Ful Masala

Sauteed Beans are my favorite during these wintry seasons. One such dish that I usually prepare when Fava beans are available in the market is Ful masala.

Ful (fool) in Arabic are called as Fava beans or broad beans in English. Ful-Roti was my favorite combination during my stay in Saudi Arab. Most of the restaurants in Saudi sell Ful and we enjoyed it along with Tameiz, a kind of delicious bread sold in the Saudi markets. My friend had posted the recipe for Tameiz sometime back on her blog.

Cooked Ful /Fava Beans

Dried Fava beans are available in Walmart Supercentres, and usually at many middle-eastern grocery shops. 

These beans have a meaty texture and a distinct taste. I sometimes add the puree of fava beans to curries as it adds body, thickness and nutrition to gravy curries.

Ful Masala – Fava Beans in a Tomato-Garlic Sauce

Ingredients:

• Extra Virgin Olive oil – 2 tbsp
• Yellow Onion – 1 cup, finely sliced
• Garlic – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
• Roasted Cumin powder – 1/4 tsp
• Red chilli powder – 1 1/2 tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Tomato puree – 3/4 cup
• Tomato Ketchup – 3 tbsp
• Fava beans – 1 can
• Cilantro – 1 tbsp (for garnish)

Ful Masala – Fava Beans in a Tomato-Garlic Sauce

Method:

• Drain and rinse the fava beans if you are using canned fava beans, and keep aside. If using dried fava beans, wash and soak them in surplus water overnight in a cool dark place. Drain the water. Using fresh cool salted water, pressure cook them until soft. Keep aside.
• Pour oil into a nonstick kadai or wok at medium high heat. As it warms up, add the onion and let it caramelize until nicely golden brown in color. 
• Add garlic and saute for a few minutes. Add cumin powder, red chilli powder and salt. Pour the tomato puree and tomato ketchup. Mix well. Let it cook for 2 minutes. 
• Add the fava beans and gently mix with the tomato sauce. Cover the lid and let cook for 3 minutes. 
• Garnish with cilantro and serve warm.

Suggested Accompainments: Enjoy Ful along with Tameiz, Pita bread, or your regular Roti or Rice.

Cheers,
Mona

Dahi Tamatar Murgh

Its been snowing, snowing very hard here since friday night. Today, I see Sun in the sky and I liked the early morning sunlight streaking through all the windows into my house. Beautiful day it is!! Like I said earlier, I love snow!.. love it when it snows, it looks so bueatiful. Its a wonder to watch! And.. did I tell you i get that strong urge to eat snow whenever I’m outside in snow! Irf (hubby) and my Sis tease me always about this! I dunno how this sounds guys, but I feel like doing it always, and I tried once too!! Yeah! I did. It was tasteless, didnt like it much, but wanna try again Is something wrong with me? I wonder!!

Dahi Tamatar Murgh – Baked Tomato-Yogurt Chicken 

Food, especially in winter has to be comforting! The first thing Irf asks me after he returns home is, ‘Whats for dinner today?’ So, I try and prepare meals that are effortless to me and satisfying to my family too. These kind of quick curries, like the one I am writing about today, is my family’s favorite,.. and mine too. You guys will also love it. This dish is easily done in less than 45 minutes. You just have to mix them all up, marinate for a little while, and let it slow cook by itself for the required time in the oven, and in the mean time you can prepare your other dishes for the day. It’s light, doesnt have much oil, and you can even lessen the oil to one teaspoon if you wish! The yogurt and tomatoes give the Chicken a sweet-sour taste, and the Garam masla makes it a little bit spicy. Its a very warming dish for these winters.

Dahi Tamatar Murgh - Slow Cooked Tomato-Yoghurt Chicken 

Ingredients:

• Chicken Breast Pieces/Murgh – 800gms, cut into bite size pieces
• Tomato Paste – 3 tbsp
• Olive Oil – 1 tsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste – 1/2 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Yogurt - 2 tbsp
• Garam Masala – 1 tsp
• Turmeric – 1/3 tsp
• Cilantro – 1/2 cup, finely chopped 

 

Dahi Tamatar Murgh - Slow Cooked Tomato-Yogurt Chicken, in a baking dish

Method:

• In an Oven proof flat baking dish, mix all the above ingredients, except the coriander leaves, and let it marinate for 30 minutes or 2-4 hours preferably at room temperature if you can preplan it.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F
• Cover the dish tightly with an aluminium foil and put this dish in the middle rack of the oven.
• Check once after 25 minutes, and mix it well. Cover it again with the aluminium foil and put it back at the same temp in the Oven to cook completely.
• Remove the dish after 45 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Suggested Accompaniments: Basmati Chawal or Naan or Roti or Parathas or Pulao..

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Luv,
Mona

Khatti Machli

Recently my hubby bought home some fresh Mackerel fish as he knows I love Seafood. I was wondering what to do with them. I browsed through many blogs and recipes searching for a recipe but i was unable to. So, yesterday my taste buds were very ready to have to some fish, and these fish were tempting me a lot. So i thought of whipping up a curry with whatever i wish and having the fish somehow for lunch yesterday. And believe me it was one yummy meal.

Khatti Machli – Mackerel in a sour, Tomato-Tamarind Sauce 

I had it along with Khichdi and my family members loved the combination. The sourness of the gravy with tomatoes and tamarind gave a very good flavour to the fish. You can even have it along with Basmati Chawal or Naan ki Roti. 

Khatti Machli – Mackerel in a sour, Tomato-Tamarind Sauce 

Serves : 3 

Ingredients:

• Fresh Mackerel – cut into big pieces (or) you can use any fish you like, like Salmon, or King fish, or Snapper
• Olive Oil – 2 tbsp 
• Yellow Onion – 1, small, roughly chopped
• Red Ripe Tomato – 1, cut into quarters
• Tamarind concentrate - 2-3 tbsp
• Red Chilli Powder – 1 1/3 tsp
• Curry leaves/Karyapaar (fresh) - 8
• Black Mustard seeds – 1 1/2 tsp
• Salt – 1 tsp
• Turmeric/Haldi – 1/3 tsp
• Dry Roasted CorianderSeeds – 1 tsp
• Dry Roasted Cumin seeds – 1 tsp 

Method:

• Pour 2 tsp oil into a non stick heavy bottomed pan at medium heat. When the oil is warm enough add chopped onion, and stir fry it till lightly browned.
• In a blender container add the fried onion with oil, tomato and tamarind. Blend till its a smooth paste. You add little water to aid in blending.
• Add the remaining oil to the pan and as soon as it gets warm, throw in some curry leaves and mustard seeds. As they start to splutter, add the mixture from the blender container and let it cook for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Throw in the salt, red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds. Also pour in half a cup of water and mix well.
• Add the Mackerel pieces into the cooking gravy and close the lid. Let it cook for 3 minutes. Open the lib and gently turn the pieces. Again close the lib and let it cook for 3 more minutes. Serve warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: Basmati Chawal or Naan ki Roti.

Luv,
Mona

Lahsun Chutney

When i was in Saudi Arabia for some time, i and my family loved the Garlic sauce from a famous chicken fast food restaurant named Al-Baik. I tried hard to find a recipe that is closest to the original garlic sauce that i had tasted in Saudi Arabia in this restaurant. After many efforts this the closest i could get to it. This is one of mine and my family’s most favourite sauces from my collection. You can have this dipping sauce with any anything you like the garlic flavour with. Its creamy and delicious. I love this sauce with chicken – fried, grilled or roasted. Try it out. Enjoy.

Garlic Sauce – Lahsun Chutney

Ingredients:  

• Large potatoes – 2 (boiled, peeled and cut into pieces)
• Garlic cloves – 6
• Salt – 1/2 tsp
• Egg yolk – 1
• Olive oil – 3/4 cup
• Lemon juice – 1/2 cup
• Vinegar – 3 tbsp
• White pepper – to taste

Method:

• Gring garlic with salt in a grinder.
• Add potatoes to it and again grind it till smooth.
• Beat the egg yolks and add to it.
• Add all the remaining ingredients and grind for a few minutes till mixed well.
• Add a little bit of water and mix it well if it appears to be thick.
• Pour into a sterlised bottle and store in the regfrigerator.