FISH FRY WITH FRIED ONIONS

We are having a heavy snowfall here, so we are stuck in the house for the weekend, of course, what an ideal day for fried foods. I prepared some onions bajjis with vatha kzumbu and rasam for the both of us and a fish fry just for me (I love cooking seafood for me all the time, just cannot stay from eating fish :). I had some fried onions brought recently from our nearby Indian stores, so instead of the regular fish fry I make, I substituted these fried onions with the small onions. I am glad I tried this…it was very crispy and tasty. I used fewer amounts of fried onions doubting whether it would give a bitter taste when fried but this was the correct amount. The masala consistency was just correct to form a coating over the fish. Maybe next time, I can try adding more onions. If any of have already tried this, please give me your suggestions and ideas friends.

INGREDIENTS

• Any type of fish slices or steaks, 2 (I have used 2 big salmon steaks here).
• Fried onions, ¼ cup. (I used the regular pack of fried onions, which is used as a topping in briyani).
• Garlic, 1 clove.
• Chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon
• Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon.
• Salt as per taste.
• Peppercorn, 1/2 teaspoon.
• Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.

PREPARATION: Clean the fish and cut into thick slices or steaks. Grind the fried onion, garlic, peppercorns into a smooth paste. Add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric, and salt to the ground paste and mix everything well. Spread the paste on both sides of the fish slices and let them marinade for half-an-hour to an hour inside the refrigerator. Heat a nonstick pan with some oil. When the oil starts to smoke add the fish steaks one by one. Flip the slices after 5-10 minutes depending on the fish used and cook the other side for a few more minutes. Serve hot fish with rice.

VEGETABLE FRIED RICE

This is the first time I prepared fried rice with brown rice and it did turn out very good. The carbohydrate value of brown rice is the same as white rice but the fiber content is double in brown rice when compared to white rice. Brown rice is also rich in B vitamins since it is unpolished. These days we try to include brown rice in our meals regularly. For those who are not so much into brown rice you can try it in pongal or bisebelbath and varieties like that where the rice is all mashed up. For this fried rice, I have also included some tofu to include some protein in the dish. Some scrambled eggs and chicken pieces can also be added here. A good idea to use up all the veggies for cleaning the refrigerator.

INGREDIENTS
1. Brown rice, 1 cup.
2. Red onion- 1.
3. Mixed vegetables like bell peppers, cabbage, carrots, beans, baby corn all chopped into long thin strips, about 1 to 1-1/2 cup.
4. Fresh or frozen peas and lima beans, 1/4th cup.
5. Extra-firm tofu, half of a small tub. This gives around 10 small-sized cubes.
6. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
7. Soya sauce, 1 tablespoon.
8. Chili sauce, ¼ teaspoon.
9. Tomato sauce or ketchup, ¼ teaspoon (optional).
10. Salt and pepper as per taste.

PREPARATION
Cook the rice and let it cool. Fluff the grains with a fork once cooled. Cut the onions into long thin strips. Cut the tofu into small bite size pieces and then add the pieces to a pan sprayed with oil. Let them brown on one side (this takes up to 7-10 minutes on each side) and flip them over to brown on the other side. The tofu pieces will usually shrink nearly half of their original size when browned this way. Remove the tofu to a plate and add some oil to the same pan. Add the chopped onions to the pan and sauté them for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste now and sauté for a few more minutes. Then add the chopped vegetables, peas, and lima beans and keep sautéing them for a few minutes under high heat. The vegetables should be cooked just a little bit and still be crunchy. Add the sauces, salt, and pepper and mix everything well. Add the tofu pieces now and mix well. Lower the heat and add the cooked rice and keep mixing under low flame for a few minutes. Garnish with chopped scallions and serve hot.

KOTHU PAROTTA/ MUTTAI PAROTTA

Kothu parotta….This was sold initially only on roadside stalls but these days you can find kothu parotta even in the menu of two-star and three-start hotels. I even remember having kothu parotta in Malgudi restaurant in Hyderbad, which changed my view that kothu parotta is only prepared in Tamil Nadu. This does bring in some good memories. My sister and I simply love this. During my school and college days, when we were in the mood to have something different, we would ask our dad to buy this for us. Usually appa will get some regular parottas with chicken kuzumbu along with kothu parotta and chicken 65…doesn’t that sound tempting :) I remember my friend Viki mentioning fondly in one of her posts about her father and brother buying some yummy goodies for her, so I think everyone of you must have some good memories like these. Do share them with me girls. Coming on to this recipe, I used whole wheat parottas, which I found in a nearby Indian store. I was skeptical about using whole wheat parottas, but there was no difference in taste at all. It was just like the ones made with regular white parottas, so if you find any whole wheat parottas, just go ahead and buy them, they are as delicious as the white ones.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Parottas, fresh or frozen, 3-4.

2. Onions, medium size, 2.

3. Roma tomato, 1.

4. Green chilies, 1-2. (I used the less hot Korean peppers).

5. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.

6. Curry leaves, 1 spring.

7. Cilantro, chopped, ¼ cup.

8. Fennel seeds, ¼ teaspoon.

9. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.

10. Garam masala or any other masala powders like chicken masala or channa masala, ½ teaspoon.

11. Eggs, 3.

12. Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:

Prepare parottas from scratch or cook the frozen parottas according to package instructions and let it cool. Once cooled shred the parottas into irregular strips and keep aside. Dice the onions and tomatoes finely and chop the green chilies into rings. Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the diced onions along with curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. Then add the tomatoes, chilies, fennel seeds, and ginger-garlic paste and keep sautéing until everything is well blended. Add the powders and salt along with another tablespoon of oil and cook closed under a low flame. After 5-10 minutes the powders would have lost their raw smell and oil will start to ooze out of the mixture. Break in the eggs at this point and scramble everything until there are no lumps in the masala. Add the shredded parottas pieces and mix everything well. Cook under low flame for a few more minutes until the parottas turn soft. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.

VENGAYA THAL SAMBAR/ GREEN ONION SAMBAR

Sambar recipes don’t need any introduction. Sambar is the ultimate comfort food to many south Indians. When we plan for get-togethers, some of my friends go for a second helping of sambar with rice rather than any elaborate dishes like briyanis or naans. This is my hubby’s favorite too, he can have this with anything, rice, idlis, or even puris. I remember a funny conversation with my mother-in-law just as soon as I got married. We discussing about her regular cooking and she asked me to prepare just sambar and papads for her son and he’ll be contended with that! So you can imagine how often I will be preparing this :) Coming on to this sambar with scallions, this is my dad’s favorite sambar. The flavor of this sambar is simply awesome. This is my regular sambar recipe with some added scallions. I have used just one bunch of scallions here, so that it does not overpower any other ingredients added in the sambar. May be another ¼ cup of chopped green onions can be added in the end for some color.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Toor dhal or red lentils, 1 cup.
2. Small onions, 1 cup.
3. Scallions, 1 bunch.
4. Tomatoes, medium size, 2.
5. Garlic, 2 cloves (optional).
6. Turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon.
7. Tamarind, a small lemon-sized ball or 2 tablespoons of tamarind pulp.
8. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
9. Coriander powder, 2 teaspoons.
10. Sambar powder, store brought or homemade, 1 teaspoon.
11. Asafetida, 1 pinch.
12. Salt as per taste.
13. Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon.
14. Curry leaves, 1 sprig.
15. Chopped cilantro, a handful.
16. Vadakam, 1 teaspoon, (optional). This is a mixture of dried onions, garlic, and a few spices. I use vadakam for seasoning sambar, rasams, and kuzambus. This can be omitted if not available.

PREPARATION:
Peel the onions and dice the tomatoes finely and slit the green chili into 2. Cut the scallions into small rings. Extract thick juice from the tamarind and keep aside. Wash the toor dhal well and cook the toor dhal along with the turmeric powder, onions, white part of the scallions, tomatoes, and garlic cloves in a pressure cooker for up to 3 whistles. The dhal should be mashed well along with the added veggies. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the vadakam and fry for a 2 seconds. Then add the tamarind juice, along with the chili powder, coriander powder, sambar powder, and salt along with 3 cups of water and let it boil for 10-15 minutes. Then add the mashed dhal, the remainder of the scallions (the green part) and a pinch of asafetida and let it cook for a few more minutes until the desired consistency is reached. Garnish with curry leaves, chopped cilantro, and scallions and serve hot with rice, idlis, or dosas.

BAKED CRISPY CHICKPEAS

I love the fried chickpeas, which we get at our regular Indian stores. The ones we usually get are the deep-fried ones with added spices. As usual, I thought of baking the chickpeas...that’s what we all do these days right :)…These days if I see something deep fried, the next moment I start wondering if I could bake it. The first attempt was not so good. I tried baking them the second time, this time I increased the oven settings and baby sat the chickpeas for the final 15 minutes. The result was good and these chickpeas were as good as the deep fried ones. All of a sudden, I had a doubt whether anyone had already tried baking chickpeas and I did see that few bloggers have already tried this…so I have not invented this recipe :(..anyway presenting a low calorie snack for all those crispy deep fried snack cravings. The seasoning blends can be changed according to individual preferences. The baking does take a long time, approximately around 45 minutes to an hour, so baking the chickpeas in big batches is ideal. These stay fresh for 2-3 weeks if it lasts that long. Here goes the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Cooked chickpeas, 2 cups.

2. Paprika or chili powder, ¼ to ½ teaspoon.

3. Dried dill leaves or any other dried herbs, 1 teaspoon (dill leaves do give a good flavor when mixed with paprika powder).

4. Garlic powder, (optional), ¼ teaspoon.

5. Salt, as per taste.

PREPARATION:

Drain the water from the chickpeas and pat them dry with a paper towel. Take a small bowl and add 1-2 tablespoons of oil. Then add the powders, salt, and the herbs and mix everything well to a smooth paste. Pour this mixture on the chickpeas and keep mixing until all the chickpeas are coated with the oil mixture. Spread them on a oiled or nonstick baking pan or dish and bake at 450 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. Keep checking them after 45 minutes until they are done (may be once in 10 minutes). Let the chickpeas cool, transfer to an airtight container, and enjoy munching.

FAT FREE AND SUGAR FREE CHOCOLATE PUDDING

I saw this pudding recipe from Cooking Light cookbook, which I borrowed from the library. I immediately got attracted to this recipe after seeing the few ingredients this pudding required and most importantly this is a no-bake pudding. I made a few changes to the original recipe by making it sugar-free and substituting the bittersweet chocolate with cocoa powder, so this is also fat-free, a healthy quick fix for all the chocolate cravings. It was definitely smooth and creamy like a regular chocolate pudding. I also added walnuts since I love the combination of chocolate with walnuts.

INGREDIENTS

1. Brown sugar, ½ cup (I used 2/3 rd cup of Splenda to make this pudding as a sugar-free version)

2. Cornstarch, ¼ cup.

3. Instant coffee powder, 1 tablespoon.

4. Milk, 2 cups. (The book specified soy milk, I have used fat-free milk).

5. Bittersweet chocolate, 2 ounces, chopped. (I have used ¼ cup of cocoa powder).

6. Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon.

7. Salt, a pinch.

8. Chopped walnuts, ¼ cup. (I have used walnuts here for its health benefits, since this pudding is free of any bad fats, I have named this pudding as a fat-free pudding, again this chocolate pudding can be transformed into a completely fat-free pudding by omitting the walnuts).

PREPARATION:

Heat the milk in a pot and add the cocoa powder. Keep mixing until there are no lumps. Add the salt and Splenda and mix well. Mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and add it to the pudding along with the vanilla extract. The pudding will start to thicken as soon as the cornstarch is added. Keep mixing under low heat for 2 more minutes, add the chopped walnuts, and switch off the stove. Once the pudding has cooled, transfer to serving bowls and chill it in the refrigerator by closing it with a plastic wrap to avoid any skimming.

KITCHEN MISHAPS!!!

This post is my entry for “Kitchen Mishaps Event” conducted by my friend Malar . Thanks a lot Malar for holding up your post for one more day for me :) This is a very interesting event, I am looking forward to read the entries of my foodie friends. I don’t have any photographs of my messes (I keep deleting all the disheartening photos periodically….that would have made this a good post) I guess, but I do have some funny stories to share. Some of my friends whom I have met recently think I am a great cook, but I have had my fair share of kitchen mishaps and disasters starting from over spicy foods to too-sour-to-touch curds, even some burns or cuts, wherein I would call my hubby and cry over the phone :(. Recently I even had a small accident while making seedais. Luckily I managed to escape this with two burns on my hand but hot oil spilled all over the kitchen starting from the cabinets and floor, to the ceiling. It took hours for me to clean everything.

During the initial days of my marriage when we were staying in Hyderabad, my grandma was staying with me for a couple of days and one day we decided to make puris for breakfast. She asked to mix the dough. I started to mix the flour, water, and oil and when I mixed everything the dough looked strange and it was too smooth to touch until I realized that instead of maida (all purpose flour), I had used rice flour! Luckily, grandma prepared thattais from that dough, so it was not a total disaster.

There was one incident that happened the first week of my stay in Hyderabad. I was a new bride then and a newbie at cooking. I think it was the very first day when my parents left me and went to Pondicherry. Hubby dear was too confident of my cooking and invited a friend for lunch the very same day (he never made that mistake for a long time after that…these days we have friends frequently at our place to hang out). I panicked, but I managed to bring out a decent meal at least that’s what I thought. I prepared vatha kuzumbu, rasam, omelette, rasam and we managed with a few store-bought items. Turns out that I didn’t add tamarind for the kuzumbu and I didn’t know at that time that the onions should be sautéed at first before adding them to the eggs….oops! that was a total disaster, it was one huge lumpy omelet.

There was another incident when I was staying at my sister’s place. We learnt a good lesson that day, never make gobi Manchurian with besan. We ran out of maida and corn flour, so we prepared cauliflower bajjis and added them into the gravy. It was a soggy mess but the taste was ok.

These are a few funny incidents with my cooking, for the rest, you need to ask my guinea pig (my hubby). He is sure to have a lot more stories. I hope all of you had a good laugh over this post :)

FAT-FREE SPLIT PEAS SOUP

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The inspiration for this soup is from a Ina Garten’s show. She cooked the soup in a big cast iron pot and this soup was so appetizing. In the original recipe, Ina slow-cooked half of the split peas and then added the seasonings and the other half of the peas so that the texture of the soup contained both puréed and whole peas. Lazy-me put all the ingredients for the soup in a pressure cooker and then blended everything but this soup did taste great. I loved the creaminess of this soup. I also did not add any oil for the soup since I was trying to make this soup fat free. If needed, the onions can be sautéed in oil and then cooked along with the peas. If you love creamy soups like I do, then this soup is for you.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Split peas, soaked overnight, 1 cup.

2. Onion, medium-size, 1.

3. Garlic, 2 pods.

4. Tomato sauce or canned tomatoes, 1 small can.

5. Mixture of dry herbs like mint, basil, and oregano, 1 tablespoon. (Oregano can be overpowering sometimes, add a pinch first and increase accordingly).

6. Any soup seasoning mixture or Italian seasoning mixture, ½ table.

7. Salt and pepper according to taste.

PREPARATION:

Wash the soak split peas well. Dice the onion into large pieces and peel the garlic. Take a pressure cooker or pressure pan and add the split peas, chopped onions, garlic pods, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, dry herbs, and seasoning mixture along with 3-4 cups of water or broth. Cook the contents for up to 3 whistles. Let the steam out and open the pressure cooker. Blend the contents into a smooth purée, check for salt and pepper taste, and transfer the soup into a serving bowl. Add grated cheese, croutons, or chopped basil leaves and serve the soup hot with garlic bread or crackers.

HAPPY PONGAL!!!!

Dear friends wishing you all a very happy Pongal and Sankaranti. Here are the puja pictures from my small puja space. I prepared sweet pongal, venpongal, vadas, and sambar for the occasion. I am back from my small unannounced break. This is my first post for the year :) I had been neglecting my blog because of my studies. My course is over now…whew! I will be posting frequently and be participating in events conducted by my foodie friends. My reader is also full…I’ll catch up with all your posts soon. See you all in my next post.