What is taal?

My childhood memories is fragrant with smells of taal, khejurer gur and grated fresh coconut made into various desserts and pithas. Taal is not available in Pakistan or other places I have lived. I difficulty is that I did not know the English name of this bitter-sweet strongly flavored molasses from a palm tree. But the other day, found out from facebook that it is called Toddy palm paste. 

Morog Musallam

Morog Musallam by Siddiqua Kabir

http://video.bgdportal.com/view.php?id=2693&page=&cat=8&subcat=3&subsubcat=0

Maqlooba-Palestenian national dish (copied from another blog)

For details see this site:
http://arabiczeal.com/maqluba-the-national-dish-of-palestine/

Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 large head of cauliflower, cut in flowerets, washed and dried well
¼ cup + 2 T canola oil
1 large white onion, chopped
Chicken pieces, approx 15 legs & thighs, skin removed and cleaned
3 cups long-grain rice
Salt to taste
Parsley, finely chopped (optional garnish)
Almond slivers, toasted (optional garnish)
Yogurt, served on the side

Method

1. Begin by browning the cauliflower. Drizzle some of the ¼ cup oil onto a large baking sheet. Toss the cauliflower with the remaining oil to coat evenly. Spread cauliflower on the baking sheet in a single layer.
2. Bake cauliflower in a pre-heated hot oven, 400 F/200 C (gas mark 6) for 10 -12 minutes until golden brown on the bottom. Turn and bake for another 10-12 minutes. Drain on paper towel. Salt lightly.
3. In a large cooking pot, heat the 2 T oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes until translucent. Add chicken pieces and cook over medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes, turning once or twice. The chicken pieces will be browned slightly and partially cooked.
4. Cover chicken with water, approximately 6 cups. Bring to boil. Lower heat and cover. Simmer for 12 minutes (longer if using larger pieces). Skim off any foam from the top.
5. Meanwhile, soak the rice: place rice in a bowl, cover with boiling water and stir. Let sit for 10 minutes, drain well and set aside.
6. When chicken is finished, remove pot from heat. With a slotted spoon, remove chicken pieces and set aside. Remove liquid from the pot and reserve 5 cups. (Discard any excess.) Season the liquid with 1½ teaspoons salt or to taste.
7. Assemble the dish. In the empty pot, layer the bottom with cooked chicken pieces. Next, add a layer of cauliflower. Top with the soaked rice. Smooth the top. Add the 5 cups of salted liquid. To avoid disturbing the layers, place a small saucer on the rice and pour over it. Remove saucer and smooth the top again.
8. Bring to a gentle boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Check for doneness with the end of a wooden spoon nudged to the  bottom of the pot. If any liquid remains, cook for another few minutes until all liquid is absorbed.
9. Remove pot from heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Invert pot onto a large platter, flipping upside down. Remove pot and scoop out any remaining food.
10. To serve: fluff the rice and arrange the chicken pieces on top. Garnish with chopped parsley and toasted almonds. Maqluba should be served with yogurt or a yogurt-based salad. It may also be served with a simple Arabic salad of cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, lemon juice and salt.

loitta sutki vorta (Bhorta with dry Bombay duck fish)

Ingredients: (all according to taste)

Shutki (Bombay duck dried)
Salt
Dry red chillies (whole)
Onion
Garlic
Mustard oil

Method:
Cut the dry fish into small pieces and wash in hot water very well. After that remove the water carefully and dry roast on a pan. Now grind it in a mortar and pestle. Now mix with dry roasted and crushed chillies, salt, finely chopped onion, fried garlic and a little mustard oil.

Serve with warm boiled rice.


Source:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rannakori/

Spicy Shrimp Curry of Adly

Ingredients with method for the sauce:

Take half onion, one ripe tomato, crushed garlic about a spoon, hot garlic sauce ( it has a rooster pic) , Anchovies it comes in a sardine type small container. half tomato paste and tamarinds just a small piece, let it dissolve in water and use the sauce. saute onions, add garlic, then tomato, add hot red chillie paste and anchovies. Saute until anchovies breakdown. then add tomato paste and let it cook. Add water whenever its need to make the sauce. Make sure sauce is not too watery or too thick. then you add SHRIMP after you clean it. Put Dill either fresh or canned, cilantro. Cover pan and let shrimp cook slowly. Don't over cook shrimp.


After you finish make it send me a pic and I will grade you :) (Adly Mirza

Easy Mango Icecream

I haven't tested this yet but my friend has... Her Mom made it recently and it was a big hit...

take one can of mango pulp, add 4 ounces of whipped cream and about half a can of condensed milk. Mix well and freeze. Enjoy.

Want to make this

Cheese-Filled Risotto Croquettes with Tomato Sauce

Noah's pudding (Ausre)

Want to make this dish from Turkey. At the moment the recipe is copied from the following blog.

Binnur's Turkish Recipes

1 cup barley
1 cup white kidney beans (in a can), washed and drained
1 cup chickpeas (in a can), washed and drained
1 cup sugar
1 pkg vanilla or 1 tsp vanilla extract
10 cups water
10 dry apricots, soaked in water overnight, cut in pieces
10 dry figs, cut in pieces
1/2 cup raisins

Garnish:
1/4 cup walnuts, crumbled

Put 4 cups of water in a large pot along with the barley. Get it to boil on high heat. Then as soon as it boils, turn it down to medium-low heat and cook for about half an hour. Add the beans, chickpeas, vanilla, apricots, raisins, figs, sugar and 6 cups of hot water. Cook for about 45 minutes on medium-low heat. Stir occasionally. Pour into a large service bowl and let cool.

Keep Noah's Pudding refrigerated. When serving, garnish with crumbled walnuts.

This recipe is one of the oldest and best known desserts of Turkish Cuisine. It's original name is "Asure". When we cook Asure, it is traditional to give some away to friends and family.

5000 years ago in Mesopotamia, Noah was King of the city Shuruppak. His was a trade empire, and he built a large trading ship. At that time, there was a raging flood and rainstorm. He and his family loaded animals, grain, fruit and beer onboard. The rain continued for 40 days. Afterwards there was no land in sight for 7 days. They ran out of drinking water and since the sea was salty, they had to resort to drinking beer. They eventually landed on Mount Ararat.

The old saying goes that Noah's food was about to run out. He mixed and cooked all that he had left. The result became known as "Noah's Pudding". Turkish people love Asure and there is even an Asure Month.