Tangy & Healthy

Preparations for Eid-ul-Azha

As Qurbani Eid fast approaches, a well-planned preparation scheme will help in handling the festive occasion with ease and fewer hassles. Here are some tips for comparison and incorporation if needed in your checklist:

1. Clean refrigerator and deep freezer and clear away unwanted items.

2. Blend/grind enough ginger, garlic and onion into paste to keep spices in handy.

3. You can refrigerate these in a bottle for at least a week or spread them on trays and freeze. Once they are frozen, cut into cubes and preserve in separate plastic bags in the freezer.

4. Fry onions golden grown (bereshta), spread these on kitchen tissue to soak excess oil and make them crispy. Put the bereshta in plastic jars in the fridge so that it stays fresh for at least a month.

5. Soak lemons in lukewarm water for about half an hour to get maximum juice. Squeeze out juice, strain, keep in bottle and refrigerate and it should stay fresh for at least one week. Alternatively, freeze them in ice trays. Take out the cubes, put them in plastic bags and keep in deep freezer.

6. Make your own yogurt a day before (recipe in the September 26th issue).

7. Prepare labels for specific meat parts and place them in plastic bags so that fresh meat can be stored quickly and efficiently.

LEG OF LAMB ROAST

1 leg of lamb (approx. 2 kg)
½ kg yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp ghee
6 medium sized potatoes, cut into half.

1. Clean the meat and prick with a fork. Add yogurt, salt, pepper and leave overnight in a shallow dish in the fridge.

2. In a saucepan, put the meat with all the ingredients except potatoes. Add 2 cups of water, bring to a boil and cook until tender and the gravy thickens.

3. Peel potatoes, cut in half and boil slightly. Fry until golden brown. Put the roast in a large dish and garnish with fried potatoes. Serve hot.

COLD BEEF

5 kg beef (chunk)
2 cups vinegar
½ cup lemon juice
2 tbsp soya sauce (optional)
Salt to taste

1. Clean the meat and prick with a fork. Marinate with the ingredients and keep in the fridge for 2 days. In between take out and prick 2 to 3 times a day.

2. In a large saucepan, put the beef with the marinade and add enough water so that the meat is submerged. Bring to a boil, cover and cook on low heat until the beef is soft and the water evaporates.

3. When cold, cut into slices and make sandwiches with sliced tomato and cucumber. Keep the rest in the fridge in a plastic box.

JHAT-PAT QURBANI BEEF SNACK

5 kg beef (normal cooking pieces)
2 cups vinegar
Salt to taste
Eggs (as required)

1. In a cooking pot, mix all the ingredients with the beef.

2. Add 2 cups of water. Bring it to a boil and cook until pieces are soft and water evaporates.

3. Freeze in a plastic bag and when necessary, take out required number of pieces.

4. Beat an egg, dip the pieces and deep fry; serve hot with mint, hot sauce or fresh salad.

HANDI KABAB

1 kg beef (boneless)
2 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cardamom, cinnamon, clove and black pepper powder
1 cup yogurt
Salt to taste
¼ cup oil
1 cup bereshta (slightly crushed)
1 small piece charcoal
2 tbsp ghee

1. Cut beef into strips, wash and strain water.

2. Marinate beef with ingredients and salt. Leave for 3 to 4 hours.

3. In a cooking pot put oil and beef with the marinade. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low fire. Stir regularly to avoid sticking.

4. When the beef is half done, add bereshta. If necessary add a little water, cover and cook until the beef is tender and the oil settles on the surface.

5. Place a small stainless steel bowl of melted ghee in the center of the cooked meat. Hold the charcoal with a tong over the fire until red hot. Uncover the pot and put the charcoal in the ghee and quickly cover the pot to hold in the smoke. Leave the pot covered for an hour. Serve hot with naan and raita.

Interlude

So you've decided to go on that family outing. There's nothing like a picnic to take you away from the humdrum of city life for a couple of precious, magical hours. Here's what you can do to make sure nothing spoils your fun outing.

In your pack…

…go batteries, a first-aid kit, sun block, Vaseline, spare change, raincoats, a change of clothes, and extra film. In short, pack for emergencies. Don't let a minor glitch ruin your day for you. Make a checklist of all the 'essentials' you will need, and double-check to see that you have everything before you leave.

Before you leave

Lock the doors, turn off the electrical appliances, and check to see that the gas is turned off. A perfect outing can turn into a nightmare if you come home to a nasty surprise.
Once you've taken care of these minor details, all that's left for you is to go and have the time of your life!

By Sabrina F Ahmad

By The Way


Haul all your old books, and take them to a binder. As thrilling as it is to buy new books, it is equally painful to see those beloved possessions come loose at the spine.

Interpreter Of Maladies



Notice

Dr. Nighat Ara, our Interpreter of Maladies, will be holding a special session with her readers, to discuss issues like substance abuse and addiction, violence against women, and family dynamics. She will also be answering questions related to these issues. Those interested to participate in this session should contact us by e-mail at lifestyleds@yahoo.com. Queries by phone will not be entertained. The date for the event will be announced later.