In my kitchen, the familiar fragrance of spices and the warmth of ghee fill the air, evoking memories that span a lifetime. This Channa Mewa Pulao, a favorite dish of my dad that my mom lovingly cooked while we were growing up, is a testament to the power of food to create cherished moments. The aromas it carries meant more than just a delicious meal; they signaled that guests were coming over, turning ordinary days into celebrations of togetherness. It’s more than a recipe; it’s a heartwarming journey back in time, a taste of family, love, and the joy of sharing. I hope this dish brings your home and your family just as much joy, memories, and full bellies!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Basmati rice
• 1 lamb shank
• 1/2 cup boiled chickpeas (channa)
• 1/4 cup mixed nuts (cashews, almonds, raisins)
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-inch piece of ginger, grated
• 2 green chilies, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 4-5 whole cloves
• 2-3 green cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions:

1. Rinse and Soak the Rice: Rinse the Basmati rice thoroughly and soak it in water for about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Cook the Lamb Shank: In a separate pot or pressure cooker, heat a bit of oil and sear the lamb shank until it’s browned on all sides. Remove it from the pot and set it aside.
3. Sauté the Aromatics: In the same pot, add the ghee and oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Sauté for a minute until fragrant.
4. Add Onions, Garlic, and Ginger: Add the thinly sliced onions and sauté until they turn golden brown. Stir in the minced garlic, grated ginger, and chopped green chilies. Cook for another couple of minutes.
5. Add Chickpeas and Rice: Return the lamb shank to the pot, add the boiled chickpeas, and stir in the drained rice. Sauté the rice for a few minutes to coat it with the aromatic mixture.
6. Cook the Rice and Lamb Shank: Pour in 2 cups of water and add salt to taste. Stir gently. If using a pressure cooker, cover it with the lid and cook for about 2-3 whistles or until the lamb is tender and the rice is cooked. If using a regular pot, cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until the rice is cooked and the lamb is tender.
7. Fluff and Garnish: Once done, fluff the rice gently with a fork. Garnish with the reserved toasted nuts and fresh coriander leaves.
8. Serve: Your Channa Mewa Pulao with Lamb Shank is ready to be served hot. Enjoy the flavorful combination of lamb and rice with the chickpeas and nuts. It’s a hearty and delicious meal!

Note: You may need to adjust the cooking time for the lamb shank depending on its size and tenderness. Always ensure the lamb is thoroughly cooked before serving.

This recipe is really similar to the Classic Peshawari Pulao recipe I posted a while ago here!

The post Channa Mewa Pulao first appeared on Style With Kitty.

The post Channa Mewa Pulao appeared first on Style With Kitty.

Homemade Yogurt Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Gallon Whole Milk
• Tablespoon Grocery Store bought Yogurt (This is your starter bacteria to get the process going)

Instructions:

1. Heat the milk on medium heat and stir gently, so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Let the milk come to boil.
2. Once it boils and bubbles for about 30 seconds turn off the stove and let the boiled milk cool to room temperature.
3. Stir the tablespoon of grocery-bought yogurt (starter bacteria) with your room-temperature boiled milk.
4. Pour the milk mixture into a plastic Tupperware and place it inside your oven next to your oven light! Turn on the oven light! (This is the most important step! ONLY TURN ON THE OVEN LIGHT)! *The light will help to warm the starter bacteria in the store-bought yogurt and will ultimately lead to the creation of Yogurt!
5. Let the Tupperware sit in the oven for 7-9 hours
6. Place Tupperware in the fridge and let it cool! And Voila, you have yourself DELICIOUS homemade yogurt!

You can enjoy this homemade yogurt as a parfait – add some granola and berries with honey! Save this recipe in your books because I have a fantastic recipe coming with yogurt next week! If you’re interested in other recipes I’ve shared check out the food page of my blog here!

Let me know how this turns out and if you have any questions in the comments below!

The post Homemade Yogurt first appeared on Style With Kitty.

The post Homemade Yogurt appeared first on Style With Kitty.

I have always loved fruit tarts they are delicious and fairly healthy! When I tried this recipe it was muah *chefs kiss* SO good! So give it a try and let me know what you think! Tag me on your socials if you made it!

Festive Fruit Tart Recipe

Ingredients for Crust

• – 1 Pack Honey Graham Crackers (Approx 10-15 Crackers)
• – 1 Cup Almonds
• – 8 tablespoons butter melted

Ingredients for Filling

• – 8 Ounces Cream Cheese
• – 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
• – 8 Ounce of Cool Whip
• – 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Fresh Fruit:  (Since we’re doing 4^th of July themed tart I’m going to include Strawberries and Blueberries only

Steps for Crust

– Preheat oven to 350°

– Put graham crackers and almonds in a grinder until turned into crumbs

– mix the graham cracker and almond crumb mixture into the melted butter

– Place the mixture into a pan and press down

– Bake until slightly browned for 5-7 minutes

Steps for Filling

• – Mix Cream Cheese and powdered sugar until light and fluffy
• – Mix in Cool Whip and Vanilla extract
• – Spread the mixture evenly on the prepared crust and top with strawberries & blueberries

The thing I love most about fruit tarts is that you can make them colorful and festive for any kind of holiday depending on your fruit selection and presentation. A cool and crispy dessert with fresh fruit is perfect for summer days!

The post Festive Fruit Tart first appeared on Style With Kitty.

The post Festive Fruit Tart appeared first on Style With Kitty.

Gajar Ka Halwa Recipe

Ingredients:

1.) Wash and Peel Carrots

2.) Shred carrots (we use a food processor to do this or you can purchase a bag of shredded carrots from the grocery store)

3.) On medium heat boil almond milk and shredded carrots in a pot.

4.) When carrots have softened and milk has been dissolved add butter (Ghee or Coconut Oil) and stir on low heat for 4 minutes.

5.) Add cardamom powder and sugar stir until everything is well mixed

6.) Garnish with blanched almonds

Hope you enjoy this recipe! If you make it I’d love to know how it turned out!

The post Gajar Ka Halwa Recipe (Carrot Pudding) first appeared on Style With Kitty.

The post Gajar Ka Halwa Recipe (Carrot Pudding) appeared first on Style With Kitty.

Speaking of linking items, this is my first gift guide and as an avid reader of many blogs on the Internet I always loved seeing the gift guides for the holidays that influencers posted but I never realized how much work is put into putting these guides together and linking the items.  I wanted to thank you all for the support by reading along.  Also, if any of the products are of interest simply click the image link in the grid below and purchase the product.  If you purchase the product through the link I’ve provided I get a small credit for putting this all together! And as a new blogger your support would be greatly appreciated, so Thank You!

Target is always such a great option for budget friendly buys from kitchen necessities, clothing, accessories, or tech gadgets. So here goes it… Here is my Gift Guide for Her… I’ve added a brief description on each item.

Gift Guide For Her

Yankee Candle-  Coming from a Pakistani family where the smell of the curry pretty much seeps into your jackets, clothes and hair I’ve always been paranoid and invested in good scents for the home and Yankee Candle has never disappointed! It smells so crisp and strong enough to cover the smell of curries so this is your buy if you want to gift a candle

Pajama Set- Gilligan & O’Malley is one of the softest set of loungewear that Target carries.  I basically lived in their loungewear and pajamas when I was expecting.

Instant Pot- This sweet thing has been the talk of the town! Meals are prepped way faster. If you have kids and you have to cook meat don’t spend hours thawing the meat and then cooking it. Pressure cookers were always a concern for my mom so she instilled this fear in us and maybe the fact that one bursted in our kitchen when we were kids probably has a little something to do with my fear of them too! But with toddlers around I need something thats safer and a set-and-go and this is just that! It releases the pressure on its own so no time tracking or any hassle!

Sherpa Mittins- Soft and cute! Perfect stocking stuffers too!

Plush Robe- I’m telling you, you can’t go wrong with Gilligan O’ Malley, this robe is so soft and cozy!

Wool Coat- This wool coat is almost a knock off of the one at JCrew. It’s so cute and I love the red color for this time of year. It’s been selling fast!!

Faux Fur Slippers- Yes, Please! Need I say more, faux fur and slippers!! Get a feel of actually walking on cloud nine with these slippers perfect for gifting!

Hello Gorgeous Mug- This is too cute, who wouldn’t want to wake up to a cup of coffee praising them!

Beats Solo Headphone- These are probably the priciest item on this gift guide. Definitely a splurge but so worth the buy! The sound of music on these headphones takes you to a different level. And if you’re a mom like me sometimes you just need a pair of headphones to block it all out so you can binge watch some TV in peace! Best gift my husband got me!!

OTK Boots- I was a little hesitant to try a pair of OTK boots this fall because I am short and another influencer convinced me its okay to be short you can still pull off the style.  But I didn’t want to invest in a pair that was super pricey just in case I didn’t like the style but these ended up being the nicest OTK Boots ever and oh so comfortable!! They are less than $45 right now!!

I hope this little gift guide helps you in finding the perfect gift for the special lady in your life whether it be your mom, mom-in-law, sister, teacher, grandma, etc. I tried to add variety in cost and in the selection of items. This was my first gift guide so comment below and let me know what you think! What are some things on your holiday list this year? Are gift guides helpful to you?

The post Target Gift Guide For Her first appeared on Style With Kitty.

The post Target Gift Guide For Her appeared first on Style With Kitty.

The weekend flew right before our eyes as we had spurs of pouring rain and then some sun.  A little snow in the higher altitude regions lead to a beautiful view of snow-capped mountains this got me all excited about the holidays and I started getting ideas of holiday décor for our home I have a post coming this week of some of my favorite Amazon deals.  I am way eager to get a tree up and start decorating but I’ll wait for another couple weeks. As for now…I want to dive into some recipe books and get some delicious recipes out before Thanksgiving!

Every year for the past couple years as tradition my husband and my sister both cook a thanksgiving turkey.  My husband loves to marinate his Turkey with our traditional spices he loves to give it a very traditional Pakistani taste.  My sister on the other hand cooks her Turkey with a classic American marination she has a special recipe she hasn’t shared but she does the whole shebang with mouth watering stuffing and cranberry sauce. Both Turkeys are devoured!!

I love to get into the Thanksgiving spirit by some holiday decor, kitchen essentials, and making sure the kids enjoy the holiday as well. My little Ray loves to help in the kitchen and so I’ve linked some of my favorite items for toddlers and kitchen must-haves for the food festivities found on Amazon! And if you’re a prime member on Amazon you can get free two day delivery which is amazing! Since becoming a prime member I’ve been so spoiled standard delivery at many retail stores takes 5-7 business days which seems like a lifetime away after you’ve reaped the benefits of being a Amazon Prime member!

Here is my roundup of Amazons must-haves for Thanksgiving (you can simply click on any item and purchase)…

Here is my roundup of Amazons Thanksgiving must-haves for your toddler! These fun must-haves will keep them entertained and help them join you in the cooking fun!! (to purchase any of the items simply click on the images and purchase)

What are some of your Thanksgiving traditions? What are some of the items you find necessary on Thanksgiving day in the kitchen? Feel free to share in the comments below.

I hope you all have a wonderful week! How many of you have started decorating for Christmas already?

The post Monday Musings first appeared on Style With Kitty.

The post Monday Musings appeared first on Style With Kitty.