Friday, November 12, 2021

Address Update When Moving Houses

According to the 2016 census one in every six Australians move house every year. And we all know that every time this happens, along with several other important and tyring things like packing, moving, unpacking etc. one of the very time taking and critical task is changing your address in all your registered accounts: AusPost, banks, drivers license, shopping sites, uni etc. to avoid your mail going to your old address.

Thought it may be a good idea to make a checklist of all possible places where you may have to update the address to come in handy during/after the move. Please suggest in comments if I have missed any and I will add to the list - thanks.

Btw: if you really don't have time to complete this excercise now and want to update later when you are have spare time, you can also utilise a Australia Post service to redirect all your email to your new address on a fix monthly charge. More details about it are here.

Australia Post
Australian Electoral Commission
Australian Tax Office
Banks, Credit cards, Mortages
Employer/Job, business
Money Remittance Services (forex)
GP
Gym
Home Affairs (visas, citizenships)
Human Services (Medicare, Centrelink, child support)
Insurance (Health, Car, Content, House etc)
Internet Service Provider
Library
Mobile Phone Account(s)
My Gov
Online shopping accounts (Amazon, eBay etc)
Opal
Pet Registration
Real estate agent
Registered Charities
RTA / Services NSW (Drivers License, Rego etc.)
Schools, Uni, TAFE, Coaching
Security systems (home alarm and / or armed response and vehicle tracking company)
Store cards and loyalty programs (Flybuys, Woolies, Airline Rewards etc)
Subscription service (magazine etc.)
Superannuation fund
Toll tags (e-toll, e-tag)
Other online accounts - check your mobile apps

Apple
Crypto accounts
Facebook
Google
Microsoft
Paypal
Stripe
Uber

That's pretty much what I could think of - let me know if there is something missing.

Happy Moving 🙂

Sunday, September 12, 2021

Recipe - Biryani

Biryani - The Authentic One :)

After the initial failed attempts, this one ticked all the boxes.

So how do you know you have done a good Biryani?

Grainy Rice - you can see each rice grain is separate, not like a spaghetti
Tender Meet - should break with a light spoon pressure and juicy
Proper Layering - the orange and yellow color shows proper layering
Great Look & Taste - salt, spices and oily shine

If all 4 boxes tick, you can call it the Authentic Biryani 🙂

Ingredients:

Meat - 2kg
Rice - 1.5kg
Black pepper corns (kaali mirch)
Salt
Tomato 1kg
Onions 2 medium size
Turmeric Powder
Ginger Garlic paste
Cinnamon (daar chini)
Green cardamon
Bay leaves (taizpaat)
Red chilli powder
Coriander and Mint leaves
Biryani Masala
Zarda Color (yellow food color)

Step-by-Step:

Put the meat in pressure cooker, add the following and mix well:

Black pepper corns (kaali mirch) - 1tbs
Salt - 2.5tbs
Water - 3 cups
Turmeric - 0.75tsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 1.5tsp

Ensure the pressure cooker safety valves and warning mechanism's are all functional.
Seal the cooker and put to flame high - when the pressure is built, lower the flame and cook for 30 mins (this is for beef - lamb or mutton will take less time).
After 30 mins release the steam from cooker and when the safety pin is down, open the cooker and check if the meat is tender. If not, repeat for another 10/15 mins of pressure cooking.
Once the meat is tender, take the meat and stock out separately.
Soak 1.5kg rice in water for half an hour, don't use cold water. After 30 minutes drain the water out - don't soak for more than that.
Grind 1kg tomatoes to make a liquid paste.
Slice cut 2 medium size onions.
Now heat 500ml oil in the final pot in which biryani will be cooked - as soon the oil gets medium hot, put onions in and fry so they become brown.
Once fried, take out the onions and also take out half of the oil and store in a separate bowl.
Heat up the remaining oil and add 3 pcs of Cinnamon, 5pcs of Green cardamon, 1tsp ginger and garlic paste and 1 cup water. Mix them well. Now add 1.5tsp salt and also 1.5tsp Red Chilli powder. Mix them all together until the color changes and then add the 1kg tomato paste.
Now cook for 10/12 mins until the oil is separated - you should see the oil floating on the corners.
Now add the meat and cook for another 5/7 mins. Do it slowly otherwise the already tender meat will start breaking up.
Add 2 tsp biryani masala (save 1tsp for later). Once the oil start getting separated, mix the meat stock.
Mix it well slowly and cook for 15 mins until the color become dark. Make sure there is enough water in the pot so that some of the meat should still be in liquid. While this is happening, continue with the next step.
Take 2kg water in another wide pot (enough water that all rice dips well)
Add 2pcs Cinnamon (daar chini), 2pcs Bay leaves (taizpat) and 3tbs salt. Mix them.
Cover the lid and boil the water. When water is boiled, add the rice in water and slowly mix.
Boil just enough so that the rice gain length but still slightly hard. Don't completely cook otherwise they will become spaghetti. Taste and you should feel its not fully soft. As soon it reaches this stage, take the rice out. Rice grains should be separate, if not it means you over cooked and your biryani is doomed.
In the meat pot, cook until there is only enough liquid left so that not all rice will sink in i.e. a thick layer of rice should be above the liquid surface. Almost 60% of rice will be above the liquid.
Now add the fried onions on top of the meat in a layer. Don't add too much fried onions otherwise it will add a sweetish taste.
Now add rice on the top of it and spread it to make a layer.
Spread 125ml oil (half of the remaining) over the rice.
Add a layer of coriander and mint leaves and also spread half tbs biryani masala on top and 1tsp zarda color (in cross).
Put tawa under the pot to block direct flame, block steam by adding cloth on the sides of the pod and cover the lid.
Cook for 5 mins on high flame and then 20/25 mins on low flame (dam).

This is how it will appear after the 20 minutes of slow cook session:

Saturday, July 31, 2021

Recipe - KFC Style Chicken

KFC Style Chicken

My kids are a big fan of KFC burgers and chickens. However with the lock down in place, it's not been easier. Thought it a good opportunity to add to the "dads-cooking" list. I searched for a few recipes and have picked the most simplest one. However replaced some ingredients with other ones due to availibility.

Ingredients:

Chicken Breast Fillet - 3kg
Buns
Cheese Slices
Vinegar
Mustard sauce
Soya sauce
Tomato ketchup
Ginger & Garlic paste
Chilli Garlic sauce
Black pepper
Plain flour
Corn flour
Garlic powder
Chilli powder
Turmeric powder,
Mayonnaise (garlic lovers)
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Eggs - 3
Milk - 1 cups
Butter

Step-by-Step:

If the chicken breast fillet are too think, slice them to create thinner pieces
Similarly if the size if too big in lengh, cut them from the middle to make two pieces
Cut the wild edges to make all fillets in standard shapes
Use a wodden hammer and softly hammer the fillet to make the surface even (if uneven)
Take a bowl and add Vinegar (2 tbsp), mustard sauce (1 tbsp), Soya sauce (1/2 tbsp), ketchup (1 tbsp), Ginger paste (1 tbsp), Garlic paste (1 tbsp), Black pepper (1 tbsp), Salt (2 tbsp), instant nodel masala or garam masala
Mix all of it well. Taste the paste and check if salt and hottness is as per taste. If not then adjust accordingly
Add chicken to the bowl and use a fork to pierce small holes in the fillets - don't worry if you are unable to see the holes, just gently keep piercing for a minute
Now mix well with the chicken with hand so it is well soaked - leave it 2 hours for marination
Take a bowl and add 2 cups plain flour, 1/2 cup corn flour, 2 tbsp salt, 2 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp chilli powder, 1 tbsp black pepper, 1 tbsp turmeric powder and mix well. The final state is a powder mixture.
Take another bowl and add 3 eggs and blend them. Add 1 cup milk and mix all well
Now heat up the oil to medium-to-hot state
Take one chicken fillet and coat it in the egg & milk mixture. Next coat it well in the powder mixture. Again coat back in egg & milk mixture well and finally again in the powder mixture. Press the chicken hard in powder mixture well. This double coating is necessary so the chicken fillets are fully soaked
Now put one or two fillets in hot oil pan (depending upon the size of pan) and fry each side for few mins until the color change to brown. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan - the fillets shouldn't be touching each other
Check using a fork if the chicken is tender
Take out the fillet and soak on a dry paper - repeat the process for other fillets as well

Preparing the Sauce:

Take a bowl and add 2 tbsp chilli garlic sauce, 2 tbsp mustard sauce, 4 tbsp Mayonnaise and mix well
Taste the sauce and adjust as per taste

Preparing/Garnishing the Burgers:

Put some butter on pan and soak through the inner sides of the buns
Coat the buns with Mayonaise, put some lettuce, put chicken fillete, add sauce on top of the fillet, cheese slice and ketchup

Your KFC style chicken burger is ready :)

Saturday, July 24, 2021

Recipe - Kabuli Pulao

Afghani / Central Asian Kabuli Pulao

Kabuli Pulao or Qabuli pulao is a Afghani / Central Asian dish. It consists of steamed rice mixed with raisins, carrots, and beef or lamb. The end result is a unique taste of sweetishly saltosh meat rice taste. Combined it together with Raita (saltosh youghurt with onions) - and you have a perfect Kabuli pulao.

Ingredients:

Onions - 3
Carrots - 3
Meat 1.25 kg
Rice 5 cups
1 cup raisins (kishmish)
4 tbsp salt + 2 tbsp cumin seeds + 1 tbsp cardamom powder + garlic and ginger paste + 7 cups water

Step-by-Step:

Soak rice in hot water for an hour
Cut carrots in very thin slices
Chop the onions into slices
Wash the raisins
Put some oil in pan, enough to soak the carrot slices and fry for 5 mins
Take carrots out, put raisins in and fry for 10 seconds, the color will change to dark
Take raisins out and put the meat in the same oil and fry for 5 mins until the color change to brown
Mix onion now and fry for another 10 mins
Add 4tsp salt + 2 tsp cumin seeds + garlic paste 2 tbsp + ginger paste 2btsp - mix well and fry for another 2 mins
Add hot water 6 cups + 1tbsp garam masala and mix well
Cover the pot and leave for 1.5 hrs (until the meat is tender)
Remove the lid and mix softly, check the meat should be tender
Take the meat out in a plate and cover it
Now add rice to the pot and flatten it to cover the pot
Add hot water 2 cups (only if rice is not already completely inside of water)
Cover the pot and leave for 5 mins on high flame
Remove the lid - water should have gone with wet rice
Add carrot and raisins
Stir the rice and mix well
Add meat on top now
Stir slowly to pull rice little on top of meat, use a soft hand otherwise the rice will break
Cover the lid with a clean cloth and cover the pot for another 5 mins on medium flame
After 5 mins bring the flame to low for 20 mins
Your Pulao is ready