Chicken Makhbous Rice

Smokey Chicken Makhbous Rice

Ingredients:

Chicken kg 1

Golden Sella Rice Kg 1

Baharat (Black Pepper, Coriander whole, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves and cumin seeds) gm 10

Onion Gm 100

Garlic Gm 50 

Dalda Gm 50

Turmeric powder gm 10

Sunflower oil Mustard oil Ml 50

Capsicum ½ Gm 25

Paprika or Kashmiri Chilli powder gm 10

Sunflower oil ml 50

Cinnamon Stick no 2 

Dry lemon No 1

Tomatoes gm 100

Yogurt gm 150

Cucumber gm 75

Green Chilly

Mint leaves few leaves 

Preparation:  Cut the chicken into 8 pieces by removing the wings and neck. Marinate the chicken with paprika, salt, pepper and turmeric Prepare baharat by grinding the spices. Make stock of the chicken bones of necks and wings by roasting in oil by lightly caramelising the onion and add water Saute onion, crushed garlic, chopped Capsicum in oil. Then add the spices(Bahrat), paprika, turmeric powder, Add Chopped Tomatoes in it. Grill the chicken on the Tava and add it into the pot, Soak the rice in the water for ½ hour strain it and keep for sometime till the moisture is reduced. Then in a heavy pot add the dalda and saute the rice in it for few minutes add turmeric and bahrat stir it add required hot water about 3cm above the rice. Cook it for 15 minutes till the water almost absorbed into the rice partially. Then add the chicken over the rice and cook for another 10 minutes till the chicken and rice is tender. Serve the rice hot by placing chicken above the rice with Yogurt salad with chopped cucumber mint and salt. 

Greek Mussakha

Ingredients

1.          Egg Plant No 2 (big size)(750 gm)

2.          Potato No 3 (500 Gm)sliced thinly

3.          Mince Meat   300 gm

4.          Onion Gm 300 chopped

5.          Tomatoes Gm 300

6.          Garlic 1 Pod

7.          Cumin Seeds 1 Tsp

8.          Whole Black Pepper 1 Tsp

9.          Oregano ½ Tsp

10.      Parsley  Leaves few stalks

11.      Paprika powder 1Tbs

12.      Tomato Paste 100gm

13.      Wheat Flour 3Tbs

14.      Fresh Milk 3 cups

15.      Eggs 2

16.      Margarine (Sunflower) 2 Tbs.

Preparation:

In a Skillet put two table spoon of Olive oil and when the skillet gets hot spread the mince meat in the pan and stir very often to avoid the lumps. When meat is dry and fried well remove it from the pan. In the same skillet put little oil, when it gets hot put the chopped onion and sauté well then add crushed garlic and fried mince meat into it. Increase the flame of the burner and cook for five minutes. Then add the chopped tomatoes and cook well. At last add the crushed cumin seeds, oregano, whole black pepper powder, Paprika, salt etc. If require put two cups of hot water into the mixture and cook well. When the sauce thickened and well cooked remove from the fire and keep separately.

In a saucepan add margarine and when the margarine gets bubbling add the flour and sauté well and when it gets cooked add the milk slowly part by part to avoid the lumps. Stir it slowly and steadily with a wire whisk to cook well and at last mix the eggs in a cup with 1 Tbs of milk and pour into the white sauce. Stir the mixture thoroughly and cook for a minute and remove from fire.

Cut the Eggplant in thick round slice and arrange it in a shallow dish by layers and each layer should be sprinkled with salt and pepper. After sometime pat dry the sliced eggplant and dip in flour and grill it on the griddle. Keep it separately after grilling.

Slice the potatoes and sprinkle the salt and pepper mixture on it. Remove the excess moisture from the potatoes. Then arrange it in an oven proof dish by spreading the butter on it. Cook the potatoes in a moderate preheated oven. When gets the color lightly brown, remove the tray from oven.

Now, in an oven proof glass dish arrange the potatoes and eggplant in a layer spread the half of the meat mixture evenly on the next layer. Add the half quantity of Béchamel sauce evenly on the layer. Repeat the same process by adding one layer of potatoes, eggplant, then the mince meat mixture, and at last the Béchamel sauce and spread evenly on the top. Cook the Mussakha in a preheated oven (180oc) and when it cooked well the top of the layer will get golden brown color and the dish is done to ready to eat.

Lord, we thank you for all your blessings on us. Lord we thank you for this new recipe, which is introducing to our brothers and sisters and our children. Lord, Let all of us always thankful to you and value many blessings which you have given to us. 

Dear brothers and Sisters,

While I was writing this, I felt it is not so easy to become a good model to others. Jesus is our model in everything we have to do. The saints are in His own image and in likeness. We all are called to be the citizens of His Kingdom. ^“So you are no longer aliens or foreign visitors; you are fellow-citizens with the holy people of God and part of God’s household. ²⁰ You are built upon the foundations of the apostles and prophets, and Christ Jesus himself is the cornerstone. ²¹ Every structure knit together in him grows into a holy temple in the Lord; ²² and you too, in him, are being built up into a dwelling-place of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19–22 (NJB) What a great blessing we have by the mercy of Heavenly Father because through Jesus, He has given us the merit for the eternity. 

Whatever we do, do it in the name of the Lord. In my job, in cooking, writing or anything I do, first I invoke my Lord to let him get involved. This way He helps me to do the things more perfectly, pleasantly and without any kind of obstacles. Those who serve our Lord in gladness will find the friendship in him. I have seen many noble women gladly serve their husbands and in laws and their relatives whole heartedly. We have many saints as an example, St Rita served her husband and her in laws very gladly till her last breath of her life.               

Mulligatawny Soup

Ingredients

1.       Chopped mixed Vegetables (Carrots -1, Turnip-1small , G. Beans-50gm, G.            Peas-50 gm ½ root of Dill)

2.        Red Lentils 1 Cup

3.        Wheat Flour 1½ Tbs.

4.        Veg. Stock Water 1 Ltr.

5.        Garlic 1 Pod

6.        Cumin Seeds 1 Tsp

7.        Whole Black Pepper 1 Tsp

8.        Curry Leaves 3 stalks of leaves

9.        Coriander Leaves  ½ Bunch

10.   Tamarind Water ½ Cup (light color) or use Lemon Juice of one Lemon

11.    Madras Curry Powder(Ship Brand)1 Tbsp.

12.    Onions 2 Nos.

13.    Potato 1 No. cubed

14.    Margarine (Sunflower) 2 Tbs.

Preparation: 

Prepare the Stock water in a small deep stock pot. Put two litre of water in this pot and add one onion sliced, 2 Stacks of Curry Leaves, Crushed Paste of (Garlic, Cumin seeds & Black Pepper). Boil it for 1 hour in a slow fire by covering it with a lid. Strain the stock and keep aside.

In another sauce pan cook the washed dhal and one potato cubed for 40 minutes. Keep separately for cooling. In a small stock pot put the margarine and simmer it for some time till it melts and bubbles. Add the 2 Tbsp of flour and the curry powder into it and simmer for some time. Then add the hot Sock water slowly into the pot and stir well. Stir it well for not forming the lumps. Stir well with a wire whisk till it boils. Reduce the heat and add the chopped vegetable into it and cook well. Add the Tamarind water into it. Put salt as required and put some curry leaves while soup cooks.

Make a paste of the cooked Dhal in a blender. Pour this mixture into the Pot and cook well. At last chop the Coriander leaves as garnish by putting it on the soup while serving. The serving is enough for six persons.

Thanking our Lord: 

Lord we thank you for all your blessings on us. Lord we thank you for this new recipe, which is introducing to our brothers and sisters. Lord, Let all of us always value of the blessings which you have given to us.

Dear brothers and Sisters,

While I was writing this recipe, was remembering the way how we treat the guests and giving welcome a guest who is to our homes in Kerala. When the house owner or anyone in the house sees a guest is approaching the house one of them will run to fetch water in a special pitcher (call KINDI in Malayalam) and pour the water on legs to wash them and pour the water to wash the guest’s face. Then they will give a towel to wipe away the water. I have done same thing when my uncles and aunts comes to visit our house in my childhood. In John 13:4-10 says Jesus washed the feet’s of disciples. How awesome the olden days were. These humble acts are missing in our society and our children don’t know anything about this. We are hardly love others and not even our relatives. Then how can we love our neighbours and enemies. Let ask our Lord to give us a humble and loving heart to serve others as Jesus taught us and as he has given the example by washing the disciples feet. 

MPI-CG  

Lasagne

Lasagne 

Ingredients:

• 3 Cups Milk
• 2 Tbsp White flour
• 1Pinch of Nut Meg powder
• 2Tbs Margarine
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• ½ Kg Minced Meat 
• 3 Cup Chopped Onion
• Chopped fresh Basil Leaves
• 2Tbs Chopped Garlic
• ½ Cup Diced Tomatoes
• ½ Cup Tomato Paste
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1Tea spoon Oregano 
• 1 Cup Onion (Chopped)
• Lasagne Sheets (Italian Made) 15pieces
• 150 Gm Grated Mozzarella Cheese 

Directions:

Mince Meat Sauce

First of all in a Skillet put 1 TBS Olive Oil and 1 cup of chopped Onion and sauté for some time till it gets slightly brown color add the Mince Meat into it and mix well in high flame. Add salt and crushed whole pepper. Stir very often to avoid the lumps and cook till all juice gets dried and keep separately. Remove the meat form the skillet and keep aside. Clean the Skillet and add 2TBS Olive Oil and put 2 Cups of Onion and stir well until it cooks well add garlic into it cook in high flame for some time and add the diced fresh tomatoes, Oregano and fresh Basil Leaves and cook well. At last add the Tomato  paste and cook for some time and if require add ½ cup boiling water into it and cook well till the oil comes out from the sides of the Skillet.

White Sauce

In a Sauce pan put margarine and add the flour and sauté well and the boiling milk slowly while stirring continuously to avoid lumps by a wire whisk. Add the Nut Meg and salt (mix the salt and nut meg together before adding to the white sauce) into Sauce.
In a cooking pot boil the water and little oil into it. Put little salt and add the Lasagne Sheets into it one by one to avoid stick together. Stir slowly with a wooden fork and remove from the pot and transfer the sheets into big bowl of cold water. When the sheets gets cool strain the water and keep the Lasagne in the Strainer. 

Final Preparation

Take a Pyrex rectangular oven proof clear glass Dish, rub the dish with margarine or olive oil and lay one layer of Lasagne Sheets(5 sheets). Divide the Meat mixture in three portions. Put one portion of the Meat mixture on the Sheets evenly. Put one portion of White sauce over the meat mixture. Sprinkle some Mozzarella Cheese on it. Make three layers like this and at last pour the left over white sauce over the Lasagne and the cheese over it. Sprinkle some Parmesan Cheese powder over the Lasagne and cook in a moderate oven for 30 to 40 minutes or till the color over the Lasagne gets brown. Then remove from the Oven and keep aside for 15 minutes before cutting into pieces as you see in the picture.  

Thanking our Lord: 

Lord we thank you for all your blessings on us. Lord we thank you for this new recipe, which is introducing to our brothers and sisters. Lord, Let all of us always value of the blessings which you have given to us. 

Dear brothers and sisters,

I still remember about my Mom from that while she was preparing the food for her In Laws and other relatives of my father. She takes great effort to make it in a best way she knows. Of course she is a very good cook and she loves cooking and never felt tired even now in her late 70’s. Always her only wish was to give the best service to the relatives and friends. She is my inspiration to cook the food with love and enthusiasm.
I know many mothers and sisters in our community that they love cooking and share their love and experience with others whole heartedly. This is the kind of giving selflessly and for caring others in all their needs. God loves the cheerful heart 2Cor. 9:7. Everything should come from the heart with full of love of God. Let us pray to God to give us a cheerful heart to love Him and love others. 

MPI-CG 

Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori Chicken with Potato Wedges

Ingredients:       1. Whole Chicken No.                      3(800gm each)

                                2. Kashmiri Chili Powder (Bright Red Color type)

                                3. Garam Masala Powder           1 ½ Tsp

                                4. Crushed whole pepper (fresh)1 Tsp

                                3. Garlic Paste fresh                   1 Tbs. full

                                4. Ginger Paste fresh                  1Tbs. full

                                5. Yoghurt 1 Cup 250 gm

                                6. Coconut Oil or Olive Oil        2 Tbs.

                                7. Salt to taste

Preparation:

Cut the 3 Chicken into half to 6 pieces. Wash the Chicken and keep it in a strainer to squeeze the water out. Then combine the ingredients in a working bowl from 2-7 to make the marinating mixture. Marinate the Chicken with the mixture from both side and spread evenly in a baking tray. Keep it for 4-5 hours in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator and Bake it in a preheated Oven in the temperature of 180 Celsius for 1hour. In between the cooking, should baste the chicken with the sauce from the roasting tray itself and when the colour gets dark red check with a skewer that the chicken is done or not. Serve with the Potato wedges and Chapatti or Nan. Bon Appetite.

For Potato Wedges:

Ingredients:             1. Potatoes                                       No. 3 (big)

                                                Spice Mixture

                                1. Kashmiri Chilly Powder             Tbsp. 1

                                2. Crushed Whole Black Pepper     Tsp. ½

                                3. Madras Curry Powder                 Tsp. 1

                                4. Crushed Cumin seeds                  Tsp. 1

                               

Remove the skin of the potatoes and cut into wedges. Blanch the potatoes in salted boiling water for few minutes. Remove from the water and put in a strainer till the water goes out and become dry. When it is still hot sprinkle with the spices mixture and bake it in a moderate hot oven for 30 minutes or when it becomes golden brown colour. Remove form oven and serve with Tandoori Chicken. 

                               

Mediterranean & Middle Eastern Dishes (Mouthabbel)

 

Mouthabbel

Mouthabbel (An Arabic Appetizer) 

Ingredients:             Egg Plant (Big)          No. 2 approx. Kg ¾-1

                                    Lemon Fresh               No. 2

                                    Thahina                       gm. 100

                                    Salt to taste

                                    Chilled Water              20ml

                                    Yoghurt                         30ml

                                    Garlic Crushed           1 pod

                                    Chopped Parsley to garnish 2 Table Spoon

                                    Olive oil to garnish      30 ml

For Stick Salad:      Cucumber                        No. 3 (200 gm)

                                    Tomato                              No. 3 (200 gm)

                                    Lettuce(Small Heart)    No. 1 (250 gm)

                                    Spring Onion                   No. 5(150 gm)            

                       

Preparation:  Bake the Egg Plant in the oven till it is cooked well. Check with a skewer by piercing and if it goes inside and comes outside softly that means it is cooked well. Let it cool for some time and remove the outer skin and keep separately in a bowl. When it is completely cool chop it finely on the cutting board with a chopping knife.

Return the chopped eggplant to a working bowl with the liquid. Keep it in the Refrigerator for one hour. During this time crushed the Garlic in a Mortar after removing the skin. If we add little salt along with the garlic in the Mortar; it can be easily crushed finely. Take out the Juice of one Lemon if necessary add juice of one more lemon. Mix the lemon with garlic and Tbs. of olive oil in a small pudding bowl along with enough salt to taste. Take out the Eggplant from the Refrigerator and add the Thahina (if need more thicker paste add more Thahina), Garlic and lemon mixture, and Yoghurt in the bowl. Mix it thoroughly with a wooden spatula. The mixture should be soft and not watery and can easily scoop with the Arabic Bread. Enjoy this Middle Eastern delicatessen. 

MPI-CG