Presenting my authentic restaurant quality Chicken Karahi! This is different from my first Karahi recipe I shared many years ago, which was received really well. In this recipe, you will find me adopting a completely different technique. For my Special Chicken Karahi, I rely on tomatoes and a chutney made with cilantro, mint and green chilli. This recipe does not require any onions, so this Karahi is especially dedicated to all the purists out there who maintain that a traditional Karahi should ever use onions. Enjoy!
This stir-fry recipe will really come in clutch during those busy weeknights! I keep it simple with bell pepper and lots of basil basil but you can play around with any vegetable you really like. I highly highly recommend using oyster sauce for the stir-fry along with soy sauce to get that restaurant quality!
Paratha is the ultimate breakfast pairing with eggs in most Pakistani and Indian homes. Mine was no different growing up. Come Ramadan, it was the only breakfast my family had during Sehri. I always asked my mom to make mine extra salty. But here’s the thing. I don’t recall ever thinking that paratha ought to be flaky, lachhedar and layered. Seeing mom coil the rolled dough on her palm and flatten it before pressing it flat and perfectly round with a rolling pin, I marveled at the process never once stopping to think why she was snaking the dough around like that. At that age, I didn’t realize that she was creating layers. I honestly never paid attention to the flaky layers. I just knew it tasted better than a chapati :p
Here is my take on the tradition nutritious staple!
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Paratha, How to Make Plain Whole Wheat Flaky Paratha
Laccha Paratha with Whole Wheat Flour--a staple in Pakistan and India
Author: Rookie With A Cookie
Recipe type: Flatbread
Cuisine: Pakistani/Indian
Serves: 4 medium parathas
Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour, make sure its finely ground
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp oil
warm water, as needed
ghee and flour, as needed for layering
Instructions
In a bowl, mix flour and salt.
Pour in oil and mix until flour becomes crumbly.
Next, slowly start adding warm water and bring the dough together until the flour is moistened. I typically end up using ½ to ¾ cups of water but the quantity will depend on the temperature where you're located.
Once flour is moist and you can pick it up in a ball, let it rest for 10-15 mins. The dough should just be a tad sticky to the touch. Dab on some oil so the surface does not dry out while dough is resting. Resting will help the glutens in the dough to relax.
After 10-15 mins, start kneading the dough until it gets visibly soft. Add flour if it is too sticky. At the end of 3-4 minutes of kneading, the dough should be soft and it would bounce back when pressed with a finger gently.
Next, divide the dough in quarters for medium sized paratha (make sure the paratha is not bigger than your pan!) and shape each quarter in a round ball. At this point you can let the balls rest for another 10 mins. Don't forget to apply oil so the top doesn't dry out.
When ready to make paratha, roll out the dough very flat, as flat as you can. It's okay if the dough rips a bit.
Next, smear ghee. I use my fingers to rub it all over the dough.
Next, sprinkle some flour along with salt. The flour prevents ghee from dripping, however, you can omit this since we only use a small quantity of ghee.
To make a flaky paratha, begin folding the dough from one corner like a Chinese fan and then twisting the dough up in a cinammon roll shape. You can also make a slit from the center down to one end and begin rolling the dough from the slit in the shape of a cone and flatten it.
When you're ready to make paratha, roll the layered ball of dough and with the help of a rolling pin, roll it out flat and round. It should not be too thin but enough so that you can easily pick up the paratha and flip from hand to hand without ripping it.
In a hot hot griddle, tawa or pan, plop down the paratha. Instantly, you'll see the high heat will begin to cook the paratha. When you see bubbles form on the surface, flip the paratha and lower the heat to medium. Apply some ghee and smear on the paratha with the back of a spoon.
Flip again, when you see brown spots appear on the underside.
Keep applying a touch of ghee and press down your spatula very gently. Lower the heat further if you think paratha is browning too fast.
Remove from the pan once paratha is speckled with brown spots. Don't overcook, or else the paratha will get very crispy like a "papad." You want to remove it when its nice and soft.
A tip to coaxing out the paratha layers (making it "lachhedar") is to scrunch it up while hot. Place you hands on either side of the paratha and clap them together, scrunching up the paratha. This will separate the layers. I recommend using kitchen paper or cloth to avoid burning your hands.
Serve hot! Paratha and roti are best enjoyed hot off the stove.
Biryani is one of those sub-continental dishes whose complex flavors and aroma almost convince you that you may just never learn how to make it from scratch. I’d like to get it out of the way that Biryani, in general, has a relatively steep learning curve because the rice demands some TLC. You can’t just rake your fork through the rice like that. It has to be handled ever so gently and should retain a bite before you begin layering it with the Biryani chicken masala. Continue reading “Make Chicken Dum Biryani with HOMEMADE Biryani Spice Mix”→
Mutton/Lamb Curry is such a rich dish! Eat it the next day and the flavors are even richer and more complex.
Growing up I had an aversion to the smell of mutton and refused to be in the kitchen especially on the three days of Bakra Eid when the women of the household were hovered over the stove, stirring a big pot of Mutton Karahi, while the men ushered in more freshly slaughtered cuts of meat. In retrospect, I think I borrowed that aversion from my eldest sister. (Have you ever adapted to someone else’s likes and dislikes without allowing yourself to develop your opinion and tastebud first?)
Today, this is the one dish I always order when I’m eating out at a Pakistani restaurant and go out of my way to cook in my own kitchen👩🏽🍳 And, ahem, can I just say that restaurant mutton or lamb karahi will always leave a little more to be desired?
This recipe results in a thick, chunky cookie that holds its shape, is CHUNKY AF and so delicious. More importantly, chocolate chunks give it a gourmet look! You MUST TRY it!
It doesn’t get more authentic than this! I’m sharing the real deal. Peshawari Chapli Kebab! It’s the ultimate street food in Peshawar, Pakistan, and now you can quickly make this in your kitchen!
Fun Fact: Growing up, I absolutely hated pineapples in cakes and it wasn’t until I was much older (18 to be exact) that I finally let go of my aversion and actually started eating pineapple. It was time I introduced this sticky sweetness on the blog.
I partnered up with Kitchen Mama to share this delicious Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Their electric can openers are so handy and hassle-free! If you use canned food regularly for cooking and baking, you need one of these in your kitchen right now. You can shop their collection here.Continue reading “Pineapple Upside-Down Cake-So Easy!”→
Every once in a while you are presented with the crispiest, crunchiest Chicken Wings and you just can’t help but pat yourself on the back for doing a splendid job. But what if you weren’t really doing any job? What if you totally trusted an appliance to do the job for you. This appliance my friends is the infamous Air Fryer. I heard about it in the recent months so much and part me doubted its ability to do much. But when Cosori sent me their brand new Air Fryer that’s hit the market, I put it to the test. And I have totally converted. The results are fabulous. Just check the video if you want proof of how well this thing works! Continue reading “Best Air Fryer Chicken Wings”→
It’ s a proud moment for this blog because I have finally mastered the art of cooking Daal. After many failed attempts (partly because I didn’t own a presuure cooker), I have finally nailed Daal Chawal. This recipe is a version of the one my cook in Pakistan used to make and is admittedly a tad spicier. I also took the liberty to deepen the color but don’t worry, I’ll share the more classic yellow daal very soon!
If you’re in the same boat as I was a few weeks ago, this is for you! Just get yourself a mini pressure cooker featured in this video and you’re golden!
Nothing says desi more than fingers dripping with curry! Allow me to bless your kitchen with my coveted chicken curry recipe. In the most traditional sense, you call this Boneless Handi. Handi is vessel (usually terracotta) in which this dish is traditionally cooked. But trust me when I say this, your favorite restaurant is not cooking their famous Boneless Handi in an actual Handi. I cook all my curries in a stainless steel saucepan or wok and absolutely love the curries that come out of those vessels.
I have already covered the basics of how to determine when the curry is done in myChicken Karahipost. For me, the key to the most flavorful curry lies in 1) yogurt 2) red juicy tomatoes and 3) continuous stirring towards the end until the masala releases that orange-tinted oil. If you do not see the oil glossing the surface, your curry is not done. Let it continue cooking on medium to low heat. This recipe itself is not a huge departure from my Chicken Karahi recipe. Both require yogurt and both require a whole lotta stirring. However, in my Boneless Handi, I create the curry base prior to adding in the chicken. This is also the technique that is traditionally used to make Boneless Handi.
Welcome old and new friends! These gorgeous fudgy brownies have been alive on my channel for a few years. This is one of the first few recipes that I shot for my YouTube channel. Having created this blog much later, I didn’t add some of my earlier recipes. I’m slowly beginning to make some of favorite creations to add to my blog.
These fudgy brownies are a no-brainer. Remember, key to the fudge is melting chocolate and butter and then incorporating the remaining ingredients: eggs, cocoa and flour. Get your hands on the good kind of chocolate. It will truly up your brownie game! These brownies should not be cakey at all unless you overbake them. We’re not adding any leavening agent like baking soda or baking powder. Keep checking up on it in the oven and pull the pan out once a skewer inserted in the center comes out with fudgy crumbs attached- ~30-35 minutes mark should do it but I’d recommend to start checking up around 25 minutes. Tend to these bad boys like you would a bad boy :p Continue reading “Fudgiest Brownies You Will Ever Make!”→
Ever wondered why your Pound Cake always came out so crumby? The secret to making a Pound Cake that is fluffy and has a very fine crumb is to get all the ingredients at room temperature. This is truly the only secret! Butter should be soft because it just creams a whole lot better with sugar. Eggs should be out of the fridge at least an hour early (I soak them in warm water for 10 mins). And milk should not be chilled. If you have the patience for it, I’d say go ahead and sift in the flour because sifting helps to lighten it up. All your hard work will pay off when you slice into this Pound Cake.
A handy tip when you bake cakes: let the cake cool completely before slicing. Cakes need time to cool. If you slice into a cake fresh out of the oven, you run the risk of leaving crumbs all over your cutting board. Be patient. I also like to use a baking pan that has sharp corners. God knows it took me so long to find the right pan. Mine is from Chicago Metallic (no, this is not an ad.) I just really like how the cake turns out. The slices come out sharp and clean but a loaf pan with rounded corners is fine too.
You may be wondering if I have tried making Pound Cake with a leavening agent. I have actually, with a scant 1/4 tsp baking powder which indeed lifts the cake ever so slightly. To be honest, the result of that cake is just as good. However, a traditional Pound Cake relies on creaming the ingredients to naturally raise the cake without the help of a leavener. I like to keep things traditional every once in a while.
Every visit to Pakistan begins this way. Chicken Pulao. It’s the only dish I request my mom to make every time I board an Emirates flight back home. I seldom give mom due credit for her cooking, but for chicken Pulao, it would be atrocious to not award her some laurels. In my attempts to learn to make mom’s Pulao, I would carefully follow her steps but just never had the patience to replicate the exhaustive and involved cooking process. The rice is cooked low and slow in a seasoned broth. Mom makes Pulao with fresh chicken broth. And that my friends takes a bit more patience.
This recipe has no patience so I present to you a version that is almost as delicious as my mom’s if you’re pressed for time. Almost because we’re cheating our way to victory a bit, okay?
This soup takes me right back to the hospital room where my aunt is ladling her famous Chicken Corn Soup into bowls for the kids as we younglings excitedly watch another heavily pregnant aunt breathe through her labor pains on the hospital bed. We slurp the soup. The pregnant aunt heaves a sigh. That’s a really strange memory. This aunt was a “soup bearer” and would always bring a huge stainless steel pot with a giant ladle along with her to family picnics, dinners and funerals.
One of the reasons I seldom make crispy chicken burgers is that it demands time and extensive cleaning as you set up your coating station which includes eggs and flour. I wanted to create a recipe that is easy and quick. In this Crispy Chicken Burger recipe, I do without eggs and found that the fat in chicken is enough to hold together the ground meat.
Adding in garam masala and ginger garlic paste gives it a Pakistani flavor, which along with the raita that I shared with my Seekh Kebab fills the kitchen with a familiar aroma of Pakistani cooking. Follow along and you’ll be quite amazed at how crispy and easy it is to make these burgers. Continue reading “Crispy Chicken Keema Burger”→
