Good Things Come in Small Packages

Wasabi Prawns

Wanted a quick bite but filling and healthy before a flight, not knowing when I will get next meal. I prefer taking off with full tummy. I wanted something fast yet real food! So a bunch of us checked in at Chop Chop Wok! And wise decision, it sure did it for me, bringing fond memories of eating out of roadside carts and stands in China, Singapore, Jakarta,  Penang, Manila and many other Pan Asian destinations that I have traveled to. That flavour and aroma of flame smoked stir fried food in wok when cooked on high flame. Ummmmm loved the bowl brimming with goodness. 

 

Nari Goreng

This tiny place Chop Chop Wok, tucked among the busy market place of Phase-5 Khadda Market-DHA is a small wonder.

I was invited at its opening last summer, but could not go since I was traveling then. Upon my return I made a few attempts at eating here and was mostly disappointed since the place is always full, yes the downside of a 20 odd people sitting capacity serving great food, it is always full. But well got lucky this time and found a table, and this one meal got me hooked to it.

So after so many meals here, it is time to come up with a blog for this go to place for me every time the craving to have asian food strikes. I got hold of the two dynamic young entrepreneurs Salman and Umair, holding degrees from Australia and UK, who own this restaurant.  I have had a wonderful afternoon with them, food talks, dreams, their future plans and great food amidst the drifting aroma from the woks of the open kitchen and leaping flames from the volcano burners. Responding to my complaints of the tiny place, they said they are building a bigger place that will be in operation in a few months time, so waiting and capacity wont be a problem any more. Good news indeed!

  

Chop Chop Wok is presented to Karachites as a go to spot for quality Asian Cuisine that is cheap and accessible. The overall ambience is very informal, we need not be dressed up, or wait forever, or pay a fortune to be served here, a really grab and go option for healthy meals.   

Just pick a protein from beef, chicken, prawns, eggs or tofu, select a flavor and a staple from the available white or brown rice or pasta, in 6-7 minutes you would get a steaming, delicious and beautifully plated Japanese, Thai, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Pan Asian, Oriental meal.  

Look at the mind blowing variation that has something for everyone.

How fun that is!

 

Magical wok atop volcano stove create a delicious bowl of Asian Meal in 5-6 minutes

 

You can see what is been put in your food

Black Pepper Beef with Rice

Thai Beef Salad

3 Step Wok meal

Some of the meals that really stood out for me and are my favourite includes brown rice (a rare to find staple in restaurants) with a combination of 4 proteins in Pan Asian spicy sauce.   
Salman, one of the owners told me they  use prime quality ingredients in  preparing the dishes, and just a couple of spoonfuls of Black Pepper Beef with rice explained that. The beef is totally succulent, fork tender in a thick shiny sauce. Great texture and presentation, every bite is a delight.  Could not agree more when the Executive Chef mentioned that it is one of their hot selling items. 

Don’t know how many bowls of this popular Asian rice dish Nasi Goreng I ate around the world, yet Chop Chop Wok Nasi Goreng will make it to the list of the ones I will always remember. 

Tom Yum Soup

The menu presents a good selection of appetizers, the recently added Wasabi Prawns were excellent. Mildly sweet, with the wasabi kick and tender U/20 size prawns. I ordered Tom Yum soup as well, but naah… that did not work for me, it was very very sour and broth based, I always go for the creamy version of Tom Yum, but others on the table liked it though. 

On many subsequent visits the past few weeks I tried Thai Curries that were served freshly prepared with distinct aroma of well blended thai herbs, all home made sauces that does not have glutamate, crunchy fresh vegetable and chicken tenders served with jasmine rice, I always get request for brown rice in place, which the kitchen staff serve happily and no extra charge.

This wok place is sure a keeper for me.  Good things indeed come in small packages is all I can say to sum 
It all up.

Chop Chop Wok is open  from noon to midnight on weekdays and until 1:00am on weekends. Average cost for a meal for two with fresh juice would be under Rs.1500/=. No reservation required, it is just walk in, and take away.

 

Blog Writer: Farah Kamal
Photography: Shahrukh Mughal

Taste of Home Away from Home

Shan Foods Eid TVC by Showbizbuzz 

"woh maula sab ki sunta hai" the new heart touching TVC of Shan Masala going on viral is simply so wow!! 

 

This  emotionally intense 3 minutes trip to a world of memories, tears, many skipped heartbeats and nostalgia got over half a million views in less then two days and 35,000 shares.

Coordinating high school student exchanges since 2003, I can totally relate to this TVC. Its not only on Eid that we miss moms cooking and family feast, craving for the taste and flavour from home is part of living abroad specially in countries besides South Asia . 

Shan spices has been an all time life saver and of course help not only to overcome homesickness but also to cook traditional Pakistani dishes for our hosts and colleagues we visit during international travels. This new Shan TVC beutifully reflects the  emotions, love, the family bonding so specific to Pakistani values, and the food memories one associate with home all set with a melodious sufi influenced lyrics as playback ‘maula sab ki sunta hai’.

Cuisine are by all means number one strategy to exchange and experience cultures. Shan spices comes handy for all my exchange students who are teenagers. They cook a Pakistani meal on special occasions like Eids while living with American families and turn their moments home sickness into opportunities to share the rich Pakistani culinary tradition and culture with the natives connecting the world together as they connect with their homes and families .  The cool thing is those delicious Shan spice mix are found in grocery store in almost everywhere in the world where we have even a small number of Pakistani community and a Desi food store. Making us feel home away from home having us enjoy the taste of home and happiness  #KhushiyanChakhLo. 

 

Make Ordinary Meals into Extraordinary Treats

Chatkhar Mango chutney with lovely chunk of spicy and tangy sweetness perfectly paired with spicy handi kebabs

A chatpatta appetizer, chopped tomatoes garlic chives and Chatkhar Green Chillie Pickles tossed on freshly baked dal papar

Chutneys, sauces and pickles bring enhancement and surprises to your tastebuds.

Condiments are traditionally a part of Pakistani meal tables and comes in endless varieties, colours and flavours. Most of these are prepared with fruits, vegetables, added with spices preserved with salt, sugar, oil and some kind of natural or artificial acidic medium.

Ever popular dal chawal spiked up with the Chatkhar Mixed Pickle

At a recent workshop that i facilitated, the CEO of Naurus gave us out a neat box of ‘Chatkhar’ products. These bottles and jars were bursting with flavours and colours, and non ending varieties. Hummm made it really difficult to choose from what to try out first. Yet there is one that can be paired with every meal, and spike up the taste of ordinary meals into extraordinary ones by topping, dressing, dipping, drizzling one or the other of these sauces, chutneys and pickles on food. World on Your Table is rightly claimed by Chatkhar

 

What works for me with Chatkhar is the usage of olive oil in their products, not sure if many local manufacturers of condiments use olive oil. The sugar content is extremely low.  However like all preserved food, it has sodium, so we need to keep salt low or omit from the main dish if using condiments that has salt.

Chicken Achar is my new discovery!! Made the paratha  achar very special

These are high end products given the use of prime quality ingredients and oil. These are locally prepared Pakistani products, giving us a wide range of products to choose from and easily available off the shelf at most super markets. I always suggest to use locally produced bottled products if we have to, at least it is not been travelling forever to reach the supermarket shelves. 

I have used some of these products in my everyday meals, specially when you have guests,  these “Chatkhar” products featured in this blog are some of the the way they appear on my meal table making simple meals into special ones.

Pumpkin Bisque

 

Creamy pumpkin bisque served with zatar rolls

Originating from France, Bisque is a traditionally creamy smooth soup with a base cooked with shellfish stock. However, this vegetarian version of Bisque is equally tasteful, satisfying and nutrition packed. The base of pumpkin, giving it the velvety, rich and creamy signature texture of Bisque, slightly sweet and tangy hint of apples gives it a unique blend of delicate flavor that is refreshing. Sea vegetable adds on a whopping amount of vital vitamins and minerals including calcium, iron, zinc, manganese, folate, vitamins A & K, and iodine.

 

Low on calories and high on nutrition, this Bisque is a great choice for a starter or a perfect lunch paired with freshly baked rolls.

Great choice for Appetizers, Lunch, Dinner!!

Ingredients:

-700gms Pumpkins cubed

-1 medium Onion chopped

-2  cooking apples

-1 tbsp dried sea vegetable Arame(optional)

-2 tbsp cold pressed vegetable oil or olive oil

-2 tsp Lemon juice

-1 tsp Curry powder

-½ tsp Peppers

-6 cups/ 1.5 litres Vegetable Stock

Salt to taste

 

Cooking Instructions:

1-    Peel and cube the pumpkin, and one apple

2-    Chop onions

3-    In a 3 quart stock pot saute onion in olive oil for 5 minutes, add curry powder cook for another 2-3 minutes

4-    Now add the cubed pumpkin and apple and vegetable stock

5-    Let cook for 20 minutes or until the vegetable are all mushy

6-    While the vegetable are cooking, wash Arame and soak in little water for 5 minutes, and all in the vegetable during the last 5 minutes of cooking 

7-    Using a hand held smoothie blender or vitamix puree the vegetable

8-    You will get a thick creamy textured puree, can add little water to adjust consistency. This will be a thick textured soup without use of any thickener

9-    Add salt pepper, and 1/2 tsp lemon juice

10- Grate or julienne the second apple and toss in 1-1/2tsp lemon juice

11- Ladle soup in bowls hot or cold and garnish with a generous amount of grated apple

12- Serve as part of multicourse course dinner, for lunch serve with salad or roll. Here I have served  it with wholewheat zatar rolls

Silky smooth pumpkin soup serve hot garnished with shredded apples

 

 

 

Pleated Bread Loaf

Slice of Kale and cottage cheese filled pleated bread

Bread making is both science and art;

Science in the sense that it involves a lot of chemistry 

including fermentation, temperature control and 

enzymetic activity. Art because crafting and baking 

artisanal handmade breads ensure quality, 

taste and satisfaction.

Here goes an artistic and extraordinary verstile recipe and instructions of a very popular bread loaf.  I regularly bake for home consumption as well as bake for friends and family. 

I bake these using either prefermented dough that requires a portion of the bread to be fermented for 16-20 hours. The method I am sharing here is straight dough that requires hardly 3-4 hours for you to fill your house with that aroma of freshly baked breads, and present  a professional looking and tasting braided loaf filled with all kind of amazing filling. 

Dried Fruits and Nuts Filled Pleated Bread

Ingredients for the Dough

250gms, plain white flour

250gms with wholewheat 

2 tsp bread improver (optional)

1 tbsp, instant dry yeast

2 oz/65ml, lukewarm water

2 of/65ml lukewarm milk

2 oz/55gm, castor sugar
½ tsp salt

1 egg for dough and 1 for glazing

2oz/55g, unsalted butter at room temperature

Optional

2 tsp kelonji/Nigella seeds for topping  savoury filled breads

2 tsp sesame seeds or poppy seeds for topping sweet filled breads 

Instructions for making dough

1-    Add all dry ingredients and sift together

2-    Mix beaten egg and butter

3-    Add water and milk

4-    Mix all ingredient with hand to a loose shaggy mass

5-    Leave it for 20-30 minutes for yeast action

6-    Now knead the for 6-8 minutes to a supple and elastic dough

7-    Leave it to prove in a warm place for  1 and ½ hours until double in size

8-    Punch down the dough for degassing and knead lightly

9-    Roll out on a floured surface into a 15x10 rectangle

10- Now transfer on a baking sheet

11- Spread one of the following filling

12- With a pizza wheel or a knife  cut 10-12 strips at angle or either side of the filling cutting just upto the filling

13- Now make bread folding the ends neatly on each other in criss cross manner until all stripes are folded

14- Cover with a plastic and leave to prove for 40-60 minutes or until double in size

15- Brush the top with a beaten egg and Nigella/kalongi if the bread is savoury or sesame/poppy seeds if it is sweet

 

16- Bake in a pre heated oven at 375F/200C gas mark

Bake for 20-25minutes at 200C

Brush the loaf with egg wash and top with nigella/kelonji

Fillings

Savoury Filling-1 Vegetable

450 gms baby spinach roughly chopped

1 large bell pepper/shimla mirch chopped

100gms spring onion chopped

¼ cup garlic chives

¼ cup fresh green coriander chopped

2-3 green chillies chopped finely

6-8 cloves garlic chopped

1tbsp olive oil

100gms cubed cottage cheese

red chillie flakes 1tsp

1stp salt

Saute vegetablelightly dont overcook

Cooking Instructions

-slightly heat the oil and sauté garlic

-when fragrant add all other vegetable and spice excluding coriander and chives

-saute the vegetable just for few minutes until wilted turn off the stove and leave it there uncovered

- add the chives coriander and cottage cheese while filling the dough

Savoury Filling -2 Chicken Mince

250gms minced chicken

100gms spring onion chopped

¼ cup Garlic chives

¼ cup fresh green coriander chopped

2-3 green chillies chopped finely

6-8 cloves garlic chopped

1 tsp ginger paste

½ tsp garam masala

½ tsp roast cumin powder

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Cooking Instructions

• Sauté ginger and garlic in the heated oil
• when fragrant add mince, salt and the spices chillies and cumin. 
•  Fry for 5 minutes on medium fire
•  Now add a cup of water and leave covered for cooking
•  When the water dries add garam masala and the fresh spring onions, herbs chives and coriander
• Saute lightly for 2-3 minutes and turn off the fire and leave covered

 

Chicken and herbs  filled pleated bread

 

Filling-3 Sweet nuts and fruits

250gms dried apricot

50gms currant

50gms currants

100gms chopped almonds

50gms chopped walnuts

50gms candied orange peel

¼ tsp grated nutmeg (jaifal)

2 tsp lemon zest (about 1 big lemon)

1cup any herbal or light brewed tea (use 1 tea bag and make tea without milk sugar)

2 tsp castor sugar

1 1/2oz/45gms melted unsalted butter

Cooking Instructions

-soak the dried apricots in warm tea

-leave for 20 minutes

-drain and chop

-add in it all the nuts and fruits

-now add sugar lemon zest and butter

-Mix with a wooden spoon in a thick mass

-Your filling is ready to fill in the dough now 

Pleated Bread Loaf filled with spinach and kale

Pleated bread loaf filled with chicken and herbs

Pleated Bread loaf with sweet filling

Note: Please feel free to ask me questions related to this bread here.