Shallow Fried Tilapia & Eleven.Eleven.Eleven

I accomplished Sirashasana without any help today on 11.11.11....how cool & auspicious is that :) Even though it was  for a few seconds but today is just the beginning and it can only get better & controlled with time.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's Fans-In-case you missed out on this piece of  news-I overheard on T.V that Aishwarya was  planning to got for a C-Section @ 11.11am on 11.11.11 but I have not been able to validate this piece of news on Google.We will soon find out if the baby did arrive on this auspicious date. I just thought it was very interesting that they even planned the time i.e if they did

For now I have to share this awfully simple but super tasty Tilapia recipe,marinated in spices and dipped in egg and than coated with panko bread crumbs and than shallow fried till it is a little charred and crisp on the outside and soft and flaky inside...mmmm.mmmm

My aunt use to make this so often and she would coat this with poppy seeds after dipping it in the egg instead of bread crumbs.It use to make it even crispier and gave it a nice nutty texture.I was running out of poppy seeds.....
Also I remember she made this with pompfret and she choose to deep fry.
We enjoyed the fish with curd rice,you can serve it as a side or have it just the way we did,I loved the combination and it made a wholesome and yet light-on -the stomach dinner:)

here is what you will need to prepare this:
Tilapia fillet: 6
egg beaten: 1
coriander powder: 1tsp
salt: 1/4 tsp
Turmeric: 1/4 tsp
Lemon Juice: 2 tsp
paprika: 1tsp
Garam Masala: 2 pinches
Poppy seeds or bread crumbs to coat
Oil to shallow fry: 4 tbsp or more depending on the pan(less if using non-stick)
Mango powder: 1tsp


1.Take all the spices along with salt and rub them nicely on the fillets. Let them rest for 30 minutes.


2.Take a cast iron skillet and let it heat. Now add oil and wait for it to become hot.


3.Take the beaten egg in a bowl and dip the marinated fish in it .


4. spread the poppy seeds or bread crumbs on a separate flat plate.


5. take the fish dipped in egg and put this on the plate with poppy seeds/bread crumbs and turn it on both the sides till it is coated with bread crumbs/poppy seeds .


6. slide it into the cast iron skillet,you can put all the pieces together if the skillet fits all in one go,otherwise do them as per the space.Just make sure they do not overlap.


7. let it fry for 3-4 minutes on one side and then turn and do the other side.


8. The fish is ready when it turns crispy on the outside and is white and flaky on the inside.


8.serve it on a plate and put some lime juice and serve it with onion rings and green chutney if serving as an appetizer.

Besan Wali Zucchini/Zucchini Cooked in Gram flour

Friends,I hope everyone had a great Holi with friends & family. We had a big get together in our house on the 19th which went on till the 20th afternoon ,there was lots of good food and sweets from Raj Bhog and we played with Abir/color,I wanted to put up a picture of me with my friends in holi colors,but it will have to wait due to technical difficulties :( And I cannot believe it is the first official day of spring here and it snowed for us :(

Personally I prefer eating anything cooked with Besan/Gram flour on a cold wintry or rainy day.So here is a very tasty zucchini vegetable cooked with besan from my drafts,it has been lying in there for quite some time,I must have cooked it on one of those cold wintry ,rainy days. This one is very simple to make and the besan and mango powder along with other non-dominant spices makes this zucchini dish very special and different from the regular zucchini fair :) So I hope you will give this one a try,here it goes:

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
Zucchini: 4 cut lengthwise into two pieces and then cubed into 1- 2 inch pieces
Oil: olive oil: 2 tbsp
Red dry chili: 4
Kalonji/nigella seeds: 1 tsp
Gram flour: dry roasted 1 tbsp and then cooled
Red chili powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric: 1/4 th tsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Mango powder: 1 tbsp
Jeera/cumin powder: 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Lime Juice : To squeeze at the end of the preparation  is optional

Method:

Take all the dry spices in a big owl except nigella/kalonji seeds & the whole chilli's and mix the zucchini along with the spices in the bowl and give it a good shake.Leave it marinated in these spices for 10 minutes.

Now take a frying pan and heat the oil.When it is hot add the nigella seeds/kalonji  and the whole dried chilli's,wait for a couple minutes before you add the zucchini to this oil.  Now slide in the zucchini and stir it nicely in the oil. Fry it for a couple minutes,till you see a nice glossy coat on all.Now cover and cook with a tight lid for 7-10 minutes. Leave it a little crunchy,it tastes better when it has a nice crunch to it. Also make sure when you remove the lid to check on the doneness,do not let the water build-up from the steam drop in the zucchini,this will make the zucchini wet and when you cover it again it will get soft and will not be able to retain its crunchiness.

Enjoy this with roti's with some daal on the side :) Also don't forget to squeeze some lime juice if you enjoy it tangy & spicy.

Suka Methi Aloo/Dry Fenugreek With Potato

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients: Fenugreek Leaves/Fresh Methi : 1 Bunch washed and chopped without the stems
Onion :2 medium  chopped or Sultan golden fried ready to use onions: 3 tbsp 
Ginger: 1 tbsp chopped very fine or paste
Green Chilli: 2
Small Red Potato's: 10 par-boiled with the skin and halved
Olive Oil: 2 tbsp
Salt: to taste
Red chilli Powder: 1 tsp
garam Masala: a pinch
Lemon: 1/2

Method:
1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadai and fry the chopped onions along with ginger and chopped green chilli till the onion turns a deep brown color.( I used the ready deep fried onion)
2. Now add the washed and chopped methi and cook it with the onions for 3 - 4 minutes.
3. Now add the par-boiled potato's and add salt and red pepper and sprinkle some water and cover the kadai with a tight lid and cook till the potato is cooked and the vegetable is dry. Serve as a side dish with some daal and roti and sprinkle a pinch of garam masala  and squeeze some lime before serving.

Note: I got a very nice deep rich color for this sabji with no time as I used the sultan golden fried onions.

Bharela Marcha/Stuffed Pepper

.....And everyone applauded the Bharela Marcha last night at a small gathering in our house. I  loved putting  this recipe  together which is by  none other but my favorite  Chef Sanjeev kapoor. When I started  to browse for some side dishes I chanced  upon these  pictures and  I instantly knew that this recipe will be a great accompaniment to the rest of the dishes I had planned on . Firstly I choose it  because it is delicious, secondly it is very delicious and  third it is simply DELICIOUS !!! So what are you waiting for- Here's the recipe go make yourself some Bharela Mirch and add zing to your food palate and make your taste buds come alive :)

Please Note: These peppers were not at all spicy .

preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
serves: 4

Ingredients:
Bhavnagiri peppers: 12
asfoetida: a pinch
oil: 4 tbsp
Gram Flour: 1 1/2 cup
Lemon Juice: 2 tbsp
coriander powder: 1 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder: 1 tsp
Chilli Powder: 1 tsp
Garlic chopped: 5  cloves
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp
Fresh coriander leaves chopped: 2 tbsp
carom seeds: 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds/methi Dana: 15 seeds

Method:

Dry roast gram flour in a pan on low heat till it emits a nice aroma. Transfer it to a plate and let it cool. Slit the bhavnagri chilli's and remove the seeds. Cut the longer chilli's into half .take the roasted gram flour and add all the ingredients except for the lime,oil,fenugreek,mustard and asfoetida.
Now take a kadai and heat 4 tbsp oil. When the oil is hot,add asfoetida,fenugreek seeds and carom seeds and when they start to splutter add the green chilli's stuffed with the masala. Cover & cook  till done and sprinkle some water if required . They should be dry and the extra stuffing that spills out should cling to the chilli's. Squeeze lime juice while they are hot and serve with roti's,naans as a side dish along with Daal or some gravy.

Note: I do not know the English name for this chilli but the close up shot should give you a fair idea.The other thing- the original Sanjeev kapoor recipe does not call for carom and fenugreek,but since the recipe call for 1 1/2 cup of gram flour I knew it would be best to incorporate these two ingredients which aid  in  anti flatulence.

masaledar Bharwan shimla Mirch/Stuffed Capsicum

Everyday cooking   used to be restricted to ," regular dishes" in Indian households, when the exposure to fancy dishes was limited to eating out in restaurants or watching some celebrity demonstrate recipes on a T.V show. Thanks to the amazing wonders of INTERNET,everything is virtually possible in  almost real time. I love the fact that I am able to share the recipes of my everyday meals with the rest of the world . This is the magic of Internet which we now have started to take for granted :) BTW I brought up the topic of fancy dishes because, stuffed capsicum in  the 80's was quite a," novelty" in  normal Indian households due to the absence of  ovens in regular homes. So any dish that required baking or grilling meant finding alternate ways to cook it.  It makes me happy that these gadgets are becoming a house hold thing  now , at least in Urban India. At the same time I envy the simple & primitive means of  cooking which are practiced by people living in rural India. They eat natural , and cook naturally. Kudos to them all ,they are not slaves to the  modern & quick means of cooking.

I dedicate this recipe to all those who made this dish possible even in the absence of OTG's :) Cheers !!!

Ingredients:
Green Capsicum: 4
Potato: 2 large
Ginger: 1tbsp
garlic: 1 tbsp
Tomato: 1 medium sized
salt: 1 tsp
turmeric: 1/4 tsp
coriander powder: 1/4 tsp
garam masala: 1/4 tsp
paprika Powder: 1/4 tsp
Carom seeds: 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek seeds: 15-20
Fennel seeds: 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Nigella : 1/4 tsp
asfoetida: A pinch
Oil: 2 tbsp
curry Leaves: 10-12
mint leaves: 10-12
cilantro for garnishing


Note: Asfoetida, carom ,ginger & fenugreek aid in digestion.

 Method:
Boil potato's,peel them and mash them.
Take a frying pan and heat oil. When hot add all the seeds( carom,nigella,mustard,fennel,fenugreek) to this add curry leaves ,asfoetida and ginger& garlic and fry for a couple minutes. Chop tomato and add to this along with all the dry powders( turmeric,paprika,coriander,garam masala,salt) saute for some time till the tomato is completely mashed. Now add the mashed potato's and mix it well.

Raw capsicum stuffed with the potato mix

take the washed and dried capsicum and cut it into two halves,remove the tough part in the centre and also the seeds. Now stuff the capsicum with the potato mix. Brush the capsicum with oil and pre-heat the oven to 400 d Fahrenheit . Then broil the capsicum till the edges and the skin gets a nice cooked brown color. Roughly 15-20 minutes. Capsicum should be ready.I served it for lunch today with beaten yogurt and roti along with some salad and home made green chutney :)

Postu Aloo/Khus Khus Aloo/Poppy Seed Potato

I am not sure where this dish originated,but I remember I was introduced to Postu Aloo at my very dear friend Malati's house in Pondicherry. Malati I love you,and I dedicate this dish to you. Malati also lived in Nepal for a couple years and she mentioned aloo postu was added to her culinary repertoire during her stay there. So if I were to give it a good guess then it would be Nepal which is India's neighbouring country and home to the highest peak in the world , Mount Everest .Which is located in the Himalayan ranges in Nepal. On the border of Tibet & China. Cheers to the all the 2,100 people worldwide who have summited Mount Everest (including the Sherpa's and the guides). On this note I share this aloo postu recipe with everyone who loves cooking in Mustard oil :) here goes....

Ingredients:
Potato's Large 2 pound boiled and peeled and roughly diced into 2-3 inch pieces
green Chilli - 6-7 Long green desi Mirch/Green Chilly
Postu/Poppy Seed/Khus Khus: 4 Tbsp
Coriander seeds: 2 tbsp
Lime: Juice of 2 lemons squeezed.
Mustard oil: 3 tbsp
salt :1 tsp

Method:
Take a Kadai/frying pan/heavy bottomed vessel

Heat 4 tbsp of mustard oil
Roast coriander seeds and postu on a griddle till you get a nice pleasant whiff of roasted coriander.
grind these in  the coffee grinder (put this aside)
The oil is now hot,the aroma of mustard oil is going to be strong and pungent. You have to heat the oil to smoking point,keep the exhaust on:)
Make a slit in the green chilli and add to the oil. If you add the chilli without making a slit,the moisture  in the chilli's and the heated oil will result in the chilly 's exploding. So make sure you make long slits through the centre  for the moisture to escape. These two will still create a lot of sputtering and you might want to move away from the vessel or just keep a lid  handy to cover this for the first few seconds. When the sputtering has died , uncover the lid.
Now add the boiled and chopped potato's and add the postu and coriander masala,along with the salt and mix well, add the lime juice and garnish with chopped cilantro/green coriander and serve with hot roti's/naan/bread

Note: This is from my earlier recipes,but I promise to prepare it and take a picture and post it soon. So please do check back for pictures.

Boiled Potato









Chilli's In Hot Mustard Oil

Beans and Aloo

Sindhi cooking normally requires a lot of garlic,ginger,onions and tomatos. Sometimes I crave for simple food ,which does not require all these ingridients.

We were recently visiting our friends in Schnectaty NY, over the columbus day weekend. We had a wonderful time driving to Berkshire with them,the fall colors were still looking very vibrant even though many trees on that stretch have shed their leaves. We ate  lunch at the famous hair Pin Turn resturant- Golden eagle in North Adams MA. I ordered the Ocean catch sandwich with the haddock  along with a bottle of Pino Grigio,which we all shared.

We got back home to my friends house late and in time for dinner. Pulled out some left overs and my friend made this very simple aloo beans. I loved the sabji as it was very different from what I cook at home. I normally use lot of ginger,garlic,and tomatos.

 So today I followed my friends recipe and made the simple & yet very yummy aloo beans at home for lunch. My daughter loved it :) we ate this with garam roti and simple jeere wala raita.





Ingridients :

Beans 500 gms
2 big potatos
2 inch piece of ginger

salt acc: to taste
corriander powder : 2 tsp
chilly powder: 1 tsp
turmeric : 1/2 tsp
garam masala: 1/4 tsp

Method:

wash& chop the beans and put them in a glass bowl with very little water and stick them in the microvave for 6 minutes.They should be nice and tender.

Boil the potatos in the microvave till they are all done. I normally poke them with a knife,this was they get cooked evenly and in much less time.

Now after they have cooled down,cut the boiled potato . I keep the pieces big,so I will normally cut one potato into six pieces.

Peel & chop the ginger to very tiny pieces.

Take a non-stick pan or aluminium kadai and add 2 tbsp of oil. When the oil is hot add a pinch of asfotedia along with chopped pieces of ginger. Add all the dry spices and quickly add the boiled beans and chopped potatos and stir with a flat spatula gently making sure you do not break the boiled potato.

Cover it for 2 to 3 minutes .The beans and aloo will absorb all the dry spices. Enjoy it with hot rotis's/phulka's and raita.







The beans in this preparation will retain their green color.