January 08, 2009

Arrange a sunup feast this weekend with Shireen Anwer’s special breakfast menu, which has a little something for every taste

ALOO BHUJIA

250 gm potatoes
½ tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp kalonji
½ tsp all spice powder
4 cups water
1 inch ginger, chopped
2 green chillies, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp salt
Chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method

Peel and thickly slice the potatoes. Put them in a pan with chilli powder, kalonji, salt and water and cook on medium heat. When the water comes up to a boil, roughly mash the potatoes with a spoon. After a while add chopped tomatoes. When the water reduces down completely and the potatoes are tender, remove from heat. Add all spice powder, chopped ginger and chopped green chillies. Put the pan back on the heat and cook for another couple of minutes. Dish out and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves for garnish.

CHOLEY

250 gm chickpeas, boiled
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp cumin, roasted and crushed
1 tsp coriander seeds, roasted and crushed
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp fennel seeds, roasted and crushed
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 tsp black cumin
1 tsp salt
¼ cup oil
½ tsp all spice powder
2 green chillies, chopped
Coriander leaves, chopped

Method

Heat oil. Fry onions till golden brown. Add in all the spices and sauté for three to four minutes with the chopped tomato until a thick paste is formed. Add the boiled chickpeas to the mixture with a little water and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the all spice, chopped green chillies and coriander leaves. When the mixture thickens, remove from the heat and serve.

MALPURA

2 cups flour
½ cup semolina
2-3 eggs
A pinch of yellow food colour
½ tsp cardamom powder
½ tsp cooking soda
10-12 heaped tbsp sugar
Ghee for frying

Method

Mix all ingredients together really well. The batter should be of thick pouring consistency. Add a little water while mixing if the batter becomes too thick. Keep aside for four to five hours. Heat ghee in a frying pan and pour one tablespoon full of mixture for each malpura. Fry for three to four minutes. Turn and fry for another few minutes on the other side till golden and crisp. Drain on a kitchen paper towel and serve hot.

HALWA

250 gm semolina
3 cups sugar
½ cup milk
¼ tsp yellow food colour dissolved in 1 tsp kewra water
1 cup ghee
5 cups water

Method

Make sugar syrup with sugar, water and milk by boiling them together for five minutes. Heat ghee. Fry semolina in the ghee for about five minutes while stirring. When the semolina and ghee separate, add the sugar syrup to the mixture and stir well. Add in the food colour and kewra water mixture. Cook till the paste starts bubbling. Turn off the heat and serve garnished with chopped almonds.

PURI

1 cup plain white flour
¾ cup wheat flour
½ tsp salt
1 heaped tbsp santh (mix four tablespoons melted ghee, two tablespoons plain white flower and one egg white into a thick paste)

Method

Mix all the ingredients together and knead with water into a soft dough. Apply a heaped tablespoon of santh on the dough and knead again. Make eight to 10 balls out of the dough, brush with oil and keep aside for a while. Roll the balls out and deep fry. Serve immediately.

MINCED KATLAMA

2 cups flour
½ tsp salt
Leftover fried qeema
1 tbsp santh

Method

Knead the flour with water into a soft dough. Brush the dough with oil and keep aside for a while. Make as many regular chapatti-sized balls with the dough as you can. Spread a dough ball on the table and roll out to a saucer-sized chapatti. Apply a little santh on top and re-roll the chapatti into a ball. Now roll it again. Put a layer of qeema on top and cover with another chapatti. Repeat the process till you have two layers of qeema and three layers of chapatti. Seal the edges. Deep fry on medium flame till light golden and serve hot.

FLUFFY OMELETTE

2 eggs, separated
2 tbsp chopped onions
1 tomato, chopped
1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
1 tsp green chillies, chopped
4 medium button mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Beat egg whites till fluffy. Add all the seasoning and chopped vegetables to the egg yolks. Fold in the egg whites to the mixture. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. Pour the egg mixture, spread it evenly in the pan and fold it when the base is cooked. Cook on both sides and serve with buttered croissants or toasted bread.

PANCAKES

3 eggs, separated
6 tsp icing sugar
4 tbsp flour
A pinch of salt
Butter and honey to serve with

Method

Beat the egg yolks with a pinch of salt and icing sugar. Add the flour and whisk with two tablespoons of water. Beat the egg whites till foamy, then add to the yolk mixture. Grease frying pan with a half tablespoon of butter and heat well. Pour batter in small rounds with a ladle and cook on both the sides. Serve hot with honey.

WAFFLES

2 cups self-raising flour
2 tbsp caster sugar
3 eggs, separated
1½ cup milk
½ cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla essence
Maple syrup and vanilla ice-cream to serve with

Method

Sift flour and caster sugar in a bowl. Add egg yolks, milk, melted butter and vanilla essence to the dry ingredients. Whisk together well. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold into the waffle batter until thoroughly combined. Brush the waffle maker with butter. Pour the batter into the waffle maker and cook for two minutes. Remove. Serve hot with maple syrup and vanilla ice cream.