A Very Malaysian Eid...

Sometimes I wonder why we need an extended feast like Eid after the thirty days of Ramzan. Ramzan in Pakistan and pretty much every other place in the world is about food! However, there is no reason not to celebrate with friends and family over a good meal!

During my college years, I only spent one Eid at home in Karachi. The rest were all spent in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. with friends as good as family. I would get decked up in my Eid 'jora' that my mother would send from Karachi and head out to meet my land-lady, eat some food, collect my 'duit raya' or Eidee and began my rounds of visting homes of neighbours - eating and collecting money. Post lunch time, my friend Mutiara would pick me up and we would visit our friends. Every house we went to had oodles and oodles of food - beef rendang (a kind of caramelized beef curry) , ketupat (rice packets cooked in coconut leaves), laksa, ayam masak merah (literally, red chicken) , kuih (sweet cakes) and so much more! Needless to say, I miss my friends in Malaysia. But I also miss the joy with which Malaysians celebrate Eid .... 

This year, my friend Abu Bakar, the Malaysian Consul General invited me to an Eid open house at Rumah Malaysia. And it wasn't the usual stuffy, diplo dinner, it was like being back in Johor Bahru with my friends - gorging on the food, children running around, karaoke and great conversations. 

When we got there, Raya celebrations were in full swing - lots of families, lots of food, karaoke! As I started 'investigating' the food - it turned out that the Malaysian ladies of Karachi had been preparing for the feast for days before the event! Teams were assigned to each of the dishes. However, it turned out that the men had saved the best for themselves....

Prep-prep-prepping

Team Beef Rendang

Satay is a boys club delicacy

Following all this hard work, the guests were served up a feast of delectable Malay treats!

What a rainbow of  flavors and colors!

How do I love beef rendang? Let me count the ways - beef, coconut milk, ginger, galangal, turmeric,  lemon grass, garlic, shallots and various secret spices. Rendang is basically slow cooked beef in a spicy  coconut milk then the beef comes so tender it melts in your mouth. Rendang is reserved for festivals and weddings mostly.

Notice how the rendang has been demolished since the last picture

Serunding always takes me back to Johor Bahru where it was a staple at my friend Rahimah's house. 9 times of the 10 when I went to her house for a meal, there was a bowl of serunding. Serunding is basically curried beef that is then fried into a floss type texture. Abu Bakar tells me this batch of serunding was flown down from Johor - like a culinary postcard from my 'kampung.'

Beef Serunding

Up next, we step away from the beef for some healthier option - lodeh. Pick your vegetables and add some tofu to a lighter than usual coconut milk curry. I love the vibrant colors in this version and the crunch of the greens with the smooth tofu! Get a bowl full, add some nasi impit or steamed white rice and you have a new kind of comfort food!

While all this looks fantastic - it's all just a lead up to the fairest food of them all - the satay. A lot of restaurants in Karachi have satay on the menu - but please don't let them fool you. A satay is not a pre-cooked piece of meat on a skewer with a peanut puree. It is beautifully marinated pieces of meat on a skewer cooked over an open fire; served hot with a crunchy peanut sauce .....

Above is a perfectly crafted plate of satay by Abu Bakar Mamat of course! There was a time during the occasion when I was actually spacing out thinking about the satay I was eating, oblivious of the conversations around me....

Food is always fun. But it's better when served with love, new people and most importantly - karaoke! What a fun Eid evening this was - terima kasih Rumah Malaysia and all the teams behind the fantastic food. .... especially the handsome satay specialists....

And a special shout out to the super-cute, color coordinated families of Abu Bakar and Azmir (Malaysian Vice Consul) - how gorgeous are these families!

 Azmir and gang

Abubakar and gang

Ramzan Daze: 2

I am looking at the folder called 'food' on my computer and thinking 'thank the Lord!' How much good food was there in Ramzan? LOTS! 

Arvi Gosht

I never quite figured out what 'Arvi' really is. When I was younger, my mother explained it was 'aloo ki behan (potato's sisters).' Which instantly legitimizes all kinds of food. Arvi, however, seems to be a form of yam. My mum usually cooks it with mutton in a very basic, 'curry' base - tomatoes, ginger, garlic, salt, red chillies, onions. Goes well with rice and fresh lemon juice.

Ramzan platter at Damascus

The good old fashioned furrouge

The entire spread

One particular Ramzan day,  my girl friends and I were feeling particularly disappointed with our lives (read men and money). And everyone knows that the cure for a broken heart is always Arab. So we headed to the Karachi classic Damascus and ordered a ginormous platter which included: a whole furrouge, a chicken pita sandwich and those fried Arabic wanton (type) things, fries or falafel, a 1.5 liter drink and the usual sides with pita bread. With all our sadness combined, we could not finish this meal - it was rich, delicious and large - like a real Arab should be. All this cost just Rs 1200 by the way.

Roast Beef

Ah, what do I say about this hunk of meat? Soft, succulent, well seasoned and in the good company of  roast onions, garlic and potatoes. Home cooked by my sister from another mother - Tammy Haq! She really knows how to look after her sisters!

Home made Vol-au-Vent

Chicken and mushroom white sauce oozing out of a flaky pastry 'basket' - could there be a better comfort food?

Pizza Milano from Ginoginelles

Beef Pepperoni Pizza from Ginoginelles

Gino's has the best pizza in Karachi - hands down, no competition! I don't care what the foodies say, I dont care what the Italians. This pizza is damn good! I don't want to fish for toppings on my pizza, I just want it to find it's way into my mouth when I bite - in other words - generous toppings please!

Thai Green Curry from Chairman Mao

Dumplings with flat noodles 

Tried Chairman Mao after a while, following my horrible experience at Chairman Mao Port Grand. Thai is my least favorite kind of Asian cuisine (and Pakistan's favorite I guess) - I prefer Malaysian, Vietnamese and Chinese.  However, this is by far the best Thai food I've had so far in Pakistan.

Luckily, all this food is still out there and now we can order it for lunch too!

Ramzan Daze: 1

  As a rule, as a family, we never break fast outside the home on the 1st day of Ramzan. But this Ramzan, my 'sister from another mother' suggested we leave the city behind and head to Hub for Iftar. And what a wonderful idea it was! We just followed the sun and the sky and broke our fast accordingly.

Iftar in my house is inconceivable without shorba and hummus. So that's what we packed for our little Hub Ladies Only Iftar Picnic. Check out the spread below:

Tick tock tick tock - laying the table

Hummus and some really big peaches

Each time I ask my mother to give me her hummus recipe, she gives me different ingredients! Looks like I won't be putting up this recipe anytime soon.

Best iftar idea so far! Bread, butter and cheese!

Hyperstar Karachi makes great bread! Couple with butter and cheese and it makes a most satisfying, carb-rich, comfort food experience.

Starters complete

Chips, hummus, bread, cheese, butter, dates and peaches. A good mix of healthy and junk!

Ah Shorba! The best thing about Ramzan

Ramzan would not be Ramzan without this lentil and spagetti soup. I refuse to believe it! You'll find the recipe here.

Roast chicken with potatoes

No complicated flavors here - slow roasted chicken with onions, garlic and potatoes.

Another roast chicken :)

 Spinach and Bechamel Sauce Pasta

I really regret not having eaten enough of this spinach, mushroom and white sauce pasta. But I was just so stuffed!

Ramzan is super prime time for a food blog but I have mostly been in a food coma or horribly sick through Ramzan. Hopefully, I'll be more regular with my blog updates from now on. Ramzan Mubarak!

Home Alone Chicken

The hardest part of maintaining this blog has got to be coming up with names for each post! The recipe ones are even harder because I have to literally dream up names for my experiments.

So we'll call this one Home Alone Chicken because I came up with it when my mum left my Dad, my sister and I home alone for a few days. Finally, we got tired of ordering in and I decided to play 'mum' and here's what I came up with!

Spot the chicken in this picture

You need:

1/2 chicken pieces 

2 -4 tablespoons of yogurt

Ginger and garlic paste

6-8 green chillis

2 large, firm tomatoes sliced

2 large onions sliced

4 potatoes sliced (round)

Salt

Pepper

Marinate with chicken with yogurt, ginger and garlic paste, salt and a few chopped green chilli for at least an hour.In the mean time, fry the potatoes. On a clean, hot non-stick pan, sear the tomatoes and onions, separately ans set aside. For the chicken, heat about 2 tablespoons of canola oil and add the chicken, marinade and all. Keep stirring till it changes color - cover and let it cook for a slower flame for about 15 minutes or until tender. The chicken when done should have a bit of grav ity from the yogurt marinade, don't let it run completely dry. Lastly, fry off some whole green chilli.

When serving layer the dish in the following order - chicken, potatoes, onions, tomatoes and green chilli. Sprinkle with some black pepper and you're good to go with naan or chapati.

I quite loved my creation but my sister thought it was a bit bland - however, that's because she's quite the wuss and won't bite into fried green chilli!

Afghans Do It Better

It seems 'Kabuli' is THE place to eat in Islamabad - Afghan being the hot new in cuisine in the capital these days. Also, Habibi - a mix of Afghan, Central Asian and Middle Eastern is worth a try too and the old Karachi classic BBQ Tonight is now in Lahore and Islamabad too. Gone are the days of the Afghan naan wala, we now have a cool, new breed of Afghans showing the capital what food is all about. 

But of course, the best way to experience a cuisine is in people's homes. And hearts. The Afghan embassy in Islamabad was kind enough to host myself and colleagues from the media - from both Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Afghan ambassador Mr. Muhammad Umar Daudzai and his staff were gracious hosts. I told him I was doing a story on the growing influence of Afghan culture in Pakistan and he personally took the time to explain each dish on the spread to me. Here goes:

Kabuli pulau

Surprise, surprise - Kabuli pulau is called 'pulau' in Kabul. Where does all ALL this flavor come from? Slow cooking the beef and then cooking the rice in that beef broth with cinnamon and cardamon.

Afghani kebab and tikka

As you can see, most of this dish is gone. Skewered,barbecued  tender pieces of chicken and beef are probably the stars of Afghan cuisine. So rich, so simple - you're never quite sure when you're full.

Zamarud pulau

What a pretty name for a dish! Zamarud being emerald, of course. This is basically a vegetarian pilaf with spinach, dill and leeks with very simple seasoning. I was told lamb or beef can be added to this - which reminds of an Arab staple at my home - a pilaf made with fried meat, dill and peas, with the same 'zamarud' tinge.

Burani

By far my most favorite dish of the night! The humble eggplant/baingan done so well! Grilled  slices of eggplant topped off with a tomato sauce and a garlic yogurt. This is definitely one I will be trying in my kitchen.

Mantu (like Momos)

Remember my love for Nepalese momos? The Afghan-Tajik version of these dumplings is a little more suited to the 'desi' palate. These 'mantus' are stuffed with raw meat and then steamed. They are usually topped with a garlic yogurt and a tomato and 'channa dal' sauce. It's an interesting little mouthful - lots of different textures and flavors.

Spinach

Simply because, as the Ambassador said, 'Afghans love spinach.' Which might explain the 'fitness' of Afghan men.  And women, of course. More power to the spinach!
                                                                                       

Mutton Stew

Chicken Qorrma

Also on the menu, some Pakistani influences in the form of a mutton stew and chicken qorma.

When I asked to meet the chef, there was some surprise and some consultations before the chef came out to meet me. Such a gentle, old man who seemed obviously flattered (and a bit confused) by my request to see meet him. There wasn't much conversation to be made and most of that was lost in translation. But thanks to Zalmai Azizy for the help! That's the best Afghan chef in the region - Ghulam Sakhi Rahmani! Ghulam Sakhi has been cooking for close to thirty years and most recently for the Afghan mission in Islamabad. If they ever let him go, I'm stealing him!

Ghulam Sakhi Rahmani

The kitchen crew at the Afghan embassy

Great food, better conversations and warm Afghan hospitality - I'm really looking forward to more of that in Kabul. Thank you Mr. Daudzai and Mr. Rahmani!

The Big Life in Bara Gali, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I arrived in Bara Gali – the summer campus of the University of Peshawar.   Located some 30 minutes further up from Nathia Gali  - lots of pine trees, lots of monkeys – but still a startling change from the overly commercial Nathia Gali experience. 

I arrived there with a group of young journalists from all over Pakistan ( and eventually joined by another group from Afghanistan) for an Af-Pak Journalist Exchange Fellowship organized by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.  I have to admit, this stands out as one of the most  ‘unique’ travel and food experiences I have had so far – that too in Pakistan!

The view from what was the bar  during the British era in Bara Gali

This was the our usual 'hang-out' area. Between sessions, during tea and meal breaks, some of you would sit under the cool shade of the trees. It was just so heartening to watch the wide open spaces and fresh clean air - a rarity in Karachi.

One of the buildings on campus

The summer campus was once a British military camp, so needless to say, our accommodation was basic but sufficient and in retrospect, rather charming too. They were cottages from the British era, with 3 - 4 of us to a cottage. We were promptly given a torch each to find our way.The kitchen was no different. Good, strong, clean old fashioned kitchen with only the basics. Freshly baked naans were the first accompaniment to the cold mountain air.

Fried chicken and tomatoes getting prepped

High pressure situation for the Kabuli pulau

Naan at work

A laptop to keep tab?

From the minute we arrived to the time we left – there was food, food, food  - five to six meals a day. This is not an exaggeration. Breakfast, tea, lunch, tea, dinner is how the day was organized. There was a loud gong sounded off at every meal time and we had to get up from whatever we were doing and make ourselves available in the dining room. 

The ingredients in almost every recipe remained the same but the cook kept playing with our taste buds. Kabuli pulau was an absolute staple – at least once a  day – well greased with slivered carrots, raisins and big hunks of beef. The sweetness of the raisins was a refreshing blend with the beef and the rest of the meat heavy menu. There was always chicken, beef and vegetables on the menu, sometimes mutton too.

Russian salad, KPK style

Succulent, sexy namkeen gosht

Kabuli Palau

Fried chicken, KPK style

The chef had perfected a few basic recipes that seemed to work well with all kinds of meat and vegetables – one was a tomato based mix for curries and stews, a red chilli flakes based marinade for fried meats and a salt and garlic mix for the ‘namkeen’ gosht.  The food was not as complex as we have made it to be in big cities. Basic flavors, well cooked and served fresh is all you need for a good dish.

Bara Gali – how do I explain this? For a complete city slicker like me, I felt like I was in some kind of reality TV prank, sent there by my mother to teach me a lesson. Lots of walking at a height of 7597 ft, cold water, unreliable power supply, no internet, rare phone signals – it was a whole new world for me. Add to that a new laptop with NO music and no iPod. Yikes! But those 5 nights in Bara Gali really made me realize the importance of how we were really meant to live – free from wants and luxuries but with the bare necessities and most importantly, good, honest people.

Sunset at Bara Gali....

....from where we had tea every day.....

  I now cherish the friendships made in those ‘difficult’ days – stories of cold showers shared over steaming kahva while watching folk musicians sing and dance. Bara Gali may be an acquired taste but it is one of those  must have experiences if you are an aspiring 'traveller.'

The Night Life - musicians from Peshawar

Thanks to the University of Peshawar for looking after me and teaching me a lesson J It was an experience and a half. Setting off for Islamabad was almost bittersweet. Thanks for the memories, Bara Gali!