Fatima's Fabulous Kitchen

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

Recipes

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.

Chocolate Cake with Dulce de Leche Frosting

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Everyone has to have a go-to chocolate cake recipe. And this one is mine. I played around with ratios, various fats (oil vs butter), and finally came up with a batter that makes for a light and flavorful chocolate coconut cake.

What gives this cake a great depth of flavor is the coffee in the batter. It brings out the richness of the chocolate. I also use sour cream and coconut oil, making it extra-moist. After all, nobody enjoys a dry crusty cake. The coconut oil adds a very subtle coconuty-flavor without taking away from the chocolate. Even if you’re not the biggest coconut fan, you’ll still be able to enjoy this cake.

To top it all off, I make a fabulous Dulce de Leche cream cheese frosting using Cajeta or Dulce De Leche, also known as Mexican-style caramel. Feel free to make your own Dulce De Leche, but store-bought works just as well in this frosting recipe.

Finally, I top the cake with raspberries and toasted coconut. The tartness of the fruit really cuts the sweetness of the cake, and the toasted coconut gives a sweet nutty flavor.

I have made this cake as a single layer without coconut (as seen directly in the picture below) and it works great – so if you’re scared that you’ll end up eating a huge double-layer on your own (honestly no shame) just cut the recipe in half!

5 from 1 vote
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Chocolate Cake with Dulce de Leche Frosting

A light and moist double-layer chocolate cake topped with a lovely cream cheese Dulce De Leche Frosting. A real crowd-pleaser!

Servings 10

Ingredients

  • 1 cup black coffee (cooled)
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup coconut oil (melted and cooled)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Dulce De Leche Frosting

  • 6 oz cream cheese (softened)
  • 4 Tbsp butter (softened)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 cup dulce de leche or cajeta
  • 2-3 cup powdered sugar or to taste

Cake Topping

  • 1 cup raspberries or strawberries optional
  • 1.5 cup toasted coconut optional

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 and grease two 8-9 inch circular cake pans.

  2. Melt your coconut oil by popping it in microwave for 30 seconds. Allow it to cool to room temparature.

  3. In a bowl, cream together your eggs and sugar with an electric mixer or whisk.

  4. Then add in your sour cream and oil. Whisk and combine. Add in your vinegar and vanilla.

  5. Sift your dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt) in a separate bowl and whisk together.

  6. Add half your dry ingredients and combine. Then add the remaining. Combine until you get a smooth and even batter.

  7. Add your batter to the cake pan and bake for about 45-55 minutes or until cake comes out clean when you put a toothpick in the center.

  8. Once done, take out of oven and let it cool on a cooling rack.

  9. Now make you frosting. Add your softened butter, cream cheese and confectioner's sugar to a bowl. Beat with a spatula or electric mixer until well combined with no lumps.

  10. Drizzle in your dulce de leche and vanilla. Combine until smooth.

  11. Once cake is cooled, top one layer with frosting using a flat frosting spatula or butter knife.

  12. Take half of the raspberries and crush them into a puree. Add to the center of bottom layer. (The raspberry puree will be in the middle layer of the cake). Then add your top layer. Frost generously.

  13. Cover cake with toasted coconut. Top with berries.

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.