Benefits of bhindi

Okra or bhindi as we call it, is a lot more then a delicious vegetable . In Pakistan we cook it in  summers. I will share some of its health benefits before sharing my delicious recipe with you.

• Okra is a powerhouse of valuable nutrients, nearly half of which is soluble fiber in the form of gums and pectins. Soluble fiber helps to lower serum cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease.

• The other half is insoluble fiber which helps to keep the intestinal tract healthy, decreasing the risk of some forms of cancer, especially Colo-rectal cancer. *

• Nearly 10% of the recommended levels of vitamin B6 and folic acid is also present in a half cup of cooked okra. Okra is a rich source of many nutrients, including fiber, vitamin B6 and folic acid.

The following numbers are from the University of Illinois Extension Okra Page. Please check there for more details.

Okra Nutrition (half-cup cooked okra)
* Calories = 25
* Dietary Fiber = 2 grams
* Protein = 1.5 grams
* Carbohydrates = 5.8 grams
* Vitamin A = 460 IU
* Vitamin C = 13 mg
* Folic acid = 36.5 micrograms
* Calcium = 50 mg
* Iron = 0.4 mg
* Potassium = 256 mg
* Magnesium = 46 mg *

*These numbers should be used as a guideline only, and if you are on a medically-restricted diet please consult your physician and/or dietician.

Ms Sylvia W. Zook, Ph.D. (nutritionist) has very kindly provided the following thought-provoking comments on the many benefits of this versatile vegetable.

Benefits of Okra are worth reading

1. The superior fiber found in okra helps to stabilize blood sugar as it
curbs the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract.

2. Okra’s mucilage not only binds cholesterol but bile acid carrying toxins dumped into it by the filtering liver. But it doesn’t stop there…

3. Many alternative health practitioners believe all diseases begin in the colon. The okra fiber, absorbing water and ensuring bulk in stools, helps prevent constipation . Fiber in general is helpful for this but okra is one of the best, along with ground flax seed and psyllium. Unlike harsh wheat bran, which can irritate or injure the intestinal tract, okra’s mucilage soothes , and okra facilitates elimination more comfortably by its slippery characteristic many people abhor.

In other words, this incredibly valuable vegetable not only binds excess cholesterol and toxins (in bile acids) which cause numerous health problems, if not evacuated, but also assures their easy passage from the body. The veggie is completely non-toxic, non-habit forming (except for the many who greatly enjoy eating it), has no adverse side effects, is full of nutrients, and is economically within reach of most.

4. Further contributing to the health of the intestinal tract, okra fiber(as
well as flax and psyllium) has no equal among fibers for feeding the good bacteria (probiotics).

5. To retain most of okra’s nutrients and self-digesting enzymes, it should be cooked as little as possible, e.g. with low heat or lightly steamed. Some eat it raw.

A guy has been suffering from constipation for the past 20 years and
recently from acid reflux. He didn’t realize that the treatment could be so simple — OKRA! (or Lady’s Finger). He started eating okra within the last 2 months and since then have never taken medication again. All he did was consume 6 pieces of OKRA everyday.

He’s now regular and his blood sugar has dropped from 135 to 98,  with his cholesterol and acid reflux also under control. Here are some facts on okra (from the research of Ms. Sylvia Zook, PH.D nutrition), University of
Illinois.

Recipe for cooking lady’s finger in the Pakistani way is as follows. Before cooking wash the vegetable and let it dry for half an hour. Cut both ends and cut the rest of okra in cubes.

Bhindi recipe in urdu

I got the recipe from the khana khazana and it works well for me but mom in law likes it with almost double onions. She fries onions and bhindi separately before mixing them and cooking them on slow heat for 10 minutes. You can make it tastier by adding a little anar daana at the end too!!!

If you are a meat lover then cook meat and add bhindi to get bhindi-ghosht.

Enjoy!

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Aaloo ke pakoray

Its raining in Pakistan  and winter rain calls for hot snacks.  Pakoras are the pakwan of the rainy season …  rain in winter or hot humid rain in barsaat. Another occasion where pakora is a must is the iftar parties  in Ramazan. Pakistanis just cannot imagine opening their fasts without pakoras!

Pakoras are our traditional ” junk food” which everybody, from young to old loves to eat.   They are mouth watering, tasty and irresistible. They are quick and easy to make…..so lets start.

Here is my personal pakora recipe for you all. I know we all use almost the same ingredients with a few little changes and that is what personal touch means!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup chickpea flour (Besan)

1 teaspoon chilli powder (or more if you like it hot!)

1 teaspoon salt

a pinch of turmeric powder

1 tablespoon coriander, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon zeera (cumin seeds)

1/2 teaspoon anar daana (dried pomegranate)

1 teaspoon yogurt ( to make them soft yet crispy)

1/2 cup water

The basic pakora batter:

Sieve besan and then mix all the above ingredients in the form of a paste you can add more water until its thick and  smooth. Beat well and leave it for 20 min. If you have planned your snack then you can make the batter 2 hours before frying. Otherwise 20 minutes is fine.

For plain aloo ke pakoray which all the kids love to eat:

• Peel 2 potatoes and cut in thin chips like slices.
• You have to make the batter a little thin by adding a little more water for aloo ke pakoray.
• Warm oil in a pan for deep  frying.
• Dip each slice of potato in the batter and drop in the oil. Change sides and let it fry until golden or light brown. (see the colour in the picture)
• Take it out on a kitchen towel to get away with the extra oil.
• Serve with tomato ketchup or imli ki chatni.

For Mix vegetable Pakoras:

• Use the basic pakora batter
• 1 onion (cut  in thin slices or rings)
• 1 potato (cut small pieces)
• 1/2 cup spinach ( finely cut)
• Use any vegetable you like. I use 1/2 egg plant ( cut in thin small pieces) and 1/2 cup of cauliflower (cut in small pieces)
• Mix all the vegetables in the batter until coated well.
• Put oil in a pan for deep frying.
• Use a small or a table spoon for making pakoras of the size you like.
• Put in the pan for frying one spoon full at a time.
• Take out on kitchen towel when golden brown from both sides.
• Enjoy with tomato ketchup or imli ki chutni or podenay ki chutni.

Tips:

-This is a nice way of adding vegetables in our menu and if you are a strict carnivore then you can add chicken in your basic pakora batter too!!

-Eat this rich snack only occasionally because it absorbs a lot of oil!

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As sun starts blazing in summers our heart and taste buds long for cold desserts and drinks. Before these ice creams entered our lives we had our own eastern sweets which were preservative free. There are many such desserts like kheer and kulfa but my favourite is “ras malai”. Its easy and quick to make. Let me share my sister’s recipe with you.

Ingredients:

Milk – 1 litre

Sugar – 6 table spoons

Cardamom – 2 (chotti elaichi)

1 table spoon chopped pistachios (keep some on side for garnishing)

Step 1: Put above ingredients in a pan and let it come to boil. In the mean time you can make the ras malai balls.

Lets make the balls…

Egg – 1

Milk powder – 1 cup

Butter – 1 tea spoon

Baking powder – 1 tea spoon level

Step 2: Mix these four ingredients and make a dough. You can make small balls or oval shapes depending on what you like. Keep the size small as they will grow a little bigger on cooking. When the milk mixture boils add these balls and let it cook on low flame for 10 minutes.

Take out in a nice bowl and let it coooool…..best when chilled and garnished with nuts. Enjoy the blessings of God Almighty.

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gulab jaman

Gulab jaman is a traditional and tasty Pakistani sweet dish. My sister-in-law (nand) makes one of the best gulab jaman I have ever tasted. Its very quick and easy to make. Try it!

Preparation time : 20 min
Cooking time: 30 min
Good for: 5-6 people(12-14 balls depending on the size)

STEP 1:

1 cup nido
1 tbsp. flour
1 teasp. baking powder
1 teasp. suji
2 tbsp. oil
1 egg

1. Mix and sieve dry ingredients (flour, nido powder, suji) 2 to 3 times.
2. Put oil in it and mix with hand.
3. Now add egg. Mix with spoon.
4. Even if your mixture is not smooth but it should form a ball. If the mixture is crumbly, add half an egg or a bit more.
5. Make small balls and fry the balls in a shallow pan on a very very low heat for 10-15 mins. Do not turn on the stove till u are done with the balls. Put balls in a very slightly warm oil.

STEP 2:
4 cup water
3/4 sugar
Cardamom

Cook water,sugar and cardamom in a pan to make the sugar mixture. Keep it on medium heat 5 minutes after the sugar is fully dissolved. Start making this mixture when you start frying the balls so its ready by the time the balls are golden brown.

STEP 3:
Now put the fried balls in the water mixture made in step 2 and cook for good 10-15 mins. Turn the balls upside down after every 7-8 mins so they should be cooked from both the sides.
Serve after garnishing with the flakes of nuts.

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chicken biryani

Chicken biryani is my favourite dish. I know all rice lovers find even the name of “biryani” enough to make their taste buds alive. In  Pakistan when we think of making menu for a dinner party, one rice dish is a must. Perfectly made biryani is an important part of an every dinner.

The recipe which I am sharing with you now is a little different from the normal biryani we make at home. It is called the ‘Hyderabadi biryani’. Hyderabad is a city in the Sindh province (South eastern part) of Pakistan. Its amazingly tasty!

Lets start by making a list of ingredients first.

Rice – 3-4 cups depending on the size of the cup
Chicken – 1 kg
Ginger/Green chilli(8-10) – finely chopped or grounded
Yogurt – 2 and 1/2 cup
Onion – 4 (medium sized)
Lemon juice – 2 tablespoon
Mint leaves – 1/2 cup (finely cut)
Za’afran – as required
zarda colour – 1/4 tea spoon
Garam masala – 1 tea spoon
Salt – 1 tea spoon for chicken
Oil – 1/2 cup
Method:

1- Put yogurt in a big bowl and add garam masala,salt, ginger/green chilli paste and mix well. Now you have to marinate chicken in this yogurt. Leave it for half an hour to absorb some spices. You may have noticed that there is no red chilli in this recipe so you can add more fresh green chilli if you love spicy food otherwise 8-10 green chillis will be fine.

2-Fry finely cut onion until light brown. Take onion out in a plate and divide it in two halves. Half the onion is to be crushed using fingers and leave the other half as it is.

3-In the same oil put chicken along with yogurt and spices. Cover and cook on medium heat. Chicken will be tender by the time yogurt is evaporated now add crushed onion (step2) in this this and add lemon juice. This is ready once it leaves a little oil. Put aside.

4-Wash rice and keep them soaked for half an hour. Now Put a big pot, half filled with water on fire. For 3 cups of rice you will add 3 tea spoon salt in water. Put 2 big cardamom, 2 table spoon white vinegar and karhe-paat into water. When it comes to boil put rice(drain the water they were soaked in). Let rice cook in water until a little more than half cooked. Drain water from rice and put them aside.

5-This is the last step in making biryani when we put things in layers. In your pot put boiled rice in the bottom (1st layer) then put half of chicken with masala evenly spread on it. Sprinkle fried onion(remember the half we has placed aside). Repeat and put second layer of rice and repeat by putting the rest of the chicken+onion. Now all the left rice on the top layer. On the top you will put mint leaves, za’afran mixed in little water and put zarda colour mixed in lemon juice on 3 places(do not sprinkle it all the over the rice) and some onion if left. Cover it and cook on very low heat. (We call it ‘dum’ is urdu…put rice on dum so the are soft and not broken)

Good luck ….you can ask me if you have any question. Let me know if like it!!!

Related Posts:

Chicken Handi

Best Chicken boneless handi

Kids’ favourite brownies

Harey Masaley wali chaanp

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chicken boneless handi

Yesterday I got this recipe of chicken boneless handi and on making this I finally declare this is the best chicken handi you can make, eat or taste. Highly recommended by me and you got to take my word on this! We used to love chicken boneless handi of Mr Chips (a restaurant in Jinnah Super market, Islamabad) but this is surely better.

I am sorry to people who expect a housewife to post beauty tips, kitchen tips and recipes everyday but now as I am enjoying vacations  I will definitely climb up to their expectations…..

I posted a recipe of a chicken handi before but this does not mean chicken handi is the only dish I make and its not even the national dish of Pakistan but this one is too good….BEGIN!

Ingredients:

Chicken(cut in inch cubes) – 1/2 kg
Onion(finely chopped) – 2 medium size
Garlic/ginger(paste) – 1 table spoon
Tomatoes (finely chopped) – 3 medium size
Red chilli power – 1 tea spoon
Salt – 1 tea spoon
Qasuri methi – 1 tea spoon
Green chilli – 3 cut (1/2 inch pieces)
Black pepper powder – 1/2 tea spoon
Garam masala powder – 1/2 tea spoon
White zeera (hand grounded) – 1 tea spoon
Yogurt – 1/4 cup
Cream – 1/4 cup
Coconut powder – 2 tea spoon
Maida (flour) – 1 table spoon
Cooking oil – 1/2 cup or less if u r health conscious!

Get all the ingredients ready and start, the whole procedure takes hardly 30 minutes time.

Method:
1- Fry chicken cubes in oil on high flame so they retain their shape. Once tender take them out in a plate.

2-Put chopped onion in the same oil and fry until golden then add ginger/garlic( bhoon lain!). Now add zeera powder (white cummin) and tomatoes and a little water and cover it on low flame.

3-Your masala is ready for the chicken when tomato is cooked and it leaves oil. Now add chicken and keep your flame medium for the rest of the procedure. One by one add qasuri methi, garam masala, coconut powder and keep on stirring for two minutes in between. Add yogurt and cream and after 2 minutes sprinkle maida(flour) and mix. Turn flame low now.

4-After fine minutes its ready to be served in a lovely dish but do garnish it will finely cut ginger and corriander. You will get all the praise and I may get prayers or subscriptions!!!

Related Posts:

Chicken biryani

Chappli kebab

Coconut delight

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Heart shaped Brownies

Belated  (post long march) celebrations:

Here comes a tried and tested  brownies recipe. Its yummy and easy to make.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup - All purpose flour

3/4 cup - Butter

3 - Eggs

1/2 cup - Cocoa powder

1 tea sp - Baking powder

1 1/2 cup – White Sugar (powdered)

2 tea sp - Vanilla essence

3 oz / 100 gms – walnuts

Method:

Pre-heat oven and grease the pan.

Sieve the powdered ingredients(flour, baking powder, cocoa powder) and put aside.

Beat eggs well than add sugar and butter one by one. Once the mixture is soft and fluffy than add flour, baking powder, cocoa powder. Beat for one more minute. Pour inthe greased pan.

Add chopped nuts on the top.

Cooking time is about 25 mins at 350 degrees.

Please let me know if u like them.  have fun.

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Coconut Delight:
This a simple and easy to make recipe but has an amazing taste. You have to eat it to believe it.

Ingredients:
Sugar – 1 cup
Coconut Powder _ 1 cup
Nido(or any dry milk powder) – 1 cup
Water – 1 1/2 cup
Butter – 200 gms

Method:
Mix all the ingredients and cook on medium heat. Cook until water evaporates and it becomes thick.
You will notice slight butter on sides then set it in a dish and decorate with finely cut almonds.

Its a delight ! Try it!

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Harey Masalay Wali Chaanp

Ingredients:

Chaanp-1 kg

Yogurt-250 gms

Garlic (chopped)-2 teaspoons

Ginger (chopped)-2 teaspoons

Onion (medium size)-1

Green coriander (dhaniya)-1 cup. finely cut

Green chilly- 8

Black pepper (grounded)- 1 tea spoon

salt/oil- as per taste

Eggs-2

Method:

Finely chop green chillies and coriander and mix well in yogurt. Wash chaanp and marinate in yogurt mixture for an hour.

Cut onions in form of rings and fry in oil till golden brown. Take them out.

Beat eggs with salt and black pepper. Dip chaanp one by one in eggs and fry till golden brown. Fry at a medium heat.

Decorate with onion rings and green salad leaves.

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Eid Al Azha is coming and we know its all about eating meat! Here is a recipe you would love to add in your eid menu.

Ingredients:

Qeema (mince meat)- 1kg

Baisan (chickpea powder)-2  table spoon

sabz mirchain ( green chillies)- 6

Khush dhaniya ( dry coriander)-1 tea spoon

Sabz dhaniya- add as much as u like

Podina (mint)- a few leaves

Tomatoes-4

Onion-1 kg

Ginger (cut into pieces)-2 table spoon

Egg-1

Salt/red chillies (powder)- as much as u like

Garam masala-2 tea spoon

Ghee/oil- as much as u like

Anar dana- 2 table spoon

Method:

Finely cut tomatoes, onions and green chillies. Add baisan, egg and all spices in the qeema. After mixing these well add onion,tomatoes and green chillies in this mixture. Make kebabs of round and flat shape and fry them in a greased pan. Cook until golden brown. Serve with ketchup and poodina chatni.

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