2nd Anniversary of Food Diaries

Card made by Baseera Khan

Card made by Baseera Khan

Card made by Dua Khan

Cooking Expert Zarnak Sidhwa with Anam Masood

     Ryeaan Chaudhary and Aish Khan

Cooking expert Zarnak Sidhwa wih Sanjeeda Arshad

2nd Anniversary of Food Diaries

Thai Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients for Thai Chicken Stir Fry:
Chicken breasts, 500 gm Cut into strips or bite-size pieces, OR 5-6 chicken thighs
Purple onion, chopped ¼ cup
Garlic, minced 5 – 6 cloves
Ginger, thinly sliced 1 inch piece
Fresh red chili, sliced 5
Mushrooms, sliced 5 – 6
Red pepper, de-seeded/sliced 1
Fresh basil a handful
Coconut oil/vegetable oil 2 tbsp
Ingredients for Stir Fry Sauce
Coconut milk 2/3 cup
Red Thai curry paste 2 ½ tbsp
Fresh lime juice 3 ½ tbsp
Soya sauce 1 ½ tbsp
Crushed red chili 1 tsp
Brown sugar 1 tsp
Salt 1 tsp

Preparation:
1. Combine all 'stir fry sauce' ingredients together in a cup or bowl, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Taste-test it, keeping in mind that the first taste should be spicy-salty, followed by sweetness and the rich flavor of the coconut milk. Adjust these flavors to suit your taste, adding more lime juice if too salty or sweet (note that it will be less salty when combined with the chicken and vegetables).
2. Place chicken in a bowl and pour over 1/4 cup of the stir-fry sauce, or enough to coat chicken. Toss well and set aside.
3. Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and swirl around, then add the shallot/onion, garlic, ginger, and chili. Stir-fry until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Then add chicken together with the marinade. Stir-fry for 5-6 minutes, until the chicken is cooked. Add more of the stir-fry sauce as you cook, keeping it moist rather than dry.
4. Add the mushrooms, red pepper, and enough stir-fry sauce to just cover ingredients. Simmer 3-5 minutes, or until the vegetables have turned bright in color but still retain some crispness. (Note: this is a rather 'saucy' stir-fry that is never dry - the sauce is meant to also flavor the rice or noodles it is served with).
5. Reduce heat to minimum and do a final taste-test, adding a little more lime juice if too salty or sweet. Add more chili for more spice.
6. Top with a sprinkling of fresh basil and serve with plenty of jasmine rice.

Thai Chicken Stir Fry by Taha Zoeb

Note: Brand Name of Thai red curry paste: Suree


Zarnak's wardrobe for this episode was sponsored by G I R L I E.

Nutty Cin-Apple Brownies

Ingredients For Nutty Cin-Apple Brownies:
Butter 1/3 cup
White sugar 1/2 cup
Egg 1
Apples 2 medium
Walnuts chopped 1/2 cup
All purpose flour 1 cup
Salt 1/4 tsp
Baking powder 1/2 tsp
Baking soda 1 tsp
Cinnamon ground 1 tsp
Vanilla essence 1/2 tsp

Chocolate chip or Chocolate bits as required

For Topping:
Cinnamon sugar a little

Method

Peel, core and dice apples (approx 1 cup diced)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Grease a 9x9 inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, then add egg and beat until fluffy.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture until just blended.
Add vanilla.
Fold in the apples and walnuts.
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on top before baking.
Bake 55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Nutty Cin-Apple Brownies by Taha Zoeb

Zarnak's wardrobe for this episode was sponsored by G I R L I E.

Mocha Frappe

Ingredients For Mocha Frappe:

Vanilla ice cream 3 scoops
Ice 1 cup
Chilled brewed coffee 1 cup
Milk 1/2 cup
Sugar 2 tbsp
Whipped cream as required
Drinking chocolate as required

Method
Blend ice cream, ice, coffee, milk, and simple syrup in a blender until smooth.
Pour into a tall glass.
Top with whipped cream, and drizzle with Chocolate Syrup.

Mocha Frappe by Taha Zoeb

Zarnak's wardrobe for this episode was sponsored by G I R L I E.

Fruit and Vegetable Drink

Ingredients for Fruit and Vegetable Drink (Good for cancer prevention)

Beetroot (raw) 1
Apple,cut into cubes 1
Carrot 1
Water as required
Lemon juice a little

Method:

Put beetroot cubes, apple cubes, carrot and water in a blender.
Blend.
Add water if you find it thick.
Pour into glasses.
Squeeze a little lemon juice for taste.
Use immediately.


Fruit and Vegetable Drink by Samreen Junaid
Zarnak's wardrobe for this episode was sponsored by G I R L I E.

Peacock Salad

Ingredients For Peacock Salad:

For Feathers:
Cucumber 2 medium
Carrot 2 medium
Lettuce leaves 3 bunches
Radish 2 medium

For Body:
Boiled potato 3 medium
Cucumber 1 medium
Carrot 1 medium
Peas/ sweet corn 1/2 cup
Pasta 1 cup
Boiled chicken 100 gm
Mayonnaise as required
Sugar 1 tspSalt 1/2 tsp
Pepper 1/2 tsp

Method:
First cut cucumber, carrot and raddish in round sliced and keep aside.

Next cut cucumber, carrot and 2 potatoes in small cubes and chop cabbage finely.

Now add salt, pepper mayo, sugar and boiled pasta in these cut vegetables.

After that take a cardboard or any flat platter. 

Draw a peacock or arrange mixed salad first as a body.

Then mash 1 potato and make feet by giving shape of it by the help of hand.

Next arrange lettuce leaves in feather shape, now first keep a slice of raddish then cucumber and then carrot.

Finally keep these slices on lettuce to give a look of peacock.

Peacock salad is ready to serve.

Peacock Salad by Samreen Junaid

Zarnak's wardrobe for this episode was sponsored by G I R L I E.

Coconut & Chocolate Grapes

Ingredients For Coconut & Chocolate Grapes:

For Grapes:
Desiccated coconut 125 gm
Condensed milk as required
Food color few drops

For Leaves:
Natural peepul leaves 10-15 
Milk Chocolate 5 gm
Round Brush 1

Method:
Mix desiccated coconut, condensed milk and food then make small balls.
Wash peepul leaves wipe it and it a side to get it day.
Next take milk chocolate, melt it on double boiler and spread it on peepul leaves.
Now put these leaves in the freezer to set.
After that set coconut balls in a platter in grapes shape.
Finally take out the leaves from the freezer then carefully remove those leaves from the chocolate and set it with grapes to give a look of grapes bunch.

Coconut & Chocolate Grapes by Samreen Junaid

Zarnak's wardrobe for this episode was sponsored by G I R L I E.

Filament Coal Beef

Ingredients For Filament Coal Beef:
Beef/ mutton 1/2 kg
Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp
Onion 1 medium
Yogurt 1 cup
All spice powder 1/2 tsp
Chili powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Green chili 2-3
Coriander 1/4 bunch
Mint leaves 1/4 bunch
Lemon juice 1 tbsp
Oil 4 tbsp
Coal 1 small piece

Method:
First cut meat into medium cubes.
Next take a pan put this meat in the pan and add 1 tb sp of ginger garlic paste, yogurt, add spice powder, chili powder, turmeric powderand water cook it on medium flame till the meatbecomes tender and water get dry.
After that leave until it become cool, and then shred the meat.
Now take another pan, put oil it in and add onion fry it till golden brown then add 1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste fry it just for few minutes.
Next add shredded meat in that pan fold and cook it on medium flame for few minutes add little water if required, leave it for 5 minutes on simmering flame.
After that add lemon juice, green chilies, coriander and mint leaves.
Finally place a red hot coal in that put a little oil on the coal and immediately cover it with a lid to give a coal smoke.
Serve hot with chapatti or fried paratha with any condiment.

Filament Coal Beef by Samreen Junaid

Zarnak's wardrobe for this episode was sponsored by G I R L I E.

Sri Lankan Rice

Ingredients For Sri Lankan Rice:

Rice 3/4 cup
Thick coconut milk 1/2 cup
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Cinnamon stick 1 inch stick
Cardamom pods 2 crushed
Onion chopped 1
Butter 1 tbsp
Salt 1 tsp

For Garnish:
Onion 1 sliced
Cashews broken 2 tbsp
Raisins 2 tbsp
Butter 1 tbsp

Method

Heat 1 tbsp butter. 

Once the butter browns, add cinnamon, cardamom, curry leaves and onions and sauté till the onions turn a light brown. 

Now add this to the earlier soaked rice. 

Mix the water and coconut milk together well. 

Add 1 tsp salt. 

Add the coconut milk mixture, mix well and cook till rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed. 

Once done, fluff gently with a fork. 

Heat a pan with the remaining butter and let it brown. 

Now add the onions and let it cook till light brown. 

Add the cashews next and wait for it to turn a golden brown. 

At this stage, the onions must also be brown. 

Add the raisins and fry.
Add this mixture to the rice and mix gently and serve.

Sri Lankan Rice by Zarnak Sidhwa

Zarnak's wardrobe for this episode was sponsored by G I R L I E.

Srilankan Chicken Curry

Ingredients For Sri Lankan Chicken Curry:

Oil 2 tbsp
Onion, chopped 1
Garlic, crushed 2 cloves
Fresh green chilies, slit 3 to 4
Ground turmeric 1 tsp
Ground coriander 1 tbsp
Chicken 1 ½ kg
Coconut milk 2 ½ cups
Coconut cream 2 tbsp
Lemon juice 2 tbsp

Method

Heat oil, add onion, garlic, chilies, turmeric and coriander. 

Sauté Add chicken pieces and coconut milk. 

Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover, simmer for until the chicken is tender. 

Add coconut cream and lemon juice, simmer. 

Serve with the Srilankan rice.

Sri Lankan Chicken Curry by Zarnak Sidhwa

Note: Brand Name of locally available coconut milk in a can or powdered form: Suntan

Zarnak's wardrobe for this episode was sponsored by G I R L I E.

Sri Lankan Dessert (Love Cake)

Ingredients For Sri Lankan Dessert (Love Cake):

Eggs 6
Caster sugar 500 gm
Unsalted butter 150 gm
Honey 3 tbsp
Rose water 2 tbsp
Lemon zest 1 lemon
Nutmeg powder 1 tsp
Ground cardamom 1 tsp
Raw cashews 8 oz
Semolina 8 oz
Crystallized pineapple 125 gm

Method:

Line a 10 x 12 inch cake tin with baking paper. 

Preheat oven to 150 degrees C. 

Beat eggs and sugar until thick and light. 

Add softened butter and honey, rose water, lime zest, nutmeg and cardamom. 

Beat well. Chop cashews coarsely and stir in together with the semolina and crystallised fruit. 

Turn into prepared tin and bake in a slow oven for 1 hour or until pale golden on top. If the cake starts to brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil. 

Do not use the skewer test, because if a skewer comes out clean it means the cake is overcooked. 

Leave cake in tin to cool. 

Cut into small squares to serve.
Sri Lankan Dessert (Love Cake) by Zarnak Sidhwa

Zarnak's wardrobe for this episode was sponsored by G I R L I E.

Recipe Line Up - Oct 28, 2013 to Nov 01, 2013

Recipe Line Up for 5th week of October 2013 - Oct 28, 2013 to Nov 01, 2013

1. Sri Lankan Rice, Sri Lankan Chicken Curry And Sri Lankan Dessert
2. Peacock Salad, Filament Coal Beef And Coconut & Chocolate Grapes
3. Mocha Frappe, Nutty Cin-Apple Brownies And Thai Chicken Stir Fry
4. 2nd Anniversary of Food Diaries
5. Barbie Doll Cake

Wardrobe Sponsor for the week: G I R L I E.

Hotdog Lollipops

Ingredient For Hotdog Lollipops:

Cocktail hotdogs as required
Toothpicks as required

For Batter:
Flour 3/4 cup
Corn flour 2 tbsp
Baking powder 1 tsp
White pepper 1/2 tsp
Salt 1/2 tsp
Chinese salt 1/2 tsp
Egg yolk 2
Cold water 1/2 cup

Method:
Mix all the ingredients together and dip each lollipop and deep fry.

Hotdog Lollipops by Ammara Khan

Zarnak's wardrobe for this episode was sponsored by Mingle Mangle

The guest Ammara Khan is the owner of Crumbs.

11"inch Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Monster with Food Diaries logo!

Zarnak Sidhwa with The Cookie Monster

Ammara Khan with Zarnak Sidhwa