Growing up, Spinach was one of my nemesis, we just didn’t get along much. Until one fine day, my mom made this beautiful Spinach Raita that I now loooooove and crave. I love pairing this raita with Pulao rice, and now that I am trying to eat healthier, I like to use it as a dip for almost every snack I have.

It’s the easiest, most South Asian thing to add to your menu. Plus not really spicy (unlike our other foods).

How is Palak raita different from regular raita?

So the regular raita that you’ve probably seen served with Biryani or pulao is simply beaten yogurt with a couple of spices and vegetables sometimes. This spinach raita is a little more bougie since it has a layer of “Tarka” or tempered spices that sit on top of it. A tarka consists of several whole spices fried in oil and simply poured onto a dish ready to serve. Several Pakistani yogurt-based recipes use Tarka or “baghaar” to elevate the taste.

Ingredients and Substitutions

The ingredients for my palak raita are super basic, and you probably have them in your pantry right now.

• Yogurt – Full-fat yogurt is ideal for any raita recipe for its rich taste. But feel free to substitute with low-fat options or even non-dairy options if that’s your thing.
• Spinach – Most leafy spinach varieties can be used here. Just remove the stems if they are too thick. You can also use pre-frozen or blanched spinach for this recipe.
• Oil – I love the flavor of olive oil with this recipe, although any neutral oil or ghee can be used.
• Whole spices – Cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and whole dried red chilies. There aren’t any alternatives here, but you can use fresh green chilies instead if you are out of dried ones
• Red chili powder – Use any red chili powder that you have, paprika will work too.
• Garlic – Freshly chopped garlic works here. I’ve found the taste of garlic paste a little bitter for this recipe.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Variations

• Make it Spicy – You can add more red chili powder or Thai green chilies to the Tarka to make your yogurt spicier!
• Add vegetables – Try adding shredded zucchini or eggplant to the spinach to increase the nutritional value of the raita. Or really any other vegetable you like
• Crunch – You can add brown fried onions on top of the raita to add a layer of crunch to it.
• Finishing Spices – Add chat masala or a dash of hot sauce on top of the raita.

How to make Palak raita

The recipe is overall super simple. I’ve put together a pictorial to lay out the easy steps. It requires 3 simple things, beaten yogurt, cooked spinach, and finishing tarka.

STEP 1 – Beat yogurt and water to make a smooth base.

STEP 2 – In a skillet, add spinach and spices with a little oil and saute at medium heat.

STEP 3 – Saute for 2 to 3 mins or until all the water from the spinach has evaporated.

STEP 4 – Add the cooked spinach to your yogurt.

STEP 5- You can mix the spinach in, or leave it in little dollops.

STEP 6 – Prepare Tarka in the skillet by adding garlic, button red chili, cumin, and mustard seeds in oil.

STEP 7 – Fry the spices until the garlic turns golden. Turn off the heat and add red chili powder.

STEP 8 – Immediately pour the Tarka on the yogurt and swirl around a little.

Serve the raita as in along with your mains or nachos. The sizzling sound that you get when the oil hits the yogurt, is what I live for people!! And you are done! It is THAT easy!

Expert Tips

• Make sure to wash your spinach properly with water. The best way is to dunk it in a bowl of cold water and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then pick up the leaves and you will see all the dirt settle on the bottom of the bowl. Now you can simply rinse the spinach and start chopping
• Remove the stems of the spinach if they are too thick. And remove any wilted parts of the leaves.

What can palak raita be paired with?

• Keema bhara paratha
• Aloo ka paratha
• Use as a dip for pita bread, nachos, or papad.
• Serve alongside roasted chicken like Lahori Chargha or Chicken Sajji

More Recipes like this

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!

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Spinach Yogurt Dip (Palak Raita)

This is a form of yogurt dip made with blanched chopped spinach and spices, topped with tempered spices,and garlic in ghee/oil

Course Dips & Condiments, sauces

Cuisine South Asian

Diet Halal, Low Calorie

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2 cups

Calories 146kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

FOR YOGURT SAUCE

• 1 cup yogurt
• 2 cups chopped spinach
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp crushed red chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder

FOR TARKA (TEMPERING)

• 6 to 7 tbsp oil or ghee (any that you like)
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds saabit zeera
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds rye dana
• 3 to 4 whole red chilies
• 1/4 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder (or paprika)

Instructions

• In your serving bowl, whisk yogurt with water until smooth.
• In a small skillet, add a tablespoon oil along with spinach, salt, black pepper powder and red chili flakes. Cook spinach in its own water at low to medium heat.
• When the water from the spinach dries, turn off the heat and add the spinach to the yogurt and small dollops. You can mix it in the yogurt or leave it as is.
• In the same skillet, add oil, garlic, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, whole red chilies and. Fry the spices in the oil at medium heat, till the garlic turns golden.
• Turn off the heat, and add red chilli powder. Let the powder sizzle in the hot oil.
• Pour the hot oil onto the spinach yogurt directly. Stir slightly and serve with rice or paratha.

Notes

• You can add more water to the yogurt if you’d like a thinner consistency. 
• You can use pre-blanched spinach for this recipe too. Just season it with the spices mentioned.
• The yogurt sauce can be eaten directly and tastes best at room temperature.
• This palak raita can be stored in the fridge for about a week. Store in an airtight container. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 681mg | Potassium: 473mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 2829IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 237mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Palak Raita – Spinach Yogurt Dip appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

What is Khatti Dal?

Khatti literally translates to “sour”. This recipe uses tamarind to add a nice tart/tangy flavor to the dal. Hyderabadi Cuisine in India/Pakistan is notorious for using tang as a prominent flavor in their recipes. And that is where khatti dal originated from too. Their tamatar ka khatta (tangy tomato chutney) pairs sooo well with so many pulaos outside of their Cuisine too.

Khatti dal (tangy dal) is usually made of red lentils (masoor dal) or split pigeon pea (arhar dal/tuvar dal). It’s eaten with steamed rice, paper, and other sides made with meat or vegetables. (my favorite being fried fish)

2 of my khalas (maternal aunts) got married into Hyderabadi families. And I love all the authentic and traditional Hyderabadi food that I’ve gotten to experience through them over the years. And now, that I have so many of you as readers of this blog, I can’t wait to share more.

Ingredients

You need basic South Asian pantry staples to recreate this dal at home. Here are a couple of notes on the list:

• Lentils – We usually make this dal with red lentils which is masoor dal. But people also make it with split pigeon pea (tuvar/arhar dal). Masoor dal is easily available in most stores around the world, distinctive of its orange color.
• Tomato, onion, and garlic – These are staples for any South Asian recipe. Only use fresh tomato for this recipe. No puree, paste, or canned tomato.
• Seasoning – You need standard spices like turmeric, salt, red chili flakes, red chili powder, green chilies
• Whole spices – These are fried in oil and added on top of the dal. Mustard seeds, curry leaves, and cumin seeds are the main trio that makes this dish Hyderabadi
• Oil – Any neutral oil like vegetable oil is used for this recipe. You can also use coconut oil etc for your recipe, just remember these oils have a slight aroma and flavor of their own too.
• Coriander leaves – Chopped coriander leaves for the garnish.

TAMARIND

Tamarind (emli) – This is the star of this recipe and the main ingredient that brings out the tart flavor. Most grocery stores hold tamarind in either its original raw form, in a block form or a ready-to-use pulp bottle. If you use raw or block tamarind, you will have to soak it in hot water for 10 mins to release the pulp. Then you can simply use your hands to squish the block to release the pulp. Strain and use. To skip this entire process completely, simply get the ready-to-use tamarind pulp. The quantity of tamarind depends on your own preference. You can always add more or less depending on how much tanginess you like.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Step By Step Instructions

All dals are usually prepared in 3 easy steps – Soak, Boil, and Baghaar.

Once you soak the dals, almost all dals require 2 cooking steps. One step is boiling the lentils to soften them up. And the other step is making Baghar/Tarka. A baghar (tempered spices) is a process of adding fried spices to a dish, either as the first or as the last step. This dal uses a finishing tarka.

How Long to soak the lentils?

This has become an ongoing debate amongst online communities mostly because someone somewhere read the word “antinutrients” online and freaked out. In simple words, anti-nutrients are just some chemicals found in naturally occurring pulses like legumes, beans, and lentils. They are usually removed by soaking them before cooking and cooking itself. (you can read more about anti-nutrients here if you want). Red lentils are the smallest-sized lentils out there, and 30 min of pre-soak time is enough to get rid of any anti-nutrients in the dal.

STEP 1 – Rinse the dal with water at least once and then soak the dal in water for 20 to 30 mins.

STEP 2 – Boiling the Dal

STEP 2a- Add spices, tomato, and soaked lentils in a pot with water and bring to a boil. Now cover with a lid and boil for 20 mins or so

STEP 2b– After the end of 20 mins, use a hand whisk to mash the tomato into the dal. Whisk the dal to make sure all the dal is mushy and you have a nice somewhat smooth dal mix.

PROTIP: Keep the lid of your dal slightly askew, to prevent your dal from boiling over and dripping all over your stovetop. If your dal is not disintegrating to form a nice soupy consistency, then use a hand blender to quickly reach your soupy consistency.

STEP 2c– Soak a small block of tamarind in a bowl of hot water for 15 mins to release the pulp

STEP 2d– Use a fork or a spoon to break the block and release all the juices from the pulp.

STEP 2e– Pour the tamarind liquid into the dal through a strainer.

STEP 3 – MAKING THE TARKA

STEP 3a– Add whole spices, garlic, onions, and curry leaves in a frying pan and fry in oil.

STEP 3b– Fry them until the onions turn golden brown.

STEP 3c– Add the tarka (tempered spices) to the dal.

STEP 3d- After adding Tarka, cover the dal with a lid for 5 mins. There is no mixing involved. Simply allow the tarka to sit on top of the dal till you are ready to serve.

While the Tarka sits on top of your dal, the flavors and aroma infuse together to create a simple yet delicious dish. When you are ready to dish out, garnish with chopped coriander or cilantro and serve hot with rice and all the amazing combos mentioned below

Expert Tips

• For the reasons mentioned above, it’s always best to soak dal before using it, this removes anti-nutrients and reduces cooking time. Discard the water that was used for soaking and use fresh water to boil the dal.
• Some versions of masoor dal or any dal, sometimes take too long to disintegrate in the water to give a smooth consistency. On those days I like to use my hand blender to quickly give my dal the consistency I want. You can find one here on Amazon.
• You can use the microwave to reheat dals, but they are best reheated on the stove.
• Let your dal sit in the pot for 10 mins after you’ve added your tarka/tempered spices, this helps in infusing the flavors in the dal.

What is Khatti dal paired with?

Eaten with rice or roti, these are other things you can pair with khatti dal

• Papad and Achar like Carrot Pickles (gajar ka achar)
• Any vegetable curry like Lauki ki bhujia (Bottle Gourd mash)
• Spicy masala fish fry
• Spinach and potato cutlets
• Grilled Chicken Tikkas

Recipe FAQs

Similar recipes

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!

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Hyderabadi khatti dal

A traditional sour Red lentil recipe from the Hyderabadi Cuisine of India/Pakistan, eaten with rice

Course dinner

Cuisine South Asian

Diet Halal

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 249kcal

Author Wajiha

Equipment

• Hand blender optional

Ingredients

For Lentils

• 1 cup red lentils masoor dal
• 1 large tomato with the stem removed
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder haldi
• 2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp crushed red chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 4 whole green chilies

Other

• 2 inch block of dry tamarind or Emli soaked in 1 cup hot water see notes
• coriander/cilantro for garnish

For Tempered spices or Baghaar

• 1/2 an onion sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic sliced or chopped
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds rye daana
• 7 to 8 curry leaves
• 5 to 6 whole red chilies
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 cup oil or less if you want

Instructions

• Soak lentils for 30 mins to 1 hr. Discard the water
• In a pot add lentils and all ingredients for the lentils along with 4 to 5 cups of water.
• Bring the lentils to a boil, then reduce flame to medium and cover the pot. Do not cover the pot all the way through, leave the lid a little askew. You can also use a pressure cooker for this step
• After 30 mins or so, use a whisk (or a dal ghotni) to whisk the dal around and make it more uniform. Let the dal simmer on the stove.
• In a bowl, soak tamarind in hot water for 5 mins. Use a sieve to strain the tamarind to get puply water and remove all the impurities in the sieve. Collect all the water released from it. Add it to the dal.
• Cook for another 10 mins to cook the tamarind.
• Turn off flame.

Baghar – Tempering the dal

• In a pan add oil and all the ingredients for tempered spices. Fry them at medium flame until the onions turn a nice golden brown.
• Put the tempered mix on top of the dal and let it sizzle.
• Make sure you get all bits of tempered spices into the dal.
• Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with steamed rice and papad.
  

Notes

• You can also use tamarind paste instead of tamarind blocks. Just mix the paste with water to make a diluted version and add to the dal. I’ve given standard quantities, but feel free to add more tamarind if you like.
• Your dal can stay in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• You can freeze your dal for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Sodium: 878mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g

The post Hyderabadi khatti dal appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

To be honest, this is literally the ONLY salad in Pakistani and North Indian cuisine, that has a proper name and a dressing. Otherwise, growing up, for most of us, salad pretty much meant, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions on a plate.

What is Kachumber Salad?

The word Kachumber, (pronounced as Ka-choo-mer), means “pounded” or grounded. As the name suggests, common vegetables like onions, tomato, and cucumber are chopped up and tossed together to create this salad. This is literally the only salad that has an actual name in the Pakistani and North Indian cuisine. Otherwise, salads per se don’t really exist, and the vegetables are usually just eaten in “bhujia” or dry curry form, like the lauki ki bhujia “bottle gourd curry”.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Every family has their own favorite veggies and their own preferred dressing for this salad. I’m going to put up the one most commonly eaten in restaurants and at home.

• Cucumbers – This is the essential of a kachumber salad, which is sometimes also called the “cucumber salad”. You can peel the cucumber or leave it on for crunch. I personally prefer leaving it on, and only peel if my cucumbers are extra bitter.
• Onions – I use red onions because I like how they taste. You can use shallots or yellow onions too.
• Tomato – You need firm, juicy, ripe tomatoes for this recipe to make sure that they don’t squish when being chopped finely. Use any tomato you have at hand, as long as they are juicy and red.
• Seasoning – This recipe uses a very basic, lemon, salt, and pepper seasoning. But I am going to give you some fun add-ons at the end if you feel like spicing things up!

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Variations and Add-ons

This is the fun part, where you take an average Joe (not the serial killer kind) (shoutout YOU fans) and make it your own.

• Make it Spicy
  Pack your salad with heat by adding just a dash of cayenne pepper powder or sliced up Thai chilies.
• Add more vegetables
  Add any favorite or seasonal vegetable to this salad. My personal favorite add-ons are carrots, radishes, and sometimes bell peppers.
• Flavor enhancers
  For a fancier salad dressing, try adding chaat masala, which is a very popular spice mix to add to this salad. Or try roasted cumin seed powder or a pinch of garam masala powder. They all add warmth and subtle heat to the dish. I love adding dahi bara masala to my kachumber sometimes. You can also try adding a small clove of finely chopped garlic.
• For Crunch
  Although the vegetables add the perfect crunch to this recipe, try topping it off with crispy pappar, crushed chips or peanuts.
• Fruit and Carbs
  Kachumber Salad with Mango and/or pomegranate are apparently popular add on in a lot of restaurants during summers. I haven’t been daring enough to try it, but maybe you can. Chickpeas is another favorite to add to your kachumber. My recommendation would be to add chickpeas and chaat masala together for a perfect hearty snack.
• Kachumber Salad with Yogurt
  For recipes like tahiri or biryani, it is common practice to make a kachumbar raita, where this salad is mixed with beaten yogurt to make a sort of loaded raita.

Ofcourse, the best kachumbar salad version for you, is the one that your palate eventually falls in love with.

How to make Kachumber Salad

The only real skill you need for this salad is, your chopping. And honestly you can bypass that too, if you have a hand chopper, like this Easy Pull Food Chopper and Manual Food Processor. There is no right or wrong way to chop this salad, go with whatever size and shape you prefer.

STEP 1 – Chop up all the vegetables by a knife or a chopper

STEP 2 – Toss all the vegetables in a bowl

STEP 3 – Prepare the seasoning seperately

STEP 4 – Pour the seasoning all over the salad and mix.

Top tip

Only add the dressing to the vegetables when you are ready to eat. The salt releases water from the vegetables and you’ll get a lot of liquid floating at the base of your salad if you let the dressing sit in the salad for hours.

Recipe FAQs

What to Serve with Kachumber Salad

Oh, everything! It literally goes well with everything I kid you not. But fine, I’ll give you some sweet pairing option

• Fried fish, daal chawal (lentil rice)
• A good roast chicken and palak raita! Yummm
• On the side of a pulao and a kebab like the chicken cheddar kebab
• Served with freshly grilled chicken tikka
• Of course, who can forget, A classic chicken biryani
• Honestly, I enjoy it as a dip for my tortilla chips, when I am watching my calories

More Salad Recipes

I love pairing these salads with my mains. See for yourself

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!

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Kachumber Salad

This is a traditional Pakistani/North Indian salad made with onions, tomato and cucumber with a simple dressing and a whole lot of variation options

Course Salad

Cuisine Indian, pakistani, South Asian

Diet Gluten Free, Halal, Low Calorie, Vegan

Prep Time 7 minutes minutes

Total Time 7 minutes minutes

Servings 2 servings

Calories 50kcal

Author Wajiha

Equipment

• 1 manual chopper optional

Ingredients

• 1 medium red onion or any onion you prefer
• 1 small tomato
• 2 medium cucumbers
• 2 to 3 fresh salad leaves of your choice optional

Salad Dressing

• 1/4 teaspoon table salt or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

• Finely dice all the vegetables and salad leaves into around 1/4th cubes
• Toss the chopped vegetables into a bowl and mix well.
• Prepare the salad dressing by combining the salt, black pepper and lemon juice.
• Pour the salad dressing over the vegetables and mix. Serve immediately.

  To serve later, keep the salad dressing seperate, and only pour when ready to serve.

Notes

• The cucumbers can be used peeled or unpeeled, based on your preference. But I’d recommend to peel the cucumbers if they are bitter.
• Your chopping can be done with a knife or a simple hand chopper
• Do not add the dressing to your salad if you aren’t ready to eat. Keep the dressing separately, if you are preparing the salad hours before having it.

Variations and ad-ons

• Spices – Just a dash of cayenne pepper powder or sliced-up thai chilies to pack heat. 
• Other vegetables and fruits – Any seasonal or favorite produce. Popular options include carrots, radishes, bell peppers, mango and pomegranates. 
• Flavor enhancers – Chaat masala, garam masala powder, or roasted cumin seed powder. Minced chopped garlic
• For Crunch –  pappar, crushed chips, or peanuts.
• Yogurt

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 50kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 377mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 241IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Simple Kachumber Salad Recipe appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

The blazing sun, the whirring of the fans, and that itchy feeling you get with each sweat drop, NEEDS a cooler! Not only does an iced tea cool you down, this one is sugar free!

Iced teas have been a SAVIOUR for my soda addiction. Quitting fizzy drinks cold turkey never works cz the sugar addiction is REAL you guys. I shifted to packaged juices for a while but of course they have a truck load of sugar too. Eventually, I started drinking Iced teas, sometimes with sparkling water mixed in. And I have never looked back!

Tips to Personalize your Iced tea

• Adapt the tea to your taste – Just as it is with regular tea, you can easily decide how strong or how light you want your iced tea to be. Brew the tea for longer, use more tea bags or use loose tea to create a stronger taste.
• Use baking soda – Most people recommend using baking soda in iced teas to get rid of the bitterness of the tea. This recipe doesn’t need it but if you are planning on making it stronger, consider adding a half a pinch of baking soda while brewing the tea.
• Flavors – Try different flavor variations mentioned below to create a customized iced tea for yourself
• Ice and fruit– Always add ice and fruit to your glass rather than the pitcher, so that your tea doesn’t get water down and the fruit doesn’t break down.
• Sweetener – I’ve used honey in this recipe to create a sugar free iced tea. You can use any other sweetener of your liking. Stevia, coconut sugar, brown sugar or regular sugar. Add more or less according to your taste.
• Servings – This recipe creates 2 tall glasses of iced tea so the tea steeping can simply happen in a mug. But if you decide to create a large batch of this iced tea, make sure to use a heat-proof pitcher/pot for steeping the tea.

Flavor Variations and other options

• Tea blends – Go ahead and explore different kinds of tea for this recipe. I’ve used regular Lipton black tea bags.
• Mint leaves pair really well with the lemon and ginger.
• Pineapple juice – Add 1/4 cup of pineapple juice to the brewed tea to create a sweet citrusy iced tea that is just delicious
• Sparkling water – Brew the tea with 1/2 the water mentioned in the recipe and use sparkling water later to add a little zing to your iced tea.
• Other Spices – Green cardamom and cinnamon sticks are 2 other spices that can give you a brilliant eastern spiced iced tea blend. Use them together or separately to create magic.

Other Guilt free Summer coolers for you:

Halal Saudi Champagne
Date and Melon Shake
Dairy and sugar free pineapple coconut Ice cream
Spinach yogurt dip

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Ginger lemon Iced tea

a mild home brewed cold tea jazzed up with lemon and ginger

Course Drinks

Cuisine Continental

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2 servings

Calories 141kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

• 3 Black tea bags I used Lipton
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 inch piece of ginger
• 1 cup water.
• 18 to 20 pieces ice cubes
• Lemon slices

Instructions

• Boil water in a kettle or a pot.
• In a big mug, add tea bags and ginger. Pour boiling water in the mug
• Dip the tea bags multiple times and let the tea brew for 10 mins.
• Remove the tea bags, and add honey and lemon juice. Mix well.
• Fill 2 glasses with ice cubes and a few lemon slices. Pour the hot tea over the ice cubes. Mix well and drink.

Notes

You can make the ice tea mix and keep in the fridge to use later. It can stay in the fridge for upto a week.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Sodium: 17mg | Sugar: 35g

The post Ginger Lemon Iced Tea appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

Why You need to make these Chocolate Oat bars ASAP!

• You can use nutritious ingredients to create a SUPER Nutritious Chocolate bar and have a guilt-free treat!
• No need to fire up the oven when the craving hits
• Totally customizable according to your likes and of course how indulgent your feeling that day
• Comes together in less than 15 mins!
• Totally freezable with a long shelf life!
• They are great holiday gift idea!

Ingredients and Substitutes to make the No Bake Chocolate Bars

This super simple recipe uses some classic ingredients.

• Roasted nuts
  I used a variety of nuts for this recipe including pecan, cashew, walnuts and almonds. You can use any that you like or have at hand. The nuts that I used were salted as well so I didn’t add any extra salt in the recipe.
• Toasted Rolled Oats
  Some people have reported gastric discomfort with raw oats and it seems scientifically there is a debate IF raw oats should be consumed or not. So to be on the safe side, I toasted my oats for 5 mins in a pan at low flame. It also makes the oats crunchy! So that’s another plus for me. You can also use instant oats or steel cut oats, either ways, TOAST them!
• Peanut butter
  This recipe calls for an unsweetened smooth peanut butter because honey is going to provide the sweetness for the recipe. If you have sweetened peanut butter at hand, just reduce the honey quantity by half. I try using organic homemade peanut butter to make these bars extra nutritious. If you DON’T want to use peanut butter, here are some other options you can try:
  • Almond butter or cashew butter
  • Coconut oil
  • Coconut cream (the thick part only)
  • Regular cream if you don’t have issue with dairy
• Dark Chocolate
  I used special dark chocolate chips for this recipe instead of the regular semi-sweet ones by Hershey’s. But you can use any dark chocolate you have. Cooking chocolates and chocolate bars are great options to use as well! I personally love the dark unsweetened flavor, but feel free to use a sweeter version if that’s what you and your family likes.
  (The Darker your chocolate, the more nutritious and guilt free these bars are going to be)
• Honey
  Honey adds the sweetness and softness to the bars. If you are already using sweetened peanut butter and milk chocolate, you can reduce the quantity of the milk to 1-2 tbsp. The honey also adds softness to the bars, since all the other ingredients solidify in the fridge. So I would NOT recommend to skip the honey completely.
• Add ons
  The beauty of such recipes is that they are totally customizable. You can totally built it to your taste buds. Fun add ons can be: roasted flax seeds, orange zest, salted crushed potato chips, or you know go crazy!

How to make these Chocolate oat bars

Making the Chocolate Base – You need to get your chocolate and peanut butter melted to create a chocolate base. I do this by heating them up with honey in the microwave. But you can also do this step on the stove in a saucepan.

Adding the Crunch – Oats and Nuts – After your chocolate is melted, all you have to do is dump in your add ons like nuts, oats etc.

Setting the Chocolate bars – Pour the mixture into any baking tray lined with butter paper. I used a standard bread loaf pan. But you can use a square pan as well.

Toppings – Your last step is to make your bars look pretty. Add more chopped nuts on top or melted peanut butter. Refrigerate and cut in 30 mins!

Note: If you are bars have been in the fridge for longer,
allow them to thaw for 5 mins before digging in

How long can they stay in the fridge?

Since all the ingredients in this recipe have a good shelf life, your bars can easily live in the fridge for over a month. If you freeze them, they can last for over 6 months and beyond.

More quick treats on the blog

No bake Chocolate and peanut butter bars.
Caramel Tiramisu
No bake Vanilla Custard Biscoff Bars
No bake Blueberry Cheesecake

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No bake oats n nuts chocolate bars

An easy guilt free chocolate bar made with dark chocolate, nuts, oats and peanut butter

Course Desserts

Cuisine Continental

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 20 bars

Calories 237kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

• 2 cups Dark cooking chocolate 340 gm
• 1 cup rolled oats see notes
• 1 1/2 cup roasted assorted nuts chopped
• 1/2 cup unsweetened peanut butter see notes
• 1/4 cup honey
• a splash of milk if needed

garnish

• 2 tbsp chopped nuts
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp peanut butter

Instructions

• In a pan, toast whole oats until they turn golden brown. This will take around 5 mins. Set aside
• Line a bread loaf pan with butter paper and set aside.
• Add chocolate chips and peanut butter in the bowl. Heat it for 30 secs in the microwave. (see notes)
• Stir the peanut butter and chocolate around to mix them a little bit.
• Add honey and heat the mixture for another 30 secs in the microwave.
• Stir around everything until the chocolate is fully melted and you have a smooth mix. (do an extra 15 sec heat up if you need to)
• Add your assorted chopped nuts and toasted oats. Mix until well combined.
• Pour the mixture on to the baking tray and spread out evenly
• Sprinkle chopped nuts all over the bars.
• Heat honey and peanut butter in the oven for 15 sec. Mix them together and drizzle all over the bars.
• Refrigerate for 30 mins at least.
• Remove tray from fridge and cut the set chocolate into bars or squares.
• You can even wrap them up individually to store them in the fridge.

Notes

• You can also heat the chocolate, honey and peanut butter in saucepan if you do not wish to use the microwave. Keep flame at low.
• You can use any oats you have at hand, but I’d still recommend to toast them before using.
• If you are using sweetened peanut butter and milk chocolate, reduce the quantity of honey to 2 tbsp.
• A splash of milk is only added in the ingredients as an option if your mixture turns too thick and you need to loosen it up.
• You can store the bars in the fridge or freeze. Just thaw for 5 to 10 mins before eating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 64mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g

The post Best No bake chocolate oat bars appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

What is the difference between Indo-Chinese & Traditional Chinese Hot and sour soup?

The traditional Chinese recipe uses pork, tofu, dried Shiitake mushrooms, dried lilies and other Asian ingredients and creates a strong umami and sour flavored broth. This is the soup you get when you order from any Chinese restaurant outside of South Asia.

The Indo-Chinese aka Desi style hot and sour soup has a tomato-ey and chili base broth. It has a characteristic vibrant red color that sets it apart from all the other soups of the region. One of the popular street style food available in India and Pakistan. It is served with a special spiced vinegar that has green chilies cut in it! But don’t worry, you can totally control how much chili you want in your soup. This recipe is of the the Pakistani style Hot and sour soup that I’ve eaten in countless restaurants and food stalls and that makes us expats feel nostalgic living away from Pakistan.

Hot and Sour Soup – Ingredients and Substitutions

• Chicken broth
• Chili oil
• Chili garlic sauce
• Vegetables & Mushrooms
• Assorted seasonings, sauces and thickener

Chicken Broth

I make my own Indo-Chinese style broth that I use for all similar Asian recipes. For this recipe, I only took 4 to 5 pieces of bone in chicken to prepare the broth. But if you already have some broth at hand, you can totally use that. Ready-made broths or vegetable broths can also be used.

The shredded chicken for this soup comes from the broth. But, if you are using pre-made broth for this recipe, you will need 3/4 cup of shredded chicken to go with it.
You can Use any leftover chicken or marinate 1 chicken breast
with salt, pepper and garlic, saute and steam cook. Shred it to use.

Chili Oil

Chili oil is a Chinese condiment that adds a subtle layer of heat to the dish. It takes hardly 5 minutes to prepare. Plus its super versatile so you can later use it for any other grilling, cooking purposes. Click here for the recipe of chili oil.

If you don’t want to make it yourself, you can also buy ready made chili oils
OR use regular oil as well.

Chili Garlic sauce

This is one of the main ingredients of the recipe, it gives the soup its color and brings heat. Chili garlic sauce is a type of ketchup that has tomato paste, garlic and chili in it. The one I use is from Knorr and easily available in South Asian stores.

Make your own chili garlic sauce by mixing these together:

• 1/3 cup of tomato paste / ketchup
• + 2 tbsp of any red chili paste (like Szechuan sauce, sambal oelek)
• + 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic

Vegetables and mushrooms

You will need thinly cut bell peppers, cabbage and shredded carrots for this recipe. I personally really like fresh shiitake mushrooms for this soup but only had the canned ones when I made it from the blog. These are the standard veggies that goes in the recipe but feel free to go ahead and personalize the veggies you want in your soup.

Sauce, seasoning and thickening

The soup uses all the basic condiments like vinegar, hot sauce, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. I didn’t add any extra salt because all the sauces and the broth carry salt with it, but you can add more if you need to. To thicken the soup, all you need is a cornstarch slurry made by mixing cornstarch with a little water.

How to make Desi Hot and Sour soup?

1. Making the Chicken broth

Like mentioned above, I make my own chicken broth for this recipe, and you are welcome to use any alternatives mentioned.

I sear the chicken with spices and chili oil and allow the chicken to brown and release all its juices. Then I simply add water and let it simmer for 20 to 30 mins while I prep the veggies for the soup.

Searing the chicken first with spices and oil brings out more flavor from the chicken and gets rid of any raw smell that poultry and meat usually carry.

Once the broth is ready, strain and set the broth aside. Discard all the whole spices and shred the chicken.

2. Sauteing veggies and mushroom and chicken

Stir frying the vegetables, mushroom and chicken at high flame in the oil removes all the water that they carry. It also kills and microbes in the ingredients. It adds more flavor to the dish and helps increase the shelf life of the soup.

3. Adding all the seasoning and sauces and broth

The sauces, seasoning and broth can all go together in the pot and cook at high flame. The recipe calls for a higher vinegar level, but don’t be alarmed. Yes you DO need that much vinegar.

Thickening the soup

Last step of your soup making. This soup is thickened by cornstarch. Simply make a cornstarch slurry by mixing it with water and you are donezo!

Serving And FAQS

The soup is usually served with vinegar spiced with sliced green chilies, prawn crackers and some soy sauce on the side for people who need to top off with some more.

You can serve the hot and sour soup with some spicy Chicken Shashlik skewers to make a full meal!

Can I drink Hot and Sour Soup if I am clean eating?

Cooking at home already makes your food THAT much nutritious because you’ll be using fresh real ingredients to make it. Most of the ingredients of this soup are nutritious in general, like veggies and mushroom, and will be perfect if you are trying to eat clean nutritious food. Here are some things you can make to the rest of the ingredients to create a clean Nutritious Hot and Sour soup

• Making the Chicken broth at home with organic or grass fed chicken.
• Use low sodium Soy sauce and Natural vinegar for the recipe.
• Make your own chili garlic sauce at home with the measurements provided.
• Use fresh vegetables and mushrooms.
• You can use oats instead of cornflour as a thickener for your soup. Simply grind some oats to make powder and add 1 tsp to your soup. Let the oats cook for 10 mins and you will have a nice thick soup. Add more if needed.

How long can the soup stay fresh? What can I do with leftovers?

• This soup has fresh vegetables and mushrooms in it, it should be ideally consumed within a day or two. Keep any leftover soup straight away in the fridge as soon as it cools down. Use an airtight container to store the soup.
• You can easily throw in some boiled noodles in the leftover soup to create a spicy noodle soup or dry it out a bit to create a saucy noodle stir fry.

Can I make the soup in advance?

If you want to make this soup for a gathering, I would not recommend preparing the full soup a day before. You can definitely make the broth in advance and prepare the vegetables and mushrooms. Just assemble on the day of the event.

More Indo-Chinese style recipes

Dragon Chicken
Spicy one pot Chicken Noodles
Saucy Szechuan Chicken

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Indo-Chinese Hot and Sour soup

A restaurant style Indo-Chinese version of the traditional hot and sour soup,

Course Main Course, Snacks, Sides and Starters

Cuisine Chinese/Indo Chinese

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 221kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

Chicken broth (see note 1 for substitutes)

• 5 pieces of bone-in chicken
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• 3 bay leaves
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 3 to 4 dried whole red chilies
• 5 cups of water
• 2 tbsp chili oil see notes

Other

• 2 tbsp chili oil see notes
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced cabbage
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 1/2 cup julienned green bell pepper
• 1/3 cup sliced mushrooms canned or fresh
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 4 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp hot sauce
• 1/2 cup chili garlic sauce see note 2
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 tbsp corn starch
• 2 cup water

Instructions

Chicken Broth

• In a pot, add chili oil, chicken, garlic, bay leaves and red chilies.
• Sear the chicken and garlic for 2 mins at medium high flame.
• Add salt and black pepper, saute for another 2 mins.
• Add water and once it starts to boil, cover the pot.
• Check after 15 to 20 mins to see if the broth has reduced to roughly half.
• Remove the chicken and shred it. Strain the broth and discard all the whole spices. Set both aside.

Preparing the Soup

• In a pot, add chili oil and all the vegetables, mushrooms and shredded chicken. Saute at high heat for 3 to 4 mins.
• Reduce flame to low and add all the sauces. Mix everything together.
• Add your chicken broth and turn the flame back to medium.
• Add 4.5 cups of water and allow the soup to start simmering.
• Mix cornstarch with about 1/2 cup of water to make a smooth slurry and add it to the soup.
• Cook for another 2 3 mins and allow the cornstarch to cook through.
• Adjust seasoning and add salt if needed.
• Serve with prawn crackers, soy sauce and vinegar with sliced green chilies cut into it.
  

Notes

Note 1:

For the chicken you can also use:

• 3/4 cup of leftover chicken shredded
• Grill 1 chicken breast with salt, pepper, and garlic, then shred it to use

For the broth you can also use:

• 3 cups of premade broth
• Any homemade broth
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes with added garlic powder.

Note 2

Substitute for Chili garlic sauce

• 1/3 cup of tomato paste / ketchup
• + 2 tbsp of any red chili paste (like Sichuan sauce, sambal oelek)
• + 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic

Other notes

• I didn’t add any extra salt for the soup, because the broth and sauces carry enough of salt. If you are using low sodium products, you may have to add 1/4 or 1/2 tsp salt.
• You can use regular oil instead of chili oil. Click here for recipe of chili oil

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 221kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 980mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g

The post Chicken Hot and Sour soup appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

Bonus: Perfect for those “breakfast for dinner” kinda days too!

Easy step by step khageena

Khageena or egg bhurji is one of those very upfront, no-brainer recipes. So even if you aren’t familiar with Indian or Pakistani style of cooking, you will still nail it!

Typically prepared in a wok, khageena can also be made in pan. It’s a little heavy on the onions which gives it that texture and bite!

You start by sauteing the onions in a little oil and allow it to turn translucent.

Once your onions turn translucent, you add in green chilies and all the spices. Pakistani or Indian spices are raw and strong. So you need to let it cook or temper it in the oil for about a minute or two before proceeding to the next step.

Add finely chopped tomatoes and let it cook for about 2 mins. Most khageena recipes don’t use tomatoes. But my family recipe includes 1 small tomato in the scrambled eggs, and I looooove the slight acidity it adds to the whole dish.

When your tomatoes are softened up, ever so slightly, add your eggs and chopped coriander.

TIP: Always break eggs separately in a bowl to check if they are ok and have no brown spots in the egg whites.

After adding eggs, slowly stir through the eggs with a spatula for a minute or 2 or until the eggs looks cooked and you can see oil on the sides.

Serve hot with toasted bread, parathas or buns!

Some Khageena FAQs

Can I add more veggies to this scrambled eggs recipe?

Absolutely! The most complimentary veggies to add to this recipe are spinach and fenugreek leaves. You can skip the coriander and add another green of your choice. You can also add shredded carrots.

Is this recipe too spicy?

That is a subjective question. But I’d say by someone who eats spicy food, that this dish is NOT that spicy. But you can skip the green chilies the first time you make it, just to be safe.

How do I add more seasoning?

Never over season this dish, the spices and salt can get strong very quickly. So I’d say stick to the measurements mentioned in the recipe card, and if you feel like its not spicy enough or seasoned well, then you can a bit of salt or red chili flakes after the eggs are done.

Can we eat the khageena later?

All cooked eggs like this scrambled eggs or shakshuka etc are best eaten fresh. But you can refrigerate it overnight and eat it the next day. I wouldn’t keep it in the fridge any longer than that.

Can I make this recipe in less oil?

One of the key ingredients in this recipe is the quantity of oil. My personal suggestion would be to use the exact quantity, and remove the eggs on a kitchen towel that would allow to soak up any extra oil. But if you really are on a calorie budget, you can decrease the oil levels, however, it will definitely alter the taste a little bit.

Other Egg/Breakfast recipes

Shakshuka
Aloo ki tarkari (potato curry)
Chickpea curry
Easy soft Pancakes
Khara masala keema (breakfast mince)
Date and Melon Smoothie

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khageena

Khageena is a Pakistani dish that is essentially a spicy scrambled eggs recipe eaten for breakfast with flatbreads. It is also known as anda bhurji or egg bhurji in India

Course Breakfast & Brunch

Cuisine South Asian

Prep Time 7 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 17 minutes minutes

Servings 2 servings

Calories 367kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 2 medium onions slices
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 green chilies cut into smaller pieces
• 1 small tomato finely chopped
• 1/2 cup coriander chopped finely

Instructions

• Break 3 eggs in a bowl and set aside.
• Add oil in a pan along with sliced onions. Saute the onions for 3 to 4 mins at medium flame, or until they turn translucent.
• Add in your green chilies, spices. Saute for another 2 mins.
• Add tomatoes and allow it to soften for 2 mins.
• Add the eggs in the pan and let it sit for 2 mins before mixing with a spatula.
• Cook the eggs for another 2 mins and add chopped coriander. Mix well.
• Drain all the excess oil on a towel paper and serve the eggs with paratha or bread.

Notes

Remove the green chilies if you don’t eat spicy food a lot.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 367kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 33g | Cholesterol: 279mg | Sodium: 132mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 8g

The post Khageena – Pakistani spicy scrambled eggs appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

I’ll be honest, I don’t make the fully indulgent kind of ice creams at home simply because I don’t think that is a good use of my time. The time, effort and cost of the products that go into making a normal standard ice cream at home makes no sense to me. I can get a store bought ice cream which tastes the same and costs the same easily.

Now dairy free or low-sugar ice creams are a whole other deal. These ice creams are definitely on the more expensive side plus there is no in between. Either it’s all out dairy-free, gluten-free and sugar free variety or none at all. Where do people like us go? Who are ok with using real cookie dough in a cookie dough ice cream but just want a non-dairy base? Like I want the best of both world you know? lol OK now I am rambling. Point is, I like this ice cream because the guilt factor is practically zero!

Also, you can use this recipe for practically any fruit you like!

I love how this Pina-Colada ice cream becomes a summer favorite in our house! My husband loves a well chilled dessert to beat the heat. I usually churn out icecreams or make my rice kheer (rice pudding) on a nice summer evening.

Easy steps to make this Pineapple Coconut Ice cream

So every good home-made ice cream needs a 24 hour notice, and I’m telling you now, this is one treat you don’t wanna rush. This recipe has 2 components, A pineapple sauce and a Coconut cream. 1 day before you need the ice cream, you should

• Keep coconut cream in fridge overnight.
• Make pineapple sauce and keep in the fridge to chill.

Making your Pineapple sauce

For this recipe, we are going to make our very own condensed milk substitute, which is this pineapple sauce. Puree your pineapples in a blender and add them in a saucepan, along with food color, sugar and a pinch of salt. I added brown sugar. But you can use any sugar you want.

Here are a couple of Sugar substitutes that you can use:

• Honey
• Maple syrup
• Coconut Sugar.
• Agave nectar

I used canned pineapples but you can use fresh pineapples as well. Cook the pineapple puree down for 5 mins at medium heat. Then add coconut milk and let it cook for another 20 mins at medium flame. Your mixture should reduce to about 2 cups.

Use a strainer to remove the pineapple pulp from the thick pineapple sauce.

Now you can refrigerate both the sauce and the pulp to use later.

Whipping the Coconut cream

The second component of this recipe is whipped cream. This will add air and volume to your ice cream and give it the texture. To whip the coconut cream perfectly, you need to give it time to chill completely. Refrigerate your cream overnight. (can’t emphasise this enough)

I did a lot of research for which brand of coconut cream is the best for whipping and the internet gave me like 10 11 options. But here’s the thing. None of those options are available in my local grocery stores and well, they are definitely on the expensive side. So I just wanted to make this icecream with a standard of-the-rack coconut cream and see if it works. and guess what it does! So just grab any coconut cream you can get your hands on and we’ll make it work.

When you refrigerate your cream overnight, you will see that the liquid from the cream has separated from the thick cream. Your coconut cream can either be clumpy like feta cheese or smooth like yogurt, depending on the brand that you use. Both are workable! don’t worry.

Best tips to ensure the perfect whipped cream

• Make sure you’ve chilled your cream well in the fridge. Overnight is ideal.
• Keep the bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 15 mins in which you will whip your cream.
• If you live in a hot humid climate, use a larger bowl, fill it with ice and cold water. Place your bowl of whipping cream on this ice bath and then whip it up.

Remove the solid bits of cream or paste from the can carefully and place it in your cold bowl. And start whipping. If your cream is very granular and clumpy, add a little left over liquid to make your cream workable. Beat it for a good 5 min at high speed until it becomes light and fluffy. It doesn’t need to be very stiff.

Assembling the ice cream base

When your whipped cream is ready, add your pineapple sauce and pineapple essence into the whipping cream and beat for another 3 to 4 mins. Your ice cream base is ready. Transfer the base into the container you want to set your ice cream in. Make sure its big enough to allow some extra room for expansion.

Put an airtight lid on your container and Freeze the ice cream in the freezer for about 3 hours. Take out the ice cream from the freezer. It will be set from the sides and still runny in the centre. Now we are going to whip it up once again. This step breaks the ice crystals and gives you a smooth ice cream eventually.

After you’ve whipped your ice cream, add in the pineapple pulp that we had saved. I also added coconut shavings which I really like!

Add a layer of cling film on top of your ice cream and THEN put the lid. We need to minimize air contact as much as we can.

Tips to prevent icecream from getting icy

• Always add a layer of cling wrap on top of your icecream, and then add the container lid.
• Always add pineapple essence or any essence that you are using when in the last step.
• Never add fresh fruits into the ice cream toppings. It will leach water and ruin your ice cream base. You can add fresh fruits to your ice cream while you are serving.

Serving the Ice cream

When you are ready to serve, take out the icecream and let it sit in the fridge for 10 mins before scooping it out! Top it off with some fresh pineapples to add an even more intense pineapple kick

How long can the ice cream stay in the freezer?

Homemade ice creams are best consumed as soon as possible, no matter what ice cream base recipe you use. This one is no different. 2 weeks is a good span of time to utilize it. You can also make shakes out of it.

More fruit / veggie desserts on the blog:

Gajar ka halwa (carrot pudding)
Apple/ Cinnamon latte
No-bake Blueberry Cheesecake
Date and Melon Shake

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Dairy free no-churn Pineapple and Coconut icecream

A dairy free substitute for lactose intolerant friends.

Course Desserts

Cuisine Continental

Prep Time 50 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1 Litre of Icecream

Calories 3311kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

• 2 cup coconut cream
• 2 cup coconut milk
• 2 cup chopped pineapples 200gm
• 2 tsp pineapple essence
• 2 pinch of salt
• Yellow food coloring optional
• 1 cup of coconut sugar or any that you prefer
• 4 tbsp of coconut shavings optional

Instructions

• Puree the pineapples in a food processor.
• Add the puree in a sauce pan, along with food color, sugar, and salt. Simmer the mix at medium flame for 3 to 4 mins.
• Add coconut milk to the sauce pan. And let it cook at medium flame for about 15 mins. Your mixture should reduce to a total of 2 cups.
• When your mix is ready, turn off the flame. Use a strainer to separate thick sauce from pulp. Cover both the liquid and the pulp with a cling wrap and keep in the refrigerator to chill overnight (12 to 24 hrs)
• Also keep a can of coconut cream in the fridge overnight as well. (12 to 24 hrs)
• Remove the cream can from the fridge. Remove the thick cream from the can carefully, trying to get as little liquid as possible. You will see watery liquid set at the bottom.
• With an electric beater, beat the coconut cream until light and fluffy.
• Fold in the pineapple sauce into the cream and beat for another 3 to 4 mins.
• Transfer the ice cream base into an airtight container, big enough to contain the ice cream and still have at least 1/4th free space to allow the icecream to expand.
• Keep the icecream into the freezer for 2 to 3 hours.
• Bring out the ice cream after 3 hours when half of the mix is solid and half is still liquid, and beat it with a blender to break all the ice crystals.
• Now add pineapple pulp all over ice cream and sprinkle coconut shavings.
• Cover and let it sit in the freezer for final hardening. Preferably overnight.
• Enjoy the next day.
  

Nutrition

Serving: 1litre | Calories: 3311kcal | Carbohydrates: 270g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 263g | Saturated Fat: 233g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 81mg | Potassium: 2922mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 193g | Vitamin A: 191IU | Vitamin C: 176mg | Calcium: 177mg | Iron: 27mg

The post Dairy free No churn Pineapple coconut ice cream appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

And even though, conventionally Sajji is made in an open fire, you can still make a kickass sajji in your own homes! All you need is an oven, some marinade and the will to make it! In this post I am going to tackle Chicken Sajji, and hopefully put up a post for lamb sajji soon!

How to make Chicken Sajji

Selecting the chicken for the best Sajji

For making the perfect Balochi Sajji, use chicken with skin on, with no cuts. I CANNOT EMPHASIZE this part ENOUGH! skin on my friend! SKIN ON! It will make the WORLD of a difference and give you the REAL authentic taste of a chicken Sajji. And here’s why

• Traditional Balochi Sajji is made on open fire right, for which an equivalent would be a slow roasted chicken in the oven. The skin will help to keep the juices of the chicken intact.
• A crispy outer skin and a soft and juicy meat on the inside is characteristic of a good sajji, which will only happen if you have the skin on.

If, for some dietary reasons, you are going to use chicken without skin, you’ll need to add cuts to the chicken along its length and on thighs, like you would do for a Lahori chargha. But other than that, IF there ISN’T a gun pointing to your head, you better get the chicken with skin on

(I will mention cooking methods for both kinds of chicken)

Step 2 – Brining the Chicken

Clean your chicken thoroughly, making sure you clean the cavity of any blood etc. Use your hand or a toothbrush to clean the cavity properly.

I DO NOT want you to skip this step. (imagine me with crazy eyes while I say this) Take the time and just do it! Brining adds moisture and salt to the chicken.

To make this brine I used salt, vinegar and enough ice cold water to submerge the chicken completely. Make sure all your salt is dissolved in the water. You don’t need to add other spices at this point, because we are going to add that later on.

Why are we brining the chicken?

• Brining ensures that your chicken will take up water and salt from your water bath and become super juicy and succulent.
• It also adds flavor to the flesh of the chicken because of the salt.
• It prevents your chicken from drying out when it is being slow roasted in the oven.
• The vinegar in this brine gets rid of any raw chicken smell and left over blood.
• Using cold water for brining helps to keep your chicken meat stay intact and avoids bacteria propagation.

How long should you brine for?

Ideally, a minimum of 5 hours of brining is needed for a whole chicken. For this sajji, brining time would be

A whole chicken less than or equal to 1 kg – 8 to 12 hours or overnight
Chicken for above 1 kg – 12 to 18 hrs.

Step 3 – Making the Sajji masala or Spice mix

For the spice rub, we will need the ingredients shown above. You can also use packet Sajji masala if it is available in your region.

• Start by dry roasting the seeds: Carom seeds (ajwain), Cumin seeds (zeera) and coriander seeds (sabit dhaniya). And then grind it coarsely.
• Then mix all the other dry ingredients in this seed mix: Salt, black pepper and cardamom powder (elaichi powder). This is your Sajji masala. We will use half of this masala for marination and reserve the other half to sprinkle on top once the chicken is cooked.
• Make a paste of lemon juice, green chilies, garlic ginger. Then add half of your spice mix to it. Your marinade is ready.

Step 4 – Marinating the chicken

Remove the chicken from your fridge and drain the brine. Rinse your chicken with COLD water inside and out. Pat your chicken down with a paper towel to absorb any moisture. Then marinate it with the spice rub we’ve made. Make sure to get all nooks and crannies and the cavity of the chicken.

You don’t need to let it marinate for long. Just 15 20 mins, till the chicken comes down to room temperature.

Step 5 – Roasting the chicken

Before roasting the chicken, you need to tie your chicken properly with a kitchen thread. This is calling Trussing your chicken. Here’s a video link to show you how you can truss your chicken properly. I used the regular thick embroidery thread to do so. But you can also use dental floss or layer a regular thread 3 to 4 times to thicken it and then use.

Roasting chicken with skin

For Chicken with skin we are going to go for slow roast. You can either use a rotisserie rod to attach your chicken to for a more even color. Or bake it in a baking tray. Either ways, keep your oven temperature to about 160 Degree C (320 F). It will take roughly 40 to 50 mins for your chicken to cook.
If you are baking it in a tray, flip your chicken over at the 20 to 25 min mark. (no covering the chicken or greasing the pan needed)

TIP: If you decide to use your rotisserie for the Sajji, place a tray or a pan below the chicken to catch any juices that may drip from the chicken.

You can even air fry it.

Roasting chicken without skin

For chicken without skin, grease a baking tray with oil and place your chicken. Cover the tray with foil and bake at 200 C (400 F) for 30 mins. Take the chicken out, remove the foil and slather some ghee or butter on the chicken. Place the chicken back in the oven and turn the top grill on for some color and bake for another 10 mins.

How to Check if the chicken is cooked properly?

The ideal way to check if the chicken is cooked, is by inserting a cooking thermometer in the thigh of the chicken. The temperature should read anywhere between 165-170 F or 75 C. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can pierce the chicken between the thigh and body and a clear juice should ooze out from the body.

Sajji is Served!

Let your chicken rest for 10 to 15 mins before cutting it open. Sprinkle some lemon juice and more sajji masala on top before serving. And dig in! Some people love Sajji with a good rice pulav, others (like me) enjoy with palak raita (spinach yogurt) and roti. and ofcourse sliced onions dipped in lemon.

Other great similar recipes to try at home

Lahori Chargha (Spicy roasted chicken)
Grilled Chicken Tikka
Spicy fish fry

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Balochi Chicken Sajji

A traditional mildly spiced recipe for a whole chicken from the province of Balochistan in Pakistan. Ideally made on open flame, this recipe is adapted to make Sajji at home.

Course Main Course

Cuisine South Asian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Additional Time 18 hours hours

Total Time 19 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1 2lb chicken

Calories 405kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken with skin on

Chicken Brine

• Cold water as needed
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 2 tbsp salt

chicken marinade

• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp black pepper powder
• 1 tsp Green cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp Coriander seeds
• 2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp carom seeds
• 4 green chilies
• cloves of garlic
• 1 inch pieces of ginger

Instructions

Brining the Chicken

• Clean the cavity of your chicken and wash it well.
• Place your chicken in a deep bowl or pot.
• Add salt and vinegar.
• Add enough cold water to submerge the chicken completely
• Make sure all the salt has dissolved. Keep the chicken in the fridge overnight or atleast 12 hours.
• After 12 hours, bring out the chicken and drain the brine. Rinse the chicken once and pat dry.
  

Chicken Marinade

• Dry roast coriander seeds, ajwayen and cumin seeds in a pan until coriander seeds turn slightly golden brown.
• Grind the spice mix coarsely. Add salt, black pepper powder and cardamom powder to the spice mix and mix well. This is your Sajji spice rub.
• In the same grinder, add lemon juice, green chilies and garlic ginger and blend well to form a paste.
• Mix only half of the spice mix with the chili paste to make a spicy paste.
• Coat the chicken with the spice paste well, covering the cavity and nooks and crannies.
• Let the cold chicken sit out marinated while it comes down to room temperature. (roughly about 15 to 20 mins)

Roasting The chicken

METHOD ONE – Rotisserie Chicken

• Truss the chicken with a thread or dental floss, trying its legs well and tucking the wings in.
• Secure the chicken to The rotisserie rod of your oven.
• Turn the oven on at 160 °C or 320 ° F and let the chicken cook for 40 to 50 mins or until the skin turns golden brown.

METHOD TWO – Oven Baked Sajji with skin

• Truss the chicken with a thread or dental floss, trying its legs well and tucking the wings in.
• Preheat the oven at 160 °C.
• Place chicken in a pan. And keep it in the middle rack of the oven.
• Bake for 20 mins on one side and then flip and bake for another 20 mins.
• CHICKEN WITHOUT SKIN
• Preheat the oven at 200 °C or 400 °F.
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper or spray with oil
• Place your chicken in the tray and cover with foil.
• Bake for 30 mins. Remove chicken sajji from the oven and remove foil. Coat the chicken with butter or ghee.
• Place chicken bake in oven with the top grill on. Bake for another 10 mins, flipping halfway through for even color.
• 
  To check if chicken is done, insert a cooking thermometer in the thigh of the chicken. It should read 165 to 175 ° C. Or you can also insert a knife in the partition between the thigh and breast, if clear juices ooze out, your chicken is done.
• Take the chicken out and let it rest for 10 to 15 mins before cutting in. Sprinkle the left over sajji spice mix and some lemon juice on top and serve.

Notes

More details can be found on the blog post.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 1200mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 11g

The post Best Balochi Chicken Sajji at home appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

I love how stir fries work beautifully for anyone who meal preps – I cant, for the life in me. But, if you are someone who stays on top of your meal-prep game, this ones for you. Its also super versatile! Which means, you can remix it any which way! Swap out the chicken or the veggies….(more on that later) You get the picture, let’s dive right in.

Is Pakistani Chicken Bell Pepper Stir fry a fusion recipe?

Traditionally, Pakistani/Indian food doesn’t exactly have “stir fries”. Our simple quick chicken/beef dishes are usually named after the utensil used for the cooking rather than METHOD of cooking. For eg. “chicken karhayi” where “karhayi” is a type of wok. So for that reason, and because of the special “chat masala”used in this recipe, it would be called a Fusion style recipe for all intent and purposes. If you are someone who is just starting to cook for yourself, or living away from family, this is the right starting recipe for you.

What pairs well with this pepper chicken stir fry

The best thing about stir fries are the endless pairing possibilities. You can eat it as is if you are in the mood for a low-carb dinner or pair it with some more filling options.

Here are a couple of ideas you can serve/have this fusion style Stir fry:

• Go Low Carb – Eat as is! IF you are watching your carb intake, just skip adding anything at all and dig right in with a fork!
• Quiona or Couscous – Both of these are types of carbs that you can pair your chicken with, if you are avoiding rice for any dietary reason.
• Rice – Add Plain or spicy Basmati or brown rice to make it a heartier meal.
• Noodles or pasta – Another great pairing! Simply toss some noodles in Chili oil and add the stir fry on top! Perfection!
• Tortillas/Roti and flat breads
• Side salad – Add more fibre with a leafy salad or a heartier option like the Asian Cashew Salad
• Potatoes – Regular and sweet potatoes are another cult favorite addition to make stir fries a meal. You can go baked, mashed, wedges, or fries! The fusion batata harra recipe I wrote, is MADE to be paired with this Chicken stir fry btw!
• Dips – Plain yogurt, Labneh, peri peri sauce, guacamole or sour cream. All great options!

My personal favorite combo is the spicy basmati rice, plain yogurt and
a crunch salad on the side. Such a hearty meal and legit feels so fancy that I’ve ended up putting it together for parties too!

Ingredients and Substitutes

Most of the ingredients used in the recipe are pretty straight forward and you most probably already have in your pantry. But, worry not, I STILL have given some alternatives for things you may not have. Keep reading

• Chat masala – Probably the only ingredient that you might not have, is this spice blend called Chat masala commonly used in many South Asian recipes. Chat masala is tangy and spicy and its ok if you don’t have any at hand. You can skip it altogether and just sprinkle some paprika and lemon juice at the end once the recipe is finished.
• Tomato paste – You can use ketchup too as an alternative. If you are into spicy food, and feel adventurous, you can also use Spicy schezwan sauce
• Bellpeppers – Technically, I’d have to say you can’t skip these because they are literally what the dish is named after. But hey this is a super versatile dish! do what you want! you can easily use any other vegetable you like to replace peppers or do a half and half scenario.
• Onions – Red onions add a mild sweetness to balance out all the flavors. Use any onions you have at hand. This is one ingredient I won’t recommend skipping, unless you have a dietary restriction.
• Vinegar – This adds a mild sour element and helps get rid of any smell the chicken might carry. You can use any vinegar you like, or use lemon juice.
• Cilantro – Coriander or cilantro is the herb of choice for this recipe. But if you are one of those who can’t stand cilantro ( I know a few), use parsley instead, its all good

How to make Spicy Chicken Stir Fry

It took me a total of 10 mins to make this recipe from start to finish. But I still labelled it as 15 min recipe to be safe. Here’s a quick pictorial to show you the simple steps you needs to do cook the chicken.

Some notes to keeps in mind while stir frying the chicken

• Use a wide pan or skillet to avoid overcrowding of the chicken or veggies. You can even use a wok or a grillpan.
• Like all good stir fries, this one is also made on medium high flame and cooks super fast! So make sure you have everything ready before you fire up your pan.
• When you add the vegetables in the stir fry, the spices automatically coat them and you don’t need to pre-season the vegetables.
• If you are afraid the recipe may be spicy for you, skip the chili flakes, you can always add it at the end if you feel the need.

FAQS

Can I use a different protein?

Since this is a quick stir fry, if you want to change your protein, it needs to be something that cooks just as quickly. Boneless fish or flank cut beef strips can both be used. You can also uses bone-in chicken but that may require addition of water and steam cooking for about 10 mins before adding vegetables.

Can I make this recipe less spicy?

Absolutely! You can reduce the spice level by skipping the green chilies and red chili flakes if you think this would be too much for you! You can always sprinkle red chili flakes towards the end, after you’ve done a taste test.

Can I make this in the oven?

OH absolutely! If you aren’t in the mood to cook on the stove, simply marinate all the ingredients together and pop it in the oven for a sheet pan style dinner. For best results allow atleast 1 hr marination, to overnight. Preheat oven at 200°C (390°F) and line a large baking tray with parchment paper, spraying with cooking oil. Place your marinated chicken and vegetables on top and spray with a little oil. You only need to bake for about 20 mins, with one halftime chicken toss. You can also broil for a min towards the end of the baking to give the charred finish.

Can I make this recipe vegetarian?

Like I said, super versatile! Swap the chicken out and use pre-boiled cauliflower florets insteads, OR if you like Paneer (Indian cottage cheese), you can use that too.

Can I grill them in an open flame?

I’ve used the same recipe to thread the chicken and vegetables onto skewer and make it on open grills during BBQ season. Turns out perfect every time!

How long can it last in the fridge?

Any raw marinated chicken can easily last in the fridge for 2 days before grilling it up. Once cooked, it can last for another 2 to 3 days, in a covered container.

Other recipes you might like

10 min chili garlic noodles
Dragon Chicken
Sweet and Sour chicken
More fusion style food

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Pakistani Chicken Stirfry

A simple Indian/Pakistani fusion style Chicken stir fry recipe using simple spices and vegetables, ready in 15 mins!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Fusion Food, pakistani

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2 servings

Calories 359kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder or garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon paprika or Kashmiri Red chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon blackpepper powder
• 1 teaspoon chat masala optional – see notes
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste or ketchup
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice

Other

• 300 gm boneless chicken breast cut up in small 2 inch cubes 3 breast fillets
• 1 medium red onion cut up in 1 inch squares 133 gm
• 2 cup bellpeppers cut in 1 inch squares 233 gms
• 2 tablespoon cooking oil or any neutral oil of your choice
• 2 serrano green chilies slit open into halves.

Instructions

• STOVE COOKING METHOD
• Marinate chicken cubes with all the ingredients in the "chicken marinade". Set aside for atleast 15 mins.
• Heat a large skillet/grill pan/ frying pan of your choice at medium high heat on the stove.
• Add oil and green chilies. Allow green chilies to change color slightly, takes around 1 mins.
• Add marinated chicken, spread out evenly around the pan and leave for 2 to 3 mins without touching or sauteeing.
• After 3 mins, when chicken forms a nice sear on one side, start sauteeing for another 2 mins or until chicken looks golden from all sides.
• Add peppers and onions. Saute for another 2 to 3 mins or until you reach the desired color of the vegetables you prefer. For a slight char on the edges, 2 to 3 mins is enough.
• Turn off flame and adjust seasoning according to your liking. At this stage you can add more lemon juice or chat masala if you like. You can also garnish with more chopped cilantro if you want.
• Serve as is, or with a side of yellow rice and plain yogurt, or tortillas or baked potatoes.
• OVEN BAKED STIR FRY
• Marinate chicken and vegetables together by mixing all the ingredients together in a giant bowl, including oil and green chilies.
• Allow marination for 15 to 20 mins, or overnight if you like.
• Preheat oven at 200°C (390°F).
• Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and spray with cooking oil. Place the marinated chicken and vegetables on top and spray with a little oil
• Bake for a total of 15 to 20 mins, tossing the chicken and veggies once at the 10 min mark.
• You can also broil for a min towards the end of the baking.
  

Notes

• You can skip chat masala if you don’t have any. Simply use a little extra paprika and lemon juice.
• You can also make this recipe vegetarian by using cauliflower florets or Paneer instead of the chicken.
• You can pair the stir fry with spicy rice and yogurt or eat it as is.
• Marinated chicken can stay in the fridge for upto 2 days and another 2 days after the chicken is cooked.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 359kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 846mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g

The post Spicy Chicken and Pepper Stir fry appeared first on Butter Over Bae.