#Ammeez Kitchen

[stock-dehko]

The myriad tastes and cultural influences of iftar

The myriad tastes and cultural influences of iftar

From wobbly china grass halwa to smoked samosas to sabudani ki kheer — Muslim communities around the country bring to the iftar table not just exciting meals but also diverse cultural influences   It is not vada, but vaadaa — a crunchy evening snack — served for iftar at Tamil-speaking Ravuthar Muslim homes in coastal Tamil Nadu. “This deep-fried snack migrated from Sri Lanka through the…

[theberryleavesgroupofindustries]

https://bit.ly/2If7gbd Kindly read the interview of SHABANA SALAUDDIN of AMMEEZ KITCHEN—MUMBAI and help in sharing the story as much as possible. Don't forget to give your valuable comment over the given link. (at Mumbai - The City of Dreams) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGLFQEdpfKv/?igshid=qmr6v0rzyl16

[liveindiatimes]

Ramadan special: A lesser-known festive spread - art and culture

https://www.liveindiatimes.com/ramadan-special-a-lesser-known-festive-spread-art-and-culture/

Apart from its tenets of abstinence, reflection, prayer and heart-searching, Ramadan is about exchanging platefuls of goodies. The human race has not mastered a practice more welcoming of fraternity than sharing food. “It is dull this time,” says Shabana Salauddin, who misses teasing her gorger friend with the quip, “Biryani doosre ki thi par pet toh khud ka tha na!” She describes it as a saying frequently thrown into Eid conversations to remind overeaters how the after-effects of “stuffing” are always one’s own. Shabana, founder of Ammeez Kitchen — a home-dining service in Mumbai’s Marol area — feels the contagion has clouded the cheer in Iftar meals; it has injected panic into our need for togetherness.

As the prolonged lockdown quiets festive habits, Shabana traces the lone cuisine of Konkani Muslims — an ethnoreligious subgroup hailing from the districts of Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg. “You think of Muslim food and may have imaginings of Galouti Kebab, a Bohri Thaal or some Hyderabadi Haleem, but our food is different. It has a conscious everyday selection of vegetables, chicken, and fish. Yet, it is not anything like Goan food,” she explains.

Khichda isn’t your regular Khichdi

Gosht Ka Khichda

Her Gosht Ka Khichda is an elaborate preparation that is made on special occasions. It requires broken wheat, six to seven kinds of lentils and rice — all boiled and mashed separately before being mixed with spices. “We use two parts of meat for one part of pulses and grains. This dish is very Persian and re-tells history as our seafarer community was born when Arab traders came to India and married local women. The Arabs have Khichda by adding macerated boneless meat to it, but we like it chunky,” Shabana adds.

Let’s go bananas

Next in line, is a dessert made from the Kapsi variety of bananas. Choi Ke Kele uses the kind of bananas that don’t fall apart on frying, even when ripe. It is cooked up by making an incision along the length of the fruit, packing it with shredded coconut and dry fruits and frying it in oodles of ghee. “Have it warm after adding a dash of saffron and a ladleful of milk,” Shabana salivates while mentioning. 

The white glow of Saandans

Saandans

The home chef also talks about Konkani Saandans (fermented rice cakes with flattened tops). These white beauties can be had either for their savoury or sweet taste. Stone-ground rice needs overnight natural fermentation before being steamed into cakes. The dish can be enjoyed with chicken or mutton curry or bitten into like any other sweetmeat. “For the latter, take two Saandans and join them using a creamy thickened mix of coconut milk, fresh cream and sugar,” Shabana says.

In her prayers, she wholeheartedly hopes to return to times all of us took for granted. 

Source link