Blueberry Cheese Cake, Chicken Nihari And Pomegranate Salad by Zarnak Sidhwa

Ingredients For Blueberry Cheese Cake:

For Base:

• Crushed biscuits 2 cups
• Melted butter  3 tbsp

For Filling:

• Kiri cheese 5-6 cubes
• Cream cheese  2 cups
• Gelatin 2 tbsp
  
• Milk 1/4 cup
  
• Caster sugar 3/4 cups
  
• Vanilla essence 1 tsp
  
• Cream  2 cups
  
• Purple food color  a few drops

For Topping:

• Blueberry pie filling 1 cup
  
• Whipped cream  1 cup

Method:

1. Mix melted butter with crushed biscuits and spread on the base of a 9" spring form tin press down well and freeze till set.
2. Then beat cream cheese, kiri cubes and sugar.
3. Add in essence and purple food color if using.
4. Soak gelatin in milk and why bubbly heat gently till dissolved but do not let it boil.
5. Let cool slightly and then add in the cream cheese mixture.
6. Fold in well. Lastly fold in cream and pour over base and let set in freezer for a few hours.
7. Before serving decorate with whipped cream and blueberry pie filling.
   

Ingredients For Chicken Nihari:

• Chicken pieces 1-1/2 kg
  
• Onions 2
  
• Whole wheat flour 1 cup
  
• Ginger garlic paste 3 tsp
  
• Fennel seeds 2 tbsp
  
• Dry ginger powder 2 tbsp
  
• Garam masala  1 tbsp
• Red chili powder 3 tbsp
  
• Salt  to taste
  
• Ghee 1 cup
  
• Lemon green chilies
  
• Coriander  to garnish

Method:

1. Heat ghee and fry onion.
2. Add chicken and cook on high flame.
3. Cook until chicken changes color and then add dry ginger powder and ground fennel seeds and cook more till the water evaporates.
4. Add water and ginger, garlic paste and salt and mix well.
5. Add red chili. Mix whole wheat flour in 1 cup of water and use this paste to thicken the gravy.
6. Do not add all the paste at once.
7. Mix on high flame.
8. Mix garam masala in and let it simmer.
9. Dish it out and lastly heat some oil or ghee and do a tarka or temper nihari with it.
10. Garnish with lemon, green chilies, green coriander and serve.
    

Ingredients For Pomegranate salad:

• Apple 1
  
• Walnuts 8-10
  
• Pomegranate 1
  
• Spring onion 2
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Black peppercorns 1 tsp
  
• Mustard paste  1/2 tbsp
• Vinegar 2 tsp
  
• Olive oil 2 tbsp
  
• Honey 2 tbsp
  
• Iceberg  7-8
  
• Feta cheese for garnish

Method:

1. Chop spring onion bulbs.
2. Halve apple and slice it.
3. To make the dressing, combine spring onion bulbs, salt, crushed peppercorns, mustard paste, vinegar, olive oil and honey in a bowl.
4. Tear lettuce leaves and add to the dressing.
5. Add apple, halve pomegranate, remove the kernels, and add to the salad.
6. Add walnuts and toss to mix.
7. Transfer salad into a serving bowl.
8. Break the feta cheese and place on top.
9. Serve immediately.