Shakshuka

Shakshuka is a very weird name for something that has eggs in it.

Shak means 'to suspect' in Urdu which is a common expression in both man and women, shuka on the other hand is nothing in any language I presume but when you join these two together you get Shakshuka which is considered as the apex of all eggs recipe.

Shakshuka is originated from Northern Africa and is a tangy/spicy egg recipe. It is currently being served in Pakistan as a breakfast dish with many of its variations in the top restaurants and cafes.

I never had it any where but I always wanted to try it out. So, I came along a recipe which was publish by none other than Hirra Pervaiz on her blog ticklethosetastebuds.blogspot.com. This blog is a must visit specially for all the ladies out here. Not only for the food but a lot of other things which you will absolutely love.

Since I'm making Shakshuka for the first time and without even tasting it before I did not meddle around with the recipe except for the tomato puree quantity and made it exactly as Hira has published in her blog.

Let's start now.

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 big onion chopped finely

4 large tomatoes chopped finely

1/2 cup of tomato puree

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1 teaspoon black pepper or to taste

1 teaspoon of garlic paste

chopped coriander for garnishing.

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

I chose a non-stick pan to cook it but you can also cook it in a medium skillet.

Heat oil in the pan and add chopped onions to it. Cook them till they are translucent.

Add the garlic paste and cook until fragrant.

Add the chopped tomatoes now and cook for five minutes on medium heat until they turn soft.

Add the tomato puree now along all the spices and seasonings. Mix well and keep on stirring until it is mixed properly together and the sauce starts to thicken.

A taste check is due at this time and if its not according to your taste you should adjust it right now because life is short.

Now make three wells in the sauce at distant places.

Break an egg in each well but carefully as the yolk should not break.

Turn the heat to low now. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes depending on how yo want the yolk to be. (runny or hard)

Uncover and remove from heat. Your Shakshuka is ready now.

Sprinkle some salt and pepper on each egg.

Garnish the recipe with chopped fresh coriander.

Serve it with your favorite type of bread, sour cream or different cheese or vegetable toppings as you prefer.

Ladies and gentlemen, open your eyes for Shakshuka.

Stuffed Cheese Beef Burger

Cheese.

Even the word is enough. You don't even feel like wanting to hear anything else. 

Cheese, its every man and woman's desire.

Cheese, its what English people say before taking a picture.

Cheese, a lot of my dark fantasies revolve around it but I should shut the hell up now.

I wanted to have a good nice big juicy beef burger but I wanted to make one myself. I have made one for this blog before but I wanted to try something new. So, while looking at different burger recipe videos I came along (repeat after me) "STUFFED CHEESE BEEF BURGER" recipe video.

I was mesmerized after watching the tutorial and wanted to try it out as soon as I can. So I went through more recipes and videos and came to form a perfect ingredient list for the perfect patty and went grocery shopping.

What I did after that grocery shopping will be visible to you all below as I, Chef Shamsher (by the way I am not a chef I just cook on weekends and sometimes on weekdays at home) tell you how to make (repeat after me) "STUFFED CHEESE BEEF BURGER."

Ingredients:

Note - This is going to make 2 burgers

500 grams grounded beef

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 egg

2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 burger buns

5 slices of cheese of your choice

First you need to add salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, egg and Worcestershire sauce to minced beef and mix it well.

Then make nice 4 flat patties out of it of equal size. Place it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.

Chef Tip - If the mince meat is sticking on your hand then please keep a small bowl of water and dip your fingers in it before making a patty.

Now take the patties out of the freezer and put 2.5 slices of cheese on two of them as shown below in the picture.

Cover the cheese topped patties with the other two patties and make sure you pinch them on the edges to close them completely because if you do not close them from the edges the cheese will come out when you grill the patties.

Now preheat the grill on medium heat. Brush it with oil.

Put the patties on the grill. Cook them on each side from 4-6 minutes.

The patties are all done now.

Set up your burger nicely on a nice plate. I put a layer of mayo on one slice, topped it with tomato and cucumber slices. Put mustard on the top bun with a side of oven baked potato chips.

Ladies and gentlemen, you have to stand up and join your hands for STUFFED CHEESE BEEF BURGER.

Mutton Biryani

Don't get mad at me but at times I think Biryani is way too overrated but when it is being requested so much you end up making it eventually.

I know I have made it previously but this time it is (YES YOU GUESSED IT RIGHT) in mutton.

APPLAUSE, WHISTLES, HOOTS

Calm down please...

I made it slight differently because its mutton and it takes time to get tender so I used a pressure cooker to make the gravy. The rest was the usual method.

Let's get down to Biryani business.

Ingredients For Rice Preparation:

Whole garam masala

1/2 kilogram uncooked rice

4 teaspoon salt

Ingredients For Rice Gravy:

1 to 1.5 kg mutton

Sliced Onions 4-5 medium

Sliced Tomatoes 4 medium

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1 tablespoon garlic paste

250 grams yogurt

Green chilies 6-7

Six dried plums soaked in water

1/4 cup of milk

1/4 teaspoon yellow food color

1 teaspoon Kewrah

The first and foremost is to boil your rice in water containing 4 teaspoons of salt and whole garam masala. Cook it 3/4th and drain. Set aside and let's get to the gravy part now.


Take your mother's most precious kitchen jewel which is the pressure cooker.

Add 1/2 cup of oil in it and fry the onions.

Add the ginger paste and garlic paste. Cook until the onions become translucent.

Add all the masalas to it now. ALL OF THEM.

Add the mutton now and let it cook on medium heat for 5 minutes as it will release its water.

Now add them tomatoes. Let it cook for 5 more minutes. If you think the gravy is going to burn then add a bit of water.

Add green chilies and then the dried plums.

YES I ADDED JUICE OF FOUR LEMONS ALSO SLICED LEMONS TO GIVE IT SOUR CHATPATA KHATTA FLAVOR.

The last ingredient before you close the cooker is yogurt. Yes, yogurt people. The thing which you are often asked to bring home.

Put two and a half glass of water in the cooker, close it and let it cook. When it starts whistling, cook it for around 15 minutes and then turn it off.

Your gravy is ready now.

Time to take out a bigger pan and put the rice in it.

Mix the yellow food color and kewrah in 1/4 cup of milk and pour it over the rice.

Now layer the rice with mutton gravy.

Cover it with a lid and cook the rice on high heat for 2 minutes and then lower the heat and cook it for 10 minutes.

Mutton Biryani is ready.

Set it up in a nice plate for your loved ones. Don't hate random people on the internet and be kind to each other.

Ladies and gentlemen, can I get an encore for Mutton Biryani?

Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese

Buffalo sauce to me is what blood is to vampires. It is not only one of a kind of a hot sauce but you just can't have enough of it. The first time i tried it was in Buffalo Chicken Burger from Hardee's and not only did it blow my taste buds but it also blew my mind.

I have previously made a Buffalo Cheesy Chicken Penne Pasta but alongside buffalo sauce one of my favorite is Mac & Cheese. I have previously also made 2 types of Mac & Cheese. This will be my third type which will be an infusion of buffalo sauce glazed chicken with a topping of mac  and cheese made with buffalo sauce.

It was too much work at times I actually forgot to take some pictures so please bear with me.

Ingredients:

2 cups of boiled and shredded chicken

1 packet of elbow macaroni

1 cup of buffalo sauce

1 medium onion chopped

1 teaspoon garlic paste

4 tablespoon butter

2/3 cups of sour cream (cream plus 2 tablespoons of vinegar basically)

4 tablespoon all purpose flour

4 cups of milk

1 teaspoons mustard

1 cup cheddar cheese

2/3 cup of mozzarella cheese

Salt and pepper per taste

freshly chopped coriander because parsley is hard to find

For the crumbs:

25 TUC biscuits

3-4 slices of bread

4 tablespoons of butter

First of all let us make the bread crumbs.

For it we have to put the TUC buicuits in a chopper along side the bread slices. Finely chop them into a powder. Then add melted butter to it and chop/mix it again. Take the crumbs out in a plate and bake them in an oven for 3-5 minutes.

The best and the crispiest bread crumbs I ever had.

Boil your pasta according to the packet and keep it aside.

Now put 2 tablespoon of oil in a non stick pan and fry the copped onions until they are translucent.

Add garlic paste and chicken to it. You can also add salt and pepper to season it according to your taste.

Add half a cup of buffalo sauce and simmer it until the sauce is thickened.

Take the chicken out in a transparent deep dish. Transparent because it will help you in baking later.

Time to make the sauce which is constant work all thanks to flour. I hate flour.

Add butter to a non stick pan and let it melt.

Quickly add 4 tablespoon of all purpose flour and keep it stirring. Now add two cups of milk while stirring occasionally. Add the 2 cups later.

NOTE - The milk will try to form lumps but please do not let it do that and keep on moving those lazy hands of yours for stirring.

Add the teaspoon of mustard.

Season it with salt and pepper and add both cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Stir it to let the cheese mix in.

Now add 2/3 cup of sour cream and the buffalo sauce and keep it cooking till your desired thickness is achieved.

Now everything is prepared you need to set up the dish. The chicken is already in place.

Then you layer it up with the boiled macaroni.

The third layer will be of the cheese sauce.

The fourth layer is of the bread crumbs you made topped with finely chopped coriander.

The dish is ready now. Time to bake it.


My oven is dirtier than my dreams.

Preheat the oven on 360F and place the dish in it for 15-20 minutes until you see the sauce bubbly hot.

Ladies and gentlemen even I was not sure how this will turn out but oh my did it won hearts today. Even my friends who I thank for taking me to the hospital because I was not feeling well were smiling after eating this.

I unleash Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese.