Fish curry with marination,

Fish curry with marination

Most of us feel that cooking fish with good taste is difficult. But it is wrong.  When you read it and follow it, you find it is easy and you agree with me

Ingredients

For marination:

 Fish       -    1 Kg

Oil   -    2-3 table spoons

GingerGarlic Paste    -   1 1/2 table spoon

Dry coconut powder   -   2 table spoons

Garam Masala:

           Fennel seeds    1/4 tsp

Clove     5 no.s

Cinnamon    2" stick

Cardamom    4 no.s

Red chili powder   -   to taste

Coriander   Powder   -   2 tablespoon

Mint leaves   -   2 table spoons (chopped )

Coriander Leaves  -   2 table spoons ( chopped )

Curd / Yogurt   -   3 table spoons

Turmeric Powder   -    a pinch

Salt   -    to taste

Mix all these and keep a side ( or in refrigerator) for at least one hour.      When fish curry is made without marinating fish may not taste good. But when fish is marinated it will be yummy.

To Temper:

Oil  -  1 table spoon

Tamarind  Juice -   to taste

Curry leaves - some

Cumin and Fenugreek seeds  -  1/4 table spoon

Green chili's   -  4 (long)

Onions   -   2 (big size )

Mint leaves   -   1/2 table spoons (chopped )

Coriander Leaves  -   1/2 table spoons ( chopped )

Take a deep pan, add oil and heat it.  when oil is hot  add onions , green chili's, curry leaves, cumin and fenugreek seeds.

let it heat until onions turn golden brown in color. In between stir it well, so that none of the items will stick to the pan. 

when it is ready add tamarind juice and allow it to cook for 10 to 15 minutes, in between stir it. when tamarind juice is enough cooked we can smell it.

After 10 - 15 minutes add marinated fish.  If you want to add water you can. 

Allow it to cook for 10 minutes.  Now add some coriander leaves, Mint leaves, let it cook for 5 more minutes.

 Now, you can enjoy eating fish.

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How to make aloo/ potato / traditional samosa at home

Aloo / Potato Samosa / Indian snacks samosa

Samosa are one of the best snacks in India. In my colleges days I loved it to eat at evening in most of times. 

Most of us think making samosa is difficult. But it is easy to cook, Check out below you will agree it.

Preparation  time - under 20 mins
Cooking time - under 30 mins
Yields- approximately 10-12 samosas

To make samosa we have to prepare a maida/ All purpose flour dough.

Ingredients needed for maida/all purpose flour dough 

All purpose flour/ maida - 1 cup
Carom seeds / Ajwain  /omam - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Method 

In a bowl mix together all purpose flour/maida, salt and oil nicely with your finger tips.The flour should be well mixed with the oil. This is done to get crispy samosas.

Then add carom seeds, water little at a time and make a pliable dough, not too soft.

Cover it with a moist cloth (to prevent it from drying) and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

In the meantime we will prepare the stuffing for samosa.

Ingredients for potato filling

Onion - 1, Chop it
Green chilli -3
Ginger/garlic paste - 1/2 table spoon
boiled Potatos - 3 , Smash them
Chopped Coriander leaves
1/2 cup boiled peas
Chilli powder -1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder -1 tsp
Cumin powder -1/2 tsp
Lemon juice to taste

Preparation:

Now, heat a vessel, add oil, add cumin powder, green chilies  and chopped onions and allow them to brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste, spice powders and a tbsp of water and saute for a few secs. Add the smashed potato and boiled peas and cook over medium flame for a few minutes, approx 3-4 mts. Add kasuri methi and lemon juice, mix them. Add the chopped coriander leaves and turn off heat.

Now Stuff is ready.

Let's start preparation for outer layer of Samosa.

Now, make balls from the dough. Smaller balls for smaller samosa, bigger balls for bigger samosa.

Now take a ball from balls of dough and Roll each ball with the rolling pin into a slightly thin puri ( round shape ) or an oval.  Take a knife and Cut it into half( to the center ).

Now take a semi-circle( half ) piece of the roti, and make a fold in the shape of a triangle as shown in the image. Seal along the fold with wet fingers. Now place this cone between your thumb and index finger and place a ball of the stuffing inside. Wet your finger and run it along the edges of the dough with water and seal to enclose the stuffing.

Press the ends firmly so that the filling does not come out when they are deep fried. Repeat the process until all dough ball are complete.

Add oil in a wide vessel. Heat the wide vessel to deep fry the samosas. Heat the oil till it is hot enough to fry samosa.

Now, the flame to medium and drop 2-3 samosas into the oil slowly and deep fry them till its color changes to golden brown, turning them carefully to the other side so that it cooks both sides.

Fry remaining samosas in the same manner.

Now, you can enjoy eating it.

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How to make Laddu/Ladoo

How to make Laddu/Ladoo at Home

Boondi Laddu is a delicious Indian sweet make for special occasions and for festivals like Diwali.  It gets its very cute name from the Hindi word for drops or droplets - Boond. Another name for it is Motichoor Laddoo (Moti means bead or pearl in Hindi). Read the recipe and you'll see why! Once you're through reading, make some Boondi Ke Laddoo, you WILL NOT regret it!

I am here showing you 2 methods:

Method 1:

Ingredients:

·        1/2 kg bengal gram flour

·        Enough milk to make a thick batter (use full cream milk)

·        1/4 tsp baking powder

·        4 cups water

·        1/2 kg sugar

·        1 1/2 tsps cardamom powder (made from green cardamoms)

·        10 strands saffron (optional but highly recommended)

·        3/4 cup finely chopped dried fruits - cashews, almonds, pistachios

·        6 tbsps milk

·        Ghee (recipe below) for deep frying (you could use vegetable/ canola/ sunflower oil but ghee gives tastier results)

·        Special equipment: A very fine metal sieve

Preparation:

·        Heat your oven for 10 minutes at 150 C/ 300 F/ Gas Mark 2 and then turn off. Keep the oven shut to contain heat.

·        While the oven is heating, put the 4 cups of water and the sugar in a deep pan and boil. As it boils scum will rise to the top. Skim this off with a metal sieve. The sugar syrup must be boiled till it reaches a one-thread consistency. To see how this is done, take a look at Making Sugar Syrup For Indian Desserts.

·        Once the syrup has reached the one-thread consistency, remove from the fire immediately, add the cardamom powder, stir and place the pan in the previously heated oven to keep the syrup warm.

·        Now put the bengal gram flour and baking powder in a large bowl and mix well.

·        Add a little milk at a time till you get a thick batter. Whisk to ensure all lumps are removed and the batter is very smooth.

·        Now heat the ghee on a medium flame till hot. Reduce flame a little.

·        Hold the sieve about 4 inches above the hot ghee and fill a ladle with the batter. Pour the batter into the sieve. Now use another spoon to gently press the batter through the sieve and into the ghee. It will fall like tiny drops/ beads - Boondi - into the oil! This is what gives the Laddoos their name! Press through all the batter you had put into the sieve like this.

·        Now fry the Boondi till they are a very pale golden colour. When done, drain, remove and put into a separate bowl. The fried Boondi should be cooked but not crispy.

·        Repeat till all the batter is used up.

·        Once all your Boondi is ready, coarsely crush about 1/4 of it with a fork. Add the finely chopped dried fruits, pour the warm syrup over all the Boondi and keep aside for 10 minutes. The Boondi will soak up the sugar syrup and soften.

·        While this is happening warm the 6 tbsps of milk very slightly and then soak the saffron strands in it.

·        After the Boondi has sat in the syrup for 10 minutes, pour this saffron milk (remove strands before pouring) over it. Mix well.

·        Now grease your hands lightly with some ghee and start forming the syrup-soaked Boondi into walnut-sized (or slightly larger) balls (Laddoo in Hindi). Press gently but firmly to bind the Laddoos together. Arrange as you go, on a lightly greased platter .

·        Allow the Laddoos to cool to room temperature before serving.

·        Boondi Laddoos can be made ahead of time and stored in a cool, dry place in an airtight container for about a week.

Method 2:

Ingredients needed

Kadalai mavu /Bengal gram flour - 1/2 kg (500 grams)
Rice flour - 1/4 cup
Cooking soda - 1/4 tsp and a pinch
Lemon Yellow food color - a pinch
Ghee - 1 1/2 tbsp

For the sugar syrup

Sugar - 3/4 kg ( 750 grams )
Water - 2 cups
Milk - 1/4 cup to remove impurities from sugar

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Pachai karpuram /Edible camphor- a generous pinch
Cashew nuts -25 grams (break it )
Raisins -50 grams
Cloves - 5-6

Preparation

Sieve both bengal gram flour and rice flour separately.

Fry cashew nuts, raisin and cloves in ghee separately and keep it aside.


Now,  you have to prepare the sugar syrup and keep it ready.


Take a pan, add water and sugar, mix well first. Then bring it to boil.

Add 1/4 cup of milk to it, all the impurities in sugar will come to the surface. Remove it with a ladle.

Boil sugar syrup till you get a one string consistency.

How to find one string consistency?

1.When you pour a little sugar syrup in a plate with little water, it should not dissolve.

2.When you touch it between your index finger and thumb and pull it apart, it should form a string.

3.Or just lift the ladle from the sugar syrup and wait for a few seconds- it will form a string. Switch off the flame.

Add cardamom powder, pachai karpuram, fried cashew nuts, raisins and cloves to the sugar syrup.

For Making boondi

Mix both bengal gram flour and rice flour, add cooking soda and a pinch of yellow color.

Add water and make a batter. I added around 2 cups + 1/3 cup of water and it was perfect for me. You add water little by little carefully to get the batter  consistency.  It should neither be too thin nor thick.

Heat oil and pour a little batter on the boondi ladle and gently tap it. Tiny droplets of batter will fall into the hot oil. Fry till golden brown. Keep aside.

Note - Do not fry it too crispy . Remove it from oil a stage before that.

Repeat the process for the rest of the batter.

After the boondi cools a little, add half of it to the sugar syrup.

Put the rest of the boondi in a blender and grind it a little. Take a small mixie jar and blend it little by little only for a few seconds.

Now add this also to the sugar syrup. Mix both well together.

Making of laddu/ladoo


Add a tbsp of ghee and make balls out of it. Yummm…. !!!!!!!! laddus are ready


Enjoy the day with yummy laddus and also parcel it beautifully and gift to your near and dear ones.


If you have any doubts regarding this recipe, do leave a comment in the comment section, I will be happy to answer your queries as I am just a click away!

How to make payasam/samiya

What would tempt you to learn how to make semiya payasam, also known as vermicelli payasam or shavige payasa? Its fine taste and its ease of making are perhaps the two reasons. Semiya payasam is a dish that is made on the day of most festivals and functions. This traditional sweet does not require deep frying. Even this dish is gives health, few items are enough to make this dish.

As cooking the semiya payasam / vermicelli payasam is not complex, the steps to make this sweet are few. You can savor this food even if it is cold.

Ingredients

1-1/2 litres of milk 

1/2 cup of semiya/ vermicelli/shavige

1/2 cup sugar or to taste

3 tablespoons of halved cashewnuts and Badam

3 tablespoons of raisins/dried grapes

a few strands of saffron

1/4 teaspoon of cardamom/Elachi powder

1 + 1 teaspoon of ghee

Method:

-> Boil milk in a utensil/deep bowl/vessel. Keep aside.

NOTE: It is better to boil the milk. Otherwise, when you add sugar to it, the milk may curdle.

-> Heat ghee in a thick-bottom utensil.

Add cashew nuts, Badam and dry grapes. Fry till the cashewnuts turn to golden brown.

Remove the cashew nuts, Badam and grapes. Keep aside.

-> In the same utensil, fry semiya / shavige / vermicelli till it turns to golden brown. 

-> Add 2 cups of boiling milk and 1 cup of boiling water.

Cook till the semiya becomes soft.

-> Add the remaining milk and sugar. Boil for another 3-5 minutes.

-> Add the fried cashew nuts and grapes.

Add cardamom powder. 

Mix.

Switch off the stove.  Let the semiya absorb most of the milk.

Semiya payasam / vermicelli payasam / shavige payasa is ready.

Tips:

          *  You can cook the semiya entirely in milk, without adding water. Note, however, you may have to cook the semiya for more time, depending on the semiya.

           * To make the semiya payasam taste richer, add about 1/2 a cup of Milkmaid. Because it already contains sugar, use additional sugar only as required.

          *  I add cardamom as a whole,crushed a little.I feel this adds more flavour to the finished dish.Yo can remove the peels of cardamom before serving.Or if you prefer,add crushed cardamom seeds alone.
           
            *  Adding the nuts while the semiya is cooking makes the nuts soft and delicious.However,if you like some crunch in the nuts,add half in the payasam while cooking and the other half as garnish.

Easy way to prepare Gulab Jamun

GULAB JAMUN RECIPE

Method 1:

Ingredients:

1 cup Milk Powder
2 tsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp suji
2 tblsp ghee
Whole milk just enough to make the dough

For the Sugar Syrup
2 cup Sugar
2 cup water
4 - 5 Cardamom
few drops of lemon
Few strands of kesar
Oil for frying

How to make gulab jamun:

• Soak the suji in a 1/2 cup of water so as to make it soft.
• In a bowl mix milk powder, ghee, baking powder and flour. Drain out all the excess water from the soaked suji and add it to the bowl. Now mix together by rubbing the mixture between your palms to ensure everything gets mixed properly. Do not knead it.
• Add just enough of whole milk to make a medium-hard mixture. Cover with a damp yet dry kitchen towel and keep aside for 20 - 25 mins.
• Later divide the mixture into 18-20 portions. Make small balls by gently rolling each portion between your palms into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a plate.
• Heat the oil on high and then lower the heat to medium. Slip in the balls into the hot oil from the side of the pan, one by one. They will sink to the bottom of the pan, but do not try to move them. Instead, gently shake the pan to keep the balls from browning on just one side. After about 5 mins, the balls will rise to the surface. The balls should rise slowly to the top if the temperature is just right. Now take a slotted spoon and move it in circular motion in the oil, making sure not to touch the balls. This will shake the balls and even ensure even browing of all the balls.
• If the temperature of the oil is too high then the gulab jamuns will tend to break. So adjust the temperature to ensure that the gulab jamuns do not break or cook too quickly.
• The balls must be fried very slowly under medium temperatures.This will ensure complete cooking from inside and even browning.

Sugar Syrup

• The syrup should be made earlier and kept warm. To make the hot sugar syrup add mix the 2 cups of sugar to 2 cup of water. Add 4-5 cardamom pods, slightly crushed and a few strands of "Kesar". Mix with a spoon and then heat at medium heat for 5-10 minutes until sugar is all dissolved in water. Do not overheat, that will caramelize the sugar. Add few drops of lemon this will ensure that once syrup cools down it does not solidify.
• Transfer this hot syrup into a serving dish. Keep it warm on stove. Add the fried gulab jamuns directly into the warm syrup. Leave gulab jamun balls in sugar syrup overnight for best results. They can be served warm or at room temperature.

Method 2:

gulab jamun – a simple recipe of gulab jamun with milk powder. this is an easy way to make gulab jamuns at home but this is not a quick recipe.

this gulab jamun recipe is good if you don’t have khoya (evaporated milk) or paneer (cottage cheese) readily available at home. all you need is milk powder, yogurt, sugar and water to make a basic gulab jamun at home.

gulab jamun literally translates to rose berries. gulab means rose and jamuns are deep purple colored berries available in india. since the syrup made is rose water scented and the deep fried dough balls are the size of the jamun berries, hence the term gulab jamun.

traditionally gulab jamuns are fried in ghee. you can go the traditional way if you want or just fry them in oil like i have done.

i used to make gulab jamun with evaporated milk and cottage cheese. the taste of gulab jamun made with evaporated milk is different than this recipe. this version of gulab jamun is soft, melt in the mouth and taste delicious with a milky taste.

i have even made gulab jamuns with sweet potatoes and these were a vegan version. hopefully i shall be able to post the vegan gulab jamun recipe too.

the whole trick is to get the right consistency in the gulab jamun dough. if you get it right, then making these gulab jamuns are a cakewalk and you won’t feel like buying them from outside….. since then it becomes an easy recipe. please take note of step nos 6,7 and 8. i have mentioned all the tips and suggestions in the steps which can become a bit tricky, if not rightly done. so please take your time to read each step carefully. 

so lets begin the step by step gulab jamun recipe:

1: first stir the sugar, water, cardamom powder and saffron in a pan and keep it on fire. i have kept the cardamoms peels and these can be thrown away when serving the gulab jamuns.

2: gently bring to a boil and continue to stir occasionally.

3: add some pistachios in the syrup. an optional step but tastes good.

4: make a thick syrup and switch off the fire much before the sugar solution reaches a one thread consistency. on cooling if the sugar syrup crystallizes, then just add 2 to 3 tbsp water and warm the syrup again. it will again return to a liquid state.

5: mix the flour, milk powder and baking soda in a mixing bowl. add oil/ghee and 1 tbsp yogurt.

6: just mix everything lightly. add little of yogurt if the mixture looks dry. don’t over mix or knead. you don’t want gluten to form, so just mixing well is enough. the all purpose flour is just added to bind the mixture. if gluten forms then the dough balls become dense and won’t absorb any of the sugar syrup and the inside of gulab jamun will not be soft.

7: the mixture will be sticky but smooth. apply some oil on your palms and make small balls from the dough. these gulab jamun balls almost double when frying and also increase when soaked in the sugar syrup. so don’t make large sized balls.

there should be no cracks on the dough balls. they should be smooth. if there are cracks, then just add some 1 or 2 tsp of yogurt or milk to the mixture and continue making the balls. once done, then cover the balls with a kitchen towel.

8: heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or a pan. when the oil becomes medium hot, lower the flame. add a small ball in the oil. the ball should slowly rise to the top from the bottom. if it does not rise then, the oil is not hot enough. if it rises quickly and browns also quickly, then the oil is too hot to fry.

if the small ball does not crack or break while frying, you are ok to proceed further. if it cracks, then just add some 1 or 2 tsp flour to the dough and form the balls again. in an ideal case, the gulab jamun ball should not crack and should rise slowly to the top and should not get browned quickly.

9: when you know the oil is hot enough and on a low flame, then add 3-4 balls or more depending on the capacity of your kadai or pan. the balls have to be stirred with a slotted spoon frequently to get even browning. if there are handles on the pan, you can just lightly shake the pan so that the balls are evenly fried without using the spoon. but take care as hot oil is there in the pan. the gulab jamun balls should also not become browned too soon. they have to be cooked from the insides too.

10: keep on turning the gulab jamuns till they become golden. if the oil becomes cold, then don’t fry the gulab jamun balls. increase the temperature and then fry. otherwise the gulab jamuns would have a hard crisp thick cover when fried in a not so hot oil and they won’t absorb the sugar syrup. plus they would absorb a lot of oil too.

11: when the gulab jamuns are evenly golden and browned, remove from the slotted spoon and add them directly into the sugar syrup. keep the gulab jamuns in the sugar syrup for atleast 1-2 hours before serving. this is done so that the gulab jamun soaks up the sugar syrup which will make the insides soft and sweet. thats why in the sweet shops, the gulab jamun are always soaked in sugar syrup.

if you feel the gulab jamuns are not soaking in the sugar syrup, then warm the whole gulab jamuns along with the sugar syrup on stove top or in the microwave. cover and keep aside. just warm them, don’t heat.

12: gulab jamuns can be served warm or cold. if they are at room temperature, then warm in the microwave and serve the gulab jamun topped with sugar syrup and garnished with pistachios or almond slices.