Apple Walnut Cake

Once again a prolonged absence from active blogging. I have enough reasons for my being busy, the main one being that I am into a new project in my office. New work means new challenges and I'm focussed right now on getting myself acquainted to learning new things. However, I had the weekend to myself and was able to prepare for the Blog Hop. So, here goes my entry for this week's Blog Hop.

This time I got the oppurtunity to visit Jayasri's Samayal Arai. A very versatile blogger - one finds a variety of food from pastas to couscous. I find her blog a global one, with many types of food from across the world. Browsing through her recipes and reading her write-ups was a pleasant experience. She has an impressive collection of eggless baking recipes too. So, I tended towards trying one of her baked goodies.

My choice was to try the Eggless Apple Walnut Bread. But, just while preparing, I found that I had actually ran out of flax seed meal. However, I just went ahead to bake it anyway trusting heavily on the other ingredients mentioned in the recipe. I made quite a few changes to the recipe and hence I'm providing the recipe below. This is a jist of the measurements I used. The original recipe can be found here and feel free to experiment.

Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 150g (1 cup)
Whole Wheat flour - 100g (3/4 cup)
Butter - 40g
Cinnamon - 1/4 tsp
Nutmeg - 1 tsp
Apple Puree/Apple Sauce - 1 cup
Vanilla Essence - 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda - 2 tsp
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Buttermilk - 150ml
Sugar - 100g
Maple Syrup - 4 tbsp
Walnuts - a handful (coarsely chopped)
Salt - a pinch

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C. Butter a pound cake tin and keep it ready.

In a bowl, sift together the two flours along with the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Keep it aside.

Take the buttermilk, apple puree, melted butter and the maple syrup in a blender and give it a pulse just to make them come together as a single thick liquid.

In a large bowl, take the blended liquid items. Add vanilla essence and sugar and whisk it for a minute with a hand blender.

To this, add the sifted flour little by little, whisking gently. Throw in the chopped nuts and fold them along.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin and bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Verdict:
The bread's consistency and taste resembled mostly that of a cake. It was so sooo soft and fragile that it just melted in my mouth. With the apt amount of sweetness and aroma, it was an absolute pleasure to the palates. I would like to just repeat Jayasri's statement - it is the softest cake that I've ever baked.

I never felt the absence of egg or even the flax sead meal in the cake. I would definitely be baking it again and thanks a ton Jayasri for providing such a wonderful eggless treat.

A small note: The original recipe calls for about 30-35 minutes of baking. My oven took however longer. Please adjust according to your oven settings. Sending this lovely cake to Tickling Palate's Blog Hop Wednesday - V and Ramya's Recipe's ABC Series - A for Apple.

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Dulce de Leche Brownies

I can't believe it is time again for the next Blog Hop round. Time - it flies by incredibly fast. Not just initiating the event, Radhika of Tickling Palates does a remarkable job by sending remainder mails to all the participants just in time. This is of immense help to someone like me, who always run after things at the last minute. There by, here is my update for today's Blog Hop Wednesday.

This time, I got to follow Divya's EasyCooking. She is a very established blogger and an experienced cook, blogging since 2008. That is, more than three and a half years!! It is really inspirational to see such bloggers. I suppose her passion towards cooking is what drives her. Keep going Diyva!

Initially, it was a little confusing what to try from the mighty number of more than 480 posts. But then, the situation was so, that I could easily pick out one. We were invited to a friends' house on Saturday, as their parents have come over to visit them here in Germany. So, I wanted to bake something for them and take along. Thus, I confined my search to baking. Thanks to her excellent recipe index, I got what I was looking for.

I selected this absolutely yummy-licious brownies. I had some Argentinean Dulce de Leche, sitting in my fridge and this looked like an excellent opportunity to put it into good use. Ever since I got to know about Dulce de Leche, I'm in love for that. In Frankfurt, it was not a problem to find an Argentinean shop where you get ready made yet authentic Dulce de Leche and you don't have to make the boiling condensed milk experiments and all. I've already baked some muffins with them which were gorgeous. This time, these pretty Dulce de Leche Brownies caught my attention and I gave a try.

I was contemplating for quite some time what to substitute for the eggs in this recipe. Silken Tofu had been a good substitute many a times. Unfortunately, I didn't have it at hand. I was not sure what else would work best without compromising the taste and texture. Time was running and I had to get them ready before evening. After much thought, I gave up and just used eggs. In fact, I was baking for friends and I'm more than happy if they like it [though I can't taste it :( ].

The original recipe can be found here. I followed all the measurements exactly as mentioned, except adding Dulce de Leche a bit more generously. The spreading of DDL on the brownie batter was real fun. I waited an anxious 30 minutes. The result was visibly wonderful. I just let it cool completely, took few snaps quickly and off to the party.

The verdict from the friends was that it tasted absolutely wonderful. My husband was glad to describe more precisely. He found that the brownies tasted a little bit on the bitter side, yet very very tasty to his palates. He found little islands of soft DDL in the brownies which added more to the taste, along with the crunchy nuts in between. The texture was soft and just like he would expect a brownie to be. What more to say?!

I just can't wait for the day when I would try an eggless version of these beauties. Waiting to secure the next pack of DDL again. Ya ya, it makes me get indulged!! But, who wouldn't want to? As a small note, I would like to add that as Divya suggests, if you have the time I mean, refrigerate them overnight and warm a little before serving. You would definitely love them!! Sending this to Blog Hop Wednesday IV.

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Bodensee

I'm back with a travel post this time!! We had taken holidays last week in view of Eid ul Fitr. This time, we were invited to our friends' house in the north of Germany. After prayers on Tuesday, we set out to their house and had a good time there. We returned home next day evening. The rest of the week was still there and it was almost like summer was slowly waving a goodbye. We wanted to go out somewhere and it was a spontaneous plan and we're glad we did it.

Constance (Konstanz in German) is a small city located on the banks of Bodensee. So, what is Bodensee? It is the third largest fresh water lake in Europe, known just as The Lake Constance in English. Not to be confused with the ones by the same name in the USA and Canada. The lake forms a natural boundary between the three countries - Germany, Switzerland and Austria. It is to the south of Germany bordering the states of Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg and is fed by the River Rhine flowing from the Alps into the south of the lake. The lake is a beauty by itself, a favourite spot in Summer for sailors, sport lovers and tourists.

We started on Saturday morning by car. It was a longer drive than expected due to weekend traffic. Around 3 in the afternoon, we reached Constance and checked into our hotel. Our initial stop was to the Mainau Island. It is a small island in the lake on the German side. The entire island is maintained as a garden and is fondly called the Blumen Insel Mainau (The flower island Mainau). As the name suggests, the island is studded with numerous beautiful flowers. We reached the island by a ferry running from Constance. Right from the entrance, it is all fragrant and colourful everywhere you turn around. Different flowers bloom in different seasons. This time, Dahlias were in full bloom.

My husband was busy trying to capture all those nature's beauties into his lenses. Even I was making my own round with my mobile clicking around with excitement. There are good round trip suggestions for everyone around the island. One can easily cover the entire island by walk in a couple of hours. It was a very memorable walk through the gardens. There is a little area called Schmetterlinghaus (Butterfly house). Could you imagine how much I was amused? It housed many lovely colourful butterflies - big and small, flying all around. We were glad we got some nice clicks of these winged beauties too. The trip back to Constance on the ferry with the decorative lightings in the evening was again wonderful and memorable.

The next day was expected to be raining. We rightly chose to stay indoors and made a visit to the Sea Life. Sea Life is a chain of aquariums in Europe and the USA. It was in my wish list for a long time to visit the aquarium. The life under water is always a fascination to me. Do you know the octopuses are highly intelligent and have a good memory and problem solving skills? Do you know the sharks must always keep swimming so as to avoid sinking?

We got to see lot of flora and fauna in the aquarium including star fish, jelly fish, clown fish (the Nemo fish), rays, sharks, turtles, sea horses, octopuses and of course, penguins and lots of other small and large fishes. I also got to touch a star fish and it was an extra-ordinary experience. The aquarium is surely a great experience for children and adults alike!!

After lunch, we started our drive back to home. It was mostly raining during the travel, but the traffic was quite ok. Thus, our holidays came to an end and from Monday, back to work and the routine continues. Yet, it was a memorable little picnic during the weekend and I'm eager to make another little trip. Hopefully soon!! :)

Information:
Insel Mainau
Sea Life at Constance
Lake Constance Wiki
Mainau Wiki

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For the 7 links challenge

I've been blogging for quite some time now and it is a time to reflect upon my work so far. Priya of Now Serving has invited me to play the game of the 7 links challenge. Thank you Priya for giving me this wonderful opportunity, where I get the chance to look back and do a self-rating of my posts so far.

1. The most beautiful post

This one has been real tough. Each post has been written with commitment and prepared with compassion. When both these elements come together, the end result would indeed be beautiful. Anyhow, for the game's sake, let me name a couple of them which are close to my heart: Bruges

and Hello in there

2. The most popular post

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies - This one was quite easy to choose. I just oriented myself on the number of comments received.

3. The most controversial post.

I do not have any.

4. The most helpful post.

Lamb Biryani - Most of our friends who have visited us and tasted this Biryani have liked it and asked for the recipe. However good we explain, a written recipe is always better. I think, this is also my longest post so far. I am happy that I have taken the pains to write down all the step by step instructions with pictures and documented it for ever, so that anyone can refer to it anytime. That way, it rightly deserves to be called the most helpful post.

5. A post that was surprisingly successful.

Kohlrabi Dhal Curry - I never expected this post would gain so much popularity. I have also noted that many google search has directed to this post of mine and I'm of course, happy about that.

6. A post that did not get the attention it deserves.

Risotto ai Funghi - This is a very yummy Italian recipe, which I'm also proud of getting it right at the very first try. Back then, I did not have as much as readers as today and so it naturally went less noticed.

7. A post I am most proud of.

Basil Pesto - There are many reasons why I'm proud of this post. Trying a dish from a foreign cuisine is not always easy. That too making it the traditional way is quite a challenge. I'm glad that it tasted very authentic and lasted long on my very first try. Apart from that, the snaps have come out beautiful and it was the first one to be accepted by Foodgawker ;-)

Hope you continue to support my blogging journey as ever. So, why end the fun here? I'm taking the privilege to tag the following fellow bloggers too:

1. Shilpi Bose of It is Tasty Ma
2. Nashira of Plateful
3. Priya Sreeram of Bon Appetit
4. Nisha of Look Who's Cooking too
5. Ambreen of Simply Sweet 'n Savoury
6. Umm Mymoonah of Taste of Pearl City
7. Aipi of US Masala

And hey, the list is not limited. If you have not yet been tagged, but feel like it is fun to share your thoughts, feel free to join the challenge. :)

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Raisins Bread Knots

It was a wonderful month of Ramadan. I still can't believe it is over very soon. Eid was on Tuesday for us. It was a lovely day and on the Almighty's grace, it went on very well. We had been invited to a friends' house in the north of Germany. After prayers, we set out there and we had a memorable time there. We returned home only very late last night. This post is exclusively for the Blog Hop Wednesday, a blog event by Radhika of Tickling Palates. Even before Eid, I explained my situation to her and she kindly gave me one day excuse. So, I'm posting for the event today.

This time, I got the opportunity to visit Neha's blog - From my heart. Her blog is young, but within a short time, she has posted some really wonderful and unique recipes. I really liked a few of them and had a tough time choosing. At last, I asked my husband to pick one. He finally closed in on these cute little bread knots.



The original recipe can be found here. I followed it almost exactly, except for the following changes:

• I omitted washing the bread knots with egg-whites. Instead, I brushed the knots with a little olive oil before baking. This gave the knots a beautiful upper crust.
• I added some raisins along with the flour while kneading, which was a great idea indeed. We really loved biting into those sweet pieces. (Ok baba, I admit, it was my husband's idea!!) 
• I used Nigella seeds instead of Basil seeds.

I enjoyed preparing these pretty knots very much. They were easy to make, but tasted great. Initially, I wondered how to make those knots, but later realized that it doesn't really matter. It was fun twisting and turning the dough. Unleash your creativity and you get wonderful shapes. I think, most of mine turned out to be like snails rather than knots. As I said, it really doesn't matter. We took some of these to our friends too and they too liked it a lot.



It is best served warm. You can either bite into them as such or enjoy with marmalade or honey. A dash of honey is my personal choice. Have it as breakfast or as tea time snacks. I'm sure you would like them either way. Sending this to Blog Hop Wednesday - Week 3.

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Broccoli Coriander Curry

Last few Sundays have been quite busy for me. I had been cooking something specifically for blogging. Waking up on a Sunday morning, the next thought would be what to cook for the evening (Iftar), what are the things I have at hand and how to get it to blogging. I would keep watch over the sky to see if it is cloudy or sunny. After the usual cleaning works, I would happily start cooking, then arrange the items and shoot... It is all such fun, you know.

If at all I have a little bit of that enthusiasm when it comes to writing the post. Sigh... After all these, I would not have the slightest inclination to write the post on Sunday itself and would tend to procrastinate. Weekdays have never been better. After a tiring day at work, the body and mind just wants to relax rather than sitting up with the laptop. I don't know how many of you feel the same. But, I, the lazy goose, am still learning to be better organized :)

Now, coming to last week's work. I found a few pods of butter beans in the farmer's market. I was more than excited. I absolutely love those creamy crunchy butter beans I have tasted in India. Those I found here had beautiful purple patterns. I thought of trying some different curry with them rather than a stir fry. I had some ideas in my mind and was determined to give a try. I put the butter beans in a pressure cooker and started preparing the curry in parallel.

The curry was developing exactly like I wanted it to be. After some time, I opened the cooker only to find the beans overcooked. Ooooppss... It was a disaster :( They turned out to be so mushy that they would not survive the stirring with the curry. Nevertheless, they tasted good and I just added some ground pepper and saved them aside. Ok, I learnt a lesson. Now, what to do with the curry, it is indeed good!!

An idea sparked suddenly on my mind. I had some frozen broccolis. Just added them to the curry and cooked along. The end result was very tasty and it made up for all the distress I had a little while ago. This is the story behind this curry. Now, let's get straight to the recipe.

Cooking Time: 30 mins
Serves: 2 to 3

Ingredients:
To grind:
Coriander leaves/Cilantro - a small bunch
Cashew - 10 pieces
Onion - 1 big or a handful of small shallots
Green chillies - 2

Cinnamon - 2 small sticks
Cardamom - 3 pieces
Cloves - 3 pieces
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Broccoli florets - 400 g
Coconut milk - 3 tbsp

Method:
Wash and chop the coriander leaves. Chop the shallots/onion and green chillies finely. Take all these along with the cashews in a blender and blend to a smooth paste adding very little water.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Now, add the ground paste and sauté till the raw smell of onion fades off. Now, add the ginger and garlic paste to it and sauté for a few more minutes.

Add the cut and clean Broccoli florets, stir and cover the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes in medium heat. Give a stir again, add the coconut milk and cook till the florets are cooked, but still crunchy. Give a final stir and switch off the heat.

Garnish with coriander leaves or nuts and/or a dash of cream and serve hot with steamed rice or roti.

Notes:

• Instead of coconut milk, you can use about 3 tbs of grated coconut. If so, you can grind it along with the coriander leaves and shallots.
• In my humble opinion, shallots give a better taste to the dish than onions.

As I said, this curry originated out of the blue in my mind. So, feel free to adapt it to your taste buds with various other veggies and ingredients too. We had this curry with Roti and later with Rice too. It was very creamy, tasty and aromatic. We were glad that we had a simple, tasty yet healthy vegetarian dish. Hope you like it too :)

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Haleem

A bit relaxation for a few days. And again, the stressful times are back. The project schedules keep me busy with office works. Sometimes, at home too. :( Nevertheless, I do not want to miss my first opportunity to participate in the Blog Hop Wednesday, an exciting event started by Radhika of Tickling Palates. A big thanks to her!! This is a great idea and she is doing a great job organizing things for this. Hats off to Radhika!!

Anxiously, I looked up the chart to find whose blog I should be visiting this week. A sweet surprise!! It was none other than Umm Mymoonah's Taste of Pearl City. Oh, what do I say!! She was one of the two inspirations for me to start a blog in the first place. I fondly call her "my Blog Guru". Whatever doubts I have with blogging, I always look up to her and she patiently explains things to me. With two naughty little kids at home, what she has accomplished in a short time is just admirable!

Well, her blog is the one that I most often visit. I have already tried numerous things out of her treasure box. To name a few, Garlic Rolls (read my post here), Kalakand, Polenta Idli, Prawn Gravy, Ataif bil Ashta and many many more. Besides, I have a few bookmarked pages too. So, for this event, I gladly picked one out of the list which I had been eyeing for quite some time now - Haleem.

I came to know about this Hyderabadi speciality only through her blog for the first time. Before trying, I was not sure if it was a gravy or a soup. I think, it is both. Meat, usually lamb is cooked very slowly for a long time, along with wheat and lentils flavoured by Indian spices. This way, the meat becomes soft and shredded, combined with the spices to give a thick soup like consistency.

I cooked Haleem during the weekend itself, as I knew I wouldn't be able to manage it during the weekdays. See, now it is 11pm and I'm still writing the post with half closed eyes.

The original recipe can be found here. I almost followed the same except for a few changes. We absolutely loved the Haleem. We had it for Iftar along with Turkish bread. And later for Sahr too as a soup. It was very filling and tasty.

My Notes:

• I used about 750g meat. So, I doubled the quantity of ingredients.
• Like Umm Mymoonah, I cooked Haleem in pressure cooker only. Seven whistles were enough for the meat to be finely cooked.
• With time, the Haleem thickened. So, I thinned it a little bit for our second serving.
• It is best served warm.

On the whole, we loved it so much. It was a welcome change to the normal curry that we usually prepare. I would be definitely making it again. :)

As an ending note, for those who are curious about what my other inspiration for blogging is - it is none other than my husband - the backbone of this blog. :)

I'm sending this entry to Blog Hop Wednesdays, Lubna's Joy from Fasting to Feasting IV Jabeen Corner's Iftar Nights. Signing off now guys. See you next time soon :)

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Basil Pesto

It has been one week into Ramadan. On the Almighty's grace, the past week has been really good. Though it ought to be simmering hot in August here, with temperatures soaring as high as 35°C, this year has been very different. Pleasant sunshine keeps alternating with cool showers followed by mild soothing breeze in the evenings. I don't know how long this could last, but as long as it lasts, my spirits are high are bright.

The good thing about the long days here is that, I get enough time. I mean, after returning from office, I'm finding ample time to prepare for Iftar. We didn't have busy plans for the weekend too. It was quite relaxing to be at home. As with most of you, I have a loooong list of things to be tried. One among them is to make Home-made Pesto. Last Sunday proved to be a perfect time to try that.

Basil - hmmm... the name itself smells fresh, unique and exotic. I was introduced to this excellent herb only in Germany, by the name Basilikum. I was so much attracted to this lovely smelling herb that I wanted to put my favorite Mint in the second place. Did I really wanted to? Ohh, I'm not sure myself! Anyways, I wondered why I missed Basil all these years in India. Whenever visiting a tourist place or even in my office canteen, Pasta with Basil Pesto has been my option so many times. I must confess, it saved me from starving, many a times.

Even at home, when preparing Pasta, Basil pesto remained my favourite. But, I had been using store bought Pesto sauce till now, which of course, was good too. Nevertheless, the craving to make Pesto at home lingered for a long time. So, I made it a point to buy lot of Basil leaves this weekend. I got two bunds of fresh Basil leaves from the farmer's market. You know what, the entire kitchen caught the fresh smell in the little time it was exposed to.

Making our own Pesto could be as simple as 'mix and blend'. It could also be as time consuming as preparing a party meal. The trade-off lies in how authentic and flavourful you want your end product to be. I read in several pages over the internet and was convinced, to make something close to the authentic Italian Pesto, it takes patience and commitment!!



Some suggest to chop the Basil leaves sooooo long into tiny tiny pieces, that it resembles a blended one. Some suggest to just grind the Basil leaves little by little in a mortar and pestle. So, I decided to combine the both. Here is a draft of how I prepared my Pesto.

Preparation Time: 30 to 45 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
Fresh flat leaf Basil - 2 bunds
Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves
Pine nuts - 50g
Parmesan Cheese - 150g
Extra virgin Olive oil - 150 to 200 ml
Walnuts - a few pieces
Salt and pepper - to taste

Method:
Separate the Basil leaves from the stalks. Wash and let them dry. Dry roast the pine nuts very lightly and keep ready.

Take a really sharp knife and a cutting board. Start chopping a little of the Basil leaves. Now, add a garlic piece and chop together. Add more Basil leaves and chop again. Add a few pine nuts and chop together. This way, keep chopping the Basil leaves together with garlic pieces and pine nuts little by little. You can add walnuts in-between. This might take well about 20mins, depending on your chopping talent :p

Grate the parmesan into thin strands. Now, take a mortar and pestle. Add a little of the chopped leaves and about a spoonful of cheese and grind together, just to blend them well. This would infuse the taste of Parmesan into the Basil. Do not press too much, as it might darken the pesto. Collect in a bowl. Repeat the process with the rest of the leaves.

Now, add required amount of olive oil till you get the desired consistency. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Your hand-made pesto is now ready. :)

Mix the required amount of Pesto with your favourite freshly prepared Pasta. You can store the Pesto in a fully sterilized bottle, covered with a layer of oil and keep in the refrigerator.

Note:

• All the measurements I have given above are completely indicative. You can vary the measurements according to your requirements and taste.
• Original Genovese Basil leaves are flat and young. You can try with any kind of Basil leaves, as per availability and the taste is said to vary accordingly.
• I used just 2 garlic cloves of the size shown in the picture. If you do not like too much garlic, just go light on it.
• Try combining with coriander and mint leaves too for a taste pep. Sure, they would taste even better.
• You can add almonds, cashews too. Walnuts are again optional.

There might be reasons for you to think that this is not for you. Like, you might not have so much time to put into pesto making. Or, you might not possess a mortar and pestle, nor a sharp knife. In that case, just put all the ingredients mentioned in a food processor/blender and blend to the right consistency. Adjust oil to the right consistency. But believe me, the hand-made one is surely worth the try.

I'm sending this delicious Pesto to PJ's Herbs and Flowers: Basil guest hosted by Kaarasaaram. The easy version goes to Taste of Pearl City's Anyone can Cook Series 29.

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Zereshk Pulao

Ramadan, the holy month, has arrived. Fasting during the month of Ramadan from dawn until dusk is obligatory for all Muslims who have reached their age. It is a month not only to refrain from food and drinks. It is a month to practice "purity in thought and deed" and to seek the pleasure of the Almighty. So, on this month, may we be kind to our fellow beings and may we be forgiving as to be forgiven.

Ramadan again reminds me of the wonderful times in India. We used to get up on the early morning hours for Sahr(morning food before fasting) and as a family sit together at the dining table and eat something light. Then we recite the Niyyat together followed by prayer. I would then go to school/college. At the evening, when I reach home, mom would be preparing some delicacies and getting ready for Iftar(breaking the fast). Right after sunset, we would break fast, pray and eat afterwards. The menu for Iftar would usually contain some cool drinks, sweets and lots of fruits. It is good to go light on it again. Sometimes, my dad would bring the special Kanji (நோன்பு கஞ்சி), a kind of rice porridge, from the mosque. Ohh!! I can still remember the aroma and flavor of the light but filling Kanji. I am not sure if this practice is followed in other parts of India. Those of you in Tamilnadu, who have tasted this would really relate to what I mean.



For the past three years, I am seeing Ramadan in Germany. I must confess, I'm definitely missing being with the family and all the above things. However, the past Ramadans were quite good. This year, Ramadan has come in peak summer. The day is long leading to longer fasting times. My mother-in-law beautifully said, "More fasting... more blessings!!". So, we are taking this as a great motivation to fast enthusiastically. You know what, today my husband prepared the same Kanji at home. Do I really need to tell you how it tasted? :) I felt like I was back in India!!

Now, coming to the post. This was our lunch last Sunday. This is a Persian rice dish. My husband, when he was studying in Germany, was sharing accommodation with another Iranian guy, who used to prepare this dish often. My husband picked up the recipe from him. It is a simple yet flavorful rice Pilaf prepared with Berberis (also called, Barberries) and Saffron. Zereshk in Persian refers to the dried Berberis fruits. They impart a slightly tart flavor to the Pilaf, traditionally accompanied by chicken. Let me go straight into the recipe now.

Preparation: 15-20 mins
Cooking: 30 mins

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 500 g
Barberries - 100 g
Onion - 1 medium sized, thinly sliced
Cardamom and Cloves - a few (a little indian touch)
Cumin - 4 tsp
Sugar - 3 tbsp
Ghee/Oil
Milk - 1/2 cup (lukewarm)
Saffron strands
Salt to taste

Method:
Clean and wash the basmati rice, drain and keep aside. Add few strands of saffron to the luke warm milk and set aside.

Clean and rinse the barberries in cold water by placing them in a colander and allow barberries to soak for 15-20 minutes. Take the colander out and run cold water over the barberries, drain and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee/oil in a pan, add 2 tsp of cumin, a few cardamom, cloves and leave it to splutter. Then add the sliced onion and sauté until the onions turn golden brown. Now add the barberries and sauté just for a minute over low heat; otherwise the barberries burn easily. Finally, add the sugar, mix well, and set aside.

Now place the drained rice in a rice cooker or a vessel with twice as much of water. Add 2 tsp of cumin, 1 tbsp of oil and enough salt and cook it until its 2/3 done. Drain rice in a fine-mesh colander and set aside.

In a heavy bottomed vessel heat 2 tbsp of ghee/oil. Add a thin layer of rice and a few spoons of the saffron-milk. This will form a tender crust at the bottom of the vessel when the rice is completely done. This tender crust is known as tah dig. Add the rest of the rice in the vessel, sprinkle a few spoons saffron-milk over the rice; cover it with a clean kitchen towel and a tight lid. This will avoid any steam escaping from the vessel. Cook the rice covered like this for 10-15 minutes over medium low heat.

Remove the vessel from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. This will also free crust from the bottom of the vessel.



Serving:
Take 2-3 scoops of cooked rice and mix it with saffron-milk and set aside for garnishing. Then take 2/3 of the cooked rice and mix it gently with 2/3 of the barberry mixture. Then arrange the plain rice on a serving platter in alternating layers with the barberry mixture. Finally, decorate the top with the saffron-flavored rice, some of the barberry mixture, cashews and pistachios.

Voila! you have great looking platter of Zereshk Pulao. This pulao goes well with Chicken Tandoori and Raita. I personally feel, it would be equally good with tandooored Paneer or Bagara Baingan too. :)

Note:
If you don’t like the barberries to be too sweet, adding just about 2-3 tbsp of sugar would be enough,  and that should be good. If you like more you can adjust the measure to your taste.

I'm happily sending this recipe to the following events:
Iftar Moments by Taste of Pearl City, Iftar Nights by Jabeen's Corner and Food Palette Series Black by ToriewToronto and Lubna's Joy from Fasting to Feasting IV.

I'm also sending my Lamb Biryani, Printen and Strawberry Shortcake Cookies to Iftar Nights by Jabeen's Corner.

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Lamb Biryani

Biryani - even the word sounds exotic, smells aromatic and promises a yummy treat, doesn't it? If you ask me to define Biryani, I could use only one word. Royal! Yes, of course. Being born in an Indian islamic family, I was very well accustomed to Biryani right from childhood. Though we were no royals, we were never denied of this treat on every special occasion. Be it a wedding, a house warming function, on Eid, on Birthdays or even for special guests - every now and then, I used to get an opportunity to lay my hands on Biryani even as a child. But, back then, I never understood the historical influences or the geographical significances behind this lovely one pot meal.

India is a land of rich history, whose culture is varied, strongly influenced by the many invaders in the past. Biryani is said to have got its origin in India during the Mughal dynasty. It is an aromatic rice dish flavored by a blend of rich spices cooked along with meat or vegetables, specially prepared for the royals. With changing times, slowly this dish gained popularity and started spreading to many parts of India. Taking in the many likes and dislikes of the regional cuisines and availability of spices, Biryani metamorphosed and thus many varieties of Biryani came into existence.

Hey hey, I'm not going to write a thesis here. Just wanted to give a good intro into the post. Those who still find 'Biryani' to be an alien word, kindly refer to wiki. Coming to my story... Mom used to make tasty Biryani. When I was in school and then in college, Mom's Biryani is famous among my friends. Whenever they visit me at home or at times of Eid, she prepares it happily for them. During my college days, she used to prepare vegetable Biryani for my vegetarian friends too. I felt secretly proud of my mom for this. But I never cared to know the amount of labour and love that goes into making it.

After marriage, I got to taste the Biryani prepared by my mother-in-law. The way she prepared and the taste was entirely different from my mom's. I liked it this way too. Only then, I was intrigued to find the difference. My mother-in-law prepared Biryani in layers unlike my mom, who cooked meat and rice together. After coming to Germany, my dear husband prepared Biryani and it tasted different again. I'm not sure myself which one I like the most.

Being here in Germany, with a family and a home for myself and my husband, it was the first time, I as a host started inviting and entertaining friends. At such times, I and my husband give some thought about what our guests might like to eat, prepare a menu beforehand and plan who is going to make(cook) what. If we plan to make Biryani, my husband dons the apron. I proudly, still humbly, admit that whoever has tasted his Biryani liked it very much and asked for more. Praises be to the Lord. I was waiting for a long time for the perfect moment to share his recipe in my blog. Ramadan is around the corner and Taste of Pearl City's Iftar moments is a good chance. So, here I am, taking extreme pleasure in presenting you my husband's Lamb Biryani recipe. I sincerely hope, you would enjoy this.

Preparation Time: 40 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins + 20 mins for Dum
Serves: 5-6

Ingredients:
Meat of lamb - 1250g (with bones) *
Basmati Rice - 1 kg *
Salt - to taste
Ghee - 4 tbsp

Onions - 3 medium sized, sliced thinly
Tomatoes - 3 medium sized, chopped
Potato - 1 big, sliced
Green chillies - 3, slit lengthwise
Yoghurt - 1 cup / 150 g
Ginger garlic paste - 3 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Whole garam masala - cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon and bay leaves
Oil - 3 tbsp (Sunflower or canola oil)
Lemon juice - juice of 1 lemon

Mint and Coriander leaves - 1/2 a bunch each, chopped coarsely
Cashews - a handful
Raisins - a handful
Roasted onions - 2 handsful
Saffron - a few strands, soaked in 2 tbsp luke warm milk

For Biryani Masala:
Coriander powder - 3 tbsp
Red Chili powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Crushed black pepper - 2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Nutmeg powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

Note:
Kindly note, all the ingredients and measurements mentioned above can be varied according your taste.

Preparation:
Getting the things ready for Biryani is the main labour that goes into the making. Actual cooking is damn easy. So, let's get the things ready now.

Step 1: Cut and clean the meat. As opposed to curries, for Biryani, the meat pieces should be of 2-inch cube sizes. Meat with bones is preferred. After cleaning, drain the meat of excess water.

Step 2: Prepare the marination - In a large mixing bowl, take half of the masala powder mix given under 'For Biryani masala'. To this, add the cleaned meat, yoghurt, ginger garlic paste, 2 tbsp oil, juice of half a lemon and enough salt and mix well. Cover with a fresh foil. Let this marination rest in the fridge for about an hour. Reserve the rest of the masala powder for later use.

Step 3: In the meantime, get the other things ready.
Slice the onions thinly. Cut the tomatoes into small cubes. Slit green chillies lengthwise. Clean and chop the green leaves. Slice the potato and keep aside.
In a small bowl, take 2 -3 tbsp of lukewarm milk. To this, add the saffron strands, cover and save aside.
If you do not get roast onions readymade, take a few onions(as per demand), cut into thin slices, fry in hot oil till crispy and golden brown, drain in kitchen towels and keep aside.
Roast raisins in 1 tbsp of ghee slightly. Take care not to burn them. If you do not get roasted cashews, you can roast the cashews along with the raisins.

Step 4: Prepare the rice - Clean the rice carefully not to break it. Take rice in a big vessel or rice cooker, add double the amount of water, add 2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tbsp oil and enough salt. Cook the rice only until half cooked. When you feel the rice is half cooked, switch off the heat, drain the rice and take it in a bowl separately.

Cooking:

Step 1: Cooking the meat: In a cooker, heat 3 tbsp of ghee. After it is slightly hot, add the whole garam masala and fry for a minute. Now add the onions and saute until they become translucent. Add the green chillies and marinated meat. Stir fry for a few minutes. Add rest of the Biryani masala and fry for a few more minutes. Now add the chopped tomatoes and about a quarter of the chopped mint and coriander leaves. Please take care not to add water at this stage. The meat would get cooked in its own juices and from that of the tomatoes and the curd. Close the lid of the cooker and cook until 3-4 whistles.**

Step 2: Layering: Take a heavy bottomed vessel. Add one tablespoon of oil (We used the ghee leftover after frying the raisins) and leave the flame/hot plate on low heat. Now spread the sliced potatoes to cover the base completely. You got it? They are just to avoid burning of our Biryani***. Above the potato layer, spread about half of the meat with a little gravy. On top of it, spread half of the rice. Now, spread half of the mint coriander leaves, followed by one handful of fried onions. Now, take one or two ladles of gravy and evenly pour it over, followed by a few drops of lemon juice. Repeat the same process for another layer of meat, rice, mint-coriander, fried onions, some more gravy and lemon juice drops. Now, on top of all this, add the roast cashews and raisins. You can save some for garnishing later. Finally, spread the saffron milk evenly all over.

Step 3: Dum: Now, close this set up with an aluminium foil, sealing the edges tightly so that no steam gets out. Leave this on low heat for about 20-25 mins. In native language, this process is called "Dum". What happens now is that, the heat slowly spreads from the bottom upwards. During this, the meat and rice are cooked slowly, which finally gives the softness and aroma to the Biryani. There are many ways of putting Biryani in Dum, but this is what we find convenient and best on our electric stove. After about 20 mins, you can check the evenness of heat by touching the top and bottom surface of the vessel. If you find the heat to be even, it means it is almost done. Then, switch the flame off and leave for a few minutes before you open the foil.

Tips for Serving:
While serving, take Biryani in sections, cutting through the layers, so that you have a good mix of meat, rice and everything. Do not stir or mix directly in the vessel. After you take it in another serving bowl, you can garnish with more raisins, cashews and coriander leaves. Biryani goes well with Raita.

Note:
* Usually, the meat to rice ratio would be 1:1.5. This can be varied according to your needs. We have used here 1:1.25.
** After cooking the meat, in case you get a lot of gravy, please don't be tempted to pour all of it into the layers. That will make the Biryani soggy. Use your best judgement here. You can save the excess gravy for supper with Rotis.
*** If you find the potato slices at the bottom to be burnt, you can discard them. Otherwise, you can still serve it along.

Sending this to Taste of Pearl City's Iftar Moments Event and Torview's Food Palette Series Black and Lubna's Joy from Fasting to Feasting -  IV.

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