Fatima's Fabulous Kitchen

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

Main Dishes

Sausage and Potato Enchiladas

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I feel like most people more or less have the same New Year’s Resolutions – lose weight, travel, meet new people, and fight some sort of internal vice.

And every year, most people start off buying gym memberships, vigorously filling in their new calendars, cleaning their house, waking up at 5 am for yoga, study for exams on time, and making elaborate plans with old friends.  Things are surprisingly consistent and then February rolls around… you eat a few burgers, you sleep in a few days, you stay in and watch Netflix for three weekends straight…and well things go downhill from there.

I can assure you that I am no different. But I’m going to keep it simple this year. Although, I must say that I do have my fantasy resolutions too.

 

 

Fatima’s Dream-world New Year’s Resolutions:

  1. Become a viral superstar! A true fashion icon! A desi version of Chrissie Teigen!
  2. Have speaking engagements and book deals! Land on the New York Best-Sellers – my wide-grinned, sultry-eye, picture-perfect cover in every Barnes and Nobles window.
  3. Become an overused meme.
  4. Have a verified twitter account with ever-ending notifications and crazy people in my mentions!
  5. Share my vision with the world
  6. Flex on everybody who slept on me; make them deeply regret overlooking me!
  7. Quit pharmacy school, move out, and never look back.

 

Fatima’s Realistic New Year’s Resolutions:

  1. Maintain my weight while still being a food-blogger
  2. Read lots of books
  3. Go back to writing stories
  4. Avoid academic probation
  5. Be content with living a quiet and mundane life

 

Anyways, part of what helps me fulfill that last one is cooking comfort dishes like these enchiladas. I made them quite a few times in college for different parties and gatherings, and boy were they a hit!

For the spicy red sauce – I cook some tomato paste in butter and added in a bunch of traditional Tex-Mex seasonings: onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, and oregano. I add some water and simmer until it’s slightly thick.

For the filling I use onions, jalapenos, bell pepper, garlic, Yukon gold potatoes, and soudjouk sausage ( a spicy Turkish-style beef sausage). The potatoes make these extra hearty and the soudjouk adds a bit of spicy smokiness that adds a little extra meatiness. (If you’re vegetarian or don’t like sausage, feel free to leave it out and just add more potato!)

I then coat the flour tortillas in the red sauce and roll them up with the filling, add another layer of sauce and top the whole thing with an exorbitant amount of shredded cheddar cheese. I then pop them into the oven until that cheese is nice and bubbly.

And there you have it! Lovely, hearty, comforting, breakfast sausage and potato enchiladas!

Go ahead and make this for a fabulous brunch or a potluck and you will leave with an empty dish!

 

 

 

 

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Sausage and Potato Enchiladas

Servings 5 people

Ingredients

Red Sauce

  • 2.5 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1.5 tsp oregano
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 2 cups water
  • salt (to taste)

Filling

  • 4-5 small Yukon Gold potatoes (or 2 large ones)
  • 2 small onions
  • 1 jalapeno (de-seeded)
  • 1 bell pepper (not green, they are bland)
  • 5 oz soudjouk turkish sausage (may subsitute with extra potato)
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3 tbsp oil
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 cup corn
  • salt (to taste)
  • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

For Rolling

  • 6-8 medium flour tortillas
  • 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. In a small pot, boil your (peeled and washed) potatoes in salted water until fork-tender. Cut into smaller pieces or mash with a fork or potato masher.


  2. In the meantime, start making your enchilada sauce. Melt your butter in a small saucepan. Add in your tomato paste and fry for a few minutes. Then add in your seasonings. Fry for a few more minutes.

  3. Add in your water and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce to a simmer and loosely cover with a lid. Allow to cook until it becomes a a slightly thick consistency.

  4. Chop up your onions and peppers. Finely mince your garlic. Cut your sausage in rounds and then quarters.

  5. Now cook your filling. In a wide pan, add in your oil and then your onion and peppers. Lightly sautee. Then add in your sausage. As the sausage cooks it will release oil.


  6. Once the sausage has developed a bit of color, add in your potatoes and spices. Combine. Feel free to add in a tablespoon or two of water to bring everything together.

  7. Add in your corn and cilantro.

  8. Time to roll-up and bake. Turn your broiler on to 450 F.

  9. In a standard 9X13'' baking dish, add in a layer of red sauce (make sure bottom of dish is fully coated).

  10. Now take a cutting board or plate and drop a spoonful of sauce on it. Take a flour tortilla and coat both sides with sauce. Then fill it evenly with the sausage and potato filling and roll from one side to the next.

  11. Make sure the folded end faces the bottom dish. Repeat previous step until your entire dish is filled. Pour over the remaining sauce and then top with shredded cheese.

  12. Place dish in oven and bake until cheese is fully melted.

Nihari

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Nihari has got to be in the top 5 list of classic desi comfort food. I mean how can it not be? It’s hearty, it’s warm, and it’s an explosion of amazing flavors.

For all you non-desis out there, nihari is basically a meat stew made with caramelized onions and a wide array of lovely and deep aromatic spices and served with hot naan that’s straight out of the tandoor. There’s different variations of nihari, depending on which part of the subcontinent you are from. My parents make a Hyderabadi-style type of nihari which has more of a broth-like consistency. The one I’m making here is thicker, and similar to a Pakistani nihari.

Since this is a meat-centric dish, you’ll want to use good quality meat. I like to use a couple of big lamb shanks which I marinate in some turmeric, chili powder, and ginger-garlic paste.

For the nihari masala, I use just about every spice under the sun. I take several whole spices and tie them up into a cheesecloth (great trick that prevents anyone from biting into anything) – cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cloves, mace, shahzeera, allspice, black peppercorn. For powdered spices, I use fennel, black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, garam masala, cumin, coriander.

Like most Indian dishes, caramelized onions act as the base. They add a subtle sweetness that balances out the heaviness of the meat and spices. Since you want the texture and consistency of the nihari to be smooth, I grind up the onions into a paste in a food processor and add it to the nihari once the meat is cooked.

You can cook the shanks in a regular pot or for fast results, toss it all in a pressure cooker with some water, seal it shut with the lid, and come back in a half hour or so.

Once the meat is falling-off-the-bone tender, I add in my powdered spices and my caramelized onions paste. I then turn the broth into a stew by thickening it up with some cornstarch. You can use flour as well (that’s the traditional way of doing it!)

Add in some extra butter or ghee (and when I say extra, I mean at least half a stick), adjust your seasonings, squeeze in some lemon juice and there you have it!

Serve with some thinly sliced ginger, onions, cilantro, lemons, jalapenos, and of course naan!

It’s the perfect dish to make on a cold snowy Saturday afternoon, when you’re craving something authentic and warm!

5 from 1 vote
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Nihari

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs beef or lamb shank (or 2 lbs boneless meat)
  • 1.5 large onion (sliced)
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 2.5 tsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 2 tsp chili powder (or to taste)
  • 2 tsp salt (for meat)
  • 2-3 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 1/3 cup wheat flour or cornstarch (plus 1/3 cup water)
  • 8 tbsp butter (divided, 4 tbsp for onions, rest to put in later)
  • juice of 1/2 lemon or to taste

Dry Spices

  • 1/2 tsp shahzeera seeds
  • 3-4 cinnamon sticks
  • 4-5 bay leaves
  • 6-7 cardamom pods
  • 1/2 star anise
  • 5-6 cloves
  • 4-5 allspice
  • 1-2 mace

Powdered Spices

  • 1 tbsp fennel
  • 1.5 tsp nutmeg
  • 1.5 tbsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp garam masala

Garnish

  • 1 piece ginger (julliened)
  • 1/2 cup cilantro (chopped)
  • 1 small onion (sliced)
  • 1 jalepeno (sliced)
  • 1 lemon (sliced)

Instructions

  1. Add the turmeric, salt, chili powder, and ginger-garlic paste to the beef or lamb. Make sure it is fully coated and let it sit for a least thirty minutes.

  2. In the meantime, tie up all your whole spices into a cheesecloth - cinammon sticks, allspice, black peppercorn, mace, shahzeera, cardamom, cloves.

  3. Add your meat and cheesecloth pouch to the pressure cooker. Cover with about a liter of water or so. Pop on the lid, turn the heat onto high and let it tenderize for about 40 minutes or so (you can leave it in longer or less depending on how tender you want it and how well your pressure cooker works.)

  4. In the meantime, star caramelizing your onions. Turn the heat to medium-high and add in your oil, butte,r and sliced onions to a pan. Allow them to slowly turn dark brown. This will take about 25 minutes or so.

  5. Once the onions are done caramelizing, allow them to slightly cool and grind them in a food processor until they form a smooth paste.

  6. Once your meat is done tenderizing in the pressure cooker, turn the heat off and allow the cooker to cool. DO NOT  attempt to open it right away, you will end up burning yourself!

  7. After the pressure cooker has cooled, open it up. Turn the heat back on to high and add in your onion paste, some salt, and powdered spices - fennel, cumin, coriander, garam masala, black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon.

     

  8. Now take your flour and roast it in a pan on low heat until it turns slightly browner. Make sure you don't burn the flour. Remove immediately and dissolve it in 1/3 cup of water by stirring it until it becomes a slurry. You may also substitute with corn flour (just directly dissolve it in the water). Add that to the nihari and stir.

  9. Keep stirring the nihari until it becomes the consistency you want. If you want it  thicker, allow water to evaporate. If you want it looser, add in more water.

  10. Add in the rest of your butter.  Taste and adjust for seasonings. Add in a few squeezes of lemon juice.

  11. Serve hot with garnishes!

Chicken Tikka Wraps

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It’s 2017 and fusion-food is all the rage. And one of the latest intercultural concoctions that is causing a firestorm on social media is the “Desi Burrito”. All you got to do is substitute a tortilla with naan, Carne Asada with Seekh Kabob, El pastor with Chicken Tikka, chutney for salsa…you get the idea. But whether you think the idea is genius, or another one of those stupid food trends where people think they discovered something new, when they really haven’t, you got to admit it’s delicious af. Personally, I’m not going call these desi burritos, but you can call them whatever you want. They are delicious, healthy, and oh so freaking satisfying.

I like to use chicken tenders for these wraps. I marinate the chicken in a home-made tandoori paste using yogurt, ginger, garlic paste, tomato paste (for a vibrant red color), a pinch of sugar, and a vast array of spices – cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, paprika, amchur powder, fennel powder, and dried methi leaves.

To allow the masala to really penetrate the chicken, I prick the tenders with a fork. That way it will really seep inside giving you an extra flavorful chicken. Ideally you want to let this sit overnight for at least 6 hours in the fridge.

Once done marinating, I fire up the grill, cook them through, and cut them up into pieces. We are ready to roll!

I also like to add rice in my wraps – and not just plain brown or white rice (although you can certainly do that!). Instead I make a quick spicy fried rice where I add already cooked rice to a pan of sauteeing onions, jalapenos, tomato paste, and turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala, and cumin. Add a little lime juice, and you have a super flavorful rice that is great on its own. And if you’re cutting down on the calories, you can forgo the wrap and make those rice bowls and add everything to the rice! Super easy lunch or dinner!

These are so incredibly versatile. You can go the chipotle route and make a burrito using a flour tortilla, salsas, guacamole, or you can make something more Indian with a paratha or chapati, some cilantro chutney, yogurt, and cucumber, tomato and onions.  Whatever you do, it’s going to be fantastic!

Make this the night before, wrap it in some aluminum foil, and bring it to work the next day. All your co-workers are going to be jealous!

5 from 1 vote
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Chicken Tikka Wraps

Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 6-8 tortillas

Chicken Tikka

  • 1.5 lb chicken tenders
  • 3 Tbsp yogurt (or substitute 1/3 cup buttermilk)
  • 1.5 tsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste (or substitute with finely minced garlic and ginger to taste)
  • 1.5 Tbsp oil
  • 1/2 tsp amchur
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 1/2 tsp chilli powder and/or paprika
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp fennel powder
  • 1/4 tsp dried methi leaves
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt (or to taste)

Rice

  • 4 cups cooked brown rice (cooled)
  • 2 jalapenos
  • 2 small onions
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder (or to taste)
  • 1.5 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
  • lime juice (to taste)
  • 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 4 tbsp oil
  • salt (to taste)
  • 1/2 bell pepper (optional)

Optional Condiments and Toppings

  • 1/4 cup cilantro chutney
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 3/4 cup cucumber, tomato, onion salad
  • 3/4 guacamole
  • yogurt (to taste)
  • hot sauce (to taste)
  • 1 cup lettuce (shredded)

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, combine your tandoori marinade ingredients - yogurt, spices, salt, oil, ginger-garlic paste, tomato-paste. Add to your chicken tenders. *Note - You can also use a pre-made chicken tikka spice blend such as shaan. Just make sure to adjust the salt accordingly as most pre-made blends already contain a lot of salt.

  2. Take a fork, and prick holes into the chicken. This will allow the marinade to come inside and flavor the chicken. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.

  3. When you're ready to grill, add a little bit of oil to your grill pan on medium-high heat. Make sure your chicken tenders have sit at room temperature. You don't want to add cold chicken to a hot pan because it will seize up.

  4. Add your chicken tenders to the grill pan and allow it to cook on each side for about 4 minutes or so. If you are using a thermometer, the inside should read 165 F.

  5. Allow your chicken to rest for a few minutes, then cut into pieces with a knife.

  6. Heat up your wraps (tortilla, paratha, chappati, etc) and lay them on a plate or board. Add your rice, your chicken, and whatever condiments you wish to use. Fold the tortilla over the mound and tuck in the ends.

Instructions for Spicy Rice

  1. Sautee your onions and jalapenos in a hot pan with oil. After a few minutes, add your tomato paste and garlic. Once the onions are starting to turn slightly brown, add your spices and then your rice. Combine everything well. 

  2. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add cilantro and lime juice to taste.