Halwa, Poori, Cholay Recipe:

http://www.halal-mama.co.uk/search?q=halwa+poori

Halwa Poori Cholay is a savory/sweet dish made up with sweet halwa, spicy cholay, and lightly salted pooris.This dish is eaten at breakfast time and is enjoyed throughout Pakistan.I chose this dish because it is a traditional Pakistani dish that we eat every Eid in the morning for breakfast, to celebrate the beautiful holiday eid.This dish is really special to me because it’s connected to my culture and is a dish we associate with happy times and celebrating times.The ingredients needed to make each food is…

Cholay Recipe:

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
• 1 can (400 g)  drained chickpeas
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• approx. 1 cup of water
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp garam masala
• pinch of kalonji seeds
• 1 green chili / 1 tsp chili flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating the oil in a pan.Fry onions till golden brown and then add garlic and ginger paste.Then add the turmeric powder, garam masala, and kalonji seeds stir well and fry for at least 2 minutes then add tomatoes.Cook until tomatoes are tender.keep adding water to avoid tomatoes from drying out but don’t add too much.once tomatoes are soft add chickpeas salt and pepper and let it simmer until cooked.Garnish with chili flakes and chilis.

Halwa Recipe:

• 1/2 cup semolina

• 100 g butter/ghee

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 cups water

• 4-6 cardamom pods

• 1 tbsp kewra essence

• handful of sultanas, almonds and pistachios

Heat butter in a pan.break up cardamon pods and cook in butter.roast semolina until golden.In another pan boil, sugar and water add essence.mix the two mixtures and let it simmer for 5 mins stirring occasionally.

Poori Recipe:

• 1/2 kg plain flour
• water to add
• 2 tbsp oil
• oil to fry

Start by making a smooth dough with flour water and a little bit of oil.Then heat a pan with oil. Make small dough balls.Roll out the dough into thin circular disks and fry.

Kheer:

http://www.candycrow.com/2015/06/rice-kheer-recipe.html 

Kheer is a sweet rice pudding that is eaten for desert and is enjoyed all around Pakistan especially during the winter because it is nice and hot and delicious and warms you up when your freezing.This traditional sweet dish is a hit at Pakistani parties because it is a very common pudding that anyone from kids to elders can enjoy.The ingredients needed are…

• Milk – 1/2 liter
• Cooked Rice – 1/4 cup
• Saffron – pinch
• Pista – 1 tbsp
• Sugar – 1/4 pinch
• Cardamom – Pinch

Start by adding milk into a pan and let it cook until the milk is half its volume.Then add a pinch of saffron and let it mix in thoroughly.Add sugar and rice to it.after that add aAdd the pinch of cardamom and coarsely grounded pista to it. Cook until required consistency is reached.

I still remember this memory like it was yesterday…It was a Sunday night and my parents went out with my cousins because it was their first time in Canada my grandma was sick so she didn’t want to go and she asked me to stay home with her so I did.Little did I know my grandmother was just lying about her sickness because she wanted to spend quality time with me because she was only here for 7 days and the house was filled with guests so she didn’t get time to spend time with me.My grandmother knew I loved to cook and that my mother never let me in the kitchen because she was afraid I would burn her kitchen down because of that ONE incident when I was 12 and when I went to make a surprise dinner and I lit the oil on fire because I let it overheat to the smoke point by accident because I got distracted by the chocolates my uncle had brought and it wasn’t my fault he brought GODIVA CHOCOLATES

and no one can resist or complain about that except for my mom and my dad and my uncle and my aunt, cousins, grandfather, grandmother, cat, homework, etc.So as I was saying, my grandmother had won a lot of awards for her food during her school time and she had also catered for 10 years before she was married and I always asked her to teach me a Pakistani dish because I had no clue on how to cook it.So when my parents left, I and my grandmother decided to make a dish called Biryani.

This was my very first dish made with my grandmother and my first biryani cooking experience. I  was so excited and happy and I cried because my grandmother actually had faith in me and believed that I wouldn’t burn the kitchen down.I know it sounds kinda funny to cry but hey I was an overly 13-year-old girl what else would you have expected from me.The experience and memory stayed in my heart till now and forever. My grandmother started with teaching me the basic knife skills needed and how to cut vegetables in strips, circles, and cubes.In our biryani, we added a lot of vegetables and barbecue chicken.

While waiting for the biryani to cook I set the dinner table and my grandmother made her cookie batch for after dinner.We listened to old songs because my grandmother liked it but I couldn’t stop laughing at a number of random tunes in the music, but she was enjoying it somehow.After the food was ready we enjoyed eating it together and then ate cookies and let me tell you that my grandmother’s cookies were delicious.When my parents came in with my cousins they were shocked by the dinner we had made because they thought my grandmother was “sick”.We laughed all night on how we fooled my siblings and sent them to a boring outing.I loved that experience with my grandmother because it was the last experience I had with her before she passed away because of sudden heart stroke and when remembering about this cooking memory it brings me to tears because I just wonder what if I hadn’t stayed home with her that day…I love my grandmother and I will always miss her forever and always.

I went to the Gourmet family restaurant on 311/A, G.T. Road, Opp-Pakistan Mint, Lahore.This restaurant was by far one of my favorite restaurants because of their authenticity and quality of food served.The servers were exceptionally kind and respectful towards their customers and didn’t differentiate between a teenager and a parent we were all treated the same. The servers were quite informative about the questions I asked like where the food came from what was the dish I ordered and etc.The atmosphere around us was simple, sophisticated, delightful, pleasing, and enjoyable because of their elegant interior designs and happy customers making the experience even more memorable.The servers were checking and making sure everyone in the restaurant was having a good time.In addition, the manager himself was greeting the customers into the restaurant.While we were waiting for our table the server had offered us a free drink I drank coke and so did my siblings except for my parents because they do not like soft drink nor are they a fan like me there more of a water for life type fans.As a previous server for events myself, I know that a server has a lot of important duties to fulfill like

• Respecting each and every customer no matter what age group they belong to.
• Making sure the customers are enjoying their time spent here and food by asking them.
• Smiling and taking criticism positively.
• Being informative on what they’re about to serve and what’s on the menu.
• If asked to do something make an effort to do it right away don’t leave them hanging.
• Make sure you serve food to a table all at once, not in bits or else it looks bad to the people who are still waiting at the table for their food.
• BE CLEAN AND HYGIENIC AT ALL TIMES.

And etc. It is important to have these quality’s because this is what makes a good server good.It is highly important in tourism and hospitality because serving is valued a lot and sets the mood of the customers about your restaurant, if you are rude they will automatically jump to a conclusion about your food unless you are kind and patient.While dining at Gourmet I went and asked one of the servers named Maryam about their food and how was it and she had said, ” Our food is always fresh, healthy and hygienic and is affordable”.By this, I was able to know how well-informed not only Maryam but the other servers I asked were.When we were seated and given the menu, I ordered the Sizzling Chicken Manchurian with chicken fried rice.The dish I ordered is known all over Pakistan because it’s something they make at home on a special occasion.My dish had a tomato chicken gravy(365 rupees) with chicken-fried rice(280 rupees) and it costs 645 rupees in total and that would be about $7.05 in Canada.The food served was nice and piping hot and my food was on a sizzler so that got me excited because I love the noise of the sizzler.The food was extremely delicious and it felt like a flavor explosion in each bite, I really enjoyed my meal.My sister ordered a Chicken steak with mushroom sauce on top(4oo rupees) and Beef chili fried rice(285 rupees).My sister’s dish was piping hot like mine and was yummy but I’m not a fan of mushrooms so I didn’t like the sauce plus it cost only 685 Rupees which was a good deal and would have been $7.50 in Canada.My brother ordered the kid’s menu that included Junior chicken burger with french fries a soft drink(coke) and 1 scoop of ice cream(chocolate) only for 165 rupees!.165 rupees in Canada is only $1.80 can you believe that…we got a burger, fries, drink, and dessert for the price of $1.80.My brother’s food was also piping hot when it came and his french fries were delicious I didn’t try everything on his plate because my own food was quite filling and yummy.My parents ordered the chicken in traditional style deal costing 1010 rupees which in Canada is $11.05.The deal had a regular chicken handi(handi refers to the dish), a plate of chicken boti(barbecue chicken), 4 piece chicken kebab,rohgni naan(bread to eat it with), salad, and raita(yogurt).The barbecue was amazing it was spicy and delicious and the food came piping hot as well.For dessert, I was just BLOWN AWAY by the option of ordering an APPLE PIE SERVED WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM!.I love apple pie and the least expected place to order an apple pie for me was in Pakistan because not many houses have ovens to bake they use microwaves to reheat or melt something.So when I saw that option I was extremely delighted and happy not only then, but when my pie came in.It was piping hot and sprinkled with cinnamon and they put a fresh scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and I just watched the ice cream melt in amazement because the presentation was so beautiful and flawless.Biting into that pie felt like heaven due to the fact that it was so delicious and left me and my family in a happy mood.The pie cost 185($2.02) rupees, but for five it cost 925 rupees which in Canada is $10.12.Overall I really enjoyed my time at gourmet and would like to revisit it soon due to their fabulous food. To contact them you can call at 042-36553651-3 or visit their twitter page called @Gourmetpakistan you can also go and check their website gourmetpakistan.com for more details.To get the link to their delicious menu you can use this URL to take you there and enjoy http://restaurant.gourmetpakistan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/menu-faisal-town.pdf. The restaurant is open from 10 am to 11 pm every day. Though I enjoyed my time at gourmet one thing that I believe they could improve is the waiting time of their food because we had to wait for like 30-60 minutes for our food to arrive because the restaurant was compact with customers.So if you are planning to go try going on a fairly less busy day so you can get fast service.

The Lahore Eat Food Festival is a festival that is usually held in Karachi but is held in Lahore for the first time. The Lahore eat food festival organizers believe that it’s “a food festival built around the idea of creating a common platform for people who love food”. This festival is loved all around Pakistan and everyone living in Pakistan come to enjoy it because Pakistanis love food and we enjoy anything to do with food.The 2nd food festival is held in the Jilani park.The #LahoreEat2017 is held on February 26th,27th, and 28th. The three-day festival is filled with activities like…

• Taste Studio

• Cake off

• Man Vs. Food

• Hospitality Lounges

• The food (Kiosks – mini cafes – stalls)

• Live acoustic/ jazz bands with surprise celebrity performances

• Children’s activities

If you are planning on attending the Lahore Eat Festival then you should book tickets a week before the festival so you can enjoy Pakistan’s beauty and sceneries before you attend the festival.If you are traveling from Canada to Lahore you should consider taking a connecting flight because it is the cheapest. The United UA 6247 takes you to Washington d.c and then to London Heathrow and finally to Lahore with the PIA flight, PK 0758.The cheapest flight you can get is this one because it costs  $1131.50 and it gives you a return ticket in the same format but starting from Lahore only in $1131.50.When arriving in Lahore you should stay in the Corporate Inn located at 111-J, Model Town, 54700 Lahore, Pakistan. It is the cheapest hotel near the Jilani park costing only $47 per night and is only 3.2 miles away from the park but can easily be reached with the cheap automobiles called rickshaws in Pakistan that are very convenient to go somewhere. The hotel reviews are positive and people have enjoyed their stay there. 

After visiting the food festival you should consider visiting the famous  Badshahi Mosque in Lahore.

The most memorable cooking lab experience for me was when we did the cake challenge.I love baking and I always dreamed about making a full decorated cake for someone big since I was ten but I never really got that chance until grade 10 where I got to make a cake for the chef himself and that was really a big deal for me.In the cake challenge, we were each put into groups of four and were suppose to make different kinds of cakes on world food issues.When I was first introduced to the challenge I was really nervous because it was a challenge after all and I wanted to prepare the best cake possible.My group consisted of Sarah, Anna, and Jan.My Team was amazing they were the best team I could ever get and after finding out who was in my team my confidence level boosted by 99.9% because I knew how hard-working each member was individually and how helpful they were.As a team, we first started off with coming up with an idea for the challenge.We had decided on doing food waste and a cake made around our idea.

Once we had our idea we went on to the filling of our cake.We kept our filling really simple because our main focus was the fondant decorations on the outside of our cake. Our filling was a simple buttercream frosting that we had also used for other things like decorations and crumb coating.

The cake itself was a challenge on its own because we had a lot to watch out for like over mixing, measurement, size, height, undercooked or overcooked, thick or thin batter, etc. Firstly, we had started off by making the simple white cakes. I was really worried about over mixing because I had done it before in a previous lab that we did and that resulted in my cake having tunnels so  I was really worried about our cake for the cake challenge.Thankfully our cake batter was made perfect thanks to my batter partner Jan.The cake itself was a challenge on its own because we had a lot to watch out for like over mixing, measurement, size, height, undercooked or overcooked, thick or thin batter, etc. Firstly, we had started off by making the simple white cakes. I was really worried about over mixing because I had done it before in a previous lab that we did and that resulted in my cake having tunnels so  I was really worried about our cake for the cake challenge.Thankfully our cake batter was made perfect thanks to my batter partner Jan.Our next step was to level the height of our cake batter in each baking pan because we were making a garbage can that was two-tiered high that we would stack together to make the garbage can.One thing that we kept in mind while preparing our cakes were the sizes of each cake.I was really stressed out when we were baking our cakes because we needed it to be at a certain height and size.The next step was the actual baking and we made sure that we wore oven mitts while handling the hot trays.While baking our cakes I wasn’t the only one stressed out because my whole team was stressed because if the cakes went wrong it would have ruined our whole planning and we would have had to start again from scratch.When our cakes first came out it felt as if I was in the mannequin challenge because my whole team froze except for Anna who was taking out the cake from the oven.Our cakes were cooked perfectly but one of the tiers rose a bit higher than the other but that wasn’t a problem because we had to trim our tiers anyways to make them more stable.During this stressful time, one thing that I learned was to have patience and faith that everything will be just fine and that’s exactly what I did even though I was stressed I tried to convince my team that everything is going to workout just fine and it did. After that, it came down to the decorating part of the cake and it was the most fun thing by far in the whole challenge because we were able to go crazy with our different types of food imaginations. We started off by crumb coating each tier and then stacking it on top of each other and then taking the whole one tier and stacking it on the base cake that was supposed to be our grass.We had also inserted dowels on our tiers to make it more stable.The fondant was the funniest job to do because we really got to play with different colors and shapes. The oddest thing that we did was when we had wrapped an apple with fondant to look like a wasted apple and the funny thing was that we actually did waste that poor apple because no one ate it.Despite all the stress, our final product was truly a beautiful reflection of our hard  work as a team.

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One thing that I learned during this cooking experience was that in cooking even the most imperfect thing can be perfect and that there’s never bad food it’s just one’s individual opinion on certain foods.