How would you feel if we offered you a Bagh e Gul for lunch?

Why is it that in Ramzan, the one month that I’m not supposed to think about food, all I end up doing is obsessively think about food? Case in point: Last week as I sat on my desk in my “fries over guys” tee staring out of my window, I asked my husband (I work from home you see, so there were no co-workers to plague) an extremely important question: There’s lots of fashion inspired by food, with watermelon patterned socks and sparkly clutches shaped like soft serve, but why is there no food inspired by fashion? As they stared back at me blankly, I swore on my starving body and soul to change this discrepancy. How can two of my favourite things in the universe co-exist without drawing strength from each other in equal parts?
I spent the rest of the week coming up with four recipes for the Eid lunch – we like to plan ahead you see – inspired by my favourite outfits from Generation’s latest collection.
Bagh e Gul – Feta Cheese Salad

This salad is all about refreshing greens with a touch of crumbly feta cheese and tangy strawberries and so is the Bagh e Gul collection. No, it doesn’t have feta and berries hanging all over it. I so wish it did. Bagh e Gul boasts of refreshing summer shades sprinkled with creamy white block printed florets, reminding us of a particularly sumptuous bowl of crunchy green salad!
Ingredients:
6 cups green salad leaves of your choice (lettuce, iceberg lettuce and rocket leaves used here.)
15 Black olives
I small tin of corn
1 carrot
7-8 strawberries
One pack of feta cheese
½ tsp Mustard paste
4 tsp Olive oil
4 tsp Vinegar
Pinch of sugar

Method:
*The quantities of the fruits/vegetables used can be varied as per your liking.
* You can also add some grilled chicken (200 grams) to this salad to guarantee more protein intake

Wash salad leaves, dry them well and layer them in the salad bowl/dish you wish to use.

Top the leaves with olives, sliced strawberries, some corn, feta cheese cubes and diced carrots.

Mix equal parts of olive oil and vinegar, a dash of sugar and some mustard together. Best way to mix is to put them all
together in a glass jar, close the lid and shake well.

Sprinkle the dressing on the salad, toss well and serve.

This recipe serves 2.
Pineapple Express – Pineapple Toffee Crunch

The name says it all! While browsing through Generation’s e-store, as one usually does while fasting, I saw the Pineapple Express tunic and it instantly reminded me of my trademark Pineapple Toffee crunch! While my growling stomach protested at the vivid imagery, I managed to recreate the recipe for you guys.
Ingredients:
4 slices of pineapple
1 pack of cream (Olpers or Nestle)
1 pack of Marie biscuits
1 tin of condensed milk (Polac or Comelle)
10-15 blanched almonds
4-5 tablespoons of fine sugar

Or

Method:

Boil water in a saucepan and immerse the tin of condensed milk in it WITHOUT opening. Lower the heat and allow the condensed milk to cook for 2-2.5 hours. This will allow the condensed milk to gain thicker consistency and turn into toffee.

Roughly chop the biscuits in a chopper and layer them in the serving dish you wish to use.

Then open the tin of the condensed milk and with the help of a spoon, layer the biscuits with toffee. I’ll suggest using ¾ of the condensed milk to avoid the dessert becoming too sweet.

Now layer the condensed milk with pineapple, cut into smaller pieces.

Beat the cream lightly and spread it evenly over the pineapples so all the contents of the dish are covered well.

Coarsely chop the almonds and then put the sugar in a small pan over low flame. The sugar will melt, taking on a golden brown colour. Add the almonds, stir and then remove this mixture from the flame before it burns! Spread it on a piece of foil and allow it to cool.

Once cooled, this mixture will be solid candy. Break it into small pieces and garnish your dessert with this nutty concoction. Make sure the cream is chilled before you top with the nuts.

*Chill overnight for best results.
This recipe serves 6.
Thai Art – Sticky Chicken with Sesame Seeds

Thai food is known for its simplicity and that trademark spicy edge. Generation’s Thai Art collection follows the same philosophy with its vibrant colour palette paired with simple silhouettes. So, I decided to pay ode to it with my Sticky Chicken recipe which isn’t exactly Thai but follows the same philosophy of keeping things simple yet edgy. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
0.5 kg boneless chicken
6 tbsps Flour
1 tbsp Corn flour
2 eggs
2 tbsp Soya Sauce
A few drops Olive oil
1 tsp Garlic Paste
Salt to taste
Paprika powder to taste
¾ cup Sweet chili sauce
2 tbsp Vinegar
7-8 tbsp Ketchup
2 tbsp Honey
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
1 heaped tbsp Sesame seeds
Spring onions to taste

Method:

Marinate the chicken in 6 tbsps flour, 1 tbsp corn flour, 2 beaten eggs, 2 tbsp soya sauce, few drops of olive oil, ½ tsp of garlic paste and some salt and paprika powder (to taste) for 30 minutes.

Deep fry the chicken. When you put the chicken in the pan, ensure the pieces are spaced out to keep them from clumping together.

In a separate wok, make the sauce on very low heat using ½ tsp of garlic paste, 2 tbsp of vinegar, 2 tbsp of honey, ¾ cup sweet chili sauce, 7-8 tbsp of ketchup, 4 tbsp soya sauce and 1 tbsp brown sugar. Mix contents lightly for 1-2 minutes.

Now add the fried chicken to the sauce and stir well so all the pieces are well coated.

Sprinkle with 1 heaped tbsp of sesame seeds, garnish with spring onions and serve with Jasmine rice.
This recipe serves 4.
Gul Kand – Toblerone Berry Tarts

The Gul Kand sari by Generation has my heart and soul! So, how could I not plan an entire recipe around it? It had to be done. Gul Kand – the name – takes us back to our childhood memories when this sticky red liquid was our very own desi Belgian chocolate. A million years later, our taste has definitely refined from sugary rose petal suspension to Toblerone-infused tarts.
Ingredients:
1 big bar of Toblerone chocolate (the 360 grams one)
1 pack of cream
Berries of your choice (Can replace with any other seasonal fruits of your preference. For the exact same tarts, 10 pieces of each smaller berry, 4-5 strawberries)
8-10 ready-made tart shells (available at most local bakeries on order)

Method:

Add cream to a pan and allow chocolate to melt in it over very low flame. Keep stirring using a spatula or a whisk. Don’t add all the chocolate at once. Use 6-7 triangles and add more if needed.

When the cream and chocolate are well combined and cool, with the help of a spoon, pour the mixture into tart shells.

Now garnish your tarts with the berries (or other fruits) and serve.

This recipe will make 8-10 tarts.
*Photography done by Mahwish Ahmad.