Fish in Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

Fish pieces about 3 to 4

Turmeric powder

Fennel seeds

Nigella seeds

Fenugreek seeds

2 Onions diced

1 Tomato chopped into small pieces

2 spoons of black mustard seeds

Salt to taste

Mustard oil

Dried red chilly

2 green chillies

Fresh leaves of coriander

Method of preparation

 

Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric powder and keep it aside for 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat the oil in a pan till its really hot.

Place the fishes in the pan and lower the flame and allow the fish to cook.

Once it appears to be golden brown increase the flame before turning it upside down.

*This keeps the fish from breaking!!!!

After frying,keep the fish pieces aside.

In the same oil,put a dried red chilly and let it crackle.

Put the diced onions into it and fry till it gets golden brown.

Add the chopped tomato and let it cook for two minutes.

Add salt to taste and half tea spoon of turmeric powder.

Grind the mustard seeds soaked in water for about an hour along with two green chillies.

Strain the mustard sauce with the help of a strainer and set it aside.

Put this sauce into the pan and add a little water to it.

When it comes to a boil,add the pieces of fish to it.

Put one fourth spoon of fenugreek seeds,one fourth spoon of nigella seeds and one tea spoon full of fennel seeds into the gravy thus prepared and bring it to a boil.

Before serving,sprinkle mustard oil and garnish it with freshly chopped coriander leaves.

 

From Bonoshree Mukherji.

Aloo Posto ( Potatoes with poppy seeds )

Bonoshree Mukhrejee, just sent me this recipe, for my blog. Thanks friend. Love you.

 

Ingredients 

3 to 4 medium sized potatoes

3 tea spoonful of soaked poppy seeds

1 green chilly

2 to 3 spoons of mustard oil

Method of preparation

Grind the poppy seeds soaked in water for about 2 hours into a paste and keep it aside.

Take a pan and heat the oil.

Dice the potatoes into small pieces and saute them well in the oil.

Once the potatoes are golden brown,pour the paste into it and add a little water to it.

Add salt to taste and the green chilly too.

Bring it to a boil and sprinkle some mustard oil on it before serving.

Simple, rustic and amazingly yummm !!

Banana Pudding. From the Indian Subcontinent

Seema Sinha, Thank you dear friend for this amazing yummy recipe.

(Image sourced from the net)

Ingredients :
 Bananas : 7 ripe
Small cardamom :5
Sugar : 500gms
Coconut : one, with water
Raisins, cashew and saffron: as per requirement

Preparation Soak the raisins and saffron in a bit of water and keep aside.
Cut the bananas in small round pieces and start to boil it in water. Extractt the milk of the coconut and add it in this boiling mixture . Add the sugar, cardamom, mix it well, while boiling, keep stirring. Cut the cashew in thin slices, , add it in the mixture. Remove from fire, when you see that it seems the right dropping consistency, should not be very runny. Now you can add the raisins and saffron. Those with a sweet tooth, people, indulge yourselves. Instead of the white sugar, brown sugar can be used. Any little effort, towards maintaining good health, will mean something. Sweet times friends, enjoy this Indian dessert. Garnish a bit of ground cardamom, and slices of banana, and any other sliced dry fruits that you wish.

Cornball Curry ( Bhutte ki kofta curry )

Sent to me by my dear friend and  a good cook Seema Sinha.

Ingredients 

Corn on the cob: 3
Onion : 2 large
Tomato : 3 medium
Gram flour :two tablespoons, for binding and taste
Green chili, Ginger,  chopped coriander ,Garam Masala : As per requirement
Oil : for frying
Salt : To taste

Preparation

Remove corn kernels from the cob and mince them in the grinder. Mix it with Chopped and lightly sauteed onions, chopped green chili, coriander, gram flour and ginger. Make small round balls of this mixture and fry them. Keep them aside.
 For the curry 

Tomatoes : 2 medium size
Curd :50 gms
Onion : 2 medium
Garlic : 6 cloves
Chili powder, Jeera (cumin seeds), turmeric powder, ans salt : to taste

In a little bit of Ghee or oil, add Cumin seeds, let them crackle, add puree of tomatoes, fry it a little, then add curd, and the other spices. Once the spices seem to be well fried in little oil, add just enough water to submerge the corn balls in it, and to thicken the curry a bit. Once the curry seems well done, meaning just thick enough, add the koftas in it. Boil it once with the koftas ( corn balls). Serve it with hot Parathas, Rotis or puris. And add a green Chutney, complimenting and completing the colour combination, and tastes of the meal. Dont forget to add a salad, for the sake of roughage and good health. Good taste be to you!! 

 

Bishop's weed or Carom or Ajwain

Ajwain, or carom seeds as it is called, is easily available in all Indian grocery stores. Its a frequently used spice. It has a strong unique flavor and smell, mostly known for its gut healing properties.It works like a wonder drug in cases of an upset stomach. Just take 1/4th of a teaspoon, either swallow it with warm water, or then, chew it, if possible. Pure ajwain is very strong, and can have a pungency in it that many tastes cannot accept. Bad throat   Add a teaspoon of ajwain in two liters of water, boil it, and consume it through the day. See how the cough reduces, and the throat feels calm, and they say that it removes the mucous too. It serves as an antiseptic too, kills germs.If this incredible seed is soaked in lemon juice and black salt, dried in the sun, and consumed occasionally, it helps to keep the stomach in order, removes nausea and also gives a fresh taste in the mouth.
In India, it has been a very common practice among people to keep the body warm either by consuming ajwain, or then massaging the chest with ajwain heated in pure mustard oil. Keeps the body warm and secure from catching a cold. It is said that by applying this oil on painful joints one gets rid of joint pain too.
I know of people who grow this herb in their kitchen gardens, and consume the leaves ( I love the flavour) as a green vegetable, or seasoning on veggies, or then have them as fritters ( in a paste of bengal gram flour and fried) . The fritters taste incredible on a cool rainy day.
It plays an important role in oral hygiene too, as it kills germs in the mouth, and removes bad odor. Use of ajwain oil along with clove oil in gum pain is well known.
These are the benefits of Carrom seeds as I know, and have experienced. There may be many more.
Add on if you know, and help others benefit too. Go on!!

The Indian Spices Rage

India is known for its exclusive spices, since times immemorial. Countries of the world recognized India from the exotic spices they grew, and started trading in them. Several years ago spices were a hot commodity, its lure being the reason why many ships from all over docked here. It is said that one could even pay the rent or trade in gold with some special spices.The aroma, vitality and sharpness of these spices could well be the reason of its popularity. Not to forget the healing properties, and many more specialties that  these herbs and spices incorporated in them. Indian cuisine, with these seasonings and herbs, is considered as one of the most balanced foods of the world.
Here is a list of these spices, Wikipedia having quite a comprehensive list. The amazing quality of each, and the good it can do to the body is becoming quite a rage all over. Except that we must never overuse these strong herbs, they can harm too. Use in moderation is the key word here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_spices

Chicken khade masaale ( whole spices) wala

Sent to me by Sanjay Srivastava. I hope you cook this, and enjoy the spicy Indian Chicken recipe.

Recipe  As sent in to me by him. I will not be able to make many changes, as I am a vegetarian. I call upon friends to give inputs, if required.

First boil the chicken and discard it's stock.
Now take a pan and pour mustard oil and put it on burner. Add some cloves, bay leaves, cardamom, javitri (mace) and jaaiphal (nutmeg). Heat it and now add chopped onions and saute it till onions start leaving oil and turn brown red. Add salt, red chilli powder and ginger garlic paste. Now again saute it and add curd to it and some amount of water and give heat for around 10 minutes.
Refined oil may be used in place of mustard oil as per choice.
Now it is ready to eat.
REMEMBER:  The  spices added have a host of healing properties in them.

Posted on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/healthncookery/

2-min Salsa Verde recipe

Todays recipe is sent in by Shuchi Grover.

  Ingredients
1 bunch green (spring) onions (3-4 with green stems/leaves)
2-3 tomatoes
Cilantro - 1 cup (or 1 small bunch)
I lime
Recipe

Add green onions, sliced tomatoes and cilantro in a chopper. Pulse for a few minutes till finely chopped. Add salt and squeeze lime.
Tasty fresh salsa verde that can be used as a dip for chips or eaten as a side with quesadilla or tortilla/other wraps or sandwiches. Loaded with vitamin C , Calcium and other minerals. Love it!!

CHOLAY ( Without onion and garlic)

Another recipe from Shuchi. We belong to a family of vegetarians, where we did not incorporate onion and garlic in our cooking, but we did have it in salads. Later of course as tastes developed, everyone had their own style. But I must mention here that food cooked in my house, without these two ingredients was considered yum, and people loved it!! Here is one such recipe of chick peas ...

Ingredients:

Kabuli Chana (chick peas) (2 cups), soaked overnight

Tomatoes: 6(medium size)

Green Chillies: 2-3

Ginger:1 inch piece

Turmeric powder:1/2 tsp

Cholay Masala: 2 tsp(Everest masala)

Dhania powder:2 tsp

Coriander leaves(garnishing)

Jeera: 1 tsp

Chilli powder:1 tsp

Hing:pinch

Salt : to taste

Black salt: a pinch

Tamarind paste: 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash the Chana and soak overnight. Pressure cook the next day with a bit of salt.
2. Puree the following: Tomatoes, green chillies, ginger, turmeric, coriander powder. Do not add water. Keep aside.
3. In a kadai, add about 3-4tbsp of oil, hing, jeera and then the ground puree. Fry on medium till the masala comes together. Add cholay masala and kala namak and fry for a few more minutes. Add the cooked chana along with the water. Add more salt if necessary. Cook until the masala gets into the chana ~ 10 min.
4. Add tamarind paste and mix well.
5. Garnish with chopped coriander

Notes: I would go easy on the chilli powder

            Add 1 tbsp of tamarind paste, taste and add if necessary

Sabudana (pearl Tapioca) Khichri

A dish common in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, is commonly eaten during fasting days in India. My mother learnt it from her Maharashtrian friend. Each time she made it I loved the taste and would beckon her to make it more often. I would enjoy this dish in my Bombay hostel days, when we would be served with this, most Thursdays. I am sending across to you all, this recipe, written by my mom, more as her sweet love for me..

Ingredients: 250gr sago or sagudana.
 150gr. boiled and cubed potatoes
 125gr. roasted peanuts.
 2 tbsp. coconut powder.
 2 tsp. roasted jeera (cumin seeds) powder.
 1 tbsp. chopped fresh coriander leaves.
 1 tsp chopped green chilly.
 salt to taste.
 Pure ghee according to requirement.  

  Preparation: Soak sago in a bowl,adding water up-to the level of sago and a little more. Boil,peel and cut potatoes into small pieces.Grind roasted peanuts coarsely in a blender. 

 Method:  In a non-stick pan heat 2 tbsp ghee add potato cubes, roast for 5 minutes. Add soaked sago, jeera powder, coconut powder, salt, keep tossing till sago is tender and looks translucent. Add peanuts, mix nicely. If required can add little ghee.Turn off the gas and cover the pan.While serving sprinkle fresh coriander leaves.
 Enjoy this sumptuous snack with green coriander chutney.

Protein packed capsicum baskets!

A swell recipe by Divya Raj . My elder sis, who indulges her family with some healthy snacks and meals. She has some amazing recipes up her sleeve. Here is one. It has got her a lot of praise among friends and family. Try and let us know  how yours turned out.

Ingrediets:
3 to 5 capsicums cut from the middle into two longitudinal halves
2 small cups shredded cottage cheese (paneer)
2 med sized carrots grated
I onion finely chopped
1/4 cup green coriander chopped
1-2 boiled mashed potatoes
1-2 green chillies chopped
1 cup sprouted sabut moong (green) sautéd
Salt and black pepper powder to taste.

Method:
Mix shredded paneer, boiled mashed potatoes,  green chillies, chopped coriander, finely chopped onion, grated carrots, sautéd moong sprouts, salt and pepper powder.Mix well so that no paneer or potato lumps remain.
Fill this mixture in the cup shaped capsicum halves. Brush olive oil on a non stick pan and cook the stuffed capsicums on both sides till capsicum gets a bit soft.
Your protein packed capsicum baskets are ready! Serve hot with ketchup or coriander- mango chutney!
Note: Ideal for a dieter's menu, packed with protein and veggies. Extremely low on oil.

Pesto sauce (for Italian pasta, sandwiches, and pizza)

This is a recipe sent to me by my younger sister. Her cooking includes a great variety , cuisine from India and other parts of the world. She happily caters to all the taste buds in her family. Thanks Shuchi.

Ingredients

1/4 cup ( 400 gr) pine nuts (chilgoza) or walnuts

2 full cups of fresh Basil leaves  

2 chopped garlic cloves

1/4 cup (25 gr) of shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup (125ml) Olive oil

Start with the pines, basil leaves, garlic and Parmesan ; put all together in a food processor until they are all fine minced then add the olive oil slowly while the food processor is working, until it all become a smooth paste, add salt and pepper as desired.

My Suggestion: For pasta you can mix it with half&half/whipping cream or to add few spoons of the water that the pasta is boiled in to dilute the pesto.