BLACK LIME

Commonly known as black lemon but these black beauties  are actually dried black limes...I learned about black limes mainly out of love and curiosity for Persian food as it seems to be a very popular ingredient , however I was surprise to find that black limes actually originate from Oman and known by the name of Limoo ( perhaps that is how the Arabic to English translation to lemon..could be!) and of-course they are found in many middle eastern dishes from Kuwait, Saudi, Iraq and are known by different names such as Loomi, Limoo, Noomi etc.

Black limes in Middle East are used in numerous ways such as whole, a slice , powder or dry zest as souring agent in chutneys, stews, teas, salad dressings, soups and also blended with dried herbs to make Zaatar topping for flatbread .

I personally enjoy them with fish bbq and also Egyptian style okra. Now that I have shared on how to make the black limes it will be easy to share the recipes of many dishes as well but you can try with this delicious Saudi Traditional meal of rice and chicken called CHICKEN KABSA  . I found out that in India they flavor plain rice with black lime powder , I am not sure how I missed that! I pride myself to have a great knowledge in Indian cuisine since spent a very important part of my life India its like my birth right I have to know it ! Indian cuisine is very dear and close to my heart.  

The powder made from black limes  has a sweet-tart flavor a little bit of bitter ferment that is very unique and unusually earthy and a zesty dry aromas which seldom has a substitute, and I can see why. If you were to buy them, they are available in most Indian and Arab grocery stores and are so cheap and they last forever! if stored well of course but if you do not have access to Indian or Arab stores you can always make them at home, very simple.

I have tried the two techniques that am familiar with just to cover those who can keep them out in the sun and those who cannot, you can always use the oven. I did these sometime in Dec so I was comfortable having my oven on for several hours to warm the kitchen although the sun was not so hot it was merely a decoration and light than heat that I needed, so I used both the oven and the sun which ever was applicable but you can take a break but make sure you keep them in a rack so the they do not retain any moisture.

Store them in airtight glass or plastic container in a cool place.

1. I used 12 limes , you can use any amount.Wash the limes and remove any stickers

2. Bring about a liter of water to gentle boil , Add the lemons and blanch about 60-90 seconds only

3. Put them in ice bath, keep them for about 4-5 minutes until completely cooled

4. Wipe them well

Put them on wire rack and keep them out in the sun for about 2 -3 days or in the oven on 170F/75C for 2-3 days until you get the desired color and the lemons are hard and hollow

After 3 hours of sun 53F

2nd day after 8 hours sun 65F ( Not bad at all)

You can zest , a pinch goes well with black tea or salad dressing!

You can grind with Mortar and pestle

or grind in spice /coffee grinder for stew, soups etc 

Here's the zest, the powder and the whole lime

1. I used 12 limes , you can use any amount.

2. Wash the limes and remove any stickers

3. Bring about a liter of water to gentle boil 

4. Add the lemons and blanch about 60-90 seconds only

5. Put them in ice bath, keep them for about 4-5 minutes until cooled completely

6. Wipe them well

7. Put them on wire rack and keep them out in the sun for about 2 -3 days or in the oven on 170F/75C for 2-3 days until you get the desired color and the lemons are hard and hollow

If you would like to see how I made mine , please follow this link to my YouTube channel 

CHICKEN KABSA

When you are rice lover its not easy to ignore such beautiful simple dishes like Kabsa. Kabsa is a traditional Saudi Arabian dish of rice cooked with meat or chicken, lamb, fish etc. 

Kabsa is a very simple and has very unique flavors and aromas , it is very easy to prepare and has many variations as far as the seasoning is concerned , although dry or black lemon and cinnamon are obviously  the common ingredients in many recipes that I have come across.

Black lemon which is actually a black lime has nice fermented tangy flavors and aromas which blend very well with cinnamon and of course the lemon zest adds that freshness......

Kabsa , as per Wikipedia was originally known as Yemeni National food and it is also well loved adapted in many neighboring  Middle Eastern countries such as Oman, UAE, Qatar etc.

So it was one of those days where I missed my foodie life of UAE,  and I missed eating Kabsa. I did not have any Arab friends in UAE who prepared Kabsa at home so my experience with Kabsa was  always from a restaurant.  Thanks to google and YouTube,  now days attaining  knowledge in any field has never been easier , so I searched and researched the history and the recipe to compliment it. 

I was obviously looking for a recipe prepared by a Saudi if you know what I mean ( I am being bias here ;( .  I liked the recipe of  none other than the original charming Saudi lady named Eman , her recipe is brilliant I made it twice sometime back in 2013 and then after I became comfortable with it I twisted it with more ingredients to suit my palate even better but yet  managed to retain its originality.

The style of cooking Kabsa in my opinion is more of a technique than a recipe and that is why there are many variations to it.

Most of the spices are easily available in many grocery stores and the black lime can be purchased in Indian, Persian or Arab stores or..you can make your own and I will show you how.

Lets get cooking.......

For the chicken marinade

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 Tbl Lemon juice

1 Tbl spoon of fresh and ginger garlic paste

Mix all the ingredients well and rub them into the chicken , cover it and let it sit for about 30-45 minutes.

 Wash , and rinse the rice. Soak it for about 20-30 minutes

In a large possible wide pan, heat the oil add onions and fresh ginger, saute till light brown

Add the dry spices and saute for about 2-3 minutes

Add tomato paste and mix well, add diced tomatoes. Let them cook for about 4 -5 minutes

Add the chicken pieces, whole spices and zest, let the chicken cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side

Add water, carrots. black lemon and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat , cover it and simmer for about  for about 20 to minutes or until the chicken is well cooked

Remove the chicken and place it in the baking pan -; 

                              

Add the rice in the chicken broth , simmer for about 15 minutes 

                                

Once the liquid has evaporated from the rice, cover it with aluminium foil and kitchen towel so that the steam does not escape too fast in order to keep the rice fluffy and moist- keep it on the low for about 15-20 minutes

Meanwhile brush the chicken quarters  with oil or butter and bake for about 5- 10 

                             
                        Saute the nuts for about 4 minutes on medium heat

                            

Ingredients:

For the chicken marinade

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 Tbl Lemon juice

1 Tbl spoon of fresh and ginger garlic paste

Mix all the ingredients well and rub them into the chicken , cover it and let it sit for about 30-45 minutes.

For the rice

2 cups/390 gm Basmati rice 

1 cup diced onions

1 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp cardamom powder

1/2 tps turmeric powder

1/2 tps black pepper

1/2 tps white pepper

1/4 tps cloves

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 cup shredded carrots

2 black lemons

few strands of saffron ( optional)

For garnish - optional

Almonds, raisins or pine nuts , cashew nuts, pistachio etc

1 Tbl oil

Whole spices - optional

3 Cinnamon Sticks

3 Whole cardamoms

2 Bay leaves

3 Cloves

10 Peppercorns 

Method

Wash , rinse the rice and soak for about 20-30 minutes before cooking.

On a medium heat ,in a large sauce pan or pot heat up the oil and butter 


Add the onions and grated ginger and saute till brown


Add tomato paste and mix well, add diced tomatoes. Let them cook for about 4 -5 minutes


Add the chicken pieces, whole spices and zest, let the chicken cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side


Add water, carrots. black lemon and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat , cover it and simmer for about  for about 20 to minutes or until the chicken is well cooked


Turn the oven to 400F/200C or broil, keep baking tray or pan ready


Remove the chicken and place it in the baking pan -; 


Add the rice in the chicken broth , simmer for about 15 minutes 


Meanwhile brush the chicken quarters  with oil or butter and bake for about 5- 10 


Once the liquid has evaporated from the rice, cover it with aluminium foil or kitchen towel so that the steam does not escape in order to keep the rice nice and moist - keep it low heat for about 15 minutes.


Mean while use a small frying pan to saute the nuts.
Serve the chicken over the bed of rice and garnish with the various nuts 

    Enjoy your meal

If you would like to see how this dish is made you please press the link below 

TRIO COLOUR VANILLA CAKE

There are somethings you just do not outgrow no matter how old you get. In my case it is this beautiful simple vanilla cake that used to ( and still is) always done with some such beautiful colors which makes it cake very attractive and interesting especially for special occasion.

Growing up in Zanzibar , having a colorful cake for Eid was a must. We all looked forward to visiting family and friends just to enjoy and compare whose house served the prettiest color or served the largest  piece of cake we really did not care much about the taste or texture.

Looking at this cake one might get intrigued, it is just like any spongy, moist and fluffy vanilla cake with a hit of orange zest which gives it a  whole new level of intensity yet balanced with flavors and freshness. It is not too sweet and can hold on without any kind of frosting , its perfect with evening tea or brunch item.

I am going to share the recipe with you so you can be the judge of it.

Recipe:

4 ½ cups/563 gms all-purpose flour
4 tps baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 and ½ cups butter (3 sticks) 340gms
3 cups/600gms sugar
1 ½ cups milk /350ml
2 tsp vanilla essence
½ tsp orange zest (optional)


Method:

Pre-heat oven on 350F/175C, line up the baking bap with parchment paper or grease the pan with butter or shorting and then dust some flour 

1. Sift the flour twice, add baking powder , baking soda and salt. Keep it a side

2. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy ( this can be done with a stand mixer or electric hand mixer) on a low speed. Scrape the bowl

3. Add one egg at a time on low speed, beating well after each addition until well combined

4. While the mixer is still on low speed , add the milk slowly and gradually, add the vanilla extract and orange zest. Increase the speed and continue mixing for about 2 minutes.

5.  Fold in the flour  gently  in small potions (about 1/2 cup)

6.  Separate the batter into 4 portions out of which 3 will be about 4 oz into separate bowls and color the batter with your favorite colors

7. Spread the white batter in the prepared pan, add the colored batter in various angles, center and side. Use any sharp tool or batter knife to make a swirl.

8. Tap down the pan 2-3 to release any air bubbles

9. Bake at 350F/175C for 40-45 minutes

10. Once it has cooled down, 
release the cake from the pan and slice it in any size you desire

For visual tutorial please press the link below

KAIMATI/LUQAIMAT ( SWEET DUMPLINGS)

Kaimati or also known as luqaimat/lugaimat in Arabic are sweet crispy and fluffy fried dumplings which are coated and drizzled with an aromatic sugar syrup.  These inviting sweet dumplings are very popular in many Arab and African countries , and the preparation is the similar but differ with very minor ingredients as well as technique to some degree.

The Kaimatis by nature are not sweet , its the rich golden color sugar syrup coated on them that makes them irresistible both in appearance as well  sweetness and of course the rich flavors and aromas of zaffron and cardamoms are so inviting  sure to make you come back for just one more dumpling.

In Zanzibar the , syrup we (then) used for Kaimatis is very simple with just sugar, water and cardamom and sometimes with Saffron for that rich and luxurious taste. However just like many traditional and authentic delicacies you find modern ways of serving the dish and in this case it the simple sugar syrup has developed into variety of syrups such as date, raisin , caramel and so on.

Kaimatis are  a side sweet dish that is served in many Zanzibari homes for a special lunch or dinner but they are more served during the holly month of Ramadhan as an item to break fast at sunset accompanied by Turkish coffee to help all that sugar roll down.

Growing up making Kaimati was never my 'thing' am not sure why, it was my cousin the seasonal cook, she cooked only in Ramadhan and it was only Kaimati and Katlesi and of-course she mastered them perfectly in shape and sizes  and we all loved them and there would never be a leftover no matter how much she cooked.

A lot of people are apprehensive to make Kaimati because fear of not getting them into the right perfect equal size shapes and  I guess deep down I was one of them too. 2 years after being away from home , I could not take it any longer it was time to face my fears and pull up my sleeves and attack this tiny golden sweet ball that left me restless for a while. The first attempt was not that bad, other than having batter all over me and every utensil in the kitchen. So if you are one of those people who fear of not getting the right shape, brush that aside because once you have served the kaimatis , you will be surprise how fast they will disappear and that will give you room to make them again and again and with more practice you will become perfect.

The basic batter has 3 key ingredients flour, yeast and water as well as oil or ghee but I like to add  more optional ingredients such as plain yogurt and corn starch so they become more crunchy and crispy. The secret to making the best Kaimatis is in the syrup !  

Ingredients:

       

                                                             

                                                                      

1 Cup/125 gms All-purpose flour

1 tsp /3.5gms yeast

1 Tbl corn starch

1 Tbls veg oil/ghee

2 Tbls plain yogurt 

1/2 Cup + 1 Tbl water

 ( may vary) 

         

 For the Syrup   
 1 Cup/200gms Sugar

 1/2 Cup /120ml warm water

 1/4-1/2 tsp crushed or powdered cardamom

 Few strands of Saffron (optional)

For visual tutorial please click the link below: