Vegetable Jalfrezi

Vegetable Jalfrezi (spicy vegetable mix) - Or as I like to call it, "Vegetable Jal-Crazy," is one of the most popular dishes I have made for others.  I love it because it is vegetarian and FULL of healthy vegetables with a tiny bit of unhealthy frying.  Others love it because it melts in your mouth, has tons of flavor, and is simply "ma-za-dar" (delicious)!  I discovered it in a cook book my mother-in-law gave me (Zubeida Tariq, a well-known cook born in Hyderabad, India now in Karachi, Pakistan) and have always made a few minor modifications (along with some short-cuts).  I often get asked for the recipe, so here it is! :)

Chop up 1 small cabbage (or half of a really large cabbage) into 1" squares, 1 green pepper, quarter and separate layers of 1 large onion (or 2 small onions), and put in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, mix 1 Tablespoon sliced/peeled, fresh ginger, 2 thinly sliced green chilies, 1 Tablespoon white vinegar, ~1 Tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper.  You'll use this later ;).

Heat 1/2 cup of vegetable/canola oil with 4 whole, long red chilies in a large pot on medium heat.  Cook until dark red, flipping as needed.

(I used two above, because the person I made it for has NO spice tolerance...  If you, yourself, have this problem, I highly recommend using this amount or skipping this step all together.  If you love it spicy and your loved one does not, simply "baghar!" (see previous posts, or heat chilies in a small amount of oil until cooked) yourself 4 whole, long red chilies, and 2 chopped green chillies and add it at the end of the dish.)

Add your big bowl of vegetables in the hot oil and add a bag of frozen carrots/peas mix.  Stir fry for about 5 minutes.

Add the tiny bowl of seasoning/spices and fry until vegetables are softened (at least 10 minutes).

Meanwhile, slice up 2 small white or golden potatoes like french fries (pictured above).

In a separate small frying pan, pour enough vegetable/canola oil that it will cover the fries and heat up to medium/high heat.  Then add your sliced potatoes.  It will get all fun and bubbly.  :)  If this is your first time deep frying, be careful not to let the popping oil burn you as you put your potatoes in.  Be gentle, use the side of the pan to slide them in.  The less watery your potatoes are the less the oil will spatter.

When they turn a golden brown (pictured above), remove them with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel.

Add the potatoes to your jalfrezi mix, along with a 6oz can of Tomato Paste and an 8oz can of Tomato Sauce.  Also, add 1 teaspoon powdered cumin seed.

To be honest, I don't always add the entire 6oz of tomato paste unless the pot is really full of vegetables.  You don't want a watery jalfrezi, but at the same time, you want it to be saucy.  Whether you use half of the can or the full can, it will still be delicious -- I guarantee it!  Isn't Pakistani cooking amazing?

Cover the pot and cook on low heat for at least 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with ~1/2 cup fresh cilantro and serve with basmati rice.  :)

FarFar

This might seem a little odd to some people that I am making a post on how to make FarFar, but this is really for all the achi gori bivi's out there that would have no idea otherwise.  I had never even heard of this before and whenever I saw these colorful ringlets, I would simply think they were some weird macaroni or pasta noodle.  Wow, are they ever not macaroni.  Instead, they are more like rice puffs, only you are puffing them up yourself.  They work almost just like those '90s dinosaur capsule sponges that you put into water and watch them grow!

First, heat up a pan of vegetable oil so that it fills the base and would cover these small ringlets on medium/high heat.

Add your FarFar rings.

And watch them expand before your very eyes!!!

Quickly now, take them out and put them on a paper towel before they dry and before they burn!

Make more!

Serve with chai (tea) and something sweet (like chocolate zucchini cake)!  (I will maybe make another post sometime on how to make Kashmiri chai, pictured above).

Subzi Aloo (Vegetable Potato)

*Phew* My apologies for the 2 week hiatus...  Between the end of the year holidays and taking a week long trip to Minnesota, recipe blogging got pushed to the back burner.  I haven't forgotten though!  I am thoroughly enjoying keeping this blog and hearing all the wonderful feedback from people.  

Subzi Aloo (Vegetable Potato also known as Sabji Aloo) is a quick and easy vegetable dish using potatoes, peas, carrots, and tomatoes as your primary ingredients.  This is a great side dish (or main dish if you're vegetarian) to serve to guests when your main dish is gosht (meat).  

Start by chopping up a 1/2 onion (or 1 really small onion) and frying it on medium/high heat in about 1/4 cup of oil (it should cover the base of the pot and the onions) with 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds.

Next chop up two tomatoes...

...and chop up one medium sized potato (gold or white potatoes work best -- not those hefty Idaho baking potatoes... If you're going to go Idaho, get a small one and add 10 minutes to the cooking time).

When your onions look soft, add your tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes.

 It'll look like the above picture.

Next add your potatoes and half of a 10oz frozen bag of peas/carrots mix (if you want to do fresh, use 4 carrots, and 2 cups of peas).  Every achi bivi knows how to take short-cuts ;).  Add half a teaspoon of tumeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chili powder, and approximately 1 tablespoon of salt.  Bring to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes on low heat, covered.

Most of the liquid should have evaporated and it should look like the above picture.  Potatoes should be soft when a fork goes through them.

Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of garam masala and 2 green chilis.  Enjoy with naan or paratha!

Masoor Ki Daal

People often request this extremely simple recipe of lentils, Masoor Ki Daal (Lentils).  It was the first Pakistani recipe that I made by myself and one that continues to be a favorite.  If I haven't gone grocery shopping and I don't know what to make, I can always make this inexpensive, filling, quick and delicious recipe.

My husband first introduced me to this recipe by telling me it was "humble food."  Lentils and rice are the staple diet in Pakistan.  Not something that people would typicaly serve at a davvat and not something that most Pakistanis would consider amazing.  However, for him, it was amazing.  It reminded him of home and memories that had long passed.  He loves the beautiful simplicity of the dish and to this day finds it to be absolutely perfect.

We joke a bit because while this isn't something I would make for an invitation with other Pakistanis, it is almost always on the menu for westerners.  It's mild, it's simple, it's fast, and I've yet to meet a westerner that didn't like it.  

 Start by washing 2 cups of Masoor Daal (red lentils) until the water runs clear in a medium sized pot.

Add 4 cups of water, 1/2 teaspoon of tumeric powder, 1 teaspoon of red chili powder, and about a tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil.

Almost cover.  By almost cover, I mean, put the lid on, but don't seal it (pictured above) so some of the water can evaporate.  Reduce to a simmer for approximately 20 minutes.

Lentils should be soft and mushy and most of the water will have evaporated (pictured above).

Let the lentils stay on simmer while you make the...(do you know what this is yet???)  BAGHAAR!!!  Add 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, and about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a small pan.

Cook on medium/high heat until golden brown.

Pour over your lentils while yelling, "BAGHAR!!!  BAGHAR!!!"  By yelling, it will enhance the flavors.

Stir in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and turn off the stove.

Pour into a bowl and serve over plain white, basmati rice.

You can also serve it with half of a sliced onion soaked in lemon juice.  Frankly, I won't eat Masoor Ki Daal without it...!!

This same recipe can be used with a different type of masoor lentils that are darker, but you have to cook them for about an hour instead of 20 minutes.

The darker lentils have a more solid texture than the mushy red lentils, but both taste great over rice.  

What a blessing to be able to eat simple, delicious, healthy, and inexpensive food!

Hyderabadi Baigan

This is a recipe that I have been making quite often (almost once a week, my husband loves it).  Hyderabadi Baigan ("Eggplant from Hyderabad, India") is an excellent side dish for any davvat and is sure to impress your Pakistani native guests.  Soft, melt-in-your-mouth eggplant in a saucy, savory mix.  It has a medium difficulty level and requires several steps to complete, however, if you are reading this blog, you will be well-equipped!  ;)  I learned this recipe while watching my mother-in-law make it and it is one of our family favorites.

I'll never forget when it was made for some family members from the Hyderabad area and they exclaimed that it tasted just like home.  This is indeed, the real deal.

To start, slice a medium onion and put it in enough vegetable/canola oil to cover the base of a large pot (about 1/2 cup).  Cook on medium/high heat until limp and slightly browned on the edges.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked onions and put them in a food processor with about a three-quarter cup of water.  Puree the onions and water into a paste and leave them there for now...

Take 6 LARGE Indian eggplants (the largest ones you can find-- size of a fist or larger!  If you can only find smaller ones, use 7 or 8) and slice a plus sign in them all the way to the stem without going through the stem.

Like this.

Then gently put the eggplants in the oil and cook on medium/high heat, rotating them on each side until they look flat/soft.  The above picture is what they look like when finished.  Remove them from the oil and set aside.

Next take a separate small pan and add 3 Tablespoons of coconut powder, 3 Tablespoons of sesame seeds, 7 fenugreek seeds, 1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds, 1 1/2 teaspoons of cumin seeds, 8 whole peanuts, and 8 whole almonds (I didn't have peanuts, so I just used about 12 almonds instead) and roast on medium/high heat.

Using a spatula or wooden spatula, roast the seed mix until everything is golden brown.  It will start snapping and when it looks like the above picture, you can remove the heat.

Next, put your seed mixture into a coffee grinder and grind into a fine powder (it's okay if there are some almond or peanut chunks, but try to get it as small and fine as possible).

It will look something like the above picture.

 Add your seed mixture to the onion paste in the food processor and puree (this will also chop up the peanuts or almonds better if needed).

Pour the mixture into the large pot with the oil (that was used earlier for the onions and eggplant) and add 5 curry leaves, 1 teaspoon of ginger/garlic paste, 1 teaspoon of red chili powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of tumeric powder.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot, boil about 2 tablespoons of wet tamarind in about a cup of water.  If you are an achi bivi and can handle it, you can do this step while you're frying the onions or frying the eggplant to save time.  Once the seeds have loosened from the tamarind, you can mush them out with your hand.

Almost forgot to take a picture of all the garbage you should take out of your tamarind...  I know, it looks like guts up there, but I thought you'd want to know.  There's all kinds of weird things in tamarind that you want to get out.  My mother-in-law JUST told me, by the way, that I can use a tamarind paste that is already made...  That I didn't have to buy this thick stuff and mush out all the guts...  ...  So...  You can try that too ;).

In any case, add the good parts of your tamarind to the large pot, add about a tablespoon of salt, and cook covered for 10 minutes on medium heat.  Do a taste test at this point.  The sauce should taste spicy, salty, and like your seed mixture.  You should be able to taste all three of those things evenly.  If you can't, add a little bit of what's missing until you do.  Most of the time, with the recipe I've provided, I don't have to add anything.

 Next add your fried eggplant back into the large pot and cook covered for another 10 minutes.

Chop up some green chillis (2) and ~1/2 cup of fresh cilantro for garnish and serve with naan or paratha!

 Viola!  A lot of steps, but once you make it a regular part of your achi bivi life, it is a LOT easier.