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…
Onion pakora, pyaz pakora or onion fritters are a Pakistani / Indian appetizer made with sliced onion and coriander coated with a spicy chickpea flour batter and deep-fried till crispy. What are pakoras? Pakora or pakoda are the Pakistani version of a fritter, but made with besan (chickpea flour in English). It’s a snack that is synonymous with the rainy season, and the moment it rains, what everyone wants is crispy crunchy vegetable pakoras with chai. It is also an…
Chana chaat is the Desi version of a salad. The base is chickpeas or chana with onions, tomatoes, green chilies and coriander as the supporting characters finished off with chaat masala and lemon juice for that necessary spice and khataaz! How to make chana chaat? Start off with boiling chickpeas or what is known as chana or sufaid chole in Hindi / Urdu. In fact, another name for chana chaat is chole ki chaat. You can also use canned chickpeas.…
Similar to potato fritters, aloo pakora or aloo pakoda (in Hindi) are a traditional Pakistani / Indian appetizer of sliced potatoes that are coated with a spicy chickpea flour batter and deep-fried till golden brown. What are pakoras? Pakoras are the Pakistani version of a fritter, but made with besan (chickpea flour in English). The traditional ones are the potato pakoras (aloo kay pakoray) and onion pakoras (piyaaz kay pakoray), but chicken pakoras (boti kay pakoray), spinach pakoras (palak kay…
With a sprinkling of Egyptian dukkah on top, this smooth and creamy dukkah hummus is the perfect dip to serve with raw vegetables or pita bread. What is Hummus? Hummus is a popular middle-eastern dip or thick spread made with chickpeas (sufaid chole), garlic, tahini, lemon and olive oil. It is popular in Middle Eastern cuisine, and the popularity of the cuisine has led to hummus being easily available in supermarkets. It is considered quite healthy as it’s main ingredients…
Fresh mushrooms sautéed in garlic, avocado slices and of course lemon juice and salt come together to make this delicious avocado mushroom toast. Enjoy for breakfast, brunch or even dinner. The first time I tried avocado was as guacamole with tortilla chips and for years that was the only recipe I tried. As much as I loved them, avocados can be pricey and there is always that risk of them being under-ripe. Now that I am more comfortable with judging…
Similar to a burger but far spicier, an aloo and daal bun kabab is the proverbial Pakistani street food snack. It features a potato and lentils patty in a tawa toasted burger bun, with lots of green chutney and sliced vegetables. I wait eagerly for Eid every year. The festivities, the clothes, family get-togethers and of course the food. I would spend days planning what I would make for Eid, determined to outdo myself from the year before. However,…