Fruity Ideas to Celebrate Ramadan

This time of the year is so special. Even with the rising mercury and the overwhelming heat of the Arabian dessert.

As, here is Ramadan. Ramadan, the most blessed, austere and cherished month of the Islamic calendar. One of the most beautiful time of the year and our favorite too.

Though a bit behind, let me wish you all, Ramadan Kareem. Especially my dear readers and friends observing the fast.

Crispy and Crunchy Tuna Cutlets with Panko

I don’t care about fat or not, I have a (unhealthy?!!) weakness for deep-fried food. Some of my fondest childhood memories center around my visits to the Indian coffee house, an Indian-based restaurant chain, and enjoying their mouthwateringly delicious cutlets with a cup of chai. This used to be the high point of my visit to the city those days. My other fond memories are centered on my girlhood days in Abu-Dhabi when my mom used to make these gorgeous tuna cutlets and I would wait in anticipation to gorge on the hot patties. Cutlets have a warm fuzzy feel to it that makes it very comforting and equally appetizing to me. With such history, it is little wonder that this dish was my crowning glory when I started cooking, after marriage.

Spiced, Deep-fried Chicken — Chicken 65

When it comes to savory chicken dishes, my family and I totally love chicken 65. The name sounds intriguing, huh? Well, the varied stories on how it came upon this identity are even more interesting — check out wikipedia when you have a moment.

In a nutshell, Chicken 65 is deep-fried chicken in a piquant sauce. The symphony of flavors come to life in just one mouthful, making them perfect little bites for a cocktail party, or an excellent snack. A spike of lemon right before serving adds a refreshing zest. Nothing overpowering, just the right balance, I would say. What more? There’s absolutely no difficulty in making this downright irresistible dish.

Mini Pizzas with Bread and Pastry Crusts

I have intermittent access to the net of late, and I’m technically frustrated, too. Talk about being whacked, yikes. And what timing! It might sound cheesy to admit that, ever since I started blogging, I login anxious to see what happened in the world of weblogs while I was away. I remember experiencing similar feelings when I was active on facebook —  silly, eh? Tell me about it! Please bear with me if it takes a while to get in touch with you, visit your blogs and post new recipes. Hopefully, the internet issue will be resolved soon. Thanks for understanding.

Chili Pepper Fritters — Mirchi Pakora — Mulaku Bajji

Brrr. It’s cold, huh. To help warm up in this weather and keep things interesting, I’m cooking chili peppers. This time of the year is perfect to nibble on hot, spicy fritters, with a perfect cup of warm tea to go with it. Don’t you agree?

Chickpeas Stir-fry — Spicy Kabuli Chana — Vella Kadala Upperi

It’s a sunny day. A Sunday. Weekday in Qatar, weekend for most of the world. There’s nothing like a sunny day and good food to chase away the winter blues, don’t you agree? But the thing is I don’t feel like much activity today. I just want to have some quite time, go back to bed, pull up the sheets, and rest my eyes and my thoughts. Ah, a lazy Sunday.

Chicken Cutlets

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Cutlets, or croquettes, are my comfort food. I totally love these crispy fried patties packed with flavor. One bite and I’m hooked. Especially homemade ones, nothing can beat homemade! This is our family staple for Iftar, an all-time favorite with the kids.

Potato Croquettes — Aloo Tikki

Mashed potato beignet flavored with aromatic ginger, cilantro, green chilies and onion. These addictive patties are a classic Indian street food, and simply mind-blogging!

Think of this as an Indian potato croquette. Tikki simply means “croquette” and aloo means “potato”, in Hindi, India’s indigenous language. This croquette is a staple of all the chaat stalls in Mumbai and northern India.