Chana dal samosas are a popular Pakistani & Indian vegetarian / vegan snack. Perfect for tea time with green chutney or raita on the side. Growing up in Pakistan with parents who were doctors meant that I rarely got to eat snacks from outside. No thailay wali kulfi’s, no bun kebabs, not even Mr. Burger and definitely no gola ganda’s! What I was allowed to have were samosas from the Nimco outlet (the original outlet in Bohri Bazaar, Saddar), but…
This aloo ki tarkari (potato curry) is similar to the one that you get at the halwa puri stall, just more hygienic. It’s a vegetarian recipe that is super simple to make, and tastes delicious with puri, paratha or kachori. All you need is achaar on the side. If there’s one vegetable that everyone loves, that would be the potato. Be it Pakistani style or continental aloo (or potato) is one vegetable that people rarely say no to, be it…
I rarely say this but this is the best carrot cake with cream cheese frosting recipe that you will ever taste. It’s easy to make, the cake is super soft and delicious, and that cream cheese frosting on top gives it that ‘wow’ factor. I still remember the first time I had carrot cake. We were over at my friend Hira’s place and she offered it to us. I was super skeptical at the idea of a vegetable in a…
These chicken spread sandwiches are a great option for lunch boxes, be it a school lunch box or for the office. Just spread it on bread, add sliced vegetables and cut into halves or triangles. Whatever you prefer! The first time I tried a chicken spread sandwich was from my friend’s lunch box – she had bought sandwiches to school and made me try them. That very day I asked my mother to get me a bottle for home, but…
Shami kebab are beef patties made with boneless beef, chana daal (split bengal gram), onion, spices and herbs. This recipe makes a large batch so eat some right now, and freeze the rest for later. There was a time when shami kebabs were reserved for special occasions – when guests are over or it was a fancy dinner at home. Those were the days when the meat for the shami kebab was painstakingly ground by hand with a sil batta.…
Kachumber salad is a fresh vegetable salad made with onions, tomatoes and cucumbers. Enjoy it with daal chawal, curries, or just on its own. We don’t eat a lot of salads in Pakistani curries. If a salad is served, it is usually raw – sliced tomatoes or cucumbers, maybe some turnip sprinkled with salt, black pepper or some vinegar and lemon juice. The one salad that is common in Pakistan is the kachumber salad. It’s super quick to make –…
Keema samosa is a popular Pakistani snack with a filling of keema enclosed in a flour based pastry and deep fried. Enjoy it hot with mint chutney on the side. Samosa making is an art learnt by trial and error and a line of broken samosa pattis along the way. Every year in Ramadan samosa making was a ritual with my mother. I remember how I struggled when she started teaching me. As much as I tried, I could never…