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Potato Curry | Aloor Dom/Aloo Dum

Serves 4

The curry sauce is fire-hot (I was sweating while eating), however the potatoes do not absorb the heat so you can easily control how much chili you get in a bite. To make this dish more mild, adjust the amount of chili powder (or remove this spice completely).

NOTE: This recipe makes a LOT of curry sauce, so you could freeze half of it and save for another dish if you wanted to – unless you think you’ll sop it all up.

Ingredients:

20 baby red potatoes

For the curry:

1 small onion, chopped
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp cumin powder
1/8 tsp ground clove
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp red chili powder (Lanka guro) (this is VERY hot, adjust according to your tolerance)
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp salt

Aromatics:

2 Tbsp mustard oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods
2 cups water

Method:

1.  Boil potatoes in salted water until almost cooked. Drain. Cover with cold water and peel. Set aside.

2. In a food processor combine onion, chopped tomatoes, ginger, garlic, cumin, clove, sugar, chili powder, garam masala, and salt. My food processor is so small that it made the sauce chunky. I decided I couldn’t stand it and used my immersion blender instead. I got a really nice, smooth consistency in just a minute of pureeing.

3. Heat oil in a wok or skillet. Add aromatics (cumin seed, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and bay leaves). Toast spices for a few minutes being careful not to burn. Add potatoes.

4. Add sauce from step 2 and water. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes – 1 hour, or until the potatoes are done, the sauce is thick, and the flavors mingle. Serve hot.

NOTE: This dish keeps nicely in a warm oven (or, I would imagine, in a crock pot).

Potato Curry | Aloor Dom/Aloo Dum
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
The curry sauce is fire-hot (I was sweating while eating), however the potatoes do not absorb the heat so you can easily control how much chili you get in a bite. To make this dish more mild, adjust the amount of chili powder (or remove this spice completely).
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Potato Curry | Aloor Dom/Aloo Dum
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
The curry sauce is fire-hot (I was sweating while eating), however the potatoes do not absorb the heat so you can easily control how much chili you get in a bite. To make this dish more mild, adjust the amount of chili powder (or remove this spice completely).
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Ingredients
  • 20 baby potatoes (red, gold, or mix)
For the curry:
  • 1 small onions , chopped
  • 1 cup tomatoes (chopped)
  • 1 tsp ginger root , grated
  • 3 cloves garlic , crushed
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp lanka guro (red chili powder)
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp salt
Aromatics:
  • 2 Tbsp mustard oil
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 2 cups water
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
  1. Boil potatoes in salted water until almost cooked. Drain. Cover with cold water and peel. Set aside.
  2. In a food processor combine onion, chopped tomatoes, ginger, garlic, cumin, clove, sugar, chili powder, garam masala, and salt. My food processor is so small that it made the sauce chunky. I decided I couldn’t stand it and used my immersion blender instead. I got a really nice, smooth consistency in just a minute of pureeing.
  3. Heat oil in a wok or skillet. Add aromatics (cumin seed, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and bay leaves). Toast spices for a few minutes being careful not to burn. Add potatoes.
  4. Add sauce from step 2 and water. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes – 1 hour, or until the potatoes are done, the sauce is thick, and the flavors mingle.
Recipe Notes

NOTE: This recipe makes a LOT of curry sauce, so you could freeze half of it and save for another dish if you wanted to – unless you think you’ll sop it all up.

The Wild Weather of Bangladesh

Happy Friday, everyone! Here’s a few fun facts about Bangladesh:

– the country earned it’s independence in 1971.

– “Bong” is a nickname for people whose mother tongue is Bengali (this applies to people in Bangladesh and some parts of India – check out Desihomecook’s comment on this post.

– The weather is terribly dangerous. Floods, cyclones, tornadoes, and tidal bores are almost yearly occurrences. According to Wikipedia:

In September 1998, Bangladesh saw the most severe flooding in modern world history. As the Brahmaputra, Ganges and Meghna spilt over and swallowed 300,000 houses, 9,700 kilometres (6,027 mi) of road and 2,700 kilometres (1,678 mi) of embankment 1,000 people were killed and 30 million more were made homeless with 135,000 cattle killed, 50 square kilometres (19.3 sq mi) of land destroyed and 11,000 kilometres (6,835 mi) of roads damaged or destroyed. Two-thirds of the country was underwater. There were several reasons for the severity of the flooding. Firstly, there were unusually high monsoon rains. Secondly, theHimalayas shed off an equally unusually high amount of melt water that year. Thirdly, trees that usually would have intercept rain water had been cut down for firewood or to make space for animals.

– mustard oil and mustard seed are indicative of the regional cuisine, making an appearance in most dishes.

passing by fields of mustard

Mustard fields in Bangladesh. Photo courtesy of http://ishouldcocoa.wordpress.com

– the most common way to eat meat is either in a curry (spicy sauce) or on a kabob. Bangladeshi also enjoy adding fruits and nuts to meat dishes.

– puffed rice (Jhaal moori) is common street food, served up with mustard oil and aromatics

puffed rice with chilies, tomatoes, onions and mustard oil

Street vendor selling Jhaal Moori. Photo courtesy of http://ishouldcocoa.files.wordpress.com

Technique Thursday: Whole Spices

The people of Bangladesh typically store their spices whole. This is because husks, shells, and pods keep spices’ sizzling potential sealed in better than any Tupperware or glass jar.

To season food they simply dry roast a small batch of whole spices and then grind them into powder. Preparing spices as needed ensures food with the most vibrant, intense flavor. After all, spices dramatically lose their pungency after only 6 months (sooner if exposed to heat and sunlight).

The flavor difference can be compared to making a cup of tea from a fresh tea bag or from a used tea bag. Or a handful of dust.

Big difference.

I know, I know. You’re thinking… but, Sasha, my spices are fine. And that’s probably true. Just … fine….

But wouldn’t you rather your spices be explosive? Outrageous? Wide-eyed wonderful? Like Michael Jackson in thriller?

I thought so.

One easy method for dry roasting spices:

Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. (do not use a non-stick pan as the coating should never be heated up dry)
Add spices and keep swirling the pan around to keep them moving.
Roast whole spices for about 30 seconds-1 minute.
Roast ground spices for 10 -2o seconds.
You’ll know when they are done because they’ll smell great and even begin to sputter and pop a little.
Keep your eye on the spices at all times to avoid burning. Spices go from “raw” to burnt in a split second.

What you’ll need to grind your spices:

grinding an aromatic masala including cloves and coriander

A Bangladeshi grinds a masala blend of clove and coriander seed. Photo courtesy of http://ishouldcocoa.wordpress.com

Pick one of these 4 Basic Tools to grind your spices.

– Mortar & Pestle (uses the most muscle, but a good coarse grind is easily attainable)

– Pepper Mill (this works in a pinch when set to the finest grind)

– Electric Spice Grinder (modern cooks love this contraption – the small size is efficient and with the flip of a switch it obliterates any spice into a fine, powdery, omg-good grind)

– Blender (this pinch hitter works okay for larger batches and/or if you don’t have a spice grinder)

Dear Santa,

I would really like an electric spice grinder. Like, tomorrow. Just don’t tell my mortar and pestle.

Thanks ever so much!

Love,
Sasha

Spice Terminology from the Indian Subcontinent:

1. Garam Masala

Masala is the Hindi word for “spice” and can be used to describe a spice blend that includes herbs and aromatics like ginger or garlic.

Garam means “warm,” referring to the Hindi belief that some spices are good for the soul.

A beautiful explanation of Bengali Garam Masala with recipes is available at “Bong Mom.” In her post she describes the four typical components of their regional masala : Clove, Cardamom, Cinnamon, and Tej Patta.

2. Panch Phoron

Panch means five and phoron means flavor, literally making Panch Phoron Bangladeshi 5 spice. The typical spice blend includes fennel seed, mustard seed, black nigella, golden fenugreek and brown cumin seed.

Don’t feel like grinding your spices? Go for Panch Phoron! According to Bong Mom,

Panch Phoran is used mainly for tempering, to flavor the hot oil before adding rest of the ingredients. The essence being tempering with Five Spices. It is usually never ground or used as a powder unlike other spices which are used both in whole and ground form. However dry roasted panch phoron is ground to make a powder that is sprinkled on chutneys. But it is NEVER used in powder or paste form in any other preparation.

Source: Bong Mom

And, hey, between you and me? If this is all too much, just dust off your spice jars and use what you’ve got! Simply trying new spice combinations is an exciting feat in itself!

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Menu: Bangladesh

In my hunt to find the perfect combination of recipes I read this old saying, “Mach-e Batth-e Bangali” (“Fish and rice make a Bengali” – “the country of Bengal” is the direct translation of Bangladesh). This saying gives a snapshot of what daily meals are like on the river delta where fish are plentiful and rice is handy. If you have time a pot of Basmati rice goes wonderfully with this menu. Other great sides include naan and chapati breads.

PS. The potatoes were hot. Not advised for children, unless you are ok with the side effect: laser eyes.

Potato Curry (Aloor Dom/Aloo Dum) [Recipe]
Small red potatoes cooked in a blend of spices including cardamom, cinnamon, red chili powder, ginger paste, and onion.

Fish and leeks in Hot Mustard Sauce (Sorse Bata Diya Maach) [Recipe]
Even when marinated overnight, a hearty fish like trout or salmon holds up to a spice bath of turmeric, mustard, cumin, garam masala, cilantro, ginger, and garlic.

Spinach Bhaji (Palong Shaak Bhaji) [Recipe]
Spinach stir-fried with panch phoron, the Bangladeshi 5 spice made up of fennel seed, mustard seed, black nigella, golden fenugreek and brown cumin seed

Vermicelli in Sweet Custard (Shemai Custard) [Recipe]
In this Bengali recipe, vermicelli is cooked in cardamom flavored milk, tossed with golden raisins and slivered almonds. This dessert can be served hot or cold.

Spellings vary by region. Every effort has been made to be accurate. If you notice an error, please let me know.

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About the food of Bangladesh

Once in a while I hear a word which causes the most curious knee-jerk reaction harking back to my formative school years.

For example, whenever I hear the word “Bangladesh” my mind automatically and violently spits back “Dhaka!!!!!”

Take this to be a testament to my 7th grade geography teacher.

Similar reactions occur when I hear Lima (Peru!!!!!), or Bhutan (Thimphuuuuuu!!!!).  The exclamations marks are subtle compared to how passionately these words materialize. Once out of my subconscious, they rattle around my brain for hours, like a song you can’t get out of your head.

So here we are in Bangladesh (Dhaka!!!!) where the climate is tropical and the weather is sunny with alternating floods, droughts, and typhoons.

Although more than half of GDP is generated through the service sector, about 45% of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector, with rice as the single-most-important product. (Source: CIA World FactBook)

Let’s talk a bit about their food.

Generally speaking, the food of Bangladesh is reminiscent of Northern Indian and Middle Eastern food. Some of the spiciest food in the world comes from this region.

Bangladeshi enjoy fresh-water fish from their rivers and others from the sea (favorites include catfish, eel, squid, and shrimp), some beef (although not for Hindus, who consider the cow sacred), rice, dal (lentils or other pulses boiled with salt and turmeric with the later addition of fried spices blends called tadka), and all sorts of curries. In the east they also enjoy great quantities of lamb.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are bountiful, including bananas, mangoes, melons, long beans, okra, lentils, and chickpeas.

Dairy products are more common in the east because the geography is more suited to raising herds. In the rural west yogurt and ghee/butter are rarely used. The only exception is dessert; sweets are traditionally made with milk or other dairy products. These include Ras Malai (sweetened paneer – homemade cheese – seasoned with cardamom and panadan extract, sitting in clotted cream), shir-e-faluda (vermicelli in spiced cream, honey, and nuts), cream cheese (chhana) soaked in syrup, and shirberanj (sweetened rice seasoned with spices and rosewater).

Pungent mustard seed and mustard oil are added to many dishes in this area as is tamarind, which imparts a sour (tok), lemony taste to food. Looking for the Bangladeshi “5 spice”? They call it Panch Phoron/Porch Foron – a blend of fennel seed, mustard seed, black nigella, golden fenugreek and brown cumin seed (measure in equal parts). Add hot chili powder and you’ll be eating Bangladeshi in no time! Prefer Garaham Masala? (coriander, cinnamon, cumin, cassia, clove, cardamom, anise, mace, bay leaf, wild onion seed, and chili) No problem, they use this easily obtainable spice blend too.

With all of these fantastic flavors I, for one, am looking forward to eating some Bangladeshi! How about you?

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Monday Meal Review: Bahrain

This is meal #13 in my personal challenge to eat one meal for every country in the world.

“Shrimp Balls?” my husband asked, frowning. “We’re having Shrimp Balls for dinner?”

“Yeah. Like Meatballs. Only Shrimp. You’ll love them.”

Technically I was lying since I never had a shrimp ball in my life, I wasn’t looking forward to trying them, and  I wasn’t even sure why I decided to make them.

I know. You’re wondering where my integrity is.

I promise you, my heart is in the right place. Sometimes little white lies are necessary if I’m going to beat his Picky Eater Syndrome. Trust me.

Still unsure? Well, let me tell you a secret.

He was a big fan.

He liked the shrimp balls more than I did.

So there.

Roasted Eggplant Dip (Uukkous Al-Badinjan) [Recipe]

 

Smooth and spicy Eggplant Dip

What I liked most about this dish:

I’m in love. Really in love. As in… I’m never making baba ganoush again. As you know, I am a big fan of making food ahead so that I can enjoy the party. In typical fashion, I blended this sauce up a day ahead, giving the flavors time to mellow and mingle before eating. The result? Perfection!

This dip is at once smooth, smoky, spicy, and pungent. Like salsa, Uukkous Al-Badinjan is versatile and can be used as a dip or to sauce your meal. I particularly enjoyed mixing a little in with my “sweet” rice. The smoky flavor of a properly roasted eggplant goes perfectly with the lingering heat of the chili pepper and the pungent kick of garlic and lemon

Salt is like eyeliner for this recipe… make sure you put enough to make the flavors pop!

What I liked least about this dish:

Roasting eggplant for over an hour … in an already hot house … in Oklahoma … is a terrible idea. Luckily for me, we have a grill. I promptly fired her up (yes, her. My grill’s name is Samantha) so I was able to keep the heat OUT of the kitchen. I even think grilling the eggplant (on the top rack) lent a char-grilled depth of flavor to the sauce that would not be obtainable in the oven.

Thanks so much, Samantha!!

Bahraini Shrimp Balls (Chebeh Rubyan) [Recipe]

 

Bahraini Shrimp Balls

What I liked most about this dish:

The tomato-tamarind sauce really made the shrimp balls shine. Although my recipe does not require low and slow cooking, I cooked the sauce all afternoon, mostly because I didn’t have anything better to do with that burner while Ava napped. I had a feeling the somewhat flat flavors just 30 minutes into cooking would deepen and intensify as the sugars caramelized. Boy, was I was right. By the time we ate this sauce, five hours later, the natural sugars in the sauce turned a rich brown, it thickened up into a hearty “stew” like sauce.

What I liked least about this dish:

This was my first time eating Shrimp balls. I had a little trouble getting past the taste of “fishy” meatballs. A few bites in, however, I found myself really enjoying the flavor (along with everyone else).

Getting into the nitty gritty, I hate the fact that I do not have a food processor big enough to puree one pound of shrimp. I do have a teeny tiny processor that is a part of my immersion blender set. The mixture would have fit fine in 4 batches, but I tried to force it in 3. I had shrimp oozing and spilling and clogging. Not to mention I was running back and forth between the kitchen and laundry room, where I was doing the pureeing, so as to not to wake Ava up from her nap.

The whole situation was ridiculous.

Point is, you need a normal food processor to make this recipe.

Other than not having a food processor, the biggest problem with this recipe was that the shrimp balls needed to be cut with a knife because they got surprisingly firm. I think there are two ways to avoid this. First, cook the shrimp balls as briefly as possible so they don’t get tough. Second, make them half the size I did so they are more “bite-sized” and don’t need to be cut.

Rosewater Rice Pilaf (Mulhammar) [Recipe]

 

Rosewater Pilaf – Mulhammar

What I liked most about this dish:

The rice won everyone over at our Bahrain Global Table. Each bite of nicely separated rice grains came enrobed in a subtle hint of sweetness and the haunting flavors of rosewater and saffron. The slightly sweet flavor is a perfect compliment to the spicy Eggplant Dip. My palate never had time to get tired of sweet or spicy because each bite contrasted the last.

I’ve now made pilaf a few times with basmati for this project. Each time it gets quicker and more automatic. I’m loving the improved texture of the rice and fear this project might make eating out even harder for me. (Anyone else hate paying $35 for food you could make better for $3.50?)

What I liked least about this dish:

I didn’t think I would like eating sweet, rosewater rice with fish, but this Rice Pilaf was spot on. A few weeks ago I would have said the extra steps to make this kind of rice (instead of just boiling, you rinse it, boil it, drain it, cook it). However, I’m both getting used to the technique AND I much prefer how the grains stand apart with a lovely tooth to them.

Apricot Fruit Leather (Quamar-el-Deen) [Recipe]

 

Fruit Leather in short strips or rolled up

What I liked most about this dish:

Just being able to say that I made fruit leather is pretty “sweet.” Also, I like being able to put healthy candy into my body, instead of the junk I usually gravitate towards (peanut m&m’s anyone?).

The concept of making fruit leather is very simple and there are endless variations on flavor. I even poured a jar of apple/strawberry sauce onto my silpat, spread it thin and dried away. With almost zero effort, this came out great (although it dried out in only 2 hours, so watch your time). Overall, I’m a fan and I’d love to play around with this some more. P.S. Fruit Leather is a perfect gift idea! Just be sure to separate pieces with parchment paper (or roll fruit leather up in a sheet).

What I liked least about this dish:

When I made my first batch of Fruit Leather, I misunderstood the signs of “doneness.” After 8 hours I kept checking the leather with my fingers, feeling for a smooth surface, with no more stickiness. Every time I checked the surface still felt tacky. Little did I know tacky is normal and I was ruining the leather. By the time I took it out it tasted like burnt sugar (even though it looked fine). If you aren’t sure yours is done, I would suggest little taste tests along the way to make sure you have the leather where you want it.

Another thing, Fruit Leather is not a very “desserty” dessert, unless you are on a hike. I would avoid serving this at a black tie dinner party.

Anyway, I made a second batch with some jarred applesauce and it only took 2 hours to be done. This was because the applesauce was thinner than my mixture and dried out faster. Check out how thin it was:

Fruit Leather Made thin with jarred applesauce

Ava’s Corner:

Ava got a stomach bug earlier this week. This was her first time puking, and boy did she! She got down to the bile and would not hold any fluids down, so we took her to the ER. We were there until 2 a.m. with a very bleary eyed sweetheart. She didn’t even cry, except when she was throwing up. I could tell it hurt. Mama and Papa definitely had more difficulty holding tears back.

Because of her bug, Ava was on really mild food this week. I did let her lick the Eggplant Dip before I added the hot spices, but that was about it. I would like her to try this again sometime, and I am sure I’ll make it again.

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Bahraini Shrimp Balls | Chebeh Rubyan

Bahraini Shrimp Balls

Serves 4

Shrimp balls blend the flavors of the Middle East with India. Though these are traditionally stuffed with minced onion, I prefer the simplicity of unfilled balls. If you like spicy food, add a sprinkle of cayenne. The way the recipe stands, however, this dish is mild, but wonderfully flavorful.

TIP: Use the cheapest shrimp because you are just going to puree it anyway.

Ingredients:

1 lb cleaned shrimp
1 Tbsp cilantro
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 – 1 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/3 cup ghee or butter
1 onion, minced

baharat powder:

1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp cardamom

the rind of 1/2 a lemon, grated
1 tsp tamarind paste
1 cups warm water
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 Tbsp sugar

Method:

For the shrimp balls:

1. In a food processor blend into a paste shrimp, cilantro, turmeric, salt, and rice flour. Chill until needed.

Cheap shrimp is ideal for this recipe

Puree, hopefully using a bigger processor than I have!

I had to add the flour last because my food processor was too small

The shrimp mixture, ready to shape

For the sauce:

2. In a skillet with high sides, saute minced onion in ghee or butter until soft and golden. Add baharat spices, lemon rind, tamarind paste, water, tomatoes, chili, powder, and sugar. Cover and simmer while preparing shrimp balls, about 30 minutes.

The spices make this dish!

Adding the tamarind paste (has a lemony flavor)

NOTE: This sauce is much better the longer you cook it.

Assembling the shrimp balls:

1. For each shrimp ball, take 1-2 Tbsp shrimp mixture and form into a ball.

Make these smaller if you don’t want to cut them with a knife

TIP: Keep your hands wet to prevent shrimp mixture from sticking to your hands.

2. Add shrimp to simmering sauce and cook for about 20 minutes covered. Serve with rice.

Adding shrimp balls to sauce

Mulhammar goes great with spicy eggplant and Shrimp Balls

Bahraini Shrimp Balls | Chebeh Rubyan
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Shrimp balls blend the flavors of the Middle East with India. Though these are traditionally stuffed with minced onion, I prefer the simplicity of unfilled balls. If you like spicy food, add a sprinkle of cayenne. The way the recipe stands, however, this dish is mild, but wonderfully flavorful.
Servings
4 people
Servings
4 people
Bahraini Shrimp Balls | Chebeh Rubyan
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Shrimp balls blend the flavors of the Middle East with India. Though these are traditionally stuffed with minced onion, I prefer the simplicity of unfilled balls. If you like spicy food, add a sprinkle of cayenne. The way the recipe stands, however, this dish is mild, but wonderfully flavorful.
Servings
4 people
Servings
4 people
Ingredients
  • 1 lb cleaned shrimp
  • 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro (freshly torn)
  • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup brown rice flour
  • 1/3 cup ghee or butter
  • 1 onion , minced
Baharat powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
  • lemon zest (from half a lemon)
  • 1 tsp tamarind paste
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 15 oz can tomatoes , diced
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
For the shrimp balls
  1. In a food processor blend into a paste shrimp, cilantro, turmeric, salt, and rice flour. Chill until needed.
For the sauce
  1. In a skillet with high sides, saute minced onion in ghee or butter until soft and golden. Add baharat spices, lemon rind, tamarind paste, water, tomatoes, chili powder, and sugar. Cover and simmer while preparing shrimp balls, about 30 minutes. NOTE: This sauce is much better the longer you cook it.
Assembling the shrimp balls
  1. For each shrimp ball, take 1-2 Tbsp shrimp mixture and form into a ball.
  2. Add shrimp to simmering sauce and cook for about 20 minutes covered.
  3. Serve with rice.
Recipe Notes

Use the cheapest shrimp because you are just going to puree it anyway.

Keep your hands wet to prevent rice mixture from sticking to your hands.

Rose Water Rice Pilaf | Mulhammar

Rosewater Pilaf – Mulhammar

Serves 4

Mulhammar is a slightly sweet rice pilaf is wonderful with spicy food. You’ll love the taunting aroma of rosewater, saffron, and cardamom. Everything is very subtle and mild.

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp saffron threads
3 cardamom pods, cracked
2 Tbsp rosewater
6 cups water
1 Tbsp salt
2 cups basmati rice
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup ghee or melted butter

Method:

1. Combine saffron, cardamom and rosewater in a small bowl.

Let the saffron, cardamom, and rosewater meld

I then used a spoon to mash the saffron mixture into the sugar.

2.  In a medium pot, bring water and salt to a boil. Meanwhile, rinse rice under cool water until water runs clear.

3. Add rice to boiling water and cook 8 minutes uncovered. Stir every few minutes. Drain.

Rice after 8 minutes of cooking

4. Put rice back in pot and add saffron mixture over the top along with the melted ghee or butter. With the handle of a wooden spoon, poke a few holes in rice. Cover with lid and let steam over very low heat for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Serve hot.

Pour seasonings over rice, poke holes with the handle of a wooden spoon, cover, and steam.

Mulhammar goes great with spicy food

Rosewater Rice Pilaf | Mulhammar
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Rating: 0
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Mulhammar is a slightly sweet rice pilaf is wonderful with spicy food. You’ll love the taunting aroma of rosewater, saffron, and cardamom. Everything is very subtle and mild.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Rosewater Rice Pilaf | Mulhammar
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Mulhammar is a slightly sweet rice pilaf is wonderful with spicy food. You’ll love the taunting aroma of rosewater, saffron, and cardamom. Everything is very subtle and mild.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1/2 tsp saffron
  • 3 cardamom pods , cracked
  • 2 Tbsp rose water
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 2 cups basmati rice
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup ghee (or melted butter)
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
  1. Combine saffron, cardamom and rosewater in a small bowl. Let the saffron, cardamom, and rosewater meld. I then used a spoon to mash the saffron mixture into the sugar.
  2. In a medium pot, bring water and salt to a boil. Meanwhile, rinse rice under cool water until water runs clear.
  3. Add rice to boiling water and cook 8 minutes uncovered. Stir every few minutes. Drain.
  4. Put rice back in pot and add saffron mixture over the top along with the melted ghee or butter. With the handle of a wooden spoon, poke a few holes in rice. Cover with lid and let steam over very low heat for about 20 minutes, or until tender. "
  5. Serve hot. Great with spicy food.

Apricot Fruit Leather | Quamar-el-Deen

Fruit Leather in strips or rolled up

Makes about 8 strips

Feel free to play around with this recipe to make flavors and combinations that you like. Be sure to check out the tips in Technique Thursday. Time may vary on when this is done, depending on your oven. Please check multiple times so as not to overcook this!

Ingredients:

12 ounces dried apricots, quartered
1 cup water
2 Tbsp honey
4 cardamom pods

Method:

1. In a small pot, simmer dried apricots with water, honey, and cardamom pods. Simmer about 20 minutes.

Apricots are quartered to allow flavors to mingle when simmered

Cardamom adds a subtle flavor

2. Carefully remove cardamom pods. Using an immersion blender, puree mixture. The mixture should be a bit thicker than applesauce.

Puree

3. Line a baking sheet with silpat (or microwave safe saran wrap). Pour apricot mixture over silpat about 3/8″ thick. Spread evenly.

Fruit is spread on silpat before going into the oven to dry

4. Place baking sheet in a warm oven for 6-8 hours, or until apricot leather is just tacky to the touch. Store, covered in a cool, dry place, refrigerate or freeze.

Fruit Leather should be “bendy” not brittle

Slice into strips if desired

Fruit Leather Made thin with jarred applesauce (only took about 2 hours to dry out!)

 

Apricot Fruit Leather | Quamar-el-Deen
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Feel free to play around with this recipe to make flavors and combinations that you like. Be sure to check out the tips in Technique Thursday. Time may vary on when this is done, depending on your oven. Please check multiple times so as not to overcook this!
Servings
8 strips
Servings
8 strips
Apricot Fruit Leather | Quamar-el-Deen
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Feel free to play around with this recipe to make flavors and combinations that you like. Be sure to check out the tips in Technique Thursday. Time may vary on when this is done, depending on your oven. Please check multiple times so as not to overcook this!
Servings
8 strips
Servings
8 strips
Ingredients
  • 12 oz dried apricots , quartered
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 4 pods ground cardamom
Servings: strips
Units:
Instructions
  1. In a small pot, simmer dried apricots with water, honey, and cardamom pods. Simmer about 20 minutes.
  2. Carefully remove cardamom pods. Using an immersion blender, puree mixture. The mixture should be a bit thicker than applesauce.
  3. Line a baking sheet with silpat (or microwave safe saran wrap). Pour apricot mixture over slipat about 3/8" thick. Spread evenly
  4. Place baking sheet in a warm oven for 6-8 hours, or until apricot leather is just tacky to the touch. Store, covered in a cool, dry place, refrigerate or freeze.

Roasted Eggplant Dip | Uukkous Al-Badinjan

Smooth and spicy Eggplant Dip

Serves 4

Make this dish a day ahead to allow time for the flavors to mingle. Uukkous Al-Badinjan blows baba ganoush out of the water!

Ingredients:

3 eggplants
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1/2 – 1 tsp salt

Method:

1. Using a fork, poke eggplants all over. Roast eggplants at 350F for about 1 hour or until soft.

Poke holes all over the eggplants

Roast or Grill until super soft inside

NOTE: Today it’s pretty hot in Oklahoma, so I decided to keep the house cool and grill the eggplants. Grill at 350F for about an hour or until soft.

2. Remove from oven and let cool until you can handle the eggplants. With a knife, split eggplants open and scoop out all the flesh into a food processor or blender. Or if you’re like me, into a bowl and use your immersion blender.

Soft roasted eggplant

Eggplant should scoop out easily

3. Add remaining ingredients and puree. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Chill and serve with flatbread or as an accompaniment to main meal.

Eggplant Dip is used as a “sauce” in the main course

Roasted Eggplant Dip | Uukkous Al-Badinjan
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
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Print Recipe
Make this dish a day ahead to allow time for the flavors to mingle. Uukkous Al-Badinjan blows baba ganoush out of the water!
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Roasted Eggplant Dip | Uukkous Al-Badinjan
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Make this dish a day ahead to allow time for the flavors to mingle. Uukkous Al-Badinjan blows baba ganoush out of the water!
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Ingredients
  • 3 eggplants
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 1 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup parsley (freshly minced)
  • 1/2-1 tsp salt
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
  1. Using a fork, poke eggplants all over. Roast eggplants at 350F for about 1 hour or until soft.
  2. Remove from oven and let cool until you can handle the eggplants. With a knife, split eggplants open and scoop out all the flesh into a food processor or blender. Or if you’re like me, into a bowl and use your immersion blender.
  3. Add remaining ingredients and puree. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Chill and serve with flatbread or as an accompaniment to main meal.