Cumin & Saffron Rice

If you want to jazz up your rice a little, try this simple recipe out!

Spicy BBQ'd Wings

Simple yet tasty marinade – combined with cooked-to-perfection, juicy chicken. YUM!

Carrot & Parsnip Pakoras

An onion bhaji with a twist!
Serve this great starter at your dinner party!

Tried & Tested Thumbs Up Recipe: Flatbread

 

Who would have thought that by turning a wok upside down you could create the effects of an inside-out tandoor oven? I certainly didn't - GENIUS!!

http://www.greatcurryrecipes.net/2013/10/01/my-delicious-flatbread-recipe/

Roasted Salad

Fancy a change from your usual cold salad? Dad taught me how to prepare this – it tastes great with Sardine Bazi (or any shallow fried fish dish) as well as meat curries.  Some like it hot – I certainly do!

Hara Chutney (Green Chutney)

This spicy sour chutney goes well with starters like kebabs and samosas.  It’s also a well loved condiment on the Pakistani dinner table, particularly with Kabuli Chana Chawal (chana dal pilau rice – see separate recipe).

I learned how to make this from my sister-in-law, Faiza, so the credit goes to her!

Kabuli Chana Chawal (Chana Dal Pilau Rice)

As a Bangladeshi, I have been used to my rice being accompanied by a gravy laden curry.  The first time my sister-in-law prepared this and brought it to the table with nothing but Hara Chutney (green chutney) and Raita (yoghurt dish), I thought she’d forgotten the curry in the kitchen.  When my in-laws began to tuck in, I realised that this was it – this was the entire meal!  I quietly filled my plate and began eating.  My mind started to think about what I would eat later as this possibly couldn’t satisfy me.

I couldn’t have been more wrong!

This is great when you want a simple dish – no fuss – no fanfare – just a great tasting meal.

Credit to my sister-in-law, Faiza, who taught me how to cook this....

Chana Chaat (Spicy Chick Pea Salad)

A quick and simple yet delicious dish traditionally eaten during Ramadan or Eid.  In parts of Pakistan, it’s also a dish offered to guests all year round - accompanied by Dahi Barey (dumpling & yoghurt dish), finger foods such as Samosas and a sweet dish to finish. 

What’s also great about this dish is that it’s low in carbs which is often difficult to find in traditional south asian dishes.  So load up your plates and enjoy!

Dalir Bora (Crispy Lentil Dumplings)

Growing up, these have been traditionally cooked in our household and enjoyed during the month of Ramadan at Ifthar time (breaking of the fast).  Maybe it’s the specialness of the holy month or maybe because we’ve been starving all day that these taste so delicious – because whenever we’ve cooked them outside of Ramadan they’ve never tasted as good!

You may also notice that this recipe is almost the same as Fiyaizis I posted some months ago.  Fiyaizis are much crispier in texture (due to lentils being only half blended) and they’re served in Bangladesh.  Dalir Boras are much softer in comparison and I’ve only ever had them in our home and relative’s houses in Birmingham (UK) where I grew up!

Kebabs

One of my brother's favourites! During Ramadan and Eid, he likes to go a step further and crumble his kebabs on top of his plate of Sana Bazi (chick pea dish). These are enjoyed best when eaten fresh from the frying pan - they're mouth-wateringly juicy! (Leaving cooked kebabs overnight in the fridge turns them dry and chewy)

Shemai (Milky Vermicelli Pudding)

The type of food my mum prepared for both announced and unannounced guests always told me something about their ranking!  You had the everyday sort of guests, no-one special; usually a neighbour – a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits would suffice.  Then you had the middle of the range guests – some sort of savoury snack made fresh (and usually fried) would be presented before the tea came out in our best cups and saucers.  And then there were the prestigious guests who received all of the above plus this wonderful pudding (and more if they were coming to dinner)!

My favourite part of cooking this dish is the minute after the cinnamon and cardamom enter the boiling water.  I used to, and still do hover over the cooker to inhale the delightful aroma rising up in the air as the spices release their magic!

Tandoori Spiced Paneer Curry

I wanted to create a vegetarian version of my Tandoori Spiced Butter Chicken for my lovely friends next door.  They’re also into healthy eating so I took out the butter and chicken and replaced with oil and paneer.

 In Fia’s words – ‘it was delish!’

Chicken Tenga

Sylheti cooking doesn’t require tomatoes - gravy is wholly made up of onions.  However, there is a fish dish (Tematoo Tenga) that we cook using tomatoes – this is my own twist to the recipe using chicken drumsticks and leaving out the onions and spices.  I ended up with tender chicken in a tangy sweet and spicy sauce – delicious!

Roasted Leg of Goat

I like my meat well done – so well done that’s stripping off the bone even before I’ve approached it! If you don’t like your meat as tender as this, use the marinade and adjust the cooking times accordingly.

Spicy Yoghurt Dip

Tastes great with Rabia’s Kitchen starters such as Lentil Dumplings, Pakoras, Kebabs and Samosas (see separate recipes).

Makes: approx 250ml

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

170g low fat plain yoghurt (strained to remove excess water)

x1 green chilli

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

½ handful fresh coriander, chopped

Blend the above for approx 1 minute on full power.

Taste and if required, add more chilli or mustard to your taste.

Fiyaizi (Crunchy Lentil Dumplings)

My Nan’s favourite!

Fiyaizis, along with Sana Bazi (black chick pea stir fry), are served fresh on the streets of Bangladesh.  They’re available all year round, but especially popular during the month of Ramadhan.  My family travelled to the city of Sylhet many times whilst I was growing up and so I got to eat a lot of them!

I still remember the delightful aroma escaping the bag which my Hufa (uncle) carried into the house on his way back from the mosque after sunset prayers.  He would start calling to everyone in the house from the porch but the spicy smell would have already summoned most of us!  Hufa would unwrap the softened newspaper parcels and invite us to tuck in.  Hands would dive in and out as fiyaizis were devoured by the houseful of extended family during our stay.  If she happened to be visiting, a parcel especially for my Nan would be passed along to her.

Fiyaizi Recipe

King Prawn Curry

This is my dad’s recipe.  He’s been cooking this in his restaurants for over 30 years. 

We had a lot of fun cooking this together when I was last in the UK. 

As you can imagine, it didn't last long!!

Tandoori Spiced Butter Chicken

Tandoori Spiced Butter Chicken (without cream)

Tandoori Spiced Butter Chicken (with cream)

I created this dish using the spices I had in my cupboard and made it up as I went along. Unlike traditional Butter Chicken recipes, I didn't use any tomatoes. (Sylheti cooking involves a lot of onions - that's how I create most of my curry gravy.)

Tantalised? Want to create your own version?....

Suto Aloo Bazi (Baby Potatoes Dish)

This is my mum's recipe - a Great Winter Warmer! Tastes even better if you use home grown/organic potatoes.  Add chopped chillies if you like a little heat!