A very popular starter on most Thai menus, the best I have had thus far is fom street vendors in Thailand. They ask you for your ‘chillie’ tolerance, I went for 2, some locals were going for 7 yes 7! birds eye Thai red chillies. The whole mix is pounded
Those that are familiar with Thai cuisine, will know this as a healthy sharp tasting starter, its quite simple to make as with most Thai food made in sabihaskitchen, it is made with readily available pastes, just make sure to buy a Thai brand and not a clone! Ingredients Method
Those of you with South Asian heritage, may have enjoyed different kinds of nihari. Beef, lamb, nali (marrow) nihari, nihari with brain etc., but recently I have come across another take on nihari, our Sussex family makes chicken nihari, its healthier and still tastes like the real McCoy! This recipe
This is a lovely one-pot full meal made frequently by our family in Pakistan, it’s an easier version of pilao/pulao as you don’t need to make any yukhni (stock) before beginning the cooking process. Its a bit like bhuna chicken, with rice all in one-pot. Enough said! Ingredients Method
I just love Thai food, it’s my all time favourite cuisine! And I enjoy recreating restaurant dishes in my own kitchen, but nobody can match the level and authenticity of Thai dishes made by my bhabhi in the USA. So guys here are her very own recipes, she can make
There is always a personal, regional or cultural take on most recipes and Pakora Kadhi is no exception to that. Yo may well be familiar with this gram flour and yoghurt based sour stew, with deep fried pakoras/fritters dunked in, served over rice or with chapattis/naan. In Muslim households where
We grew up in Kenya and so are very familiar with mogo also known as cassava/yuca (NOT YUCCA!). In the coastal towns like Mombasa and Malindi, it is spotted on roadsides, being roasted on coal, or sliced straight into hot oil to be fried into crisps, enjoyed sprinkled with red
Hmm! this is a popular dish for breakfast but also works well if hungry unannounced guests turn up! This occurred quite frequently during our growing years in Kenya and also at my home in UK. Nowadays the second/third generation can afford hotels, Airbnbs and fancy breakfasts and brunches. However, we
There are just so many karahi recipes around, some are really good, some are average and some just don’t meet the criteria of good karahis. A true karahi is one that doesn’t use onions in the recipe and doesn’t have lashings of gravy. When chicken and lamb dishes include onions,
I am sure we all know sandwiches have been around for yonks, but do we know who created them and when? The British would love to take the accolade as they have a town named Sandwich and they also claim that the Earl of Sandwich invented them and made them
So growing up in tropical Kenya, and following my dad with his Government office transfers every 3 years, we met and socialised with a variety of people Goans, Hindu punjabis, Sikhs, Sindhis, Gujaratis etc who made differing cuisines in their home. We exchanged recipes and were in and out of
This recipe is from natashaskitchen, she is on instagram and has a website, I love her easy to follow recipes that turn out lovely. This one is a winter salad, looks appealing and the simplicity of the vinaigrette dressing just works perfectly with the ingredients used. Enjoy! Ingredients Dressing Salad
This is self-explanatory – a chutney made with dried plums. It is served in Pakistan at every wedding as the country produces plums and other summer fruits in abundance. It can be quite addictive so one gets carried away and doesn’t know when to stop eating it! Sugar alert! I
I came across this chicken salad recipe online and found it interesting, I have made it numerous times with the chicken and more frequently without. The dressing is the actual success story of this salad, it is for those that like spicy/chillie hot and tangy all in one place. The
During Covid Lockdowns 2020/2021 I set myself a task – how to make at least 5 types of really happening chicken wings! The really successful ones are on this website. This recipe has been shared with me by one of my many cousins, it really hits the spot as the
It is difficult to introduce a dish that has been around for years and years and years, comes with some challenges and has traditionally been cooked overnight on very low heat. It’s one that is either hated or loved and even those that enjoy the sticky fingers and the slurping
The Afghan people have brought a lot of different types of karahis to our table, this white chicken/lamb karahi is trending all over YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. It is one of the ‘simpler’ recipes on this website as it doesn’t have too many steps. I have made this version for
There are so many stories about how the club sandwich originated, my favourite one is the one about Colonial times in Hindustan, when the cook was asked to produce a snack with leftovers and he just conjured up an amazing first ‘Club Sandwich’. And how wonderful that all major hotel
The Shinwaris, are a nomadic Afghan people and those that have moved to Pakistan have succeeded in establishing themselves via their food. As with any new migrants, familiar food provides much comfort, so the Afghans have opened up small ‘dhabas; (roadside restaurants) on major trunk roads and in some of
I first had this at a wedding in the USA 5 years ago and was hooked! However, I only started making it a couple of years ago when it started trending on social media. As per most recipes there are loads of connotations that can be put together, my favourite
I came across this recipe from cookingshooking on my Facebook feed, I made it yesterday and it was soooo popular, it motivated me to write it onto my website immediately. A simple and tasty starter. Ingredients Method
Pilao/Pulao/Pilaf/Pilaw consists of rice flavoured with spices and cooked in stock with meat, fish or vegetables. It is not chillie hot but is certainly rich in spices and there are differing versions of this in Arabia, Kenya, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan etc. The recipe below, is an incredibly different version of
Many years ago, we were frequent visitors at Madhu’s Brilliant restaurant, Southall, UK. Uncle Madhu (Maha) was originally from Kenya so he knew our palate well, and we loved that he offered Asian Kenyan cuisine, with the likes of mogo (cassava), passion juice, bhajias, methi chicken, butter chicken and zeera
We have been making different kinds of fish over the years, and some of the recipes are already on this website. This one is very special to me as its taught to me by a friend from my long gone youth! My friend is a vegetarian who doesn’t even eat
What can I say to introduce this dish? It is almost the most ordered dish in Chinese restaurants worldwide and every chef has their own take on it. It is as it says, sweet using sugar or honey and sour using vinegar or lime/lemon. I learnt this recipe in Pakistan
As many of you will know, there are many different types of curries. Bhuna has very little gravy, rus misah (Punjabi) has a medium amount of gravy and then there is the thin shora (Punjabi), shorba (Urdu), not to be confused with shurba, an arabic stew made with meat and
This currently very trending recipe is called Chicken Malai Boti for a reason. Malai translates into cream in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi but is also a term used to explain something very soft, velvety and smooth, and boti is a small piece of meat. Hence the name Chicken Malai Boti!
This is one of Marion Grasby’s recipes, her videos and explanations are just so mouth-watering and she is one of the few chefs I follow on Instagram. Check for the full step by step video on her website. Some of you have said its easier for you to follow the
Sarson ka saag, also known as kotwaan saag is a pure vegetarian dish and is made in Punjabi homes with much love and effort and then shared amongst family and friends. Making it from scratch is a long process, hence, I never made it! Luckily a friend from Leeds UK,
Keema or mince is just meat that has been finely chopped or put through a mincer and can be from cow/goat/sheep or even chicken. It is easy to cook and every bite you eat has meat in it! My uncle in Kenya had his own twist on mince/keema karahi and
Some will call this the ‘king’ of dhals some the ‘queen’ as it was a favourite of the Moghuls and is still the dhal of choice at formal dinners. It is a pulse that comes in a black coating on the outside, and has a white interior when split and
Each of my recipes has a story of where and how I came across it and this one is no different! Our friends invited us for lunch at Gilanis Restaurant during our recent trip to Nakuru, Kenya where I went to school and you guessed it, served us loads of
This is an amazing reproduction of one of our childhood favourites – Potato & Mince cutlets – in Kenya also known as bateta champs or cutlass), but with fewer calories and a satisfying taste. My cousin from Reading inherited her mum’s recipe and makes it (upon request) at all our
This is a rice dish made with lamb, beef or chicken,and is widely available in most Middle Eastern countries, it is an Arabian take on Pilao/Biryani and the change is so satisfying when served with the special chutney that goes with it. For years some of the Sheikh family has
Dahin bhallay (dahin vada, dahin bhalla, dahin vaday) are known by many names and the dish is very popular as a snack in a lot of countries like India, Pakistan, Mauritius, Kenya and of course in Asian households around the world. There are a multitude of different recipes for making
A Greek/Arab/Turkish dish made all over the world to differing ingredients. This recipe is my mum’s and she frequently made it for us upon request during our growing years in Kenya, and when I eat this it still conjures up a warm loving family feeling. This recipe has a desi
Mums are the fonts of all knowledge! I went shopping the other day and bought these lovely looking small aubergines on an impulse, I am home and thinking, I have never made these without meat or chicken where do I begin? Easy call mother! She sent me the recipe via
During our recent tour of South East Asia, we had the opportunity to try different cuisines and very different recipes, some didn’t sit very well with our views living in the UK, for example the copious amounts of salt used in this recipe. Note, the whole skin with salt can
A very simple and satisfying granola recipe, its so simple to prepare, I often wonder why we bother buying the stuff! Ingredients Method
Kashmiri (the original leaves originate in Kashmiri) or Gulabi (Pink) Chai (Tea) is a savoured delicacy and the process to get the correct pink coloured milky liquid into a fine bone china cup is unlike any other. Copious amounts are literally downed in the Punjab over the cold winter months
Salad is salad!For years we have been serving salads as a side dish with no dressing making it a challenge to swallow! Having lived in the West and also travelled to many corners of the world, I have now realised that a good dressing is all it takes to make
This is one of my most recent ‘acquisitions’! A very talented lady who is an amazing cook, served my lovely Pupho Maryam and ‘us’ as part of our recent lunch invite. The soup was so tasty and warming I can’t even remember what else was on her brimming table. As
I saw this recipe from Masala hut online, made it once loved it and then adjusted it to our tastebuds, hence the name change to Bhuna Chicken 95 – courtesy of my husband. Its a dry roast chicken and should be served as a starter with a salad, if serving
Pilao/Pilaf/Pilaff you spell it how you like! This is a dish of rice and meat, it is milder than a biryani, but with an unusualy aroma of spices. Pilaos are made all over the world with chicken, lamb, beef or even vegetables. I believe the first written recipe was by
So finally mooching around on Facebook has paid off! I saw this recipe lurking on someone’s post and it looked so simple. On impulse, I made it with trepidation for my family who are quite fond of Italian food and some class themselves as Pizza Express experts – like that’s Italian!
Tawa – is a griddle/frying pan/flat piece of metal with very low walls, sometimes convex, it is usually made of iron sheet or cast iron, but also comes in steel, aluminium and with non-stick coatings. It is widely used in the East for making naans or chappatis. There are two
Nihari was a dish created for kings, nawabs and emperors but also served in huge vats to the workers in eras gone by. Rich in meat content, light on spices but very satisfying. My first encounter was via our friend Mrs Ghauri, she sent a bowlfull for us to enjoy
This recipe is a cross between East and West brought to our palate by one of my mum’s friends in the UK. Every 27th night of Ramadan, aunty would send her son to deliver this really huge baked chicken and sweetcorn tray. My children would demolish half of it at
Those of us living in the UK have seen many an influx of different races and creeds, each bringing into Britain their very own personal cuisine, always tried and tested by locals. At present the Afghanis are making in-roads into the local restaurant scene with their very own specialities, some
In Kenya we grew up eating ‘Chana Bateta’ the best ones were made by my friend Yasmin (Khoji) of Nakuru. Her channas were to die for, nothing like the ones us Punjabis make. The added touch was curry patta, gram flower and raw mango. She usually served them with a
Those of you that have been to Nathiagali, Muree will have missed out, if you didn’t eat the fried chillie chicken and mash ki daal at the famous Taj Mahal Hotel – actually a restaurant. The chicken is deep fried and comes out coated with chillies, served with dollops of
This is a basic sponge (without butter), of Latin American origin, steeped in three kinds of milk – evaporated, sweetened condensed and double cream. It has a light texture and is not soggy as no fats are used in the making. I have requested and enjoyed it in homes, at
This is a really warming Chinese style chicken and vegetable soup perfect for Winter nights. I got the recipe from Aqsa Khalid of Lahore. It’s quite simple, but as with most soups you need to produce a good stock for a tasty rich outcome, so be patient – or you
For this recipe you will either already be used to and enjoy eating cooked bitter sweet fenugreek leaves or you will need to acquire a taste for it. Bear in mind that the very strong distinctive aroma of fenugreek will remain with you for 24 hours! It’s made very frequently
No Chinese meal is complete without at least one rice dish, this is a quick and easy recipe for egg-fried rice, it’s an easy dish to take to picnics, eat on its own or as part of a whole meal. Ingredients are approximate, as it’s a ‘whatever’ goes kind of
Again, this is one of the lovely Chinese with a Pakistani touch, ever popular in Pakistani restaurants and easily re-created in the home. Ingredients Stage 1 Stage 2 Method Stage 1 Stage 2
If I say this is the most favourite, very favourite, the favourite dish of my family you will get the correct idea about the popularity of this dish. Again I learnt this in a very innovative tutor’s kitchen in Lahore, we helped with chopping and preparing, she showed us the
Chinese with a touch of Pakistan! I actually took classes in Lahore, Pakistan to emulate the dishes served in the Chinese restaurants in Lahore. I have travelled the world over, tried many Chinese connotations but nothing comes close to the dishes served in Lahore. I even took to the kitchen
Recently my cousin was over from Ireland and as usual, we were discussing recipes, she said she makes this sure hit halwa, so as per usual I was intrigued. She explained the process to me verbally and I made it the very next day where 20 odd people tasted and tested
We have been making Kofta (Meatball) curries from the time of the Mughal empire in India, recipes have been evolving over time and there is always a new one around the corner! My mum is always looking up unique recipes, she found this unusual kofta curry recipe in a magazine and made
Another of the lovely food memories from my younger days growing up in Mombasa. The joy of walking home from Mbheni Primary School with friends, passing by hawkers with Achaari, Vitumbua, Sour potatoes near Mbheni Bazaar. Buying these potatoes, served on white paper or newspaper, topped with ghatia, crisps, chutneys, using the finger
When we were growing up in Kenya, our mothers took pride in feeding us and our guests homemade snacks. Popat as my mum called these, were one of the salty snacks and went down a treat with a cup of tea or ice-cold soda. Some people know them as namak
Bhun is a Pakistani cooking technique in which ingredients are fried until the oils separates. Onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and spices are fried in hot oil, until they have formed a paste. It is different from a curry as it is not as runny/liquidy. Hence, it cannot be eat with rice,
On one of my annual trips to sunny California to visit family I was served this salad the ‘killer’ ingredient is the almost raw mango – mouthwatering. It has a tangy, sharp and sweet flavour and goes really well with a Thai/Chinese meal or with a bbq, of course we can’t compete
This tea-time snack is a cross between a crumbly biscuit/cookie and cake, a good nankhatai is one that crumbles on the tongue, sweet but not too sweet. This recipe has been handed down from our mum’s, their mums and their mums! I remember the simplicity, 5 items each of equal
My son went on a holiday to Sri Lanka and couldn’t stop raving about this very frequently served dish in hotels and small establishments. I remember it from my visit to Sri Lanka where it was cooked by the chef at Sigiri Rock Villa an eco friendly hotel which was a
This is a Kenyan coastal/Swahili fried bread. A true mahambri has to be hollow on the inside for stuffing, slightly crunchy on the outside and not too sweet. It’s a must have with tea when peckish, is great as an accompaniment to a party spread and is most definitely the
This dish is synonymous with Mombasa – Kenya, it is cooked in many homes by many women and sometimes men, but as with all popular dishes the recipe changes to accommodate differing palates, this is an authentic recipe from my friend who lives in Mombasa and makes my favourite form
This is a very easy and convenient recipe taught to us by our cousin Talat who resides in Tullamore, Ireland. My 14 year old niece in California made this for her family and found it easy to make and yet delicious. Ingredients Method
This dish has connections to the happy years I spent in Mombasa and memories of any and every dish having some ‘tui’ coconut milk added to it. There is makai (corn) paka, kuku (chicken) paka, machi (fish) paka, dhal (lentils) paka etc. The recipe has many versions and was imported
I watched a television show in the UK where Nigella Lawson made this very simple dessert. My niece made this under my guidance during my trip to USA and I had it posted onto my sabihaskitchen facebook page, following the clamouring for the recipe, here goes. Ingredients Method
I remember going to River Road with my grandmother especially for a plate of Maru’s (the owner’s name) Bhajia, they would be served freshly fried, with two chutneys, one quite hot (in chillies) the other sour. Unless you poured lashings of both over the bhajias to soak, you just didn’t
This is an unusual pasta dish with a Pakistani connotation, it can be eaten hot or cold, and is a very suitable and popular item at a high tea or dinner party. The fresh fragrant green coriander gives it that deeper more startling flavour which keeps people returning for more
I have no idea of the origins of this lovely starter, but have very fond memories of being treated to cutlets during my growing years in Kenya regularly by my mother and occasionally by my maternal grandmother, who made them by pounding the potatoes in a pestle and mortar!
This is a dish with a mix of tastes, I would describe it as Chinese leaning towards the Pakistani palate. It is quite ‘hot’ in chillies, so feel free to reduce or omit the chillies to your taste. My lovely niece in Dublin, California made this and her plating is
My lunchtimes just turned interesting! Ok here is my first ever video production with a recipe – following the successful productions of weddings this summer, i put my best camera smile on! my choice was to have a voice only video without my ageing surat, but the videographer didnt agree,
This is a lovely rice dish, demonstrated to me by my sister-in-law from Saudi Arabia. The mastery of the dish is in the ‘wrist’, as there is a mixture of aubergine, onions and spices at the bottom of the pan with the rice cooked on the top. Just before serving,
My grandma from Narowal – Pakistan used to make this really tasty potato dish. We have made it many times over in other cities in Pakistan, Kenya and now in the UK. The outcome depends on the type of potatoes used, for e.g Meru potatoes work best in Kenya, New potatoes
