Special rice (Arabic)

When we lived in Yanbu (Saudi) for a few years, Bukhari restaurant was our weekly cheap yet tasty grilled chicken and a very tasty fragrant rice. This is my own kinda version...here goes.

3 cups sella basmati rice

2medium onions

tablespoon jeero seeds

fresh garlic 

5 cardamom pods

5 stick cinnamon 

1-2 teaspoon ground jeero

teaspoon  teaspoon sumac (local spice shop)

1 teaspoon onion powder ..makes a difference :)

fresh dunya

Method:

Boil your rice till soft , strain and put aside. Boil with 2 teaspoon olive oil, cardamom and cinnamon sticks as well as 5 pimento and 5 all spice .

next.. braise your onions with some oil, fresh garlic, jeero seeds ,cardamom pods and stick cinnamon.

when it gets brown add about half cup water, let the water absorb and add the ground jeero powder and paprika ., braise until nice and brown, add fresh danya.

Add this mixture to the rice and steam on medium , add a few blobs of butter (real) …you will love this rice especially with roasted or grilled chicken and veggies. We have this with tomato salsa , adds a unique flavor too.

Salsa:

5 tomato

1 clove garlic 

sum danya (fresh)

half onion 

1 teaspoon sugar

half teaspoon salt

Wizz the above together in a food blender..walah!

Enjoy it!!

A mixture of 3 Dhal curry..A friday Jumah food

 My daughter Rabiah loves dhal food and its kinda Friday after Jumah food. Still reminiscing from the Newcastle days when we stayed there. My neighbor Aunty Zainab Shah used to make the most delicious Dhal food .So here goes a mixture of mine and hers shared in this recipe...:)

1 cup gram dhal

1 cup pea dhal

1 cup red lentil 

2 large onions

handful jeero seeds

2 star aniseed

3 cardamom

2 stick cinnamon

4 allspice 

Salt to taste

1 tsp Kashmiri chilly powder

1tsp jeero

1 tsp koljana

1tsp barishap

1tsp garam masala

2 tsp Roasted masala (Packo)

2 green chilies

Fresh Dayna (coriander)

whole chicken cut up ( pure poultry )

2 fresh tomatoes blended with fresh garlic and ginger 

tablespoon tomato paste 

method: 

Dhal must be rinsed and soaked overnight, boil for about 1 and half hours , drain and set aside.

Braise onions with dry ingredients until brown and onions are soft, add the spices and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes blend, chilies and tomato paste, add water and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the boiled dhal mixture and add about cups water or more. After about 40 minutes add the chicken and medium to slow cook for about 1 hour, add the fresh Dayna .You may taste if there extra salt or spices , depends how spicy or hot you like it, you can add extra. I add sum crushed chilies as I'm a spice girl!!

Enjoy ..

Bil aafiya!