Cooking with Miss Khan

We give thanks to the cows whose body makes this dish possible. 

We thank the farmers who grew and harvested the fresh produce

We give thanks to the coconuts whose milk brings sweetness to this dish

Thanks to the habanero and ginger that add heat and flavor 

Thanks to the fresh rosemary that compliments the flavor of the beef

We give thanks to the ancestors that combined this labor and love to perfectly balance this dish with sweet and savory, from two staple ingredients so that they could feed their family with delicious food.

We give thanks to our ancestors for preserving this recipe to outlast time and migration. 

I give thanks to my Grandma who nourished my mom with this dish, and I thank my mom, Barbara Khan, who showed me her love by cooking this for me, and for sharing this treasured recipe with me. You taught me so much about love and food.  

It is with my ancestors, my grandma, and my mother’s blessing, that I lovingly share this recipe with you <3   

Ingredients: 

3 lbs chuck or pot roast beef 

1 large red onion

1 can of coconut milk or cream

2 tbsp grated ginger (optional)

2 packs of frozen chopped spinach 

2 tbsp of olive oil

5 cloves garlic

1 habanero 

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

6 curry leaves (optional) 

2 beef bouillon cubes

Salt 

Black pepper 

1 candle 

Rice 

6 cups of water 

3 cups of basmati rice 

Boil 6 cups of water. Add basmati rice and cook uncovered on high heat until you can see the top of the rice and the waterline is a little below the top of the rice. Turn heat down to low and cover pot for 7 -10mins.

 Prep: 

Cut chuck beef in medium-sized cubes

Chop red onion, garlic, and habanero 

Grate ginger 

Cook: 

In a medium-sized pot or cast iron, add olive oil to the pan over high heat. Add red onions and caramelize for about 4 or 5 mins. Add garlic, habanero, ginger, rosemary to the pot and cook until garlic starts to turn brown and red onions are translucent.

Light a candle to channel  the Indo-Guyanese Ancestors 

Add beef to pot and cook on high heat until all sides of beef have been browned. Add curry leaves. Add beef bouillon cubes. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Once the meat is browned, add one cup of water to pop and turn the heat on medium and cover pot for 45-55 mins stirring occasionally.

Once the meat has softened, add coconut cream (or milk) to the pot. You can add half a can for less sweet and less creamy and full can if you’d like a little more sweet and creamy. I add a whole can. Add chopped spinach to the pot. Salt to taste. Cover and simmer on medium heat for 15 mins 

As you may have noticed, it's been half a year since my last post. My last post about tea was the dawn of a new adventure. After a series of transformative events in Minnesota, I packed up my life in a matter of days and relocated to the fabulous Las Vegas. My sister, B, moved to Las Vegas almost 6 years ago and I missed her so much, so I got a one-way ticket to Nevada!

I have heard stories, read books, and watched films where main characters bravely thrust themselves into the unknown. My own parents uprooted themselves from Guyana in their 20s to come to America, with nothing but a few suitcases in hand, not knowing what they will do or what will happen - they were so brave.

I’ve always told myself that if an opportunity for me to step out of my comfort zone and hurl myself into the ocean of unknown, that I should do it, my mantra: “Whatever is out there, whatever happens, if I get lost, at least know the way home.” So I jumped into the unknown. By the way, I realize that moving from the Midwest to the Wild West is nothing like what my parents did, but it was a big step for me.

Minnesota has always been my home, and it still is, but my move to Las Vegas has expanded my idea of home in a way I never thought of. Home is so much more than just a permanent place to live. It’s family, community, and myself. I did not truly understand home until I no longer lived in MN. I have been in Nevada now for 9 months now, and during this time I have gained a family, fought beside, mourned with, and been embraced, by my new community. I’ve also found a grounded home inside myself through the things that tie me to my ancestors and culture.

I used to HATE when my dad would wake us up by blasting old school rum shop songs at 7am on a Saturday. Now, I find myself blasting those same chunes* unapologetically whilst shaking my high bun, driving down the Las Vegas Strip. Mumsy Khan used to make me tea every night before bed. Now, I indulge in a warm cup of chai at work meetings or on dates. These are just some of the many things that make my own self a place of home.

I still make curry at least once a week and plan on bringing curry to every holiday potluck I’m invited to. With Las Vegas being such a transient place, someone is always coming or going; some people don’t consider it home; and neither did I when I first arrived.

My home will always be Minnesota, but home also means Nevada. Home is where a nice steaming pot of curry and basmati rice is, and home is where I am.  

Whoever you are, wherever you are, I hope you are home.

Recently my life has been very dark and difficult, and at the dawn of my 29th birthday, I'd like to share with you all some of the most important lessons from this period in my life. This is poem about how the comfort of tea can keep us grounded during hard times and reminds us of the many positive constants in our life we often forget. Tea being one of those constants. During this challenging time I have been turning to tea to center my sanity, avoid alcoholism, and be the comfort of home when there is no home. It's a love poem for tea and hopefully an inspiring poem of knowing the way even in times of hopelessness and feeling lost. 

  Would You Like Some Tea?

By Amanda J Khan

 Would you like some tea?

For when this feeling of lost isn’t worth the cost

Would you like some Tea?

 For when you fail

And feel like you'll never prevail

Would you like some Tea?

 When you feel alone

And can’t define where’s home

Would you like some tea?

 Another year gone by in a hurry

Gobbled up like all the curry

Would you like some tea?

 You have delivered you to where you are

And while you know the destination is far

Would you like some tea?

 Because you know the way

Do not dismay

My father and mother have always been the example for what strength in a person looks like. As an American born child of immigrant parents, there is much I can never imagine. When my father and mother tell me their immigration story, why they came to America, and what kept them here dispute the many many sacrifices paid in damage and so much pain, I can’t help but feel like my entire existence in America is owed to my parents, and older siblings who were part of sacrifices made.

I asked my mom one day, “was it all worth it?”

Mom: “I don’t know.”

Everything that my parents have ever done has been in pursuit of creating opportunities in hopes that their children have better and greater lives.

Everything that I am trying to accomplish now with attempting to start a food business to share our wonderful food, culture, and history with the community has been an idea my father started with a little business venture named Khan’s Roti and Curry. It never saw the light of day because, ….well I can only answer for myself, and that answer would be, I was not ready. Food has always been a passion of the Khan family collectively. It was a passion ignited by my father Jerry Khan and was never fully pursued until now. 

My relationship with my father has been a difficult journey filled with cruel exchanges, stances of ego and stubbornness, and loud defensive walls built. That entire journey, time, and energy has been short-circuited in a matter of one major surgery earlier this week.  Seeing Jerry Khan in this truly crippling pain is hard because he has endured so much for so long.

I recently found out that Jerry Khan not only had a difficult childhood, but was under-loved. It probably contributes to why he has not been the easiest to love now.  I think that’s why he had 8 kids. The greater amount of kids, the greater amount and chances to be loved.

I guess what I am trying to say is, I love you dad and I know this week has been hard for you, but I'd like to wish for you endurance, not strength. Your strength has always been there.

Lovers of Curry! We need to talk about this! 

I’m surprised this is not a more talked about topic because a Gel Polish manicure is hella expensive and no one wants their cute summer colors stained with curry!

I’ve actually considered eating my roti and curry with a fork and knife because of this issue. I don’t want to choose between having cute stain free nails and eating curry. It’s not fair!    

 I have not found anything that works really well other than using nail polish remover to wipe nails down with right after I am done eating. I did some research and found some tips. Let me know if any of these work for you.

 1.      Soak your fingers in lemon juice for about ten minutes. The lemon juice works as a natural astringent and bleach that lifts the stain off of your nails. Buffing your nails will also help remove the stain.

 2.      You can also rub potato on your nails to remove slight stains

 3.      Rub your fingers and nails with vinegar and cleanse them with water

 4.      Take teaspoonful of table salt and few drops of olive oil and mix well. Apply it on your nails for 10-15 min and rinse. This natural remedy isn’t just great to get rid of yellow stains, it also moisturizes your cuticles

You may have noticed that Ginger Beer is all the rage not only with its immune boosting health properties among the many; it also pairs great with alcohol and completely blew up on the food scene last summer in the form of a Moscow Mule. With all of the products I have tried, none of them are as spicy and aromatic as my Mother's recipe.  

Growing up the smell of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves filled the autumn air in our home. Now, it can fill your home all year around! Order your Ginger Beer here.

 Here is some quick easy recipes to fill your summer with Ginger Beer! 

 Ginger Chai

Heat mug of Ginger Beer or serve cold over ice.

Add splash of milk.

Garnish with a stick of cinnamon.

 Ginger  Mule

Mix with your choice of vodka, gin, or whiskey.

Garnish with lime and mint. Enjoy! 

 Love

April 21st, 2016 was devastating for me. It was the day Minnesota's heart broke with the death of our Prince.

It's almost a month since that day and I may or may not still be mourning the tragic loss of Minnesota's, (and the rest of the world), but mostly Minnesota's beloved Prince Rogers Nelson. His passing was a tragic loss to the world and our community, but what made it bearable was the amazing amount of love, music, art, and other inspirations that were born from this tragedy. I was lucky enough to be able to witness and be a part of the thousands of Minnesotans gathering at 1st Avenue in downtown MPLS the night he died, and be surrounded by all the love and purple energy radiating from everyone’s hearts. It was magic. Purple magic.

After weeks of incessantly listening to Prince’s music and watching his videos I decided I needed to say goodbye and have some closure by doing something to pay tribute. Some people wrote stories about the time they met him, and some people wrote letters, poems, songs, and created works of art in a variety of forms. I knew whatever I do as tribute must come from my heart, so I made the one thing I knew my heart was filled with. Curry!  Purple curry and purple Paratha Roti to be exact.

I used purple potatoes in my curry and it was amazing! It had a slight sweetness that complimented the curry well. For the Roti, I just added a few drops of purple dye. I predict that purple potatoes will be all the rage in the twin cities food scene soon.

The Purple Curry and Roti was my way of paying tribute and saying goodbye to Prince, and it really did help me find closure. It also tasted amazing because purple love went into making it.

 Rest in Purple and Power Prince!

Love