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Beef & Eggplant Middle Eastern Nachos

June 4, 2020

These Beef & Eggplant Middle Eastern Nachos have become somewhat of an obsession lately. I made them practically every other day during Ramzan for Iftar mostly because they were so filling, and light at the same time. Did I mention yum? If you are somewhat obsessed with Middle Eatern cuisines, this ones for you!

This recipe has a layer of crispy pita chips, loaded with a layer of spicy beef and vegetable mix, topped with a tahini sauce, garnished with fried almond slivers and parsley. It is somewhat similar to A beef and aubergine Fatteh, but as my friend from Iraq pointed out, Fatteh means “submerged” where the pita chips are almost submerged in sauce. So this, most definitely, are nachos!

I love Middle Eastern Cuisine. These Fateh-style nachos for snacking and an Egg Shakshuka for my breakfast are my favorite Arabian finds! If you are a pita chips fan, you HAVE to try the famous fattoush salad!

Why I love these Nachos:

Super filling and light at the same time
Most definitely a crowd pleaser!
Absolutely packed with nutrition so definitely no guilt later.
Alternative to regular dinners
One of my budget friendly meals!

Steps & Tips to make these Beef Nachos perfectly

If you are someone who is new to Middle Eastern or Mediterranean style of cooking, some of the ingredients might not be a staple in your pantry. So I’m gonna quickly introduce you to the special Spices / Condiments needed to make this recipe. You will need:

Sumac powder which is a slightly sour tasting reddish pink colored powder
Bokharat or The 7 Spice powder which is a Lebanese spice blend
Pomegranate molasses which is a tangy thick sauce.
Tahini sauce, which is a mix of oil and sesame seeds.

I’d highly recommend to use the spices as is, to create the authentic Lebanese/Arabian flavors. But if you don’t want to purchase extra spices, you can always find substitutes for these ingredients at the end of the post.

Preparing the Pita chips

triangular pita chips on a black platter

I personally find Pita chips to be the best for this recipe. Made from “Khubs” or pita bread. Since pita breads are like pockets, when you cut them up in triangles, open it up to get 2 pieces of chips.

You can use pre-made pita chips as well, if your local stores hold it. Or you can make some at home in 10 mins!

Simply drizzle some olive oil on a baking tray and sprinkle some salt. Lay down all your chips and bake them for 10 mins or so at 200C. When they turn a nice crispy golden color, take them out and set aside to cool down.

Preparing the Eggplant and Beef topping

Raw minced meat with garlic ginger paste on top in a pool of oil in a black pan

So, to cook the meat topping, I use olive oil. It just intensifies the flavors so much more. Add your mince meat in olive oil in a pan and saute at high heat till all the water from the meat evaporates.

Tip: Cooking the meat down first at high heat, without any spices, helps in evaporating all the water from the meat and also gets rid of any smell or bacteria that might be in it.

Now most Arabian dishes may or may not use garlic in their beef and chicken. But I like to add a little garlic ginger paste to the meat to add acidity and also get rid of any residual smells.

Once all your water evaporates, add all the spices to the meat and saute it for 2 mins. I’ve been a little heavy handed with the spices here, because eventually these spices are going to season the eggplant, as well as some extra veggies. So if you taste your meat right now, don’t be alarmed if it tastes overpowering.

Add water and cover the mince and the eggplant. I let it cook for about 15 mins at medium flame which is enough time for the eggplant to soften up and the meat to cook. (Also, husband doesn’t eat eggplant, so this is a great way for me to mask the eggplant by overcooking it…yeah I have a manchild my friends!)

chopped veggie and minced beef stirred in together in a black pan

In 15 mins, you’ll see a beautiful mince and eggplant base. That’s when you add in all the veggies. I’ve used chopped onions, tomatoes and bell peppers. You can add or substract veggies if you like, but I’d definitely recommend to not skip tomatoes.

Let the tomatoes soften up a bit, it’ll take about 3 to 4 mins. You will get a nice topping which is just a little towards the saucy side. Add in the pomegranate molasses now. And viola! Your topping is ready! You can also add a generous amount of parsley to the meat topping as well if you are a parsley fanatic.

Preparing the Tahini Sauce

A white bowl containing yogurt, spices and tahini paste, all unmixed yet

Making the sauce is just like putting together any sauce. Dump all ingredients in a bowl, whisk it and you are done.

Garnish

I’ve garnished my nachos with chopped parsley and fried almond slivers.

fried thin slivers of almond in a blue bowl

To prepare the almond slivers, all you have to do is soak them in boiling water for 10 mins. Remove the skin and cut them in thin slices. Fry them in olive oil and thats it! They add this awesome crunchy element to the nachos. Also, for some reason, fried almonds taste like Peanuts. WHAT!! Temme if you feel it too!

Assembling this gorgeous Beef & Eggplant Nachos

This recipe easily serves 5 but tbh, me and my husband eat it for dinner so in which case, it only served 2 so!

IMPORTANT: Always assemble any type of nachos when you are read to eat so that your chips don’t get soggy.

Anywhoooo! For assembling, I put a little bit of the tahini sauce on top of the chips —–> Then its a layer of all the meat mix ——-> and then its alll the tahini sauce ——-> topped with almond slivers and parsley.

a plate of loaded nachos with white sauce and meat toppings on top of pita chips. Beef middle eastern nachos

Substitutions

7 spice powder – You can use garam masala powder here, which has nutmeg in it.
Sumac – Lemon zest used in half the quantity of sumac
Pomegranate molasses – You can use lemon juice in twice the quantity here.
Pita chips – Use regular nacho chips or baked spring roll sheets instead.

Use twice the eggplant quantity mentioned to have a 1:1 meat to eggplant ratio.
You can use the same recipe to make chicken or mutton nachos.
For a vegetarian version of the recipe, use eggplant and potatoes instead of meat.

More Fusion Recipes

No-bake vanilla custard Biscoff bars

May 20, 2020

With my obsession and the husband’s love for it, this No-bake custard Biscoff bars were bound to happen! If you’ve been living under a rock, let me tell you Lotus Biscoff cookies have been ALL the rage this decade. IT has literally dethroned Oreo from the no-bake desserts category. At least it has in my home. As much as I love Oreo and all that I can make with them, my heart has made room for Lotus biscoff and there is no turning back.

This awesome No-bake bar has 3 layers of awesomeness. First is the rich creamy buttery layer of crushed Biscoff cookies, next is a thicker layer of mildly sweet and mellow vanilla custard, topped off with another rich and creamy layer of Lotus spread. By all means, feel free to skip the custard altogether ! Just kidding (um..not really)

Back home in Pakistan, there is a local biscuit known as “Candi” by Lu and I laaaavedd it as a kid! so much so that we used to take boxes of those back to U.A.E where we lived. Lotus Biscoff is pretty much the same and more easily available here! so yay! But point being, if you live in Pakistan and if a recipe calls for Lotus, you can easily substitute with Candi!

a close up view of the lotus custard bars on a blue backdrop

I’ve already experimented and baked a Lotus Biscoff cake, so it was only natural to make a no-bake dessert next.

If you need a no-bake recipe, here are some other options on the blog:

Step by step guide to make the Biscoff Custard Bars

The first step is to grease a square pan with butter and put on some parchment paper on it. I kept the paper a little bigger on the edges so that I could easily use the edges to lift off the set bars.

First layer – Biscoff cookie base

The base of this dessert is made by crushed Biscoff cookies. Put them in a food processor and crush them well. Unlike regular biscuit bases, this one is going to be cut in a bar, so it needs to be stiff enough to not crumble and soft enough to be eaten. So I’ve added a little bit of cooking cream along with melted butter in the mix to give it that softness even after it sets.

ingredients needed to make the base of lotus custard bars, showing biscuit crumb, melted butter and cream in different bowls

a biscoff biscuit crumb mixture to make the base of no-bake biscoff custard bars

Mix everything together and toss it onto the baking dish. Press it down with the back of a drinking glass and make sure its even. Pop it in the fridge to set while we make the custard.

a layer of biscoff biscuit crumbs in a square baking pan lined with parchment paper, seen from the top

Second Layer – Custard filling

This custard filling uses ready to use custard powder, but sets with a little added help from gelatin.

For the custard filling, I took some milk and brown sugar and heated them up in a sauce pan. In another bowl I mixed in some custard powder with milk to form a smooth paste.

TIP: Make sure you pass the custard mix through a strainer to make sure there are no lumps. We don’t want a lumpy custard mix.

milk being boiled to make custard in steel pan with a whisk in it.

Add custard mix to the milk off flame in thin stream. And whisk continuously while adding the custard. Put the milk back on the flame and cook for another 3 mins. Turn off flame.

Now we are going to bloom the gelatin. Add hot water in gelatin powder and let it sit for about 4 mins. Mix and make sure all the gelatin has dissolved properly. Pass it through a sieve too if you aren’t too sure.

Add gelatin while mixing the custard as well. Pour the warm custard on the cooled biscuit base and keep in the fridge to set.

Important: Keep whisking custard on the side to make sure a top layer doesn’t form and the custard remains lump free.

Third Layer – Lotus Spread

This layer should be poured on the custard once it’s at least cooled for an hour. (you can also add this layer an hour before serving) Mix cream with lotus spread and top it off onto the dessert. Let this also sit in the fridge to let the topping cool down as well.

Gelatin roughly takes somewhere between 8 to 10 hours to set. Cut up the dessert in bars and serve.

5 square bars of biscoff custard bars showing layer of biscuit, custard and lotus spread on top

TIP For smooth Edges: Use a bowl of boiling water. Dip your cutting knife in the boiling water, wipe it clean and use this hot knife to cut the bars to get clean smooth edges.

ALTERNATES, FIXES AND REMIXES

You can use fresh cream or cooking cream instead of heavy cream as well.
You can use Candi biscuits or any other speculoos cookies instead of Biscoff as well
You can skip the top layer and add a layer of sweetened whipped cream instead.

Fixes

If your gelatin was old, your bars will not set. serve it like a tray bake instead of cutting them in bars.

Remixes

Use chocolate custard mix instead of vanilla
Top it off with chocolate ganache instead of lotus
Add crushed cookies on top or in the custard mix

No-Bake Vanilla Custard Biscoff Bars

Cholay ka salan – Spicy Chickpea curry

April 24, 2020

If you’ve ever visited any of my blogposts, you know I am not big on vegetarian food. But this cholay ka salan (chickpea curry) has my heart! Eaten with puris (fried flat breads), this is hands down one of the best things that goes on our weekend Brunch tables. If you are a Pakistani or Indian, you already know that halwa puri is the best Brown brunch ever. If you’ve heard this for the very first time, let me fill you in.

Chickpea curry is a mildly spiced thick curry made to be eaten in breakfast with naan, parathas or puris. It is also a part of a big Desi Brunch set up which includes:

It’s the BEST vegetarian brunch from the lands of South Asia and if you aren’t sold yet, you can also just try the chickpea curry on its own with a paratha.

an Indian / Pakistani breakfast buffet with aloo ki tarkari, cholay ka saaan, puri and sooji ka halwa

Easy steps to make chickpea curry

Using red lentils as a thickening agent.

This recipe is super popular, so its befitting that there are tonnnnns of different versions of a chickpea curry online. This recipe is the one that pairs BEST with parathey and puri. Some recipes use corn flour as thickening agent for the curry. I personally don’t enjoy the texture or effect that cornflour brings to this recipe. So, instead I use red lentils to add a little body to the curry. And it goes so well with all the other flavors that it feels like it was always meant to be. So I soak a little red lentils on the side and begin preparing my curry base.

Making the curry base

It starts with sliced onions in oil with coriander seeds.

sliced onions and coriander seeds in oil in a black pot

Once the onion turn golden brown, add in your usually curry base ingredients. There’s some chopped tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, salt and red chili powder. Saute for about 2 mins just to temper the spices and get rid of any rawness in there.

Cover up the pot at low flame for about 10 mins. This is only to soften the tomatoes slightly and cook the onions. Doesn’t need to be cooked all the way through.

softened tomato in a red curry base in a black pot

Once your curry base looks like this, you are ready to move on to the next step.

Adding lentils

Adding in the soaked lentils with some water and covering it up. Again, I am using a very small quantity of lentils here, just to give the curry some body. Cover the pot and cook for about 20 mins or so.

After 20 mins, your lentils would have cooked all the way to give you a nice curry base.

Adding chickpeas

Now we add a little tangy element and chickpeas. To add that tangy-ness, you can either use mango powder or tamarind pulp. Both work just fine. I used tamarind pulp water here.

For chickpeas, ideally this curry is made with the small white chickpeas, but of course I didn’t have any at hand and I used the bigger ones instead.

cholay ka salan with boiled chickpeas added to it in a blackpot

Add the boiled chickpeas and mango powder or tamarind pulp in the curry. Let it cook for 5 mins. And its ready. You can adjust how thick or thin you want to keep the gravy.

Finish it off with sprinkling some garam masala powder and chat masala powder on top with some coriander and serve hot with that gorgeous puris!

cholay kas salan or chickpea curry in a steal handi

Alternates, Fixes and remixes

Like I mentioned above you can use mango powder instead of tamarind water or pulp
If your curry is to thick, you can always add more water to get the desired consistency you want. Adjust the seasoning slightly if you are going to add more water.
This curry freezes very well! And also survives for up to 5 days in the fridge.
For mild variations, try adding fennel seeds and curry leaves to the onions while frying.

Tikka flavored Chicken Nuggets

April 22, 2020

Fusion food is RULING this Century and there is NOO WAYY that nuggets are going to stay behind the curve. These Chicken Tikka Nuggets are one of the coolest fusions I’ve made recently and I can’t waaaaaaait for you all to try it!

Tikka flavored chicken Nugget is basically a chicken mix seasoned with Indian / Pakistani Tikka spices to give you this awesome kick in the regular nugget scene. And If I may recommend, pair it with mint chutney instead of ketchup and see the fireworks happen! And don’t you worry, it’s kid friendly too!

You guys already know my obsession with the Chicken tikka in general. Which gave birth to fusions like The famous Chicken Tikka Biryani, Chicken tikka sandwiches, chicken tikka nachos and now this. I think I might be outta control here. But ohhh well!

6 7 pieces of fried chicken nuggets along with a half eaten one on a plate with onions on top and a green dip peaking from the corner

Here are a few easy steps to make this amazing fusion recipe by yourself

Home-made Chicken Tikka Nuggets

I know somethings seem daunting to do at home but I assure you, making nuggets at home is EASIER than you think.

Which chicken cut to select?

Chicken nuggets are made with chicken mix or a chicken paste of sorts and made into nugget shaped molded by hand.

Ideal part of the chicken for any nugget are the thigh fillets of the chicken. They are juicy, tender and work really well when grounded.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have any at hand. So I opted for the chicken mince that I had at hand to work with. It isn’t the best choice but sometimes you gotta work with what you have!

Making the nugget mix

You start by chucking 3 bread slices in a food processor and making crumbs. If you are using boneless chicken cubes, then chuck that into the food processor after making bread crumbs, along with all the spices and you’ll have your nugget mix ready in 5 mins

spices, garlic ginger paste covering raw chicken mince and bread crumbs in a steal bowl

If you are using chicken mince like me, then combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well to form a uniform paste. This is a great time to fry a small piece of the mix to do a taste test. I haven’t made the marination very spicy because I assume your also making these for your kids. I did use Kashmiri red chili instead of the regular one (which is milder).

Alternatively, you can also use a box tikka mix instead to make these nuggets.

A brown nugget mix in a steal bowl with yogurt on the side

If you are going for a real authentic chicken tikka flavor, you can smoke the chicken mix with a small piece of coal to give it that nice smoky tikka flavor.

How to shape the nuggets

Traditionally, you can grease your hands with oil and shape the nuggets like kebabs etc to form the regular shaped nuggets.

But I found an easier way to shape the nuggets. I line a tray with butter paper and grease it. Then I dump all my nugget mix on the tray. Grease my hand with oil and spread out the mix as thick or as thin as I want it to be. This tray goes in the freezer for about an hour or 2. Long enough to harden up the nugget mix.

chicken nugget mix spread out in a thin layer on top of butterpaper

When you take out the tray, the mix is hard enough to allow a knife to cut through it and create nice clean cuts. I cut squares but you can cut any fun shape that you want to.

After you get your nuggets cut into the desired shape, all that is left to do is coat it.

Crumb Coating the Nuggets

3 bowls with crumb coat ingredients, one with flour, one with beaten egg, one with bread crumbs besides a tray with square cut chicken mince

The coating sequence is pretty basic, Flour, then Egg wash and then bread crumbs. You can also repeat egg wash and crumbs if you want a thick crust layer.

For the egg wash, I added 1/2 cup of water and little bit of salt as well so as the crust has a little flavor too. The water just makes the crust crispier.

That is literally pretty much it!

crumb coated tikka flavored chicken nuggets square cut in a plate

You can fry it or bake it! Your call. I shallow fry it at medium flame to make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through. To bake the nuggets, preheat an oven at 200 C and place the nuggets on a baking tray. Coat them will oil or roasting spray. Bake for 20 minutes or until crispy!

To freeze, keep the crumb coated nuggets back on a tray and keep in the freezer for half an hour. Once the crumb coated nuggets solidify, then you can transfer them into a zip lock bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 – 7 months.

a plastic zip lock bag holding raw chicken tikka nuggets

Alternates, Fixes and Remixes

Substitutes and Healthier alternatives

You can use Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt. You can also use Mayo instead of yogurt if you are on a Keto-diet
The Kashmiri lal mirch or red chili powder has a strong color but is not very spicy. If you plan to use regular red chili powder, then reduce the quantity to 1 tsp.

Fixes

If you feel like your mix has become very spicy or extra salty, add an extra tablespoon of cream to balance out the heat.
If your mixture feels very dry, add an extra tablespoon of yogurt.
You can also add extra bread crumbs if your mixture feels very wet.

Remixes

Go ahead and use the same method to create basic chicken nuggets seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and soy sauce.
Use the same method and a totally different set of spices to create a different fusion of Chicken nuggets.
You can add cheese to the mix as well to create cheesy chicken nuggets.
You can also add sesame seeds to the bread crumbs mix to give a crispier shell and a whole new flavor profile.

a half eaten square nugget along with a couple more on a tray with a partial view of white dip and sliced red onions

Similar recipes you will love!

Keema macaroni

April 14, 2020

Us Pakistani people just make our own version of every darn dish. That’s just what we do. Keema macaroni or “Minced meat macaroni” is our very own fusion pasta recipe. And i mean of course, sure, you can eat this with spaghetti too. But elbow pasta just callssss to us cz that’s how ours Moms made it!

It’s usually made with mixing some left over Keema (minced beef), boiled macaroni and some sauces together. Basically our way of re-purposing leftovers. But the cravings are real! And when you need a big batch of Keema macaroni, you gotta make it from scratch. Its so frikkin simple, and quick, and kid friendly, and yum and comforting…..that I….lost my train of thought…ok so ..here goes

1 plate with elbow pasta and minced meat with some sauce on the side

How to make Keema Macaroni

Preparing the Keema base

So you can of course make this with any kinda minced meat you have at hand. Lamb, beef, mutton, chicken. Chicken will take less time to cook and the other 3 will take longer. That’s the only difference, all other ingredients stay the same. I’m making my version with beef.

sliced caramelized onions in oil in a pot

Start by browning some onions in oil. It doesn’t have to be a perfect brown. Just brown enough.

raw meat, garlic ginger paste chucked in a pot with some caramelized onions peaking from the side

Add in your beef, and garlic ginger paste. Saute the mince at high flame till all the water from the beef evaporates. This step is IMPORTANT!

Note: Always dry out water from beef at high heat in the beginning. This ensure that all bacteria etc are killed. Secondly, beef can have a certain smell that will not linger if you make sure all the water evaporates before adding spices.

When all the water from the beef evaporates, it’ll look the picture above. And you will see oil separated on the sides.

Add in your spices and chopped tomatoes. You can also add canned tomatoes instead. Saute the spices, tomatoes, and beef for about 2 to 3 mins at medium flame. Then add water and cover the lid. This meat will cook roughly for 30 mins in a normal pot. You can also use a pressure cooker or instant pot instead.

After 30 mins of cooking at medium flame, the water will have reduced and you will see oil separating on the sides again. If you don’t, increase the flame and saute till you see a mild oil separation. Your beef base is ready.

Adding Vegetables

If you already have some left over Keema, this is where you can start to follow the recipe.

Disclaimer: IF you are using some of your own left over Mince for this recipe, make sure it was made WITHOUT yogurt. The yogurt based mince doesn’t sit well with the flavors of this recipe.

I’ve also followed the following steps with some left-over Chicken tikka, so that’s always an option too!

I add about 2 cups of any veggies that I have at hand for this recipe. Just make sure your veggies are finely chopped/shredded. I used chopped bell peppers and shredded carrots for my recipe.

Saute for another 2 to 3 mins.

Making the sauce.

So the sauce is pretty basic with tomato paste, soy sauce etc. No vinegar because the tomatoes are acidic enough. I add half of the sauces in my veggie meat mix and reserve half for later. Then I add in all of my par-boiled pasta.

TIP: For any kind of minced meat pasta, chose pasta that has a small size, like macaroni or Conchiglie (sea shell pasta) or rigatoni. Even spaghetti because its thin. Chunkier larger pasta varieties don’t work well with meat. So I’d definitely recommend to avoid Fettuccine or Penne pasta with this recipe.

Once all the pasta is added and mixed well. I cover the pot and let it rest for 10 mins. THEN I add the remaining half of my sauce. This just ensures my pasta is saucy and not dried out. You can of course add more sauce if you want, or a whole bottle of ketchup. (ya know…whatever works for you)

Serve this hot, with some coriander for garnish, or maybe not. And dig right in.

Can we freeze it?

You can definitely freeze the meat mix. Bring it out whenever you are ready to make more macaroni. Thaw it in a microwave and add to macaroni directly. The fully assembled dish however, can only be refrigerated. Lasts for 5 days easy in the fridge.

macaroni and minced meat with a little red sauce on it, garnished with coriander

Alternates, Fixes, and Remixes

Substitutions and Remixes

Like I said earlier, you can make this recipe with any mince meat or poultry available to you. Use half quantity of water for chicken/turkey mince.
You can use canned tomatoes instead of fresh ones.
Use Chicken tikka instead of the meat.

How to make this dish more Nutritious for your health.

Use whole wheat organic pasta.
Utilize fresh tomatoes and tomato paste.
Use organic meat.
For sauces, go for the low sodium Soy sauce.
Use olive oil/ coconut oil or ghee for cooking the meat.
Increase the levels of veggies in there.
For a vegetarian version, substitute with meat with finely chopped cauliflower.

Fixes.

Dried out pasta.

The pasta tends to dry out in the fridge and as it cools down. You can add a splash of water or sauce to bring it back.
If reheating the pasta in the microwave the next day, keep a small cup of water in the microwave WITH the pasta. This will keep pasta moist and fresh.

How to make crispy fried onions and store them

April 12, 2020

Frying the perfect crispy crunchy golden brown onions is almost equivalent to the perfect gol roti (flatbread). In brown people world, its a sign of a “perfect wife/bahu or watever” I could give a rat’s behind as to what it makes me. All I know is I want my food to taste frikkin awesome ok? Whether I am making Biryani or Chicken curry or Pulao, I want my taste buds happy!

Just like garlic ginger paste, crispy fried onions is one of the basis of all South Asian cooking and if you nail it, you pretty much have MASTERED one of the CORE ingredients in almost ALL Indian/Pakistani curries.

So getting these beautiful crispy onions is honestly just a few tips and tricks away. But behold...since it is something we struggle with, the internet has come up with WEIRD and absolutely useless tips and tricks as well. I’ll mention some really popular myths below as well so that you know what to stay away from as well.

Where are fried onions used?

Fried onions are a staple in South Asian cooking. Here’s where they are used

Used in gravies and curries like Chicken ka saalan
They are used for layering and adding flavor. like in Biryanis and Pulaos
Also used as garnishing or toppings on dals, and haleems.
They are also used in certain kebab marinations and dam keema etc.

Different levels of fried onions.

Light translucent color	Used for omelettes etc	not crispy
Light golden color	Use in vegetable curries and most International cooking. Also known as caramelized onions	not crispy
Light golden brown	Used in Spicy rices, curries, and marination	slightly crispy
Golden Brown onions	Used heavily in South Asian cooking as garnish, masala base, layering, can be stored for very long time	crispy

A glimpse of what topics this post covers

Here’s are a few key things to know about frying onions.

Choosing the right onions

There are 6 kinds of onions:

Red onion
white onions,
yellow onions,
sweet onions,
shallots and
Scallions / Green onions

The internet will tell you that the ideal onions for frying are the sweet onions. And it won’t be completely wrong. They do have a uniform color through out and the perfect amount of natural sugars that fry up to give you a uniform golden brown color. But they don’t have thin layers, which when sliced, will not give you nice thin slivers. Thin layers are important for that crispy frying. You can use any, white onion, red onion, or sweet onion, as long as they have thin layers. And you will great results! Where I live, red onions are the ones with the thinnest layers so I pick those.

a sweet onion and red onion side by side. peeled, unpealed, and cut versions — Thin layers of red onion compared to sweet onion.

Peeling Onions

Keep dipping your peeled onions in a pot or bowl of cold water. Helps with the tears (more on that below)

peeled red onions dipped in a container with water

Cutting the onions

red onions cut through the centre and their roots removed — Onions cut in halves and with their roots removed from the bottom.

The onions are peeled, halved vertically and their roots are removed. And then cut into long thin slices. This is also known as the “biryani cut” onions. Obviously this is a tedious task to do by hand and when done in bulk can feel like a truckload of work. You can use the slicer option in your food processor to slice your onions the easy way. You can also use a manual mandoline slicer to do the deed as well. Of course the food processor is quicker, but a mandoline is also twice as fast as manual slicing.

How to avoid crying while cutting the onions

So, so far with all the methods I’ve tried, all I can say is, crying a li’l is inevitable (yeah you hate me I know). Maybe do it in a well ventilated area or near a candle so the gases don’t effect you as much? But here’s a good read on how to avoid crying if you wanna check it out.

Selecting the pot

bulk of red sliced onions in a pot — Wide pot for frying onions

So it all comes down to size and area. Imagine frying french fries. Your fries are going to get clumpy and soggy if you toss them in a small space. The same rule applies while frying onions. So opt for a wider shallow utensil with a thick base. Give your sliced onions room to crisp up individually.

Ideal pot:
Thick base, wide and can withstand high temperatures.

Selecting the oil

When frying onions, or any other thing for that matter, you want to make sure that your oil has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point. The temperatures can go up to 190 C while frying onions and you want to use an oil that can stay stable for that long. Basic vegetable oil like sunflower oil and canola oil can easily stay stable at those temperatures. If you are on a keto diet or are trying to live a healthier lifestyle, coconut oil is also a good option for frying as it can stay stable up to 180 C. As an alternative, you can also use ghee.

Important: Always use fresh oil when you want the perfectly nice brown onions. Oil that has been used once to fry before is going to take double or triple time to brown onions and you will end up with onions that have soaked up a LOT of oil!

How much quantity of oil to use

bulk of sliced red onions in a pot submerged in oil — onions submerged in oil

When frying onions for one time use, you can get away with using very little oil and stirring constantly to get a good color. But for a large batch, you will definitely need to use oil enough for deep frying. So adding a truck load of oil in the onions seems like OMG this is soooooo frikking unhealthy. But trust me when I say this. If you fry your onions right, your onions will NOTTT absorb a lot of oil. You can even measure the amount of oil you put in the pan before frying and how much oil is left AFTER frying.

While growing up I kept hearing this very popular TOTKA (aka tip) that adding onions in cold oil makes it crispier. This, of ALL THE hacks out there, is the only one that LEGIT works. All it does is absorb more oil. Always add onions to oil that has already started to heat up. Doesn’t need to be boiling hot, just warmed up. And keep frying your onions at high heat.

TIP: Add onions and oil together in a pot first and then putting them on a flame to fry for crispy onions

You can easily eyeball the amount of oil you want to add. Toss in your onions in the pot you are going to fry them in. And THEN add oil to it till it comes up to the level of the onions roughly.

TIP: Don’t I repeat DON’t Add stuff to your oil

Lots of internet groups and articles suggest to add baking soda or salt or sugar to your oil in hopes of achieving a uniform brown color. PLEASE do NOT commit this heinous crime! Not only will these ingredients make your onions absorb MORE oil, but it will also alter the natural sweet taste of the fried onions, and eventually might also effect the dish you are preparing your fried onions for.

TIP: Use a slotted stainless steel spoon or skimmer for stirring through the onions. Try not to stir too much, just occasionally a stir here and there, making sure all the onions are getting evenly fried.

Reaching the right color

When you keep your pot with onions and oils onto the stove, turn on the flame directly at a high. You will begin to notice the changes that the onions will go through during its frying journey.

(TIMINGS FOR BULK FRYING)

5 to 10 min mark – The oil will get hot and the onions will start releasing water of their own. (Stir from sides once in 5 mins)

15 min mark– The onions will start to dehydrate at the water evaporates and will start to shrink in size. (Stir once or twice to check even browning)

20 min mark – The onions will turn very light gold and have now officially started to crisp up. (stir once or twice and now stay close)

25 min mark – Onions have started to crisp up. Some thinner ones are golden already. Reduce the flame to medium and stir constantly. Start removing onions that have turned golden.

Between 25 to 30 min – This is a critical time. When you see your onions are just ABOUT to reach the perfect color, reduce the flame to low and start removing them with the skimmer. The oil is hot and the onions will turn a shade darker after getting removed as well. If you wait till you reach the right color and THEN start removing onions, the last batch you remove will be burnt.

5 mins mark at high flame
10 mins mark at high flame
15 mins mark at high flame
20 mins mark at high flame
25 mins mark at medium flame
30 min at low flame

Letting the onions cool down.

You should have a large tray or plate lined with paper towel ready on the side when you start frying the onions. Remove all your fried onions from the oil and place them directly on top of these paper towels. Make sure they are spread out evenly. Allow the onions to cool down. Its important for the onions to cool down in as much space as possible, in order to crisp up properly. You can press the onions together once they cool down, and you’ll hear a gentle crisp. Which will say, all of your effort, was well WORTH IT!

Serving Size

1 medium onion is equal to 1/2 cup of fried onions and 1/4 cup of crushed fried onions.

Storing the onions

golden brown strands of fried onions in 3 ziplock bags

The best part about all of this hard work is that you can savor it! You can batch fry lots of onions in one go and freeze them! They are totally freeezer friendly and can last indefinitely! (I’ve always used them within 4 months, but I don’t see a reason why they won’t last longer than that) Once the onions cool down, bag them up in a ziplock bag and keep it in the freezer. If you want to use them in the coming days, they can even stay outside in a jar for a week.

What to do with the left over oil?

I usually fry my onions when I have a fresh bottle of cooking oil, and a big batch of onions, i.e. when I have freshly done my groceries. Let the remaining oil cool down and use a funnel to transfer it back to the bottle you had used it from. This oil has a nice sweet oniony flavor to it and can be used basically for everything savory. Of course not for sweets, and definitely not for more deep frying.

Bonus: If you are using pre-fried onions in your curry etc, you can make those with about 1 tbsp of oil, because all the oil that goes in a gravy is usually to fry the onions. And if that’s already done, you don’t need anymore!

paper towel with lots of crispy golden brown onion slices on it against a grey background

How to fry onions

A batch of perfectly fried brown onions to use in all Pakistani Indian Recipes

4.53 from 36 votes

Print Pin

Course: Dips & Condiments, FRIED FOOD

Cuisine: Continental, South Asian

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 50

Servings: 1 pack

Calories: 400kcal

Author: Wajiha

Ingredients

▢ 1 kg onions
▢ Oil for frying

Instructions

Peel the onions and remove the root.
Cut the onions from the center vertically, and slice the halves thinly in vertical cuts
Add sliced onions in a wide pot and add oil till it comes at the level of the onions. Eye ball the quantity.
Increase heat to high flame and fry the onions until golden brown.
Keep stirring the onions every 5 mins to check its getting cooked evenly.
Use a slotted stainless steel spoon to stir the onions.
The onions will release water over time and then will start to fry.
At about 20 min mark your onions will start to look very slightly brown. Reduce the flame to medium at this point and don’t leave the onions un-attended anymore.
Stir constantly to make sure all the onions turn evenly golden.
When the onions turn light gold, reduce the flame to low and start removing the onions from the oil slowly.
Spread the onions on a tray covered with paper towel. And try not to crowd them.
Allow the onions to cool down and you will have crispy golden onions.
Use directly in recipes or make a pack in save it in the freezer.

Notes

for more detailed information, read the entire post with tips, tricks and onion selection

if you use these pre-fried onions in your gravies, you can make them with a tbsp of oil.

Nutrition

Serving: 1batchCalories: 400kcalCarbohydrates: 93gProtein: 11gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 40mgPotassium: 1460mgFiber: 17gSugar: 42gVitamin A: 20IUVitamin C: 74mgCalcium: 230mgIron: 2mg

Can’t wait to see your remakes! Tag meon IG with your pictures @butteroverbae

Aloo ki Tarkari – Potato Curry

April 4, 2020

Sunday Brunch is a thing. Aloo ki tarkari for that Brunch is also a thing. Trying to up your aloo ki tarkari game to restaurant level is also a thing. ME rambling on about my love for this tarkari…is also a LEGIT thing!

It’s definitely part of a very traditional Pakistani / Indian breakfast buffet with much traditional vegetarian food. Brown people call it, “Halwa puri ka nashta” meaning “semolina pudding and fried bread breakfast” but it has this potato curry, along with a chickpea curry that goes with it too.

What do you pair aloo ki tarkari with?

Suji ka halwa and puri
Rice Kheer and Puri
Cholay ka saalan and puri
With a simple paratha / naan….(drooling while typing this)
With some serious BBQ options like Chicken tikka
As a side with mains like Dam ka keema.
with bread…when there’s some left over from last night

How to make Aloo ki tarkari in 4 easy steps

Step 1 – Chopping the ingredients.

No matter what level you are on your culinary skills journey, this is a recipe you can DEFINITELY make! This is an overview of the ingredients you will needs for the recipe.

What important to note here is the size of the chopped potatoes. The cubes that I cut are small. Roughly about 1 cm in size. This is ideal for the tarkari that we are trying to create.

ingredients laid out in bowls, cut up potaotes, tomatoes, oil, powder and whole spices. — Ingredients for Aloo ki tarkari

Step 2 – Caramelizing the onions and dry spices.

The dry or whole spice mix in this recipe includes mostly seeds like cumin, fennel, nigella, mustard and carom. They are almost crucial to get that amazing aroma and subtle taste that comes with them. I would not in a MILLION years tell you that you can skip it. (BUT if you don’t have these, I mean … you can..but knoww! that the it’ll effect the taste.)

Fry the onions along with these dry spices. The onion doesn’t need to go to a dark brown color,( like when we use in chicken ka saalan.) Just a light golden brown color is good enough.

chopped onions and whole spices in oil in a black pan

chopped onions turned golden brown in oil in a black pan with a wooden spoon in it

Step 3 – Adding tomatoes and spices

Then you add tomatoes, garlic ginger paste and all the powdered spices. Once you mix everything up, cover the lid of the pot and reduce the flame to low. THIS IS IMPORTANT.

Tomatoes release water at lower temperatures. So its important to reduce the flame, to allow tomatoes to soften up and form a nice curry base.

Give it roughly 5 to 8 mins. And it’ll look something like the picture below.

tomatoes added in a pot of golden brown onions, with a wooden spoon on top

a thick tomato curry based ready in a black pot

Step 4 – Adding potatoes and water.

When you have your curry base, its Finally time to add potatoes and water. Leave it at medium flame for 15 to 20 mins covered.

raw potatoes added in a curry base in a black pan

These potatoes are generally made softer than regular potato curries. In another words, they are slightly overcooked. So in 15 to 20 mins, the water will reduce by 75% and the potatoes will becomes super tender.

raw potaotes in a watery curry in a black pan

What happens is, when the water reduces over time, the smaller potato pieces turn into a soft mush and give the gravy a nice thick feel to it. Some people and restaurants add cornflour to their potato curries to give that thick gravy feel. But honestly, for me, cornflour in my aloo ki tarkari is a big no no. It effects the taste, texture and flavors as well.

After 15 mins or so, you will get a perfectly made aloo ki tarkari, and you’ll see the oil separating on the side to know that.

Serve with halwa puri or paratha….or you know all the different options we talked about above!

Alternates, Fixes and Remixes

Alternates

INGREDIENTS	SUBSTITUTES
Tomatoes	1 cup of canned tomatoes OR 1/3 cup of tomato paste
Ginger Garlic paste	Freshly chopped garlic and ginger. 4 cloves of garlic and 1 inch piece of ginger. (Add it when browning the onions)

Fixes

You can reduce the red chili powder if you want your potatoes to be less spicy.
For a more reddish hue of the tarkari, add 1/2 tsp of kashmiri lal mirch
If you want your tarkari to be MORE spicy, AFTER your dish is ready, add paprika powder or crushed red chili powder.

Remixes

You can add 1/2 cup of boiled chickpeas in this recipe to make aloo channey.
If you have left over aloo ki tarkari, you can dry it out at high flame and make aloo samosas.

More vegetarian Recipes here:

Sooji ka Halwa (Semolina Pudding)

March 28, 2020

This Sooji (or Suji) ka halwa is a classic Pakistani/Indian dessert made with semolina. Suji ka halwa is famously eaten in brunches and is super easy to whip up. You only need 20 minutes and beginner-level skills! Bonus: It’s a one-pot dish!

What is Sooji ka Halwa?

Halwa means “sweet” in Arabic, and the same in South Asian culture. Halwas can be made from carrots, eggs, or nuts. Sooji ka halwa is made with fine semolina. There is more than one type of halwa that can be made with Sooji. There are Sooji bars and caramelized Sooji halwa. This halwa recipe is of the dhaba-style halwa that is commonly eaten in desi brunches.

Sooji ka halwa is a pet favorite in every brown household and one of the easiest Pakistani desserts to master. Ironically, we South Asians eat it for breakfast with puris (fried bread), aloo tarkari (potato curry) and chanay(chickpea curry). But of course, on occasions, we’d consume it as is, which is a dessert.

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Ingredients

You need very few ingredients to make this recipe

Semolina
I use fine Semolina for Sooji ka halwa as a personal preference. Coarse semolina will taste pretty much the same, differing only in a more grainy texture that it will have.
Ghee
Ghee is the main fat used in all Pakistani halwas. You can use good quality butter if you don’t have ghee.
Cardamom pods – The green cardamom is the Western equivalent of Vanilla essence. You’ll find it in most of the desi desserts. It adds aroma and a subtle flavor characteristic of Pakistani/Indian food.
Full-fat Milk powder – This secret ingredient at the end of the halwa makes all the difference between a good and an EXCELLENT halwa. It adds depth of flavor to the halwa without any excessive liquid. If you have none, use evaporated milk or heavy cream instead.
Food color – The restaurant-style suji halwa has a characteristic amber-yellow color. I use regular powder food coloring (which I use for biryani) for this halwa. You can use bloomed saffron too, or skip coloring entirely if you like.
Other aromatics (optional) – This recipe doesn’t need it but some people like adding rose water, or saffron to the halwa.
Garnish – Nuts! Any halwa is incomplete without a good garnish on top. Chop or slice your favorite nuts, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, etc, or add in whole as well.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

How to make Suji ka halwa?

Traditionally, this halwa is made by preparing a sticky sugar syrup separately and roasting the semolina separately. But through trial and error, I realized, hey it can be wayyy simpler than that! Here it is, my one-pot Suji ka halwa.

I’ve put together all the steps in a simple pictorial for you to see how easy this is to make.

STEP 1: In a thick base cooking pot, add ghee and cardamom at medium heat.

STEP 2: Reduce the heat to low and add semolina.

crumbly sauteed semolina in a pot with a wooden spoon.

STEP 3: Roast the semolina till it absorbs all the ghee. Now saute for 5 mins making sure the semolina doesn’t burn.

STEP 4: Add 1/2 cup of water to the semolina and saute until fully absorbed.

NOTE: We don’t want semolina to change its color to brown (that gives you a different kind of Suji halwa). So avoid over-roasting for more than 5 minutes.

semolina in a paste like consistency in a pot being stirred.

STEP 5: Add another cup of water, stir well to avoid clumps.

semolina in a thick porridge style consistency in a pot.

STEP 6: Let the semolina fully absorb the water and break any large clumps if you see any.

water sitting on top of semolina in a pot.

STEP 7: Add the remaining water.

STEP 8: Add sugar.

orange food color added to semolina halwa.

STEP 9: Add orange food color.

STEP 10: Stir to combine everything well.

STEP 11: Cover the pot and let it simmer at medium heat for 5 mins. Turn the heat to low and cook for another 5 mins.

STEP 12: Uncover and stir the halwa around for about a minute.

STEP 13: Add milk powder. Stir for another 2 minutes.

STEP 14: Turn off the heat, and sprinkle chopped pistachios, almonds, or walnuts.

NOTE: When you stir your halwa at the end, you’ll notice that it leaves the sides of the pot and sticks together cohesively. That’s how you know your halwa is done.

Serve your halwa warm. Top it off with almond shavings or pistachio crumbs and serve with either puri in breakfast or as a dessert.

Expert Tips

This is a very forgiving Sooji halwa. If you do a taste test at the end, and you feel like its not as sweet as you like, simply add more sugar, and cook for another 3 minutes.
You can also add more food color (if you are not happy) in the end by mixing color in a little bit of milk and drizzling it all over.
Sooji halwa always thickens up as it cools down so if you feel your halwa is too runny, just wait it out. And avoid the urge to cook it down more. We also want the halwa to be a little runny to be eaten with puris.

sooji ka halwa served in 3 seperate bowls.

Frequently Asked Questions

I posted this recipe on Instagram and tiktok first, which is great! because now I can put up questions here that I generally go with this recipe.

How long does the halwa last?

It can survive in the fridge for up to 4 days. It is also totally freezable. You can put it in a zip lock bag and freeze it for a month.

Can I use oil instead of ghee?

Yes! I prefer ghee, but oil won’t make a very big difference to the recipe tastewise.

Can I make this Suji halwa in an instant pot?

Theoretically yes, but the amount of time it’ll take an instant pot and on the stove is going to be the same. It won’t give you much benefit in this recipe.

More Desi Desserts for you to try

I respect the time, ingredients, and effort you spend on cooking. On my part, I’ve tested and tried my recipe over 20 times before giving it to you, these dessert recipes are fool-proof.

Do you have any questions? I’m happy to help! And of course, If you try this recipe, I’d loveeeee to see it or simply hear about it! Hit me up in the comment section below and I’ll get back to asap! Happy Cooking!

sooji ka halwa

A traditional Pakistani / Indian sweet semolina halwa or pudding, eaten as a dessert or paired with puris (fried bread)

4.78 from 18 votes

Print Pin

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: South Asian

Cook Time: 18

Total Time: 18

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 278kcal

Author: Wajiha

Ingredients

Instructions

In a thick base cooking pot, add ghee and cardamom. Keep at medium-low heat on the stove for 2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and add semolina. Roast the semolina till it absorbs all the ghee. Now roast for 5 mins making sure the semolina doesn't burn or change color. If it starts to change color sooner than 5 mins, proceed to the next step immediately.
Add 1/2 cup of water to the semolina and saute until fully absorbed.
Add another cup of water, stir well to avoid clumps, and let the semolina fully absorb the water.
Now add the remaining water, food color and sugar. Mix to combine everything well.
Cover the pot and let it simmer at medium heat for 5 mins.
Turn the heat to low and cook for another 5 mins.
Stir the halwa around for about a minute and add milk powder. Stir for another 2 minutes.
Turn off the heat, and sprinkle chopped pistachios, almonds, or walnuts.
Suji halwa is served hot with breakfast or as dessert.

Notes

Milk powder is the secret ingredient creating depth of flavor. If you have none, use evaporated milk or heavy cream instead.
This recipe doesn’t need it but some people like adding rose water, or saffron to the halwa.
We don’t want semolina to change its color to brown (that gives you a different kind of Suji halwa). So avoid over-roasting for more than 5 minutes.
This is a very forgiving Sooji halwa. If you do a taste test at the end, and you feel like it’s not as sweet as you like, simply add more sugar, and cook for another 3 minutes.
You can also add more food color (if you are not happy) in the end by mixing color in a little bit of milk and drizzling it all over.
Sooji halwa always thickens up as it cools down so if you feel your halwa is too runny, just wait it out. And avoid the urge to cook it down more. We also want the halwa to be a little runny to be eaten with puris.
This halwa stays fresh in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and reheats in the microwave very well.
You can freeze the halwa for up to a month.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 278kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 2gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 5mgFiber: 1gSugar: 30g

Can’t wait to see your remakes! Tag meon IG with your pictures @butteroverbae

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