Part 1 of 2: Street Food in Turkey

Beautiful People, Beautiful Place and Beautiful Food! 

This was the surprise from Mr. Husband as he announced that we are departing for Istanbul, Turkey after 4 hours! Weather check, quick packing and chasing down the toddler was all done in two hours.

We traveled on 24th April 2015, six hour flight, no one speaks English at the airport, weather was cold but not chilly. Turkish people are very hospitable but sadly few of them speak English and fortunately some of them speak Arabic so we were good to go! Advantage of living in Middle East, always learn the language , always!

We stayed at the Aslan Hotel at Sultanahmet, near Blue Mosque. Most places are accessible by walk from Sultanahmet and there are lots of restaurants but beware there are no straight walk paths, if you are a hiker you are most probably going to enjoy all the ups and downs... like literally!

I can write a really long story about this visit but lets jump start to the food. Before travelling to Turkey, we were always crazy about Turkish cuisine and overheard on the internet about their street food and ever since then my eyes were preying ;)

1) Chestnuts and sweet corns:

You will be able to see these vendors almost everywhere, they sell chestnuts cooked on the coals and steamed sweet corns. Chestnuts are really filling hence I ate them only once because we aimed to eat everything :P

2) Swirled sticky candy:

I was looking for this colorful treat but didn' t see any vendors or 2 days but on the third night near gate of the Blue Mosque we found this vendor entertaining kids with his candy making techniques. 

Apparently natural dyes are used to color this candy. Well, it was really really sticky , my son made a huge mess!!! Too sweet and I am not sure about the natural dyeing thing. Give it a try though and must see how they make it in front of you and all the colors had different tastes.

Just keep in mind that some vendors come out after evening I guess its according to the demand or something. 

3) Simit - Bread:

Simit is a ring bread encrusted with white or black sesame seeds. Its soft like a bread but little crunchy on the outside. Vendors sell them plain or with cream cheese spread, its up to your choice. Best to eat when served warm else they start to become all hard and not so much fun to eat unless you are fond of crunchy stuff.

4) Balik Ekmek - Grilled Fish Sandwich:

As soon as we anchored back from the Bosphorus cruise we could smell grilled fish! But we sensed that we had to rush to grab these sandwiches as they were all selling out quickly and in 10 minutes they were all gone. These vendors usually come around the Bosphorus when cruises are returning from the trips.

So, the vendors come with fresh fish (fresh from the hook!) they grill it on spot and slam it into this huge bread with lettuce, peppers and lemon. That's it! Yeah and this was the best fish sandwich we ate because it was all about fresh flavors. 

5) THE kebab Sandwich:

Who is not crazy about Turkish kababs? We ate from one of the kebab sandwich vendors but to be honest it was too dry! So, here is the tip ;)

Go to Sultanahmet, behind Blue Mosque and near Aslan hotel after 8:00 PM, a small food truck pulls up and park near by. It has no signs and its white in color and an old man probably about 50 years old is the owner.

This man have some magic going on in his truck, we went crazy for his sandwiches, we would just take a stroll at night and grab some sandwiches from him, couldn't get enough of them.

This is the process, yes there is a process! You select what kind of meat you want from his freshly made uncooked kebabs; beef, lamb, kidney and lever ! Once you tell him what meat you want, he will cook it up on the grill while he spreads this red spicy combo on the thin tortilla kind of bread (Chapati maybe) and throw in some tomatoes, onions and parsley in it and then roll that kebab sandwich for you! We always took one with apple tea or Ayran (Yougut drink) ... Saying again, its a must try!

Sorry for the bad picture, it was too dark!

Well, I guess that's pretty much for now, its been a really long post for me to write and for you to read probably. I will do one more post that will hopefully cover the Turkish cuisine in general and maybe few more street foods for which I don't have pictures :(

Hope you enjoyed reading , you can leave comments, questions or any feedback, would love to hear from you <3

Click here for part 2 

New Venture: An Etsy Shop

Let it snow! Let it snow!

 I know I know , its been a long time, decades maybe?

But, I have came back from a long journey of raising a toddler and moving from Saudi to Emirates to Pakistan to Canada! Finally, we are in Canada! *yay* for landing to a country where my husband feels like home. And for me its a huge transition, from Middle East to North America...woaah!

I have few food posts including our trip to Turkey, the country is under terrorists attack and its so sad. Such a beautiful country and hospitable people <3 May Allah bless them with peace along with other countries - Ameen!

So, here I am on a new venture, opening up an Etsy shop. Since, Etsy is giving 20 free listings to start-up. I believe there is no harm and no loss in free listings :P

I have always loved to make handmade things and in past 2 years I have gotten some good skills on crochet. So, my shop will pretty much comprise on fabric arts; crochet, weaving, tapestry etc! Don't be surprised if you see other stuff too :D

Here is the link: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/ChicnBliss

Feel free to support me, I don't mind some support and shout outs for my small start-up.

Well, I have been wondering to change my food only blog "The Bun Kabab" to food and lifestyle or food and crafts...hmm? That is still under consideration though.

Hopefully, will see you back soon !

Tata <3

Mum's Recipe: Hyderabadi Harees

I will cut short to the ingredients this time but just to save you some thinking, this recipe is easy to cook but requires some muscular efforts in the end to mash it up all together!

Ingredients:

1) 1 Kg Chicken
2) 1 and half cup Wheat grains
3) 1 Tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
4) 1 Table spoon Garam Masala
5) 1 and half teaspoon Crushed Black Pepper
6) 3/4 cup Yogurt (whipped)
7) 1 Onion
8) A cup of Cashews (Optional)
9) A cup of Oil/Ghee (Split in half)
10)Lots of butter/ghee

Preps:

1) Soak wheat for 2 hours. Then using a pressure cook (That's what I did) cook it until its half done. Keep aside.

Tip: To avoid some hard work, use chopper and chop your half done wheat. DO NOT make a paste just into some pieces.

2) Make Chicken Broth: Dump all your chicken into the boiling water and let it all cook. Separate chicken from broth. And then bones from the meat :D Keep aside the chicken not the bones!

3) Take half of the cashews and make paste with water. ( Optional)


Method:

1) Use pressure cooker. Heat half cup of ghee then throw in your spices, ginger garlic paste and in the end yogurt. Keep stirring! Once you can smell all the aroma add cashew paste. Stir for a while again.

2) Add wheat, chicken and broth all together. Close your cooker now and keep it on low heat.

3) Once your chicken and wheat are blended and you think your wheat is well cooked, get ready for the fun part. Using a heavy wooden hand mixer, mash up everything and keep adding some water and butter. You do not want it to get thicker!

So, this hand mixer is easily available in Pakistani/Indian markets and you can see it in the picture above. We can also use machines but the hand mixing gives it rich and traditional texture. In Urdu we call it "Ghota" .

While mixing/blending, add 1-2 tablespoon at a time and then use some water. Don't worry wheat absorbs both really fast.

4) This is your tardka: In another pot, heat remaining oil/ghee, add your sliced onions and cook until almost brown then add cashews. When onions are brown add this to your Harees mixture and close the lid!

And Tadaaaa you are done!

Do you have some lemons? Serve your Harees with them :D


Blunders & Tips:

Garam masala was way too less in my Harees. So, I used my Maa's advice and added some garam masala to tardka (Oil and onions) and added to my Harees. Doesn't make a difference :)

Ask a male member to do the hand mixing / Ghota, my arms were aching all night. But worth it.

This dish requires a long time, so keep the serving time in mind. 

Serve some butter/ghee along. I did not and my family complained :/

Happy Cooking 

xx

Wooohooo Look What We Have Got In Riyadh : Tim Hortons !

I swear this was my first reaction on spotting the newly OPENED Tim Hortons near Localizer Mall. It was Saudi National Day and we were simply strolling on the streets but who knew what is awaiting to surprise us! *Happy Dance* 

I know Tim Hortons in Garnada Mall is opened since few months now but residing in city center its a bit too far for us. And this Tim Hortons was under construction since ages; atleast it seemed so.

Anyways, thank God it tastes same as the one we had in Dubai. Mostly the franchises in Riyadh tastes nothing like the ones in Emirates, so yeah I was worried :/

This Timmy's have single and family section both with some faux wooden tables and black leather sofas, comfortable but not aesthetic at all! But hey! who cares...we got the coffee and friendly staff :D

Incase, you are new to Tim Hortons, I suggest go with the Coffe from Hot Beverages selection to enjoy the taste of classic coffee with a hint of smoky flavour. And if you are more of a Cold Beverage person than Iced Capp is the most amazing thing you are going to slurp down your throat. I am not a fan of "too-sweet" beverages but if you are then go for French Vanilla, my husband loves it!

P.S: You can also find Cold Stone Creamery inside this Tim Hortons. And yes Canadians you can go all crazy over this new cafe in Riyadh!

The Noodle House - Riyadh

Me and husband have been planning to try out "the noodle house" since long. Its been ages since we had a hearty Asian food, last was P.F. Chang's in Dubai. The noodle house in Riyadh is in this posh Centria Mall on the top floor. We were greeted by some very cheerful fellas, some were at the live station behind the glass and some around the entrance. I was looking for a table with a view to keep my 7 months old son busy, atleast I hoped so!

The restaurant wasn't much crowded and we were seated within few minutes and the baby chair was placed with no delay. Our server was excellent at his job, with the smiling attitude and all the answers regarding dishes and the ingredients (Yes, we ask about the main ingredients sometimes)

Unfortunately, the glass view couldn't keep my son busy and I got very little chance to click pictures of our main course. But here is what we ordered:

Kung boo chicken buns: Nothing more than ordinary, dim sums at Durrat China are far more appetizing. Kung boo, tasted like frozen dim sums straight out of freezer and microwaved! The filling was a bit mushy *sad face* I freaking love dim sums but sigh!

Shanghai Beef Noodles: These noodles are not so dry and do not have any curry! Hence, I liked them! Note: Did not loooovvvee them. The beef was perfectly cooked. There was no need to chew any piece of meat extra hard or spit it out. You know what I mean. The taste was good, seemed like right proportion of Asian sauces (soy sauce, oyster etc)

Chilli Prawns: Damn! These prawns made me happy...I wished for more and more. Perfectly cooked, rightly spiced and the little bit of crispness outside. Only if I wouldn't have to share it with my husband..lol

Egg fried rice: Again Durrat China serves better :/

And my favorite...

Fried Ice cream: I am going back to this house just for their fried ice cream, beside chilli prawns. This was the best dessert I ever had (maybe exaggerating a bit). But oh my! Vanilla ice cream, coated with nuts and then vermicelli, fried until golden! Splashed with a bit of caramel not much just little. From hot and crispy outer shell to creamy cold inside. Yum yum!

Well for the drinks I do not remember exactly but I ordered something with lychee and it was an excellent blend to enjoy with our food.

Location: Centria Mall, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Food: 5/10

Service: 9/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Price range: 59-120

Our bill was around 400 Riyals!

Vote for me! 3 days to go!

So, finally the time is here and I am a bit late. Virgin Mobile Saudi selected me as top two finalists to compete for the position of Virgin Foodie.
I was really curious who am I competing with?! Unfortunately, they selected presenter of Sufrati to do so.
Now this doesn't satisfies me at all. First of all, the guideline stated to keep the video to 90 seconds, 
her professional and perfect video also made by SUFRATI is of more than 4minutes! Ha! 

Well, well, well instead of being all disappointed I will compete and lets see what it holds for me.

But certainly did not expect this to happen.

Anyways fellas, here is the link :

http://www.virginmobile.sa/vote/candidate/aisha_khanam/

And keep the fingers crossed!

Red Velvet Hearts

I baked red velvet 7 years back, and they were everything but red! Haha, I remember the disastrous color and texture. I wouldn't dare to bake red velvet again, I thought then. But every wound heals with time, doesn't it? So did my foodie pride! Too sentimental ... lol :p

So, here is my success story of red velvet cake! By the way, let me make this clear, I got silicon heart molds and that's why I wanted to bake red velvet cake. My inner girl was being cheesy.

I used my all time favorite Joy of Baking recipe but I had to make my own buttermilk, cake flour and substitute baking soda. Follow the links below and make your baking easy easier!

Red Velvet Cake Recipe by Joy of Baking

How to make buttermilk at home?

I used, white vinegar!

How to substitute baking soda?

I used the first method, replacing it by baking powder and instead I used 3 teaspoon baking powder and I felt absolutely no bad effect in the taste :D

How to make your own cake flour?

eh no link? Its as easy as 1,2,3!

1) Get one cup of the usual flour.

2) Throw 2 tablespoon of flour back into the canister.

3) Replace with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch / cornflour 

And VOILA!

Cake flour is ready to use.

Use your commonsense and do it for every cup mentioned in the recipe.

Umm what if some Hershey's semi-sweet chocolate chips surprise you with the bite of velvety cake???!!!

Yup! The hard to see little thing in there is the chocolate chips effect! Pour the cake batter half way through, throw in some chocolate chips, pour rest of the batter and nomnomnomnom!

That's it for now, finding almost no time to blog :( I am busy running after my little one with his food in hands and all over me to make sure he eats enough! 

No complaints <3 

Motherhood is awesome :D