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Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Fish Curry : Kerala style





INGREDIENTS


  • Fish (I used whiting fillet frozen as its suitable for gravy) - 1 lb
  • Onion - 1 small, sliced

  •  ginger & garlic paste- 1 tbsp, each
  • Green Chilly - 2-3, slit lengthwise
  • Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
  • Coriander powder - 1 tbspn
  • Turmeric powder - ½ tspn
  • Fenugreek powder [or seeds] - ½ tspn
  • Tamarind paste : 1 Tablespoon

  • Coconut milk : 1can
  • Salt
  • Curry leaves
METHOD:
  1. Heat oil in a  deep pan. Add  ginger & garlic paste and saute. Add small onion, onion, green chilli and stir. When the onion starts to brown add the masala powders. Cook this on low flame for 2-3 mins or till oil starts appearing.
  2. Add tamarind and salt. Add half can coconut milk and bring it to a boil. Reduce flame to the lowest and add cleaned fish pieces. Cook till the fish pieces are done, it will take around 20 - 25 mins on low flame. Add remaining coconut milk and rotate the pan. Cook on low flame for 5-7 mins. Remove from fire.
  3. The curry should be rested for sometime to help the flavors settle. It is ideal to make it one day in advance. It keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Serving suggestion:  Best with plain rice.

Garnish : Fresh parsely leaves .

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Fried Salmon fish


In picture i have fried one piece salmon and two pieces Tilapia.


Ingredients:

Salmon Fish : 1 lb
I used frozen cut in about 8" pieces.
salt: 1tsp
lime juice: 1/4 tsp
chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
coriander powder : 1/2 tsp
flaked parsley : 1/4 tsp
kasuri methi : one pinch
corn starch : 1 table spoon
ginger garlic paste : 1 table spoon
black pepper : 1 tsp

Method :

1. Thaw and wash fish and arrange side by side on flat plate.

 2. Mix all other ingredients in bowl.

3. Rub the powder mix on fish pieces to cover them thoroughly.

4. cover and leave this fish for marination in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

5. shallow fry . heat oil in pan ion medium flame and when oil is hot add fish pieces side by side and fry for 5 minutes. flip and fry for another five minutes.



Brown rice with beans



Ingredients:

Brown rice: 2 cups.
Mix dry beans of bean soup or your choice dried beans [red kidney beans,lima beans,black beans and so on ]: 1 cup
Mix chopped vegetables of your choice : 1 cup
tomatoes [chopped or diced or canned ] : 1/2 cup
2 potatoes peeled and cut in 3 pieces each[ optional]

salt:1 tsp
red chilli powder : 1 tsp
turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
coriander powder : 1/2 tsp
garam masala powder : 1/4 tsp


METHOD:

1. Soak mix dry beans for at least 2 hours in water enough to cover them. About 3 cups. [or soak over night]

2. Add soaked beans with water and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and oil 2 tablespoon and  pressure cook beans in pressure cooker for 30 minutes or sauce pan for 2 hours.

3. Let  the pressure cool and open cooker add washed and half an hour soaked brown rice [ you can soak rice while beans are being cooked] and vegetables and tomatoes chopped or canned [1/2 cup] and salt and chillipowder,garam masala powder and coriander powder . and remiang 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. add one cup water. potatoes optional .

close lid and pressure cook for another 30 minutes
Yummy and nutritious brown rice with beans is ready. I served it with fried fish.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Punjabi dahi kadi

Tips for punjabi kadhi recipe:

  • use full fat sour curd. if the curd is not sour, then the kadhi will not be sour, but still tastes good. to make the curd sour, you could add amchur powder whilst cooking the kadhi.
  • use mustard oil if possible to fry the onion pakoras and for tempering. mustard oil leds a pungent sharp taste and flavor to the curry.
  • you could also bake the pakoras instead of frying them.
  • don’t skip on curry leaves, as you will know that something is missing from the kadhi.
  • use good quality gram flour/besan
  • the onion pakoras can be prepared before hand and kept aside.
  • use a large bottomed pot for cooking the kadhi. the curd mixture froths whilst cooking and can spill if you use a small pot.
  • to make softer pakoras, add some more water than mentioned in the recipe below. in this case, add the pakoras to the kadhi, just before serving. if added much before serving, then the pakoras become too soft and mushy.
  • some folks do not like the mushy and soft pakoras in the kadhi. in this case the pakoras can be a little hard. add little or no water to the batter.
  • in this recipe i have not made the pakoras soft. just added enough water to make the batter smooth but not liquidy. in this scenario, you could well add the pakoras just after the kadhi is ready. the pakoras won’t break when the kadhi is served later.
this is again one of those posts, where there are maximum pictures. since i am presenting a step by step recipe detail for the punjabi kadhi, i will first start with the curd mixture, then onion pakoras and then with the making of the kadhi.

lets begin step by step punjabi kadhi recipe:

a) preparing the curd mixture:
1. in a bowl take 1.5 cups sour curd or about 375 grams of curd. whisk it well till smooth.
curd for punjabi kadhi recipe
2. add 8 tbsp gram flour, ½ tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp garam masala powder and 1 tsp salt to the whisked curd.
curd mixture for kadhi recipe
3. stir and mix everything again.
curd mixture for punjabi kadhi recipe
4. add 3 cups water and stir again.
curd mixture for punjabi kadhi recipe
5. stir very well to make a smooth mixture without lumps. if there are lumps, then break them with a wired whisk or a spatula or with your fingers. keep the curd mixture aside. you can use a blender to make this mixture, but make sure you don’t over do it. you will get butter instead of a smooth blended curd.
curd mixture for punjabi kadhi recipe
b) preparing the onion pakoras:
1. take 1 cup gram flour/besan in a bowl and add ½ tsp ajwain/carom seeds, ½ tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp garam masala powder and 2/3 tsp salt or as required.
onion batter for kadhi recipe
2. add 1 cup thinly sliced onions. about 2 medium to large onions, sliced, approx 150 grams of onions.
making pakora batter for punjabi kadhi
3. mix everything well and keep aside covered for 30 minutes.
making pakora batter for kadhi recipe
4. this will allow the onions to release their water in the mixture. depending on the water content in the onions, the mixture will become very moist or just about moist. here’s a pic of the onions after 30 minutes. mix again.
pakora batter for punjabi kadhi recipe
4. then accordingly add water as required to make a thick batter. i added ¼ cup water. you can also skip adding water if the mixture is too moist.
making pakora batter for kadhi recipe
6. heat oil for deep frying in a pan or kadai. with a spoon or with your hands drop the pakora batter in the oil.
frying pakora for punjabi kadhi recipe
7. when the pakoras are partly cooked, then turn over and fry the other side.
frying pakora for punjabi kadhi recipe
8. fry till the pakoras are crisp and golden.
frying pakora for punjabi kadhi recipe
9. remove the fried pakoras and place them on a kitchen paper towel so that extra oil is absorbed. fry the pakoras in batches this way. when done keep all of them aside.
frying pakora for punjabi kadhi recipe
c) preparing the kadhi:
1. in another pan or kadai, heat 2 tbsp mustard oil. make sure to use a large bottomed pot so that while cooking, the kadhi does not spill.
heat oil to make kadhi recipe
2. add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 8 to 10 methi seeds/fenugreek seeds and a generous pinch of asafoetida/hing. allow the cumin seeds to crackle and the methi seeds to change their color. fry on a low flame, so that these spices do not get burnt.
cumin for punjabi kadhi recipe
3. add ⅓ cup chopped onion. stir and saute for 3 minutes on a low flame.
sauting onions for punjabi kadhi recipe
4. then add 1 tbsp chopped ginger/adrak, ¾ to 1 tbsp chopped garlic and 2 green chillies, chopped. stir and saute for a minute.
add ginger - making punjabi kadhi recipe
5. now add 8 to 10 curry leaves, 2 dry red chilies (halved or broken).
curry leaves for punjabi kadhi recipe
6. stir and saute for a minute on a low flame.
making punjabi kadhi recipe
7. then add the curd mixture.
add curd to make punjabi kadhi
8. stir very well.
simmer punjabi kadhi recipe
9. increase the flame to medium and bring the kadhi to a boil. keep on stirring often so that the bottom does not get browned.
simmer punjabi kadhi pakora recipe
10. lower the flame and then simmer the kadhi for 6 to 7 minutes. the kadhi will thicken. if the kadhi becomes too thick, then add some hot water.
simmer punjabi kadhi pakora recipe
11. here is the kadhi ready now.
simmer punjabi kadhi pakora recipe
12. now add the onion pakoras in the kadhi. stir gently.
add pakoras to punjabi kadhi recipe
11. cover the kadhi with a lid and let the onion pakoras be soaked in the kadhi for 8 to 10 minutes.
making punjabi kadhi pakora recipe
12. lastly sprinkle some garam masala powder on the punjabi kadhi.
punjabi kadhi pakora recipe, punjabi kadhi recipe
garnish with coriander leaves & serve punjabi kadhi pakora hot with steamed rice orjeera rice, topped with few teaspoonfuls of ghee. you could also have kadhi with rotis orparathas.
punjabi kadhi recipe easy

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Quick Recipe : Shrimp, Leek, and Spinach Pasta

Hands-On Time 
 
10 
minutes 
 
Total Time 
 
20 
minutes 
Serves 4



Ingredients

3/4 
pound 
gemelli, fusilli, or other short pasta
tablespoons 
unsalted butter
leeks (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise then crosswise
kosher salt and black pepper
pound 
peeled and deveined medium shrimp (raw)
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon
3/4 
cup 
heavy cream
10 
ounces 
baby spinach (about 12 cups)

Directions

  1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain and return it to the pot.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks have softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
  3. Add the shrimp and lemon zest and cook, tossing frequently, until the shrimp is opaque throughout, 4 to 5 minutes more.
  4. Add the cream and ½ teaspoon salt to the pasta in the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring, until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the shrimp mixture and the spinach and toss to combine.

Monday, March 2, 2015

Restaurant style dal tadka recipe

Dal is a staple in indian food. india has so many varieties of dal recipes. each region, each state having their own delicious recipes. 
This dal tadka is north indian style than south indian style. you can make the dal tadka with any yellow dal (split lentils). i make this creamy lentil dish sometimes with with arhar dal (split pigeon pea lentils) and masoor dal (split pink lentils) and sometimes only with arhar dal.
The preparation is easy. First make the dal and then lastly temper it just before serving. You can also make the dal ready and keep in the fridge. before serving heat the dal and then just temper it. serve immediately.
The tempering adds a lot of flavor and aroma to the dal. the plain cooked creamy yellow dal gets paired beautifully with steamed rice or jeera rice (cumin flavored pilaf). I have added tomatoes to the dal tadka but you can skip adding tomatoes. for tempering you can add ghee instead of oil. I have used sunflower oil.
the dal tadka can be served with rotis and chapatis and steamed basmati rice or jeera rice. at times i flavor the dal tadka with a smoky burnt aroma of blazing charcoal. in the step by step pics below, i have illustrated this method as i have got a few comments and requests for this technique. this method is called the dhungar in hindi. you can easily skip this method, if you don’t have charcoal.

lets start step by step dal tadka recipe:

1. rinse the lentils and add them to the pressure cooker. the below pic shows only tuvar or arhar dal. you can also cook the lentils in a pot. just soak the lentils for an hour or two before you cook them in a pot. cooking the lentils in a pot, will take more time than cooking in the pressure cooker. method on how to cook lentils in a pot is mentioned in the notes section of recipe details below.
2. to the lentils, add chopped onions, tomato, green chilies, ginger.
3. pour 2.5 cups water. if cooking in a pot, then about 4 to 4.5 cups water can be added.
4. add turmeric powder/haldi and asafoetida/hing.
5. stir well.
6. pressure cook the lentils for about 7 to 8 whistles or more till they become soft and creamy. mash the dal with a wired whisk or with a spoon and keep aside. if the dal looks thick, then add some water. about ½ cup to 1 cup water (depending on the thickness of the dal) to get a medium consistency. simmer the dal for 3 to 4 minutes. consistency of the lentils in the below pic.
7. once the desired consistency is reached, add cream (optional), garam masala powder, crushed kasuri methi, chopped coriander leaves and salt. switch off the fire. please note crushed kasuri methi can also be added in the tempering later and skipped at this step.
8. mix well so that everything combines uniformly. check salt before you add the tempering. if less than add more salt.
9. the final consistency of the dal.
10. next is the dhungar method of flavoring the dal with the smoky fumes of burnt charocal. for this with the help of tongs or on a grill pan like shown in the pic below, place a small piece of charcoal. burn the charcoal till it becomes red hot. please use natural charcoal for this method. note that this is an optional step and you can proceed directly to the tempering method.
11. place the red hot charcoal in a small steel bowl. you can also use onion layers or a halved hollow onion for the same.
12. pour about 1/4 tsp of oil or ghee on the charcoal. you will see fumes emanating as soon as you pour oil or ghee on the hot charcoal.

13. place this bowl on the dal.
14. cover the cooker or the pot with a lid and let the dal get infused with the charcoal smoke. just keep for 1 to 2 minutes. the more you keep. the more smoky the dal will become. remove the bowl carefully with the helps of tongs and cover the dal. keep aside.
15. tadka method- next heat oil or ghee or butter in a small pan. first add cumin seeds and crackle them. the cumin should get fried and not be raw, but don’t burn them.
16. now add red chilies, asafoetida and chopped garlic. let the garlic brown and the red chilies change color.
17. lastly add kasuri methi (add kasuri methi, if you have not added them before to the dal) and red chili powder. stir and switch off the stove. make sure to fry the tempering ingredients at a low flame, so that you don’t burn them.
18. pour the entire tempering along with the oil/ghee into the dal.
19. you can mix the dal or serve the dal tadka with the tempering on top it. garnish dal tadka with coriander leaves. serve dal tadka hot with steamed basmati rice, jeera rice or with rotis or phulkas.
restaurant style dal tadka