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!

Kalay Chanay kee Chaat- Bengal Gram Chaat.

There are a variety of Chaats that are prepared especially during the month of Ramadan and Kalay Chanay kee Chaat is one of them. Legumes are a great source of protein and provides with the energy which is specifically required after fasting for as long as 20 hours in some places! Besides, Chaats are lighter on the stomach and better and healthy than the fried food that's consumed in this one month more than we do all year round.

This is one kind of Chaat which is my favorite after Dahi Bharay and my Mom makes it best. I can happily gobble down a big bowl of this scrumptious and mouth-watering snack anytime of the year. In fact I love Kalay Chanay; even when my mom makes Black Gram curry, I always ask her to take out some Channay for me after she finishes doing the Bhoonai (cooking on medium heat so that the moisture evaporates and the oil separates from the food cooking) and before adding water to make gravy. I then top it with thick curd and Chili-Garlic Sauce and enjoy life like one happy individual :D Kalay Chanay and Rice is my youngest sister's favorite meal and upon knowing that I'm doing a recipe post on this Chaat, my mom has announced that tomorrow she's cooking its curry and rice for dinner (so at the same time the conundrum "what to cook for dinner tomorrow?" is solved for the day :P) and my youngest sister is grinning :D

Addition of the crunchy veggies enhance the flavors

Making of this spicy, tangy and savory snack is extremely easy and somewhat quick if you own a pressure-cooker. Even if you don't, you can easily boil the pre-soaked Black Grams in a regular pot and prepare it by adding the ingredients required in making it. A friend of mine followed my instructions and easily prepared the Chanas in her cooking pot and she was good to go :) but to shorten the cooking time, I suggested her to add a pinch of Bicarb of Soda and the addition really helped in cooking the Grams faster. There are various ways of preparing it but the way I will share with you is how my Mom makes this Chaat and it always turns out lovely.
Here, the love of Chaat gets unleashed again! :D

Kalay Chanay kee Chaat

Ingredients:

Black Gram (Kalay Chanay): 2 cups (soaked in lukewarm water for at least 2 hours)

Salt: 1 tbsp.

Red Chili Powder: 1 tsp.

Red Chili Flakes: 1/2 tsp.

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp.

Coriander Powder: 1/2 tsp.

Chaat Masala: 1 tsp.

Cumin Seeds: 1/2 tsp.

Carom Seeds: 1/2 tsp.

Nigella Seeds: 1/4 tsp.

Mustard Seeds: 1/4 tsp.

Sugar: 1 tsp.

Ginger&Garlic Paste: 1 tsp.

Tamarind Pulp: 1/4 cup (a few tamarind pods soaked in warm water for a few minutes and then squeezed to obtain thick pulp. Discard the seeds) 

Onions: 2 medium sized

Tomatoes: 2 medium sized 

Green Chilies: 2 (chopped) (optional)

Cucumber: 1 large sized (diced)

Cabbage: 1/2 cup (shredded)

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

Mint Leaves: 1/4 cup (chopped)

Oil: 2 tbsp.

Method:

1. Put the soaked and drained Chanay into a pressure cooker (or to a regular pot and add 1/4 tsp. of bicarb of soda) along with the salt, chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and the ginger&garlic paste. 
2. Blend one onion and one tomato into a bender jug or with the help of a hand-held blender by adding little water.
3. Put this paste to the cooker with the Chanay and spices in along with enough water that its about 2 inches above the grams. 
4. Pressure cook them for 20-25 minutes or till they are cooked. Check by pressing one Chana in between your two finger. If not, then pressure cook for a few minutes more and add more water if needed. (The cooking time may take longer than 45 minutes in a regular pot) 
5. The cooked Chanas should be saucy if not then let the moisture evaporate before proceeding to the next steps.
6. In another pan, heat two tbsp. of oil and crackle all the seeds in it.
7. Add this tempering to the cooked Chanas along with the tamarind pulp, sugar, chili flakes and Chaat Masala and mix well.
8. Cut the other onion and the tomato into small cubes and add them to the Chanas with the cucumber cubes, shredded cabbage and half of the leaves and the chilies. Mix well.
9. Take out into a serving bowl, garnish with the other half of the cilantro/coriander, mint leaves and green chilies.
10. Serve warm or cold with some thick yogurt and any sauce or chutney of your choice. Enjoy

Serves 4-6

That's all readers! :) 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.
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! 

Oven-Baked Chicken Tikka/Tandoori Tikka

As a kid I hated chicken! Yes, you heard me right; I couldn't even stand the sight of it! And why was that? I had a fever once as a little girl and during that period of sickness, I started loathing this meat; the reason is not clear to me still but the thought of it used to give me a sick feeling. My parents put their utmost efforts to bring me back to liking it but, it was of no avail. It was after the umpteenth try that my Dad won the battle and what did he try feeding me that won my heart? Yep, you guessed it right! The scrumptious piece of Chicken Tikka; He put one morsel into my mouth and the burst of flavors got me hooked on it for life! So folks, that's how I found my love for chicken, by Chicken Tikka (if I don't sound like Ted from 'How I met your mother' :P)

The Chicken Tikka that my Dad fed me was barbecued but not every day you can fire up your barbecue grill esp. if you are living in the parts of the world where you don't get to see the sun often or the places where sun is too much in love with us (its 42 C in Lahore at the moment!) Therefore, we have used oven as a substitute to prepare this Tikka, whenever we wish to and made life easier for us. I can assure you that you'd not find any big difference in between the two ways of preparing this palatable chicken dish except that the one prepared over the coals would have that distinctive aroma and flavor that the oven-baked would lack. We can however overcome that 'foible' by simply placing a burning coal emanating the smoke, over the cooked Tikkas for a few seconds to infuse in that specific barbecued flavor and Voila, no one can say that these chicken pieces are baked and not BBQued.

This is one of my Mom's favorite dishes too and trust me she's very choosy when it comes to favorites. She won't admit it but she even applies the same rule while picking a favorite amongst her children. Although we very well know who that is but let's keep it a secret by saying all of us are her favorite (my mom's usual answer :P) So, on Mother's day I thought to specially prepare it for her along with Roasted Potatoes and for dessert I made Vanilla-Brownie Surprise cake (recipes will be in my future posts, In Sha Allah- God willing) 

She loved and all of us were delighted, Alhumdulilah (praise to Allah) :D

I used chicken cut into 16 pieces but you can use chicken cut into 4 or 8 pieces too to give that authentic Tikka look. The same marinated chicken can be prepared over the coals or the marinated boneless chicken threaded onto the wooden skewers can be baked instead, the choice is yours. So let me share with you my Mom's favorite Oven-Baked Chicken Tikka which is our family favorite and is certainly going to become your's very soon too :) 

Let's get some oven-baked bbqueing unleashed in your kitchens today! :D

Oven-Baked Chicken Tikka

Ingredients:

Chicken: 1 1/2 kg/2.20 lbs (cut into 16 or 8 or 4 pieces)
Yogurt: 1/2 cup (beaten)
Lemon Juice: 1/4 cup
Ginger Powder: 1 tsp (or 1 1/2 tsp of fresh ginger paste)
Garlic Powder: 1 tsp (or 1 1/2 tsp of fresh garlic paste)
Salt: 1 tbsp
Chili Powder: 1 1/2 tsp 

Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder: 1 tsp

Garam Masala Powder: 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds: 1/2 tsp
Red Food Coloring: a pinch

Meat Tenderizer: 1/4 tsp (optional) 

Mustard Oil: 1/4 cup (can use vegetable or olive oil instead)

Onion Rings: for garnishing

Method:

1. Prick the chicken pieces with the help of a fork. If using 8 or 4 pieces portions, then mark deep slits on each chicken portion. Put them in to a wide mixing bowl.
2. Beat the yogurt and add all the spices along with the lemon juice and the meat tenderizer (if using) and mix well.
3. Pour the prepared marinade and the oil over the chicken pieces and mix well so that all of the marinade evenly coats over all the pieces.
4. Now cover the bowl with its lid or with the help of a cling film and refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours prior to cooking. Overnight works best.
5. Take out from the fridge about 15-20 mins before you start preparing for cooking.
6. Preheat the oven at 200 C/392 F/Gas Mark 6.
7. Line your baking pan with an aluminum foil and grease it with the help of a greasing brush.
8. Place all the chicken pieces on the baking pan and spoon the marinade over all the pieces.
9. Place the baking pan in to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes depending on the size of the chicken pieces. Turn over the pieces half way through cooking.
10. Once the chicken is cooked, all of the marinade dries but the chicken is still juicy, turn on the top grill of the oven and grill the chicken pieces for 8-10 minutes to give them that dark brown color.
11. Take out of the oven, dish out and garnish with the onion rings.
12. If wish to give the coal smoke to get that authentic barbecued flavor, aroma or the Tandoori effect, simply let the coal burn red hot over the stove. Once the Tikkas come out of the oven, put a piece of foil or stale bread in the middle of the Tikkas and place the burning hot coal piece on it with the help of a pair of tongs. Pour a drop or two of oil on that coal. Smoke will start releasing out of it. Cover the baking pan with a large lid or foil for a minute, NOT more than that. Uncover, take out the coal and the foil/bread piece and serve the Tikkas after garnishing.
13. Serve hot with fresh Naan, Salad and Green Chutney or Mint Raitha (dip).

Serves 4-6

Ingredients needed

Pour marinade and oil over the chicken pieces

Marinated pieces

Ready to go in to the oven

Baked Chicken fresh out of the oven :)

That's all barbecue fans! :) The spice level and the baking time can always be adjusted according to your taste buds and the type of your 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 remember in your Du'as/prayers! :)

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