Breaded Red Snapper with Coriander Flavoured Butter

Fish is always my favorite and this recipe was just so good. I referred the recipe from Chef Sanjeev Kapoor website which was using Pomfret fish and Parsley butter. I tried using red snapper fish and coriander instead. It was just so wonderful and crispy on the outside and the coriander butter was so good with the fish.

Ingredients

• Red Snapper fish(whole with just head cutoff and few slits on body)- 5
• Red chilli powder - 21/2 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon
• Pepper powder - 2 generous pinches
• Mustard paste- 2 teaspoon
• Crushed Garlic- 2 teaspoon
• Lemon Juice- 1 1/4 teaspoon
• Egg-1
• Bread Crumbs/Rusk Powder - 1 cup
• Grated cheddar cheese- 3 to 4 tablespoons
• Corn flour - to dust
• Oil+Butter- for shallow frying the fish
• Salt - as needed
• For the butter:
• Softened butter - 1/2 cup
• Coriander - finely chopped from 5 sprigs
• Pepper powder - a pinch or two
• Salt - as needed- if using unsalted butter’'

Recipe Preparation

1. Clean the snapper well.
2. Mix chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt,crushed garlic, pepper powder, lemon juice, mustard paste in a small bowl.
3. Set the snapper on a plate and brush the fish with the mixture done above. Make sure the masala gets well inside the slits.
4. Let the fish marinade for 15 minutes.
5. For the coriander flavoured butter, take the softened butter in a bowl, add the finely chopped coriander and pepper and salt if needed. Set aside.
6. Take the egg in a plate and beat it lightly. Mix bread crumbs and cheese in a bowl. Take the corn flour in a plate.
7. Heat a pan with some oil and butter to shallow fry the fish.
8. Take the marinated fish and dust it with little corn flour on both sides.
9. Dip it in the egg and coat it with the bread crumb and cheese mixture well on both sides. Cook it in the heated pan till both sides are crispy and golden brown. Ensure fish is fully cooked.
10. Serve hot with coriander butter!!

Notes::

1. You can add extra chilli powder if you want it more spicy

2. Use softened butter for making the coriander butter. It should not be nearly melting when making the coriander butter.

.

Mutton Vegetable Dalcha

 

This is a lentil based gravy with mutton and vegetables. It is a super hit with biriyani. Try it and am sure it will get you addicted. The aroma of the gravy just fills your house. Recipe reference jopreetskitchen.com

Ingredients:

• Mutton(with bone) - 250 gms
• Masoor dal - 1/4 cup
• Tamarind paste-1/4 cup
• Brinjal(medium sized)-3
• Drumstick -1
• Big onion - 1 chopped
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
• Fennel seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Jeera - 1/2 teaspoon
• Cloves - 2
• Cinnamon -1 small stick
• Salt - as needed
• To Temper::
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Jeera -1/4 teaspoon
• Red Chillies - 3
• Curry leaves - few
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Garlic - 4 to 5 small pods

Preparation:

1. Soak tamarind in warm water for half an hour and extract tamarind paste. Cook masoor dal in cooker with 1 and 1/2 cup water for 2 whistles and set aside.
2. Wash and clean mutton well.
3. Heat cooker with 2 teaspoon oil, add the jeera,fennel seeds,clove and cinnamon. Add chopped onions and saute till transparent.
4. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes. Add the mutton, turmeric powder, chilli powder with little salt just enough for the mutton.
5. Add some water for mutton to be cooked and close the cooker. Cook for 5 to 6 whistles in medium flame till 1/2 cooked. Chop the vegetables in the meantime.
6. Now open the cooker once pressure releases, add in the vegetables and cook for 1 more whistle.
7. Now heat a deep pan with 2 teaspoon oil, temper with mustard seeds,jeera,fenugreek seeds, red chillies, garlic and curry leaves.
8. Add in the cooked mutton and vegetables(along with water) and mix. Add in the cooked dal and tamarind paste.
9. Mix everything well and add salt as needed. Add little water if needed and bring everything to a boil in low flame. Switch off after the mutton is cooked and gravy is creamy.
10. Serve with briyani the best combo or pulao or roti.

Note: Instead of masoor dal you can use toor dal or chana dal too.

Carrot Ginger Lime Juice

It is a simple recipe and the ginger and lemon adds a beautiful zing to the carrots. You will definitely love this drink. Recipe reference Chef Sanjeev Kapoor website.

Ingredients

• Carrots - medium sized -5
• Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
• Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon
• Lemon- 1
• Sugar - 1/8 cup
• Fresh Mint leaves- 10 to 15
• Chilled water - 2 glasses or as needed
• Ice cubes – optional

Preparation

1. Wash and scrape skin of carrots. Pass through juicer to extract juice. I got 1/2 cup of juice from 5 carrots.
2. Peel skin of ginger completely and extract juice. Mix it with the carrot juice.
3. To prepare sugar syrup, take a pan add sugar and 1 tablespoon of water and heat and stir till completely dissolved. Switch off and add lemon juice.
4. Take 2 glasses, add the prepared sugar syrup, cut lemon into slices and add two of them in the glass. Add 5 mint leaves and the carrot ginger juice. Add chilled water as required and stir.
5. Repeat same for next glass. Add some ice cubes if needed and serve chilled!.

 

Paneer Macroni/Pasta in Indian Style

An Indian flavour to the Italian based pasta. As I live in a place where I dont get much of any ingredients to make a variety of international dishes, I thought why not give the Indian touch and I was glad I thought so. Try this simple pasta dish and its super yummy!.

Ingredients

• Macaroni - 1 and 1/2 cups
• Water - 3 and 1/2 cups to cook macaroni
• Salt - 1/4 teaspoon while cooking macroni+as needed
• Oil - 2 teaspoon
• Butter - 2 teaspoons
• Paneer - 200 gms
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 1/2 teaspoon
• Onions cubed - 1
• Tomatoes chopped - 2 small
• Slit green chillies - 3
• Chilli powder - 1 1/2 teaspoon
• Curry powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Garam masala - 1/4 teaspoon
• Tomato ketchup - 1 teaspoon
• Cheese grated(optional) - 2 teaspoons

Preparation

1. To cook macaroni, boil water in a deep vessel. Once it starts boiling, add the macaroni, 1/4 tsp salt and few drops of oil. Let it boil for 5 to 6 minutes. The pasta should be soft yet firm. Take a bite and if cooked proceed.
2. Strain the pasta in a filter and rinse it with running cold water. This is to make sure pasta stays non sticky. Set aside.
3. Heat a wide kadai, add oil and butter. Add the cubed onions and saute till transparent. Add the green chillies and saute.
4. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute. Add few drops of water and simmer till raw smell leaves.
5. Add chopped tomatoes and mix well. Cook till the raw smell leaves.
6. Add the chiili powder, garam masala, curry powder and little water and mix well. Stir for a minute.
7. Add in the grated paneer. Add 1tbsp of hot water and stir fry till paneer cooked.
8. Add in the cooked pasta/macaroni and mix well for the masalas to combine. Add salt and mix. Simmer for two minutes. Add grated cheese and switch off.

Notes:

Make sure the pasta is cooked well before proceeding. Oil is added while boiling to prevent stickiness.

 

Mulligatawny Soup

This is my favourite soup and its Srilankans national soup too. I first tasted this soup in Anjappar Restaraunt and loved it. Now this is the soup I order every time. Saw the recipe from Samayal Samayal cookshow by Chef Venkatesh Bhat.

Ingredients:

• Masoor dal - 100g
• Oil - 2 tablespoon
• Big onion - 2 sliced
• Dessicated coconut -100g
• 1 green apple - sliced(seeds removed)
• Jeera - 20g
• Jeera powder - 15g
• Whole black peppercorns - 20g
• Garlic - 10 cloves
• Turmeric powder -1/2 teaspoon
• Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
• Sugar - around 15g
• Salt - as needed
• Coriander stems chopped - 1fistful
• Curry leaves - 1 fistful
• Green chillies - 2 sliced
• Milk - 100ml
• Curry powder - 1tsp
• Lime juice - from 1 lemon
• Cooked rice – for garnish

Preparation:

1. Cook masoor dal in pressure cooker with about 1 ltr water till it reaches a mashy consistency (5 to 6 whistles). Set aside.
2. Heat a deep, heavy pan. Add 2tbsp of oil and add the sliced onions and fry till golden brown. Add the dessicated coconut and fry for a minute.
3. Add the sliced green apple and fry for two minutes. Add the jeera and whole pepper and saute well. Add the garlic cloves and saute well.
4. Add the cooked dal along with the water and mix. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder,salt and mix well.
5. Add the jeera powder, sugar and add a little more than 1/2 ltr water and cover and cook for 15 minutes.
6. Add the fresh curry leaves and cut coriander stems. Add the sliced green chillies.
7. Add milk mix well. Add the curry powder and mix well. Let the soup boil for a minute. Add cooked rice for garnish(about 1 fistful). Add the lemon juice just before serving. Serve hot!

Notes:

Do not skip the green apple, It gives a beautiful flavour. In case you want to strain the soup, do not waste the pulp, grind it to a chutney and use it because it is full of nutrients. However strain it before adding milk.The soup I had in the restaurant was not strained, but in the cookshow the chef strained the soup. I prefer it as such. You can even add cream in addition to the milk to make it more rich.

Nannari(sarasaparilla) Sarbath using Homemade Nannari Syrup

People from Tamilnadu will very well know this sarbath (chilled drink). This is one of my favourite natural coolers during the summer season. The nannari root has a magical cooling property. These roots are available in naatu marunthu kadai(country drug store).Try this at home and I am sure you will love it. Homemade is best as it contains no preservatives. Recipe inspired from SharmisPassions blog.

Ingredients:

• For the nannari syrup:
• Nannari roots - 50gm (1/2 cup)
• Sugar - 250 gm(1cup)
• Water - 2 1/2 cups
• Lemon juice - 2 teaspoon
• For the sarbath:
• Nannari syrup - 2-3 tablespoon
• Chilled water - 1 glass
• Ice cubes - as needed
• Lemon juice - from quarter of a lemon(or more as per liking)
• Method:
1. First, for the nannari syrup, clean the nannari roots well with water 2 or 3 times to get rid of the sand.
2. Dry it in a newspaper for about 15 minutes till there is no moisture.
3. With a help of a pestle, crush the roots so that it loosens up. Break open the root and discard the white part which is inside. Collect the brown part alone for all the roots.
4. Put this in a mixer and pulse it one or two times to break it further. Do not grind.
5. Boil the water till bubbles start appearing. Switch off and add the roots and close it with a lid. Let it stay overnight like that.
6. After that, double fold a muslin cloth and strain the soaked syrup. Add the sugar and mix well till dissolved.
7. Now heat the syrup till a single string consistency is achieved. It may take up to 20 mins.
8. Once done, switch off (syrup will be like honey consistency) and let it cool completely. Now add the 2 tsp lemon juice. Store in a clean container in the fridge.
9. For the sarbath, in a glass, take 2 or 3 tablespoon of the syrup, add the chilled water, ice cubes and mix well. Add the lemon juice and mix and serve!. Heaven I must say!!

• Notes:
• This does not contain preservative, so better to store in fridge. Store bought syrups are usually bright yellow. You can add food coloring while the syrup boils if you want too. But I preferred the natural way. I can surely say homemade nannari sarbath tastes way more good than the store bought!.
• 
  

Banana Kesari/Banana Sheera

I made this for Thai Poosam yesterday and it was so good. Its very simple with a melt in mouth texture. 

Ingredients:

1. Rava - 3/4 cup
2. Warm Milk - 1/4 cup
3. Saffron - a generous pinch
4. Sugar - 1/2 cup(or more according to sweetness of banana)
5. Bananas - I used 5 of small variety. If you are using big, 1 is enough.
6. Water - 1 and 1/2 cups
7. Cashews and Raisins for garnish
8. Cardamom powder - 1 pinch
9. Ghee - 1tablespoon for roasting rava+3 tablespoon or more as needed.

Method:

1. In a wide kadai, heat 1 tbsp ghee and add the rava. Roast in low flame for about 5 minutes. This step yields a good texture to the kesari. Do not let the rava burn.
2. Add cardamom powder and mix.
3. Soak saffron in warm milk. Mash the bananas and add it to the rava and mix well.
4. In a vessel, boil water vigourously. Add this to the rava kadai (keep in low flame) and quickly mix well. There should be no lumps. Be careful not to splatter your hand.
5. Add the saffron milk mixture and stir well. Once the mixture gets thick, add sugar. It will begin to loosen up. Stir well so that sugar is blended in.
6. Add the 3 tablespoons of ghee little by little and stir till the kesari starts leaving the sides of the kadai. Fry the cashews and raisins separately in little ghee and add it to the kesari and mix . Serve!.

Notes:

• Use a wide and somewhat deep kadai to avoid splattering in your hands. Also be conscious to mix without lumps.
• Sugar can be adjusted as per taste. This was just right for us.
• Roast rava well in ghee in low flame but do not burn it. It will totally alter the flavour.
• This measurement is sufficient for 3 to 4 people.

Maarkandam Soup/ Nenju Elumbu Soup/Mutton Rib Bone Soup

This is my winning (Wildcard) recipe entry in the BetterButter Soups,Smoothies and Beverages contest. This soup is very 

helpful for cough and wheezing problem. 

Ingredients:

• Mutton - Rib bone pieces/Nenju elumbu - 200gm
• Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
• Black Peppercorns - 2 tsp
• Jeera - 2 tsp
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• Small onions - 10
• Ginger - little more than 1/2 inch piece
• Garlic pods(I used the large variety) - 4 to 5
• Salt - as needed
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Pepper powder (optional)
• Gingelly oil - 1 tbsp +1 tsp
• Coriander leaves - 1 small bunch
• Water - 2 cups

Method:

1. First clean the mutton bones well with water mixed with little turmeric. Rinse well.
2. Dry roast coriander seeds, peppercorns,jeera,fennel seeds, small onion, ginger and garlic in medium low flame for about two minutes. Dont let the spices burn. Set aside to cool.
3. Pulse the dry roasted spices in mixie for about 5 to 6 seconds to a coarse mixture.
4. In the pressure cooker, add the mutton, the ground coarse spice mixture, turmeric powder,salt, coriander leaves and water. Add 1tbsp of gingelly oil. Close the cooker, after 1 whistle simmer for 15 minutes till the bones are tender to eat.
5. Open and add more pepper powder only if needed and drizzle 1 tsp of gingelly oil on top. Serve hot!.

Mutton Briyani Recipe - using Pressure Cooker

Whats Sunday without non veg?. And what makes it more special is everyones favourite biriyani. This is the recipe we follow in our home for long and my husband loves it. You may be bit hesitant seeing the long procedure. But its definitely worth the try. And once you master it, making it is just a breeze. Follow the recipe as such and its sure to be your favourite. Give it a try and let me know.

Ingredients:

For marinating and cooking the mutton:

Marinating the mutton:

• Mutton - 300gms
• Ginger garlic paste - 1teaspoon
• Chilli powder - 2teaspoon
• Thick curd -1tsp
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Salt - just as required for the mutton alone.

Cooking the mutton:

• Small onion - peeled and chopped - 1/2cup packed
• Tomato -1 chopped
• Coriander leaves - 1 small bunch
• Water - as required to cook mutton
• Oil - 1 and 1/2 tsp

For the biriyani masala paste:

• Green chilli - 8( I used long variety)
• Fennel seeds - 1tsp
• Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
• Cardamom -1
• Cloves - 2
• Cashews - around 10
• Ginger Garlic paste - 1tsp
• Ghee - 1tsp

For preparing briyani:

• Seeraga Samba rice - 1 and 1/2 cups
• Big onion - 1 sliced
• Mint leaves - 1 fistful
• Coriander leaves - 1 fistful
• Salt - as needed
• Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
• Lemon juice - just a little squeeze
• Water - Mutton cooked water + Coconut milk - 2.5cups for 1.5 cups rice.

To temper:

• Ghee + Refined oil - 1tsp + 2tsp
• Cinnamon - little piece
• Clove -1
• Bay leaf -1
• Star anise -1
• Fennel seeds - 1/2tsp

Method:

1. Clean and wash mutton pieces well. Marinate them with the items given under "Marinating the mutton" section for 15 minutes.

2. Wash rice and soak it water and set aside.

3. Peel the small onions and chop them, Chop tomato. 

4. Once mutton is marinated, heat cooker with oil, add small onion, saute for a minute. Add tomato, coriander leaves and saute for a minute, Add the marinated mutton, water and close the cooker. Simmer it after 1 whistle till the mutton is 3/4 cooked(about 7 mins). Dont let it cook completely. In the forthcoming processes, mutton will be cooked further. So see that it is 3/4 cooked but not less than that also.

5. While the mutton is cooking, lets prepare the biriyani paste. Roast the ingredients under "For the biriyani masala paste" section except the ginger garlic paste with 1tsp ghee just for a minute. Let it cool.

6. In a small mixie jar, add the roasted items with ginger garlic paste and little to water to grind to smooth paste.

7. Extract coconut milk and set aside. Slice the onion and keep ready mint and coriander leaves.

8. Once the mutton is 3/4 cooked, drain the mutton cooked water and keep aside. You need the mutton cooked water (stock). DO NOT DISCARD it. Measure the water (I got 1 and 1/2 cups) and coconut milk to 2.5 cups. If needed add extra water to make 2.5 cups. Keep aside in a vessel. Set the mutton aside.

9.  In a cooker, add the items under "To temper".

10. Add the sliced big onion and saute till lightly browned.

11. Add the mint and coriander leaves and saute. Add the ground biriyani masala paste. Add 1 or 2 tsp of water and mix well and simmer the flame for five minutes. Stir occasionally. This is for the raw smell to leave. 

12. Add the cooked mutton and mix well. Simmer for  five minutes. Stir occasionally so that the mutton does not stick to the bottom.

13. Add the garam masala and mix.

14. Add the mutton cooked water and coconut milk (Both jointly consituting 2.5 cups) which you have set aside in a vessel. Mix well. Add required salt and mix well(remember there is salt in mutton as well. Adjust according to that).

15. Drain the water completely from the soaked rice, and add it to the cooker. Mix well. Close the cooker without weight. Once steam starts coming add the weight and immediately simmer the flame.

16. Simmer for ten mins. Switch off and let the pressure release by itself. Open the cooker , squeeze a bit of lemon and mix lightly. Serve hot with raita and egg!.

Notes:

• Be careful with the water quantity. You dont want to your briyani to turn soggy. Just 2.5 cups(mutton stock+coconut milk+water if needed) for 1.5 cups pre-soaked rice.
• I use seerga samba as it is the one which is best for this dish. If unavailable use basmati.

Methi Thepla

I had a bunch of fenugreek leaves and wanted to try something different, when I came across this dish. This is like a spiced flavourful roti which can be had as such or with raita. Lets get to the recipe.

     

Recipe reference: FlavoursOfMumbai

Ingredients:

• 2 cups wheat flour
• ½ cup besan flour
• 3 tbsp ghee for the dough + more as needed for frying the thepla
• 1 cup fresh fenugreek leaves(Methi leaves)
• Salt as needed
• 2 tbsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds+1tbsp jeera + 1 tbsp fennel all ground to fine powder
• 100 ml yogurt mixed with little water
• 2 tbsp water (adjust as needed)
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

Note: If you have readymade fennel powder,coriander powder and jeera powder you can use 1tbsp of each instead. 

Method:

1. Pluck the stems of fenugreek leaves. Wash them well, chop them.

2. Add the wheat flour, besan flour, spice powders, salt, chopped fenugreek leaves in a bowl and mix well.

3. Add in the yogurt mixed with water and knead well. Add in the 3tbsp ghee little by little. Knead well with your hands.If needed add extra water and knead to form a non sticky dough.

4. If the mixture is too sticky add a bit of flour to adjust, if its too dry add little ghee. Once you obtain a soft non sticky dough, set aside covered for 10 mins.

5. Shape round balls from the dough and roll them with a rolling pin to flat discs like roti.

6. Heat dosa tawa, when hot add the roti and cook them drizzling with ghee as needed. Let it cook evenly on both sides by flipping it. Serve hot with raita!.

Banana Chocolate Brownies made with Jaggery

Well it may sound strange to make brownies with jaggery but I just tried and it tasted awesome. These are chewy, fudgy brownies not fluffy like cake but tasty with a crumbly crust and chewy texture inside. I referred the recipe from here. The original recipe used brown  sugar I replaced with jaggery.

Ingredients:

• Maida - 3/4 cup
• Chocochips (I used Harima brand)- 2/3 cup minus 1 tbsp
• Powdered jaggery - little less than 2/3 cup
• Banana (ripe) - 1
• Vanilla essence - 1/2tsp
• Egg -1
• Butter (softened) - 1/2 cup
• Salt - 1/4tsp

Method:

1. Melt butter in a pan in medium low flame. Remove from the heat and add in the chocochips and stir with a whisk till the chips are completely melted and combined.

2. Beat the egg slightly, add the powdered jaggery, banana, vanilla essence, salt and beat well with a electric beater for 2 minutes till everything is mixed well.

3. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the above mixture and just give it a mix. Add in the flour little by little and beat well till combined completely.

4. Preheat oven to 165C for ten mins. Meanwhile grease the cake tin with butter. Spoon the batter into the tin.

5. Bake the batter in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 mins till the top turns crumbly and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Set it to 15 mins then if needed bake for extra 5 mins. Do not overbake and burn the brownie.

6. Cut the brownie into squares and serve with icecream, chocolate sauce. Garnish with chopped nuts if desired.