10/30/10

Blackened Cajun Tilapia with Santa Fe Rice




Ingredients:

1 filet of Tilapia
Dash of salt and black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp cajun powder
Some All purpose flour

Make a thick marinade with cajun powder and olive oil.  (Do not make it too runny)

Wash and pat dry the tilapia filet.   Drizzle some olive oil on the filet and rub the fish down with the oil using your fingers.  Season both sides with a dash of salt,  black pepper, and garlic powder.  Dip the filet in all purpose flour and dust excess flour off.  Heat oil or butter in a pan.  Keep the flame on medium.  Add the fish cook for 3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes.  Using a brush, brush the top side of the filet with the cajun/oil marinade. Flip the filet and let it blacken for a minute or two. You may have to drizzle some olive oil (do not add butter at this time).  Brush the remaining marinade on the top side of the filet and flip and allow the other side to blacken as well. Serve hot. 

Note: Fish cooks relatively faster than chicken or other meat. If you are new to fish cooking, it is always better to cook more than less.  I generally butterfly cut any meats/seafood so it cooks fast without risking overcooking the meat/seafood.  My mom often cooks seafood covered so it steam cooks.  If you do cover and cook, continue to cook the fish for a minute or two uncovered in the end so that any condensed water eveaporates.

10/29/10

Zhatpat Veg Biryani - Quick and Easy Spicy Veggie Pilaf

6 to 8 cups of leftover cooked white rice
3 cups of frozen mixed veggies (corn/carrots/beans)
2 small onions (cut lengthwise)
1/2 cup fried onions (store bought packet)
1 and half tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
2 to 3 tbps of tomato paste
6 tsps of Shaan Bombay Biryani Masala (Stick with 4 if you dont want it too spicy)

Heat oil in a pan (okay dont be shy, add some more!) Add the onions and sautee till golden brown. Add the fried onions and mix well.  Add the garlic and ginger paste. Sautee well.  Add the tomato paste and sautee. Let it sit until the paste leaves oil on the side.  Now its time to add the veggies.  If you using frozen veggies out of the freezer thaw them in the microwave soaked in water first. Drain all the water. Add the veggies and mix well.  Add the Bombay Biryani Masala powder. Add some water and let it cook. You may have to add water (about 1/4 cup each time) about 3 to 4 times till the mixture is well incorporated and the masala powder is cooked. 

For those who do not know how Biryani is served - it is basically like a lasagna. There are layers - first the rice then the masala as prepared above (we did a veggie masala here, but one can do chicken biryani masala, lamb biryani, or beef biryani masala) and then another rice layer and then another masala layer so on and so forth!

Back to our recipe - Before you start layering the biryani, make sure the veggie mix that you have just made is "Wet" but not "Watery".  There should be just enough water so that the rice sort of soaks in the water when you do the layers.  Too watery of a mixture will make the rice mushy! 

Now for the most important part - How to cook the rice!! The rice should be al dente. If the rice is mushy, the biryani will not taste as good. I used about 6 to 8 cups of leftover white rice.  If its not at room temperature, heat the rice in a microwave.  Layer the biryani as described above - rice first followed by the masala, then the rice, followed by masala and a thin top layer of rice again.  Cover with a foil and let sit until you are ready to serve. When serving, make sure you cut through all layers. 

Note:
1. Note the 6 to 8 cups is already cooked rice.
2. When cooking rice, add salt and oil to the rice. Remember one part rice to two parts water. When the rice is cooked al dente, spread the rice flat in a casserole pan to prevent it from cooking further. I will have a separate post on exact cooking times some day.

10/28/10

Sukha Methi Dal

1/2 cup frozen methi
1/4 cup split masoor dal
2 small potatoes, diced
1 serrano pepper, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
A pinch or two of jaggery
Salt to taste

Tempering on the top:
Generous portion of oil, 1 tbsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, dash of hing, 1/4 tsp turmeric, handful of peanuts.

Pressure cook the methi and dal with some water. Drain the water so the mixture is quite dry after taking out from the pressure cooker.   Heat oil and garlic. When slightly brown and aromatic, add the chopped onion. Sautee till translucent.  Add the ginger followed by the green chilli and give it a stir. Now add the potatoes and let them cook on low flame stirring the mixture once in a while.  When potatoes are half way cooked, add the methi and dal mixture (do not add any remainder water). Sautee for 2 to 3 minutes.  Now add the cumin, coriander, garam masala, jaggery, and salt and stir. Let any water that may have gotten in evaporate.  Keep stirring and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes on low flame. 

Now we will prepare a garnish on the top by heating oil in a tempering pot. You will need a significant amount (say about 6 to 8 tbsps). When hot add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let them sputter. Now add the hing, turmeric, and peanuts. Turn the flame to low and sautee with a spoon.  Remove from heat and pour over the prepared Sukha Methi Dal.

10/27/10

Dal Methi

1 tbsp Ghee
14 tsp mustard seeds
Dash of hing
1 finely chopped garlic
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 medium tomato
Handful of chopped cilantro
1 medium serrano pepper, slit lengthwise
1/4 cup split masoor dal
1/2 cup methi leaves (frozen)
1/2 tsp jaggery/gul or pinch of sugar
1/4 tsp each of turmeric powder, cumin and coriander powder
Salt to taste

Pressure cook the methi and dal together. When ready, add ghee to a pot. When hot add mustard seeds and when they sputter, add hing.  Add the garlic, ginger, and green chilli and give it a stir.  Add the finely chopped tomatoes and cilantro followed by turmeric powder and stir on low flame.  Let the tomatoes disintegrate just a little. Now add the dal and methi mixture.  Add cumin, coriander, and some more turmeric if you would like. Add salt and jaggery.  Add some water and using a whisk beat the dal so that it disintegrates.  Cover and let it come to a rolling boil. 

Serve with rice or rotis.

10/24/10

Shenga ani Danyachi Dal - Lentils with Drumsticks and Peanuts

1 cup Split Masoor Dal
1/4 cup Split Udad Dal
1/4 cup Split Mung Dal
20 pieces of Drumsticks (I used frozen)
1/2 cup raw peanuts

1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 to 4 kokum
2 green chillies
2 garlic pods and 1 inch ginger
1 medium tomato finely chopped
Dash of hing
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp kasoori methi
Salt to taste
Pinch of sugar


Pressure cook all the dals together. Also pressure cook the drumsticks and peanuts with some salt.  Reserve the liquids.

Heat ghee. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and let sputter. Add the asofoetida or hing.  Add the kokum and green chillies followed by tomato.  Add the garlic and ginger.  Stir and add turmeric and red chili powder. Beat the dals really well.  Add reserved water and some more if necessary (depending on how thick you want the dal).  Add the drumsticks and peanuts.  Add kasoori methi and stir well.  Add salt and sugar to taste. 

Let the dal come to a rolling boil.  Garnish with cilantro.