Seer/king Fish Curry( Vanjaram Meen kuzlambu)

Seer Fish has a average-calorie, low-carb, average-fat and high-protein content. It contains a low amount of carbohydrates, making it suitable for some of the low-carb diets. With 18 gms of protein, it is high in protein content, which is an important macronutrient that helps with tissue repair, provides energy and improves immunity.

Not only that, the average fat content of this product makes it suitable to be eaten when trying to lose weight. It has a low density of Sodium, thus making it suitable for a low-sodium diet.

It is very popular among the countries of the Indian subcontinent including India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. It is a fairly expensive fish that is considered a delicacy in most places. In addition to being cooked and eaten when fresh, it is also used to make fish pickle, usually eaten as a condiment with rice.

It is known by various names, such as surmai (सुरमई) in Marathi, vanjaram (వంజరం) in Telugu,vanjaram or neimeen (நெய்மீன்) in Tamil, ayakkoora or neimeen (നെയ്മീന്‍) in Malayalam, anjal (ಅಂಜಲ್) in Tulu, arkoli (ಅರ್ಕೊಲಿ) in Kannada, iswaan or viswan (िवस्वण) in Konkani, and thora in Sinhala.

Any how let's see how to make this tangy and tasty fish curry.

Ingredients

Vanjaram Fish - 500 gms
Shallots / Small onions - 10
Garlic cloves small variety - 100 gms
CountryTomato - 2 big
Tamarind - gooseberry sized
Chilli powder - 3 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Gingelly oil - 4 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Pepper seeds- 1/4 tsp
Fresh and thick coconut milk- 1/2 cup(optional).
Salt to taste
Curry leaves and coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

Clean fish and set aside

Chop onion, garlic, tomatoes and set aside

Soak tamarind in 2 cups water and extract the pulp.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cuminseeds, pepper seeds and some curry leaves allow to crackle.

Add onion and garlic saute for few mins, and add tomatoes.

Add  tamarind water, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, required salt to the pan.

Bring the curry to boil, when curry starts boiling add the cleaned fish.

Let the fish curry boil for 5 mins, next reduce the heat and cook the fish curry on low heat for 10 mins.

Now add the coconut milk boil for 2 minutes and switch off.

Finally garnish curry with curry leaves and corinader leaves and serve hot with white rice.

Next day enjoy the fish curry with idly and dosa, it tastes extremely delicious.

Mishti Doi/Mitha Dahi( Sweet Yogurt)

Mitha Dahi is a popular bengali dessert.The Bengalis are famous for their sweet preparations and Mishti Doi is among their most well known desserts. It is prepared by boiling milk until it is slightly thickened, sweetening it with sugar, either guda/gura (brown sugar) or khajuri guda/gura (date molasses), and allowing the milk to ferment overnight. Earthenware  is always used as the container for making Mitha Dahi because the gradual evaporation of water through its porous walls not only further thickens the yoghurt, but also produces the right temperature for the growth of the culture. Very often the yoghurt is delicately seasoned with a pinch of elaichi (cardamom) for fragrance.

As Dahi (Curd) is also considered auspicious in Hindu religion, it is also prepared on festive occasions and celebrations like Durga Puja and Diwali.

Ingredients
Milk 1 litre
Yogurt 1/2 teaspoon
Date jaggery (palm tree jaggery)150 gm Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp

Method

Boil milk till reduced to half. Add cardamom powder.

Remove from heat and leave to cool slightly.

Blend grated jaggery into hot milk and whisk vigorously. Pour it through a stainer to remove the dirt's.

When milk is slightly lukewarm. stir in yogurt till well mixed.

Pour it in a earthen or terracotta pot and set overnight in a warm place.

when set cool in refregirator and serve chilled.

Chilli Soya Chunks/Meal Maker

This is one of my best dishes loved most by my  kids.Great  protein content can be taken by all age groups.

It is textured or texturized vegetable protein (TVP), also known as textured soy protein (TSP), soy meat, or soya chunks is a defatted soy flour product, a by-product of extracting soybean oil.It is often used as a meat analogue or meat extender. It is quick to cook, with a protein content far greater than that which comes from meat.

OK! let's learn the process.

1.For cooking soya chunks
Ingredients:

Soya Chunks / Meal Maker – 2 cups
Water – 5 cups
Milk – ½ cup

Heat milk and water in a sauce pan. Bring this to a good rolling boil.

Add in the soya chunks and switch off the flame. Cover with a tight fitting lid and leave it aside for 15-20 mins.

Drain it in a colander and wash it with lots of cold water.

2.For Marination of chunks
Ingredients:

Soya Chunks / Meal Maker - 2 cups cooked
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Corn Flour  - 3 tsp
Oil - 3 tsp

Method:

Mix all the marination ingredients together, except oil  and set aside for 1/2 hour.

3.For making dish
Ingredients:

Onions - 1 large sliced thinly
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Bell Peppers / Capsicum - 1 Sliced lengthwise (i used green & yellow)
Green Chillies - 2 slit
Vinegar - 2 tsp or to taste
Green Chilli Sauce - 1 tblspn or to taste
Tomato Ketchup - 2 tsp
Red Chilli Sauce - 1 tsp
Dark Soya Sauce - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Sugar -1 tsp
Ajinomoto - a pinch (optional)

Method:

Heat oil in a frying pan, once it is hot, add in the soya and toss well in the oil. Cook till it is golden. Remove it to a plate.

Now in the remaining oil, add in onions, chopped ginger garlic and saute for couple of mins.

Add in capsicum, chillies and saute for another couple of mins. Add in sugar, salt, ajinomoto(if using) and all the sauces and mix well.

Cook this for 5 mins or so.

Add in fried soya and toss well in the sauce. Cook this for couple of mins.

Add in spring onions and toss once.

Serve hot with pulav, fried rice or stuff in rolls and breads.

Bhapa Doi(Steamed yogurt)

To celebrate the holiday month with us, we have friends popping in and out almost all weekends. They deserve a share of sweet luscious Bhapa Doi. Bhapa doi is a Bengali sweet, which literally means steamed yogurt. Easy dessert try and share with ur friends.

Ingredients:

1 can (400 grams) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup (250 grams) thick plain yogurt, whisked
1 cup (200 ml) milk
15 raisins
10 almonds, blanched and slivered
15 pistachios, blanched and slivered

Method:

Put the sweetened condensed milk in a bowl. Add the yogurt and whisk. Add the milk and whisk again until well blended.

Add the raisins, almonds, and pistachios, and stir well.

Cover with aluminum foil and  place the pan in the cooker. Put the lid on and steam the cooker without putting the weight for about 40 minutes.

Remove from the pan remove the foil, and set aside to cool to room temperature. Place the bhapa doi in the refrigerator to chill. Slice and serve chilled.

Note:

U can also pour the mixture in small bowls ,cover each bowl with foil and steam in idli cooker.

Channa/Chole Masala With Potatoes

Chole Masala is a popular north indian curry. Chole goes well with poori, bhatura, roti, naan or rice. I like potatoes so cooked it with channa, if u do not want then just skip them.

Ingredients for pressure cooking:

1 cup (250 ml cup) chickpeas (white channa)
3 cups water for pressure cooking the chickpeas
2 to 3 potatoes peeled(optional)
½ tsp salt

Spices to grind for the punjabi chole masala:

2 black cardamoms/elaichi
1 inch cinnamon/dalchini
3 to 4 peppercorns/sabut kali mirch
2 cloves/lavang
1 medium indian bay leaf
¼ tsp carom seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp dry pomegranate seeds
1 or 2 dry red chilies

If u don't have time go with this masala. Simply increase the measure of garam masala instead.

Ingredients for the gravy:

1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
2 medium sized tomato, ground into paste
2 to 3 small garlic cloves & ½ inch ginger, crushed to a paste or ½ tsp ginger-garlic paste
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp red chili powder powder
¼ tsp garam masala powder
¾ to 1 tsp dry mango powder - optional and only to be added when you do not have dry pomegranate seeds
2 to 3 green chilies, slit
1 to 1.25 cups water or the stock in which the chickpeas were cooked.
2 tbsp oil
salt as required

Method:

Rinse and soak the chole (chickpeas) in enough water overnight. Add enough amount of water as the chole increase in size after soaking it. Rinse the soaked chickpeas.

In a pressure cooker add the chole along with   peeled potatoes then add water. Season with salt and pressure cook the chana for 8-10 whistles.

The chana should be cooked well an softened. The chole should be soft when you mash it with a spoon.

In a pan, take all the whole spices for the chole masala mentioned above and on a low heat begin to roast them.

Stir often and roast the spices till they get extra browned. Don't burn them, let them become fragrant.

Let these roasted spices cool and then grind them finely in a in a dry grinder.

Heat oil in a pan or kadai. Add Green chilies, chopped onion, ginger-garlic paste,salt and saute till their raw aroma goes away and turns golden brown.

Then add tomatoes paste &saute t till  the oil starts to leave the sides of the masala.

Then add the powdered chole masala that we ground, along with the red chili powder, turmeric powder & garam masala powder (optional).

Stir the dry masala add the cooked chole and potatoes then add about 1 to 1.25 cups of the stock in which the chana was boiled. you can also add water if required.

Stir and simmer on a low to medium flame. The gravy will thicken and reduce. mash a few chana. this will help thicken the gravy. simmer till you get the consistency you prefer.

Garnish chole masala with coriander leaves & serve the punjabi chole with kulchas, bhaturas, pooris, rotis, along with sliced onions, tomatoes and lime. chole also tastes jeera rice.

Notes

1. If the chole is going to done morning soak overnight (or) in evening atleast soak for 8 hrs before.

2.If you don't have amchur or dried pomegranate seeds then add
lime or lemon juice toward the end.

Banana Millet Pie

This was a simple try to make something healthy. All the expert bakers,kindly excuse me.

Ingredients:

Wet
4 very ripe bananas
1 cup jaggery syrup
½ cup virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Dry
1 cup millet flour
1 cup white rice flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/2 cup shredded coconut
Icing Sugar as u wish

Method:

In a large bowl stir in all wet ingredients except banana set aside.

Combine all dry ingredients except coconut. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients stir until fully combined. Stir in coconut.

Grease the pan with olive oil.

Pour the batter and now add the sliced bananas to it.

Bake for 10 minutes, until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Serve with fresh cream and chocolate topping,  it was really tasty enjoy this simple pie.

Cucumber Onion Tomato Salad

A salad is a dish consisting of small pieces of food, which may be mixed with a sauce or salad dressing.Salads can incorporate a wide variety of foods including vegetables, fruits, and cooked meat, eggs, and grains. Garden salads use a base of leafy greens; they are common enough that the word salad alone often refers specifically to garden salads. Other types include bean salad, tuna salad, fattoush, Greek salad, and somen salad.

Most salads are served cold, although some, such as south German potato salad, are served warm. Some consider the warmth of a dish a factor that excludes it from the salad category calling the warm mixture a casserole, a sandwich topping or more specifically, name it for the ingredients which comprise it.

Why do we call it salad?

The basis for the word salad is 'sal', meaning salt. This was chosen because in ancient times, salt was often an ingredient in the dressing. "Salad, a term derived from the Latin sal (salt), which yielded the form salata, 'salted things' such as the raw vegetables eaten in classical times with a dressing of oil, vinegar or salt. The word turns up in Old French as salade and then in late 14th century English as salad or sallet."

Salads may be served at any point during a meal, such as:

Appetizer salads: light salads to stimulate the appetite as the first course of the meal.

Side salads: to accompany the main course as a side dish.
Main course salads, usually containing a portion of heartier fare, such as chicken breast or slices of beef.

Dessert salads: sweet versions often containing fruit, gelatin and/or whipped cream.

Ingredients for making salad:

1 Med. Cucumber peeled and Sliced
1 Med. Onion peeled and sliced
1 Med. Apple tomato cut into pieces
1/2 lemons juice
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp. ground pepper
Salt as required

I used white onion, remove the seeds of the tomato. Combine all in a large bowl, toss making sure everything is coated well.

Raw Mango Pachadi/Mangai Pachadi

This is a very special recipe which we prepare for Tamil New Year Traditionally we add neem flowers fried in ghee to this pachadi but you can prepare it without that also on other days.This pachadi tastes sweet,  sour, bitter and hot which indicates that life is a mixture of all. But on the whole it is a finger liking dish, try this and I am sure you will fall in love with this simple and delicious mango pachadi.

Ingredients:
Raw mango - 2 No. (cut pieces measures about 1 ½ cup)
Jaggery –3/4 cup
Salt – a pinch
Neem flowers –1 tsp

For seasoning:
Oil – 1 tsp
Mustard – 1 tsp
Jeera – ½ tsp
Green chillies(slitted)– 2 Nos

Method:                             

Wash and peel  the skin of the mango. Cut into medium size cubes and keep aside.

Melt jaggery in ½ cup of water and strain the impurities.

In a heavy bottomed kadai, heat oil and season with the items given for seasoning.

Then add cut mango pieces & pinch of salt and sauté well. Pour ½  cup of water and cook covered for about 5 minutes.

Open the lid and ensure that the mango pieces get cooked well.

Now add jaggery syrup and mix everything well. Slightly mash the mango pieces.

When the mixture becomes glossy and attains a jam like consistency, add neem flowers & switch off.

Transfer the contents to a serving bowl.