PATHANI GOSHT

One of my favourite dishes is pathani gosht. Every time I make it brings back festive memories. I remember the first time we ever ate it was at a dinner party at one of our family friends. Since then no Eid has gone by without me having it. When I was back home I used to ask my older sister to make it for me I have no clue how she made it but now that she’s not here I make it myself, and this is how I make it. My kids absolutely love it, because its basically a non complicated kind of dish, no extra spices or anything. This recipe taught me that’s food can taste good with having less complications added to it and maybe more healthy too. We sometimes tend to add to many spices to a recipe and loose track of the taste that we really wanted in a particular dish. There is another good thing about this recipe which is once you you’ve put it on stove forget about it for a couple of hours. That gives you time for relaxing and doing something else you want to do maybe just put on that face mask that’s been lying there for ages not being given any attention. It’s exactly what I do when ever I make this dish so hope you have a great time relaxing. ENJOY…

INGREDIENTS :-

• 1lb/kg big chunks of meat (lamb or beef)
  
• ½ Tbsp salt
  
• 5-6 tomatoes
  
• 2 Tbsp any vegetable oil
  
• 1 Tbsp ginger garlic paste
  

METHOD :-

1. If using frozen meat make sure its completely defrosted and has no water dripping from it when left in a sieve.
   
2. Put the meat, ginger garlic paste, oil and ½ of the salt and mix well.
   
3. When mixed well shift it to the pan you want to cook it in.
   
4. Thinly slice tomatoes and place them over the meat. covering it in 2 layers of tomatoes.
   
5. Between each layer of tomatoes add the remaining salt, just sprinkle it.
   
6. Don’t add any excess water. It’ll cook in its own water.
   
7. Cover and cook for 5 mins on high heat and then on very low heat cook let it cook for 3-4 hours depending on which meat you have used ( lamb or beef).
   
8. When serving make sure its mixed well and the meat is really well cooked. Don’t worry if it breaks because that’s the way its should be.
   
   I have made this recipe for so many years its time to share it with all my family and friends. I hope you all enjoy making it and even more have fun eating it…don’t forget to miss me though because I’m thinking of you having this dish right ….are you????? ;~}

Yummy Brownies....:)

My kids favourite food is brownies even if I make millions they'll gulp it down in a matter of Mins. Therefore I try and make them as often as possible. I have tried a lot of recipes but this particular one is simple and easy to make. I once borrowed a book from the library called kitchen for kids, if you have kids a must have kind of book. I followed the basic idea and measurements and added a few of my touches to the recipe, and it works really well. One most important tip is that the darker the sugar the darker the brown colour you'll get in your brownies, and better the taste.

So here we go with a twist on these brownies....

INGREDIENTS:-

• 3, 30gs squares chocolate
• 115 g unsalted butter cut into pieces.
• 15o ml or 2/3 cup brown sugar (any will do)
• 125 ml or 1/2 cup granulated golden sugar.
• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder ( caramel flavour)
• 2 Large eggs
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract/essence
• 150 ml or 2/3 cup plain flour

METHOD:-

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 deg F /180 deg C.
2. Grease and line the tin with parchment paper.
3. In a bowl heat the chocolate and butter slightly just enough that is its easily mixing to a smooth consistency.
4. In a bowl add brown sugar and break it well with a whisk before adding granulated golden sugar,cocoa powder,eggs,oil and vanilla essence and mix well.
5. Add in this the chocolate mixture prepared before.Blend well.
6. Now add flour spoonfuls first than mix well again.
7. Put in the baking dish and bake about 20 Mins or until nice and springy.
8. Cool before removing from the pan.

In brownies one has to know the right time to remove it from the oven depending on what you really like.i like them a bit mushy and fudgey so take them out of the oven a bit earlier as i said 20 Mins. but if you like them more crumbly or dry wait another 10 Mins. I usually make them with my kids because its easy and ready in Mins. hope you all like it...enjoy another treat to impress...:~}

cake...

Cakes are the easiest things in the world to make in my opinion. Its the practice you really need to make it perfect as we may want it to be like the ones we have either seen in a bakery,cooking magazine or in grocery stores. what we tend to forget is that those people who make them that perfect have been doing for so many years to get to that stage. When i baked my first cake i was about 9 years old. Since then i have loved making and experimenting with cake recipes. The most important things that i learnt in baking were one never panic,and second always know your basic recipe and you'll have a great cake. The trick is to keep you recipe simple in measurements and less in quantities. the simpler the things the better the less the quantities of ingredients the better the practice and less waste of food. when baking a cake decide if you want a sponge cake or simple pound cake.if making a pound cake keep the quantity of butter a little more than you would have in a sponge cake.

When you bake a cake first things first always preheat the oven to the required temperature and line a time before preparing for the mixture or batter. otherwise the air that's locked in the mixture is gone which helps the cake to rise so it may become a flat cake rather than a nice springy cake.

Here is a recipe that's always worked for me. Its of a simple pound cake recipe but once you're confident making it you can add and subtract in the recipe.you can even use this recipe for simple juicy sponge cakes. So here goes hope you like it and have fun making and eating as much as i do always.

INGREDIENTS:-

• 3 Medium eggs
  
• 1 Cup Self-raising flour
  
• 1/2 Of 500gs Butter pack
  
• Some milk
  
• 1Cup sugar
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla essence/extract.

METHOD:-

1. Pre-heat over to 180 deg.
   
2. Line the tin or grease the tin with some butter and flour.
   
3. Keep the butter out of fridge and soften it at room temperature.
   
4. Sieve flour and salt together.
   
5. Mix the vanilla extract ,butter and sugar till light and fluffy,it should change colour from yellow to pale yellow or off white.
   
6. When the colour changes start adding eggs one at a time.
   
7. Now add flour spoon by spoon initially and then add all mix well.
   
8. If you think the mixture is too thick add a bit of milk and mix well not otherwise.
   
9. Now put the mixture in the grease or lined baking dish and bake for 35-40 Mins, or until the tooth pick comes out clean,and the cake is springy to touch.
   
10. Leave it in the tin till it cools down completely and then serve it with some coolie or sauce.

This is a recipe i have loved and has always worked well for me,but with making it almost every other week gave it its perfection so if you make it once and it does not come out well don't be discouraged. keep trying till you get to a point when you do all the steps automatically like a machine and your cakes ready in 30 Mins,do it till it becomes a habit to make a cake and without stress. ...enjoy and see you when i add a new recipe later... ;~)