Fish Fry

I have never been fond of fish but being married to a chap from the coastal region, I had to get my hands smelly. I have used Pomfret (Avoli) over here but this recipe can be applied with any firm fish (like seer and others). The only thing you need to double check is that you get some fresh fish & that they are diced into medium pieces.

Ingredients

½ kg fish

1 tsp. red chilli powder

½ tsp. turmeric powder

1 tsp. peppercorn crushed

½ inch ginger crushed

1 tsp. vinegar

¼ cup Coconut oil/ veg oil

Salt to taste

Grind the pepper corn, chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, and ginger along with vinegar. Marinate the fish with ground paste.

Fry in coconut oil and transfer to a serving dish.

Coconut Pepper Chicken

This dish is once again one of the ones inspired from my mom’s kitchen. While she used to make a gravy version, I have gone for a semi-dry variant here. You can use either freshly grounded peppercorns or the regular pepper powder available at stores (I have used both of them to make this dish extra fiery). This dish should go well with any of the roti or rice variants & I have opted to serve this with the Kerala Parotta (Recipe already posted).

Ingredients

• 1 kg Chicken cleaned and cut into small pieces
• 3/4 – 1 cup grated coconut
• 4 tbsp. pepper powder
• 1 ½ tsp. Chilli powder
• A pinch Turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp. coriander powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• 2 Onion –medium chopped
• 1 ½ tbsp. Ginger garlic paste
• 2 Tomato  small, sliced
• Salt – To taste or 1 ½  Chicken stock cube
• 2 tbsp. Coconut oil/ Veg Oil
• 1 tsp. Fennel seeds/perumjeerakam
• 1-2 green chillies split
• 3 stalks Curry leaves
• 1-2 tbsp. Crushed pepper corns
• Coriander leaves to garnish

In a pan, dry roast grated coconut until golden brown. Saute well and Remove from flame.

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add sliced onion, little salt and suate until transparent. Add ginger-garlic paste. Add pepper powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder & coriander powder. Saute for a minute. Add the roasted coconut. Saute for a minute or two. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are done. Grind to a paste adding ¼ - ½ cup water.

Heat 2 tbsp. oil in the same pan. Splutter fennel seeds & Green chillies. Add curry leaves. Add chicken and salt. Cook until chicken is sealed for about 5 minutes. Add 1 tbsp. crushed pepper corns (less or more). Mix well.

Add ground onion-tomato paste and mix well. Add 1 tsp. garam masla powder and mix. Cover and cook for 20 – 25 minutes until chicken is done and oil separates. Add few curry leaves and crushed pepper corns on top (I had loaded this dish with lots of crushed peppercorns). Mix well. Cover and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from flame and garnish with coriander leaves.

Chocolate Pots De Creme

This is an easy to make dessert which involves no bake too. It has a texture similar to a mousse. It’s real rich and just melts in your mouth.

Ingredients

• 3 ½  ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• ¾  cups whole milk
• ¾  cups heavy cream
• 3 large egg yolks
• 4 tbsp. granulated sugar
• ¼  tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. confectioners' sugar

Whisk the milk, ½ cup cream, egg yolks, granulated sugar and salt in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spatula and almost boiling, 5 to 6 minutes.

Immediately pour the milk mixture over the chocolate. Either you can mix well with a spatula or you can mix them in a blender in the blender. Divide the chocolate mixture among ramekins/ small tea cups and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.

Whip the remaining 1/2 cup cream and the confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form. Top the chilled pots de creme with whipped cream.

I served it in tea cups….. !!!!

Marble Loaf Cake

While I have made this next cake quite often, when I was writing this post, this cake was intended for my dear sister, whom I am going to meet after like a zillion years (actually it’s just two). The one’s got a mix of both vanilla & chocolate flavour & that is one of the reason that helps me out whenever I am confused to bake a chocolate cake or vanilla cake. This one can be baked either in a square or Bundt pan. Recipe by:  Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients

• 170 gms of Unsalted Butter, softened at room temperature
• 1 cup  Granulated Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• ½  cup of Whole Milk
• 1 tsp. of Vanilla Essence
• ¼  tsp. of Baking Powder
• 2 cups of All Purpose Flour + 2 tbsp.
• 4 oz of semi-sweet chocolate melted

 Preheat the oven to 200°C, spray a 9*5*3 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray and set aside. Line with a parchment paper.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until very creamy, add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to mix until you have a nice thick and pale colour. Add vanilla.

 Alternately add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin with the dry ingredients), mixing only until each addition is incorporated.

Divide the batter in half. Add melted chocolate into one half.

Drop spoonful of dark and light batter randomly into the pan, and then plunge a spatula/butter knife deep into the batter and zigzag through the batter not more than 5 times.

Bake the cake for about 1 hour and 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in to the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before inverting onto a platter. 

Peas Pulao

Ingredients

• 2 cups of basmati rice (soaked in water for 30 mins)
• 4 cups of water
• ½ cup Frozen peas thawed
• 2 tsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 inch cinnamon bark
• 1 star anise
• 1 ½ chicken/veg stock cubes

Drain the rice and keep it aside.

In a non-stick wide bottom pan, add ghee and splutter cumin seeds, star anise and cinnamon bark. Add rice and stir for about 10 seconds gently. Do not stir vigorously or else the rice may tend to break. Add water and chicken/ veg stock cubes, mix well. Cover and cook for about 15 – 20 minutes. Check after 12 minutes and add peas and cover and cook for another 5 minutes.

Remove from flame and let the rice sit closed for a while. Serve with your favourite curry !!!!

Chilli Chicken Roast

This is an Indo-Chinese dish, but I opted out a few ingredients and have gone for a simple version. In the original version this dish is garnished with spring onions, but over here I have gone with curry leaves and coriander leaves instead. I have made this dish really spicy but in the recipe I have toned down the spice. Best tasted when served with plain rice/pulao/roti - I have gone with a peas pulao.

Ingredients

• 1 kg Chicken –cleaned and cut into small pieces
• ½ tsp. Turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. Chilli powder
• 1 tbsp. Pepper powder
• 1 tbsp. soya sauce
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• 1 tsp. Chilli sauce (optional) 
• 2 onions large julienned
• 3 Green chilies slit
• 1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste
• 1 Tomato medium sliced
• 1 stalk Curry leaves
• 1 tbsp. Soy sauce
• 1 tsp. Pepper powder
• 3-4 tbsp. veg oil
• Coriander leaves to garnish

Marinate the chicken pieces with turmeric, chilli powder, pepper powder, soya sauce and if using, Worcestershire & chilli sauce for about 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a heavy-bottomed non-stick pan at medium heat. Fry the chicken pieces until nice golden brown colour. Fry them in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan. Set aside and drain them on a paper towel.

In to the same pan add 1 tbsp. of oil and fry the onions, green chillies curry leaves and ginger garlic paste. Sauté till onions turn golden brown. Add pepper powder and sauté. Add tomatoes and add ¼ cup water/chicken stock and cook till tomatoes are done. Add the fried chicken pieces and add soy sauce & mix well.

Remove from flame and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot!!!!

Chicken Burrito

Sometimes my hubby goes on a cranky mode & I have dish out something international. This next Mexican dish was served out during one of these exploits. Ideally the burrito is made with red meat and mashed beans, but over here I have gone with a simpler version involving white meat. Easy, simple and tasty – a couple of burritos should satiate ones appetite quite well.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of chicken cleaned
• 1 tbsp. Bbq Sauce (optional)
• 1 Onion large finely chopped
• 3-4 cloves
• 2 medium tomatoes finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 green bell pepper julienned
• 1 yellow bell pepper julienned
• 1 cup cooked rice
• Salt and pepper to season
• 1 slice of cheese grated
• 4 tortillas Wraps

In a pan, add enough water to cook the chicken. Add salt and pepper. Cover and cook until chicken is done. Reserve the stock. Take the chicken pieces and shred them finely with a knife or with your fingers. Here you can add the bbq sauce or you can follow the next step.

In a small non-stick bottom pan, add 1 tsp. veg oil and add the chicken along with the Bbq sauce and fry till golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. Into the same pan, roast the bell peppers for about 5 minutes and set aside.

Add 2 tbsp. Of veg oil and sauté onions till translucent. Add clove and sauté for a while. Add pepper and salt. Add tomatoes and add the reserved ½ cup chicken stock; cover and cook until tomatoes are done. Add rice and stir. Add tomato paste and add ½ cup of stock and cook on a high flame. Check for salt and pepper. At this stage it will taste like tomato rice. Yummyy!!!

Warm the tortillas and place the rice in the middle of the wrap; top with bell peppers, then with chicken and then with grated cheese. Fold the both the sides inwards and downside up and roll in a foil.

Serve hot!!!!