Ramadan is a time for prayer and introspection. It is also a time when people get together with family and friends over a meal.
Every week during the holy month, tabloid! will bring you recipes as well as tips from well-known chefs in the UAE to make your sahoor and iftar meals healthy and interesting. Today we feature recipes provided by chef Mohammad Riyaz Tai, chef de cuisine of Mirchi restaurant. Located in UpTown Mirdif, the restaurant specialises in fine Indian cuisine.
Taste of india
"The menu at Mirchi represents modern India and the tastes of today's Indians who travel, are exposed to various cuisines and are willing to try new things. We also wanted to dispel the common misconception that Indian food is heavy by creating light and healthy Indian recipes.
Twist
"Our dishes are based on traditional Indian recipes but with a new twist and I avoid using too much ghee, butter and artificial colours in my cooking," says chef Riyaz.
Healthy food
He has also developed a variety of salads with interesting dressings for health conscious guests and lighter versions of the standard biryanis. The following recipes are from a special Iftar menu created by chef Riyaz.
Lemony Chicken pulao
- Basmati rice 1 Kg
- Diced chicken 1 kg
- Onion slices 200 gms
- Tomatoes sliced 200 gms
- Ginger-garlic paste 100 gms
- Whole garam masala 10 gms
- Butter / ghee 200 ml
- Lemon 4
- Salt 30 gms
- Green chillies 4
- Coriander powder 10 gms
- Cumin powder 10 gms
- Coriander leaves chopped 50 gms
- Brown onions 50 gms
- Chopped mint 20 gms
- Cinnamon powder 5 gms
Method
Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes. In a pot, sauté onions with garam masala till light brown, now add chicken and ginger-garlic paste and sauté for two minutes.
Add coriander powder, cumin powder and green chilli along with tomatoes.
Add 1litre of water and bring to boil. Now add coriander, mint and lemon cut into halves, with skin. Season with salt and bring it to boil for 5 minutes.
Add drained rice and cook on a slow fire with lid covered till the rice is cooked and the water is absorbed. Set on Dum for 10 minutes. Garnish with fried onions and sliced almonds and serve hot along with yoghurt raita.
TIP: SETTING ON DUM CAN BE SIMPLY DONE IF YOU HAVE AN OVEN WHICH CAN TAKE YOUR COOKING VESSEL. SEAL WITH A LID AND PLACE THE WHOLE VESSEL IN AN OVEN PREHEATED TO 350 DEGREES.
Watermelon and feta salad with ginger dressing
- Diced watermelon 300 gms
- Feta cheese, diced 150 gms
- Lightly toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds 50 gms
Dressing
- Peeled and grated
- fresh ginger tbsp 1
- Honey 2 tbsp
- Finely chopped mint 1 tsp
- Lemon juice 20 ml
Method:
Dressing: Blend the ingredients in a bowl. Mix the watermelon and feta in a bowl so that they are evenly distributed. Lace the salad with the dressing. Garnish with the mixed seeds.
TIP: THIS SALAD NEEDS TO BE MADE AT THE LAST MINUTE TO KEEP THE FRESHNESS. HOWEVER THE SWEET GINGER DRESSING CAN BE MADE IN LARGER QUANTITY AND KEPT STORED IN THE REFRIGERATOR AND USED WITH OTHER SALADS.
Vegetable soup
- Zucchini 100 gms
- Carrots 100 gms
- Mushroom 50 gms
- Baby corn 50 gms
- Green beans 100 gms
- Potatoes 100 gms
- Chopped tomatoes 100 gms
- Coriander leaves 50 gms
- Garlic 50 gms
- Onion 50 gms
- Olive oil 50 ml
- Chinese thread noodle 50 gms
- Saffron threads 2 pinches
- Fine semolina 50 gms
- Salt and pepper 5 gms
METHOD
Wash zucchini and mushrooms, peel the carrots and potatoes and grate the vegetables finely. Slice and chop the tomatoes. Chop the coriander leaves. Peel and mash the garlic. Chop the onions.
Lightly saute the onion and garlic in a sauce pan in a olive oil. Cut the thread noodles and add them. Also add the grated vegetables.
Fill the pan with 500ml water. Season with salt and pepper. Add saffron threads, coriander leaves. Cook for about 20 minutes.
Add semolina. Stir with a wooden spatula to bind the soup. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and butter. Serve soup in a soup bowl along with garlic bread.
TIP: SUBSTITUTE YOUR FAVOURITE PASTA IN PLACE OF THE THREAD NOODLES AND ENJOY IT JUST THE WAY YOU LIKE IT.
Spicy cheese sambousek
Dough
- Refined flour 500 gms
- Eggs 1
- Melted butter 50 gms
- Corn oil 50 ml
- Milk 250 ml
- Salt 10 gms
- Sugar 10 gms
Stuffing
- Cottage cheese 100 gms
- Feta cheese 100 gms
- Chopped ginger 10 gms
- Chopped green chilli 10 gms
- Cooking oil for frying 300 ml
- Chilli powder 2 gms
- Oil sunflower refined 10 ml
- Roasted cumin powder 5 ml
Method
To make the dough, mix flour ,eggs, butter, corn oil, milk, salt, sugar and knead into soft dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
For stuffing, crumble feta cheese, cottage cheese and mix in chopped coriander, ginger, green chillies, chilli powder and roasted cumin powder.
Roll the dough thin. Cut it into round shapes. Add 1tsp of cheese filling. Close it in a half moon shape, then press on the edges by using a fork. Fry in hot oil. Serve with sliced lemon, tomato, and mint chutney.
TIP: YOU CAN PREPARE THE SANBOUSER IN ADVANCE AND STORE IN A DEEP FREEZER. FRY AS SOON AS YOU REMOVE FROM THE FREEZER. DO NOT ALLOW TO THAW.
