How to Fold Triangle Samboosa

سلام! بسم الله

1. Start with a strip of egg roll or spring roll shell that is about 3 inches by 8 or 9 inches (I am demonstrating with paper, lol)

2. Fold a small triangle at the bottom.


The angle it makes with the side of the sheet should be about 45 degrees :-)
3. Apply a paste of flour and water (makes a glue) to the small triangle


4. Fold the triangle from the left to the right and press the small triangle down to stick it together. This makes a triangle shaped pocket. Fill the pocket with whatever you want (I really love spiced ground beef or cheese) Fillings should be precooked.


5. Fold again, this time from right to left, sealing the pocket


6. At this point you should cut the extra shell off at the tip of the triangle for a neater looking samboosa. Apply more *glue* to the small triangle that is left.


7. Fold small triangle over to the middle of the big triangle


8. Press to seal the samboosa

9. At this point you can choose to freeze the samboosa in an airtight container, or fry up a batch. They will look something like this inshaAllah!!


Enjoy and let me know if you give it a try!

Falafel

سلام! بسم الله

I have experimented a few times with falafel. I still haven't found the PERFECT recipe, but this time turned out pretty good, so I took a few pictures.

Ingredients:
1 c dried chickpeas (DO NOT USE CANNED CHICKPEAS FOR FALAFEL!)
2 bunches parsley
1 bunch cilantro
1 onion
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp coriander (ground seeds)
squirt of lemon juice
salt & pepper

1. Soak beans overnight in water

2. Use a food processor to grind everything together (I usually start with onions and leafy greens, then add beans, then spices) If it is too dry to grind, you can add a SMIDGE of olive oil, but this stuff gets too wet really fast so be careful! If it is too wet, add a little corn starch or flour to soak up the extra water.


3. Form into little patties either with a tool or by hand. (I prefer to do this by hand actually. Just make a ball and then squish it a little bit)

4. Fry in 375F oil until browned on the outside. Make sure the oil is hot enough because if it isn't, the falafel will explode :-P


5. Wrap it up in bread with some veges and tahinah :-D


Enjoy!

Al Mandy Al Dajaj (Chicken Mandy)

Salam!

Bismillah

One of my friends from the gulf told me about how they would go out in the desert and dig a pit to make this kind of chicken (or lamb) and rice called "mandy."
I could just picture the set up with the coals under the pot with the rice and the chicken hanging suspended over the pot to cook in the steam and the smoke of the coals.
I set out to recreate this lovely dish in an apartment kitchen, to the best of my ability, and this is what I came up with...

Please let me know what you think!!! :-D
Ingredients:
For the Chicken:
1 Small Chicken (cornish hen) halved
2 tsp Lemon Juice
2 tsp Vinegar
2 tsp Olive Oil
Spices: Cumin, Black Pepper, Curry Powder, Paprika, Tumeric, Cardamom, Coriander, Salt, Galanqa
*amounts to your liking. Mine is HEAVY on the coriander and cumin.*

For the Rice:
2-3 Tomatoes
1 Green Pepper
2 Onions
1 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Olive Oil
5-8 Cardamom Pods
1 stick Cinnamon
2 Bay Leaves
2 Chicken Bullion Cubes
Dash of Ground Galanqa
Salt to Taste
2 cups Basmati Rice
2-3 cups Chicken Broth (room temperature)
2 cups Water (room temperature)

Method:
1. Chop Veges in thin rounds/ circles




2. Mix all ingredients for the chicken and poke with holes, let rest

3. Soak the Rice for 30 minutes in some room temperature water

4. Run two wires through the chicken halves (make sure it is stainless steel wire... no weird alloys, lol)

5. Melt butter and Oil for the rice in a pan over the stove, add onions, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf and green peppers and cook until soft

6. Add bullion cubes, salt, and tomatoes until tomatoes are warm

7. Add soaked rice into the pan and stir until thoroughly mixed

8. Spread rice and vege mixture into roasting pan and add broth and water


9. Next, hang chicken from wires inside the oven over the place where the rice will cook (so that the steam will directly hit the chicken as it cooks


10. Cook in 350F oven for about an hour and a half until rice is done (you may have to add liquid or use less than the 5 cups I recommended depending on the humidity of your home and the ventilation in your oven.)


I hope you enjoy!!!!