Have you ever attempted to make a shish kabab and it just didn’t live up to your expectations? That’s when it pays to have friends who actually know what they are doing. After trying unsuccessfully to recreate a fabulous shish kabab I enjoyed at a brunch given by chef, Kbabish chef, I broke down and asked him for help. Thank goodness for talented person who are generous with their advice!Here is what he had to say when I asked him for some tips to making my shish kababs light and fluffy:

Prep Time:30 minutes
Baking Time:45 minutes
Ingredient List:
Minced lamb 500g
Finely chopped corriander 2tbs
Onion, finely chopped 2nos
Turmeric 1 teaspoon
Salt and pepper 1 teaspoon
Onion and green corriander for garnishing (chopped)

Instructions:
Step1:Mix all the ingredients together.
Step2:Seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Step3:Roll the mixture in to thin sausage shapes and cook under a preheated moderate grill for about 1o minutes,
Step4:Turning several times.
Step5:Serve garnished with green corriander and onion crushed.

Chicken Karahi one of the most common dish people server in dinner.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Baking Time:45 minutes

Ingredient List:
½ Kg. chicken
3-4 tomatoes –chopped ( optional)
1 onion chopped
3-4 whole green chilies
¼ tsp crushed black pepper
½ tsp. salt (according to taste)
3 tbs. oil
1 tsp garlic paste
½ tsp. ginger paste

Instructions:

Step1:Remove skin of tomatoes.
Step2:In a pot add chicken, Garlic (Lehsan), Ginger (Adrak) and salt.
Step3:Cover and cook on low heat till the water from the chicken have dried and chicken is half cooked.
Step4:Add oil, tomato, green chili and onion. Cover and continue cooking.
Step5:When the water dries and chicken is tender add the Black peppercorn (Kali Mirch), stir and remove from heat.
Step6:Serve with boiled rice.

Ingredients:
Ghee 1 tablespoon
Chicken thigh fillets, trimmed and halved 750g
Onion, sliced 1 large
Green capsicum, seeds and membrane removed, sliced 1
Red capsicum, seeds and membrane removed, sliced 1
Green chilli, chopped 1
Cloves garlic, chopped 2
Grated ginger 2 teaspoons
Ground cumin seed 1 teaspoon
Ground coriander seed 1 teaspoon
Garlic paste 1 tsp.
Ground garam masala ¼ tsp.
Haldi powder ½ tsp.
Dhuniya powder ½ tsp.
Salt according to taste
Crushed tomatoes 1 tin
Water ½ cup
Green chilli, sliced, for garnish
Coriander sprigs to garnish

Method:
Heat ghee in a medium sized heavy based frying pan. Add chicken and cook until browned on each side, but not cooked through. Remove and set aside.
Add onion and cook over low heat until soft and golden. Add capsicums and cook a further couple of minutes.
Add chilli, garlic and ginger. Cook for thirty seconds. Add cumin, coriander and curry paste.
Add tomatoes and water and simmer for 5 minutes. Return chicken to the pan and season with salt. Cook, stirring for another couple of minutes, until chicken cooks through.
Serve, garnished with coriander, with rice.
Serving size: Serves 8
Cooking time: More than 1 hour

This is an Pakistani dry chicken curry with onions and capsicums.

Ingredients:
Heavy whipping cream 2 cups
Half-and-half cream 2 cups
White sugar 3/4 cup
Vanilla extract 1 tablespoon
Method:
In a large bowl, combine the heavy cream and the half and half.
Gradually whisk in the sugar until blended.
Whisk in the vanilla.
Refrigerate, covered, until very cold, at least 3 hours or as long as 3 days.
Whisk the mixture to blend and pour into the canister of an ice cream maker.
Freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Eat at once or transfer to a covered container and freeze up to 8 hours.
Texture Tips
Many people experience problems with their homemade ice cream becoming grainy or full of unpleasant ice crystals. Luckily, there are two easy and effective steps you can take to improve the texture of every batch of ice cream. The first is to heat the milk or half-and-half to a gentle simmer, or approximately 175 degrees F (79 degrees C), before using it in your recipe. This step will be automatic if you’re making a custard style ice cream, since you need to cook the mixture anyway, but any milk or half-and-half (no need to heat heavy cream, yogurt or sour cream) that goes into Philadelphia style ice cream will create much smoother ice cream after it has been scalded. The second thing you should do with your ice cream mixture is to “age” it in the refrigerator for at least four hours, but up to 24 hours. A mixture that has been aged will result in ice cream with a smooth and full-bodied texture.

Ingredients:
Long grain rice (basmati) 2 cups
Milk 2 cups
Cream beaten smooth 1/2 cup
Sugar 1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds ½ tsp
Cloves 3
Cinnamon 1
Cardamoms 3
Bay leaf 1
Banaspati Ghee 2 tbsp.
Canned chopped mixed fruit (drained) 1 cup
Edible rose petals 2-3
Method:
Wash the rice thoroughly and soak it for 15-20 minutes.
In a bowl, mix milk, cream, sugar and salt.
Drain rice, keep aside.
Heat Banaspati Ghee in a heavy pan.
Add cumin seeds, cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamoms, cloves and allow to splutter.
Add the rice and fry in ghee for 2 minutes.
Pour in the milk – cream mixture.
Add ½ cup water and bring to a boil.
When one boil is reached, cover and simmer till cooked.
Each grain should be cooked, but separate.
Mix in the drained fruit very gently.
Garnish by sprinkling finely broken rose petals.
Serve hot with a spicy curry or mixed dry Dahl.