making and eating them. Until next time, keep sharing the goodness of this greatest blessing, that has been bestowed in abundance upon us the lucky ones, with the less fortunate ones.
Thank you and please this Ramadan do remember everyone esp. The Ummah-e-Muslimeen (Muslim Nation) in your Du'as/prayers including me :)

Jazak'Allah Khair! (May Allah reward you)

*Not be duplicated, rewritten or published without permission- Thank you! 

                                   

Stuffed Rice Balls

I love rice and anything made with rice is my favorite! Let it be a regular comfort-food like Daal Chawal (Lentils curry with steamed rice) and Chicken Pulao or a bit fancy like Biryani. Even I love Oriental cooking for rice being a major part of their cuisine. The desserts made with rice are my favorite as well like Zarda, Kheer and Firni (rice pudding). I can eat rice when I'm not even hungry so imagine how it is like when I am famished! Talking of rice and esp. Pulao got me craving for it now and just as I am typing these words, I've requested Mom to cook Chicken Pulao for dinner tomorrow :D and when you're hungry after a busy and long day, a steaming hot plate of Chicken Pulao comes in front of you with chilled Raitha (yogurt dip), you forget about the rest of the world and thank Allah SWT for this wonderful blessing while eating every spoon of your succulent dinner! Alhumdulilah! (Praise be to Allah) 

Sesame seeds can be omitted in making these balls

The story of creating this recipe is very interesting. My Mom cooked plain boiled rice during Ramadan of 2013 and by mistake she doubled the quantity of rice that's regularly cooked at ours. For that reason we were left with a lot of leftover rice that no one wanted to eat the next day. So for the love of rice, I had to try some snack made by using rice as a main ingredient. After some brainstorming and by using some ingredients at hand, I came up with Stuffed Rice Balls that my family so loved and have now become a regular snack on our Iftaar menu (breaking of fast meal) So, if you have leftover boiled rice or simply making boiled rice for your meal, add a little extra amount of rice to your cooking pot to try this appetizing snack later that I'm sure will become one of your favorites too, In Sha Allah (God Willing)

Let the love of rice get unleashed today! :D

Stuffed Rice Balls

Ingredients:

Boiled Rice: 2 cups (leftover works best)

Egg: 1

All Purpose Flour:2 tbsp.

Corn Starch/Flour: 2 tbsp.

Salt: 1 tsp.

Red Chili Powder: 1/2 tsp (optional)

Garlic Powder: 1/4 tsp.

Italian Herbs: 1/2 tsp.

Baking Powder: 1 tsp.

Milk: 4,5 tbsp.

Sesame Seeds: for coating 

Oil: for deep frying

For the stuffing:

Chicken: 1/2 cup (boiled and shredded)

Potato: 1 medium sized (boiled and mashed)

Onion: 1 small sized (chopped)

Bell Pepper: 1/4 cup (chopped)

Mozzarella Cheese: 1/2 cup (shredded)

Salt: 1/2 tsp

Black Pepper Powder: 1 tsp

Method:

1. In a large bowl, add the rice and mash them well while adding the milk. 
2. Now add all the seasonings, baking powder and both the flour and corn starch and egg. 
3. Mix everything together well. The consistency of the mixed ingredients should not be too sticky but doughy just like soft kneaded dough. Refrigerate it covered for some time.
4. In another bowl, mix all the ingredients for the stuffing together and keep aside.
5. Now comes the forming and stuffing of the balls part.
6. Take some rice dough in your moistened hand, flatten it on your palm and place the stuffing in the middle, roll and close to seal just like meatballs. Roll into the sesame seeds to coat them all over the balls. 
7. Prepare all the balls following the same procedure and place on a dry tray. Refrigerate again so that they are firm before frying.
8. Fry in batches till golden brown. take out on an absorbent paper.
9. Serve with the sauce of your choice. Enjoy.

Makes 10-12 approx

That's all rice fans! :) The spice level can always be adjusted according to your taste buds. I hope you enjoy making and eating them. Until next time, keep sharing the goodness of this greatest blessing, that has been bestowed in abundance upon us the lucky ones, with the less fortunate ones.
Thank you and please this Ramadan do remember everyone esp. The Ummah-e-Muslimeen (Muslim Nation) in your Du'as/prayers including me :)

Jazak'Allah Khair! (May Allah reward you)

*Not be duplicated, rewritten or published without permission- Thank you!