Ingredient: butter

I was very new to Sindhi Biryani before i explored my friend Anisa Arif’s website http://shop.zaiqathespicestore.com/ . Before this i had tried Zaika’s Bombay Biryani Masala which i used few months back. It got published in various online food magazines too. Since then i am a huge fan if Zaika Spices. They are fresh, fine and absolutely aromatic. While ordering some spices , Sindhi Biryani Masala caught attention of mine this time. After having a word about it with Anisa, i decided to give it a try. The procedure followed to make this Biryani was the same, the only difference…

During my Hyderabad visit i got a chance to visit a local bakery. I was amazed to see heaps and piles of tuti fruity biscuits which were almost everywhere on the counter. They referred to it as Karachi Biscuits. Believe me i have grown up hearing Karachi Biscuits from few members in my family and for all those days i thought it from from Hyderabad situated in Pakistan because Karachi is in Pakistan….lol My Hyderabad visit was an eye opener to me. Though i didn’t got a chance to have those amazing fruit cookies there but i always wanted to…

I simply love baking… believe me it’s a addiction. Once you start baking and get your hands set on your oven, that is when you get addicted. For me baking is something which was once a nightmare. But gradually i took over my fear and Woohaa! here i am. I gguess in my blog after desserts, baking is the maximum post carrying category. If someday it really happens, i would love to die eating chocolate. Chocolate in any form is worth dying for. Like me, my son is also a big time chocolate fan. Every second day he asks me…

What do u do with those extremely ripe bananas..? Well i prefer to bake them. And when it comes to baking, what better than a Banana Bread Loaf! Well the banana cake resembles a banana bread bcz of its texture. Though the ingredients is same as a cake but it’s a bread. Banana bread is a type of bread that is made with mashed fully ripe bananas. It is often a moist, sweet, cake-like quick bread; however, there are some banana bread recipes that are traditional-style yeast breads. Well there’s an interesting history behind banana bread… Wikipedia says Banana bread…

A true foodie is one who is open to eat anything and almost everything edible. One such foodie is my sister. Since childhood me and my sister has been the biggest food hogger in our family. Living in a metro for years often allows one to eat and explore new cuisines which is normally not so common at home. One of them is Gratin, which is a widespread culinary technique in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg and/or butter. Gratin originated in French cuisine and is usually prepared in a shallow…

The monthly challenge set at Chef Across Boundaries was hosted by me for the month of June. After going through a wonderful experience of exploring Brazilian food last month, this month i decide to go for JAPANESE CUISINE. The only Japanese food i knew till date was Sushi. Wanted to explore more hence did a bit research before i could actually decide to go for it. Through internet research i came to know that Japanese cuisine (和食, washoku) offers an abundance of gastronomical delights with a boundless variety of regional and seasonal dishes as well as international cuisine. The Japanese…

SHAB-E-BARAAT MUBARAK !!! On this night Allah said : ` who wants forgiveness, I will forgive you. Who wants food, I will provide food.` Allah said this over again and again until fajr. The night of Shab-E-Barat also commemorates the entry of Muhammad Sallallahu alihi wasallam into the city of Mecca. The festival of Shab-E-Barat is celebrated with pomp and enthusiasm by Muslims all over the world. For, Muslims believe that on the night of Shab-E-Barat God writes the destinies of all men for the coming year by taking into account the deeds committed by them in the past. It…

Let’s take a tour to Hyderabad today. Well had an opportunity to visit this city of Nawabi cuisines couple of times. Must admit, everything about Hyderabad is simply marvelous. The city show cases a splendid food culture in every corner. From gullis to mohallas ..from street food to fine dinning, Hyderabad has something special for each and everyone. The cuisine emphasises the use of ingredients that are carefully chosen and cooked to the right degree and time. Utmost attention is given to picking the right kind of spices, meat, and rice. Therefore, an addition of a certain herb, spice, condiment,…

‘Chefs Across Boundaries’ is a group of Chefs who set up challenges every month to encourage the participants to innovate, think out of the box and explore the culinary world. It is an initiative started by a handful of food bloggers and food enthusiasts who have taken up the challenge to explore unique and traditional recipes with a motive to expand culinary knowledge as well as to promote the hidden gems which are yet to make an impact in the culinary world. The monthly challenge at ‘Chefs Across Boundaries’ this month is the Brazilian Cuisine. The challenge was set up…

Bottle Gourd is the only vegetable i always disliked as a kid. Lately, the two dishes made with bottle gourd which i started liking and later fallen in love with were Lauki Halwa and Lauki Kofta. I have seen my mom making typical spicy gravy with lots of bottle gourd dumplings drowned in it. Since long i had been wanting to make lauki kofta in a rich thick creamy gravy. Today while hunting veggies in the fridge i came across a lauki and some left over fresh cream/malai and of course the cashew nut paste which i always keep handy…

The month of May has a special importance in my life. This is the month when a great lady whom i look up to always was born – My Mother! 4th May we celebrated her birthday and this time she wanted me to bake a cake for her. As it is raining mangoes everywhere and the fruit is also supposed to be a favorite of all in my house, i thought to design the cake with Mango rosettes. My mom was very clear with her choice that she wanted a dark chocolate cake frosted with chocolate ganache. So i knew…

Biryani is something i simply can’t get over it. This is the only dish which i can relish daily. After having tried Awadhi Biryani, Hyderabadi Biryani, Kerela Biryani it was now turn to lay my hands on Bombay Biryani. I had this during my stay in Mumbai somewhere near Lokhandwala. The taste was little mild as compared to North India’s Dum biryani. Luckily i had a packet of ready made Bombay Biryani masala which i had received a few days back from one of my good friend Anisa Arif also the owner of Zaika. Apart from whole spices i did…