It's Official

It's been a while since I posted a recipe or a review here.... I can explain... I promise!

My mother's catering business, aptly called 'Yummy Mummy And Me' is now up and running, hence, I have been employed in the kitchen (away from the internet). However, I assure that this day on wards, I will keep you posted on what's happening in the Yummy Mummy kitchen, what we eat on our travels at home and abroad, special deals and discounts.... 

We are now a grown up business!

But first.... do check us out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Happy Eating!

Karachi Chicken Rice

The best things in the life are often the simplest - ones that are comforting and familiar. Chicken Rice is my favorite comfort food. No contest there. There was a chicken rice stall called 'Warong Saga' in Johor Bahru, Malaysia where I lived for some 5 years that started this love affair of mine with chicken rice. Chicken rice and myself are currently in a long distance relationship. But some mutual friends of ours, helped us get together earlier this week.

Before, we get into the 'date' - for those of you who are not familiar with Chicken Rice, here's a quick introduction. It's actually Hainanese Chicken Rice - originating from China and popular in Malaysia and Singapore. The chicken is poached with a few simple ingredients. And served with fragrant rice cooked in chicken stock. Sounds simple but the preparation must be meticulous, when dealing with such delicate flavors. The chicken may be then steamed, roasted or barbecued. The entire dish consists of chicken, rice, chicken soup, chilli sauce, pounded ginger and dark soya sauce.

This is what it usually looks like:

Chicken Rice @ The Chicken Rice Shop in Vivo City Singapore

Roasted Chicken sprinkled with cucumbers, scallions and soya sauce

So back to my encounter with an old flame in Karachi. My friend Abu Bakar at the Malaysian Consulate in Karachi was kind enough to have me over for some authentic chicken rice. And home made too! Special thanks to our friend Azmir and his wife of course for cooking up a storm. But this was by far, the fanciest, classiest chicken rice I have ever had! Beautiful glassware, silverware and gorgeous blue and white plates and bowls monogrammed with Jata Negara (Coat of Arms of Malaysia). I could not have asked for a more gratifying meeting! Ah, to be reunited with an old fried, lover and care-taker is one of the greatest gifts ever!

What we have above is the best food money can never buy. Rice cooked and flavored to perfection; the chicken chewy and crispy. Ah and the authentic chilli sauce to go with that! The soup was packed with flavors and yet so light. Mix it all up in a spoonful and that's a warm hug right here. I think I closed my eyes on the first bite - rush of memories taking me to Johor Bahru and of course the joy of being reunited with a loved one!

And to just completely render me useless for the rest of the day, there was agar-agar for dessert! Agar-agar is basically a kind of light, sweet jelly.  Agar-agar is derived from sea-weed and sold in powder form for cooking (not in Pakistan, of course). The one we had some lychees and sago worked in to it. The perfect dessert for a hot Karachi day. Light, refreshing, cool and sweet!

Here's hoping that the Malaysian community in Karachi brings more of their culinary heritage to Karachi! Thank you Abu Bakar and Azmir - keep inviting me over! Terima Kashi!

Pakistani Penne

Yup. You got that right, a Pakistani twist on the penne pasta. If you're Pakistani, you've had the signature 'desi qeema noodles' - if you're not Pakistani, then try this Pakistani-Italian fusion 'cuisine'.

You'll need:
1/2 kg lean minced beef
3-4 large onions finely chopped
3 tablespoons tomato puree
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon ginger paste
5-6 chopped green chillis
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
3 tablespoons soya sauce
Salt to taste
500 gm packet of penne

Heat up about 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan or pot and add the minced beef. Keep stirring until the mince changes color - which should be about 3 - 4 minutes. Add in the onions. ginger, garlic, chilli powder, soya sauce and salt. Be careful with the salt because the soya sauce is already salty. Stir the ingredients together for another 3-4 minutes and add about 1/2 cup of water. Lower the flame and cover the pan. Add the tomato puree some 10 minutes later. Cover it again, add some water if and let it cook for another 15-20 minutes. Add another 3 tablespoons of oil and stir over a high flame for 3-4 minutes or until the oil rises to the top of the pan.

Boil pasta according to packet instructions. Add some butter and soya sauce to the drained pasta. Mix in some of the cooked minced beef to the pasta and layer the rest on top.

Try the pasta with some chilli sauce or even some Peri-Peri sauce. This is a classic pasta dish in my family. It's simple and the minced beef recipe is quite multi-purpose. So while the rest of us like it with pasta, my Dad likes it with naan. Hope you enjoy it!