Gulab Jaman

In my part of the world every celebration is accompanied with a dessert. Be it a wedding, an engagement, a birth, a promotion, a graduation, purchase of a house or a new car or festival of Eid, our happy moments are incomplete without sharing of the traditional desserts or Mithais with our friends and family. And nothing is more loved on such occasions than the humble Gulab Jamans. It is one of my favorite Pakistani dessert.

In Pakistan, Gulab Jaman - a methai (sweets) is never made at home. Specialized methai makers called halwayees make these treasured and celebrated sweets. So while celebrating,  one always buys these sweets from the best halwayee (methai maker) in town. My favorite methai maker has been Nirala sweets since as long as I can remember. No one makes better methai than them. I had to learn how to make Gulab Jamans at home after moving away from Pakistan as I could not buy them in market anymore.

I am sharing the recipe that has knowledge assimilation from various resources. Pakistan has just gone through a historic election and I am celebrating hope for a better Pakistan.  Insha Allah – God Willing. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

For Dough;

Powdered Milk – ½ cup

Yogurt – 2 tbsp

Flour: 2 tbsp

Butter – 1 tbsp (melted)

Baking soda – ¼ tsp

For sugar syrup:

Sugar –  1 cup

Water – 2 cups

Saffron  - 5-6 strands

Rose water – 4 tbsp (I am using Khevra water as I was out of rose water)

Green Cardamom – 6 (crushed)

Oil – for deep frying.

Method:

Step 1 : Make the sugar syrup. Add sugar, water, saffron, green cardamom in a saucepan and bring to boil. Let it simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Keep warm.

Step 2: Make the dough. I use a kneading machine to do that. If you have a stand mixer with hook attachment, that can be used as well. Or else just knead the dough the old fashioned way i.e with hand.

Mix all the ingredients(Dry milk powder, Flour, butter, yogurt, baking soda) in the kneading machine. Knead till the butter comes out. It takes about 5-6 minutes. Let this mixture rest for 10 minutes.

Step 3: Fry the dough. Make small (Maltesers sized) balls of the dough with partially wet fingers. Make sure the dough balls have no cracks on the surface. This dough is enough to make 15 balls.

Step 4 : Frying. Deep fry the dough balls on medium to high heat. They should fry gently and become golden brown. Too hot oil will turn them brown from outside but will leave them uncooked from inside. Be careful with the heat.

Phase 5 : Add Rose water to the warm sugar syrup. Now add the fried dough balls to the warm sugar syrup. Mix and cover. I usually make the gulab jamans overnight and let them soak up sugar syrup through the night. They taste heavenly in the morning.  I decided to roll them in dried coconut, but they can be served with or without dried coconut. 

Baingan ka Bharta - Pakistani baba ganoush

In Pakistan aubergines - Baingan (in Urdu) are available only in peak summer season. May be thats why unconsciously i have always associated baingan bharta with Pakistan’s peak summer. The word Bharta in Urdu means Mashed. Essentially roasted aubergines are mashed and spiced in this recipe. Bharta was served at lunch with hot chappati - flat bread and salty lassi drink which would automatically put you in a nap mood. The long summer days and intense heat in Pakistan would make everyone lazy and sleepy after lunch. A dark corner or an air conditioned room was all that one needed after lunch. 

Ammi would slowly char the round purple aubergines on her gas stove over open flame. The whole house would smell of it. I roast the aubergines in my oven as i don't have an open flame stove. The result is pretty close to ammi's version except the intense smoky smell open flame charring adds to the vegetable. Here is to the memory of Long Pakistani summers, the open flame cooking, being home for lunch every day and afternoon naps in little cool corners.

Ingredients:

Roasted Aubergine  (Baingan) – 250 grams (without skin – see the photos.)

Oil - 4 tbsp

Tomatoes – 1 cup finely chopped

Onions – 1 cup finely chopped

Green chilies – 1 medium chopped (mild)

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp (lightly crushed in a pestle mortar)

Fenugreek seeds (Methi danay) – 1 tsp

Dried red chilies – whole - 2

Red chili powder – ½ tsp

Cumin Powder – ½ tsp

Turmeric – ¼ tsp

Salt – 1 tsp (adjust later if needed)

Lemon – Juice for ½ lemon (optional)

Method:

1. Roast the whole aubergines in an oven for 45 mins at 180 degrees. Put them in water for 5 mins while hot. It will loosen the skin and make the flesh easily removable from the skin. Open the aubergine with your hand & scoop the cooked flesh with a spoon. See the photos. Any Turkish grocer will have roasted aubergines sold in a bottle. You can use those as well.
2. In a pan heat the oil. Add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds,whole red chilies and cook for about a minute on medium to high heat. Let them crackle.
3. Add chopped onions and saute for another minute. Do not brown them.
4. Now add chopped tomatoes and cook for 3-5 mins. Add a splash of water to loosen the tomatoes.
5. Add salt, chili powder and cumin powder. Cook for a minute more. Don’t let it burn.
6. Add the roasted (mashed) aubergines. Mix and cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes.
7. Now reduce the heat to low, add half of chopped chilies and cover with a lid. Let it cook for 20 mins.
8. Once the oil comes out on the sides in the pan, garnish with fresh chopped coriander and chopped chilies. Serve hot. You can add a bit of lemon juice on the top if you like.

Allo Qeema - Potatoes & Minced meat curry

Ask any Pakistani about Allo Qeema and he/she will tell you with a delightful smile as how they have enjoyed eating allo qeema since their childhood either with flat bread, naan, rice, paratha or with toast. Everyone has their own preference as how to enjoy allo qeema. The delight allo qeema brings to the table can only be experienced on a Pakistani dinner table. Ammi always used minced goat meat to make this at home. Minced beef is used as well. The leftover qeema is stuffed between the layers of toasted bread and enjoyed in the lunchbox or as a snack or eaten with a paratha the next morning. 

I am happy to share this Pakistani recipe that usually has the highest approval rating from everyone at home. The other variations of this dish include pairing qeema with peas, fried bitter gourd, fried okra and French beans. I prefer to eat it with home made chappati - flat bread or Tandoori Naan. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

Oil – 5 tbsp ( i use Sunflower oil)

Minced beef – 250 gms (you can use goat mince as well) Wash it in a sieve lined with chiffon cloth before use)

Potatoes – 2 medium sized (Medium diced)

Tomatoes – 1 cup pureed (fresh)

Onions – 1 cup (finely chopped)

Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp

Green chilies – 2 medium

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Cinnamon stick – 2

Black Cardamom – 2

Cloves – 6-8

Whole Dried chili – 2-3

Chili powder – 1 tsp

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Salt – ½ tsp (adjust according to taste)

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a pan. Add onions and cook till they become translucent.
2. Add ginger garlic paste, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, whole dried chili, cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamoms. Cook for a minute or so till the ginger garlic is cooked.
3. Add minced beef and cook on high heat till it changes color and water dries up. It will take around 10 mins.
4. Once the minced beef changes color, add tomato puree, chili powder, salt, turmeric powder and cumin powder. Mix thoroughly. Cook for 5 mins.
5. Add diced potatoes and green chilies (whole green chili for less heat, chopped for more heat).
6. Cook for 5 mins on high heat.
7. Add a cup (250 ml) of water to this mixture. Let it boil once and then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover the pan.
8. The potatoes should take 20-25 mins to cook. The water should dry up with very little juice in the pan which will look like gravy. The oil should separate from the gravy indicating the food has been cooked.
9. Dish out in a serving bowl and garnish with fresh coriander. I love eating it with freshly made flat bred/chappati/roti.

Potato Cutlets

Potato cutlets were one of the first few things I learnt to prepare as a young teenager growing up in Pakistan. Of course it was ammi’s recipe which now has my input as well. These cutlets used to be part of my school lunchbox for the longest of time. It didn’t end there. While studying at a university in London, coming home late kind of became a norm. And these cutlets became a life saver for this hungry student. What more can a starving student ask for when the temperature outside is minus 4 degrees, the feet ache due to unending walk, the nose is red & runny due to the bitter cold. A warm potato cutlet sandwich with hot vegetable garden soup would save me too often. 

Believe it or not that even today, this particular item (potato cutlet sandwich) is part of my lunchbox at work almost daily. So you can imagine my unending love for these potato cutlets. This one is a treasured recipe.  I would also share another version of potato cutlets at some point in time which are filled with winter vegetables and a very special ingredient. The dried Fenugreek leaf/ Kasuri Methi is the magic ingredient here that transforms the boring potatoes in to a super star! My freezer is always well stocked with these cutlets and are regularly served with Pulao rice or curry. I enjoy eating them with a homemade chapatti - Flat bread and mint chutney.

Ingredients:

Potatoes – 1 ½ Kgs Boiled

Fresh Coriander – 1 ½ cup finely chopped

Fresh Mint – 1 cup finely chopped

Dried Fenugreek leaves /Kasuri Methi – 2 tsp heaped

Spring Onion – 1 Cup Finely Chopped 

Green Chilies – 3 medium sized (finally chopped)

Cumin seeds – 1 heaped tsp (partially crushed in Pestle & Mortar)

Whole Coriander seeds – 1heaped tsp (partially crushed in Pestle & Mortar)

Red Chilies – Crushed – 1 tsp

Salt – 1 tsp heaped (adjust after the first mixing)

Bread crumbs – I prefer Japanese Bread crumbs

Egg – 1 

Oil - 3-4 Tbsps for frying.

Method:

1. Mash the warm potatoes either with hand or with a masher or in a stand mixer. I am using a stand mixer to mash the potatoes and to mix the ingredients. It saves time and dishes. Warm potatoes are mashed easily and well. Cold potatoes become jelly like hence hard to work with.
2. Once the potatoes are mashed add all spices, Dried Fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi) and fresh ingredients one after another and mix thoroughly.
3. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours before making the cutlets.
4. After 4 hours, beat the egg lightly and spread the bread crumbs in a plate/bowl. Heat 4-5 tbsp of oil in a frying pan for shallow frying the cutlets.
5. Once the mixture is chilled enough, make meatball sized balls and flatten it in to a cutlet. Make sure the edges are perfectly round like a burger Pattie.
6. Dip it in egg first and then the bread crumbs. I love using panko breadcrumbs (Also called Japanese breadcrumbs) as they give the cutlets a crispy outside with the soft gooey potatoes inside. Shallow fry them in a medium hot frying pan on both sides till golden brown.
7. Make one cutlet first and check for the salt and chili. If you are happy with it proceed further with more. Otherwise adjust the salt and spice according to your taste.

1 ½ kgs of potatoes will make around 30 cutlets. I make and freeze them in a covered box with layers of cling film in between. After 48 hours in the freezer, remove the cutlets from the box and seal them in a zip lock bag. Freeze again for future use.

The same potato mixture can be used to make allo walay parathay (Potato filled flat bread) or Potato filled Samosas.

Firni - Pakistani Rice Pudding

Rice puddings are part of quite a few cuisines around the world. Be it Thailand, UK, Iran, Bangladesh, Norway, Egypt, Puerto Rico or Pakistan. Everyone has their own versions of rice puddings prepared with the local ingredients. Thais make theirs with coconut milk and serve it with mango, Iranians make it with saffron infused milk, Danish add butter and cinnamon to their rice pudding and serve it on Christmas eve & the Egyptians make it with nutmeg and rosewater.

It seems all around the world including Pakistan, joyous occasions are celebrated with some version of rice pudding on the table. Pakistan has two variations of rice puddings. One is called Kheer which is heavy and creamy. The other one is called Firni which is lighter and thinner in texture. 

Both types of rice puddings are cooked for the wedding feasts or for the festivals of Eid. Kheer is usually cooked in winters while firni is cooked during long summers and served cold in small earthen bowls called thootis. I have a preference for Firni and love to make it on the festivals of Eid. 

Ingredients:

Milk – 1 liter (full cream)

Evaporated milk – 250 ml

Basmati Rice – ¾ cup (Grounded to powder/fine granules)

Sugar – ½ cup

Green Cardamom – 4

Kewra water/Orris Water  - 2 tsp (also called screwpine essence or Pandan essence)

Slivered almonds –  50 gms

Pistachio – 50 gms (finally chopped, unsalted)

Method:

1. Wash the basmati rice with cold water 3 times. Drain water and put the rice on a kitchen paper to dry. Leave them in sun for an hour or leave them overnight in the kitchen to dry completely. Then in a coffee or spice grinder, grind the rice along with 4 green cardamoms to tiny granules cum powder form.
2. Boil the milk in a pan and add the powdered/granulated rice. Once it starts boiling lower the heat and let it cook for 6-7 mins.
3. Now add evaporated milk and cook for another 5 mins. The objective here is to cook the rice thoroughly without drying too much liquid.
4. Now add sugar and mix. Cook for another 10-15 minutes or till rice is completely cooked and the milk is 3/4^th of the original quantity.
5. The mixture should be thick like custard and should cover the back of the spoon. (See the photo)
6. Remove the pan from the heat and let it rest for 10 mins.  Firni will start becoming thick as it cools down. Now add 2 tsp of kewra water and mix.
7. Allow is to cool completely and refrigerate it in a plastic container.
8. Once the firni is chilled, spoon it in to serving bowls. Top with slivered almonds and chopped pistachios. Serve chilled.

The evaporated milk can be replaced with condensed milk. In that case the sugar quantity needs to be reduced as condensed milk is far sweeter than evaporated milk.  

Also you can try using rose water if kewra water is not available. I would love to use edible silver for garnish if available.  

Firni can be made a day in advance. It can sit in the fridge for 2-3 days as well.