Asalamu alaikum,
Last night around 1am I was in the kitchen about to make a late night snack for Saad before he went back to sleep. As I am heating his food, Tariq comes down and says he feels like pizza, get ready, lets go. At first I don't believe him, I mean come on it's 1am, and every time I suggest pizza he says- no, they probably don't taste good, and the pizzas are too small.
He goes to get his wallet and I realize he's not joking. I run upstairs to get my abaya and hijab. While I am in the room I have the strangest urge to throw on a pair of jeans instead of my shalwar ("American woman"+"American Food/PIZZA!"=the need to wear jeans), so I grab the only pair of jeans I currently own and change. I put on the abaya and wrap my hijab, pull up the bottom edge to make a niqab(I feel more comfortable when we go out at night this way-less stares), and rush back down stairs.
We take the big bike(Honda 125) and head out. Saad wants to go but it is too late to be taking him out, so he stays with Tariq's sister and watches cartoons until we get back.
We zoom through the streets, most of them are quiet. Along the main road there are some juice stands still serving, and a couple of restaurants. There is the hum of generators here and there, because of load shedding.
Finally we get to the restaurant, walk in and check out the menu. The guy says they have a special after midnight-buy one pizza get one free. So we pick out two pizzas and also get a side of chicken wings. We sit and wait for the pizzas, then they bring them over and we head out.
Have you ever tried to bring home two pizzas and a box of wings while sitting side saddle on a motorcycle? It was an interesting ride home, with a quick stop to get a 2 liter of Pepsi.
So there I am sitting side saddle on the bike behind Tariq, with these two pizzas and box of wings on my lap, my left hand gripping the boxes tightly(oh, I hope I don't squish the pizzas!), and my right arm wrapped around Tariq's waist to make sure I don't go flying off the bike. We zoom back towards the house, trying to get back before the pizzas get too cold, my abaya and hijab are flapping in the wind, and I've got one foot on the foot stand and other one dangling freely, the air rushing over it. As we turn the corner onto our street, the tip of the toe of my chapple touches the ground briefly as we lean to the left.
Safely home, with our pizzas(not squished at all!), we all sit down to enjoy our late night meal.
Showing posts with label food and drink. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food and drink. Show all posts
Achar...Pickles just aren't what I was expecting
Asalamu Alaikum,
I am used to pickle meaning a cucumber in brine, you know, the dill pickles served with deli sandwiches. The first time I saw achar, I had no idea what it was and had to ask. When Tariq said it was "pickle", I just kind of stared at him. It didn't look like a pickle to me.
Achar from our favorite place in the market.
I didn't like it at first, it smelled kind of odd, it was really oily, and just didn't look very appealing. I mean- mushy, oily, funny smelling vegetables or fruits? Ick!
A bit in a bowl to go with breakfast and the rest in a jar.
As with lots of stuff in my life now, it just took a while to get used to. I eventually gave in and tried a bit. First a bit of garlic, ok, not so bad. Then a small nibble of the carrot, hmm, that's kind of tasty. Then a taste of mango and a bit of lemon, wow that's pretty good actually. It did take a while longer to get used to eating the lemon and mango skins though.
We eat achar with dals(lentils) and rice, and other types of food that are a little on the plain side. Usually there is a little bowl of achar served with breakfast, as it is tasty to eat just plain achar with parathas.
We always buy the mixed achar that has green mangoes, lemons, carrots and garlic. Sometimes they put other stuff in it like olives. There are many different types of achar, but we always stick to our favorite, and we always buy from the same little store in the market.
I am used to pickle meaning a cucumber in brine, you know, the dill pickles served with deli sandwiches. The first time I saw achar, I had no idea what it was and had to ask. When Tariq said it was "pickle", I just kind of stared at him. It didn't look like a pickle to me.
I didn't like it at first, it smelled kind of odd, it was really oily, and just didn't look very appealing. I mean- mushy, oily, funny smelling vegetables or fruits? Ick!
As with lots of stuff in my life now, it just took a while to get used to. I eventually gave in and tried a bit. First a bit of garlic, ok, not so bad. Then a small nibble of the carrot, hmm, that's kind of tasty. Then a taste of mango and a bit of lemon, wow that's pretty good actually. It did take a while longer to get used to eating the lemon and mango skins though.
We eat achar with dals(lentils) and rice, and other types of food that are a little on the plain side. Usually there is a little bowl of achar served with breakfast, as it is tasty to eat just plain achar with parathas.
We always buy the mixed achar that has green mangoes, lemons, carrots and garlic. Sometimes they put other stuff in it like olives. There are many different types of achar, but we always stick to our favorite, and we always buy from the same little store in the market.
Friday Feature: A Trip to Liaquat Market
Asalam Alaikum,
I have been meaning to get this posted for a long time. The biggest market in our area is Liaqat Market. It is not a mall type where everything is enclosed, but more like an American style flea market, very open. In much of the market the shops are basically little alcoves, and the center aisles are roof less, or sometimes there are big sheets tied up to provide more shade.
We usually take the Honda 50 to go shopping as it is older(less likely to be stolen), and has the "dubba"(box area in the front), to hold stuff. Tariq is the in the middle, Saad sits in front of him, and I sit "side saddle" at the back. InshAllah I'll get a picture of all of us sometime, now that his sister is here to hold the camera. :-)
Tariq and Saad ready to go
When we get to the market there is a motorcycle parking area up front. It is five rupees to park and the watchman gives you a little ticket(half goes on the bike and half you take) so that he know you payed.
Motorcycles all lined up
Sometimes it gets a bit crowded
In the front section of the market is where most of the dry goods type stores are. All the chawal(rice), dals(lentils), masale(spices) and other things are in bins. There are usually a whole bunch of different bins of rice, some for biriyani, some for regular cooking, some that are better for kheer(rice pudding).
All the food lined up out in the open.
Also in the outer section is the vegetable and fruit wale(sellers). There are alcove type shops on the sides of the main road area, and then there are carts lined up in the center and anywhere there is space.
Inside the market is kind of like a maze with narrow little aisles. There are stores for shoes, kids clothes, cosmetics, tailoring materials, gents clothes and many many shops for ladies clothes. Usually one of our first stops is for ladies shalwar suits. The little alcoves that make up the shops have shelves on most of the walls stacked with bolts of fabric and suits already cut into sets of shalwar/kameez/dupatta. There is usually a small stage type area where the shopkeepers stand and show off the suits, and a line of seating for the customers to sit and relax while they look at the suits.
Wall of a shop with stacks of suits.
The suits rejected by the customer end up on the floor of the stage, to be folded after the customers leave.
After you have selected your suits, the next stop is the bale(edging) store, for any ribbons, laces, or beaded trimmings to go with your suit.
Oooh, shiny things. Sometimes I just like to look at the bales, because some are very pretty.
After you have your suit and your trimmings, then its off to buy your chudiyan(bangles). The walls of the bangle store are also filled with row upon row of shiny things! You give the shopkeeper the dupatta to make a matching set of bangles, and he'll make a set up and show it to you for approval. If you like it he packs it up and if you don't then he'll change out some pieces until it fits what you want.
I have been meaning to get this posted for a long time. The biggest market in our area is Liaqat Market. It is not a mall type where everything is enclosed, but more like an American style flea market, very open. In much of the market the shops are basically little alcoves, and the center aisles are roof less, or sometimes there are big sheets tied up to provide more shade.
We usually take the Honda 50 to go shopping as it is older(less likely to be stolen), and has the "dubba"(box area in the front), to hold stuff. Tariq is the in the middle, Saad sits in front of him, and I sit "side saddle" at the back. InshAllah I'll get a picture of all of us sometime, now that his sister is here to hold the camera. :-)
When we get to the market there is a motorcycle parking area up front. It is five rupees to park and the watchman gives you a little ticket(half goes on the bike and half you take) so that he know you payed.
In the front section of the market is where most of the dry goods type stores are. All the chawal(rice), dals(lentils), masale(spices) and other things are in bins. There are usually a whole bunch of different bins of rice, some for biriyani, some for regular cooking, some that are better for kheer(rice pudding).
Also in the outer section is the vegetable and fruit wale(sellers). There are alcove type shops on the sides of the main road area, and then there are carts lined up in the center and anywhere there is space.
Inside the market is kind of like a maze with narrow little aisles. There are stores for shoes, kids clothes, cosmetics, tailoring materials, gents clothes and many many shops for ladies clothes. Usually one of our first stops is for ladies shalwar suits. The little alcoves that make up the shops have shelves on most of the walls stacked with bolts of fabric and suits already cut into sets of shalwar/kameez/dupatta. There is usually a small stage type area where the shopkeepers stand and show off the suits, and a line of seating for the customers to sit and relax while they look at the suits.
After you have selected your suits, the next stop is the bale(edging) store, for any ribbons, laces, or beaded trimmings to go with your suit.
After you have your suit and your trimmings, then its off to buy your chudiyan(bangles). The walls of the bangle store are also filled with row upon row of shiny things! You give the shopkeeper the dupatta to make a matching set of bangles, and he'll make a set up and show it to you for approval. If you like it he packs it up and if you don't then he'll change out some pieces until it fits what you want.
Friday Feature-Dayks/Catering
Asalam Alaikum,
For many of our parties/functions(engagements, mehndis, Qur'an khanees) we have some dayks delivered. Usually they have biriyani/pulao, or a quorma, with your choice of meat or chicken. They also have sweet dishes like zarda(sweet, multi colored rice with all sorts raisins/coconut/little sweet colored bits), or kheer(rice pudding).
For size comparison- Saad at 18 months next to a dayk.
Tariq transfers biriyani to a serving dish.
About an hour before the party starts the dayk wala comes by the house with the back of his truck full of dayks for his deliveries. He drops off your pot(s), and then goes to finish his deliveries. The waiters take over during the party and transfer the food to the buffet line, they are always busy carrying hot trays of food back and forth!
During the month of Muharram here in Karachi(specifically the ninth and tenth) people often fast. Commonly in our area the dayk walas prepare large amounts of haleem(kind of like a savory porrige, made with grains, lentils, and meat), which people will buy to feed people who are fasting, or donate to masjids.
A line of dayks full of haleem prepared for Ashura(tenth day of Muharram
Further away, since they take up so much space they are not inside but prepared on the side of the road.
For many of our parties/functions(engagements, mehndis, Qur'an khanees) we have some dayks delivered. Usually they have biriyani/pulao, or a quorma, with your choice of meat or chicken. They also have sweet dishes like zarda(sweet, multi colored rice with all sorts raisins/coconut/little sweet colored bits), or kheer(rice pudding).
About an hour before the party starts the dayk wala comes by the house with the back of his truck full of dayks for his deliveries. He drops off your pot(s), and then goes to finish his deliveries. The waiters take over during the party and transfer the food to the buffet line, they are always busy carrying hot trays of food back and forth!
During the month of Muharram here in Karachi(specifically the ninth and tenth) people often fast. Commonly in our area the dayk walas prepare large amounts of haleem(kind of like a savory porrige, made with grains, lentils, and meat), which people will buy to feed people who are fasting, or donate to masjids.
Friday Feature -Importance of Chai
Asalam Alaikum,
In America, generally people drink coffee rather than tea. I actually like tea better, though I do occasionally drink coffee.
Chai is very different drink than than the regular tea that is more common in America. In America I drank steeped tea with just sugar, whereas here the patti(tea leaves) are boiled with lots of milk and sugar. It is a little stronger than my normal method, but very tasty. Some people add different masaley(spices) to their chai, sometimes elichi(green cardamom) or loung(cloves), but that depends on each family and their preference.
Many people drink chai 3-4 times in a day. It is almost always served with breakfast, and then sometimes after lunch and dinner, and usually in the late afternoon/early evening around the time of maghrib(sunset prayer). If anyone is feeling unwell in our family chai is one of the first things everyone suggests.
Chai is often served to guests in Pakistani homes. People here are very hospitable. Usually when we visit someone's home, after all the greetings and a little chatting chai is served. Though it does depend on the time and the weather, if it is hot out then guests are usually served chilled juice.(like Rooh Afza, Tang or some soda)
Some people serve chai after the wedding dinner or the valima(reception) dinner. Many weddings that we have gone to in the cold season have served a simple "Kashmiri chai", which has some ground almonds and other things.
There are many little stalls with "chai waley"(tea sellers), mostly these are for men and women or families go to a more restaurant style place with a separate families section. There are also Chai waley in the market when we go, men who walk through the market with a large basket full of little cups, and a big thermos that has a pump dispenser on the top, this is mostly for the shop keepers so they don't have to leave their shop alone.
In America, generally people drink coffee rather than tea. I actually like tea better, though I do occasionally drink coffee.
Chai is very different drink than than the regular tea that is more common in America. In America I drank steeped tea with just sugar, whereas here the patti(tea leaves) are boiled with lots of milk and sugar. It is a little stronger than my normal method, but very tasty. Some people add different masaley(spices) to their chai, sometimes elichi(green cardamom) or loung(cloves), but that depends on each family and their preference.
Many people drink chai 3-4 times in a day. It is almost always served with breakfast, and then sometimes after lunch and dinner, and usually in the late afternoon/early evening around the time of maghrib(sunset prayer). If anyone is feeling unwell in our family chai is one of the first things everyone suggests.
Chai is often served to guests in Pakistani homes. People here are very hospitable. Usually when we visit someone's home, after all the greetings and a little chatting chai is served. Though it does depend on the time and the weather, if it is hot out then guests are usually served chilled juice.(like Rooh Afza, Tang or some soda)
Some people serve chai after the wedding dinner or the valima(reception) dinner. Many weddings that we have gone to in the cold season have served a simple "Kashmiri chai", which has some ground almonds and other things.
There are many little stalls with "chai waley"(tea sellers), mostly these are for men and women or families go to a more restaurant style place with a separate families section. There are also Chai waley in the market when we go, men who walk through the market with a large basket full of little cups, and a big thermos that has a pump dispenser on the top, this is mostly for the shop keepers so they don't have to leave their shop alone.
Friday Feature- Rooh Afza on the Roof
Asalam Alaikum,
My favorite juice drink has to be Rooh Afza. When we were in America Tariq found some at a local halal grocery and he told me I had to try it. It was delicious! The taste is hard to describe, but imagine if you could taste the scent of roses, it is kind of like that. Most often the Rooh Afza syrup is mixed with cold water, maybe some ice and sometimes a lemon slice. Some people like to drink it mixed with cold milk, and sometimes with Seven-up. There are other brands of juice like this-Naurus, Jam Shirin. They all have the same basic taste but some have a little extra of one thing or another. For example, to me, Naurus has a little too much cinnamon taste.
This is the bottle available here, the one in America was glass and had a slightly different label design.
Saad loves Rooh Afza, and he thinks it is funny when his tongue turns red
A relaxing afternoon on the roof
Rooh Afza is used a lot during Ramadan here in Pakistan. In our family we always have one pitcher of water and some dates to start and then follow that with Rooh Afza and all the snacks-samosa, pakora, chaat, and fruit.
My favorite juice drink has to be Rooh Afza. When we were in America Tariq found some at a local halal grocery and he told me I had to try it. It was delicious! The taste is hard to describe, but imagine if you could taste the scent of roses, it is kind of like that. Most often the Rooh Afza syrup is mixed with cold water, maybe some ice and sometimes a lemon slice. Some people like to drink it mixed with cold milk, and sometimes with Seven-up. There are other brands of juice like this-Naurus, Jam Shirin. They all have the same basic taste but some have a little extra of one thing or another. For example, to me, Naurus has a little too much cinnamon taste.
Rooh Afza is used a lot during Ramadan here in Pakistan. In our family we always have one pitcher of water and some dates to start and then follow that with Rooh Afza and all the snacks-samosa, pakora, chaat, and fruit.
Dear Etisalat, I am sorry
Asalam Alaikum,
So because in my last post I decided to poke fun of Etisalat, I was without Internet, and also so was 30% of Abu Dhabi for a couple of days. To those who were inconvenienced by this outage, my bad, I'm sorry and in future I will not say anything againstthe vast conspiracy/plot that is the lovely company Etisalat.
Enough of my crazy ramblings-knitting!
this is my almost completed KAL pochette, more updates to come shortly-
These are pics from our second visit to Baniyas Gardens, notice me knitting.
This is just for fun-
Ten Points to anyone who knows!
So because in my last post I decided to poke fun of Etisalat, I was without Internet, and also so was 30% of Abu Dhabi for a couple of days. To those who were inconvenienced by this outage, my bad, I'm sorry and in future I will not say anything against
Enough of my crazy ramblings-knitting!
this is my almost completed KAL pochette, more updates to come shortly-
These are pics from our second visit to Baniyas Gardens, notice me knitting.
This is just for fun-
Ten Points to anyone who knows!
Easily Amused, And We ARE the KING!
Asalam Alaikum,
I am rather easily amused, as evidenced by the following---
This is a sand storm, it was like when your little and the second you see one flake of snow and then everybody runs to the window to see. Our whole family ran outside to see the sand storm, I don't recommend that you follow our example, as the sand will get in your eyes.
This is the DS with his new favorite toy---Leaves. Thats right people what they say is true; your kids don't like the really expensive toy you just bought, they are more excited by the box...or the leaves on the ground, or an empty water bottle.
And finally-
They were so excited to go to BK but pics for the blog?...not so much. I have not had a real burger in a restaurant for a long time, in the US we couldn't cause the meat is not Halal and we always had to get the fish. It was so tasty, and I could just feel myself gaining a pound or two!
I am rather easily amused, as evidenced by the following---
This is a sand storm, it was like when your little and the second you see one flake of snow and then everybody runs to the window to see. Our whole family ran outside to see the sand storm, I don't recommend that you follow our example, as the sand will get in your eyes.
This is the DS with his new favorite toy---Leaves. Thats right people what they say is true; your kids don't like the really expensive toy you just bought, they are more excited by the box...or the leaves on the ground, or an empty water bottle.
And finally-
They were so excited to go to BK but pics for the blog?...not so much. I have not had a real burger in a restaurant for a long time, in the US we couldn't cause the meat is not Halal and we always had to get the fish. It was so tasty, and I could just feel myself gaining a pound or two!
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