Recipes - Ramadan Special

Recipes - Ramadan Special

Compiled by Chitra Parayath
10/18/2004

(This article is sponsored by Milan Restaurant)

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. It is during this month that Muslims observe the Fast of Ramadan. Lasting for the entire month, Muslims fast during the daylight hours and in the evening eat small meals and visit with friends and family.

Meat Biryani

Ingredients
2lb Mutton/chicken
2 lb Basmati rice
½ cup Yogurt
Salt to taste
1 medium onion
6 garlic clove
1 tbs ginger paste
8 small illaichi
1 tbs gralic paste
10 cloves
Oil or ghee
Kewra - few drops
Yellow food color- a pinch
Sugar - a pinch

Directions
Add mutton, salt and garlic cloves in a pot withtwo glasses of water. If you're using chicken, you can do with only one glassof water.
Cook on a low flame till the meat is tender and the water dries.

Take one medium onion. Slice it and fry it in about 4-5 tablespoons of oil tillits light brown. Add the rest of the spices, yogurt and fry it a little.

Simultaneously soak the rice in water for half an hour.
Boil the rice till it is half cooked, drain the water and keep them aside.

Add the cooked meat to the sauted onions to make the masala and cook uncoveredfor a few minutes to evaporate excess water.
When most of the water has evaporated, transfer a little rice to a pot, and on top of that add some of the meat/masalacombo. Make layers of this.

Sprinkle on it a solution of kewra, yellow food color and pinch of suger.

Keep it covered and on a low flame.
Keep the pot tightly closed to steam cook the rice. When therice is done, the biryani is ready.
Serve with salad or garlic chutney.

KooKoo-yeh Morg

Ingredients
chicken, 1lb
eggs, 4 large
medium onions, 4
fresh lime juice, 1-2 spoons
saffron, 1/2 teaspoon
baking soda, one teaspoon
cooking oil
salt
black pepper

Directions
Peel and slice onions, then fry in oil until slightly golden. Wash and cutchicken into pieces, then fry in onions on both sides until color changes. Addsalt, black pepper, and one glass of hot water, and cook over medium heat forabout 20 minutes until little water is left. Allow chicken to cool down, thenremove the bones and cut the meat into small pieces.

Dissolve saffron in 2-3 spoons of hot water, and baking soda in 2-3 spoons ofcold water. Add salt and black pepper to eggs and mix well. Add saffron, bakingsoda, lime juice, chicken (with juice), and onions to eggs and mix well. Heatoil in a pan until hot. Pour the mix in, flaten the surface with the back of aspoon, and fry over medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Cut radially into 8 pieces,turn over and fry for another 5-10 minutes.

Aash-e Gojeh-Farangi (soup)

Ingredients: (4 servings)
Basmati or long-grain rice ½ lb
herbs (parsley, mint, coriander, spring-onion ends) 2 lb
ground lamb or beef 1lb
split peas 3spoons
tomato paste 5-6spoons
marjoram 2 spoons
mint one spoon
onions 4 large
cooking oil
salt
black pepper

Directions
Peel and slice two onions and fry in oil until slightly golden. Add 4-5 glasses of hot water, split peas, salt and pepper and cook over low heat forabout 10 minutes. Wash rice and add to the aash. Cook for another 15-20minutes.

Peel and grate two onions. Add to meat with salt and pepper and mix well. Shape into small balls and add to the aash. Wash herbs, chop finely, add to theaash, and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Add in tomato paste and marjoram (iffresh marjoram is used, it should be finely chopped). Mix well and cook for afew more minutes.

Fry mint in oil for a few minutes (if fresh mint is used, it should be finely chopped before frying). Add mint on top of the aash and serve.

Fresh Fig Cake

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup chopped fresh figs
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 cups chopped fresh figs
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray two 8-inch round cake pans
with vegetable oil spray.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with the sugar until fluffy. Add egg andbeat well. Add flour mixture alternately with the evaporated milk. Fold invanilla and almond extracts and chopped figs.
Divide into two prepared 8 inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F (175degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comesout dry.

To make the filling: In a saucepan, combine 2 cups figs,brown sugar, water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmerand cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. Spread thinly between layers ofcake and on top.

Sheer Korma

Ingredients
Packet vermicelli
1 gallon fresh whole milk
1 cup sugar
20 cloves wholecardamom pods
1/2 teaspoon cardamompowder
1 cup sliveredalmond, cashews and pistachios
1/2 cup fresh cream
1/2 teaspoon saffronstrands
3 tablespoons charoli nuts
1/2 cup light brown raisins
1/2 teaspoon rose water
1 tablespoon butter

Directions
Fry the vermicelli in the butter until well browned but notburnt.

Fry on lowheat until all the butter is dried. Add in 1/4 cup sugar and fry again. Add inthe whole milk cup by cup, stirring constantly, and bring to boil. Add in theraisins, whole cardamon, and 1/2 cup slivered almonds, cashews and pistachioes,and the remaining sugar. Reduce the heat and thicken the SHEER KORMA tothree-strand consistency, letting the milk boil until it is halved. Thevermicilli must be very soft by now. Quikly add in the rose water, charoli and fresh cream and let simmercovered for 10 mins. Garnish with the saffron strands and powdered cardamom,and serve immediately.

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