Shamsher's Special Pakora

I always wanted to name something after me, never thought that it would actually be pakoras.

To be honest I am not a big pakora fan but its been raining continuously in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma since my arrival and its also Ramadan.So,  its very hard to ignore Pakoras these days.

Some people make very crispy pakoras with thin batter, I like them a bit thicker and bigger in size because I'm a big boy and big boys like big things. If that made any sense.

This recipe is dedicated to Amani Durrani because she gave the REMINDER about pakoras and I'm glad I was able to make them.

Confession - It's the first time I have made them without the presence of my mom and she makes the best pakoras I have ever had. Not saying this because she is my mom but because she actually makes the best pakoras.

You need:

500 grams besan

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon red chili pepper powder

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon crushed red chili peppers

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves

2 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves

250 grams of minced chicken

1 medium chopped onion

3-4 chopped spring onions

2 potatoes thinly sliced or any cut in any desired thin shape

100 grams of atta (optional)

Now you can improvise and add shredded cheese or anything but I did not because I'm watching calories. Yeah I am being that lame.

Add the salt, red chili pepper, crushed red chili, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, cumin powder in the besan and mix.

Now some people add water and make the batter right away but I did not. I add the vegetables and then add the water.

The key to make the perfect batter is to add less water and mix the batter with CLEAN hands for a better mix. Start with less water and if required more then add more water slowly so you can stop when your desired consistency is reached.

So I just added the vegetables and then started adding water to make the batter according to my consistency. For 500 grams of besan I will suggest not more than 1 or 1.5 cups of water. I cannot find the batter pictures but after mixing the vegetables in besan I added water and made the batter. After the batter was made I added minces chicken and mixed that as well.

Now its time to fry.

Heat oil on medium high in a non stick pan. Let it heat for 4-5 minutes and then with a help of a table spoon start adding the batter to your desired size for frying.

Always fry pakoras till the are light or medium brown. Never go for dark brown as they are already at burning point at that time.

Do yourself and favor by making this chattni. In 250 grams of yogurt blend, quarter bunch of coriander and half bunch of mint leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 green chilies and a tomato to make Chattni Supreme.

Ladies and gentle ladies I give you Shamsher's Special Pakora. Nothing too extra ordinary but you will love it. This recipe is specially for the women who seek kitchen guidance and can't get good rishta because of lack of cooking skillz (intended humor and sarcasm).

Fish & Chips w/ Mint Peas And Chunky Tartar Sauce

There was a time when people did not know me. Then I started cooking and everyone was like "Hey Shamsher! you're my best friend."

There was also a time when people did not use to love me and pay attention towards me. Then God gave me game and I started hustling. Learned cooking and then people started loving/praising me but now I don't feel like loving them back. To hell with everyone THIS people is my very own Fish & Chips sided with Tartar Sauce and Mint Peas.

This is made after watching a lot of videos and reading a lot of recipes and instructions. 

Today not only you will learn how to make Fish & Chips but also to make the most CRISPIEST Fish & Chips alongside something which I never knew existed called Mint Peas. Mint Peas is so simple like my life and is very easy to make.

Then last but not the least comes the Chunky Tartar Sauce which will be so delicious that you will leave the fish and eat it alone. ALONE

Let's start now...

First up I will suggest you to make Tartar Sauce and freeze it. So, it's nice and chilly when you eat it with the fish.

For Tartar Sauce you need:

Mayonnaise 1 pouch or depends on  your quantity. I had to made more because me and my family being Kashmiris eat like animals.

Capers around 4-6 tablespoon

4 Gherkins

(Both gherkins and capers are easily found at AlFatah and Green Valley in pickle form and the pickle form is required.)

2 Hard boiled eggs

4 Shallots diced

Dill leaves a bunch

2 Lemon Juice

Hand chop the dill leaves and add the gherkins, capers and hard boiled eggs to a chopper. Finely chop them.

Take the mayo out in a bowl. Add the dill leaves and the chopped gherkins, capers and hard boiled eggs along side the lemon juice and your CHUNKY Tartar Sauce is as ready as a groom to say 'kabool hai' on his wedding.

Now it's time to make them crispy chips.

For chips you obviously need chips and the quantity depends on you.

A suggestion is that you cut your chips nice and thick and put them under water for at least 30-60 minutes before making anything as it will remove some starch from the potatoes.

Drain these potatoes.

Warm up some water till it simmers and add these chips in to the simmering water for 90 seconds to 2 minutes NOT ANYMORE THAN THAT. Drain.

 The oil type we will use to fry stuff is SUNFLOWER OIL.

Don't mind this packet, mom did not let me use her oil stock. This is how cruel is my family to me. Now, I sound like a stupid rich brat but I ain't even rich bruh.

Warm up the oil on medium heat and enter all the potatoes for the initial fry. YES WE ARE FRYING CHIPS TWO TIMES.

Now heat the oil on FULL HEAT and fry them chips again till they are light brownish on outside which is the sign that they are DONE.

Chips are done.

Now moving to the next phase which is the fish.

You need:

Fish fillets

I literally cooked more than 2 kilograms.

Place the fish on a paper toweled plate and season it with some salt and black pepper. The salt will extract all the moisture out of the fish and it will make the batter stick to it firmly and also the batter will stay crispier this way.

For the fish batter you need:

1/4 cup of milk

1 tablespoon of honey

300 ml club soda

corn flour or rice flour preferably

salt & pepper as per taste aka HASB E ZIAQA

Put the flour in a bowl add salt & pepper. Then add 300 ml of club soda(make sure its cold), milk and honey. Whisk it and make it into a thick paste form.

Grab the fillet from one corner. Dip the fish fillet in this batter, shake of the extra batter on the fish gently and FRY till the outer crust of the fish is brown. Drain.

The fish is done, nice and crispy.

Now comes the final part of this recipe. Mint Peas. Funny name lol

You need:

2 tablespoons of butter

250 gms of boiled peas

finely chopped mint leaves

This is easy as cake and I do not know how to make cake. Anyway

Melt butter in a pan

DARN LOADSHEDDING BUT I WILL NOT STOP. - mobile flashlight -

Add peas and let them mix up with the butter. Then add mint leaves and squish the peas gently with a wooden utensil.

Out everything you've made above nicely on a plate. Sit back and enjoy your Fish & Chips w/  Mint Peas and Chunky Tartar Sauce.

 

DRAIN!

Tandoori Grilled Fish & Chips

Time for the recipe of this week. Tandoori Grilled Fish and Chips.

Boneless fish is very delicate & hard to grill because it's really soft. Softer than your will to live, as it breaks easily. Yes, I said it.

You need:

250 grams boneless fish steaks

1.5 cup(s) of low fat yogurt

2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste

2 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon coriander powder

 

For chips:

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon pepper

250 grams potatos thick cut sticks

2 tablespoon butter

Olive oil for brushing

Whisk every ingredient for the fish marinade paste in a bowl. If it tastes bland add 2 lemon juice & more salt.

 

Take a cup of paste out and apply the rest of it to the fish in a deep pan or container.

 

Cover it and refrigerate it for an hour. 

Meanwhile take an oven safe plate, put all the potatoes in it and cover it with a plastic wrap and leave venting space.

Put your oven on high heat and bake the potatoes for 4 mins. 

Mix the butter, salt, pepper and garam masala in a bowl and add the somewhat baked potatoes in it. Coat them well.

I lost my grill pan so I had to get a new one. I'm broke. So, ignore the anger I this picture.

Brush some olive oil on the pan on medium heat and start grilling your potatoes and fish. Heat the fish 6-8 minutes at least on both sides. Keep flipping the potatoes frequently. Be careful while flipping the fish can break easily.

After handling everything carefully you can regret not buying fish because here is Tandoori Grilled Fish and Chips. 

Now here is the thing, the sauce is the marinade paste and it makes the fish taste amazing BUT it does not makes a good sauce for the fish. So I will personally suggest you that plum chattni or coriander/mint chattni are better contenders.

ENJOY YOUR WINTERS WITH THIS FISH RECIPE

COMMENT FFS!