Tortillas

Nothing is good as homemade tortillas. They are so soft and so good to eat right off the stove smothered with butter.  Yummy!

Tortillas

4 cups white flour
2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup of oil or shortening
1 1/2 cups ice cold water

In a very large bowl, add all of the dry ingredients together. Use a large whisk to mix all of the ingredients.

Add the oil or the shortening to the flour mix. Use the whisk or a pastry cutter to incorporate the oil into the flour. The flour will start to look like crumbs.

Add 1 cup of the ice cold water to the flour mixture.  Stir with a wooden spoon.  Add the remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time until you get a nice workable dough ball.  Knead the dough ball.  If it is sticky just add a bit of flour and knead some more until all the flour has been mixed in. If the mixture is too dry, wet your hands and slowly knead the dough. (I always use 1 1/2 cups of water but some days the weather will be humid or it will be raining and I will have to adjust the flour or add a tiny bit of water).

The dough ball won’t be smooth.  It will be a little rough-looking.

Let the dough sit for at least ten minutes.

Now break off pieces of dough that are about the size of a golf ball. You should 24 (more or less) tortilla balls.

On a clean and lighly floured surface, sprinkle a little bit of flour on top

Roll out each ball with a rolling pin.

My little tortilla ball with my Daiso head-knocker (aka Japanese Rolling Pin!)

I find that rolling once and turning the tortilla a one-quarter turn after each rolling will result in a circular tortilla. Practice makes perfect! My tortillas used to be shaped like the state of Texas! Keep rolling the tortilla out until it is about 6 inches in diameter.

As you roll out each tortilla, set them on a large rectangular tray slightly overlapping. I roll out all of the tortillas first and then cook them.

On medium heat, use a large, ungreased cast iron skillet, non stick pan, or any other thick bottomed pan to cook your tortillas.

This is my thick cast iron "tala" on which I cook my tortillas.

Cook the tortilla until it puffs up.

The bottom will have little brown spots.  Turn it over and cook for another minute. Cook all the tortillas this way.

Keep the cooked tortillas in a hot pot or basket and lined with a clean tea towel and then cover keep warm.

Enjoy!

How to Cook Short Grain Rice

I have a little secret to share with you on how to cook short grain rice without it being sticky.  In the US, Calrose Rice is a brand that sells short grain rice.  Here in the UAE short grain rice is also known as Egyptian Rice or Rice Misri.

The most important thing about cooking the rice this way is that you have to be patient for just about 5 minutes. That is just part of my secret.  The other part is that you will be lightly stir-frying the rice in a bit of oil to cook away that starchiness that makes the rice sticky.

The following recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, quadrupled, etc.

Here are the ingredients you will need:

1 cup of uncooked short grain rice (Egyptian Rice)

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 ½ cups of boiling water

Salt to taste (optional…I don’t like to add it)

In a medium-sized saucepan heat the cooking oil and add the uncooked rice.

I used a wok in this picture.

Gently stir the rice so that each grain will be coated with the oil.

Turn the heat to medium.

Now for the next 5 minutes (a little more or little less) you will have to stand at the stove and gently stir that rice (preferably with a wooden spoon) until it turns from its original opaque color to where the grains look like tiny pearls.  If you want you can also stir-fry the rice until the grains are a golden color.

Note:

• You have to be very careful not to let the rice burn because it will, very quickly, if left unstirred or the flame/heat is too high!
• Be careful of stirring too vigorously because those rice grains will fly and they are hot if they land on your foot!

Once the grains of rice have turned color (it is very noticeable) then you will add the boiling water.  Be careful when adding the boiling water because it will splutter wildly. Put the top on the pot and reduce the heat to very low.

Cook the rice for 17 minutes.  Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

And there you have it…short-grain rice that is light and fluffy and not sticky!

(I’ll will post a picture of the finished product soon, InshaAllah.  I just forgot to take a picture of it.)

Mama Love Chocolate Cookies

The weather is cooler.  The children are all in school.  What better way to welcome them home than with the aroma of freshly baked cookies made with “mama love”?

This is a very easy recipe to make and it is also a wonderful way to spend quality time with your children.

So here is my recipe which will make 96 cookies (8 dozen).  You can make a dozen cookies or more at a time.  I suggest that when you are making the one inch cookie balls  freeze them on a tray and then pop them into ziploc baggies to use whenever you want to make cookies!

I hope that you enjoy the recipe!

Mama Love Chocolate Cookies

2 cups + 2 tablespoons flour

¾ cup unsweetened baking cocoa (I use Cadbury Cocoa in the orange tin)

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cup unsalted, butter…softened

2 cups of sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Extra sugar in a small bowl for rolling the cookies in

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the butter and sugar together until it is light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and the vanilla.  Mix well.
3. Add the butter & sugar mix to the flour mixture.  Mix well.
4. Chill in the fridge until the dough is firm.
5. Preheat the oven to 350F.  With a melon baller or with a small spoon, scoop up a bit of cookie dough enough to roll into one-inch balls.  Roll each cookie ball into the extra sugar and then place on a Teflon cookie tray or ideally on a cookie tray lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes.  Enjoy!!!

How to cook Basmati Rice

I have a finicky Emirati husband.  Basmati rice has started many wars in my house.  

There were times my husband would refuse to eat the rice I cooked and would go to one of the public kitchens and buy a container of cooked rice to eat with the stews I cooked.

The rice was either overcooked in that it was mushy or  undercooked and still crunchy.  I used to just add water and cook it with the quick-boil method but the rice would stick together.

It has taken me years to learn how to properly cook basmati rice so that it turns out nice and fluffy.  The secret is in the size of the pot you use and how long you let the rice soak.  You need an extra-large pot to cook the rice in.  The rice needs lots of room to move around when it is boiling.

Here is my recipe:

2 cups of Basmati rice (I use India Gate because the rice has been aged and the kernals of the rice are long…plus it has a delicious taste!)

extra-large pot

salt

1 tablespoon cooking oil

a timer

Place the rice in a large bowl and fill it up with water. 

Carefully wash the rice so that you do not break the kernals.  Cup your hand slightly and slowly wash the rice.  I turn my hand in the bowl 20 times. 

Drain the water and repeat the above two more times. 

Drain the water and then pour water over the rice again with enough water to just cover the rice by about an inch.

Now you let the rice soak for at least 30 minutes but better if you let it soak for an hour.

Meanwhile, fill the extra-large pot half way with water.  A good guide is to use 3 liters of waters for every 1 cup of rice.

Add 1/4 cup of salt and 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot of water.

Bring the water to a full rolling boil.

Drain the rice in a strainer and add to the pot.  Stir once.

Cover the pot with a lid and when the water starts boiling again remove the lid.  This takes about a minute.

Have a large strainer waiting in the sink to drain the rice.

Let the rice boil for exactly 5 minutes.  Trust me when I say exactly 5 minutes because if it is less time or more time it will greatly affect the texture of the rice.

Drain the rice in the strainer and gently, very gently, shake the strainer to get out all of the excess water.

Return the rice to pot and keep warm until ready to serve.

When you are ready to serve the rice.  Gently fluff the rice with a large fork or large wide serving spoon.

Arrange on a platter.

An tasty variation:

At the end of cooking the rice you have the option of adding fried onions.  It is very, very delicious!  I do not do this often because it is fatty but try to at least make it this way once.  You will need the following:

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 cup cooking oil

Heat the oil in a frying pan.  When hot add the chopped onion and stir.  Stir the onion every now and then until it becomes a nice golder color.

Now take a large spoon and scoop out the fried onion and scatter it over the cooked rice that is still in the pot.  Drizzle the oil that you cooked the onion in over the rice. 

When it is time to serve the rice.  You will fluff the rice and the onion and oil will be incorporated into the rice.  Yummy!

(No pictures available right now, but I will post ASAP)

Marak Laham, Salona Laham, Meat Stew

This delicious stew is a regular lunch staple at my home.  I use lamb because this is preferred by us at home and when I cook with lamb the meat is more tender.  You could use beef if you wish but here in the UAE the beef available never cooks tender no matter what method I use to cook it.  It always turns out chewy and stringy.  

The stew is very versatile in that you can cook it with or without vegetables and you can make it is thick or thin as you like.   It can be served with plain white rice or flat bread. 

I finally got around to taking pictures and uploading them.  Much more pleasing to the eye and you will know what the end product will look like!  I will try do that to all the new recipes I post from now on, InshaAllah.

 

2 cups of chopped purple onions

2-3 cloves of minced garlic

1-inch cube of ginger, grated

2 cups chopped tomatoes

1 medium-sized capsicum (green bell pepper) chopped

½ cup finely chopped parsley

¼ cup corn oil

1 kilo lamb stew meat with bone, cubed into 2-inch pieces

1 ½ teaspoons Madras Curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground loomi aswad

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground red kashmiri chili powder

2 cubes of Maggi Chicken stock

1-2 green chilies, whole

1 loomi aswad (dried black lemon), whole

¼ cup tomato paste

1 ½ liters of water (about 6 cups)

* Potatoes, calabaza squash, zucchini, okra, carrots (see the star below)

Salt to taste

In a medium-sized cooking pot, heat the corn oil.  When hot add the chopped onion.

When the onion is translucent, add the lamb cubes.  Stir often and sauté the lamb until it is nicely golden brown on all sides.

Add the minced garlic and grated ginger.  Stir to mix.

Add the chopped tomatoes and all of the ground spices.  Mix together and sauté until the tomato becomes very soft (like a mushy consistency).

Add the capsicum/bell pepper and the chopped parsley.  Stir.

Add the tomato paste and water.  Stir.

Add the green chilies and the whole piece of loomi aswad.

Bring the stew to a boil and then lower the flame to very, very low.  Let the stew simmer, covered, for 1 ½ hours or until the lamb is tender.

After the lamb is tender, the liquid level should be at half the pot.  At this point you will need to add more water or boil until the liquid level is half of the pot.

* You can now add your vegetables.  For my large family, I will usually add 3 large potatoes.  Each potato is quartered and added to the pot after the lamb becomes tender.   If you wish to add a mixture of vegetables you can use:

                1 large potato, quartered

                1 carrot cut into 1 ½ inch chunks

                1-2 small squash

                Potatoes and carrots are the usual combinations though that I have

                seen.

If you add vegetables to your stew, you will need to add approximately 30 minutes to the cooking time.

After adding the vegetables, bring the stew to a soft boil and after 10 minutes, taste and adjust for salt.  When I cook with potatoes I will add an additional 1 teaspoon of salt (but this is for my family).  Softly boil for an additional 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Your stew is now ready to enjoy!  Serve with plain Basmati rice or Khobuz Irani (if you are in the UAE) and a nice green salad made from a mixture of local-grown greens!

Okra Fritters

My husband went to Dubai’s fruit and vegetable market and bought a big box of okra.  All I thought about was, “What in the heck am I gonna do with all of this okra?”  Alhamdulilah we bought a freezer this past Ramadan and I was able clean up the okra, cut it up, and then freeze it in one-quart sized Ziploc baggies.  We will be eating okra for a long time!

 This was a new recipe I tried for Ramadan 2009 and the whole family, even my children, enjoyed this recipe.

If you are not fond of okra because of its sliminess, or for any other reason, I suggest that you do try this recipe.  Serve it with ranch-style dressing.  OMG it is so delicious!

 

Okra Fritters

2 cups of fresh okra, finely chopped

¼ cup onion, finely chopped

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

½ cup water

1 egg

½ cup of flour

1 tsp of baking powder

½ cup of cornmeal

Oil for frying

In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients, except for the okra.  Add the okra and mix.

In a medium-sized wok, heat the oil.  When the oil is hot add the okra batter by spoonfuls.  Adjust the flame to medium heat.  Cook the okra fritters until golden brown.  Remove from heat and let drain on a platter lined with paper towels.

After all of the fritters are cooked serve with Ranch-Style dressing.

Ode to Laban Up

Laban Up is so much a part of the UAE culture.  Laban Up is a salty yogurt drink that is popular to have during snack time with a samoon and cheese sandwich or with chips Omani.  The fisherman bring it with them on their fishing trips to replenish their salt levels (sort of like a UAE gatorade).  Laban Up is also a staple during Ramadan Iftar.  It so delicious.

Ode to Laban Up

Laban Up Oh Laban Up!
Oh how my family loves you!
In the long, hot summer months
You are a frozen treat
Nothing else will do

Laban Up for a snack
In my child’s lunch pack
With a samoon sandwich filled with creamy cheese
My child’s stomach you will surely please

As a daily Ramadan staple
You will be found on our table
When we break our fast
We’ll have 3 dates on our plate
And Laban Up in our glass

When going out all day fishing
Laban Up is one refreshment
that will not be missing
You are a fisherman’s favorite for sure
After hours of pulling up the gargoors

Oh Laban Up, what would life be without you?
You are our favorite snack time drink
Tried and true.

Spice Mixture using Loomi Aswad

Here is a spice mixture that I have made and have been using now for about 12 years. It is excellent rubbed on chicken, beef and lamb roast and broiled salmon. After applying the spice mixture, it is best if you roast the meat, chicken, or fish.

Here’s the recipe. The quantities I give can easily be doubled or tripled and can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for another time.

1 tablespoon ground loomi aswad (ground black lemon powder)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons Mexican Chili Seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tabespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon vinegar or the juice of half a lemon

Mix all the ingredients together and you will have a nice thick paste.

You can now use this to rub on your chicken, beef, lamb, or salmon.

Loomi Aswad – Dried Black Lemon

In many of my recipes I use black lemon powder.  This tiny dried lemon is a staple pantry ingredient here in the UAE home.  It is a key lime and is dried out in the sun and then used whole or in powder form in cooking for stews and mitchboos rice dishes. The dried lemon will either be black or brownish in color.  I prefer to use the black lemons.  If you live in the UAE or other Gulf countries then this is called Loomi Aswad and can be bought in either whole or powder form.  If you live in the States, this dried lemon is available whole and can be bought at any Arab supermarket.  When you get home just break a whole bunch of them open and take out the seeds and then grind them in a spice grinder.

Spiced Tomato Rice

 

This is a wonderful and an extremely easy to make and rice dish that is delicious on its own served with a side dish of yogurt as a complete vegetarian meal or as a nice complement to my version of baked chicken. 

 

If you are married to a finicky  Emirati husband who is reluctant to try dishes that he did not grow up with then this dish, in my opinion, with the spices I have used gives it a close enough Arab or Indian flavor that he will be used to.  I am sure that this will become a family favorite.

 

This recipe can easily be doubled and is terrific to take to a potluck or Ramadan get-together.

 

2 cups of basmati rice, washed and soaked for at least 30 minutes

2 tablespoons of ghee

½ cup of chopped onion

1 cup of chopped tomato

¼ cup of chopped cilantro

½ cup of chopped green bell pepper

1-2 cloves of minced garlic

1 green chili chopped; or deseeded and chopped (this ingredient is optional)

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon ginger powder

½ teaspoon cardamom powder

¼ teaspoon red Kashmiri chili powder

1 cinnamon stick

2 Maggi chicken stock cubes

Pinch of black pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 cups of hot water

 

In a large pot, sauté the onion in the ghee until lightly browned. 

 

Add the tomatoes, bell pepper and cilantro. Stir well.

 

Add all of the spices, Maggi stock cubes, and tomato paste.  Mix well.

 

Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

 

Drain the rice and then add to the pot.

 

Add the 3 cups of hot water.  Gently stir.

 

Bring to a boil.  Lower the fire to very low and cover.  Cook for 17 minutes.

 

Serve this with my recipes for yogurt and cucumber salad and tangy baked chicken.