[Ramazan Special]

Spicy Pakistani Zucchini

Ingredients:

Cooking oil - 1/4 cup.

Onion - 1, thinly sliced.

Zucchini- 6, peeled, seeded and cut into semicircles

Salt - 1/2 teaspoon.

Water - 2 cups.

Chili powder - 2 teaspoons.

Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon, grounded.

Garlic powder - 1/2 teaspoon.

Coriander seeds - 1 teaspoon, grounded.

Cloves-3

Pepper - 6 or 7.

Tomatoes - 4, chopped.

Plain yogurt - 2 1/2 tablespoons.

Instructions:

Peel the zucchini, take the seeds out and cut into semicircular pieces. Pour oil into the skillet and heat in medium temperature. Add in onion and sauté for about five minutes or until golden. Next, pour in all the other ingredients and stir with a ladle. Turn down heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Lentils and rice with fried onions

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, sliced into rings

1 1/3 cups uncooked green grams

3/4 cup uncooked long-grain rice

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (optional)

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions, and cook about 10 minutes, until browned. Remove from heat, and set aside.

Place lentils in a medium saucepan with enough lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 15 minutes.

Stir rice and enough water to cover into the saucepan with the green grams. Season with salt and pepper. Cover saucepan, and continue to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until rice and lentils are tender.

Mix half the onions into the green gram mixture. Top with yogurt or sour cream and remaining onions to serve.