Fatima's Fabulous Kitchen

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

Main Dishes

Lamb Burgers with Oven-Baked Fries

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Kabobs are such a hit in South Asian cooking. And when we make burgers, it’s usually a kabob recipe in the form of a burger patty.

This burger recipe is somewhat a cross between a koubideh and kofta kabob. Koubideh is an Iranian type of kabob usually cooked on a skewer on top of a grill and made of minced beef/lamb and packed with onion and seasonings. Koftas are Middle-Eastern and contain ground-up nuts, parsley, onion, and spices.

To make this recipe, I whiz up a small onion along with some cilantro, chilies, garlic, ginger, and toasted cashews in a food processor. Using a cheesecloth, I squeeze out a little bit of the water, but leave most of it in (this is my trick for a juicy burger). Then I add in an egg to help it bind together.

For spices, I add a little bit of fennel, turmeric, black pepper, cumin, nutmeg, and salt.

burger patties

I shape them into patties and pan-fry them until brown on both side. If the weather is nice, feel free to fire up your barbeque!

For buns, I like brioche but use whatever floats your boat. I like to slather them with a thin layer of mayo and top the burger with slice of tomato, avocado, a few fries, and some lettuce.

Buns

 

You can’t have burgers without fries, of course. Frying up fries in oil can take a bit of time and calories, so I oven-bake mine. The trick is to let them soak in cold water for about 30 minutes. Then bake them at high heat so they crisp up. To season the fries, I add paprika, turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper. 

 

Matchsticks

 

Fries ready for the oven

And there you have it! An easy Middle-Eastern version of a burger. Make this at your next cook-out and see what people say!

 

 

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Lamb Burgers with Oven-Baked Fries

Servings 5 people

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lb lamb (ground)
  • 1 small onion
  • 3/4 cup cilantro
  • 1 small piece ginger (equavalent size to one garlic clove)
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1-2 serrano chilies
  • 3 tbsp cashews
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 tsp fennel
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 tsp salt

Fries

  • 5 potatoes
  • 1/4 tsp chilli powder
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp sugar

Condiments/toppings

  • 1/3 cup mayo
  • 1-2 tomatoes (sliced)
  • 1/2 cup chopped lettuce
  • 1 avocado sliced

Instructions

  1. Peel and wash your potatoes. Cut them into 1/2 inch matchsticks.

  2. Put the matchsticks in a bowl and fill with cold water. Let sit for 30 minutes.

  3. In the meantime, work on your burgers. Toast the cashews in a pan over the stove until lightly brown. Remove from heat.

  4.  Take your onion, cilantro, garlic, ginger, chilies, and nuts and process in a food processor.

  5. Using a cheesecloth or a fine-sieve, remove about half of the water from the mixture. (Don't squeeze out all of it, because it will give your burger some moisture.)


  6. Add mixture to minced lamb. Add 1 egg, salt, spices (fennel, nutmeg, coriander, cumin) and combine well. Cover and let in sit in fridge for 30 minutes.

  7. Once fries are done soaking, drain water from fries. Set fries on a baking sheet and dry thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel.

  8. Pre-heat oven to 425 F. Add oil to you fries along with your seasonings - chili powder, turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt.

  9. Set baking tray in oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until golden brown with crispy edges.

  10. When the fries are about half-way done, take them out of the pan and flip them over.

  11. In the meantime, toast your buns in a regular pan or grill pan.

  12. Now form your burgers into patties. Depending on how big or small you want them, they should make about 5-7.

  13. Add a little bit of oil to your pan (medium heat) and add a few patties at a time.

  14. Look at the patty sideways. Once it has gained color about half-way up, turn it to the other side.  If you want to add cheese to your burgers, add your slice on top after you flip and put a lid over the patty. This will help the cheese melt smoothly.

  15. Top your buns with whatever condiments/toppings you like. I recommend a thin layer of mayo, a slice of tomato, avocado, lettuce, and some of the fries.

  16. Make sure you take out your fries once they are golden brown and crispy on the edges.

Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa

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I recently watched this one episode of Black Mirror called Nosedive, a sci-fi show on Netflix that takes place in a world where technology takes over every aspect of life. I won’t spoil it for you or anything, but basically the premise of the episode is that a young woman lives in a futuristic society where people’s value is solely based on their social media presence.

And while it is supposed to be satire, I’m seeing the effects in our 2017 world.

I have a love-hate relationship with social media. I love the fact that it gives people who otherwise are marginalized, a platform. I love that it gives people the means to express themselves. That it educates people. That it creates a family.

But I hate that you forget what’s reality and what’s not. What life is really all about. That this is just a self-image I’m projecting that can’t even come close to representing the full extent of me. That it makes you feel envious of what others have and obsessed with what’s missing. That your societal value is based on how many likes you get, how many followers and retweets you have.

Anyways, you came for the taco recipe. And how does this stuff relate? Because it’s the stuff you discuss over a plate of tacos. What’s the future of the relationship we have with technology? What is the world going to look like in fifty years?

These shrimp tacos are light and balanced and perfect for spring-time. For this recipe, I sautee shrimp in butter, cumin, coriander, paprika, and fennel with a little bit of diced onion. The butter makes the shrimp extra delicious and the onions add a slight sweetness that cuts the salty bite from the shrimp.

Shrimp with cumin, coriander, fennel, salt, onion, and butter

I also make home-made corn tortillas with masa flour (store-bought is completely okay, but if you have the time, I highly recommend making them from scratch!) To top the shrimp off, I make a beautiful mango salsa consisting of a mango, jalapeno, cilantro, onion, tomato. The sweetness of the mango pairs wonderfully with the acidity of the other ingredients. I also add a spicy mayo (just mayo and a good quality hot sauce) before topping the tortilla with the shrimp and salsa. This adds a bit of creaminess to your taco.

Spicy Mayo

And this guys is balance! Make this for a bunch of friends while you discuss climate change, driveless cars, the end of antibiotics, imminent nuclear warfare or maybe even that one guy or girl you swiped right on that dating app. Whatever it is, these tacos will get everybody into an active and lively conversation. And that’s really what good food is supposed to do.

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Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa

Servings 8 tacos

Ingredients

  • 2 lb shrimp (peeled and deveined)
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp paprika or chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt (for shrimp)
  • 1 mango (should be ripe, yet firm)
  • 1 jalapeno
  • 1/4 cup cilantro
  • 1 small onion (divided: 1/2 for shrimp, 1/2 for salsa)
  • 1 avocado
  • juice of lime (to taste)
  • 1 tomato
  • 3/4 tsp salt (for salsa)
  • 14-16 corn tortillas
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 2-3 dashes of hot sauce (or to taste)

Instructions

  1. Prepare your salsa. Dice up all you ingredients - mango, jalapeno, cilantro, 1/2 small onion, avocado, tomato and combine. Add salt and lime juice to taste.

  2. On medium-low heat, add in your butter, garlic, and the remaining half of your onion (diced finely), and sautee until lightly brown. Turn the heat up to medium high and then add in your shrimp, salt, and spices. The shrimp only take a few minutes to cook. Once they are pink, turn off the heat.

  3. Take your corn tortillas and lightly toast them on a grill pan or regular pan. 

  4. Combine your mayo and hot sauce and add a little bit to the bottom of each tortilla.

  5. Add a couple of shrimp to each tortilla and top with mango salsa. Serve with extra hot sauce on the side.

Spicy Thai Red Curry Noodles

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Spicy Red Curry Thai Noodles

 

“Fatima where do you want to eat?”

“I’m down for anything. Where do you want to eat?”

“I’m down for anything.”

“You wanna do thai?”

“Hell yeah!”

Everybody has their go-to food when they eat out. You know, the restaurant or cuisine you always end up inevitably choosing even an hour or spending time looking through online menus, yelp reviews, google ratings – while simultaneously trying to take into consideration everyone’s tastes and appetites.

For my friends and I, that place is thai.  You put a warm bowl of yellow curry in front of me big fat plate of pad thai with a slice of lime and some toasted peanuts, and boy I am set. It’s comforting, flavorful, and great to discuss a wide-range of topics over, spanning from ways to dismantle structural oppression to the latest eye-shadow palette.

Chicken searing in a wok

 

For this recipe, I chop up some chicken thighs (or whatever protein I’m feeling that day – shrimp, tofu etc) and toss them into a hot wok along with a little bit of red-curry paste. (I don’t really have homemade red-curry paste lying around, so I use store-bought!) I then add in some veggies – here I opted for carrots, bell pepper, and green beans. For the sauce I combine fish sauce (a classic thai ingredient) with brown sugar which adds a slight sweetness that counters the saltiness of the fish sauce. Once the chicken and veggies are seared and done cooking, I remove them from the wok and add in some coconut milk along with the remaining curry paste. In order to make sure my dish isn’t too thin, I let the coconut milk simmer until it thickens up. Lastly, I toss in my noodles, cilantro, lime juice, and sprouts. And there you have it! A simple noodle dish that is sure to satisfy your carb cravings.

 

Veggies in stiry-fry

Coconut milk and curry paste simmering away

 

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Spicy Thai Red Curry Noodles

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1-2 tbsp red curry paste (depending on how spicy you want it) home-made or store-bought
  • 2/3 cup coconut milk
  • 4 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup carrot (julliened)
  • 1/2 cup bell pepper (diced into 1 inch pieces)
  • 1/2 cup bean sprouts
  • 2 chicken thighs (or substitute with favorite protein)
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 12 oz thick rice noodles (may also substitute pasta) (3/4 of 16 oz package)
  • juice of half a lime (or to taste)
  • 2 tbsp cilantro (chopped) for garnish

Instructions

  1. Prep all your ingredients. Chop up your veggies (carrots, bell pepper, green beans) and protein into bite size pieces.

  2. Combine your fish sauce and brown sugar. Stir and make sure the sugar dissolves.

  3. Cook your noodles according to your package instructions. Make sure it is the right amount of noodles. If you add too little, your noodles will end up soupy and too salty!


  4. In a wok or pan with high sides, add your oil. Make sure it gets nice and hot.

  5. Add in your protein and 1 tsp of the curry paste and a tsp of your brown sugar and fish sauce mixture. Make sure protein is nice and seared and cooked through. This will take only a few minutes. Remove from wok and put it on a plate to the side.

  6. Now add in your veggies and a little bit of your brown sugar and fish sauce mixture. Make sure they get a nice sear while remaining their crunch. Again, this will only take a few minutes. Remove from wok.

  7. Now add in your coconut milk and remaining red curry paste and fish sauce/brown sugar mixture. Let the coconut milk simmer and thicken up.

  8. Add in your cooked noodles, veggies, and protein. Toss and combine. Turn off the heat, add in your bean sprouts, cilantro, and lime juice. And there you have it!