Machi Paka with Broccoli / Salmon and Broccoli in a Spicy Coconut Sauce

Saturday supper; to continue my Golden Jubilee Series I made Machi Paka or fish stewed in coconut sauce.  This is an East African Ismaili dish.  I added Broccoli to it to remind us of MHI and to make us all smile :)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1 leek or 1 medium onion; chopped

4 small potatoes; peeled and cut into halves

2-3 garlic cloves; minced

1 inch ginger; grated

2-3 green chillies; minced

1 large tomato; blanched; peeled and liquidised

1/4 tspn tumeric

1 tin coconut milk 

1 head of broccoli; cut in bite size pieces

1 lb of Salmon fillet of any firm fish; cut into 2 inch chunks

3-4 sprigs coriander for garnish; chopped fine

1.  Heat the oil in saucepan, add the leeks, and fry until soft, add the potatoes and continue frying

2. Add the garlic, ginger and chillies, stir and cook for a minute.  Add the tomatoes, mix and cook for a few minutes, add the tumeric.

3. Add the coconut, bring to boil, simmer, until the potatoes are cooked.

4. Add the broccoli, cook for 5-10 minutes, so that the broccoli is still slightly firm.

5. Add the fish, cook for a further 7-8 minutes, add the coriander and serve.

I served with basmati rice.  

Golden Jubilee continues

To continue this series I have plans to cook Canadian, Singaporean and French food

Canada

• Cheese Samosa ala Samosa King / Sultan  - first time I ever had these was in Vancouver, then in Toronto (I wish I was there).
  
• Poutine is a Quebecois dish consisting of chips (french fries),  cheese and beef  gravy........  yum I had some in Montreal last year
  

Singapore

Last time I was in Singapore (2 years ago), I had an amazing meal at Raffles, it was with Abhi, Kee Hai and Peter.

• Singapore Noodles  (a mixture of Chinese, Malay and Indian cuisine).
  
• Roti prata

France  

I hope to be in Paris for the GJ Durbar

• French Onion Soup
  
• Quiche

Hummus Bi Tahini - Syrian Chickpea Dip

Hummus was also part of all the meals we had in Syria. I loved it, since I have come back it is my lunch on Saturdays. Hummus and pitta bread....... yummmmmm! This recipe is part of the Golden Jubilee Series.


2 tins (500g / 16 oz) of chickpeas; drained and washed in cold water

1/2 cup Tahini
1 tsp cumin powder
1 lemon; juiced
6-8 cloves garlic
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp Salt

1 cup Water
2 sprigs of coriander; chopped fine
1 tbspn extra virgin olive oil



Method

1. Place the lemon juice and the garlic in a food processor and liquidise
2. add the chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, cumin, salt and water, liquidlise

3. At this stage you can add more water / oil  or tahini to make it to the desired creaminess if you want.
3. Place in a serving dish, garnish with coriander and the extra virgin olive oil
Serve with warm pitta bread. Should keep in the fridge for 7 days (or in my case, in 3 days it is gone!)

Afghani Gormeh Sabzi (Vegetarian) / Green Herb Stew

This dish is usually cooked with lamb, but as I wanted to serve it with lamb chops, it is vegetarian. It is usually served with rice, Gormeh Sabzi is part of the Golden Jubilee Series..
It may look like chana palak, but it tastes completely different, really yummy, do try it.


1 large leek; finely chopped
4 cups spinach; finely chopped,
1 cup flat parsley; finely chopped
1/2 cup dill; finely chopped
1/4 cup fenugreek leaves; finely chopped
1/4 cup chives; finely chopped
1/4 cup coriander; finely chopped

4 small potatoes; peeled and cut into two
1/2 tsp. turmeric
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 500gm tin beans (kidney or blackeye beans)




Method
1. Heat the oil in a pan, add leeks, fry until transluscent, add the potatoes, and cook for a further 10 minutes, add the tumeric.
2 . Add the chopped green herbs, stir and cook for 15-20 minutes, making sure they are not burnt!
3. Add the lemon juice, (you can add a cup of water at this point to make it more runny; I did not) cook for about 5 minutes, add beans and cook for a further 20 minutes.


I served it with lamb chops and basmati rice. The chops were cooked Syrian style, coated with pomegranite molasses. The recipe will be on the blog soon.

Aleppo Muhammara / Roasted Pepper and Walnut dip

Chachi and I went to Aleppo in August this year, here is a picture of Aleppo Citadel. It was here that we saw MHI twice! And it was also here, in a restaurant across the road from the Citadel where I had the best muhammara ever! No wonder, muhammarra originates in Aleppo, who knew that! I thought it was Turkish!! ;)

If you look at the pictureof the citadel carefully at the top of the arches, you can see the dancers / performers practicing prior to Mowlana Hazar Imam's visit. It was an amazing sight.

This recipe is part of my Golden Jubilee Series.

4 red peppers
2/3 cups breadcrumbs (I used the Japenese panko)
1 cup walnuts
6 cloves garlic
1/2 tspn salt
2 tspn cumin, 1 tspn Aleppo chilli powder (available in Middle Eastern Shops, you can use ordinary Chili powder to taste.
Juice from 1 lemon
1 tablespoons pomegranate syrup or molasses; you can get it in Turkish or Middle Eastern Shops
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Grill or broil the pepper until they are black, peel the burnt skin, should come of easily if placed in a polythene bag while still hot. Or else you can buy roasted pepper in olive oil (NOT vinager)

2. Place the peppers, breadcrumbs, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, pomegranate syrup, cumin and salt in a food processor. Grind until you get a fairly smooth paste, add oilive oil and mix.

3. Garnish with parsley, mint or corianderServe with warm pitta bread.

Syrian Fattoush Salad

This salad along with Tabuleh salad were in all the meals we had in Syria, whether it was in Damascus, Homos, Salamiya or Aleppo! It is a very healthy, herby salad with bits of pitta bread. In Syria the pitta bread was fried, I just browned it in the oven. This salad is part of the is part of the Golden Jubilee Series.






Ingredients
1 Cucumber, peeled and diced
3 large tomatoes; cut in cubes
1 large red pepper, seeded and diced
3 sticks celery; sliced
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint or 1 tsp. dried mint
1 pita; torn in small bits and bake in the oven for 4 minutes
Dressing
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of sumac
salt and black pepper
Method
Mixed all the vegetables, herbs and pitta bread
Make the dressing by puting the ingredients in a small bottle, close the top and mix well, pour over, chill and serve in half-an-hour.

Baba Ganoush: Aubergine Dip

We had a lot of this in Syria, in fact with every single meal, it was delcious. This roasted aubergine dish is part of my Golden Jubilee Series


Ingredients

2 Aubergines
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons yogurt
salt
black pepper
olive oil to drizzle
Parsley for garnish

1. Wash the aubergines, make some slits on them and put them in a moderate hot oven (180 C) for 45 minutes.
2. Peel the aubergines, and liqudise with the rest of the ingredients
3. Garnish with parsley
4. Serve with warm pitta bread

Kabuli Pilau

Kabuli Pilau is a national dish for Afghanistan and is part of the Golden Jubilee Series



Ingredients
1 large onion (chopped fine)
3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 Ib Lamb on the bone (2 inch pieces)
6 cloves garlic minced
2 cups Basmati Rice
3 medium tomatoes; blanched and peeled
2 tspn cumin seeds
1 teaspoon garam masala
Garnish:
2 large carrots; cut into matchsticks
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup water

Method

1. Fry the onions (in a large enough saucepan for the cooked rice), until almost caramelised, remove and set aside.
2. Brown the meat and garlic in the same oil, and add 3 ½ cups of water, boil until the meat is cooked, remove the meat and set aside
3. Wash and soak the rice for half an hour
4. Grind the fried onions with the tomatoes and add to the meat stock, bring to boil, simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add the cumin seeds, garam masala and rice and simmer for 10 minutes, stir in the meat cook for a further 10 minutes or until there is no liquid visible,
6. While the rice is cooking, fry the carrots for 10 minutes, drain the oil, add raisins and water and cook for a further 10 minutes
7. Place the pilau in a larger platter and garnish with the carrots and raisins.

World-wide Ismaili Cooking

I always thought of Ismailis as from India, Pakistan and East Africa, I never gave a thought to all the murids in Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, China, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Tibet and South Africa. Now of course we also live in Europe, North America Australia and New Zealand.
I am sure I have missed a few countries!
To celebrate MHI's Golden Jubilee, I am going to start a series of recipes eatern by Ismailis all over the world, showing the diversity of our people. I have already started this series with:

• Makdous - Syrian Pickled Aubergines

• Afghani Kabuli Pilau, Lamb Pilau garnished with carrot matchsticks and raisins

• Baba Ghanoush Roasted aubergine dip
• Syrian Fattoush Salad; green salad with toasted pitta bread pieces
• Aleppo Muhammara dip: Roasted peppers, walnut and pomegranate dip
• Afghani Gormeh Sabzi; a green herb stew
• Hummus bi tahini; chickpea dip
• Machi Paka; Coconutty Fish stew, EastAfrican Ismaili

To come:

• Syrian Bantinjan bil Laban, Fried aubergine in a garlic yoghurt sauce.
• Syrian Maklubit Betinjan, Lamb and aubergine with rice
• Tunisian Maraqat al-Safarjal, Lamb and Quince stew
  

you will have to be patient, as I will only blog tried and tested (tasted) recipes!

Makdous - Syrian Pickled Aubergines

My recent visit to Syria made me realise that one of the original Ismaili Cuisine was Syrian, in Salamiya I ate these delicious whole aubergine pickle for breakfast!

Ingredients

8 small round aubergines;
3 cloves garlic; crushed
half cup walnuts; roughly crushed
2 tsp salt
1 tablespoon crushed red chillis
olive oil

Method

1. Cut most of the stem of the aubergeins and steam for 20 minutes or until soft.
2. Cool, cut the aubergine lengthways to about 1/2 inch from the stem, without splitting into two
3. Drain the aubergines in a colander with a weighted plate on top for 2-3 hours
4. Mean while mix the garlic, walnuts, salt and chillis.
5. Stuff the mixture into each aubergine, and place into a glass jar stem side up. Cover jar and leave at room temperature
6. Pour olive oil to cover the jar, seal jar, refridgerate. Pickle should be ready to eat in 7-10 days.