KING FISH FRY WITH SPRING ONIONS..

RECIPE:
INGR:

King fish                 750 gms
Lemon juice           1 tbsp
Green chilies          8 pieces
Garlic                       6 - 8 pods
Curd                         3/4 cup
Coriander leaves    a big bunch
Turmeric pd             1/4 tsp
Pepper pd                 2 tsp
Rice flour/Corn flour 1 tbsp
Oil for shallow fry
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Clean, wash and drain all water from the fish fillets.
2. Rub in salt, turmeric and lemon juice on both sides and rest for 1/2 an hr.
3. Keep the plate or dish at a slight tilt to allow all water to escape.
4. Grind together green chillies, coriander, garlic into a fine paste with little water.
5. Take the curd in a mixing bowl, add rice flour, pepper pd and a little salt.
6. (Salt has already been added to the fish so keep it to a minimum.) 
7. Mix in the ground green paste and blend it well.
8. Marinate the fish pieces by dipping them in this marinade to cover all over.
9. Keep them for 10 mts.
10. Heat oil in a shallow pan and on medium flame fry the fish pieces on both sides.
11. When golden brown, remove and garnish with stir fried spring onions.
12. Serve hot with green chutney/ketchup and chips.

Stir fried spring onions:
Spring Onions           a bunch  
Butter                         1 tsp
Pepper pd                  1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

1. Wash, clean and chop off the bulbs; take only the green portion.
2. Dice them into 1/2 inch cubes; sprinkle some salt and pepper pd.
3. Saute them in butter on medium heat for 4 - 5 mts and remove.
4. Use it to garnish the fried fish just before serving.

Note: 

• Any seafood needs to be cured with some salt, turmeric and lemon juice/vinegar.
• This helps to remove all excess water from them and also the odor.
• Rice/Corn flour lends the desired crisp to the fish fry.

STUFFED CAPSICUM RANGOLI...

RECIPE:

INGR:

Capsicum                 3 ( one in each colour )
Sweet potato            150 gm
(boiled & mashed)
Corn kernels            100 gm
(boiled )
Paneer                       150 gm
(crumbled)
Pepper pd                  1 tsp
Cumin pd                   1 tsp
Chilli flakes                1 tsp
Garam masala            1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste    2 tsp
Coriander                    1 tbsp
(finely chopped)
Salt to taste
Oil for shallow fry

Method:

1. Wash the capsicums, remove the seeds and cut into segments as shown above.
2. In a mixing bowl put all the other ingredients and make into a stuffing.
3. Stuff each capsicum segment with this mixture and rest it for 10 mts.
4. (Can refrigerate and fry them before serving.) 
5. Heat a shallow pan and pour 3 tbsp of oil.
6. On heating, place the capsicums upside down and saute them on slow flame for 6 - 8 mts.
7. Turn them around and repeat the same; drizzle some oil around them if needed.
8. When a nice crispy golden brown covering is formed, remove them.
9. Serve them hot with chappati, pulao etc.

Note:

• A good friend of mine taught me to disintegrate the capsicum as they cook better this way.
• Also serving and partaking it becomes convenient.
• The sweetness in the sweet potato, corn kernels and paneer really lend a good taste.
• Ordinary potato can also be used for this, if desired. 

ROASTED YAM CUBES...

RECIPE:

INGR:

Yam                     400 gm
Onion                   2 big ones
Curry leaves       a sprig
Coriander            a few
Mustard seeds    1 tsp
Cumin                  1/2 tsp
Urad dal               1/2 tsp
Turmeric pd         1/4 tsp
Chilli flakes          1 tsp
Dry coconut pd    1 tbsp
(optional)
Oil                          4 tbsp 
Salt to taste

Method: 

1. Clean, peel and cut yam into 1/2 " cubes. Dice the onions and chop curry and coriander leaves.
2. Heat oil in a thick shallow pan and put in mustard & cumin.
3. On crackling add urad dal and curry leaves. Fry to golden; now put in onions and fry till pink.
4. Slide in the yam cubes and stir them well; toss and roast them on high flame for 5 mts.
5. When the cubes are nicely caramelised on all sides, lower the flame.
6. Add salt, turmeric, chilli flakes and saute them for 10 mts.
7. Roast them to  golden and garnish with coconut pd. 
8. Remove and serve hot sprinkled with fresh chopped coriander leaves.

Note:

• This dish is served with sambhar rice, curd rice, lemon rice etc.
• One can always try this out with other combinations like chappati, roti, puri etc.
• Oil makes the yam crispy and golden from outside & cooks it to a fluffy softness on the inside.

DADHIYANNAM...( CURD RICE... MOTHER'S WAY )

RECIPE:

INGR:

Cooked rice                    1 bowl ( 4 servings )
(preferably raw rice)
Sweet Curds                   2 cups (400 gm )
Cold Creamy milk           200 ml
Pomegranate seeds       1/4 cup
Raw mango finely cut    1/4 cup
Ginger                              1/4 "
Green chillies                  4 - 5
Curry leaves                    2 sprigs
Coriander leaves             2 sprigs
Cashew nuts                    6 - 8
Raisins                              1 tsp
Mustard                             2 tsp
Cumin                               1 tsp
Hing                                   1/2 tsp
Urad dal (split)                  2 tsp   
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Mash the cooked rice, while it is still hot, to a smooth consistency. Set it aside to cool.
2. Chop ginger, green chillies, coriander finely. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a pan for tempering.
3. Put in hing, mustard and cumin; on crackling add urad dal, ginger, green chillies, curry leaves.
4. Now put in cashew and raisins and stir. Remove and keep aside.
5. Take rice in a shallow dish, season with salt; add curd and milk and mix in well, avoiding lumps. 
6. Now mix in half of the tempering, raw mango, pomegranate , coriander and mix in thoroughly.
7. Serve  garnished with the remaining tempering and other embellishments. 
8. It is a wholesome meal by itself ; shallow fried tubers alongwith some pickle go well with it. 

Note:

1. The curd should be sweet and thick . Rice & milk should be cool.
2. Adding milk lends a silky & creamy texture ; also preserves the rice from turning sour.
3. Curd rice should be soft and loose as shown above.
4. Hing plays a major role in defining the taste. Be liberal with it.
5. Mother adds tiny bits of cucumber, fresh grapes alongwith raw mango and pomegranate.
6. At serving time she places slices of sweet ripe mangoes besides. It tastes divine !!

  

TOMATO SWEET & SOUR CHUTNEY...

RECIPE:      (400 gms)

INGR:           

Tomatoes                           1 kg
Red chilli pd                       1 tbsp
Hing                                     1/2 tsp
Mustard                               2 tsp
Sesame oil                          5 - 6 tbsp
Sugar                                   1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash tomatoes thoroughly and keep aside for blanching.
2. Take a wide bottomed vessel and pour enough water to immerse all the tomatoes.
3. Bring it to a boil ; lower the tomatoes into it and turn off the heat.  
4. Cover with a lid and rest it for 10 mts.
5. Remove lid and drain out all water; pour in cold water over the tomatoes.
6. Peel off  skin and put them in a bowl.
7. With a blender, mash them into a smooth puree and keep aside.
8. Heat sesame oil in a thick bottomed pan and add hing to it.
9. Put in mustard and on crackling, lower the heat and pour in the tomato puree carefully.
10. Stir well and let it cook on slow heat, uncovered.
11. Season it with red chilli pd, sugar and salt;  simmer for a good half an hour.
12. Stir often to avoid sticking at the bottom.
13. When oil starts leaving the sides and the quantity is reduced, remove and cool.
14. Store it in a sterilised airtight container in the fridge; stays good for two weeks.
15. Stays fresh for two days under normal temperature.
16. This goes well with idli, dosa, uthappam, kuzhi paniyaram ,curd rice etc.
17. Tastes best when taken with plain rice topped up with some desi ghee !!

Note:
To get the perfect combination of sweet & sour flavour one needs to balance.
Keep checking for the right taste at regular intervals.
Variety of tomatoes used also plays a part.
If too sour, increase salt and sugar.
Here I have used Kashmiri chilli powder, subtle in heat but rich in colour. 

TOP UTHAPPAM ( TOMATO-ONION-PANEER )

TOMATO CHUTNEY

ONION CHUTNEY

COCONUT CHUTNEY

RECIPE:    6 - 8

INGR:

Idli batter            1/2 litre
Onion                   2
Tomatoes            2
Paneer                 100 gm
Green chillies     4
Curry leaves       a few
Mustard               1 tsp
Urad dal               1 tsp
Chana dal             1 tsp
Turmeric               a pinch
(optional)
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Chop onion, tomatoes green chillies, curry leaves.
2. Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan, add mustard.
3. On crackling add urad, chana dal, onion, curry leaves and green chillies.
4. Fry for a minute, add tomatoes and turmeric.
5. Season with salt ( remember the batter already has salt so little will do)
6. Stir well for 2 mts and remove.
7. Grease the dosa tava and pour uthappam in desired size.
8. Spread the onion tomato mixture on top and grate paneer over it.
9. Drizzle oil all around and when golden on the bottom, flip it carefully.
10. Let it stay for a minute and then turn it over.
11. Remove and serve hot with a chutney of your choice.
12. Onion chutney really goes well with it.

Note:
For making uthappams - idli batter works best.
It is thicker in texture compared to dosa batter.
This way Uthappams come out thick and fluffy.

PURAN POLI...

MAIDA POLI

WHEAT POLI

RECIPE:

INGR:

For stuffing:

Chana dal                            1 cup (200gm)
Jaggery                               1 1/2 cup
Grated coconut / pd           1/2 cup
Cardamom pd                     1 tsp
Saunth/ dry ginger pd        1/4 tsp
Nutmeg pd                           a pinch

Method:

1. Soak chana dal for an hour.
2. Add little salt and pressure cook in min. water till done.
3. Drain excess water, mash it coarsely and keep aside.
4. Heat a thick bottomed pan and put in the mashed dal.
5. Add grated jaggery, saunth, nutmeg pd and salt .
6. Cook this mixture till all moisture evaporates, add grated coconut and mix thoroughly.
7. Sprinkle with cardamom pd and mix; remove and let it cool. 

For the dough:

Maida                    2 cups
Oil/ Ghee              2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Water

Method:

1. Seive maida and salt together; rub in warm oil/ghee to the maida and mix well.
2. Make a stiff yet soft dough by adding little water at a time.
3. Divide the dough into equal portions, make tiny balls.
4. Roll them out a little, stuff in the puran, wrap up on all sides and again roll out into thin polis.
5. The stuffing should be three times the size of the maida ball used for the poli.
6. Heat a griddle and pour 2 tsp ghee/oil and cook the polis to golden on both sides.
7. Drizzle ghee/oil along the edges and again when turning them over.
8. Serve them hot as they tend to be crispier.

Note:

1. Puran polis can be made with wheat dough instead of maida. 
2. It was easier to roll out thinner polis with the wheat variety.
3. Also the wheat ones tasted better and were more crispy.