Abundance extras
A DISCUSSION guide, recipes & Spotify playlist inspired by Abundance
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book club discussion guide
Curated discussion questions written by the author to inspire conversation.
Recipes from Abundance
Masala Chai (with 3 boils)
Ingredients (2 servings)1.5 cups water; 0.5 cup evaporated or whole milk; 2 teaspoons loose black tea (Assam or Darjeeling); 6 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed; 3 fresh ginger, thinly sliced; 4 whole cloves; 5 black peppercorns
Steps1 Crush the spices: Lightly crush the cardamom pods with the flat side of a knife — this releases the aromatic oils. Thinly slice the fresh ginger.
2 Simmer the spices: Add the water to a small pot along with the cardamom pods, fresh ginger, whole cloves, and black peppercorns. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
3 Add the tea: Add loose black tea to the simmering water and stir to combine. Let it brew for 2 minutes
4 Add the milk: Pour in milk and raise the heat to medium. Bring the chai to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally, and lift the pot from the flame before it bubbles over. Repeat twice more—lifting the pot at each boil to fully blend the flavors.
5 Strain and serve: Pour the chai through a fine mesh strainer into steel tumblers (as Ramzan and Sakeena do!), pressing on the tea leaves and spices to extract the flavor. Hold steel tumblers by lip while sipping as they will be hot!
Chicken 65 (Adnan’s favorite)
Ingredients (4 servings)700 grams boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces; 3 tablespoons plain yogurt; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 tablespoons ginger paste; 1 tablespoons garlic paste; 1.5 teaspoons red chili powder; 1 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder (for color); 1 teaspoons cumin powder; 1 teaspoons coriander powder; 0.5 teaspoons turmeric powder; 0.5 teaspoons garam masala; 1.3 teaspoons salt; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 1 egg; 4 tablespoons oil for pan frying; 12 fresh curry leaves; 3 green chilies, slit; 1 onion, thinly sliced into rings; 4 lemon wedges, to serve; 2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped, to garnish
Steps1 Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, combine 3 tablespoons plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoons ginger paste, 1 tablespoons garlic paste, 1.5 teaspoons red chili powder, 1 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder (for color), 1 teaspoons cumin powder, 1 teaspoons coriander powder, 0.5 teaspoons turmeric powder, 0.5 teaspoons garam masala, and 1.3 teaspoons salt. Mix well into a paste. Add boneless chicken pieces and toss to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate.
2 Add the binders: When ready to cook, crack 1 egg into the marinated chicken and add 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Mix well — the cornstarch and egg together create a light coating that helps the spices cling and gives the chicken a slightly crisp exterior.
3 Pan fry the chicken: Heat 4 tablespoons oil for pan frying in a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer — don't crowd the pan. Fry for 4–9 minutes per side until deeply coloured and cooked through. Work in batches if needed. Remove and set aside. If desired, drain over a bed of paper towels (as Sakeena does).
4 Temper the aromatics: In the same pan, add a splash more oil if needed. Add 12 fresh curry leaves and 3 green chilies, slit — stand back as the curry leaves will splutter. Fry for 4 minutes until fragrant. Add 1 onion, thinly sliced into rings and cook, stirring, until they soften and turn golden at the edges, about 3–4 minutes.
5 Combine and finish: Return the fried chicken to the pan and toss everything together over high heat for 1–1m 30s so the chicken is coated in the aromatics. Taste and adjust salt or a squeeze of lemon.
6 Garnish and serve: Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with 2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped, and serve immediately with 4 lemon wedges, to serve on the side. Best eaten hot, often alongside chapati, rice, or as a standalone snack.
Chikoo Milkshake (of sakeena’s dreams)
Ingredients (2 servings)3 ripe chikoo (sapota), peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped; 1.5 cups cold whole milk; 1 teaspoons sugar (adjust to taste); 4 ice cubes; 1 pinch cardamom powder
Steps1 Prep the chikoo: Peel and deseed the 3 ripe chikoo (sapota), and roughly chop. Check for any fibrous or hard bits near the seeds and discard them. The flesh should be soft, brown, and fragrant — this is your sign they're ripe enough.
2 Blend everything: Add the chikoo, 1.5 cups cold whole milk, 1 teaspoon sugar (adjust to taste), 4 ice cubes, and 1 pinch cardamom powder to a blender. Blend on high for about 1 minute until completely smooth and frothy.
3 Taste and adjust: Taste the shake — ripe chikoo is naturally very sweet, so you may not need any sugar at all (Sakeena and Ramzan’s preferred preparation!). Add more milk if you prefer a thinner consistency, or add ice cream for extra richness. Blend briefly again if adjusting.
4 Serve immediately: Pour into tall chilled glasses and serve. Chikoo milkshake is best enjoyed fresh out of the blender!
Seekh kabab (of night canteen fame)
Ingredients (4 servings)1 lb lean lamb minced; 1 medium onion; 4 cloves garlic; 2 inches fresh ginger; 3 - 4 green chillies; 1/2 cup fresh chopped coriander; 1/2 cup fresh chopped mint leaves; 2 slices of bread; juice of 2 limes; 1/2 tspn garam masala; Salt to taste; red pepper / onions / coriander for garnish
Steps 1 Place the mince lamb in a bowl
2 Place the bread in a food processor to make fresh bread crumbs; add to the mince lamb
3 Add the onion, garlic, ginger, chillies, coriander, mint leaves and lime juice to the food processor and grind
4 Add mixture to the mince lamb with the salt and garam masala. Mix
5 Place in the fridge for about an hour.
6 Divide the mixture into 20 rough balls
7 Wet your hands with water before shaping balls into long sausages on skewers; these should be 4-5 inches long
8 Grill (or roast over hot coals, like at the Rawalpindi night canteen!) or broil about 4 minutes on each side.
9 Serve with finely chopped salad, mint raita and pita bread
Source: www.chachiskitchen.blogspot.com/
Kaju Ghor ladoo (Fareen’s choice dessert)
Ingredients300 grams raw cashews (kaju); 200 grams jaggery (ghor/gur), grated or crumbled; 4 tablespoons ghee, plus more if needed; 6 green cardamom pods, seeds only, finely ground; 1 pinch nutmeg, freshly grated; 1 pinch saffron strands (optional); 1 teaspoons warm ghee (to bloom saffron)
Steps1 Prep the jaggery and saffron: If using saffron, bloom 1 pinch saffron strands (optional) in 1 teaspoons warm ghee (to bloom saffron) and set aside. Grate or crumble 200 grams jaggery (ghor), grated or crumbled into fine, even pieces so it melts and incorporates evenly. Set aside.
2 Dry roast the cashews: Place 300 grams raw cashews (kaju) in a heavy dry pan over medium-low heat. Roast, stirring frequently, until they turn lightly golden and smell nutty — about 6 to 8 minutes. Watch carefully, they can over-roast quickly. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
3 Crush the cashews coarsely: Transfer the cooled cashews to a mortar and pestle or a food processor. Crush or pulse in short bursts into coarse, uneven pieces — aim for a mix of small chunks and some finer bits. Or if you prefer a finer texture (as Sakeena does), grind into a smooth powder. This texture is the soul of the ladoo.
4 Melt the jaggery in ghee: Place the same pan back over the lowest heat. Add 4 tablespoons ghee, plus more if needed and let it melt gently. Add the crumbled 200 grams jaggery (ghor/gur), grated or crumbled and stir continuously until it melts into the ghee and the mixture becomes a soft, unified mass — about 3 to 4 minutes. Do not let it bubble or caramelize, just melt. Remove from heat immediately.
5 Combine everything: Working quickly off the heat, add the crushed cashews to the jaggery-ghee mixture. Add the ground 6 green cardamom pods, seeds only, finely ground, 1 pinch nutmeg, freshly grated, and the bloomed saffron if using. Mix thoroughly until every cashew piece is coated and the mixture comes together like damp, fragrant crumble. If it feels too dry to hold shape, add warm ghee a teaspoon at a time.
6 Press and roll the ladoos: While the mixture is still warm, take a small portion — about a heaped tablespoon — and press it firmly in your palm. Squeeze and compact it, then roll between both palms in circular motions to form a smooth ball. Press with intention — the compression is what makes a firm, well-set ladoo. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
7 Rest and set: Arrange the finished ladoos on a tray and allow them to cool and set completely at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. They will firm up as the ghee sets.
Masala dood (from the doodwalla)
Ingredients (4 servings)1 liters full-fat whole milk; 1 cinnamon stick; 6 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed; 0.3 teaspoons cardamom powder; 8 saffron strands; 1 tablespoon warm milk (to bloom saffron); 3 tablespoons sugar (or to taste); 2 tablespoons unsalted pistachios, shelled; 2 tablespoons raw cashews; 0.3 teaspoons nutmeg, freshly grated; 1 teaspoon rose water (optional)
Steps1 Bloom the saffron & prep the nuts: Soak 8 saffron strands in 1 tablespoons warm milk (to bloom saffron) and set aside to bloom for at least 10 minutes — it will turn the milk a deep golden colour. Meanwhile, lightly crush 2 tablespoons unsalted pistachios, shelled and 2 tablespoons raw cashews using a mortar and pestle into coarse, uneven pieces. Set aside.
2 Start the milk over low heat: Place your heavy-bottomed pot over low coals or the lowest possible heat. Pour in 1 liters full-fat whole milk. Add 1 cinnamon stick and 6 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed. Bring the milk slowly to a gentle simmer — this should take its time, about 10 minutes. Do not rush with high heat or the milk will scorch at the bottom.
3 Build the malai — the slow fold (up to 40 mins): Once the milk is simmering gently, leave it completely undisturbed for several minutes and watch a skin begin to form on the surface. Every 4–5 minutes, use a wide flat spoon or ladle to gently fold this skin layer from the edges back into the milk — do not stir vigorously. Repeat this folding process for up to 40 minutes. This is what builds the body and thickness of your malai layer.
4 Add the spices and sweetener: The milk should have reduced by roughly a quarter and turned noticeably richer and creamier. Now stir in 3 tablespoons sugar (or to taste) and the bloomed saffron milk. Add 0.3 teaspoons cardamom powder and 0.3 teaspoons nutmeg, freshly grated. Stir gently once, then leave to simmer for another 5–8 minutes undisturbed so a fresh cream layer continues to forms on top.
5 Finish and ladle: Remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods. If desired, stir in 1 teaspoons rose water (optional) off the heat. Ladle the hot milk carefully into serving cups (“half glass or full?” as the doodwalla says), making sure each cup gets a generous spoonful of the thick malai cream from the top of the pot.
6 Top with nuts and serve: Immediately scatter the crushed 2 tablespoons unsalted pistachios, shelled and 2 tablespoons raw cashews over each cup. Finish with an extra pinch of cardamom powder and a few extra saffron strands if desired. Serve piping hot.