Stir Fried Chicken Cashew Nuts

It is winter season and I am having my first experience with negative temperatures. So, I keep two things close to me, one of them is sea food and the other one is nuts. My nuts are obviously attached to me but I am talking about almonds, cashew nuts, pecans, pistachio and various other types of nuts.

Craving Chinese food recently made me want to make one of my favorite recipes of all time which is Stir Fried Chicken Cashew Nuts.

I always have a love and hate relationship with Chinese food. Love it because it is delicious and hate it because it takes so long to prepare it and not so long to eat.

INGREDIENTS:

500 gram boneless chicken, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 cup of cashew nuts, salted roasted preferred

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1.5 tablespoons of chopped ginger

4-6 green onions sliced (keep the whites and the greens separated)

1 bell pepper of any color, cut into cubes

1/2 teaspoon of red chili flakes

1 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1.5 teaspoons of cornflour

Marinate the chicken in a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of black pepper.

Finely chop the ginger and garlic.

Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil in a pan and stir fry the chicken, garlic and ginger for 5 minutes until the chicken changes it color like the people in your life and is properly cooked.

Take out the chicken once it is cooked and chop the rest of your vegetables.

Now in the same pan or wok add the mushrooms and the sliced white part of thegreen onion and stir fry for 1 minute. 

Add the cashew nuts and red chili flakes.

Let these fry for a 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile in a bowl mix, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, chicken broth and flour.

Add bell pepper to the wok, fry it for a minute and add the chicken with the sauce you just made.

Fry until your desired thickness of the sauce.

I had a some bean sprouts in the fridge so I added them as well.

Give everything a good stir and by this point Stir Fried Chicken Cashew Nuts is ready to serve.

Serve this with steamed brown or white rice or boiled noodles or even fried rice or noodles. You can hank me later.

Holy Guacamole

The first time I had Guacamole was in this restaurant in Islamabad and just like most of the food in Islamabad is tasteless, that Guacamole was also pathetic. Had a chance to eat it in Lahore but was a bit reluctant , all thanks to the prior experience. Then I tried it in a couple of authentic Mexican restaurants in USA and I loved it.

This recipe is specially for the vegans because OH  MY GOD they complain so much about me not catering to their recipe requests. Not only for vegans but normal people (LOL) can also use it in burgers instead of mayo or as a dip for nachos or chips.

It is an expensive one because Avocados are like 1000 Rs. per kilogram but if it is used properly then one batch last more than a week or probably two.

INGREDIENTS:

4 avocados

4-6 green onions (the white part mostly will be used)

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tomato (1/2 if it is a big one)

2 jalapeno (people in Pakistan can use pickle jalapenos)

half a bunch of coriander leaves, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon salt

juice of one lime

There is no rocket science in making Guacamole. Just a lot of cutting, chopping and mashing.

Make sure the avocado is ripe because then it will be quite hard to mash it. Cut it from the middle and remove the seed. Take out the avocado flesh with a spoon carefully in a big bowl.

Finely chop the garlic. Add the garlic to the avocado flesh and add juice of one lemon or lime as well.

Mash the avocado and garlic with a fork to the point where no big chunks are visible.

Chop tomatoes, jalapeno, green onions and coriander leaves separately.

Add all of the above chopped vegetables in the mashed avocado mixture with cumin powder and salt.

Mix it properly. that is it and that is all. Guacamole is that easy to make.

Eat it with tortilla chips, nachos or any type of chips and my friend you are going to have a good time.

Pakistani Beef Stew

This is weird. When you're in Pakistan you try your best to stay away from Pakistani food but when you are in a foreign country, you mostly look forward to have Pakistani food. We always love what we can't have.

Such is the story of this recipe. I made Pakistani Beef Stew today which I took from my friend Hirra Pervaiz's blog who is chilling in Thailand these days. Her blog is awesome as I get a lot of nice recipes from it but it is more awesome for you ladies so do check it out by clicking on the image below.

Coming back to the recipe. It is amazing in taste and really simple to make. Fulfilled my Desi food craving and also made my weekend.

INGREDIENTS:

1 kilogram beef stew cut into 1 inch cubes

2 medium onions finely chopped

8-10 dried red chilies

1 whole garlic bulb (better to crush the cloves and not chop them)

3-4 tomatoes, chopped

3-4 green chilies

1 cup yogurt

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

10-12 black pepper corn

2 cinnamon sticks

8-9 cloves

1/2 cup oil or ghee

1/2 litre water

3-4 black cardamoms

about half a medium ginger piece sliced

handful of chopped coriander

salt according to your taste-buds

It is probably one of the most easiest Desi recipes.

LADIES YOU HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO USE A PRESSURE COOKER. This will make your post marriage life easy if your in laws are not asses.

Put oil in a pressure cooker on medium heat. Add onions and fry them till translucent.

Add garlic and fry it until fragrant.

Add meat and fry it until the color changes.

Add all cloves, red chilies, black cardamom, cloves, cumin, coriander seeds and salt.

Add 1/2 liter of water and close the pressure cooker.

Let it cook for 30 minutes on medium heat.

After 30 minutes turn of the heat and release the steam from the pressure cooker.

Uncover the pressure cooker. Turn on the heat to medium again. Add tomatoes.

As soon as the tomatoes get tender add yogurt and mix properly.

Add green chilies, chopped coriander and sliced ginger.

Cover the cooker and cook for 5-10 minutes.

Uncover the cooker and Pakistani Beef Stew is ready to be served.

Have it with Naan, Chapati, Paratha or your favorite type of bread and just let the flavor sink in. Shut up and enjoy the silence of the snow.