Ingredients

Flour – 1 1/2 cups
Sugar – 3/4 cup
Eggs – 3 Large
Oil – 3/4 cup
Baking powder – 1 tsp
Baking soda – 1/4 tsp
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Vanilla extract – 1 tsp
Caramel syrup – 1/2 cup
2 cups Whiskey or as needed – lots!

Soak in 1 cup whiskey (more if needed later for soaking the cake and storing).

Use candied red and green cherries, pineapple, apricots, plums, orange, lemon and ginger,
Candied cherries -1/4 cup
Candied apples – 1/4 cup
Dates – 1/2 cup
Raisins – 1/2 cup

Chopped Nuts – 1 cup each

Cashew nuts or peanuts
Almonds or pecans
Walnuts

Spices

1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
1/4 tsp dry ginger powder

Caramel Syrup

Take 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tbsp water in a utensil and let it boil in medium heat
After a while, the syrup will start becoming brown in colour
When it becomes darker, add 1/2 cup warm water and mix well
Be careful while adding water to the very hot caramelised sugar, it might sprinkle and cause burns
Caramel syrup is ready for cake

Method

Soak candied fruits, raisins and chopped dates in whiskey for minimum 12 hours.
Finely chop dried nuts and keep aside.
Make fine powder of spices.
Take a wide bowl.
Beat eggs, sugar and oil.
Add caramel syrup, spice mix and soaked fruits, into the bowl.
Add wheat flour, baking powder and baking soda and blend well.
Add salt and vanilla extract and mix well.
Add more whiskey if needed.
Mix the chopped nuts in 1 tsp flour so that nuts do not settle in the bottom of the mixture.
Preheat oven at 325 degree F.
Grease a baking tray and sprinkle some flour.
Pour the cake mixture into the tray and sprinkle chopped nuts.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes and check with a tooth pick to see if done. Toothpick should come out clean off cake is baked well.
Remove from oven and cool.

Cake is ready.

Poke holes into the cake with a long stick or toothpicks. Add more whiskey. This technique is called soaking or feeding the cake.

Cool and store in an airtight tin for 15 days at least before enjoying. Cake is delicious marinated this way.

Storage:

The best fruit cakes are matured for at least a month and moistened or ‘fed’ from time to time with alcohol such as whiskey, rum, sherry, Madeira or brandy. Fruit cakes made solely from dried fruit will keep for several weeks and up to a month; fruit cakes containing both dried and fresh fruit will go mouldy more quickly. Fruit cakes that have been matured and fed with alcohol can be stored for a year or more.

Preparation

When making dense fruit cakes such as a Christmas cake, the batter needs to be heavy enough for the dried fruit and nuts to be suspended in it; if it’s too thin the fruit will sink to the bottom. Another challenge comes from the sweetness of the dried fruit, which will scorch and turn bitter if the oven temperature is too high. This is why traditional fruit cake recipes often require you to bake the cake slowly at a low temperature and to line the inside and outside of the tin with paper: a double thickness of parchment paper inside, and several layers of newspaper secured with string outside.

If you want to ice the cake with fondant, click here for FONDANT ICING recipe. (Store bought is good too). This cake takes a large quantity and you are better off making your own!

Marzipan makes a good icing too, place the marzipan on cake while chilled so it is easy to handle and will cover well. Eat at room temperature. Click here for the Marzipan recipe.

Steps:

Jardalu ma Marghi (Chicken with Apricots)

Chicken with Apricots / Jardalu ma Marghi *

Jardalu ma marghi is one of those fruit-and-meat dishes that reach far back into ancient Parsi culinary history, long before the migration to India. The starring ingredient in this royal dish is a type of apricot that comes to us from central Asia. Its scientific name is the same as for other apricots, Prunus armeniaca, so the only way we can distinguish a jardalu from the rest is to call it a Hunza apricot, as they do in Britain, or a jardalu in Gujarati. The Hindi/Urdu word, zardalu, means yellow plum.

Niggling matters of nomenclature aside, this homely, wrinkled little dried fruit is truly regal in its taste.

Since it belongs to the category of sweet-kernel apricots, it contains a surprise. Crack the pit and you get a tiny nut thats indescribably delicious, well worth the effort to get at it. Carefully remove the pits from the poached jardalus when they are cool enough to handle.

Recipe serves 6

Ingredients

Jardalu kernels
1/2 to 3/4 pound jardalus (1 1/2 to 2 cups)
1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 to 8 chicken thighs
2 teaspoons Ginger-Garlic Paste
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 dried red chiles
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 (2-inch-long) sticks cinnamon or cassia
5 whole cloves
3 cardamom pods
1 large onion, very thinly sliced
Salt to taste
1/4 cup Madeira (Malmsey) or cream sherry

Method

Rinse the jardalus. Combine the sugar with 1 to 1 1/2 cups hot water and stir to dissolve the sugar. Pour this over the jardalus and add enough additional water to come a couple of inches above them. Stir to combine. Let the jardalus soak for a few hours or overnight.
Put the jardalus and their liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook the jardalus, uncovered, until they darken and plump up. Some people just soak the jardalus, but I think they need cooking to release their full flavor. (Pit them and remove the kernels, if you like)
Sear the chicken in a heavy skillet over high heat until the thighs are browned and have rendered their excess fat. Coat them with the paste and set aside at least 30 minutes.
Heat the oil in the same skillet. Add the chiles, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom and sizzle until the aroma rises and the chiles look toasted. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens. Add the chicken. Combine well with the onion and spices. Add enough water and jardalu poaching liquid to cover. Add salt to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes. Check for salt and sugar. Finish with the Madeira.
Add the jardalus only when you are ready to serve so they dont break up before you present the dish.

* This recipe is from cookbooks:

Cookbook: Parsi Cuisine Manna of the 21st Century.
Cookbook: Parsi Cuisine Series, Meats.

Wedding Pickle, Lagan nu Achar

Lagan nu Achaar is a Pickle made from fresh carrots, ginger, garlic, raisins, apricots, spices, sugar, jaggery and balsamic vinegar. Sweet and Savory this pickle is a great condiment on the table.

Recipe available in my cookbook "Pickles, Chutney, Masala and Preserves"

Eat Fruit on an empty stomach for maximum health benefit

Eating Fruit on Empty Stomach

This will open your eyes ! Read to the end; and then, send it to others on your list as I just did to you!

Dr Stephen Mak treats terminal ill cancer patients by an “un-orthodox” way and many patients recovered.

Before he used solar energy to clear the illnesses of his patients, he believes on natural healing in the body against illnesses. See his article below.

It is one of the strategies to heal cancer. As of late, my success rate in curing cancer is about 80%.

Cancer patients shouldn’t die. The cure for cancer is already found – its in the way we eat fruits.

It is whether you believe it or not.

I am sorry for the hundreds of cancer patients who die under the conventional treatments.

EATING FRUIT

We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths.

It’s not as easy as you think. It’s important to know how and when to eat the fruits.

What is the correct way of eating fruits?

IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUITS AFTER YOUR MEALS!

FRUITS SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH

If you eat fruits on empty stomach, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities. When you wake up in the morning, the stomach is empty and thus best time is breakfast.

FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD.

Let’s say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit.

The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so due to the bread taken before the fruit.

In the meantime the whole meal of bread & fruit rots and ferments and turns to acid.

The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.

So please eat your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals !

You have heard people complaining :

Every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat, my stomach bloats up, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet, etc.. etc..

Actually all this will not arise if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach.

The fruit mixes with the putrefying of other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat !

Greying hair, balding, nervous outburst and dark circles under the eyes all these will NOT happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach.

There is no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter.

If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the SECRET of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight.

When you need to drink fruit juice – drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans, packs or bottles.

Don’t even drink juice that has been heated up.

Don’t eat cooked fruits because you don’t get the nutrients at all. You only get its taste.

Cooking

destroys all the vitamins.

But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice.

If you should drink the fresh fruit juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it.

You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse or detoxify your body.

Just eat fruits and drink fresh fruit juice throughout the 3 days.

And you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look !

KIWI fruit:
Tiny but mighty.
This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

APPLE:
An apple a day keeps the doctor away?
Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

STRAWBERRY:
Protective Fruit.
Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging and free radicals.

ORANGE :
Sweetest medicine.
Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON:
Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system.

They are also a key source of lycopene the cancer fighting oxidant.
Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA:
Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content.

Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation.

Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.

Drinking COLD water or drinks after a meal = CANCER

Can you believe this ?

For those who like to drink cold water or cold drinks, this article is applicable to you.

It is nice to have a cup of cold water or cold drinks after a meal.

However, the cold water or drinks will solidify the oily stuff that you have just eaten.

It will slow down the digestion.

Once this ‘sludge’ reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food.

It will line the intestine.

Very soon, this will turn into FATS and lead to CANCER !

It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

Let’s be careful and be aware. The more we know the better chance we could survive.

A cardiologist says: if everyone who gets this mail sends it to 10 people, you can be sure that we’ll save at least one life.

Jardalu ma Marghi

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and finely julienned
Kosher salt, to taste
2 tbsp. canola oil, plus more
2 cups dried apricots
2 cups unsweetened apple juice
6 chiles de árbol, stemmed
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 (2″) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 lb. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
½ tsp. cumin seeds
5 whole cloves
3 green cardamom pods
2 sticks cinnamon, halved
1 large yellow onion, sliced
¼ cup madeira

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak potatoes in salted water 1 hour; drain and dry using paper towels. Heat 2″ oil in a 4-qt. saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°. Working in batches, fry potatoes until crisp, 2–3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain; season with salt.

2. Bring apricots and juice to a simmer in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until apricots are plump, about 10 minutes. Transfer apricots and half the juice to a bowl. Place remaining juice in a food processor; add chiles, garlic, and ginger and purée into a paste.

3. Wipe pan clean and add 2 tbsp. oil; heat over medium-high. Season chicken with salt; cook, flipping once, until skin is crisp, 6–8 minutes, and transfer to a plate. Add reserved paste to pan; cook until golden, 2–3 minutes. Add cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon; cook until seeds pop, 1–2 minutes. Add onion; cook until caramelized, 10–12 minutes. Add reserved apricots and juice, plus ¼ cup water, and salt; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and return chicken to pan; cook, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 18–20 minutes. Stir in madeira; cook 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter; garnish with fried potatoes.

SERVES 2–4

This recipe first appeared in the SAVEUR Magazine August/September 2014 special India issue with Lyla Bavadam’s story Persian Roots.

Article from SAVEUR Magazine

Cyrus Todiwala’s Jardaloo ma Murghi Recipe

Pickled Jardaloo / Aloo

Ingredients

Flour – 1 1/2 cups

Sugar – 3/4 cup

Eggs – 3 Large

Oil – 3/4 cup

Baking powder – 1 tsp

Baking soda – 1/4 tsp

Salt – 1/2 tsp

Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

Caramel syrup – 1/2 cup

2 cups Whiskey or as needed – lots!

Soak in 1 cup whiskey (more if needed later for soaking the cake and storing).

Use candied red and green cherries, pineapple, apricots, plums, orange, lemon and ginger,

Candied cherries -1/4 cup

Candied apples – 1/4 cup

Dates – 1/2 cup

Raisins – 1/2 cup

Chopped Nuts – 1 cup each

Cashew nuts or peanuts

Almonds or pecans

Walnuts

Spices

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg powder

1/4 tsp dry ginger powder

Caramel Syrup

Take 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tbsp water in a utensil and let it boil in medium heat

After a while, the syrup will start becoming brown in colour

When it becomes darker, add 1/2 cup warm water and mix well

Be careful while adding water to the very hot caramelised sugar, it might sprinkle and cause burns

Caramel syrup is ready for cake

Method

Soak candied fruits, raisins and chopped dates in whiskey for minimum 12 hours.

Finely chop dried nuts and keep aside.

Make fine powder of spices.

Take a wide bowl.

Beat eggs, sugar and oil.

Add caramel syrup, spice mix and soaked fruits, into the bowl.

Add wheat flour, baking powder and baking soda and blend well.

Add salt and vanilla extract and mix well.

Add more whiskey if needed.

Mix the chopped nuts in 1 tsp flour so that nuts do not settle in the bottom of the mixture.

Preheat oven at 325 degree F.

Grease a baking tray and sprinkle some flour.

Pour the cake mixture into the tray and sprinkle chopped nuts.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes and check with a tooth pick to see if done. Toothpick should come out clean off cake is baked well.

Remove from oven and cool.

Cake is ready.

Poke holes into the cake with a long stick or toothpicks. Add more whiskey. This technique is called soaking or feeding the cake.

Cool and store in an airtight tin for 15 days at least before enjoying. Cake is delicious marinated this way.

Storage:

Preparation

If you want to ice the cake with fondant, click here for FONDANT ICING recipe. (Store bought is good too). This cake takes a large quantity and you are better off making your own!

Marzipan makes a good icing too, place the marzipan on cake while chilled so it is easy to handle and will cover well. Eat at room temperature. Click here for the Marzipan recipe.

Steps:

Share to family and friends

Like this:

Chicken with Apricots / Jardalu ma Marghi *

Niggling matters of nomenclature aside, this homely, wrinkled little dried fruit is truly regal in its taste.

Since it belongs to the category of sweet-kernel apricots, it contains a surprise. Crack the pit and you get a tiny nut thats indescribably delicious, well worth the effort to get at it. Carefully remove the pits from the poached jardalus when they are cool enough to handle.

Recipe serves 6

Ingredients

Jardalu kernels

1/2 to 3/4 pound jardalus (1 1/2 to 2 cups)

1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar

6 to 8 chicken thighs

2 teaspoons Ginger-Garlic Paste

2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 dried red chiles

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 (2-inch-long) sticks cinnamon or cassia

5 whole cloves

3 cardamom pods

1 large onion, very thinly sliced

Salt to taste

1/4 cup Madeira (Malmsey) or cream sherry

Method

Rinse the jardalus. Combine the sugar with 1 to 1 1/2 cups hot water and stir to dissolve the sugar. Pour this over the jardalus and add enough additional water to come a couple of inches above them. Stir to combine. Let the jardalus soak for a few hours or overnight.

Put the jardalus and their liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook the jardalus, uncovered, until they darken and plump up. Some people just soak the jardalus, but I think they need cooking to release their full flavor. (Pit them and remove the kernels, if you like)

Since it belongs to the category of sweet-kernel apricots, it contains a surprise. Crack the pit and you get a tiny nut thats indescribably delicious, well worth the effort to get at it. Carefully remove the pits from the poached jardalus when they are cool enough to handle.

Add the jardalus only when you are ready to serve so they dont break up before you present the dish.

KIWI fruit:
Tiny but mighty.
This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

APPLE:
An apple a day keeps the doctor away?
Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

STRAWBERRY:
Protective Fruit.
Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging and free radicals.

ORANGE :
Sweetest medicine.
Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON:
Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system.

They are also a key source of lycopene the cancer fighting oxidant.
Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA:
Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content.