Arfa Karim Randhawa-youngest MCSE professional is dying in  CMH hospital. What a terrible news this is! She is the one, who is known all over the world as the brain of Pakistan. The proud of not only her parents but of the whole nation. How can we just do it? Let her lying on a hospital bed and watching her dying? Where are the molvis? Where every thing fails, dua works...Why not they appeal to the nation to raise hands for her health? Where are the leaders? Why does the KHADIM E ALLA not call a team of foreign experts, if  local doctors are failed to predict? Where is the media? The media that is famous for raising the storm in a tea cup. Why the media is not putting the doctors on camera? Why her father is briefing the media about her condition? WHY WHY WHY?
She is the asset, Pakistan needs her. She is the one who can be the light and who can lead the way. May Allah bless her with health!
Lets PRAY!! That is what everyone of us can do for her. Miracles do happen. I hope my nation is gonna witness one this time INSHALLAH!

My blog is not about social writings but the trauma of silence on a national loss has forced me to write.

In this fast forwarding world; the most important gift is your "time" that you give to someone-anyone.

 It becomes more valuable and precious if spend with family.
Life, I believe is meaningless without a family. We live, we work, we smile, we get tensed, feels blue, lonely, happy etc, because of the family and for the family.


How about doing something to let other members of our family feel important? How about taking some time out of our busy schedule and cook for our family? Anything that is cooked with care and love will work as a catalyst and will strengthen up the bond of love. As an old subcontinental proverb says: "The way to your husband's heart passes through his stomach". This is equally working for every single member of your family and not for husbands or wives specifically. If you are the male members i.e. fathers or brothers, cooking on week ends will let your wives, mothers and sisters feel special and yes boys, your mum gonna get an off day too :). If you are the sisters and daughters,


then you are the most privileged and also the luckiest member of your family. You are being loved and protected by your fathers and brothers.Whats the hurdle in touching their hearts then? Not necessarily you have to cook something special to value them. Simple and routine dishes can win hearts, the only thing required is LOVE. This four letter word is the basic ingredient; this is the secrete of delicious cooking and successful happy life. Make your moments memorable, value those, who makes you feel special!

PHOTO COURTESY---MASLA TV

Zubaida Tariq--born in Hyderabad Deccan. A dynamic personality who belongs to a very famous and literately background. She is a member of  famous writer Fatima Suriya's family and also have developed her separate identity as a cooking expert. She has worked for famous Dalda Advisory service for 8 years and is also known for her cooking lectures throughout the country. Still she is working for different TV channels.Ferozsons publishers has published a compilation of her best recipes under the title "ZUBAIDA TARIQ KAY KITCHEN SAY".


The step by step and easy to follow recipes of the book are making her heart favorite. Her fan circle includes, not only biggners but also those house wives who are somewhat experienced in cooking. Unlike other chefs, she is focused on the subcontinental cooking and provide an easy solution to most hectic question "What to be cooked today??". The best part of her recipes is that all the ingredients are easily available, not so expensive but will make you,  perfect, tasty and yummy dishes in no time.

I started cooking as a 12 years old, 7th grade student. My first (and will always be) inspiration is my sweet Ammi Jan, (who her self is very much famous for her dishes among our relatives and neighborhood :)). She gifted me the book and that was my first introduction to Zubaida Tariq. I have tried every single recipe of that book and always have got appreciation. I learn to experiment from her, when I started, I got to know that ANYONE can be the cook but not EVERYONE can cook GOOD! and so she is helping me in cooking something good. To me Zubaida Tariq is a source of inspiration. She herself is an institution and is one of the most admired chefs of Pakistan.

PHOTO COURTESY-----NOODLES HOUSE

Food industry is finding its way in Pakistan. Inauguration of international food chains will strengthen up the industry. Noodles house at Hotel One by Murtaza Hashwani in Lahore is like a treat for Lahorites.The launch was the combine effort of Rezz Aly Shah and Amir Mazhar.

PHOTO COURTESY---THE SATURDAY POST

Its a Dubai based food chain having its outlets in Middle east and Europe. Those who already have tasted are glad to know about the opening in Pakistan and those who have never been outside the borders are provided a chance to get indulged in the mouth watering food. :) I am excited to know  that what the noodles house is serving in the menu; however if you are one of the lucky ones to have the inauguration enjoyed then do let me know about the menu. :))

Sometimes, late nights specially when preparing for exams we feel so hungry so we go to kitchen open the refrigerator and wwwwwwwwwohooo......there is nothing to eat!!! So here m gonna share you a simple and quick recipe to make sure that you get something to eat in no time :)
Ingridients:
2 Dawn milk bread
1 boiled egg
1 tbsp Young's Mayonnaise
2 pinches national qasori meethi
1 pinch  shan salt
1 drop young's hot sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper powder (siah mirch pisi hue)
1/4 tsp sugar
Method:
1. Cut the boiled egg into small cubical pieces.
2.Mix all the spices in mayonnaise to make a perfect thick paste.
3. Add the boiled egg in the paste and spread it over the bread.
4. heat up the sandwiches in a sandwich maker.

Shanghai Sandwich

Note: Fillings made with one boiled egg is sufficient for 1 sandwich.Serve with  Kanor chilli garlic sauce and a hot mug of Lipton yellow label.
I hope u will find it tasty yet simple without wasting your time..

Allo gobhe is a pure sub-continental vegetable dish and if cooked using proper spices, tastes well. Here I am going to share my own recipe, tasty yet simple and easy.
Level: Perfect for new cooks.
Ingridients:
1 small Cauliflower of about 0.25kg/250grams : Roughly chopped 1 inch pieces.
500grams of potatoes: peal an cut a potato into four pieces
3 medium sized red tomatoes
5-6 red chillies 
5 sabit lal mirch (Red chillies)
1/2 tbsp Zeera ( cumin seeds)
6 sabit siah mirch (Black pepper seeds)
Salt 1.5 tsp
2 tbsp Kutti lal mirch powder
Ginger paste 1 tsp
Garlic paste 1 tsp
4-5 curry leaves
Oil 1/2 cup
Method:
1. Heat the oil. Add Sabit lal mirch, zeera, curry leaves and siah mirch. Stir till the red chillies change the colour.
2. Add cauliflower, potatoes, ginger and garlic paste and fry well on low flame for almost 5 minutes.
3. Add salt, kutti lal mirch, green chillies and tomatoes to fried vegetable, stir for few minutes.
4. Cover the pan and let the vegetables be cooked for few minutes.

Tip: Slightly cooked veges tastes better!

Since Pakistani iftar is incomplete without pakoras so here we go...sharing 2 types of desi pakoras here :). M gonna share Chinese pakora recipe some day :)
*Spices of palak piaz and chat pakoras are same.
Now lets move on to the ingredients:
Ingridients for mix palak piaz pakoras:

20 Spinach Leaves washed and finely chopped









2 medium sized finely sliced onions








Cumin Seeds 1 table spoon







Corrianfer Seeds 1 table spoon









Red chilli powder 2 table spoons










Table salt----Hasbe pasand (as u like)









2 cups Gram flour (besan)






RECIPE:

1. Add water and all the spices to the Gram flour and beat to make a paste as shown in the picture below.

For finely sliced vegetables always prepare a thin and well beaten paste. For mirch pakora and spinach leaf pakoras, a thick paste is preferable.

             2.   In a n another bowl mix spinach and onion and an amount of gram flour that is sufficient to mix with the vegetables.


    3.    In a frying pan heat up a cooking oil for deep frying. take a small amount of gram flour mixed vegetables and fry on high flame. Let the pakoras fry for few seconds then low down the flame to medium and turn the pakoras. Fry till pakoras get light brown.
 Strain oil properly and dish out on a tissue paper or an old news paper; since the news paper goes economical :P


CHT PAKOREY:

1. Repeat step 1 and then add finely sliced potatoes.
2. Repeat step 2 and 3 of mixed pakora
3. You are done!! (:

Serve with hari chatni and Shangrilla Ginger sauce.
Any suggestions? you are always welcome. :))