Pizza Versus Intelligence.

(Hawaiian Pizza)

Well! Hullo! (Note – this is a sad hello!)

Recently someone (read – idiot) asked me a question, here it goes.

Question – There is a boy who is 4 years old, his younger brother is half his age. When the elder one is 100 – what would be the age of the younger one?

I answered 50! He told me to think – I did the calculations on my note book and answered 50! He told me to think again and carefully answer – I said 50, confirm 50!

Not sure how many of you are geniuses like me, the answer was 98. I kind of went into a slight depression. He mocked and consoled me at the same time, caught it on tape and threatened to make it viral. Idiot confirmed.

Seriously guys 50! God I am dumb. Well in my defense I was kind of pre occupied but still…

Hence begins the search for IQ enhancing books, websites and blogs.

Luckily I found one in the library, library of where I work!

It’s called Building Mental Muscle by David Gamon and Allen D. Bragdon. It is a 320 page book, with conditioning exercises for Six Intelligence Zones. I had no idea we had zones!

This book has images of the responsible parts of the brain – as in what part is responsible for what we do, think, say, act and all.

The best part was that this book has answers!

I have been working on improving my mental muscle for the past month now – try me?

Anything that you guys do to keep this organ functioning well? Hit me up with ideas people, something different, cool and that does not bore me at the same time.

On the positive side I tried Hawaiian Pizza – I always like pineapple in my food especially pizza and chinese gravies that we have with egg fried rice, but I have seen a lot of people don’t like so – what kind are you?

Ingredients for Hawaiian Pizza.

The dough is pretty simple that I make myself, and you can find it here.

Spread the dough base in an oven proof pizza dish that has been greased. Put a layer of chili garlic sauce on the base and then spread the other ingredients. I used chopped onions, chopped sausages, and chopped capsicum. Lightly sautéed them over low heat using only salt and pepper. I than placed this mixture over the pizza base. Add pineapple chunks. Next add a good amount of Jalapeno, black or green olives, and mixture of mozzarella and cheddar cheese.

In a preheated oven, at 180 degrees – toss in the pizza for around 20 minutes. Keep an eye on it since temperature varies from oven to oven.

 Slice, share/or not and enjoy :D

Let me know how it was.

Better pictures promise - next year or if/when I buy a DSLR :D

Till then,

Best,

Urooba.

PLAYING IT SAFE.

(Manchurian – the safest bet on the menu!)

There are 2 kinds of people in this world – One who order different stuff whenever they go and eat out, and the second kind who order the same thing over and over – Which one are you??

I am kind of stuck in the middle. I order different stuff every time but I do ensure that it is close to whatever I enjoy.

I remember once we were out for dessert and some one ordered Turkish Espresso Shots. Ha Ha I can never in a million years forget the expressions! It was like she was having “tears of Satan”. Hats Off she finished all three!

Well there are something’s that you can’t go wrong with ever, like the good old Manchurian.

From what I have observed even the pickiest of eaters tend to enjoy this particular dish/recipe. It is usually available easily and normally you don’t have to spend big bucks. If you are attempting this at home, it involves very basic ingredients and you can easily, like really easily make it at home! Authentic taste – promise!!

 Sooo boyses and girls, here I have for you Fish Manchurian! Ditto for chicken, but trust me it’s better and way tastier with fish.

Oh and yes please take note of the lame food styling that I have tried to do, still learning L These are magazines from my childhood that I still get from time to time. Titled as FRIDAY, and obviously we use to get them delivered to us on Fridays. Covered almost everything and was amazing to read.

 You can check it out here, if interested.

http://fridaymagazine.ae/

…and yes here is the recipe.

Ingredients and Method

In a bowl, take ½ kg boneless fish/chicken. Add 1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste, 1 egg, 3 tbsp cornflour, 1 tsp black pepper, Mix, coat the meat and fry and set aside!

Next in a wok, over low heat – 2 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste – fry for a while. Add 5 tbsp ketchup, ½ cup water, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar and cook for a while. Next add 1 cup fish/chicken stock, salt, ½ tsp of red chilli powder.

In a cup mix 1 tbsp cornflour and ½ cup water and add to the wok above. Add in the fish/chicken and put in a handful of spring onion, the green part only.

Serve with Garlic rice or Egg fried rice.

Tell me how it was.

Till then,

Best,

Urooba.

The curious case of Mondays and Biryani.

(Mincemeat/qeema biryani)

On rare occasions it happens that all of us are home on Monday afternoons - I don't know what's with the world and Mondays. I personally love Mondays; a chance to start the week fresh. I am not sure about y'all but I love Mondays. I think I am the happiest and most productive on Mondays as compared to any other day of the week...and as far as biryani is concerned - I am a little rebel so I will have it on Mondays! Hah!

Since there are a lot of you guys out there who don't like this particular day of the week, here is a little motivation for you.

No matter how the weekend was/went, Monday is always an opportunity to start fresh, so wake up, kick ass and repeat.

...and if you are good treat yourself to this really easy biryani.

Treat yourself to it even if you haven't been an angel exactly - Once a while it's okay to treat yourself for no reason at all. You deserve it.

Qeema Biryani

Ingredients and Method

• 3 cup rice – 3/4^th  done and set aside.
• 1/4^th cup milk mixed with yellow colour and set aside.
• ½ cup oil. In it lightly fry 1 cup sliced onion and to it add 1 tbsp of garam masala whole, 1 tbsp of freshly made ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp of cumin seeds, 2 tsp of coriander powder, 2 tsp of red chilli powder, 1 and ½ tsp of salt, ¼ tsp of turmeric, 6 – 8 green chilli chopped, not finely. Fry them all nicely.
• To the above mixture – add 5 to 6 medium sized SLICED tomatoes and again keep on frying it till you see it all nicely mixed up.
• Next add ½ kg qeema (mincemeat) to it and again fry it till well mixed.
• To it, add 2 potatoes cubed.
• When the potatoes are like about 3/4^th tender, add a cup of thick yoghurt, and 1 tsp of powdered garam masala.
• Make sure the potatoes are tender, meat too. All the excess water dried up.
• Layer the rice with this mixture, add the milk + colour, fist full of fresh coriander and mint, some more green chilli chopped, and put it in DUM for like 8 minutes.
• Serve with Raita, mint sauce or anything else you like.

Ironically this is being posted on a Sunday because I have been lazy, busy and tired – but promise I had it on Monday.

Try it out, reach out to me if anything confuses you.

Enjoy – Monday and the rest of the week as well.

Best,

Urooba.

With love, From Mexico.

(Mexican Enchiladas)

Hi everyone, I am not really aware of any of the great things that Mexicans have done, except that they let us eat and replicate their recipes. I mean everything is great from nachos to salsa, burritos to enchiladas!

I haven’t been to Mexico, but it definitely is on my list of places to be. I am yet to try Tamales, Guacamole etc.

I hate dancing of any sorts, except Salsa – Thank you Mexico, for it has roots originating from there – and is also on my list of things to do/learn before I turn a certain age! By the way, age is just a number guys!

Ladies and Gentleman, without further delay – Mexican Enchiladas!

Ingredients.

½ kg chicken cubed, 3 tbsp onion chopped, 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp red chilli powder, green chilli chopped according to the heat required, 4 tbsp of ketchup. Cook all of the above till chicken is done, if required add water.

For the sauce – Heat 2 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp onion, 2 tbsp garlic chopped, 2 tbsp capsicum chopped, 1 tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp coriander powder, pinch of oregano, ½ cup tomato paste, ½ cup water, 2 tbsp ketchup, ½ tsp sugar – all on low flame till everything is soft.

You will need a pack of Tortilla, easy available at any good store.

Spread the sauce on the base of an oven proof dish, roll the chicken mixture in the tortillas and place closely together. Pour the remaining sauce.

Add cheese, cream and dash of hot sauce!

Bake till cheese melts!

Gracias for Enchiladas, Salsa, Jalapeno, Javiar and generally omitting J from every pronunciation...wonder why?

Best, 

Urooba

DESI ALL THE WAY!

(Chicken Malai Handi)

I know we all are huge and I mean huuuugee fans of burgers, pizzas, enchiladas and other words that are too difficult to pronounce – but I think everyone will agree that at the end of the day we want our desi comfort food with hot and fresh rotissss!

Agree?

I happen to know a couple of people who say take everything we have, but touch our chicken and biryani and heads will roll. In fact they are willing to go all Game of Thrones on you if you touch their food – their argument to support this behavior is that we have been sent to Earth just because of food – I however tend to think otherwise.

The purpose of this recipe is threefold :-

1-       You are too lazy to whip up an elaborated meal.

2-       You have ‘emergency’ guests – the ones  that show up unannounced at the time of dinner.

3-       Just for the sake of it – you don’t owe anyone any explanation.

Well people presenting to you all a total hassle free Chicken Malai Handi. No onions or tomatoes, just pure, rich creamy goodness that even a 5 year old can’t go wrong with.

I served it with this really chilled Onion chutney - totally yum!

Ingredients

1 kg boneless chicken cut into bite sized cubes.

Sesame seeds 2 tbsp

Cashew nuts 12 to 15

Thick yogurt 3/4^th cup

Salt 1 and a half tsp

Black pepper 1 tsp

Ginger and Garlic paste 3 tbsp – please ensure this is fresh and not the one stored in the fridge, trust me it makes hell of a difference.

Cream 4 tbsp

Butter 2tbsp.

Grind very finely sesame seeds and cashew nuts, mix with yogurt, salt and pepper, ginger garlic paste, cream and leave it to marinate the chicken for as long as you can. Heat the butter and oil on low flame, put marinated chicken in for 20 mins till done, add water 1/4^th cup if needed.

 Sprinkle green chillies, coriander and drizzle cream on top.

Go ahead and enjoy!

Best,

Urooba.

IT IS NOT SUFFICIENT THAT I SUCCEED, ALL OTHERS MUST FAIL

Story of Mongolian Empire and Mongolian Beef

Ladies and Gentlemen, Genghis Khan – one of the most powerful military leaders who started the Mongol Empire. Apart from this he did a lot of other stuff which I wish I could do but for now I’ll stick to cooking Mongolian cuisine.

My first encounter with this particular cuisine was about 2 years back but I went to Genghis Grill, a Mongolian restaurant in Texas, USA. The concept was pretty amazing!

You get a bowl, and then there are 5 steps.

Step 1 – Butcher’s block – selection of all imaginable proteins! You name it they had it..Of course I could only experiment with seafood.

Step 2 – Spice Trail, where you season you protein.

Step 3 – Farmer’s Market, here you add to your bowl the freshest and finest selection of produce.

Step 4 – Artisan Flavors, here you add the sauces to your bowl – they had pretty cool names like – 3G, Island Teriyaki, Mongo BBQ, Khan Pao and the likes.

Step 5 – Harvest Selects, here you get to choose what you would like to eat it with – Choice between rice and noodles.

Then you get it all cooked in front of your eyes on a huge girdle!

and this is what I had at the end, by the time I remembered to take a picture.

Well however this time instead of going we had Mongolian cuisine over at our place. Presenting Mongolian Beef with Garlic Rice.

Mongolian Beef

½ Kg Undercut Beef.

½ tsp black pepper.

½ tsp salt.

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp cornflour

1 egg.

Cut the beef into thin and long strips, and marinate with salt, pepper, soy sauce, egg and cornflour and fry till brown and crispy.

3 tbsp oil

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup soy sauce.

1 tbsp of Ginger garlic paste.

Mix all of the above over low heat and toss in the fried beef. Sprinkle green chillies and the green part of the Spring onion, and a teaspoon of sesame seeds.

 I had it with Garlic Fried Rice and an amazing chinese style cucumber salad on the side.

Try and let me know how you like it.

-This recipe can also be found under the category, Mains around the world.

Best,

Urooba.