[Food] Ramzan Recipes Made Easy

Ramzan is always a great time for me to restore my passion for cooking. In regular days, I hardly find the time to try new things or frankly, make an effort to cook a meal for the family. Being a huge 'food fan', I follow a bunch of food websites, apps and blogs to discover new kinds of tastes, textures and flavours. More often than not, I find it difficult to follow recipes closely. Mostly, because many ingredients are not locally available (except for Middle Eastern and South East Asian products, which I bulk buy on my travels). But recipe resources are great for finding your inspiration to create new dishes. I was introduced to the National Made Easy recipe website and app last year. And I am happy to report that they have not disappointed me with regards to fresh, creative content.

Here's a break down of my cooking spree so far:

Chicken Qorma

This was an ambitious project for me, so I actually did not experiment much here. I followed the recipe on the box to the tee and used the video on the website as a rough guide. One thing that did help me was the home made fried onions I had stocked up on. It makes for a quick Qorma.

Chicken Tikka Wrap

Wraps and rolls are great for Ramzan. They are filling and easy to make - and appropriate for any time of the day. I make my on tortillas at home with some added mixed herbs or zaatir for an extra layer of flavour. The chicken is marinated in yogurt, ginger, garlic, salt and a spoon of National Tandoori Masala. I pan fried the chicken after marinated for a couple of hours. Scrape out the sticky bits out of the pan to make a spicy mayo. Add some pickled onions (just soaked in vinegar for a couple of hours) and spicy mayo. Viola! Chicken Tikka Wraps to go!

Chicken Qeema

I went a little nuts with this Chicken Qeema that I have not yet named. I continued with the National Tandoori but went a step ahead by adding my home-made Mexican chilli paste (yup, I made it). And added a desi touch by smoking it with coal. The result was a spicy, steaming Chicken Qeema that is great to wake up those taste buds at Iftar, Not recommended for Sehri.

Chicken Haleem

What is great for Sehri is Haleem! An excellent healthy mix of carbs and proteins. I love haleem and so does my family and therefore, I did not want to go beyond my abilities and completely fudge up the dish so I stuck to the recipe on the box. I just added a little bit of extra wheat as we like our haleem chewy. Turned out pretty well.

Sundus' Special Fried Noodles

Noodles are my super power. If there is one thing I learned living in Malaysia, it is a taste for noodles. I get my Asian condiments on my annual trip to Malaysia and I urge you to buy good quality Asian sauces and spice mixes if you like cooking Asian food. It makes a world of difference! The chicken is marinated in National Chicken Jalfrexi mix, light and dark soy sauce and garlic for a couple of hours. Pan fry the chicken until almost done and add your favorite vegetables (carrots, bell peppers, green beans, mushrooms). Add noodles and toss everything in some more soy sauce. I make own my own chilli sauce too but I am not giving away that recipe! Buahahah!

Here's to more fasting and feasting!

Note: Thanks to National Foods for suppling the spice mixes my cooking adventures.