Rasheeda's Family Table

By Rasheeda Hasan

This book began with the idea of just offering recipes for Indian cuisine, but over time it evolved into a wider selection of recipes, including most popular Western, African, Chinese, Korean, and Middle Eastern dishes. These recipes are easy, delicious, and meant to be fun and inspirational.

Written with passion, these recipes

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rasheeda Hasan
• Release date: Mar 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9781960075154

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Copyright © Rasheeda Hasan. All rights reserved 2022.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Authorunit

Number and Address

877-826-5888

17130 Van Buren Blvd., Ste. 238, Riverside, CA 92504

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-960075-14-7 (Paperback Edition)

ISBN: 978-1-960075-15-4 (E-book Edition)

Printed in the United States.

Contents

Prefaceix

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Kitchen Equipment

Essential Techniques in the Kitchen

Uses of Aromatics

Appetizers

Spinach Quiche

Codfish Cakes from Barbados

Dates Stuffed with Cream Cheese, and Pistachios

Deviled Eggs

Coconut Shrimp

Indian Cuisine

Indian Meat Dishes

Best Kafta Curry

Fried Flank Steak Thai Style

Dum ka Gosht with Onions

Dum ka Kheema

Lamb Liver Curry

Lamb Chops

Dopiaza

Shikampur and Shami Kebabs

Aloo ka Khorma

Lamb Kebabs

Indian Poultry Dishes

Chicken

Chicken Achaari

Chicken Curry

Chicken Khorma

Tandoori Chicken

Indian Vegetarian Dishes

Tomato Chutney

Yogurt Curry

Aloo Methi

Amratsari chole

Baghare Baigen

Baigen Bhurta

Cauliflower Manchurian

Tomato Kutt with Hard-Boiled Eggs

Indian Rice Dishes

Kacchi Lamb Biryani

Kichadi

Palao Mughlai

Vegetable Palao

Khushka

Qubooli

Indian Desserts

Rasmalai

Double Ka Meetha

Saiyon ka Meetha

Hyderabadi Kheer

Western Cuisine

Biscotti

British Scones

Pancakes

Banana Bread

French Palmier

Western Meat Dishes

Porterhouse Steak

Pan Seared Strip Steak

Prime Ribs

Chuck pot Roast

Dry Rub Barbecued Ribs

Roast Beef

Yorkshire Pudding

English Steak and Kidney Pie

Hamburgers

Osso Bucco

Beef Stew

Lamb Shanks

Marinated Grilled Flank Steak

Western Poultry Dishes

Fried Chicken with Batter

Chicken Paillard

Roast Chicken

Chicken Kiev

Roasted Turkey

Pasta Dishes

Spaghetti with Meatballs

Angel Hair with Shrimp

Lemon Spaghetti

Western Rice Dishes

Mexican Fried Rice

Paella Easy Way

Shrimp Risotto

Western Desserts

Pate Brisee

The Basic Pie Crust

Double Crust Pie Pastry

Cakes, Pies and Tarts

Baked Flan

Blueberry Cobbler

Cheesecake

Traditional Apple Pie

Almonds or Pistachios Nut Tart

Seafood Dishes

Fish and Chips

Crispy Shrimp with Sauce

Seared Sword Fish

Jumbo Shrimp with Jalapenos and Whisky

Tilapia in Spicy Sauce

Shrimp Scampi

African Cuisine

Benachin

Domoda

Spinach and Palm Oil Stew

Yassa Tenderloin

Chinese Cuisine

Spicy Chicken with Broccoli

General Tso’s Chicken

Captain’s Chicken

Kung Pao Beef or Chicken

Ginger Chicken

Japanese Teriyaki Chicken

Orange Chicken

Pasta alla Genovese

Campanelle Pasta with Sweet Corn,

Tomatoes and Basil

Pasta with Pistachios, Tomatoes, and Mint

Vegetable Lo Mein recipe

Szechwan Noodles

Pad Thai

Szechwan Shrimp

Korean Cuisine

Eggplant Korean Style

Bibimbap

Bulgogi Beef

Korean Calamari

Korean Spinach

Quick Calamari

Red Bell Pepper with Garlic and Cilantro

Middle Eastern Cuisine

Baba Ghanoush

Chickpeas Dip

Tabbouleh

Meat Dishes

Iraqi Lamb and Beef Kebab

Moorish Lamb Skewers

Persian Kebab

Lebanese Kibbe

Stuffed Peppers with Meat and Rice

Stuffed Tomatoes

Braised String Beans

Mexican Dishes

Mixed Bean Chili

Mexican Quesadillas

Potatoes and Poblanos Rajas Salad

Beef Fajitas

Shrimp Tacos

Glossary

Conversion Tables

Bibliography

Index

Preface

The idea of writing a cookbook has been in the works for almost fifty years. I was 24 years old when I went to England to join my husband, who had already been there for eight months working as a House officer in Harrogate Hospital. We had to stay in the hospital accommodations. Meals provided by the hospital kitchen were foreign to me. After a few weeks, the hospital kitchen staff graciously allowed me to go into the kitchen to make some Indian food. They were fascinated to see how I made completely different dishes, even with ingredients not typically utilized for Indian cuisine. My simple skills of improvisation were a great hit with them. They tasted and loved the simple curries I turned out to serve with boiled rice or even sliced white bread. Things did not change even after moving into our own house because there were no Indian grocery stores around. The nearest store from us was at least 30 miles away, and we had no way of getting there because we had neither a car nor a driver’s license. I continued to do my meals with whatever basic spices I could find and was courageous enough to invite friends to join us for lunch, supper, or casual snacks. It was really surprising that they raved about everything they ate and wanted me to give them recipes. They even suggested that they would be the first to get a copy if I were to write a cookbook.

That is how the desire for writing a cook book was conceived and helped develop a burning passion for cooking and writing down the recipes. While the idea was originally for a cookbook on Indian cuisine, it slowly evolved into a desire to include recipes from other cuisines. Since I was living in England, I wanted to try out English dishes. I had a group of friends who came to me to learn how to make curries, and in return, they offered to teach me how to roast meats and poultry. They also taught me to make pie crust to make English pies which I loved to eat. My journey into world cuisine continued when we left England and moved to The Gambia, a small country on the west coast of Africa. I quickly became fascinated with the unique flavors of the local cuisine and set upon mastering Gambian cooking to the best of my ability.

This experiment with making and eating a variety of different foods was something I wanted to introduce to my friends and family, and especially my Indian friends and families. They were often reluctant to try other cuisines. Therefore, writing a cookbook incorporating recipes from various world cuisines that our family had grown to love seemed like an excellent way to accomplish that. I hoped to introduce a wide variety of food for everyone to enjoy instead of eating bland meals day after day.

However, before I put pen to paper, I wanted to feel completely confident in my cooking technique and recipe writing experience to produce the best possible book. I tried to become as knowledgeable as possible about everything from ingredients to cooking tips and techniques to the best equipment for making delicious dishes.

Still, there was this nagging feeling that I knew so little. There were so many beautiful cookbooks with which I could never compete. But throwing out all doubts, I decided to go ahead with the book I had dreamed about writing.

Even that took years because commitments in my life demanded priorities of their own. Family life and people around me had a way of taking over, and I let my dream ideas simmer away until I could get enough time to focus on my project entirely.

I continued to experiment with a variety of cuisines. I knew that people have very rigid tastes and are often reluctant to try dishes out of their comfort zone. Keeping that in mind, it was necessary to simplify the words and put a twist on Western dishes to suit the Indian palate. Similarly, Indian dishes had to be toned down to fit the Western palate.

From this evolved my book, which instead of initially planned as Indian recipes, now also has my favorite international recipes, which are easy to make and fun to eat and enjoy.

This book represents my journey through world cuisine, from eating homemade Rotis with my parents and siblings to cooking up Gambian Benachin or English pies for my husband and children. The recipes are from the heart, and I hope you enjoy cooking and eating the dishes as much as I have.

Dedication

My husband, Jaffer Hasan is the driving force behind me.

Without his passion for good food with a variety, and his love and support this book would not have been possible.

Acknowledgements

I want to express my gratitude to the many people who encouraged me through the process of writing this book. I owe my thanks to Lois Cullen for finding time to edit my early draft despite her hectic schedule. I also want to thank Bonnie Lambert, Loreto Duffy- Mayers, and many others who provided support, talked things over and offered comments, which allowed me to stay on task.

I am grateful to all my family members who appreciated everything I made, complimented, cheered and cherished my every effort. My special thanks go to my son, Ashfaq Hasan, for graciously reading, editing, and making suggestions which I proudly incorporated in my book.

Most of all, I would like to thank my daughter, Tazeen Ahmad, for being my rock throughout this process. Her eagle-eyed approach spotted areas where improvement was necessary. Her help with cover design, formatting, and editing has been invaluable. I appreciate that she believed in me enough to provide me with the knowledge and the type of support I needed.

My thanks go to my publishing team, especially Yza Garcia, Iris Johannson, and Lyca Sinclair, for their infinite patience with my schedule and for making this a reality.

I am greatly indebted to food channels where chefs like Martha Stewart have inspired me to try dishes I would never have known or dared to make. I am also very grateful for my help by reading cookbooks written by great chefs and cookbook writers. I have drawn from them all my international recipes.

Last but not least, my love, thanks, and blessings to my eight years old twin granddaughters, Nabihah and Zainab. They know how to enjoy a great variety of food. More than that, they know how to boost my morale by describing what I make for them by saying, it is not just delicious, it is amazing.

Finally, I beg forgiveness of all those who appreciate and enjoy everything I make and whose names I did not mention.

Kitchen Equipment

Some of the primary and essential equipment needed for a home cook is to produce meals with ease and efficiency.

Electric Blender

Electric Blender is a necessary utensil in a modern-day kitchen. In the blink of an eye, it purees, grates, chops, minces, and blends liquids and solids.

The Food processor

Without a food processor, cooking becomes rather cumbersome and time-consuming. It chops, cuts, mixes, and blends ingredients in more significant amounts for instant use.

Electric Stand Mixer

This device makes bread dough, mashing potatoes, and creaming butter an excellent tool for a passionate cook.

Immersion Blender

Immersion blenders are handy tools to blend anything in a saucepan without transferring back and forth from the saucepan to the blender.

Carving knives

Carving knives come in straight edges and also with a serrated edge. Both are about 9 inches in length but with different functions. A straight edge knife is used for roasts and steaks, whereas the one with a serrated edge is ideal for cold meats, cheeses, bread, and pastry.

Cook’s knife

Cook’s knife is suitable for dicing, chopping, and slicing raw vegetables and fruits.

Kitchen shears

kitchen Shears are essential for cutting through poultry joints, paring, trimming unwanted fat and rinds. And are needed for snipping strings off rolled meats.

Mandolin

Mandolin