Fatima's Fabulous Kitchen

I don't eat to live. I live to eat.

Appetizers

Eggplant and White Bean Salad

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This Eggplant and White Bean Salad is an easy to make healthy snack to start off your New Year’s Resolutions!

The salad ingredients include roasted eggplant, kalamata olives, diced onions, garlic, tomato, giardiniera, pomegranate seeds, parsley, and a sweet and tangy pomegranate molasses dressing.

Feel free to top it on slices of good quality bread as a bruschetta or with tortilla chips (my favorite).

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White Bean and Eggplant Salad

White bean salad with a sweet and tangy pomegranate molasses dressing – a healthy snack to eat with tortilla chips!

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

Roasted Eggplant

  • 1/2 eggplant
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • salt to taste

Salad Ingredients

  • 1 13 oz can of small white beans may substitute with red kidney beans
  • 3 Tbsp diced onion
  • 2 Tbsp pomegranate seeds
  • 1/4 cup kalamata olives
  • 1 large tomato (may also use cherry tomatoes)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 Tbsp parsley
  • 1 Tbsp giardiniera (chopped)

Pomegranate Molasses Dressing

  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1.5 tsp pomegrante molasses
  • 1 tsp agave nectar or honey
  • salt (to taste)
  • black pepper (to taste)
  • lemon juice (to taste)

Instructions

  1. Cut the eggplant into half-moon slices and mix with the extra virgin olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Lay on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake on 400 F until edges are crispy and browned.

  2. Finely dice the onion, garlic, parsley, kalamata olives, and tomato. Combine with the beans and toss in the roasted eggplant slices and the giardiniera.

  3. Whisk together the salad dressing ingredients and pour over the salad. Taste and adjust for seasonings. Feel free to add a little bit of lemon juice or vinegar. Serve with tortilla chips!

Chicken 65 Wings

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I thought I’d switch it up a little and adapt my Chicken 65 recipe for wings!

The wings are deep-fried in a cornstarch and egg batter and coated in a sweet and sour sauce and traditional bhagar ingredients – mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, ginger etc.

Feel free to use a short-cut with a store-bought Chicken 65 spice mix (Shaan is fine) or make your own (I’ve listed the spices I used in the recipe instructions).

It’s nothing short of a show-stopping appetizer – especially for an iftar party!

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Chicken 65 Wings

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs chicken wings
  • 1 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 Tbsp chicken 65 spice mix (store-bought or homemade)
  • 1 Tbsp yogurt
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 Tbsp water
  • salt (to taste)
  • oil (for frying)

Sauce

  • 2 tsp oil
  • 6 curry leaves
  • 1/8 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/8 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 jalapeno or serrano
  • 1 tsp ginger (cut into matchsticks)
  • 1 tsp chicken 65 spice mix
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 2-3 Tbsp red chili sauce

Instructions

  1. Combine the wings, ginger-garlic paste, chicken 65 spices, cornstarch, yogurt, water, and egg. For the spices I use about 1/4 tsp of turmeric, paprika, chilli powder, black pepper, garam masala, cumin, coriander, and onion powder each. (If you are using a store-bought spice mix, go easy on the salt because most already contain it.)

  2. Allow the chicken to marinate for about a half-hour or so. (Optional, may skip this step).

  3. In a heavy-bottom pot or pan, add your oil. Fry the wings in batches at 375 F until golden brown.

Sauce

  1. Now let's make the sauce for the wings. In a pot or pan, add a teaspoon or two of oil.

  2. Toss in your cumin and mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start to pop, drop in your curry leaves, ginger, and sliced jalapeno. Sautee for a minute or two.

  3. Now add the remaining sauce ingredients – soy sauce, more spices, red chili sauce. Stir and combine. Note – if you like your wings on the sweeter side, feel free to use a sweet chili sauce.

  4. Now toss the wings in the sauce (you can also individually dip each one) and serve!

Rajma Veggie Burger

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Now that we’ve got Impossible and Beyond Burgers I’m not sure if anyone really cares much for the traditional veggie burger which is a shame because I still love a good patty made with actual veggies and beans all mashed together and seasoned well.

 It is its own entity and shouldn’t be compared to a beef burger or anything mimicking the latter either.

Instead of using black beans, for my veggie burger I like to use rajma aka red kidney beans. You can use the fresh ones or a take a short-cut with a can like I do here.

For the seasonings I use a mix of cumin, coriander, turmeric, chaat, masala and amchur. And for the veggies – I use finely diced onions, carrots, bell pepper, and peas.

This is an incredibly simple recipe, and great for all your 2021 weight loss goals. I know for a fact that I can’t be the only one who has gained weight in quarantine.

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Rajma Veggie Burger

Ingredients

  • 1 15 oz can of kidney beans (may substitute with freshly boiled kidney beans)
  • 1 medium-sized potato (boiled)
  • 2 Tbsp carrot (diced)
  • 2 Tbsp onion (diced)
  • 2 Tbsp bell pepper (diced)
  • 2 Tbsp cilantro (diced)
  • 2 Tbsp peas
  • 1 serrano pepper (may de-seed or leave out if you don't want it spicy)
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chaat masala
  • 1/2 tsp amchur
  • salt (to taste)

Burger Assembly

  • 4-5 burger buns
  • mayo
  • avocado
  • tomato slices
  • sliced onion

Instructions

  1. Drain you kidney beans and set aside in a bowl. Peel and boil your potato in salted water.

  2. Once the potato is fork tender and has cooled down, add it to the bowl of kidney beans. Using a fork or potato masher, mash together.

  3. Now finely dice all your veggies and add to the potato and bean mixture.

  4. Toss in your spices and bread crumbs. Mix well.

  5. Taste and adjust for seasonings. Add salt accordingly.

  6. Now take scoopfuls of the veggie burger mixture and form into patties. This recipe should make about 4-5 patties.

  7. Set aside in the fridge for a few hours to firm up. (This is an optional step. If you can't wait, feel free to skip to frying them).

  8. Add a couple of tablespoons of oil to a frying pan and fry the patties on medium-heat on each side until golden brown.

  9. Serve with buns and your favorite toppings. I like to add cheese, mayo, onion, and avocado!