9/18/11

Macchi Kadhi - Coconut Fish Curry



My absolute favorite when it comes to quick and easy seafood dishes. A must try!!

Method and Ingredients:

1/4 tsp mustard seeds
6 curry leaves
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 roma tomato, finely chopped
1 green chill (or two)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 kokums (substitute tamarind)
4 tbsp coconut milk
1/4 to 1/2 tsp Madras curry powder (depending on how strong it is)
1/4 tsp each of cumin and coriander powder

1 filet of fish of your choice (flounder, catfish, tilapia) - Wash, pat dry, butterfly cut and season with salt, pinch of turmerc powder and red chilli powder.  Set aside.

1. Heat oil
2. When hot, add 1/4 tsp mustard seeds. Let them sputter.
3. Now add dash of asofoetida and 6 curry leaves. Make sure heat is on low. When the curry leaves appear crispy, add green chilli and chopped onions.  Mix and cook till translucent.
4. Add chopped tomato and mix well. Add the kokum or 1/4 tsp of tamarind and mix well.
5. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, salt, Madras curry powder, 1/4 tsp each of cumn and coriander powder. Mix well and let cook covered for 5 minutes.
6. Mix the coconut milk with some water and stir well. Add to the onion paste. Stir constantly.
7. Now add the fish gently.  Do not stir the fish too much as it will flake easily.  Fish cooks very fast so about 4 minutes covered should be enough. However, stll do check for doneness. Fish should be white in the inside. 
8. Add chopped basil leaves and dash of fish sauce (both optional)

Serve with rice

9/16/11

Butter Toasted Asparagus with Almonds





New to cooking? This is an easy as easy can get recipe but oh so yummy as well. The butter really does the trick. I use margarine but you can do butter if you wish.

Method and Ingredients:

Bunch of Asparagus (about 10 stems)
1/2 medium onion, sliced lengthwise
1/2 small tomato, sliced lengthwise
1/4 tsp each of garlic powder, onion powder
Salt/black pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes (as per your heat level)
Slivered almonds (1 tbsp)

1. Wash the asparagus really well especially the tips. Trim the end of the asparaugus (tough part) at the bottom of the asparagus.
2. Heat some butter, okay a lot of butter!! Add sliced onions, tomato, and asparagus.
3. Cover and let cook for 3 minutes on low heat.
4. Uncover, add salt, black pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and onion powder. Toss well. Add the slivered almonds.
5. Cover and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. I like my asparagus wth a little bite to it. So adjust cooking time accordingly.

The key to this dish is makng sure that the asparagus does not overcook. Also, towards the end I turn the heat up right before serving the dish. This somewhat chars the seasonings stuck to the bottom of the pan and the charred seasonings give the asparagus a great flavor.  I recomment makng this dish in a non stick pan.

Serve as a vegetable side dish to you main entree.

9/15/11

Palak Saag - Creamed Curry Spinach (Version 1)



And finally my first post with heavy cream in it! All the food I put up on my blog is stuff we eat at home everyday. Needless to say it is always healthy and often uses substitutes like milk for heavy cream or oil for butter, etc. Anyhow, I really wanted to make a rich palak saag today and had some heavy cream lying around. So here is the dish.

Method and Ingredients:

1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 green chilli
4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp ginger
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Pinch of clove powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon stick
1 roma tomato
2 tbsp crushed tomato
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp coriander powder
6 cups chopped spinach
1 tsp Garam masala
1 bay leaf
1/2 to 1 cup Heavy cream

1. Heat oil. Add cumin and mustard seeds. Let sputter. Add the chopped garlic, ginger, and green chilli and sautee a little.
2. Add 1 medium onion, chopped and cook till it becomes transclucent.
3. Add turmeric powder, clove powder, cinnamon stick and chopped tomato and mix well. Add 2 tbsp of crushed tomato. Add 1/4 cup water and cook on low heat for 5 minutes. You will have to add water one more time to allow the contents to turn to a thick paste. Total cooking time of about 8 to 10 minutes should do it.
4. Add the spinach and mix well. Let cook for another 5 minutes.  Add salt and garam masala.
5. Remove the spinach mixture and set aside to cool. Pulse in a food processor a few times. Spinach should be coarse for the saag.
6. Heat some oil.  Add a bay leaf.  Add some paprika powder and add the processed spinach right away.  Let cook on low heat for 5 to 8 minutes so that all the water from the spinach evaporates.
7. Add heavy cream a little by little at a time untl you get the desired creaminess level. Generally a color test should do the trick - you want a light green color to the saag. Stir constantly as you add the heavy cream.  It tends to leave some oil giving the dish a rich taste.
8. Remove from heat. Serve with Naan or Rice

9/12/11

Chapaticha Chura - Hand Crushed Indian Tortilla Snack





This is a common recipe found in most Indian kitchens that utilizes leftover chapatis. Chapatis or Indian tortillas are made of wheat flour and they are best when consumed right after making them. When they are left over, they tend to get dry and even reheating them in a microwave does not produce the exact hot and flaky melt in your mouth taste as they are when they are freshly made. So most of the times, when we leftover chapatis, we make this relatively simple dish that serves as a breakfast item or even a quick healthy snack.


Method and Ingredients:


1. Heat oil.  Add 1/4 tsp cumin seeds and 1/4 tsp mustard seeds. Let sputter.  Add a dash of asofoetida.
2. Add one green chilli (slit lengthwise)
3. Add 6 to 8 curry leaves.
4. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and about 10 peanuts
5. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion.
6. Take about 4 medium size chapatis and crush them well with your hands (about 3 cups).  Add salt and sugar to taste and mix well.
7. Add the chapati mixture and toss well. Let cook while stirring constantly on low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes. If the chapatis are quite dry, you can sprinkle a little water to get the mixture rehydrated.
8. Garnish with cilantro, lime juice, and shredded coconut. Serve hot and serve right away.

9/9/11

Pasta Spanaki Olio




Method and Ingredients:

1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 cup crushed tomatotes
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed
1 clove of garlic
8 to 10 basil leaves
1/2 cup chicken stock
Handful of black olives, chopped coarsely
Feta cheese
Dash of Parmesan cheese
Dash of Salt/Black Pepper

1. Heat olive oil. Add chopped garlic and sautee. Add onions and sautee.  When onions are translucent, add spinach.
2.  Add chicken stock and crushed tomatoes.  Mix well and let cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add the basil leaves, dash of parmesan cheese, chopped olives, salt, and black pepper and let cook for another 5 minutes stirring intermittently.  Keep the sauce a little watery but not too watery. Allow the water to evaporate in the pan. 
4.  Add feta cheese.  Serve over pasta.