PUnjabi style Surma/ king fish fry

Punjabi fish fry is an authentic style preparation of the fish fillets unlike south indian style.Here fish is well coated in the batter of Gram flour ,curd and egg ,where as in south india rice flour or rava is used for the coating the fish.It is one of the favorite recipes from Punjabi cuisine,ready to spread its aroma all over.

Ingredients:

1. 5-6 Surma/king fish/anjal ,1 cm thin slices
2. 1/2tsp turmeric
3. 1tsp lemon juice
4. 1tbsp Mustard oil for the marinade
5. 1tbsp ginger garlic paste
6. 1/4 cup hung curd
7. 3tsp red chilly powder
8. 1/2tsp Garam masala
9. 1cup Besan/Gram flour
10. 1/2tsp Ajwain/carom seeds
11. 1 Egg lightly beaten
12. Salt to taste
13. Oil for frying
14. Chat masala as per taste

Method: 

• Wash and clean the surma slices and make them dry and keep aside
• Add red chilly powder,Garam masala,Crushed ajwain,ginger -garlic paste and salt to the gram flour,mix it well.
• Add curd ,mustard oil and egg beaten to the same besan mixture and make a thick paste.You can sprinkle little water if needed,but the consistency of the batter should be thick so that fish could coat properly.
• Now add the pieces of fish in this mixture and nicely massage each pieces of fish  with this besan batter.
• Let it marinate for 10-15 minutes in this batter.
• Heat oil in a pan and Shallow fry all the pieces on both the sides till golden brown.
• Sprinkle some chat masala and Serve hot with onion and lemon slices.

Chef's tip:

• You can use water instead of egg for the batter.
• If you want to make fish more crispy then deep fry the fish in hot oil instead of shallow frying.
• YOU can also try this same batter with pomfret or any other fishes of your choice.

Sending this to one of my favorite blog Amchigele Vasari as a guest post

Mysore style mutton saru/curry

Dussehra or VijayDashami marks as the Tenth Day (According to the Hindu Lunar Calender) of month Ashwin and Kartik. The first nine days of this month is celebrated as Navaratri and on the tenth day the “Dussehra” is celebrated. Dussehra festival is sign of (Triumph of) Good over Evil.

 Hindu’s observe the 10 Day fast of Navaratri and on 10th day ie On Vijaydashami day, at the culmination of a colourful 10-day celebration, the goddess Chamundeshwari is worshiped and then borne in a grand procession on a Golden Ambari or elephant-mounted throne through the city of Mysore, from the historical Mysore Palace to the Banni Mantapa. Banni is the Kannada word for the Sanskrit Shami, and Mantapa means "Pavilion". On this day in some cummunity Meat is heavily consumed after the sacrifice taken as the gift of god.

"Mamsa Mudde" is a much loved dish of Gowda community in mysore. This mysore style mutton curry is a complete bliss. In kannada, 'mamsa' means meat and mudde means soft cooked ragi balls

Ingredients :

1. 1kg Mutton,cut into medium size pieces
2. 1tsp Turmeric powder
3. 1tsp Red chilly powder
4. 1 Onion,sliced
5. 3 Tomato chopped
6. 2 Cinnamon
7. 5-6 Cloves
8. salt to taste

For the masala paste:

1. 1/2 Coconut,grated
2. 2 tsp Daniya powder
3. 1tsp Jeera powder
4. 6-7 Garlic cloves
5. 1 inch Ginger
6. 2 Cinnamon
7. 6-7 Cloves
8. 7-8 Spicy red chillies/guntur red chillies

For the main dish:

1. 1tbsp Ghee or oil
2. 1 onion,chopped
3. Salt to taste

cooking directions:

• Wash and clean the mutton.
• Pressure cook mutton pieces with turmeric,chilly powder,Sliced onion,chopped tomato,cloves cinnamon and salt.Add 2 cups of water and cook for 20-25 minutes or take 3-4 whistle depending on the tenderness of the meat.
• In the meantime grind masala with coconut,red chilly,cinnamon, cloves,ginger,garlic,coriander powder and jeera powder to smooth paste using 2-3 cups of water.
• Heat Ghee or oil in a big pan,add onion and fry until light brown.Add ground masala and saute for 3-4 minutes.
• Now add the cooked mutton and little salt (as we have added salt while cooking the mutton).The gravay should be medium consistency,if you want more water add about a cup of warm watre, Cover and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
• When done remove from the fire and garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with roti or ragi balls/mudde or plain basmati rice.

Corn-cheese sandwiches and canapes..

Having a pack of Canape shells or bread can really save your day, be it an unexpected guest or sudden requests from your family :-) 

Sandwiches are great for breakfast,lunch and i can even see myself eating this tasty sandwich for dinner.This cheese corn filling only took few minutes to make and really hit the spot.It is one of my all time favorite  and is amazing filling on canapes too. 

Its a great for a quick meal.As i said it only takes minutes to make,but will leave you satisfied! i know we will be making this filling again and again!

Ingrdients:

• 1 cup Sweet corn
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 2 tbsp White flour/maida/plain flour
• 2 cups Milk
• 2 tbsp Cheese,grated
• 2 Capsicum(green and red)
• 20 Canape shells
• 10 Slices of bread
• 1c up Chopped White onion/spring onion

Cooking Directions

1. Heat butter in a pan,quickly toss,corn,capsicum and onion and take out on a plate.
2. In the same pan fry the flour for couple of minutest till its changes the colour.
3. Add milk,salt and pepper,cook till the mixture thickens.
4. Now add the tossed veggies and grated cheese.Mix it well and switch off the gas.
5. Now butter the bread slices and Place the mixture and Prepare sandwiches.
6. For Canapes:
7. Fry the shells in hot oil for a few seconds. Drain onto an absorbent paper. Fill the shells with this mixture.

.Note: There are plenty of options for the toppings. Let your imagination take flight… :-)

• You can cut bread slices into bite-sized desired shape and toast them on both sides till crispy. Top it up with this corn mixture and your snack is ready. Yummmmmmmmmm……
  
  

Broken wheat /gova kanya/ payasam

I wish all my readers "Shubh Navrathri"

Today i am here with simplest and one my favourite payasam prepared by in Mangalore.We call it "Gova kanya godshe" as in konkoni .Gova kano means broken wheat Godshe means Payasam or sweet prepared with jaggery and coconut milk.

Broken wheat is a wheat product made from whole raw wheat kernels which are crushed or cut into smaller pieces. There are a large number of uses for cracked wheat, and the food makes a popular dietary supplement in many cultures. It is made by milling wheat grains coarsely. Wheat is cleaned and husked and then processed to the required size. It is highly nutritious as it does not undergo refining.

When the broken wheat is cooked, it has a very hearty, warm aroma and a grainy, delightful taste. It is slightly nutty and chewy. Broken wheat may be ground into coarse, medium and fine kernels.It is also calles as Cracked wheat, Dalia, Bulgar, Burghul, Fada, Lapsi, Bulgar Wheat.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Broken wheat
• 300 grms Jaggery or to taste
• 3cups Water
• 2 tbsp Ghee
• 1 tsp Cardamom powder
• 2 cups thick coconut milk
• 2 cups thin coconut milk

Cooking Directions

1. Wash the cracked wheat in water thoroughly and cook in 2 cups of water in an open pan until it gets soft, make sure it does not get mashed up. Alternately you can use a pressure cooker to cook the same, but make sure to cook for a whistle and turn off the stove. Let it cool and the rest of the cooking can be done in an open pan for 5-10 minutes or until the wheat gets soft. If it starts to stick to the bottom add little bit of water and then continue to cook.
2. Meanwhile in another pan mix jaggery with 1 cup of water and dissolve it completely. Just before it starts to boil remove from fire and filter the jaggery syrup, Add the syrup to the cooked grain. Stir well until the jaggery gets fully blend into the cooked wheat. Stir continuously. Mix well and add thin coconut milk. Stir until it starts to boil. Next add the thick coconut milk and cardamom powder. Give a final mix and remove from the fire. Garnish with ghee roasted cashew nuts and raisins and serve.

How to prepare coconut milk:

Grate coconut and grind it with 2 cups of water to smooth paste.Once it is ground,pour it to strainer squeeze it well to get the 1st extract milk or thick coconut milk.

Transfer the squeezed coconut again to a blender and add 2 cups of water and grind it again.Strain this again and extract the milk,now you'll get thin coconut milk.

Note:

• If you are using good quality jaggery avoid this step and add jaggery directly to the cooked wheat and proceed.

Soft and spongy Sagoo-Set dosa

Set dose/dosa is a set of 3 dosas served with vegetable gravy known as sagoo  very popular in Karnataka.This dosa is kind of thick almost like a pancake.,also for this not necessary to sprinkle oil or ghee on top rather than on the pan to avoic sticking.If making thin dosa the griddle to be medium high temprature and drizzle some water after each dosa is make to regulate the heat steady. You can make dosa thick or thin depending on your taste.

Today i am here with a small twist to a regular set dosa and the twist is sagoo set dosa...I've added some sagoo/tapioca pearls to get that soft and spongy texture just like what we get in any south indian restaurants.

     

sagoo set dosa

Ingredients for the dosa :

1. 1/2cup Urad dal
2. 1cup sagoo/tapioca pearls
3. 2 cups Dosa rice
4. 1tsp Methi seeds
5. 1cup Buttermilk ( sour)
6. salt to taste
7. Ghee or oil

Ingredients for the chutney: 

1. 3-4 Raw tomatoes
2. 1/2 cup Fresh coriander leaves
3. 2tbsp Fried gram/huri kadale
4. 1tsp Ginger chopped
5. 4-5 Green chillies
6. 1 small onion or 2-3 sambar onions
7. 1/2tsp mustard
8. 1/2 tsp jeera
9. few spring curry leaves
10. 1tsp oil 

Cooking Directions

soaked rice and methi 

soaked urad and sagoo

1. Soak urad dal and Sagoo for 5-6 hours in 3 cups of water.
2. Soak rice separately with methi for minimum 3hours.
3. First grind urad-sagoo with the 2 cups of water(use the same water in which you have soaked urad and sagoo ).You can add more water if needed.The batter should be light and fluffy.
4. Next in the same jar add soaked rice and methi and grind using butter milk to smooth paste.
5. Now mix both the batter and let it stand overnight or at least 7-8 hours for fermenting.
6. Next day add salt to taste and adjust the batter with little water if it is too thick.
7. Heat a non stick pan or iron griddle. Apply ghee and then pour two ladles of dosa batter in the center. If the batter has fermented well, when the dosa starts to cook, holes will form on the surface, this is what you are looking for that perfect set dosas. Cover it with a lid and let cook till one side is done. Remove it on a plate and serve hot with vegetable sagoo or chutney of your choice.I usually prefer it with vegetable sagoo or tomato- coriander chutney

Tomato chutney:

1. Heat oil in a pan ,add ginger and green chilly ,saute for couple of seconds.Then add fried gram/huri kadale and fry again till its crispy and changes to light brown colour.
2. Add the chopped shallots or onion and fry till it changes to pink colour or till transparent 
3. Now add rest of the ingredients and saute till the tomatoes and soft and mushy.
4. Let it Cool completely and then grind to smooth paste using very little water. 
5. Now prepare the tempering.Heat oil in a small pan,add mustard and jeera,let it splutter for a while,then add curry leaves and switch of the gas.
6. Pour this over the chutney and serve with dosa or idli