Masala Style Shrimp

This is a simple dish which brings out the flavours of the shrimps and adds some masala characteristics to it. It satisfies about 4 people on average

Ingredients:

- 450grams of king sized prawn or shrimp

- 1 medium onion, skinned and finely chopped

- 1/3 cup of oil

- 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger paste

- 1 tablespoon of garlic paste

- ½ level teaspoon of turmeric

- 2 tomatoes, chopped

- 1 teaspoon of salt

- 1 teaspoon of chili powder (to taste)

- 1 teaspoon of coriander powder

- 1 teaspoon of garam masala

- 2 tablespoon of fresh chopped coriander

- 2 green chillies, chopped

Preparation Methods:

Step 1

Begin by shelling the prawns, removing head and the vein. Keep this aside for now.

Step 2

Heat some oil in a saucepan. Add in the onions, the ginger and the garlic. Stir this mixture frequently and fry it for 10 – 12 minutes or until the onions turn a light golden shade.

Step 3

Add the chilli powder, the turmeric, some salt, the garam masala and the coriander powder to the mixture. Remember to add 3 – 4 tablespoons of water also when adding these spices; this is to ensure that the spices are not burnt. Fry the mixture a minute longer while frequently stirring. How add the tomatoes and continue to stir while frying this mixture for 8 – 10 minutes or until the added tomatoes have been reduced to a pulp. If necessary, add come water to prevent the mixture sticking to the base of the pan. Continue frying the mixture until the oil starts to separate.

Step 4

Add in the prawns while stirring and frying; do so for 5 minutes or at least until the prawns are tender. Again, you may add some water if necessary.

Step 5

Garnish the dish with some coriander leaves or some green chilli

Step 6

Enjoy the dish with Naan Roti

Prepare Tandoori Chicken With An Oven

Tandoori chicken is a famous Pakistani dish where it is prepared using a special clay oven called a tandoor. This recipe however is specially designed for cooking your conventional oven or even a charcoal grill.

Ingredients:

- 4 chicken quarters, skinned

- 3 tablespoons of lemon juice

For marinade:

- 1/3 cup plain yogurt -

- 1 tablespoon of garlic paste-

-1 tablespoon of ginger paste

-1 teaspoon of ground roasted cumin seeds

- ½ level teaspoon of ground cardamom

- 1 teaspoon of garam masala

- 1 teaspoon of chili powder

- 1 teaspoon of salt

- ½ teaspoon of tandoori coloring

- some ghee or some butter for basting

Preparation:

1. Use a fork to prick all over the chicken, then use a sharp knife to make diagonal ½ inch deep slashes measuring about an inch apart on all its quarters.

2. Pour on the lemon juice, rubbing it all over the chicken and into the slashes. Then cover it and marinate for about an hour.

3. In a small bowl, mix well all ingredients for the marinade. Then pour it all over the pieces of chicken. Mix it well by tossing and turning, make sure the chicken is coated well.

4. Cover it and leave it to marinate for about 4 hours, turning it over several times. You may also refrigerate it overnight, but make sure you take it out at least an hour prior to cooking.

Roasting in the oven:

Preheat your oven to about 450°F. You may use a shallow roasting pan or a wire rack; remember to discard any leftover marinade. Brush on a layer of ghee or butter before placing it in the middle of your oven. Roasting should be until the meat is cooked or at least 25 to 30 minutes. Remember it requires basting and turning often. The dish is ready to be served

Grilling:

Prepare the grill in advance. The grill should be about 5 inches away from direct heat. Place the chicken over the grill for 8 minutes while basting it with some ghee or butter. Repeat this process for the other side of the chicken. Continue this process until it is cooked through, then serve with sliced onions, tomatoes, nan and raita.

Enjoy your delicious Tandoori Chicken.

Lassi ( Famous Pakistani Drink)

Ingredients:

- 4 cups of yogurt

- 1 cup of milk

- 1 cup of sugar

- crushed ice (according to use)

Method:

Put all the above mentioned ingredients in the blender except ice and blend until they mix well.

Add crushed ice in glasses and pour the prepared lassi over it and serve cold.

This is very popular in the villages of Pakistan

Pai ( Lamb Trotters)

Ingredients:

- pai 6

- salt according to taste

- haldi 1 tsp

- chili powder 1tsp

- garlic paste 1/2 tsp

- ginger paste 1/2 ts

- cornflour (starch) 1/2 cup

- onion 1

Method:

-Fry the onions in oil till until they turn golden.

-Add the ingredients but not cornflour.

-Add around 8 glasses of water and let it cook till it is tender.

-When oil comes on surface, add cornflour to thicken it. Keep stirring when putting corn flour.

-Add some garam masala to enhance the taste.

-Serve with naan and salad.

Ojri (Lamb Stomach)

Ingredients:

- 1 medium sized Ojri Lamb Stomach
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp chillies
- 1/4 tsp haldi
- 2 tbsp maithi
- seeds 1tbsp maithi
- onion 1 medium sized onion
- oil or ghee

Method

- Clean the ojri carefully.
- Fry the onions in oil or ghee and then make masala by mixing chillies salt and haldi.
- Add a glass of water and cut the ojri in small one inch pieces.
- Put it in the masala and cook till okri is tender.
- Now add maithi seeds and maithi and cook for another ten minutes till the oil shines on the surface.
- Garnish with garam masala and coriander and serve with hot naan.

Mushrooms with Stir-fried Tofu

This simple dish requires little preparation and is very healthy, perfect for dinner with the whole family.

Preparation time: 30 minutes only

Cooking time: 7 minutes only

Ingredients:

- ¾ pound of firm tofu
- 1 cup of dried black or shitake mushrooms, fresh mushrooms if possible
- 1 cup of canned bamboo shoots
- 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons of Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 2 tablespoons of oil

Note: the canned bamboo shoots may be substituted with canned bamboo chunks or even fresh bamboo

Preparation methods:

Remove and drain the firm tofu from its package. Then cut it lengthwise right through the middle, leaving you with two equal pieces of tofu about 1-inch thick each. Proceed to cut it into large cubes.

Dried black mushrooms and shitake mushrooms should be reconstituted and therefore need to be soaked in warm water for about 20 minutes or simply until they have softened. Squeeze them to remove any excess liquid then thinly slice. If you are using fresh mushrooms however, simply wipe them with a damp cloth and proceed with slicing.

Bamboo shoots should be rinsed in warm, running water and then left to drain. While waiting, mix the dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, the sugar and the Chinese rice wine or, if you prefer, dry sherry.

It is now time to heat the wok and add the oil once it is ready. Add the mushrooms and bamboo shoots, and then stir until the ingredients are heated enough. Next add the tofu and the mixture of sauces. Stir-fry the whole mixture until it is heated enough. The dish is best served hot.

Healthy Foods That May Help Build Up Your Immune System:Chinese Salad

· Watercress was once considered to cure tuberculosis. Nowadays, its principal medicinal use is in the relief of arthritic conditions and congestion problems affecting the upper respiratory tract. Watercress stimulates the immune and lymphatic systems.
· Ginger is a warming and comforting remedy for colds and chills. It stimulates peripheral circulation and helps the body rid itself of toxins.
· Garlic protects against a wide range of bacterial, fungal and viral infections. It also strengthens the heart and blood vessels and helps prevent cancer.

Ingredients:

· 1/4 cabbage, finely sliced
· 1 tsp fresh ginger root, finely chopped
· 1 tsp garlic, finely chopped
· 1 small red chilli pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
· 1 small bunch of watercress, chopped
· 100 (3 ½ oz) peas, trimmed
· Two spring onions, finely sliced
· 250g (8 oz) bean sprouts

For the lime dressing:

· 2 tbsp limejuice
· 1 tbsp mustard
· 1 tsp raw cane sugar
· Sea salt and freshly ground block pepper
· Olive oil

Method:

1. Make the lime dressing by combining all the ingredients, except the oil, in a small bowl and whisking together. Add the oil slowly, whisking continuously until you have a smooth dressing. (If you can't get it to emulsify, try adding a little cold water).
2. Place the cabbage in a salad bowl and odd all the other ingredients. Mix well, odd the dressing and serve.