KARACHI NIHARI THE BEST NIHARI OF PAKISTAN

KARACHI NIHARI

(THE BEST NIHARI OF PAKISTAN)

My 100th Recipe on this Blog.

INTRODUCTION:

Nihari is a traditional Muslim Dish of Delhi, Bhopal, and Lucknow, but it is now considered to be the National Dish of Pakistan. Muslim Dish means it was started by Muslims.

The word Nihari comes from Urdu Nihaar and Arabic Nahaar, which means early morning or start of the day.

There are a lot of disputes about who invented Nihari and where it originated.  Some say its origin is the 18th-century Mughal Era in Delhi, and others claim it was born in the Nawab Wajid Ali Shah's (Nawab of Awadh) period.

Nihari is hard for those who have a weak digestive system. After eating Nihari, one starts feeling drowsy, which is why, during the old days, it was prepared and eaten in the early morning so that a nap could be taken. Nowadays, it is available and eaten 24 hours a day in Karachi Hotels.

I have named it Very Very Karachi Nihari because the people of Karachi have given it a new dimension with great spices, and its 24-hour consumption. I have travelled all over Pakistan, but have never tasted Nihari in its real Nihari flavour except in Karachi. Karachi has become the Mother of Nihari.

In Karachi, Nihari is prepared mostly from Buffalo meat or even Camel meat, but it is also prepared with mutton (not much in Karachi) and Chicken as well. But the real taste lies in the big chunks of Buffalo meat or Camel meat with bone marrow of leg shanks, and also Maghaz (Brain).

Nihari is a slow-cooked curry dish added with leg shank marrow, it is cooked on slow heat for 6-8 hours with the lid over the pot is bound with flour dough so the vapors do not escape out and the meat becomes tender with the absorption of the special spices for such long hours and the marrow is now coming out of the leg shank, which will later be served with the meat or some time it is placed separately. The Maghaz (Brain) of Goat or Buffalo or Cow is also boiled with a few herbs and salt and served with the Nihari Curry.  This becomes a special treat for eating Nihari.

Flour is also mixed in the curry to make it thicker, and finally, the Pure Ghee is used as Tarka or Baghar, which makes Nihari a great delicacy.  The Baghar or Tarka (Tempering) controls the impact of fiery spices as well. The Pure Ghee or pure butter is heated with rings of Onion in it and poured on the serving plate individually.  Its aroma and taste are mouthwatering.

Nihari is also garnished with finely cut green chillies, julienne-cut ginger, Lemon, and sometimes with fried onions as well. It is eaten with freshly baked Naan. (Flatbread baked in earthen ovens)

The secret of NiharI's taste lies not in the meat, but in the spices used, and no one is ready to divulge the secret recipe of the spices used in its preparation.

In addition to that, there is another Special Spice Mix which is sprinkled over the serving dish and enhances the taste manifold.

CHILLI OIL  (TARI) FOR TOPPING:

Heat one or half a cup of oil till it steams up, take it off the heat and sprinkle Red Chilli Powder in it and let it rest after mixing. Strain when the temperature is down. The excess powder will remain at the bottom.

PURE GHEE TARKA OR BAGHAR (Tempering)

Baghar is called Tempering in English; it is a cooking technique in which whole spices (and sometimes also other ingredients such as dried chillies, minced root, or sugar) are roasted briefly in oil or ghee to liberate essential oils from cells and thus enhance their flavours, before being poured, together with the oil, into a dish. Baghar or Tarka (Tempering) is also practised by dry roasting whole spices in a pan before grinding the spices.

It is typically done at the beginning of cooking, before adding the other ingredients for a curry or similar dish, or it may be added to a dish at the end of cooking, just before serving (as with Dal, Nihari, or stew).

There are more varieties of Nihari available in restaurants all over Pakistan, especially in Karachi. Nihari with other helping or side dishes like Nali Nihari, Maghaz Nihari, Nali & Maghaz Nihari mix, Nihari Fry and last but not least, Special Nihari. Special Nihari has Baghar or Tarka of Pure Ghee, Maghaz, and Nali all in one dish. Of course, it is a little expensive, but looking at the taste and the ingredients in it, one can afford it.

Somehow got the Very Very Karachi Nihari recipe, and while going through its contents, I felt that this recipe is a real challenge to prepare with so many spices and tidbits in it. How the inventor remembered all the items required. I noted down all the ingredients on an A-3 size lined paper, tried to memorise some but failed, so I discussed it with my wife about the ingredients, and she said that nearly all the spices and tidbits are available at home, and we only have to get the Meat, leg shanks(Nali) and Brain (Maghaz) from the market.

One evening after acquiring all the required things and placing them in front of me and my wife, we crossed checked each and every item listed in the recipe, when satisfied with our inventory, I started to achieve one of the most difficult recipes I have ever tried and thanks to ALLAH when the cooked Nihari was served to my sisters and my youngest brother in law, their reaction was astonishing for me that it has the peculiar taste and flavor as is available in a very famous restaurant from where I got this recipe, which I thought was not possible for a person like me who has no cooking experience or expertise.

I must say to all visitors of this blog to throw away the FEAR OF FAILURE and JUST DO IT. I always keep trying and have never given up until I get the desired result. I would also like to say here that I have never posted any recipe which I have not successfully prepared and enjoyed with family or friends, despite the lack of facilities available at my humble abode.

Here we are going to start preparing our VERY VERY BEST KARACHI NIHARI with the name of ALLAH.

EQUATION:

• Mixing and Grinding Spices:           15-20 Minutes.
• Preparation of Tarka:                       05 Minutes.
• Preparation of Chilli Oil:                   05 Minutes.
• Preparation of Maghaz:                   10 Minutes
• Cook Time:                                      4 to 6 hours (according to your choice)
• Yield:                                               6-8 Servings
• Expenses:                                       Rs. 2,000/00 (12 US Dollars)

THINGS WE NEED:

1. 1 Kg Bhains Ka Gosht big chunks (Buffalo Meat)
2. 1 Kg  Nali and bones (Leg Shanks) 
3. 2 Maghaz (whole brain)
4. 2-1/2 to 3 Cups Tel (Oil)
5. Lal Mirch (Red Chili) to taste
6. Namak (Salt) to taste
7. 2 Tablespoons Kashmiri Mirch (Paprika Powder)
8. 1/2 Teaspoon Haldi (Turmeric Powder)
9. 3 Tablespoons Saunth (Dry Ginger Powder)
10. 4 pieces of Pipli
11. 2 Nos. Badiyan Phool (Star Anise)
12. 1/2 Tablespoon Ajwain (Carom Seeds)
13. 1/4 Teaspoon Jaifal (Nutmeg)
14. 1/4 Teaspoon Jawatari (Mace)
15. 1-1/2 Teaspoons Kali Mirch (Black Pepper)
16. 1-1/2 Teaspoons Kala Zeera (Caraway seeds)
17. 1-1/2 Teaspoon Safaid Zeera (Cumin Seeds)
18. 2 Bari Ilaichi (Black Cardamom)
19. 5 Choti Ilaichi (Green Cardamom)
20. 3 Tablespoons Saunf (Fennel Seeds)
21. 6-8 Laong (Cloves)
22. 2 pieces Dar Chini (Cinnamon)
23. 4 Tablespoons Sabut Dhaniya (Coriander seeds) in a Potly made from a piece of Muslin cloth in which anything is put, and then the cloth is bound together. Here we'll put Coriander seeds in the potly, bind them, and then put the potly in the cooking pot to avoid the seeds mixing in the curry, we only need their flavour.
24. 2 Tezpat (Bay Leaves)
25. 3 Table Spoons Adrak Lahsan Paste (Ginger Garlic)
26. 1/2 cup Atta (Flour)
27. 2 Glass Pani (Water) 

SPICE MIX FOR SPRINKLING:

1. 3 pieces of Pipli
2. 2 Tablespoons Sufaid Zeera (Cumin seeds)
3. 1 Tablespoon Kali Mirch (Black Pepper)
4. 1-2 Bari Ilaichi (Black Cardamom)
5. 8 Laongs (Cloves)
6. 1-1/2 piece of Dar Chini (Cinnamon)

Ground the above together in a Grinder and keep in a Jar for sprinkling over the serving plate according to taste.

FOR GARNISHING:

1. Julian cut Ginger
2. Finely Cut Green Chillies
3. Fresh Green Coriander leaves
4. Lemons
5. Garam Masala (All Spice Powder)

HOW WE WILL PREPARE / COOK:

1. Wash the meat, leg shank bones, and Maghaz thoroughly; don't clean any fat.
2. Heat oil in a large cooking pan, put the Ginger Garlic paste and stir for 4-5 minutes.
3. Add Lal Mirch, Haldi, and Kashmiri Mirch.
4. Ground all from Sr. No. 9 to 22 in a grinder and add that powder to the cooking pan, stir and cook for 5-6 minutes.
5. Add Meat and bones now, and add sufficient water to cover everything in the pot. Water may be 1/2 inch above the meat, etc.
6. Add Potly of Sabut Dhaniya and Tezpats and turn the heat on high till it starts to boil.
7. Now cover the pot and leave it to simmer for 3-4 hours on very low heat.
8. When the meat becomes tender, the water dries, and oil is showing, take the oil out of the pot and set it aside.
9. Remove Tezpat and potly as well and discard them.
10. Mix Aata in 2 cups of water and make sure there are no lumps.
11. When Nihari is well-cooked, and the meat is fully tenderised, mix liquified aata (Whole Wheat Flour) in it and turn the heat on medium.
12. Again, at the boiling point, turn the heat on low again and cook till the gravy is thickened according to your taste.
13. Our Nihari is ready now to be served.
14. Mix the prepared Chili oil in the pot or pour it separately after dishing it out on a serving plate.
15. Boil Maghaz with Lahsan and Haldi, set it in a bowl.
16. Remove the bones and take out the marrow from the leg shanks, and put that marrow in a separate bowl with Nihari.
17. Heat pure ghee with onion rings until they are well fried, and pour it sizzling over the Nihari.
18. Sprinkle garnish over the dish.
19. Don't forget to sprinkle the spice mix on your plate.
20. Serve with Tandoori Naans (baked flatbread)

By the grace of ALLAH, our Nihari is all ready to be consumed, feel free to add Maghaz and Nali to your plate with green chillies, ginger and Lemon juice, and of course the butter Tarka.

Go ahead, fellas!. 

How was this experience? Hopefully, a bit exciting and rewarding as well because of words of praise at the dining table from all who have tasted your effort of making the Very Very Best Nihari of Pakistan.

In my dictionary, the word "failure" is missing. We've become prisoners of our own so-called myths and thoughts of what people say. Please leave all these fears away from your conscience and JUST DO IT. Heaven will not fail if your cooking or baking falls short of the standards set by the professionals and the establishments that are running their businesses on the pillars of experienced hands and investments of millions of dollars.

Remember, we at home are not experts or professionals, and we don't possess the state-of-the-art paraphernalia. The failure will push us to DO MORE and DO AGAIN., so just leave aside this FEAR OF FAILURE and do what you can do, no herculean effort and no professional attitude, only a humble effort.

Remember, while we were cooking VERY VERY BEST KARACHI NIHARI, there was NO FEAR OF FAILURE.

Thanks,

Loves to All

thine eternally,

NOVICE

March 3rd, 2017

Carrot Cocoanut Cake

 

CARROT COCONUT CAKE

Very simple, easy, and nourishing cake with the lovely taste of fresh Carrots. The basic ingredient Carrot is used in a variety of dishes all around the world, in desserts, curries, salads, etc. The bulk of carrots is produced in China nowadays.

Carrots are mostly in bright Redish Orange color but this vegetable is also found in, black, purple, and white colors in different parts of the world. Its origin is Asia. 

In Pakistan and India, Carrots are more famous for their dessert dish called GAJAR KA HALWA, mostly grated Carrots are mostly cooked in Milk with the addition of sugar and Khoy (Milk Solids), also garnished with Almonds on top. Gajar Ka Halwa is consumed during winter and it is a healthy and nourishing dessert. During the winter season, Gajar ka Halwa is cooked in most homes, and at the same time, it is sold at the stalls that emerge at every nook and corner in Pakistan.

Cake made with carrots as the main ingredient also has many variations, some with cream frosting, cheese frosting, the addition of dry fruit and coconut flakes, etc.

I am sharing the recipe of a very simple and basic style, without much addition except for a small amount of Coconut flakes. Pure carrot flavor and taste in a Cake that you like with your Tea or Coffee.

It is also very inexpensive. I made an 8-inch square cake and the total expenses I bore were Pakistani Rupees 125 only and if I convert it into Dollars, it will be one dollar and 5-6 cents only.

So here with the name of ALLAH, I am going to start making our most easy, simple and basic Carrot Cake which is also very cheap or inexpensive to prepare.

WHAT WE NEED FOR OUR CAKE:

1. 2-1/2 Cups Flour (Take out 2-1/2 Tablespoons of flour and replace it with Corn flour)
2. 2-1/2 Tablespoons Corn Flour
3. 1-1/4 Cups Butter or Vegetable Oil
4. 2-1/2 Cups Sugar
5. 2-1/2 Cups grated Carrots
6. 3 Large Eggs
7. 1-1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
8. 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
9. 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract or 1 Teaspoon Carrot Extract
10. 1 Teaspoon Salt
11. 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon Powder

OUR PREPARATION OF CAKE:

• Pre-heat Oven to 180 C, 350 F, or Gas Mark 4 for 20 minutes.
• Grease the 8 or 9-inch Cake Pan, put butter paper in the bottom, and grease it as well.
• Beat eggs one by one, add sugar, and continue beating until creamy and foamy. Now add all ingredients of grated Carrot and combine.
• Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake it for about 40-45 minutes.
• you can check it just before the baking time ends, ie after 35 or 40 minutes by inserting a knife or a toothpick in the center, it would be smeared very little and that means our cake is going to be perfect.
• Don't think it is still underbaked, if you wait for the toothpick or knife to come out clean and dry that will mean the cake is overbaked and its moistness has dried. A little bit of moistness is perfect for a soft and moist cake. 
• Take out the pan from Oven and cool it on a Colling Rack or as I have mentioned earlier in other recipes you can use any wire mesh available in your kitchen for this purpose.
• Enjoy the Carrots now in the form of a moist and delicious Cake.

I hope you'll try this very inexpensive and cost-effective cake without fearing failure.

Thanks for visiting my blog, any questions will be welcomed.

thanks, 


thine eternally


NOVICE

OMELET FRENCH TOAST 
(BACHELORS SPECIAL) 

WHAT IS FRENCH TOAST:

The popular history behind French toast (aka German toast, American toast, Spanish toast) is that it was created by medieval European cooks who needed to use every bit of food they could find to feed their families. They knew old, stale bread (the French term *pain perdu* literally means *lost bread*) could be revived when moistened and heated. Cooks would have added eggs for additional moisture and protein. Medieval recipes for "French Toast" also suggest this meal was enjoyed by the wealthy. Cookbooks at this time were written by and for the wealthy. These recipes used white bread (the very finest, most expensive bread available at the time) with the crusts cut off, something a poor, hungry person would be unlikely to do

.

French toast can be traced back to the Romans.  This is really not surprising.  In fact, its origins must be more ancient than that.  Once the bread was invented, it didn’t take centuries of evolution to realize it can be dipped in the fluid to soften or flavor it. The term “French toast” can be traced to at least 17th century England and of course, spread to America along with the colonists.

French toast was eaten throughout Europe during the Middle Ages.  It was indeed a means of utilizing stale bread to make it palatable and avoid wasting food, an unthinkable act for the penurious peasants of the time.  However, the affluent consumed it as well, albeit adorned by more extravagant and expensive ingredients.

 As stated, French toast or some variation thereof is consumed the world over.  For some it is a dessert; for others a holiday favorite such as on Christmas or Easter.  But there’s no dispute that in Europe and America, French toast has become one of their iconic breakfast offerings.

 
Basic French toast is quite simply slices of bread dipped in an egg and dairy mixture and then fried in butter.  Traditionally it is topped with powdered sugar and syrup.  But from these humble beginnings, a multitude of permutations emerge.  A wide variety of flavoring elements can be added to the basic recipe. 

This dish is a sweet relative to bread pudding and it has been used as a dessert and breakfast food for at least 1500 years. The Romans often referred to it as “aliter Dulcia” (“another sweet dish”) in the 4th century, and the French actually call it “pain perdu” or lost bread, in which stale bread is used. 

Roman recipes called for stale white bread so that it could soak up the maximum amounts of an egg without breaking up.

The name “French toast” was first used in 17th-century England. The recipe and name were brought to America by early settlers.
Once in America, French toast was often used and popularized in early 20th-century rail travel and has been used in New Orleans’ kitchens for the last century as a breakfast item made with egg batter, and certain spirits, and topped with fruit syrups and powdered sugar. Both the French & Cajun continue to refer to French toast as “pain perdu.”

In certain cultures, French toast may be made with or without milk, regional berries, maple syrup, jams, yogurt, or other sweet toppings. Some recipes also call for vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, or other spices, while other versions are just simply used with honey. A salty and savory version of French toast can be topped with bacon, cheese, gravy, or ketchup.

People often use a variety of different types of bread to make French toast. In the western and southwestern United States, many cooks prefer sourdough bread. Within some Jewish-American communities, people use leftover Challah bread from the Sabbath dinner for a delicious French toast on Sunday mornings.

So, whether you call it eggy bread, gypsy bread, or French toast, this dish is found in almost every Western culture on Earth.

Hungry now? Try a more homely "Omelet French Toast!" Let us start preparing our instant bachelor-preferred French Toast in Omelet with the name of ALLAH.

 

EQUATION:

Total time:                                  10-12 Minutes

Yield                                           16 Toasts

Expenses:                                  Only Rupees 200 (Less than a US Dollar)

REQUIRED INGREDIENTS:

1. 4 Eggs
2. 1 small Onion
3. 2-3 Green Chillies
4. 1/2 Tomato
5. Salt and Pepper to taste
6. 8 Bread Slices
7. Oil for shallow frying

METHOD:

1. Cut the Onion, Green Chillies, and Tomato into a thin Omelet Cut.
2. In a bowl break the Eggs, add Onion, Green Chillies, and Tomato.
3. Mix it well with a Whisk
4. Add Salt and Pepper, whisk again
5. Cut the sides of the Bread Slices and then cut them into half but in a triangular shape
6. Heat oil in a Pan, preferably a Grill Pan
7. When the Oil is hot, lower the heat
8. Dip the Slices in the Egg mixture and put them in the pan
9. Add a spoonful of egg mixture over the top of the Slices
10. When sides turn golden, turn them over
11. Take out on a Platter and enjoy it hot

Bachelors or no Bachelors, just go for this amazing and instant recipe without any FEAR OF FAILURE.

Come on Viewers, this is not rocket science to make a French toast at home, the science is hidden in your mind which often stops you from trying your own hand at cooking or baking anything by yourself. You just rely on your Mom when you are a Bachelor and after marriage, it is your wife (Seldom if it is your husband) who is always looking after your demands with likes and dislikes surrounding her all the time. Despite all this pressure upon her, she delivers the goods on time and as per your requirements most of the time and if she fails in something sometimes, you lose your temper and start arguing and commenting on her cooking efforts, never thinking of what if the same reaction is shown by her on anything you've done other than cooking? This is the real fear in your mind that you will reap what you've sown.

Please scratch this negative thinking from your mind and clear your vision of achieving something that you've never even tried. Think of the jubilation or elation you'll feel after preparing your own dish. It will be mind-boggling, believe me.

Thanks,

Love you all,

thine eternally,

NOVICE

BASBAUSA CUPCAKES

 

BASBOUSA CUPCAKES

INTRODUCTION:

Basbousa is a cake made with Semolina. It is a trendy and prevalent dish in the Middle East. Muslims and Coptic Christians use it during their fasts. Muslims traditionally use it during the holy month of Ramzan. It has some other names in other regions but traditionally it is Basbousa. Also called Harissa, Revani, and Ravani in the other areas.

It is also called an Egyptian Dessert as its birthplace is said to be Egypt.

It is baked like a cake with a small amount of sugar in the batter and after it is baked, sugar syrup with Rose flavour is poured over it immediately after taking it out of the oven.

In some recipes, Basbousa is baked again for 10-12 minutes after soaking it in the sugar syrup. This dessert can be made with Eggs Yogurt or both, as its leavening agent. So you have a choice here. I have prepared this dish in two styles, once I baked it again after soaking it with rose-scented sugar syrup, I made it without baking again.

The aroma of Rose arising from this dessert is so captivating that the family members become impatient to have it.

Here we are, going to start our preparation of Basbousa in the name of All Mighty ALLAH.

EQUATION:

• Preparation:                                15 minutes
• Baking:                                        20 minutes
• Oven Temperature:                     180 C, 350 F, or Gas Mark 4
• Yield:                                           24 Cupcakes
• Expenses:                                   200 Rupees (A little more than a US Dollar)                                                    

WHAT WE NEED:

For Sugar Syrup:

1.  1 Cup Sugar
2.  1 Cup Water
3.  1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
4.  1/2 to 1 Teaspoon Rose Essence/Extract

For Cake:

1.  2 Cups Semolina
2.  2/3 Cups Sugar
3.  1 Cup Yoghurt
4.  2 Large Eggs
5.  1 Cup Desiccated Coconut
6.  1/3 Cup Butter or a little less Cooking Oil
7.  15-20 Blanched Almonds (As per the quantity of the Paper Cup Molds)
8.  2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
9.  1/4 Teaspoon yellow Food Color (Optional)

METHOD:

     Sugar Syrup:

• We shall start by boiling the sugar with equal water on medium heat.
• Add lemon juice and stir till the syrup turns a bit thicker.
• Add Rose Water (Arq e Gulab)
• stir a little and remove from the heat.

Cup Cakes:

• Preheat the Oven to 180 C, 350 F, or Gas Mark 4 for a minimum of 20 minutes
• Set the Paper Cup Moulds in the Cupcake Liner and set them aside.
• Blanch the Almonds, peel them, and set them aside.
• Mix all ingredients except almonds with a Whisk or electric beater in a bowl.
• Pour this batter into the molds at 3/4th height, and place a peeled Almond on top of the batter in each mold.
• Put the liner in the refrigerator for an hour.
• Place the baking liner in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or till a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean, Also the top is golden.
• Take out the Liner from the oven but keep the Oven On as the cupcakes are to be baked for a few minutes more
• Pour the room-temperature cold Sugar Syrup over the hot baked cupcakes, and soak them. 
• Remove from the Oven, as the cupcakes are ready to be had, hot, warm, or cold.
• These cupcakes can be stored in an airtight jar or box in the fridge.

Try these great cupcakes now and keep the recipe intact for making it during Ramazan, as practiced in most Arab countries, especially Egypt. These cupcakes or Basboussa Cakes are so aromatic with an Eastern touch that you can not control your urge to have them then and there, when within reach. The only thing that stops us from preparing this Semolina-based Cake is the eternal FEAR OF FAILURE, which always lurks behind our minds whenever we think of trying something new.

Forget it please, there should be no hint of any FEAR in your mind because Err is human and we learn from our mistakes or failures. Always be ready to try something new or to innovate.

Thanks,

Love you all,

thine eternally,

NOVICE