Tag: saffron
Istanbul Day 2 – Lots of Delicious Street Food
Mussels
Day two in Istanbul started with a delicious breakfast in our hotel. We came down to lovely aromas of Turkish breakfast that included a variety of different things. There was an array of different vegetables in various forms. There was fried eggplant in a yogurt sauce, mushrooms in a tomato sauce, potatoes, cucumbers. There was a selection of fresh cheeses, olives, dried fruits and pickles. It was all delicious and a great way to start our day. We walked over the bosphorus area to catch a cruise. Two hours later we got off and saw a boat of fish mongers grilling fresh fish and selling fish sandwiches. We had read in the guides that this was a must- well, the fish was fresh and delicious! Right next to the boat there was a vendor selling fresh mussels!- I love mussels.. and these were stuffed with some kind of delicious, aromatic rice. The vendor squeezed fresh lemon on each as I stood next to him and devoured a bunch of fresh mussels right by the water!
Turkish Doughnuts
A bit ahead we saw a very busy market filled with food vendors. It was jam packed with people but that didn’t discourage us to try all sorts of delights like- the most delicious Turkish doughnuts I have ever had- they were dripping in honey and topped with ground pistachios.
We had freshly squeezed pomegranate juice- what a difference between the fresh and the bottled!!
Freshly Squeezed Pomegranate Juice
We bought some candy wrapped on a stick drizzled with lemon juice- amazing! We tried some pickled cabbage which was very tasty as well.
Candy on a Stick
After eating most of that market we decided to take a tram to the new part of Istanbul. This part is filled with tall buildings and modern structures- quite a contrast from the cobblestone streets we left behind just ten minutes ago! We walked and we walked, looking at our maps and asking the very friendly people of Istanbul. So far it has been a lovely experience eating and walking around. I haven’t done a whole lot of shopping- although there are tons of things to buy.. well, I did buy some amazingly aromatic Iranian saffron from the amazing Egyptian spice market. I would like to buy some more spices and maybe a nice rug!
In spite of munching all day, I couldn’t stop thinking of the bakery from last night and all the puddings they had- so, we stopped on our way back to the hotel and picked up a almond pudding, a pistachio pudding and a rice pudding- they were all really yummy! I ate like there was no tomorrow and thought to myself- I really need to eat far less tomorrow!
Chicken Curry Biryani
I made the chicken curry and had a lot of it leftover. What should I do with it? I was very tempted to come up with a new dish to eat and post.
I thought of making a biryani. My favorite Indian recipe book came to mind- Prasad. It is a compilation of recipes written by the top chefs in India. The recipes are from all over the country and can be quite labor intensive- but they are all delicious.
I have made many dishes in the past and have never been disappointed. One dish in there is a sofyani biryani- cooked with saffron, yogurt and mint. It is the most delicious biryani I have ever had. I decided to replicate it using the chicken curry I had in the fridge. I made a mixture of mint, cilantro, saffron and yogurt. I then layered it with the rice and the chicken- just like the recipe.
This is so simple yet so flavorful- it came out delicious! My daughter and husband both loved it. I will definitely make it again. This is especially good for company because you can make this in advance and make a huge quantity of it. It is a huge crowd pleaser. Give it a try…
- 2 cups prepared chicken curry
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
- 3 cloves
- 1 3 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 cardamom cloves, crushed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 cups chicken broth
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the cloves, cinnamon and cardamom seeds. Saute for a minute and add the basmati rice. Saute the rice on medium heat for a minute and add the chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium and cover half way. Let the rice cook till bubbles form on the surface. Lower the heat all the way and cover completely. Cook for about 15 minutes or till the rice is almost cooked. Take out in a large platter to cool and separate the rice. Yields about 4 cups of rice.
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup mint, chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon saffron mixed with 2 teaspoons warm milk
Mix the yogurt, cilantro, mint and salt and saffron. Keep aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a square 8 X 8 serving bowl add the chicken curry at the bottom. Add ½ cup of the yogurt and spread on top of the chicken. Spread 2 cups of rice on top of the yogurt mixture. Add the remaining ½ cup of the yogurt on top of the rice. Add the remaining rice, spreading it carefully. Place a wet cheese cloth, covering all parts of the bowl. Place aluminum foil on top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Serve with raita.
Walnut Saffron Gelato
I feel I am on a roll with these cornstarch gelato recipes. I have figured out that the recipes with nuts have the best consistency.
The other day I started thinking of another gelato recipe. I was envisioning one with hazelnuts and saffron. I was very excited all day and when I finally got home, I took the milk out and the hazelnuts which are stored in the freezer (nuts should be kept in the freezer to achieve a long shelf life). I placed them in a small cookie sheet and proceeded to roast them in the oven. Once they were cooled off, something in my head urged me to taste one- I had this strange feeling the hazelnuts had been sitting in the freezer for a while. Well, what do you know- they tasted awful! What was I going to do now??? The milk was already thickened with the cornstarch and the saffron was steeping in there.
I opened my freezer again to pick another nut- walnuts screamed out at me. Well, I am very glad this little mishap occurred- the walnuts went fabulously well with the saffron. The taste reminded me of kulfi, which is essentially an Indian ice cream.
The flavor was nutty and sweet; the texture was smooth and creamy. What makes me really happy is that it’s made out of whole milk- so eat as much as you like. Try this one- it’s truly a winner.
A Kid Friendly Easy Paella Recipe- Chicken, Sausage and Shrimp
I had to cook for another one of our kid-adult play/dinner dates. It had to be something we would all enjoy and of course it had to healthy. I had just finished watching something on television about Spain- and what is the first thing that comes to mind- well, okay, two things- sangrias and paellas, right?? Well, it does for me…
I thought I could make a kid friendly paella with chicken, mild sausages and shrimp. I really wanted to add chorizo instead of a mild sausage, but I wasn’t sure how the kids would react to it- Sia can handle it but I wasn’t sure of the others. I LOVE chorizo, in case you don’t know what it is- it’s either fresh or cured sausage, made out of pork and various spices. Either way it is full of flavor and delicious. I can make a meal out of lots of chorizo, some Manchego cheese and red wine- oh, and maybe some delicious olives- you don’t need another thing! Chorizo and paella remind me of our trip to Barcelona. We ate a great meal, 3 times a day for our entire trip. The wine, tapas, paellas, sangrias and most of all the flan. I had to have a flan everyday and it was good every time! That reminds me to post a flan recipe soon! Anyway, the paellas were delicious with all sorts of seafood, and meats added to them.
I of course needed to make it quite simple and straight forward- so I didn’t add any spice- just lots of flavor. Who doesn’t like chicken, sausage, shrimp and rice?? I added some frozen green peas to fulfill the vegetable quota and some red peppers to give it color. The arborio rice made the dish really creamy and the chicken broth and saffron added great flavor. Adding the shrimp at the last minute ensured perfectly cooked crustaceans. I was extremely happy with the way the dish turned out.
The kids ate the dish but a bit reluctantly- Sia wanted only the shrimp and sausage and the other kids were not too keen on the shrimp. Once they were told about the no dessert till the dinner was done policy- everyone ate their share. The adults enjoyed it with a Malbec Rose- my favorite wine for the summer!
A Delicious Grilled Chicken Recipe: Malai Chicken Tikka
If I had to choose one technique of cooking meats- making tikkas (grilled meats) would be my all time favorite. The process includes marinating any kind of meat or fish and then cooking them on skewers in a tandoor. Usually the marinade consists of hung or greek style yogurt (I tend to use low fat sour cream more often), lemon juice, ginger, garlic and a variety of spices. I think if I had to give up meat- it would be very difficult knowing that I won’t be able to eat any tandoori preparations- my weakness (one amongst many!).
The one thing I still don’t think Indian restaurants make really well here in the US are the tandoori dishes. Somehow in India, the marinated meats taste a lot more tender and full of flavor than the ones we eat here- not sure why?? I do make them at home, and the outside grill does a decent job of replicating the taste-although it’s not really the same… The most important thing is the marinade – if there is not enough flavor in the concoction, the meat won’t have any either. If I have to pick one ingredient that makes the most difference, I would have to say it’s salt. If enough salt is not added to the marinade- they meat will be tasteless! I remember, growing up we used to walk to an open market near our house with lots of food vendors. One of them made the most spectacular mutton tikkas I have ever had. They were tiny bite sized pieces of meat that were marinated and then cooked in a tandoor to perfection- I can still picture and taste them as if it was yesterday. Tandoori dishes are first on my list whenever I make a trip to Delhi- no different from any other city I visit- food is generally the focus!
In this particular dish, I have used cardamom, nutmeg and saffron as the main flavor ingredients. It gives the chicken a very subtle floral flavor. The other ingredient that gives this dish a very different flavor is the cashew paste. The nutty and creamy flavor gives the tikkas a very authentic taste in my opinion. The chicken is especially delicious if you use the outside grill- although the oven broiler will do the job as well.
My daughter and husband loved this chicken. We also cooked it in the class I just taught and the response was good as well. It’s a great dish to make for the summer with a yummy salad and a nice chilled rose or beer!!!