Fish Curry

Fish curry is a staple dish where I come from. I had it at least 4 days a week, well but with different fish and a added twist my whole childhood. It goes very well with a cup of white or brown rice and a fried fish.

I do prepare it once a while now and my husband loves it and we enjoy till we finish the last drop of it :). It is a very simple dish and I am sure you will like it. You can make this curry with most of the fish’s available, to start with you can try with prawns, lane snapper, mackerel.

This curry is a perfect balance of flavors, has the mild sweetness from coconut, tanginess from mango and spice from pepper and chillies. You can reduce the amount of spice with adding less amount of pepper and chillies.

I use fresh coconut but a frozen shredded coconut will also do. Today I have made it with fresh lane snapper.

Ingredients:

Ground all the ingredients except oil, fish and onions

2 cups fresh/frozen coconut

1 tbsp whole coriander seeds

7 to 8 black peppercorns

4 garlic cloves

1/2 inch ginger

4 to 5 kashmiri whole chillies(these are lightly spiced and give the bright red color to the curry, you could also use whole paprika’s instead)

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 inch dry mango /tamarind/ or 1 tomato – This is for the tangy flavor, I also use Kokum which is widely used in  konkan region of India.

3 cup water

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 small sized onion

4 pieces of lane snapper, each of 1 1/2 inch or so, You could also use 8 to 10 prawns

 

Method:

1. Grind all the ingredients except oil, onions and fish, with a glass of water to start with. Get it to a fine consistency as possible. Add more water if required.

2. In a vessel, add coconut oil and finely chopped onions. Saute till the onions turn brown, add the ground paste to the onion mixture and add remaining water and stir it well and get the curry to a boil. Note the curry shouldn’t be too thin or thick, somewhere in between.

3. Add fish to the boiling curry, keep on a low flame and let it simmer for at least 5 to 7 minutes.

As easy as that, you can enjoy this curry with rice or your favorite bread.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homemade panner/ricotta cheese

There are few things I like to make from scratch. I do not prefer using canned or store bought ready to use ingredients, which I can make easily at home. For simple health reasons and added preservatives.

This is how I make panner also called as ricotta cheese. You will not buy store ricotta cheese anymore if you try this.This is widely used in Indian cuisine to make curries, grilled and a delicacy for vegetarians. Its tastes fresh and can replace any meat in a dish. I see it is also used in many Italian recipes.

Ingredients:

1/2 gallon of whole organic milk

1/2 cup of lemon juice or a white vinegar

Cheese cloth

Strainer

salt if required

Method:

1. Take a heavy bottom pan and heat milk. Make sure that you get whole milk, as skimmed milk will not yield the same results.When milk is about to boil add lemon and stir. Put of the gas.

2.Milk will start to curdle, keep stirring. Let it seat for 2 minutes. Add salt if you want, I don’t add to mine. In the meantime spread cheese cloth over the strainer and let the strainer rest on some vessel in which you can collect the whey. Pour the contents onto the cheese cloth, the solids will collect on the cheese cloth, I pour a glass or 2 of cold water on the solids.

3. Get the ends of the cloth and squeeze out the excess liquid, put a weight on the cheese cloth and set it aside for a hour or so. You will get fresh homemade panner in no time.

Tip: You can use the whey to in soups or knead a dough.

Egg plant curry

Egg plant is a very versatile vegetable. Add to any preparation or just have it alone, it enhances the flavor. One of the meatless days and I tried and made this curry, very simple to do and requires a few ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 medium sized egg plant

1 medium sized potato

1 big sized tomato

1 tsp mustard seeds

3 tbsp oil

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 red dry whole chilli

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1 bunch coriander leaves

1 cup water

salt to taste

 

Method:

1. Take a heavy bottom pan, add the oil, once oil is hot add mustard and the whole chilli. Cook on a low to medium heat at the start, as this will not burn the spices.Once they splutter, add in the spices turmeric, chilli, coriander, ginger-garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.

2. Add finely chopped tomato and cook till it has reduced to a paste consistency.

3.Cut egg plant and potato in cube shape, add to the pan once tomato has completely cooked.Toss in the chopped coriander. Add a 1 cup water and cook the curry till you can easily pierce the potatoes.

Serve with rice and enjoy.

 

 

Roasted Carrot Soup

Was little reluctant to try this recipe at first as I like carrots raw, in my salads or in carrot halwa. But this turned out very comforting and a great dish for supper.You can have it with a toasted bread or just as it is.

Roasted cut carrots with a piece of ginger and a tomato.I have been using oven a lot these days and its a easy way to get that extra flavor to your dish with roasting these vegetables.

Ingredients:

5 to 6 medium sized carrots

1/2 in ginger

1 medium sized tomato

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium sized onion

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp butter

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp chilli powder

2 tbsp coriander/cilantro leaves

salt to taste

 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven at 375 degree Fahrenheit, roast carrots, ginger, tomatoes with pepper, salt and oil for 20 minutes.  Let them cool to room temperature, then blend to a rough consistency.

2. In the meantime take a deep skillet add butter, add finely chopped onions. Once caramelized add in chopped garlic, turmeric and chilli powder.  Cook for 2 minutes.

3. Incorporate the blended gravy to the skillet with onions and garlic, add water if required. I kept the soup to a thick consistency. Add salt to taste.

 

 

 

 

Nuts energy bites/Dry fruit Ladoo

Most of us crave for something sweet after meals, these ladoos are just perfect for that sweet tooth. Loaded with roasted dry fruits and sweet flavor at its best for that quick energy.

I have used jaggery in these tiny shaped balls. Jaggery is made from cane sugar too as sugar and has its sweet taste. Its the most raw form of sugar and there are no chemicals added in its making. Its widely used in India for sweet preparations and has its own health benefits. It has a golden yellow, brownish color. You will get it on amazon or in any Indian grocery store in US.

Ingredients :

1 cup almonds

1 cup walnuts

7 to 8 pitted dates

1 cup jaggery

3 to 4 tbsp clarified butter or unsalted butter

 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven at 400 degree Fahrenheit. On a baking sheet spread almonds and walnuts. Roast them for around 10 to 12 minutes. Once at room temperature roughly pound them to little pieces, not too fine.

2. Take a heavy bottom pan, put in 2 tbsp of clarified butter. Keep the heat on low to medium. Toss in the jaggery, once it comes in touch with heat, it will start melting. Stir for 5 minutes.

3. Add almonds, walnuts and dates, stir in for another 2 to 3 minutes.

4. On a large flat plate smear the a tbsp of butter, get the pan mixture on to this plate and rest for 1 or 2 minutes. When the mixture is still little warm, apply butter on your palms. Take a portion of mixture and roll them into desired size balls. You can keep them in room temperature for 1 week and refrigerate for months together.

These are great after workouts too.

 

 

 

 

 

Which nonstick pan you use for cooking?

It is not a cooking post today but something I would like to discuss and get your views on. Last few days I have been searching the Internet on a number of phrases like “which is the best pan to cook?”, “what material a cooking pan should be made of?”, “Is ceramic coating non toxic?”.

I couldn’t get a definite answer to my questions and thought this would be the right forum to ask these questions.

Some of my pans/skillets have worn out and I am planning to buy some good quality and long lasting ones. I got a few the last time I visited India, they are hard anodized interior pans and a iron skillet. I have been using them for last few months and they are good but NOT non stick.

I am looking for something which has nonstick surface and the same time NON TOXIC!! I know, each of us try and search for healthy options when it comes to everyday cooking and when its a nonstick surface its less amount of oil.

Few findings:

1. Ceramic is better than Teflon coating but some ceramic coatings do have lead content.

2. Enameled iron coating are as good as nonstick but then you cannot cook in them all the time because iron leeches into the food.

Now I want your take on this and suggestions?

Apple salad

Salads are complementary with any dish you name. I try and experiment with quiet a few. Had friends over lunch to all konkan delicacies, and realized later that I forgot to capture the dishes I prepared except this salad.

This salad is crunchy, sweet and tangy. It is quick recipe and filling too.

Ingredients:

1 medium sized carrot

2 baby cucumbers

1 medium sized apple(I used fuji apple which is sweet and crunchy)

1 small sized zucchini

3 tbsp Olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp pepper powder

salt to taste

 

Method

1.Cut cucumbers, apple, carrot and zucchini in desired shape, preferably in thin strips. As this will help the seasoning to mix well.

2.In a large bowl, mix oil, lemon juice, pepper powder and salt. Add in the cut ingredients and give a stir.Check for pepper and salt and add to adjust to your taste.

Enjoy as a side dish or have it alone.

 

 

Chicken Seekh Kabab

Originally seekh kababs are made on skewers and grilled. You could try different kinds of minced meats and flavors. It entered Indian cuisines centuries ago. We love appetizers and this one is very simple and a quick recipe. I tried making them on one of our Friday snack parties and it was a hit. I served it with some sriracha and tomato sauce. You could also cut them in cubes and roll in a tortilla or add to a salad.

I was running out of skewers, so just shaped them and cooked in oven. You could also cook them over a grill or pan.

Ingredients:

1 lb minced chicken

2 medium sized onions

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

3 tbsp coriander leaves

1 tbsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp chilli/paprika powder

1 tsp garam masala /All spice powder

2 tbsp lemon juice

4 to 5 tbsp oil

salt to taste

 

Method:

1. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan, add in finely chopped onions and saute. Once onions have sweat and turned golden brown add in the ginger garlic paste. Cook it for 5 minutes and set it aside.

2. In a bowl add all the above ingredients with cooked onion, ginger garlic except oil, mix them well with your hands. Rest the mixture for 30 minutes. Apply a little oil on your palms and get a handful of the mixture and shape in rolls as shown in picture.

3. Preheat the oven to 375 degree Fahrenheit. Lay aluminum foil on a baking sheet, spray cooking oil and place the rolled kebabs on the baking sheet.

4.Bake for around 15 minutes initially, get the baking sheet out and put the uncooked side down. Cook on all sides. Bake for 10 more minutes. It took me 25 minutes altogether.

Serve it with your favorite sauce.

Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji is one of the must have snacks in India. Its enjoyed by all ages. I and my friend Madhu have set a new tradition from last few weeks. We get together every friday and try and cook different snacks. This week we nailed pav bhaji from scratch. It was fun and and I was specially exited about the Pavs/Bread.

 

 

 

Recipe makes 24 pavs

Recipe

Ingredients for the Pav:

10 cups all purpose flour/Maida + 1 cup for kneading and dusting

1/2 cup non salted butter+ 3 tbsp for applying once baked.

4 cups warm water

3 tbsp dry yeast

1 tbsp sugar

salt to taste

Method:

1. In a large bowl add the water, dissolve the sugar and add the yeast and give a good stir. Add the salt and a cup of flour. Start adding a cup at a time and get the mixture together. Dust some flour on a counter top, get the dough and knead well, add the melted butter. Once butter is added dough will become less sticky, knead it for 5 more minutes  and rest the dough in a warm place for 2 hours.

2. After 2 hours of proofing, dough should double in size, dust some more flour on a counter top and knead the dough for 5 minutes. Line a baking sheet with butter and divide the dough in required side balls and place them next to each other. Allow them to rest for a hour in a warm place. Cover the baking sheet while kept for resting.

3. After a hour time, the flour balls must have doubled the size and are ready to bake.

4. Preheat the oven to 380 degree Fahrenheit and bake them for 25 to 30 minutes, the crust will change to a light brown color. Apply butter to pavs and rest it for 10 minutes and enjoy the pavs with bhaji. They are very close to pavs we get in Goa.

 

For the Bhaji/Mix Vegetable gravy

Ingredients:

2 medium sized potatoes

2 big sized onions

2 tomatoes

1 capsicum

1 cup cauliflower florets

1/2 cup peas

1/2 cup carrots

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp cumin powder

2 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp chilli powder

1/2 tbsp mango powder

1 tsp fennel powder

1/2 cup butter

2 green chilies

1 cup coriander leaves

salt to taste

 

Method

1. Steam cook cauliflower, carrots, peas, potatoes, capsicum, green chilies and keep it aside.

2. In a pan heat the butter add finely chopped onions, saute them until golden brown, add the ginger garlic paste, cook well. Add tomatoes and cook them for 5 more minutes. Add cumin, coriander, chilli, fennel and mango powder and get the whole paste to a good consistency.

3. Add the steamed vegetables to pan with cooked mixture, mash the vegetable with a potato masher. Add water to get the whole mixture to a good consistency. Add salt to taste and chopped coriander leaves. Cook the bhaji for 10 to 15 minutes on a low flame.

Serve the bhaji garnished with coriander leaves, fresh baked pavs, a peice of lime,  and enjoy!!

 

Chicken Burger

I like American chicken burgers, a variety to taste and endless toppings. You can never go wrong with burgers here. We use to go to this local restaurant, burgers were their specialty and we always loved the food there. Sadly it closed down. I have tried my best to make these burgers today and they tasted pretty good.

Hope you will too like them.

Following are the ingredients you will require for the burger.(This recipe will make 2 medium sized burgers)

250 grams minced chicken

2 medium sized onions

3 cloves garlic

1/2 inch ginger

2 tbsp coriander leaves

1 egg

1 tbsp soy sauce

4 to 5 lettuce leaves

3 to 4 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp cajun powder

1 tsp paprika/chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

3 to 4 tbsp Sriracha sauce

3 to 4 tbsp tomato sauce

1/2 avocado sliced

2 buns of your choice

2 tbsp mozzarella cheese

2 to 3 tbsp bread crumbs if required or 2 to 3tbsp of boiled potato

salt to taste

 

Method

1.We will start with making the burger , take the minced chicken in a large mixing bowl, add 1 grated onion with its juices, finely chopped garlic, ginger, coriander leaves, soy sauce, olive oil, egg, bread crumbs or boiled potato, cajun, cumin, coriander, chilli powder and salt to taste. Incorporate all the ingredients well and keep it aside.

2. In a flat pan add 1 tbsp of butter and add sliced pieces of 1 onion, saute them until golden brown, add salt and set them aside.

3. Apply a little oil on your palms and make 2 portions of the burger mixture and make patties with help of your palms and pat it on the same skillet you have used earlier for sautéing onions. Put in the remaining butter and cook the patties on both the sides, each side should take around 3 to 4 minutes at least.

4.Once the patties are ready put cheese of your choice on patties when they are still on the pan, this will allow the cheese to melt, you could cover the pan with plate or foil to accelerate the process of cheese melting.

4. Once the patties are ready its time for assembling your burger, take buns of choice, I have used whole wheat buns here. Cut them into half, place some lettuce leaves at the base, put the patty on it. Then goes the caramelized onions, sliced avocado, sriracha sauce and tomato sauce. Cover it with the top bun. Enjoy the Burger!!

 

Tips: You could also add caramelized bell peppers and  mayonnaise on the burger.