Monthly Archives: May 2021

Varango Halwa(Karachi Halwa)

Mithai

Ingredients

  • 1/2            cup corn starch
  • 1                cup tapioca
  • 2-1/2        cups water
  • 2-1/2        cups sugar
  • 2-1/2        cups butter
  • 1/4            tsp crushed elechi seeds
  • 1/4            tsp jiefer powder
  • 1/4            tsp saffron
  • 1/4            tsp orange colour
  • 1                lb nuts, slivered almonds, pistachio, cashew

Instructions

  1. Soak corn starch and tapioca overnight in 2-1/2 cups water in a large saucepan
  2. In the morning grease a 9in sandwich pan or a jello mould or small moulds.
  3. Sprinkle the bottom of the dish with 1/5 of the nuts.
  4. Add the sugar and melted butter and the rest of the ingredients in the saucepan with the starch, except the nuts.
  5. Mix well and cook on med to high heat, stirring frequently.  The mixture will start to thicken and the butter will start to separate. Add  3/4 of the nuts, mix well and cook on medium heat, stirring continuously till the mixture thickens up and leaves the side of the pan.
  6. You can remove the extra butter, pour the cooked mixture into the prepared containers and let it cool completely.
  7. Turn the halwa on the serving dish and serve.
  8. This halwa tastes good a little warm.  Warm it in a microwave.

Oven Method.

  1. Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. When the halwa starts to thicken, put the saucepan in the oven, stir it every 10 min.  It will take about 45 minutes to cook.

Sheekh Kebab

Entrees, Meat, Snacks & Appetizers

Sheekh Kebab means kebab on a skewer, traditionally made on an outdoor grill over charcoals that add as much colour as it does flavour to the kebab.  Sheekh Kebab is a a type of Kebab, popular in South Asia, made with spiced minced or ground meat, usually lamb, beef, or chicken, formed into cylinders on skewers and grilled.  It is cooked on a barbecue, or in a tandoor.  The kebabs can be made in your oven.

Ingredients            

  • 1            jalepino(or to taste)
  •               handful fresh cilantro
  • 10          leaves mint
  • 2            lbs lean ground beef(lamb or chicken
  • 1            tsp garlic paste
  • 1            tsp ginger paste
  • 1.5         tsp salt
  • 1            tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1            tsp freshly ground cumin
  • 1            tsp garam masala
  • 1            small onion 
  • 2            tbsp finely chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. In a blender, puree the onion, cilantro and mint leaves.
  2. Put the meat,  in a medium bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and mix together.
  3. Let the mixture rest in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight.
  4. Make the kebabs, using the skewers.
  5. BBQ the kebabs, rotating as needed to brown on all sides, till they are cooked inside.  about 20 minutes.
  6. Once cooked slide the kebabs on a plate, sprinkle with diced onions and cilantro and serve with raita and Ambli and or green chutney.
  7. Serve it with spiced potatoes, and/or vegetarian rice or Naan.

Kebabs ready to be cooked

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note:

  1. If you are grilling the kebabs in the oven, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Place the rack in the upper third of the oven.  
  2. Grill the kebabs for 20-25 minutes rotating as needed to brown the kebabs on all around.

Tomato and lemon Chutney

Chutney
  • 1        lemon
  • 1        tomato
  • 1/2     tsp salt
  • 1/2     tsp jeera
  • 10      red chillies(dried or fresh)
  •           fresh cilantro
  • 1        tsp Jaggery

Instructions

  1. Rinse lemon and tomato in cold water, cut it into quarters.  Remove the seeds from the lemon.  
  2. Rinse the cilantro in cold water.
  3. Put everything in a blender or a food processor and grind it to a fine paste and serve.

Ingredients for Chutney