She starts by adding cold water into a pot of pre washed and pre soaked lentils then she would cook the daal for at least an hour or two, until the daal is soft and velvety, lucious and most green. Ami ji would scatter freshly chopped coriander and green chillies, emerald and jade green garnish adorning this humble dish. I promised myself that I would note the recipe from her during this trip to Pakistan, not wanting to lose the precious family recipe. Perhaps because I missed my own mother’s cooking, perhaps because I have previously missed the opportunity to document my mother favorite recipes, dishes from my own childhood. I want to be able to prepare the family’s recipe for my own ‘would be children’. I would say to my children “this is your Dadi Ami (paternal grand mother) secret recipe”. I want them to know their roots, know where the family came from, and love the culture the way I do. I would prepare a feast of Pakistani dishes each day, prepared with love just like Ami Ji.

Ami ji prepares meal daily for her family. She would be the first to get up and the last one to go to bed everyday. She spends most of her time in the kitchen. On my first day in Pakistan, I wondered if she will ever emerge out of the kitchen. Her kitchen is small. Muffled window at the end, covered with drapes of crimson coloured curtain. She would tie the curtain with a tasled rope, golden in color. From this window she would watch the passer by, keeping her connection with the outside world while being protected by the walls of the family home. When i get up in the morning, i would enter the kitchen and i would see Ami ji standing next to the stove, with a pot of doodh patti (milky tea) bubbling away. “clink …. clink…. clink …..” stir and stir she goes. Her wrist moves in a circling motion until the doodh patti had become syrupy, dark – almost reddish brown elixir.

Ami ji puts some freshly made ghee into a frying pan. She made the ghee herself at home using the fresh cream from the buffalo milk. She chops some garlic and let it fry in ghee until golden brown, almost bronze. filling the kitchen with perfume of fried garlic, a guaranteed potent wake up call even to the laziest bed head. She then add a big dollop of cooked dal, followed by another dollop. The frying pan would sizzles, promising a delicious plate of Masoor Daal in the end.

She would send my brother in law – Umer to buy some fresh Naan – straight from the local tandoor – a pilowy, soft and thick rounded flat bread. She would send along a tea towel to cover the naan. The baker would pack the naan into a nicely folded parcel, a bundle filled with warm breads for Umer to take home. We would wait hungrily.

When Umer arrives, Ami Ji would then divide the naan. Each person receive a tea towel each, with a fluffy, golden naan bread, dotted with sesame seeds inside. “it keeps the naan warm and moist” Ami ji would say. I tear a pice of naan, then scoop up some masoor daal with it. Soft, velvety daal infused with garlic oil with just right amount of spices perfectly enjoyed with a cup of doodh patti. With each bite, each mouthful, each sip, i tried to store each memory. Where else can one enjoy such simple luxury? Fresh buffalo milk delivered daily, bread freshly baked, still warm each time, lentils from our own land in the village, the garlic grown organically from our back yard in the village and most importantly, all the family member are here. It has been 4 years since my Husband’s last visit. All the brothers have grown taller, from boys to men they have become.  We may never get to experience this ever again.  Travel experience perhaps will never get better than this.

Recipe

Ami Ji Masoor Ki Daal with Lehsan Ka Tarka

Ingredients:
2 cups of Sabut Masoor Daal ( black lentis )
6 cups of water
5 cloves of garlic, crushed in mortar and pestle
2 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 teaspoon of red chily powder
1/2 teaspon of turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Method:
Boil all the ingredients together until the daal are soft, creamy, velvety thick
Pour the tarka and cook for further 20 minutes on a low flame
Then finally, add Lehsan Ka Tarka before serving

Tarka recipe

4 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small onion, finely chopped
5 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 knob of ginger, grated
2 shallot, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon of garam masala
2 roughly chopped green chillies
1 teaspoon red chily powder
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
Fry all ingredients on a low flame, adding water as necessary to prevent the spices from burning.
Cook on low heat after adding water for few minutes then pour the tarka on top of the daal.
Stir through

Lehsan Ka Tarka recipe

2 tablespoons of ghee
5 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
Fried garlic until golden brown
Garnish with green herbs like coriander or chopped green onion

I step out of the plane wearing a dupatta wrapped around my head and half of of my face, covering everything except a pair of eyes. Looking through this modest covering, i felt somehow protected, free to observe my surround. I wanted to respect Pakistan, its culture and its people. And in return,  i yearned for its acceptance. For me, this attire does not represent oppression of women, this attire represents this culture respects of its women, in which women are cared for like a jewel of the crown.

At 4.50 am, we were greeted with one very meaningful word “assalam muallaikum” meaning ” peace be upon you”. Such a beautiful greeting, full of sincerity.

Pakistan is what you make of it. Go with open mind, its food will tantalize you, its vibrant colors will seduce you. Sindhi, Pasthun, Blochi, Khasmiri, Bihari, Punjabi, Urdu speakers are among the ethnic groups that make up the richness of this country’s culture. The hustle and bustle of the city where Mercs are moving along side horse drawn carriages does take a while to get used to but one thing for sure is that its people will touch your heart. I was received with so much love, not with overwhelming excitement, but one with full of restraint. However behind that restraint I was able to feel the warmth, blessing, acceptance and extra ordinary love. The one with full sincerity. My heart was filled with love to this country instantly. I’s like falling in love all over again, and this time not only falling for a man who had become my husband, but also to his country, its culture, its people and its cuisine.

There is so many things i wanted to share in this post. But what i have experienced so far can not be justly captured by a piece of writing. I came here expecting a beautiful culinary experience and what i have tasted so far are amazing beyond words can describe. The hospitality of this country is so far the best I have experienced. Pakistani food is much alike to Indian food, however like its people, the use of spices is much more elegant here. Fragrant Tikka bbq on the street of Pindi, perfectly charred on its edges, the warmth of Karahi from the Blue Area of Islamabad that comes in terracotta colored “handi”a deep rounded bottom clay pot, the scrumptious naan bread, puris, and paratha from almost every street corner present a truly magnificent culinary experience which blew me away. Pakistan is a country full of contrast. On one side, food stalls are selling inexpensive Gol Gape, hollow fried dough filled with cummin laced water, and one the other side, expensive restaurants are serving its hungry upper crust patrons, with imported cuisines like pizza, pasta, french patisseries.

From this trip, i am hoping to be inspired, to find and to bring some precious recipes home. But for now, i would like to share with you some of the dishes i have tried so far. I will try to post some of the recipes while i am here. But i doubt i will have much time, as i am spending each previous moment to experience each aroma, each flavour, each color this country culinary has to offer. This trip will not be the last trip for me, Insya Allah there will be many more. As i am falling for Pakistan, I will share with you each experience a bite at a time.

From Rawal Pindi, Pakistan,

Khuda Hafiz,

Lina Shehzad

(Unmarked Photo credit belong to flickr.com)

We arrived early on Saturday morning in Pakistan. The family resides in Faisal Colony, a crowded residential area just behind the Islamabad Airport. The streets are narrow, in the break of dawn I could see the street are dusty, they have been waiting for too long for the rain to come. It has been long overdue. Abu ji (my father in law) later complaint “we need the rain to have a good harvest of wheat from our land this season”. He fold his hands in front of his chest, and smile, perhaps hopping that our arrival would bring the rain with it. It was an hour after our emotional arrival, early breakfast time, which mean perfect timing for enjoying the ultimate weekend nashta (breakfast) in Pakistani manner “Halwa Puri”. Halwa is a sweet sticky cardamom scented semolina porridge. Puri is crispy flat bread deep fried in ghee.The combination of the two, with Channa ki Salan (spicy chickpeas curry) is a rustic indulgence that i will miss.

My mother in law whom i called Ami, prepared for us Doodh Patti – warm milky tea made of fresh buffalo milk delivered daily by the doodhwala. I would tear of a chunk of purri, scoop up a mount of halwa and wash them down with a sip of tea. Then I would tear another chunk of puri and scoop up the spicy Channa with it. Drops of spicy curry would trickle down across my palm and I would lick each drop not wanting to waste any bit of its delicious flavor. The rest of the morning the family would sit and walk down the memory lane until lunch time. Time does slow down here in Pakistan.

My husband eldest paternal aunt whom the family lovingly called Nono is 76 years old. She refused to have Puris with us. She would say “too much oil for me”. She enjoys freshly baked Naan from the local Tandoor instead. The naan is thick, scrumptious, dotted with fragrant sesame seeds, scattered like jewels on top of its glistening, golden brown  surface. Nono is a war veteran widow. Her husband passed away long long time ago. He went to war and never return. The family doesn’t like to talk about him, fearing the pain it will in flick. Nono has been with my Husband’s family ever since. Nono is a very content old woman. From her face radiate happiness and peace. I enjoy sitting with her, listening to her reminiscing about her childhood in Burma where her father – my Husband’s Dada Bu – was posted  by the British government as a Railway Master. “We had a great childhood” she would say. “Our pockets were always filled with toffee” she said while touching the pockets hidden behind her Kameez. “Food was always plentiful, freshly harvested and delivered daily by the villagers. Our Abu Ji (Father) was highly respected there” she would add. His favourite food was Prawn and Fried Fish marinated in fragrant cumin, coriander powder and dried chillies.

She would pause a little, perhaps looking back in a time long gone, when her hair was long, and thick and plaited into a pony tail, tied with silky ribbon – time when she was youthful and full of promising time ahead of her. Nono and her two younger sisters were highly educated because Dada Bu was a progressive man. During the time where family would cry for having a daughter, Dada Bu would say “my daughters will complete their higher education, they are the engine of the next generations to come”. Dada Bu was right. His daughters became the pillar of the family when he passed away. Motivating their two younger brothers making them able to move out of their village and build a modest but beautiful double storey brick house in the city where the family have reside in the past 27 years.

I often wonder how Dada Bu was able to speak fluent Urdu, English, Bengali, Pashto, and Sindhi. Did he like poetry and how much alike was he with my Husband? I also wonder how Ama Ji – my Husband’s Dadi Ma (grand mother) looked like. I heard she was beautiful. The fairest during her time. She would attend all the parties and the british wouldn’t able to figure out her modest background. A lady with poise. And elegance. I was able to draw some pictures in my head through Nono’s eyes.

I enjoy breakfast with Naan together with Nono. From her i learnt to dunk a piece of Naan into a cup of doodh patti. Letting its caramelized dark brown liquid to soak through the naan. And on some other day, I would use the naan to scoop up Masoor Daal, tempered with garlic tarka oil.

Ami has a very good system running her kitchen. She would cook in bulk, and save some left over in her chest freezer. When due to the dry season people couldn’t find fresh supply of Saag (mustard leaves), Ami miraculously pulled out a box of Saag ki Saalan. “Faiza, our tenant upstairs brought this with her from Faisalabad”, she smiled victoriously looking at me. I knew that i would be up for a treat. Saag with Naan for breakfast was on the menu that morning. It was so delicious, the kind of deliciousness that would want to make me eat my finger.

To be continued …….

I grew up in an little island off the coast of Sumatera, in Indonesia, where coconut is plentiful. Indonesian use a lot of coconut milk, especially for curries and desserts. As a little girl, my grandmother used to send me to the shop to buy freshly grated coconut. I used to watch the whole grating process with fascination. The grating of the coconut produced snow flake like particles that looked moist and full of promising sweetness. I always head home full with excitement knowing curry will be on the menu that day

Freshly extracted coconut milk taste hundred times better then the tinned product. However, despite knowing the fact, I was guilty of cruising through the convenient life Australia has to offer and I have been using the tinned varieties for years.
Not until I was watching My Srilanka on SBS that I had the urged to extract my own coconut milk. Peter Kuruvita made it look so easy, I had to try it.

With my mind fixed on finding a coconut grater, I made the trip on Saturday afternoon to my local Indian grocer. I found one for just under $ 11. It was a bargain

I got home with a coconut grater and a whole coconut on my hand. There is a big life lesson learnt from cracking a coconut by myself. Having never done this ever in my life, I sort of had the idea what need to be done but I never quite understood the amount of effort it will require. I must say …. It was hard. I spent half an hour hacking the coconut shell. I was ready to give up at one stage, but I kept persisting and finally…. It split open … revealing it’s previous white flesh. The lesson I learnt from this, if you do want something bad enough, just keep going. No matter how hard, if you keep persisting you will crack it …..

With a bowl of freshly grated coconut, I made Paradise Prawn with Coconut Sambal for dinner. The recipe itself is very quick and easy. If you don’t have freshly grated coconut at hand, you can use the desiccated coconut. Just hydrate them a bit by soaking them in a little bit of coconut milk.

For me it is a perfect summer night dish. It’s fresh, bursting with flavors and the best thing you can use your fingers.

Ingredients

20 paradise prawn, peeled and de veined
3 tablespoons of coconuts oil
1/2 teaspoon of brown mustard seeds
10 curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon of red chilly powder
A pinch of turmeric
A pinch of garam masala
1/2 teaspoon of coriander powder
4 cloves garlic
2 bird eye red Chillies
1 teaspoon of salt
5 tablespoon grated coconut

Method

Finely chopped the Chillies and garlic and pound them in mortar and pestle to make a paste
Heat up the coconut oil
Add mustard seeds and curry leaves and fry until the mustard seeds splatter a little
Add the spice paste
Saute for few seconds
Add the coconut and powdered spices
Saute until the coconut is golden brown
Add a little bit more oil onto the pan
Then pan fry the prawn with the coconut sambol for no longer then 3 minutes

Garnish with freshly chopped mint and coriander and a squeeze of lime

I enjoy Sunday morning breakfast more compare to any other day. Especially in summer where I am up early, therefore I have more time to spend in the kitchen.

I normally have something with eggs on Sunday morning. I think egg is a quintessential breakfast ingredients in any culture. From simple omelet to a more complex Shakshuka. Where I grew up, eggs make simple breakfast, special. My Mama used to make nasi goreng as our Sunday breakfast menu. And egg was always added on top to make it Nasi Goreng Special.

One breakfast recipe that I am glad to have on my repertoire is my breakfast tagine recipe. It does require some time to prepare but because it is cooked on a gentle heat, it is not a dish that require me to be attentive at all time. A cup of coffee on hand, I am cruising through the morning while preparing for this dish.

You can make up your own seasoning for this. I like to add a pinch of Baharat and good teaspoon of smoke paprika.

Ingredients

150 grams of lamb minced
1 whole onion finely chopped
1 teaspoon of garlic paste
1 red Chillies finely chopped
1 potatoes cut into small cubes
2 tsp of salt
3 tablespoons of Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of Baharat
1 teaspoon of smoke paprika
A pinch of chilly powder
1 tin of peeled tomatoes
4 eggs
3 green onions thinly sliced or a handful chopped parsley

Method

Heat up the olive oil
Sauté the onion until translucent
Add garlic paste and red Chillies
Sauté for another 30 seconds
Add the spices, sauté for 30 seconds
Then add the mince
Cook until well browned
Then pour the tinned tomatoes
Break up the tomatoes with the back of the spoon
Season with salt and pepper
Cook on a gentle heat for around about 30 mins

After 30 mins, crack the eggs on top, then put the lid on, cook for another 1 minute, then turn off the heat.

It’s nice to have the yolk still runny but if you like you eggs cooked through, then cook for 3 mins instead of 1.

Garnish with the herbs

Serve with flat bread

I love traditional things. Maybe because I was born and raised in some what traditional societies. When I arrived in this country, Australia, which I now call home, it was the simplest of things that I missed the most.

I missed my great grand mother old wood fire burner. I missed my Mama’s traditional stone grinder which she used every day to grind fresh spices and cooking paste, missed the family chicken farms, the fish ponds …. Grandma’s veggie garden.

Things were simple, food are fresh – organic, and ingredients are bought to be prepared on the same day. So Mama used to do her shopping every day. The traditional wet market is the one of the most vibrant and buzzing place I’ve ever been. It was one trip that I always look forward to every weekend.

From my love to anything traditional, i’ve started my collections of traditional cooking utensils. My favorite is cooking pot made of clay.

/>

There are many varieties of clay cooking pot, each country seem to have their own version with varying sizes and shape. There is Tagine of Morocco, Chinese Hot Pot, the Europeans have the Roman Pot. Clay pot has such a long history mainly because of the wonderful result it can give to the simplest of recipe.

Cooking with clay pot produce tenderly cooked meal, with little lost of moisture which mean the food retains it’s natural juices and flavor.

Here is a recipe for Clay Pot Poussin Curry I made today with Pakistani clay pot “Handi”.

Ingredients:
2 Poussin, butterflied and small bones removed
2 chopped green chilies
1 sliced onion
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1/2 tablespoon of Ginger paster
2 tablespoon of Ghee
2 tablespoon of yogurt
3 tsp of curry powder
Salt and pepper

Method

Marinate the poussin with curry powder and garlic and Ginger paste for at least 1 hour

Heat up the clay pot
Add the ghee
Cook the green Chillies and onion until onion is slightly translucent
Add the poussin
Cook for 10 minutes
Add the yogurt
Cook for another 10 minutes
Then cook on low heat with the lid on for another 30 minutes
No added water needed, the poussin will cook in its own juice

Garnish with chopped green onion or coriander

Serve with flat bread

Excuse me for the presentation, we were to keen too tuck in before I could even take a proper photograph

Thanks Ami for sending this Handi all they way from Pakistan for me

This Chilly & Basil Chicken Stir Fry recipe is one dish that I often cook when I am stuck with ideas of what to make for dinner. A quick and easy dish to prepare, no fuss, simple ingredients with tons of flavors.

I started by chopping 2 large red Chillies, 5 cloves of Garlic, 1/4 of finely chopped onion and pound them into a coarse paste in a mortar and pestle with 1 tsp of salt. The salt help loosen the ingredients so it’s easier to crush.

It helps to have all the ingredients ready before you start cooking.
I have used 3 table spoons of oyster sauce, with 1/4 table spoon of soy sauce and a pinch of sugar.

I’ve also used 3 pieces of Chicken Thigh Fillets which I have then sliced into 1 cm strips.

I’ve seasoned the chicken strips with freshly grind black pepper then coated the chicken with potato starch. This is the trick to keep the chicken strips moist, juicy and tender.

Fry the chicken in a hot wok into 2 batches. Take them out of the wok, and keep it aside.

Stir fry the paste for 2 to 3 minutes then add the chicken back into the wok.

Stir fry for another 3 minutes then pour the oyster sauce mixture.
Cover for 2 to 3 minutes

Add 3 tablespoon of water, cover for another 2 minutes until the sauce has thicken.

Turn off the flame then garnish with a handful of Thai Basil Leaves.

Serve over a bed of jasmine rice.

I do love cooking, and I do love spending time in my kitchen. However, sometime after a long busy day at work, I want something that I can put together quickly, something that I can leave on stove top or oven while I am winding down on my recliner, leaving all the business of the day behind me.

So, this recipe is perfect for that. This is my recipe for Quick and Easy Peri Peri Chicken.

Ingredients

1 Whole chicken (Do ask your to butterfly the chicken for you. It will make it so much easier and save so much of time)
Salt and Pepper
1 bulb of garlic, chopped in 2 from the middle (so that you can rub your chicken with this)

For the marinade:
1 Whole Lemon Juice
2 Large Red Chillies
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 handful of parsley
Pinch of salt
A bit of water to keep the motor in the blender running

Method:

Heat the oven at 200 degree Celsius.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towel (yup…. Do this please so that you will get crunchy chicken).
Rub the chicken with the garlic bulb all over
Season the salt and pepper
In a frying pan, drizzle a little of olive oil
Lay the chicken skin side down onto the frying pan
(I Like to put a plate on top of my chicken and a mortar on top of that plate. It helps the chicken maintains contact with the frying pan so that I get that evenly golden chicken)
Fry the chicken on this side for 10 minutes.

During this time, chuck all the marinade ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

Turn the chicken on the flesh side and fry for another 10 minutes.

Pour the marinade into a shallow baking dish.
Place the chicken on top with the skin side up.
Bake in the oven for another 20 minutes.

To serve cut the chicken into 4.
Mix 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise in the sauce.
Put the sauce on top if the chicken pieces.
Have this with Salad or Rice.

So easy…..

I even had some left over chicken for sandwich filling for lunch the next day.

Lina Shehzad

Ingredients:

1 kg lamb with bones (shank or shoulder is good cut for this curry)
2 brown onions finely chopped
2 bulb of garlic finely grated
1 knob of Ginger finely grated (1/2 inch)
4 large red chilies roughly chopped
1/4 cup of olive oil
5 green cardamom
1/2 teaspoon of Fennel Seeds
1/4 teaspoon of whole black pepper
3 tablespoons of Le’ Spice Curry Powder
2 1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 cup of water

Method:

Heat the olive oil in the pot
Add the chopped chiles
Fry for 30 seconds
Add the chopped onions and salt
Fry until slight brown
Add the lamb
Fry until brown
Add garlic and ginger
Fry for 1 minute
Add the spices and fry for another 3 to 5 minutes
Add 1/2 of water gradually
Then add the remaining 1 cup of water
Close the lid of the pressure cooker
Cook on high until the steam build up then cook for further 10 minutes.
Turn of the flame
When the steam is out, the lamb curry is ready to serve
Garnish with chopped coriander to serve
Serve with rice or bread

I have been delaying to attempt this dish for many many years. I know how is should taste like, but I don’t have the exact recipe for it. There are many variations to this Chicken Yam Mien, but none that I tried so far here in Sydney is close enough to the flavor that I love and know.

Everyone have their own childhood food memory, for me this is one if the finest childhood food memory. I used to wait in a long queue after school to order a bowl of this. Normally close to 30 minutes queue, but the second the dish’s ready, oh my God….. It’s so delicious it’s gone within 1 less than a minute.

This weekend, I was so into attempting childhood food memory, I decided to give it a try using my own recipe recalling the flavor notes from my memory bank. And I am thrilled with he result, it taste exactly like those from my childhood.

There is no bold flavor in this dish, everything is subtle. The main character that make up this dish is the chicken and garlic oil. The chicken skin is cooked using skin from a whole chicken 1/8 of a cup if oil, seasoned with white pepper and salt, cooked until crunchy, then the garlic is added and fried until golden brown. Then 2 tablespoon black soy sauce is added along with 4 tablespoon of oyster sauce, all of the ingredients are cooked until the oil separates. Then chicken minced is added, and again it’s cooked until the oil separates. The key in this is the reduction of the chicken skin into chicken oil. Don’t substitute white pepper with black, white pepper is another key element to the flavor.

The noodle that I used is a thin egg noodle. The silkiness of the noodle absorb the oil and flavor of the seasoning and the chicken wonderfully. The noodle is blanched for 1 minute before going into the mix of 2 tablespoon chicken and garlic oil, 1/8 teaspoon ajinomoto, 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper powder, 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce, and 2 tablespoon of chicken. Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and serve with extra chicken on top and chopped green onion for garnish.

Happy cooking
www.lespice.com.au

This salad is full of flavor, each bite gives burst of flavor. It’s like a party in my mouth. Now I can have my favorite curried lamb even in the hot summer day

Here is the recipe

Indian lamb salad

Ingredients:

For the fried onion:

1/2 brown onion finely sliced
A pinch of salt
1 L of oil for frying

For the lamb:

250 grams of boneless lamb cubes
3 cloves of garlic
1 cm of peeled ginger
1/2 roughly chopped greed chili
1 teaspoon of butter
2 tablespoon of oil
1 tablespoon Le’ Spice Mughlai Korma Spice Mix or any good curry powder
A pinch of coriander leaves
3/4 of the fried onion
1 tablespoon of yogurt
3/4 teaspoon of salt

For the salad:

2 cups of mix salad, I use baby spinach and baby rocket
An extra pinch of chopped coriander leaves for the salad
1 red chili seeds removed and thinly sliced
1/4 of the sliced onion

Method:

Heat the frying oil to reach 180 degree Celcius
Placed the thinly sliced onion in a mixing bowl
Add a pinch of salt
Mix it through
Slowly add the onion into the oil
Fry until golden brown
Remove with slotted spoon and into a paper towel
Reserve 3/4 for the lamb and 1/4 for the salad

For the lamb:

Grated the garlic and Ginger into fine paste.
Heat up oil in the pan
Saute on medium heat for 3 minutes until slightly golden brown
Add the lamb and chopped green chili
Turn down the heat to low
Add the salt and Le’ Spice Korma Spice Mix (or curry powder)
Add the fried onion
Add the coriander leaves
Fry for 3 minutes until slightly brown
Add 1 tablespoon of yogurt
Cook until the oil is slightly separated or about 5 to 8 minute depending on the thickness of the lamb cut
The lamb should still be pink inside when cut
Fish the lamb out
Chipped thinly about .5 cm in thickness
Reserve for the salad
Cool down the gravy to room temperature

For the salad

Mix the baby spinach, rocket, fried onion and coriander leaves,
Garnish with the lamb slices and sliced red chili
Serve immediately

Alternatively can be dressed with minted yogurt

If you cook the lamb longer by adding water gradually it will turn into lamb curry. Use 1 l of water and let it simmer on low heat for 1 hour or until the sauce thicken and lamb is tender

Happy cooking
www.lespice.com.au

I am in love with hand made home made Ravioli

I was not a big lover of Pasta in the past, not until I tried making them at home. I am now hooked

I like my pasta very lightly dressed, and I like to go easy with the tomato sauce, and I love adding garlic and finely chopped red chillies to my sauce.

Today I am excited to share with you one of Mr K’s favorite Ravioli which is the Minced Lamb Ravioli with Chopped Red Peppers and Chopped Zucchini with Béchamel, Roast Vegetable & Tomato Sauce and the other one is my favorite Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli with Garlic and Chili dressing

For the pasta sheets:

You need:

• 200 grams 00 flour sifted
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• A drizzle of olive oil

Here is the link on how to mix the dough

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PqNrbdyvTc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Rest the dough for 30 minutes

For the Minced Lamb  Ravioli filling you need:

1. 150 grams of minced lamb
2. 1/2 red capsicum finely diced
3. 1/2 zucchini finely diced
4. 1/2 red onion finely chopped
5. 2 cloves of garlic finely grated
6. 1 red chili – seeds removed – finely chopped
7. 1/2 cup of grated Cheese (Pecorino or Cheddar)
8. a drizzle of olive oil

method

1. put a little bit of olive oil in a pan
2. saute the onion until slightly translucent
3. add grated garlic and chopped red chili
4. saute until fragrant
5. add the mince
6. break it up with the back of the spoon until almost smooth
7. cook for around about 5 – 8  minutes until cooked through
8. add the chopped capsicum and zucchini
9. cook for another 2 minutes
10. add the cheese, stir it for another 30 seconds to 1 minute
11. place the content of the pan into a food processor
12. blitz it in the food processor for only 15 seconds (we do not want the filling to be too smooth)
13. reserve for filling the pasta

For the Spinach and Ricotta Filling

• 1 bunch of fresh spinach – finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic – finely grated
• Pinch of salt
• 150 grams of Pecorino Cheese finely grated
• 250 grams of fresh ricotta cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon if freshly grated nutmeg
• a drizzle of olive oil

Method

1. add a little of olive oil in a pan
2. saute the grated garlic
3. add the finely chopped spinach and a pinch of salt
4. cook for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted
5. let it cool down
6. then place in a food processor together with the finely grated Pecorino Cheese, Ricotta and the Nutmeg
7. Blitz them in the food processor until all of the ingredients are smooth and bind together (add 1 whole egg if you you like – I did it without egg and it taste good but egg will smoothen the texture of the filling)
8. Reserve for filling the pasta sheets

Then here is how to roll and fill dough into ravioli

use a small teaspoon if you don’t have the piping bag.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnj-chlS_WQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

The sauce:

A simple garlic chili and butter sauce is delicious for the Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli

You need:

• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 red chilies finely chopped
• 1/2 of tomato – roughly chopped
• 1/4 stick of a butter
• A pinch of salt
• Freshly cracked pepper
• 3 tablespoons of Olive oil

Method for Ravioli with Garlic and Chili sauce

1. Bring a pot of water into boil, add a pinch of salt and olive oil
2. Submerge the ravioli into the boiling water and cook the ravioli for 3 – 5 minutes (it will float on the surface when its ready)
3. Drain well
4. Heat the butter and olive oil, saute the garlic and chilies on low heat for 2 minutes
5. Add the tomato, saute for another 1 minute
6. Add the ravioli into the sauce until evenly coated
7. Serve immediately season with salt and pepper and grated cheese to suits your liking

Mr K loved the Ravioli with Béchamel, Roast Vegetable and Tomato sauce

Béchamel Sauce

• 2 tablespoons of salted butter
• 2 tablespoons of plain flour
• 250 ml of heated milk
• 1/2 cup of grated cheese
• melt the butter in a pan
• add the flour
• stir the flour to mix it through with the butter
• keep stirring on a gentle heat until the flour is slightly golden brown and bubbly
• add the milk, little bit at a time and keep whisking until incorporated entirely with the flour
• whisk on low heat until thicken and smooth
• add the cheese and whisk until combined and smooth
• keep aside

For the Roast Vegetable and Tomato sauce

I cheated on this, I used the Roast Vegetables pasta sauce from the Jar, freshen it by dicing 1/2 of an onion, saute in a pan until slightly browned, add 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic, saute until fragrant, then add 1/4 of a jar of the pasta sauce, bring to simmer then add the cooked ravioli into the sauce.

Plate the Ravioli with Bechamel Sauce on the bottom

Happy cooking

Aliza Shehzad

Le’ Spice

Mr K loves Omelet for breakfast in the morning. Who doesn’t ??

He likes his Omelet fluffy, with a creamy texture inside, and he loves it Cheesy, with the molten Cheese oozing from the omelet as soon as it’s cut through….

here is the recipe for Mr K’s Fluffy Golden Omelet with Molten Cheese

Ingredients (serve 2)

• 2 eggs
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of turmeric powder
• 2 slices of Tasty Cheese broken into small pieces ( or 1/4 cup of grated mozzarella)
• 2 pieces of toasts – slightly fried in butter until golden brown
• 1/4 tomatoes – roughly chopped
• a little olive oil on the pan

Method

• beat the eggs with a fork for around about 3 minutes
• add the salt and turmeric, then beat again for another 1 minute
• add the oil in the pan
• heat it slightly on the low flame setting
• add the egg
• let the base cook through slightly
• then scrape the egg on one side and tilt the pan to let the remaining runny egg flow to cover the exposed area of the of the pan
• do this repeatedly until all of the eggs are almost set but still slightly runny on top
• add the cheese and tomatoes
• fold the egg into half moon shape
• Let is sit on the pan for another 20 seconds to allow the cheese to melt and the rest of the runny egg slightly set
• serve with the toasts

Happy cooking

Aliza Shehzad

Le’ Spice

Sometimes life feel a lot like a rat race. So many things to do and so little time. One thing that I don’t like to compromise with is having a nice meal to end the busy day.

When I was growing up, Mom and Grandma were always around, of course, being a full time house wives, I watched them preparing meals for the family 3 times a day; breakfast, lunch and dinner. They are my heroes. I grew up, thinking “I will be just like them”, staying home whole day, busy in the kitchen all the time, creating delicious foods for my family. Fast forward to many years latter, here I am, working full time with a business and family to look after. Cooking is still a very important part of my life, so no matter how busy I am through out my day, I love going into my kitchen in the evening. Cooking is my escape from the busy day I left behind.

However……..as much as I love cooking, as much as it is a sanctuary for me, just like everyone else, I do have bad days in the kitchen. When you have over 1000 things going at the same time, cooking will be the last thing on your mind. Which is why, I love keeping 15 minutes recipes handy, so when one of those day comes around, my families wouldn’t have to be the victims of my stressful day, so that I still get to enjoy a nice meal to end my day.

The secret to my 15 minutes recipes:

• Have some pre-cut meat or vegetables ready in the fridge at all time (frozen vegetables are great, steaks are equally good. I often ask my butcher to cut my steak really thin to cook quickly on the grilling pan).
• Keep delicious marinades in the fridge all the time
• Have a good quality Spice Rack to keep ready to use Seasonings and Rubs

One of my secret weapon for one of those stressful day is Greek Style Pan Grill Lamb Chops, with steam vegetables, or fresh tomatoes and cucumbers salsa, it is a finger licking-ly delicious

Here is the recipe for my

Greek Style Pan Grill Lamb Chops with Tomato and Cucumber Salsa

Ingredients (to serve 4):

• 8 lamb chops or lamb cutlets
• 1 juice of lemon
• 4 teaspoons of Le’ Spice Greek seasoning ( or any of your favorite seasoning Rubs, you can make one fresh by combining 2 cloves of garlic (minced), with a 1 tablespoon of chopped oregano and 1 tablespoon of chopped thyme, I find the dry seasoning rubs work the best because of the intense flavor)
• 1 drizzle of olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

Method

1. Mix all of the above ingredients in a mixing bowl until all of the chops are evenly coated
2. You don’t have to stand the chops to marinate if using dry seasoning rubs, but with fresh one, do stand it for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavor to develop.
3. Pre-heat the grilling pan on a medium flame for 2 minutes (do not add any oil to the pan)
4. Sear the chops on the hot pan for 2 to 3 minutes on each side
5. Do not overcrowd the pan and do not let the chop touching each other (otherwise it will create a steam which will stew the chops and you will find it difficult to achieve a nice crust on the meat)
6. Seal the side edges of the chops to cook off the fat and to seal the meat
7. Rest it for 2 minutes
8. Serve with the tomato and cucumber salsa

For the Tomato and Cucumber salsa

1. 1/4 cup of roughly chopped coriander
2. 1 cup of roughly chopped tomatoes
3. 1 cup of roughly chopped cucumbers
4. 1/2 of lemon juice
5. Mix all of these ingredients together
6. I don’t like adding any oil so that the burst of freshness from the tomatoes and cucumbers are purely refreshing, but you can add olive oil to suit your liking

Happy cooking

Aliza Shehzad

Le’ Spice

Known as Mie Goreng in Indonesia, or Mee Goreng in Malaysia and Singapore, and Chow Mein by the Chinese, Fried Noodles is one dish that I would never refuse to eat even when i am full up to my throat (yes i do love it that much). Mee Goreng is fried noodles made with yellow egg noodles fried with spice paste, garnish with chicken, or prawn or beef, sliced meat balls or fish cake, vegetables and one compulsory garnish is fried egg.

My love for Mee Goreng was first planted due to fascination over the street food culture and hawker cuisine in Indonesia and Malaysia. I like to think that Mee Goreng is the most humble, unsophisticated – unpretentious, rustic version of Spaghetti. but instead of boiled then dressed in fancy sauce, Mee Goreng is fried with lots of bold flavors and aromas, and the signature character of Mee Goreng is the smokiness, due to the sizzling touch of the burning hot wok.

I was fascinated by the way this dish is prepared by the street food vendor, with a small mobile stall, they carry this little gas stove and a wok around. They prepare the Mee Goreng fresh on order, and you will get to watch all of the wok action happening. The steaming hot Mee Goreng is served immediately for you, no fancy platting, no fancy garnishing, purely delicious, unpretentious food, rustic, but the flavor…………. at that time, there was no other place I’d rather be.

(Source Warta Kota)

Here is a recipe that you can try at home

Mee Goreng

For the spice paste

Ingredients:

• 10 cloves of garlic
• 5 cloves of eschallots
• 3 dry roasted candle nuts (can replaced with macadamia nuts)
• 1 large red chili – seeds removed
• 2 tablespoon of peanut oil

Method

• placed all of the spice paste ingredients in a food processor or blender
• blend until smooth
• in a hot wok or frying pan, add another 2 tablespoons of oil
• fry on low heat for 5 minutes until the spice paste is cooked
• reserve for making the Mee Goreng

For the Mee Goreng

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon of Peanut Oil
• 4 eggs
• the Spice paste
• 4 plates of fresh egg noodles or Hokien Noodles
• 2 teaspoon of salt
• 4 tablespoons of Ketjap Manis or sweet soy sauce
• 1 cup of finely sliced fish cake ( I used the Thai fish cake from the Asian Grocery)
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper powder
• 3 shallots roughly chopped

Method

1. heat the oil in the wok
2. crack the eggs and stir to fry
3. break the eggs with the spatula
4. reserve for garnishing
5. add the spice paste into the wok
6. stir for few seconds
7. add the sliced fish cake
8. cook for 1 minute
9. add the noodles, salt, white pepper powder and sugar
10. stir fry for 2 minutes
11. add the sweet soy sauce
12. stir fry for another 2 minutes
13. add the egg
14. fry for another 1 min
15. garnish with the roughly chopped shallot to serve

Don’t worry about plating this dish nicely, it is meant to be rustic. You can serve this with few slices of cucumbers, any cool  firms salads with complement this dish nicely and will give it some crunch

Happy cooking

Aliza on Behalf of Our Team at Le’ Spice Kitchen

As human being, we often question our self “what is my purpose in life?”, contemplating what is the meaning of destiny, figuring out a way to find the answer “where, how and when can I find ‘happiness”.

The word happiness itself meant a lot of things for different people. For some, happiness is love, being surrounded by the loved ones, to love and feel loved. For some, happiness is an achievement, when one realized one’s dream or ambitions. For others, happiness is freedom, free to enjoy, appreciate, and celebrate the beauty nature has to offer. So again, there is not one set definition for happiness.

For me:

Happiness is

• to be surrounded by good food, fresh produce, to savor foods like it is going to be my last bite
• freedom to spend my time cooking good nourishing food for my family
• the joy of loving, living, cooking and eating

My happiness is my family, my cooking and my food.

From our family table, here is a breakfast recipe that our family love to enjoy with some Crusty breads on the weekend.

Bake Eggs in a Bowl of Saucy Tomatoes with Cheesy Topping (to serve 1)

Ingredients

• 2 free range eggs (2 for each serve)
• 2 Tablespoons of your favorite pasta sauce (I like to cheat and use a good quality of jarred pasta sauce from the market)
• a drizzle of olive oil
• A pinch of red chili flakes (you can omit this for the non chili version)
• 2 tablespoons of sautéed Zucchini strips ( for this you need 2 zucchini, thinly sliced, then cut into thin math sticks strips. Sautéed with a little olive oil and 2 cloves of garlic seasoned with a pinch of salt)
• 1 handful of grated Mozzarella
• 2 white sandwich bread, crust removed, and cut into strips of 3 cm wide
• 1 tablespoon of butter

Method

1. Pre- heat the oven at 180 degree Celsius
2. Drizzle a little bit of live oil into an oven proof bowl
3. Add the Pasta Sauce and spread it evenly on the base of the bowl
4. Add the Sautéed Zucchini Strips
5. Crack the egg on top of the Zucchini Strips
6. Garnish with the Mozzarella
7. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes
8. Heat the butter in frying pan, pan fry the sandwich strips until golden brown (fry in extra butter f0r extra crustiness)
9. Serve the bake eggs with the Crusty Butter Pan Fried sandwich bread

Note: The sandwich bread can be replaced with sour dough, garlic bread , anything that fancy your taste basically

The smile of satisfaction from my families faces while enjoying this breakfast dish is a bliss for me, and that for me, is happiness

Happy cooking

Aliza on Behalf of Our Team at Le’ Spice Kitchen

I grew up in a very big family. As far as I can remember, there were always at least 12 people living in our house, my Grandparent, Mom and Dad, Uncles and Aunties. Grandma always love cooking, so she never complained about preparing meal for the hungry troops. Grandma’s foods are so delicious, it is always a treat. Having that many people in the house, we didn’t have the luxury of having expensive cut of meat on the menu. We often have the shoulder cuts, off cuts from the ribs, the Tail (yes ox tail is delicious). Her braising technique and recipe is until now is still the best I have seen. Grandma own a herbs garden of her own where she plants exotic herbs like Lemon Grass, Galangal, Kaffir Lime, and many more. After years since I’ve left our family home, i am yet to discover any herbs as fresh and as flavorful as Grandma’s herbs.

One of her recipe that I would like to share with you all is the Lamb Shoulder in Lemon Grass, Turmeric and Galangal Soup. This soup is cooked by braising the meats with the herbs and spices paste, gently letting all of the ingredients bubbling away to create an amazingly tender meat with flavorsome soup.

Comfort food for me doesn’t get any better than this

Lamb Shoulder in Lemon Grass, Turmeric and Galangal Soup

Ingredients for the spice paste

• 2 inches of fresh turmeric roots – skin removed – roughly chopped
• 2 inches of fresh galangal – skin removed – roughly chopped
• 5 big red chillies (seeds remove) – roughly chopped
• 1 stalk of lemon grass – roughly chopped
• 10 cloves of garlic – peeled – roughly chopped
• 5 eschalots – peeled – roughly chopped
• 5 kaffir lime leaves
• 2 tablespoon of oil
• 3 candle nut (dry roasted) – roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons of coriander seeds – dry roasted

Method for Spice paste

1. Process all of the Spice paste ingredients in a food processor until smooth
2. Saute with a little oil on a very low flame until cooked (around about 10 – 15 minutes) – adding 1 or 2 tablespoon of water if needed to prevent the paste from burning

Ingredients for the soup

• 1 kg lamb shoulder with bones – ask your butcher to have this cut into medium chunks (can also use Ox Tail or Beef Ribs)
• 4 teaspoons of salt
• Spice Paste
• 2 L of water

Method

1. Bring the water to boil
2. Turn the flame into medium heat
3. Add the Spice Paste
4. Stir until disolved
5. Add the lamb
6. Let it simmer on low heat
7. Removing the scum or foam that may rise on the surface
8. If cooking in a normal cooking pot, add another 2 L of water and let it gently braising on low heat for 2 hours
9. If cooking in a preassure cooker, do not add any extra water, close the lid, cook on high preassure for 15 minutes
10. Turn off the flame, let the steam out
11. The meat should be tender at this stage
12. Ladle the meat and the soup in a bowl
13. Serve with Jasmine rice or as it is

The warming sensation while enjoying this soup is so addictive and don’t be shy to use your fingers to seperate the flesh from the bones. I love to suck the bones individually to enjoy every bits of the meat.

Happy cooking

Aliza on Behalf of Our Team at Le’ Spice Kitchen

I love stew and curry dishes for many reason. Not only they are nourishingly delicious, but they are can be kept for the following day. As much as I love to cook, sometime it is not always possible for me to serve my family freshly prepared meal. If any of you out there who have a full time job, a house and family to look after, I am sure many of you can share my thought on this. I love making something which can be re heat the following day and still taste great and for some dishes, it taste even better as a left over. But at the same time, in many occasion I want variety.

This is one of the easiest way to bring variety to your left over,‘ A Pot Pie’. As for the pie filling, curries, casseroles and left over stews are some of the tasties dishes to be turned into a Pot Pie.

I had a busy week this week and come Saturday afternoon, I nearly run out of steam. Lucky that I do have some left over Moroccan Chicken Stew with some chicken pieces, carrots and potatoes left around. But we have been having the same food first on Thursday night with flat bread then Friday night wtih rice, and now Saturday afternoon?? I had to think quickly how I can jazz up this left over to still be able to create an interesting and delicious lunch for my family.

After sticking my head into the freezer, I found a packet of pastry sheets. Whoallaaaaaa…. Moroccan Chicken Pot Pie is on its way to the pre heated oven in no time. You can make this with any left over casserole, curries, and with stew, maybe thicken the juice slightly with flour before adding them back to the pie filling. Another version that I love to do is with thai curries. Trust me, it is delicious

Here is the recipe to my Morrocan Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

• Free range chicken portions (I used thigh, drumsticks and wings with skins on)
• 1 brown onion finely chopped
• 4 potatoes roughly chopped into medium chunks
• 5 small carrots roughly chopped into medium chunks
• 2 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoon of Baharat Spice Mix
• 1/2 cups of Olive Oil
• 1 cup of water
• 2 tablespoons of Garlic, Onion and Chilli Sauce (made by grinding 5 cloves of garlic, 2 cloves of golden eschalots and 1 big red chillies then fry them in 1/4 of a cup of olive oil until dark brown)

Method:

1. Marinade the chicken portions for at least 2o minutes
2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan
3. Fry the chicken skin side down for 3 minutes or until brown
4. Turn the chicken and fry the other side for another 3 minutes or until brown
5. Add the finely chopped onions
6. Add the salt
7. Fry for around about 3-5 minutes until the onion are light brown
8. Add the Baharat Spice Mix stir fry for around about 2 minutes
9. Add the vegetables and stir fry for another 3 minutes or until the vegetables are lightly caramelized
10. Transfer to the casserole dish
11. Add 1 cup of water
12. Cover the dish and cook on the slowest heat possible for 1 hour and 30 minutes

To make the Pot Pie

• Pre heat the oven at 220 degree celcius
• Shred the Chicken into pieces
• Crush some of the potatoes chunks to thicken the sauce
• Cut the puff pastry sheet slightly larger to fit the top of a ramekin
• Add the chicken pieces together with some of the potatoes, carrots and the juices according to your desired portion into a ramekin
• Add the pre cut puff pastry sheet on top of each ramekin
• Decorate your puff pasty with some of the offcut pastry sheet
• Glaze the puff pasty with the yellow egg wash
• Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until perfectly puff and golden brown on top
• Serve with some salad

Happy cooking

Aliza on Behalf of Our Team at Le’ Spice Kitchen

If i have to pick one of my most favorite sandwiches, I would pick the “Egg Sandwich”. What not love about it, it’s creamy, it’s velvety, it’s easy to make and most importantly very versatile. And why do I say versatile? Because it absorbs flavor of additional ingredients that you may add wonderfully. Mine would normally be consisted of soft boiled eggs, creamy and good quality mayonnaise, a dash of salt and pepper. And one of my secret Egg Sandwich recipe, I love adding left over curry sauce be it Thai Red Curry sauce or Rendang or even Butter Chicken Style Curry Sauce. You don’t need much, just a couple of tablespoons of the sauce will give wonderful flavors. This morning, I had a massive craving for Egg Sandwhich coupled with my favorite herbs of the week “Chives” I satisfied my craving with a recipe I call “Creamy ’Chivy’ Egg Sandwhich”

Here is the recipe

Ingredients

• 5 eggs soft boiled (cooked in boiling water for 5 minutes then soak in cold water before peeling off the shell)
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons of freshly roughly chopped chives
• 3 tablespoons of Mayonnaise

Method

1. Mix all of the ingredients together in a mixing except the chives
2. Chop the eggs roughly with a fork or knife to combine
3. Garnish with the chives
4. Mix lightly to combine
5. Serve 2 tablespoons of the Creamy ‘Chivy’ Egg Mayo or your favoritesandwich bread

alternatively

after step 2, add 2 tablespoons of your favorite Curry Sauce, Mix to combine and garnish with green herbs of your choice (i. e. Thai Curry sauce – garnish with Thai Basil or Coriander)

This is so easy to prepare for the family lunch boxes, the filling can be refrigerated up to for 3 days.

Happy cooking

Aliza on Behalf of Our Team at Le’ Spice Kitchen

Yogurt have this amazing tenderizing power which is why it is a perfect combination for making Lamb Curry or any other type of Red Meat Curry. And because the yogurt is slightly tangy, there are no tomatoes required in this recipe. To balance the flavor I would use fried red onions in the curry, it bring a little sweetness to the dish to complete the flavor. This is a fail proof recipe which has been in our family from generations to generations. I have tried many different recipes and variations, but this one is still the best.

Ingredients

• 1 kg Lamb (shoulder or any of your favorite cut, cut into 3 x 3 cm pieces)
• 2 red onion thinly sliced
• 10 cloves of garlic, crushed into a paste
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 3 teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons Curry Powder (I use Le’ Spice curry powder from www.lespice.com.au)
• 1 tablespoons Mughlai Korma Soice Mix (from www.lespice.com.au)
• 4 tablespoons of beaten plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons of Ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 1 ½ cup of water

Method

1. In a hot pan, pour the oil, heat up for 20 seconds and add the ghee
2. When the Ghee melt, add the red onion and salt and fry until golden brown
3. Add the minced ginger, fry for 30 seconds
4. Add the garlic paste, fry for another 30 seconds
5. Add the lamb, and fry for 3 to 5 minutes
6. Add the Spices, fry for another 2 minutes
7. Add the Yogurt and fry for another 8 to 10 minutes or until you can see the oil separates
8. Pour the water in
9. Bring it to simmer
10. If cooking using pressure cooker, cover the lid after the water is simmering, cook on high pressure for 10 minutes for boneless lamb or 15 minutes for lamb shoulder with bones.
11. Turn the flame off and let the pressure cooker decompressed naturally
12. If cooking using open method, double the water to 3 cups instead of 1 ½ and cook on a gentle heat for 2 hours until the lamb are tender and you can see the oil separates
13. Serve with Roti or Naan or even Basmati rice with some salad on side

Happy cooking

Aliza on Behalf of Our Team at Le’ Spice Kitchen

Buy your spices and other seasoning blends online fromwww.lespice.com.au